Chapter 37: Strange Creatures Arise from the Vast Sea

Li Fan calmly examined the item in his hand.

At first glance, it appeared to be just an ordinary azure glass orb, but upon closer inspection, a shimmering light flowed within the sphere, as if a deep blue ocean was forming inside.

"A Divine Wonder of Heaven and Earth: Canghai Pearl (Nascent State).""When one vast ocean perishes, another is born."

Li Fan never expected to encounter a Divine Wonder of Heaven and Earth here! What's more, it was a Divine Wonder of Heaven and Earth still in its nascent stage, not yet fully formed.

Suppressing his excitement, Li Fan placed the Canghai Pearl back in its original spot. He pretended to be nonchalant and looked at other items nearby. He did not glance at the Canghai Pearl again until Wu Xingzhou announced that time was up.

Yin Yuzhen walked out, holding several items, a mix of regret and excitement on her face.

"Aren't you picking anything? It's rare for Wu Xingzhou to be so generous; this opportunity won't come again," Yin Yuzhen couldn't help but say, noticing Li Fan's empty hands.

Wu Xingzhou also said, "Manager Yin is right. It makes no sense to enter a treasure mountain and return empty-handed. Wouldn't that be looking down on me, Wu?"

Li Fan thought to himself, "Good thing you both said that, otherwise, I would have had to bring it up myself."

"Then it would be impolite for me to refuse," he said. He walked near the Canghai Pearl, selected a jade sculpture, and then casually picked up the Canghai Pearl along with it.

"I'll just take these two items," Li Fan said somewhat casually.

The sculpture was in the shape of an ancient tree. Wu Xingzhou glanced at it and praised, "Elder has good taste. I found this ancient tree jade sculpture on a remote island in the northernmost part of the Congyun Sea."

"This jade sculpture has been worshipped by a primitive tribe on the island for thousands of years and possesses considerable mystic power. If an ordinary person keeps it at home, it can calm the mind, focus the spirit, and strengthen the body," Wu Xingzhou lavishly praised the jade tree sculpture, but merely glanced at the Canghai Pearl and said nothing more about it.

"I'm grateful for your kindness, Manager Wu," Li Fan said with considerable delight, cupping his hands.

"What about this one?" Li Fan asked, toying with the Canghai Pearl.

"Oh, that one," Wu Xingzhou said, recalling after a moment's thought, "I got that from a fisherman on Liuyun Island. There's nothing special about it; it just looked a bit unusual, so I took it."

"Liuyun Island..." Li Fan firmly committed the name to memory.

He then quickly changed the subject: "Manager Yin, what did you choose?"

Wu Xingzhou's gaze immediately turned to Yin Yuzhen. Seeing Yin Yuzhen's selections—a painting, a pair of jade bracelets, and a gemstone—he enthusiastically began to introduce these items to them.

Li Fan listened perfunctorily, but his thoughts were entirely on the Divine Wonder of Heaven and Earth, the Canghai Pearl.

While Li Fan was distracted, the two parties concluded their transaction. The Tianhua Merchant Guild acquired a large collection of treasures, while Yin Yuzhen amassed a considerable amount of gold and silver.

"Manager Yin, perhaps we'll meet again," Wu Xingzhou sighed with emotion, as he piloted the Wanhua airship until it disappeared from their sight.

On the way back, although Yin Yuzhen had gained a lot this time, she still couldn't hide the worry on her brow.

"Are you worried about Tianbao Pavilion's future business?" Li Fan asked.

"Yes, without the Wanhua Merchant Guild, we've lost an important sales channel. I'm afraid Tianbao Pavilion's profits will be significantly reduced from now on," Yin Yuzhen lamented, "I don't know why the Wanhua Merchant Guild suddenly withdrew from the Congyun Sea."

"When the carriage reaches the mountain, there will surely be a road. There's no need to worry excessively," Li Fan said, unable to think of any good solutions for the moment, and could only offer words of comfort.

Yin Yuzhen nodded, but clearly hadn't taken his words to heart.

Upon returning to Liuli Island, Li Fan bade farewell to Yin Yuzhen and hurried back to Tingyou Tower.

He tightly closed the main door, and Li Fan took out the Canghai Pearl in his room.

"The original purpose of this trip was just to verify if the Star Sea Quicksand was meteorite iron," Li Fan mused, "I never expected to obtain this treasure; it's truly a pleasant surprise." He looked at the Canghai Pearl in his hand, overjoyed.

"I just don't know what's special about this Canghai Pearl," he wondered.

In Li Fan's understanding, every Divine Wonder of Heaven and Earth represented a certain characteristic or rule of the world. The Coiling Dragon Branch embodied using small to achieve great things and the act of swallowing; while the Rusty Sword Dao Xuan represented an indomitable will and possessed the ability to slow down rusting. The Stop-Sign Fragmented Stele, on the other hand, was inscribed with laws and carried out commands.

Why was this tiny glass pearl named Canghai? Could it be that there truly was an ocean contained within it?

Li Fan held up the Canghai Pearl and immersed himself in its deep blue hue, feeling captivated and mesmerized.

Unfortunately, Li Fan studied it for a long time but still couldn't figure out the special properties of the Canghai Pearl. Perhaps only cultivators could glimpse its mysteries!

Li Fan sighed deeply and reluctantly put the Canghai Pearl away carefully.

Should he absorb it now?

Li Fan hesitated for a moment, but according to Huan Zhen's feedback, the Canghai Pearl was still in its nascent state; if absorbed, it would likely only increase the charging progress by 1-2%. While a little is better than nothing, it would be better to keep it and wait for it to fully form before absorbing it. Anyway, since the item was already in his hands, there was no fear of it escaping.

It took a long time for Li Fan to calm down from the pleasant surprise of obtaining the Divine Wonder of Heaven and Earth.

After calming his mind, Li Fan once again immersed himself in the cultivation of the "Xuanhuang Pure Heart Mantra."

One day, a few days later, Li Fan was awakened by a series of urgent knocks at the door. It was still dark outside. Who could be disturbing him at this hour?

The cautious Li Fan took out a dagger, hid it in his sleeve, and went to open the door.

"Who is it?"

"Brother Li, it's me."

Xiao Heng's voice came from outside the door.

What did this kid want from him at this hour? Could it be that Tianbao Pavilion hadn't arranged the residence he promised? A hint of doubt flashed through Li Fan's mind, but he still opened the door and led Xiao Heng inside.

Xiao Heng's face was etched with anxiety and panic.

"Sit down and tell me."

Once they were inside, Xiao Heng urgently said, "Brother Li, something terrible has happened! It's been leaked that we secretly crossed over from the Separation Realm!"

"Who leaked the news?" Li Fan asked, a bit surprised.

"We don't know either," Xiao Heng replied. "But everyone on the island now knows that we are not natives of the Great Cultivation World but arrived here by secretly crossing over through Tianbao Pavilion. It's said that the Immortal Masters are extremely furious and plan to arrest and kill everyone. Some of us were terrified and fled by boat overnight. The rest of us truly don't know what to do."

"They all said Brother Li, you must have a solution, and told me to come and ask you quickly," Xiao Heng explained repeatedly.

After listening, Li Fan pondered for a moment, then let out a soft chuckle: "Don't worry, this matter is not a big deal."

Xiao Heng was stunned. "Brother Li, why do you say that?"

Li Fan sneered, "Does the government notify bandits before hunting them down? If they truly intended to kill you, your heads would have been separated from your bodies long ago. Would they still let you know the news, and then openly escape and discuss countermeasures?"

"Brother Li, you mean this news was deliberately released to scare us?" Xiao Heng asked, suddenly enlightened after hearing this.

"But why would they do that?" he then asked, his face full of confusion.

"In my opinion, this matter is probably not aimed at us," Li Fan said, suddenly standing up. "Their target is Tianbao Pavilion."