Chapter 432: Imperial Hidden Sage

Li Fan was slightly surprised upon sensing it. "This is... He Zhenghao has broken through to the late Foundation Establishment stage?""It's only been a little over two months. This speed is even faster than in his previous life. What happened?"

Li Fan couldn't help but chuckle as he reviewed the surveillance footage of He Zhenghao stored in the Dao Transmutation Stone crystal. Lately, He Zhenghao had truly been on a roll.

The news that He Zhenghao had defied fate by receiving guidance from an elder of the Heavenly Dao Sect spread like wildfire throughout the Clouded Sea. Having cultivated the "Sitting Mountain Manual" previously, He Zhenghao had started building connections and expanding his network early on. Due to his excellent talent in formation arrays, the various formation masters in the Array Planning Hall also had a decent relationship with him. Therefore, despite He Zhenghao being only a Foundation Establishment cultivator, his network of connections was truly not to be underestimated. In his previous life, Li Fan's ability to join the Myriad Immortals Alliance was also thanks to He Zhenghao's efforts!

This time, by a stroke of luck, He Zhenghao switched to a Nascent Soul cultivation technique that suited him perfectly. Anyone with discerning eyes could see that, barring any major unforeseen circumstances, He Zhenghao's attainment of the Nascent Soul realm was a foregone conclusion. A Nascent Soul-level formation master, who was also a skilled socializer, He Zhenghao's status in everyone's eyes was now completely different.

Visitors streamed in continuously, and He Zhenghao welcomed them all with a cheerful smile and open arms. He received so many gifts that his hands were sore, and his mood was exceptionally joyful. His cultivation also advanced by leaps and bounds, and he soon broke through to the late Foundation Establishment stage. During this time, the visiting cultivators inevitably began to inquire about the "ancient Heavenly Dao Sect cultivator." After all, who wouldn't be envious of someone whose worth doubled overnight? If only they could also gain the favor of such a powerful figure...

Initially, He Zhenghao could fob them off with excuses like, "I haven't been in contact for a long time recently," or "I haven't seen that senior since." However, as the number of inquiring cultivators grew and their status became higher, He Zhenghao gradually found it difficult to cope. His consistent refusal to reveal any information about the Heavenly Dao Sect cultivator had begun to cause dissatisfaction among some cultivators. Accusations of He Zhenghao "monopolizing the benefits" also began to surface more frequently.

Even Chu Ming, the Nascent Soul cultivator from the Political Affairs Hall whom He Zhenghao had previously contacted to help Li Fan join the Myriad Immortals Alliance, started questioning He Zhenghao after being unable to reach Li Fan. Heaven help him, He Zhenghao truly had no idea where Li Fan was! Li Fan couldn't be contacted through the Heavenly Profound Mirror, nor had he left any communication talismans. Faced with the increasing pressure from more and more cultivators, He Zhenghao was practically in tears from anxiety. He wished he could slap his past self from two months ago. *Why did you have to go around showing off for no reason!*

Li Fan's lips curved slightly as he watched the continuous greetings He Zhenghao sent through the Heavenly Profound Mirror. "Let it brew for a bit longer; the atmosphere will be just right then.""Five million contribution points should be enough to support the first phase of my plan.""But for now, let Fellow Daoist He endure a little more."

Li Fan then sensed the situation on the side of the Foundation Establishment grandmasters. Li Chenfeng had returned, accompanied by a masked woman in a long blue dress. Li Chenfeng and the other two treated this woman with extreme respect, addressing her as Saint Master. Since arriving in the Xuanhuang Realm, the Saint Master had not left the secret chamber on the island. When Li Chenfeng entered and exited the chamber, Li Fan was able to see her manipulating a mechanical device resembling an armillary sphere inside.

"Saint Master?""Interesting. The agreed-upon three months are up. I, as the envoy of the Myriad Realms Alliance, will go meet her."

Li Fan felt no danger from the woman in blue. Instead, he subtly felt a sense of familiarity. This familiarity was extremely faint; even after searching through the memories stored in the Dao Transmutation Stone, Li Fan couldn't pinpoint its origin. This only piqued Li Fan's interest further. He immediately transformed back into his appearance from that day and flew towards the target location. Soon after, he arrived above the island.

Looking closely, Li Chenfeng and the other two were already waiting at the entrance."Senior, please follow us," Li Chenfeng whispered, leading Li Fan into the secret chamber.

Li Fan maintained a normal expression, though he felt a slight sense of vigilance internally. Staring at the woman whose face was obscured, sitting not far away, he asked, "Who is this?""I, this old one, was entrusted by the Imperial Daughter to come and see if the so-called Immortal Ruins are real," the woman in blue said. Although she referred to herself as "this old one," her voice was clear and melodious, like that of a teenage girl.

"Oh? If that's the case, have you found anything?" Li Fan examined the device in front of the woman with interest. At its center, a golden sphere remained stationary, while numerous smaller spheres of various colors moved irregularly around it in different orbits.The woman in blue shook her head and sighed slightly. "It seems something is obscuring the existence of the Immortal Ruins; I cannot detect them. However, it is true that this place has become even more anomalous."

Li Fan narrowed his eyes slightly. "This place is even more anomalous?"The woman in blue waved her hand, putting away the device."This is the Void Longitude-Latitude Orbital Tracker, which the Empire spent thousands of years to create. It can mark and lock its own position in the endless void and map the surrounding environment.""Originally, it was intended for navigating through the void after leaving the Xuanhuang Realm. Using it now to detect the Immortal Ruins can be considered putting it to good use."

Li Fan listened quietly as the woman in blue spoke."Here, the Xuanhuang Realm's main world..." A hint of nostalgia flickered in her eyes. "...the data mapped by the orbital tracker is completely chaotic.""It's as if a massive distortion field exists nearby, affecting spacetime and interfering with the mapping results.""Theoretically speaking, the observation results align with your description of the Immortal Ruins, which devour everything."

Li Fan stated coldly, "I have no need to deceive you in this regard."The woman in blue smiled faintly. "No, you did deceive us."Li Fan's eyes narrowed slightly, and his heart suddenly tensed. "What do you mean?"

The woman in blue looked towards the Xuanhuang Realm's sky and slowly said, "Because even if the Immortal Ruins truly exist, our Empire will not be devoured by it after we leave the Xuanhuang Realm.""Not just us; none of the many small worlds captured by the Ten Immortal Sects back then would be either."Li Fan remained silent.The woman in blue continued, "Because we are not, in fact, located in the same spacetime as the Xuanhuang Realm at all. We are connected solely by the Immortal Severance Channel.""If we sever our connection with the Xuanhuang Realm, we will gain complete freedom.""And the Xuanhuang Realm, on the other hand, will ultimately face destruction."