Chapter 469: Financial Might Intimidates Martial Performance

Despite my usual caution, I was inadvertently bumped into by a spy from the Five Elders Society this time.

Han Yi, who had been unable to escape the fate of having his soul searched, managed to flee because of this.

For those with favorable fortune, all things proceed as desired; for those with unfavorable fortune, all things go awry.

Is this the power of destiny itself...?

Li Fan finally began to understand the anguish of Song Yang, who, in the Immortal Ruins Realm, sought to obtain the Heavenly Mandate Black Bird from Xu Ke.

Gazing at the rapidly swirling vortex in the ruins, Li Fan hesitated for a moment but ultimately decided not to pursue it.

A faint premonition told him that forcibly pursuing it would likely lead to no good.

For Li Fan to sense a subtle danger, the depths of that vortex were certainly not mere mortal realms devoid of extraordinary power, like the Li Realm or Da Xuan.

"No matter, he can run but he can't hide."

The Formless Killing Intent had already locked onto Han Yi, though Li Fan had temporarily lost track of him.

As soon as he returned to the Xuanhuang Realm, Li Fan would immediately be aware.

Returning to the surface of the sea, the four cultivators from the Five Elders Society had been utterly annihilated by the Five Elements Annihilation Sword, leaving not a trace.

Li Fan took out his Image Stone, recorded the scene in the sky, and then unhurriedly returned to Myriad Immortals Island.

The unusual phenomenon of four Nascent Soul cultivators perishing simultaneously was truly spectacular, lingering in the sky for a long time.

Even though this sea area was extremely remote, it drew many cultivators to witness it.

Upon understanding the phenomenon, they couldn't help but gasp in shock.

Four True Monarchs of the Nascent Soul stage had perished all at once!

What shocked them even more was that the perpetrator was a single individual.

And that person was Li Fan, the renowned master of divination from the Cloud Sea, a cultivator of the ancient Heavenly Mystery Sect!

This left them even more perplexed.

Hadn't it been said that Li Fan's cultivation had plummeted to the Golden Core realm after thousands of years of slumber?

How could he, alone, slay four Nascent Soul cultivators?

He was known for his mastery of divination; how could his combat prowess be so astonishing?

The names of these four Nascent Soul cultivators were completely unknown; who were they?

What animosity did they share with Master Li that provoked him to such a lethal strike?

Amidst a flurry of questions, they all swiftly relayed this explosive news to their friends and family.

Consequently, the tale of Li Fan slaying four Nascent Soul cultivators rapidly spread throughout the Cloud Sea.

Myriad Immortals Island, at the Martial Arts Hall.

"Are you here to claim a reward?" The attendant cultivator asked, looking at Li Fan with a puzzled expression. "What reward?"

"I recall there's a corresponding reward for successfully eliminating a Five Elders Society spy, isn't there?" Li Fan asked patiently.

As he spoke, he produced his Image Stone and played the recently recorded footage.

"I killed four Nascent Soul cultivators from the Five Elders Society," Li Fan stated earnestly.

"Cough, cough, cough..." The cultivator from the Martial Arts Hall immediately broke into a fit of violent coughing.

He snatched the Image Stone and watched it repeatedly, completely astounded.

After a good while, he looked at Li Fan, his face etched with shock. "You... please wait a moment!"

With that, he stumbled and sprinted towards the inner chambers of the Martial Arts Hall.

"What did you say?" A faint clamor could be heard in the distance.

Shortly thereafter, Li Fan was respectfully ushered into the Martial Arts Hall's reception room.

Li Fan sat down with a relaxed air.

Before long, a group of cultivators flooded into the hall.

"Master Li... we've just confirmed the authenticity of the footage on the Image Stone." A Nascent Soul cultivator, clad in a tight-fitting earthy yellow martial uniform and still faintly smelling of blood, stood before Li Fan, speaking with some reservation.

"May I be so bold as to ask if you've recovered your former cultivation?" He looked at Li Fan with a hint of anticipation.

Li Fan took a sip of the spirit tea on the table, savored it carefully, and then slowly set the cup down. He shook his head, unhurriedly. "Full recovery of my cultivation? Nonsense! Am I not still at the late Golden Core stage? It's so obvious, can't you tell?"

The air in the reception room suddenly grew silent.

"This..." The cultivator in the martial uniform was instantly dumbfounded upon hearing his reply.

A moment later, he asked with a touch of exasperation, "Then how did you manage to kill those four Nascent Soul cultivators from the Five Elders Society?"

Li Fan suddenly slapped the table, startling everyone in the room. He scanned the crowd with a look of disdain. "What age is this?" he scoffed. "Does one still have to personally strike down their foes?

"In ancient times, sects operated independently, hoarding their treasures. To line their own pockets, they would set exorbitant prices. High-grade magical artifacts, talismans, and similar items remained incredibly expensive, almost impossible to acquire.

"But now, with the Immortal Alliance controlling half of the Xuanhuang Realm, and the divine Heavenly Xuan Mirror coordinating everything, there are no longer any unscrupulous merchants hoarding goods and driving up prices.

"Those high-damage single-use artifacts, formation diagrams, and talismans are practically given away for free!"

Li Fan shook his head. "I've only just reawakened after all this time, so naturally, I must prioritize my own safety. It's only normal to acquire some items for unforeseen circumstances, isn't it?"

Upon hearing Li Fan's explanation, the cultivator in the martial uniform finally understood, utterly dumbfounded. "You mean," he stammered, "you just used external objects to kill those four Nascent Soul cultivators?"

Li Fan raised an eyebrow. "What? You don't believe me?"

As he spoke, with a decisive *thud*, he produced several Sky-Rending Gilded Lightning Orbs from his storage ring and placed them on the table.

A palpable stir of alarm instantly swept through the Martial Arts Hall.

Li Fan, however, continued without pause.

The Rage Incinerating Heavens Formation Diagram, Eight Desolations Annihilation Divine Thunder, Soul Stabilizing Needle, Demon Sealing and Subduing Banner...

One after another, costly killing artifacts were produced by Li Fan and piled before the astonished cultivators.

The Martial Arts Hall fell into stunned silence.

The cultivators stared at the small mountain of single-use consumable artifacts piled on the table, their faces all turning pale.

"So, with these, is it enough?"

"If not, no worries, I have even more potent items here," Li Fan asked somewhat casually.

The yellow-robed cultivator wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, quickly interjecting, "Enough! Enough! Master Li, please put these items away! If they were to accidentally detonate here, it would be a monumental disaster!"

Li Fan nodded in satisfaction, then waved his hand, making his arsenal vanish.

Only then did the cultivators in the Martial Arts Hall exhale a collective sigh of relief.

Although these killing artifacts were all standard, albeit somewhat weakened, products sold by the Heavenly Xuan Mirror, their sheer quality and overwhelming quantity were undeniable.

If that pile of items were unleashed, let alone Nascent Soul cultivators, even a Soul Transformation Immortal Monarch would likely be overwhelmed!

"Everyone says he can easily amass wealth through his divination skills. Now it seems, that's truly the case."

"It's truly good to be wealthy; that pile of items alone would cover our team's expenses for more than half a year."

"I heard one can invest with him through He Zhenghao? Perhaps it's worth considering."

For a moment, a myriad of expressions crossed the faces of the Martial Arts Hall cultivators, their minds buzzing with thoughts.

"Since there are no issues, let's discuss my reward!"

"I went to great expense to deal with those black-robed cultivators from the Five Elders Society. You wouldn't want me to incur a loss, would you?"

Li Fan drank another cup of tea, then slowly looked up at the gathered cultivators.