Chapter 556: Heavenly Spirit Continent Anomaly

"I've troubled you, fellow Daoist!" He Zhenghao said with a chuckle, cupping his hands, then walked back with Gao Yuan.

Watching the two figures recede into the distance, Li Fan's expression was unreadable."In just a year, they've been corrupted to this extent...""Heh, not long ago, these two were guessing I was a fallen Immortal Venerable seeking a good future by following me.""Now they even dare to deceive their superiors and conceal the truth from their subordinates."

A cold glint flashed in Li Fan's eyes. After all, the Battle of Tianling State in this life was orchestrated by him. He had also long anticipated that some cultivators participating in the fundraising initiative would perish in the battle. However, he hadn't proactively mentioned this to He Zhenghao. This was precisely to observe what choice He Zhenghao would make when faced with unclaimed principal. The result...

"Human hearts truly cannot withstand temptation.""Especially in the face of such vast amounts of contribution points. When one has grown accustomed to astronomical figures in the hundreds of millions, how could they be content with their meager existing salaries?""They were bound to seek extra income."

Li Fan secretly shook his head, though he wasn't exactly disappointed. It was just that he had originally planned, out of consideration for the "Sitting Mountain Manual" and He Zhenghao's past efforts in previous lives, to arrange a way out for him during the Flaming Ocean Cataclysm. As for now... let's talk about it in the next life.

Li Fan, expressionless, began selecting personnel for this conscription from among the cultivators within the Congyun Sea system. That's right, at the beginning of the war, the first to be conscripted were members of the Immortal Alliance's internal structure. After all, enjoying the special treatment of the Myriad Immortal Alliance naturally came with corresponding responsibilities.

"Zhu Yongshou...""This person once spoke disrespectfully; circle him.""Qi Yan. Hmm, no impression. I didn't see this person at either the groundbreaking ceremony for the reconstruction of Congyun City or the Immortal City's foundation laying ceremony. Circle him too.""Zhao Kuo, Myriad Immortal Alliance Congyun Sea Cultivator Feedback Collection Specialist?"

Li Fan's gaze swept over the name, and he paused slightly in surprise. He had reincarnated in the Congyun Sea for many years, and in this life, he had been in charge of Congyun Sea's political affairs for some time. Yet, he had never had the fortune of meeting this person. What about the promised feedback collection? "If you don't die, who will?" Li Fan, with a grand flourish of his pen, circled this person's name as well.

In just a short while, the list of conscripted cultivators that had caused He Zhenghao and Gao Yuan such extreme distress was complete. Overall, Li Fan's selection of cultivators' names was quite casual. After all, in Li Fan's eyes, even if they could escape the Battle of Tianling State, they couldn't escape the Flaming Ocean Cataclysm. It was merely a difference between dying sooner or later.

On the conscription order, He Zhenghao and Gao Yuan had already stamped the secret seal Li Fan had specially left before entering seclusion. Now, it only required "Zhou Qingang" to stamp it and issue it. Soon, "Zhou Qingang" completed the final step. "Every wrong has its source, every debt its master. Everything was done by Zhou Qingang; it has nothing to do with me, Li Fan." Li Fan felt no pressure at all.

"Fellow Daoist Zhou truly acts with swiftness and determination! Heh heh, it seems I'll have to trouble you again next time!" He Zhenghao's admiring voice soon came through. Li Fan smiled faintly and responded perfunctorily.

Deep beneath the sea, in the Crystal Palace.

Just a short half-day later, Sima Changkong, who had gone out to collect brewing ingredients, hastily returned. "Oh? Brother Sima, so quick?" Li Fan couldn't help but ask, a little surprised.

"Ah, fellow Daoist, you misunderstand." Sima Changkong shook his head repeatedly and explained, "I had an urgent matter, which is why I rushed back so suddenly." His face showed a hint of apology. "The ingredients for the Sky Azure Brew are not easy to gather, and I haven't had time to prepare them yet. If you wish to drink to your heart's content, I'm afraid you'll have to wait a while longer."

"No matter!" Li Fan waved his hand, indicating he didn't mind. "What exactly happened, Brother Sima, that you're in such a hurry?" Li Fan then asked with a touch of curiosity.

"Something extraordinary appeared on the Tianling State battlefield, and my Blood Clone was unfortunately destroyed. So I had to rush back to create a new one," Sima Changkong replied, a helpless expression on his face. "Something extraordinary?" Li Fan's eyes narrowed slightly as he welcomed Sima Changkong back into the Crystal Palace and motioned him to sit.

"Indeed, I was quite startled when I saw it," Sima Changkong said, seemingly exhausted from having used his escape art at full power to return. After resting for only a short while, he produced a black can from somewhere. He formed a hand seal and crushed the can. Instantly, a large amount of blood gushed out of it. It looked as if it had just been drawn from a body, and a pungent, bloody smell was still discernible. The blood writhed in the air, slowly forming a vague human shape.

Without averting his gaze from Li Fan, Sima Changkong lightly tapped his right index finger on his glabella, drawing forth a drop of blood that shimmered with multicolored light. He then integrated it into the blood mass before him. A faint glow emanated, and soon after, a clone identical to Sima Changkong appeared before the two of them. Sima Changkong took out clothes for the clone to wear. The clone then cupped its hands towards both of them and swiftly departed in the direction of Tianling State.

Only then did Sima Changkong let out a sigh of relief. However, he appeared even weaker, his face pale, and he could barely stand steadily. Seeing this, Li Fan quickly helped him to a seat.

It was a good while before Sima Changkong recovered. "How do you feel, fellow Daoist?" Li Fan didn't immediately inquire about the situation on the Tianling State battlefield; instead, he first asked with concern. "I'm fine, I just need to rest a bit," Sima Changkong said, shaking his head slightly and speaking weakly.

"That's good then. So this body of yours is your true self? I thought it was just a Blood Clone." "Heh heh, after cultivating the Bloodline Records, there's no such thing as a 'true self' anymore," Sima Changkong said with a bitter smile. "It's just that only here in Congyun Sea do I still have essence blood, allowing me to create new clones immediately."

Li Fan was immediately relieved upon hearing this. However, he soon frowned and said, "I observe that Brother Sima's method of creating clones seems to consume a great deal of vital energy?" "You're right, fellow Daoist. That's why I need to drink some Sky Azure Brew daily to replenish my depleted energy," Sima Changkong nodded.

"Oh dear! Then by greedily drinking so much of Brother Sima's Sky Azure Brew, wouldn't I be..." Li Fan stamped his foot and sighed, looking as if he regretted it immensely. "Heh heh, Brother Li, don't worry about it!" Sima Changkong said, reassuring Li Fan in turn.

"As I told you before, after cultivating our Sima family's Bloodline Records, our lifespans become no different from ordinary mortals.""A lifetime is merely a few short decades. It truly passes like a fleeting white colt glimpsed through a crack, gone in an instant.""In such a brief life, to meet a kindred spirit like Brother Li, I would have no regrets even in death.""So let's drink today, for tomorrow we may die! Fellow Daoist, I am so grateful that you drink with me every day; how could I possibly blame you?" Sima Changkong explained.