Chapter 569

The Early Apocalypse

When Li Fan appeared, the silver starlight and the uncontrollable rhythms of the Great Dao that emanated from him, inspiring enlightenment in others, were naturally the result of combining Human Dao Stardust and Enlightenment Pills.

To achieve this, Li Fan had completely swallowed the Human Dao Stardust he previously used to reverse his beloved's thoughts, along with hundreds of Enlightenment Pills. He didn't aim to digest them himself; only the overflowing fluctuations from these treasures were needed.

From the current perspective, the bluff was quite effective. As more and more contribution points flowed into his pocket, Li Fan believed that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, this final fundraising initiative should proceed quite smoothly.

There was no longer any need to remain here, so Li Fan quietly departed. Instead of returning to Congyun City, he went back to the secret chamber he had excavated deep within the trench and hid once more.

“Heaven and Earth Qiankun Dice…”

Li Fan's eyes flickered slightly, and a crystal-clear die appeared in his hand. He toyed with it continuously, his mind brimming with thoughts.

What he had said earlier wasn't entirely fabricated. During his previous interactions with this ancient treasure from the Tianji Sect, vague scenes had indeed occasionally flashed through his mind. These were apocalyptic scenarios: a barren land stretching for thousands of miles, and Congyun Sea utterly silent and lifeless.

Had an ordinary cultivator received such an inexplicable premonition, they would undoubtedly be terrified and at a loss. Li Fan, however, felt no particular emotion. After all, he had witnessed things far more terrifying than mere prophetic scenes, such as Inkkill annihilating everything. For Li Fan, the Burning Red Flames of the Sea was truly a minor event.

His only point of interest was that the future scenes he sensed from the Heaven and Earth Qiankun Dice did not occur at the 'anchored year 28' he had experienced in previous lives, but rather earlier. Moreover, this timeline continued to advance as he made various moves in this current life.

For example, after he used a subtle scheme to successfully get Sikong Yi to complete the Heavenly Doctor's mission. And again, after he conceived the plan to incite a great war between Han Yi, the Fisherman, the Heavenly Doctor, and the Master. The scenes of the Burning Red Flames of the Sea sensed from the Heaven and Earth Qiankun Dice significantly moved forward in time.

Li Fan knew that the future was never limited to a single possibility. Nor was anything fated to happen. However, as a complete catastrophe, the Burning Red Flames of the Sea shouldn't be easily altered by his actions. But clearly, Li Fan might have underestimated the impact of his actions on the Burning Red Flames of the Sea.

Why did the Essence of Heaven and Earth slaughter living beings in Congyun Sea? Why, even after the red flames subsided, did the Will of Heaven and Earth persist, sending out the formidable Inkkill to completely transform Congyun Sea into a dead zone? With Inkkill's intervention, only nothingness would remain in Congyun Sea. For Heaven and Earth, this was undoubtedly a self-defeating approach. Even so, Heaven and Earth insisted on this course. Congyun Sea must perish.

This was something Li Fan had understood during his initial few reincarnations. Yet, he had never been able to find any clue as to why. However, in this life, as he actively facilitated the meeting between the Heavenly Doctor, the Master, and the Fisherman in Congyun Sea, things began to change.

According to the future scenes revealed by the Heaven and Earth Qiankun Dice, if a war between the three truly occurred, the Burning Red Flames of the Sea event, originally set for the anchored year 28, would appear by the anchored year 20 at the latest. That's a full eight years earlier!

The war between the Heavenly Doctor and the Fisherman was something Li Fan had planned long ago. It was impossible for it to change just because a fated event happened earlier. This was also why Li Fan set the final fundraising initiative for the present moment.

Of course, all of this was currently just fragmented imagery displayed by the Heaven and Earth Qiankun Dice. A definitive conclusion would likely only be possible after a few years, when events truly unfolded.

“If the Burning Red Flames of the Sea truly arrive earlier due to the frequent activities of the Heavenly Doctor and others…”“...then things become quite intriguing.”

A faint glimmer flashed in Li Fan's eyes. He then thought of the fragments of the Heaven Fiend Sword, suppressed in various locations by the Essence of Heaven and Earth. He had already undergone several reincarnations in the Xuanhuang Cultivation World, poring over ancient texts. While he didn't grasp every detail, he understood the general state of cultivation in the Xuanhuang Realm to a significant extent.

As far as he knew, although the conflict between cultivators and Heaven and Earth had become irreconcilable since the establishment of the new laws, Heaven and Earth typically countered cultivators by altering their own inherent rules, such as with the 'laws cannot be cultivated together' principle. This was an indirect method to purge cultivators. Instances where Heaven and Earth actively manifested killing intent, like the catastrophe in Congyun Sea, Li Fan had genuinely rarely encountered similar cases. Perhaps it was because relevant information was hidden; at least for now, Congyun Sea was the only such instance Li Fan knew of.

“What does this truly mean?” A pensive expression appeared on Li Fan’s face. “I hope the Heavenly Doctor and the others can provide me with some insight in this life.”

Less than a day after the gathering of cultivators on Liuli Island, all cultivators throughout Congyun Sea received definite news. The previous rumors were not groundless; the Secret Emissary, who had been in secluded cultivation for a long time, had personally stepped forward to confirm them. Thus, a grand carnival ensued.

The high-return fundraising initiative, which had previously existed only in legends and was open only to cultivators associated with Li Fan, was now finally accessible to them. The goal of tripling their investment in five years seemed incredible, but if it were handled by that legendary cultivator from the Tianji Sect, it was no longer a big deal.

Cultivators spread the news among themselves, enthusiastically discussing how many contribution points would be best to invest this time. Even some very rational cultivators, facing the current atmosphere of widespread participation, couldn't help but feel a hint of wavering.

“I currently have a total of 450,000 contribution points. If that triples…”“That would be over a million!”

Sikong Yi's heart surged with emotion. “Fellow Daoist Han was indeed right; the path of cultivation also depends on connections! Without the opportunity he left behind to contact He Zhenghao, when would I ever earn a million? Fellow Daoist Han, it’s good that you’re dead!”

With this thought, Sikong Yi didn't hesitate for a moment, deciding to risk everything again by investing all his accumulated wealth into this fundraising initiative. “Opportunities like this are rare and won't come again. This is my chance to completely turn my fortune around!” A resolute glint flashed in his eyes.

Han Yi, who possessed a million contribution points after winning the lottery with the fixed fish head, was currently in Yuandao Province. “Li Fan of Congyun Sea, triple in five years?” His heart stirred.

Perhaps due to the backlash from forcibly twisting his luck, ever since he entered Yuandao Province, nothing had gone smoothly for him. His cultivation hadn't improved much, and he had already spent some of his million contribution points.

“Perhaps…” A hint of hesitation flickered in Han Yi's eyes.