Chapter 669: Sowing and Awaiting Blossoms

"How can this be? Are you trying to take advantage of my ignorance?" Li Fan still looked utterly unconvinced and unyielding.

Only after the shopkeeper repeatedly explained and the onlookers, who were also cultivators, chimed in with their agreement, did he reluctantly accept the explanation.

"So, that Heavenly Spirit Flower, once the most beautiful in Xuanghuang, has now completely disappeared?"

Li Fan appeared distraught and full of regret, saying, "If I had known this, I would have come to see its beauty a few years ago, no matter what!"

"I heard that the Heavenly Spirit Flower had petals that opened differently. After blooming, each petal would display a unique scene: perhaps green mountains, or a surging river, or even falling snow. A single flower would gather the most exquisite landscapes from all corners of the world. Imbued with the spirit of heaven, it was incredibly beautiful..."

Li Fan's words instantly triggered memories among the cultivators present.

Most were native cultivators of Tianling State, and all had witnessed the exquisite beauty of the Heavenly Spirit Flower in its prime. Now, with one word after another, they shared their laments, making everyone feel even more regretful.

What is unattainable is always the most cherished.

The more they thought about it, the more regretful they felt, and the cultivators shook their heads, sighing.

Seeing that the atmosphere had been sufficiently built up, Li Fan then declared loudly, "Such a precious treasure, if one cannot witness it with their own eyes, it truly is a great regret in life! The Myriad Immortals Alliance has countless skilled individuals; I refuse to believe that the Heavenly Spirit Flower was not preserved completely!"

"I hereby offer a reward: I am willing to exchange a Longevity Pill, capable of extending life by three hundred years, for a single opportunity to see the original Heavenly Spirit Flower in person!"

As he spoke, under the watchful eyes of everyone, Li Fan took out a pill and placed it in his palm.

His voice instantly spread, and upon seeing the pill in Li Fan's hand and feeling a powerful pull in their hearts, an uproar ensued.

A treasure that could extend life by three hundred years was already extremely rare. Yet, this person was willing to use it just for one chance to see something!

"Fellow Daoist, you truly are a man of strong character, I admire you! Don't worry, I have friends who specifically cultivated Heavenly Spirit Flowers back then. Perhaps they might have preserved a specimen from that time."

"I'll ask around for you too!"

The crowd instantly became lively.

The flower shop owner's eyes gleamed as he picked up his communication talisman and began making calls.

Li Fan stood quietly amidst the crowd, waiting.

The outcome was exactly as he had anticipated.

After a short while, everyone showed expressions of deep regret. Indeed, no one in Tianling City, where the news had spread, had preserved a Heavenly Spirit Flower in its original form.

Li Fan sighed deeply, looking utterly disappointed.

"If I cannot achieve this wish, I shall not rest in peace even in death!"

"My reward offer remains valid long-term; I ask for your continued help in inquiring about it!" Li Fan cupped his hands towards the crowd, then, with lingering sighs, he turned and left.

Although this matter seemed trivial, it was, after all, a rare and interesting occurrence in the rather desolate Tianling City following the great war.

Thus, through the idle chatter of the crowd, the news of the "extinction of the original Heavenly Spirit Flower," which had initially garnered little attention, gradually became widely known.

In any case, there were quite a few cultivators who had either seen or heard of the Heavenly Spirit Flower's beauty back then.

As this intriguing piece of news circulated widely, their memories of the Heavenly Spirit Flower resurfaced from the depths of their minds.

"Ah, it truly is a pity."

"Such a treasure, and I never got to admire it back then? It's true that once missed, it's gone forever!"

More and more cultivators couldn't help but have such thoughts emerge in their minds.

Meanwhile, Li Fan, the instigator of it all, watched with satisfaction as discussions about the Heavenly Spirit Flower began to proliferate across various regions in the Heaven-Profound Mirror. He nodded contentedly.

"Next, it's about letting the sentiment ferment for a while. Things have started well with the ordinary cultivators; with the disciples of the Medicine King Sect adding more fuel to the fire, there shouldn't be much of a problem."

"However, to truly inflate the value of the Heavenly Spirit Flower, we still need to rely on the true powerful figures of the Myriad Immortals Alliance."

A gleam flashed in Li Fan's eyes as he took out the communication talisman that Shuofeng had left him.

"Brother Shuo, how have you been lately?"

After exchanging pleasantries, Li Fan got straight to the point: "There's something I need to trouble Brother Shuo to inquire about for me."

"The Heavenly Spirit Flower..."

After sending his message, Li Fan quietly waited for a reply.

Before long, Shuofeng's message came: "The Heavenly Spirit Flower? I think I've heard of it before. It's a small matter, I'll ask around for you."

Li Fan smiled faintly: "In that case, I thank Brother Shuo in advance!"

Shuofeng's side, however, fell silent for a while.

"Now, all I have to do is wait for the flower to bloom."

Not in a hurry to return to Longevity Valley, Li Fan browsed through the Heaven-Profound Mirror, examining all major and minor events that had occurred in the Xuanghuang Realm over the past two years, down to the smallest detail.

Familiar with the course of history, Li Fan could naturally find unusual changes, deliberately hidden, within the slightest clues.

For example, information about the Chaoyuan Sect ruins in Jiushan State, which he had always paid close attention to, had vanished overnight. It was as if the incident of the flying cultivation dwelling attracting cultivators to explore had never happened. The only search results were sparse records concerning the ancient Chaoyuan Sect.

Another example: a small number of cultivators were conscripted from various martial arts halls and sent to unknown destinations. These vacant positions even led to considerable competition and unrest.

Li Fan committed numerous clues to memory, one by one.

"I still need to resolve the authority issue. The information I can gather as an ordinary person is too little. There are too many restrictions."

After most of the day, Li Fan temporarily stopped.

After a moment's thought, he sent another message to Shuofeng: "Brother Shuo, I recently comprehended a new divine ability. Recalling our sparring session from before, I can't help but feel a bit eager. I wonder if you have time recently to spar with me again?"

This time, Shuofeng replied quickly.

"Oh? What, after more than two years, you're confident you can defeat me now? I forgot to tell you, I've already broken through to the Golden Core cultivation level. Even if you unleash your full power at the Nascent Soul stage, you might not be able to beat me."

"Talking is useless; we'll know once we try," Li Fan replied straightforwardly.

These words instantly ignited Shuofeng's fighting spirit.

"Come here," he sent a set of coordinates, indicating the location.

Li Fan looked: it was in a mountain range outside Tianquan City, Tianquan State.

"Alright, I'm on my way. Brother Shuo, please wait a moment."

"No worries. I'll be here for the next few days," Shuofeng replied, then there was no further message.

Li Fan then exited the Heaven-Profound Mirror and arrived in Tianquan State via a teleportation array.

Tianquan State was dotted with cultivation dwellings belonging to the powerful figures of the Myriad Immortals Alliance.

The location Shuofeng had provided was naturally one such place.

Li Fan, soaring through the sky, observed the traces of protective arrays covering the landscape. He carefully maneuvered around the formations, heading directly towards his destination.