Chapter 67: Determined to Practice Illusion Technique

Third: If you wish to explore anomalies, gather as many people as possible. The most effective way to understand the rules of anomalies is to sacrifice lives. Trust yourself; you definitely won't be the first to die!

Li Fan read through the "Sect Ruin Survival Guide" carefully, feeling that the 100 contribution points were well spent. With this experience, he would be more confident when exploring the Cloudwater Celestial Palace in two years.

In his previous life, after the news spread that Sikong Yi had found the "Cloudwater Diagram Record" in the Cloudwater Celestial Palace and gained 100,000 contribution points, it ignited the enthusiasm of cultivators in the Congyun Sea to explore the Cloudwater Celestial Palace. Although the "Cloudwater Diagram Record" had been taken, the Cloudwater Celestial Palace was so vast that there must be more treasures inside than just that one. It was with this mindset that cultivators from the Congyun Sea surged towards the Cloudwater Celestial Palace, one after another, disregarding their lives. Even rogue cultivators from distant continents came after hearing about it.

Their assumption was indeed correct. In his previous life, up until Anchor Year 27, the year Li Fan reached the Qi Refining stage, the Cloudwater Celestial Palace had still not been fully explored. From time to time, news of cultivators obtaining treasures from it would spread, making everyone envious. And precisely because so many people continuously explored it, most of the anomalous rules within the Cloudwater Celestial Palace were no longer a secret. Li Fan had heard about them in his previous life. However, how Sikong Yi originally obtained the "Cloudwater Talisman Record" remained a subject of much debate, with no definitive conclusion.

Therefore, if Li Fan wanted to scheme for the "Cloudwater Diagram Record" in this life, the best method would be to secretly follow Sikong Yi and intercept him just as he was about to succeed. With two years remaining until the Cloudwater Celestial Palace opened, he could first secretly gather information about Sikong Yi to ensure he knew his enemy and himself. At the same time, he also needed to improve his strength as much as possible.

Li Fan turned his attention to the combat-focused Qi Refining stage cultivation techniques available in the Heavenly Profound Mirror. Combat techniques were much more expensive than ordinary ones. The "Minor Derivation Water Art" Li Fan had previously cultivated only cost 1,200 contribution points, whereas combat techniques generally cost around 1,500 points. Li Fan quickly browsed the technique descriptions, selecting one suitable for himself. "Flowing Water Sword Art," "Minor Astral Wind Sword," "Crimson Meteor"...

Suddenly, Li Fan's gaze stopped on one particular technique: "Nether Spirit Illusion Art." After carefully reading the technique's description several times, Li Fan's heart stirred. According to the description, this was a cultivation technique primarily focused on illusions. By visualizing and nurturing a "Phantom Spirit" in one's mind, one could release it to confuse enemies in combat. Once the Phantom Spirit grew powerful, it could even infiltrate an opponent's sea of consciousness and launch direct spiritual attacks. This technique seemed custom-made for him!

Although he didn't know how his spiritual sense strength compared to other cultivators, having undergone cycles of reincarnation for centuries, coupled with the augmentation of the "Profound Yellow Heart Refining Mantra," it certainly wouldn't be too weak. Furthermore, regarding the visualization and cultivation of a "Phantom Spirit," a crimson figure inexplicably appeared in Li Fan's mind. If he were to visualize with Crimson Flame as the prototype, then the resulting "Phantom Spirit" should possess considerable power. Li Fan pondered to himself and immediately decided to purchase this technique. But the price... Li Fan glanced at it, and his eyelids twitched. 2,500 points! It was almost the same price as a lower-tier Foundation Establishment technique! No wonder this technique, despite appearing so formidable, had remained here, unpurchased.

Actually, Li Fan had misunderstood this point. The "Nether Spirit Illusion Art" was so expensive simply because illusion-based techniques were relatively rare, not because of its immense power. In the current cultivation world, the spiritual sense strength of most cultivators was quite similar. After all, before the advent of the Great Tribulation, techniques specifically focused on strengthening spiritual sense were already scarce. Not to mention now, when immortal cultivation arts cannot be cultivated concurrently. Lacking methods to enhance spiritual sense, the spiritual sense strength of the vast majority of cultivators remained at the same level. In such circumstances, few would choose to attack others using their spiritual sense, because it often meant mutually assured destruction. This was also why the "Nether Spirit Illusion Art" was considered somewhat impractical by other cultivators. At the end of the day, this was merely an illusion technique. It taught how to *use* spiritual sense, not how to *strengthen* it. Since spiritual sense attacks couldn't be easily used, who would be willing to spend 2,500 contribution points just for a bit of illusion?

It was precisely because Li Fan possessed the Profound Yellow Heart Refining Mantra and had personally witnessed the form of Crimson Flame, the Spirit of Heaven and Earth, that he was more attuned to the path of visualizing "Phantom Spirits." Therefore, the "Nether Spirit Illusion Art" could achieve multiple times its usual effect in his hands.

Regardless, Li Fan gritted his teeth and ultimately purchased the "Nether Spirit Illusion Art." In the blink of an eye, Li Fan's contribution points plummeted to just 1,321. Contribution points came quickly, but disappeared even faster! He had originally wanted to buy an escape technique as well, but now he didn't have enough points, so he would have to consider it later. The immediate priority was to cultivate the "Nether Spirit Illusion Art" to the late-stage Qi Refining realm.

Activating the Heavenly Profound Mirror's assisted cultivation mode and placing the Exquisite Glazed Pearl nearby, Li Fan began his cultivation. With his mind as clear as a mirror, the profound text of the cultivation technique, seen through Li Fan's doubly enhanced perception, became as simple and understandable as a primary school textbook. The pure cultivation refined from the "Minor Derivation Water Art" within his dantian served as nourishment, propelling the progress of the "Nether Spirit Illusion Art" like a rocket. In less than a day, the "Nether Spirit Illusion Art" was cultivated to the mid-stage Qi Refining realm.

Upon reaching the mid-stage Qi Refining, he could begin visualizing a "Phantom Spirit" in his mind. Although it was a Phantom Spirit, the visualized object could not be fabricated out of thin air. It had to be based on something that genuinely existed in the cultivation world. His thoughts flowed slowly, and scenes from the past unfolded before his eyes. Li Fan felt as if he had returned to the moment in his previous life when he witnessed Crimson Flame burning the sea. A blurry silhouette slowly materialized in Li Fan's sea of consciousness.

Even with just this nascent, unformed silhouette, Li Fan suddenly felt his body temperature rapidly increase. Sweat poured down his entire body like raindrops. Li Fan frowned and forcibly circulated the Heart Refining Mantra to suppress the intense heat. He continued to visualize the Crimson Flame's figure. As the Crimson Flame Phantom Spirit slowly took shape, Li Fan's body temperature also continued to rise. If before he felt as though he were in a desert under a scorching sun, now it was as if he were being roasted by a roaring fire. As Li Fan continued his visualization, the scorching sensation became even more terrifying.

Finally, after the temperature reached its limit, the clothes Li Fan was wearing spontaneously combusted without a flame. "Pfft!" He could no longer maintain the visualization state, and the silhouette in his sea of consciousness immediately dissipated. Li Fan suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood. The blood, as if radiating extreme heat, turned into a cloud of white vapor and evaporated before it even hit the ground. Li Fan wiped the blood from his mouth, undeterred. He purchased a healing pill from the Heavenly Profound Mirror, recovered for a moment, and then resumed his visualization.