Shang Tianci paused, then spoke with great mystery: "This purple gourd can materialize scenes recorded in the green gourd! —if there's enough energy, that is. With my current abilities, I can only recreate a large lake spanning a hundred miles at most. If I advance to the Dao Assimilation stage, it wouldn't be difficult to conjure nine mountains with a single thought!"
Shang Tianci's voice was filled with pride.
Li Fan's interest was indeed piqued. "Oh?" he asked. "Are there any limitations when you manifest landscapes? How long can they last? Can they be manifested within the Xuanhuang Minor Realm?"
"There are no limitations whatsoever," Shang Tianci declared, holding his head high. "A single manifestation allows it to exist permanently, indistinguishable from a real landscape. It can be performed anywhere—in the Xuanhuang Realm, in a Grotto-heaven, or even in a Minor Realm!"
"A companion from my Mountain River Pavilion once had a wild idea," Shang Tianci whispered. "He suggested that if I were to use the manifestation technique within a Nascent Soul cultivator's inner Grotto-heaven, and the manifested scene was larger than their Grotto-heaven, it would instantly make that cultivator explode!"
The Mountain River Pavilion is an unofficial organization within the Myriad Immortals Alliance. Its members are all exceptionally talented individuals from various states. There's a strict minimum entry standard: anyone who forms a Golden Core after the age of twenty can no longer join. The Mountain River Pavilion has few members, numbering only around fifty. However, they are exceptionally united and operate on a principle of mutual benefit. Anyone who passes the entry assessment is treated equally, regardless of their family background or status.
"Your companion has an excellent idea. He's quite a promising talent! If the opportunity arises, you might consider recruiting him," Li Fan said with a low chuckle.
"I think so too," Shang Tianci nodded in agreement. "Yan Fangzhou is already at the Soul Transformation stage at such a young age. If he could join us, he would definitely be a great asset!"
"Soul Transformation..." Li Fan's breath hitched slightly, then immediately returned to normal.
He let out a strange, cackling laugh. "First, try to interact with him more and sound him out," he instructed. "Then, I'll make my move."
Shang Tianci was about to reply. However, a sudden, urgent warning blared from the Taihua Heavenly City in the distance. In an instant, it resounded throughout the entire Taihua Mountain Range. The moment cultivators heard the warning, the corresponding information naturally appeared in their minds:
"The Myriad Immortals Alliance has entered Class A combat readiness, effective immediately.""Cultivators from all state Martial Arts Halls, Garrison Departments, and Strategy Array Pavilions are to return to Heavenly City immediately and await orders.""Checkpoints and patrols are to be established at all state borders, with strict vigilance against miscreants."
Li Fan smiled faintly. "The Myriad Immortals Alliance has finally reacted," he commented.
Shang Tianci, however, harbored a faint worry. "I wonder how far this situation will escalate," he mused.
"Don't worry," Li Fan reassured him. "The Five Elders Council will need some time to digest Nine Mountains State. And the Myriad Immortals Alliance certainly won't accept this defeat; they're bound to reclaim it. Therefore, for a considerable period, both sides will vie for control within Nine Mountains State. It's unlikely that conflict will spread to other regions," Li Fan added as an afterthought, "Unless there are other special factors."
Although Shang Tianci was momentarily swayed by Li Fan's words, he was still young and inherently kind-hearted. The thought that his actions might, in some small way, contribute to a protracted and brutal war made him restless. Li Fan offered no comfort, allowing him to dwell on his thoughts.
"If I'm not mistaken, the Five Elders Council should soon try to contact me using the method I provided in the jade slip. There's no rush. I'll let them stew for a while first." Li Fan was already contemplating how to make an exorbitant demand and secure a hefty profit in the upcoming negotiations.
Suddenly, a chill ran through him.
"Hmm?" His mind instantly sharpened with alertness.
"Strange, this sensation is..." Li Fan's eyes narrowed slightly as he turned his attention inward. He instantly pinpointed the source of the unusual feeling:
The secret art: Profound Slayer!
This was a secret art taught by Jiang Yushan of the Medicine King Sect in his 115th life, originally used in ancient times to identify remnants of the Profound Heaven Sect! With the goal of gathering as much hidden information about the Profound Heaven Sect as possible, Li Fan had kept the Profound Slayer Art continuously active since leaving the Xuanhuang Realm in this life. He hadn't initially harbored much hope regarding his luck. Yet, after randomly teleporting with Shang Tianci, he unexpectedly stumbled upon it by chance!
"Mount Taixu." Li Fan's gaze swept across his surroundings. "One of the Ten Veins of Taihua, this place is destined to mysteriously collapse in the near future. It will then be forgotten by the world, becoming the Nine Veins of Taihua. There are actual remnants of the Profound Heaven Sect here?"
Li Fan's interest was instantly piqued. Although he already knew that a Dharma King of the Profound Heaven Sect was slumbering beneath the ruins of the Purple Cloud Sect, Li Fan had no immediate plans to capture him. At least, not yet. As one of the most formidable combatants in the ancient Profound Heaven Sect, the Dharma King's power would surely be no less than that of an ordinary Dao Assimilation cultivator. Furthermore, the Profound Heaven Sect's cultivation techniques were notoriously bizarre and mystical, as Li Fan had witnessed in Senior Sister Zhao's dream. Even after thousands of years of slumber, he was likely not someone the current Li Fan could handle. If he failed to capture him and was instead forced to reveal his full power, it was best to proceed cautiously. After all, he was still there; he wouldn't run away. He would wait until the Medicine King Cauldron returned and he had subdued Liu San and other Dao Assimilation stage powerhouses. Only then would he consider making a move.
Returning his thoughts to the present, Li Fan, with the Profound Slayer Art active, began to wander through Mount Taixu. The sensing range of this secret art was not particularly precise. A good part of the day passed, yet he still couldn't locate the source of the anomaly.
"Senior, are you looking for something?" Shang Tianci asked, a hint of curiosity in his voice.
"Hmm. There seems to be a secret hidden within Mount Taixu. You can help me search too," Li Fan replied, a sudden idea forming as he looked at Shang Tianci. He then imparted the Profound Slayer Art to him, though he did not reveal its specific function. Once Shang Tianci learned it, he joined Li Fan in wandering through the mountains, searching.
It was fortunate that after the combat readiness alert, the public was in a state of unease. Most cultivators, for safety's sake, had returned to Taihua Heavenly City. Otherwise, the two of them acting so surreptitiously would undoubtedly arouse suspicion.
After searching for most of the day, Shang Tianci's luck indeed proved to be considerably better than Li Fan's. He seemed to have found something and quickly sent a voice transmission: "Senior, over here!"
Li Fan's eyes flashed, and he swiftly appeared beside Shang Tianci, accompanied by Tianyang.
"How many sounds?" Li Fan asked.
"Two sounds."
Within the Profound Heaven Sect, the higher the rank, the more warning sounds the Profound Slayer Art would produce. When the Heavenly Profound Mirror was originally detected, it emitted three distinct chimes. These two sounds, while not as significant as those for the Heavenly Profound Mirror, still indicated a notable individual.
"Interesting," Li Fan mused. Li Fan, too, felt the continuous alerts emanating from the Profound Slayer Art. He looked around the area. This was a deep, incredibly secluded mountain valley. It appeared as though no one had disturbed it for a millennium.
[18 seconds ago] Chapter 777: Tianshu Domain
[2 minutes ago] Chapter 960: Western Chu's Twin Jewels (Part 1)
[6 minutes ago] Chapter 857: Broken Xuanhuang Realm
[8 minutes ago] Chapter 959: Old Man's Son
[8 minutes ago] Chapter 776: Independent World Domain
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