Chapter 882: East Window's Old Story Revealed

An ordinary wooden sword stood upright, embedded in the ground. It was no different from what Li Fan had seen at the Heavenly Sword Sect in the Fallen Immortal Realm. It was as if the passage of time had lost its effect on it. A thousand years had passed, yet it remained unchanged.

Gazing at the scene before him, Li Fan even had the illusion that the wooden sword he had seen in the Fallen Immortal Realm was this very one.

"I wonder how that kid, Shuo Feng, managed to take this wooden sword." Li Fan now discerned some clues. Here, tens of thousands of broken swords, with this central sword as their core, subtly formed a grand formation. Forcibly taking this Heaven's Wonder would not only mean facing the sword's own resistance but also incurring attacks from all the other swords in this place. Even with Li Fan's current cultivation, though he might barely manage it, it would certainly cause a massive commotion and attract the attention of the Myriad Immortals Alliance.

"The proper way is to make it willing to leave on its own accord."

"Unfortunately..."

Li Fan attempted to convey his intentions, but the wooden sword paid him no heed whatsoever. Fortunately, Li Fan didn't genuinely intend to take it away. He took out an Enlightenment Pill and consumed it, then sat down on the ground, beginning to perceive the sword essence emanating from the wooden sword.

At this moment, Li Fan was positioned closest to the wooden sword among all the broken swords in the sword tomb. Disregarding the subtle hostility emanating from the surrounding swords, Li Fan focused intently on his comprehension.

Aided by the Enlightenment Pill, and combined with Li Fan's already decent comprehension and his previous period of enlightenment in the Fallen Immortal Realm, numerous images continuously flashed through his mind.

"Hmm?"

"It seems this wooden sword itself has undergone some kind of change over the past few millennia."

"Compared to what I saw in the Fallen Immortal Realm, it's more..."

Li Fan pondered for a long time but couldn't find a suitable word to describe it. To say it's more "perfected" wouldn't be accurate, as the original sword, casually forged by Mr. Bai, was the embodiment of the Mysterious Yellow Realm's sword dao, already flawless. To say it's "stronger" also wouldn't fit, as the two merely possess different properties. The wooden sword from a thousand years ago wasn't necessarily weaker than the current one.

"It should be said that, with the changes in the Heavenly Dao of the Mysterious Yellow Realm, this Heaven's Wonder has also undergone corresponding transformations. Overall, the sword before me now is better suited to exert greater combat power in the current Mysterious Yellow Realm."

Li Fan felt a sense of enlightenment.

As Li Fan earnestly comprehended the true meaning of the Mysterious Yellow Sword Dao in the sword tomb, attempting to replicate Mr. Bai's feat of bare-handedly crafting a Heaven's Wonder, elsewhere, on Haixuan Island in the Congyun Sea, a cultivator named Yan Longjiang quietly sought out Ji Shaoli, the clone.

Seeing the man's hesitant expression, Ji Shaoli smiled and said, "Daoist Yan, please speak freely. You are a respected elder of our Congyun Sea Mutual Aid Society. The society's current scale wouldn't be possible without your tireless promotion."

Yan Longjiang then lowered his voice, a hint of nervousness in his tone, "When the six of us were among the first to join the Mutual Aid Society, Daoist Ji promised to provide each of us with the grotto-heaven needed for advancement to the Nascent Soul stage... I wonder if that promise still stands..." Yan Longjiang swallowed hard, his face filled with apprehension. His trepidation was understandable, as the Mutual Aid Society was vastly different from before. In just a few short years, it had grown incredibly complex and far-reaching. Many members had even gone on to hold positions in the Immortal Alliance's interior, with limitless prospects. Furthermore, Ji Shaoli himself was incredibly mysterious; even Dao Fusion cultivators were utterly respectful in his presence. If Ji Shaoli refused, Yan Longjiang wouldn't dare show even the slightest hint of dissatisfaction.

Yan Longjiang hadn't anticipated that Ji Shaoli would be much more amenable than he had imagined.

"Haha, Daoist Yan, what are you saying? I, Ji, always keep my word. It's just a mere grotto-heaven; how could I begrudge it to a deserving member of the society?" Ji Shaoli patted Yan Longjiang's shoulder, reassuring him. He then asked, "Daoist Yan, what cultivation method do you practice, and what type of grotto-heaven are you looking for?"

Ji Shaoli had already understood the man's situation, but he still asked the questions. Yan Longjiang was overjoyed to hear this and quickly replied, "I cultivate the 'Seven Fiends Wind Control True Art,' and as for the grotto-heaven... I wouldn't dare ask for anything extravagant, just something a bit spacious would be fine," Yan Longjiang whispered.

Ji Shaoli nodded slightly. Moments later, a suitable target appeared in his mind. Without further ado, Ji Shaoli quietly led Yan Longjiang to their destination. In Juchao Continent, Ji Shaoli served as his protector. In just seven days, Yan Longjiang successfully absorbed the Fierce Wind Grotto-Heaven.

Suppressing the still-fluctuating aura on his body, Yan Longjiang respectfully bowed to Ji Shaoli. "Thank you, Daoist, for this great favor. I can never repay this kindness. From now on, I will serve the Mutual Aid Society until death!"

Ji Shaoli waved his hand, "There are too many eyes here. Let's return first and then talk."

Soon after the two departed, a middle-aged cultivator in a green robe leisurely approached the vicinity of the Fierce Wind Grotto-Heaven. After looking around and confirming no one was present, he formed hand seals, intending to enter the grotto-heaven. To his surprise, there was no reaction at all. The middle-aged cultivator's expression drastically changed. Disbelieving, he repeated the hand seals. The result was the same. At this point, he completely panicked.

He took out a spirit talisman and sent a message. Soon after, another robust cultivator in black robes arrived at the scene. The black-robed cultivator had concealed his appearance, but the aura he exuded was clearly that of the Soul Transformation realm. After a thorough examination, his expression became extremely grim.

"This Fierce Wind Grotto-Heaven has been stolen!"

The green-robed middle-aged cultivator's face was filled with disbelief. "What? The grotto-heaven is gone?" He stared blankly ahead. "Who would be so audacious!"

The killing intent in the black-robed cultivator's eyes was barely contained. "Heh, it's always been our Xiang family taking from others. Now, ironically, we're being bullied! Investigate! Thoroughly! I want to see who dares to be so arrogant!"

The Xiang family's response was swift. In less than half an hour, five or six cultivators arrived at the scene. After a series of spells, they discerned two blurry figures.

"Unfortunately, the culprits aren't easy to deal with. They used a secret technique for concealment, so this is the best we can restore," the white-haired man, who led the investigation team, spoke with a hint of regret.

"Can you trace their movements?"

"Not much time has passed, so it should be possible," the white-haired man nodded. With that, he took out a golden square compass and tossed it into the air. Subsequently, two faint silver trails appeared before everyone's eyes.

"Judging by this direction, it leads to Juchao Heavenly City."

"Hmph, so they're actually insiders of the Myriad Immortals Alliance?" the Xiang family's black-robed cultivator sneered through gritted teeth.

"It's likely cultivators from other states, not our local Juchao cultivators. What I don't understand is how information about this Fierce Wind Grotto-Heaven was leaked," the white-haired man said, a hint of confusion in his voice. "Speaking of which, Brother Xiang, have you heard about something?"

"Oh?"

"Not long ago, the Immortal-Mortal Miasma inexplicably erupted. After it subsided, the Immortal Alliance sent people to investigate underground in Qiling State. They discovered traces of a Heaven and Earth Spirit's activity there, but it had suddenly vanished," the white-haired man transmitted via spiritual message.

"What do you mean?" the black-robed cultivator narrowed his eyes.

"That vanished Heaven and Earth Spirit was originally repairing the underground caverns in Qiling State. Its sudden disappearance was precisely what led to the outbreak of the Immortal-Mortal Miasma."