Chapter 702: Chapter 668: Yearning to Ascend to Immortality
Everything went smoothly, without a hitch.
By the time Li Fan woke up from his seclusion, he had successfully advanced to the Nascent Soul Mid Stage.
“Has it already been seventeen years?”
“After all, I only had the aid of the Enlightenment Pills and lacked the enlightening effect of the Tianxuan Mirror, so the progress was quite slow.”
He examined his own condition. The scale of his Five Elements Cave Heaven had expanded more than threefold compared to the Early Stage of the Nascent Soul. The vitality within each of these caves was increasingly abundant, no longer as deathly silent as before. However, he was still some distance away from creating life. It was only the circulation of the Power of Five Elements that had greatly accelerated, as if something was brewing within the Cave Heaven World.
Now, Li Fan had complete control over his Five Elements Cave Heaven and the Beast Type Small World, similar to the existence of the Heavenly Dao itself.
However, upon careful comparison, Li Fan noticed many differences between the two.
The Five Elements Cave Heaven, stolen from the Xuanhuang World. Although it was forcibly integrated into his body using the new method, it was akin to a mortal having complete control over his own body. The operation and evolution of the Cave Heaven were largely spontaneous, a result of the self-propagation of certain laws. Although he could clearly sense every change occurring within his Cave Heaven, the current Li Fan was still unable to fully comprehend it, let alone arbitrarily change or create within it.
The Beast Type World, on the other hand, was different. Wind and rain, thunder and lightning, ice and fire, the physical embodiment of world law, were all at his behest. As long as Li Fan wished for it, the Beast Type World could be frozen in a moment into a single state, and thereafter remain unchanged forever. At the same time, Li Fan could also remodel the Beast Type World according to his desires. Raising mountains and flattening rivers with a single thought were nothing more than common practices.
“Under normal circumstances, even by acquiring all of a Small World’s Heaven’s Fortune, one cannot reach the realm of arbitrariness as I have at the outset. It would still take years of contemplation and resonance with the world’s origin. But Little Black has already completed this process for me. I just inherited its legacy, and reaped huge benefits.”
Looking at the familiar image in the Feather of the Mystic Bird within his body, Li Fan immediately understood.
His attention returned to the Beast Type World. Two years had passed and tremendous changes had occurred here. The concentration of spiritual energy had skyrocketed, barely falling short of the Xuanhuang World. The once desolate land had now brimming with life.
Various spiritual plants and medicinal herbs had been classified and planted. Those working diligently in the Spiritual Fields were actually beasts. However, the “Beast Taming Rings” mentioned by Fang Zaiji were nowhere to be seen around their necks.
Li Fan’s Divine Sense swept over the entire world and found that only a few of the most powerful Exotic Beasts bore traces of manipulation.
“If one can control the upper rank, then one can control the lower rank. Dealing with these beasts, indeed, doesn’t require too much thought.”
Liu San and Fang Zaiji were not in the Beast Type World at this moment. Li Fan traveled through the Space Tunnel and arrived in the Valley of Eternal Life, only to find the two of them together, seemingly discussing something.
Sensing Li Fan’s arrival, both of them showed a hint of joy on their faces.
“Master, you’ve come out of seclusion!”
“What has happened? Why do you both seem so solemn?” Li Fan appeared in front of them and asked.
“Congratulations, Master, for another breakthrough in your cultivation!” Liu San looked at Li Fan and broke into a smile.
However, Fang Zaiji directly explained to Li Fan the reason for their serious expressions.
About six months ago, a group of cultivators from the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals, piloting a Universal Virtue True Boat, arrived in the White Mist. Initially, Liu San thought they were targeting the Valley of Eternal Life and prepared for the worst. He even mobilized all the cultivators of Medicine King Sect, ready to flee at any moment.
However, Liu San quickly realized it was a false alarm. The cultivators of the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals did not pause at the entrance to the Valley of Eternal Life, their destination seemed deeper within the White Mist.
That brought a sigh of relief from Liu San, thinking that the cultivators of the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals might have just passed by.
However, what happened next made Liu San realise that he was greatly mistaken. Over the past six months, every few days, dozens of Universal Virtue True Boats filled with cultivators ventured deep into the White Mist. They seemed to be carrying out a certain task, emanating a faint sense of grim determination. Occasionally, some cultivators would retreat from the depths of the White Mist, looking utterly disconsolate.
These cultivators generally did not have high cultivation levels. But for safety’s sake, Liu San did not closely inspect them, but just glanced from a distance.
Although these cultivators from the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals did not target the Medicine King Sect, their frequency of passing by was too high. Nobody could guarantee, with a stroke of fate, whether they would discover the location of the Valley of Eternal Life. And if they did discover it, whether there would be a conflict with the Medicine King Sect.
That’s why, Liu San and Fang Zaiji had been on high alert during this time.
“Is this a secret operation of the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals, or a public act? Are the common cultivators of the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals aware of this?” After listening to their reports, Li Fan’s eyes flickered as he immediately asked.
“Common cultivators are indeed oblivious to this; at least this is what we inferred from the information we gathered,” Fang Zaiji replied.
Li Fan pondered for a moment and said, “This is a bit strange. Let’s respond based on the changes. After I go out and investigate the truth, we’ll make the decision.”
Having full confidence in Li Fan’s abilities, the two of them agreed straight away.
Then, Liu San took out twelve jade bottles and handed them over, “These are the elixirs I’ve refined during this time. Nine bottles contain a total of eighty-one Elixirs of Immortality, two bottles hold a total of twenty Supreme Detachment Pills. And one is…”
Liu San paused, his expression somewhat odd, “It is the Intention to Ascend an Immortal Pill.”
“Elder Liu has worked hard.” Li Fan pocketed the other elixirs, held the jade bottle containing the Intention to Ascend an Immortal Pill in his hand, and was about to open it and inspect.
But he was suddenly stopped by Liu San.
“Is there anything wrong with this elixir?” Li Fan asked, furrowing his brow.
Liu San gave a bitter smile, “Though this pill is non-toxic, its actual harm is no less than any other poison in the world.”
“The Intention to Ascend an Immortal Pill is a peculiar elixir that has a very small chance of being produced during the process of refining the Supreme Detachment Pill. Any cultivator who consumes it will experience the illusion of enlightenment of the Dao and the imminent ascension to immortality.” At this point, Fang Zaiji continued the explanation.
“Moreover, the more one consumes, the stronger the illusion. Until finally, to taste the flavor of ascension to immortality, those addicted cultivators would do anything.”
Li Fan instinctively tightened his grip on the jade bottle in his hand.
He knew what this so-called Intention to Ascend an Immortal Pill was.
“In the past, because of this pill, there had been a great deal of trouble. Therefore, under the governance of the Immortal Dao Ten Clans, it was absolutely forbidden. However, our disciples investigated and found that the current Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals has not heard of the prohibition of this pill.”
“Thinking that this item might be of use to the master, I didn’t destroy it,” Liu San remarked.