Chapter 266: Chapter 536-540: Emperor One, Myriad Forms (7k+ words)
This little child immediately caught Xu Ke's attention.
His eyes widened as he stared at the child, approaching and pinching the child's face curiously. He asked, "Are you also a human? How did you end up on the Demon Beast Mountain?"
The child tilted its head, raised its hand, and pinched Xu Ke's face in return, saying, "Who said there can't be humans living on the Demon Beast Mountain? Aren't you a mere mortal who safely arrived here?"
It answered seriously.
Xu Ke was initially stunned, but then he seemed to agree wholeheartedly with the child's words.
He clapped joyfully, "You're right; demons and humans can indeed coexist harmoniously."
"In our sect, it's like that."
"I believe it's the same on this South Sea Demon Beast Mountain."
The child's eyes showed a hint of innocence, shaking its head, "Beast Taming Sect, right? I heard that human cultivators in the Beast Taming Sect control and manipulate demonic beasts forcibly through Beast Taming Techniques."
"Many demonic beasts don't willingly become their companions; they're controlled by techniques and have no choice."
"Is this what you call harmonious coexistence?"
The child asked seriously.
Upon hearing this, Xu Ke hastily waved his hand, anxious, "No, it's not like that..."
He opened his mouth to refute but didn't know where to start.
Suddenly, he seemed to think of something, grabbed Xiao Hei on his head, and presented her like a treasure to the child, "Look, this is Xiao Hei. We have a great relationship!"
"Although he became my companion beast because of Beast Taming Techniques."
"But the feelings between us are genuine. Right, Xiao Hei?" Xu Ke shook his hand, wanting Li Fan to show his stance.
However, Li Fan just flew back to Xu Ke's head and gave him a scratch, making him painfully quiet.
Ignoring Xu Ke's antics, Li Fan stared at the delicate child in front of him, feeling a hint of confusion.
His intuition told him that this child must have an extraordinary background, not as simple as an ordinary mortal.
But there was not a trace of demonic beast aura on him.
Even when Li Fan used his innate divine ability to observe his aura, the aura column of fortune he saw was ordinary, no different from an ordinary person's.
This made him a bit puzzled.
Seeing the harmonious interaction between the master and servant in front of him, the child chuckled, seemingly very happy.
"Come with me; the roads inside the city are complicated. Be careful not to get eaten." The child reminded again.
After speaking, it walked directly towards the inside.
Seeing this, Xu Ke quickly followed.
The surroundings were extremely quiet, with no traces of other demonic beasts.
The demonic beasts that were with them before had disappeared as if they had all gone somewhere.
Only the footsteps of the two children echoed in this empty city.
Heading inside, climbing dozens of stairs, after an unknown period, the child led Xu Ke to a room.
Upon entering, the surrounding walls instantly became transparent.
It was as if suspended high in the air.
The view was excellent, capturing the surrounding scenery at a glance.
In the space below, countless and diverse demonic beasts gathered.
They seemed to be discussing something, and the arguments were intense.
"Quiet!"
In a space slightly below where Xu Ke was, several huge light clusters hovered.
Inside these light clusters, vague figures could be seen.
Chapter 536: Emperor One, Myriad Forms
The one speaking at this moment was a crimson nine-headed bird.
Its voice resembled the harsh friction of metal plates, extremely grating. However, its status among the demon beasts seemed high; as soon as it spoke, the demon beasts instantly quieted down.
"Everyone, let us welcome the great Emperor One, who, after many years, has once again gathered the myriad beasts for a council!"
Boom!
With its words, the entire space filled with demon beasts seemed to erupt simultaneously.
They each emitted excited roars, expressing inner joy.
In the sky, a massive shadow descended instantly.
A constantly undulating, grey "flesh mass," with heads occasionally emerging and disappearing on top of it, appeared above the heads of the gathered demons.
At this moment, all the demon beasts present quieted down, bowing in salute.
"Is... Is that the Emperor One Beast?" Xu Ke stared at the mass below and stuck out his tongue. "Why does it look... so ugly?"
He lowered his voice and cautiously remarked.
The child, upon hearing this, wasn't angered. Instead, it nodded in agreement, "Hehe, I think so too. Indeed, it's quite ugly!"
Li Fan, hearing this, felt a jump in his heart.
Daring to call the creature with the highest status among demon beasts ugly while in the heart of their stronghold.
This child...
Before Li Fan could think further, the words of the Emperor One Beast below drew his attention.
"My fellow beings, I have gathered you here today because it's time to decide the life and death of the demon beast community once again."
The voice of Emperor One was peculiar.
Coming from various places in the flesh mass, it seemed to be composed of millions of different voices, difficult to distinguish from one another but forming a harmonious unity.
It sounded somewhat mechanical yet also oddly lively, incredibly strange.
Emperor One continued, "In the Profound Yellow Realm, a great calamity is approaching. This calamity is more brutal than any before."
"Not only humans, but we demon beasts and the entire world are facing a destructive crisis. Even with our bloodline memories containing sufficient experiences to deal with calamities, it's afraid we won't be spared this time..."
At these words, a commotion erupted among the demon beasts below.
The flesh mass wriggled, and shadows flickered above the heads of the demons.
So, all the demons fell silent again.
"Therefore, for the future of our community, I need to hear everyone's opinions."
Among the light clusters below the flesh mass, there was one that looked very similar to Emperor One, a spherical creature without facial features. It spoke, "Emperor One, whatever you say, we will follow."
"I am Ziwushou, forever your most loyal subordinate!"
With Ziwushou's words, many demon beasts below echoed their support.
"Oh? Then I decide, shall we leave the Profound Yellow Realm and seek a new home?" Unexpectedly, Emperor One suddenly asked in a cold tone.
"What?" Ziwushou obviously didn't expect Emperor One to come up with such an idea, and it was momentarily dumbfounded.
Before it could respond, the ancient blue divine dragon beside it spoke first.
"Emperor One, why would you do this? Can't we, with our formidable strength as demon beasts, survive the so-called great calamity?"
"Yeah, we've safely overcome so many calamities. Besides, even if we leave, where can we go?"
Chapter 537: Infinite Future
Speaking at this moment was a completely black-bodied qilin, majestic and handsome in appearance, but with a voice as clear as that of a child.
Upon hearing the qilin's questioning, Emperor One, the figure above the myriad beasts, emitted a muffled laughter.
"The so-called experience is truly a double-edged sword. It gives us confidence to face crises, but unknowingly pushes us into the abyss."
The dark flesh mass rolled, seemingly expressing inner dissatisfaction.
"This calamity is different from any we have experienced in history."
"Its origin lies in..."
At this point, many monstrous demon faces suddenly emerged in Emperor One's flesh mass.
"Shut up, all of you!"
"Why are you babbling with these useless things! Those who don't listen will be swallowed up!"
"What myriad beast community? In this world, as long as I, Emperor One, am enough!"
...
The bizarre scene made the participating myriad beasts immediately silent.
However, it was evident that they were not seeing this for the first time.
Their eyes held fear, not surprise.
The flesh mass rolled again, swallowing up the insolent and clamorous heads.
Emperor One continued as if nothing happened, "Therefore, this calamity exceeds the limit that the Profound Yellow Realm itself can resolve."
"If there are no additional variables, everything in this world will eventually end in annihilation."
Emperor One spoke with great seriousness, and the myriad beasts were all solemn.
"However, since I said I would lead you away, I have naturally thought of a way to escape."
Emperor One's resonant voice echoed in this spatial area.
"Among the human cultivators, there is a sect called the Heaven Sword Sect. They seek a chance of survival in the great calamity by trying to create a 'Breaking Space Divine Weapon' capable of shattering time and space, thus escaping from the Profound Yellow Realm."
"Leaving aside the feasibility of their actions, their initiative has given me inspiration."
"The mountain beneath our feet happens to be a natural 'Breaking Space Divine Weapon.' With a little modification, it can lead us to escape from here."
Emperor One spoke confidently.
"Namingshan is the end of the sky and the corner of the sea, the boundary of the world. Therefore, it gathers a lot of energy emanating from the world itself..."
Emperor One explained the principles to the myriad beasts.
The myriad beasts dared not be negligent, no matter what they thought inside, they all wore a serious expression.
However, in the transparent room at the top, Xu Ke was yawning.
"So boring, why do the most powerful demon beasts love to babble so much? Not very domineering at all," Xu Ke murmured.
He turned to the child who was a year younger than him and asked, "Why did you bring us here? This is an internal meeting of the demon race. Isn't it bad for us to eavesdrop?"
"It's okay, it doesn't mind." The child looked at Emperor One below, speaking calmly.
Although Xu Ke was carefree by nature, it didn't mean he was foolish.
He looked around, lowered his voice, and asked cautiously, "From your tone, it seems like you're quite familiar with Emperor One."
"Could you be its illegitimate child?"
"If you want to think that way, it's not wrong." To Xu Ke's surprise, the other party actually admitted it openly.
This left Xu Ke stunned.
"Or to say, Emperor One is me. But I am not Emperor One." The child added again.
Xu Ke widened his eyes, full of disbelief.
At this moment, Li Fan's attention also shifted from Emperor One's speech below to the small child in front of him.
Although he had guessed it earlier, the fact that the mighty ruler of the demon beasts had evolved into a human form was still somewhat shocking to Li Fan.
Looking at the surprised expressions of Xu Ke and Li Fan, Emperor One showed a completely unpredictable smile, inconsistent with its appearance.
"What's the matter, surprised?"
Xu Ke nodded repeatedly.
"In fact, it's not necessary. All living beings in the world can be traced back to the same origin."
"Whether it's a demonic beast or a human, there is no fundamental difference."
Emperor One had a calm expression but uttered words that were shocking.
Li Fan believed that if anyone other than this demonic tribe ruler spoke such words in this sacred place of the demonic tribe, they would have been devoured by the angry myriad beasts long ago.
"Interestingly, it took me a long time to understand this truth recently."
"So, here I am." The child Emperor One folded his hands behind his back, overlooking the myriad beasts below, and said with an air of arrogance.
"Luya once told me that the reason demonic beasts are so powerful is that their strength inherits from the bloodline of their origin. But as generations pass, the bloodline of demonic beasts will gradually thin. Although there might be a possibility of mutation or atavism, the overall strength of the demonic tribe is undoubtedly declining."
When the other party mentioned Senior Luya, Xu Ke's eyes lit up, and he listened carefully to the child Emperor One's words.
"And the opponents of the demonic tribe, humans, are getting stronger through generations of learning and accumulation. Cultivation methods, talismans, tools, formations, pills, and medicine—the source of human strength can be inherited from generation to generation."
"The gap is getting wider, and where is the future of demonic beasts heading?"
"I pondered this question for three days and nights but couldn't figure it out."
"Forcing those brainless guys to learn alchemy and refining tools?"
"I'm afraid even I can't do that. Lie down every day, eat and drink, sleep when tired. If this can make you stronger, why bother making an effort?"
"This is the dilemma of the demonic tribe. Even though there are some special individuals, they cannot change the ecology of the entire tribe."
Seemingly telling Xu Ke and the others, and seemingly just talking to himself.
"So, do you want to turn demonic beasts into humans? Like you are now?" As if understanding something, Xu Ke exclaimed in astonishment.
Li Fan's feathers stood on end slightly, feeling a sense of horror.
"Yes."
"No."
Emperor One shook his head and nodded.
"As the ruler of the entire demonic beasts, I must consider and decide issues from the perspective of the entire demonic tribe, not based on personal preferences."
The child Emperor One pointed to the myriad beast grand assembly happening below.
"I have decided to lead the demonic beasts to escape the Profound Yellow Realm."
"Even though I am fully confident, I cannot deny the possibility of failure in this plan."
"Even if there is only a one in a million chance, I must take it into account."
"To prevent the demonic tribe from reaching a dead end because of my decision, I need an alternative plan."
Emperor One spoke slowly.
"I understand! This is what Senior Brothers often say, always have a backup plan!" Xu Ke said excitedly.
"No, you don't understand." Emperor One was merciless.
"A backup plan? For the vast demonic tribe, it's no different from seeking destruction."
"How much will those demonic beasts who refuse to leave and decide to stay in the Profound Yellow Realm accept the transformation into humans? Without much thought, you can know that only a small fraction will accept my plan."
"Forcing will only bring harm to the already divided tribe, so I need to secretly execute this plan."
Xu Ke scratched his head, his little face full of confusion. "What are you trying to say? I'm getting more and more confused and can't understand."
Emperor One waved his hand lightly, and in front of them, a lush tree instantly appeared.
At the end of one of its branches, Xu Ke suddenly saw his own figure.
"What is this?" he asked, puzzled.
"This is the future." Emperor One answered solemnly. "A possible future."
"The possible fate of the demonic tribe in the future is closely related to you." Emperor One looked at the tiny Xu Ke, his eyes filled with vicissitudes.
Xu Ke looked at the ever-expanding and proliferating shadows of the tree, falling into confusion.
The images of the demonic tribe displayed on those branches varied, some strikingly similar, while others were entirely different.
Some were filled with blood-red, depicting the complete demise of the demonic tribe. Some portrayed prosperity and repetition of scenes from the ancient demonic tribe's peak.
There were also images of humans and demons harmoniously coexisting, jointly establishing a glorious civilization.
Others were blurry, shrouded in an atmosphere of desolation and decay.
"Infinite future means infinite possibilities."
"This also implies that, even with the smallest probability, under the premise of 'infinity,' everything is bound to happen."
"As the leader of the tribe, I must consider every possible future fate of the demonic tribe."
At this moment, Emperor One, with a childlike body, spoke words as heavy as mountains.
"This is my answer to Luya's question back then."
"Although humans are full of potential with infinite possibilities in the future, isolating yourselves and not coordinating the most powerful forces within the tribe will lead to self-depletion in continuous internal strife."
"When facing calamities, your vitality will be greatly damaged."
"Perhaps you can survive numerous disasters with luck, but as the timeline extends, the probability of human extinction also increases."
"But we demonic beasts are different. With me here, I will consider everything for the well-being of the tribe members."
"Although they have their own thoughts, when it comes to life and death issues, they must follow our will and execute corresponding orders."
"As long as I exist, the demonic tribe will not be completely annihilated."
"Since we cannot compete with humans, as long as I live long enough, we just need to wait for humans to self-destruct."
Emperor One's tone carried a slight mockery as he spoke calmly.
Xu Ke's face was full of discontent, wanting to retort. However, for a while, he couldn't find suitable words.
After holding back for a long time, he just said, "How can you guarantee that you won't die before the demonic tribe is extinct?"
Emperor One glanced at Xu Ke indifferently but didn't speak.
Recent status hasn't been good, so just one update for now. Need to make some adjustments.
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 538: Those Skilled in Warfare Perish in Battle
"Infinite future means infinite possibilities. As long as there is a slight possibility, it means that it will definitely happen..."
In Li Fan's mind, Emperor One's words kept echoing.
With the ability of "Huan Zhen," allowing almost infinite retries, he could understand the meaning in those words better than anyone else.
Moreover, Li Fan suddenly felt a surge of emotion. He had a premonition that there seemed to be a deeper secret hidden in Emperor One's words, related to his future path or the "Huan Zhen."
But, like looking at a flower in the fog, he couldn't see the full picture.
Li Fan was immersed in a brainstorm of self-reflection, while the child Emperor One remained silent after speaking.
After being stared at by Him, Xu Ke couldn't help but shiver and closed his mouth, realizing the recklessness of his words. The fearless person was now aware of the danger and dared not continue questioning.
After a while, perhaps to break free from the awkward situation, he forced a laugh and changed the topic, "By the way, if you are Emperor One..." Xu Ke patted his head as if he had just remembered something, took out a crimson wooden box, and handed it over.
"This is given to me by Senior Luya. He didn't specify who to give it to, but since you are the big shot here, there should be no problem giving it to you."
Xu Ke looked at Emperor One, expressing his relief.
"What is this..."
Emperor One's gaze swept over the wooden box, and a trace of solemnity appeared on his small face.
He took it over, and a black light flashed in his hand, instantly deciphering the restrictions on it.
"Roar!"
A monstrous aura, accompanied by a roar of resentment and anger, suddenly surged from the wooden box.
The fierce aura seemed substantial, forming a tornado.
Endless blood spilled out like a shockwave, sweeping towards the surroundings.
In a trance, it seemed as if a peerless fierce beast was roaring.
Xu Ke, who was completely unprepared, was frightened and fell to the ground.
Li Fan, lost in thought, was also awakened by this terrifying scene.
His feathers stood on end, as if encountering a natural enemy, trembling uncontrollably.
Fortunately, the little hand of Child Emperor One formed an extremely sturdy cage, tightly sealing and controlling this monstrous aura.
No matter how it struggled and resisted, it couldn't break through.
"Even if it dies, it can't change its foul temper," Emperor One snorted, and a faint black light appeared in his hand.
After a while, as if sensing Emperor One's aura, the monstrous aura from the box gradually calmed down.
The roars became smaller and finally disappeared.
At this moment, Xu Ke and Li Fan, who were still in shock, finally saw clearly what was contained in the box.
It was the head of a fierce beast, its eyes glaring with anger and never closing.
Its surface was covered with cracks like broken porcelain.
At the wounds on the head, flesh and blood were still wriggling, as if this fierce beast had not completely died.
Never expected to be entrusted by Senior Luya and transported to the Southern Dark Demon Mountain, Xu Ke's small face turned pale.
Quickly waving his hands, he explained, "It wasn't me!"
The child Emperor One was stunned on the spot and then burst into a burst of laughter.
"Don't worry, even if you say you killed it, no one in the world would believe it."
"The lord of the demonic beasts in battle, known as the unrivaled Emperor Erli..."
"There are not many beings that can kill it. You are definitely not one of them."
Emperor One's face showed little grief or anger. After explaining indifferently, he stared carefully at the head of Emperor Erli, as if studying and searching for something.
"Emperor Erli?" Xu Ke, who had cleared the suspicion, did not feel relieved. Instead, he was even more shocked.
He swallowed his saliva and said, "It's the second, isn't that even more powerful than Third Grandpa?"
"How did it become like this..."
Xu Ke subconsciously glanced at the head in the wooden box and asked with difficulty.
Li Fan was also deeply shocked.
From Emperor One's words just now, it can be inferred that this Emperor Erli is probably the strongest in the demonic beast community, second only to Emperor One.
If compared to the realms of human cultivators, it should be equivalent to the Immortal Realm.
And now, its head has been severed by someone...
Who did it?
Thinking that the wooden box came from Luya, and although Luya didn't have the strength to perform such a feat, he knew someone who could.
Mr. Bai.
In an instant, an image of a peerless and independent figure appeared in Li Fan's mind.
Is it him?
Li Fan and Xu Ke exchanged glances, apparently thinking the same thing.
While the two figured out the culprit, Emperor One seemed to have found some clues at the wound on the head.
"Those skilled in warfare will eventually perish in battle."
"I advised you many times, but you didn't listen. Now you end up like this, it's your own fault."
Emperor One's face was stern, and his tone was as cold as ice.
From Emperor Erli's head, faint roars could be heard, as if responding with unwillingness.
"Come back."
Emperor One suddenly said something inexplicable.
Then, something terrifying happened that made Xu Ke feel horrified.
Emperor One placed his hand on Emperor Erli's head. His originally childlike, tender and fair little hand swelled and twisted.
Chunks of flesh, like black mud, surged out from Emperor One's hand, engulfing and devouring Emperor Erli's head.
Subconsciously, Xu Ke pulled Li Fan and took several steps back.
They moved away from the seemingly harmless child Emperor One.
In just a few breaths, the surging black flesh cloud was retracted.
Emperor One returned to his original innocent appearance.
And Emperor Erli's head disappeared.
"Thank you for bringing back this fool."
"I won't let him leave for tens of thousands of years this time."
Emperor One said seriously.
Xu Ke awkwardly scratched his head, not knowing what to say for a moment.
"I understand Emperor San's intention now..."
Emperor One glanced at Xu Ke and smiled.
Without blaming, he said lightly.
Then, His stomach suddenly swelled, turning into a deformed shape several times larger than His current child body.
Inside, something seemed to be gestating, constantly rolling back and forth.
"Splurt!"
The sound of flesh tearing came from Him. After a short time, a chubby creature separated from Him.
"Take this little guy back and give it to Luya."
"He knows what to do."
Turning back into a child, Emperor One looked at Xu Ke, remained silent for a moment, and suddenly spoke again, "This is the task report for bringing Emperor Erli."
"Besides, I have something else to give you."
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 539: Destiny Determines Departure
This time, there was no uproar like before. Emperor One merely pointed lightly at Xu Ke's forehead, and then there was no more movement.
Xu Ke touched his own forehead but seemed to sense nothing.
"The time has come; you will know its purpose on your own," Emperor One said.
"What? All of you speak in riddles. It's really infuriating," Xu Ke muttered under his breath, glancing at Emperor One. In the end, he didn't have the courage to erupt.
He could only endure it.
"Now that things are settled here, Southern Darkness is not a place for humans to stay for long. I'll take you out," Emperor One said.
In the space below, where countless demons gathered, a final decision had been reached.
"We firmly support Emperor One's great decision!"
"Under Emperor One's leadership, our demonic beast clan will surely usher in a better future!"
"The small Xuanhuang Realm, we won't wait any longer!"
...
The demonic beasts roared, reaching a unanimous decision.
As for how much sincerity there was among them, the faintly mocking smile on Emperor One's face from a high vantage point might reveal a thing or two.
Emperor One led Xu Ke, traversing through winding and deserted passages, arriving at the large gate they first entered.
"You can go now," Emperor One stopped, instructing.
Xu Ke hesitated to speak.
"Don't worry, you and I..."
"We will meet again one day," Emperor One hinted in his words.
While his voice still echoed in the air, His figure had already disappeared.
Xu Ke couldn't help feeling a sense of loss.
Holding the round ball that seemed to have a beating heart inside, Xu Ke summoned Xiao Qing and left the place with Li Fan.
During the return journey across the Southern Dark Ocean, perhaps due to Emperor One's influence, they didn't encounter any other demonic beasts.
The journey was safe and uneventful, getting closer to the Beast Taming Sect.
Li Fan was flying, standing on the round ball Emperor One gave to Xu Ke.
Seemingly very interested in it, his eyes revealed a greedy look, as if wanting to devour it whole.
"Little Black, what are you doing!"
Facing Li Fan's predatory gaze, Xu Ke tightly hugged the round ball, his eyes full of vigilance.
"This is something I have to report to Senior Luya when I go back. You can't just covet it for a moment and eat it."
Li Fan disdainfully glanced at Xu Ke, gave him a swipe, and didn't explain.
During this period, the reason why he had been staring at this round ball was entirely because he sensed a familiar aura from it.
After careful identification, he confirmed that this faint familiarity came from the Rift Realm whales wandering outside the Extinguishing Immortal Array in the future.
"Although I and Xu Ke found the Rift Realm whales before, they obviously differ significantly from those I saw later in the future."
"Not only in terms of size but more importantly, according to the information provided by the Empire, the later Rift Realm whales could reproduce by devouring the energy in the void alone."
"Only in this way could they reproduce so prosperously in the vast void. Developing so many populations to complete the plan of completely separating the small world from the Xuanhuang Realm itself."
"I and Xu Ke found before obviously didn't have such characteristics."
"On the contrary, this little guy..."
Li Fan pondered.
Beast Taming Sect probably used a crossbreeding of Rift Realm whales and this spherical creature to cultivate a new, compliant subspecies.
"So, was all this busyness because of Mr. Bai's task?"
Li Fan couldn't help but feel puzzled.
This story in the Meteor Immortal Realm seemed a bit too long.
Up to now, he still hadn't figured out what the obsession was that maintained this timeline.
And how to crack it.
However, Li Fan had a premonition. When he returned to the Beast Taming Sect, he might be able to unravel this mystery.
The return journey from the Southern Dark Ocean was long.
Before reaching halfway, the duration of their stay in the Meteor Immortal Realm had come to an end.
Li Fan's eyes flickered, and he found himself back in the real world.
"Emperor One's beast..."
Li Fan once again recalled the sights in the Meteor Immortal Realm, and a question couldn't help but surge in his mind.
Did the plan for the relocation of the demonic tribe succeed?
If it did, with such a significant movement, it couldn't have been concealed from the cultivators at that time.
And if there were successful examples of escaping, cultivators would undoubtedly try to emulate them.
They would attempt various methods to shatter the fabric of time, breaking free from the shackles of the Xuanhuang Realm.
"In the past, in the Grand Dao Sect, there were three Longevity Realm cultivators who rarely showed themselves. Not to mention other sects; the entire Xuanhuang Realm had a considerable number of Longevity Realm cultivators."
"Now, they are nowhere to be found. Perhaps back then, they left, and not all of them necessarily."
Li Fan suddenly remembered Emperor One's words.
"In the demonic beast tribes, there are many disagreements about completely leaving the Xuanhuang Realm."
"Let alone us human cultivators."
"There are those who want to leave, and, of course, those who want to stay."
It all depended on the different choices people made in the face of an unprecedented catastrophe.
Li Fan pondered.
---
Returning from the Meteor Immortal Realm to the real world, the foundation ceremony for the Congyun Immortal City was about to begin.
Following the agreement, Zhou Kebao brought the Immortal City cave mansion over.
"Friend, take a look!"
He extended his right hand, and a miniature city emitting colorful light appeared.
In appearance, it was identical to the Immortal Cities in various states of the Thousand Immortal Alliance.
"I can't deploy it here; please come with me, Friend Li."
Zhou Kebao smiled faintly and handed over a white jade statue shaped like a delicate tower.
"What is this?" Li Fan looked at the small object in his hand, feeling somewhat familiar.
"It is the key to the Advance Realm. Friend only needs to use it as the core to set up the formation ritual, and you can go to the predetermined Advance Realm," Zhou Kebao explained to Li Fan.
"I see." Li Fan had rented the Bone Advance Realm before and fooled the Leaving Realm crowd, so he was not unfamiliar with this.
After pondering for a moment, he held the delicate tower statue and activated the ritual.
After a slight dizziness, when Li Fan opened his eyes again, he had already arrived in a heavenly palace amidst the vast white clouds.
Apart from Zhou Kebao, another group of cultivators had been waiting here for a long time.
"Long time no see, Friend Li. It's a pleasure to meet you today. It's truly our good fortune!"
"Hehe, Friend Li Fan, we've known each other since the first time we met!"
Seeing Li Fan, they warmly came forward to greet him.
Li Fan smiled and responded one by one.
"All right, let Friend Li Fan inspect the goods." After the greetings, a stern-looking cultivator with a square face spoke in a deep voice.
Zhou Kebao nodded, immediately controlled the Immortal City cave mansion in his hand, and enlarged it to the maximum.
In an instant, a massive floating city appeared above the celestial palace.
"Friend Li, please!"
Zhou Kebao said, taking the lead to enter the floating city.
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 540: Bestowal of the Secret Seal
"Friend Li, please!"
The cultivator with the square face came to Li Fan and spoke in a deep voice.
When Li Fan eavesdropped on the group discussing countermeasures, he learned from Zhou Kebao that this person's surname was Long.
Among this group, he seemed to hold a leadership position.
On the business contract signed with Zhou Kebao, there was only one Long-named cultivator.
So, Li Fan got to know the identity of the cultivator in front of him.
Long Yueyou.
The surname Long was not very common.
When Li Fan was in the Tianquan Zhou, in the Supreme Heavenly Institute of the Ji Cheng Tianzun, he had heard about the Tianquan Long family.
Although not as prominent as the Dantai family, which held high positions in the Thousand Immortal Alliance, the Long family was highly united, and their descendants were spread throughout the Immortal Alliance.
Even though most held grassroots positions, when united, they constituted a force not to be underestimated.
It was unknown whether Long Yueyou had any connection with this Long family.
With this thought flashing through his mind, Li Fan pretended not to recognize Long Yueyou and looked at him, asking, "Who is this?"
Long Yueyou smiled faintly, and with a proud expression, he remained silent.
His little brothers beside him were eager to introduce Li Fan.
Just as Li Fan had guessed.
"Long Yueyou, I've heard about you for a long time!" Li Fan quickly arched his hand, pretending to be surprised.
However, his evaluation of Long Yueyou in his heart had dropped a bit.
Long Yueyou nodded in response.
Li Fan didn't mind, and the two, surrounded by many cultivators, followed behind Zhou Kebao and flew into the floating city in the sky.
The protective array was not activated, allowing free flight within the city.
This was Li Fan's first time overlooking the Immortal City of the Thousand Immortal Alliance.
With a different perspective, it had a unique charm.
Zhou Kebao introduced the layout of many facilities in the city to Li Fan.
Actually, Li Fan could see clearly without him saying much. This Immortal City cave mansion was indeed identical to the usual Immortal Alliance cities.
After a detailed tour of the various buildings in the city, Li Fan nodded in satisfaction.
When the time was almost up, Zhou Kebao took out a token with colorful radiance and handed it over.
"This is the control hub of this cave mansion. As long as you refine it with your blood, you can manipulate the corresponding formations inside the city according to your will."
"In addition to the basic functions that all Immortal Cities have, we have specially added various useful features such as long-distance teleportation, illusionary mirages, and mustard-seed pagodas according to Friend's requirements."
"Of course, Friend can also distribute some control permissions of the cave mansion to other cultivators."
Zhou Kebao earnestly showcased the powerful aspects of this Immortal City cave mansion to Li Fan and made thoughtful reminders.
"Long-distance teleportation consumes a lot of energy. Besides top-grade spirit stones, it also requires precious materials like Void Sand and Fixed-Track Xuan Crystals, which are expensive on the market. If Friend has a demand, you can come to us for a cost-effective solution," Zhou Kebao whispered, drawing laughter from the surrounding cultivators.
"By the way, there's one thing to note. For this long-distance teleportation, you need precise spatial coordinates for the target location. Otherwise, a slight positional deviation during teleportation is a trivial matter. If you mistakenly enter the endless void, then it will be troublesome," Zhou Kebao said with a solemn expression.
Li Fan nodded, indicating he understood.
"Finally, it's about the self-destruction function you repeatedly emphasized." Zhou Kebao's tone suddenly became a bit tense.
"For Friend's request, we have put a lot of effort into it."
"When we were building the city, we added special materials throughout the city that can trigger the Annihilation Extinction Thunder."
"In addition, we used the method of refining treasures to create this Immortal City cave mansion. The treasure itself has the function of self-destruction to harm enemies."
Zhou Kebao paused.
"According to our calculations, if this cave mansion were to suddenly explode, even a Harmony Dao cultivator would suffer severe injuries without defense."
As this statement came out, the surroundings instantly quieted down.
The cultivators present, including Long Yueyou, scrutinized Li Fan with slightly eerie eyes.
However, they didn't ask for details.
As Li Fan had said himself, he had been attacked by spies from the Five Elders Society before, and given his considerable wealth, it made sense for him to carry such a formidable weapon for self-defense.
Regardless of Li Fan's true intentions, as long as he sold this cave mansion and obtained the contribution points, everything was fine.
At worst, in the future, they would avoid unnecessary conflicts with him.
Zhou Kebao and the others shared this mindset.
Amidst somewhat awkward laughter, the matter was brushed aside by the group of cultivators.
After Li Fan traded the remaining contribution points, he, under the witness of everyone, refined the colorful control token for the cave mansion.
Looking at the massive city below, a sense of commanding power surged within him.
At the same time, various methods for manipulating the functions appeared in his mind.
With a thought, the Immortal City cave mansion instantly turned into a tiny particle of light and entered Li Fan's dantian.
"Good treasure!" Li Fan applauded.
"If Friend has any future needs, you can still come to us. As long as the contribution points are sufficient, everything is negotiable," Zhou Kebao said with a smiling face.
"Well, in the future, I might trouble you all frequently!" Li Fan scanned around and said with a smile.
This elicited laughter from the surroundings.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, using the excuse of the upcoming completion of the Cloud City and being busy with official duties, Li Fan left this pre-exploration realm.
"This person is quite daring; unless necessary, it's best not to make an enemy of him," Long Yueyou said, watching Li Fan's gradually disappearing figure.
"Yeah, which normal cultivator carries such a terrifying thing with them? If he goes crazy and detonates it in any Immortal City..."
"Tsk, tsk..."
"Ancient cultivators, normal. If he really bears a grudge against our Thousand Immortal Alliance, that would be strange."
"Hehe, anyway, as long as we get the contribution points, it's none of our business."
Everyone had an indifferent expression, discussing the matter with smiles.
---
Cloud Sea.
Li Fan looked at the cave mansion in his dantian that was quietly sleeping and felt much more at ease.
With this destructive force for self-defense, coupled with the "Real Return" space binding the "Ten Thousand People's Blood" that had been bound all along, Li Fan believed that even facing a Harmony Dao cultivator, he now had enough capital to deter them.
As for whether Zhou Kebao and the others would leave any hidden doors in this cave mansion...
Li Fan didn't care at all.
Its fate was already decided.
Before the identity of "Ancient Tianji Sect Cultivator Li Fan" completely disappeared, it would also burst out with the final brilliant radiance within the territory of the Thousand Immortal Alliance.
Various possible future scenes flashed through Li Fan's mind in an instant, and a cold smile appeared on his face.
With his thoughts calmed, before the Cloud City Foundation Ceremony officially arrived, Li Fan returned to the Dust Crossing Boat and sought an audience with the First Prefecture Lord.
"Young Master Prefecture Lord, after months of hard work, the tasks of the Immortal Alliance have been completed. I have done what you instructed."
"You see..."
Li Fan expressed himself very tactfully, but he believed that the First Prefecture Lord was a smart person and should understand the meaning behind his words.
While still lowering his head, frowning at the continuously flickering and changing information on the documents, the First Prefecture Lord did not raise his head.
"Don't worry; the Immortal Alliance has never treated those who have contributed unfairly."
"The corresponding rewards have long been set. Originally, I planned to send someone to announce it during the Foundation Ceremony. Since you're so impatient, take a look now."
The First Prefecture Lord lightly tapped the table, and a stream of light immediately flew towards Li Fan.
Unable to dodge it, as the light entered his body, a piece of information suddenly appeared in Li Fan's mind.
"Li Fan, the temporary island master of Cloud Island, has worked diligently in supervising the construction of Cloud City, achieving meritorious service."
"He is hereby promoted to the Cloud City Political Affairs Hall's [Secret Seal Envoy]. In the absence of the island master in the province, he is fully authorized to handle all political affairs."
"Additionally, a reward of one hundred thousand contribution points and first-class superior merits."
...
"Hmph, the Immortal Alliance doesn't disappoint those who contribute; this phrase sounds familiar."
"But the rewards for this mission seem to justify this saying," Li Fan thought to himself.
Carefully reading the command issued by the Political Affairs Hall headquarters below, Li Fan discovered that the actual power he would hold as the [Secret Seal Envoy] was quite significant.
In reality, in the process of the practical operation of political affairs in various regions, many decisions were made by the [Secret Seal Envoys] of the Political Affairs Hall.
Only special events of a certain level needed to be reported to the Immortal City Lord for approval.
After all, within a prefecture, there were too many trivial matters. If the City Lord had to personally inquire about every matter, even with several avatars, it might be overwhelming.
Moreover, most of the City Lords of various prefecture Immortal Cities were at the Nascent Divinity stage.
At this stage, who wouldn't want to advance further and achieve Harmony Dao?
It's worth noting that once entering the Harmony Dao stage, their status would be entirely different from Nascent Divinity.
On a smaller scale, they would truly rule a prefecture.
On a larger scale, they could be transferred from a regional position to the heartland of the Thousand Immortal Alliance, entering the center of power.
Therefore, they needed to ensure they had sufficient time for cultivation.
As assistants to the City Lords, [Secret Seal Envoys] had to help bear the responsibility of handling political affairs.
Generally speaking, there were usually three to five [Secret Seal Envoys] in a prefecture.
However, the situation in the Cloud Sea was unique.
The top level had been temporarily assigned elsewhere by a written order.
And the middle and lower-level cultivators were almost all wiped out by the Five Elders Society.
To expedite the operation of the newly rebuilt Cloud City, the Political Affairs Hall headquarters had temporarily assigned only one [Secret Seal Envoy] this time.
This also gave Li Fan ample authority.
The vacant positions now had one-third of the recommendation quota assigned to him.
As for the remaining positions, they would be filled by cultivators from other prefectures in the near future.
"With Hongxi and Ziyun, the two Nascent Divinity Immortal Lords, not returning, I practically have the final say in Cloud City."
"It's not in vain that I've been so busy these past few months."
Thinking this way, Li Fan showed excitement on his face.
"Thank you, Young Master, for nurturing me! In the future, I will serve Young Master to repay your kindness!" Li Fan said earnestly.
(End of this chapter)
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