"In fact, compared to the Great Immortal Realm currently undergoing the merging of the Five Elements, the empty area in Tianlingzhou where a new Five Elements Great Immortal Realm is born seems to be even more important."
"Originally an ignored desolate place, it has suddenly become a crucial area, surrounded by the Garrison Institute and heavily guarded."
"It's said that several Dao Fusion experts have gone to guard it."
Huangfu Song continued with emotion.
Li Fan nodded silently at his words.
Logically speaking, the birth of two Five Elements Great Immortal Realms in the same area one after another was almost an impossible occurrence.
However, it had actually happened now, and it couldn't be explained by mere coincidence.
"Perhaps, that empty area in Tianlingzhou can actually nurture a Five Elements Great Immortal Realm?"
Thinking of this, Li Fan's thoughts became active.
"Nine years of anchoring. When I first entered the cultivation world, the wood-elemental Great Immortal Realm in the Five Elements Great Immortal Realm had already been discovered."
"I wanted to achieve Nascent Soul in the Five Elements Great Immortal Realm without alerting the Wanxian Alliance. It was extremely difficult."
"Although I'm not afraid, it would inevitably waste many opportunities of reincarnation to attempt it."
"And the empty space in Tianlingzhou has been a blind spot ignored by the Wanxian Alliance since the original Five Elements Great Immortal Realm was moved."
"For more than twenty years."
"Moreover, the power that can nurture the Five Elements may be even higher in rank than the Five Elements..."
"In the next life, I can try both methods and choose the better one."
Li Fan fell into contemplation.
Huangfu Song, on the other hand, thought that Li Fan was still in shock from the news. He smiled faintly and didn't disturb him, drifting away.
Once it involved genuine urgent matters, the efficiency of the Wanxian Alliance's work immediately became highly effective.
A day later, Huangfu Song received a notice and immediately went to Lingyang Immortal City.
Someone was already waiting there for him.
Without delay, Huangfu Song led his subordinates, boarded the Dust Ferry, and flew out of the Spirit Transformation Gorge, heading straight for Lingyang Immortal City.
During the return journey, luck was on their side.
The usually turbulent Wanli Yanburn Shoal was unusually calm.
It took only two and a half days to reach their destination.
Lingyang Immortal City, Transmission Square.
"Friend Qi! Nice to meet you!" Huangfu Song greeted a handsome male cultivator in white robes with a smile.
Li Fan also appraised the female cultivator named Qi Buyi.
According to Huangfu Song's previous words, although she only had Nascent Soul cultivation, she was highly appreciated by Chief Lu Xicheng.
Many affairs of the Array Hall were handled by her.
And she never let Chief Lu down.
All matters were handled efficiently and without error.
"Huangfu friend, is everyone here? We shouldn't delay, let's set off quickly." After exchanging pleasantries, Qi Buyi said.
Huangfu Song nodded, and then the group arrived at the entrance of the teleportation array at the foot of the statue of the Heavenly Venerable.
Qi Buyi had obviously informed them in advance.
When the guarding cultivator saw Qi Buyi leading the team, he only performed a symbolic inspection and then directly allowed them to pass.
In the next moment, everyone arrived in the space set up within the screen filled with silver mist and the miniature cloud formation of the Xuanhuang Realm.
Qi Buyi held a jade card, adjusting the destination of the long-distance teleportation.
"Huangfu Senior, why is this long-distance teleportation array set up inside the body of the Heavenly Venerable statue?"
"Such a fine sculpture has been emptied like this. Isn't it disrespectful to the venerable senior who transmitted the laws?" During the gap in waiting for the teleportation array to form, Li Fan sent a voice transmission to Huangfu Song.
Huangfu Song's face darkened, giving Li Fan a glance.
"Hehe, young friend, don't think too much. The Venerable Senior has long transcended life and death, living carefree beyond the mundane world."
"How could he care about this?"
He felt a slight movement in his heart but didn't show any expression on the surface.
As the long-distance teleportation array activated, Li Fan contemplated the matter Huangfu Song unintentionally revealed about the "Law Transmitters" in the distorted and elongated fantasy scenes.
From a literal perspective, these three words were easily explainable.
However, when associated with the "Law Transmitter Heavenly Venerable," it became more complicated.
Law Transmitters transmit whose laws?
Naturally, it was the new laws against the principles of heaven and earth set by the Heavenly Venerable.
In Li Fan's mind, two figures suddenly flashed.
One was a young and spirited man, and the other was a snow-white-robed girl.
They both came from the scenes Li Fan obtained using the Purple Cloud Soul Search technique when he besieged Zhang Qianmo, a few Wanxian Alliance cultivators from the Fallen Immortal Realm.
The young man had a ten-year-old Golden Core, and the girl had a twenty-year-old Nascent Soul.
They were the fortunate cultivators who witnessed the Heavenly Venerable transmitting laws and were the first beneficiaries of the new laws.
They spontaneously traveled the world, preaching and promoting the new laws for the Heavenly Venerable.
The embryonic form of the Wanxian Alliance was even established by this group of people.
Previously, Li Fan wasn't sure whether these people had survived through the hardships of the ancient era.
Today, Huangfu Song's unintentional words confirmed it for Li Fan.
The group of Law Transmitters from back then still existed in the world.
Moreover, they held significant power in crucial positions within the Wanxian Alliance.
"Before, I speculated that the Tianxuan Mirror might be the true master of the Wanxian Alliance. But now it seems that the Law Transmitters are the hidden rulers behind the Wanxian Alliance."
"Hmm? No, that's not right."
Thinking to this point, Li Fan suddenly froze.
"Tianxuan Soul Lock."
"Perhaps..."
Just as he seemed to be about to touch the truth of the matter, the long-distance teleportation array happened to end.
A strong sense of dizziness suddenly hit him, interrupting his thoughts.
Obviously, many people in Huangfu Song's team hadn't tried long-distance teleportation much either.
Unexpectedly, their figures swayed, almost falling to the ground.
They looked quite embarrassed.
Qi Buyi showed no abnormal expression, just professionally took out Purification Dust Pills from her bosom and distributed them to everyone.
Li Fan memorized the flash of insight just now and swallowed the pill.
The pill, glowing with a green light, melted in his mouth, and its effects were swift.
After a moment, the discomfort in his body disappeared without a trace.
Led by Qi Buyi, the group once again passed through the teleportation array on the Heavenly Pivot Plaza and arrived at Zhupi City.
Then, she personally summoned a Dust Ferry and carried everyone towards the Five Elements Great Immortal Realm.
Upon entering the cabin, Li Fan immediately noticed the difference between this Dust Ferry and the one Huangfu Song had earlier.
The hull isolated the inside from the outside, and being inside it lost all perception of the external environment.
Even though the Dust Ferry was currently flying at an extremely fast speed, Li Fan felt like he was living in a static courtyard.
He couldn't sense any changes in the outside world, whether through naked eyes or divine sense.
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 382: The Chaos of the Five Elements Revealed
"Is this for confidentiality?" Li Fan glanced at Huangfu Song, who seemed to be accustomed to it.
Tapping the table happily, he quickly finished the spiritual tea that emerged.
"Wanxian Spirit Tea, this is a good thing. It's said to be an ancient recipe passed down from ancient times. After drinking it, there's a slight increase in soul power."
"Each person is limited to one cup; why don't you give it a try?"
After drinking the spiritual tea, Huangfu Song patted his stomach contentedly, then invited Li Fan to try it.
Following Huangfu Song's lead, Li Fan drank the Wanxian Spirit Tea.
Compared to the effects of the Profound Yellow Heart Refining Mantra, it wasn't lacking in the slightest.
"Good stuff!" Li Fan still expressed great joy.
Just as he put down the teacup, he felt the Dust Ferry under him sway slightly and slowly come to a stop.
"Could it be that something unexpected happened?" Surprised, Li Fan looked at Huangfu Song, who was rising from his seat.
"Don't just sit there; we should have arrived at the Five Elements Great Immortal Realm." Huangfu Song said.
"So fast?" Li Fan was slightly stunned, then couldn't help but be amazed.
In his perception, it had only been the time it took for an incense stick to burn since they set off.
Li Fan was well aware of the Dust Ferry's maximum speed.
Calculating, was the Five Elements Great Immortal Realm not far from Zhupi City?
Seeming to perceive Li Fan's thoughts, Huangfu Song smiled and said, "Don't bother calculating. This Dust Ferry not only shields our perception of the external space but also affects our perception of time."
"You think only half a day has passed?"
"In reality, it could have been seven or eight days."
"Of course, it's also possible that it has indeed only been the time you perceived."
"It's to keep you guessing."
"After the previous Purple Dome Venerable spy incident, the Alliance has become more cautious."
While shaking his head, Huangfu Song walked towards the outside.
"Affecting the perception of the passage of time?" Li Fan's heart sank. This was the first time he had seen technology related to time in the Wanxian Alliance.
"But it could also be a simple distortion of perception."
Suppressing his thoughts, Li Fan followed Huangfu Song to the deck.
Once outside the cabin, an unprecedented, almost substantial water-attribute spiritual energy rushed over.
Having spent a long time in the Cloud Sea and once built a foundation using the Canghai Pearl, Li Fan was particularly sensitive to water-attribute spiritual energy.
So, he felt even more astonished.
"This should be the water-attribute Immortal Realm in the Five Elements Great Immortal Realm? It's like an enlarged and concentrated version of the Canghai Pearl."
Li Fan subconsciously inhaled and exhaled spiritual energy, refining and absorbing it. With this, he gained a clearer understanding of the purity of the spiritual energy here.
Observing left and right, Li Fan found that the surrounding cultivators, including Huangfu Song, all looked up at the sky.
Their faces were full of indescribable shock.
Li Fan also followed their gaze.
At this moment, the Dust Ferry was positioned on an extremely smooth boundary line.
Below was a vast and boundless blue water world.
Above was an inverted towering giant tree rooted in the sky, connecting countless branches to the water world.
Each branch seemed as vast as a plain in the mortal world.
Vaguely, many plants could be seen growing on them.
Some tree trunks even had a dense forest of trees.
"The original water-attribute Immortal Realm was simply a vast blue water world."
"But not long ago, outside the water world, the scene of a wood-attribute Immortal Realm suddenly appeared."
"The two gradually began to merge. This is the phenomenon of the Five Elements returning to unity."
At this moment, Qi Buyi suddenly appeared, also looking up at the magnificent scene in the sky, explaining it to everyone.
"Five Elements returning to unity. So, is there any sign of a metal-attribute Immortal Realm invading below the water world?" A cultivator on the ship couldn't help but ask.
Qi Buyi nodded, "Under the endless water layer, you can indeed see golden light everywhere. However, it's not a metal-attribute Immortal Realm invasion."
"It's the water-attribute Immortal Realm invading the metal-attribute Immortal Realm."
"Just like the wood-attribute Immortal Realm above our heads," Huangfu Song continued.
"Gold generates water, water generates wood. But now it's reversed?" Huangfu Song added.
"So, in the end..."
After speaking, Huangfu Song suddenly was astonished, staring at Qi Buyi.
"It's not as simple as you imagined," Qi Buyi said as he walked to the side of the Dust Ferry, using spiritual power to carry a water mass, showcasing it to everyone.
"Before the Five Elements return to unity, the water quality in this water-attribute Immortal Realm was extremely pure. But now..."
Qi Buyi flicked a spark, which flew into the water mass.
What happened surprised everyone present.
The total volume of the water could have easily extinguished the spark Qi Buyi had released. However, after encountering the flame, the water started to burn vigorously.
In front of everyone's eyes, it burned brighter and brighter.
Finally, it turned into a blackened piece of scorched earth.
Li Fan clearly saw that the strange phenomenon occurred not because the flame was particularly strong but because the nature of the "water" had changed.
It became combustible.
"Is this still water?"
"Wait a minute, with so much water in this Immortal Realm, if it were all ignited at once, wouldn't that be disastrous?"
People on the Dust Ferry looked at each other, feeling a deep sense of dread.
Qi Buyi seemed to sense their worries and said, "The changes you see only occur when the water is taken out separately."
"When it exists as a whole within the entire Immortal Realm, it won't be ignited and will turn into earth."
Hearing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
"As for why this phenomenon occurs, there's currently no clear answer."
"This is also the purpose of our visit here."
"The anomalies occurring in this Immortal Realm are different from the usual Five Elements returning to unity."
"The Alliance is very interested in this. According to previous estimates, the Five Elements returning to unity will be completed within five years at most."
"As the process accelerates, this number could significantly decrease."
"What we need to do is ensure that the Tianxuan Locking Spirit Formation covering the Five Elements Great Immortal Realm is completed before the Five Elements completely return to unity."
"Aside from the advanced group that has already arrived, more reinforcements will continue to arrive."
"We are part of that group, mainly responsible for the water-attribute Immortal Realm coverage."
Qi Buyi succinctly explained the purpose of their mission to everyone.
"Even if it's just one Immortal Realm, it is vast."
"It is even larger than the entire province in our Xuanhuang Realm."
"Most areas here still don't have teleportation formations, and relying solely on flying is too slow."
"For the convenience of future work, the Alliance has prepared some special items for you."
After speaking, Qi Buyi took out a droplet-shaped black and gold object and displayed it in front of everyone.
"This is the Sky-Escaping Shuttle, a flying treasure specially crafted by the Alliance."
"The speed..."
"Extremely fast."
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 383: Supervising the Heavens Record
"Even if a Golden Core cultivator operates it, the speed can far surpass the average Nascent Divinity flying with their physical body."
"And it can absorb external spiritual energy as a power source, so you don't have to worry about personal consumption. In this spiritually abundant Five Elements Immortal Realm, its effects are outstanding."
As Qi Buyi spoke, the black and gold Sky-Escaping Shuttle in her hand flickered, and in an instant, it split into identical replicas, turning into black fine rays that flew in front of everyone.
"The wonderful thing about the Sky-Escaping Shuttle, you can explore it yourselves later," Qi Buyi said.
Li Fan received the flying treasure in front of him, feeling a chilly sensation.
Upon contact with his spiritual awareness, a crisp mechanical sound appeared in his mind.
"Authorization confirmed."
"Number 16 sub-unit activated."
"Current operator: Li Fan."
The moment the Sky-Escaping Shuttle activated, information about its usage and various precautions appeared in Li Fan's mind.
Li Fan's eyes lit up, feeling impressed but also somewhat regretful.
"Good treasure! In terms of speed alone, it's probably faster than Zhong Shentong's Seven-Colored Divine Light."
"But it's just a sub-unit, and all functions need to be controlled."
"Not only that, I'm afraid the operation status of the Sky-Escaping Shuttle, location information, and everything happening inside will be under surveillance."
Li Fan speculated inwardly.
Before everyone could fully grasp the Sky-Escaping Shuttle, Qi Buyi took out dozens of rectangular jade pieces and distributed them.
Li Fan took one, and a black dot immediately appeared on the palm-sized jade piece.
"Qi Buyi."
Upon contact with spiritual awareness, he immediately sensed these three words.
Then options like "communication," "marking," "transmission," "sharing," and more appeared.
"This is the 'Heaven Supervising Record,' specially equipped by the Alliance for the convenience of cooperation," Qi Buyi explained.
"Inside, the complete map of the Five Elements Great Immortal Realm has been drawn."
"After logging your information into the Heaven Supervising Record, you can synchronize and share real-time locations."
"Anyone holding the Heaven Supervising Record can check at any time."
Qi Buyi continued to explain diligently.
"Not only that, if you encounter special situations, you can mark and explain your location on the map for information sharing."
"When you need to contact a specific member individually, you can also do it through the Heaven Supervising Record."
"Now, please log in first."
Li Fan pondered for a moment, then inserted his spiritual awareness into the jade piece.
After a moment, a small black dot representing "Li Fan" appeared on the jade piece's screen.
Successive cultivators also appeared in the Heaven Supervising Record's display.
Li Fan manipulated it, shrinking the screen.
Suddenly, the entire map of the water-attribute Immortal Realm appeared in front of him.
In addition to the black dots representing individuals, there were blue markers indicating rare item locations, red markers for danger zones, and one or two "×" marks indicating areas not recommended for entry.
There were even moving gold markers.
Those were powerful primitive beings in the water-attribute Immortal Realm.
Li Fan eagerly synchronized all the map information into the Dao Stone Crystal in his sea of knowledge, securely preserving it.
"This kind of map..."
Li Fan, who was stealing the Alliance's secrets, suddenly felt the map in front of him was somewhat familiar.
After a moment, he reacted.
Back then, due to the "Qingniu Pulls the Cart, Master Teaches" incident that led to the inexplicable deaths of dozens of cultivators.
As the sole survivor, he underwent an investigation by the Heaven's Machine Hall.
There, he had seen a similar map marked with numerous secrets of the entire Cloud Sea and Five Elements Immortal Realm.
"Heaven Supervising Record, huh? It seems like it's not just the Cloud Sea and Five Elements Immortal Realm."
"Perhaps every province under the Alliance has such maps."
While Li Fan was contemplating, Qi Buyi had already started the mobilization.
"Things are urgent, and there's not much time for everyone to rest. Later on, I will synchronize the Tianxuan Locking Spirit Formation construction plan for the Five Elements Immortal Realm to everyone."
"The specific responsibilities for each person will be allocated very clearly."
"Everyone just needs to follow the established plan and execute it seriously."
"Of course, if anyone can exceed the task, that would be even better."
Qi Buyi concluded, "Just like you saw in the Heaven Supervising Record map, besides our Immortal Alliance, there are some primitive beings in this water-attribute Immortal Realm."
"Although they are powerful, they don't have high intelligence. They basically stay in fixed positions and don't actively attack people."
"Just avoid them. If you encounter danger, escape using the Sky-Escaping Shuttle."
...
After the instructions were given, Li Fan received his mission objectives.
Because the Five Elements Immortal Realm was about to unify, the plan for constructing the Spirit-Locking Array was slightly different from other regions.
The main formation was arranged outside the Immortal Realm's void.
Inside the Immortal Realm, only corresponding connecting formation units were built at key points.
Then they were protected with special materials.
Ensuring that even after the unification of the Five Elements, the formation would remain intact.
The protective material was said to withstand the test of chaos, called the Eternal Cataclysmic Essence Gold.
Such treasures would naturally be personally arranged by key figures.
What Li Fan needed to do was no different from his previous roles in the Abyss and the Spirit Transformation Stream.
Simply acting as a laborer to construct the basic structural units of the formation.
Without much complaint, after Qi Buyi announced the start of the operation, Li Fan took out the Sky-Escaping Shuttle and silently chanted.
The black and gold object instantly became like a living thing, flowing around Li Fan's body like a liquid.
In the blink of an eye, a droplet-shaped armor formed outside Li Fan.
"Escape!"
With Li Fan's command, enveloped by the Sky-Escaping Shuttle, he turned into a black stream of light.
Cutting through the sky.
"The consumption of personal spiritual power is almost negligible. As long as there is some spiritual energy in the outside world, this speed can be maintained indefinitely."
Li Fan experienced the feeling of driving the Sky-Escaping Shuttle.
During the flight, the black and gold fluid around him gradually became transparent, allowing Li Fan to observe the surrounding scenery without any hindrance.
Friction resistance and even sound were isolated.
There was no sensation of rapid flight.
Only continuous backward changes and a slightly distorted view due to the excessive speed.
Demonstrating the speed at which Li Fan was flying at this moment.
Extreme speed and extreme stillness, both contradictory situations occurring simultaneously.
Leaving Li Fan feeling slightly uncomfortable.
However, soon a prompt from the Sky-Escaping Shuttle came to his mind, indicating that external volume could be adjusted.
After reducing the volume of ambient noise, the discomfort immediately disappeared.
With the target locked in the Heaven Supervising Record, Li Fan flew straight toward it.
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 384: Constructing the Spirit-Locking Array with Life
Looking at the map, the distance between Li Fan and the destination almost spanned half of the Water Immortal Realm.
Li Fan estimated that if he relied solely on flying, it would take at least a month or two to reach the destination.
However, with the Sky-Escaping Shuttle, not even a day was required.
In just over seven hours, Li Fan arrived at the marked location.
As the speed gradually slowed, the black and gold fluid around his body slowly restored.
After Li Fan stopped, it transformed back into a small droplet-shaped object and was stored in his dantian.
Li Fan surveyed his work environment for the upcoming period.
Below was still an endless expanse of azure waters.
Above, the branches of a giant tree, seemingly within reach, hung upside down from the sky, making intimate contact with the Water Immortal Realm.
What surprised Li Fan was the vitality of the trees. After contact with the water, they should have become even more vibrant. However, the huge branches before him were completely desolate and decayed.
Gray-yellow trees, incomplete and riddled with many hollows, as if they could break and fall at any moment.
Whether it was an illusion from staring for too long or not, Li Fan even saw many incomplete figures of "people" in those dead and consumed branches.
When he withdrew his gaze and looked again later, that feeling disappeared.
Shaking his head, Li Fan took out the Heaven Supervising Record and carefully read the construction plan.
During the time he inspected his surroundings just now, the plan had already been updated.
Five more cultivators joined as his assistants, carrying logistical supplies and rushing over.
Li Fan didn't wait for them.
The Heaven Supervising Record released a brilliance into the air.
After confirming the coordinates, Li Fan began the construction of the Spirit-Locking Array directly.
Unlike the moments in the Abyss when he needed to guard against the devouring white mist and Abyssal Devil's sounds, there was almost no danger in this Water Immortal Realm.
The rich spiritual energy was conducive to the construction of the formation.
Without any constraints, Li Fan was able to act as he pleased.
After years of heavy training, Li Fan's speed in setting up formations in normal conditions had once again reached a new level.
As if engraved in the depths of his soul, he didn't need to think at all.
As soon as he thought of it, the formation was completed in an instant.
Li Fan felt neither joy nor sorrow but pushed forward the arrangement of the formation at an absolutely efficient and terrifying speed.
For a moment, he fell into a state of self-forgetfulness.
When the five-member support group arrived, what they saw was Li Fan's extremely focused scene, casually constructing the Spirit-Locking Array as if splashing ink.
They had participated in the construction of formations before, but the formation masters they had encountered, in terms of speed and elegance in setting up formations, were far from being compared to the white-haired Golden Core formation master in front of them.
The five looked at each other.
"Is this person really only at the Golden Core level?"
"Li Fan... he seems a bit familiar. Wait, could it be that Li Fan?"
"No mistake. Truly worthy of being someone who tirelessly strives at the forefront of building Spirit-Locking Arrays until death. His proficiency in formations is simply world-shaking."
"Phew, being able to cooperate with him this time is our good fortune."
The five communicated with each other through divine sense.
Afterwards, they didn't disturb Li Fan but started building their own base on the water surface below.
Although they had heard that Li Fan was extremely hardworking and didn't need to rest while setting up formations, a foothold for handling special situations was necessary.
Moreover, they couldn't withstand several years of continuous work without rest.
This job was routine for them, and with the combined effort of the five, a small base suspended above the water was completed in just three days.
After that, they began the process of inspecting and verifying the formation units Li Fan had already constructed, following the procedure.
The results once again shattered their understanding.
In the past, they had heard of how certain formation geniuses could set up formations rapidly.
However, the structure of the Spirit-Locking Array is incredibly complex, involving countless formation units.
Taking into account external environmental factors, even individuals with outstanding talents may make mistakes during the construction process.
Yet, the formation set up by Li Fan surprisingly had no flaws.
Tireless, efficient, and precise—these qualities manifested in an elderly Golden Core cultivator who was on the verge of passing away.
It was simply unbelievable.
The five individuals couldn't help but be deeply impressed.
As time passed, the area where Li Fan had completed the formation rapidly expanded outward.
With each completed formation node, the five individuals grew even more admiring of Li Fan.
Because this person was truly as rumored.
Unfazed by exhaustion, never taking a moment's rest.
Even the five of them, who were working tirelessly alongside him, were starting to feel overwhelmed.
However, they didn't dare to complain.
Thus, a year quietly passed.
When the area covered by the completed formation extended to a radius of five thousand miles from the initial node, the tasks originally assigned to Li Fan and his team were almost completed.
"The original plan was to finish within three years, but unexpectedly, the completion is just around the corner after only one year."
A cultivator named Yan Hang, in the Nascent Soul stage, looked at the formation in the sky and sighed.
"Now, we can finally take a good rest."
He appeared exhausted, his face bearing the marks of time.
The others nodded in agreement, showing signs of fatigue.
However, when Li Fan completed the final formation construction, after a brief pause in the air, he showed no intention of resting.
Instead, he continued to expand the formation toward the periphery.
"Master Li, what are you doing? That area is clearly beyond our working range!"
Yan Hang, who had initially planned to relax, couldn't help but shout.
"This... Check the Heaven Supervising Record. The work plan has been updated!"
"Master Li volunteered to assist nearby formation masters in setting up formations?!"
"We must cooperate vigorously and not slack off?"
The group exchanged words, and suddenly, their hearts sank.
Despair appeared on their faces.
After a long while, the five finally recovered.
Yan Hang gritted his teeth and encouraged everyone, "Master Li is working so hard. We have no reason to refuse."
"Brothers, let's put in some extra effort and persist a little longer."
One of them sighed, "We have no choice. If we withdraw now, it might be ridiculed by others."
"I don't care much. The main concern is Master Li. Haven't you noticed? He seems to be aging more rapidly?"
After this reminder, the others realized.
Carefully observing the figure not far away, although aged, it remained upright.
The shock filled their hearts.
"It does seem to be the case."
"He didn't have many years left to live anyway. By pushing himself so hard, the depletion of his life force is likely to be more than double."
"What should we do?"
The group exchanged glances.
"No, we can't just watch Master Li perish in front of us."
"Immediately report this situation!"
Yan Hang said in a deep voice.
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 385: Wood and Water Give Birth to Wood
"Biological Age: 882/899."
As Li Fan continued his work, setting up formations without pause, he glanced at the True Panel.
The consecutive selfless efforts were not without a cost. When Li Fan emerged from the immersive and enlightening formation process, an uncontrollable sense of weakness surged over him.
Under the extreme pressure, his biological age rapidly increased. Now, Li Fan had truly reached the end of his life.
"It's time to take a break," this thought involuntarily crossed his mind. But immediately, he treated it as the main material for the Reverse Cultivation Heart.
Suppressing all slackness and fatigue, he thought, "Without being tough on oneself, how can one seek transcendence in this extremely dangerous cultivation world?"
Li Fan said to himself inwardly and then refreshed his spirit, forcibly burning the last moments of his life to continue the formation work.
The expressions and reactions of Yan Hang and the others below were within Li Fan's expectations. In fact, he didn't need them to report.
When Li Fan submitted a cross-region work application to Qiu Buyu using the Heaven Supervising Record, he had already explained his current physical condition.
After Qiu Buyu's persuasion failed, she decisively agreed to Li Fan's request.
"Theoretically, the Immortal Alliance should extend my life. However, nothing is absolute, and I need to be prepared for the Immortal Alliance's unpredictable actions."
"Fortunately, I have contributed enough, and there is still one Life-Extending Fruit left. If necessary, I can buy or exchange for some life-extending items. I need to gain some time for the end of this world."
...
After the report from Yan Hang and the others was submitted, it was as if a stone had sunk into the ocean, without any ripples. This left the five individuals puzzled and disappointed.
Li Fan himself seemed completely unaffected, earning him even more admiration from the group.
In this uneventful period, another half-year passed.
One day, the calm Water Dao Realm underwent a sudden and dramatic change. The azure water world began shaking violently without warning.
Caught off guard, Li Fan's formation process was forcibly interrupted.
Subconsciously wanting to observe what was happening around, he felt as if the entire world was spinning, making him dizzy and unable to focus.
Fortunately, Yan Hang and the others reacted swiftly.
The moment the mutation occurred, they flew to Li Fan's side, took out various protective treasures, and surrounded him in the center, forming a protective barrier of radiant light. This shield somewhat isolated the impact of the external upheaval.
Li Fan could now see clearly what was happening in this Water Dao Realm.
The straight line where water and wood intersect seemed to be squeezed by a tremendous force, forming a wave-like distortion.
The perpetually calm water surface was now surging with monstrous waves.
Soaring into the sky, it connected with the invading Wood Dao Realm from above.
Amidst the thunderous friction sound, the giant inverted tree above their heads also drew nearer.
The pointed and continuous branches extended downward, becoming fragmented and desolate upon touching the Water Dao Realm.
Although this slightly slowed down the growth momentum, it still steadfastly pierced through the boundary between the two realms.
The pure and peaceful water attribute spiritual energy between heaven and earth gradually became turbulent.
Li Fan and the others watched solemnly as the great changes unfolded in the Dao Realm.
However, the Heaven Supervising Record had already received a reminder from Qiu Buyu.
"Don't panic, everyone. This is a sign of the Five Elements Returning to One advancing further than we expected. It seems we need to accelerate our progress."
"Be cautious of the possible changes when the two realms intersect. Report any special circumstances promptly."
...
Once the changes began, there was no stopping the momentum.
However, human adaptability is also extremely terrifying.
Soon, Li Fan and the others got used to working in the environment of occasional surging waves and the thunderous sound of friction.
For them, these disturbances affected their state of mind at most and did not pose a practical threat.
The real danger came from the strange creatures created during the fusion of the Water and Wood realms. These monsters were formed when the remnants of the inverted giant tree fell into the Water Dao Realm, undergoing changes in both water and wood attributes.
Their shapes varied, and their bodies were composed entirely of dry yellow wood. The vivid blue water flowed incessantly on the surface of their wooden bodies, resembling blood visible from the outside.
They were highly aggressive and extremely sensitive to the aura of cultivators. Even if separated by thousands of miles, they would spontaneously seek the nearest cultivator to attack.
The Immortal Alliance had tried many methods, but so far, no effective countermeasure had been found.
Thus, battles became inevitable.
Although the bodies of these monsters appeared like dry wood, their texture was unexpectedly hard. Even a full-powered strike from a YuanYing-stage cultivator could only leave a shallow mark on them.
Fortunately, their combat abilities were quite clumsy, and their numbers were relatively low.
The Immortal Alliance often dispatched groups of cultivators to act collectively, relying on numerical advantage and well-crafted equipment to suppress the creatures.
With some time and effort, they could safely eliminate the monsters.
After each battle, Yan Hang and the others would thoroughly report the combat process through the Heaven Supervising Record.
After collecting a wealth of data, the Immortal Alliance compiled key points for fighting these monsters and distributed them to every cultivator.
In different Dao Realms, due to the merging attributes, various types of monsters appeared. The monsters encountered by Li Fan and his group, born from the fusion of Wood and Water, were named "Falling Wood."
To deal with Falling Wood, two types of techniques were most effective.
The first was fire attribute cultivation techniques. Under the burning flames, the wood would turn to ashes, and the water would boil, causing the Falling Wood to disintegrate.
The second was separation-type techniques.
By completely separating the blue water flowing on the surface of the Falling Wood from its main body, the creature would self-destruct, transforming from a terrifying monster into pure Wood and Water elements.
The separation technique was not only effective against Falling Wood but also proved outstanding when dealing with other fused-attribute monsters.
Unfortunately, it was a relatively obscure technique, known to only a few cultivators.
Most cultivators had to rely on conventional techniques for dealing with these monsters.
Having summarized the battle strategies, cultivators became more adept at facing the monsters that emerged in the Dao Realms.
Unfortunately, most cultivators still remained uneasy.
On this day, more fragments of dead wood fell, transforming into creatures that looked part human and part beast, attacking Li Fan and his group.
Quickly, Yan Hang and the others intercepted them.
While Li Fan continued to set up formations, he observed the battle between the two sides.
"Compared to the first one I saw, these Falling Wood creatures have indeed made significant progress in their fighting styles and techniques."
"These individuals separated from the inverted tree seem to have collective consciousness."
Watching the intense battle not far away, Li Fan felt a sense of astonishment.
"This is just the fusion of Wood and Water attributes. If another attribute or even several more are added, won't the monsters become even more formidable?"
(End of this chapter)