Ji Shiwen took out a golden command flag and threw it on the ground.
In an instant, a formation appeared beneath their feet.
Chu Zongyi was excited, while Li Fan remained unfazed.
Within the brilliance of the formation, they turned into streams of light, like meteors flying against the current, reaching the city of spirit stones in the sky directly from the market.
In just a few moments, the three of them stood on the ground made of spirit stones in the city above.
"Wu wu..." The density of spiritual energy in the city in the sky had reached an astonishing level, and the frenzied influx caused blockages in the circulation of spiritual energy. Chu Zongyi's face turned purple, as if an ordinary person had been choked and couldn't breathe.
It was Li Fan who forcefully patted his back, saving him.
"Cough, cough..." Even after Chu Zongyi had returned to normal, he greedily absorbed the pure spiritual energy around him, showing an astonished expression.
Seeing this, Ji Shiwen, who was leading the way, flashed a hint of satisfaction in his eyes. However, after seeing Li Fan's emotionless face, his expression instantly turned gloomy.
Passing through the city of spirit stones, Li Fan finally met Ji Family's patriarch in a central garden.
Contrary to the imagined old appearance, Ji Wangxian turned out to be a young man in his twenties.
He had shoulder-length hair, a handsome face, and starlight shimmering in his eyes.
If it weren't for Ji Shiwen respectfully bowing and saying, "Greetings, Patriarch," Li Fan and Chu Zongyi would find it hard to believe that this "young cultivator" in front of them was Ji Wangxian, their father.
"Is it you who want to see me?" Ji Wangxian asked softly.
Even without deliberate pressure, the aura unintentionally emanating from him made Li Fan and Chu Zongyi feel a constriction in their hearts.
Chu Zongyi nodded repeatedly and was about to explain the whole situation.
However, Li Fan stopped him.
Looking at his biological father in this body, Li Fan calmly said, "Some matters are confidential. It's not suitable with this person present."
Ji Shiwen was furious, "You wretched child..."
Before he could erupt completely, Ji Wangxian raised his hand to interrupt.
Ji Wangxian chuckled, "You little brat, quite interesting. Shiwen, step back for now."
Under the orders of the patriarch, Ji Shiwen dared not disobey. Hatred filled his eyes as he left.
"How about now? Can we talk?" Ji Wangxian asked with a restrained smile.
Chu Zongyi shivered, hastily explaining the need for a large amount of Taiyuan Essence Metal for forging boundary-shattering divine weapons and the chance of becoming the next Sect Master if they could solve this matter.
"Senior Ji, with the formidable strength of your World Commerce, securing the position of Sect Master is almost guaranteed. After we, the Heaven Sword Sect, leave, the vast land within a ninety-thousand-mile radius of the Tianjian Mountain will all belong to Senior, just waiting for you to claim it..." Chu Zongyi passionately persuaded.
However, Ji Wangxian was different from what they expected, showing no interest.
Instead, he sighed, "Everyone knows that the position of the Sect Master in the Heaven Sword Sect is nothing but a nominal role. The true power holder in the Heaven Sword Sect is the 'Great Senior Brother' Sītú Yáng."
"Taiyuan Essence Metal is rare and valuable. Even with the wealth of our World Commerce, meeting the requirements for forging divine weapons would require a hefty price. The exchange would only result in an empty title..."
Ji Wangxian suddenly looked at Li Fan, "You're called Ji Zhaoxuan, right? Since you left home, this should be your first return. Coming back from afar, do you think this matter is feasible?"
Li Fan shook his head slightly, "Not feasible."
Chu Zongyi was shocked, "Junior Brother Ji..."
Li Fan continued, "But we can gamble a bit."
Ji Wangxian's eyes instantly burst with brilliance as he laughed heartily, "Good, you remind me of my youth."
"What you said is correct! This matter has too much uncertainty, and the risk does not match the reward. When the Heaven Sword Sect leaves, they can easily wash their hands of it. We won't even be able to find our debtor."
"But, indeed, we can take a gamble!"
Chapter 736: Ji Family's Ji Wangxian
"The foundation of the Daoist Sects. If our World Commerce can merge..." Ji Wangxian stood with hands behind his back, turned his head, and gazed into the distance, his tone inexplicable.
In an instant, the situation took a turn for the better.
Chu Zongyi was overjoyed at his words.
With the approval of the patriarch, the following events unexpectedly proceeded smoothly beyond Li Fan's expectations.
Amid Ji Shiwen's incredulous gaze, Li Fan and Chu Zongyi returned with three thousand kilograms of Taiyuan Essence Metal from the World Commerce's inventory.
Ji Wangxian even stated that the World Commerce would fully support "Ji Zhaoxuan" in competing for the position of Sect Master of the Heaven Sword Sect.
Surprisingly generous, Ji Wangxian didn't ask Li Fan for any commitments.
If Li Fan didn't know that this body had previously exhibited uncontrolled autonomous actions and was almost moved by this unconditional trust, he might have been touched.
"It seems that Ji Family is quite confident in controlling these spies sent to various sects." Li Fan sneered in his heart while contemplating ways to unravel this.
Back at the Heaven Sword Sect, Li Fan handed over three thousand kilograms of Taiyuan Essence Metal and stated that there would be a continuous supply in the future.
This immediately caused a sensation throughout the sect.
Considering the contributions from disciples over this period, combined with the original sect inventory, there were only a little over a thousand kilograms in total. Li Fan alone obtained more than triple that amount.
After presenting several pots of good wine brought back from Ji's residence to Situ Yao, the Great Senior Brother of the Heaven Sword Sect, he praised Li Fan on the spot, hailing him as a model disciple.
Under Chu Zongyi's publicity, the background of Li Fan's World Commerce gradually spread.
For a while, the front gate of Li Fan's residence became a bustling place, with fellow disciples visiting to build relationships.
Most Heaven Sword Sect cultivators believed that Li Fan was a strong contender for the next Sect Master.
As the subsequent Taiyuan Essence Metal from the World Commerce arrived, people became even more convinced of their judgment.
At this critical moment, Li Fan quietly visited the current Sect Master of the Heaven Sword Sect, Huo Yuzhu.
"Oh? Isn't this the pillar of our Heaven Sword Sect, the designated successor to the position of Sect Master? What business do you have with me?" Huo Yuzhu wore a smile, but a hint of mockery flashed in his eyes.
Li Fan remained composed and openly said, "I've come for the position of Sect Master."
Huo Yuzhu's face changed, "Junior, don't think that just because..."
"Sect Master Huo, do you hope to hand over your position willingly? Even if it's a nominal role, the authority of the Sect Master can still be intoxicating," Li Fan interrupted.
Huo Yuzhu's expression fluctuated, unsure of Li Fan's intentions.
"I know of a place with a large amount of Taiyuan Essence Metal. Definitely more than what our Ji Family can gather. I intend to exchange this information for the position of Sect Master. Can Sect Master help me with that?" Li Fan smiled and asked.
"Hmm?" Huo Yuzhu looked at Li Fan in surprise, not understanding his intentions.
"I want to exchange the position of Sect Master of the Heaven Sword Sect for complete freedom. I wonder if Sect Master can help me?" Li Fan asked with a smile.
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 737: Soul Blood Refining Sword Body
"No wonder they say there's no honesty in business. That old guy Ji Wangxian indeed has sinister motives," commented Huo Yuzhu after hearing Li Fan's narration.
After a moment of resentment, he looked at Li Fan, "I misunderstood you."
Li Fan shrugged, "Do you have any information about the matter of me being inexplicably controlled?"
After all, being the leader of one of the Ten Daoist Sects, even if it was just nominal, was extraordinary.
After a brief contemplation, Huo Yuzhu replied, "I've heard that the entire Ji Family, indeed, the entire World Commerce, was created by Ji Wangxian for cultivation."
"Although Ji Wangxian hasn't broken through to the Longevity Realm, most of his same-generation cultivators have already died. Even those still alive have aged. Who else can maintain youth like him, appearing like a young lad?"
"This is definitely related to his cultivation method. Although no one, besides himself, knows exactly what cultivation method he practices, it is almost certain to be related to bloodlines and desires."
"I'm afraid it's not just you; all Ji Family cultivators might be under Ji Wangxian's control," Huo Yuzhu said with a sinister tone.
"Do you know a way to break the control?" Li Fan asked with a frown.
Huo Yuzhu didn't answer immediately. Instead, he pondered, pacing back and forth.
Li Fan didn't rush and patiently waited.
After a long time, Huo Yuzhu stopped. He then waved his hand, creating several seals to seal the secret chamber's space.
Then he whispered, "We, at the Heaven Sword Sect, have a secret technique. It imitates the method of forging a sword, using a cultivator's soul and flesh as raw materials to forge the 'Supreme Sword Body.' If successful, the sword is the body, and the body is the sword, achieving an unparalleled state of unity between man and sword."
"The Supreme Sword Body repels all other types of energies, so Ji Wangxian's control method will likely fail."
"However..."
Huo Yuzhu paused, "This method is too dangerous. In the entire history of our Heaven Sword Sect, only a handful of cultivators have succeeded. Even with the exceptional talent of our Great Senior Brother, he failed in the past and left some hidden dangers."
Li Fan had no reservations and straightforwardly said, "I'm willing to give it a try."
Huo Yuzhu nodded slightly, showing approval, "If you can really refine the Supreme Sword Body, then even if you take over as the next Sect Master of the Heaven Sword Sect, what's the harm?"
"In the cultivation world, strength is paramount. If I can be like Senior Brother Situ, not taking the position seriously, that's fine," Li Fan said indifferently.
Huo Yuzhu was momentarily speechless.
Inside the secret chamber, after a detailed discussion, the two finally reached a consensus.
Next, Li Fan continued to make a big fuss, attracting the attention of the entire sect.
Meanwhile, Huo Yuzhu secretly went to the Five Elements Sect.
As the leader of the Heaven Sword Sect, Huo Yuzhu undoubtedly had his own supporters. Similar to real history, convincing the Five Elements Sect Master to sell Taiyuan Essence Metal shouldn't be a big issue.
And knowing in advance that there might be spies from the World Commerce within the Five Elements Sect, Huo Yuzhu would undoubtedly be more cautious this time to avoid leaking information.
As expected, seven days later, Huo Yuzhu returned safely.
Without communicating anything with Li Fan, he only gestured with his eyes, indicating that everything was understood.
As time passed, with an ample supply of Taiyuan Essence Metal, the forging progress of the Divine Splitting Weapons was several times faster than expected. Li Fan no longer needed to extract sword insights from the wooden sword left by Mr. Bai. Instead, he directly infused them into the sword embryo.
At the moment when Li Fan felt that the survival time in the Fallen Immortal Realm was about to end, the Divine Splitting Weapons, forged with the full power of the sect, were finally completed.
It seemed that the Ji Family, through some means, knew about this and sent a team of cultivators led by Ji Shiwen to congratulate. In reality, their purpose was to harvest the abundant results.
The enormous Divine Splitting Weapons stood tall, appearing like ordinary gray stones, seemingly unremarkable.
But Li Fan, who spent his days contemplating by the sword, could faintly sense the terrifying power within.
Situ Yao gathered the members of the Heaven Sword Sect at the back mountain.
"Now that the divine weapons are complete, everyone has made significant contributions."
"I, Situ Yao, will fulfill my promise. The one who contributed the most Taiyuan Essence Metal will be the next Sect Master of the Heaven Sword Sect."
Ji Shiwen's face showed joy at these words.
But the following words from Situ Yao made him grit his teeth in fury.
"According to the Elder Council's statistics, Huo Yuzhu contributed a total of eighty-six thousand nine hundred and twelve kilograms of Taiyuan Essence Metal, the most among everyone!"
"So, the next Sect Master of the Heaven Sword Sect will still be him!"
Chapter 737: Silent Showdown
In the arena, there was an instant silence.
"Impossible! How could anyone have more than our Ji Family..." Ji Shiwen's angry voice shattered the tranquility.
"Hmm? Are you questioning me?" Situ Yao narrowed his eyes, looking at Ji Shiwen from a distance.
Ji Shiwen's words were stuck in his throat.
"Well, let you admit defeat wholeheartedly. Your Ji Family contributed a total of eighty-six thousand nine hundred and eleven kilograms of Taiyuan Essence Metal. Just one kilogram short..." Situ Yao shook his head slightly, looking genuinely regretful.
Ji Shiwen's eyes were wide, and he pointed at Situ Yao, trembling with anger.
"Too much! Too much! Are you not afraid of being ridiculed by everyone in the world for what you, Heaven Sword Sect, are doing?" Situ Yao's face turned cold. "Ji kid, considering that you did submit so much Taiyuan Essence Metal, I won't hold you accountable for what you said earlier. If you dare to talk nonsense again..."
He snorted, and Ji Shiwen shivered, unable to utter the rest of his words.
Suddenly, as if he remembered something, Ji Shiwen looked towards Li Fan.
But Li Fan appeared equally incredulous, lost, and somewhat dazed.
The selection of the Sect Master's candidate concluded under such dramatic circumstances.
After seeing off the guests, the Heaven Sword Sect officially began relocating towards the Divine Splitting Weapons.
Everything that could be taken was taken.
Even the spiritual fields outside the sect were dug up and moved as a whole.
The Divine Splitting Weapons called themselves one world.
So there was no need to worry about not having enough space.
Only the wooden sword left by Mr. Bai and the countless flying swords left by the predecessors of the Heaven Sword Sect in the Sword Tomb were untouched, following Situ Yao's order.
In his words, the sword intent was too strong, which might clash with the Divine Splitting Weapons.
As for the exact reason, only he knew.
Soon, the day of departure for the Divine Splitting Weapons arrived.
Disciples transformed into streams of sword light, flying into the Divine Splitting Weapons in batches.
Situ Yao watched several rapidly approaching auras, revealing a stern smile.
"No need for everyone to send me off. Deal with the mess in the Yellow Realm yourselves. We, the Heaven Sword Sect, don't have that capability."
"Oh, I forgot to tell you something. That kid Ji Wangxian isn't honest. He has planted quite a few nails in our Ten Daoist Sects."
Situ Yao looked at a figure approaching from a distance and said, "Zhao Xuan!"
Ji Wangxian's voice came from afar.
With his words, Li Fan seemed to be out of control, suddenly flying towards Situ Yao.
At the same time, a strange and colorful pattern appeared on his body.
Just as Li Fan was about to fly to Situ Yao's side, he suddenly stopped.
Turning around, he looked at Ji Wangxian with a mocking smile.
Ji Wangxian instantly understood everything, his expression becoming even more furious.
However, Situ Yao grabbed Li Fan and entered the Divine Splitting Weapons.
"Little Ji, thank you for giving our Heaven Sword Sect such a good seedling!"
Ji Wangxian's face turned as dark as water, extending his left hand. In an instant, it seemed like countless coins gathered on it.
However, the next moment, a dazzling light burst from the Divine Splitting Weapons.
The illusion of coins instantly dissipated.
He could only watch as a sword light tore through the heavens and the earth.
That seemingly destructive force that could sever the fabric of time and space forced him to retreat thousands of miles away, temporarily avoiding the edge.
When the light dissipated, the Heaven Sword Sect and the Divine Splitting Weapons had disappeared from his sight.
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 738: Iterative Disintegration Disk
Inside the Divine Splitting Weapons.
Li Fan only saw Ji Wangxian's angry expression suddenly freeze on his face. Not only him, but the entire Yellow Realm seemed to fall into stillness.
In an instant, the scenes accelerated at a speed of thousands of times.
Li Fan saw several figures arriving late, engaging in a fierce battle with Ji Wangxian. Eventually, Ji Wangxian retreated in a sorry state, seemingly injured.
The body of "Ji Zhaoxuan" brought a sense of clarity and relaxation to Li Fan's mind.
Then, Li Fan saw that due to the influence of the Divine Splitting Weapons tearing the Yellow Realm apart, the once spiritually abundant and perfect for cultivators, Heaven Sword Mountain, became unusually dangerous. Thunder and wind flashed, and black cracks in space appeared from time to time, resembling the scene Li Fan witnessed in the real world's Divine Splitting Vortex.
Afterward...
Li Fan vaguely saw a figure in white standing alone. In front of the Divine Splitting Weapons' remnants, he remained silent. After a light wave of his hand, it seemed as if the trauma suddenly healed. The anomalies gradually disappeared, and the space slowly stabilized.
After completing all this, Mr. Bai did not stay. He quickly disappeared.
Subsequently, the scenes changed more rapidly.
Cultivators from different sects came to divide the territory of the Heaven Sword Sect. No one was willing to give in, leading to a massive war.
Calamities struck, and countless cultivators killed each other.
The sky became dark, and everywhere were the bones of cultivators. It seemed like there hadn't been any signs of life for a long time.
...
"These..."
"Are scenes from the future?" After the image distorted and became completely invisible, Li Fan looked at Situ Yao beside him and asked in amazement.
Situ Yao still carefully observed the scenes outside the Divine Splitting Weapons. After a while, he finally took his eyes off.
He lifted the wine gourd, took a sip, and said, "It's not the future, it's the present."
Li Fan's gaze condensed.
The external scene became completely dark, like a lost traveler entering the night. What awaited the Heaven Sword Sect was a completely unknown fate.
"Senior Brother, can we really succeed in splitting the realms?" In the darkness, as if countless fierce beasts were lurking, choosing people to devour, a sense of fear and unease arose in Li Fan's heart, and he couldn't help but ask.
Situ Yao took another sip, "Who knows? After all, we should be the first ones to slip away from the Yellow Realm."
"If it doesn't work, it's just death. Staying behind, we probably won't live long either."
As if echoing Situ Yao's words, the inside of the Divine Splitting Weapons suddenly darkened.
Then it fell into stillness.
Like a mirror shattering inch by inch.
Back in the distorted space, Li Fan looked at the three dim light clusters in front of him, deep in thought.
"In just a breath inside the Divine Splitting Weapons, several decades or even centuries have passed outside. It seems to be very similar to the Eternal Ruins. Yes, only the power that distorts time and space can break free from the constraints of the Eternal Ruins."
After thinking for a long time, Li Fan finally returned to the real world.
Since he had fulfilled Ji Zhaoxuan's long-standing wish, there should be gains.
After a thorough check, Li Fan was a bit surprised.
It wasn't the "Qi Gathering Sword Art" that Ji Zhaoxuan practiced, but a pile of Sword Embryo Elemental Stones.
Li Fan showed a strange expression. After counting, he found a total of three hundred and twenty-six.
Taking one out at random and holding it in his hand.
In a trance, insights about the Sword Dao continuously surged into his mind. Moreover, Li Fan felt a slight sense of familiarity, as if he had once mastered it.
"These should be Sword Embryo Elemental Stones that Ji Zhaoxuan had absorbed in the real history. They condense the true meaning of the Sword Dao from the 'Sword.' For sword cultivators, they might be valuable. But for me, they're not of much use."
"With a person like Master Bai, a humanoid enlightenment machine, give him an ordinary wooden sword, and he can comprehend it himself. At most, it would take some time."
"It's the material of these stones that is not bad. Perhaps they can be used as materials for forging the Divine Splitting Weapons, or they may strengthen the Yellow True Cauldron. When we enter the Eternal Ruins in the future, it might endure longer."
Li Fan put away half of them and threw the remaining more than one hundred to Fang Zaiji.
Fang Zaiji was currently immersed in the study of the "Terminal Stone Disk," directing Jiang Yushan and Liu San with great care as they carefully cut the disk. He casually put away the Sword Embryo Elemental Stones without looking at them too much.
Li Fan observed for a while without disturbing them.
Later, he returned to the secret room.
"In the Falling Immortal Realm, the harvest is closely related to the resolution of obsessions. The value of these Sword Embryo Elemental Stones in the 'Heavenly Sword Sect Sword Forging' scene is simply ordinary. It seems that the one maintaining that space is not Ji Zhaoxuan."
Having some clues in mind, after pondering for a while, Li Fan temporarily put it aside.
He took out the relics of Emperor Fu Song, the Disintegration Disk, and the Quantifying Mirror.
First, he examined the Quantifying Mirror.
It had turned into an ordinary mirror. No matter how his divine sense touched it, there was no response.
"No wonder it was borrowed from Emperor Fu Song and Ji Hongdao. When we reported Emperor Fu Song's death to the Universal Court, the other party didn't ask to take it back. It should be similar to the Tianxuan Division Mirrors in each state. Once the empowerment is retrieved, it will lose its own mystical properties."
After playing with it in his hand for a while, Li Fan felt a bit regretful.
Then, he focused his attention on the Disintegration Disk.
Compared to when it was just exchanged, the radiance of the Disintegration Disk in Li Fan's hand seemed to have dimmed a bit.
The difference was minimal, and if one didn't observe carefully, it could easily be overlooked.
But Li Fan knew that the other eight Disintegration Disks had already started to iterate and evolve.
He...
No, it was still in its initial state due to Emperor Fu Song, gradually having its abilities absorbed by other Disintegration Disks.
"Fu, oh Fu. It's not that I didn't keep you safe, it disappeared on its own. Can't blame me."
Muttering in his heart, Li Fan held the Disintegration Disk in his palm.
In an instant, the crystalized Dao stone in his mind emitted a bright blue light, and countless basic standard arrays were input into the Disintegration Disk.
In the normal nurturing process, cultivators needed to outline the basic framework of the array in their minds first and then infuse it with divine sense. Basic arrays, however, were not much trouble for array masters and could be easily formed with a single thought.
But as the arrays became more complex, the amount of energy and time consumed would increase.
Li Fan, with the secret technique "Dao God One," did not have this worry.
Since learning array formations under Zhang Zhiliang, he had preserved all kinds of different arrays in the Dao stone. There was no need to recall or outline them himself; he could freely call upon them.
At first, this advantage might not be very obvious.
As the Disintegration Disk evolved, requiring more complex arrays, the gap would slowly become apparent.
Of course, in this world, everyone who could exchange for a Disintegration Disk was exceptional.
The remaining eight people should each have their own secret techniques.
Li Fan wouldn't underestimate any of them.
In addition to Dao God One, he had other reliance.
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 739: Boundless Wall of Enlightenment
Memories of Ji Hongdao's explanation about the Disintegration Disk in the last century flashed in Li Fan's mind.
"The more array data the Disintegration Disk absorbs, the stronger its decryption ability becomes. Similarly, its deduction and iteration ability becomes more powerful. It's unimaginable how far they will grow in the future."
"How can we know if the Disintegration Disk in your hands will evolve into a second Tianxuan Mirror?"
...
The transformation of the Disintegration Disk requires fuel, various types of arrays. Li Fan's proficiency in formations might not be top-notch in the current Wan Xian Alliance, but when it came to extensive knowledge, he was confident he wouldn't lose to anyone.
Zhang Zhiliang's "Infinite Law," He Zhenghao's "Mountains and Rivers Hundred Channels Array," Medicine King Sect's "Dream of Spring and Autumn Array," and even the unprecedented "Tianxuan Soul-Locking Array" and the mind-boggling "Reversal of Life and Death Great Array" in the Realm of Life and Death.
Li Fan understood them all.
If he were to personally set up these arrays, perhaps he might lack some strength. However, when it came to virtual deduction and calculation, there would be no difficulties.
In the competition among the Nine Disks, obtaining a complete Disintegration Disk was also Li Fan's way of testing.
It was a test to see if the Disintegration Disk, as a secondary body of the Tianxuan Mirror, had any connection with the original Tianxuan Mirror.
The key was the "Tianxuan Soul-Locking Array."
As the foundation for achieving the Xuan Net in the previous life, if the Disintegration Disk had some connection with the Tianxuan Mirror, the Tianxuan Mirror could perceive the situation on the side of the secondary body. Therefore, if Li Fan infused the data of the Soul-Locking Array into the Disintegration Disk, it would undoubtedly attract attention from the forces leaning towards the Tianxuan Mirror in the Wan Xian Alliance.
They would surely come looking for him based on the position of the Disintegration Disk.
On the other hand, if the Disintegration Disk completed its transformation without any disturbances, it would indicate that, as advertised, once the secondary body separated, it would lose its connection with the Tianxuan Mirror. At least, that was the case for the Disintegration Disk.
"There might be some risks, but it's worth a try."
Li Fan squinted, and countless rapidly changing formations were reflected in his pupils.
The Disintegration Disk in his hand kept emitting a faint radiance.
...
While Li Fan was seeking a complete secondary body for the Tianxuan Mirror, Xu Bai in Tianliang Prefecture encountered a troublesome matter.
Since he took on the role of communication envoy, many scions of other states' dignitaries had been arranged in various non-critical positions in Tianliang Prefecture. Originally, he managed this well, and everyone was quite satisfied.
However, not long ago, one of them, a cultivator named Guan Changge from Tianyu Prefecture, went missing.
In these times, it's not that people are afraid of you dying; it's that they're afraid of you disappearing.
If you die, there's always the Afterlife Department. Eighteen years later, you'll come back. But if you disappear...
There are countless possibilities.
Guan Changge's senior, whom Xu Bai also knew, was the commander of Tianyu Prefecture's garrison, Guan Xingxiu. With his status, he shouldn't have personally inquired about this matter; at most, he could have sent someone to inquire.
However, he unexpectedly came to Tianliang Prefecture in person, and he looked like he was going to question and condemn.
This obviously revealed that this matter was out of the ordinary.
The newly appointed City Lord of Tianliang, Nangong Shirong, solemnly promised to give the other party an explanation.
After temporarily appeasing Guan Xingxiu, he turned around and handed the task to Xu Bai.
In the secret room, he looked serious: "This matter is a bit suspicious. We received the report not long ago, and Guan Xingxiu came as if he had known about it in advance..."
"He seems to have come for us. You go and investigate the situation, and I will go to the Immortal Alliance headquarters. If there are any discoveries, don't act rashly. Wait until I come back before making a move." After the reminder, Nangong Shirong hastily left.
As for Xu Bai, who received the task, he temporarily put aside all his affairs and arrived at the last place Guan Changge was seen.
Tianliang Prefecture, Mount Wu Liang.
"Did Guan Changge disappear right in front of you all?" Xu Bai's divine sense scanned the mountains below, asking.
The three cultivators behind him nodded repeatedly, looking very nervous.
One of them said, "We heard that strange phenomena occasionally appear on the Boundless Wall of Mount Wu Liang, similar to the 'Mortal-to-Deity Transformation Wall.' So, we discussed and decided to come here to observe. Unexpectedly, as soon as we flew here and were distinguishing the specific location of the Boundless Wall, Brother Guan suddenly disappeared."
Another person added, "Originally, we thought he had something urgent and went back first, so we didn't pay much attention. But after we finished observing the wonders of the Boundless Wall and returned to Tianliang City, we still couldn't contact Brother Guan. That's when we realized something was wrong."
"Not only can we not contact him through communication talismans, but I also deduced the items Brother Guan left with me, and still didn't get any results," added the third person, a cultivator named Fu Xingchi.
Xu Bai flew around above Mount Wu Liang and didn't perceive any abnormal reactions.
Given the affinity of the Heavenly Dao towards Xu Bai, if there were problems with Mount Wu Liang, he would surely sense it.
It seemed that problems with this location could be ruled out...
Wait a minute.
Xu Bai suddenly thought of something and asked, "Where is this Boundless Wall you mentioned?"
Fu Xingchi hesitated for a moment, then pointed to a canyon below, saying, "It's at the bottom of the mountain."
"Take me there," Xu Bai said sternly.
Although the three didn't understand, they knew it was crucial and didn't dare to object.
They led Xu Bai to the front of the Boundless Wall.
The originally rocky and overgrown mountain became smooth as a mirror near the bottom.
Even the streams between the mountains could be reflected.
Xu Bai gazed at this mountainous mirror, about three hundred feet long and over fifty feet high, and saw his own reflection.
He reached out and touched it, feeling as cold as jade.
"At that time, did you see any anomalies?" Xu Bai asked.
Fu Xingchi nodded, "The appearance of phenomena on this Boundless Wall is not fixed. Sometimes it appears multiple times a day, and sometimes it won't appear for several years. It depends on individual opportunities."
"Our luck was not bad last time. We saw a cultivator performing swordplay. Although the sword technique was very slow, it seemed to conceal supreme swordsmanship. We were completely attracted and couldn't help but be fascinated."
"Can you reproduce what you saw at that time?"
"I can."
Saying that, Fu Xingchi took out a pen and began to draw in the air.
After a moment, as if directly recorded by a water mirror technique, a vivid scene of a cultivator sword dancing appeared before everyone.
"Brother Fu's artistic talent is truly extraordinary. It's almost identical to what I remember," the other two cultivators couldn't help but praise.
Xu Bai stared at the sword dance scene for a long time and suddenly asked, "Does Guan Changge know swordsmanship?"
Fu Xingchi was stunned on the spot.
But he quickly reacted, "Are you suspecting that the figure that appeared on the Boundless Wall at that time was Brother Guan?"
"Impossible. Brother Guan cultivates the Dao of Melodies, not swordsmanship," Fu Xingchi denied, shaking his head.
"I heard that Brother Changge admires Senior Brother Xingxiu very much. He often laments that he cannot master a sword technique that shocks the heavens and moves ghosts and gods like Senior Brother Xingxiu." At this moment, another cultivator suddenly remembered something.
With this statement, everyone present fell into silence.
They all looked at the Boundless Wall in front of them, and a chill rose in their hearts.
It was Xu Bai who first broke the silence, "Currently, it's just speculation, without substantial evidence. Please help me seal off Mount Wu Liang and keep others away for now. I'll go back and check whether similar incidents have happened before."
Fu Xingchi and the others looked serious, nodding to indicate their understanding.
Xu Bai hurriedly returned to Tianliang City and requested to access the records from previous years.
Sure enough, he found something suspicious.
In the past hundred years, there were occasional reports of inexplicable disappearances of cultivators.
However, they were all wandering cultivators without a background.
After going through the investigation and confirming that it wasn't a spy from the Five Elders' faction and finding no useful clues, it often ended without a solution.
In this way, after silently devouring countless unknown cultivators without anyone noticing, the current missing persons case emerged.
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 740: Divine Sword Falling Stars
After roughly understanding the situation, Xu Bai didn't rush to make it public. Instead, he notified the Tianliangzhou Garrison and temporarily sealed off Mount Wu Liang. He had Fu Xingchi and the other two brought back and detained. Then, he waited patiently for the return of the Tianliang City Lord, Nangong Shirong.
Since he had given specific instructions before leaving, Xu Bai, as a subordinate, should follow them.
Moreover...
Over the years, the incidents of the Boundless Wall swallowing cultivators and causing many to go missing were, strictly speaking, also related to Xu Bai, the current supervisor.
After all, before becoming the Lord of Tianliang City, Nangong Shirong served as the commander of the Tianliangzhou Garrison. With such a major event occurring within the region, he had been unaware...
If someone were to criticize, no matter what, a charge of neglect would inevitably be included. Nangong Shirong had recently taken up the position of city lord, and his foundation was not yet stable. At that time, stepping on Xiang Rongxin's rise also offended many. If he made a misstep and revealed a flaw, attracting widespread criticism, it might not take long before he would be ousted from the position of city lord.
Xu Bai, as his confidant, naturally had to share the burden for the city lord.
After secretly backing up records of missing events over the years, Xu Bai went to the Bureau of Civil Affairs and received the inquiry of Guan Changge, who had come to investigate.
Different from the lazy appearance when he saw him in Lanlinzhou in the previous life, Guan Changge, at this moment, was like a drawn sword, radiating his sharpness without hiding it.
"Greetings, Senior Guan..." Xu Bai bowed and saluted.
"Any news about Changge's whereabouts?" Guan Changge looked at Xu Bai, his eyes squinting. The once domineering tone softened a bit.
"We've found some clues. I believe we will be able to give Senior an answer soon." Xu Bai responded calmly.
"With such low efficiency in handling matters, if it were in Tianyu Zhou, you would have been dismissed and investigated a long time ago." Guan Changge snorted coldly.
Xu Bai lowered his head without answering.
"I'll give you another seven days. If by then there's still no definite result..."
A golden flying sword suddenly flew out, hovering above the Bureau of Civil Affairs.
"Don't blame me for being ruthless!" Guan Changge's tone was stern, and his figure gradually disappeared.
Only the golden flying sword remained, emanating a chilling killing intent.
"Falling Star Divine Sword..."
The almost tangible killing intent made Xu Bai's skin tingle, and he had to temporarily move away. He looked up at the golden flying sword above his head, as if seeing a scene of a sword soaring through the sky, and stars falling.
This sword was not unfamiliar to him.
In the previous life, when he accompanied Huangfu Song to popularize and construct the Tianxuan Locking Spirit Array in Lanlinzhou, Guan Changge brought this Falling Star Divine Sword to suppress the local cultivators who resisted. Although Guan Changge had fallen to the Nascent Divinity realm at that time, relying on this golden flying sword, he smoothly advanced without hindrance. Even joint Dao cultivators had to avoid its edge.
This was enough to illustrate the extraordinary nature of the Falling Star Divine Sword.
At this moment, Xu Bai, instead of getting angry, carefully observed.
"This sword is no less than the elders of the Tianjian Sect. No wonder Guan Changge would be so admiring."
Feeling the extremely sharp and resolute aura emanating from it, Xu Bai immersed his mind.
After an unknown amount of time, Nangong Shirong's somewhat angry and somewhat fearful voice woke Xu Bai up.
"You old thing, bullying too much. If I could beat him..."
Pretending not to have heard the latter half of the sentence, Xu Bai arched his hand and said, "Welcome back, my lord."
"No wonder Old Guan is in such a hurry. Right after Guan Changge got into trouble, he rushed here to investigate. It turns out, this kid Guan Changge is the son of his old lover." Nangong Shirong waved his hand, indicating that Xu Bai didn't need to be too polite. Then, he sat down with a somewhat gloating expression.
"So, Guan Changge is Guan Xingxiu's illegitimate son?" Xu Bai was somewhat enlightened.
However, Nangong Shirong's next words caught him off guard, "No. There is no actual blood relationship between them. It's just a cliché, a melodramatic story of unrequited love. Old Guan seems ruthless on the surface, but secretly, he's a romantic at heart. Even though his old lover has already become someone else's wife, he still can't forget her. He cares for her son as well, showering him with attention and care."
"If I hadn't visited Lord Jicheng this time, I wouldn't have known about this matter." Nangong Shirong said with a somewhat smiling expression.
Xu Bai just listened quietly, without showing any unusual expression on his face. The banter between the Dao Ancestors was not something a Nascent Soul cultivator like him could participate in.
"Jicheng Dao Ancestor, Commander-in-Chief of the Wanxian Alliance Garrison. In the last great battle between the Five Elders and the Wulao Society, he was cursed, and his life ended early. Yet, in this life, he's still alive and well, holding the power of the Garrison. Judging from Nangong Shirong's tone, his relationship with Jicheng seems quite deep." Xu Bai speculated inwardly.
"That old guy Guan Xingxiu is hard to handle when he goes berserk. Even with Lord Jicheng's face, he might not yield. We should quickly send him away. How's the investigation into Guan Changge's disappearance going?" After muttering for a while, Nangong Shirong finally asked.
So Xu Bai detailed the information he had discovered about the missing incidents of cultivators in Tianliangzhou over the years.
"Wu Liang Bi?" Seemingly recalling something, Nangong Shirong's eyes flashed with surprise.
"Regarding this matter, besides you, who else knows?" he quickly asked.
"I haven't made it public and have been waiting for you to return." Xu Bai answered decisively.
Nangong Shirong was very satisfied. "Good. Treat the previous missing incidents as if they never happened. It's just an isolated case! We can't let others have groundless speculations!"
"Next, you and I will go to Mount Wu Liang together and see if we can rescue that kid Guan Changge." Nangong Shirong instructed.
"I obey!"
Not gathering too many people, Nangong Shirong, accompanied by Xu Bai and three other Nascent Soul disciples, arrived at the foot of Mount Wu Liang.
At this moment, there were no images on the smooth mountain surface.
They didn't approach closely but observed from a distance.
"I have been to Mount Wu Liang when I was still a Nascent Soul cultivator. I had some experiences back then." Lost in old memories, Nangong Shirong's eyes flickered, and it took a long time before he spoke slowly.
The other three Nascent Soul cultivators remained silent, but Xu Bai, with a slightly surprised tone, asked, "Could it be, my lord, that you have also seen strange scenes on this Boundless Wall?"
Nangong Shirong chuckled, "Not just seen, but I was also once trapped in this Boundless Wall."
"But at that time, I quickly broke through the wall and got out, so I thought it was just an illusion during enlightenment. Over these years, I have never heard of anyone having the same experience as me. So, I gradually forgot about this matter."
(End of this chapter)