After Brother Chu left, Li Fan reflected on the other's words with a contemplative expression on his face.
He remembered there were many of his peers from the Ji family who had been sent to different sects. Li Fan could almost be certain, the lack of contact over the years was nothing but a smokescreen.
Ji Zhaoxuan was definitely a spy sent by the Ji family to the Heavenly Sword Sect.
Perhaps, "spy" is not quite the right word. After all, the World Trade Association and the Heavenly Sword Sect have no actual animosity between them.
"Traveling the world and trading, secret intelligence is of utmost importance. It's probably with these means that the Ji family can quickly learn about the various happenings in the Xuanhuang Realm and thus make a profit."
"It seems that the news about the Heavenly Sword Sect forging a World-Cleaving Divine Weapon might not be widely known. After all, profiteering and raising prices is the true nature of a merchant."
"Taiyuan Metal Essence..."
Li Fan's eyes narrowed slightly.
To end the Immortal Meteor Realm scenario, one must find the owner who maintains this remnant space-time of memories and resolve his obsession.
From the clues currently in hand, it seems that Ji Zhaoxuan is the target.
"What is his obsession?"
Li Fan's mind settled, recalling the various emotions clinging to his body.
When he remembered the Ji family, deep-seated resentment and desire for revenge were keenly captured by Li Fan.
"Harboring resentment from being forced to leave home since childhood, perhaps?"
"That might be worth a try."
His thoughts whirled, and in an instant, Li Fan had thought of a way to exact revenge on the Ji family.
The next day, Li Fan made contact with Brother Chu again.
"Oh, have you finally come around, Junior Brother Ji?" The other party seemed somewhat excited.
Li Fan nodded.
"That's more like it. We're all one family, after all. There are no grudges that can't be overcome. I'll prepare right away, and together we'll return to the headquarters of the World Trade Association."
"When you successfully become the leader, don't forget about me, Brother," Brother Chu said, his previous arrogance replaced by something akin to fawning.
Not long after, using the pretext of going out to search for Taiyuan Metal Essence, the two left the Heavenly Sword Sect and headed towards the Ji family.
To avoid detection, on Brother Chu's suggestion, they took a roundabout route.
Half a month later, they finally reached their destination.
A celestial city entirely constructed from premium spirit stones.
Floating above a bustling market. Monks and traders passed by incessantly, and everyone looking up at the spirit stone city in the sky showed a look of envy.
The sky market was enveloped by a formation that prevented monks from flying, and there was a certain fee that needed to be paid to enter.
Stepping into the market, they are greeted by an extremely pure spiritual Qi, even more intense than within the Heavenly Sword Sect.
Elder brother Chu couldn't help but praise: "As expected of the number one commerce association in the world, it certainly has style."
Leading Li Fan through countless shops, they arrived in front of a majestic mansion in the very center of the market.
The signboard above was engraved with the four large characters "Ji's Worldly Walk."
As Li Fan and elder brother Chu approached, a golden-core monk dressed in brocade clothes stopped them at the door.
With a friendly face, he said, "Do the two daoist friends have an invitation?"
Elder brother Chu snorted coldly: "An invitation? Can't you see? Why would we need an invitation to return to our own home?"
The brocade-clad monk was taken aback for a moment, taking a careful look at elder brother Chu.
"What are you looking at me for? It's this person next to me!" he said with displeasure, pointing at Li Fan.
The monk in brocade then turned his gaze.
Without annoyance, but with a slight frown, he seemed to be pondering something.
A moment later, his face showed surprise.
"Please wait here for a moment," he said to the two of them.
He hurriedly walked into the Ji residence, talking rapidly.
Soon, a middle-aged cultivator with a square face, leading a group of monks, came out.
His eyes fell on Li Fan, and the square-faced cultivator's expression was unreadable.
"Zhao Xuan, why have you returned? Could it be that you have violated the sect's rules and have been expelled from the mountain gate?" Instead of the joy of reuniting with a relative, he directly chided.
Just as Brother Chu was about to smooth things over, he heard Li Fan bluntly retort, "Who are you? I have been away from home for too long and have no memory of you!"
The square-faced cultivator's face suddenly changed color: "Unfilial son! How dare you talk to your father like this!"
Li Fan squinted his eyes, his expression unchanged: "How can you prove it?"
The face of the square-faced cultivator instantly turned red with anger.
The aura around him built up like a volcano about to erupt.
The monks following him from Ji's residence all had strange expressions, sizing up Li Fan.
Li Fan, however, was unfazed and calmly exhaled, suddenly causing hundreds of differently colored sword energies to flash and fly out, swirling around him.
Just as the two sides were about to come to blows, Brother Chu urgently said, "It's a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding! Let's not be rash!"
"I am Chu Zongyi, a true disciple of the Heavenly Sword Sect. We are here on a mission with Brother Ji and just passed by the Tianxia Market. Knowing that this is Brother Ji's home, we thought we'd drop by." He hurriedly explained.
Upon hearing this, Ji Zhaoxuan's father paused slightly. He glanced again at the hundreds of strands of sword energy circulating around Li Fan, showing a look of surprise.
Slowly retracting his formidable presence, he huffed: "Come in!"
Relieved, Chu Zongyi breathed out and, pulling Li Fan along, followed him into the Ji residence.
They took a complex path and finally arrived in a deep hall.
Ji Zhaoxuan's father sat at the top, dismissed everyone, and asked in a deep voice, "Now tell me, what business brings you here?"
Chu Zongyi was about to respond but was stopped by Li Fan.
"You're not qualified. Let the patriarch speak!" said Li Fan, his face expressionless.
Returning to the Ji home, sealed memories seemed to awaken gradually.
Li Fan knew that this father of Ji Zhaoxuan, Ji Shiwen, was merely the manager of Tianxia Market and didn't hold much power in the Ji family.
The real power in the Ji family lay with the old patriarch, Ji Wangxian.
Years ago, he was already a cultivator who had combined his paths, founded the Tianxia Commerce, and his true cultivation was immeasurable.
"You…" Ji Shiwen's eyes flashed with a barely controllable anger.
However, confronting Li Fan's emotionless gaze, he felt an involuntary chill in his heart.
After pondering for a long time, he finally suppressed his anger.
"Wait here."
He huffed, stamped his foot fiercely, transforming into a streak of light that flew towards the spiraling city in the sky.
"Brother Ji, he is, after all, your father. Is it really…?" Chu Zongyi asked softly.
Li Fan smiled and said, "Acting this way, doesn't it show that we have confidence?"
Seeing Li Fan's utterly unconcerned demeanor, Brother Chu could only smirk awkwardly, not knowing what more to say.
While they waited, Li Fan noticed that the patterns in the hall seemed familiar.
"Hm? This seems a bit like the totems of the Wanfa Commerce in the real world. But there are slight differences."
Li Fan pondered in his heart.
"There seems to be some connection between the two."
Not long after, Ji Shiwen returned.
"Follow me," he said with a grim face.