Master Yichuan stood there, stunned, as Fan Li emerged from the Golden Illusion Formation.
"You...!?" he stammered, suspecting his eyes were deceiving him.
This was the Golden Illusion Formation, one of the five elemental grand formations laid down by his teacher, Guiguzi. How could Fan Li, a mere Foundation Building cultivator, have possibly broken through?
And not only that, he was the first to emerge!
Fan Li, ignoring Yichuan's shock, looked around. No one else was in sight. So, he was the first to conquer the formation? A smug grin spread across his face as he found a rock to sit on, taking a moment to rest.
About half an incense stick later, another figure emerged from the formation. It was Crown Prince Wanli, followed closely by Zhang Juzheng.
"Teacher, it seems we are once again the first to break through, ha... Fan Li!?" Wanli's smile vanished upon seeing Fan Li sitting on the rock.
"What's going on?!" he roared at Master Yichuan. "Did you cheat? Did you secretly help him break through the formation?"
Master Yichuan rolled his eyes, exasperated. He wished for nothing more than for Fan Li to perish within the formation. Why would he ever help him?
And this Crown Prince Wanli, despite his exceptional talent and the bearing of a true emperor, was a sore loser.
"Please mind your words, Your Highness," Yichuan said, his face stern. "Master Guiguzi observes everything from the peak of Mount Yunmeng. How could I dare to cheat? Moreover, I have no personal relationship with Fan Li."
Crown Prince Wanli, hearing this, realized there was some logic to it. However, with his status, even if he had wrongly accused Yichuan, he would never apologize.
It was Zhang Juzheng who stepped forward to smooth things over.
"Please calm down, Brother Yichuan," he said. "It is indeed strange that Lord Fan, with his Foundation Building cultivation, could be the first to break through the formation. It's only natural for His Highness to have some doubts."
Master Yichuan was in a foul mood, but the person before him was the Crown Prince of the Great Ming. If he wanted to find a way into the Ming court in the future, he couldn't afford to offend Wanli.
"Hmph." He gave Zhang Juzheng a slight nod, acknowledging his words.
They continued to wait. Soon, three more figures emerged from the formation almost simultaneously: Zhuge Liang, Zhou Yu, and Guo Jia.
Seeing Fan Li, they immediately approached him with smiles.
"Congratulations on breaking through the formation, Duke Jin!"
As the trusted advisors of Wei, Han, and Wu, and direct disciples of Guiguzi, it was expected of them to overcome the formation. However, seeing Fan Li do the same, and even faster than themselves, filled them with astonishment.
A while later, Yan Yuan also emerged from the illusion formation.
"Lu Fubao hasn't come out yet?" Fan Li frowned, worried.
He had been able to break through the formation first due to two reasons: his five bodies had divided the pressure of the Golden Illusion Formation, making it easier for him to regain clarity, and Lu Fubao had risked herself to enter his illusion and warn him, allowing him to become alert sooner.
Lu Fubao was already within the Golden Illusion Formation when she entered his illusion. He feared she had paid a heavy price.
"Could it be that in trying to protect me, she has become trapped in the illusion herself?"
As Fan Li worried, Yan Yuan suddenly cried out in joy, "Junior Sister!"
Lu Fubao had finally emerged from the Golden Illusion Formation. However, her face was pale, her steps unsteady, and her body swayed as if on the verge of collapse. The white veil she used to conceal her face was also missing.
"Junior Sister, what's wrong?" Yan Yuan asked in alarm.
He supported Lu Fubao and quickly realized that she had exhausted most of her spiritual energy, nearly depleted.
"I'm fine, Senior Brother," Lu Fubao said, forcing herself to stay strong as her eyes searched for someone.
When she saw Fan Li, a relieved smile finally bloomed on her face.
"You're out?"
"Yes." Fan Li strode forward and took her hand without hesitation.
Lu Fubao, caught off guard by the sudden physical contact, blushed a deep crimson. "You... what are you doing? Let go!" she whispered nervously.
Just holding hands caused Lu Fubao to tremble slightly, but Fan Li didn't notice this detail. He took out a small vial and placed it in her hand.
"These are pills to replenish spiritual energy. Take them quickly."
However, as soon as Fan Li finished speaking, Crown Prince Wanli's mocking laughter filled the air.
"Hahaha! How ridiculous!" Wanli scoffed. "This beauty is at least at the Nascent Soul Realm. Do you think you can replenish her spiritual energy with just a few pills?
Unless you have a hundred Heaven, Earth, Mystic, or Yellow grade pills of rank eight or higher, or fifty Earth grade pills of rank three or higher, you won't be able to fully replenish her spiritual energy.
Of course, a single Heaven grade pill of rank one would suffice. But I doubt you possess such a thing!" Wanli burst into laughter once more, his gaze lingering on Lu Fubao with a hint of greed.
Without the veil covering her face, her beauty was undeniable. Lu Fubao, in the prime of her youth, possessed a sweetness mixed with a touch of youthful innocence, like a blooming lily not yet fully opened.
"As it happens, I have a Yin-Yang Dragon and Tiger Pill, a Heaven grade pill of rank one." Wanli retrieved a porcelain bottle and poured out a black pill, its fragrance instantly filling the air, invigorating everyone who caught a whiff of it.
"It truly is a Heaven grade pill!" Master Yichuan exclaimed in awe.
Wanli smirked and turned to Lu Fubao. "Beauty, if you follow me from now on, this Yin-Yang Dragon and Tiger Pill is yours."
He waited for her response, brimming with arrogance. As for Fan Li, he was already beneath Wanli's notice.
"Hmph! Keep your pill. I don't need it!" Lu Fubao refused without hesitation.
A Heaven grade pill was indeed precious, but she was Lu Chunqiu's daughter. Could she be bought with a mere pill? Such a thing would bring shame to her family.
However, she couldn't help but sigh inwardly. 'Heaven grade pills are extremely rare. I doubt Fan Li has any. If I can't recover my strength quickly, how can I assist him in the next few formations?'
As she pondered, Fan Li's voice reached her ears.
'Stop daydreaming and take the medicine. Judging by your condition, one pill should be enough. Don't take too many, or you won't be able to absorb the medicinal power. Keep the rest for emergencies.'
Lu Fubao was stunned. She looked up and met Fan Li's sincere gaze.
"One pill is not enough to replenish my spiritual energy," she said with a wry smile. "Unless... this entire bottle is filled with Heaven grade pills..."
As she spoke, she opened the bottle. In an instant, a powerful medicinal fragrance erupted from the vial, filling the entire mountain area!
Lu Fubao froze, staring at Fan Li in disbelief. She wondered if she was still trapped in the illusion, still being toyed with by him.
"This... this..."
Everyone was shocked. Even Crown Prince Wanli's composure crumbled.
"You also have Heaven grade pills? And a whole bottle of them?"
Even as the Crown Prince of the Great Ming, he received no more than a hundred Heaven grade pills from the Jiajing Emperor each year. Yet, Fan Li casually gave away an entire bottle?
"What's so surprising about that?" Fan Li glanced at Wanli. "Although you are the Crown Prince of the Great Ming, you are essentially just living off a salary.
I, on the other hand, am like your father, controlling the resources of an entire nation. I am the one who gives out salaries. A mere bottle of Heaven grade pills is nothing to me."