There was no resentment, no unwillingness. Whether Dao Integration, Nascent Soul, or Core Formation, under the Immortal Descent, All Things Return to Nothing Grand Formation, every member of the Medicine King Sect reacted the same way.
Fear. Only pure, unadulterated fear filled their hearts.
Only after Li Fan withdrew the formation's power did they slowly recover. But with Li Fan silent, no one dared to move. The power of the immortal formation, though contained, still enveloped them, creating a separate space, suppressing them while also blocking the Xuanhuang World's restriction against cultivating multiple techniques, preventing the newly awakened cultivators from turning on each other.
Ignoring them, Li Fan watched as the finest particles of the Medicine King Cauldron, as he'd predicted, coalesced into a pawn. However, unlike the pawns he'd collected before, this one wasn't covered in gray, but a brilliant…
…white.
And at its edges, a ring of colors, similar to the fused pawn, shimmered faintly.
Li Fan reached out and took the white pawn, gazing at it intently. Within this small object, he sensed boundless vitality. The other pawns within him, including the fused Immortal Realm fragment, vibrated slightly, as if welcoming their core, emitting pulses of excitement.
An even more intense urge to merge with the white pawn emanated from the pawns within him, an urge that gradually transformed into Li Fan's own desire. The craving was so powerful that even the Immortal Heart Mantra could barely suppress it.
But Li Fan's willpower was extraordinary. With immense effort, he quelled the stirring within him, calming himself to compare the white pawn in his hand to the six pawns sealed within him.
Within his body were six pawns—one large, five small. The large one, shimmering with seven colors, was formed from the fusion of six ordinary gray pawns. The five smaller ones revolved around it. Although the white pawn in his hand was just a single pawn, it felt similar to the fused seven-colored one.
"It seems the one Sun Piaomiao left in the Xuanhuang World was the most crucial."
"A complete Immortal Realm fragment…"
"The only one left is the one on the Celestial Ark."
The thought of seeing a fragment of the shattered Immortal Realm, even for someone as composed as Li Fan, was exhilarating.
"Will this fused Immortal Realm fragment contain immortal spiritual energy?"
"Can I use it to ascend and become an immortal?"
"Will it contain relics left by the True Immortals who created these pawns?"
"Will there even be True Immortals within, waiting to be reborn along with it?"
Countless questions flooded Li Fan's mind.
An ordinary cultivator, even with an Immortal Realm fragment in hand, would hesitate to use it, considering the unknown dangers within. But with True Return, Li Fan had fewer concerns, especially since he had now completed his immortal formation, doubling True Return's protective charge, giving him ample safeguards.
…
The white pawn, transformed from the Medicine King Cauldron, captivated everyone present. They sensed a profound secret hidden within it, but intimidated by Li Fan's power, they only dared to observe from afar.
Finally, Liu Ruchen, having recovered slightly, spoke hesitantly, "Senior, may I ask if this pawn is a relic left by Ancestor Sun Piaomiao?"
He dared to speak because Li Fan had released the Medicine King Sect members from the cauldron before destroying it, showing a degree of goodwill.
Li Fan stored the white pawn within himself, separating it from the others, then scoffed. "Sun Piaomiao left this with you lot for so long, even leaving numerous clues, yet you couldn't understand its true nature…"
"…You truly are a bunch of useless fools!"
Li Fan's harsh reprimand indirectly answered Liu Ruchen's question. Most of the Medicine King Sect disciples looked ashamed.
Liu Ruchen chuckled awkwardly, attempting to inquire further, but Li Fan cut him off. "This is beyond your comprehension."
Li Fan's eyes narrowed as he looked at Liu Ruchen. "Although you violated the tenets of the Medicine King Sect, by fleeing Xuanhuang, you inadvertently did something good!"
He flicked a finger, and images flashed before them, revealing the dramatic changes that had occurred in the Xuanhuang World and the Star Sea during the millennia the Medicine King Cauldron was trapped in the Immortal Ruins.
The Medicine King Sect members gasped.
As Li Fan slightly weakened the formation's suppression, they felt a surge of murderous intent towards their friends, family, teachers, and fellow disciples, confirming that Li Fan wasn't lying. Their faces paled, their spirits crushed.
Ignoring them, Li Fan summoned the seven Dao Integration realm cultivators of the Medicine King Sect, including Liu Ruchen.
"Do you know the true nature of this pawn, transformed from the Medicine King Cauldron?"
"It is one of the fragments of the former Immortal Realm, left behind by Sun Piaomiao!"
Li Fan's words stunned them.
He then slightly released the aura of the seven-colored pawn sealed within him. Even a glimpse of the Immortal Realm Law fragment was enough to mesmerize the Dao Integration cultivators.
"The Immortal Realm's calamity was foretold. Sun Piaomiao, entrusted with an immortal mandate, left behind a means to revive the Immortal Realm…" Li Fan eloquently narrated his "version" of the truth.
"Now, with Sun Piaomiao's whereabouts unknown, as his disciples, you must assist me in completing his grand task of restoring the Immortal Realm!" he declared, looking down at them.
The Medicine King Sect cultivators, still entranced by the wonders of the Immortal Realm Law, were stunned by his words.
They stared at Li Fan incredulously. "Revive the Immortal Realm? Us?"
"I've already collected all the Immortal Realm fragments. I'm just waiting for the right opportunity."
"When the time comes, you simply need to assist me," Li Fan said calmly.
Facing the request of this seemingly True Immortal level expert, how could they refuse? But they were apprehensive. Such a powerful being could annihilate their entire sect with a wave of his hand. Why would he need their help?
They didn't dare to ask.
Were these Medicine King Sect members useful to Li Fan?
Of course. But not for restoring the Immortal Realm. They would serve as catalysts for fusing various powers during the ascension of the Xuanhuang World.
(End of Chapter)