If the Great Dao condensed within this figure of ‘Crimson Flame’ were quantified, it would be no more than a tiny blade of grass. Yet Li Fan's own Great Dao was like an endless towering tree, majestic and boundless.

Thus, when the great tree swayed its branches and leaves, it naturally caused the little blade of grass beneath it to follow suit.

The Spirit of Heaven and Earth, Crimson Flame, which represented the fate of yet another destruction for the countless beings of the Congyun Sea, had now been effortlessly subdued by Li Fan.

"The previous incineration of the sea failed to accomplish the Xuanhuang Realm's objective. That is why history is repeating itself."

"Just like burning a forest to clear land for cultivation, it must be done repeatedly until the foundations are completely destroyed..."

Li Fan carefully savored the mission that Crimson Flame had received.

Correspondingly, several images flooded into his mind. This time, the burden placed upon his body was not nearly as severe as when he had previously recalled matters related to [Crossing]. He only felt occasional stabbing pains in his head. After enduring them with all his might, he managed to make out most of the images.

"So that is what it is. It was a fragment of the Heavenly Law Realm that had intruded into the Xuanhuang Realm. No wonder the Heavenly Dao of Xuanhuang was determined to eradicate it completely. But where exactly is this Heavenly Law Realm? And why did it merge with the Xuanhuang Realm?"

Li Fan was about to investigate further, but once again felt waves of indescribable pressure bearing down upon him. He wisely chose to set the matter aside for the time being.

"It seems I will have to wait until my strength improves further and I can withstand more."

"But that should not take long. This body's growth rate is even faster than I anticipated."

Over the past fifty years, apart from [Longevity] and its associated effects, Li Fan's body had not displayed any other particularly unusual characteristics. However, ever since he had come into genuine contact with spiritual qi not long ago, the potential of this Longevity Physique seemed to have finally been unlocked.

At every moment, Li Fan could clearly feel himself growing stronger.

It was worth noting that he had not even begun formal cultivation. His body had achieved all this simply through its instinctive absorption of spiritual qi. It was truly difficult to imagine how rapidly his cultivation would advance once he officially embarked upon the path of cultivation.

However, something puzzled Li Fan at present. The spiritual qi absorbed by his body did not transform into the corresponding spiritual power. Instead, it vanished without a trace, like a clay ox sinking into the sea.

His instincts told him that this might not necessarily be a bad thing. Therefore, he had not investigated it further for the time being.

...

Li Fan fell silent as he pondered.

Seeing that he had not responded, Kou Hong and Dao Xuanzi, understanding their positions as "juniors", continued their explanation.

"More than twenty years ago, this place was still an endless expanse of water. Then, one day, a calamity suddenly descended, and the vast sea was transformed into dry land."

"Fortunately, the terrain and space itself did not suffer any irreparable damage. Through the efforts of numerous cultivators from the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance, this region gradually regained its vitality."

"The City Lord of Congyun Heavenly City is named He Zhenghao. He was originally a native of the Congyun Sea and happened to survive that calamity. When the reconstruction of Congyun began, he volunteered to shoulder the responsibility. On the day the city was completed, he was granted the position in recognition of his contributions."

As he spoke, Dao Xuanzi pointed toward an enormous city floating in the sky not far away.

"I have heard that He Zhenghao is quite a man of character. Apparently, he has considerable connections. On the day of his appointment ceremony, quite a few influential figures from the Central Four Prefectures of the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance came to offer their congratulations. The spectacle was truly something else..." Kou Hong exclaimed in amazement.

Dao Xuanzi nodded slightly.

"With his background, there was absolutely no need for him to come to such a remote region and serve as a city lord. Perhaps it was because of his attachment to his homeland that he chose to do so. That is why the cultivators of the Congyun Sea hold him in such high regard. Moreover, he has always been generous and eager to help others. If Senior truly wishes to join the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance, you could consider paying him a visit."

On their way here, Li Fan had fabricated his background, claiming to be a descendant of cultivators who had migrated into a small mortal world many years ago.

Although Kou Hong and Dao Xuanzi had no idea how Li Fan had managed to cultivate to his present realm in a small world devoid of spiritual qi resources, they did not dare ask too many questions.

The cultivation world possessed countless divine abilities and extraordinary techniques. Perhaps there really were methods that allowed someone to inherit the cultivation of their ancestors?

"As for us, we have grown accustomed to our freedom. We have no desire to join the alliance only to be bound by all those restrictions," Kou Hong continued.

As he listened to their explanation, a somewhat familiar face suddenly surfaced in Li Fan's mind.

"He Zhenghao..."

"This person gives me a rather amiable impression. He should be someone I knew in the past."

"Starting with him should work quite well."

Li Fan immediately felt more confident.

His plan to join the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance was not primarily motivated by the desire to find cultivation methods. More importantly, he had recalled that the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance possessed a supreme treasure known as the Tianxuan Mirror. And he seemed to have quite a history with this precious mirror.

He might even have once been its owner!

"All transactions within the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance must be conducted through the Tianxuan Mirror. If I can obtain its assistance, all resources and materials will be mine to command."

"I just wonder whether the Mirror Control Technique I remember will still work at this point in time."

In any case, this was merely a portion of his body that had split off from his main self. There was no harm in using it to make an attempt.

Having made his decision, Li Fan glanced once more at Kou Hong and Cheng Dao before heading toward Congyun Heavenly City.

"I wonder what use these two might have."

"It would not hurt to leave myself a backup plan."

With that thought, Li Fan forced out a drop of his essence blood and flicked it toward the foreheads of the two men.

The instant the essence blood left his body, it transformed into brilliant, translucent green light. The boundless vitality emanating from it was so tremendous that the surrounding vegetation began growing at a visible rate.

It no longer resembled blood. Rather, it looked like some astonishing treasure beyond the comprehension of ordinary people.

After the essence blood entered their bodies, Kou Hong and Dao Xuanzi both underwent a rejuvenation. Their vitality surged, and they appeared to have returned to their youth.

Not only were all the hidden injuries and ailments they had accumulated over the years completely healed, but even the Foundation Establishment treasures within their bodies finally completed their transformations beneath the radiance.

Kou Hong's Coiling Dragon Branch, which had originally been nothing more than a withered branch resembling a dragon, grew into a complete and flourishing tree. Its green leaves and branches swayed in the radiance, resembling thousands upon thousands of dragons dancing together.

As for Dao Xuanzi's Rusted Sword, Dao Xuan, the mottled rust accumulated through the passage of time vanished completely. Its blade looked as though it had just been forged.

Apart from its extraordinary sharpness and the aura of longevity it possessed, something else seemed to be gestating within the sword itself. Anyone who laid eyes upon it could tell that it was no ordinary treasure.

And all these earth-shattering transformations had been bestowed upon them by Li Fan.

After remaining stunned for a brief moment, Kou Hong and Dao Xuanzi were overcome with emotion, tears streaming down their faces. They wanted to prostrate themselves before Li Fan and perform the grandest ritual of three bows and nine kowtows to express their gratitude.

However, by the time they regained their senses, Li Fan had already disappeared.

"When we were captured alive earlier, I thought the fate of our brotherhood had run its course and that we were destined to die. Unexpectedly, our fortunes have completely turned around. Not only have we escaped that calamity, but we have also received such an extraordinary blessing."

Kou Hong's voice was so overwhelmed with excitement that he could barely speak coherently.

"Once our cultivation has advanced in the future, we must repay this great kindness."

Dao Xuanzi silently swore an oath.

Both brothers felt that all the misfortunes they had suffered during the first half of their lives had been swept away in this very moment.

It was as though they had truly defied the heavens and changed their destinies. An indescribably profound and mysterious aura had begun to emerge around them.

Influenced by this aura, the mindsets of Kou Hong and Dao Xuanzi also underwent subtle changes without their realizing it.

Although these changes were not particularly noticeable at present, they would become increasingly apparent as their cultivation realms advanced in the future.

"Not good. Someone is coming!"

Kou Hong's expression suddenly changed as he warned the other man.

"They must have been attracted by the disturbance caused by Senior's gift just now. We absolutely cannot let anyone discover that we possess such supreme treasures. Let's leave first."

The two brothers understood each other's intentions without needing to say another word. In an instant, they fled into the forests of the Congyun Mountains.

By the time the cultivators hurriedly arrived, they were ultimately left completely unaware of what had happened here.

...

Congyun Heavenly City, main chamber of the Administration Hall.

He Zhenghao stared at the list before him, his face full of worry.

"This makes absolutely no sense!"

"For this round of administrative performance evaluations, Congyun has once again ranked among the bottom ten? If Xinxin hadn't secretly leaked this list to me beforehand, I wouldn't have believed it!"

After repeatedly examining the list and carefully studying its contents several times, He Zhenghao let out a long sigh.

"It's not entirely my fault as the city lord. Congyun has always been a remote and isolated place. It also suffered a great calamity in the past, leaving its population of talented individuals severely depleted. Over the years, hardly anyone has been willing to migrate here. Simply keeping the administrative affairs running is already a blessing. How can we possibly compete with the other prefectures?"

"Just look at this category. The number of cultivators who have newly advanced to Soul Transformation or above within the prefectural territory... Your father has only reached the Soul Transformation realm himself!"

"The support resources promised by the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance headquarters have also been delayed time and time again."

He Zhenghao seemed to have a bellyful of grievances and continued grumbling without end.

A sudden giggle interrupted him.

"Hehe, Father, stop complaining. If things really don't work out, just come home and obediently return to being a live-in son-in-law."

"You had already settled down and behaved yourself for several years. But then you suddenly started talking about proving yourself again. Without telling Mother, you pulled all sorts of strings and connections to secure this position as the City Lord of Congyun. Do you regret it now?"

He Zhenghao looked somewhat embarrassed. After coughing, he straightened his expression and said seriously, "Xinxin, how can you say that? Although there was indeed an element of personal rivalry involved, my main intention was to rebuild Congyun better. After all, your father has spent nearly half his life here."

He Xinxin merely smiled without replying.

He Zhenghao furrowed his brows again and looked at the list in his hands, contemplating his plans for the next evaluation.

But suddenly, he heard his daughter let out a startled and uncertain cry.

He Zhenghao abruptly raised his head, only to discover that a young man had appeared silently before him at some point.

"Hm?"

He Zhenghao felt a sudden chill in his heart.

After all, this Administration Hall was an important location within Congyun Heavenly City. The path from the outside to this place was protected by numerous formations and restrictions. Even a Soul Transformation cultivator should not have been able to infiltrate it so silently.

Just who was this person...

Countless thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant. However, relying on his instincts, He Zhenghao still made the most appropriate decision.

With a respectful expression, he asked in a low voice, "Senior, may I ask..."

Li Fan examined He Zhenghao's face, which was exactly the same as the one in his memories. This further confirmed his speculation. This man should be relatively trustworthy. At the very least, he was unlikely to be the culprit responsible for his severe injuries and memory loss.

"I wish to join the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance. I will need you to recommend me," Li Fan said indifferently.

"Ah?"

He Zhenghao was momentarily stunned, thinking that he must have misheard.

Someone with such formidable cultivation was actually not a member of the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance?

Could this person be from the Five Elders Association?

He Zhenghao's expression changed dramatically.

Without the slightest hesitation, he activated his strongest trump card.

"Heavenly Net Formation!"

Within the main chamber of the Administration Hall, countless interwoven lines suddenly appeared.

The images of endless mountains, rivers, and landscapes successively materialized within them. They gathered above Li Fan's head, seemingly intent on suppressing him on the spot.

However, what left He Zhenghao utterly dumbfounded was that the young man before him merely glanced at the formation.

The Heavenly Net Formation, which he had painstakingly developed over several decades, instantly began to crumble inch by inch until nothing remained!

"How is this possible?!"

Although He Zhenghao carried the reputation of being the Heng family's live-in son-in-law, his exceptional talent in formations had allowed him to establish a foothold in the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance's Central Four Prefectures. Other cultivators had never looked down on him because of his status.

Otherwise, no matter how desperately he begged, nobody would have helped him secure the position of Congyun's City Lord.

Although this was a remote region, even the smallest mosquito still contained some meat.

During his time as City Lord, He Zhenghao had become thoroughly aware of just how much profit this position could generate.

Fortunately, He Zhenghao was an upright man who remained incorruptible and never accepted illicit gains.

Otherwise, Congyun Prefecture's performance in the evaluations would have been even more disgraceful.

Li Fan looked at He Zhenghao, who was standing there in a daze, and repeated himself.

"If you are unwilling to recommend me, I will simply go somewhere else."

"If I remember correctly, recommending cultivators for admission into the alliance also earns merit, doesn't it?"

Seeing that He Zhenghao still had not responded after a long while, Li Fan slightly furrowed his brows.

But then, as though remembering something, he added, "Oh, right. You needn't worry. I am not from the Five Elders Association."

It was as if those words had triggered a switch.

Upon hearing them, He Zhenghao finally came back to his senses.

"Really...?"

After gathering his courage, he cautiously asked one more question.

Li Fan raised an eyebrow.

He Zhenghao hurriedly said, "Recommend you, recommend you! Rest assured, Senior. Leave everything to me."

Only then did Li Fan give a slight nod.

He Zhenghao wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and forcibly composed himself.

After organizing his thoughts, he slowly explained, "With cultivation as profound as Senior's, joining the alliance requires submitting a report to headquarters, followed by passing the examination at the White Jade Heart-Inquiring Platform..."

Li Fan waved his hand.

"There's no need for so much trouble. Just take me to the Tianxuan Mirror here. Not the one displayed in the city square, but the one reserved exclusively for the City Lord, with considerably greater access privileges."

He Zhenghao's expression immediately stiffened.

"Th-this..."

He Zhenghao hesitated several times, seemingly wanting to say something but unable to bring himself to speak.

In the end, after weighing the difference in strength between them, he still tried to explain tactfully.

"Senior, joining the alliance requires following established procedures. Even as the ruler of a prefecture, I cannot simply disregard the rules..."

"If I say you can, then you can," Li Fan replied bluntly.

Seeing the other party's hesitation, Li Fan extended his hand and showed He Zhenghao what was in his palm.

Within it was a tiny point of light, shimmering faintly.

It was none other than the Heavenly Net Formation that He Zhenghao had just unleashed!

Li Fan gently blew on it.

The speck of light immediately split into two, two became four, and four became eight.

In just a few breaths, it had multiplied into countless points of light, resembling a star-filled sky spread across Li Fan's palm.

He Zhenghao could clearly sense the immense energy contained within every single star.

As the creator of the Heavenly Net Formation, He Zhenghao understood its power better than anyone.

If all these formations were to detonate simultaneously within Congyun Heavenly City...

He feared that the Congyun he had painstakingly helped rebuild would once again be reduced to a wasteland!

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