Zhang Haobo gave a bitter smile and was about to speak when he suddenly stopped.
After a moment, he finally spoke: "I still don't know your name, Fellow Daoist. You have saved my life today. I will surely repay you handsomely in the future!"
Instead of replying, Li Fan smiled and cupped his hands. "If fate wills it, you will know in time. Until we meet again!"
Before he finished speaking, his form transformed into a thin streak of light, fleeing into the distance. In the blink of an eye, he vanished from Zhang Haobo's sight.
Zhang Haobo narrowed his eyes. Incredible speed. And that unknown divine ability was fearsomely powerful, rendering me utterly helpless. So secretive... I truly wonder what his identity is.
After a while, he sighed again, thinking to himself. A pity. No matter how many secrets he holds, it makes no difference.
Zhang Haobo lifted his head to gaze at the sky. Heaven and earth have long laid their killing mechanisms. Every living soul in the Congyun Sea, regardless of cultivation level, regardless of triumph or despair, is already destined to find escape from death impossible.
That crimson figure who scorched the sea... If a Spirit Transformation powerhouse is already this formidable, can we truly defeat Him?
Zhang Haobo sank into a daze. Yet, moments later, his eyes gradually grew resolute.
No matter what, I must do everything in my power to stop Him.
His aura solidified once more. He took one last look at this ruined place and flew away.
Not long after Zhang Haobo left, Li Fan's concealed figure abruptly reappeared.
It seems he hasn't lost his fighting spirit because of this. I was overconcerned. Li Fan nodded.
After some thought, he cautiously returned to the original site of Tian Yang’s cave dwelling, hoping to see if any treasures had survived the recent great battle.
However, after searching for a long time, only flowing lava remained. Muttering "what a shame" to himself, Li Fan did not linger further and set off for Myriad Immortals Island.
I wonder where that Tian Yang puppet and that Spirit Transformation powerhouse held their fight, and who ultimately won.
I suppose this event in my previous life played out just like today. The Tian Yang puppet emerged, attracted Spirit Transformation powerhouses, and after a great battle, only ruins were left behind.
This matter is too high-level. Even in my next life, I'm afraid it will be difficult for me to profit from it. Best to lay low for now.
The ancient Embodiment Transformation Dao Sect... I wonder what sect that was. I can investigate after returning.
Fortunately, this trip wasn't completely wasted.
Thinking of the residue of the remains within his storage ring, Li Fan found some small comfort.
I just don't know if I can truly reconstruct the Mountain-Sitting Art from it.
Li Fan returned to Myriad Immortals Island, his thoughts in turmoil along the journey.
News of the earth-shattering battle at the site of Tian Yang’s cave dwelling had already spread, and nearly all cultivators were discussing the event.
But as for what had actually happened, and how that towering puppet had appeared, theories abounded, but no one knew for sure.
Li Fan naturally would not volunteer the information.
But as he brushed past these cultivators, he suddenly thought of something and stopped in his tracks.
Judging by today's commotion, battles between powerhouses are incredibly destructive. They can obliterate an entire sea region in an instant.
Once a battle breaks out, it inevitably draws attention. Afterwards, people should logically talk about it with relish, bringing it up casually in conversation.
Furthermore, this world holds constant malice toward cultivators. Before Crimson Flame scorched the sea, numerous calamities must have occurred.
But, in both my previous life and this one, cultivators almost never voluntarily bring up such events in their conversations.
During his years of cultivation in his past life, Li Fan had interacted with many Qi Refinement cultivators. Yet, they had never once mentioned any major disaster that had previously occurred in the Congyun Sea.
This had created a certain flaw in Li Fan’s thinking.
So much so that when Zhang Haobo had mentioned the possibility of an impending catastrophe, Li Fan hadn’t paid it much mind.
In Li Fan’s understanding, if a place was frequently struck by disasters, its residents would, at the very least, occasionally mention it in conversation. When outsiders arrived, they would surely offer warnings.
Since none of the cultivators had ever spoken of any calamity requiring special attention, then surely, even if disasters did occur, they couldn’t be anything particularly significant.
Therefore, in his previous life, he had only inquired with the Tianxuan Mirror, received a negative response, and thought little more of it.
But now, thinking back, was Crimson Flame scorching the sea truly the first time the Congyun Sea had faced killing mechanisms laid by heaven and earth?
Probably not.
Everything followed a gradual process.
Heaven and earth held malice toward cultivators.
As the number of cultivators within the Congyun Sea gradually increased, and their cultivation levels grew higher and higher, killing mechanisms would be activated, initiating a purge.
At first, there would only be minor calamities. But when the number of cultivators reached a certain limit, the final purge would be launched.
A Soul Arbiter of heaven and earth would appear, exterminating all living things.
The reason Li Fan inferred this was because the Myriad Immortals Alliance of the Congyun Sea had managed to develop to such a massive scale.
Would the killing intent of heaven and earth specifically bide its time, sitting back and waiting for the cultivators to grow stronger, only launching a thunderous strike when it absolutely couldn’t tolerate them any longer?
Based on Li Fan’s understanding of heaven and earth’s killing mechanisms, it clearly didn’t work that way.
Heaven and earth’s killing mechanisms had always existed, for as long as there had been cultivators.
Which was to say, throughout the ages, calamities must have occurred periodically, one after another.
So then, what was it that caused all cultivators to keep their mouths shut about these various calamities?
Are they actively avoiding mentioning them, or...
Have they been... forgotten?
Li Fan immediately returned to the Tianxuan Mirror and searched for keywords regarding historical calamitous events where cultivators suffered heavy casualties.
The results made cold sweat trickle down Li Fan’s spine.
None.
None.
None.
None.
No matter how long Li Fan spent searching, the Tianxuan Mirror consistently returned no results.
After a while, Li Fan calmed himself, took out his spirit talisman, and contacted Yuwen Xing.
The result sent a chill through Li Fan’s heart.
Yuwen Xing first flatly denied it.
Then, under Li Fan’s repeated questioning, he grew confused, saying it seemed like something might have happened. But it wasn’t important anyway, and he couldn’t remember clearly.
Li Fan went out and asked several other older cultivators.
They were very surprised by Li Fan’s questions, but their final answers were all the same as Yuwen Xing’s: Something like that might have happened. But they couldn't remember clearly.
Li Fan fell silent.
Couldn't remember?
Since when were Foundation Establishment cultivators so forgetful?
Li Fan remembered the first time he encountered a stormflood on Liuli Island.
The mortals on the island had spoken to him vividly about the scenes from that greater stormflood over a decade ago.
Were cultivators inferior to mortals?
Remembering disasters served as a warning, making it easier to survive future calamities.
That was only logical.
But now, that logic had completely turned upside down.