His perspective shifted.
A furious gale howled, whipping towering waves into a frenzy. A faint glowing shield protected the island, trembling before the relentless assault of colossal waves.
The spiritual qi throughout heaven and earth ran wild, rampaging like frenzied beasts.
Endless wind, born from nowhere, raged between sky and sea.
This was an ordinary stormflood within the Congyun Sea.
Amid the roars, Zhang Haobo rose and fell like duckweed upon the wind.
Zhang Haobo emitted no aura whatsoever. Yet from his perspective of heaven and earth, Li Fan faintly perceived a unique resonance of spiritual qi gradually emerging from him. It seemed to mimic the ever-present "wind" that permeated the world.
Zhang Haobo settled his mind, closing his eyes in contemplation. Only when the stormflood gradually dissipated did he open them again.
After a pause, he drifted in a specific direction. There was still no fluctuation of spiritual qi, yet he moved with astonishing speed. Like a gentle breeze, he softly brushed past all in heaven and earth.
Impressive movement technique. Li Fan nodded slightly.
But what is he comprehending? Wasn't he searching for a Curio of heaven and earth to establish his foundation?
Li Fan faintly detected that another stormflood was brewing in the direction Zhang Haobo was heading.
Zhang Haobo was chasing the wind.
Interesting...
It seemed he had no immediate plans to establish his foundation. Thus, Li Fan redirected most of his attention back to the Foundation Establishment Master.
Over ten days had passed since the last group of Qi Refinement cultivators successfully completed Foundation Establishment and departed.
According to past experience, at least one or two aspiring cultivators should arrive every seven or eight days. Yet now, after more than ten days, no one had come. This was unusual.
Consequently, the three on the island grew restless. They gathered daily, discussing matters in secret.
Observing from the shadows, Li Fan activated Formless Killing Mechanism, locking onto the young man named Li Chenfeng to uncover their schemes.
On this day, the three conspired indoors once more.
Using Heaven Watches and Earth Listens, Li Fan saw everything within the room clearly.
The Foundation Establishment Master appeared anxious and uneasy. He glanced upward again, growing visibly alarmed: "It's back! That feeling has returned!"
"Really, old man? Are you that terrified?" Though puzzled, Li Chenfeng wore a grave expression.
The Foundation Establishment Master shook his head. "You don't understand. Though my cultivation has stalled at the late-stage Foundation Establishment realm, having witnessed hundreds of successful Foundation Establishment processes, I'm acutely sensitive to fluctuations in the laws of heaven and earth.
“This sensation of being watched... there’s no mistake. There must be a powerhouse observing us..." The master's wrinkled face paled slightly.
"If it happened only once or twice, perhaps it might have been a casual glance. But this has gone on numerous times. Is it a warning? Or..." The more he thought, the more frightened he became.
"Enough! Stop scaring yourself! If our deeds were truly exposed, someone would have already come to eliminate us all!" Li Chenfeng impatiently slammed the table, steadying their morale.
"Besides, this secret room is shielded by a Life-Death Array that blocks all thoughts. How could anyone easily detect us?
"However, old man, your concerns aren't entirely unfounded," Li Chenfeng’s tone shifted.
"Our principle has always been to never stay in one place too long—grab what we can and move. It's just that the Congyun Sea is vast, and the number of cultivators reaching Foundation Establishment each year is truly substantial, which is why we've lingered here so long.
"Our original plan was to operate for another seven or eight years before leaving. But now it seems our success has drawn unwanted attention," Li Chenfeng analyzed calmly.
"In that case, we should withdraw early. Let’s pack up and set out at dawn. We will head north to Yongliang Province. That's Five Elders Council territory. Once we're there, even if the Myriad Immortals Alliance wants to cause trouble for us, it won’t be so easy."
The man surnamed Xiao agreed, "Right. Once we arrive, we can change our identities and repeat the same strategy."
Li Chenfeng suddenly lowered his voice and asked quietly, "Old man, how much more do we need to redeem the Ocean-Devouring Eternal Life Art?"
The Foundation Establishment Master narrowed his eyes. "Almost there. If we’re careful, another fifty years or so should suffice."
The man surnamed Xiao sighed, "It’s been a long road. Elder Zhu, you’ve been away from home for over a hundred years now, haven’t you?"
Elder Zhu also sighed deeply. "Yes. It took immense effort to break through the Immortal-Slaying Grand Array and reach the cultivation world. That was more than ninety-eight years ago."
Li Chenfeng said gravely, "A Dao Unity technique is no ordinary treasure. To be able to redeem it in just over a hundred years is already our great fortune."
Elder Zhu sounded somewhat ashamed. "It’s all thanks to Master Li devising such an effective method. What we gain in a single year now surpasses what I used to earn in ten."
The man surnamed Xiao echoed the praise.
Li Chenfeng showed no pride, his expression stern. "The closer we are to success, the more cautious we must be. A century of planning and countless sacrifices must not be ruined by carelessness."
Elder Zhu also grew solemn. "Master Li is right."
The man surnamed Xiao whispered, "As long as we bring the Ocean-Devouring Eternal Life Art back, every sacrifice will have been worth it."
Li Chenfeng sighed. "Who knows how many Realm-Splitting Whales have been cultivated all these years. Back then, the Imperatrix calculated that a pod of a hundred thousand Realm-Splitting Whales would be needed to counteract the cultivation world’s pull on our homeland. When I left thirty years ago, the pod only numbered seventy thousand.[1]
"Thirty years... thirty thousand more... It won’t be easy," Li Chenfeng shook his head.
Elder Zhu reassured him, "If there aren’t enough Realm-Splitting Whales, we can always cultivate more later. As long as we bring the Dao Unity technique back, it will help the Imperatrix subdue those rebellious factions.
"Then, with the full strength of the Empire, we will surely break free from this cultivation world within a decade.
"And with the lineage established by the Ocean-Devouring Eternal Life Art, the shackles of the Exclusivity of Immortal Techniques will be gone. More and more cultivators will emerge within the Empire. The Empire’s future will be radiant!"
Elder Zhu’s words filled Li Chenfeng and the man surnamed Xiao with visions of a glorious future.
After a long silence, the three firmly clasped hands. Fanaticism burned in their eyes as they spoke in unison. "For the Empire! For the Imperatrix!"
***
An Empire... technique thieves... breaking free from the cultivation world... From a distance, Li Fan watched the scene in a secret chamber, his gaze complex.
It seems that not all the minor worlds and grotto-heavens mortals migrated to were completely devoid of spiritual qi like Great Xuan.
Or perhaps they were, originally. But thousands of years... that's more than enough time for things to change.
To cultivate and command a pod of one hundred thousand Realm-Splitting Whales...
This so-called Empire isn't weak. I just wonder what method they're using.
1. The term imperatrix is derived from Latin, where it specifically means Empress or female ruler. ☜