As wave after wave of people entered, the sound of reading within the hut gradually grew louder. Li Fan tilted his head to listen and was faintly able to make out a few phrases.
"The Heavenly Laws are stern; revere rules and uphold order..."
"Now I have obtained the laws, I shall spread them widely to all living beings..."
"The Heavenly Laws must not be defied..."
Heavenly Laws... Li Fan searched his memories but found no relevant information. I wonder what’s the connection between this place and Cloudwater Palace.
Li Fan had chosen not to enter for two reasons. First, as he had mentioned earlier, the opportunity here was of little use to him, having already reached the peak of late-stage Qi Refinement.
Second, he still had some reservations. Could this Oddity-like entity truly be completely devoid of danger, simply granting benefits without asking anything in return?
Li Fan didn't believe it. He intended to let these people test the waters first. If it really was safe, he could always return in his next life.
Unlike others, Li Fan didn’t just have a single lifetime to cultivate. The concept of "missing out on opportunities" didn’t exist for him.
Another day passed amid the resonant voices of reading.
On the second day, when the cultivators awoke from the ground, every single one of them had advanced by a cultivation stage.
They were overjoyed, gaining in one night what would otherwise have taken far longer through arduous cultivation! So, like the first six, they contacted their friends and invited them to this place.
Gradually, more and more people learned of the opportunity here. The coming and going never ceased, all leaving with joyful expressions on their faces.
Li Fan simply observed silently, making a rough estimate. Before the azure ox cart reached Cloudwater Palace, approximately two Nascent Soul cultivators, six Golden Core cultivators, nineteen Foundation Establishment cultivators, and a number of Qi Refinement cultivators had entered that thatched hut.
But even the liveliest gatherings must eventually come to an end.
A month later, Cloudwater Palace hung on the horizon, faintly visible in the distance. The azure ox cart had finally reached its destination.
Li Fan and the other cultivators all chose to keep their distance from the ox cart, observing from afar.
"Moo!" The azure ox let out a deep cry and rose into the sky, its hooves striking empty air as it pulled the two-wheeled cart along. Then, it charged headlong toward the azure Cloudwater Palace. Azure and blue light intertwined and shimmered.
Without a sound, the ox cart quietly vanished into Cloudwater Palace.
All the cultivators present sighed with regret.
A dozen or so cultivators, perhaps unafraid due to having ventured into Cloudwater Palace before, or simply out of boldness, followed it out of curiosity.
Li Fan once again used Formless Killing Mechanism to lock onto one of them. Following that person, his perspective shifted, bringing him to the Cloudwater Palace.
Before the towering main gate, the azure ox shrank to a normal size. Pulling the two-wheeled cart, it advanced slowly.
When it passed by Qin Tang’s statue, it suddenly halted. The door of the thatched hut swung open with a crash, and a wooden slip flew to the front of Qin Tang’s statue. Then, a nearly transparent figure emerged from the wooden slip. The figure was somewhat aged, and its features were indistinct.
He stared silently at the statue that was pierced through the heart. A long time passed before he finally spoke slowly.
"Qin Tang..."
Qin Tang’s statue seemed to twitch suddenly. Then, with a creaking sound, it tilted its head at an unnatural angle. Staring at the aged figure before it, a faint, barely audible voice suddenly emerged from the statue.
"Fu...
"zi..."
Though faint, the voice was like a clap of thunder, instantly echoing throughout the entire Cloudwater Palace.
"Fuzi..."
"Fuzi..."
"Fuzi..."
Different voices—some pained, some bewildered, some relieved, some gratified—rose from all directions, overlapping and reverberating endlessly.
They intertwined like a symphony from hell, resonating within Cloudwater Palace.
Deep within Cloudwater Palace, at the location of Taiyi Hall, the turtle-snake Taiyi seemed to stir from its slumber, revealing its monstrous form.
But suddenly, the phantom of a broken sword appeared. This shattered blade was deeply embedded in Taiyi’s body, with only a short fragment exposed. It was pitch black, radiating overwhelming killing intent!
The broken sword trembled slightly, producing a grating sound like metal being sharpened on a whetstone.
Countless sword silhouettes rained down from the void, piercing fiercely into the turtle-snake monster’s body.
"It hurts..." Taiyi wailed in pain and was forced to shrink back into Taiyi Hall.
Outside Cloudwater Palace, Li Fan trembled inwardly at this scene.
The broken sword embedded in Taiyi’s body seemed to be part of the same sword as the hilt that fought with Azure Wind!
Before Qin Tang’s statue, the translucent figure of Fuzi glanced toward Taiyi Hall and let out a long sigh.
Then, Fuzi reached out and grasped the wooden slip. He clasped his hands behind his back and lifted his head to gaze at the sky.
Taking a deep breath, Fuzi’s form instantly expanded. Within moments, he resembled a towering giant supporting the heavens.
His beard and hair bristled as he roared with fury.
"Heavenly!
"Physician!"
Fuzi’s furious roar instantly spread throughout Cloudwater Palace.
Following his shout, a deathly silence fell over every corner of Cloudwater Palace.
Then, one after another, voices of resentment and hatred shot toward the sky.
"Heavenly Physician!"
"Heavenly Physician!"
"Heavenly Physician!"
The screams were endless, filled with such despair and hatred that even Li Fan, standing outside Cloudwater Palace, felt a chill run down his spine.
The cries of despair echoed through every part of Cloudwater Palace, causing the entire massive structure to shake and tremble incessantly.
The white mist that had enveloped the buildings now churned like boiling water, as if the tormented beings trapped for thousands of years were about to break free.
High above Cloudwater Palace, before Fuzi’s gigantic form, a small white jade figurine suddenly materialized.
With its appearance, the Oddities within Cloudwater Palace erupted into complete chaos.
Angry and desperate shouts surged like an unending river. Cracks were strewn across the ground, and the entire Cloudwater Palace seemed on the verge of shattering under the abnormal disturbances.
The white jade figurine glowed faintly, then transformed to the size of an ordinary person.
His face was kindly, and his hair was greying—it was the mysterious old man who had once met his avatar Lin Fan.
Ignoring the tide of roars from below, the Heavenly Physician smiled slightly. "Everyone, long time no see."
Fuzi’s towering form trembled violently, and his face contorted with hatred. He gritted his teeth, wanting to say something, but in the end, only one word burst forth.
"Die!"
The sky seemed to darken, as though endless killing intent was gathering.
Fine cracks instantly appeared across the Heavenly Physician’s body. But he simply patted himself lightly, and those fine cracks vanished in an instant.
The Heavenly Physician smiled faintly at Fuzi. "Must you be so angry over a mere fight?"
His smile vanished abruptly, replaced by an expression of utter frost. "Being easily provoked to anger is an illness. And illness... requires treatment."
Outside Cloudwater Palace, Li Fan's expression shifted. He instantly activated every defensive talisman on his person. Then he pushed his speed to the absolute limit, fleeing backward at maximum velocity.
A shockwave erupted from Cloudwater Palace.
In that instant, it swept across the entire Congyun Sea, spreading toward the surrounding provinces with unabated momentum.
At that moment, the entire cultivation world became aware of the events unfolding in Congyun Sea.
Several immense consciousnesses seemed to exchange thoughts briefly.
Then, one by one, they fell silent.