The shockwave hit, and Li Fan was thrown backward uncontrollably like a dried leaf in a gale. He was swept hundreds of li before he managed to steady himself.
Fortunately, the blast was more spectacle than substance, and its power was oddly restrained. It simply stirred a massive wave that rippled across the entire Congyun Sea, leaving no real destruction in its wake. It was all thunder and no rain, as the saying went.
Yet Li Fan dared not underestimate it. Being able to wield such precise control over such immense force only emphasized how terrifying the opponent truly was.
The lock of Formless Killing Mechanism had vanished—clear evidence that the unlucky cultivator had died in the clash between those two powerhouses.
Instead of retreating, however, Li Fan pressed forward, flying back toward Cloudwater Palace.
Before long, the structure came into view again.
The massive translucent-blue edifice was now tinged with black. Above, dark clouds gathered, rumbling with thunder. A colossal vortex had formed over Cloudwater Palace, as though intent on swallowing the recently freed structure whole.
The entire sky seemed to shudder. Rows of tilting buildings slowly collapsed inward, drawn toward the vortex’s heart. One could faintly hear unwilling and furious howls emanating from Cloudwater Palace, but none of it could change the reality of its gradual disappearance.
After a short while, the ancient sect, which had just reappeared in this world a little over five years ago, vanished once more from heaven and earth.
Then, the heavy clouds also began to disperse.
Soon, the skies and seas returned to a scene of tranquil calm, with mild clouds and gentle winds.
Cloudwater Palace has been resealed? That didn’t happen in the previous lifetime.
Was it because of the Heavenly Physician’s figurine that I delivered?
In an instant, numerous thoughts flashed through Li Fan’s mind.
So, in my last life, did Sikong Yi keep that figurine for himself instead of delivering it to Cloudwater Palace?
Was he really that bold? Relying on his Heaven-Swapping Art to defy death?
No... there’s another possibility. What if the Heavenly Physician never gave the white jade figurine to Sikong Yi at all?
But he did give it to my avatar.
If that’s truly what happened... did he realize something?
The eerie, horrifying scene of the chorus of wails from Cloudwater Palace resurfaced in his mind, and Li Fan’s heart swarmed with confusion.
What exactly did the Heavenly Physician do to earn such bitter hatred from everyone in Cloudwater Palace?
Li Fan recalled his first encounter with the Heavenly Physician.
.....
“I'm just an old man who should have died long ago but somehow didn't... Let this statue keep them company in my stead...”
.....
When the Heavenly Physician had spoken those words, his tone had been wistful. His emotions hadn’t seemed feigned.
But that only made Li Fan feel a deeper chill.
Regardless, this old man called the Heavenly Physician is far too dangerous. His power exceeds my earlier estimates. Since my avatar has already entered his sights, my true self must avoid any further contact with him.
This world isn’t some unchanging game. Often, an unintentional action can trigger countless unexpected changes. I must be even more cautious from now on.
And that sword... Just how many secrets are still hidden within this Congyun Sea?
Li Fan sighed softly, his mood for exploration gone. He hurried back to Myriad Immortals Island.
Inside the Tianxuan Mirror, he searched again for information related to the Heavenly Physician, Fuzi, and others, but found only recent discussions among cultivators. There was nothing of real value, though Li Fan wasn't particularly surprised.
For a time after that, Li Fan returned to the leisurely, unhurried life he'd previously led on the island.
Occasionally, he would spot a cultivator on the verge of breaking through to the Foundation Establishment realm and lock onto them with Formless Killing Mechanism, borrowing their experiences to accumulate insights into the true meaning of Foundation Establishment.
From time to time, he also took on missions to accumulate contribution points.
His plan was to exchange these points within the Tianxuan Mirror for a Curio of heaven and earth to recharge Return to Truth and unlock the second anchor point. He already had a rough idea of how he intended to use this second anchor point, though the specifics would have to wait until it was unlocked.
A cultivator's life wasn't solely composed of monotonous cultivation. Most weren't fanatics like Zhang Haobo, who cultivated twenty-four hours a day. They had their own hobbies and diversions. In the Congyun Sea, the most popular pastime by far was fish betting.
In the remote northwest of the Congyun Sea stood a solitary island surrounded by sheer cliffs. Seawater defied gravity, flowing up these cliffs to gather at the island's center, forming a lake. Once a month, when the accumulated water in the lake reached its peak, it would erupt skyward, showering the sea below.
Countless fish were carried along with this torrent, leaping through the air. Among them, one fish always soared the highest.
Years ago, a passing cultivator witnessed this spectacle and, on a whim, refined all the other fish in the lake into essential qi, feeding it to the one that had leaped the highest. That fish underwent a metamorphosis, becoming almost as powerful as a demonic beast, before returning to the sea.
From then on, more and more fish gathered in the island's lake. Later, that same cultivator and his close friend had a dispute over the ownership of a treasure. Remembering this place, he proposed that each of them select a fish from the lake. Whosever fish leaped higher on the day of the eruption would win the treasure.
His friend, finding the idea amusing, agreed. Their wager attracted several other meddlesome cultivators, who added stakes of their own and joined in. Rules were also established for this fish betting game.
An array was set up around the island to prevent exceptionally powerful exotic beasts in the sea from entering the lake.
Participants had twenty-seven days to observe and select their chosen fish. Three days before the lake erupted, they had to finalize their choice, with no changes permitted thereafter.
It was winner takes all. Whoever picked the fish that leaped the highest would claim all the treasures wagered by the other cultivators.
If one was fortunate enough to select the single highest-leaping fish, the top prize, their winnings would be doubled.
Selection relied entirely on the subtle observation of one's own divine sense. Using spiritual qi to enhance a fish was forbidden. Anyone discovered cheating would be collectively executed by the other cultivators.
After the event, all the remaining fish were to be refined into essential qi and fed to the champion fish.
At the end of that bet, that cultivator's fish came in second to last, and he painfully lost the treasure. Yet the man felt no regret, believing he had made a wrong judgment this once and had now gotten the hang of the game. Thus, he proposed they meet again two months later at this very spot to settle the score. The other cultivators unanimously agreed.
And so, this fish betting game gradually drew more and more participants.
As the numbers grew, the rules underwent slight adjustments. A prize pool was established, and half of each round's bets would go toward the rewards for the round, while the other half flowed into the prize pool.
The first-place winner would claim the grand prize, with places second through tenth receiving secondary prizes.
The grand prize took half the rewards for the round, while the other half was divided equally among the second to tenth place winners.
Should anyone correctly guess the champion fish, they would claim all rewards for the round outright.
At the end of each year, the accumulated prize pool would be cleared in one sweep, generating a super prize.