In an empty expanse of sea, a howling gale whipped the waters into towering, furious waves. Dark clouds hung oppressively low, accompanied by a violent, driving rain.
This was a stormflood of moderate scale.
From the vantage point of heaven and earth, Li Fan could clearly see that this particular stormflood was slowly moving in a specific direction. And Zhang Haobo was following behind it at a steady, unhurried pace.
From time to time, he sent out slashes of blue light with his sword, like a diligent gardener pruning a hedge, carefully trimming and guiding the stormflood's path forward.
Although the power contained within this maelstrom far exceeded that of a Foundation Establishment cultivator like Zhang Haobo, he controlled it like a child herding livestock, steering the stormflood to proceed exactly as he intended.
Li Fan faintly perceived that another stormflood was brewing far in the distance.
Interesting. Li Fan thought, observing patiently.
And so, more than ten days later, the two colossal storms collided under Zhang Haobo’s manipulation.
In that instant, a flash of azure light erupted in his eyes. The giant blue sword, composed of one hundred and eight Sea-Calming Swords, manifested once again, spanning the space between sky and sea.
Compared to when Li Fan had last seen it, the blue radiance around the great sword was deeper and more profound.
Blue light bloomed, dancing through the air like a pair of flying shears, swiftly sculpting and reshaping the two colliding storms.
Slowly, the two stormfloods, locked in their violent impact, began to merge. As they became one, a completely new stormflood was born.
Having lost some energy in the process, this newborn stormflood was slightly less powerful than the combined might of the two original stormfloods. However, it still surpassed either one individually.
Zhang Haobo gazed upon the newly crafted storm before him, and a look of satisfaction spread across his face.
He peered into the distance, selected a new direction, and once again began driving the stormflood onward.
Li Fan realized that by merging the two stormfloods, Zhang Haobo's cultivation had also improved by a slight degree. He was herding the wind, but he was also using it to cultivate.
It seems he's planning something big. Li Fan could vaguely guess Zhang Haobo's intentions.
Crimson Flame's arrival drew ever closer. Yet, Zhang Haobo remained stuck at the Foundation Establishment realm. Without a Golden Core realm technique, he could not advance.
He was an insignificant figure with no connections. Even if he wanted to warn the upper echelons of Myriad Immortals Island that Crimson Flame was coming, gaining an audience with them was an incredibly difficult task to begin with. What could he do?
The only option was to create a massive spectacle, something that would draw sufficient attention.
Li Fan had great anticipation for what was to come.
However, the current intensity of Zhang Haobo's storm was clearly still insufficient to attract the notice of a Spirit Transformation cultivator. It needed more time to brew.
Li Fan temporarily withdrew his attention.
It’s been ten years. Time to visit the Li World again.
After making some preparations, he set off immediately.
Arriving once more at the ruins marking the entrance to the Li World, Li Fan did not hurry to enter the ancient well. Instead, he carefully examined the wreckage.
Massive stones, bearing clear signs of being artificially polished, lay scattered haphazardly across the seabed. One could vaguely make out that this had once been a palatial structure.
Besides the visible parts, many more architectural remains were buried beneath the seabed silt.
The entire site stretched for several li, suggesting this had once been a small town.
The original civilization... Li Fan mused, thoughtful.
Then, he summoned the Taiyan Boat, crossed the Immortal-Slaying Grand Array,
and entered the Li World.
From afar, he looked toward the volcano at the heart of the Li World. Compared to ten years earlier, it appeared noticeably more active.
Flying into its midst, Li Fan conducted a thorough investigation. It appeared to be a volcano formed purely by geological activity, with no trace of supernatural intervention.
Li Fan had a nagging feeling that there was more to the volcano's formation, but with his current strength, he simply couldn't perceive it yet.
Choosing not to dwell on it, he simply took note of it, then flew toward the capital of Great Li.
He concealed his presence, making sure not to alert the lookouts atop the capital's four watchtowers.
He sensed the faint trace of the Blue Flame phantom spirit’s power that had long been left within Su Xiaomei and quietly drew closer.
Dozens of metal exotic beasts crafted from refined steel were arranged on the training grounds.
A petite figure weaved between these steel beasts at extreme speed, leaving afterimages behind.
She relentlessly struck the bodies of the steel exotic beasts with her bare hands, each impact producing a clear bam .
To the side of the training grounds, Su Changyu and Xiao Heng stood watching. A faint smile played on Su Changyu's face. Xiao Heng, however, was sighing and looked horrified.
He whispered to Su Changyu, "Changyu, how can you still smile? Haven't you noticed how terrifying Xiaomei is becoming?"
Pointing at the dents left by the blows on the steel beasts, Xiao Heng sucked in a sharp breath. "Look at her strength! If she accidentally slapped me, she might just kill me outright! I doubt these steel beasts will last more than a couple of days!"
Su Changyu frowned slightly at these words, then his expression relaxed. "We both know Xiaomei has a special constitution. She’s born with immense strength and a fiery temper. In previous years, it was manageable. With the methods left by the Immortal Master, she could just manage to control her emotions.
"But now, the Immortal Master's methods are gradually failing. Xiaomei's self-control is getting worse and worse. If she doesn’t vent her anger like this every day, who knows how many people she might accidentally kill.
"But still, Xiaomei is Xiaomei. Even if she's a bit cold to others in the family, she treats you quite well. I don't know what you're so afraid of.”
Xiao Heng immediately grew anxious. "You call this 'quite well'? It's not like you don't know..."
Before he could finish his sentence, a thunderous shout erupted from the center of the training grounds: "Xiao Heng! Are you talking about me behind my back again?"
No sooner had the words left her lips than her figure blurred. Quick as a rabbit and sharp as a hawk, Su Xiaomei was right in front of Xiao Heng, the wind of her sudden movement whipping through his hair.
His eyelid twitched violently, and he hurriedly cried out, "Young Mistress! I wouldn't dare speak ill of you! I was just praising your immense strength!"
Su Xiaomei shot Xiao Heng a suspicious glance and gave a soft, skeptical hum, but didn't press the matter further.
"Brother!" She looked at Su Changyu standing nearby, and a smile appeared on her face.
Su Changyu looked at her with fond affection, took a handkerchief from his robes, and wiped the sweat from her forehead.
"It seems you've been living well." Just then, an aloof voice suddenly spoke up right beside the three of them.
Upon seeing the figure, the expressions of Su Changyu and Xiao Heng changed, then they seemed to realize something simultaneously, and their faces lit up with a mixture of shock and delight.
Just as they were about to speak, Su Xiaomei roared, "Who’s there? How dare you play such tricks in front of me!"
Even as she shouted, she swung her fist, launching herself toward Li Fan.
"Xiaomei, stop!" Su Changyu and Xiao Heng cried out in alarm.
But before their words had fully faded, Su Xiaomei, who could shatter tempered steel with her blows, found herself ensnared in an invisible net. She was locked in mid-air, utterly unable to move.