Aboard the Taiyan Boat above the Congyun Sea, the group from the Li World gathered on the deck. Entering the cultivation world for the first time, they looked around with faces full of excitement.
Meanwhile, Li Fan activated the Heaven-Swapping Art, observing the fates of those around him.
Most were like objects covered in dust, dim and lacking luster. But when his eyes fell on the fatty Ye Feipeng, Li Fan couldn't help but reveal a trace of astonishment. His fate thread resembled a wisp of newly formed white mist, constantly swirling and evolving.
A fate like this... Li Fan recalled the technique's description of such a phenomenon.
It flows and turns with providence; a single change begets a hundred changes.
It meant this person's fate was extremely susceptible to external influence. Should he encounter a noble patron offering guidance, it was highly possible he would truly live up to his name—like the great Peng that rides the wind, soaring ninety thousand li skyward.[1]
But if he were to meet a truly vicious and malevolent individual while his own fate was still comparatively fragile, he would likely be unable to withstand the calamity and perish.
It was just like in the previous life, when he had noticed Li Fan's furtive movements and attempted blackmail, only to be promptly stabbed to death by Li Fan.
However, if the person he had tried to blackmail wasn't as decisive as Li Fan, and he actually succeeded in extorting benefits from them, then with the ebb and flow of providence, Ye Feipeng might just catch the wind from that point onward, and his fortune would become unstoppable.
Li Fan would describe a person like this as such: "Riding the wave, you're a god; against the tide, you're a corpse."
Among the people from the Li World, few aside from Ye Feipeng, Xiao Heng and Su Xiaomei possessed relatively special fates.
Su Xiaomei's fate thread was an intertwining of purple and black, inseparable from one another. Xiao Heng's manifested the image of a hidden dragon lying in the depths.
Any one of these three would have been exceedingly rare even in the ancient cultivation world. Often, a single large province might produce only one such individual in a decade.
But now, in this tiny Li World, they had sprouted together in a cluster.
Perhaps it's related to that volcano in the Li World. Li Fan couldn’t help but wonder.
***
Under the pressure of imminent death, Xiao Heng found sleep impossible. In just eight or nine days, he had purged his body of all miasma, even faster than in his previous life. Then, after entering the cultivation world, he successfully drew qi into his body within a single day and night, stepping into the Qi Refinement realm.
Su Xiaomei’s progress was even more absurd. The very moment the Taiyan Boat broke through the Immortal-Slaying Grand Array and entered the cultivation world, Li Fan felt the spiritual qi of heaven and earth swarming of its own accord, rushing into Su Xiaomei's body. And her body, as if starved for a long time, absorbed all this spiritual qi like a bottomless pit. Even now, this process continued.
Watching the rapid progress of the two beside him, Su Changyu couldn't help but feel some envy. However, he didn't let this impact him. Instead, he practiced the Xuanhuang Heart Clarification Sutra, passed down to him by Li Fan, with even greater diligence. He was so absorbed he forgot to eat and sleep, much like Li Fan himself had been back on Liuli Island. Seeing this, Li Fan gave an imperceptible nod of approval.
***
The Taiyan Boat skimmed rapidly over the sea's surface. Surrounded by an endless expanse of sea, the monotonous, repetitive scenery quickly caused the group from the Li World to lose their sense of novelty, and they returned to their cabins to rest.
Having studied arrays for nearly two years, Li Fan decided to test his skills, deploying a Sound and Form Concealment Array around the Taiyan Boat. It was the most basic small-scale obscuring array, but its effects were decent.
Li Fan led the group safely to Yelan Island without anyone noticing.
After explaining the different methods to dispel the miasma, Li Fan assigned Yin Yueting to get them settled in.
Then, he inquired about the future plans of Su Xiaomei and the other two. Both Su Xiaomei and Xiao Heng said they would wait until Su Changyu successfully guided qi into his body before heading together to Myriad Immortals Island.
Li Fan did not press them further. Instead, he made another trip to Myriad Immortals Island to redeem two Qi Refinement techniques.
One was naturally the Lesser Water Manipulation Art for Xiao Heng. The other was the Blazing Heart's Fury Art, prepared for Su Xiaomei.
Xiao Heng carefully accepted the jade slip and kowtowed to Li Fan.
Su Xiaomei was less formal. She took the jade slip and grinned with delight. "Thank you, Master."
Li Fan didn’t object, letting her call him whatever she wished.
"You are not to remain idle while you wait for Su Changyu here on Yelan Island. Work with Zhao'er Bao to collect ancient artifacts. I have an important use for them." Li Fan instructed.
Su Xiaomei and Xiao Heng nodded repeatedly.
"The path of immortality is arduous. I can only guide you through the entrance. What achievements you attain in the future will depend on your own fortune."
With that, he left each of them a communication spirit talisman and sent them on their way.
Both Xiao Heng and Su Xiaomei possess remarkable luck. With their assistance, the collection of Dao resonance artifacts should progress much faster. I hope to complete the collection before Crimson Flame burns the sea.
That night, Li Fan used the Cloudwater Dream Illusion Art to deepen Zhao'er Bao's painful memories as a warning.
Afterward, Li Fan hurried back to Myriad Immortals Island. He had received a message from Gong Boyu—He Zhenghao's posthumous work, the Mountain River Hundred Veins Array Diagram, had been completed.
Surprised by the swift progress, Li Fan rushed to the Strategy Array Hall. Gong Boyu had already sent someone to meet him there.
After re-entering the metallic cube-like structure, the small square swiftly transported him to a large conference room.
Aside from Gong Boyu, six other cultivators were seated inside. They all appeared to be in their forties or fifties, with unfathomable auras, clearly possessing considerably high cultivation levels.
Gong Boyu waved Li Fan over to his side, beaming with satisfaction. "Thanks to the combined efforts and wisdom of these old friends, we finally completed the restoration of Fellow Daoist He Zhenghao's final work after some time. A truly joyous achievement!"
Li Fan nodded. "Fellow Daoist He would surely be deeply comforted in the afterlife."
Gong Boyu pulled an octagonal jade piece from his robe and handed it to Li Fan.
Li Fan took the unfamiliar jade piece, examining it closely.
Each of the eight corners of the jade had been replaced with metal of different colors. Intricate and mysterious patterns were carved across its entire surface, and threads of golden light flowed like rivers through the grooves.
"This is an encrypted jade slip from our Myriad Immortals Alliance. Once created, each encrypted jade slip can only be read by a specific cultivator. If anyone else attempts to gain access forcibly, it will trigger a pre-set self-destruction array and explode.
"This one was prepared for you. It contains the restored Mountain River Hundred Veins Array Diagram." Gong Boyu explained.
Li Fan nodded, his divine sense stirring as he examined the jade slip's contents.
The distinct forms of mountains instantly materialized within Li Fan's mind.
Looking closer, every clump of soil and every fragment of rock on those mountains was, astonishingly, a miniature array.
Countless tiny arrays stacked upon one another, forming an entire mountain—a massive array shaped like a mountain itself.
The sheer volume of information contained within made Li Fan suck in a sharp, involuntary breath.
This was not something meant for a Qi Refinement cultivator to behold.
1. 叶 (Yè): The family surname.
飞 (Fēi): A verb meaning "to fly."
鹏 (Péng): A mythical, colossal bird from Chinese mythology.
The line “great Peng that rides the wind, soaring ninety thousand li skyward,” is from a poem by Li Bai.
Li Fan is basically saying that his fate is so malleable that if given the right opportunity (the "wind" he needs), he could truly fulfill the promise of his name and achieve a level of success as vast as the Peng's flight. ☜