After testing out his newly upgraded escape technique, Ye Feipeng began enthusiastically experimenting with his other techniques.
Wind blades, wind prisons, wind storms...
Infused with the True Intent of Azure Wind, their destructive capability had undergone a qualitative improvement compared to ordinary arcane arts. Of course, they still fell far short of Azure Wind's true power.
From what Li Fan could see, the arcane arts cast by Ye Feipeng now possessed destructive power nearly approaching that of the mid-stage Foundation Establishment realm. Yet, Ye Feipeng himself was still at the Qi Refinement realm.
However, it was truly difficult to say whether this True Intent of Azure Wind was stronger or weaker than the Heaven-Scorning Sword Intent Zhang Haobo had once comprehended.
If Li Fan had to choose, he would still opt for the Heaven-Scorning Sword Intent.
After all, in terms of lethality, Azure Wind fell far short of the Heaven-Scorning Sword.
On top of that, Li Fan typically acted with caution and rarely engaged in combat. But once a fight broke out, it would inevitably be a situation of "only one of us walks out alive."
The Heaven-Scorning Sword Intent was naturally far more suitable for such circumstances than the True Intent of Azure Wind.
***
After his practice session, Ye Feipeng, whose strength had advanced by leaps and bounds, did not return to the desolate island to flaunt his power.
Instead, he quietly slipped back into that mysterious space.
After waiting for a while, he tailed another faint azure light strand and swallowed it.
Unfortunately, judging by the look of disappointment on his face, his gains seemed minuscule.
Only then did the disheartened little fatty leisurely return to the island and issue a challenge to Xiao Heng.
Unprepared for the dramatic change in Ye Feipeng's strength after just one outing,
Xiao Heng was ultimately defeated. Despite pushing the Sea-Calming Sword Art to its limits, he was only able to hold out for half a day.
Ye Feipeng, victorious over Xiao Heng for the first time, laughed triumphantly, patted Xiao Heng on the shoulder, and swaggered away, humming a cheerful tune.
Xiao Heng stared at Ye Feipeng's retreating figure, stunned and incredulous. But soon, his expression grew serious.
Without a word, he threw himself into cultivation with grim determination.
Inspired by his example, the once-lively atmosphere on the desolate island gradually grew more solemn.
The usual playful banter and games diminished significantly, as Su Xiaomei, Zhang Haobo, and others also threw themselves into diligent cultivation.
Excellent. Only with sufficient pressure can there be sufficient motivation.
Li Fan observed everything with great satisfaction.
That little fatty may not be much of a person, but he perfectly plays the role of the catfish stirring up the pond.
From this perspective alone, my investment wasn’t a loss.
While the youngsters were cultivating diligently, Li Fan naturally couldn't afford to slack off either.
Withdrawing his attention, he immersed himself once more in arduous cultivation.
In the middle of Anchor Year 15, a meteor streaked across the sky, illuminating the heavens.
It soon vanished, leaving a trail of light in its wake.
Every cultivator who witnessed it felt an indescribable sense of foreboding in their hearts.
Some tried to track its path, but all returned empty-handed.
At present, Li Fan was the only person in the entire cultivation world who knew that this meteor was none other than the Medicine King Cauldron, which had broken through the world's boundaries and departed long ago.
However, Jiao Xiuyuan's years of scheming were gradually beginning to bear fruit.
Many cultivators suddenly recalled a piece of news they had occasionally heard before, something they had dismissed as mere rumor:
The Medicine King Cauldron was about to return to the Xuanhuang World. Only those who possessed a Mini Medicine King Cauldron could enter it.
Unable to help themselves, they began to speculate: "Could this meteor be the Medicine King Cauldron?"
Though it was still a baseless conjecture, that didn't stop them from seeking further verification.
Thus, some cultivators skilled in divination and deduction, half out of curiosity and half commissioned by others, began calculating the meteor's origins.
However, to everyone's surprise, this meteor seemed to be imbued with a mysterious power.
All divinations related to it failed completely.
It was as if the heavenly mechanisms had been thrown into disarray and plunged into primordial chaos.
Forcing a divination would not only yield no results but also risk backlash.
This, in turn, only fueled the cultivators' curiosity further.
Even if this meteor wasn't the Medicine King Cauldron, it must surely conceal some great secret.
Tempted by the allure of hidden opportunities, countless cultivators took action, beginning their search for the meteor's trail.
That day, while Li Fan's avatar was experimenting with unlocking his body’s hidden reserves within the Tianxuan Mirror, he received an extremely excited message from Jiao Xiuyuan.
"It exploded! Exploded! Fellow Daoist Lin Fan, the number of people inquiring about the Mini Medicine King Cauldrons has multiplied several times overnight!
"This meteor appeared at just the right moment!
"I was worried that my previous efforts wouldn’t amount to much."
Li Fan coughed lightly and asked, "Have you sold the cauldrons in your possession?"
"Eh? Why does your voice sound a bit weak, Fellow Daoist? Are you injured?" Jiao Xiuyuan didn't answer immediately, instead inquiring with some confusion.
"Cough, cough, it's nothing. Just a minor mishap during cultivation. Nothing serious," Li Fan replied casually.
Only then did Jiao Xiuyuan return to the main topic: "Heh, rest assured, Fellow Daoist. After preparing for so long, how could I simply sell them off so easily?
"The appreciation of these Mini Medicine King Cauldrons has only just begun.
"Next, I plan to follow your suggestion and enlist a divination master to endorse these cauldrons.
"Once the atmosphere is properly built up, I'll find partners to co-host a grand auction.
"I'll sell one of them at the auction to test the market.
"What do you think of my plan, Fellow Daoist? Any areas that need improvement?"
Ever since Li Fan had offered his advice the last time, Jiao Xiuyuan began regarding him with awe, believing Li Fan's expertise in commerce to be rare in the world. Thus, he valued Li Fan's opinions highly.
Li Fan didn't offer his thoughts immediately. Instead, he searched through the Tianxuan Mirror for all recent events related to the meteor.
After pondering for a moment, he finally said, "Heh, the situation has changed. In my opinion, there's no need to enlist an endorsement now.
"The fact that the meteor can obscure heavenly mechanisms is the best promotion in itself.
"Mysterious commodities with room for imagination hold greater value.
"If you truly wish to take action, rather than asking this divination master to speak, have him remain silent."
Jiao Xiuyuan was stunned, somewhat puzzled. "Remain silent? What do you mean?"
Li Fan smiled. "Have this master claim that while attempting to divine the origins of the Mini Medicine King Cauldron, he suffered a backlash and was severely injured. Then have him retreat into seclusion for a period of time."
Jiao Xiuyuan thought for a moment, then suddenly grasped the brilliance of this plan.
"Most people would rather believe their own imagination than what others proclaim. Fellow Daoist, this method is truly marvelous, absolutely marvelous!" Jiao Xiuyuan praised repeatedly.
"Now, when the auction takes place, don't arrange for anyone to bid up the price in secret."
"In fact, after the auction concludes, you must ensure the safety of the cultivator who wins the Mini Medicine King Cauldron. Make sure no murder or treasure theft occurs.
"In summary, for this first auction, we're not seeking substantial profits.
"We just need to thoroughly establish the reputation of the Mini Medicine King Cauldrons."
Li Fan laid out his strategy step by step for Jiao Xiuyuan.