Zhang Qianmo let out a light, dismissive laugh. "It’s just a nightmare, Junior Brother. There’s no need to take it seriously."
Yet, seeing the intensity in Li Fan's gaze, Zhang Qianmo fell silent for a moment before speaking. "My life's wish, you ask..."
"To be honest with you, Junior Brother, ever since I entered the Purple Firmament Sect and embarked on the path of cultivation, I’ve always had three goals.
"I've simply kept them buried deep in my heart and never spoken of them to anyone.
"Since you insist on asking, I suppose I can share them with you. But consider this idle talk; don't take it seriously!"
Zhang Qianmo's expression turned solemn as he spoke slowly and deliberately. "I have three wishes.
"First: Heretics run rampant, and the common people suffer. I wish to eradicate every last demon from this world, to restore a realm of clear skies and bright days.
"Second: The Ten Great Immortal Sects have become decrepit. They possess power but lack virtue, and can no longer command true respect. I wish for the Purple Firmament Sect to rise and take their place.
"Third: The sects and factions of this world are miserly, hoarding their secrets. Countless cultivation techniques exist, yet each is jealously guarded. An ordinary cultivator, even within a single sect, could spend a lifetime and still not learn all its treasured techniques. How could they hope to learn the myriad other techniques under heaven?
"Life has its limits, but techniques are boundless. What a great pity this is! Techniques could be practiced by all, yet not a single sect is willing to share its knowledge with the world.
"Petty! Shallow! If I ever held sway over this world, I would gather every last technique and make them all public.
"Then everyone could choose the technique most suited to them. Within a few short years, we would surely see a resurgence of the glorious golden cultivation age of old.”
Zhang Qianmo spoke without restraint, laying out his three lifelong wishes in one breath.
Each one was more staggering than the last.
As Li Fan listened, even he couldn't help but fall into a deep, contemplative silence.
After a long while, he finally let out a slow breath. "Your aspirations are truly vast, Senior Brother. I am in awe."
Zhang Qianmo burst into hearty laughter. "They're nothing but the wild fancies of a cultivator who's witnessed too many injustices! Junior Brother, just take them as entertainment.
"Let's go!"
With that, he increased his speed, heading toward Ningyuan City.
Li Fan followed closely behind, thinking to himself.
I can only pray this place isn't sustained by Senior Brother Zhang's obsessions. My senior brother is truly no ordinary man. His wishes are... absurdly grand.
I wonder what his true fate was in history.
The two traveled in silence, and they soon reached Ningyuan City.
Concealing their auras and disguising themselves as ordinary mortals, the two martial brothers walked through the city gates.
"Junior Brother, let’s split up and investigate. First, let's see what's off about this city," Zhang Qianmo transmitted.
"Senior Brother, you're not just planning to go find your old flame, Miss Chi Xia, are you?" Li Fan's words pierced straight through his intentions.
Zhang Qianmo instantly looked awkward.
Just as he was about to explain, Li Fan suddenly said, "If my spiritual sense is correct, and the danger in this city is aimed at both of us... Then Miss Chi Xia's surroundings are likely already crawling with ambushers.
"If you rush to meet her, Senior Brother, you might just be walking right into their trap.
"With your formidable cultivation, you naturally have nothing to fear. I'm only worried Miss Chi Xia might be caught in the crossfire and perish.”
Zhang Qianmo found his logic sound. After a moment of thought, he transmitted, "You're right to be cautious, Junior Brother. In that case, let's both covertly identify all the hostile elements in the city first. Then we'll regroup and make our plans.”
Li Fan nodded in agreement.
Zhang Qianmo’s figure slowly vanished into the crowd.
Li Fan already knew the positions of the ambushers in Ningyuan City perfectly well, so there was naturally no need for him to scout the place laboriously again.
The reason he had guided Zhang Qianmo to act this way was to delay the outbreak of the fight.
Before that, he needed to examine Ningyuan City once more to find the true protagonist.
By now, Li Fan had already repeated this story of Ningyuan City in the Fallen Immortal Realm more than ten times.
From Zhang Qianmo’s earlier words, Li Fan understood clearly that he had likely been mistaken all along.
Even though it was somewhat difficult to believe, the protagonist of this stage play was someone else, not Zhang Qianmo.
That was because Senior Brother Zhang’s obsession was too grand, and the stage of Ningyuan City was too small.
The incident of “being ambushed while retrieving the longevity fruits” could not match the scale of Senior Brother Zhang’s wishes.
Then, who exactly is the master of this spacetime’s lingering obsession?
Li Fan swept his gaze over the busy mortals within Ningyuan City.
Could it be... among these people?
With this question in mind, Li Fan began to wander idly through Ningyuan City.
It was a rather prosperous, vibrant city.
Mortals lived and worked here in peace, utterly unaware of the impending catastrophe about to befall them.
Following the flow of the crowd, Li Fan arrived at a road called Eternal Celebration Street.
The roadside was lined with all kinds of stalls, and many excited-looking mortals were enjoying themselves here.
Strolling among them, Li Fan felt as if he had returned to Great Xuan, that mortal world he had left long ago.
Suddenly, Li Fan’s steps paused slightly.
He probed the surroundings with divine sense, and a faint, almost imperceptible smile touched the corner of his mouth.
Then, he deliberately headed toward a nearby dead-end alley.
Behind him, several small, thin figures hurried to follow.
Only when they reached the depths of the alley did they realize, with a start, that the person they were tailing had vanished.
They were just about to retreat when they found a figure blocking the exit.
It was Li Fan.
Li Fan looked at the five who had been following him and tilted his head.
Five mortals, and they were frail, weak children.
The oldest was only six or seven and all skin and bones. A strong gust was enough to blow them over.
“What are you little ones following me for?” Li Fan asked, somewhat amused.
The five children, caught red-handed, looked nervous.
But faced with Li Fan’s question, not one of them answered. They just stared at him intently.
Just as Li Fan was about to speak again, he heard one of them suddenly shout, “Gouzi!”
At the same moment, a vicious dog’s furious snarl erupted right behind Li Fan.
The beast closed the distance in an instant, about to pounce on him.
Li Fan had intended to crush it outright, but upon seeing the “vicious dog’s” appearance, he stayed his hand.
He grabbed it and lifted it up, applying only slight force.
Ignoring its fierce snarls, he held it before his eyes for a closer look.
It definitely had the limbs of a dog... But its torso and head were human.
What is this? A demonic beast?
A strange light flashed in Li Fan’s eyes.
Spiritual qi surged from within him, circulating once through the creature’s body.
Its snarls gradually weakened, and it fell into a deep sleep.
“Gouzi!”
The five children behind him, thinking Gouzi was dead, let out cries of utter grief and despair.
Without a thought for the absolute disparity in strength, they all lunged at Li Fan together.
With a light flick of his hand, Li Fan sent them all tumbling to the ground.
“It’s not dead yet,” Li Fan said calmly.
“If you want to keep it alive, answer a few questions for me.”
The children exchanged glances, then reluctantly nodded in agreement.
"This dog..." Li Fan paused, then corrected himself. "This child. What is the story here?"
Indeed, from his earlier examination, Li Fan had discovered that this creature with a human torso and dog's limbs was not some demonic beast.
It was a human, one whose limbs had been... grafted with those of a dog.