Back in the Fallen Immortal Realm, The Sagacious Beast, Sovereign Tapir Tertius, had once told Lu Ya, "Often, what you see may not be the whole truth."
The same principle applied now. The conclusion Li Fan had come to might not be absolutely correct.
It was like the parable of the blind men and the elephant—what one perceived might not be the whole picture.
But it was still a part of the truth.
Within his mind, the Dao Transformation Stone emitted a deep blue light, instantly recording the myriad thoughts racing through his consciousness.
Next, Li Fan needed to consider how to respond to the woman in green.
Not long after she finished speaking, Li Fan shook his head and replied evenly, “The might of the Immortal Ruins lies far beyond ordinary comprehension.
“An existence capable of distorting space and time cannot be judged by conventional reasoning. Its influence is fundamentally unpredictable.
“You claim that once the Immortal-Severing Passageway is cut, your world will be freed; liberated from all constraints.
“But that is just a theoretical conclusion. Who can truly guarantee what would happen in reality?”
As he spoke, Li Fan carefully observed the woman in green, not missing even the slightest change in her expression.
“After all, every world that has previously severed its connection to the Xuanhuang World has vanished without a trace, becoming utterly unreachable.
“Are they truly drifting freely through the void? Or have they already been consumed by the Immortal Ruins? No one can say.
“Otherwise, how could our Myriad Worlds Coalition have recruited so many members?
“For an entire civilization, even a one-in-ten-thousand chance of failure is an unacceptable gamble.”
A trace of mockery colored Li Fan’s tone.
The smile on the woman in green’s face slowly faded. She stared at Li Fan intently, as if trying to peel something from beneath his calm exterior.
But Li Fan remained utterly composed, revealing not the slightest flaw.
Only then did the woman in green speak.
“You are correct. That is precisely why I have returned to the Xuanhuang World this time.
“At present, the existence of the Immortal Ruins is known only to a handful within the Empire. But walls have ears. Once the conservatives learn of this matter, the resistance to detaching from the Xuanhuang World will grow immeasurably greater.
“By then, even the prestige accumulated by the imperial family over thousands of years may not suffice to carry out the plan peacefully.”
Li Fan interjected evenly, “So you have come to seek assistance?”
The woman in green nodded. “The Imperatrix’s resolve remains unchanged. Even if the risks are real, we believe the gamble is worth taking.
“However, those detestable nobles within the Empire may not share this conviction.
“To prevent internal turmoil, we must accelerate the plan.”
She paused briefly before continuing. “We need to redeem a Dao Unity–level technique as soon as possible, and simultaneously hasten the accumulation of resources to nurture the Realm-Splitting Whales.”
As she spoke, she handed over a jade slip.
Li Fan swept it with his divine sense and found a long list of materials recorded within.
Searching his memory, he found that while most of the items were inexpensive. Yet, the quantities she required were staggering.
The total cost would far exceed the five million-plus contribution points he currently possessed.
His brow lifted slightly.
“If you were to join the Myriad Worlds Coalition outright,” Li Fan said calmly, “the organization would naturally provide appropriate assistance for these matters.
“But you are determined to flee, and the Alliance is not a charitable institution.”
The woman in green replied without hesitation, “As you have said yourself, leaving the Xuanhuang World may result in our destruction.
“Though the Empire’s resolve remains unchanged, that does not prevent us from placing additional wagers.”
Li Fan’s eyes flickered. “You mean...”
“Correct,” she said plainly. “The Empire will commit a portion of its forces to the Myriad Worlds Coalition.
“They will remain within the Xuanhuang World as a seed of our civilization. Should the Empire truly be destroyed in the future, they will carry on its legacy as a separate branch.”
Her gaze was sharp, her words unvarnished.
Li Fan let out a scoff. “Aren’t you overestimating yourselves? To avoid alerting internal factions, the strength you can allocate will inevitably be limited. That alone is nowhere near sufficient to exchange for the materials on this list.”
The woman in green replied calmly, “I believe you have misunderstood, Sir Envoy.
“Since they are meant to serve as the seed of the Empire’s continuation, all of the technologies currently possessed by the Empire will naturally be preserved with them.
“After joining the Coalition, those technologies will be shared accordingly.
“Even setting everything else aside, the value of the Divine Beast Armor alone should already cover the majority of the resources listed.”
Li Fan had not expected such audacity. To wager nearly their entire technological legacy as bargaining chips...
Even if the claim of “all technologies” was exaggerated, based solely on the fragments he had glimpsed from Li Chenfeng’s memories, it was enough to pique his interest.
Admittedly, these technologies might not directly aid his personal cultivation.
But a power system so fundamentally different from that of the Xuanhuang World could greatly broaden his foundations.
After all, one could never have too many cards in hand.
Who knew—perhaps in some future simulation cycle, the art of commanding divine beasts would prove unexpectedly useful.
Li Fan made his decision without excessive deliberation: he would swindle the Empire’s entire technological legacy.
Putting on an expression of interest, he pondered briefly before speaking. “This matter is of great importance, far beyond my authority to decide alone.
“I will return and report it in full. You will receive an answer afterward.”
Li Fan’s response fell squarely within the green-robed woman’s expectations.
“The longer the night drags on, the more dreams it breeds,” she said coolly. “I hope you will act swiftly, Sir Envoy.”
Li Fan cupped his hands in salute and departed without further delay.
The secret chamber soon fell silent, leaving only the members of the Empire behind.
“Holy Master...” Li Chenfeng hesitated before speaking, unable to hide his reluctance. “Are we truly going to use the Empire’s core technologies, developed over countless years, as bargaining chips?”
The woman in green did not answer at once.
She frowned slightly and lifted her gaze to the ceiling, as if observing something unseen.
Only after activating a series of concealment and isolation restrictions did she finally look back at Li Chenfeng.
Her voice was sharp.
“Have you already forgotten what I taught you?
“Survival is the foremost imperative of any civilization.
“Technology, culture, and legacy only possess meaning if the people remain alive.
“If the civilization itself is annihilated, then no matter how brilliant or glorious those achievements were, what use are they?”
Li Chenfeng clenched his fists, still unwilling to accept it. “But—”
The woman raised a hand, cutting him off decisively.
“This matter has already been discussed with the Imperatrix. The decision has been made. Say no more.”
Li Chenfeng could only lower his head, swallowing his objections as he bowed in reluctant assent.
The woman in green turned her gaze toward the direction Li Fan had departed. After a long moment of silence, she spoke softly, almost to herself.
“That man just now... I couldn’t see through him at all, and he was just an envoy.
“It seems the Myriad Worlds Coalition truly possesses some depth.”
Li Chenfeng was startled. “Holy Master, even you couldn’t discern his level? Then what realm is he actually at?”
The woman in green shook her head slightly, a trace of puzzlement crossing her features.
“On the surface, his cultivation level does not appear particularly high.”
“And yet...” She paused, her eyes narrowing. “From beginning to end, he gave me a faint but persistent sense of danger.”