Li Fan had chosen Zhang Haobo as his "regressed" proxy to instigate conflict between the Myriad Immortals Alliance and Crimson Flame for one simple reason: the man’s destiny was extraordinary to begin with.
In his previous life, though he was just a mortal, Zhang Haobo had somehow sensed the impending crisis and fled far before the disaster struck.
Not only that, he seemed to have encountered other opportunities on distant continents.
Within just over twenty years, he had risen from a mortal to a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
This time, with the cultivation technique Li Fan provided, he would undoubtedly grow even faster.
Only then could he take part in, and perhaps influence, the great disaster of Crimson Flame scorching the sea.
The seed had been planted. Now, he would wait for it to grow into a towering tree.
Of course, during its growth, it would require occasional pruning and guidance.
Li Fan watched as Zhang Haobo fell into a deep slumber after his mental upheaval, then soared into the air, preparing to return to Myriad Immortals Island.
Under the night sky, most residents of Liuli Island were already asleep, leaving the island shrouded in darkness.
Only one residence remained brightly lit, with white funeral banners hanging in its courtyard.
Li Fan recognized the place. It was the home of Manager Zhao, the man formerly in charge of Liuli Island’s personnel.
Out of habit, Li Fan swept the area with his divine sense.
He abruptly halted in mid-air, surprise flickering in his eyes.
He descended into Manager Zhao’s courtyard and stepped into the mourning hall.
Manager Zhao, clad in mourning robes, knelt before a spirit tablet.
Li Fan stared at the characters inscribed on the tablet, momentarily stunned.
“Spirit Tablet of the Late Immortal Master He Zhenghao.”
He Zhenghao... was dead?
Li Fan felt more profound confusion than shock.
They said one could never step into the same river twice. But with the power of Return to Truth, Li Fan could tread the same river countless times.
His minor actions might stir ripples in the water, but they couldn’t alter the river’s course.
He Zhenghao’s death, however, was entirely unexpected.
“How did Fellow Daoist He die?” Li Fan couldn’t help but ask.
Manager Zhao started in surprise but quickly turned and answered respectfully, “They say Immortal Master He encountered a trap while exploring an ancient cave dwelling and met an unfortunate end.
“It has been fifty-six days since his passing.”
Li Fan recalled He Zhenghao’s message to him.
.....
“ Some friends recently discovered an ancient cave dwelling and invited me to explore it with them. According to them, it was sealed long before the Great Reformation descended. It’s certain to hold numerous rare treasures, perhaps even several techniques. ”
.....
He Zhenghao had wanted to explore the cave dwelling and invited Li Fan to stand in as acting guardian of Liuli Island in his absence.
Li Fan, focused on obtaining the Cloudwater Model, had declined. At the time, he hadn’t given it much thought, assuming He Zhenghao would return safely.
After all, in a past life, Li Fan had encountered He Zhenghao over a decade later, alive and well.
He never expected He Zhenghao to meet his end so abruptly.
So, in that past life, He Zhenghao did not participate in this cave dwelling exploration.
The reason for the change was... he lost all the contribution points he had accumulated over half a lifetime. To redeem that Nascent Soul technique, he decided to gamble.
And the reason he lost everything was that the island producing Spirit Mist Grass was destroyed by that Dracowhale exotic beast, making him think he had a chance to earn huge profits.
In the previous life, this incident should not have occurred.
What, then, caused the exotic beast attack to happen?
An image suddenly flashed through Li Fan’s mind.
Inside the Dracowhale's stomach, he had discovered many Liuli Pearls that had not yet been fully digested.
Liuli Pearls were the main ingredient for refining Liuli Pills. Consuming Liuli Pills could produce an effect similar to an epiphanic state.
Liuli induces an epiphanic state...
This Dracowhale exotic beast had gradually developed spiritual intelligence after devouring a massive quantity of Liuli Pearls.
In a twist of fate, it encountered an island cultivating Spirit Mist Grass.
The Spirit Mist Grass must have offered it some significant benefit, so the Dracowhale launched a sudden, violent assault, devouring most of the Spirit Mist Grass on the island.
And the reason it could swallow so many Liuli Pearls was because...
Li Fan narrowed his eyes.
In the lifetime when he had merged with the vast sea’s consciousness, he had once seen the enormous skeleton of a Liuli Fish.
Within the skeleton, a massive Liuli Pearl shimmered under the sunlight.
So in this life, he had casually slain the leader of that Liuli Fish school while passing by.
Without their leader, the Liuli Fish were like a kingdom without its king. They could not offer any resistance as the Dracowhale consumed them.
Having pieced together the entire chain of events, Li Fan was utterly stunned.
So, an unintentional action of his from that time led to He Zhenghao’s death?
And it wasn’t just He Zhenghao. In the speculation frenzy around Spirit Mist Grass prices, how many others had similarly lost everything and were forced to take desperate risks, only to meet their end?
And the cause of this subsequent series of events was simply Li Fan killing one giant Liuli Fish.
The death of the Liuli Fish leader left the school unable to defend itself against predators.
This led to a Dracowhale exotic beast devouring a large quantity Liuli Pearls, which sparked its spiritual intelligence.
This newly intelligent Dracowhale, through a chance encounter, destroyed an entire island's worth of Spirit Mist Grass.
News of the Spirit Mist Grass’s destruction was then secretly manipulated and amplified by others, leading countless individuals to bankruptcy.
The final result was the premature deaths of several Foundation Establishment cultivators.
Each event was a link in a chain of shackles.
The first locks were gentle, but each new link tightened the grip.
And when the final, fatal chain was forged, it left no chance to break loose.
So, even Foundation Establishment cultivators can be killed so simply. I see now. So this is the correct way to utilize heaven and earth’s killing mechanisms.
Formless Killing Mechanism still seems a bit crude by comparison.
Li Fan couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion, his thoughts swirling.
Within the Tianxuan Mirror, Lin Fan, who had been engrossed in reading, was suddenly hit by a flash of realization.
He hurriedly activated the Assisted Cultivation Mode. With the epiphanic state boost, numerous ingishts flooded his mind.
One doesn’t need to strike the blow themselves to kill. With the foresight of Return to Truth, I can set a scheme that spans both time and space, just like what I did with He Zhenghao.
From ten thousand li away, years in the past, I can claim a life.
As the saying goes, “One cannot see the true face of Mount Lu because one is standing on the mountain itself.”
If not for He Zhenghao's accidental death, Li Fan might have taken much longer to comprehend this technique:
Interlocking Chains of Life and Death.
Fellow Daoist He, your death was truly worthwhile!
With that thought, Li Fan lit a stick of incense before He Zhenghao’s spirit tablet with genuine sincerity.
“Go in peace. In your next life, I will not treat you poorly.” Li Fan murmured the words softly.
He stood there a moment longer, waiting until the incense had nearly burned to ash, then turned to leave.
Just then, Manager Zhao’s voice called out abruptly.
“Immortal Master, please wait!”