Chapter 1213: The Alliance's High-Pressure Stance
Chapter 1213: The Alliance's High-Pressure Stance
"Clear Void Flowing Crystal?"
Instantly, all the relevant information surfaced in Li Fan's mind.
Clear Void Flowing Crystal was a type of solid crystal with a silk-like texture.
It could float in the air, moving like flowing water, all while emitting a dreamy, seven-colored radiance.
Female cultivators in the Xuanhuang Realm often incorporated it into their artifacts, causing the treasures to radiate a dazzling, multicolored brilliance, whether dormant or activated.
But...
Aside from its aesthetic appeal, it seemed to serve no other purpose.
So, despite its limited supply, the price had always held steady at a moderate eight thousand contribution points per piece.
Clearly, this Clear Void Flowing Crystal had to be connected to the Dharma Spreader's plan for sixteen Dao Integration cultivators to leave the Xuanhuang Realm.
Within the Sun family's secret chamber, Li Fan employed a dual approach, using the origin of the Tianxuan Mirror and the scrying power of the Immeasurable Mirror. He quickly uncovered a stream of cryptic messages and transaction records all related to the crystal.
These individuals were acting with extreme secrecy and caution.
Most of them arranged the deals through the Tianxuan Mirror but opted to conduct the actual transactions in person, using standard spirit stones.
On the rare occasions they bought the crystals directly through the Tianxuan Mirror, they would immediately re-list them as if for sale. This created the illusion of a steady supply circulating in the market, preventing any major price fluctuations.
But with each transfer, the vast majority of the crystals on the market were gradually consolidated by the same group of people. The supposed transactions were nothing more than them passing the goods from one hand to the other.
"Impressive tactics. Far more elegant than my own crude attempts at market manipulation."
"It seems this isn't their first time doing something like this."
Li Fan mused appreciatively, then joined the fray, leveraging the power of the Tianxuan Mirror's origin.
After all, he could erase any trace of his activities from the Tianxuan Mirror at will. There was no need for him to scurry about like some timid rat in the shadows.
He began buying them up with wild abandon.
He paid no mind to the cost, acquiring the crystals at prices no one could possibly refuse.
Like a great whale, he churned the waters of the Tianxuan Mirror's market into a tempest.
Before long, the price of Clear Void Flowing Crystal skyrocketed.
This strange development naturally drew the attention of more cultivators.
Although they had no idea what the crystals were truly for, that didn't stop them from jumping on the bandwagon and starting to buy them up too.
The false Tianxuan Mirror identity Li Fan's avatar had created soon received several messages from unknown senders.
"Who do you work for? Are you trying to get yourself killed, acting so recklessly?"
"Brother, tone it down. Don't ruin this for everyone."
"Hmph, let this old man offer you some advice: greed gets you nowhere. Spit out what you've swallowed. The only way we all survive this is by working together."
...
To these and other such harassing messages, Li Fan sent a uniform reply: "Excellent. I’ve reeled you all in. Just wait for the reckoning!"
The cultivators on the other end instantly fell silent.
Upon checking, he found that quite a few of them had mysteriously died in that brief interval.
"They're even this ruthless with their own people."
"Still just a bunch of idiots, though."
Li Fan paid them no mind. While he toyed with them, his campaign to acquire the Clear Void Flowing Crystal continued unabated.
Unfortunately, the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance reacted with unusual speed this time.
"Senior, stop now!"
The warning came from Sun Luyao.
But Li Fan's operation to cover his tracks was already underway.
He removed the Clear Void Flowing Crystals from the Tianxuan Minor Mirror one by one, then completely erased the fabricated identity.
Li Fan's avatar then unleashed a black ray of annihilation, utterly destroying the Tianxuan Minor Mirror.
Only then did the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance's official announcement belatedly appear in the Tianxuan Mirror.
It declared Clear Void Flowing Crystal a prohibited item, effective immediately.
Any crystals currently held by cultivators were to be collected by the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
The Alliance urged all parties to cooperate fully. Anyone who deliberately obstructed the collection would be charged with treason.
...
The news sent shockwaves through the cultivation world.
This was arguably the most severe measure the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance had announced since its inception.
And it was all for the sake of the humble Clear Void Flowing Crystal, an item almost no one had cared about before.
What profound secret could this item possibly hold to warrant such a massive response from the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance?
Those cultivators who possessed the crystals and were unwilling to surrender them decided to simply break them down for study.
But just as before, they discovered nothing.
Suspicion and discussion brewed like a storm.
Throughout it all, the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance offered no explanation, instead resorting to even harsher measures to suppress any discussion.
Within the Tianxuan Mirror, all information related to Clear Void Flowing Crystal vanished.
Any member within the Alliance's hierarchy who dared to discuss the crystals in private was immediately stripped of their post.
Even gatherings of unaffiliated cultivators who discussed the matter were targeted by the provincial Martial Halls, whose members would summon them for questioning and issue warnings.
This high-pressure stance made it clear to the entire cultivation world that this time was different—the Clear Void Flowing Crystal had truly become a taboo subject.
The cultivators of the Xuanhuang Realm still valued their lives.
For a time, the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance fell deathly silent.
Voices could be silenced, but how could the doubt and curiosity in their hearts ever be truly suppressed?
The Alliance's reach did not extend into the personal space of every single cultivator.
And so, in secluded mountain grottoes far from the provincial immortal cities, and within heavily warded secret chambers, whispers about the Clear Void Flowing Crystal persisted.
However, all the Clear Void Flowing Crystals in the world had already been confiscated.
All they could do was speculate.
Forget speculation—even if they had managed to keep one, figuring out its true use would have been nearly impossible.
In the Sun family's secret chamber, Li Fan went so far as to analyze the Clear Void Flowing Crystal in detail with the Immeasurable Mirror, yet even he couldn't find anything unusual about it.
"It seems the Clear Void Flowing Crystal is just one important component. There must be other steps involved."
After consuming over a hundred of the crystals, Li Fan reluctantly put his research on hold.
"I'll have to wait until the Alliance sends the sixteen Dao Integration cultivators away from the Xuanhuang Realm before I can try to learn more."
"But I can prepare to observe them in advance."
The Sun Family.
Wu Ninglu, deep in cultivation with the resources bestowed by Sun Luyuan, was oblivious as a shadowy form slipped out of her storage ring.
The shadow slipped into her sea of consciousness and swiftly seized control of her body.
This was a fragment of Li Fan's own soul, which he had left behind before his main body entered the Alliance's Guardian Hall.
This soul fragment was far more powerful than the latent avatar he had used before.
After unleashing that single strike to destroy the Tianxuan Minor Mirror and eliminate any traceable clues, that avatar had once again fallen into a weakened state.
This soul fragment, however, was different. Like a true cultivator, it could draw upon the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to replenish itself.
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