Chapter 765: The Fickle Hearts of Men and Immortals
There was no doubt that Mr. Bai was deeply connected to the Fallen Immortal Realm.
If his clone, Xu Bai, were to enter, he might attract the attention of the Mr. Bai who resided within...
But the outcome was bound to be unpredictable, a mix of fortune and calamity.
Having experienced far too much since his transmigration, Li Fan no longer trusted anything easily—not even what he saw with his own eyes.
Especially when it came to matters of his own life and death.
After much deliberation, Xu Bai managed to suppress the inexplicable urge to venture into the Fallen Immortal Realm.
"This urge is too strange. I must proceed with caution," Xu Bai murmured, his expression inscrutable.
This body had been crafted from the blood essence of Xu Ke, infused with the spiritual aura of Mr. Bai.
Just from being imbued with a sliver of his essence, Xu Bai began to exhibit a host of strange phenomena. These included, but were not limited to, an extraordinary talent that seemed blessed by heaven and earth, frequent surges of compassion, and occasional thoughts that surfaced in his mind, entirely beyond his control.
If the influence were confined to the clone, it would be one thing.
What Li Fan truly feared was that these changes would travel along the link between the clone and his main body, subtly influencing him without his notice.
By then, would he still be himself?
Even if he used [Truth] to reset, could he truly escape this "contamination"?
Indeed, in Li Fan's eyes, this bizarre phenomenon that altered his fundamental nature was nothing short of contamination.
And it was something he could never accept.
"If there's even the slightest sign of my main body being affected, I will use [Truth] immediately," Xu Bai resolved inwardly.
Calming his thoughts, Xu Bai's expression returned to normal as he departed from Longevity Valley.
Back in Tianliang Prefecture, he resumed handling the various incidents that fell under his responsibility as a liaison.
Since the great campaign to conquer the small worlds had begun, another duty had been added to his plate.
He was now tasked with monitoring the number of confirmed grotto-heavens and small worlds within the territory, as well as coordinating cultivators to launch expeditions against them.
The underlying reason for this was simple: to a cultivator, every uncharted small world represented a vast potential for merit and contribution points.
Barring exceptional circumstances, no one would willingly share such an opportunity.
Instead, they would typically share the discovery first with their own circle of friends and allies.
Only when the forces within a small world proved too formidable for their own small group to handle would they reluctantly seek outside help and share the spoils.
The scenario envisioned by the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance—where cultivators would generously share information about a newly discovered small world entrance with the rest of the Alliance—was proving to be exceedingly rare.
Enough time had passed for cultivators to catch on.
The conquest of small worlds was, in essence, a non-renewable resource. For many, it was likely the only opportunity in their lifetime to accumulate merit and contribution points at such a rapid pace.
Given this, it was only natural for them to be meticulous in their planning, aiming to maximize their own gains.
Thus, after an initial phase of rapid expansion, the pace of conquering the myriad worlds slowed to a crawl.
The Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, of course, understood precisely why this was happening.
And so, this new duty was created for him.
While there were no enforcement measures, his official status within the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance carried weight. His involvement often helped broker powerful alliances between smaller factions.
As a result, he met with little resistance. In fact, as his reputation grew, cultivators began to seek him out proactively for assistance.
Through his dealings with them, Xu Bai came to understand their general demands.
First, they were willing to share the location of a small world's entrance, but with a condition: any cultivators who benefited from the venture would have to give them priority if they needed partners for any future discoveries.
In short, a system of mutual aid.
Second, conquering a small world was no simple feat. It was a life-or-death struggle, a constant battle where the slightest misstep could be fatal. Therefore, any partners in such an endeavor had to be trustworthy. While they didn't expect undying loyalty, the absolute minimum was that they wouldn't be stabbed in the back.
Third, they believed in keeping business within the family. If possible, the small worlds within Tianliang Prefecture should be dealt with by the local cultivators of Tianliang Prefecture.
...
Xu Bai, having lived through a hundred reincarnations, prided himself on his insight into the human heart. Yet, when faced with these cultivators, each nursing their own hidden agendas, he still felt a nagging headache.
All too often, a team he had introduced, seemingly harmonious on the surface, would return with only a handful of survivors.
They would remain silent about their fallen comrades, only to hurl accusations at one another.
And yet, the next time he contacted them to form another expedition, they would, more often than not, agree to it.
It was because, despite knowing the others' dark intentions, they were at least familiar with them—a known evil.
Compared to completely unknown and unfamiliar partners, they were, paradoxically, more trustworthy.
"The hearts of men... truly unfathomable, impossible to grasp."
Xu Bai shook his head, sighing in lament.
In his mind, the names of cultivators swirled like pieces on a chessboard, their temperaments and abilities dictating an array of potential combinations.
Xu Bai was trying to find the optimal arrangement, the one that would best utilize the collective strength of Tianliang Prefecture's cultivators.
In a way, it was a unique form of cultivation in itself.
Xu Bai mused to himself.
"To date, thirteen small worlds have been discovered in Tianling Prefecture. One is exceedingly dangerous—multiple expeditions have met with no survivors, so it has been temporarily set aside. Of the remaining twelve, half have been completely cleared..."
Once Alliance cultivators had crushed all resistance within a small world and completed a scan with the Heavenly Profound Mirror...
...the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance headquarters would dispatch a team of black-robed cultivators to take over. They would expel all unauthorized personnel and seal the entrance, their purpose within remaining a mystery.
Even Xu Bai's inquiries with Nangong Shirong yielded nothing.
However, based on feedback from the cultivators under his command, Xu Bai learned that shortly after the black-robed cultivators took control, the entrances to these small worlds would inexplicably vanish.
The location would remain marked on the Heavenly Profound Mirror's map, but when anyone visited the site in person, the entrance would be nowhere to be found.
"It isn't that they've been concealed, but that the entrance itself has changed."
"The entrance is still there, but it's as if it has been... encrypted. It can no longer be found by ordinary means."
This was the conclusion Xu Bai reached after investigating the sites himself.
...
While Xu Bai was preoccupied with his duties in Tianliang Prefecture...
...his main body, Li Fan, finally managed to bid farewell to the ever-enthusiastic Shuo Feng and depart from his estate.
The days spent sparring with Shuo Feng at his insistence had been quite beneficial for Li Fan himself.
But what astonished him more was the sheer speed of Shuo Feng's improvement.
Initially, he had been utterly defenseless against the [Thread Extraction] technique.
He could only endure it by relying on his bizarre constitution.
But over time, Shuo Feng had gradually learned to adapt to the life-draining effects of the technique.
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