Chapter 818: A Revelation on Yinyin Island
"But they can't compare to me."
A glint flashed in the eyes of his clone, Ji Shaoli. Drawing on the experiences of his past lives, he acted swiftly, spending half a million contribution points in an instant.
He converted all his points into resources that were poised to appreciate rapidly in the near future.
"Hmm, it seems the fall of the Nine Mountains Prefecture has had some effect after all," he mused.
"The price trends for some goods have already shifted. Some spiked earlier than expected, while others depreciated in ways they hadn't before."
The clone operated the Tianxuan Minor Mirror.
All the while, an ethereal glow enveloped the mirror, isolating it completely.
It was rendered incapable of sensing anything from the outside world.
He spent another million contribution points, making a massive purchase of commonly used items.
The clone, however, remained where he was and reached out to He Zhenghao.
That's right—this incarnation, Ji Shaoli, was also acquainted with He Zhenghao.
After all, He Zhenghao was a man of many friends, and since they were both cultivators in the Cong Yun Sea, it wasn't unusual for them to know each other.
Their connection was superficial, however, built on only a handful of meetings.
"Fellow Daoist He, have you been well lately?"
"Would you be interested in joining me for a gathering on Haixuan Island?"
It wasn't just He Zhenghao.
The clone extended invitations to every cultivator he recalled having even a slight acquaintance with, inviting them all to a banquet.
...
"While I'm pushing the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance and the Five Elders Council toward open conflict, I can't neglect my research on the 'Foundation Establishment Through Oneself' technique," Li Fan thought to himself.
"That, after all, is what can truly shake the Dharma Spreader's foundation."
After leaving Haixuan Island, Li Fan's eyes gleamed as he took a detour, heading straight for Yinyin Island.
Upon arrival, he didn't act rashly.
Instead, he first took a moment to observe his surroundings carefully.
He could faintly hear the agonized cries of mortals drifting from the island.
Evidently, Master Yin was still engrossed in his research into the mysteries of the Immortal-Mortal Miasma.
A small dog with a shifting eye on its belly was dashing about the island, a white rib bone clamped in its mouth.
It seemed utterly delighted.
"Master Yin succeeded with his 'Foundation Establishment Through Oneself' in the third year of the anchor."
"That was not long ago."
Li Fan considered this, not daring to be arrogant. He sent a telepathic message: "Is Fellow Daoist Yin present?"
The memory of his battle with Master Yin in his previous life was still vivid.
Even with his Nascent Soul cultivation and countless divine abilities and secret arts, he had been unable to defeat Master Yin.
It was only by finally unleashing the Chaos Character that he had managed to kill him.
In this life, to avoid alerting the Dharma Spreader, Li Fan would not use the Chaos Character so easily.
Besides, he was counting on Master Yin to further develop the "Foundation Establishment Through Oneself" technique for him...
Persuading him with words would be the best approach.
"I am. Please, come in, Fellow Daoist!"
The stone gate on the island rumbled open, and Li Fan descended in a flash of movement.
The small dog with the human hand suddenly spun its head around and stared at Li Fan.
It let out a threatening growl, its eyes filled with vigilance.
As its mouth opened to bark, the white rib bone fell to the ground with a clatter.
Li Fan's gaze shifted, and with a flick of his wrist, he drew the bone into his hand.
This rib bone had belonged to the first cultivator, a man with the surname Su, to be infected with the Immortal-Mortal Miasma.
In his 115th life, Li Fan had thrown this very bone to distract the massive monster formed from countless corpses in the white mist, allowing him to escape.
Seeing its prized possession snatched away, the human-handed dog's eyes turned vicious.
However, after Li Fan gave it a fleeting glance, it seemed to receive a tremendous shock, and its aggression vanished in an instant.
With its tail tucked low, it scurried away into the island's main structure.
Li Fan chuckled softly and followed it inside.
He was no stranger to this place and quickly found Master Yin.
Just as in his past lives, Master Yin was somewhat obsessively staring at the mortals being tormented by his experiments in a transparent cage.
He was muttering something under his breath.
Li Fan tossed the white rib bone over, and Master Yin caught it instinctively.
"This is..." He froze for a moment, then gripped it tightly.
"I saw this little creature with it at the entrance just now. I sensed that this bone was something out of the ordinary, so I figured the little one must have mischievously stolen it to play with," Li Fan explained with a faint smile.
Realization dawned on Master Yin. He kicked the human-handed dog harshly.
Then, he put the white rib bone away.
His expression softened considerably as he looked at Li Fan and asked, "May I ask what brings you here, Fellow Daoist?"
Li Fan glanced around. "This isn't the right place to talk..."
Master Yin was taken aback but didn't argue. He led Li Fan down to a secret underground chamber.
As they walked through the long corridor lined with Master Yin's collection of specimens, he introduced them to Li Fan.
To his surprise, Li Fan also seemed quite knowledgeable about these things.
From time to time, he was even able to add a comment or two.
This was a delightful surprise for Master Yin, who had long sought a kindred spirit. He felt a growing sense of camaraderie.
His attitude toward Li Fan became increasingly amicable.
He kicked the human-handed dog again, ordering it to serve two cups of black, bubbling spiritual fungi cluster tea.
Before Master Yin could say anything, Li Fan casually picked up the cup and drained it in one go.
His expression never changed.
"Excellent tea!" he even remarked, as if wanting more.
This left Master Yin even more surprised.
"This secret chamber is quite secluded. Please, Fellow Daoist, speak freely," he said slowly, taking a sip of his own tea.
"Fellow Daoist Yin, have you heard of 'Foundation Establishment Through Oneself'?"
The next moment, Li Fan's words left him stunned on the spot.
"Ahem..." Choking, Master Yin coughed a few times, set down his teacup, and looked at Li Fan with a strange expression.
"You came for the 'Foundation Establishment Through Oneself'?"
He had indeed mentioned this idea to others before, but most dismissed it as absurd.
They would just laugh it off.
Li Fan was the first to make a formal visit specifically for this matter.
Feeling a sense of mutual appreciation, Master Yin couldn't help but try to persuade him. "But I see you've already reached the Golden Core realm. The method of Foundation Establishment Through Oneself is far from complete..."
But Li Fan raised a hand, cutting him off.
His next words were earth-shattering.
"When I first heard of your method, I was astounded, as if it were a divine revelation. But upon careful consideration, I found it to have significant flaws."
"So, I exhausted my mind and put in a great deal of effort, and I have finally completed it."
"Overjoyed, I came here specifically to share it with you."
"I hope Fellow Daoist Yin will point out any shortcomings."
Li Fan spoke with a calm, even tone.
Hearing this, Master Yin shot to his feet.
He stared at Li Fan, his eyes filled with disbelief.
He even began to laugh. "You completed the 'Foundation Establishment Through Oneself' technique? Fellow Daoist, you must not be jesting with me..."
However, as Li Fan recited the formula, word by word, the smile on his face quickly vanished.
In its place came first astonishment.
Then gravity.
And then shock.
Finally, when Li Fan had finished reciting the entire 'Foundation Establishment Through Oneself' technique, Master Yin's body began to tremble uncontrollably.
"How is this possible..."
"How can this be..."
His eyes were clouded with confusion as if he were mentally verifying the feasibility of the technique.
But no matter how many times he calculated it, he arrived at only one conclusion.
It was unassailable, perfect, and flawless.
Master Yin's legs gave out, and he stumbled, falling to the ground.
He pointed a trembling finger at Li Fan.
For a long while, he couldn't utter a single word.
Comments