Chapter 824: Nourishing the Self with a Fabricated Faith
Chapter 824: Nourishing the Self with a Fabricated Faith
Pei Tuo gave a grunt of assent and, without a moment's hesitation, stepped into the Thousand Rock Grotto-Heaven.
Meanwhile, Ji Shaoli remained outside to conceal the fluctuations generated as Pei Tuo devoured the Grotto-Heaven.
After all, they were in the heartland of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, and the war was at a critical juncture. Although both he and Pei Tuo were indeed members of the Alliance, it was always better to be cautious and avoid unnecessary trouble.
The process was identical to when Li Fan had devoured the Five Elements Grotto-Heaven.
From within his Golden Core, the menacing Roots of Heaven and Earth surged out frantically.
Tens of thousands of tentacles consciously took root in every corner of the Thousand Rock Grotto-Heaven.
Entwining, constricting.
Until finally, they had enveloped the entire Grotto-Heaven.
The entire process lasted a full three days.
Three days later, Pei Tuo abruptly reappeared in the Xuanhuang Realm.
The aura of the Nascent Soul realm surged around him, refusing to settle for a long time.
Having been trapped at the Golden Core stage for so long, this sudden breakthrough filled Pei Tuo with an urge to let out a triumphant roar and release the elation swelling in his heart.
However, Ji Shaoli's cold voice pulled him back to reality. "Let's go. We can't linger here."
Pei Tuo's surging aura immediately faltered.
Even though he was now a full cultivation realm higher, he didn't dare underestimate Ji Shaoli in the slightest.
The power behind the Mutual Aid Association was undoubtedly terrifying. Dealing with a minor Nascent Soul cultivator like him would be child's play for them.
So, Pei Tuo obediently followed Ji Shaoli, and they returned to the Cong Yun Sea, discreet and swift.
When Xiang Xin and the other members of the Mutual Aid Association saw that Pei Tuo was now a Nascent Soul cultivator, they were profoundly shaken.
They were finally certain that Ji Shaoli hadn't been making empty promises.
While regretting not being the first to join, the looks they gave Ji Shaoli grew increasingly fervent.
After a moment of hesitation, Xiang Xin couldn't resist the temptation and asked, "Daoist Ji, when it's our turn to break through, will the association...?"
Ji Shaoli cut him off with a smile.
"Rest assured, everyone. As the founding members of the Congyun Sea Mutual Aid Association, the moment you reach the required cultivation level, an ownerless Grotto-Heaven will be arranged for you immediately! Therefore, your most important task right now is to cultivate diligently and raise your strength as quickly as you can!"
His words instantly filled the few cultivators present with boundless motivation.
They immediately returned to the Tianxuan Mirror on Ten Thousand Immortals Island and began to cultivate with frantic dedication, sparing no expense.
And when the news of Pei Tuo's breakthrough spread, the cultivators who had attended the banquet that day were utterly astounded.
For a time, a constant stream of cultivators flocked to Haixuan Island, all seeking to join the Congyun Sea Mutual Aid Association.
However, Ji Shaoli chose to close his doors, refusing to see any of them.
"Profound methods are not to be given away freely."
He glanced at the crowd of cultivators outside the Great Desolation Eight Extremes Dragon-Slaying Array, their faces a mix of expressions, and a faint smile touched his lips.
He paid no mind to their calls, pretending not to hear them at all, and instead turned his attention back to trading resources on the Tianxuan Mirror's market.
Six million contribution points seemed like a lot, but it wouldn't last forever.
Before the Mutual Aid Association was fully established, he needed to earn more.
...
Spirit Wood Realm.
At the very moment Pei Tuo officially broke through to the Nascent Soul realm...
...a vast surge of feedback cultivation power spontaneously generated within Li Fan's dantian.
Li Fan absorbed it in an instant, and his own mid-stage Golden Core cultivation base shot forward by a significant margin.
"It works!" Li Fan took a deep breath, his eyes glinting. "By using the non-existent 'Red Dust Compassionate Immortal' as an intermediary, the ultimate beneficiary is still my true self!"
The key lay in the oath taken upon joining the association.
The gist of the oath was that all members of the Mutual Aid Association, under the witness of the Compassionate Immortal, were to help one another. All benefits provided by the association were gifts from the Compassionate Immortal, a fact that all members were to remember at all times.
"At this rate," he mused, "it won't be long before I return to the Nascent Soul realm."
"I just wonder if, by now, the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance has discovered the Five Elements Great Cave-Heaven."
After a moment of thought, Li Fan summoned Tianyang and tasked him with making a trip to Tianling Province.
He was to check on the situation there.
"You only need to gather information. Your safety is the priority," Li Fan instructed.
Tianyang nodded vigorously, then transformed into a streak of light and departed the Spirit Wood Realm.
"With Tianyang's strength, even if he's discovered, escaping shouldn't be a major problem."
"Still, a Soul Transformation cultivation base is ultimately not enough. Once I've returned to the Nascent Soul realm, perhaps I can consider helping him reach Dao Integration."
The figures of several Heavenly Spirits flashed through Li Fan's mind.
After a moment's consideration, he locked onto a target.
Heavenly Spirits were nearly equivalent in power to Dao Integration cultivators.
He recalled how Crimson Flame, who had been a mere furnace stoker, had forced several Soul Transformation cultivators from the Cong Yun Sea to exhaust all their means just to barely defeat him.
More importantly, the entire process of achieving Dao Integration had to be completed in secret, without attracting the attention of other cultivators.
Otherwise, it was highly likely they would just be dressing for someone else's wedding.
Even with Li Fan's help, it would likely be a difficult task for Tianyang.
Li Fan couldn't help but think of the trio from the Medicine King Sect.
"Unfortunately, the Medicine King True Cauldron's return is still some time away."
Just as Li Fan was pondering where else he could find assistance...
...a sudden, inexplicable change occurred within the Spirit Wood Realm.
By now, thanks to Shang Tianci's tireless work day and night, the Spirit Wood Realm had been utterly transformed.
Countless beautiful landscapes from the Xuanhuang Realm now dotted its lands. A rich spiritual energy connected the earth veins below with the heavens above.
The entire world felt like a single, connected entity.
The entire world seemed to be undergoing a wondrous transformation, and the most obvious and greatest beneficiary was, of course, the spirit tree at its center.
In a short time, the tree, which had long since stopped growing, had shot up again by nearly a third of its height.
Its branches and leaves were a vibrant, dripping emerald, radiating a renewed and rare vitality.
It felt as if something was gestating within it.
With a single thought, Li Fan used the Heart of the Spirit Wood to instantly pinpoint the source of the disturbance.
It was coming from the center of the spirit tree, from the very space where the treefolk had once been nurtured.
Countless specks of green light were converging, forming a blurry humanoid figure.
"This is..." Li Fan narrowed his eyes and, in a flash, appeared nearby.
The matriarch of the treefolk hurried over as well.
She stared at the nearby figure, which was growing clearer by the second. First, she was stunned, then her expression changed as if she had remembered something profound.
She grew visibly excited.
"Master, that is a Tree Spirit!" she explained, taking the initiative.
From the matriarch's explanation, Li Fan came to understand just what a Tree Spirit was.
If the treefolk were beings born from the spirit tree to serve as its guardians...
...then their purpose was to protect the spirit tree until it could birth its own consciousness.
Compared to Li Fan, who had forcefully refined the Heart of the Spirit Wood and seized control, the Tree Spirit was more like the true, rightful master of the Spirit Wood Realm.
A completely unadorned body gradually materialized before Li Fan.
The strength of the aura it emanated was steadily growing.
In the blink of an eye, its power surpassed that of Li Fan, a Golden Core cultivator.
(End of Chapter)
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