Chapter 827: Intimidating the Five Elders Council
At the same time, Li Fan finally understood why neither the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance nor the Five Elders Council could freely traverse the earth veins.
It wasn't a matter of technological limitation.
The reason was simple: anyone who traveled through the earth veins would inevitably be attacked by the ancient trees rooted within them.
After all, the three ancient trees still retained memories of being besieged by cultivators long ago.
While they didn't harbor an extreme hatred for cultivators, their disposition was far from friendly.
They might refrain from actively causing trouble, but when cultivators tried to push their luck and take advantage, the trees were naturally unwilling to stand by.
Li Fan was spared an attack purely out of deference to Lin Ling.
The ancient earth vein trees were rooted deep within the Xuanhuang Realm's very foundation.
To attack them would be to disturb the entire system; a forceful conquest could very well cause the land itself to collapse.
Besides, with spatial teleportation technology readily available, the need to harness the power of the earth veins was not a high priority.
Thus, both the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance and the Five Elders Council chose to turn a blind eye.
"From now on, try to communicate more with our ancient friends," Li Fan instructed, his gaze falling on the earth vein branch in Lin Ling's hand.
This particular branch was infinitely more precious than the withered one Ximen Yu had found in an earth vein eruption.
Beyond allowing Lin Ling to grow more rapidly, it could also be used to instantly travel to any location touched by the power of the earth veins.
The ability was somewhat similar to the teleportation method of Shang Tianci's Heavenly Scene Treasure Gourd.
However, Shang Tianci had to personally collect the world's myriad landscapes into his gourd one by one.
In contrast, the ancient earth vein trees had long ago spread their roots to every corner of the Xuanhuang Realm.
"Unfortunately, only Lin Ling can use it," Li Fan thought, a touch of regret in his heart.
Obediently, Lin Ling fused the earth vein branch into her chest.
With that little interlude concluded, Li Fan turned to the matter at hand.
He first set up a protective array in the vicinity, then had Lin Ling conceal herself for the time being.
He then produced a jade talisman and crushed it in his hand.
In an instant, a peculiar ripple of energy emanated from his hand, spreading out across Nine Mountains.
Li Fan closed his eyes and waited.
The Five Elders Council, it seemed, had been anticipating this signal for some time.
Before long, several figures streaked through the air and arrived.
Among them was none other than Yu Dayi, the Five Elders Council spy Li Fan had contacted previously.
It had been some time, and in that interval, Yu Dayi's cultivation had surged from the Golden Core stage all the way to mid-Nascent Soul.
He had clearly been handsomely rewarded for the intelligence Li Fan provided, a testament to his great service.
He spotted Li Fan's figure from a distance, and his face lit up with elation.
As he drew near, he raised a hand, motioning for his entourage to halt.
He then approached Li Fan alone.
"It's been a long time, my friend," Yu Dayi greeted with a respectful bow.
Li Fan sized him up, letting out a sinister chuckle. "It seems the intelligence provided by our Federation of All Worlds was useful after all."
"You're too modest, my friend," Yu Dayi chuckled. "Useful is an understatement..."
"Speaking of which," he continued, "when we successfully took Nine Mountains, it seems your organization also lent a hand from the shadows."
"Twice you've helped us, yet you've asked for nothing in return..." A flicker of suspicion crossed Yu Dayi's face.
"It was merely a gesture to earn the trust of your Five Elders Council," Li Fan said dismissively.
"I know that even now, some within your council still believe the so-called 'Federation of All Worlds' is merely a fabrication of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance—a play they've written and staged themselves."
"Sacrifice a little to gain a lot, as the saying goes..."
At these words, an awkward expression immediately clouded Yu Dayi's face.
"Suspicion is perfectly normal," Li Fan stated, his voice brimming with confidence. "But it doesn't matter. As our cooperation deepens, all this mistrust will vanish like smoke." He punctuated the statement with a low, sinister laugh.
Yu Dayi paid no mind to the other details; his eyes lit up at the mere mention of "cooperation."
And Li Fan did not disappoint.
With a casual flick of his wrist, he tossed a jade slip to him.
Yu Dayi caught it, and as he scanned its contents, his eye began to twitch, his face contorting with an irrepressible, wild joy.
The jade slip contained the newly discovered flaws in the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance's Mountain and River Formation, which they had only recently modified.
"Another incredible service!" Yu Dayi thought, his heart pounding with excitement.
Li Fan's next words, however, were a bucket of cold water. "We can provide you with every secret of the Alliance's defensive arrays, rendering their lines of defense meaningless to you. But the Federation of All Worlds still advises against launching any major offensives for now."
"Even if you could muster the strength to crush the Alliance's resistance in a single blow, you must not."
"Our advice," Li Fan said with deep meaning, "is to wait."
"And why is that?" Yu Dayi couldn't help but ask, puzzled.
Li Fan didn't answer. He simply raised an index finger and pointed to the sky.
Yu Dayi's confusion only deepened.
"Go back and report what I've said," Li Fan stated calmly. "They will understand my meaning."
"When the time is right, we will let you know."
Yu Dayi opened his mouth to speak, but offered no rebuttal.
Li Fan tossed him another jade slip.
"The Federation of All Worlds has shown its sincerity. Now, it is time to see yours."
Yu Dayi scanned the list of resources enumerated in the jade slip, and his heart began to race.
"This is... an extraordinary request..."
"Just report it," Li Fan said, his tone dripping with arrogance. "Unless they are fools, I'm confident they will agree."
Yu Dayi subtly glanced over his shoulder.
The five cultivators accompanying him were waiting for his command.
At his word, they would instantly converge and capture this mysterious cultivator.
"Four Nascent Souls and one at Soul Transformation."
"And their target is merely a Golden Core cultivator."
"The odds are overwhelmingly in our favor, no matter how you look at it."
The temptation flickered in Yu Dayi's mind.
"If we capture him and use our secret arts to turn him, we could learn so much more about this Federation of All Worlds..."
For a fleeting moment, Yu Dayi was on the verge of giving the command.
But then he saw Li Fan's gaze on him—calm, confident, and with the ghost of a mocking smile.
A knot of apprehension tightened in his chest.
After a long moment of deliberation, Yu Dayi abandoned the idea.
The man's inscrutable aura was one reason.
The primary reason, however, was that all contact so far had been initiated by the Federation of All Worlds.
If something went wrong and they alienated their mysterious benefactor...
...the loss would far outweigh any potential gain.
After all, resources had a price, but intelligence like this was priceless.
Countless thoughts flashed through Yu Dayi's mind in that single instant.
In the end, with a silent sigh of regret, he bowed his head. "Return in seven days, my friend. I will certainly have a satisfactory answer for you then."
"Very well. I hope your council doesn't do anything foolish," Li Fan replied. "Otherwise, we may have to find new partners." With that, he clapped his hands.
From the side, Lin Ling, who had been concealed the entire time, finally revealed herself.
The moment he sensed her aura, Yu Dayi's pupils contracted violently.
(End of Chapter)
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