Chapter 832: The Collapsed Mountain Rises Again
To be frank, building the headquarters for the Federation of All Worlds to be both magnificent and worthy of its name was no simple task.
Setting aside the complexities of overall planning and the sheer challenge of constructing such a sprawling complex, simply designing a structure worthy of the name "Federation of All Worlds" was a monumental effort in itself.
Fortunately, Li Fan had experience, having overseen the reconstruction of Congyun Heavenly City. He was relatively seasoned in this area. He had even consulted with the master architects sent from the Immortal Alliance headquarters to assist. Therefore, objectively speaking, the blueprint Li Fan designed himself wasn't half bad.
Still...
Li Fan felt it was missing a certain something.
"I'm an amateur, after all, not a professional."
"Looks like I'll have to rope in someone reliable to oversee this project."
Li Fan couldn't stay in the Spirit Wood Realm indefinitely.
Now that Lin Ling's power had surged and she had the backing of vast resources from the Five Elders Council, it was time to turn his attention to Tianyang's Dao Integration plan.
Naturally, the more thorough the preparations, the better.
If Tianyang succeeded in his Dao Integration, Li Fan's next step would be to formally absorb the Five Elements Great Cave-Heaven and return to the Nascent Soul stage.
He was almost certain to be completely swamped.
Therefore, before any of that, he needed to find a dependable person to take charge of the construction in the Spirit Wood Realm.
Information on numerous cultivators flashed through his mind.
A moment later, Li Fan locked onto his target.
Master Architect, Ou Daozi.
Though only at the Soul Transformation stage, his talent and insight in architectural design were unparalleled.
It was said that many of the structures within the Immortal Alliance headquarters were his creations.
They had even consulted Ou Daozi during the renovation and modernization of the Immortal Alliance's Heavenly City.
Later, however, he grew dissatisfied with the Immortal Alliance's practice of forcibly erasing his memories after the completion of a blueprint.
As a result, he chose to retire into seclusion, refusing to ever again lend his talents to the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
Even without an official title, Ou Daozi was not someone Li Fan could easily persuade to help.
Thus, Li Fan decided to use a Truth Inducing Fruit directly.
Given Ou Daozi's considerable strength and his one-of-a-kind talent, using it on him wouldn't be a waste.
The only tricky part would be deceiving—or rather, persuading—him to eat the Truth Inducing Fruit.
Li Fan, being quite experienced in such matters, prepared several plans and intended to play it by ear.
If all else failed, he would have to resort to "forceful persuasion."
He stayed in the Spirit Wood Realm for a few more days, during which he collected the one hundred copies of the Immortal Alliance entrance exam question bank that Shang Tianci had replicated.
Only then did he set off with Lin Ling and Tianyang.
Once again, they traveled within the surging currents of the earth veins.
He had to admit, with Lin Ling around, traveling within the Xuanhuang Realm had become incomparably convenient.
Half a day later, they arrived at their destination.
Guanglan Province, Reviving Mountain.
This province, situated in the southern reaches of the Immortal Alliance, was remote and far from prosperous—a region on par with the Cong Yun Sea.
However, the Reviving Mountain within its borders had a certain modest fame.
It hadn't always been called this; its original name was Baoyuan Mountain.
About two years ago, the normally tranquil Guanglan Province was suddenly rocked by a tremendous earthquake.
Tens of thousands of cultivators witnessed Baoyuan Mountain crumble with a deafening roar.
The cataclysm lasted for the better part of half a day, and countless cultivators on the mountain, unable to escape in time, met a tragic end.
Just as the cultivators were reeling in shock, something happened that left them utterly dumbfounded.
Before the eyes of countless cultivators, Baoyuan Mountain—which had collapsed into the earth, leaving behind a fathomless abyss—was suddenly enveloped in a yellow light and reappeared!
The scene was like a shattered piece of porcelain reassembling itself, or like tea poured into a river flowing back into its cup.
As if time itself were flowing backward, Baoyuan Mountain, which had been utterly reduced to rubble, was restored to its original state!
An event so bizarre was destined to cause an immense sensation.
But it was so fantastical that any cultivator who hadn't witnessed it firsthand would simply refuse to believe it.
However, even though the mountain had reappeared, the consequences of its collapse remained.
The cultivators who had perished in the collapse and the violent surge of the earth veins were undeniable proof.
Thus, after extensive investigations, most cultivators, however skeptical, were forced to accept the truth of what had occurred.
Their curiosity only grew, and they all wondered how such a miraculous event had come to pass.
The Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance was no exception.
They dispatched several investigation teams one after another, who practically turned Baoyuan Mountain inside out.
But they still couldn't find the cause.
As time wore on without any breakthroughs, the Immortal Alliance had no choice but to temporarily abandon its large-scale investigation.
They left just one investigator behind to keep watch.
From time to time, cultivators who had heard tales of the event would come, drawn by the mystery, to see the site for themselves.
And so, Baoyuan Mountain was given a new name: Reviving Mountain.
But the scenery at Reviving Mountain was quite ordinary, with little to attract visitors. Over time, the number of curious travelers dwindled, and the mountain was gradually forgotten.
In a previous simulation, Li Fan had also taken the time to visit the mountain.
He hadn't discovered anything unusual either.
If it weren't for Ou Daozi, he would have had no reason to return.
Having learned of their target's specific residence, Li Fan and his companions headed straight into the depths of Reviving Mountain.
When they arrived, however, they found the mountain cottage already abandoned.
"Hmm?" Li Fan couldn't help but frown slightly.
His spiritual sense swept through the cottage. Examining the traces left behind, Li Fan determined that its occupants had left only a short while ago.
Moreover, besides Ou Daozi, there seemed to be traces of another person living there.
"A child," Li Fan concluded, recalling the information he had. "It must be Ou Daozi's son."
"But to leave in such a hurry..."
"Are they fleeing from an enemy?" Li Fan mused, stroking his chin.
"Master, are you looking for the people who lived here? I can find them," Lin Ling spoke up, just as Li Fan was pondering this.
"Oh? How would you do that?" Li Fan's interest was piqued.
He had just checked himself; Ou Daozi had been careful to erase his tracks to avoid being followed.
"There are so many trees in the mountains. I can just ask them," Lin Ling said with a bashful smile.
With Li Fan's approval, Lin Ling excitedly began to weave her spell.
An instant later, countless specks of green light surged from every corner of Reviving Mountain.
They formed a river of emerald light that flowed directly into Lin Ling's body.
"I see them!"
A moment later, Lin Ling clapped her hands in delight and took flight.
Li Fan and Tianyang followed close behind.
"Interesting. They didn't escape through a heavenly city's teleportation array. Instead, they're fleeing into the wilderness."
"Is it a desperate, panicked flight, or..."
As Li Fan followed their escape route, his initial indifference gave way to genuine curiosity.
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