Chapter 846: One Heart Infiltrates the Immortal Alliance
Chapter 846: One Heart Infiltrates the Immortal Alliance
The strange beasts of the Beast Seed Realm gradually began to sense that something was amiss.
Though the two invaders had only revealed the power of Soul Transformation cultivators, they were like unmovable rocks, withstanding the assault of the endless beast tide without faltering. In fact, they seemed to grow stronger with every passing moment of the battle!
A series of desolate roars echoed across the entire Beast Seed Realm.
The sky churned as storm clouds gathered. Directly above the central black tower, a colossal vortex began to form.
Within the swirling vortex, the faint image of a mysterious black bird could be seen.
For the first time, the expressions of Tianyang and Lin Ling turned grave.
But that was the extent of it.
Just as in the previous life, when an elder of the Medicine King Sect had swept through this realm, the outcome was inevitable.
Following Li Fan's instructions, they slew the most powerful of the strange beasts and extracted their cores.
Then, they cordoned off a large area to herd the remaining beasts into a single enclosure.
With that task complete, the pair moved on to the next phase of their plan.
They began the process of relocating the entrance to the Beast Seed Realm, moving it to connect directly with the Spirit Wood Realm.
Drawing on their experience from moving the entrance to the Five Elements Great Cave-Heaven, they worked with practiced ease and completed the task swiftly.
In his design for the Federation of All Worlds headquarters, Ou Daozi had specifically designated an open area for this very purpose.
It was reserved for housing the portals that would connect to the various member realms.
For now, it was sparsely populated, but as more small worlds were connected in the future, it would truly live up to the name "Federation of All Worlds."
Of course, security was a paramount concern.
The more portals, the greater the potential vulnerabilities.
Ou Daozi had conceived a plan involving nested spatial zones. He intended to segment the portal area into a series of relatively independent pockets of space, each of which could be jettisoned at a moment's notice.
If a catastrophic event were to occur, they could sever the compromised section, much like a lizard shedding its tail to escape a predator.
However, this was still in the conceptual phase.
Even though Tianyang had absorbed the Ink Stone, he would still need time to master the ability to manipulate space with such precision.
But there were more pressing matters to attend to.
Once the link between the Beast Seed Realm and the Spirit Wood Realm was established, Tianyang's next destination, as instructed by Li Fan, was the Li Realm.
By now, the beast cores inside the Immortal Spirit Tower that Li Fan had left behind were completely depleted.
With no spiritual energy being produced, the cultivation of the Li Realm's inhabitants had ground to a halt.
Their exploration of the Fire World was still in its infancy.
With no other options, Su Yuqing had sent a desperate plea for help to Li Fan via a communication talisman.
Tianyang made no effort to conceal his presence.
When he appeared, the sheer pressure of a Dao Integration cultivator descended upon the Li Realm, making it feel as though the entire world had been blanketed by a heavy, oppressive cloud.
Those who didn't understand what was happening looked on in terror.
Only Su Yuqing was filled with joyous relief.
Tianyang said little in response to Su Yuqing's respectful greeting.
He simply restored the Immortal Spirit Tower to full operation before proceeding to link the Li Realm with the Spirit Wood Realm.
"Should the spiritual energy be depleted again in the future," he explained, "you may travel to the Beast Seed Realm to hunt and replenish your supply of beast cores."
"The Beast Seed Realm is not the Li Realm; you will need to improve your cultivation as much as possible. You can request any necessary treasures or cultivation techniques from the Federation headquarters."
Tianyang stated succinctly.
Su Yuqing nodded repeatedly, taking in his words.
Initially, Li Fan had considered directly infusing the Li Realm with spiritual energy from the Spirit Wood Realm.
However, after careful consideration, he had rejected the idea.
After all, the vast majority of small worlds lacked spiritual energy.
The Spirit Wood Realm might be able to support one other realm, but could it sustain ten? A hundred?
It was far more sustainable for each realm to gradually transform itself using its own Immortal Spirit Tower.
Of course, this would require an almost astronomical supply of beast cores.
Li Fan planned to take Tianyang on a trip to the Empire after his next breakthrough.
The Federation of All Worlds was thriving, developing at a steady pace.
Haixuan Island.
Just as Ji Shaoli had predicted.
Following the Immortal Alliance's latest announcement, an entrance examination of unprecedented scale was about to take place.
More than double the number of positions were available compared to previous years.
Even the overall compensation and benefits for cultivators within the Immortal Alliance system saw a significant increase.
Countless cultivators eagerly signed up, hoping for a chance to change their destinies.
But He Zhenghao, despite having prepared thoroughly and feeling confident, seemed unusually restless.
"Is something on your mind, Daoist He?" Ji Shaoli inquired.
He Zhenghao, lost in thought, didn't seem to hear him.
He was completely oblivious.
"Daoist He!" Ji Shaoli called out again, his brow furrowed in a slight frown.
That seemed to snap He Zhenghao out of his reverie.
"Huh?"
"It seems you're hiding something from us, Daoist He," Ji Shaoli said with a knowing smile.
He Zhenghao's strange behavior had begun two days prior, right after he returned from a trip to Ten Thousand Immortals Island.
Because they all shared a dangerous secret, the other cultivators from the Mutual Aid Association instantly understood the implication.
They all turned to stare at He Zhenghao, their expressions hardening.
"A misunderstanding! It's all a misunderstanding!" He Zhenghao exclaimed with a strained smile, quickly trying to explain himself.
"It's not what you think. The reason my mind has been so... distracted lately..."
He hesitated for a moment before sighing in resignation and producing a small art book.
His face flushed red. "This is the culprit," he mumbled.
The others exchanged bewildered glances.
Ji Shaoli's expression remained neutral, but inwardly, his heart sank.
He drew the book into his hand with a flick of his wrist. After glancing at the first few pages, he snapped it shut.
"Where did you get this?" Ji Shaoli demanded, his voice low and serious.
The booklet contained illustrations of the... intimate affairs of the One Heart Heavenly Venerate.
While it wasn't nearly as realistic as the illusion Li Fan had once experienced...
...it possessed a unique allure, more than enough to captivate the mind of a cultivator.
No wonder He Zhenghao had been so distraught for the past few days.
"I got it from a friend of mine," He Zhenghao explained. "He was being all secretive, telling me he had something special. It ended up costing me five hundred contribution points."
"Though, I have to admit, the book itself is... quite well-made."
He Zhenghao muttered under his breath.
"What exactly is it?"
He Zhenghao's evasiveness only piqued everyone's curiosity further.
Ji Shaoli showed them only the first few illustrations.
At first, the cultivators scoffed. "Daoist He, you're a Foundation Establishment cultivator! How could you let yourself be entranced by something like this?"
But their mockery died when He Zhenghao revealed the true identity of the woman in the illustrations.
Every cultivator present was left dumbfounded. The way they looked at the booklet in Ji Shaoli's hand changed in an instant.
Ji Shaoli let out a cold snort, his words yanking them out of their reverie.
"One heart... for the masses?"
"If you indulge your thoughts in this... you risk being assimilated?"
The color drained from everyone's faces.
He Zhenghao, in particular, stood frozen as if struck by lightning, his body trembling uncontrollably.
"Fortunately, you weren't too deeply ensnared."
"Daoist He, go into seclusion at once. Clear your mind of all distracting thoughts," Ji Shaoli commanded in a low, firm voice.
Panicked, He Zhenghao could only nod and subconsciously follow Ji Shaoli's orders.
After sending He Zhenghao to a secluded room to meditate, Ji Shaoli calmed the others before beginning his inquiries.
He needed to know just how far these booklets about Senior Sister Zhao had spread throughout the Immortal Alliance.
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