Chapter 988: A Long Life of Toil
Chapter 988: A Long Life of Toil
"Oh?" Li Fan raised his gaze to Daoist Baihua.
The woman had a knack for saying the most startling things when one least expected it.
"Different? In what way?"
Daoist Baihua explained slowly, "Perhaps you, Emissary, are the first person to make contact with the statue of the True Immortal again, or maybe the first to cause it to reawaken."
"In any case, I'm sure you've noticed that you possess a certain authority that others do not."
"This might be a sign that the True Immortal holds you in special regard."
Daoist Baihua was scrambling to find a plausible explanation.
Li Fan simply responded with a dry chuckle.
"I am a man who always repays his debts. Since the True Immortal has granted me this opportunity, I will see to it that their legacy is restored, no matter the outcome. It is my duty."
Li Fan declared with an air of righteous conviction, bringing their discussion about the True Immortal to a close. RaNOB(еs
"Now then, I've yet to ask what your particular skills are, fellow Daoist. Since you've joined my Federation of All Worlds, it would be a shame to let your talents go to waste."
"Rest assured, our Federation is still in a phase of covert growth. I'm well aware that your combat prowess isn't your strong suit, so I have no intention of sending you into battle," Li Fan added, his tone disarmingly thoughtful.
Seeing Li Fan’s cheerful expression, Daoist Baihua felt a sudden, inexplicable sense of foreboding. Still, she braced herself and answered, "In my current glazed form, I am most proficient in two areas."
"First, I can soothe and repair injuries to one's spiritual sense and soul. However, this consumes my very essence, so I can only perform it on rare occasions."
Having bowed to the statue of the True Immortal, Daoist Baihua knew she was now bound to it. She also understood that Li Fan could sense her emotions through this connection.
For this reason, Daoist Baihua dared not conceal anything. She answered honestly, "My second skill lies in cultivating and nurturing spiritual plants and herbs. I can not only enrich their vitality but also, on occasion, induce them to birth a spirit."
"However, from what I've seen, all the spiritual energy in this realm is being absorbed by the central spirit tree, making spiritual plants exceedingly rare."
Li Fan nodded. "You're right. The Spirit Wood Realm has indeed grown quite desolate."
Daoist Baihua let out a sigh of relief.
"But that's no issue. The Federation has another base, one that will more than satisfy your requirements, Daoist Baihua."
A faint smile touched Li Fan’s lips.
In the next instant, Daoist Baihua’s vision blurred.
When the world came back into focus, she found her body trembling uncontrollably once more.
A colossal tree, far taller and grander than the one in the Spirit Wood Realm, dominated her vision.
The great tree hadn't drained the world of its life force; instead, it nurtured countless micro-ecosystems around its sprawling roots and even upon its massive branches.
Innumerable herbs, spiritual plants, and medicinal flora thrived within them.
They grew in dense carpets, stretching as far as the eye could see, right to the horizon.
Even with her spiritual sense, she couldn't perceive its limits in a single sweep.
The wood-attribute spiritual energy was so thick it was almost suffocating.
She had never witnessed such a breathtaking spectacle. For a dazed moment, she wondered if she had been transported to the fabled Immortal World!
"This... Where is this place?"
It took a long while for Daoist Baihua to recover her composure.
She couldn't see Li Fan anywhere and looked around, asking into the air.
"This is the Spirit Wood Grotto-Heaven, one of the secret bases of the Federation of All Worlds."
"I trust the abundance of spiritual plants here will be enough to keep you busy, won't it, fellow Daoist?"
Li Fan's voice boomed through the air, seeming to come from the heavens themselves.
Daoist Baihua opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.
With wood-attribute spiritual energy this rich, what need was there for her to tend to anything? Any plant she plucked would be a top-quality ingredient!
Yet, sensing the subtle threat in his voice, Daoist Baihua could only reply with a bitter smile, "It is enough. More than enough."
"Haha, excellent. This grotto-heaven, while rich in resources, has been neglected for far too long and has become rather disorderly. I'll have to trouble you to tend to it with care. After all, it is destined to become the Federation's primary supply base, so we must be meticulous," Li Fan stated, his tone grave and earnest.
Gazing out at the boundless grotto-heaven, Daoist Baihua gave a wooden nod.
"To organize all of this properly... even with my abilities, it would take at least a decade," she sighed to herself.
"This Emissary... he's a smiling tiger, hiding his claws."
But with her true self bound by the statue and her glazed body in his grasp, she was meat on the chopping block. Daoist Baihua had no choice but to begin the arduous task.
Fortunately, she genuinely enjoyed working with these spiritual plants. This grotto-heaven had clearly been untouched by cultivators for ages. Every plant was flourishing with a delightful vitality that warmed her heart.
As Daoist Baihua tended to the flora, section by section, her spirits began to lift.
After some time had passed, a deafening rumble from the sky brought her work to a halt.
She looked up to see a vast landmass materialize out of thin air, hovering at the midpoint of the colossal tree's trunk.
It blotted out the sky like an immense, dark cloud.
Li Fan's voice echoed once more. "By the way, there were quite a few spiritual plants at that other base. I brought them all here for you, to save you from running back and forth."
"If it’s not too much trouble, you might as well transplant everything from there into this grotto-heaven."
With that, Li Fan's presence vanished once more.
Daoist Baihua stared, stunned, before flying up into the sky. The sight that greeted her almost made her choke.
The new continent was also covered in mountains and fields teeming with spiritual herbs.
What's more, every single one was ancient.
"They're sorted by formations... all of them have been cultivated for at least several thousand years. The quality is absolutely superb..."
"Could this Emissary have plundered an entire ancient immortal sect?"
"Tending to all of these will be even more of a hassle."
"Another five years added to the workload?"
A wave of helplessness washed over Daoist Baihua.
...
Sensing Daoist Baihua within his wood-attribute grotto-heaven, Li Fan nodded in satisfaction.
Although Daoist Baihua appeared to have completely submitted, she was, after all, a Longevity cultivator who had slumbered for an untold number of years.
Li Fan couldn't bring himself to trust her completely.
Keeping her suppressed within his grotto-heaven, where she could simultaneously help manage the overgrown spiritual plants, was killing two birds with one stone.
Since Li Fan had devoured the Five Elements Great Cave-Heaven, his power had advanced once more.
His Five Elements Grotto-Heaven continued its slow expansion, with the wood-attribute section in a state of particularly rampant, untamed growth.
Daoist Baihua had arrived at the perfect time.
The continent teeming with spiritual plants that Li Fan had moved later was none other than Longevity Valley, the secret realm of the Medicine King Sect.
Since it was destined to be his anyway, it was only fitting to move it into his wood-attribute grotto-heaven to be managed along with everything else.
"The return of the Medicine King Cauldron is not far off," Li Fan mused.
"The Federation of All Worlds' manpower shortage will soon be resolved."
Li Fan's gaze seemed to pierce through the barriers of the small world, extending all the way to the skies of the Xuanhuang Realm.
The ripples caused by Daoist Baihua's appearance gradually subsided.
A month later, Mo Rubin finally made contact with Li Fan in secret.
"Brother Xingwang, I've found it. The unique treasure that can deduce arrays."
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