NOVPUBSpirit Tree Realm.
The Tianyang Puppet was wrapped in flames, suddenly shooting down from the sky, plunging into the ground.
Accompanied by continuous thunderous noises, a profound tunnel was excavated in the blink of an eye.
Swarms of Tree People flew and burrowed into it.
They received orders from Li Fan to dig out the ores and other resources deeply buried beneath the surface.
If one were to look from the very top of the Spirit Tree across the land, they could see that such scenes were happening everywhere in the Spirit Tree Realm.
"Master, it took the Spirit Tree more than four thousand years to barely revive this place. The world ecology is still extremely fragile. If we engage in such destructive excavation..." the Tree-Person Clan Chief cautioned with deep concern.
Li Fan, however, just smiled lightly, "Your vision is still too limited. Resources that aren’t used and remain buried underground are no different from ordinary rocks. It’s only by making full use of them and developing rapidly that we can tread the right path."
"We just need to become strong enough before the resources deplete and the world declines, capable of plundering and nourishing from other worlds."
"To be confined to one realm, self-sealing our progress. Even if we can survive for a while, we will eventually be swallowed by other worlds."
The Tree-Person Clan Chief was clearly hearing such theories for the first time and stood there stunned, "Is... is that so?"
Li Fan didn’t answer, simply revealing an unfathomable expression.
Observing countless Tree People diligently working in this realm, a novel idea suddenly sprang to his mind, "If I were to help these Tree People and enhance their strength collectively, I wonder if there would be any feedback in cultivation base from the Immortal Formula."
The Tree People were unable to cultivate. From the moment of their birth, their strength was already fixed.
The strength of the Tree People depended on the Spirit Tree itself.
The stronger the Spirit Tree, the stronger the Tree People it gave birth to.
For such heavenly and earthly spiritual beings, if the method was right, they could grow much faster than cultivators.
At the very least, Li Fan himself knew of no fewer than ten treasures that could nourish the Spirit Tree.
...
Sharing the Spirit Tree’s comprehensive view, Li Fan was very clear about where valuable resources were hidden in this world.
Under Li Fan’s direction, Tianyang, like an eel drilling through soil, spent several days creating the tunnel.
After entrusting the Tree-Person Clan Chief with the task of supervising the Tree People’s mining work, Li Fan took Tianyang and temporarily returned to the Xuanhuang World.
On his way out, he did not forget to make a detour to the remains of the Heavenly Machine Sect.
He ransacked all the treasures there, including the [Cosmic Dice of Fate].
"Nowadays, there is no [United Federation of All Realms] in existence. If I were to approach them abruptly, winning the trust of the Five Elders Organization would probably be as laborious as in my previous lives," he mused.
"It might be better to first find a way to build a reputation for the [United Federation of All Realms]..."
"Anchor to 5 years."
Memories of what happened this year flashed through Li Fan’s spirit consciousness, and soon he found a suitable target.
Soon, the Five Elders Organization would launch a surprise assault on Jiushan Province.
Attempting to seize this territory.
However, for some reason, the information leaked. Not only did they fail to ambush successfully, but they also found themselves surrounded and ambushed by the Alliance of Thousands of Immortals.
The campaign ended in a disastrous defeat.
This incident was repeatedly brought up as a classic case study by the Alliance of Thousands of Immortals.
Therefore, Li Fan knew the beginning, end, and details of the event very clearly.
Jiushan Province, as the borderland between the Alliance of Thousands of Immortals and the Five Elders Organization, and formed from the corpse of the Exotic Beast [Tian], had extremely unstable spatial conditions, making Teleportation Arrays unusable within its range.
Because of the high management costs, the Alliance of Thousands of Immortals only constructed fortified cities at key positions on the Jiushan Mountain Pass to guard it.
They paid little attention to most other areas.
This gave rise to a unique spectacle rarely seen in other states: a place teeming with a mixture of good and bad elements.
Apart from the Alliance of Thousands of Immortals, there were many local powers led by the Elemental Spirit Sect.
Along with many secret agents cultivated by the Five Elders Organization.
Jiushan Province was easy to defend but hard to attack. Whichever side occupied it would have a strategic advantage from an elevated position.
The Five Elders Organization had always wanted to incorporate it into its territory.
However, they suffered from the lack of a proper technique.
Not long after, they launched another attack because they believed they had successfully turned the Elemental Spirit Sect.
Although the Elemental Spirit Sect, as the largest local force in Jiushan Province, was under the rule of the Alliance of Thousands of Immortals, it was relatively independent.
There were many Nascent Soul and God Transforming cultivators in the sect, and the disciples were extremely united.
It was a force not to be underestimated.
Once they turned their coats, with collaboration from within and without, it was indeed possible to take down Jiushan Province in one fell swoop.
For this reason, after several contacts with the Elemental Spirit Sect and confirmation that they would lend a hand,
the Five Elders Organization launched the surprise attack.
However, somehow the news leaked, and reinforcements from the Alliance of Thousands of Immortals arrived very quickly.
It was as if they had anticipated it.
Seeing that the situation had turned against them, the Elemental Spirit Sect switched sides again on the spot.
They turned their attacks on the Five Elders Organization.
This battle completely eliminated the Five Elders Organization’s intention to attack from the direction of Jiushan Province.
They shifted their strategic focus to the Sky-spirit State instead.
"Elemental Spirit Sect..." Li Fan quickly pondered over the causes and course of the event.
He then remembered this somewhat strange organization and frowned slightly.
Though in the overall hierarchy of the Xuanhuang World, this Elemental Spirit Sect was no more than an ant-like existence,
it was absolutely not to be overlooked within the sphere of Jiushan Province.
With the way the Alliance of Thousands of Immortals conducted itself, it was surprising that they would tolerate such an independent organization within their domain.
Beyond the somewhat unique geography of Jiushan Province, it also had to do with the Elemental Spirit Sect’s "fire that never goes out."
"Life Spirit Elemental Technique. The more people that cultivate it simultaneously, the faster the technique is cultivated."
"Enough to offset the negative effects brought by incompatible cultivation."
Li Fan had a general understanding of this technique before,
but he had no interest in cultivating such a clearly suspicious technique.
"The Elemental Spirit Sect Master has never shown their face in any public setting. Their identity is extremely mysterious."
"Even if the Elemental Spirit Sect had been wiped out in the past. After a few years, taking advantage of the characteristics of the technique, it would rise again rapidly."
"Moreover, in addition to the ’Life Spirit Elemental Technique,’ there also seem to be other secret techniques within the sect. Not only can these resolve the murderous intent brought about by cultivating the same techniques, but they can also be repeatedly and cyclically used in Cave Heavens."
"Just as I previously saw with Shen Yurou, her [Peach Blossom Cave Heaven] had previously appeared among cultivators."
"..."
"There must be some special restrictions. Otherwise, no matter how well they can hide, they would certainly be found."
Li Fan slowly contemplated everything about the Elemental Spirit Sect.
"However, on this trip, I don’t need to clash with them."
"I just need to help the Five Elders Organization to take down Jiushan Province."
Thinking thus, Li Fan stood on the Tianyang Puppet, speeding towards Jiushan Province.
After entering the territory of Jiushan, he laid down an array around himself to conceal his presence.
He lurked near Heavenly Prison Mountain.
"The Five Elders Organization would probably never imagine that their defeat was not due to a traitor leaking information."
"But merely a coincidence."
As Li Fan thought this, not long after, he saw a young man dressed in white slowly emerge from the horizon.
-----------------
I was away on a business trip today and only returned in the evening. I’m too tired, sorry for just one update.
I’ll make up for it tomorrow during the day.
