NOVPUBAlthough Li Fan said he believed that Sister Zhao would never resort to theft or tampering,
after leaving Jiushan Province, he did not return directly to the Spirit Tree Realm.
Instead, he quietly made a trip back to Misthaven Ocean.
Apart from Treasures like the Reality Seducing Fruit that contained the Power of Heavenly Sovereign, he handed over the rest of the regular supplies to his clone, Ji Shaoli.
He planned to use the Tianxuan Mirror to "launder" these items: sell them and then buy them back,
thus removing any possible traces left on them.
He even didn’t leave behind the valuable Ethereal Stone Matron, which could be used to forge space Magic Treasures.
By doing so, although he would lose some contribution points in the process,
it was still worth it to lower the risk of attracting the attention of the Immortal Sovereign.
Of course, it was currently the time of great warfare between the Alliance of Thousands of Immortals and the Five Elders Organization.
So as not to arouse suspicion, it might take some time for Ji Shaoli to launder these materials.
But with the help from the other members of the Misthaven Cooperative Society, the process wouldn’t be too slow.
"As for those treasures imbued with the Power of Heavenly Sovereign and related to the forces of other Heavenly Sovereigns, it wouldn’t be easy for Sister Zhao to meddle with them," he thought.
These were purely law-created artifacts, which Li Fan had also come in contact with in his previous life.
After careful contemplation and ensuring there were no issues, he finally felt at ease.
Li Fan seemed to have handled the recent transaction with ease,
but when Sister Zhao’s voice echoed in his Spirit Consciousness,
the memories of intimate moments spent with her in the Illusory Realm uncontrollably surged forward.
Luckily, Li Fan’s resolve was firm, and he was versed in Secret Techniques to refine the heart.
He managed to suppress these whimsical thoughts in time, avoiding any slips.
He even managed to turn the tables, inadvertently revealing his extensive knowledge of the [Sect of the Unified Heart’s Path],
thereby sowing seeds of doubt.
This made Sister Zhao begin to question herself, weakening the unintentional allure she was emitting.
And that’s how Li Fan ultimately gained the upper hand.
"Truly worthy of being the Immortal Sovereign; even though it was only one of his bodies, it required my full effort," Li Fan couldn’t help but sigh.
He set aside some of the Carefree Crystal Grid and Human Path Stardust, leaving them on Haixuan Island.
It was not until a month later, when the members of the Cooperative Society had completed most of the "cleansing" of the materials,
that Li Fan returned to the Spirit Tree Realm with Lin Ling and Tianyang.
During this month-long stay on the island, Pei Tuo, Xiang Xin, and others caught a glimpse of Lin Ling and Tianyang,
and even without showing off their power, the subtle authority they exuded still shocked the members of the cooperative.
They became even more convinced that the Misthaven Cooperative Society must be an immensely powerful organization,
and the Misthaven Ocean branch was just newly established.
They silently rejoiced that they were among the first to join the Misthaven Cooperative Society and grew even more "loyal" to it.
Similarly, during the same month,
the Five Elders Organization seemed to have heeded Li Fan’s advice before his departure and eased their offensive overall.
The border battles gradually ceased.
However, the Five Elders Organization was far from idle.
In the states of the Immortal Alliance, various rumors and gossip began to emerge.
Though all were old stories, they stirred unrest within the Immortal Alliance.
For instance: A team leader of the Martial Arts Battle Hall in Tianquan Province, due to personal grievances, executed an ordinary cultivator. According to Immortal Alliance laws, he should have been dismissed and investigated. However, the matter was dragged on and then forgotten. Recently, with someone’s reminder, people were shocked to find out that this team leader had been living well all these years! He was merely fined a bit of his salary to resolve the issue!
Another example was an official from Youtai State Administration Hall, who was negligent on duty, leading to a preventable disaster that cost the lives of hundreds of cultivators. The official was dismissed at that time. Yet today, with people’s reminding, it was discovered that merely after a few years, the official reappeared under a different name, taking up a new position in Tianyu Province with a promotion instead of a demotion!
...
Such cases, old grievances from years past, erupted all at once!
Even the vast majority of them, Li Fan had never heard of.
They were secrets forgotten by history.
But now, under the drive of some force, they suddenly revived!
The Immortal Alliance Cultivators naturally were greatly outraged.
Although there have not been any disharmonious incidents yet, statements such as "The Immortal Alliance is decadent and not worth our lives," "Why should I die for their luxury? Better to be destroyed together!" began to circulate secretly in various places.
The Immortal Alliance took this situation very seriously and ordered a strict investigation in all states.
But can the voices of the masses be easily silenced?
Far from improving, the situation seemed to be escalating.
And the previously fail-safe strategy of "delay" seemed suddenly to have lost its effectiveness.
Seven days, fifteen days, a month...
As time passed, the impacts of the various negative news had not yet dissipated. New past dark events were being exposed in various places.
It put the Alliance of Thousands of Immortals in quite a disarray.
Ji Shaoli, for his part, was delighted to collect and memorize these "dark materials" as if they were treasures.
"I didn’t expect the Five Elders Organization to have this trick up their sleeve."
"But they are all invaluable treasures!"
"Frequent forgetting can indeed suppress negative emotions over and over. But on the flip side, if these forgotten memories, due to some trigger, suddenly emerge and burst forth in a short period of time..."
"The destruction they bring will be quite terrifying."
"No less than a million-strong army!"
"Mm, perhaps this also has to do with [Sovereign of Serene Heavens] temporarily easing the force of oblivion covering the territories of the Immortal Alliance."
"These are all techniques I can replicate and use to attack the Immortal Alliance in the future. I need to study them well."
Ji Shaoli clicked his tongue in admiration at the surprise the Five Elders Organization had brought him.
And one and a half months after the eruption of the events, the Alliance of Thousands of Immortals finally made a move in response.
The response method was also beyond Li Fan’s expectations.
But after pondering it for a moment, he couldn’t help but slam the table and exclaim in admiration.
"This move, brilliant!"
"Inside the Alliance of Thousands of Immortals, there are capable people!"
The move of the Immortal Alliance was very simple. 𝖓𝔬𝔳𝖕𝖚𝖇.𝖈𝔬𝔪
There was no forcing of cultivators or prohibition of discussions on the topic.
It was merely a simple message, proclaimed to all under heaven.
The next entrance exam for the Immortal Alliance would be held six months earlier than planned.
To combat the fierce offensive of the Five Elders Organization, the number of positions available this time would increase by fifty percent compared to previous years.
Upon the release of the news, the world was shocked!
Everyone hates privilege, yet everyone wants to be privileged!
Those circulating secrets were complaints against injustice.
But they were also excellent promotional material.
Do you want to be a victim in these events or rise above others?
If your heart is swayed, then come and apply!
The available spots have increased by nearly half, and so have the opportunities.
The Immortal Alliance Cultivators were all eager to try.
The storm settled on its own.
