The Alliance's High-Pressure Stance

"Void Clarity Flowing Crystal?" In an instant, relevant information surfaced in Li Fan's mind. A Void Clarity Flowing Crystal was a silk-like solid crystal. It could float in the air, drifting like flowing water while radiating a dreamy, seven-colored glow. Female cultivators across the Xuanhuang Realm often incorporated it when forging Dharma treasures, allowing the treasures to release a dazzling, kaleidoscopic luster whether dormant or activated. Yet... Aside from its attractive appearance, it seemed to have no other purpose. Thus, although its production yield was not high, its price remained at an unremarkable eight thousand contribution points apiece. Now, however, someone in the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals headquarters was willing to risk being purged after the fact just to snap up such a seemingly frivolous item in advance. Clearly, this Void Clarity Flowing Crystal was connected to Chuanfa drafting sixteen Dao Integration cultivators to venture beyond the Xuanhuang Realm. Inside the Sun Clan's secret chamber, Li Fan deployed both the Heavenly Profound Mirror's source power and the Boundless Mirror's spying capabilities in tandem. He soon caught wind of several obscure transmissions and transaction records related to the crystal. These people acted with great stealth and caution. For the most part, they coordinated through the Heavenly Profound Mirror and then settled transactions face-to-face using standard spirit stones. Whenever any crystals were bought through the Heavenly Profound Mirror, the buyers would repost the listings after acquiring them, making it look as though they were offering them for sale. This ensured that a certain quantity of Void Clarity Flowing Crystals continued to circulate on the market, preventing drastic price fluctuations. Yet as they repeatedly changed hands, the vast majority of the market's Void Clarity Flowing Crystals were gradually brought under the control of the same group. What appeared to be trades were merely transfers from the left hand to the right. "Not a bad method. It's far more pleasing to watch than my crude market manipulation back then." "It seems this isn't the first time they've pulled something like this." Li Fan clicked his tongue in approval. Drawing on the power of the Heavenly Profound Mirror's source, he joined the fray. He possessed the ability to erase any trace of information within the Heavenly Profound Mirror at will. Naturally, he had no need to scurry about timidly like those rats in the dark. Without the slightest restraint, he swept up goods with wild abandon. Caring nothing for the supposed price, he made purchases at exorbitant sums no one could refuse. Like a colossal whale, he churned up towering waves in the Heavenly Profound Mirror's marketplace. Soon, the price of Void Clarity Flowing Crystals soared, skyrocketing in a straight line. This anomaly naturally caught the attention of many more cultivators. Though they still had no idea what Void Clarity Flowing Crystals were actually used for, that did not stop them from jumping on the bandwagon to buy. The false Heavenly Profound Mirror identity fabricated by Li Fan's avatar soon received several transmissions from strangers. "Which faction are you from? Acting so recklessly—are you tired of living?" "Brother, rein it in. Don't ruin everyone's livelihood." "Hmph, this old man offers a word of advice: excessive greed is useless. Spit out what you swallowed; only together can we survive." ... To all of these harassing messages, Li Fan replied with a single sentence: "Excellent, that baited you all out. Just wait for the purge!" Instantly, every single one of those cultivators went dead silent. Upon checking, Li Fan discovered that quite a few of them had even died mysteriously in that short span of time. "They're ruthless enough to strike down their own people." "Though, they're just a bunch of fools anyway." Li Fan paid them no mind. Even as he toyed with them, his sweep of Void Clarity Flowing Crystals did not pause for a second. Unfortunately, the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals reacted with extraordinary speed this time. "Senior, withdraw quickly!" Sun Luyao sent a warning. Yet Li Fan had already set his withdrawal into motion long before. Crystals were retrieved one after another from the Lesser Heavenly Profound Mirror, after which he directly erased the fabricated identity records. Li Fan's divine sense then slashed out a beam of Oblivion Black Light, utterly destroying the Lesser Heavenly Profound Mirror. Only then did the Alliance's public announcement belatedly appear in the Heavenly Profound Mirror. It explicitly classified Void Clarity Flowing Crystals as prohibited goods. All crystals currently held by cultivators were to be recovered by the Alliance. The Alliance urged all parties to cooperate fully with the reclamation efforts. Anyone who deliberately obstructed the process would be prosecuted for treason against the Alliance. ... The news shook all quarters the moment it broke. This was arguably the most severe measure the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals had ever announced since its founding. And it was all for the sake of the tiny, previously neglected Void Clarity Flowing Crystal. What profound secret could this thing possess to warrant such a massive mobilization from the Alliance? Those cultivators who possessed Void Clarity Flowing Crystals but were unwilling to surrender them chose to disassemble and study them instead. Yet just as in the past, they found nothing. Suspicion and debate brewed like a gathering storm. Meanwhile, the Alliance showed no intention of stepping forward to offer an explanation from beginning to end, resorting instead to even harsher means to enforce an information blackout. Within the Heavenly Profound Mirror, not a single trace of information related to Void Clarity Flowing Crystals could be found any longer. Any personnel within the Alliance's system who dared discuss the crystals in private were summarily dismissed from their posts. As for unaffiliated cultivators gathering to talk about it, they were targeted, summoned, and warned by the local Martial Practice Halls of each province. Such a high-pressure stance made cultivators throughout the world realize that this time was different: Void Clarity Flowing Crystals had truly become a forbidden topic. Cultivators of the Xuanhuang Realm still valued their lives. For a time, the entire Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals fell dead silent. Voices could be suppressed, but how could the doubts and curiosity in people's hearts be kept down forever? The Alliance's grip had not yet reached into the personal space of every cultivator. Consequently, in mountain abodes far from provincial immortal cities and in private chambers heavily guarded by restrictions, discussions about Void Clarity Flowing Crystals never ceased. Still, with all the crystals in the world having been confiscated, they could only speculate with their imaginations. Yet even if they possessed the physical objects rather than relying on guesswork, figuring out the true method of using a Void Clarity Flowing Crystal was no simple feat. Inside the Sun Clan's secret chamber, Li Fan even used the Boundless Mirror to conduct a detailed analysis of the crystals, yet failed to uncover anything extraordinary. "It seems the Void Clarity Flowing Crystal is merely one critical component among the relevant materials. There must be other steps." After wearing down over a hundred Void Clarity Flowing Crystals to no avail, Li Fan had no choice but to pause his research for the time being. "I can only find a way to inquire further after the Alliance finishes sending the sixteen Dao Integration cultivators out of Xuanhuang." "However, I can prepare observational measures in advance." Elsewhere in the Sun Clan residence. Wu Ninglu was meditating with her eyes closed, cultivating with the aid of the resources Sun Luyuan had bestowed upon her. She did not notice a dark shadow slipping out from her storage ring. The shadow darted into her sea of consciousness, swiftly seizing control of her body. This was a soul fragment Li Fan's true self had left behind before entering the Alliance's Protector Hall. Compared to the lurking divine sense, this soul fragment was far more powerful. After unleashing that slash to destroy the Lesser Heavenly Profound Mirror and sever any investigative trails, the divine sense had once again lapsed into a weakened state. This soul fragment, however, functioned like a cultivator, capable of drawing upon the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to replenish what it consumed.