Chief Formation Master

At this thought, an unusual look flickered in Li Fan's eyes. "Stand on one foot. Spin twice to the left, then three times to the right." To test his theory, Li Fan issued another cold command. If his earlier questions had merely bordered on impolite, then his current demand could only be described as absurd. To make a Foundation Establishment female cultivator whom he had only just met perform such a bizarre, comical display—no normal person would ever agree to it. Yet Lu Xuejing meticulously and earnestly carried out the entire sequence, step by step. All the while, her eyes remained fixed on Li Fan, burning as though fueled by raging flames, wishing she could grind his bones to powder and scatter his ashes. What kind of man was Li Fan? How could he possibly be intimidated by a wet-behind-the-ears girl? With a faint smile, he said to Lu Xuejing, "It seems you still fail to grasp your current situation. Speaking so rudely to Old Man Yufu without even knowing his origins... you truly lack discipline. Spin like you just did, and do not stop until I tell you to." Li Fan's voice was frigid. A look of humiliation flashed through Lu Xuejing's eyes, yet her body complied obediently, spinning in comical circles. Li Fan paid her no further mind for the moment, instead turning his thoughts to the reason behind this spectacle. When Old Man Yufu handed Lu Xuejing over to him earlier, the elder had referred to her with words like "piece" and "thing." Evidently, in Yufu's eyes, this sheltered girl was an object belonging to him. And after receiving the Stealing Heaven Changing Sun Token, Yufu had gifted this "object" to Li Fan in exchange. Thus, ownership of this object had transferred to Li Fan. As the object's owner, Li Fan naturally possessed absolute authority over it. Though he did not know how Old Man Yufu had accomplished this, Lu Xuejing's absolute obedience to his commands made it an undeniable fact. *The object is real enough.* *But where does her great use lie?* She was merely a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Even if she was as fair as a blooming flower, to Li Fan, whose heart was set solely on Longevity, she could hardly be considered of great use. *Unless...* At this thought, without stopping Lu Xuejing's spinning, Li Fan asked directly, "Tell me everything about your mother." A gleam of hope sparked in Lu Xuejing's eyes, and she answered haltingly, "Mother's name is Lu Xichan... Chief Formation Master of the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals' Formation Planning Hall... Dao Integration cultivation..." As the girl's words reached his ears, Li Fan's heart jolted. A sharp light glinted in his eyes as he looked at her. *Chief of the Formation Planning Hall... A grotto-heaven requiring the Heavenly Profound Spirit-Locking Formation... Five Elements Great Grotto-Heaven...* *Could it be?* In an instant, a possibility crossed Li Fan's mind. *I don't know what Old Man Yufu saw in me, but now that such a prime opportunity has been placed before me, I must not let it slip.* *If I can uncover some information about the Five Elements Great Grotto-Heaven, it would be well worth even using True Reversion right in this lifetime. And if I can enter the grotto-heaven in person to observe it from within, that would be even better.* Li Fan's eyes shone brightly, a surge of excitement rising within him. Yet he did not let this unexpected windfall cloud his judgment; he quickly calmed himself. *A Dao Integration Immortal Venerable, and the Chief Formation Master at that. Her strength is bound to be unfathomable. Though I now hold control over her daughter, trying to use this leverage to coerce her or seek benefits would only be courting death.* *As for what to do, I will need to plan meticulously.* After an unknown length of time, Li Fan saw that the rage in Lu Xuejing's eyes had gradually subsided, replaced once more by tear-filled eyes and a face full of pleading. A plan slowly took shape in his mind. "Halt!" he finally called out. As if relieved of a heavy burden, Lu Xuejing stopped her comical movements. "All right, you may go home," Li Fan said straightforwardly. Lu Xuejing was stunned at first, staring at Li Fan in disbelief. Then, wild joy surfaced on her face. Having regained control of her body, her instinct was to flee from this place, to get as far from Li Fan as possible. Yet a string of demonic whispers followed close by her ear. "Remember, the relationship between us is your greatest secret. You must not disclose even the slightest hint to anyone, in any way." "If anyone senses something amiss, or even grows suspicious..." "Then..." "You will end your own life." Li Fan's voice was chilling to the bone. Lu Xuejing's body trembled faintly. "Once you return, say nothing. Act completely normal and await my word." "If anyone asks, say only that you were captured by Yufu and lost consciousness. Later, a stranger rescued you, but before you could express your gratitude, your benefactor had already vanished without a trace." A communication talisman flew to her side. Li Fan's voice rang out alongside it. "Take it." "Now, go." Having received her master's command, Lu Xuejing put away the communication talisman. Without daring to look back, she sped toward the distant horizon. Li Fan narrowed his eyes, watching the girl's receding silhouette. *Scheming against a tiger is fraught with mortal peril, but once successful, the rewards will be a hundredfold, a thousandfold.* *So long as I remain cautious and execute True Reversion the instant something feels wrong, I can keep the risk to an absolute minimum.* *Perhaps the situation is not as dangerous as I imagine. Yufu's methods are uncanny—even I, an involved party, cannot detect them.* *If not for the girl's utter lack of composure and overly obvious reactions, I might never have realized such a bizarre, unreasonable thing could occur.* *Wait...* In that instant, a realization struck Li Fan. *Doesn't this feeling seem rather similar to an anomaly?* In his mind, he could not help but picture the figures within the Cloud Water Heavenly Palace in the Congyun Sea, as well as Master in his green ox cart. *The blade of the Heaven Fiend Sword was hidden within the Cloud Water Heavenly Palace, and everyone in the Cloud Water Heavenly Palace was transformed into an anomaly.* *Could the master of the Heaven Fiend Sword have suffered the same fate?* *What exactly happened all those years ago?* Just as Li Fan was lost in contemplation, an inexplicable sensation suddenly welled up in his heart. Looking up, he saw Lu Xuejing far off at the edge of the sky. Having shrunk to the size of a black dot high above, she suddenly plummeted straight downward like a kite with a snapped string. Snapping through numerous branches, she vanished from Li Fan's sight. At the same time, an image abruptly surfaced in Li Fan's mind. Her face contorted in agony, Lu Xuejing's body twisted as she rolled across the ground, convulsing uncontrollably. She looked like a mortal deprived of air, or a fish out of water, struggling in utter despair. Watching this unfold, Li Fan reached an understanding. As an object belonging to its master, it could not leave its master without permission. Though Li Fan had spoken the words just now, he had not actually exercised his authority as her master. For back then, he did not yet know what exact powers he held over his own possession. Now, however, Li Fan had truly felt it for himself.