"Fellow Daoist Xiao! Fellow Daoist Xiao!"
A voice called out beside his ear. Li Fan froze for a moment before realizing they were calling him.
On one hand, he was not yet accustomed to the name of his clone.
On the other hand, he had just been pondering the advice given by Immortal Venerable Jicheng.
Without question, a Dao Integration Immortal Venerable possessed a perspective far exceeding Li Fan's current level.
His high-level, discerning guidance was indeed worthy of careful consideration.
Originally, Li Fan had intended to use the Yanfa Jade to deduce the Mountain-Sitting Art up to the Nascent Soul realm.
Because the original Mountain-Sitting Art was merely a Golden Core technique, now that Li Fan had reached the Golden Core realm, he would have no subsequent cultivation method once he took another step forward.
Moreover, the characteristics of the Mountain-Sitting Art suited Li Fan so well that he was utterly loath to abandon it.
However, Immortal Venerable Jicheng's words had served as a wake-up call.
For Li Fan at present, a Nascent Soul technique was truly tasteless to eat, yet a pity to discard.
At any rate, for a considerable time to come, the Mountain-Sitting Art would remain his primary cultivation method.
Furthermore, he possessed the ability of True Reversion to start anew. In this life, he could inquire from Han Yi about the origins of the Tiandu Feathering Pill, and in the next life, seize the opportunity to take his place.
Then, in one stroke, he could deduce the Dao Integration version of the Mountain-Sitting Art.
"Try having the Yanfa Jade deduce techniques with specialized effects, huh?" Li Fan's thoughts churned, and several schemes instantly flashed through his mind.
"As for the specifics, I can decide after seeing the Yanfa Jade.
"The only thing that arouses suspicion is why Immortal Venerable Jicheng offered me guidance.
"Is it because kind words come from a dying man, or simply because I recognized that Azure Cloud Willow?
"The Heavenly Doctor Immortal Scripture clearly records that this kind of willow is quite common, distributed across nearly every province. My ability to recognize it shouldn't be anything extraordinary."
When dealing with the powerful figures standing at the top of the Xuanhuang Realm's food chain, Li Fan never hesitated to assume the worst.
"Unprovoked benevolence is exceedingly rare. Perhaps a flaw was exposed somewhere..."
Within the Heavenly Profound Mirror, Li Fan's true body suddenly opened his eyes and began searching for information regarding the "Azure Cloud Willow."
A moment later, his expression turned rather strange.
Immediately after, he looked up over a hundred varieties of flora and fauna recorded in the Heavenly Doctor Immortal Scripture, including Ink Ancient Bamboo, Azure Wildwood, Innocence Flowers, Hundred-Spirit Hawks, and Nine-Refinement Deer.
The findings left Li Fan caught between laughter and tears.
As it turned out, whether due to the natural evolution of species over the passage of time or some other reason, many of the plants and creatures documented as commonplace in the Heavenly Doctor Immortal Scripture had actually become scarce in the present age.
For instance, the Azure Cloud Willow planted by Immortal Venerable Jicheng now survived in small numbers only in certain parts of Luoyan Province.
And as far as Li Fan knew, Immortal Venerable Jicheng had hailed from the wild hinterlands of Luoyan Province.
"Could that be why Immortal Venerable Jicheng showed some favor to my clone?
"After all, it is human nature to grow more nostalgic as one ages."
...
These myriad thoughts seemed intricate, but flashed by in an instant.
Inside the Tianji Courtyard in Tianquan City, Ximen Yue looked at Li Fan with interest and asked, "Fellow Daoist Xiao, you seemed a bit distracted just now. What were you thinking about?"
Not long ago, after they left the small courtyard where Immortal Venerable Jicheng resided, the blue-robed cultivator had brought them to this garden to wait.
Shortly, someone would come to lead them to the headquarters of the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals.
The garden was not large, yet it featured small bridges over flowing streams and surrounding rockeries.
Looking in all directions, the scenery shifted sequentially through spring, summer, autumn, and winter.
Growth, lushness, withering, and desolation—four distinct seasons appeared within a single living tableau.
It was quite marvelous.
Standing by the stream, hands clasped behind his back, Li Fan gazed at the fantastical interweaving of the four seasons and said slowly, "I don't mind if you two laugh, but I was pondering a question just now."
"What question?" Ximen Yue asked, taken aback.
"Where exactly is the headquarters of the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals?" Li Fan turned his head, his gaze burning as he fixed his eyes on Ximen Yue.
"The headquarters of the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals? Naturally, it's in..." Ximen Yue chuckled dismissively, about to answer, but his expression suddenly stiffened, and his words trailed off.
"It's in..." His brow furrowed, and even after thinking for a long while, he could not produce an answer.
At this moment, Han Yi chimed in, "Tianyu, Tianchen, Tianshu, and Tianquan—these four provinces form the core heartland of the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals. The headquarters must be right at the border where the four meet."
"Brother Han's guess is quite reasonable. Regrettably..."
Li Fan shook his head with a smile. "I once traveled around Tianyu Province for a time, and I even attempted to pass through the Essence-Devouring White Mist wall at the provincial border.
"These four provinces seem to be closely adjacent, with no other space existing between them.
"Of course, it may just be that my cultivation is meager, so I could not perceive it even if I were looking right at it." Li Fan left room for doubt.
Hearing this, Han Yi showed a curious look. "Oh? Truly?"
Ximen Yue said, "Countless grotto-heaven worlds lie within our Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals. It is very likely that the headquarters is established within a minor world somewhere among the four provinces."
Li Fan smiled and neither agreed nor disagreed.
Inwardly, he thought, *Everyone knows the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals has a headquarters. Yet where this headquarters actually lies is known to very few.*
*It truly is mysterious. To have the chance to explore it this time is quite a blessing.*
With a snap, Han Yi opened his folding fan, rather indifferent to Li Fan's obsession over the matter. "Why trouble yourself with worries? Once we go there in person in a short while, won't we find out?"
*Not necessarily,* Li Fan thought, but he nodded with a smile and did not argue.
Instead, he struck up a conversation with Han Yi. "Speaking of which, when I found this Transformation Longevity Fruit in the Fallen Immortal Realm, I thought I would take second place at the very least in the Immortal Venerable's bounty. Who knew there is always a mountain beyond a mountain, a heaven beyond a heaven."
Li Fan shook his head, looking at Han Yi with an expression full of admiration. "Fellow Daoist Ximen Yue's five-hundred-year Everlasting Life Fruit was already unimaginably precious.
"I truly didn't expect that you, Fellow Daoist Han, would be able to find a treasure capable of extending life by eight hundred years. Truly..."
By now, Ximen Yue was also brimming with curiosity, voicing the question for Li Fan: "Fellow Daoist, where on earth did you find that Tiandu Feathering Pill?
"Could it be related to Immortal Venerable Blue Feather of Yuandao Province?"
Li Fan also fixed his gaze on Han Yi, eagerly awaiting his reply.
Basking in the envious gazes of the two men beside him, Han Yi could not help feeling a bit elated.
Chuckling softly, he fanned himself with a flourish and said, "It's nothing grand. Now that the precious pill has been handed over, there's no harm in telling you.
"Have either of you heard of the Blue Feather Treasure Box?"
Han Yi's voice held a note of smugness as he asked slowly.
"The Blue Feather Treasure Box?" Ximen Yue repeated, a blank look in his eyes.
Li Fan, however, looked thoughtful.
Yet he did not answer either, merely shaking his head alongside Ximen Yue and watching Han Yi's performance.
Chapter 334