A vast chasm separated Li Fan and Huangfu Song in both strength and status.
Blackmail naturally carried its own risks.
However, due to the anomalies that manifested after a cultivator died, killing someone to keep them quiet without anyone noticing was extraordinarily difficult.
Furthermore, Li Fan was now a paragon hailed across the realm, living under the spotlight. Even if Huangfu Song wanted to make a move, he had to consider the repercussions.
Huangfu Song certainly had neither the intention nor the resolve to trade his life one-for-one with a junior like Li Fan. Compromise was inevitable.
Thus, while the move seemed perilous, it was entirely within Li Fan's calculations.
"The Five Elements Great Grotto-Heaven..."
Li Fan pondered for a moment, then closed his eyes and concentrated, reaching out to Lu Xuejing, whom he had left alone ever since subduing her.
Yufu's methods were truly unfathomable.
Even surrounded by dense white mist, one could communicate directly in mind with one's bound thrall, no matter how great the distance between them.
"Master..."
Sensing Li Fan's summon, Lu Xuejing's timid voice sounded after a brief pause.
Having not contacted her for so long, Li Fan did not bother with pleasantries.
He immediately asked about her recent situation.
After getting a general sense of things, Li Fan considered for a moment and inquired about her mother.
The loyal Lu Xuejing answered truthfully in full.
"Mother seems very busy lately, constantly traveling between various grotto-heavens on inspection tours."
"They are all places I've never heard of. Sometimes she even falls completely out of contact for extended periods."
Listening to her, a plan gradually took shape in Li Fan's mind.
Before severing the connection, Li Fan comforted and praised the young girl. Lu Xuejing grew extremely excited, her soft, sweet voice especially pleasing to the ear.
After instructing her on the tasks in his plan, Li Fan cut off the connection amid Lu Xuejing's deep reluctance to part.
*The plan is set. Whether it succeeds or not will depend on my fortune,* Li Fan thought to himself.
***
Fortunately, Li Fan's luck was good.
The following day, just as Huangfu Song was about to pilot the Dust-Crossing Boat away from Broken Palm Immortal City, Li Fan received a transmission from Lu Xuejing.
A sharp gleam flashed across Li Fan's eyes, and he flew up onto the Dust-Crossing Boat.
"Brat, what do you want this time?"
Huangfu Song sized up the Li Fan who had barged in uninvited, his expression unfriendly. Waving off the others, he led Li Fan into a sealed cabin. His icy gaze fixed on Li Fan, waiting for him to speak.
"To compete for the rankings, I intend to make an all-out effort. All other arrangements have been made, but I still need Senior to assist me once."
Hearing this, Huangfu Song could not help but show astonishment. "So soon?" He squinted, scrutinizing Li Fan up and down.
Seeming to deliberate, he only spoke after a while: "Speak. What do you want me to do?"
Li Fan said in a deep voice, "I want Senior to alter your course and carry me to the Spirit-Dissolving Ravine at top speed."
"The Spirit-Dissolving Ravine?" Huangfu Song paused slightly. "What are you going there for?"
Li Fan did not answer, continuing with his demands: "Furthermore, we must have a legitimate reason so no one finds it abrupt."
Huangfu Song gave a cold sneer. "Brat, you certainly have no shortage of demands."
Without outright refusing, Huangfu Song fell into a long silence, seemingly contacting certain people.
Li Fan stood quietly, waiting patiently.
About the time it took to finish a cup of tea, Huangfu Song nodded slightly and looked back at Li Fan.
"Consider yourself lucky. I have a friend who is currently overseeing formation construction at the Spirit-Dissolving Ravine.
"The construction there is also nearing its conclusion.
"His next stop happens to be very close to my assignment location.
"I haven't seen him in a long time, so we arranged to head over together. It gives us a chance to catch up," Huangfu Song explained concisely.
Li Fan felt a surge of quiet joy and bowed deeply. "In that case, I thank Senior."
"Cut that nonsense." Huangfu Song pulled back every trace of a smile from his face. "I'm not helping you for any other reason. I genuinely want to see just who that backer of yours really is."
Li Fan said solemnly, "Senior overthinks it. Junior is all on his own. What backer could there be?"
Seeing Li Fan still playing dumb, Huangfu Song chose not to argue further, merely sneering.
"Senior, may I ask how long this journey to the Spirit-Dissolving Ravine will take?" Li Fan asked brazenly, acting as if nothing had happened.
"Two days if we're fast, seven if slow. It depends on whether we encounter unexpected trouble along the way," Huangfu Song replied rather impatiently.
"Just wait patiently. Since I agreed, I won't shortchange you on this."
Li Fan nodded slightly and thanked him once more.
The sudden change in the Dust-Crossing Boat's destination caused some surprise among the cultivators on board, but since the order came from Huangfu Song at the helm, none dared raise objections.
The Dust-Crossing Boat transformed into a beam of red light, piercing through the Essence-Devouring White Mist as it sped forward.
After departing the White Mist Barrier, it first flew to the nearest city, Quyang Immortal City. Utilizing the teleportation array there, it arrived at a desolate expanse of scorched earth.
Then it continued hurtling toward its destination.
"This is the Ten-Thousand-Li Flame-Scorched Shoal. The Spirit-Dissolving Ravine lies deep within it...
"The violent fire-attribute spiritual energy repels all foreign energies, rendering even the spatial structure unstable. Because of this, no teleportation array could be built here."
Seeing Li Fan observing the outside scenery with curious eyes, Huangfu Song could not resist explaining.
Even with the formation's isolation, inside the Dust-Crossing Boat Li Fan could still feel the blazing heat from outside.
It was the residue of a pure power that burned everything to ash.
Between heaven and earth, it seemed as if only that dark red majestic force remained. The earth was cracked, and the sky looked as though raging flames were perpetually burning.
"A thousand years ago, this was a fine place too. A pity it has turned into such a wretched state."
Stirred by the desolate scenery, Huangfu Song sighed with deep emotion. "If the Spirit-Dissolving Ravine weren't so unique, the Alliance would have abandoned this territory long ago."
"What is so unique about the Spirit-Dissolving Ravine?" Li Fan asked, following Huangfu Song's train of thought.
"You don't know?" Huangfu Song was genuinely surprised this time. "Then why were you in such a frantic rush to come here?"
Li Fan immediately put on an innocent look, causing Huangfu Song's face to twitch repeatedly.
Fortunately, possessing decent composure, he forced himself not to erupt.
Instead, he assumed the role of an explainer once more. "The Spirit-Dissolving Ravine itself holds nothing special. It's just that the place is rich in a kind of bluish-green stone.
"This stone naturally possesses an extremely strong suppressive effect on spiritual energy.
"If cultivators of our kind draw near it without special countermeasures...
"All spiritual energy in the body goes dormant, impossible to mobilize, instantly rendering one as frail as a mortal. Based on this property, the Alliance named it the Spirit-Dissolving Stone."
Hearing this, Li Fan vaguely felt that the stone sounded somewhat familiar.
As if he had encountered it somewhere before.
Yet no matter how his thoughts churned, he could not recall it.
Li Fan immediately understood that it might have been an experience of that mysterious clone of his which had inexplicably vanished, so he ceased dwelling on it.
After a moment's thought, Li Fan asked again, "I once happened to read that in ancient times, there existed something known as the Immortal-Severing Stone.
"Its effects seem very similar to the Spirit-Dissolving Stone Senior described.
"I wonder, could the two be the same thing?"
Chapter 372