Affairs After Death Are Not in Vain

"This..." Li Fan's bold, life-staking declarations in Chizha Abyss still seemed fresh in his memory, yet this cultivator of immense ambition—who also appeared to have powerful backing—had died so abruptly. He had passed away suddenly, leaving behind only a rushed, incomplete last will. Recalling this, Huangfu Song was filled with deep sighs, but soon an inevitable twinge of suspicion welled up in his mind. *A man like this didn't seem the type to die so easily...* His eyes narrowed slightly as he stepped up to Li Fan's corpse to examine it carefully once more. A moment later. "He really is dead." Huangfu Song's expression turned complicated. "Perhaps dying is for the best. It saves the higher-ups the trouble of agonizing over what to do with you." His gaze drifted to the storage ring on Li Fan's hand. Remembering the contents of the will Li Fan had transmitted, Huangfu Song could not help a slight jump of his heart. "In less than a century of cultivation, I have made no more than two or three bosom friends." "He Zhenghao is one, Xue Mu is one, and Huangfu Song counts as half." "Though I die today, I leave behind one million contribution points, a Transformation Longevity Fruit, and an assortment of spirit stones and magical artifacts." "My fellow Daoists may take from them as they see fit." ... *This kid's fortune really was frighteningly abundant.* *A million contribution points is impressive enough, but that Transformation Longevity Fruit is a true treasure.* A glint of greed flickered in Huangfu Song's eyes, and he began contemplating keeping it all for himself. Just then, an uproar and weeping echoed from outside the secret chamber. "Daoist Li Fan, how could you die so suddenly! How am I ever to repay your past kindness!" A figure rushed up to Li Fan's corpse, studied it for a moment, and once confirmed, threw himself over it, clutching the body tightly and wailing at the top of his lungs. This man wore the uniform of the Garrison Battalion. And the cultivator accompanying him was someone Huangfu Song recognized as well. The Garrison Battalion Commander of Tianyun Province, Daoist Jingxuan. This man was a direct subordinate of former Commander Lü Junyi. When Lü Junyi was promoted to Grand Commander of the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals' Garrison Battalion, Jingxuan had risen rapidly alongside him. Still, while Jingxuan outranked him, the Garrison Battalion and the Formation Planning Hall were entirely separate departments. Huangfu Song was not afraid of him. He merely offered a bow out of courtesy. Jingxuan nodded and looked down at Li Fan's corpse with a faint sigh. With someone from the Garrison Battalion intruding, Huangfu Song's little scheme to monopolize Li Fan's inheritance fell through. Following the standard procedure, the contents of Li Fan's storage ring were inspected. When nothing amiss was discovered, they were divided evenly between Huangfu Song and He Zhenghao. As for Xue Mu... Huangfu Song explained that the man had recently attempted to defect to the Five Elders Association, was caught on the spot, and executed. Jingxuan looked into the matter, found it true, and inquired no further. One million six hundred and eighty thousand contribution points—the savings of Li Fan's entire lifetime. He Zhenghao received an even one million, and the remainder went to Huangfu Song. Accordingly, the Transformation Longevity Fruit went to Huangfu Song. The remaining spirit stones and magical artifacts were given to He Zhenghao. Aside from a Formation-Breaking Platter, none of the rest held exceptional value. Both Huangfu Song and He Zhenghao were very satisfied with the division of the inheritance. After witnessing Li Fan's body being cremated with their own eyes, the two went their separate ways. Returning to Tianyun Province, He Zhenghao, suddenly rich overnight, felt a mixture of melancholy and bewilderment. He recalled another passage from Li Fan's will. "...There is one matter I have kept hidden from you, Daoist Brother." "In truth, I was never a cultivator of Yuandao Province, but a mortal from the minor world of the Li Realm." "Back then, it was you, Brother He, who smuggled me out of the Li Realm." "Heh, though I doubt you paid any mind to those mortals back then." At the thought, He Zhenghao's old face flushed slightly red. Over the years, more than a thousand mortals from the Li Realm had been smuggled through his hands. Given his personality, why would he ever have cared about what those mortals looked like? *To think Brother Li Fan and I shared such fate.* *No wonder he always took such good care of me. Everything makes sense now!* *What a pity...* Reflecting on this, He Zhenghao could not help wringing his hands in regret, sorrow washing over him once more. After a while, he recalled Li Fan's dying entreaty. "In Shilin Province, there are descendants of old acquaintances from the Li Realm." "I hope you can look after them." He Zhenghao stared at the inheritance he had just received, agonizing for a while. At last, he sighed and took out the greater portion of it. Applying for leave and disguising himself, he set off straight for Shilin Province. ... Xiao Heng was deeply wary of this cultivator from the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals who had appeared out of nowhere. Yet the vast number of spirit stones and magical artifacts offered were genuine. The man had also stated plainly that he was fulfilling the entrustment of a deceased acquaintance. After thinking it over, Xiao Heng assumed it was a legacy left behind by Senior Skull, and accepted it without further hesitation. As for He Zhenghao, according to Li Fan's will, this group from the Li Realm had not joined the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals and appeared to belong to some mysterious organization. To avoid entangling himself with them, He Zhenghao simply departed in haste as soon as he delivered the inheritance. Thus, in Anchor Year 41, the Formation-Breaking Jade Platter that Li Fan had transformed into passed through He Zhenghao's hands and safely reached Xiao Heng. None among the group from the Li Realm were proficient in array formations. They treated it merely as an ordinary formation-breaking artifact, leaving it sitting inside a storage ring. In Anchor Year 45, Han Wuyou reached adulthood and successfully completed Foundation Establishment. Xiao Heng presented the Formation-Breaking Jade Platter and two other artifacts to Han Wuyou as gifts. Han Wuyou was exceedingly fond of the jade platter, keeping it on his person from then on and nourishing it day and night with his heart's blood. In Anchor Year 46, Han Wuyou developed an inexplicable connection with the Formation-Breaking Jade Platter. A great deal of knowledge regarding array formations suddenly surged into his mind. After he reported the matter to Xiao Heng, the Li Realm group examined the object thoroughly but could discern nothing conclusive. They merely instructed Han Wuyou to keep it safe. In Anchor Year 48, the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals proclaimed to the world that within a period of ten years, all cultivators within its territory who had not yet joined must do so. Those who refused would suffer the consequences. Once the news broke, it stirred widespread discontent among rogue cultivators. However, the group from the Li Realm received a message from Shuo Feng telling them they had to comply. In Anchor Year 49, Faceless Demon Venerable launched a surprise raid on Shilin Province. Although a light beam from the Spirit-Locking Formation swiftly targeted the body he possessed, they still failed to capture him. After running rampant for more than half a month and claiming over a hundred cultivators' lives, he withdrew at his leisure. In Anchor Year 50, Han Wuyou broke through to the middle Foundation Establishment stage. In Anchor Year 51, an earth-shattering roar steeped in indignation suddenly echoed from the distant Daoyuan Province. "Who is it?!" The roar reverberated incessantly for days on end. To their horror, the people discovered that the voice belonged to Immortal Venerable Blue Feather, who was supposed to have fallen long ago. Seven days later, the voice faded. Immortal Venerable Blue Feather never appeared again. In Anchor Year 53, Linghu Chang of the Medicine King Sect was persuaded by Xiao Heng to join Immortal Restoration. Accompanying Xiao Heng and the others to Baishi Grotto-Heaven on the borders of Shilin Province, Linghu Chang discovered the ruins of the ancient Heavenly Mechanism Sect. From it, they retrieved several cultivation techniques. In Anchor Year 55, a heavenly anomaly appeared. Across the firmament, dense strands of green lines hung in the sky. They lingered for three full months before vanishing. The people of the world were terrified, yet none could fathom what it meant.