"A calamity of bloodshed?" Seeing Li Fan's deadly earnest expression, Chen Ying was taken aback.
"Where does this even come from?" He had truly not expected this ancient Heavenly Mechanism Sect cultivator to present him with such an unpleasant surprise right upon their first meeting, so he asked with deep skepticism.
Li Fan did not answer right away. Instead, his expression turned grave as he closed his eyes and began pinching his fingers in deduction.
Seeing this, Chen Ying stood aside, not daring to disturb him.
The divination lasted for the span of an entire incense stick.
Li Fan's aura fluctuated erratically, and his face grew paler and paler.
It unnerved Chen Ying so much that his own nerves frayed in sympathy.
Suddenly, Li Fan snapped his eyes open and violently spewed a mouthful of fresh blood.
"Fellow Daoist Li Fan, are you all right?"
Startled, Chen Ying rushed forward to check on him.
"It is nothing serious, merely a slight backlash," Li Fan said, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth and waving his hand dismissively.
Before Chen Ying could respond, Li Fan fixed his gaze on him and asked, "Fellow Daoist Chen, are you planning to embark on a long journey in the near future?"
Chen Ying froze for a moment, then was gripped by sudden shock.
Not long ago, he had indeed received transfer orders from headquarters directing him to a newly discovered wood-attribute grotto-heaven.
Yet he had not mentioned this matter to anyone else. How could this Li Fan have known?
Could it be that he truly had seen something through his divination arts?
Chen Ying hurriedly produced a Qi-Revitalizing Origin-Holding Pill and offered it to Li Fan.
"Fellow Daoist, please take this pill; it can soothe your injuries."
Once Li Fan swallowed it and his complexion improved, Chen Ying asked solemnly, "That is indeed true. For certain reasons, I will soon be leaving the Congyun Sea."
"Does this calamity of bloodshed you speak of have something to do with this long journey?"
Li Fan nodded slowly. "An early return poses no threat, but the longer you linger outside, the more perilous it will be, I fear."
Hearing this, Chen Ying felt his heart sink halfway into his chest.
With this assignment, there was no chance of returning in under a year or two, if not a decade.
Did that not mean that as long as he went, doom was virtually assured?
At the thought, Chen Ying could not help toying with the idea of disobeying orders.
Yet it was merely a passing thought.
A transfer order from the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals headquarters was hardly something a petty Nascent Soul cultivator like him could refuse.
No way to avoid it, only a dead end?
No wonder he had felt an inexplicable restlessness lately, unable to pinpoint the cause.
So it had pointed toward this all along!
Chen Ying's expression instantly turned grim.
After standing dazed for a moment, he looked at Li Fan beside him, his mind stirring.
"This long journey cannot be avoided. I beg Fellow Daoist to save me!" Chen Ying pleaded, eyes filled with hope.
Li Fan sighed softly. "Knowing Heaven is easy; defying Heaven is hard. Peering into the future's hidden workings is something I can barely manage. But wishing to defy Heaven and change one's fate... this..."
"Fellow Daoist is truly asking too much of me."
"However, I can offer you a few pieces of advice."
"It merely amounts to doing whatever is humanly possible; I cannot guarantee it will be effective."
Just when Chen Ying was plunged into deep disappointment, Li Fan abruptly shifted his tone.
Overjoyed, Chen Ying said, "Please, do tell!"
Li Fan scrutinized Chen Ying for a moment, then asked, "Pardon my bluntness, but may I ask Fellow Daoist: if it truly came down to a life-and-death struggle, how is your combat strength?"
Hearing this, Chen Ying looked rather sheepish. "Every profession has its specialty. When it comes to alchemy or nurturing spirit plants, I am adept. As for fighting and killing..."
Chen Ying shook his head.
Li Fan asked again, "If caught in a surprise attack, how are Fellow Daoist's survival capabilities? Warding, concealment, escape techniques—do you typically keep such methods prepared?"
"The Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals has enjoyed peace for so long, and I have always treated others with goodwill. I truly felt there was no need for such things on ordinary days..." Chen Ying answered honestly.
Li Fan sighed deeply. "There you have it! You completely lack a vigilant mindset, Fellow Daoist. If disaster strikes suddenly, being caught totally unprepared will naturally lead to your demise."
"Since this calamity cannot be avoided, your only option is to weather it by force."
"Seeing that you can afford such a cave abode on Wanxian Island, Fellow Daoist, your wealth must be considerable. As matters stand, parting with wealth to avert disaster is the only way!"
"Within the Heavenly Profound Mirror, there are numerous defensive treasures and methods. You must not be stingy, Fellow Daoist. Purchase as much as you can to reinforce yourself."
"If you can withstand an attack from a Dao Integration cultivator even for a fleeting moment, perhaps you will find a slim chance of survival."
Li Fan laid it out systematically.
"An attack from a Dao Integration Immortal Venerable?" Chen Ying was horrified.
With the contribution points he had saved over the years, if he bankrupted himself, he might indeed be able to buy one or two treasures capable of withstanding an attack from a Dao Integration cultivator.
Yet those were meant to be exchanged for a Dao Integration cultivation method.
If the calamity Li Fan spoke of did not occur, it would mean throwing away all those contribution points for nothing.
He would have to start accumulating everything from scratch.
"Isn't that a bit..." Chen Ying could not help asking, only to see Li Fan give an imperceptible shake of his head.
"I have said all I can. Whether Fellow Daoist believes it or not is no concern of mine!"
Li Fan turned, intending to leave.
Chen Ying rushed forward to stop him.
"Fellow Daoist arrived in haste, how can you leave in haste? I shall repay your life-saving grace in the future. For today, please allow me to fulfill my duty as host!" Suppressing the myriad thoughts in his heart, Chen Ying showed Li Fan around his cave abode.
After explaining his original warding methods for spurring the growth of spirit plants to Li Fan, Chen Ying personally refined a cauldron of pills in front of him.
Throughout their conversation, Chen Ying discovered that this man was indeed worthy of being an ancient cultivator.
His erudition was vast. Though he did not practice alchemy, his mastery of medicinal theory was second nature, and some of his perspectives even benefited Chen Ying immensely.
Li Fan stayed in Chen Ying's cave abode for a full seven days before finally taking his leave amidst Chen Ying's reluctant farewells.
Before he departed, Chen Ying generously presented Li Fan with a bottle of Contemplation Pills.
This pill was refined through his exclusive methods, possessing miraculous effects when breaking through from the Golden Core to the Nascent Soul realm.
Its ingredients were rare, and its pill-success rate was extraordinarily low.
Chen Ying had very little stock himself and generally would not sell it, choosing instead to give it out as gifts on special occasions.
Seeing that Li Fan's cultivation had already recovered to the late Golden Core stage and that he would soon re-form his Nascent Soul, Chen Ying also gave it as a reciprocal gesture.
"This man is not someone who puts on mystical pretenses; he has genuine ability."
Having seen Li Fan off, Chen Ying mused alone in thought.
"A calamity of bloodshed..."
"It is merely some contribution points. Once gone, they can be earned again; at most, it will take some hard work refining a few more cauldrons of pills."
"If I die, all will be for naught."
"Better to believe it exists than to doubt it."
With that thought, Chen Ying privately made up his mind.
Opening the Heavenly Profound Mirror in his cave abode, he began searching and browsing.
……
"I wonder if this Chen Ying will be able to escape with his life."
Stepping out of the cave abode, separated by layers of restrictive wards, the Formless Killing Intent lost its precise perception of Chen Ying.
It could only vaguely sense the presence of his aura.
"It will all depend on his own fortune."
Li Fan thought no more of it. Leaving the residential area of Wanxian Island, he returned to the Heavenly Profound Mirror.
"If I didn't know that the entire Congyun Sea would disappear soon enough, I would definitely buy a cave abode here for myself."
Feeling the relatively cramped space inside the Heavenly Profound Mirror, Li Fan could not help having this thought.
Chapter 447