Song Yang immediately noticed the abnormality in his companion spirit beast, his face draining of color in shock.
He never imagined that a newly hatched Heavenly Destiny Profound Bird could suppress the two-headed black serpent with its sheer aura alone.
Watching the profound bird nestled in Xu Ke's thick hair, the greed in Song Yang's eyes grew even more intense.
Yet he knew when to retreat; since the two-headed black serpent was useless for now, he would have to find another way.
With a cold snort, Song Yang comforted his spirit beast, turned around, and left.
Having defused the crisis before it could even begin, Li Fan let out a yawn and curled back into his "nest."
Xu Ke, on the other hand, rubbed his head, completely oblivious to what had just occurred.
Time continued to flow forward, and Li Fan's strength as the profound bird steadily grew.
Soon, he reached his first crucial turning point of metamorphosis.
Pitch-black plumage had covered his entire body. Perhaps because he had absorbed Xu Ke's fortune from the very beginning, a streak of purple-gold was woven through the feathers.
And because he practiced the Furnace Technique and could freely control his body, his size did not swell; he maintained a stature small enough to sleep comfortably in Xu Ke's hair.
Relying solely on his physical body, he could already hold his own against late Foundation Establishment stage monster beasts.
He had long since unlocked telepathic communion with Xu Ke, but Li Fan simply ignored him the entire time.
Thus, the foolish Xu Ke remained none the wiser.
Instead, Li Fan took advantage of the connection to continually peer into Xu Ke's mind, attempting to extract the Beast Taming Sect's foundational technique, the Beast Taming Art, from the boy's thoughts.
Unfortunately, the silly boy's thoughts were far too erratic and disjointed, flitting about unpredictably like a runaway steed.
Furthermore, the Beast Taming Art appeared to possess warding restrictions specifically designed to prevent spirit beasts from prying, so Li Fan had never succeeded.
One day, as Li Fan lay dozing in Xu Ke's hair under the warm sun, an inexplicable premonition struck him. He suddenly stood up, his expression grave.
"Counting the days, today should be when Mr. Bai appears."
To avoid arousing suspicion, Li Fan swiftly withdrew back into the hair, hiding inside to observe in secret.
Less than half a day later, as a resounding dragon roar echoed between heaven and earth, Mr. Bai made his grand entrance.
Just as Li Fan had experienced in his past life, the entire Beast Taming Sect could not muster a single opponent capable of withstanding Mr. Bai for even one exchange.
The Heaven-Propping Azure Dragon, the Winged White Tiger, the Two-Horned Qilin...
Organs and body parts were severed from countless exotic beasts one after another, collected by Mr. Bai as "gifts for the children."
Agonized howls and wails reverberated through the Beast Taming Sect.
The disciples of the Beast Taming Sect stood frozen where they were, shivering uncontrollably.
Right at this moment, Li Fan moved.
Doing his utmost to suppress the dread in his heart, he transformed into a streak of black light, surging straight into the sky through the falling rain of monster beast blood.
Indeed, Li Fan's target was Mr. Bai!
For a long time, he had harbored a faint suspicion.
Could this Mr. Bai within the Fallen Immortal Realm be the Heavenly Physician of the real world countless years later?
Because there were simply too many similarities between the two.
Both possessed consummate medical mastery, both wielded unfathomable power, and both acted in ways that blurred the line between righteous and evil.
During the event of Retrieving Longevity Fruits in Ningyuan, Li Fan had never been able to see Mr. Bai's true face.
And now, in this Disaster of the Beast Taming Sect, due to some inexplicable influence, Li Fan, gazing up from below, had likewise been unable to make out his appearance.
Hence came Li Fan's attempt.
He had to draw close to Mr. Bai and see for himself!
In truth, with his current cultivation barely at Foundation Establishment, trying to achieve this without external aid would be pure folly.
However, Li Fan possessed a measure of confidence.
It stemmed, naturally, from Xu Ke.
Xu Ke was someone favored by Heaven's will; having become his companion spirit beast, Li Fan was sheltered by that fortune as well.
More importantly, Xu Ke was one of the "children" Mr. Bai spoke of!
With this connection, Li Fan believed that so long as Mr. Bai's demeanor thus far was not an act, his life would not be in danger.
Moreover, this was inside the Fallen Immortal Realm.
Even if he perished, it would amount to nothing more than spiritual sense damage.
It was thoroughly worth the gamble.
At this moment when the entire Beast Taming Sect was collapsing in utter defeat, the black light Li Fan became was dazzlingly conspicuous.
Like a shooting star streaking upward against gravity, it soared with unstoppable momentum and desperate resolve.
"Who is that?"
"How does it dare?"
This question arose in the minds of every Beast Taming Sect member at once.
When even mighty exotic beasts whose prowess rivaled Soul Formation cultivators had crumbled before this invading powerhouse, where did this black bird, possessing merely Foundation Establishment strength, find such courage?
Amidst everyone's shock and bewilderment, Li Fan ascended rapidly, drawing closer and closer to that figure in the sky.
"Hmm?"
Mr. Bai cast his gaze downward.
In an instant, Li Fan felt the surrounding space, and even his own thoughts, freeze solid.
He was plunged into absolute stillness.
He knew not how much time passed—perhaps an eternity, or perhaps merely a heartbeat.
The surrounding confinement vanished in an instant, and Li Fan regained his vital function and mobility.
"Is this the might of a pinnacle powerhouse...?"
Li Fan was thoroughly shaken.
He finally understood why, in the past, after slaying Crimson Flame and successfully achieving Dao Integration, those figures had stood foolishly in place when facing Mo Sha, looking as if they were simply waiting to die.
Why they neither resisted nor fled.
It was not that they chose not to, but that they simply could not!
The reason Li Fan was able to break free of Mr. Bai's restraint just now had nothing to do with himself.
It was because of a faint cry from Xu Ke far below:
"Little Black!"
Li Fan was certain that not a single movement within the Beast Taming Sect could escape Mr. Bai's eyes.
With Xu Ke shouting like that, Mr. Bai would naturally notice the connection between Xu Ke and the profound bird Li Fan possessed.
Thus, he naturally would not harm Li Fan, and even permitted this audacious profound bird to fly right up to his side.
Observing from such close quarters, Li Fan finally got a clear look at Mr. Bai's appearance.
Even with the experience of a hundred reincarnations, he could not help but freeze in utter astonishment.
He also finally understood what people in Ningyuan City had meant when they said Mr. Bai was exceptionally good-looking.
He carried a somewhat frail, scholarly air, yet his face was utterly flawless, possessing a breathtaking, soul-stirring beauty.
As if the heavens and earth had showered all their favoritism upon him alone, Li Fan's mind was filled with thoughts like *How could anyone under heaven be this beautiful?* and *What a pity he isn't a woman.*
Looking at the profound bird hovering blankly in midair, Mr. Bai offered a faint smile.
Instantly, Li Fan felt as though the skies, previously shrouded in dark clouds, had cleared in a flash.
Mr. Bai studied Li Fan and gently shook his head. "You silly child, why are you practicing blindly all on your own?"
With a gentle point of his finger, Li Fan felt a deluge of information flood into his mind.
This is...
Li Fan froze in disbelief.
Then, his heart began to pound violently and uncontrollably.
Containing all the mysteries of life, along with myriad pathways of sublimation and evolution...
It was the perfected version of the Furnace Technique he cultivated.
The true Creation Furnace Technique!
Chapter 449