Inside the Heavenly Profound Mirror.
Li Fan sat in a daze, his expression blank.
Even though he had known long ago that items and knowledge acquired within the Fallen Immortal Realm could only be brought back by resolving the lingering wishes tied to them, when he returned to the real world and truly could not recall a single word or phrase of the Creation Furnace Technique imparted by Mr. Bai, Li Fan still found it difficult to maintain his composure.
Having once seen the vast ocean, no other water could compare.
Precisely because he had personally experienced the transcendent wonders of that supreme Dao method, Li Fan found it all the harder to accept the clumsy technique he had created himself.
The disparity was simply too vast—like the stars in the night sky compared to the grass and brush on the earth.
Under such a jarring contrast, Li Fan could not help but feel off-balance.
Above all, having once possessed a mountain of treasure only to watch it vanish into thin air in the blink of an eye, never to be seen again...
Even with Li Fan's extraordinary willpower, he could not avoid feeling a poignant sense of loss.
"Mr. Bai, the Creation Furnace Technique..."
"I have infinite attempts. One day, I will surely bring this true art back."
After a long time, Li Fan took a deep breath, slowly suppressing the negative emotions in his heart.
Based on his experience in "Retrieving Longevity Fruits in Ningyuan," bringing something out required fulfilling the obsession of the item's original owner.
What could Mr. Bai's obsession possibly be?
To the current Li Fan, Mr. Bai remained far too mysterious. He could only probe slowly and persistently in the future.
Checking his status, he sensed that his next entry into the Fallen Immortal Realm would not be possible until half a year later.
Unfortunately, this cooldown was somewhat longer than the usual restriction. Li Fan let out a soft sigh and committed it to memory.
At this moment, Li Fan checked his communication talisman and discovered a message from Chen Ying.
It stated that Chen Ying had already set off for his destination and had made thorough preparations.
If he survived this ordeal, he would surely repay Li Fan handsomely upon his return.
Li Fan gave a faint smile, thinking that if Chen Ying truly made it back alive, this could serve as a prime success story to heavily publicize.
"However, the great battle of Tianling Province won't break out until Anchor Year 16. Before then, the primary focus must remain on the Spirit Mist Grass incident."
"Without an explicit announcement from the Heavenly Profound Mirror, the Five Elders Association wouldn't necessarily mobilize on such a massive scale for a grotto-heaven whose situation remains unclear."
"Furthermore, without Jiao Xiuyuan fueling the flames, the Spirit Mist Grass incident could never have had such widespread repercussions as it did in the previous life."
After careful consideration, Li Fan decided to visit Jiao Xiuyuan first.
Without concealing his figure, Li Fan assumed the appearance of the "Heavenly Mechanism Sect cultivator" and arrived outside Thousand Li Hall.
Inside, it was as deserted as ever.
Jiao Xiuyuan lay lazily on a long bench, his eyes half-closed as if taking a nap.
Hearing footsteps, he sprang up abruptly, his expression shifting in an instant.
"Aiyo, a customer has arrived!"
Jiao Xiuyuan looked at Li Fan, briefly caught off guard before greeting him warmly without betraying his thoughts.
Li Fan said nothing about what he wished to purchase; instead, he narrowed his eyes and stared at Jiao Xiuyuan.
The two of them stood staring right into each other's eyes.
After a moment, Li Fan took the initiative to cup his hands. "Fellow Daoist's mastery of the puppetry Dao and splitting into myriad bodies is truly extraordinary!"
"Even back in the ancient era, it would count as a rare divine ability!"
Jiao Xiuyuan appeared somewhat astonished to have the secret workings of his technique exposed at first glance by a stranger.
Yet he hid it well, responding at once, "Peering into heavenly secrets and tracing cause and effect. The ancient Heavenly Mechanism Sect truly lives up to its reputation!"
"Impressive! Truly impressive!"
"I have long admired your name!"
The two exchanged glances and both burst into hearty laughter.
After exchanging pleasantries and formally introducing themselves, Jiao Xiuyuan finally asked tentatively, "Fellow Daoist, you haven't come all this way just to amuse yourself at my expense, have you?"
"What are you saying, Daoist Jiao? Do I look like someone with so much time on their hands?" Li Fan waved his hand dismissively. "Naturally, I came here for one word: wealth."
Jiao Xiuyuan's spirits instantly perked up. "Oh? What might Fellow Daoist be looking for? Formations, talismans, magical instruments, elixirs—I have everything. Bulk discounts are—" he rattled off out of habit.
"Do I look like I lack such things, Fellow Daoist?" Li Fan asked with a faint smile.
"Then what do you want?" Jiao Xiuyuan's expression sobered, turning serious.
"I haven't come to buy this time. I've come to sell!" Li Fan shook his head and said in a low voice. "As for whether a deal can be struck, that depends on whether Daoist Jiao has an eye for true goods."
"Sell? I don't just take in anything here..." Jiao Xiuyuan began, but his words abruptly caught in his throat when he saw what was in Li Fan's hand.
An eyeball that looked almost alive was glaring viciously at him.
Killing intent brimmed from it so intensely that his instinct nearly drove him to strike back.
Fortunately, he realized that the eyeball possessed no actual offensive threat and forcefully restrained himself.
"This is...?" Jiao Xiuyuan narrowed his eyes, unable to stop himself from asking.
With a sighing tone, Li Fan said, "This is a relic left behind by my senior brother of old. He has passed away, and keeping this by my side serves no purpose. Gazing upon it only brings back memories and deepens my sorrow. Thus, I wish to entrust it to another destined soul. Unfortunately, the Heavenly Profound Mirror lacks an eye for value and offered an insultingly low price. It is truly an insult to my senior brother."
"I therefore deduced the heavenly secrets to find someone qualified to take it over. That is what brought me to you, Daoist Jiao," Li Fan explained slowly.
Li Fan was not entirely lying.
In the Heavenly Mechanism Sect ruins within Baishi Grotto-Heaven, besides techniques and classic texts, Li Fan had obtained two other treasures.
One was the eyeball currently resting in his hand.
The Heavenly Profound Mirror had appraised it as the "Delusion-Dispelling Stone Eye," an entity akin to a wonder of heaven and earth, an aggregation of rules.
It was said that after a cultivator absorbed and refined it, they would possess the ability to pierce through illusions and foresee the future.
By all logic, such a treasure ought to command an astronomical price.
Unfortunately, this Delusion-Dispelling Stone Eye had already been refined once by a cultivator.
The pure laws of heaven and earth had been tainted by that cultivator's aura and karma.
Furthermore, several thousand years had elapsed; heaven and earth had undergone drastic upheavals, and the power of the laws had changed dramatically compared to the ancient era.
Under the combined effect of these two factors, the Delusion-Dispelling Stone Eye's predictive accuracy was heavily compromised.
If one prediction hit the mark out of ten, one would have to burn incense in gratitude.
That was why the Heavenly Profound Mirror had offered a recycling price of only sixty thousand contribution points.
While the object was of little use to Li Fan, who already possessed foreknowledge, he did not lack sixty thousand contribution points either, so he had kept it in his possession all along.
Now was the perfect time to bring it out to establish a connection with Jiao Xiuyuan.
"Well, Daoist Jiao? Do you recognize this item?" Li Fan asked deliberately.
Jiao Xiuyuan stood frozen for a moment before scoffing. "How could I not recognize it? It's merely a Delusion-Dispelling Stone Eye."
He pondered for a moment, then added, "Allow me to inform Fellow Daoist that there is a good reason the Heavenly Profound Mirror offered a low price."
"Rare though it is, if Fellow Daoist wishes to sell it for a handsome sum, I'm afraid it must find the right person."
Li Fan replied, "I understand that full well. And that is precisely why I came looking for you, Daoist Jiao."
Tossing the Delusion-Dispelling Stone Eye over without hesitation, Li Fan said, "I believe Fellow Daoist will surely be able to find a fitting new master for it."
"Please do me this favor. Half of the proceeds from the sale will belong to you. How about it?"
Jiao Xiuyuan's eyes lit up. "I'll take this deal!"
Chapter 451