The memory of being investigated by the Heavenly Secret Hall over the green ox carriage incident was still vivid in his mind, yet here Li Fan was once again, arriving at the central core region of Wanxian Island.
Passing by the Formation Planning Hall, he walked further inward until he stopped before a building where a stone stele carved with the character "Wu" stood proudly at the entrance.
The instant he laid eyes on the character, Li Fan felt a chilling, oppressive aura roll over him like a suffocating shroud.
Several phantoms seemed to flicker before his eyes, as though swords and blades were about to strike his flesh in the very next breath.
*A fine piece of calligraphy, but compared to that 'Chaos' stone I saw before, it's still missing a bit of flavor.*
Suppressing his instinctive impulse to retaliate, Li Fan studied it closely for a long time, musing inwardly.
His expression sobered, and without batting an eye, he strode squarely into the Martial Practice Hall.
Inside the Formation Planning Hall, with which Li Fan was relatively familiar, multiple overlapping spaces were linked via teleportation formations. The Martial Practice Hall, however, presented a landscape dominated by countless massive boulders floating in midair.
Rugged, grotesque rocks drifted across the vast expanse like a sky full of stars.
At a glance, every single boulder possessed a distinct shape.
Some resembled beasts or humans, while others took the form of mountains or flowing waters.
Astride these massive rocks, one could faintly glimpse pavilions, lush vegetation, and silhouettes of cultivators occasionally darting past.
Yet the floating rock on which Li Fan now stood was exceedingly peculiar.
It was entirely bare and as smooth as a mirror.
Faint lines of light circulated beneath its surface. The moment Li Fan stepped onto the stone, a formation was triggered, and he felt himself involuntarily whisked straight to its very center.
A surge of inexplicable energy welled up from beneath his feet, binding him tightly like invisible shackles.
At the same time, Li Fan looked up to find that the surrounding star-like floating rocks had undergone an uncanny transformation in response.
Li Fan had originally stood in an inconspicuous, unremarkable corner of this sea of stars.
Yet the moment he was immobilized, the surrounding scenery shifted, as if the heavens had turned and the constellations had moved.
In a split second, Li Fan seemed to have been thrust into the very center of the starry sea, becoming the absolute focal point of the entire space.
What was more, Li Fan sensed that countless gazes concealed behind the boulders had converged on him at that very instant.
A true spectacle under the eyes of ten thousand observers!
Every single gaze bore down like a heavy mountain. Had it been an inexperienced cultivator or someone with weak psychological fortitude, their knees would likely have buckled on the spot, sending them collapsing in a heap.
Li Fan, however, remained calm and composed, his expression unchanged.
After a brief standoff, a solemn, thunderous voice echoed continuously from the sea of stones.
"Cultivator Li Fan, you are summoned here today to face an investigation regarding the 'Puxian True Leaf abnormal price' incident.
"This investigation is presided over by the Congyun Sea Martial Practice Hall, with the assistance of the Congyun Sea Heavenly Secret Hall and the Administration Hall.
"Due to the vast scope and exceptionally malicious nature of this incident, the Alliance headquarters will dispatch a special envoy to oversee the entire proceedings.
"Upholding the principles of fairness, justice, and openness, this investigation shall not be conducted in secrecy and will be subject to the supervision of all members of the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals."
...
After reciting a long, formulaic opening statement, the booming voice finally arrived at the heart of the matter.
"Cultivator Li Fan, during the investigation, you may speak in your own defense.
"However, you are held accountable for the truth of every word you utter. Should you be found concealing the truth or engaging in deception, you will be penalized in accordance with the Alliance's regulations, depending on the severity of the offense."
As the sonorous voice resonated in his mind, Li Fan nodded, indicating his acknowledgment.
"I now declare that the investigation has officially begun.
"Let Jin Chongcheng of the Martial Practice Hall recount the events of this incident."
A flash of bright light flared, and a cultivator clad in the standard uniform of the Alliance's Martial Practice Hall materialized out of thin air above Li Fan's floating rock.
Positioned higher than Li Fan, he looked down from above.
Yet he turned his gaze upward toward the sky full of floating rocks before speaking.
"The abnormal price fluctuation of Puxian True Leaf originated sixteen days ago from the words of this cultivator, Li Fan.
"Using Jiao Xiuyuan as his mouthpiece, he conveyed the message to the outside world that 'the price of Puxian True Leaf will skyrocket.' Following that..."
Jin Chongcheng concisely outlined the causes and consequences of the incident. As he spoke, scene after scene materialized across the sky.
A schematic curve illustrating the price fluctuations of Puxian True Leaf, scenes of cultivators snapping it up in a frenzy, and the devastated states of countless cultivators facing catastrophic losses after the Heavenly Profound Mirror calmed the storm.
"Furthermore, we have noted that Cultivator Li Fan hoarded a massive inventory of Puxian True Leaf well before the price surged. He then dumped his holdings at the peak, reaping exorbitant profits.
"In light of the above, we believe Cultivator Li Fan is suspected of spreading false information, exploiting the herd mentality of the public to reap colossal gains, and maliciously undermining the stability of the Alliance," Jin Chongcheng added.
When his words fell, total silence engulfed the Martial Practice Hall.
Li Fan instantly felt the gazes bearing down on him grow several degrees heavier.
Had he been an ordinary cultivator, he would likely have blanched and confessed unprompted.
Yet Li Fan spoke up boldly, cutting Jin Chongcheng short: "I object!
"Accusing me of spreading false information? Where does that even come from! Yes, I did make a modest profit during this incident..."
Ignoring the faint murderous intent emanating from the manifold gazes, Li Fan went on at his own pace: "However, wealth, companions, methods, and land are the cornerstones of the path. Cultivators pursuing profit is only natural and right. I possess the ability to deduce the future; what fault is there in using it to turn a profit?
"Moreover, the subsequent price trend of Puxian True Leaf aligned precisely with my prediction. Doesn't that prove the sheer accuracy of my deductions?" Li Fan argued with righteous indignation.
Whispers broke out across the Martial Practice Hall.
"Silence!"
"Regarding the legitimacy of profiting through the art of deduction, let Elder Gongsun Qixuan of the Heavenly Secret Hall take the floor."
A flash of light flickered, and Jin Chongcheng vanished from sight.
In his place appeared a young scholar who looked barely in his twenties.
Though rather handsome, his complexion was frail and listless.
*It's him...* Li Fan narrowed his eyes slightly, looking at him and nodding in greeting.
This Gongsun Qixuan was the very cultivator he had encountered when investigated by the Heavenly Secret Hall in the past. The mysterious aura the man inadvertently exuded had left a deep impression on Li Fan.
Gongsun Qixuan acknowledged Li Fan with a genial nod, then cleared his throat and spoke in a measured tone: "Our Heavenly Secret Hall's stance has never changed.
"The results obtained from deductions can certainly serve as a guide for future actions. If that were not so, why would our Heavenly Secret Hall have been established in the first place?
"If we are allowed to do so, there is naturally no reason to prohibit cultivators within the Alliance from doing the same."
Gongsun Qixuan's words were exceedingly fair and reasonable.
Li Fan nodded repeatedly as he listened.
Just then, however, Gongsun Qixuan shifted the conversation, fixing Li Fan with a piercing gaze.
"However, I suspect whether this Fellow Daoist Li Fan truly possesses the ability to deduce the future at all!
"If the claim that 'the price of Puxian True Leaf will skyrocket' was genuinely obtained through his deductions, our Heavenly Secret Hall advocates that he is innocent.
"Otherwise..."
A cold glint flashed across Gongsun Qixuan's eyes.
"If he fabricated this out of thin air...
"We recommend that he be sentenced to the ultimate penalty."
Chapter 460