The violent tremors shaking the ground grew more intense, until it was nearly impossible to remain standing.
Before everyone's eyes, the colossal Wanxian Island tore free from the earth, slowly ascending into the sky.
Several cultivators attempted a desperate bid to break through the surrounding perimeter.
Yet every one of them met the exact same end.
The moment they left Wanxian Island, piercing beams of light rained down from above, obliterating them instantly.
Cries of panic and agonizing wails rose continuously into the air.
The surrounding space seemed completely sealed off. Even the strange anomalies heralding the deaths of cultivators twisted into bizarre, contorted shapes, piling upon one another in dense, suffocating layers.
The fierce attacks from the Five Elders Association shocked the cultivators—who had been scrambling about like headless flies—back into temporary lucidity.
They quickly realized that as long as they remained on Wanxian Island, the Five Elders Association showed no immediate intent to strike.
Left with no other choice, they huddled in terror, gazing up at the looming purple portal as it drew ever closer.
*Could the Five Elders Association be putting on such a grand show just for me?* Witnessing the spectacle, Li Fan could not help recalling the Nascent Soul cultivators who had tried to capture him earlier, and the thought drifted into his mind.
*Their territory isn't a place one can tread lightly. If I'm dragged straight into the Country of Truth, under the rule of Inability to Lie, the moment someone questions me, wouldn't my transmigration and True Reversion be exposed immediately?*
Li Fan retained a sober assessment of his current strength; he was nowhere near capable of defying the principles of a Heavenly Venerable.
*Should I use True Reversion...?* A fleeting hesitation crossed Li Fan's mind.
After a moment's contemplation, he decided to wait and see how things unfolded.
After all, the situation had not yet deteriorated to the point of threatening his life.
The distant, horizontal boundary where sea met sky had long vanished from view.
Wanxian Island soared through midair, high enough that the faces of the Five Elders Association cultivators above were clearly visible.
Right at that moment, another sudden commotion swept across the island.
Out of nowhere, an immense crowd of cultivators materialized from thin air.
There were so many of them that they were instantly packed shoulder to shoulder, cramming Wanxian Island until it seemed on the verge of overflowing.
Waves of bewildered shouting erupted from their ranks.
"What's going on? Where are we?"
"I clearly remember being in secluded cultivation inside the Heavenly Profound Mirror! How did I end up here all of a sudden?"
"Look! The Heavenly Profound Mirror has turned into an ordinary rock!"
Listening to the overlapping cries of alarm, Jiao Xiuyuan muttered under his breath, "Damn it. Even the Heavenly Profound Mirror has revoked its Empowerment. Looks like we can kiss any reinforcements goodbye."
Only then did Li Fan understand. These people were cultivators who had been in secluded cultivation within Wanxian Island's Heavenly Profound Mirror space.
Now that Wanxian Island was on the verge of being captured by the Five Elders Association, the mirror, acting to protect itself, had revoked its so-called Empowerment.
It had turned the wondrous sub-mirror on the island into nothing more than a plain stone.
The cultivators pulled from their seclusion looked at the sky full of enemies and finally grasped their predicament.
"Fellow Daoists, I've heard the Five Elders Association possesses something called a soul covenant! Once signed, your very soul will fall entirely under their control. When your freedom is gone, living will be worse than death!"
"Indeed! They must want to capture us alive and force us into signing soul covenants!"
"Rather than fall under their mercy, we might as well fight to the death! With so many of us, there might still be a glimmer of hope!"
Once the initial shock faded, several voices rose in rallying cries, urging everyone to band together and shatter the blockade.
There was strength in numbers.
With such a sudden influx of fresh reinforcements, the courage of the Alliance cultivators on the island swelled.
Soon enough, led by a couple of bold figures, they launched a suicidal charge.
Li Fan did not follow them blindly. Seeing Jiao Xiuyuan's eyes darting around, he tugged on the man's robe and asked via divine sense, "Daoist Jiao, do you have a way to escape?"
Jiao Xiuyuan grinned, held up a hand, and spread out five fingers.
"Fair enough! It's just fifty thousand contribution points. I'll transfer it right now!" Li Fan nodded.
Jiao Xiuyuan's face darkened. "Is the life of Master Li Fan worth so little?"
"Five hundred thousand! And that's only out of respect for our life-and-death friendship!"
Li Fan looked at Jiao Xiuyuan and smiled faintly.
Without haggling, he transferred the five hundred thousand points on the spot.
"Don't think of me as someone blinded by greed. Business is business, and even real brothers keep clear accounts," Jiao Xiuyuan explained defensively.
Then he lowered his voice. "Right now, the only possible way off Wanxian Island is through that ancient tree inside Qingfeng Hall."
"Qingfeng Hall..." Li Fan's eyes flickered.
Back in his one hundred thirteenth lifetime, he had used He Zhenghao's connections to come into contact with Qingfeng Hall, a loan-shark organization hidden on Wanxian Island.
The ancient tree with the human face within had left a deep impression on him.
The space where that ancient tree resided seemed to exist as its own distinct realm.
Furthermore, its ability to procure a substantial amount of Spirit Mist Grass in an instant made it clear that, much like the Heavenly Profound Mirror, it remained connected to other spaces in the outside world.
"Many thanks for the guidance, Daoist Jiao!"
Li Fan cupped his hands and turned to leave.
Suddenly, another thought struck him, and he turned back a moment later.
He fixed his gaze on Jiao Xiuyuan, staring so intently that the other man grew visibly uncomfortable.
"Daoist Li Fan, why aren't you running for your life? What are you staring at me for?" Jiao Xiuyuan asked, thoroughly puzzled.
"Daoist Jiao, I wonder... is this body of yours for sale?" Li Fan asked in an eerie, measured tone.
Jiao Xiuyuan jumped in fright, instantly darting back to put distance between them.
"You..." Jiao Xiuyuan looked at Li Fan with sheer disbelief, as though seeing his true colors for the very first time.
Ignoring whatever wild thoughts were running through the man's head, Li Fan went on calmly, "Ever since I awakened, I've spent all my time within the territory of the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals."
"By now, I have a basic understanding of the Alliance as a whole. Yet when it comes to the Five Elders Association that stands as its equal, I have never had the chance to see it for myself."
"Information about them within the Alliance is pitifully scarce. To tell you the truth, I am exceedingly curious about the Five Elders Association."
Li Fan's gaze swept up and down Jiao Xiuyuan's puppet body.
"Naturally, my true body must escape. But I also want to seize this opportunity to take a look at the scenery on the other side."
"I wonder if you have a clever technique that would temporarily allow me to take control of this puppet?" Li Fan asked slowly.
Only then did Jiao Xiuyuan realize what Li Fan was actually after.
After pondering for a moment, he muttered under his breath, "You should've just said so. Gave me a fright for nothing."
"So long as the price is right, it's not entirely out of the question."
Li Fan felt a surge of delight.
"Excellent! Name your price!"
Jiao Xiuyuan raised five fingers once more, making sure not to give Li Fan any room to misinterpret. "This is my very first time being possessed!"
"Five hundred thousand contribution points—not a single point less!"
"Five hundred thousand it is. I, Li Fan, have never been one to pinch pennies."
Chapter 488