After watching Han Yi depart, Li Fan turned his gaze toward the southwest.
Looking far into the distance, his line of sight seemed to traverse thousands of li, reaching a deep undersea trench.
That was where Han Yi had surfaced after fleeing in panic from the pocket world.
"A pocket world devoid of mortals, filled entirely with 'beast seeds'…" Li Fan frowned slightly.
Judging by the experiences in Han Yi's memories, Li Fan considered the creatures in that pocket world to somewhat resemble the "beast seeds" he had encountered several times before—beings that were half-human, half-beast.
Yet there were subtle differences.
Though both blended human and demon beast, the "beast seeds" retained more of the "human" aspect.
In contrast, the creatures in the pocket world Han Yi had experienced leaned far more toward "demon beast."
One could glean clues about this from whether their heads were human or bestial.
Even more intriguing were the legends of that world which Han Yi had uncovered.
At the dawn of recorded memory, the vast majority of the wilderness's inhabitants were originally half-beast, half-human. Pure "humans" had not been uncommon either.
Over time, however, variants exhibiting much higher degrees of beast transformation occasionally appeared among their descendants.
At first, these variants were regarded as heretics, abandoned, or even hunted down.
Yet when some of these variants tenaciously survived and displayed immense power, things began to change.
They slaughtered their original settlements and migrated deep into the wilderness, establishing a new order.
There, the greater one's degree of beast transformation, the more revered one's status became.
Diametrically opposed beliefs inevitably led to war.
In the wilderness, might made right. The individual strength of these atavistic beast-mutants was visibly superior to ordinary beast seeds.
Although they initially found themselves at a numerical disadvantage, resulting in back-and-forth skirmishes, their numbers steadily grew as time passed, and they began to display overwhelming combat prowess in the war.
After bloody massacres, all opposition naturally vanished.
Thus, the wilderness became what Han Yi had witnessed: a realm where "beasts are revered, and humans are heretics."
"Perhaps this is related to some backup plan Di Yi prepared for the demon beast race. Only, it seems her plan failed.
"Once demon beast bloodlines are ignited, they are vastly stronger than ordinary humans."
Li Fan's thoughts then shifted to the deity of that world.
The Heavenly Destiny Profound Bird.
Although other beings existed among the profound bird lineage, a strange, inexplicable sensation had suddenly welled up within Li Fan's heart the moment he saw that divine statue.
This Heavenly Destiny Profound Bird was Xiao Hei—the creature he had possessed in the Fallen Immortal Realm, who had accompanied Xu Ke back in those days.
There was no definitive proof, merely a wondrous, mysterious premonition stemming from his prior possession of it.
"It actually perished?
"Strange.
"Even a mere qingluan is alive and well. There's no reason a profound bird that merged with the heavenly destiny of a pocket world should have perished first."
Li Fan's brow furrowed in puzzlement.
After pondering for a while, he soon relaxed.
Among humans, immense strength often equated to longevity.
Within demon beast clans, however, that principle did not necessarily hold true.
***
Even though he found that pocket world intriguing, Li Fan knew that now was not the time to explore it.
Just because Han Yi had been able to stir up trouble there at merely peak Qi Condensation—and without being able to use spiritual energy at that—did not mean the place was devoid of danger.
After all, by manipulating stray heavenly fortune via the *Heavenly Fortune Scripture*, Han Yi was essentially half a child of destiny.
He naturally turned misfortune into fortune and averted danger at every turn.
If Li Fan were to barge in without the means to manipulate heavenly fortune, there was no telling what terrible luck he might encounter.
He might very well run headlong into a millennium-old great demon from the depths of the wilderness the moment he stepped through.
The sudden premonition of danger that had struck his heart back when he considered following Han Yi into that deep seabed cavern had certainly been no illusion.
Before mastering the art of manipulating heavenly fortune, Li Fan had no intention of exposing himself to unknown risks.
"No matter. In any case, I will soon learn exactly what happened back then in the Fallen Immortal Realm."
Li Fan withdrew his gaze and headed toward the nearest garrison island.
Before long, he arrived at Chongwu Island.
The garrison of Chongwu Island was named Huang Ranqi, a cultivator at late Foundation Establishment.
As Huang Ranqi was nominally his subordinate, Li Fan knew a fair amount about him.
The man was petty over trifles yet utterly muddled on matters of consequence, constantly making minor blunders and insatiably greedy.
He was the ideal candidate.
Concealing his true cultivation, Li Fan revealed only the aura of peak Foundation Establishment before paying a visit.
"How should I address you, fellow daoist?" Huang Ranqi asked amiably with a chuckle as he handed over a cup of tea.
Li Fan was currently wearing his original appearance rather than his disguise as an "ancient heavenly secret cultivator," so Huang Ranqi naturally failed to recognize him.
Li Fan cupped his hands. "This humble one is Li Fan!"
"*Cough, cough…*"
Huang Ranqi, who had been leisurely gulping down his tea, nearly sprayed a mouthful of water straight out upon hearing the name.
He coughed violently a few times to cover his embarrassment.
After a moment, Huang Ranqi blurted out, "Your name is Li Fan too?"
At this, Li Fan wore a peculiar expression and asked with curiosity, "Why do you put it that way, Fellow Daoist Huang? What do you mean by 'too'?
"Could it be you also know a cultivator named Li Fan?" He seemed to suddenly catch on, looking astonished.
"Haha, could it be you've been in secluded cultivation for years, Fellow Daoist? You don't even know the name of the Lord Secret Emissary?" Huang Ranqi narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Li Fan closely.
"You guessed correctly, fellow daoist! I was originally a rogue cultivator of the Congyun Sea. A few years ago, seeking a breakthrough, I ventured out in search of opportunities. Who knew I would stray into a perilous pocket world and become lost there, only managing to escape by the skin of my teeth recently." Li Fan shook his head, looking deeply moved.
As he spoke, he vividly described what he had seen and heard in that pocket world.
"No spiritual energy, yet teeming with demon beasts?" Huang Ranqi was indeed captivated by the bizarre sights Li Fan described.
"To return alive from such a perilous place, your luck is truly extraordinary, fellow daoist," he marveled.
Li Fan nodded in agreement. "You speak the truth, fellow daoist. Between life and death, one is most prone to epiphanies. That is why, shortly after my return, I successfully broke through my bottleneck and attained peak Foundation Establishment.
"As I mentioned earlier, I was merely a rogue cultivator. For the sake of so-called 'freedom,' I was unwilling to join the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals and toil like a beast of burden. But having survived this great ordeal, I've seen the light. As long as one can live, freedom isn't worth a single copper!
"Therefore, I humbly request that you recommend me, fellow daoist!" Li Fan said with utter sincerity.
Huang Ranqi pondered for a moment, looking Li Fan up and down once more without agreeing immediately.
"I've heard that tensions between the Five Elders Association and our Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals have been running high lately, with frequent friction. You wouldn't happen to be a spy sent by the Five Elders Association, would you?"
Huang Ranqi asked abruptly.
Chapter 556