Wu of the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals had made an extraordinary opening move, sweeping forth with immense momentum.
Yet the representative of the Five Elders Association was no pushover either.
He was not the youth in green robes seen previously, but a gaunt middle-aged cultivator whose face was cold and severe, radiating boundless murderous intent.
Countless rays of silver light pelted around him, only to be easily neutralized as strands of grayish-white qi swirled around his body.
"Ice!" a flat, cold voice called out from the gaunt cultivator.
Before the word had even finished ringing out, Li Fan saw the space around the gaunt cultivator appear as though it had been frozen solid.
Boundless chill emanated from the cultivator, expanding steadily outward.
It seemed as if even time itself were freezing over. When a ray of silver light reached the gaunt cultivator's flanks, it froze motionless in midair.
Then, as the frozen domain expanded, more and more silver rays were trapped and held fast.
Only then did Li Fan see clearly that the silver serpents dancing across the sky were in fact distinct weapons.
Sabers, spears, swords, halberds, axes, battleaxes, hooks, and forks!
Seeing his attack countered, Wu showed no anger on his face.
Instead, he chuckled, clapped his hands with delight, and gently pointed a finger toward the gaunt cultivator.
His smile vanished in the same breath, replaced by a grim, murderous expression.
*Bang!*
A streak of invisible lightning surged through the frozen domain, cracking it open as fissures spread rapidly toward the gaunt cultivator.
Just as it was about to slam into his body, the grayish-white qi swirled once more, intercepting the invisible lightning.
Black suddenly welled up within the gray, only to slowly dissipate into nothingness and return to a ghastly, pale gray light.
Wu flicked his fingers repeatedly, sending lethal strike after lethal strike crashing forward.
The gaunt cultivator's expression remained utterly changeless, like stone untouched by myriad years. "Wind!" he shouted.
Like waves rising from a flat plain, Li Fan watched as the invisible streaks of lightning that had already breached the frozen domain were swept away by a great gale, turning back around to launch attacks at Wu instead.
Wu's brows shot up. He summoned silver gleams to shield his body.
Fierce crackling booms echoed relentlessly around Wu in an instant.
*Now that's more like it...* Even though it was far beyond his full comprehension, Li Fan could still feel the sheer brilliance of the clash between the two.
Unwilling to miss a single detail, he focused with undivided attention, concentrating his mind to perceive and record every wisp of qi fluctuation pulsing from the battlefield.
Beside him, Immortal Lord Hongxi did the same. Only occasionally did his gaze drift toward Li Fan, wearing a pensive look.
-----
While Li Fan was thoroughly engrossed in this duel between true prodigies of the Xuanhuang Realm, unable to pull himself away, the discussions in the outside world regarding the Friendly Exchange Gathering had gradually died down.
Life returned to its normal rhythm, and more and more cultivators chose to enter seclusion to consolidate their insights.
Meanwhile, Zhou Qing'ang, who handled the administrative affairs of the Congyun Sea down to the finest detail every day, received an interesting report.
It came from the garrison of Liuli Island, Zhao Changli.
This man was the successor who took over after He Zhenghao. Li Fan had met him once before on Liuli Island, when Li Fan gathered the cultivators of the Congyun Sea to personally explain the fundraising plan.
He was prudent, cautious, meticulous, and conscientious. His cultivation talent, however, was mediocre at best, and coming from mortal stock with limited resources, he had only barely managed to reach the Foundation Establishment stage.
"Of late, the output of Liuli Island's specialty, the liuli pill, has fallen drastically. Following careful investigation by this subordinate, it was discovered that liuli fish near the island have all but vanished, with no trace of where they have gone."
"Furthermore, upon conferring with the garrisons of other islands, it was found that this is not an isolated occurrence on Liuli Island."
"A strange upheaval may be brewing within the Congyun Sea. Yet this subordinate's strength is meager, and I cannot discern the full picture. Filled with apprehension, I submit this report in the hope that Your Excellency may look into the matter with discerning eyes."
Looking at the somewhat familiar report before him, Li Fan smiled faintly to himself.
*This man is good; he is a capable talent. Though his cultivation talent is lacking, being able to discern the minute to know the manifest and detect the disaster looming over the Congyun Sea already makes him a rarity in this world.*
Li Fan cast an imperceptible glance up toward the sky.
*Is it finally coming...?*
After gazing for a long time, Li Fan withdrew his eyes.
He did not write a reply to Zhao Changli's report, merely setting it aside and continuing with his other duties.
A battle between true prodigies was clearly not something that could be decided in a brief span.
Time flew by. It was nearly twenty-odd days later before the clandestine contest between the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals and the Five Elders Association truly reached its conclusion.
Above the sea of clouds atop the mountain peak, every scene vanished without a trace.
The powerful auras subsided, and the great square seal once again sank beneath layers of white clouds.
Li Fan slowly exhaled.
Watching this duel had granted him immense gains.
It was simply that he had absorbed too much information all at once and had not yet had the time to digest it; he would need a period of quiet contemplation.
"How did it feel?" Immortal Lord Hongxi asked in his usual languid tone.
"This subordinate is dull-witted and could only half understand what was happening," Li Fan answered cautiously.
Hongxi smiled and did not refute him.
"Understanding a little is enough. By the way, once you return, write up a report on your impressions of the duel for me. It should cover, though not be limited to, a comparison of the strength between the core pillars of our Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals and the Five Elders Association, as well as possible future directions of development, breakthrough points, and so on."
"The more detailed, the better," Hongxi added abruptly.
"Ah?" Hearing this, Li Fan could not help but be taken aback.
Hongxi replied as if it were only natural, "Did you think this long-distance True Scene Reproduction was shown to you for free? You should know that every passing breath this function remains active costs a staggering amount of contribution points."
"Countless people would beg for an opportunity like this. What's wrong with having you write a report on your impressions?"
"Besides, this is a task assigned from above. It will count toward the routine political achievements of our Congyun Sea. Do not neglect it."
Li Fan had no choice but to meet this with silence.
Cupping his hands, he indicated that he understood.
"Go on, then. Remember to send it to me as soon as possible." Hongxi gave a wave of his broad sleeve, and the vista of the cloud sea on the mountain peak abruptly vanished.
The two of them were back inside the Administration Hall.
After taking his leave, Li Fan returned to the Heavenly Profound Mirror.
Taking advantage of the fact that the experience was still fresh, he entered the Spirit Enlightenment state while swallowing a Dao Comprehension Pill.
Relishing and reflecting on the scenes of the clash between prodigies, he immersed his mind completely.
After an unknown amount of time, when he awoke from his epiphany, a sharp gleam involuntarily flashed from his opened eyes.
Then it abruptly drew inward.
*When contending against true prodigies, divine abilities and arts will certainly never be as unfailingly triumphant as they are against ordinary cultivators.*
*For example, my Congyun Sword and Heaven-Overturning Palm possess peerless might, but attempting to hit Wu with his astonishing speed, or that gaunt cultivator who seems capable of freezing all things, would be extraordinarily difficult.*
*Only by comprehending more divine abilities, merging them into one, and unleashing them at will can I secure an absolute advantage.*
*In the end, I simply lack combat experience, having fought too few real battles.*
...
Li Fan pondered for a moment, then opened the long-neglected Sit and Debate the Dao section within the Heavenly Profound Mirror.
Using only the two divine abilities of the Congyun Sword and the Heaven-Overturning Palm as a template, he created a virtual persona.
Chapter 626