Not only could no records of them be found in the present day, but even the people of the Medicine King Sect, who had crossed through time from the ancient cultivation world, knew nothing about the Heavenly Physician and his companions.
This was utterly abnormal and inevitably cast suspicion on their origins. Powerhouses of their caliber could never have been unknown nonentities.
"If that's the case, then many things can be explained.
"Back when I attempted to form my core using the Heaven Fiend Method and the Hanhai Method, I felt a fatal crisis. Forming a core solely with those two would inevitably have brought about the backlash of heaven and earth. Only by adding insights into other laws such as Blue Flame and Mo Sha was I able to stabilize my Golden Core. That was because the Heaven Fiend and Hanhai methods I observed and emulated were never laws native to the Xuanhuang Realm to begin with.
"If I had forcibly formed my core using only those two, heaven and earth might have treated me as a pure outsider. As for the outcome..."
Several scenes of the Congyun Sea being utterly destroyed flashed through Li Fan's mind in an instant.
"Perhaps this is why the Congyun Sea had to die.
"An existence that did not belong to the Xuanhuang Realm, yet thrived and grew ever more prosperous on its nourishment. Like a foreign object lodged in the body, the realm was bound to purge it as swiftly as possible.
"Yet Zhang Haobo's ability to successfully establish his foundation with the Heaven Fiend Sword Intent back then indicates that these former outsiders are gradually being transformed into a part of the Xuanhuang Realm.
"Just like the Congyun Sea, which regained vitality after being wiped out once by Crimson Flame and Mo Sha. Heaven and earth's hostility toward it seems to have decreased drastically.
"Contact and fusion..."
Li Fan fell into deep thought.
Back in the Cloud Water Heavenly Palace, when Hanhai pointed out Old Man Yufu as the culprit behind the massacre of the entire sect, he had said: "Apart from Venerable Tianjue, no one else can wield the Heaven Slaughter lethal artifact."
Originally, Li Fan had assumed he meant the two characters for "Heaven Fiend." After all, when Zhang Haobo perished in the past, the Dao Foundation revealed by the heavenly phenomena was the Heaven Fiend Sword Intent, and one of Li Fan's own nine methods was the Heaven Fiend Method.
Now it seemed that in the Heavenly Physician's original world, Heaven Fiend might once have been "Heaven Slaughter."
However, after they arrived in the Xuanhuang Realm, their own laws underwent convergent evolution with the laws of the Xuanhuang Realm.
And so, subtle differences emerged.
Li Fan also recalled that the present Xuanhuang Realm had expanded considerably compared to ancient times.
While plundering other grotto-heavens and worlds to escape the fate of being swallowed by the Immortal Ruins, conflicts between the laws of different worlds inevitably arose.
Perhaps this was the origin of the anomalies in the world.
"Tianjue's memory loss, and the transformation of Tianyu and the people of Cloud Water Heavenly Palace into anomalies—could all of this be the result of the worlds' fusion?
"In that case, the Heavenly Physician, who emerged from this process completely unscathed, seems all the more terrifying in strength.
"Moreover, he has lived for thousands of years, and the various bizarre Lost Domains within the white mist are clearly connected to him. Who knows what he is scheming?
"What is strangest of all is the reaction of the several Longevity Heavenly Venerables of the Xuanhuang Realm. I certainly refuse to believe they know nothing of the Heavenly Physician's little maneuvers, yet they remain entirely indifferent. Have they struck some kind of bargain, or..."
The Heavenly Physician's face surfaced in Xu Bai's mind.
After a long while, he gave a slight shake of his head, temporarily suppressing these thoughts.
Returning to Tianliang Province, he restored the connection to his communication talisman, and countless transmissions immediately fluttered in like snowflakes.
Xu Bai remained calm and composed, dealing with them one by one.
As for how to balance the scales and treat every side fairly, he had already mastered that art to perfection during his time as the Grand Preceptor in Great Xuan.
Currently, there were six hundred and forty vacant posts remaining in Tianliang Province.
Only a little over two hundred positions had received Nangong Shirong's approval to be used for trades and compromises with other factions.
Yet more than a thousand people wanted a piece of the pie.
Careful consideration was truly needed to satisfy the vast majority while offending the fewest people possible.
Xu Bai investigated their backgrounds while replying to messages and probing their personalities.
***
Just as Xu Bai was overwhelmed with work in his new position, a major event suddenly captured the attention of the entire world.
The leader of Yuandao Province, Immortal Venerable Blue Feather, was approaching the end of his lifespan. Consequently, he issued an open appeal to cultivators across the realm, soliciting any treasures capable of extending life.
At the same time, he provided a list of the longevity treasures he had already consumed.
He also declared that anyone capable of providing an effective treasure could take their pick from his personal collection.
Immortal Venerable Blue Feather had ruled Daoyuan Province for thousands of years.
How immense his collection was! It was even more generous than the rewards offered by the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals to encourage cultivators to explore the white mist.
Thus, the world was shaken.
Many cultivators hurried back from the white mist and set off on dangerous quests to search for longevity treasures instead.
Li Fan stared at the news, momentarily stunned.
"Has Blue Feather given up on staking everything on reversing life and death?
"It seems the news of a Heavenly Venerable attaining the Dao has been leaked. Was the secret spilled from within the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals, or... the Five Elders Association?"
While Li Fan was lost in thought, Huangfu Song carefully studied the announcement released by Blue Feather, shaking his head with a sigh.
"Immortal Venerable Blue Feather has ruled an entire province for thousands of years. What kind of longevity treasure has he not tasted? This list could almost serve as an exhaustive compendium of longevity treasures in the Xuanhuang Realm. Hoping to get a reward from him...
"Well, I certainly don't have that kind of luck," he remarked with a self-deprecating chuckle.
"Damn it all, so many of these things are items I, Dongfang, haven't even heard of. Yet he's tasted every single one of them," Dongfang Yao said, clicking his tongue. "If you ask me, what's meant to die will die eventually. Why struggle like this, just clinging to a shameful breath of life? Wouldn't it be far more satisfying to find release early?"
Listening to the complaints of the two men beside him, Li Fan suddenly had a flash of insight.
"A plan prepared for so long was abruptly disrupted. What Blue Feather needs most right now is time, and offering a bounty to the entire realm was an act of sheer helplessness.
"What will he do next?"
In truth, having reached this point, Blue Feather had virtually no choices left.
The first was to change the principle he sought to defy, striving for a slim chance at attaining longevity.
Yet mastering the conditions to defy a principle was clearly not something achieved overnight. Achieving that in a short span of time was virtually impossible. Otherwise, Blue Feather would not have waited until he was at death's door to set up a grand formation and stake everything on one throw.
That left only one option for Blue Feather.
"Defy the principle of life and death once more, and contend against that unnamed Longevity Heavenly Venerable!" Realization struck Li Fan.
"Although that is also extraordinarily difficult, Blue Feather is far more familiar with the principle of life and death after all. Compared to switching to a different principle, the chance of success is actually greater.
"He might even have the backing of the Five Elders Association in this."
Li Fan's thoughts raced.
"Interesting. Now let's see how the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals chooses.
"Will they support that unnamed Longevity Heavenly Venerable, or will they support Blue Feather?"
Chapter 719