At the same time, Li Fan also understood why neither the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals nor the Five Elders Association could travel freely through the earth veins.
It was not an inability at the technical level.
Rather, traveling through the earth veins inevitably provoked attacks from the Earth Vein Ancient Tree.
After all, the three ancient trees still retained their memories of Ruomu being besieged by cultivators in the distant past.
Although they did not bear the extreme hatred toward cultivators that Ruomu harbored, their attitude was certainly not welcoming.
If cultivators refrained from making trouble, that was fine. But when cultivators tried to push their luck and take advantage of them, they naturally grew reluctant.
Li Fan's ability to remain unharmed had purely been out of deference to Lin Ling.
Moreover, the Earth Vein Ancient Tree was rooted throughout the land of Xuanhuang. A single pull on one hair would move the entire body; if one were to launch a forceful campaign against it, it might well trigger a cataclysm where the earth overturned everywhere. When that time came, no one knew how many cultivators would perish instantly.
Furthermore, with the existence of spatial teleportation techniques, neither faction placed extraordinary importance on the power of the earth veins.
Consequently, both the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals and the Five Elders Association had chosen to turn a blind eye to it.
"Interact more with that Senior in the future," Li Fan said, looking at the branch in Lin Ling's hand.
This branch of the earth vein was far more precious than the withered twig Ximen Yu had found in the earth vein jet.
Beyond accelerating her growth if Lin Ling used it, it also allowed one to travel instantaneously to any location touched by the power of the earth veins.
It bore a certain resemblance to Shang Tianci's teleportation technique using the Heavenly Scenery Gourd.
Except Shang Tianci had to take the wondrous vistas of Xuanhuang into his gourd one by one, whereas the Earth Vein Ancient Tree had long since spread its roots to every corner of the Xuanhuang Realm.
*A pity that only Lin Ling can use it,* Li Fan thought with some regret.
Lin Ling obediently merged the earth vein branch into her chest.
With this interlude on their journey concluded, Li Fan proceeded with his business.
First, he laid down a layer of protective formations around them, having Lin Ling conceal herself for the time being.
Then he took out a jade talisman and crushed it.
A peculiar fluctuation emanated in an instant, spreading toward Jiushan Province.
Li Fan closed his eyes and waited.
The Five Elders Association had clearly been awaiting this signal for quite some time.
Before long, several figures arrived in rapid flight.
Among them was Yu Dayi, the Five Elders Association spy Li Fan had previously contacted.
Having not seen him for a while, his cultivation had astonishingly leapt from the Golden Core realm to the middle Nascent Soul realm.
Evidently, he had been handsomely rewarded for rendering great service with the intelligence Li Fan had provided before.
Seeing Li Fan's figure from afar, Yu Dayi's face broke into immense joy.
As he drew near, he held up a hand to signal the people flanking him to halt.
He then stepped forward alone to meet with Li Fan.
"Fellow Daoist, long time no see!" Yu Dayi cupped his hands.
Li Fan sized him up and let out an eerie cackle. "It seems the intelligence provided by our Myriad Realms Association was somewhat useful after all."
"Fellow Daoist is too modest. It was far more than useful..." Yu Dayi chuckled. "Speaking of which, when we smoothly seized Jiushan Province last time, your organization seemed to lend covert aid as well. To help twice in a row without making a single demand..." An expression of doubt crossed his face.
"It was merely to gain your Five Elders Association's trust," Li Fan replied with utter indifference. "I know that even now, there are still people within the Five Elders Association who believe this so-called 'Myriad Realms Association' is actually an act staged by the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals themselves—sacrificing a little to deceive you out of much more..."
At these words, Yu Dayi's expression turned somewhat awkward.
"Suspicion is normal. But no matter; as our cooperation deepens in the future, all distrust will vanish like smoke," Li Fan let out a somber laugh, his tone brimming with confidence.
Yu Dayi paid no mind to the other details, but his eyes lit up upon hearing the word "cooperation."
And Li Fan did not disappoint him.
With a casual flick of his wrist, he tossed over a jade slip.
When Yu Dayi caught it and checked the contents, his eyelids twitched uncontrollably, his face flushed with uncontainable ecstasy.
The contents within the jade slip were none other than the flaws in the Ten-Thousand-Li Mountains and Rivers Formation that the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals had recently reconfigured.
*Another marvelous merit!* Yu Dayi was thrilled beyond measure.
Yet Li Fan's next words splashed a bucket of cold water straight over him: "Although we can provide you with the confidential details of the Alliance's protective formations, rendering their defensive lines virtually nonexistent before you, our Myriad Realms Association still does not recommend that you launch any particularly large offensive at this time.
"Even if you can mobilize enough strength in a short time to crush the Alliance's resistance in an instant, you must not.
"Our suggestion is to wait a bit longer," Li Fan said with deep meaning.
"Why is that?" Yu Dayi could not help asking in confusion.
Li Fan did not answer, merely raising his index finger and pointing to the sky.
Yu Dayi remained somewhat bewildered.
"Go back and report my words. They will naturally understand what I mean," Li Fan said faintly. "When the time is ripe, we will inform you."
Yu Dayi opened his mouth, but did not refute him.
Li Fan tossed over another jade slip.
"Our Myriad Realms Association has already demonstrated sufficient sincerity. Next, it remains to be seen what sincerity your Five Elders Association will show."
Yu Dayi inspected the inventory of resources listed in the jade slip, and his heart thumped wildly.
"These are a bit too..."
"Just report it up. So long as they are not fools, I believe they will agree," Li Fan said in an utterly arrogant tone.
Yu Dayi glanced back without changing his expression.
The five accompanying cultivators back there were awaiting his orders.
With a single word from him, they could rush forward in an instant to capture this mysterious cultivator before them.
*Four Nascent Souls, one Soul Formation.*
*The opponent is merely a puny Golden Core.*
*No matter how you look at it, the odds of success are tremendous.*
Yu Dayi's heart could not help stirring with temptation.
*I only need to capture him, then use secret arts to turn him. That way, we can learn even more secrets about the Myriad Realms Association...*
In that fleeting moment, Yu Dayi was on the verge of issuing the command.
Yet when he caught Li Fan's fearless, half-smiling glance directed toward him, his heart clenched tight again.
After weighing it for a long while, Yu Dayi ultimately abandoned the idea.
The inscrutable aura about Li Fan was one factor.
The most important reason was that, up to this point, the Myriad Realms Association had only ever initiated contact with the Five Elders Association unilaterally.
If anything went wrong and caused relations to sour, the loss would far outweigh the gain.
After all, resources had a price, but intelligence was priceless.
In a split second, countless thoughts flashed through Yu Dayi's mind.
In the end, he inwardly sighed in regret, cupping his hands. "Fellow Daoist, please return in seven days. We will certainly give you a satisfactory reply."
"Good! I hope your Five Elders Association does not act foolishly. Otherwise, we might have to seek a new partner." Having spoken, Li Fan clapped his hands.
Lin Ling, who had been hidden to the side all along, finally revealed herself.
Sensing the aura emanating from Lin Ling, Yu Dayi's pupils contracted violently.
Chapter 825