The strange beasts of the Beast Seed Realm gradually realized something was wrong as well.
Although the two invaders displayed only Soul Formation cultivation, they stood firm as rocks against the unending beast tide, refusing to fall. In fact, they grew stronger as they fought!
Desolate beast roars echoed across the entire Beast Seed Realm.
In the sky, the wind and clouds churned. Above the central black tower, a colossal vortex took form.
Within the vortex, the phantom of a black profound bird was faintly visible.
Tianyang and Lin Ling looked solemn for the first time.
Yet it went no further than that.
Just as with the outcome when Elder Liu of the Medicine King Sect had swept through this realm in the previous life, even though the remnant phantom of Xiao Hei was used to summon the Heavenly Will of the Beast Seed Realm against them, under the combined might of two Dao Integration cultivators, it was still swiftly suppressed.
Following Li Fan's instructions, after slaying all the most powerful strange beasts and extracting their beast cores, they demarcated an area to corral the remaining beast seeds together.
Then the two proceeded to the next step.
They likewise moved the entrance passage to the Beast Seed Realm into the Spirit Wood Realm.
Having previously relocated the entrance to the Five Elements Great Grotto-Heaven, they were on familiar ground this time and quickly completed the task.
When Ou Daozi designed the headquarters of the Myriad Realms Association, he had deliberately set aside an open area to accommodate the entrances leading to various realms.
It was still small in scale, but once more pocket worlds were connected in the future, it would truly live up to the name "Myriad Realms Association."
Naturally, security was also an essential consideration.
The more passages there were, the greater the potential vulnerabilities.
Ou Daozi considered a nested space scheme, planning to carve the area containing the realm entrances into relatively independent nested spaces that could be discarded at any moment.
If disaster struck, they could cut off the tail to survive.
However, this was still in the conceptual stage.
Even though Tianyang had devoured the Ink Stone, being able to slice space at will still required spending time to master proficiently.
First things first.
Once the Beast Seed Realm and the Spirit Wood Realm were linked, Tianyang first went to the Li Realm according to the location Li Fan had provided.
By then, the beast cores in the Immortal Spirit Tower Li Fan had left behind were completely exhausted.
Without any spiritual qi being produced, the cultivation of the people in the Li Realm was gradually driven to an impasse.
Their exploration of the Fire World was still in its infancy.
In desperation, Su Yuqing sent a plea for help to Li Fan via communication talisman.
Tianyang did not conceal his aura.
When he appeared, the pressure of a Dao Integration cultivator made the entire Li Realm feel as though shrouded beneath thick, heavy clouds.
Those who did not understand what was happening wore looks of terror.
Only Su Yuqing was overjoyed.
Facing the respectful Su Yuqing, Tianyang did not say much.
He simply restored the Immortal Spirit Tower to operation in silence, then linked the Li Realm to the Spirit Wood Realm.
"When the immortal spiritual qi runs dry again in the future, you may travel to the Beast Seed Realm to hunt and replenish the required beast cores."
"The Beast Seed Realm is not like the Li Realm; you still need to raise your cultivation as much as possible. Any needed exotic items and cultivation methods can be requested from the association headquarters,"
Tianyang spoke concisely.
Su Yuqing nodded repeatedly.
In truth, at the beginning, Li Fan had considered channeling spiritual qi directly from the Spirit Wood Realm into the Li Realm.
Yet after careful thought, he rejected the idea.
After all, pocket worlds lacking spiritual qi made up the vast majority.
The Spirit Wood Realm could sustain one realm, but what about ten, or a hundred?
It was better for each realm to be gradually transformed through Immortal Spirit Towers.
Of course, this would require an almost astronomical supply of beast cores.
Li Fan planned to take Tianyang on a trip to the Empire once he made his breakthrough.
The Myriad Realms Association flourished, advancing steadily.
***
Haixuan Island.
Just as Ji Shaoli had predicted.
With the release of the Alliance's latest announcement, an unprecedented induction examination was about to be held.
Compared to previous sessions, more than double the number of positions were offered.
The overall compensation for cultivators within the Alliance's establishment had even seen a substantial increase.
Countless cultivators signed up enthusiastically, yearning to defy fate and transform their destinies.
Yet He Zhenghao, who had prepared thoroughly and had been brimming with confidence, now seemed restless and perturbed.
"Daoist He, is something on your mind?" Ji Shaoli asked.
He Zhenghao seemed lost in thought and acted as if he had not heard.
He turned a deaf ear.
"Daoist He!" Ji Shaoli called out again, his brows furrowing.
Only then did He Zhenghao snap back to his senses.
"Ah?"
"It seems you are keeping something from us, Daoist He," Ji Shaoli said with a smile.
He Zhenghao's odd behavior had started two days earlier, after he made a trip back to Wanxian Island.
Sharing common secrets, the Mutual Aid Society cultivators present realized something upon hearing this.
They all stared fixedly at He Zhenghao, looks of suspicion and hostility creeping onto their faces.
"A misunderstanding, a misunderstanding!" He Zhenghao forced a bitter smile and explained hurriedly. "It's not what everyone thinks. The reason my mind has been wandering recently..."
He hesitated a moment before pulling out an illustrated booklet with a look of utter helplessness.
His old face flushed red. "The culprit is this very thing."
Everyone exchanged glances.
Ji Shaoli remained calm on the surface, but inwardly his heart sank.
Pulling the booklet over with a thought, he flipped through the first few pages before snapping it shut.
"Where did you get this?" Ji Shaoli asked in a grave voice.
What was depicted in the booklet was none other than delightful, erotic escapades concerning Heavenly Venerable Yixin.
While not nearly as real as the illusion Li Fan had once experienced, it possessed a distinct allure capable of captivating a cultivator's mind and soul.
No wonder He Zhenghao had been so thoroughly entranced over the past few days.
"I got it from a close Daoist friend of mine. He was acting all mysterious, claiming it was good stuff, and made me cough up five hundred contribution points."
"Though, truth be told, the book really is quite something,"
He Zhenghao muttered softly under his breath.
"Just what is it?"
Hearing He Zhenghao say this, the others grew even more curious.
Ji Shaoli showed only the beginning portion of the booklet to the crowd.
At first, the cultivators mocked him: "Daoist He, you're a Foundation Establishment cultivator after all. How could you let your mind be led astray by this kind of thing?"
Yet when He Zhenghao countered and revealed the true identity of the booklet's protagonist, all the cultivators were struck dumb, the way they looked at the booklet in Ji Shaoli's hand shifting in an instant.
Ji Shaoli snorted coldly, his words jolting them back from their flight of fancy.
"All minds... united as one?"
"If your thoughts sink into it, you might be assimilated?"
Everyone's faces turned pale as death.
He Zhenghao stood frozen like a wooden statue on the spot, his body trembling uncontrollably.
"Fortunately, you haven't fallen too deep."
"Daoist He, enter seclusion immediately and purge every stray thought from your mind," Ji Shaoli instructed solemnly.
In a panic, He Zhenghao instinctively obeyed Ji Shaoli's command.
After confining He Zhenghao to a dark room to face the wall and soothing the others, Ji Shaoli began investigating the circulation of Senior Sister Zhao's illustrated booklets within the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals.
Chapter 844