Speaking of which, the dramatic change in the fates of Kou Hong and Dao Xuanzi was intimately connected to Li Fan.
The pair had originally been proud and arrogant, unwilling to toil as beasts of burden for the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals just for cultivation techniques. They had preferred courting death by delving into sect ruins in search of ancient legacy methods rather than selling their lives to the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals or the Five Elders Association.
Yet in this lifetime, their stance had undergone an earth-shattering shift.
The root cause was that after Tianyang achieved Dao Integration, Li Fan had ordered him to detonate the void in Qiling Province. The immortal-mortal miasma sealed within had then returned, rampaging across the world.
No cultivator could escape being infected by the immortal-mortal miasma, and Kou Hong and Dao Xuanzi were naturally no exception.
At the time, they were only at the Foundation Establishment stage and possessed no special constitutions. Once infected, their symptoms worsened rapidly. Within mere days, they were down to their last breaths.
Just as the two brothers prepared to journey to the Yellow Springs together...
They surprisingly received the specific cure distributed free of charge by the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals!
Faced with life and death, the two—who had once harbored deep prejudices against the Alliance—could not afford to be fastidious. They swallowed the medicine whole.
The results were immediate. In just a few days, their condition began to turn around. When the Alliance distributed the second dose of the cure, it carried them completely through the crisis.
Having survived, Kou Hong and Dao Xuanzi owed the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals a life-saving debt of gratitude. They engaged in deep soul-searching regarding their past prejudices against the Alliance, and both ended up joining its ranks.
Perhaps it was truly a case of great fortune following great catastrophe. After joining the Alliance, the brothers sold off all the miscellaneous oddities they had collected from their explorations since embarking on cultivation to the Heavenly Profound Mirror, reaping an immense fortune.
They directly redeemed two Golden Core cultivation methods, with points to spare. Drawing upon their deep reserves, they broke through Foundation Establishment in a short span of time and became Golden Core cultivators.
*What an astonishing twist of fate.*
Upon encountering the unexpected duo on Haixuan Island, Ji Shaoli had spent a few contribution points to discover what had happened to them. When they got into an argument with members of the Mutual Aid Association, he had stepped forward to intervene.
*These two may be somewhat blunt, but their stubbornness—the kind where once they set their minds to something, they never turn back—is, in a sense, an advantage,* Ji Shaoli thought to himself.
Facing Dao Xuanzi's insistence on leaving, Ji Shaoli did not grow angry. Instead, he asked a probing question:
"Fellow Daoists, why are you so upset? Were those people just now truly mistaken?"
Dao Xuanzi froze slightly.
Ji Shaoli said solemnly, "If what they said was wrong, I will certainly have them apologize to you both immediately. However, I have heard other cultivators say the same thing. Much as I loathe to believe it, where there is smoke, there is fire. The Alliance has been exceedingly vague about how it actually secured victory, defying all common sense... Can we really be blamed for that? Or perhaps you two fellow Daoists witnessed the frontline battles with your own eyes and are certain our claims are false?"
Ji Shaoli's remarks left Kou Hong and Dao Xuanzi entirely at a loss.
The two opened their mouths, but could not summon a single word to refute him.
Ji Shaoli smiled faintly. "Please, sit down, you two. Our Mutual Aid Association has grown quite large by now, and with so many people, clashes of ideas are inevitable. Therefore, 'seeking common ground while preserving differences' is our fundamental principle. Everyone is entitled to their own thoughts. If you believe someone is wrong, present the facts, speak reason, and debate them. Hurling insults over a single disagreement—is that the conduct of a gentleman?"
Ji Shaoli reached out and pressed the two, who were still poised to resist, right back into their seats.
Kou Hong and Dao Xuanzi exchanged a glance. Aside from their shock, they felt that what Ji Shaoli said was not unreasonable.
They were straightforward men by nature. After a brief pause, they apologized to the small circle of cultivators from earlier. Then they sat back down and scrutinized Ji Shaoli closely.
They had long heard of the leader of the Congyun Sea Mutual Aid Association. Rumors painted him as exceptionally mysterious, likely possessing an extraordinary background. Yet they had not anticipated that his strength would be so unfathomable.
*Brother, he's clearly only at the Golden Core stage. Why could we not resist him in the slightest?* Dao Xuanzi asked via spiritual voice transmission.
Kou Hong narrowed his eyes. *He must be concealing his cultivation. One-on-one, the two of us might not match peerless prodigies, but together, we shouldn't be inferior to anyone in the same realm!*
Dao Xuanzi gave a slight nod, feeling somewhat relieved. *That must be it. Does that mean he is actually in the Nascent Soul realm? It seems this Mutual Aid Association is truly remarkable.*
The two listened intently to Ji Shaoli's speech.
His discourse covered, among other things, the achievements of the Congyun Mutual Aid Association over the past few years, its outstanding members and their life stories, future plans for the association, and so forth.
Though there was little substantive content—only broad, empty words of encouragement—Ji Shaoli spoke with such impassioned eloquence and cadence that his words were exceedingly captivating. The cultivators present all flushed with excitement, as if they could already envision their glorious futures after joining the Mutual Aid Association.
Kou Hong and Dao Xuanzi were also thoroughly drawn in by the various benefits he described, instantly putting the unpleasant little friction from before out of their minds.
*It seems we truly came to the right place.*
They exchanged a glance, both harboring the exact same thought.
Following the speech, under the witness of the Compassionate True Immortal of the Mortal Realm, they officially joined the Mutual Aid Association.
Another round of fervent celebration ensued.
Only when the crowd dispersed did they feel as though they were snapping out of a dream.
"Did we act... a bit too hastily?"
Before they could dwell on the thought, Ji Shaoli quietly ushered them into a secret chamber on the island.
"Fellow Daoist Ji, what is the meaning of this...?" Kou Hong's guard rose.
Yet Ji Shaoli wore a look of sincere contrition. "To tell the truth, what you two said earlier resonated deeply with me. It was only to pacify the crowd that I had no choice but to quibble. In this day and age, passionate and sincere cultivators like you two are rare indeed."
Ji Shaoli bowed to them to convey his apologies.
Caught completely off guard by this gesture, Kou Hong and Dao Xuanzi hastily returned the bow.
"However, your fervent loyalty has been pledged to the wrong master!" At that moment, Ji Shaoli's expression shifted, turning cold.
The two were thoroughly bewildered by his sudden change of face.
"Fellow Daoist Ji, what on earth are you..."
Ji Shaoli gave a dry chuckle. "I know you joined the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals out of gratitude for the life-saving medicine. But as for what that so-called cure actually is... See for yourselves!"
With that, Ji Shaoli tossed over a jade slip.
Inscribed within were exhaustive details regarding the Mind-Ascending Immortality Pill!
"Alliance... of... Ten... Thousand... Immortals..."
Upon reading it, Kou Hong's eyes nearly tore at the corners, his face turning crimson with rage.
Chapter 877