The entire Empire pocket world trembled beneath this terrifying might.
In the ocean below, monstrous waves surged.
The city built upon Chi Jiutou's body shuddered ceaselessly, as though it could plummet from the sky at any moment.
What terrified Qing and Hong even more was that under this immense pressure, let alone the strange beasts commanded by the Imperial Guard, even the two of them felt dread taking root in their hearts, leaving them unable to muster the slightest thought of resistance!
"The gap in strength is simply too vast. Even if we release the fusion beast, it won't be a match for this person!"
"If we resist by force, with a single thought, he could easily destroy the Empire."
Qing and Hong exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with helplessness and reluctance.
"We can only feign compliance for now and find another way later," they thought.
"Senior, we surrender," Qing said, gritting her teeth and bowing low.
"Hmph. Don't think I don't know what you're thinking." Seeing this, Li Fan retracted the grotto-heaven projection.
His gaze swept back and forth between Qing and Hong. "You had best abandon your petty schemes. The Myriad Realms Association has been watching you for a long time."
"Your so-called trump cards are crystal clear to me."
"Even if Di Yi were to come in person, I would not fear it. Let alone a clumsy imitation."
Li Fan's words were boundless in their arrogance, but falling upon the ears of Qing and Hong—who knew nothing of his true capabilities—they shocked the two into jerking their heads up.
Li Fan's abyssally deep gaze made their hearts run ice-cold.
The Myriad Phenomena fusion beast was the Empire's absolute, top-secret trump card.
Only successive emperors and the two of them knew of its existence.
Yet this expert from the Myriad Realms Association, whom they had never even heard of, knew about it as well?
Didn't that mean they had no secrets from him whatsoever?
More crucially, they had no idea when the leak had occurred.
A sense of dejection and panic surged into their hearts.
Even long ago back in the Beast Taming Sect, when facing Longevity realm experts, they had never felt so powerless.
"Come. Take me to the Imperial Treasury," Li Fan instructed flatly, seeing that he had browbeaten them enough.
Like meat on a chopping block, with matters having reached this point, Qing and Hong no longer harbored any thought of resistance.
They could only obey Li Fan's orders.
Soon, Li Fan arrived once again inside the Imperial Treasury, which housed countless treasures and archives.
It was no different from what he had seen in his previous life.
After taking a brief stroll around and finally inspecting the condition of the Myriad Phenomena fusion beast, Li Fan laid his cards on the table.
"Hand over Xu Ke's research notes on the Myriad Beasts Reincarnation Wheel as well," Li Fan said in a low voice, turning to stare at Qing and Hong.
As soon as these words were uttered, the two birds lost all composure.
"Just who are you?" Qing's beautiful eyes were filled with horror, and her body trembled uncontrollably.
To know their master Xu Ke's name, and even be fully aware of his research into the Myriad Beasts Reincarnation Wheel back then...
Combined with the words "Myriad Realms Association," a possibility couldn't help but surface in Qing's mind.
"The Beast Taming Sect?"
Seeing her flabbergasted expression, Li Fan let out a sinister smile.
"What? Are you going to resist after all?"
"Very well, then I'll grant your wish."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. If that boy Xu Ke learns of your deaths, he will surely take it hard," Li Fan chuckled weirdly.
Qing and Hong hurriedly said, "Senior, you misunderstand..."
"Wait... Senior, what do you mean?"
The two stared blankly at Li Fan.
"You guessed right. That kid Xu Ke is still alive," Li Fan sneered.
The revelation was so shocking that Qing and Hong could barely contain their emotions, nearly collapsing where they stood.
"Enough. Stop stalling. Death..."
"Or submission!"
Seeing Li Fan's growing impatience, Qing and Hong felt their hearts tighten.
"We..."
"We submit," Qing bowed her head and said.
After hesitating for a moment, she handed over a jade pendant carved with a qingluan.
This jade pendant was once Xu Ke's personal belonging, and over all these years, she had carried it with her everywhere.
Handing it over now, her eyes were filled with reluctance.
At the same time, Xu Ke's figure vaguely floated into her mind once more.
While she was lost in a daze, Li Fan had already read through all the contents within the jade pendant.
"The Beast Taming Reincarnation Wheel..."
"Truly worthy of being the Beast Taming Sect's supreme treasure. How profoundly wondrous."
Back when the Beast Taming Sect migrated to a pocket world to seek refuge, they had gathered their elite disciples to study the Beast Taming Reincarnation Wheel, attempting to find a method to control demon beasts without practicing the True Beast Taming Art.
Whether they had ultimately succeeded, Li Fan did not know.
However, Xu Ke, who fled later on, had independently developed the Concentric Heart Art to command the strange beasts in the Empire pocket world.
Li Fan had long known about the Concentric Heart Art.
What truly interested him were the profound mysteries of the Beast Taming Reincarnation Wheel.
And Xu Ke was indeed a genius favored by Mr. Bai and capable of founding the imperial lineage; the depth of detail regarding the Beast Taming Reincarnation Wheel recorded in this jade pendant exceeded even Li Fan's expectations.
"With such exhaustive records, once the Medicine King Cauldron returns, Fang Zaiji might just be able to forge a weakened replica of the Beast Taming Reincarnation Wheel."
Although there was still some time before the Medicine King Sect's return, Li Fan had already arranged tasks for them in advance.
Looking at Qing's despondent appearance, Li Fan chuckled and tossed the jade pendant back to her.
"I know you have some plan to escape the Xuanhuang Realm..."
"However, I can tell you plainly that you are courting death."
"Beyond the endless void lie countless perils, far more treacherous than the Xuanhuang Realm..."
Li Fan sighed softly, then his expression turned solemn. "Joining our Myriad Realms Association, launching a counteroffensive against the cultivation world, and reclaiming the Xuanhuang Realm is your only hope of survival!"
Hearing these words from Li Fan, Qing became even more convinced of her deduction.
This Myriad Realms Association was indeed an alliance formed by the sects that had fled to various pocket worlds in ancient times.
"This place of yours may be weak, but it has some unique merits," Li Fan remarked, then assigned them their tasks. "For example, that spiritual energy synthesis technology is quite useful for many pocket worlds lacking spiritual energy."
"However, the current efficiency is still too low."
"Even if you dedicate the entire world's strength to breeding strange beasts and slaughtering them all, it wouldn't meet the needs of many pocket worlds."
"Therefore..."
Feeling Li Fan's piercing gaze, Qing and Hong shuddered.
"Upgrade your spiritual energy synthesis technology at all costs."
"I will give you three years. Three years from now, I will come to inspect the results."
"If I am satisfied with the outcome, there will be a reward."
"Otherwise..."
"Useless trash is merely a waste of resources while alive; it's better to die early."
Li Fan cackled sinisterly once more, his words laden with chilling murderous intent.
Chapter 881