A Mind Clouded by Greed

The originally indistinct figure instantly came into sharp focus. An elderly man with a head of snow-white hair and the character *Fa* carved upon his forehead appeared before Sacred Embryo Li Fan. "Do you know what you are saying?" "Countless Dao Integration cultivators have examined it and been left helpless, yet a mere Nascent Soul like you dares to spout such wild talk?" The old man glared at Li Fan with a grim expression, a flicker of murderous intent flashing in his eyes. Sacred Embryo Li Fan was not in the least intimidated. He merely shrugged. "What if I can? It's not like you have any better ideas, do you?" This fearless attitude actually gave the old man pause. After a brief investigation into the background of the seemingly arrogant cultivator before him, he sensed something even more unusual. This person's background was simply too clean and sparse! It was as if he had appeared out of thin air, with all vital information deliberately concealed! In circumstances like this, either the man was the avatar of some grand figure, or he was a spy from the Five Elders Association... *Still, this brat truly possesses only Nascent Soul cultivation. No matter what, he cannot turn the sky upside down.* *And besides, the situation can hardly get any worse...* After pondering for a moment, the white-haired elder gave a cold snort. "Follow me!" With that, Sacred Embryo Li Fan felt his vision blur. In the next instant, he found himself standing in the very space where Yanfa Jade had originally resided. Unlike what he had seen before, the colossal sphere composed of countless characters—which once shifted and transformed incessantly—now seemed rusted over, its rotations and mutations grinding along at an agonizingly sluggish pace. Beneath the sphere, the little girl of Yanfa Jade was also slumped over the long wooden table, lost in a heavy, drowsy slumber. In the distance stood three other cultivators gazing at Yanfa Jade, their faces etched with anxiety. Noticing the white-haired elder bringing Sacred Embryo Li Fan in, they merely cast a sidelong glance without asking questions. Their attention quickly refocused on the light sphere of characters that was nearly grinding to a complete halt. A bizarre power seemed entwined around it. When Li Fan sent his divine sense near it, he felt as though the surrounding scene were fast-forwarding hundreds and thousands of times faster. Only after decisively withdrawing his divine sense did he realize that what had felt like a fleeting instant had taken nearly the time of an incense stick in reality. Li Fan realized that the flow of time around him had not accelerated. Rather, his own speed of thought had been drastically retarded, slowing almost to a standstill. "How did it end up like this?" Sacred Embryo Li Fan could not help but frown slightly, transmitting his voice to the white-haired elder. "Could a villain have infiltrated this place, causing..." This was a rather severe accusation. The white-haired elder's expression shifted slightly, and he cut Li Fan off: "Cease your nonsense." "Every cultivator who had contact with Yanfa Jade during this period has long been thoroughly investigated, and all have been cleared of suspicion. In truth, this abnormality in Yanfa Jade appeared inexplicably on the very day our Alliance went to war with the Five Elders Association." Hearing this, Li Fan instantly recalled the image of those five dharma manifestations pulling the colossal white net and twisting the principles of Heaven and Earth across the Five Elders Association's territory. *Yanfa Jade is a wonder of Heaven of the Xuanhuang Realm, likewise representing a principle of Heaven and Earth.* *Could it have suffered collateral damage during that process?* If Li Fan could think of this reason right away, the Protector Hall naturally could not have missed it. "The principle of deriving dharmas itself has not been affected; we have confirmed this repeatedly," the white-haired elder transmitted calmly, noting Li Fan's thoughtful expression. "So that's not the cause..." Li Fan nodded, refocusing his gaze on the sphere of characters. The bizarre power shrouding it was like a barrier formed outside the light sphere, warding off every possible probe from the outside world. After a moment's contemplation, Li Fan separated another wisp of divine sense and flew it inside. Under normal circumstances, making direct contact with Yanfa Jade's true body was strictly forbidden. Yet with Yanfa Jade malfunctioning, no one stepped forward to stop him, treating it as an attempt at a "cure." As the divine sense drew closer to the giant sphere of light, the surrounding scene grew static once more. Paying no heed to it, he continued flying toward the sphere. Within the perception of his divine sense, space gradually warped and twisted. The sphere covered in characters also unfolded, flattening out into a plane. It was like a sheet of white paper stretching from heaven to earth, upon which countless characters continuously flashed and altered. From the perspective of his divine sense, Yanfa Jade's speed in deducing techniques seemed completely normal. However, this was only because the thinking speed of his divine sense had also been retarded, reducing both to the exact same pace. *Could it be caused by that distortion?* The wisp of divine sense swiftly swept across the surface of the paper, roughly mapping out the current full state of Yanfa Jade. *The Mending the Heavens Record can heal the ailments of a world.* *Yanfa Jade is the embodiment of a worldly law. As long as I can find the corresponding symptoms...* *First, I must determine whether this anomaly is caused by external factors or by Yanfa Jade itself.* The wisp of divine sense conducted another meticulous examination. For the "ailments" of the cultivation world, the Mending the Heavens Record contained its own method of Looking, Listening, Questioning, and Feeling the Pulse. Just as when a person fell ill, if a world grew diseased, all manner of abnormal signs would naturally manifest. Under the scan of his divine sense, he indeed uncovered a few clues. "When greed cannot be overcome, delusion is born from the mind..." His divine sense understood. After verifying the diagnostic result once more, it dispersed on its own. Outside the sphere of light, within the vast, dark space... Sacred Embryo Li Fan had stood motionless for seven full days and nights. The white-haired elder knew he was observing the internal state of the light sphere, so he had left him undisturbed the entire time. He had merely been discussing potential solutions with the other three cultivators. "We can delay for at most another month." "If it truly comes to it, we should go invite the Heavenly Physician as soon as possible." "Easier said than done. If he could be invited, I would have gone long ago. The Heavenly Physician's whereabouts are erratic, making it exceedingly difficult to contact him. Moreover, he acts purely on personal whim; he won't even give face to the Dharma Transmitters." ... The three deliberated for a while, their brows still tightly furrowed. Over by Sacred Embryo Li Fan, however, he leisurely came around. Sensing the information returned by his divine sense, he nodded inwardly. Then, almost imperceptibly, his gaze fell upon the seemingly sleeping little girl of Yanfa Jade. "Well? Did you find anything?" The white-haired elder harbored little hope, asking purely offhand. To his surprise, Sacred Embryo Li Fan nodded. "I have it about eight or nine parts out of ten. I just need a final confirmation." "It's completely normal if you can't see any—wait, what?" The white-haired elder snapped his gaze toward the sacred embryo, his eyes filled with disbelief. "What did you just say? What eight or nine parts out of ten?" The elder's abnormal reaction instantly drew the attention of the other three Protector Hall cultivators. In a flash of movement, they surrounded the sacred embryo. "Boy, lacking ability is nothing to be ashamed of. But do not speak recklessly..."