Chapter 227: Reunion in a Foreign Land
Immortal Ancestor, the Tai Shang Primordial Scripture.
The name of this item containing these two extremely sensitive terms was bound to trigger Li Fan's nerves. Approaching the partially unfolded scroll, Li Fan locked onto it with his spiritual sense, and the product information appeared.
"Immortal Ancestor forcibly seizes the Tai Shang Primordial Scripture."
"Several years ago, the Immortal Ancestor personally went to the Tai Shang Sect to borrow the 'Tai Shang Primordial Scripture.'"
"At that time, a cultivator skilled in painting happened to be a guest at the Tai Shang Sect."
"Using a brush, he recorded this scene."
"A replica."
"Suggested to be burned after viewing."
"Not recommended for Ten Thousand Immortals Immortal Alliance cultivators to carry."
"Highly discouraged for Five Elders Association cultivators to carry."
"Selling price: 200 contribution points."
Li Fan carefully examined the price, his expression peculiar as he asked, "This scroll is selling for only 200 contribution points? Can it still be considered a forbidden item?"
The attendant explained patiently, "Because it's a replica and can be mass-produced, the price is very low."
"The reason it's considered a forbidden item is because this painting involves two Longevity Immortals."
"Displaying it casually could lead to significant trouble."
Li Fan's eyes flashed at the mention of two Longevity Immortals, immediately ready to make the payment and acquire it.
However, at that moment, Li Fan suddenly became alert, "Will there be any trouble after looking at this painting?"
The attendant smiled, "Esteemed guest, you need to know that this painting contains nothing twisted or slanderous. It simply records and restores the scene from the perspective of an observer."
"Moreover, in the eyes of the Immortal Ancestor, we cultivators are no different from ants."
"They wouldn't bother with our words and actions."
"The real trouble comes from those below the Immortal Ancestor, those eager to show loyalty..."
The attendant stopped there and said no more.
Li Fan nodded slowly, spent 200 contribution points, and bought the painting.
Holding the scroll, without unfolding it, his spiritual sense instantly entered the painting.
The surroundings abruptly changed, as if, in an instant, he had traversed time and space, arriving thousands of years in the past.
Above the vast sea of clouds, thirty-three floating peaks successively activated guardian formations.
An elderly man with a high crown calmly stepped through the air.
"I have heard that the Tai Shang Sect possesses an original scripture, profound and infinite, known as the source of all laws and the origin of all daos."
"Now, calamity has befallen, and cultivators practicing the same technique cannot coexist. For the sake of the world, I request to borrow the scripture for a glimpse!"
The voice was unhurried, spreading throughout heaven and earth.
The boundless sea of clouds dispersed, revealing the world below.
The sky suddenly darkened, and the stars appeared in broad daylight.
A cold, emotionless voice instantly echoed from the thirty-three peaks of the Tai Shang Sect, suppressing all the anomalies.
"The life and death of worldly cultivators have nothing to do with me."
"Fellow Daoist, please leave!"
The elderly man shook his head slightly, a look of pity appearing on his face.
"In that case, what does the scripture have to do with you, the Tai Shang Sect?"
With a single step, the old man instantly arrived in front of the thirty-three peaks.
"Boom!"
A violent shock came, and an infinite white light engulfed everything in sight.
...
The content of the painting abruptly stopped here, and Li Fan's spiritual sense withdrew from the painting. Although the subsequent events were not described in the painting, the current state where everyone could cultivate part of the 'Tai Shang Primordial Scripture' hinted at the outcome of that battle.
Rolling up the scroll, Li Fan couldn't help but fall into a brief contemplation.
"So, the method that all cultivators heavily rely on today for dispersing and re-cultivating techniques is also derived from Immortal Ancestor."
"One could say that without this extraordinary method that allows one to convert to other techniques with minimal loss, the current system of technique transactions would be impossible to sustain."
"The plight of cultivators would undoubtedly be much more miserable."
"For the sake of the world..."
"On the surface, it does seem that way."
"But..."
After a moment of contemplation, Li Fan shelved his thoughts and continued leisurely strolling through this forbidden item level.
Items like this painting that had been classified as forbidden due to involving great secrets were still a minority.
The vast majority were materials explicitly prohibited by the Five Elders Association that possessed various special functions.
Li Fan was particularly interested in the Dao Enlightenment Elixirs he had heard about before.
Another item that caught his attention was a portable teleportation formation.
It didn't require the user to have much knowledge of formations; you just needed to place the two ends of the teleportation formations at suitable locations, and they would automatically construct and activate.
Within the Ten Thousand Immortals Immortal Alliance, the construction of teleportation formations could be considered highly confidential. Li Fan hadn't encountered related knowledge until now.
The Dao Enlightenment Elixirs cost 500 contribution points each, with a limit of 100 pills per cultivator.
A set of three portable teleportation formations cost 3,000 contribution points. Li Fan bought two sets just in case.
After leaving the forbidden item level, he quickly purchased two Golden Core-level techniques and twelve Foundation Building-level techniques.
He spent almost all the three hundred top-grade spirit stones carried by his clone before calling it a day.
When leaving the Wanfa Chamber of Commerce, he was thoughtfully gifted a mask.
Wearing the mask could change one's appearance, preventing tracking by others. Li Fan accepted the mask with a smile.
He rented an inn in Mount Tianchang City, initiated a ritual, and transferred the purchased items to the White Bone Realm.
Finally, he could relax a bit. Copies of the control center of the White Bone Realm, the white bone left hand, were held by both the main body and the clone.
This way, even if there were any unexpected incidents on the return journey, at most, only a clone would be lost.
With things settled, the clone left the inn and strolled around Mount Tianchang City.
Three days later, Greenwood and the others also completed their purchases.
As they prepared to return home, they encountered a group of cultivators coming from the Cong Yun Sea.
This group was led by a Nascent Soul stage cultivator named Ling Meng.
Although Ling Meng and Greenwood didn't know each other personally, they had heard about each other.
Since they were all cultivators from the Cong Yun Sea, the group discussed and decided to return together for mutual support.
After waiting for a few more days, they finally embarked on the long journey back.
Compared to the journey here, the returning group expanded by almost double.
There were two Nascent Soul cultivators, seven Golden Core cultivators, and over twenty Foundation Building cultivators.
The lineup was quite formidable, deterring many opportunistic troublemakers. The journey back was much smoother.
However, Li Fan always felt that the Nascent Soul stage cultivator named Ling Meng seemed familiar but couldn't recall where he had seen him.
It was only when his main body, currently cultivating in the Tianxuan Mirror, split one part of his mind to carefully review past memories one by one that he recalled.
This Ling Meng was the Nascent Soul cultivator who entered the blue ox cart's thatched cottage in the twelfth life and tragically died during an exploration of a cave shortly afterward.
Li Fan had seen his image in the Heavenly Secrets Hall, so he felt a sense of familiarity.
In this world, Li Fan hadn't taken the task of the "Cloud Water Map," so the events of the blue ox's cart-pulling and the Master appearing in the world didn't occur.
It seems he had changed the fate of this person's death.