This was already Li Fan's sixth cup of spiritual tea.
The tea was nad "Spring Sun Warmth", priced at 800 contribution points per cup.
It was said that the tea tree needed to be cultivated in a cave environnt with year-round dry weather, grown facing the sun. It only sprouted once every three years, making it extrely rare.
After drinking it, a warm current would rise within one's body, creating a sensation akin to basking in sunlight. The effects lasted for several days.
Yet, even this widely acclaid tea failed to dispel the cold fear lingering in Li Fan's heart.
This was the third ti Li Fan, since entering the cycle of reincarnation in the Xuanhuang Realm, had directly faced a true powerhouse in his original form.
The first ti was when his clone was seen through by the Heavenly Doctor, who followed the connection to invade Li Fan’s private space in the Tianxuan Mirror.
The second ti was during his secluded cultivation in Tianyu Prefecture, comprehending the "Great Five Elents Annihilation Sword." The Old Fisherman, drawn by the aura of heavenly calamity within it, had unexpectedly appeared.
This third encounter, however, was even more startling and caught him completely off guard.
And it was far more perilous.
At least the Old Fisherman, though mad and incoherent, bore no malice toward Li Fan. On the contrary, he had even given him a fortunate opportunity.
The encounter with the Heavenly Doctor was Li Fan’s own doing, as he had taken on a mission offering a reward of 100,000 contribution points and willingly sought out the trouble. Though he hadn’t yet learned the importance of concealing his thoughts before a powerhouse, leading to his intentions being discovered, his true consciousness was clear at the ti. Plus, with the [Truth] Shield protecting him, the danger had been more bark than bite.
But this ti...
Daoist Xiumu appeared suddenly and without warning, catching Li Fan entirely unprepared.
Their thods were terrifying, and even now, recalling the experience, Li Fan felt a chill of dread.
“Unlike the Heavenly Doctor’s thod of seeing through human hearts, the Daoist Xiumu—or rather, ‘Ruomu’—can directly distort and alter a cultivator's thoughts and perceptions.”
“And the cultivator themselves remains oblivious to any abnormalities…”
“No wonder the Daoist Xiumu previously claid that the cultivators who had their golden cores taken were all ‘willing.’”
Recalling his thoughts and reactions at the ti, Li Fan felt another wave of coldness rising in his heart.
He downed another cup of "Spring Sun Warmth" to calm his nerves.
“Natural selection—this is simply the way of nature.”
“But after following him and witnessing the place called ‘Withering Human Life,’ not only did I not sense danger or sorrow, I actually found it entirely reasonable.”
“I even felt a desire to replace them myself…”
Li Fan squinted his eyes, replaying the scenes before Ruomu in his mind through the Dao Deviation Stone.
The influence of Ruomu had dissipated by now.
Though Li Fan had always regarded all living beings as tools, seeing cultivators suspended like fruit from branches still instinctively filled him with unease.
This was the natural reaction he should have had.
“Under the Daoist Xiumu’s influence, my concepts were twisted and seemingly guided toward extres.”
“One could say I beca sowhat deranged.”
Li Fan didn’t deny that, deep within, he might indeed harbor a faint shadow of such thoughts.
But humans are complex spiritual aggregates, often harboring contradictory beliefs.
A fleeting thought cannot, of course, define one’s fundantal worldview.
“This Daoist Xiumu is highly abnormal.”
“They seem to harbor a profound hatred for cultivators.”
Naturally, Li Fan didn’t believe soone with Ruomu's level of cultivation would sell golden cores rely for contribution points.
Abducting cultivators to join the ‘Withering Human Life’ production line might also be secondary.
The primary purpose, it seed, was likely to propagate the idea that “cultivators can also be like fruit.”
Such heretical views would undoubtedly be rejected by the cultivator community. The Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance was likely monitoring and suppressing such ideologies, which was why the Daoist Xiumu couldn’t act openly.
“Revenge, perhaps…” Li Fan’s eyes flickered with thought.
The heavens give rise to all living things, yet Ruomu steals their longevity. It draws life to create longevity fruits, which, when consud, grant eternal life.
During the period when Ruomu controlled his thoughts, countless scenes had flashed through Li Fan's mind.
He saw a towering, vibrant tree utterly unlike the current withered one.
It stretched up to the heavens, verdant and brimming with life.
No cultivators hung from its branches.
At its crown, there were rely a few translucent, purple-and-gold fruits of extraordinary quality.
The fruit’s surface bore faint patterns—trees, mountains, exotic beasts.
The markings on each purple-and-gold fruit were unique, with no duplicates.
In those flashes of vision, Li Fan also saw that, at first, only ordinary humans stumbled upon the tree. They had no cultivation and dressed as common mortals.
Only a select few lucky individuals managed to climb the tree’s branches and successfully pluck the purple-and-gold fruits.
Later, however, humans ca more frequently and grew stronger.
So climbed the giant tree as though walking on flat ground.
Naturally, more fruits were taken.
As a result, Ruomu, once indifferent to outside intrusions, began to change.
It birthed various mystical creatures on its branches as a defensive system to repel intruders seeking its fruit.
This worked for a while.
But the peace didn’t last.
When humans returned, their strength had undergone an earth-shattering transformation.
They ca in groups, clad in peculiar garnts, capable of flight and manipulating the energy of the heavens to battle.
The creatures Ruomu had spawned were no match for them.
Humans seized control of Ruomu and claid it as their own.
They stationed guards and periodically harvested its fruits.
…
“Xuantian Sect?”
The attire of the humans in those visions was distinctive and unmistakable.
It bore a striking resemblance to the robes Li Fan had seen on the remains of a Xuantian Sect Dharma King in Senior Sister Zhao’s illusion.
The Xuantian Sect ruled over this place for a long ti.
When the scene shifted again, the people now appearing at Ruomu were cultivators from the Ten Great Immortal Sects.
“Longevity Fruit, perhaps?”
Li Fan glanced at the withered tree fragnt on the table, his mind racing.
After a long mont of reflection, his thoughts returned to the mory.
During the Ten Great Immortal Sects’ occupation of Ruomu, the yield of purple-and-gold fruits inexplicably began to decline.
The cultivators who ca to harvest the fruits also seed to co from different sects each ti.
What followed remained unclear…
One day, dozens of cultivators with powerful auras stord into the scene.
After easily slaying the guards, they did not imdiately plunder the purple-and-gold fruits.
Instead, they stared at Ruomu, arguing over sothing.
Their dispute grew heated but eventually reached a resolution.
The subsequent scene made Li Fan’s pupils contract sharply.
They set up an enormous formation, sealing Ruomu within.
Black chains, like long needles, pierced into the tree at various points.
Soon, an unending stream of life energy was drawn out and gathered into a green ball of light in the air.
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