The howling gales roared, raising monstrous waves. A feeble glowing barrier protected the island, trembling under the relentless pounding of gigantic waves.
The spiritual energy in the world ran rampant like a frenzied beast racing and colliding.
Endless winds seemed to appear from nowhere, raging between the sky and the ocean.
This was a scene of a common wind disaster in the Cong Yun Sea.
In the midst of the hurricane, Zhang Haobo was like a piece of driftwood, constantly rising and falling. There was no spiritual energy around him. However, through the eyes of Li Fan, he could faintly perceive a unique rhythm of spiritual energy emerging from Zhang Haobo’s body.
It appeared as if he was mimicking the omnipresent “wind” in the world.
Zhang Haobo’s mind settled, and he closed his eyes to contemplate. It was only when the storm gradually subsided that he opened his eyes.
After a brief sense, he floated towards a specific direction. There was still no spiritual energy fluctuation, but his speed was incredibly fast.
He really seemed like a gentle breeze brushing through the world.
“This technique is quite impressive,” Li Fan nodded slightly.
“However, he seems to be contemplating something again. Wasn’t he looking for Heavenly Treasures to build his foundation?” Li Fan sensed that Zhang Haobo was heading toward another brewing storm.
Zhang Haobo was chasing the wind.
“Interesting…”
It seemed that he had no intention of building his foundation anytime soon. Therefore, most of Li Fan’s attention returned to the matter of the Foundation Establishment Grandmaster.
More than ten days had passed since the last group of Qi Condensation cultivators successfully built their foundations and left. According to past experience, there would typically be one or two new arrivals every seven to eight days. However, this time, no one had shown up after more than ten days.
It was abnormal.
So, the three individuals on the island began to get uneasy. They gathered every day to discuss something.
Li Fan, who was secretly observing, activated his “Formless Killing Intent” to lock onto a young man named Li Chenfeng. He wanted to figure out what they were planning.
One day, the three of them gathered in secret once again.
Li Fan listened attentively from his vantage point, having a clear view of their discussions in the room.
The Foundation Establishment Grandmaster appeared anxious, casting an anxious look upwards and muttering, “It’s happening again. I’m getting that feeling again!”
“Come on, old man, are you really this scared?” Li Chenfeng didn’t quite understand but still looked serious.
The Foundation Establishment Grandmaster shook his head, “You guys don’t understand. Although I’m stuck at the later stage of Foundation Establishment, I’ve witnessed hundreds of scenes of successful foundation building. I’m extremely sensitive to the fluctuations of the laws of heaven and earth.”
“It can’t be wrong; it’s that feeling of being observed again.”
“Maybe some powerful figure is watching us…”
The wrinkled face of the Foundation Establishment Grandmaster seemed to pale.
“Once or twice could be just accidental glances, but it’s been many times now. Is this a warning or…”
“Enough, stop scaring yourself!” Li Chenfeng interrupted impatiently, slamming his hand on the table to boost their morale.
“Moreover, this secret chamber is isolated by a Birth-Death Array, shielding divine senses. It’s not that easy to be broken through!” Li Chenfeng added.
However, Li Chenfeng shifted the topic, “But old man, your concerns aren’t entirely baseless. Our purpose has always been not to stay in one place for too long, make a profit, and then leave. However, the Cong Yun Sea is vast, and there are a considerable number of foundation building cultivators every year, which is why we’ve stayed here for so long.”
He continued, “Our original plan was to stay for another seven or eight years before leaving. Now it seems that we’ve earned quite a bit of profit, and we’ve attracted someone’s attention.”
Li Chenfeng analyzed calmly, “So, it’s best to leave early. We’ll pack up our things, and tomorrow morning we’ll set out. Next, we’ll head north to Yongliang Prefecture. That’s the territory of the Five Elders Association. Once we get there, even if the people from the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance want to cause trouble for us, it won’t be that easy.”
The man named Xiao chimed in, “Right, once we arrive there, we can change our identities and use our old tricks.”
Li Chenfeng suddenly lowered his voice and asked, “Old man, how close are we to exchanging for the ‘Sea Swallowing Eternal Life Technique’?”
The Foundation Establishment Grandmaster squinted, “It’s close. If we’re careful and work for another fifty or so years, we should be able to exchange for it.”
Xiao sighed, “It’s really not easy. Old man, you’ve been away from your hometown for nearly a hundred years, right?”
The Foundation Establishment Grandmaster couldn’t help but feel sentimental, “Yes, it’s been that long. Back then, I overcame countless hardships, broke through the Immortal Extinction Formation, and arrived in the cultivation world. It’s been over ninety-eight years now.”
Li Chenfeng said in a solemn tone, “A Dao Integration technique is extraordinary, of course. To think that it will only take a little over a hundred years to exchange for it is truly a stroke of luck.”
The Foundation Establishment Grandmaster felt somewhat embarrassed, “It’s all thanks to your cleverness, Li. In just one year, I’ve gained more than I did in ten years before.”
The man surnamed Xiao also praised Li.
Li Chenfeng didn’t show a sense of satisfaction on his face but said solemnly, “The closer we get to success, the more careful we must be. After a hundred years of planning and countless sacrifices, we cannot afford to fail.”
The Foundation Establishment Grandmaster’s expression turned serious, “Li is right.”
Xiao spoke in a low voice, “As long as we can bring back the ‘Sea Swallowing Eternal Life Technique,’ all the sacrifices will be worth it.”
Li Chenfeng sighed, “I don’t know how many new Void Ripper Whales have been cultivated over the years. When the Empress calculated it, she found that only a group of a hundred thousand Void Ripper Whales would be able to counteract the attraction of the cultivation world to our homeland. Thirty years ago, when I left my hometown, the group had a size of only around seventy thousand.”
“Thirty years, thirty thousand…”
“Difficult!” Li Chenfeng shook his head.
The Foundation Establishment Grandmaster comforted him, “The number of Void Ripper Whales is insufficient, but we can slowly cultivate more in the future. As long as we bring back the Dao Integration Technique, we can help the Empress subdue those opposing forces.”
“By then, with the full force of the empire, we can certainly lead the empire away from this realm within ten years.”
“Once we have established a lineage with the ‘Sea Swallowing Eternal Life Technique,’ we can break free from the restrictions of immortal techniques not being able to be practiced together.”
“In the future, more and more cultivators will emerge from the empire.”
“The empire’s future is very bright!”
The Foundation Establishment Grandmaster’s words filled Li Chenfeng and the man surnamed Xiao with a vision of a hopeful future.
After a while, the three clasped their hands together tightly.
“For the Empire, for the Empress!”
A fanatical expression appeared on all three of their faces as they spoke in unison.
…
“The Empire, stealing cultivation techniques, leaving the cultivation world…” Li Fan watched this scene from afar and had a strange look in his eyes.
“It seems that those small worlds and sanctuaries that the mortals migrated to in the past aren’t all like the Grand Xuan, completely devoid of spiritual energy.”
“Or perhaps, that was indeed the case in the beginning. It’s just that, over thousands of years, some changes have occurred.”
“The ability to cultivate and control a group of a hundred thousand Void Ripper Whales…”
“This so-called empire is undoubtedly powerful. I wonder what methods they are using.”