After returning to the Ten Thousand Immortals Island via the teleportation array, Li Fan found out that the news about the reappearance of the Cloud Water Heavenly Palace in the mortal world had already spread.
“Quick Look! Mysterious Sect Revives After Thousands of Years,” “Gentle Senior Brother Attempts Misdeeds at Night…,” “Top-Secret Information, Only 10 Contribution Points, No Deception.”
At first, it was the information sold by Jiao Xiuyuan, related only to the first trial of the Qin Hall. However, since it was first-hand information, it still fetched a high price of 30 contribution points per copy.
Jiao Xiuyuan made a considerable profit from this.
However, as survivors returned from the Cloud Water Heavenly Palace, information about this mysterious sect’s remnants gradually became richer, and the prices fell accordingly.
Of course, the information available on the market was currently limited to the information about the Qin Tang statue and several other anomalies around it.
There was still a lack of information about the deeper areas of the Cloud Water Heavenly Palace, such as the Demon Refining Tower and the Taiyi Hall.
Li Fan shook his head and returned to the Tianxuan Mirror to assess his gains from this journey.
The “Cloud Water Illusory Dream Art” taught by Qin Tang, the “Insect Binding Technique” from the Gu Daoist, and the “Cloud Water Map.”
There was also the “Sea Fixing Sword Technique” and the “Sun Stealing Technique” received from Sikong Yi, as well as the “Sun Stealing Token.”
Li Fan had already cultivated the “Jade Cosmos Thousand Variations Sutra,” the “Netherworld Spirit Illusion Technique,” and the “Stalking Shadow Technique.”
With his multiple techniques, he needed to make choices about which technique to specialize in.
The Insect Binding Technique was an innate technique, so it didn’t require cultivation.
The “Cloud Water Illusory Dream Art” had endless uses. It was incredibly valuable for Li Fan’s future plans, so he had to cultivate it.
The “Sun Stealing Technique” could be cultivated, but…
Li Fan’s divine sense swept across the Sun Stealing Token inside his storage ring.
The method for creating a clone might be worth a try.
As for the technique that Sikong Yue had developed later, which transformed one’s essence into the Sun Stealing Token, it didn’t need to be cultivated. In Li Fan’s eyes, this self-preservation method was far from perfect. As long as he could trap the main body and the clone, followed by continuous extermination, the so-called resurrection was just a joke.
In this world, for self-preservation, what could be stronger than his [Truth]?
Why chase after trivial gains and ignore the big picture?
Moreover…
As he looked at the somewhat eerie, lifelike token, Li Fan had a faint premonition.
“Sun Stealing. Who replaces whom? It’s hard to say.”
“There’s no need to risk it. Let’s put it aside for now, and verify it at a later date.”
“‘Sea Fixing Sword Technique’ can be cultivated all the way to the Golden Core Realm. When perfected, you can condense 108
Sea Fixing Swords in your dantian.”
“It’s a first-class martial technique for killing, with considerable power, but there’s no need to hurry with cultivation.”
“Now, it’s been 12 years. In my previous life, the Crimson Flame’s burning of the sea took place in the 31st year. At that time, I was still hesitant about whether to participate in this major event. Now, with this opportunity, if I use my clone with the ‘Cloud Water Illusory Dream Art,’ even if my main body escapes to a distant continent, I can still stir up some commotion in the Cong Yun Sea.”
In an instant, Li Fan’s mind was flooded with various schemes. After a long time, he decided to put them aside for now.
He took out a small, colorful model from his storage ring and examined it carefully.
“If I hadn’t acquired this item directly from Patriarch Taiyi himself, I’m afraid I wouldn’t believe that this is the legendary ‘Cloud Water Map.’ After studying it, I still can’t see any mysteries,” Li Fan couldn’t help but exclaim.
“Perhaps there really is a secret hidden inside this. But if I can’t crack it, it’s just like trash sitting in my hands. It’s more appropriate to exchange it for 100,000 contribution points.”
“But if I submit it right now, it will attract too much attention. I should create a clone first.”
Li Fan checked his current contribution points.
Previously, to deal with Sikong Yi, he had nearly spent all of his contribution points.
He was left with just over 500 points.
Thankfully, the materials needed for creating a clone were mostly not too expensive.
Superior Bones, Heavenly Spirit Milk, Shattered Bone Essence…
Li Fan purchased these materials one by one.
Finally, when he had only 135 points left, Li Fan bought all the other materials except for the last one, Heaven Crystal Spirit Sand.
As for the Heaven Crystal Spirit Sand, Sikong Yi’s memories indicated that it could be collected in some places within the Cong Yun Sea.
Afterward, Li Fan activated the auxiliary cultivation mode and began cultivating the “Sun Stealing Technique.”
The “Sun Stealing Technique” was somewhat similar to the “Jade Cosmos Thousand Variations Sutra” that Li Fan primarily cultivated.
The “Jade Cosmos Thousand Variations Sutra” involved cultivating Qi, while the “Sun Stealing Technique” focused on stealing destiny.
Both Qi and destiny were profound and challenging to sense, yet they existed as truths.
With the boost from the Enlightenment Mode, Li Fan spent three days to cultivate it to the middle Qi Condensation stage.
However, his contribution points were now down to a meager 35 points.
In any case, the “Sun Stealing Technique” allowed him to create a clone at the middle Qi Condensation stage, so he decided to halt his cultivation.
Bringing the materials with him, Li Fan left the Ten Thousand Immortals Island through the teleportation array and arrived in the western Cong Yun Sea, specifically on Lingyun Island.
The location where the Heaven Crystal Spirit Sand could be found wasn’t far from Lingyun Island.
He greeted the guardian of Lingyun Island, activated a Concealing Form Talisman, and flew toward the location.
After several days, he stopped in an area of the sea filled with whirlpools of various sizes and then dove beneath the sea.
The seawater here was relatively shallow, only about three to four hundred meters deep, and he soon reached the seabed.
The seabed was littered with collapsed architectural remnants, indicating that it was the site of some ancient ruins. The scale of the ruins was quite large, and it was still possible to imagine its former prosperity. However, it had sunk to the bottom of the sea for some unknown reason.
Such ruins were scattered throughout the Cong Yun Sea, and Li Fan didn’t find them unusual.
After all, when Li Fan had just arrived in the Cong Yun Sea, he had heard about the great windstorm disaster that had struck and caused hundreds of islands to sink.
Arriving next to an oblique stone column, Li Fan slipped through the gaps in the stone.
Inside, it appeared as though a pitch-black cave, with hundreds of luminescent jellyfish drifting about.
They looked like moving stars.
The cave’s floor was covered with a layer of shimmering sand.
In the center of the cave, a giant rock had been hollowed out, serving as the jellyfish’s habitat.
The glowing sand on the floor was naturally the Heaven Crystal Spirit Sand.
Li Fan collected the Heaven Crystal Spirit Sand from the ground and then gazed at the giant rock in the center, marveling at the wonder of creation.
This place was also discovered by Sikong Yi by chance.
The central boulder was originally an ordinary Heavenly Spirit Ore.
But after being consumed and digested by these unknown jellyfish, it had transformed into a precious material, the Heaven Crystal Spirit Sand.
It was truly incredible.
To put it in perspective, even a Foundation Establishment alchemist would have to spend quite a bit of time to refine Heaven Crystal Spirit Sand.