Lu Fan stood with his hands behind his back, calmly watching the battle below from mid-air.
It seemed the immortal realm did not value life as much as the mortal realm. The scene of slaughter showed no regard for human lives. He was puzzled, why did people always want to ascend? How was it better than the mortal world?
"Master! All hundred peaks of Zixiao Mountain have been taken. Please proceed to the main hall of the First Peak," Li Shan Laomu arrived beside Lu Fan again, bowing and saying.
"Good!" Lu Fan nodded. Everyone then headed straight for the First Peak.
The First Peak was the main peak of Zixiao Mountain. At its summit stood a magnificent grand hall, twice the size of the hall on the Fourth Peak, and several times more glorious than the other halls.
Lu Fan was not one for politeness. He strode directly into the hall. It was better to enter boldly than to be invited.
"Master!" Li Jingjing appeared before Lu Fan, cupping her hands and bowing.
"Jingjing! Look up," Lu Fan exclaimed with joy, quickly calling out.
Jingjing raised her head.
Lu Fan stared intently into Jingjing's eyes, thinking: Jingjing, have you found the way home?
Li Jingjing possessed telepathy and naturally understood what Lu Fan wanted to say. She shook her head slightly. However, she secretly found it amusing that her master would try to communicate this way.
Lu Fan thought again: Then be more observant, and be sure to find the way back.
Li Jingjing immediately nodded.
"Ahem... Senior Sister Qiongxiao, there's no need to exchange glances with Master. You can stay tonight!" Li Shan Laomu said from the side, frowning. In her opinion, Li Jingjing had been with Lu Fan for so long that they likely had an unusual relationship. After not seeing each other for a few days, they couldn't wait. How embarrassing!
"Senior Sister Jin Ling! Let's go!" Li Shan Laomu suddenly pulled Ruomei away. The people in the hall seemed to understand something and immediately withdrew. Even the two young Daoist maidservants left.
"Oh my... Master! It seems we've been misunderstood!" Li Jingjing said, her face flushing.
"Hmph! Don't mind them. Quickly tell me, what is your current cultivation realm?" Lu Fan asked impatiently, unconcerned about the misunderstanding.
"Still at the Innate realm! What's wrong, Master?" Li Jingjing asked, surprised.
"Then aren't you far behind all of them?" Lu Fan said dejectedly.
"Of course. Junior brothers and sisters are all Grand Masters of the Void Integration realm. They could kill me with a single finger." Li Jingjing then seemed to understand Lu Fan's intention and added, "Master, do you want to run?"
"Of course I want to run! I'm not really Tongtian Jiaozhu. Have you ever seen a Tongtian Jiaozhu at the Innate realm?" Lu Fan rolled his eyes. He always had a nagging feeling that he was not Tongtian Jiaozhu at all. All of this seemed like a trap.
"I am not Qiongxiao Niangniang, one of the Sanxiao sisters either. However, we can't run. Not to mention junior brothers and sisters, even the disciples of Li Shan Laomu cut down the strong cultivators on Zixiao Mountain like slicing vegetables. They are far stronger than us. How could they let us escape? Moreover, haven't you noticed that one of us, either me or my junior sister, is always under their control?" Li Jingjing said, shaking her head.
"I know, of course. This further confirms that I am not Tongtian Jiaozhu. I'm just puzzled, why do they insist I am Tongtian Jiaozhu? Is it just because of the Creation Sword?" Lu Fan said, rolling his eyes.
"I heard from my junior brothers that Master didn't originally use the Creation Sword. That sword was called the Qingping Sword, and it was shattered by Zhunti Daoist, one of the Six Saints, during the Investiture of the Gods calamity. Later, Master used the broken Qingping Sword and other treasures to forge this Creation Sword, which had even greater power. He intended to use this sword to avenge himself, but later he was trapped in the Biyou Palace by Patriarch Hongjun... and then he disappeared!" Li Jingjing shrugged.
"Master! We know this is a trap, but it seems there's only one way!" Li Jingjing suddenly said.
"What way?" Lu Fan asked urgently.
"Play along and see what they really want!" Li Jingjing said, her long eyelashes fluttering.
"What kind of terrible idea is that!" Lu Fan rolled his eyes in exasperation. That idea was as good as saying nothing.
"What else can we do?" Li Jingjing pouted.
"Hmph! It seems everything depends on myself! Improve! Let myself reach the most formidable realm, then I can come and go as I please," Lu Fan declared proudly.
"Tch! Your method isn't any better than mine!" Li Jingjing immediately pouted.
"Cultivate..."
"Cultivate..."
"Master, I heard Sister Ruoyan say that dual cultivation speeds up cultivation..."
"You brat! Get lost..."
...
In the grand hall, Lu Fan sat cross-legged, adjusting his breath and entering a state of cultivation. Suddenly, Lu Fan noticed that within his vast Sea of Consciousness, around the starlight of the Thirty-Six Heavens and Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends, there were countless shimmering specks of light. However, these lights were significantly weaker than those of the Thirty-Six Heavens and Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends. Looking at them was like gazing at a vast starry sky.
Could it be... that every person in the immortal realm is a star? Why would they appear in his Sea of Consciousness?
Whoosh... whoosh... Suddenly, Lu Fan noticed that the little doll in his Sea of Consciousness was also looking up at the sky. After a few breaths, the little doll suddenly reached out and slapped towards the starry sky. *Pa*... a star was immediately shaken a few times. *Swish swish swish*... the starlight flickered a few times, as if saying: Why are you hitting me?
The little doll burst into laughter. Whoosh... whoosh... after a few more breaths, *pa*... the little palm slapped out again, and another star was shaken a few times.
After such breaths? Lu Fan immediately understood. Following the little doll's method, he took a few breaths, suddenly raised his hand, and pushed forward. *Whoosh*... a powerful force was directly pushed out.
Two people flying in the distant sky were suddenly blown away by a fierce force...
"Who? Who attacked me?" an enraged roar echoed from dozens of miles away.
"Master...! You...!" Li Jingjing's eyes widened in shock.
*Whoosh*... Lu Fan suddenly grabbed the air with both hands, *whoosh whoosh*... the two large doors of the hall closed.
"Shhh... continue cultivating!" Lu Fan made a shushing gesture to Li Jingjing, and the two of them continued to cultivate.
"Master! Have you broken through to the Soul Splitting realm? How can you be so powerful!?" Li Jingjing asked in a low voice, her clear, watery eyes wide.