The founder of the Jiu Shan Sect was a relative of Fan Wencheng, a key minister in the founding of the dynasty. All the high-ranking members of the school throughout the ages were from the Fan family, and Fan Chengxun was no exception.
Upon first meeting him, all four of them, including Lu Li, sensed that something was off about him.
He always wore a gentle smile, not a formulaic smile, but a genuine one.
It was natural and refreshing... but the three innate individuals clearly had ill intentions, so their laughter was rather strange.
Qiu Yan, who came from a prestigious family, had the most experience with "celestial phenomena" and immediately noticed that Fan Chengxun's figure was not right. She then used her true energy to test him on the spot.
Sure enough, the figure rippled and swayed, revealing itself to be a phantom that was almost indistinguishable from the real thing!
"Divine Soul that has left the body!"
Qiu Yan immediately exposed the other person's lie, and a look of joy appeared on her face!
Such a blatant attempt to cover up the truth and avoid showing one's true identity indicates that something has genuinely gone wrong!
Then there is ample reason to destroy its lineage and seize its Spiritual Vein!
Although this Spiritual Vein is not abundant, it is enough for me to reach a higher level!
At that moment, the fairy was overcome with greed.
Nan Jinping held Lu Li firmly, bending over and slowly retreating.
For him, the most important task of this trip was to ensure the safety of this promising young friend.
Lu Li was somewhat overwhelmed.
He first widened his eyes and stared intently at Fan Chengxun!
This is the greatest characteristic of the "Out-of-Body" realm: the "Divine Soul" existing outside the body, and it is also the path I will take next!
At the same time, the Kunlun Mirror also suddenly underwent a strange change!
This treasure flickered in and out of my Sea of Consciousness, generating a suction force from nowhere, as if drawing something from the air!
Soon, two inscriptions faintly appeared on the mirror surface.
The first character is "annihilation", and the second character is a little blurry, but it is gradually becoming clear.
Lu Li instantly realized that this palace was not far from the [Spiritual Vein], and the Kunlun Mirror must have absorbed [spiritual energy] and was brewing a new Divine Ability!
In just a short while, the situation on the field had already reached a breaking point!
Fan Chengxun's smile vanished instantly, his expression becoming empty and eerie, like a mannequin in a clothing store, sending chills down one's spine.
Before he could make any further move, the old eunuch Hua Ruoxi suddenly burst into shrill laughter:
"Hahaha~ Sect Leader Fan's cultivation has improved again! His Divine Soul is as if he were a living person; I couldn't even see it when I was right next to him. I'm truly impressed!"
Upon hearing these flattering words, Fan Chengxun's face showed a hint of confusion...
He moved his facial features, making expressions of joy, pride, and gentleness, seemingly unsure which to use.
Before he could make a decision, Hua Ruoxi smiled broadly and said:
"Is Sect Leader Fan's cultivation level close to [Manifestation]?"
Fan Chengxun's expression shifted repeatedly as he said, "Manifestation? I have found my path."
Upon hearing this, Qiu Yan scoffed, intending to mock the other party for their boastful words.
But Hua Ruoxi had already smiled broadly and said:
"Congratulations, Sect Leader Fan! Your cultivation level will surely delight His Majesty! He will surely bestow upon you the title of National Teacher, allowing you to enjoy the blessings of the people—wouldn't that be wonderful?"
The old eunuch clearly didn't want to start a fight, so he blurted out all sorts of mushy things.
But Fan Chengxun actually believed it, and he grinned wildly, his mouth stretching to his ears, and laughed maniacally:
"Willpower? Haha! Great! Great!"
The laughter was accompanied by a slight tremor in the ground, indicating a magnitude 6 earthquake.
Lu Li and the three innate experts' expressions changed, and they all looked at the ground:
There's something underground!
The epicenter was below the palace, and it seemed as if something alive was moving.
"It's Fan Chengxun's true form!"
"It has turned into Demon Beast, and it's enormous!"
The three innate masters were no ordinary people; they immediately guessed the answer with a high degree of accuracy, and their expressions became extremely solemn.
At this moment, Fan Chengxun sneered, "Manager Hua, you must go and plead with the Emperor! I want the power of the vow!"
Hua Ruoxi rubbed her hands together and said with a fawning smile:
"Master Fan needs to pay his dues first before we can proceed to the capital. Perhaps you could consider a donation of ten thousand taels of gold?"
This move was by no means driven by greed for money, but rather because the madman's temperament was eccentric, and advancing was the safest course of action.
As expected, Fan Chengxun revealed a kind smile:
"Our Jiu Shan Sect accepts this donation, and we hope you will put in a good word for us before the Emperor."
"Sect Leader Fan, you can rest assured! The imperial court is currently eager for talented individuals, and they certainly won't let someone as capable as you go to waste, wouldn't you agree?"
Hua Ruoxi spoke eloquently, using both flattery and praise to reassure Fan Chengxun.
At this moment, even the most arrogant Qiu Yan stopped making any rash moves and handed the matter over to the old eunuch.
Lu Li stood discreetly to the side, staring at the surface of the Kunlun Mirror.
The seal script inscription above was finally revealed, and it read: Extinction!
"This is clearly an offensive divine Divine Ability!"
Having absorbed the scattered spiritual energy, the Kunlun Mirror finally gained a killing Divine Ability.
However, Lu Li Liwei had some doubts:
"[Extinction]... The Killing Intent is so strong. The spiritual energy that nurtured the Spirit Tea Spirit Fruit could be so ruthless?"
He had not yet realized that everything has two sides.
However, one thing is certain: given the power of the Kunlun Mirror, this spell will be extremely terrifying!
Fan Chengxun was completely unaware that he had taken another step closer to utter ruin... perhaps he already was.
At this moment, his attention was entirely focused on Hua Ruoxi, and he even urged her to leave.
"I will immediately order Shi Ji to retrieve the gold, so that Steward Manager Hua can make his way back to the capital."
"No problem, no problem."
Hua Ruoxi and the other person walked side by side toward the palace gate, appearing quite friendly.
Lu Li and the others followed behind them, walking out of the palace together.
At this moment, Fan Shiji was standing outside the palace gate.
Upon seeing his master emerge, the man's face lit up with fervor, and he immediately knelt down and crawled towards him.
Fan Chengxun also instructed, "Shiji, go to the secret vault and fetch 10,000 taels of gold, then give it to Manager Hua."
"Your disciple obeys."
Fan Shiji kowtowed deeply before getting up to retrieve it, being overly respectful.
While waiting, Nan Jinping still remembered the Chen Siblings who had been kidnapped, so she repeatedly winked at Hua Ruoxi, signaling him to speak to the madman.
Hua Ruoxi cursed inwardly, "You're just making things difficult. I should have come by myself!"
While complaining, he immediately started thinking of a solution.
Hua Ruoxi cupped her hands to Fan Chengxun, trying to curry favor:
"Sect Leader Fan is Founding Father, and now his cultivation has reached the heavens. His rise to prominence is just around the corner. Don't forget about our family."
Although the old eunuch was offering flattery, every word he said came from the bottom of his heart, and he didn't seem to be dealing with a madman at all.
Fan Chengxun took just one bite, grinning broadly as he promised:
"Don't worry, Manager Hua, I will reward you with an unparalleled and wonderful technique after it is accomplished! This is a divine Divine Art that I have spent five years perfecting, using the <Taotie Swallowing Heaven Method>!"
"Oh dear, Sect Leader Fan, you're too kind. I'll take it seriously then!"
"I am absolutely not lying!"
After a brief tug-of-war, when Fan Shiji returned, Hua Ruoxi casually asked:
"By the way, where are those brother and sister that Sect Leader Fan mentioned before?"
Upon hearing this, Fan Chengxun immediately reverted to his hollow, eerie, and terrifying appearance, and a semi-transparent Sky Dome appeared in the sky, pressing down upon him.
Hua Ruoxi, however, remained unmoved, seemingly unaware of anything, and sincerely reminded him:
"For now, Sect Leader Fan needs to keep a low profile and avoid giving certain petty people any ammunition to attack him."
Fan Chengxun blinked and asked Fan Shiji, "Can those brother and sister be used in medicine?"
"Reporting to Master, it hasn't grown any hair yet and is unusable."
"Oh, then let it go."
With those words, the pressure in the room vanished, and the Sky Dome above disappeared as well.
Fan Shiji left again, and when he returned, he was carrying two teenagers, Chen Yian and Chen Yiping.
The two siblings were pale, but remained relatively calm and were not injured.
Fan Shiji let go, the two of them immediately ran to Lu Li's side, trembling with fear.
Hua Ruoxi clasped her hands in a fist and said, "Sect Leader Fan, I'll be leaving now. Please forgive me for any inconvenience caused."