"Unique Leisurely Courtyard... How imposing, how free and unrestrained!"
The group stopped outside Li Fan's Small Courtyard and saw the plaque above the gate.
Yu Qishui couldn't help praising it. "Just looking at it, I can feel an unimaginable aura. If a Sword Cultivator came here, they might grasp the supreme sword dao from this calligraphy!"
Huo Ling'er and the others were also deeply impressed.
"Senior, Qian Ning and the others have come to pay their respects."
Mu Qianning spoke respectfully from outside the courtyard gate.
"Come in."
Li Fan's voice came from inside the Small Courtyard.
The group immediately pushed the gate open and entered.
Inside the courtyard, Li Fan lounged beneath the peach tree. Beside him, Ziling was intently painting a remarkably divine egg, while Nan Feng lightly plucked the strings of a zither with her slender fingers.
Little White Tiger lay in Li Fan's arms, seeming even more extraordinary than before.
"As expected of a true master beyond the mortal world. The outside world has been turned upside down, yet Senior Li remains so calm and carefree..."
The group was a little dazed. This Small Courtyard really was another world.
But on reflection, it seemed only natural. What could possibly affect the state of mind of someone like Senior Li?
"Come sit."
Li Fan smiled. After all their comings and goings, Huo Ling'er and the others could be considered old friends.
He wondered how their business was doing.
"How have you been lately?" he asked.
"Thanks to Senior's concern, everything has been well."
Yu Qishui answered respectfully.
"You came here because of what Luoming and the others are planning, right?"
Last time, Li Fan had given Luoming and the others a "Myriad Mountains Gather Dragon Diagram." They had taken it away, and Li Fan guessed they would put together a calligraphy and painting exhibition or an auction.
Huo Ling'er and the others had asked then whether they could attend.
Now that they had come, the exhibition was probably about to begin.
At that, Huo Ling'er and the others hurriedly nodded.
"Senior, may we ask if you have any advice for us this time?"
Huo Ling'er asked nervously.
Li Fan smiled. "Nothing in particular. Just keep your usual composure and don't be too nervous. These things are nothing to worry about."
He was rather concerned that Huo Ling'er and the others had only just opened a small shop and hadn't seen much of the world. They might get nervous.
At his words, the group's feelings grew even more complicated.
Even matters involving the Cangli Mountain Range, involving immortals... were nothing in Senior Li's eyes!
This was the perspective of an unparalleled expert...
"But since you've come, I'll give you two more things—"
Li Fan continued.
At that, Huo Ling'er and the others were all the more thrilled and delighted!
With gifts from Senior Li, they would have nothing to worry about on this trip.
He got up and gestured for Ziling to prepare the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.
Li Fan picked up his brush and swept it across the page like the wind. In a single, unbroken motion, a piece of calligraphy appeared!
"One Sword Suppresses Southern Sky!"
Just five characters!
Each character was like a sword, its aura reaching the heavens!
Huo Ling'er and the others were deeply shocked at the sight.
Those five characters contained a terrifying aura of the Great Dao!
Then Li Fan immediately continued, painting a picture on the spur of the moment.
He depicted the vault of heaven: a vast sky, layers of white clouds, and, faintly visible among them, upturned eaves and jutting roof corners!
An immortal palace lay hidden among the clouds!
This was the "Azure Palace Diagram"!
Li Fan set down his brush.
Huo Ling'er and the others were even more dazed. It was as if they had seen a truly majestic immortal palace, enduring through the ages amid drifting white clouds!
Ziling, meanwhile, had fallen straight into the Enlightenment Realm...
Li Fan smiled and handed the calligraphy and painting to Huo Ling'er and the others.
Since they were going to show their work before the world this time, Li Fan would simply let everyone see what true calligraphy was, and what true painting was!
Meanwhile.
At Lie Huo Mountain.
Once a fearsome force in the Southern Fire Kingdom that had swept through the region for months, with the strength of a Sun-rank power, it now seemed unusually quiet.
Inside a secret chamber.
Yin Xiaokong, the Mountain Lord of Lie Huo Mountain, had been staying there for nearly half a month.
No one dared disturb him.
Yin Xiaokong knelt before a strange, vibrantly colored idol with eight arms and two heads.
Earlier, when the High God had informed him that a divine envoy had descended and would soon eradicate anyone who stood in its way, Yin Xiaokong had been overjoyed. He thought the chance to dominate the entire Fire Kingdom, and even contend for supremacy over the Southern Domain, had finally come.
But then the divine envoy had died without a sound.
Even the High God had fallen silent.
This had plunged Yin Xiaokong into utter panic.
What sort of being lived behind the Lihuo Sect, in that Small Mountain Village...? How could it be so powerful that even the Evil God's envoy couldn't shake it?
He was terrified that the other party might simply flick a finger and destroy Lie Huo Mountain from afar.
So he felt safe only when hiding before the Evil God's idol.
"High God... The Cangli Mountain Range has already opened. Why haven't you given me any instructions...?"
He murmured to himself.
Could the being in that Small Mountain Village have become so terrifying that even the High God no longer dared appear...?
But just as the words left his mouth, a hoarse, grating voice suddenly came from the Evil God's idol:
"The time has come."
Yin Xiaokong immediately looked up at the idol in disbelief.
The High God... had finally spoken again?
"High God, you've finally spoken..."
He was overcome with excitement.
At that moment, two beams of green light suddenly appeared in the Evil God's idol's eyes.
"The signs of ascension have appeared... I will also bestow upon you an immense blessing."
The Evil God's sinister voice rang out.
Yin Xiaokong was even more excited!
An immense blessing!
This was wonderful!
"High God... What can I do for you?" he asked with a trembling voice.
But the sinister voice only sneered. "Give me your body!"
A wisp of ghostly soul suddenly drifted out of the Evil God's idol.
"No!"
At that moment, Yin Xiaokong felt a great terror!
But it was too late. He had no power to resist. The ghostly soul went straight into his body.
Once inside, the ghostly soul swallowed Yin Xiaokong's weak soul in one gulp.
"Heh... Souls really do taste delicious..."
"Yin Xiaokong" climbed to his feet and twisted his head, radiating an eerie air.
He left the secret chamber.
"Mountain Lord, how did it go?"
"Did the High God respond?"
Gongsun Qi and the other elders asked one after another.
"Of course."
"Yin Xiaokong" gave a sinister smile and waved his hand!
Countless dark, terrifying ghostly souls suddenly flew from his palm!
Lie Huo Mountain's eight great elders fell to the ground at once, convulsing and screaming!
Before long, the eight elders all stood up, their eyes glowing oily green!
"We pay our respects to the High God!"
The eight elders knelt together!
"Yin Xiaokong" turned toward the Cangli Mountain Range and said, "The Ascension Platform... The chance to become an immortal. I have come!"
With a low roar, he and the eight elders vanished from Lie Huo Mountain in an instant.
Somewhere in the Southern Domain, a lake lay shrouded in freezing cold.
The temperature was extremely low.
The lake water was black, and huge blocks of ice covered the bottom.
This was rare Profound Ice!
At the center of one enormous block of Profound Ice sat a figure.
It was a young man—or rather, a stunningly beautiful woman with a head of white hair!
Suddenly, she opened her eyes.
The Profound Ice shattered in an instant!
The entire frigid lake was struck by a terrifying force, and its water surged into the air.
The next moment, the woman appeared above the lake.
"The chance to become an immortal has finally appeared... In this life, I will surely become an immortal!"
She stepped forward and was already a thousand miles away!
The allied forces led by Taiyan Holy Land and Ziyang Holy Land had already entered the depths of the Cangli Mountain Range.
"Roar—"
On the third day, the allied forces encountered a threat. The demonic soul of a Primal Fierce Beast had somehow survived to this day, and its Supreme might had barely diminished.
The fierce beast killed more than a hundred cultivators with a single claw!
In the end, only Hong Xuan and Luoming working together managed to suppress it.
On the fourth day.
A remnant formation killed nearly a thousand people from the allied forces!
On the fifth day.
While passing an earth fissure, a tremendous suction force dragged more than a hundred people inside, including three Lesser Supremes!
On the sixth day, the allied forces encountered a Spirit-Transforming Quasi-Immortal Artifact. It killed two Supremes from Taiyan Holy Land. Only after Taiyan Holy Land brought out its own Quasi-Immortal Artifact was the situation brought under control!
Although the Cangli Mountain Range had collapsed and many of its dangers were gone, even the remnants were still enough to make one's heart pound.
At last, a brilliant light appeared in the allied forces' sight.
Within that expanse of seven-colored light, a long flight of steps could be seen faintly, leading to an unknown destination!
"Is that... the Ascension Platform?!"
"Are we... about to reach the Ascension Platform? The legendary place where Supremes became immortals!"
"How is this possible...? Countless Supremes have begged in vain to reach that place, yet we're actually going to make it? Could we have the chance to become immortals...?"
Everyone was stunned.
The allied forces had suffered heavy losses to reach this point, but around five thousand people still remained!
A place where even Supremes faced a nine-in-ten chance of death—and this time, so many people had reached it?
Everyone felt a little dazed!
Up ahead.
"We're only a hundred miles from the Ascension Platform!"
Lingchao Supreme, the Holy Lord of Taiyan Holy Land, personally appeared, his voice filled with excitement.
"Yes... Once we pass through this area, we'll reach the Ascension Platform..."
Yuanyang Supreme of Ziyang Holy Land likewise had a burning look in his eyes.
Now, both of them had appeared in person.
"Let's go. We'll pass through the area ahead, then head to the Ascension Platform!"
"The secrets of immortality will all be revealed before us!"
The two Holy Lords gave the order themselves!
Then they led a dozen or so Supremes and went in first!
Before you continue