Splitting Up

Li Fan has returned to the Taiji Realm.

With a mood of 3699, Qiongqi Dao Body was complete, and he was as docile as a cat, completely at peace. He dared not Fairy Wangshu.

In theory, given his current state, he could easily observe the stars, worship the moon, and enter the abyss once more to continue his cultivation.

However, he felt that what he had experienced tonight was already enough; no, he was utterly exhausted.

It's obvious that the system sent him to infiltrate Ink Bamboo Mountain as an undercover agent for the so-called Chaos Dao Ancestor's guide, the Thousand-Faced Immortal. However, it seems that to get in touch with the source behind this, he'll have to infiltrate and become the next generation's leader of Ink Bamboo Mountain.

Sigh, other people get three years followed by another three years, but he has to lie low until he becomes a gang leader before his mission even begins? Is there never going to end this? Does he have to lie low all the way to some Tai Su Dao Ancestor?

However, this is something that can't be rushed. Anyway, if we calculate it now, it's not that we're missing out on Chaos Dao Ancestor Ink Bamboo Mountain, the Chaos Dao Ancestor. There's also Dao Ancestor Youquan to kill at Profound Heaven Sword Intent. And if we push forward the questline on the Luo Sect side, we'll probably end up creating a Void Star in the end.

Anyway, Li Fan already has a ton of Dao Ancestor-level missions in his hands, plus other scapegoats and such. Too many debts are bad enough, and it's almost dawn, so let's call it a day.

The Fairy Wangshu rode a crane, carrying him back to her home mountain.

Looking at the first rays of dawn in the east, the rising sun radiating golden light, Li Fan couldn't help but take a deep breath, inhaling a trace of the primordial energy of the universe, dispelling the oppression and fear in his chest, restoring his calm state of mind, and finally asking...

"Fairy, when you cultivate the Tai Su Dao arts and observe those Devil Embryo Dao Ancestors, don't you feel afraid?"

Fairy Wangshu turned her head curiously, "What are you afraid of?"

Li Fan hesitated for a long time before finally saying, "I just don't know what I'm afraid of..."

Fairy Wangshu seemed to understand his meaning, "At first, I was a little afraid, but once you forget that you are a human being, you won't be afraid anymore."

"... This seems to contradict the cultivation principles of the Mo Shan lineage, doesn't it?" Li Fan frowned, thinking of what the abbot had said about 'being a good person'.

Fairy Wangshu smiled and said, "On the contrary, it is precisely because we, the Moshan lineage, can always remember our true nature no matter how we change that we can learn this Daoist method. No matter what strange Devil Embryo form we take or what kind of celestial illusion we are in, we can restore our true form and not lose our original mind."

So you see, the Revered Heavenly Demon is our guidepost to return to Ink Bamboo Mountain, and the human heart is our guidepost to return to our true nature.

Remember your true self, and everything else is an illusion. You'll wake up sooner or later. Do you understand?

Li Fan was taken aback for a moment, then subconsciously replied, "All forms are illusory; if one sees all forms as non-forms, then one sees the Tathagata."

Fairy Wangshu was stunned. Her eyes were suddenly filled with a bright light, a truly radiant light that shot straight into her skull!

She shouted, "Well said!"

In a flash, Fairy Wangshu transformed into a streak of white light, turned back halfway, and plunged into a spiritual spring on a nearby mountain, creating a towering column of water!

"W-what's going on again?!"

The crane Magic Treasure was taken away, and Li Fan almost fell from the sky. He rolled in mid-air and transformed into a Qiongqi, flapping its wings and hovering in the air.

"Qingyue! With your help, I have gained some insights and need to immediately go into seclusion to stabilize my Dao body! Go back and tell Fuling not to prepare meals for me!"

"Also, I've entrusted your magic weapon to the Seven Star Temple to make. Go and retrieve it from them in two months!"

Hearing the voice transmission from Fairy Wangshu echoing in his ears, Li Fan was speechless for a moment.

Stop repairing, sister! The mountain lord told you to guide my cultivation, not for me to help you cultivate! Why did you go into seclusion again after just one session? And your cultivation level is way too damn high; you could take a break and practice some handicrafts now...

Honestly, in terms of cultivation comprehension and talent alone, it seems that Fairy Wangshu isn't much worse than him...

Li Fan flapped his wings and flew Wangshu Residence. He landed and transformed back into human form. The roof of Wangshu Residence had been almost completely repaired by the mechanical figures. He touched the bottom of the pot and found it was cold, so Fuling and Kun probably hadn't returned yet. However, this place was really uninhabitable. It was so elaborately built that it was completely unsuitable for Qiongqi Dao Body's flapping and practicing.

Now, Li Fan has some ideas about where to build his dojo. Sure enough, he'll choose a good place to cultivate on one of the five peaks of Mo Mountain. It will be convenient to borrow the Revered Heavenly Demon Body for daily cultivation. He can also transform and cultivate in seclusion, roaming freely across the mountains and fields, enjoying a peaceful life.

Furthermore, this Qiongqi Dao Body now considered to have reached a minor level of mastery and can be used as a combat tool. It's best to keep it hidden away and not show it to others casually. In any case, there are precedents of the Tai Su Transformation Method of Ink Bamboo Mountain transforming into hundreds or thousands of Dao Bodies. It would be a waste for him to have such a high emotional limit. Exchanging 200 points of limit for a life and extra Dao cultivation is actually quite worthwhile. He can learn some other Dharma Body Transformations to further increase his cultivation.

After all, Fairy Wangshu Wang Shu, she's so weak, she hardly knows any proper Daoist magic, but she manages to hold on by relying on all sorts of domineering Daoist body transformations. Her attributes are so high that she can tear apart Divine Beast with her bare hands, which is truly terrifying.

Hmm, thinking about it, that's definitely possible. If I cultivate the Tai Su Transformation again, I can then cultivate the other two Nascent Soul Stage methods, and then proceed in sequence until I have mastered all three Nascent Soul Stage methods.

Of course, regarding the choice of a new Dao Body, the tentacle monster Dao Body is out of the question; it's really unsightly and just looking at it ruins the mood...

By the way, before cultivating the new Dao Body transformation, I should draw the prize first.

'Lottery draw complete, prizes being sent'

The reward fell out of the void and was casually picked up by Li Fan for a quick look.

This time it's... a brick?

Li Fan frowned, looked at the rectangular brick in his hand, weighed it in his hand, and smelled it. Oh, it's a piece of ink.

'Ink has been delivered. Lottery is currently in cooldown. Current progress: 0/3700'

What's the point of this?

"Ink is one of the items created by the system based on the information in the 'Tai Su Dao Scroll of the Immovable Mount Tai's Deep Roots.'"

Currently, the known uses of ink are twofold: writing and drawing. Other functions are left for the host to develop.

"Do you even need to tell me that?!"

Li Fan almost jumped up and smashed the ink.

But thinking about it, he rubbed his temples and held back. After all, that's just how things the system gives you are. But if you say they're all useless, that's not necessarily true. Kun, that mascot, once saved his life, didn't it?

Besides, if it's the "<Mount Tai Immovable Scripture>" and it's written in ink, then it might be related to functions such as transferring power or transferring damage, right? The system also said that it's used for writing and drawing, so we'll know once we actually try it out.

So Li Fan took out his writing implements, using Taishan ink for ink and his usual talisman-drawing brush. He then used the plate that Kun usually ate from to scoop some Cold Pool Elixir to grind the ink. For paper, he simply found a talisman flag and tried to draw the Daoist image of Qiongqi on it.

He had already mastered the Qiongqi Dao Body and possessed a photographic memory, so he naturally drew it effortlessly. Although he wouldn't dare say it had a high level of artistry, it was at least lifelike, like a photograph.

I wonder what the effect will be? Actually, drawing talismans has nothing to do with your drawing skills. Even the talismans Fairy Wangshu in her dog-like scribbles are still effective. No matter how beautifully you draw them, if the magic doesn't work, it's all for nothing.

Since he was just trying it out anyway, Li Fan tried to infuse the two energies of heaven and earth into the Qiongqi ferocious beast flag he had drawn, and then casually waved it.

There was a pause of about two seconds.

Then Wangshu Residence exploded again.

"Didn't I tell you to practice your skills underwater?! My puppets are all gone!" Fuling was furious this time.

"Terribly sorry!"

This time, Li Fan really lost 10,000 strings of cash, after all, he had gone too far.

But Li Fan at least developed one of the functions of Mount Tai Ink. When he waved the flag, the flag burned directly and unleashed a swift and powerful attack from the Qiongqi Dao Body, a raging wind that could only be unleashed with all its might.

Li Fan could even clearly feel that most of his true energy had been drained. In other words, the damage he himself was Qiongqi Dao Body with was being channeled through the Beast Banner.

It can be considered a kind of 'transfer,' which is quite obvious.

Although it utterly shattered Wangshu Residence with a single blow, the damage attribute was only based on the Qiongqi Dao Body's innate gale, not the Qiankun Flying Dragon Sword Storm or the Crimson Vein Child Sword. Hmm... I wonder if drawing two inner cores on the tiger's head and belly would be effective?

However, this kind of attack is not bad. At least it is more damaging than ordinary talismans. If it is set up in advance, it is enough to create many unexpected time differences and sneak attacks. Moreover, its power is equivalent to a strike from the Qiongqi Dao Body. How many people can withstand a pounce from Qiongqi? It adds another way to sneak up on people!

To be honest, this function is a bit of a waste. He already has too many ways to deal damage. If it's not for use with an array, he doesn't need this one more attack. Besides, if he really wants to use an array, why not use any talisman? Why use the ink given by the system? A simple attack is easy to deliver. Using this reward item exchanged for 3700 points is a bit too extravagant.

Let's try it again and see if we can develop some other features.

However, it will have to wait a while. Right now, Li Fan has come to Heavenly Craft Peak with Fuling to shop for his own house and furniture.

"There are two types of immortal abodes. One type is a magic treasure. It can be stored in your sleeve when you are not in use. When you throw it out, it will automatically transform into a building and you can ride the clouds. However, usually only the princes and nobles of the Immortal Palace order it. It costs at least a million strings of cash and it takes several years to build one. Just take a look at it."

Another type is the regular cultivation dwelling. You choose a pavilion style you like, order it, and the merchant guild will send an airship to transport the parts and puppets to your chosen training ground for assembly. This type of pavilion is cheaper; usually, the cost of materials and installation will be around seven or eight thousand guan for a decent courtyard. Afterward, you can set up formations and barriers yourself; minor repairs won't cost more than a thousand guan. But if it's destroyed, you'll have to start all over again! You'd better be careful in the future; how did you manage to smash all the roof beams to pieces?"

Fuling took the design drawings of Wangshu Residence from before and gave them a quote to the cultivators of the Tiangong lineage.

"Yes, Sister Fuling, I know I was wrong." Li Fan was also ashamed. He had no idea that waving a flag would have such power. This time, he not only rebuilt Wangshu Residence, but also booked his own residence in the process.

Looking around at the models of the pavilions and terraces, he figured they were all ancient-style courtyards, and having a quiet place to sit and rest, perhaps with a thatched hut for shelter, wouldn't matter. He didn't care much and would just pick one that looked decent. However, seeing the Tiangong lineage reminded him of something, and he took the opportunity to ask Fuling, "How is the Lu Family doing now?"

Fuling asked curiously, "What happened to the Lu Family?"

Kindness?

Li Fan scratched his head a little, "Is nothing wrong with the Lu Family?"

Fuling frowned, "What exactly happened to the Lu Family?"

The apprentices at the Heavenly Craftsmanship Academy nearby grew anxious upon hearing this and blurted out, "There are rumors that Lu Qi of the Lu Family colluded with the Divine Cult and is now missing. Lu Xing, the head of the Lu Family, is also investigating the Lu Family's lost items, but their whereabouts are unknown. Now that the head of the Lu Family is absent, the family's money and servants have been taken north by Madam Lu Wang, who is relying on her family's power."

As a result, the Lu Family's business was squeezed out, and they lost many shops. With no one in charge of the main family, some branch families sold off their assets and moved away. Only Lu Qi was left to manage the situation, doing odd jobs everywhere to pay off debts, trying to preserve the Lu Family's workshops and ancestral home.

Li Fan and Fuling looked at each other in bewilderment.

"How could something like this happen to the Lu Family? And how could my senior brother's eldest son be colluding with the Divine Cult? What exactly is going on?"

"I heard he's been hanging out with a bunch of spoiled brats in Changsi City all day and gone astray. Maybe he's been bewitched by villains and wants to join Three Great Sects? He's probably the one who caused the Lu Family's caravan to be robbed. Hmph, a spoiled brat like him has brought the Lu Family to this state. He's probably been spoiled by his parents. It's a pity that Lu Xing and Lu Qi are both talented, but because they were born out of wedlock, their cultivation has been delayed."

The apprentice seemed to know about the Lu Family as well, and he too was complaining.

Fuling shook her head and sighed, then looked at Li Fan, whose expression was strange, and said, "Senior Brother Lu probably doted on his eldest son too much, which is why things turned out this way. In any case, when he heard that I was helping you find a job, he took the initiative to help, which is why he was able to get you the position of Mu Long Shepherd so quickly."

Although you don't know him well, he's still been kind to you. I happen to be short-handed, so I'll go talk to Lu Qi and see if he'd be willing to come and help out at Jiang's."

Li Fan was speechless for a moment.

They didn't even know about Lu Chai.

Of course, no one knows because no one said so. Li Fan himself didn't say, so the abbot certainly didn't say either.

The abbot has already sparred with the mastermind behind the cult, so he must know about the connections between Lu Yu, Lu Qi, and Lu Chai, yet he hasn't publicized it. Is this to maintain order and prevent the cult's sabotage from being widely publicized?

Although we don't know what the abbot is planning, it seems that Ink Bamboo Mountain is quite lenient, unlike the cult where an undercover agent's entire family would be implicated if discovered.

And it's been over a month, are Lu Qi and Lu Xing still missing?

Li Fan thought for a moment, "The former patriarch of the Lu family is dead, the current patriarch is missing, and everyone else has scattered like monkeys. Only Junior Brother Lu Qi is still holding fast at Ink Bamboo Mountain, which shows his strong will and upright character. We should help him. But is Jiang Ji alright too?"

Fuling was slightly surprised by Li Fan's calm tone, but she didn't think much of it and said, "I heard from Sister Liu Qing that you were attacked and separated on the way, right? Sister Liu Qing and Brother Yuan were both injured, but I went to see them and they are not seriously injured. They will recover in a few days."

Furthermore, Jiang's goods are safe. Now that they have reconciled with the Nangong Family and even mobilized a large army to defend against the Divine Sect, I think the trade route from Ink Bamboo Mountain to Changsi City is safe. Even if we don't make a lot of profit, we can at least guarantee a minimum profit. I'd like to ask Junior Brother Lu for help."

"Sister Fuling, are you still short of money? I can invest." It sounds like the relationship with the Southern Faction hasn't deteriorated. Could it be that Qingting Sou covered up the news of the Yu Family brothers' deaths?

"No need. You've already set aside 20,000 strings of cash for sale, so there's no reason for you to subsidize it further." Fuling resolutely turned her head and refused. "Besides, the situation has changed. Once the trade route with the Nangong Family reopens, the powerful families there will flock to trade with us. No matter how much goods we have, we won't have to worry about selling them. On the contrary, the value of the Divine Astral Coin is likely to depreciate again. Holding too much in hand is not a good idea."

The apprentice from Tiangong beamed and said, "That's exactly right. If we don't reserve some good properties soon, the financial giants from the Immortal Palace will sweep them all up."

Damn, you guys are all so shrewd and calculating...

After some investigation, Li Fan, taking Kun's advice, chose a courtyard with a particularly large kitchen and stove design. With Fuling's help, he lowered the price by 8,000 strings of cash, and the preparation was expected to be completed in three months. He paid a deposit of 5,000 strings of cash, and once Li Fan found a suitable place for the project, he would have it delivered and the remaining amount paid.

Of course, this was just an empty shell. There was still furniture, decoration, the construction of a meditation room, a furnace for alchemy, a workshop for practicing the Six Arts, a training ground, and supporting props. All of these had to be rebuilt, ordered, and prepared. The whole process cost at least 30,000 to 40,000 strings of cash.

In this way, the first house in the other world basically took shape. All that's needed is to take a stroll through the valleys of Five Sons Peak and see which auspicious location to build this house.

As they were leaving Heavenly Craft Peak, Fuling stopped Li Fan and said, "Qingyue, don't misunderstand, I'm not kicking you out because I'm angry that you damaged the house..."

"Oh, Sister Fuling, don't worry about it. You were already doing me a favor by taking me in for a while." Li Fan didn't seem to care. Perhaps Jiang Liuqing still didn't trust him, a 'disciple of the Li family clan,' but so what?

To put it bluntly, he was a transmigrator, an envoy of the system, and an undercover agent plotting against the Dao Ancestor. He still looked down on the Li Country and the Immortal Palace, so how could he possibly respect the Southern Faction?

The entire Ink Bamboo Mountain, especially the lineage of the Moshan Mountain Lord and perhaps Lou Guan's lineage, is worth his serious efforts to complete quests and grind reputation with. As for the other independent cultivators who are his neighbors, frankly, if there's a connection, he'll try to build a relationship and lend a hand; if not, then so be it. Who cares about investigating their background or origins?

Although he was all smiles, Fuling was familiar with Li Fan's personality and could tell at a glance. She sighed and said, "I knew you were arrogant and scheming and would misunderstand. Did you have some kind of conflict with the fellow Daoists from the Fourteen Peaks last time, and did you part ways halfway? Alas, you can't force fate. Everyone has their own path, so you don't need to overthink it."

I hope you move out, mainly because I'm worried about Miss."

Li Fan didn't quite understand. "Worried about Fairy Wangshu?"

Fuling glanced at Li Fan with a sly look, "Don't you think that Miss's usual attire doesn't quite resemble that of a lady from Central Plains?"

"Oh, so she's supposed to be a lady from a respectable family... cough cough... well, she is indeed a bit... well..."

Okay, not a little bit, even foreigners don't dress this revealingly!

"Qingyue, you've only just started practicing the Tai Su Dao technique, so you might not know yet, but the cultivation of the Mountain Lord's lineage requires a very high level of Dao heart..." Fuling couldn't help but try to grasp the pendant on her chest, but she grasped nothing and let go, saying, "Miss's cultivation progress is too fast, and her realm is unstable."

According to Sister Liu Qing, many of her habits are very different from before. When I take care of her, I also feel that many times her actions and behavior are not like those of a 'human being'.

She wasn't unaware of how people should act, or didn't remember; it's just that she probably subconsciously didn't feel she should act the same way... Do you understand what I mean?

That's incredibly insightful. Li Fan had encountered this problem before, but Fuling's reminder came too late; he had already solved it... Well, it wasn't too late, considering even ghosts cultivate as quickly as he did...

"Sister Fuling, don't worry. Fairy Wangshu has eaten and drunk her fill and gone into seclusion again. With her high level of comprehension, she can hold her ground. She should be fine," Li Fan comforted her.

"It seems you don't understand," Fuling sighed, gritted her teeth, and whispered, "Actually, there's a big reason why the Mo Shan lineage has so few members: the disciples themselves can't control their Dao bodies, they devour each other, and in the end they can't get them back, so the mountain lord takes them to drink."

The young lady still remembers me, so I'm fine. But if you, such fresh and lively meat, are left to bounce around next to her all the time, she might lose her temper and eat you. She might even ask the mountain lord to take you as a snack with his wine.

And even if she could resist... I, I'm still too inexperienced, and even the smell was a bit irresistible..."

Li Fan was stunned. He saw Fuling swallowing hard with red eyes as she looked at him. He froze for a long time before finally letting out a sigh.

Ah, what a sinful, fragrant, and irresistibly tempting man I am...

Okay, I can't wait any longer, let's pack up and move tonight.