Pan Pan

Whether it's the Tai Su Tai Chi or the Tai Xuan Realm, honestly cultivating breathing techniques, refining Dao Breath energy, strengthening muscles and bones, and consolidating the foundation of the Dao are all the right and stable paths.

But the righteous path is indeed stable, though slow. On the other hand, directly stealing the magical treasures, materials, and physical bodies that others have cultivated steadily and peacefully for their own use is the demonic path.

The immortals of the Taiji Realm vie for opportunities and destiny, and seize Heavenly Treasure. The demons of the Tai Su Dao are even more straightforward, directly devouring and merging with the demons. This is all demonic path. The difference between the righteous and the demons lies in their actions rather than their outward appearance. This is Li Fan's own understanding.

Of course, he also had to admit that the demonic path was faster.

For example, when digesting the wolf bones and black ice, Li Fan could clearly feel that the concentration and quality of the baleful energy he obtained with each breath were faster, more abundant, and purer than what he could refine with his own Gui Xu Nascent Soul cultivation. Moreover, there was a fourfold digestion bonus, making his cultivation speed far more rapid than that of a typical Moon Worship.

However, Li Fan also discovered that his system talent, "Calm Down," while practically an invincible skill in the early stages, was severely limiting his improvement speed in the mid-game. Hunting such a high-quality delicacy, a demon god-level Non-Thing, would surely take much longer if not for the talent limitation, right?

And whether it was because he was trying to calm down or because the system was bugging again, Li Fan's mind was racing with thoughts of eating, drinking, and breathing exercises, but the "improve mood a little" prompt was stuck, and he couldn't even see how many points it was increasing per second. Sigh, if only the system could reset his talents... Could the system do that?

'System cannot'

Damn it!

Sigh, whatever. The system has been oscillating between unreliable stability and occasional crazy actions, so Li Fan has long been used to it. But there's no other way, so he can only hurry up and finish off the demonic wolves he's taken down. When he sees that it's almost time, he wakes up and returns to the Taiji Realm.

Just looking at his current mood, it's already at 14k/28k, fully charged. And his cultivation has grown far beyond that. Now, Li Fan's divine court has been transformed into a black glacial sea of evil energy. Gui Xu, Qiong Qi, Gong Gong, and the other Tai Su Dao practitioners have each found a place to cultivate amidst the rising evil energy of this black glacier.

Unfortunately, Yuepo couldn't stay any longer. As soon as she returned to the Taiji Realm, she insisted on moving into the sword box.

Li Fan was also helpless. The reason he had never cultivated the Xuanmen True Teachings of the Beichen Sword Sect was because of this situation.

It's probably difficult for Tai Su and Tai Ji to coexist. Even that demonic wolf can't use any Dark Underworld spiritual energy techniques anymore. If this problem could be solved so easily by a beast, there would be no need for Emei to run away.

Li Fan estimated that when he Tai Su Dao about to Divine Transformation, he would have to change his human body, turning the true qi in his meridians into evil qi, and making his skin, bones, and muscles like those of a wolf. He would become too pure and Non-Thing, transforming into a humanoid aggregate of evil qi, eventually reaching a state similar to the Thousand-Faced Immortal.

In that case, not only would Moon Soul and Sword Infant be affected, but even his Limitless Nascent Soul Stage would be in conflict and influenced by the evil energy. In fact, the cultivation methods of the Xuanmen Taiji Dao might become unusable.

Li Fan hasn't decided yet whether to simply abandon the Qiankun Yiqi Pill and stop cultivating, or to follow the example of the demonic wolf and retain the Wuji Nascent Soul Stage as another head and another organ. After all, this is still the Taiji World, and the Xuanmen's methods are still the most advanced and effective. On the other hand, the Guixu True Essence is finite; every bit used reduces its value, and if one goes through a minor tribulation, one's cultivation progress will be reduced to zero indefinitely—truly a useless resource...

Ugh, so annoying! Whatever! Things will work themselves out! System lottery!

'Prize has been delivered'

Huh? A book?

Li Fan flipped through the book; the pages were completely blank. Then, on those blank pages, the same handwriting as the system prompt gradually appeared: <System Programming, From Beginner to Tomb>... Holy crap...

This book is based on the technology of the <<Yellow Heaven Book of Peace>>, and uses a wordless disguise, so only the host can read it.

This tutorial is a textbook used by the XX Army University's independent education system, and includes basic system principles, introductory programming instruction, an overview of intrusion protocols, a puppet coordination example, and electronic warfare fundamentals.

Well, I've even got the <System Tome>, not bad...

But why is it an independent textbook from an army academy? Could it be...?

'This is a training manual unearthed during archaeological digging at ruins by the Legion, specifically for training electronic warfare units. Although most of the technology is outdated, this book is sufficient as an introductory textbook.'

"To be honest, the company's technology costs money, and we can't get our hands on the most advanced technology, so we'll just have to make do with what we have."

"Weren't you worried we'd hack your system? At least this way you can understand what the code I sent you is, right?"

"Keep it up, it's not that difficult. With your talent, you could master it in a hundred or two hundred years of dedicated study."

Damn, the literal meaning of that phrase goes from beginner to grave! And it's only basic science...

Li Fan was completely overwhelmed. He hadn't done any math problems in ages, and now he had to learn programming? Good heavens!

Although Li Fan understood that the book contained the crystallization of human civilization's wisdom—arithmetic and programming, which might seem boring, were actually based on the same principles as stance training and breathing Qi Refinement Stage —the essential foundation for anything greater. The Blue-Eyed Wolf, despite its massive buildup, died from a single glare from Li Fan; wasn't it simply a consequence of its lack of education? Therefore, these were all 'divine skills' that could fundamentally enhance his combat power.

But understanding is one thing, but sigh, so many formulas, codes, and protocol languages... it's just too exhausting to look at. Let's put it aside for now...

So Li Fan put the system's heavenly book back in his pocket and put it aside. He then cleaned up the Revered Heavenly Demon Dojo and prepared to head north to attend the banquet.

But when Li Fan scanned the area with his Divine Sense, he was suddenly taken aback. He discovered that an uninvited guest had intruded into the illusionary formation of 'Yan Ruyu' outside and was trapped inside.

Oh, it's not exactly an 'uninvited guest,' it's Gu Panpan. She probably followed us here last night, tracking the location of the algorithm treasure.

Li Fan stepped forward and saw that the young girl was sitting cross-legged in the formation, chanting incantations and circulating her energy to clear her mind and maintain her Dao heart. It seemed that her foundation was indeed quite solid. She was not confused by the illusionary formation and lost herself in it, thus not doing anything improper. What a pity!

Hearing the cough, Gu Panpan opened her eyes, a flash of blue light in them. She stood up and bowed to Li Fan, saying, "Thank you for saving me, Senior."

"Hey, don't try that on me. The magic array outside is just to keep busybodies away. The one inside is truly deadly. I advise you to save your energy and not follow me. Even if you beg and cry, I won't return these magical treasures to you."

As Li Fan spoke, he put the red silk he had set up at the center of the formation back into his sleeve.

Gu Panpan had clearly changed her negotiation strategy this time. Instead of acting coquettishly or crying, she solemnly bowed and said, "Senior, you misunderstand. You saved Panpan's life and helped me through my tribulation. It is only natural that you would accept some magical treasures to settle the karma."

"Panpan had some misunderstandings before, and I've come here specifically to apologize. To protect myself, I used a unique poison concocted by our sect, the Hehuan Wangyou Powder. This poison harms the heart and soul, and only our sect's secret elixir can cure it. Therefore, I've come to deliver the antidote to avoid causing you any trouble, senior."

Seeing the medicine bottle handed to him by Gu Panpan, Li Fan couldn't very well say, "I've already cured your family's incurable venomous drug! You didn't expect that, did you, haha!" So he had no choice but to accept it. It did indeed smell like some kind of secret Chinese herbal medicine.

"... How did you figure that out?"

Gu Panpan lowered her eyes and replied, "Because you are a good person, senior."

Li Fan, "..."

Gu Panpan didn't mean to tease, but said seriously, "When Panpan encountered that demon, he was massacring a village. I was not as skilled as him and was no match for him. Even though I claimed to be a disciple of Emei, he didn't care and just tried to kill me. He was obviously a lawless murderous maniac who could not be restrained by etiquette."

The way he stared at my body was as if he were looking at an object, a piece of raw meat, utterly devoid of humanity. Panpan had seen plenty of these kinds of wicked people who relied on their strength and acted with impunity, and she really thought this time things were going to be very bad.

But you are different from that demon. You rescued me from my predicament, and not only did you not lay a hand on me, you also used your Qi to check the injuries in my meridians. When you discovered that Panpan was poisoned, you did not throw me away to avoid danger at the first moment. Instead, you checked whether the Hu Barbarians had any antidote.

Moreover, you even helped ordinary people in the Foundation Establishment stage stop their bleeding and gave them medicine. Although Panpan doesn't see many people like you, she knows that you are a rare and good person in this world. Now that she understands, how could she not come up to thank you?

After she finished speaking, she bowed earnestly, her attitude quite sincere.

Having a pretty girl flatter him in a soft, sweet voice was quite pleasing to Li Fan, a man, so he nodded and said, "Little girl, you're quite good with words. If you're good with words, then say more..."

Gu Panpan looked up, her face beaming with a smile, feeling a little more at ease. Sure enough, this guy was the type who would calm down if you stroked him gently; all it took was a couple more compliments...

"... Of course, even if you praise me to the heavens, I won't return the magic weapon to you."

"Tsk..." Gu Panpan's lips twitched, then she put on that cute smile and leaned closer, saying, "Panpan knew it. Senior, you are such a kind person. You would never hurt a naive little girl like me."

But that northern barbarian is indeed a ruthless killer. Since you are so skilled and subdued him, why didn't you just kill him? Why did you keep him by your side to discipline him? Do you perhaps intend to guide him back to the righteous path?"

No, no, no, who wants to guide him back to the right path? Rather, that Fuli Bojin is practically on his way to digestion now...

"You don't need to worry about that. Just know that he won't show up to harm anyone again." Li Fan turned his head and looked Fourth Department. "But you really chased after him all by yourself? I thought you would at least go back and call your superiors, and bring more experts from Wangwu Mountain so we could all have a go at it. I didn't expect you to be so bold. Even if you realized I was a good person, you were still too reckless. You still lack experience in the martial world..."

Gu Panpan, however, was no longer afraid and smiled obediently, "Senior, didn't I say I'm an Emei disciple? Why do you keep telling me to go to Wangwu Mountain to call for help?"

Li Fan smiled at her and gestured, "I've seen Emei disciples before. As for your skills, hehe, you're still a tiny bit lacking."

Gu Panpan's forehead veins throbbed, but she could only force a smile and say, "Senior, your eyes are so discerning, nothing can be hidden from you. Panpan is indeed a disciple of the Qingtang Sect of Wangwu Mountain. My Wangwu Mountain is full of true cultivators, and Panpan has only just entered the sect. Her skills are meager. This time, she secretly escaped and has troubled you to lend a helping hand. It is truly shameful."

It's a pity that something happened in the north recently, and my master and senior uncle both went to Shuofang. Otherwise, I could have discussed the Dao with the seniors and shown off a couple of moves of the Qingtang Sect's true teachings. The timing this time was really not very coincidental..."

But Li Fan understood. "Oh, so the elders of your sect weren't here, so you stole the sect's magic treasure to come out and play, right?"

They even managed to kill all of the Gu Family's enemies, tsk tsk.

Gu Panpan stuck out her tongue and explained, "Those were originally given to me by my master out of love for me, so how can it be called stealing? It's just that my master originally instructed me to cultivate in the mountains and not to leave until I reached the Nascent Soul Stage. I just couldn't resist the urge."

But it is indeed a fortunate opportunity for Panpan to meet a senior like you. You are new to Gen Province and have set up a temple in this desolate wilderness. Do you not have any fellow Daoists you know and cannot find a place to settle down and cultivate?

"How about I introduce you to my Qingtang Sect on Wangwu Mountain, so I can show you hospitality? You can also meet many fellow practitioners from other sects on Wangwu Mountain and exchange skills with them!"

Oh, is she trying to lure him to her sect to ambush him? No, it's not necessarily a trap. Gu Panpan probably knows that he disobeyed his master's orders, secretly slipped out of the sect, and even lost his magic treasure. Going back empty-handed will definitely lead to punishment, so she's trying to salvage the situation. As a Golden Core cultivator, she probably wouldn't dare use any extreme methods, so she's just using sweet words to try and get Li Fan to come back as a guest. That way, no matter how the sect deals with him, at least they can get the magic treasure back, which would be some kind of explanation.

Li Fan thought for a moment and asked, "What if I refuse to go?"

Gu Panpan spread her hands, "Sigh, as I said before, you saved my life, so it's only right that I get some reward. But other things aside, that sword pill is related to my fate and cannot be easily given up. Whether it's a pill or a magic weapon, as long as you give the order, senior, to exchange it for something, I will definitely do it."

If you don't allow it, Panpan has no choice but to ask you to leave your name and Daoist register, so that when I return to the mountain to receive my punishment and cultivate to the True Person realm, I can come back to visit you and redeem my things."

Li Fan was baffled. "What does it have to do with your fate? What does it have to do with anything?"

Gu Panpan blushed, and with a half-serious, half-flirtatious, shy smile, she said, "Senior, you may not know, but this sword pellet is a token of love given to me by my senior brother from the Xuanmen sect. Our patriarch divined it for me, saying it's a predestined marriage, a path to immortality!"

You're talking nonsense! Where did I say it was a gift for you?

Li Fan was utterly bewildered. He had been thinking this was a perfect opportunity to give the sword pellet to Li Wugou for self-defense, since she was one of the Beichen Sword Sect's own. But why was Gu Panpan, whom he had only met briefly, also trying to get involved and insist on a marriage alliance with him? Was this girl trying to trick him again?

Li Fan looked skeptical, but Gu Panpan wasn't in a hurry. She opened her mouth, curled her tongue, and spat out a pearl. "If you don't believe me, senior, that's fine. How about I exchange this sword pellet for the one you have?"

What she spat out was yet another sword pellet! This one, however, was not metallic; it was a milky-white sphere, resembling stone but not jade, seemingly hidden inside her abdomen. When she spat it out, a glistening strand of saliva clung to the tip of her tongue.

Gu Panpan blushed slightly, quickly wiped her face clean with her sleeve, and then held it up in her hand to show Li Fan.

Li Fan was stunned. "You actually have another sword pellet?"

Gu Panpan smiled, "Oh, this is the betrothal gift from the Gao family I mentioned earlier. Ha, they only value my looks and talent, my favored status, and my promising future. They also want to win over my Qingtang Sect. Hmph, what grand occasions haven't I, Gu Panpan, seen? Do they think I only care about a sword pellet?"

Li Fan was still skeptical. "Didn't you say the Gao family wanted to unify Hebei? What's wrong with being a warlord's wife? Given your family's background, they won't treat you badly, will they?"

"Hehe! Who wants that kind of worldly wealth and luxury!" Gu Panpan chuckled. "Actually, the patriarch also calculated for me that the Gao family's destiny is insufficient, their future is perilous, and they may not be able to succeed. If you really want to achieve immortality and become famous in the Xuanmen, it's best to cultivate with that senior brother from before!"

But the seats next to that senior brother are limited; first come, first served. It's a fight to the death to secure one. This matter concerns my path to immortality; I humbly request the master's permission."

Li Fan was dumbfounded. "Wait, what do you mean there's a limit to the number of positions?! How many are there? Seriously, is this a legitimate fortune telling service?! How can you even predict something like this?!"

Hearing Li Fan question her family's abilities, Gu Panpan retorted defiantly.

"The lush green crabapple blossoms, the graceful intertwined branches, the resentful leaves of the mimosa, and the carefree branches of the daylily."

Our Qingtang Sect has an ancient tradition of arranging marriages across vast distances. We are matchmakers, connecting people and arranging marriages – a practice that began in the time of the Immortal Venerables! When it comes to marriage, who can be more professional than us? Even Emei would be ashamed to admit their inferiority! How could they not be able to calculate it!

Just ask around, in the Xuanmen sect, who doesn't come to my sect to pay their respects when they're getting married or seeking a partner? If you're considering leaving the monastic life, Master, come to my Qingtang Sect for a fortune telling, and I'll give you a 20% discount."

Wow, matchmakers! So you guys are...