A Little Stronger

This deal was truly a win-win situation; for Gu Panpan, it was a stroke of good fortune, a sudden surge of luck.

Just imagine her sneaking out to travel the world, getting kidnapped the moment she stepped out, and almost being sacrificed for blood. But instead of meeting a benefactor and being saved, she had countless encounters with immortals along the way, even obtaining a superior escape technique to save her life—she was treated like a protagonist. How could she not be happy? She was practically grinning from ear to ear.

Li Fan didn't lose out either. The sword Frost Stone consequences could be given away after settling accounts with the Gao family. Moreover, Gu Panpan was indeed smart and sensible. She knew not to take too much advantage. Seeing Li Fan's ability, she immediately stopped refusing and handed over the Xuanmen secret manual to him in exchange.

So Li Fan didn't make things difficult for her. He quickly memorized the three secret manuals, <Azure Mist Purple Micro Heavenly Garment True Art>, <Purple Micro Astrology>, and <Heavenly Union Calculation>, and studied them later.

As for the <Wind and Cloud Dragon Ascension Technique>, it is a superior escape technique of the Qingcheng Sect recorded on the stone wall of Lei Marsh. Li Fan had memorized it, and naturally he had to write it down to exchange for it. So Gu Panpan didn't waste time catching butterflies and flowers along the way, and directly took Li Fan to fly towards the Qingtang Sect.

While reciting his lessons, Li Fan also inquired about Wild Fox Ridge from Gu Panpan along the way.

"Wild Fox Ridge, huh? I know it. It was originally the gathering place of a clan of fox demons. Later, the Demon Race was almost wiped out, and their remaining souls were sealed and suppressed. There should be immortals guarding the area. Occasionally, there are missions in Wangwu Mountain to patrol the Demon Race seals. There must be a dozen or twenty places where there are Divine Transformation stage demons, right?"

Is this some kind of dojo that seals away demons in the Ten-thousand-mountains? It leaves too many problems for future generations to deal with...

"Is it possible that the Hu Barbarians army could infiltrate from near Yehuling and launch a surprise attack on the Central Plains? The western border should be occupied by the Gan Kingdom, right?"

Gu Panpan shook her head. "I don't understand military matters, but the Xuan Girl Mountain Range is a complex and undulating landscape. Moreover, our Wangwu Mountain only governs the east side. Shanxi is the territory of the Qian Kingdom, where many Daoist Tradition reside. There are countless ancient lineages and hermit immortals. Sometimes even the words of Emei are not enough."

"The Xuan Girl Mountain Range..."

Li Fan knew about the Xuan Girl Mountain Range. It was a north-south mountain range that stretched across the Gen Province Plain and the Ganzhou Mountains, extending south to the Gen River and north to the Ice Plain. Because it was full of deep mountains and difficult paths, only immortals could cross it. Therefore, mortals usually crossed the plain on the Gen Province side when they went on their southern and northern expeditions.

Incidentally, the early form of the Xuanmen, the resistance force led by Profound Maiden, was driven into this mountain range by the Immortal Palace army and besieged. They fought guerrilla warfare in the mountains of Gan Kingdom. Finally, when Profound Maiden had developed her strength, she launched a counterattack and defeated the Immortal Emperor. Thus, this mountain range was named the Xuan Girl Mountain Range, which is the place where the Xuanmen rose to power.

Ganzhou is inherently mountainous, home to countless ancient sects and ancestral temples. With the rise of the Xuanmen (mystical sects), it naturally attracts a large number of immortals and True Cultivator. Everywhere you look, there are golden peaks of immortals, caves of gods, and secret Daoist scriptures. However, it is also teeming with all sorts of rare birds and beasts, demons, spirits, ghosts, and even celestial zombies and celestial demons. It can be described as a complete autonomous prefecture for immortals, a true Immortal Realm of cultivation. Therefore, mortals rarely venture there, making it a virtually uninhabited mountainous region.

If they were truly prepared, it's not impossible that they could infiltrate from Ganzhou with a surprise attack.

Li Fan thought about it and realized that there was nothing to hide from Wangwu Mountain about the plans of the Xianbei Chanyu and the Left Wise King. Perhaps some ambitious people in the Central Plains would join forces with the Hu Barbarians, but they would definitely do it in secret. From the perspective of the world's cultivators, it was unlikely that any group would dare to openly betray their own people.

So as long as the plans of 'Wujidu' and Left Wise King are left to Wangwu Mountain, these immortals, out of respect for the locals, will probably have to clean up the mess right under their noses, just like the Gate of Life and Death did.

But it's hard to say whether this Chanyu simply ordered his men to break the demon seal and give Wangwu Mountain something to do, or if he really planned a surprise attack from the Xuan Girl Mountain Range.

Moreover, if the Hu Barbarians army can really pass through the Xuan Girl Mountain Range, then the situation in Ganzhou will probably be even more complicated. Emei's mind may indeed no longer be on this matter, otherwise who would dare to cause trouble in the Xuanmen's stronghold in Ganzhou?

"It's inconvenient for me to show up, so let me give you another credit," Li Fan thought for a moment and said to Gu Panpan, "I've already told you about the intelligence I gathered about the Left Wise King of the Hu Barbarians. This spy is still alive, so we can interrogate him again. Aren't the Xuanmen sect good at divination? You can hand him over to the person in charge of Wangwu Mountain. Just be on guard, and don't let the army really break into Gen Province and cause widespread suffering."

"Yes! My godfather is compassionate and merciful! His thoughts and concerns are always for the people! I, Panpan, will always remember your teachings! Even if I achieve the realm of a true immortal, I will still protect all living beings!"

Well, another great achievement for her! Gu Panpan couldn't stop smiling.

Li Fan shrugged. He didn't think this was anything like saving the world; he was just too lazy to take the detour to Wild Fox Ridge. Besides, defending against the Hu Barbarians raids was just a routine task in the north. The key wasn't breaking the seal, but finding the enemy's main force.

The Blood Infant is currently digesting Anda's primordial spirit, and Wu Ji hasn't even eaten it yet, so it's probably difficult to get any more information from him. It would be better to send it to Wangwu Mountain as a gift through Gu Panpan, and also give these mountain people something to do, so they can use their arithmetic skills for a good purpose instead of spending all their time squatting in the mountains calculating how many people are around him.

This kind of time-wasting task is perfect to leave to the trash immortals. Li Fan felt that he didn't need to confront the Chanyu head-on. As long as he wiped out the core command of the enemy, the various Hu Barbarians that couldn't be organized would naturally not amount to anything.

Of course, judging from the level of the Nascent Soul Stage in the North that we have encountered so far, the Nascent Divine Transformation Nascent Soul Stage of the 72 tribes are all of solid strength, and the Divine Transformation cultivators are probably similar to the Demon Wolf. There are also armies of hundreds of thousands of people. So the difficulty of this dungeon is really not small. Moreover, this time it is a battlefield of large armies, which is quite different from the kidnapping operations in the past. Before entering the dungeon, we must be fully prepared.

Now that he has swallowed half a wolf, Li Fan's body is full of baleful energy. He doesn't need to Moon Worship for the time being. He can find a quiet place to cultivate in seclusion and refine his mental cultivation to the Tai Su Dao Body. It would be perfect for him to stay at the Qingtang Sect for a few days.

Gu Panpan naturally seized the opportunity to win over this godfather who was a treasure trove of talent, flattering him while introducing the situation of Wangwu Mountain.

As mentioned before, Wangwu Mountain belongs to the eastern mountain range of the Xuan Girl Mountain Range and is the most spiritually powerful peak. When the Grand Commandant was preparing for the Northern Expedition, he used Gen Province as his base. The cultivators who came to help with the Northern Expedition gathered from all over the Central Plains and needed a place to settle down and cultivate. Therefore, the giants of the Xuanmen planned the overall transformation of the spiritual veins on the eastern side of the Xuan Girl Mountain Range. They gathered all the spiritual veins into the Wangwu Mountain area through the array hub and moved several mountains over. They transformed the entire Wangwu Mountain into a huge Grotto-Heaven Blessed Land, which was equivalent to the base camp of the immortals who were on the Northern Expedition.

Even today, this grand formation remains effective, attracting countless aristocratic families to gather near Wangwu Mountain. This is how Wangwu Mountain got its reputation for having three thousand True Cultivator. Of course, if it were during the Northern Expedition, three thousand Fake Nascent Soul at most, but one can imagine how grand the scale of the Northern Expedition was back then.

No wonder the Grand Commandant was so full of vigor back then. Imagine, with not only a massive army Northern Expedition, but also the support of the immortals of Wangwu Mountain, sweeping across the north, commanding respect and power—what a magnificent sight! No wonder he was so confident, and later took such ambitious steps in his reforms, only to be betrayed and suffer the destruction of his family. It just goes to show that those who push things too far are bound to meet their end sooner rather than later...

That being said, now that Li Fan has arrived at Wangwu Mountain, what he sees is no longer Grotto-Heaven Blessed Land like Ink Bamboo Mountain, nor an Immortal Palace or flying island, but a proper and enormous immortal city.

The entire city stretches out around the north, south, and east sides of Wangwu Mountain. The western mountain peaks radiate precious light, housing countless Daoist Immortal Pavilion and pavilions, as well as the Daoist scriptures of immortals. The eastern plains are dotted with the pavilions and towers of aristocratic families, all equally magnificent. This town is not bound by city walls or moats, and it was not originally a garrison. It is likely that after the fall of the Gen Country in recent years, most of the powerful families fled to Wangwu Mountain for protection, which led to the city's expansion.

The fact that immortals and aristocratic families live side by side is indeed different from the usual practices of the Xuanmen (Daoist) sects.

"Our Qingtang Sect is, in essence, a branch of the Bi Xia Dao that was left behind in Wangwu Mountain. The Bi Xia Dao is also an ancient female cultivation sect, said to have been passed down by the Profound Maiden Nu. It has spread far and wide, becoming known throughout the world."

Unfortunately, no one has attained enlightenment in many years, and many secret methods have been lost. Without a Daoist master to suppress the flow of fortune, the Bi Xia Dao has now declined.

Gu Panpan led Li Fan to a Daoist temple, where nuns in plain clothes, meditating nearby, bowed and greeted, "Greetings, Senior Sister."

Gu Panpan smiled and said to them, "You must study hard and strive to become immortals like me, so that your youth and beauty will never fade, understand?"

"We will follow your teachings, Senior Sister." The nuns bowed with envy.

"..." Li Fan looked at these nuns. They were all at the Foundation Establishment Perfection, probably disciples of the Qingtang Sect who had not yet entered the sect. Their bodies were completely covered, with only their faces showing. They were also without makeup, and their hair was wrapped in light gauze. They had no hairpins or ornaments, but it was still clear that they were all young and beautiful with delicate features. They really did prioritize choosing the good-looking ones.

"They're dressed so formally..." Li Fan had thought he would see a large group of 'heart demons' with bare legs and feet, wearing only bellybands, at the famous headquarters of the Hehuan Sect. Damn it! He had even been a little excited about it!

"Our Qingtang Sect is a righteous sect, okay? Many of our junior sisters here were adopted from outside the mountains and raised here. Most of them lack character and have mediocre talent. Apart from being good-looking, they are useless. So, if they want to become immortals, they need to cultivate their golden bodies and temper their Dao hearts."

If one cannot bear the loneliness, one can descend the mountain, assume the title of a disciple of Wangwu Mountain, learn some skills, and be able to protect oneself. If one can survive the tribulation and form the Golden Core, one can naturally wear whatever one wants and marry whomever one desires."

Gu Panpan, clutching the red ribbon, skipped and hopped into the Dao Palace. "Godfather, this way! I'll take you to the superior retreat to rest first. Later, I'll find a lonely senior uncle to keep you company during your cultivation."

"Ahem, no rush, no rush... Let's grind the ink first." Li Fan broke out in a cold sweat and chose a secluded courtyard. He didn't care about the spiritual energy; the key was that no one would disturb him or spy on his cultivation technique.

"It's getting late, Godfather, you should rest first. I'll go and let the Ancestral Master know I'm safe."

While memorizing the secret Qingtang Sect, he also received a copy of the <Wind and Cloud Dragon Ascension Technique> from memory, and the transaction was completed.

Gu Panpan happily bid farewell, wrapped the black cloth in a red silk ribbon, and tore it up like a piece of dripping salted meat, then took it to her ancestor to see.

Li Fan then calmed down and activated the barrier formation to enter seclusion.

With a current mood cap of 28k, I need to quickly convert it into the Tai Su Dao Body to increase my combat power.

First, confirm the enhancement of each Dao body.

Qiongqi, Daoist Qiongqi is still weak and hasn't recovered. After all, he was badly injured again. But let's not worry about him. He'll recover eventually if he just takes his time to heal.

Next up is my old friend Five Mountain Mountain God Dao Body. When I fought Penglai Shizai before, I used the Mountain God Demon Bone Sword to defeat the East, West, and South Mountain Gods. But this time, the fourfold reward from devouring the Demon God Wolf is too good to pass up. Now, each of them costs 200 points and they have all reached the Golden Core Perfected Realm.

Then Li Fan will face a choice.

Should we also force the other four mountain god bodies, which have reached the Golden Core stage, to break through to the Nascent Soul Realm, just like Gonggong did?

Without a matching Cultivation Method, Li Fan was reluctant to use the Three Flowers as a purification seed for the Mountain God's Dao Body, whose potential was limited. Forcing a breakthrough would have some hidden dangers. However, after some hesitation, he felt that now that he had the Blood Infant as a deterrent, he didn't need to worry about his Dao Heart becoming unbalanced. Besides, 500 for one wasn't expensive... Alright! Force a breakthrough!

'The Mountain God of Nanshan breaks through to the Nascent Soul'

'Current mood 14k/25.4k'

Thus, within Li Fan's divine court, upon the countless black ice formations, four human figures appeared, each radiating purple, blue, gold, and crimson. Judging by their heads, these four were clearly manifestations of Li Fan's Mountain God Dao Body. They could only be described as barely human from the neck down, yet each retained unique features such as rhinoceros hooves, bird wings, ox horns, and dragon claws, making them resemble monsters...

Li Fan could sense that although the four mountain gods had broken through to the Nascent Soul Stage, their improvement was not very obvious. Their breakthrough only transformed them into human form, and their physical strength did not increase as much as when Gonggong Dao Body stage.

The main improvement was in Li Fan's control over the five energies of Taiji and his comprehension of the escape techniques and Daoist methods. The speed at which the five energies circulated within Inner Landscape dantian increased more than tenfold, and the speed at which the energies of Qian and Kun were generated also increased rapidly, which somewhat benefited the cultivation of Wuji Zhenyuan.

The cost of this forced upgrade isn't just the reduction of 2,000 points from the mood cap.

One of the three flowers on the top of Gui Xu Nascent Soul withered, clearly indicating that breaking through to four Nascent Soul Stage at once had a huge impact on his Dao Heart. Moreover, Li Fan could clearly feel that the mountain gods of the five mountains were now looking at him with very unfriendly eyes, only daring not to rebel because they were wary of the Blood Infant still burping.

After all, nobody's happy with a chain around their neck...

Among them, Gonggong's Gonggong Dao Body was the most imposing. This guy had doubled in size, and the scales on his snake tail were beginning to be covered by black ice formed from baleful energy, making his whole body look like he was wearing a suit of armor! He also had the Huan family's fish spear in his hand, as if he was practicing the Cultivation Method of the Jiuli Dance!

Tsk, this guy has improved a lot! It seems the Gui Xu Nascent Soul is starting to lose control of the Tai Su Dao Body again...

Unfortunately, the risks and benefits of the Tai Su Dao Body coexist; one can only be careful not to suffer a backlash.

There are still two flowers left! No big problem! Let's continue!

Then there's Guiche. The Guiche Body can theoretically break through to the Nascent Soul Realm, since it directly devoured a demon god and has its own purification seed. However, it lacks a matching Cultivation Method. Moreover, considering the Qiongqi Dao Body's situation, Guiche would need 1200 points of mood cap to force a breakthrough.

Although it's possible, judging from Gonggong's arrogant attitude, even the mountain gods who forced their breakthroughs didn't listen to him. As for the fierce god Guiche, Li Fan felt it was better to play it safe and suppress it. It would be more prudent to wait until he found a suitable Nascent Soul cultivation technique for birds before letting Guiche evolve normally.

Kun... Kun, pass.

Then Li Fan began cultivating his new Dao Body, starting with the fish the system had promised to raise.

Li Fan took out the goldfish bowl to take a look. The two goldfish he was raising were fed with special fish food and had grown to about four feet long. However, they hadn't changed much in shape. According to his Divine Sense, they were still carp and hadn't grown any tentacles or anything like that.

Visualizing a golden-scaled fish is really not difficult; it only takes the blink of an eye.

' Li Fan has successfully cultivated the Yang Fish Dao Body, consuming 100 points of his maximum mood.'

' Li Fan has successfully cultivated the Yin Fish Dao Body, consuming 100 points of his maximum mood.'

Holy crap, how come even a fish is this expensive, system!

' The Tai Su Dao Body can withstand calamities, requiring a minimum of 100 points of maximum strength.'

Is a 100-point mood cap considered a life? Well, it's not bad, it's still more worthwhile than three lives.

However, the Carp Body doesn't provide much of an attribute boost. What's the use of a fish's power? At most, it can help him hold his breath underwater a little longer, but using it only to block calamities is too extravagant. It's truly a useless thing, no, a salted fish.

It seems I still need to use the <<Tai Xuan Scripture>> to simulate and calculate a suitable cultivation method. Two are enough; even if I add more salted fish to increase his life, it won't make much sense, since there aren't many that can actually take away one of his lives...

So Li Fan nurtured the Yang Fish Dao Body within his Inner Landscape, surrounding the Qiankun Yiqi Golden Core, and then dumped the arduous task of deducing the Carp Cultivation Method onto Daoist Qiongqi, since it had nothing else to do anyway.

Finally, one should naturally visualize the two-headed demonic wolf of the Fuli clan.

Using wolf bones as the core and black ice to shape the Dao body, these are all readily available, fresh ingredients; it's very simple to just mold them directly.

' Li Fan has successfully cultivated the Fuli Body (Beginner Level), consuming 200 points of his maximum mood.'

' Fuli Dao Body broke through to the Golden Core Perfection stage, consuming 500 points of mood cap; current mood cap is 24.5k'

The number of mounts for Gui Xu Nascent Soul has increased again...

However, perhaps because it didn't finish devouring the demon god, Fuli's two-headed wolf body wasn't very strong. Although the system judged it to be at the level of Qiongqi, Li Fan only felt it was at the level of a mountain god.

At this point, most of the malevolent energy had been consumed, so Li Fan stopped his visualization, and his cultivation came to an end.

This time, the Five Mountain Gods' bodies were all upgraded to the Nascent Soul Realm, and the power of one wolf and two fish was added, greatly improving the progress of the Tai Su Transformation Technique. However, these guys' resistance has also increased, so overall, it can be considered a bit stronger.