Secret Teachings

Li Fan remembered that when he went to the Tai Su Realm to Moon Worship, he often brought back all sorts of random things, like fragments of karma, and the most outrageous time he even found a whole set of swords. And the things the Mood System gave out in its lottery, theoretically, should all be 'monsters', right?

No, or perhaps not. Those Si Nan and flying swords were certainly strange enough, and they were indeed teleported from "the other side of the door," but Li Fan couldn't send them back. Upon closer examination, they should be said to have been "assembled on this side of the door," rather than being "directly carried through the door" as the Octopus-headed Sergeant claimed.

Thinking about it more carefully, the Tai Su World that the main body went to each time Moon Worship doesn't seem to count as crossing the 'gate'. After all, recalling the last time he used the Thousand-Faced Immortal trial card, he actually crossed the gate, which instantly brought his Gui Xu Nascent Soul cultivation progress back to square one. The huge consumption of crossing the 'gate' is not the same as the situation each time Moon Worship. It's possible that the Tai Su Realm he saw when flying across the Void Abyss is still on this side of the 'gate'...

Although I still don't understand it, this pot seems pretty amazing! It can pass directly through doors, so isn't it similar to the Thousand-Faced Immortal's clones? It probably has high research value in the system's world?

"Of course, Your Excellency, you must have sensed the extraordinary nature of this monster to have been drawn here. I would never dare to use falsehoods to swindle the treasures from you; therefore, the proposal I just made regarding the recruitment of the Divine Cult and comprehensive cooperation is absolutely a fair suggestion of equal exchange. On this basis, please allow me to make a small supplementary explanation."

With a clapping and unfolding motion of his white-gloved hands, Octopus-headed Sergeant magically produced a needle-free syringe from his palms.

Li Fan's attention was suddenly drawn to this. He had seen this thing before; there were three of them in that little red box, apparently meant for Guiche. But he had long since stored them away in his Storage Jade and tossed them into a corner of the Li Family Village's warehouse, completely forgetting about them...

"This is a potion that even the company can't provide you. It was jointly developed by our legion and the cult, specifically targeting the characteristics of local life forms. Simply put, after using it, you can become human."

Li Fan raised his eyes and stared at him.

"People."

Even the crying on the other end of the microphone stopped abruptly.

The octopus-head tentacles throbbed excitedly, seemingly smiling. "Yes, I guarantee that once you become human, even a Dao Lord level being will not be able to see through your true form. However, to be honest, I'm not so sure about Immortal Lords, after all, the sample size is too small, and we haven't had the chance to test it yet."

But the demon lords who cooperate with us can freely transform into human form, no longer bound by various restrictions, and freely enter and leave the Central Plains. I'm sure you can attest to that, madam. After all, haven't you seen this yourself?

"It's been so long, I think with the company's capabilities, you should be able to analyze and replicate it by now, right? What, even at this point, ma'am, you still haven't brought it out for sale? Are you perhaps still holding back? Or... do you lack the authority to manage it?"

"... I... I don't understand what you mean."

But Li Fan understood; this guy thought Ah Xiba was in the company's hands! He was frantically testing them!

He immediately interrupted the conversation and leaned in, seemingly very interested, to ask, "How long can you remain human?"

The octopus-headed figure bowed and explained, "It depends on the quality of your physical form, Demon Lord. Considering the size of common large creatures in this world, each needle has the effect of three years. Of course, once you join our ranks, the Divine Cult will naturally provide all subsequent supplies and can also provide additional sacrifices and offerings."

You might find this troublesome, and of course, we are continuing our research and development to optimize the drug's effects. However, as you, Demon Lord, can probably sense, this world will soon no longer need to hide. But until then, please bear with us as much as possible."

Seeing Li Fan's interest, the octopus-headed man carefully offered the syringe. The moment Li Fan took it, a visual message appeared before Li Fan eyes. In a cave atop a snow-capped mountain in the west of Yinshan and the north of Gen Country, there was a metal box containing a syringe.

The octopus-headed figure bowed slightly, "Considering the value of this monster, if you, Demon Lord, are willing to trade, I am willing to provide you with a potion free of charge. This one will be a small gift for you to experiment with. If you are interested, please be sure to contact us."

"Then, I shall take my leave."

The octopus-headed man respectfully retreated to the doorway, slowly turned around, then suddenly seemed to remember something, raised a finger, and knocked on the cabin door frame.

"Speaking of which, ma'am, besides the medicine to 'become human,' we also have medicine to 'not be human.' Anyway, ma'am, you probably can't continue working at the company. Would you like to consider an alternative? If you're interested in submitting your resume, please contact me."

After speaking, the octopus-headed creature bowed and disappeared into the darkness.

A moment of silence fell over the cabin.

Li Fan leaned closer to the camera again, "Name your price?"

"Hiss... I, I'll start you my foot! You damn disgusting monster! Get lost! I don't have time for you!"

Then everything went black before Li Fan's eyes. When he opened them again, he found himself back inside Qiongqi's clone.

Holy crap? I got forcibly kicked out of the channel?

Holding the pot in his hands, Li Fan's mind was overwhelmed with information, his thoughts a jumbled mess, and he sat there in a daze.

Let's tidy it up a bit.

The company's envoy stationed in the Taiji World is now in dire straits and will most likely be dismissed by management. Moreover, she probably isn't that interested in the pot that Li Fan has now, and might even secretly collude with the legion to switch sides.

The probability of Qiongqi being hunted down has greatly decreased, so there's no need to rush back to its original form, especially since it has committed a huge crime over there...

The Legion has confirmed Aruba's death, but seems unaware that Li Fan was responsible. They've developed a drug to transform 'Non-Thing' into 'humans,' and judging from Octopus Head's words, they even seem to have a drug that can reverse that, transforming humans into Non-Thing. So the Corpse-Slaying Pill was indeed something the Legion created for the Cult of Gods...

As for this pot... it's probably worth some money? And it's likely to attract the attention of Devil Embryo.

However, Li Fan's first contact with the apostles of the other two systems... well, he seemed really weak...

Not only the physical body, but also the soul, or rather, the spiritual aspects such as wisdom, will, and determination, can be clearly sensed by the Gu Guan Method; both of them are ridiculously weak.

If this were a game, then these two characters, the Octopus-headed Sergeant and the female office worker, would be the big boss of this world, right? But they seem like mere ants...

Okay, that's an exaggeration, but they really are just, through and through, 'mere mortals'.

Although on the other side of the 'door' lies a magnificent technological civilization nurtured by weak mortals, ignored and rejected by these immortals.

These are the mortals who 'can only rely on the system' who orchestrate the bloody battles Three Great Sects time and time again, generation after generation.

To be honest, it's quite ironic. Moreover, with Li Fan's current strength, beheading and killing these two 'big bosses' would be effortless.

But killing them wouldn't make a difference.

Killing merely an Octopus-headed Sergeant or a company employee would have absolutely no real impact on the system's civilization.

It's nothing more than replacing one or two apostles.

Li Fan looked at the pot in his arms and made up his mind.

The key is the 'door'! The key is to get to the other side of the 'door'!

This pot, being a monster capable of passing through the "door," is literally priceless and definitely cannot be handed over. The optimal solution is to provide it to the mood system for analysis.

The problem is that this clone of his is now on the verge of going out of control. Perhaps "out of control" isn't quite accurate, as Li Fan could actually control his body the entire time, and Qiongqi didn't resist him. The primordial spirit of this clone is a projection of Tai Su's transformations, a shadow of Li Fan himself. This body after his disintegration is indeed his own.

The problem is that he is both Li Fan and Qiongqi.

When he's well-fed and watered, he's a Daoist priest; when he's starving, he's a fierce demon.

Human nature and animal nature can transform into each other unconsciously, becoming indistinguishable.

Although ensuring he's well-fed can maintain morale, at this rate of cultivation growth, he'll likely break through to the Transformation Stage and become a demon god before even crossing the Central Plains, dying at the hands of the experts from the Three Great Sects.

Oh, and the injection the octopus head gave me...

Perhaps he could try to get it for free, and if it's poisonous, he could use the system to remove it. But if he really could turn into a human, he might be able to carry the pot across the Central Plains and return to Ink Bamboo Mountain to reunite with his original body!

However, the coordinates given by the octopus head are on the western foothills of Yinshan Mountain, in the northern border of Gen Country. In other words, after obtaining the potion, one must travel south from the Kunlun line of Gen Country Kunlun Kun Country, which means going through the war zone controlled by the cult.

If the cult has already joined forces with a large number of demon lords, and those 'Non-Thing' can also sense the existence of this pot and actively try to seize it, then it will likely be a perilous and bloody path...

Never mind! Things will work themselves out! Hesitation is tantamount to waiting for death! Let's just do it first!

So Li Fan made up his mind. The sun was about to rise, so Li Fan stuffed the pot into Qiongqi's mouth and swallowed it. Then he transformed into human form and was no longer trapped in the sword formation. He flew westward along the Yinshan Mountains, leaping across the vast ice plains.

Meanwhile, his main body also traveled day and night, traversing the seventy-two peaks of Hengshan and heading south. Finally, he left the Hengshan territory without any danger or peril, and was not chased down and killed by any Dao Lords or Ancestors. Only then did Li Fan confirm that he had passed the most dangerous period. He then left his body and returned to his main body to try to contact the system.

Before he could even catch his breath and offer Moon Worship, he received some unfortunate news.

Xuan Tian: "We were spotted as soon as we left Hengshan. They've been following us from afar for a whole day."

Who! Hengshan? Company? Grand Tutor? Legion? Cult? Penglai? Emei? Nangong? Xun Kingdom?

Xuan Tian: "Who knows... By the way, how long have you been out of the mountains? How come you've offended so many people!"

Wow! At least half of them were instigated by you! Whatever, how many people? What's their level of involvement?

Xuan Tian, "A Nascent Soul Stage cultivator..."

A mere Nascent Soul Stage! What is there to fear?

"Who are you, you cowardly rat! How dare you follow this old man like me! Show yourself!"

Li Fan spread his primordial spirit outwards, locked onto the target, and roared angrily, his voice like rolling thunder, startling the crows flying wildly in the forest. At the same time, he teleported forward, quickly closing the distance to avoid being sniped from a distance by another clone or similar creature.

But what Li Fan didn't expect was that the stalker's whereabouts were discovered, and instead of retreating, he advanced quickly and rushed towards him. He turned out to be a warrior wearing a stage mask and casual clothes, dressed like a martial arts assassin. This person should not be a pure martial artist, but a cooperative one. Xuanmen Qi training method, I have practiced a set of excellent internal boxing, the Tao breath overflows every time I breathe, and the true Qi protects the body. I don't do any tricks when I come up, I just use a set of capturing skills with my bare hands, and I remove Li Fan's shoulder blades and arms, obviously trying to subdue him alive.

If it were a clone of Qiongqi here, it would definitely kill him with a single punch without hesitation, and then summon the Chang Gui to find out the truth.

But being a person is more complicated than that, especially when you have to be a good person.

So Li Fan continued to play the role of the rogue cultivator Li Yaoshi, without using any profound Daoist techniques or spells. Moreover, he also wanted to test the other party's background, so he didn't use finger techniques or acupoint striking, but instead used the Dragon Claw Hand technique, exchanging seven or eight moves with the other party.

You know what, this guy's basic skills are quite solid. Acupressure might not be very effective. Moreover, his bare-handed fighting skills are quite ingenious. He can fan, grab, strike, and hit with his bare hands. Every move is coordinated with internal energy regulation and power generation. His movements are as fast as an eagle's strike, and his True Breath is extremely pure. There is not a single flaw.

It's important to understand that Li Fan only learned one move of the Emei Sect's Pifeng Biyue Palm, while this guy tried every move differently, each one a complete routine. Every strike unleashed his full cultivation, and his power was incredibly refined, indicating at least several hundred years of cultivation. He was clearly a true master of the Xuanmen sect, a genuine old man, and using a profound martial art that he had honed and refined over a long period. Using such a profound Cultivation Method against Li Fan's half-baked Dragon Claw Hand, which he had only learned from a monk and lacked internal strength, gave him a huge advantage.

Li Fan tried to exchange a few punches with his opponent, and was shaken to his core. Fortunately, the Tai Su Transformation Body Refinement had forged his body into steel, and his thick skin and tough flesh prevented him from suffering internal injuries. It seemed that without real skill, brute force was no match for this trained fighter. However, this forced fight did compel his opponent to use the secret techniques of Qi Gong Fist to deflect and release force, thus revealing the man's true strength.

Of course, it wasn't Li Fan who figured it out.

Xuan Tian: "Oh, the secret White Crane Fist of Hotong Mountain."

Li Fan seized the opportunity, deciphering his opponent's boxing routine. He deliberately feigned an opening, then swiftly grabbed the opponent's wrist as they threw a jab. "Hmph! Hotong Mountain White Crane Fist! Child's play!"

The man was clearly taken aback, not expecting his sect's secret technique to be exposed in just a few moves. He suddenly kicked Li Fan's arm away and fled.

To be honest, Li Fan was a bit careless this time and failed to defend himself. After all, he had fought quite a few cultivators with his sword, but this was the first time he had ever seen someone use their legs to kick. Usually, people use the meridians in their legs to ride the wind and clouds to escape, maintaining mobility for both offense and defense. Truly worthy of the White Crane Fist, using wings and claws together...

But it's alright, it's not a big problem. Li Fan just subtly used his Heavenly Finger to seal the meridians in the opponent's legs and feet, so they can't get far! Chase after them!

Xuan Tian: "Why are you chasing us! Didn't you hear it was Hotong Mountain?! They might have figured out where the Sword Talismans is and are coming after us. Get out of here!"

Oh, right, and those Sword Talismans and such stuff originally belonged to Hotong Mountain... Sigh, he stole too much stuff, now he has enemies all over the world, so annoying...

But Li Fan realized his troubles were only just beginning...

He had only been flying south for a short while when he felt two Divine Sense suddenly lock onto him. Then, two Sword Light flashed and shot straight up from the dense forest below, aiming to strike Li Fan on the head!

Xuan Tian: "A flying sword! It's the Grand Tutor's assassin!"

"I can see that! Ice River Escape Age!"

Li Fan roared, and with a sudden descent into the sky using the Ice River Escape Technique, he created distance. At the same time, he made a Golden Avoidance Technique with his left hand, first deflecting a Sword Light, and then swung his sleeve with his right hand to form a wall of Qi, using the Heavenly Garment True Qi to conceal it. In fact, ice armor appeared on his hands, allowing him to take the blow and deflect the flying sword!

The first assassination attempt failed, and the pair of flying swords did not linger. Their Sword Light crossed in the sky, their trajectories forming an arc before falling back into the dense forest below and disappearing without a trace.

A flying sword to decapitate, then fleeing if the first strike fails. Typical Sword Sect tactic, but... where is the swordsman?

Li Fan frowned deeply. He couldn't detect the attacker within his Divine Sense range! Was he kidding?! He had just been locked in by someone's Divine Sense! Could someone's Divine Sense be farther than his Gu Guan Method? That didn't make sense!

Xuan Tian, "... Fall down! Go to where you just drew your sword!"

Li Fan recalled for a moment, immediately remembered the location, and teleported back to the forest where he had been attacked, first heading to one of the places where the flying swords had launched a sneak attack.

He found an altar in the dense forest below.

Xuan Tian, "I never imagined... there were still some who escaped back then..."

The scene was a gruesome spectacle, resembling a cult's blood sacrifice. A mystical array was drawn in blood on the ground, and in the center lay a coffin covered in talismans. Inside lay the corpse of a boy of about fifteen or sixteen, roughly Foundation Establishment. His forehead was sealed with talismans, and his body was still warm. His abdomen was ripped open, his death gruesome, as if a sharp sword had pierced his body and drawn it from its sheath...

Could this be...?

Xuan Tian, "Ah, Sword Attendant... these are the lost secret manuals of Benshan, no, the former Benshan. The true Beichen Killing Sword."