The Tribute Mission

It wasn't that Li Fan wanted to boost the morale of others while diminishing his own, but when he looked at the new generation of disciples, such as Mo Qiongya, Chen Asha, and Lin Chen, they still carried the strong label of rogue cultivators and didn't yet understand the difference between exorcising demons and fighting monsters and engaging in sword duels in the Xuanmen sect.

Take that move just now, for example. She jumped up and then launched a flying kick with the acceleration of gravity. It was clearly a move used to fight monsters in the sea. This kick was obviously aimed at throwing herself out like a harpoon, with the goal of breaking through the waves, crushing the monster's skin and head, and causing real and effective damage.

With the support of the Ink Mountain Fist, the destructive power was indeed off the charts, but it also exceeded expectations. It left the opponent completely vulnerable, with a single trajectory, exposing the vital points without any defense. Moreover, the opponent subconsciously used too much strength, and the power and speed of the move exceeded the level that Mo Qiongya could control at the moment of kicking, leaving no room for change of moves or withdrawal.

Such a move would be suicidal against the cultivators of the Three Great Sects —no, against the Xuanmen sect. The fact that they only casually cut her into a cripple with all her meridians severed, instead of dismembering her on the spot, was already a sign of their mercy, considering Li Fan's pursuit and to conceal their whereabouts.

Yes, even if the gap in timing, Cultivation Methods, and magical treasures is somewhat compensated for, the gap between ordinary independent cultivators and the Three Great Sects, especially the Xuanmen cultivators, is still stretched into a huge chasm that determines life and death by those unseen inheritances.

In fact, throughout history, which of the heretical gods, the great demons who have emerged from the world, and the demons who have descended to the realms were not powerful enough to destroy the heavens and the earth, and whose parameters and realms were astonishing? Yet they were still killed without hesitation by the Xuanmen cultivators and became the Xuanmen's 'Heavenly Treasure'. This is not simply due to some kind of 'fate'.

It's about 'inheritance'.

As Li Fan studied and pondered the Five Swords of Xuan Tian, and slowly recalled the secret manual that Cangbai had taught him, he had already understood.

The Daoist school seems to place great emphasis on tradition and lineage, appearing very rigid and conservative with numerous rules, but all of them are necessary.

The law should not be lightly passed on.

Every school and sect has countless dazzling and powerful martial arts techniques. But what's terrifying is that none of these Cultivation Method are actually superfluous or useless. These inherited secret manuals don't contain any flashy or fake moves.

You might get the illusion that the esoteric Cultivation Method are flashy and complicated, because you haven't received the true teachings and don't know the real purpose of the manuals, or you're just Outer Sect Disciple practicing haphazardly and messing up the moves.

However, the Beichen Sword Sect's inheritance in Xuantian is actually only five basic sword techniques, but thousands of sword skills can be evolved from these. Emei's foundational palm technique is only one or two moves of Pifeng Biyue, but different Cultivation Method can be evolved for different enemies, different opponents, and different environments.

To put it bluntly, these basic skills are the true teachings, while the different strategies for dealing with enemies and the secret techniques for defeating them, as well as the combat Cultivation Method developed for specific situations, are also the true teachings of the Xuanmen.

These are secret manuals accumulated and refined through repeated trials and tribulations by sects that have stood for dozens of generations and Daoist Tradition have stood for thousands of years. Passed down from generation to generation, only direct disciples can master them all. Simply sneaking into the Outer Sect to steal a Cultivation Method without cultivating one's foundation is utterly useless. As for rogue cultivators from outside the mountains who see a move and clumsily imitate its form, producing a half-baked performance, it's perfectly normal for them to get beaten up.

Ink Bamboo Mountain may seem prosperous now, but it is far from reaching that level.

The Ink Mountain Fist that Li Fan taught was basically a set of calisthenics developed to adapt to the Tai Su Heavenly Time, based on the Lian Ti Gang Fist. It's like you practice calisthenics for two days, drink some protein powder, and think your newly grown muscles look pretty good. Then you get all over the place and go and challenge a professional boxer with a gold belt in a cage. That's such a stupid thing to do.

Especially in one-on-one sword duels, Xuanmen cultivators far surpass the average level of the Taiji Realm cultivators.

Even though they are both from the Three Great Sects, the immortal soldiers of the Immortal Palace are at an inherent disadvantage in sword fighting and magic combat. Apart from a very few assassins and hired retainers, most of their opponents, the Xuanmen cultivators, can only be defeated by a large army.

It seems that only the cultivators of the Divine Sect, with their abundant experience of being hunted down, are able to rely on their unique Cultivation Method, high health, and long lifespan to repeatedly resurrect and learn from their mistakes, gradually comprehending and keeping up with the Xuanmen's fighting style, engaging in a love-hate relationship.

Moreover, according to the unspoken rules of the Xuanmen (mystical sect), those who can venture out into the world, act as detectives or undercover agents, or undergo trials and tribulations are mostly elites who have survived multiple rounds of selection within the Xuanmen, or old monsters who have reincarnated once.

They must be self-aware. Ink Bamboo Mountain, which can only rely on a few elites, is still very weak in competing with such opponents. Even if it temporarily has the advantage of favorable timing and circumstances, it will be easy for others to catch up and overtake it sooner or later if it does not continue to expand its advantages.

Li Fan didn't help Mo Qiongya avenge herself. Anyway, her Ink Mountain Fist foundation would be fine in a month or two. Besides, everyone needs some enemies to motivate them, and he also had his own plans.

This Xuanmen spy, who possessed 'Mo Qiongtian', had probably been watching the fishing grounds for several years, completely understanding the formation and carefully stealing scrap materials. Now that the matter had been exposed, he took direct action, breaking into the formation to investigate the mysteries of the fishing grounds.

Since the other party's desire for the Dao was so fervent, Li Fan couldn't let the thief leave empty-handed. Since the other party was willing to sign up as a test subject for the Tai Su Dao experiment, Li Fan specially prepared some of his newly deduced Tai Su Dao techniques, arranged them in disguise, and also gave them Void Jade Pendant and a mass-produced Tai Su Flying Sword as a reward.

Good things should be shared. Seeing the Tai Su magic treasure will definitely stimulate these old Xuanmen. It's too slow for Xuan Tian to do research alone. Let's all work together and study the Tai Su Dao.

So Li Fan waited for a while, calculated that it was about time, and decided that if he let people stay a little longer, they might see through the illusion array and actually see the fishing grounds. So he casually used the Tai Su technique to create two dragons and threw them into the Demon Sealing Altar to drive people away. He chased 'Mo Qiongtian', who had stolen the Cultivation Method, all the way out of E Shenyu, for 1,500 miles before deliberately letting him go.

Considering that this opportunity to undergo the Three Realms Tribulation was fleeting, and if he didn't leave soon, he might miss the banquet, and there wasn't enough time to reselect disciples one by one, Li Fan could only sigh at fate and choose the one with the toughest destiny.

Qin Jiu, "I feel like I'm flying in the sky?"

Having just received his Dao certificate and begun his first Qi Refinement Stage, Qin Jiu hadn't produced much Qi and ended up sleeping soundly until dawn. When he groggily opened his eyes, he found himself enveloped in purple light, flying over layers of clouds. Completely bewildered, he had no idea what was going on.

Li Fan glanced at him. "I am Qingyue, the Mountain Lord. Qin Jiu, I intend to take you as my personal disciple. Become my apprentice."

Qin Jiu, "???"

Li Fan glanced at him. "What, not going to bow? If not, then get down."

Qin Jiu turned to look at the sky, his legs went weak, and he said, "... Master, please accept my bow."

Li Fan nodded. "Alright, from today onwards you are my disciple. Go and gain experience."

Before Qin Jiu could react, Li Fan had already swept his sleeve, knocking him down from the clouds.

"Waaaaaah--!"

Seeing Qin Jiu scream as he plummeted to the ground, turning into a speck of dust, Li Fan casually pinched his wrist, and with a flick of his wrist, the wind and clouds Microdust Avatar clone that enveloped the unfortunate boy and flew into the mountains of the Central Plains.

Yes, this is the Central Plains.

Even with the Moon Soul Sword Escape technique, the flying sword would take at least a month to travel, but now Li Fan can wrap a person in the False Moon Sword Light and teleport them to the Central Plains in an instant, which can be considered a shortcut. However, there is only one spot available.

"Senior Brother Sect Leader, why did you choose such a young boy? He's only at the Qi Refining stage, and his aptitude is quite average; he hasn't even reached the Rank 1 level yet!"

The moon's essence indicates a lack of understanding.

Li Fan was helpless. "He's tough, and he can see me, so there must be some kind of karmic ties between master and disciple. The outskirts of Sanyuan are relatively safe, and we have Microdust Avatar protecting us. Let's leave him alone and go take care of business at Yuntai Peak."

So Li Fan left Qin Jiu to train in the Central Plains and flew to the Lou Guan office on Yuntai Peak to learn about the details in the capital from the garrison leader, Master Real Person.

"Things are not peaceful. Not only are there undercurrents in the Three Realms, but many people have also come to Yuntai Peak. Not only the Nine Great Xuan Sects, but also many reclusive Hidden Immortal Sect have sent people here. There are rumors that the Grand Tutor is undergoing tribulation, and there are also rumors that the Divine Sect will take advantage of the chaos to storm the execution ground."

"Rescuing the execution ground? Whose execution ground are we rescuing?"

"Hou Gu, that traitor who wreaked havoc in Zhen has been captured alive by the Imperial Guards. Now that Zhen is pacified, this culprit must be brought to the Execution Platform to be executed in a public manner. Some say he is a member of the Divine Cult. The Divine Cult has been lying low for a long time since it elected a new Sect Leader. Yuntai Peak has made a prediction that the Divine Cult will send people to Sanyuan to cause trouble and kidnap people. Perhaps the Grand Tutor's calamity is about to happen."

It turned out that because Hengshan's offensive in Luofeng was thwarted, the Ling King's army was once again completely annihilated. The Immortal Palace's guards, undisturbed, swept through Zhen and captured the traitor Hou Gu, bringing him to the Three Palaces for execution. Because Hou Gu had received much support from the Divine Sect when he started his rebellion, rumors now circulate that he is some kind of Dharma King or Altar Master of the Divine Sect.

Li Fan scoffed, "Where would the Divine Cult get the manpower to storm the execution ground? It's probably just another bunch of old Xuanmen members trying to kill people under the Divine Cult's banner."

He has an avatar in Kunlun acting as the altar master, so how could he not know the Divine Sect's plans? Now that the Sect Leader has been replaced by the Sect Leader of the sect, the Divine Sect is focused on preparing for war, gathering a large amount of resources and troops along the Tianshan line. Now that they have slaughtered the western countries, the troops that have been recalled are taking advantage of the time to rest and recuperate. All the cultivators, from top to bottom, are taking advantage of the fact that the Three Realms Army is still in Zhen Country and Hengshan, and is confronting the Divine Sect's flanking forces in Kun Country, to prepare for the main force's large-scale invasion of the Central Plains.

Even Qiongqi, that uncultured tiger, was captured and given military lessons. He was made to memorize the cult's military orders and flags, understand military maps and formation codes, and was trained to be a commander. Some demons and monsters were even incorporated into his Qingyang Altar as special forces. He was too busy training his army every day to spare any time to send elites to rescue Hou Gu. Wouldn't that just attract attention for no reason?

On the contrary, now that Zhen has been pacified, Gen Province and Lizhou have submitted to the government, and the Divine Sect Hengshan is also lying in wait, the war between the Twelve Countries has temporarily ceased, presenting a calm before the storm. Now, the officials in Taiwei Yuan are submitting memorials to flatter the Grand Tutor, requesting that Ziwei Yuan reward the Grand Tutor for his merits in pacifying the world.

However, Grand Tutor Duke of Shouyang had already reached the pinnacle of his position, with no further titles or rewards to bestow. The sons of the Sima Clan and the Grand Tutor Manor's close associates and cronies had already seized control of the Three Palaces and the army of the Immortal Palace. If things continued this way, all that would remain was the three-piece set of rules: wearing a sword and shoes in the palace, not having to bow when entering the court, and not having to pay homage to the emperor by name.

Therefore, the relationship between Ziwei Yuan and Taiwei Yuan has been extremely tense recently. Although the Beigong clan outside the palace are imperial relatives and mostly good-for-nothings, they are not all pure fools. For example, many former officials of the Immortal Palace are now gathering around Xinling County Duke Bei Gong Wuji, to offer advice and strategies.

Contrary to usual practice, after the pacification of Zhen, the Ziwei Yuan, who used to be suspected because of his status as a member of the Xinling Gong and often stayed at home in leisure, has now become the only force that the imperial clan can rely on and trust outside the palace. He often receives imperial edicts from the palace and enters and exits the Ziwei Yuan to pay homage to the emperor.

However, after the Duke of Shouyang, who was skilled in strategy and made great contributions to pacifying the world, rarely attended court and often made excuses to cultivate in seclusion, staying hidden in the Grand Tutor Manor.

More and more Xuanmen masters are arriving at Sanyuan and Yuntai Peak. It's hard to say which side Xuanmen is on right now, but even a dog in the Jingji can see the undercurrents and that it's time for a storm to break.

Of course, no matter how much turmoil there is, the Ink Bamboo Mountain, far away in the north and south, is not yet involved in the struggle between the Three Enclosures. The fact that only Li Fan came to represent the sect this time is also because he has the strength to leave unscathed. Li Fan has also come to terms with it. Anyway, he is just here to eat at the banquet. Who wins or loses the struggle between the Grand Tutor Manor and the Ziwei Yuan is irrelevant to him. What he cares about is the whereabouts of the other two.

"Any news about Hengshan Zhi Jingzi and Nangong Wubu?"

Real Person shook his head. "There's been no news at all. In recent years, the core members of Hengshan have suffered heavy losses, and the core Dao Lords are all in seclusion recuperating. Few people come out to participate in activities. On a daily basis, the Sanmao Daoists represent Shangqing Palace on Yuntai Peak."

As for the Tingwei, I also sent a letter to inquire, but they said that Nangong Wubu's seal was intact and showed no signs of loosening, so we had no authority to go and inspect it."

Li Fan sighed, not surprised at all.

Even if he used Qi observation to deduce, he could only tell that Zhi Jingzi was still hiding in the Three Enclosures. After all, this was the center of the world, where the secrets of heaven were most chaotic. Great hermits hide in the city, and heaven knows where he is hiding to recuperate. A thorn in one's side cannot be found right under one's nose, just like a cockroach hiding in one's house. You know it exists, but you just can't catch it.

As for the fact that Nangong Wubu had already escaped, it was something Lu Hansheng had let slip last time. However, places like the Immortal Prison and the Immortal Detention Center don't have the usual practice of granting parole, and the inquiry letters sent out were like stones sinking into the sea, impossible to verify. Clearly, the thief Nangong also knew the timing wasn't right and had begun to go into hiding once again.

The main storyline is now at a standstill, and they will probably have to wait until the situation becomes even more chaotic before they start causing trouble again.

Just as they were at their wits' end, Real Person said, "Invitations have been sent from both the Grand Tutor Manor and the Xinling Gong's Mansion. However, since the Grand Master is representing our Ink Bamboo Mountain lineage to come to the capital to meet the Emperor, please go to the Court of State Ceremonial first."

Li Fan nodded, "I know that, the abbot specifically instructed me to."

Yes, he came here on behalf of the General of the South, the Li Prefecture Governor, and the envoys of the Li Country vassal states of Lizhou, to pay tribute to the emperor.

Of course, it didn't mean that meeting the emperor would actually grant entry into the palace. It was just a formality with the officials of the Court of State Ceremonial, exchanging some local specialties from the Li Country, and that was it.

Of course, since the time of Nangong Wubu, the Li Country has stopped paying tribute to the Three Palaces. Ink Bamboo Mountain, which controls its own territory, is only nominally subordinate to the Grand Tutor. All the tributes, ceremonial objects, and carriages were procured by Real Person from the local officials in the Jingji. It did take a lot of money to prepare.

However, Ink Bamboo Mountain is not short of money right now, and Li Fan also intends to spread the Tai Su Dao, so in addition to Heavenly Treasure such as phoenix eggs, they also prepared some Void Jade forged in the Celestial Realm and the Tai Sha Flying Sword as gifts. Using Mechanical Puppet as ceremonial guards, they took the gifts to the capital to pay tribute.