Surprise

In fact, it took Li Fan a week to return to Ink Bamboo Mountain after traveling westward and fighting monsters day and night on his flying sword.

But honestly, for cultivators who often go into seclusion for a period of time, which can be measured in years, cycles of sixty years, or even centuries, a week is nothing at all; it passes in the blink of an eye.

So much so that when he returned to Wangshu Residence, he discovered that not only were Fairy Wangshu and Fuling gone, but even Kun and Jianyi hadn't returned yet!

Li Fan was a little embarrassed because he hadn't gone to Lou Guan Tower to settle his patrol mission, nor had he reported the matter of Fei Mountain to the sect.

After all, the inside story is too complicated, involving even the Immortal Palace Guards, demons, and the Black Lotus Sect. Moreover, much of the evidence was obtained through the system's translation of the demons' and Devil Embryo's words. In addition, there is the crucial treasure like the Si Nan, which guides one's destiny.

If he were captured and interrogated by Real Person Wei again, with the three cats meowing beside him, he wouldn't be able to explain why he had gone on a crazy westward rampage, killing so many monsters.

However, the fact that something had already happened to Fei Mountain could not be ignored, since it was caught in the crossfire between the forces of Ink Bamboo Mountain, making it far too crucial.

So Li Fan's original intention was to have Jian Yi invite Xiao Yao out. Since they were both undercover agents of the Beichen Sword Sect, they had something in common to talk about and could find an excuse to get away with it.

But now, Yao Xuanzhou is preoccupied with sword forging, and Profound Heaven Sword Intent and Kun are also absent, leaving Li Fan somewhat perplexed.

With so many factions vying for power in Ink Bamboo Mountain, who knows who the spies, undercover agents, and rebels are? Who can we truly trust?

The system certainly wouldn't help Li Fan with such a 'trivial matter'.

Therefore, he could only suppress his emotions and wait for the Profound Heaven Sword Intent and Kun to return, while using divination to unseal and organize the Storage Jade of those monsters.

Generally speaking, they're all trash, since they were all guys Li Fan easily killed. The most valuable thing is probably their inner cores. The jade pendants mostly contain animal meat, fur, ores, and broken weapons and armor. I wonder if they can be sold directly to merchants.

The five maids were the only ones carrying the Divine Astral Coin in cash, totaling over 102,000 strings of cash. Perhaps their mission was to infiltrate the Central Plains, which is why they specially prepared palace attire and human skin to disguise their demonic forms. None of the other demons had these items in their Storage Jade.

By the way, those five palace costumes are worth a lot of money, and the human skin might be quite valuable too. The demon with the three jade pendants is already considered a minor leader who can manage six inner cores and hundreds of subordinates to guard the Fei Mountain mine. Each of the three maids with three jade pendants only has one spare human skin in their pendant. The maid with the five jade pendants and the crocodile's confidant with the nine jade pendants each have three spare human skins. These nine painted-skin Magic Treasure are probably worth a lot of money. I'll keep them and ask around; if they're not worth much, I'll just destroy them...

These jade pendants, though not used by the disciples of Ink Bamboo Mountain, would likely fetch even more money if sold to merchants and nobles in the Human Dao.

The first pendant from the crocodile maid was quite complex, with several layers of seals. Li Fan spent a long time trying to decipher it but couldn't. It seemed he'd have to spend some money to buy a proper compass to aid his calculations. After all, it was a trusted clerk in charge of the 100,000 strings of cash at Yaoguang Cave; perhaps it could yield some valuable items...

Before they knew it, night had fallen, when suddenly a crane's cry came from overhead.

Li Fan yawned and looked up, only to see Fairy Wangshu descending from the sky. Her fairy robes fluttered as if falling from the heavens, and her silk skirt swayed in the wind. What was even more eye-catching was that it wasn't an anti-gravity skirt, revealing her smooth, fair, and voluptuous legs.

Tsk tsk, the Kun and the others didn't get what they were waiting for, but instead got the benefits they were waiting for.

"Oh, Qingyue, it's so late and you're still diligently practicing divination? You're really working hard!" Fairy Wangshu looked at the counting rods and drafts scattered all over the ground and was quite pleased.

Li Fan seized the opportunity, saying, "This humble one has received your great care, Fairy, and knows that I must cultivate diligently to live up to your expectations and guidance."

"Mmm, seeing how hard you've worked these past few days makes me very happy." Fairy Wangshu, who was also enjoying the climb, took Li Fan's hand and said, "But there's no need to rush. Come with me, there's a surprise."

It seemed she was temporarily deceived by Li Fan's appearance, forgetting that he had already refined two Golden Core! He could now fly on his own sword. However, Li Fan wouldn't proactively remind her; it would be foolish not to take advantage of a good deal. So he clung to her, "Is the fairy preparing a surprise for this little one after refining a magic weapon?"

Wangshu's face stiffened. "Uh, no, it's... it's almost done, but it'll be finished soon!"

"You haven't forgotten about this, have you?" Li Fan followed her onto the flying crane, a little puzzled. "So where are we going?"

Wangshu smiled and said, "Go see your master. He just woke up and wants to check your studies."

Oh, to see Master... the Mountain Lord!!

Li Fan broke out in a cold sweat; even the long, white legs pressed against his face no longer felt so smooth and fragrant.

It's over.

A master who has attained enlightenment!

Immortals are supposed to go into seclusion for hundreds of years at a time! How come they woke up after only half a year!

Will all those things he carries that can't be exposed be discovered?

'Don't worry'

'We have foolproof methods to avoid being detected.'

Trust the system, trust the organization, there won't be any problems.

'Just keep quiet and don't let anything slip.'

'System offline, pshaw, system updating'

... Holy crap! Is this all the foolproof method you have?! A whole system just ran away like that?!

"Qingyue, what's wrong? Why are you all damp? Are you drooling?"

Li Fan panicked, "Ah, no, no, it's sweat... not... saliva... not... tears... goodbye, Mountain Lord, tears of joy..."

Li Fan's mind went blank.

There was no time to sort things out for him; the crane had already begun its descent.

Fairy Wangshu took Li Fan's hand and led him to a floating immortal mountain, where they landed in a Daoist palace.

The five-masked warriors at the entrance were all gathered together, apparently having returned from the Li Country. They were all looking at Li Fan, their eyes clearly filled with surprise. They couldn't believe that this kid had achieved the Golden Core stage in just three months.

Of course, Li Fan was in a state of confusion and had no intention of talking to them.

"Go in by yourself."

Jiang Wangshu pointed into the palace, then left him behind and went to talk to her five senior brothers.

Li Fan swallowed hard, stiffened his neck, and walked into the Dao Palace like a robot.

Upon entering, he saw the large, red, crab-like wild boar—cough cough cough, the mountain lord—who didn't even sit properly, reclining on the bedside table, his red robe torn open to reveal his collarbone. Beside him were the three maids Li Fan had seen before, massaging his legs and shoulders and serving him tea.

Seeing Li Fan enter, he stood awkwardly a long distance away.

The mountain lord waved his hand, turning his three maids into clouds of smoke, and beckoned to Li Fan.

Li Fan swallowed hard, approached, and bowed, saying, "Qingyue greets the Mountain Lord."

"Don't bother with those old-fashioned customs, they're pointless," the mountain lord waved his hand, "Come a little closer."

Li Fan quickly got up again, took two steps closer, and sat down in front of the desk.

The mountain lord nodded, then opened his eyes with a smile, revealing six pupils. "Qingyue, why do you smell like a Devil Embryo?"

Li Fan suddenly jolted awake, remembered something, pressed the jade pendant, and took out the coffin.

The mountain lord's eyes lit up instantly. He sprang to his feet, his six eyes fixed on the meat, circling the coffin.

"The other day, while chasing some monsters, I encountered a demon... lamb, which I killed on a whim. I'm offering it to you, Mountain Lord, as a side dish." Li Fan immediately presented it.

"A gift for me? It's indeed fine mutton! Then I won't be polite!" Shan Liu shed a tear of emotion, and with a wave of his red robe, he swept away all the Devil Embryo from the coffin, leaving not a single piece behind.

Li Fan broke out in a cold sweat, "Besides these sheep... Fei Mountain..."

The mountain lord, however, smiled and waved his hand to interrupt him, "By the way, Wangshu told me that Lou Guan gave you two flying swords, didn't he? Are they easy to use?"

"Ah, yes, thank you for the sect's gift, Qingyue is deeply grateful..."

The mountain lord nodded. "I know that the abbot is fair and always rewards merit. Two flying swords should be enough for you. Although Wangshu asked me to give you some more magic treasures to overshadow Lou Guan, the rules of Bamboo Mountain are still in place. I have to test you before I can have a legitimate reason to do so."

The reason I summoned you here was to assess your cultivation level so I could assign you some tasks. However, since you were able to send over a sheep, your cultivation must be quite capable, so I don't need to think about any testing methods."

Then he flicked his finger, and two golden beams of light poured out from his bright red sleeves, landing directly in front of Li Fan. They cast shadows on the table, which were two small swords, each about four or five inches long, resembling two long dragonflies, about the size of a hairpin.

"This Golden Dragon White Star are yours."

Li Fan was completely stunned.

"This... this isn't your flying sword, Mountain Lord! How can this be used...?"

The mountain lord waved his hand, "No need to be polite or refuse, just take it. I don't usually use flying swords, they're just for getting around. Seeing you carrying a sword box, you seem to be more skilled in this art. So it's not a waste of a divine weapon."

"Oh, don't worry, I devoured the entire family of the original owners of these flying swords. You can rest assured to show them to the world."

Wo-gao, you're so considerate!

Li Fan wanted to say more, but Golden Dragon White Star had already moved closer to the Yellow Jade Sword Case in his arms.

"This... thank you for your generosity, Mountain Lord!"

Before he finished speaking, the sword case opened automatically and put the two small swords into it.

The mountain lord laughed heartily, "The abbot rewarded you with two swords, and I'll reward you with two swords too, but mine are better than his. So, in this way, my lineage has surpassed Lou Guan, hasn't it? Ahahaha!"

Li Fan Waterfall Sweat.

He laughed for a while before stopping, then nodded to Li Fan and said, "Alright, cultivation depends on one's own opportunities, and many of the techniques in my lineage can only be used after reaching the Nascent Soul Stage. I won't go into any more details."

As for sect affairs, I'm even less inclined to concern myself with them. I'll just follow the Abbot's arrangements. Is there anything else?

Li Fan understood. "Disciple will remember the Mountain Lord's teachings. Regardless of anything else, just focus on cultivation. No matter how important the matter, just concentrate on achieving the Nascent Soul Nascent Soul Stage."

"Haha, this child is teachable."

When he came out of the Daoist temple, the five immortals were gone, Fairy Wangshu was waiting for him.

"Well, has Master arranged any tests for you?"

Li Fan scratched his head, and with a thought, he summoned the four swords 'Golden Dragon', 'White Star', 'Heaven-Splitting', and 'Ghost-Slaying', which circled around him together.

It's really a bit chaotic, thankfully he's mastered the Five Luo Sword Ghosts technique to keep up... Does that mean his combat power has doubled again?

"Huh? Master actually bestowed the Golden Dragon White Star directly!" Even Fairy Wangshu was astonished. "It seems he really appreciates you."

"It's all thanks to your guidance, Fairy, that I've made such rapid progress. I also thank you for speaking well of me to the Mountain Lord..." Li Fan quickly expressed his gratitude. Could it be that Wangshu had gotten these two swords for him?

Wangshu smiled and said, "Whatever Master gives you must have its own reasons, and it has nothing to do with me."

However, with these magical treasures, even a disciple who has mastered the true teachings of the Three Great Sects would probably find it difficult to gain the upper hand against you, right?

Wait a few more days, and the Magic Treasure I prepared for you will be finished. If you have free time during your cultivation, you might as well travel Fourth Department and seek out some opportunities.

Spiritual practice is all about traveling the world; it's about wandering around. Don't stay cooped up in your room all day reading books; go out and explore. You might just find something worthwhile.

Li Fan: "... I've learned a lot."

However, Fairy Wangshu is absolutely right about this. Without that fine 'mutton,' where would these two excellent flying swords come from?

So, in this sense, the 'lamb' was truly the greatest opportunity that the Si Nan had guided him to!

"Alright, now that you've got such a fine flying sword, I won't take you with me anymore. Try flying on your own. By the way, has anyone taught you how to fly on a sword?"

A large number of demons have been killed, but it's truly sad that there's no powerful figure to rely on.

"Oh, Qingyue has already learned the sword control technique. Golden Dragon White Star, Fly!"

Li Fan sheathed his Heaven-Splitting Ruyi Sword Scripture Sutra, transformed the Golden Dragon White Star swords into golden halos that swirled violently around his body. Instantly, he was enveloped in a golden sphere of light, which propelled him into the sky, piercing through the clouds. Then, he transformed into a golden sword rainbow, tearing through the sky and cleaving through layers of clouds. In the blink of an eye, he had broken through the clouds and flown out of the cave.

Fairy Wangshu was taken aback. "Golden Core cultivator can actually unleash his original sword power? How come Ink Bamboo Mountain has such a superior sword control technique? It must be a secret technique bestowed upon him by his master. He's truly favored."

Without hesitation, she leaped onto the flying crane to refine the jellyfish head, hoping to please her chosen future junior brother.

Li Fan then flew at breakneck speed on his sword, arriving at the Outer Sect Lou Guandao Pagoda in the blink of an eye.

Alright, now Li Fan can at least appreciate some flying swords. This pair of Golden Dragon White Star is definitely above the seventh rank, and its sword speed is more than twenty times faster than that of the Ghost-Slaying Sword! It's even slightly faster than the Heaven-Splitting Sword. Moreover, its reaction is extremely swift and agile.

Based on Li Fan's previous experience with flying and exorcising demons with his sword, the slow speed of the Ghost-Slaying Sword was a major flaw, while the Heaven-Slaying Sword felt a bit too fast. Occasionally, he couldn't retract his sword after drawing it, and he didn't have time to adjust his sword path even at short distances. But the Golden Dragon White Star was perfect. Its sword speed was also very fast, and its response was timely. It was completely lightning fast, and the Sword Light was incredibly sharp!

However, it also has its flaws.

These flying swords were clearly far beyond Li Fan's realm. Controlling them with his Golden Core Stage Divine Sense was extremely difficult. He could manage a few sword flourishes with the Five Luo Sword Ghosts Dance, but once he started to accelerate and speed up, he couldn't help but concentrate completely, his mind was occupied by most of it, and he couldn't spare any attention to prepare other techniques or spells. At the same time, the consumption of true energy in his body was also extremely large.

To put it simply, with Li Fan's two Golden Core, he normally wouldn't feel his true energy being depleted no matter what spell he used; in fact, it would replenish faster than it was being used. However, using these two flying swords, Li Fan clearly felt his Dao Breath being drained away like flowing water, unable to even last for the duration of an incense stick! At most, it could only last for a quarter of an incense stick...

Moreover, the pair of swords seemed to hum, yearning for more, indicating that they hadn't yet used their full strength and could fly even faster! It seems they are flying swords that can only be used by those at least at the Nascent Soul Stage level.

No wonder Zhang Jiugao abandoned the Chi Qiu and chose to tear his nemesis apart with his bare hands. This kind of cross-dimensional flying sword is more suitable for crushing weaklings with lightning speed, or fighting monsters of a higher level in a life-or-death battle. It is not suitable for hard-fought battles between people of similar strength, as it will drain you dry.

After storing the Golden Dragon White Star in the Yellow Jade Sword Case, Li Fan descended directly from the sky, gliding towards the Lou Guandao Pagoda.

Since he was already here, he might as well just report the matter concerning Fei Mountain. After all, with such a powerful backer as the Mountain Lord supporting him, what did Li Fan have to worry about?

So what if she's a spy for the Black Lotus Sect? Your Black Lotus Saint Mother, wasn't she wiped out by the Mountain Lord in no time and used as a drinking snack back then?

Lou Guan, a disciple of both the Northern and Southern factions, and a spy Li Country the Nangong and Li Kingdom—what difference does it make? With four flying swords in hand, who can kill him? Are they just here to deliver themselves to the enemy?

With Golden Dragon White Star, even Nascent Soul Stage are nothing to fear! Divine Transformation? Haven't you killed Divine Transformation before?

Therefore, with the support of the two powerful figures in the sect, as long as one follows the teachings of the mountain lord and cultivates to the Nascent Soul Stage, one can simply listen to the arrangements of the abbot regarding sect affairs and not worry about anything else!

There's nothing to be afraid of anymore!

... But to be on the safe side, I'd better buy a set of Purple Sash Immortal Clothes—cough cough!—and wear them.