Li Bufan did not use the Wind-Thunder Nine Heavens Step.
Within that space of inverted laws, he had once tried to use that high-grade movement technique which, when unleashed at full power, could propel him beyond the speed of sound. But the result of that attempt had nearly made him cough up blood on the spot.
With his True Essence flowing in reverse, the coordination between wind and lightning was completely thrown into disarray. Azure wind force darted wildly before him, while violet lightning surged backward in the opposite direction, nearly injuring him instead.
Thus, he decisively gave up and switched to the Windfire Wandering Step, which he had already cultivated to perfection.
Yet even this movement technique, which he had trained to the realm of Great Mastery, became sluggish and slow under the operation of reversed True Essence.
As he moved through the murky gray mist, every step brought the sensation of fighting against his own body, like rowing a boat against the current.
His speed was only slightly faster than that of ordinary cultivators of the same realm traveling with pure True Essence. Fortunately, he already had a clear direction to follow. As long as he did not stray, reaching his destination was only a matter of time.
Time slipped silently away as he advanced.
As the third hour was about to end, Li Bufan finally saw the gray mist ahead begin to change.
Far in the distance, within his line of sight, the dim gray hues were being replaced by a gentle glow. It was not intense, yet it carried the warmth of the last ray of daylight at dusk, standing out vividly against the gray-white backdrop.
As he continued forward, that warm radiance grew larger and brighter with his approach, like an oil lamp slowly having