yǔn xiān jìng ， tiān jiàn zōng 。
陨仙境，天剑宗。
The Sword Realm, Taiyin Sect.
sān rì hòu 。
三日后。
Three days later.
lǐ fán zài mì shì zhōng pán tuǐ ér zuò ， bì mù jìng xiū 。
李凡在密室中盘腿而坐，闭目静修。
Li Fan sat cross-legged in a secret chamber, his eyes closed as he practiced cultivation. Around him, dozens of sword qi circled and spiraled, solidifying into forms that seemed capable of cutting through gold and iron, even emitting faint metallic luster. Upon closer inspection, one could see countless indistinct images of swords flickering on the blade.
zài tā shēn páng ， huán rào 、 pán xuán zhāo shù shí dào jiàn qì 。
在他身旁，环绕、盘旋着数十道剑气。
In front of Li Fan, a Sword Embryo, whose essence had been fully absorbed and mastered, floated in mid-air.
níng rú shí zhì ， shì néng xiāo jīn duàn tiě 、 shèn zhì fàn chū yǐn yǐn jīn shǔ guāng zé 。 xì kàn jiàn shēn ， huǎng hū jiān hái néng kàn dào wú shù mó hú jiàn yǐng biàn huàn 。
凝如实质，似能销金断铁、甚至泛出隐隐金属光泽。细看剑身，恍忽间还能看到无数模湖剑影变幻。
"This [Breath to Form Sword Technique] indeed has some merit," Li Fan said as he opened his mouth. The dozens of razor-sharp sword qi whistled past him, returning to his abdomen for nourishment.
zài lǐ fán shēn qián ， yī méi qí nèi jīng suǐ wán quán bèi xī shōu 、 zhǎng wò de 【 jiàn tāi 】， piāo fú yú kōng zhōng 。
在李凡身前，一枚其内精髓完全被吸收、掌握的【剑胎】，漂浮于空中。
In his dantian, a golden core surrounded by an aura of thousands of sword lights had already formed. These lights created a dazzling ring, breathtakingly beautiful and captivating.
“ zhè mén 【 hū qì chéng jiàn shù 】， guǒ rán yǒu xiē mén dào 。” lǐ fán zhāng zuǐ ， nà shù shí dào fēng lì wú pǐ de jiàn qì hū xiào zhe bèi tā tūn xià ， chóng xīn huí dào fù nèi yùn yǎng 。
“这门【呼气成剑术】，果然有些门道。”李凡张嘴，那数十道锋利无匹的剑气呼啸着被他吞下，重新回到腹内蕴养。
Only Li Fan knew the terrifying power hidden within this "Sword Light Ring." If he were to exhale all these sword qi at once, it would likely be enough to kill any元婴 cultivator in this era instantly.
ér zài dān tián nèi ， huán rào zhe qì tài xíng xīng bān de jīn dān ， hè rán yǐ jīng yǒu shàng wàn dào jiàn guāng 。 xíng chéng yī quān xuàn lì duō zī de guāng huán ， měi bù shèng shōu ， kàn shàng qù lìng rén chén zuì 。
而在丹田内，环绕着气态行星般的金丹，赫然已经有上万道剑光。形成一圈绚丽多姿的光环，美不胜收，看上去令人沉醉。
"Ji Zhaoxuan's mind has no memory of the source of his cultivation technique. It seems like a true disciple of Taiyin Sect would naturally learn [Ten Thousand Swords Technique]. However, there aren't many Golden Core cultivators with such astonishing phenomena."
zhǐ yǒu lǐ fán zhī dào ， zhè yī quān “ jiàn guāng zhī huán ”， jiū jìng yùn cáng zhe zěn yàng yī zhǒng kě pà de lì liàng 。 ruò shì jiāng zhè shàng wàn dào jiàn qì yī kǒu quán dōu hū chū ， kǒng pà zhè ge shí dài de yuán yīng qiáng zhě ， yě yào qǐng kè jiān mìng sàng 。
只有李凡知道，这一圈“剑光之环”，究竟蕴藏着怎样一种可怕的力量。若是将这上万道剑气一口全都呼出，恐怕这个时代的元婴强者，也要顷刻间命丧。
"And this move seems somewhat similar to Situ Yao’s [Sword Comes]..."
“ jī zhào xuàn nǎo hǎi zhōng wán quán méi yǒu gōng fǎ lái yuán de jì yì ， sì hū dān chún jiù shì tiān jiàn zōng zhēn chuán dì zǐ dū huì xiū liàn de 【 wàn jiàn jué 】。 dàn hěn míng xiǎn ， jīn dān qī jiù yǒu cǐ děng jīng rén yì xiàng de ， zhěng gè tiān jiàn zōng dōu méi yǒu duō shǎo 。”
“姬兆炫脑海中完全没有功法来源的记忆，似乎单纯就是天剑宗真传弟子都会修炼的【万剑决】。但很明显，金丹期就有此等惊人异象的，整个天剑宗都没有多少。”
Thoughts swirling in his mind, Li Fan gathered the power of the thousands of sword lights within his dantian. He concealed all traces of sharpness, appearing like an ordinary Golden Core cultivator.
“ ér qiě zhè yī zhāo ， sì hū gēn sī tú yáo de 【 jiàn lái 】 yǒu xiē xiāng sì ……”
“而且这一招，似乎跟司徒遥的【剑来】有些相似……”
Before Cxue Senior Brother could find him, Li Fan handed over the Sword Embryo first.
sī niàn zhuǎn dòng jiān ， lǐ fán yǐ jiāng dān tián nèi de wàn dào jiàn guāng wēi shì jìn shù shōu liǎn 。 bù lòu bàn diǎn fēng máng ， kàn shàng qù jiù xiàng gè xún cháng jīn dān xiū shì bān 。
思念转动间，李凡已将丹田内的万道剑光威势尽数收敛。不漏半点锋芒，看上去就像个寻常金丹修士般。
Cxue Senior Brother showed a look of recognition and examined the Sword Embryo before casually putting it away.
chū le bì guān mì shì hòu ， bù děng chǔ shī xiōng zhǎo shàng mén lái ， lǐ fán jiù xiān yī bù bǎ 【 jiàn tāi 】 shàng jiāo 。
出了闭关密室后，不等楚师兄找上门来，李凡就先一步把【剑胎】上交。
"Master Brother is about to gather everyone. There seems to be something important he needs to announce. You might as well go with me," he said.
chǔ shī xiōng lù chū yī fù suàn nǐ shí xiàng de biǎo qíng ， dǎ liàng le yǎn 【 jiàn tāi 】， suí hòu màn bù jīng xīn dì de jiāng qí shōu qǐ 。
楚师兄露出一副算你识相的表情，打量了眼【剑胎】，随后漫不经心地的将其收起。
Li Fan nodded, following behind him.
“ zhèng hǎo dà shī xiōng yào zhào jí zhòng rén ， sì hū yòu yǒu shén me yào jǐn shì yào fēn fù 。 nǐ biàn gēn wǒ yì qǐ qù bà 。” tā fēn fù dào 。
“正好大师兄要召集众人，似乎又有什么要紧事要吩咐。你便跟我一起去罢。”他吩咐道。
The Taiyin Sect’s main hall was located atop a mountain peak that stood like a sword in the clouds, at the center of the sect's entrance.
lǐ fán xīn zhōng yī dòng ， diǎn diǎn tóu ， gēn zài qí hòu 。
李凡心中一动，点点头，跟在其后。
Many cultivators had already gathered inside, their seniority higher than Li Fan’s.
tiān jiàn zōng zōng mén dà diàn ， wèi yú shān mén zuì zhōng yāng yī zuò rú zhí jiàn bān sǒng lì yún xiāo de shān fēng zhī diān 。
天剑宗宗门大殿，位于山门最中央一座如直剑般耸立云霄的山峰之巅。
Unknown to Cxue Senior Brother’s reason for bringing him here, Li Fan stood on the edge of the crowd, waiting for Situ Yao to arrive.
diàn nèi yǐ jīng jù jí le bù shǎo xiū shì ， bèi fēn dōu bǐ lǐ fán yào gāo 。
殿内已经聚集了不少修士，辈分都比李凡要高。
After a while, the originally noisy hall suddenly fell silent.
bù zhī dào chǔ shī xiōng bǎ zì jǐ dài lái cǐ chù de yuán yīn ， zhǐ shì gēn zhe tā zhàn zài rén qún biān yuán ， děng dài zhe zhe sī tú yáo de dào lái 。
不知道楚师兄把自己带来此处的原因，只是跟着他站在人群边缘，等待着着司徒遥的到来。
A rich aroma of alcohol wafted in as a sword light carried Situ Yao into the center of the hall. He belched first and then, incoherently, explained why he was gathering everyone.
bù guò duō shí ， yuán běn hái yǒu diǎn xuān huá de dà diàn ， dǒu rán ān jìng xià lái 。
不过多时，原本还有点喧哗的大殿，陡然安静下来。
It turned out that the prototype of the裂界神兵 had been completed, and now it needed to be forged. To successfully traverse through realms, the sword’s body must be incredibly sturdy. The most crucial material for this was [Taiyin Essence Gold]. Although Taiyin Sect's treasury held a considerable stockpile, it would still not suffice for forging the裂界神兵.
ér hòu yī zhèn nóng yù de jiǔ xiāng piāo lái ， bàn suí zhe yī dào jiàn guāng ， sī tú yáo liàng qiàng zhe lái dào dà diàn zhōng yāng 。
而后一阵浓郁的酒香飘来，伴随着一道剑光，司徒遥踉跄着来到大殿中央。
Situ Yao was skilled in combat but could do little about this matter. Therefore, he asked everyone’s opinions and proposed two requirements.
xiān shì dǎ le gè bǎo gé ， rán hòu tā duàn duàn xù xù dì ， shuō chū le zhào jí zhòng rén de yuán yīn 。
先是打了个饱嗝，然后他断断续续地，说出了召集众人的原因。
Firstly, they mustn’t disclose that Taiyin Sect was forging the裂界神兵. Although he wasn't afraid of using force, dealing with multiple sects joining forces would be extremely troublesome.
yuán lái ， liè jiè shén bīng chú xíng jiàn chéng ， jiē xià lái jiù xū yào duàn zào jiàn shēn le 。
原来，裂界神兵雏形建成，接下来就需要锻造剑身了。
Secondly, although Taiyin Sect was quite wealthy, the cost to forge the裂界神兵 was enormous. Besides [Taiyin Essence Gold], there were over a thousand other rare treasures needed, nearly depleting their resources. Thus, they should try to minimize costs while acquiring sufficient amounts of [Taiyin Essence Gold].
xiǎng yào chéng gōng liè jiè chuān suō ， shén bīng de jiàn shēn dìng rán shì yào jiān gù wú pǐ de 。 zhè qí zhōng zuì guān jiàn de yī zhǒng cái liào ， jiù shì 【 tài yuán jīng jīn 】。 tiān jiàn zōng zōng mén bǎo kù nèi ， suī rán yǒu bù shǎo kù cún ， dàn shì xiǎng yào mǎn zú duàn zào liè jiè shén bīng suǒ xū ， nà shì wàn wàn bù gòu 。
想要成功裂界穿梭，神兵的剑身定然是要坚固无匹的。这其中最关键的一种材料，就是【太元精金】。天剑宗宗门宝库内，虽然有不少库存，但是想要满足锻造裂界神兵所需，那是万万不够。
Upon hearing Master Brother’s words, the cultivators present all showed signs of difficulty.
】
】
"Everyone, share your thoughts and come up with solutions. Whoever can handle this matter will be designated as the next Taiyin Sect's patriarch!" Situ Yao slumped on the ground, devoid of any high-ranking cultivator image, yet speaking shocking words.
sī tú yáo dǎ jià shì yī bǎ hǎo shǒu ， zhè jiàn shì què shì yǒu diǎn wú néng wéi lì le 。 suǒ yǐ yào wèn wèn zhòng rén de yì jiàn 。
司徒遥打架是一把好手，这件事却是有点无能为力了。所以要问问众人的意见。
The current Taiyin Sect’s patriarch, Huo Yuzhu, only smiled bitterly and didn’t dare to contradict him.
tā hái tí chū le liǎng diǎn yāo qiú 。
他还提出了两点要求。
These words caused a commotion in the hall. After all, who wouldn't covet the position of the Ten Realms' patriarchs? Even without much power, their status and treatment were incomparable to ordinary disciples.
dì yī ， bù néng xiè lòu tiān jiàn zōng zhèng zài duàn zào liè jiè shén bīng de shì shí 。 suī rán bù pà dòng shǒu ， dàn rú guǒ qí tā jǐ zōng lián hé zhǎo shàng mén lái ， yìng fù qǐ lái yě jí qí má fán 。
第一，不能泄露天剑宗正在锻造裂界神兵的事实。虽然不怕动手，但如果其他几宗联合找上门来，应付起来也极其麻烦。
Everyone's expressions varied, but Li Fan noticed that Cxue Senior Brother’s gaze had subtly swept over him.
dì èr ， tiān jiàn zōng suī rán pǒ wèi fù yù ， dàn shì duàn zào liè jiè shén bīng suǒ xū ， shí zài tài guò páng dà 。 chú le 【 tài yuán jīng jīn 】， hái yǒu qí yú shàng qiān zhǒng qí zhēn yì bǎo ， jī hū yào bǎ jiā dǐ tāo kōng 。 suǒ yǐ néng shěng zé shěng 。 jǐn liàng zài huā fèi shǎo de qíng kuàng xià ， huò qǔ zú gòu duō de 【 tài yuán jīng jīn 】。
第二，天剑宗虽然颇为富裕，但是锻造裂界神兵所需，实在太过庞大。除了【太元精金】，还有其余上千种奇珍异宝，几乎要把家底掏空。所以能省则省。尽量在花费少的情况下，获取足够多的【太元精金】。
"Hmm? What does he mean?"
tīng wén dà shī xiōng de huà ， zài chǎng xiū shì quán dōu miàn lù nán sè 。
听闻大师兄的话，在场修士全都面露难色。
Although Li Fan knew where to find a large amount of Taiyin Essence Gold, it was from his past life in the Five Elements Great Cave Heaven. It had nothing to do with Ji Zhaoxuan's possession.
“ dà jiā gè shū jǐ jiàn ， xiǎng xiǎng bàn fǎ 。 shuí néng gǎo dìng zhè jiàn shì ， wǒ jiù zhǐ dìng tā dāng xià rèn tiān jiàn zōng zhǎng mén ！” sī tú yáo tān zuò zài dì shàng ， quán rán méi yǒu bàn diǎn gāo rén xíng xiàng ， zuǐ lǐ què shuō zhe jīng shì hài sú de huà 。
“大家各抒己见，想想办法。谁能搞定这件事，我就指定他当下任天剑宗掌门！”司徒遥瘫坐在地上，全然没有半点高人形象，嘴里却说着惊世骇俗的话。
What did Cxue Senior Brother know that made him call him here?
ér xiàn rèn tiān jiàn zōng zhǎng mén ， huò yǔ zhú ， zhǐ shì kǔ xiào ， bìng bù gǎn chū yán fǎn bó 。
而现任天剑宗掌门，霍宇竹，只是苦笑，并不敢出言反驳。
Recalling this body’s memories, Li Fan found no close connection with Cxue Senior Brother, only a nodding acquaintance at best.
cǐ yán jì chū ， dà diàn zhī nèi dùn shí yī piàn hōng rán 。
此言既出，大殿之内顿时一片轰然。
Thus, he remained calm and pretended not to notice the other’s demeanor.
bì jìng xiān dào shí zōng zhǎng mén de wèi zhì ， shuí bù yǎn chán ？ jiù suàn méi yǒu duō shǎo shí quán ， dàn dì wèi 、 dài yù dōu bú shì xún cháng mén rén néng bǐ de 。
毕竟仙道十宗掌门的位置，谁不眼馋？就算没有多少实权，但地位、待遇都不是寻常门人能比的。
On their way back to his mountain peak after the meeting,
zhòng rén shén sè gè yì ， lǐ fán què shì chá jué dào ， chǔ shī xiōng de mù guāng jìng rán bù zhe hén jì de zài zì jǐ shēn shàng sǎo guò 。
众人神色各异，李凡却是察觉到，楚师兄的目光竟然不着痕迹的在自己身上扫过。
Cxue Senior Brother suddenly transmitted voice, "Ji Junior Brother, your Ji family should have quite a bit of [Taiyin Essence Gold], right?"
“ ń ？ tā shì shén me yì si ？”
“嗯？他是什么意思？”
Li Fan was taken aback. "What?"
suī rán lǐ fán dí què zhī dào qù nǎ lǐ zhǎo dà liàng de tài yuán jīng jīn ， dàn nà shì tā zì yǔn xiān jìng zhī wài 、 shàng yī shì zài wǔ xíng dà dòng tiān chù de shí guāng shèn jìng zhōng suǒ zhī dào de 。
虽然李凡的确知道去哪里找大量的太元精金，但那是他自陨仙境之外、上一世在五行大洞天处的时光蜃境中所知道的。
Cxue Senior Brother showed signs of dissatisfaction. "Junior Brother, don't pretend to be ignorant. As the top commercial house in the world, your Ji family is rumored to even own half-spirit artifacts. How could you possibly not have Taiyin Essence Gold?"
gēn fù shēn de jī zhào xuàn kě yì diǎn guān xì dōu méi yǒu 。
跟附身的姬兆炫可一点关系都没有。
As if a switch had been flipped, memories about Ji Zhaoxuan's background flooded Li Fan’s mind.
zhè chǔ shī xiōng jiū jìng zhī dào xiē shén me ， tè dì jiāng zì jǐ hǎn guò lái ？
这楚师兄究竟知道些什么，特地将自己喊过来？
That was when he was only five or six years old.
huí shuò zhè jù shēn qū nǎo hǎi zhōng de jì yì ， lǐ fán què bìng méi yǒu fā xiàn zì jǐ gēn chǔ shī xiōng yǒu shén me mì qiè de guān xì ， jǐn jǐn yě zhǐ shì diǎn tóu zhī jiāo bà le 。
回朔这具身躯脑海中的记忆，李凡却并没有发现自己跟楚师兄有什么密切的关系，仅仅也只是点头之交罢了。
He left his parents and was sent by clan elders to Taiyin Sect. It seemed like someone had given him some instructions, but he had long forgotten them.
yú shì zhǐ bù dòng shēng sè ， zhuāng zuò méi yǒu zhù yì dào duì fāng shén qíng de yàng zi 。
于是只不动声色，装作没有注意到对方神情的样子。
If not for Cxue Senior Brother’s reminder, the possessed Li Fan might still be unaware of this.
děng dào huì yì jié shù ， fǎn huí zì shēn jū zhù shān fēng de lù shàng 。
等到会议结束，返回自身居住山峰的路上。
Thinking about his recent strange actions, Li Fan suddenly understood.
chǔ shī xiōng hū de chuán yīn wèn dào ：“ jī shī dì ， nǐ men jī jiā ， yīng gāi yǒu bù shǎo 【 tài yuán jīng jīn 】 ba ？”
楚师兄忽的传音问道：“姬师弟，你们姬家，应该有不少【太元精金】吧？”
However, his face remained unchanged as he looked puzzled and said, "Ji family?"
lǐ fán lèng le yī lèng ：“ shén me ？”
李凡愣了一愣：“什么？”
After a moment, he realized. Anger and dejection flashed in his eyes as he coldly replied, "For so many years, I haven't contacted my family. Our ties are already severed. Even if they have [Taiyin Essence Gold], it has nothing to do with me."
chǔ shī xiōng miàn lù bù mǎn zhī sè ：“ shī dì jiù bú yào gēn wǒ zhuāng hú tú le 。 zuò wéi tiān xià shǒu qū yī zhǐ de shāng huì ， nǐ men jī jiā jù shuō lián bàn xiān qì dōu yǒu 。 yòu zěn me kě néng méi yǒu tài yuán jīng jīn ？”
楚师兄面露不满之色：“师弟就不要跟我装湖涂了。作为天下首屈一指的商会，你们姬家据说连半仙器都有。又怎么可能没有太元精金？”
Cxue Senior Brother smiled and advised gently, "Junior Brother, don’t get worked up. I know you’re upset, but think about this: If you can gain full support from the Ji family’s [Worldwide Commercial House], you might have a chance at becoming patriarch."
fǎng fú àn dòng le shén me kāi guān ， lǐ fán de nǎo hǎi zhōng ， shùn jiān fú xiàn chū guān yú jī zhào xuàn de shēn shì jì yì 。
仿佛按动了什么开关，李凡的脑海中，瞬间浮现出关于姬兆炫的身世记忆。
"Even if we Taiyin Sect has to leave through the realm barrier, there are things we can't take with us. For example, our vast mountain domain and jurisdiction over numerous affiliated sects. A few of these could be quite profitable for [Worldwide Commercial House]."
nà hái shì yuán shēn zhǐ yǒu wǔ liù suì shí hòu de shì qíng le 。
那还是原身只有五六岁时候的事情了。
"It's a win-win situation, Junior Brother. Why not try? Think about it carefully. If you’re interested, I can accompany you back home to act as an intermediary."
lí kāi fù mǔ 、 bèi zú zhōng cháng bèi sòng rù tiān jiàn zōng 。 sì hū bèi dīng zhǔ le xiē shén me ， dàn píng rì lǐ zǎo yǐ jīng jiāng qí yí wàng 。
离开父母、被族中长辈送入天剑宗。似乎被叮嘱了些什么，但平日里早已经将其遗忘。
Cxue Senior Brother patted Li Fan’s shoulder and gave him a meaningful look.
The Sword Realm, Taiyin Sect.
Three days later.
Li Fan sat cross-legged in a secret chamber, his eyes closed as he practiced cultivation. Around him, dozens of sword qi circled and spiraled, solidifying into forms that seemed capable of cutting through gold and iron, even emitting faint metallic luster. Upon closer inspection, one could see countless indistinct images of swords flickering on the blade.
In front of Li Fan, a Sword Embryo, whose essence had been fully absorbed and mastered, floated in mid-air.
"This [Breath to Form Sword Technique] indeed has some merit," Li Fan said as he opened his mouth. The dozens of razor-sharp sword qi whistled past him, returning to his abdomen for nourishment.
In his dantian, a golden core surrounded by an aura of thousands of sword lights had already formed. These lights created a dazzling ring, breathtakingly beautiful and captivating.
Only Li Fan knew the terrifying power hidden within this "Sword Light Ring." If he were to exhale all these sword qi at once, it would likely be enough to kill any元婴 cultivator in this era instantly.
"Ji Zhaoxuan's mind has no memory of the source of his cultivation technique. It seems like a true disciple of Taiyin Sect would naturally learn [Ten Thousand Swords Technique]. However, there aren't many Golden Core cultivators with such astonishing phenomena."
"And this move seems somewhat similar to Situ Yao’s [Sword Comes]..."
Thoughts swirling in his mind, Li Fan gathered the power of the thousands of sword lights within his dantian. He concealed all traces of sharpness, appearing like an ordinary Golden Core cultivator.
Before Cxue Senior Brother could find him, Li Fan handed over the Sword Embryo first.
Cxue Senior Brother showed a look of recognition and examined the Sword Embryo before casually putting it away.
"Master Brother is about to gather everyone. There seems to be something important he needs to announce. You might as well go with me," he said.
Li Fan nodded, following behind him.
The Taiyin Sect’s main hall was located atop a mountain peak that stood like a sword in the clouds, at the center of the sect's entrance.
Many cultivators had already gathered inside, their seniority higher than Li Fan’s.
Unknown to Cxue Senior Brother’s reason for bringing him here, Li Fan stood on the edge of the crowd, waiting for Situ Yao to arrive.
After a while, the originally noisy hall suddenly fell silent.
A rich aroma of alcohol wafted in as a sword light carried Situ Yao into the center of the hall. He belched first and then, incoherently, explained why he was gathering everyone.
It turned out that the prototype of the裂界神兵 had been completed, and now it needed to be forged. To successfully traverse through realms, the sword’s body must be incredibly sturdy. The most crucial material for this was [Taiyin Essence Gold]. Although Taiyin Sect's treasury held a considerable stockpile, it would still not suffice for forging the裂界神兵.
Situ Yao was skilled in combat but could do little about this matter. Therefore, he asked everyone’s opinions and proposed two requirements.
Firstly, they mustn’t disclose that Taiyin Sect was forging the裂界神兵. Although he wasn't afraid of using force, dealing with multiple sects joining forces would be extremely troublesome.
Secondly, although Taiyin Sect was quite wealthy, the cost to forge the裂界神兵 was enormous. Besides [Taiyin Essence Gold], there were over a thousand other rare treasures needed, nearly depleting their resources. Thus, they should try to minimize costs while acquiring sufficient amounts of [Taiyin Essence Gold].
Upon hearing Master Brother’s words, the cultivators present all showed signs of difficulty.
"Everyone, share your thoughts and come up with solutions. Whoever can handle this matter will be designated as the next Taiyin Sect's patriarch!" Situ Yao slumped on the ground, devoid of any high-ranking cultivator image, yet speaking shocking words.
The current Taiyin Sect’s patriarch, Huo Yuzhu, only smiled bitterly and didn’t dare to contradict him.
These words caused a commotion in the hall. After all, who wouldn't covet the position of the Ten Realms' patriarchs? Even without much power, their status and treatment were incomparable to ordinary disciples.
Everyone's expressions varied, but Li Fan noticed that Cxue Senior Brother’s gaze had subtly swept over him.
"Hmm? What does he mean?"
Although Li Fan knew where to find a large amount of Taiyin Essence Gold, it was from his past life in the Five Elements Great Cave Heaven. It had nothing to do with Ji Zhaoxuan's possession.
What did Cxue Senior Brother know that made him call him here?
Recalling this body’s memories, Li Fan found no close connection with Cxue Senior Brother, only a nodding acquaintance at best.
Thus, he remained calm and pretended not to notice the other’s demeanor.
On their way back to his mountain peak after the meeting,
Cxue Senior Brother suddenly transmitted voice, "Ji Junior Brother, your Ji family should have quite a bit of [Taiyin Essence Gold], right?"
Li Fan was taken aback. "What?"
Cxue Senior Brother showed signs of dissatisfaction. "Junior Brother, don't pretend to be ignorant. As the top commercial house in the world, your Ji family is rumored to even own half-spirit artifacts. How could you possibly not have Taiyin Essence Gold?"
As if a switch had been flipped, memories about Ji Zhaoxuan's background flooded Li Fan’s mind.
That was when he was only five or six years old.
He left his parents and was sent by clan elders to Taiyin Sect. It seemed like someone had given him some instructions, but he had long forgotten them.
If not for Cxue Senior Brother’s reminder, the possessed Li Fan might still be unaware of this.
Thinking about his recent strange actions, Li Fan suddenly understood.
However, his face remained unchanged as he looked puzzled and said, "Ji family?"
After a moment, he realized. Anger and dejection flashed in his eyes as he coldly replied, "For so many years, I haven't contacted my family. Our ties are already severed. Even if they have [Taiyin Essence Gold], it has nothing to do with me."
Cxue Senior Brother smiled and advised gently, "Junior Brother, don’t get worked up. I know you’re upset, but think about this: If you can gain full support from the Ji family’s [Worldwide Commercial House], you might have a chance at becoming patriarch."
"Even if we Taiyin Sect has to leave through the realm barrier, there are things we can't take with us. For example, our vast mountain domain and jurisdiction over numerous affiliated sects. A few of these could be quite profitable for [Worldwide Commercial House]."
"It's a win-win situation, Junior Brother. Why not try? Think about it carefully. If you’re interested, I can accompany you back home to act as an intermediary."
Cxue Senior Brother patted Li Fan’s shoulder and gave him a meaningful look.