líng mù jiè 。
灵木界。
Spirit Wood World.
tiān yáng kuǐ lěi zhōu shēn huǒ yàn chán rào ， cóng tiān kōng hū de fēi dùn ér xià ， yī tóu zhā rù dào dì dǐ 。
天阳傀儡周身火焰缠绕，从天空忽的飞遁而下，一头扎入到地底。
The puppet Tianyang was surrounded by flames as it suddenly flew down from the sky and plunged into the ground.
suí zhe bù duàn de hōng míng shēng xiǎng qǐ ， zhǎ yǎn jiān yī tiáo shēn suì de tōng dào jiù bèi wā chū 。
随着不断的轰鸣声响起，眨眼间一条深邃的通道就被挖出。
With continuous rumbling sounds, a deep passage was quickly dug out in an instant.
mì mì má má de shù rén fēi zhe zuān rù qí zhōng 。
密密麻麻的树人飞着钻入其中。
Numerous tree-like beings flew and drilled into the passage.
tā men jiē shòu lǐ fán de mìng lìng ， yào jiāng cǐ chù dì xià shēn mái de kuàng shí děng zī yuán wā chū 。
它们接受李凡的命令，要将此处地下深埋的矿石等资源挖出。
They followed Li Fan's orders to excavate the buried minerals and resources underground.
ruò shì cóng líng shù zuì dǐng duān xiàng sì zhōu tiào wàng ， biàn kě yǐ kàn dào ， zhè yàng de chǎng jǐng zài líng mù jiè biàn dì dōu shì 。
若是从灵树最顶端向四周眺望，便可以看到，这样的场景在灵木界遍地都是。
If one were to look at the top of the Spirit Tree and gaze around, they would see such scenes scattered throughout the entire Spirit Wood World.
“ zhǔ rén ， líng shù zú zú yòng le sì qiān duō nián ， cái shāo wēi jiāng zhè lǐ huī fù shēng jī 。 shì jiè shēng tài yī jiù shí fēn cuì ruò 。 rú guǒ xiàng zhè yàng pò huài xìng de wā jué ……” shù rén zú zhǎng yōu xīn chōng chōng de quàn jiè dào 。
“主人，灵树足足用了四千多年，才稍微将这里恢复生机。世界生态依旧十分脆弱。如果像这样破坏性的挖掘……”树人族长忧心忡忡的劝诫道。
"Master, it took the Spirit Trees nearly four thousand years just to slightly revive this place. The world’s ecosystem is still very fragile. If we continue to excavate in a destructive manner..." the tree-like being leader anxiously advised.
lǐ fán zé shì wēi wēi yī xiào ：“ nǐ de gé jú hái shì tài xiǎo 。 zī yuán bù yòng 、 mái zài dì xià ， jiù gēn xún cháng shí tou wú yì 。 zhǐ yǒu wù jìn qí yòng ， jǐn kuài fā zhǎn qǐ lái ， cái shì zhèng dào 。”
李凡则是微微一笑：“你的格局还是太小。资源不用、埋在地下，就跟寻常石头无异。只有物尽其用，尽快发展起来，才是正道。”
Li Fan merely smiled and said, "Your perspective is too narrow. Resources buried underground are no different from ordinary stones if not used. Only by utilizing them fully and developing quickly can it be the right path."
“ zhǐ xū yào zài zī yuán kū jié 、 shì jiè shuāi tuì zhī qián ， qiáng dà dào néng cóng qí tā shì jiè lüè duó 、 zī bǔ zì shēn jiù xíng 。”
“只需要在资源枯竭、世界衰退之前，强大到能从其他世界掠夺、滋补自身就行。”
"Just become strong enough to plunder and nourish yourself before resources run out and the world declines."
“ jú xiàn yú yī jiè zhī dì ， gù bù zì fēng 。 jiù suàn néng gǒu huó yī duàn shí jiān ， yě chí zǎo huì bèi qí tā shì jiè tūn bìng 。”
“局限于一界之地，故步自封。就算能苟活一段时间，也迟早会被其他世界吞并。”
"Being confined within a single realm, stuck in one place. Even if you manage to survive for some time, you will eventually be absorbed by other worlds."
shù rén zú zhǎng xiǎn rán shì dì yī cì tīng shuō zhè bān lǐ lùn ， dāng chǎng lèng zhù ：“ shì …… shì zhè yàng ma ？”
树人族长显然是第一次听说这般理论，当场愣住：“是……是这样吗？”
The tree-like being leader was clearly hearing this theory for the first time and stood dumbfounded, "Is... is that so?"
lǐ fán bù dá ， zhǐ shì lù chū gè gāo shēn mò cè de miàn páng 。
李凡不答，只是露出个高深莫测的面庞。
Li Fan did not answer but instead revealed an enigmatic expression.
tā kàn zhe cǐ jiè zhōng wú shù zhèng zài xīn qín láo zuò de shù rén ， xīn zhōng hū de tū fā qí xiǎng ：“ rú guǒ bāng zhù zhè xiē shù rén ， zhěng tǐ tí shēng lì liàng ， bù zhī dào huì bú huì yǒu zuò xiān jué de fǎn kuì xiū wèi 。”
他看着此界中无数正在辛勤劳作的树人，心中忽的突发奇想：“如果帮助这些树人，整体提升力量，不知道会不会有坐仙诀的反馈修为。”
Looking at the countless tree-like beings working diligently in this realm, he suddenly had a strange thought: "If I help these tree-like beings to boost their strength overall, would there be any feedback on my修为through the True Technique of Sitting Immortal?"
shù rén wú fǎ xiū liàn ， zì chū shēng qǐ ， shí lì jiù yǐ jīng gù dìng 。
树人无法修炼，自出生起，实力就已经固定。
Tree-like beings could not cultivate; their power was fixed from birth.
ér shù rén shí lì qiáng ruò ， yòu qǔ jué yú líng shù běn shēn 。
而树人实力强弱，又取决于灵树本身。
And the strength of a tree-like being depended on the Spirit Tree itself.
líng shù yuè qiáng dà ， suǒ dàn shēng de shù rén yě jiù yuè qiáng 。
灵树越强大，所诞生的树人也就越强。
The stronger the Spirit Tree, the stronger the tree-like beings it produced.
shì zhè děng tiān dì líng wù ， ruò shì fāng fǎ dé dàng ， chéng zhǎng qǐ lái bǐ qǐ xiū shì yào xùn sù tài duō 。
似这等天地灵物，若是方法得当，成长起来比起修士要迅速太多。
Such celestial treasures, if properly nurtured, would grow much faster than cultivators.
zuì qǐ mǎ ， lǐ fán zì jǐ jiù zhī dào bù xià shí zhǒng néng gòu zī yǎng líng shù de tiān dì qí zhēn 。
最起码，李凡自己就知道不下十种能够滋养灵树的天地奇珍。
At least, Li Fan knew of at least ten types of heavenly treasures that could nourish the Spirit Trees.
gòng xiǎng zhe líng shù de quán jú shì yě ， duì yú cǐ fāng shì jiè nǎ lǐ cáng yǒu jià zhí de zī yuán ， lǐ fán kě shì yì qīng èr chǔ 。
共享着灵树的全局视野，对于此方世界哪里藏有价值的资源，李凡可是一清二楚。
Sharing the global vision of the Spirit Tree, Li Fan was well aware of where valuable resources were hidden in this world.
tiān yáng zài lǐ fán de zhǐ shì xià ， rú ní qiū zuān dòng ， huā le jǐ tiān shí jiān 、 xiān jiāng tōng dào dǎ tōng 。
天阳在李凡的指示下，如泥鳅钻洞，花了几天时间、先将通道打通。
Following Li Fan's instructions, Tianyang worked like a mud carp, taking several days to clear the passage first.
ràng shù rén zú zhǎng jiān dū shù rén kāi cǎi gōng zuò hòu ， lǐ fán biàn dài zhe tiān yáng ， zàn xiān fǎn huí le xuán huáng jiè zhōng 。
让树人族长监督树人开采工作后，李凡便带着天阳，暂先返回了玄黄界中。
After instructing the tree-like being leader to supervise the mining work, Li Fan temporarily returned to the Xuanhuang Realm with Tianyang.
chū lái de shí hòu ， bù wàng shùn lù qù le tàng tiān jī zōng yí jì 。
出来的时候，不忘顺路去了趟天机宗遗迹。
On his way out, he also stopped by at the ruins of the Celestial Oracle Sect to gather all the treasures inside, including the Heavenly Universe Dice.
jiāng 【 tiān dì qián kūn tóu 】 zài nèi de yī gān bǎo wù sōu guā gān jìng 。
将【天地乾坤骰】在内的一干宝物搜刮干净。
"Now that there is no World Federation in existence, suddenly showing up and trying to gain the trust of the Five Elders Council would likely require much effort as before."
“ rú jīn ， shì shàng shàng wú 【 wàn jiè lián hé huì 】 cún zài 。 jiù zhè me tū rán zhǎo shàng mén qù ， xiǎng yào qǔ xìn yú wǔ lǎo huì ， kǒng pà yào gēn qián jǐ shì nà bān ， pǒ fèi gōng fu 。”
“如今，世上尚无【万界联合会】存在。就这么突然找上门去，想要取信于五老会，恐怕要跟前几世那般，颇费工夫。”
"Perhaps it's better to think of a way to make the World Federation famous..."
“ bù rú xiān xiǎng gè bàn fǎ ， shǐ 【 wàn jiè lián hé huì 】 yáng míng ……”
“不如先想个办法，使【万界联合会】扬名……”
"Anchor 6 years."
“ máo dìng 6 nián 。”
“锚定6年。”
Various events from this year flashed through Li Fan’s mind. He quickly found an appropriate target.
jì yì zhōng zhè nián fā shēng de zhǒng zhǒng shì qíng zài lǐ fán nǎo hǎi yī yī shǎn guò ， hěn kuài tā jiù zhǎo dào le yí gè hé shì mù biāo 。
记忆中这年发生的种种事情在李凡脑海一一闪过，很快他就找到了一个合适目标。
Soon, the Five Elders Council would launch a surprise attack on Jiashan Province, attempting to seize its territory.
bù jiǔ hòu ， wǔ lǎo huì jiāng huì fā dòng duì jiǔ shān zhōu de tū xí 。
不久后，五老会将会发动对九山州的突袭。
However, for some reason, the plan leaked and they failed miserably, falling into the ambush of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
shì tú duó qǔ zhè kuài lǐng tǔ 。
试图夺取这块领土。
The final battle ended in a crushing defeat.
bù guò què bù zhī wèi hé zǒu lòu le xiāo xī ， bù jǐn méi yǒu tōu xí chéng gōng ， fǎn dào shì xiàn rù le wàn xiān méng de mái fú bāo wéi zhōng 。
不过却不知为何走漏了消息，不仅没有偷袭成功，反倒是陷入了万仙盟的埋伏包围中。
This incident was repeatedly mentioned as a classic example by the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance. Thus, Li Fan knew all about its details.
zuì zhōng yǐ cǎn bài shōu chǎng 。
最终以惨败收场。
Jiashan Province, being the border between the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance and the Five Elders Council, due to its unique geography formed after the death of the creature [Kun], was extremely unstable in terms of space.
zhè jiàn shì bèi wàn xiān méng zuò wéi jīng diǎn àn lì ， fǎn fù tí qǐ 。
这件事被万仙盟作为经典案例，反复提起。
Teleportation arrays could not be used within the province’s territory.
suǒ yǐ lǐ fán duì shì qíng de shǐ mò 、 xì jié dōu shí fēn qīng chǔ 。
所以李凡对事情的始末、细节都十分清楚。
As a result, managing this area was too costly for the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, which only built cities at key positions along Jiashan Pass to guard them.
jiǔ shān zhōu zuò wéi wàn xiān méng gēn wǔ lǎo huì de jiē rǎng zhī dì ， yóu yú shì yì shòu 【 tiān 】 sǐ hòu suǒ huà 。
九山州作为万仙盟跟五老会的接壤之地，由于是异兽【兲】死后所化。
The rest of the region was largely ignored.
kōng jiān jí qí bù wěn ， chuán sòng fǎ zhèn wú fǎ zài zhōu yù fàn wéi nèi shǐ yòng 。
空间极其不稳，传送法阵无法在州域范围内使用。
This gave rise to unique phenomena: a mix of people and creatures.
suǒ yǐ guǎn lǐ chéng běn tài dà ， wàn xiān méng yě jǐn jǐn shì zài jiǔ shān xíng dào de guān jiàn wèi zhì ， jiàn zào chéng chí zhèn shǒu 。
所以管理成本太大，万仙盟也仅仅是在九山陉道的关键位置，建造城池镇守。
Apart from the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, there were also various local forces led by the Spirit Essence Sect, as well as many spies cultivated by the Five Elders Council.
qí tā dà bù fèn dì fāng ， dōu bù zěn me qù lǐ huì 。
其他大部分地方，都不怎么去理会。
Jiashan Province, being difficult to attack but easy to defend, would always be at an advantageous position regardless of which side controlled it.
yīn ér zī shēng le qí tā zhōu nán yǐ jiàn dào de qí tè jǐng xiàng ： yú lóng hùn zá 。
因而滋生了其他州难以见到的奇特景象：鱼龙混杂。
The Five Elders Council had long wanted to annex Jiashan Province into their territory.
chú le wàn xiān méng yǐ wài ， hái yǒu yǐ líng yuán jiào wéi shǒu de zhū duō běn tǔ shì lì 。
除了万仙盟以外，还有以灵元教为首的诸多本土势力。
However, they struggled due to a lack of strategy.
yǐ jí xǔ duō wǔ lǎo huì péi yǎng de àn zi 。
以及许多五老会培养的暗子。
Their renewed assault was because they believed they had infiltrated the Spirit Essence Sect.
jiǔ shān zhōu ， yì shǒu nán gōng 。 wú lùn nǎ yī fāng jiāng qí zhàn jù ， dū huì chǔ yú jū gāo lín xià de zhàn lüè yōu shì lǐ 。
九山州，易守难攻。无论哪一方将其占据，都会处于居高临下的战略优势里。
Although the Spirit Essence Sect was the largest local force in Jiashan Province and nominally under the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance’s rule, it maintained relative independence.
wǔ lǎo huì yì zhí dōu xiǎng jiāng qí nà rù zì shēn bǎn tú lǐ 。
五老会一直都想将其纳入自身版图里。
The sect had numerous元婴and transformation spirit cultivators, and its followers were extremely united.
bù guò què kǔ yú bù dé qí fǎ 。
不过却苦于不得其法。
It was a formidable force that could not be underestimated.
ér bù jiǔ hòu ， tā men zhī suǒ yǐ zài dù fā dòng xí jī ， shì yīn wèi zì yǐ wéi cè fǎn le 【 líng yuán jiào 】。
而不久后，他们之所以再度发动袭击，是因为自以为策反了【灵元教】。
If they switched sides, with inside and outside support, Jiashan Province might fall in one fell swoop.
líng yuán jiào zuò wéi jiǔ shān zhōu zuì dà de běn tǔ shì lì ， suī shuō chǔ yú wàn xiān méng zhì xià 。 shí zé xiāng duì dú lì 。
灵元教作为九山州最大的本土势力，虽说处于万仙盟治下。实则相对独立。
This was why the Five Elders Council repeatedly contacted the Spirit Essence Sect to confirm their willingness to assist before launching the surprise attack.
jiào zhōng yuán yīng 、 huà shén xiū shì zhòng duō ， ér qiě jiào zhòng jí wéi tuán jié 。
教中元婴、化神修士众多，而且教众极为团结。
However, for some reason, the news leaked, and the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance’s reinforcements arrived swiftly.
shì yī gǔ bù róng xiǎo qù de lì liàng 。
是一股不容小觑的力量。
It seemed they had anticipated this outcome.
yí dàn dǎo gē ， lǐ yìng wài hé zhī xià ， dí què yǒu kě néng yī jǔ jiāng jiǔ shān zhōu ná xià 。
一旦倒戈，里应外合之下，的确有可能一举将九山州拿下。
Seeing that the tide had turned against them, the Spirit Essence Sect immediately switched sides again, attacking the Five Elders Council.
zhèng yīn wèi rú cǐ ， wǔ lǎo huì gēn líng yuán jiào jǐ cì jiē chù 、 què dìng duì fāng huì chū shǒu xiàng zhù hòu 。
正因为如此，五老会跟灵元教几次接触、确定对方会出手相助后。
This battle left the Five Elders Council with no intention of launching an attack from Jiashan Province and instead shifted their focus to Tianling Province.
zhè cái fā dòng le tū xí 。
这才发动了突袭。
"Spirit Essence Sect..." Li Fan quickly pondered over the events leading up to this situation.
kě bù zhī zěn me de zǒu lòu le xiāo xī ， wàn xiān méng de yuán jūn lái de shí fēn xùn sù 。
可不知怎么的走漏了消息，万仙盟的援军来的十分迅速。
He also thought about this peculiar organization, frowning slightly.
jiù xiàng zǎo yǒu yù pàn yī yàng 。
就像早有预判一样。
While in terms of the overall layout of the Xuanhuang Realm, the Spirit Essence Sect was insignificant like an ant,
ér yǎn jiàn dà shì yǐ qù ， líng yuán jiào dāng chǎng zài dù dǎo gē 。
而眼见大势已去，灵元教当场再度倒戈。
it could not be ignored within Jiashan Province.
fǎn gōng qǐ wǔ lǎo huì lái 。
反攻起五老会来。
Given the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance’s operational style, they allowed such a separate entity to exist under their rule, partly due to the unique geography and the "wild fire that never burns out" nature of the Spirit Essence Sect.
cǐ yī yì ， shǐ de wǔ lǎo huì chè dǐ méi yǒu le cóng jiǔ shān zhōu fāng xiàng jìn gōng de dǎ suàn 。
此一役，使得五老会彻底没有了从九山州方向进攻的打算。
"The Life Essence for All Technique. The more people practice it simultaneously, the faster the cultivation speed."
jiāng zhàn lüè zhòng xīn zhuǎn yí dào le tiān líng zhōu fāng miàn 。
将战略重心转移到了天灵州方面。
"This can offset the negative effects brought by not being able to cultivate together."
“ líng yuán jiào ……” lǐ fán jiāng shì qíng de qǐ yīn jīng guò kuài sù sī suǒ le yī fān 。
“灵元教……”李凡将事情的起因经过快速思索了一番。
Li Fan had a general understanding of this technique before but showed no interest in practicing such suspicious techniques.
yòu xiǎng qǐ zhè yī pǒ wèi qí guài de zǔ zhī ， wēi wēi zhòu méi 。
又想起这一颇为奇怪的组织，微微皱眉。
"The leader of the Spirit Essence Sect has never appeared publicly. Their identity is extremely mysterious."
suī rán zài xuán huáng jiè zhěng tǐ gé jú céng miàn ， zhè líng yuán jiào bù guò shì lóu yǐ yì bān de cún zài 。
虽然在玄黄界整体格局层面，这灵元教不过是蝼蚁一般的存在。
"Even if the Spirit Essence Sect was eradicated, it would quickly rise again due to its unique cultivation method."
dàn shì fàng yǎn zhè jiǔ shān zhōu ， què jué duì bù kě hū shì 。
但是放眼这九山州，却绝对不可忽视。
"And there seem to be other secret arts within the sect that can resolve mutual hostility and allow repeated use of the Immortal Realm."
yǐ wàn xiān méng de xíng shì fēng gé ， jū rán néng róng rěn zhì xià cún zài zhè me yí gè dú lì de zǔ zhī 。
以万仙盟的行事风格，居然能容忍治下存在这么一个独立的组织。
"For example, Shen Yurou's Peach Blossom Immortal Realm I saw before appeared on previous cultivators."
chú le jiǔ shān zhōu dì xíng bǐ jiào tè shū zhī wài ， hái gēn líng yuán jiào “ yě huǒ shāo bù jìn ” yǒu guān 。
除了九山州地形比较特殊之外，还跟灵元教“野火烧不尽”有关。
"..."
“ cāng shēng líng yuán gōng 。 tóng shí xiū xíng rén shù yuè duō ， xiū xíng cǐ mén gōng fǎ de sù dù yě jiù yuè kuài 。”
“苍生灵元功。同时修行人数越多，修行此门功法的速度也就越快。”
"There must be some special restrictions. Otherwise, no matter how well he tries to hide, he would eventually be found out."
“ zú yǐ gēn fǎ bù kě tóng xiū dài lái de fù miàn xiào guǒ xiāng dǐ xiāo 。”
“足以跟法不可同修带来的负面效果相抵消。”
Li Fan slowly pondered over everything related to the Spirit Essence Sect.
lǐ fán cǐ qián ， yě duì zhè mén gōng fǎ yǒu guò dà zhì de liǎo jiě 。
李凡此前，也对这门功法有过大致的了解。
"But this time, I don’t need to conflict with them."
bù guò zhè zhǒng yī kàn jiù zhī dào yǒu qī qiāo de gōng fǎ ， tā kě méi yǒu xiū xíng de xìng qù 。
不过这种一看就知道有蹊跷的功法，他可没有修行的兴趣。
"I just need to help the Five Elders Council seize Jiashan Province."
“ líng yuán jiào zhǔ ， cóng lái méi yǒu zài rèn hé gōng zhòng chǎng hé lù guò miàn 。 shēn fèn shén mì zhì jí 。”
“灵元教主，从来没有在任何公众场合露过面。身份神秘至极。”
With this thought in mind, Li Fan stood on Tianyang and sped towards Jiashan Province.
“ yǐ wǎng jiù suàn líng yuán jiào bèi jiǎo miè 。 bù fù jīng nián ， píng zhe gōng fǎ tè xìng ， yòu huì hěn kuài fù qǐ 。”
“以往就算灵元教被剿灭。不复经年，凭着功法特性，又会很快复起。”
Upon entering Jiashan’s territory, he set up an array around himself to conceal his presence.
“ ér qiě jiào nèi chú le 《 cāng shēng líng yuán gōng 》 zhī wài ， sì hū hái yǒu qí tā mì shù 。 bù jǐn kě yǐ jiě jué tóng xiū gōng fǎ suǒ dài lái de bǐ cǐ shā yì ， hái néng chóng fù 、 xún huán shǐ yòng dòng tiān 。”
“而且教内除了《苍生灵元功》之外，似乎还有其他秘术。不仅可以解决同修功法所带来的彼此杀意，还能重复、循环使用洞天。”
He then hid near Mount Heavenly Prison.
“ jiù bǐ rú wǒ zhī qián wǒ céng jiàn dào de shěn yù róu ， tā de 【 táo huā dòng tiān 】， jiù zài yǐ wǎng de xiū shì shēn shàng chū xiàn guò 。”
“就比如我之前我曾见到的沈玉柔，他的【桃花洞天】，就在以往的修士身上出现过。”
"The Five Elders Council probably never expected that their defeat was merely a coincidence and not due to a mole leaking information."
“……”
“……”
Li Fan thought as he soon saw a young man in white robes slowly appear on the horizon.
“ yīng gāi yǒu shén me tè shū xiàn zhì 。 fǒu zé jiù suàn tā zài zěn me néng cáng ， yě dìng rán yào bèi zhǎo chū 。”
“应该有什么特殊限制。否则就算他再怎么能藏，也定然要被找出。”
(End of chapter)
lǐ fán huǎn huǎn sī suǒ zhe guān yú líng yuán jiào de yī qiè 。
李凡缓缓思索着关于灵元教的一切。
Today, I had to go out for work and won't be back until late tonight, so only one update today.
“ bù guò wǒ cǐ xíng ， dào bù yòng gēn tā men qǐ chōng tū 。”
“不过我此行，倒不用跟他们起冲突。”
I'll make up for it tomorrow during the day.
“ zhǐ xū bāng zhù wǔ lǎo huì ， ná xià jiǔ shān zhōu jí kě 。”
“只需帮助五老会，拿下九山州即可。”
(End of chapter)
Spirit Wood World.
The puppet Tianyang was surrounded by flames as it suddenly flew down from the sky and plunged into the ground.
With continuous rumbling sounds, a deep passage was quickly dug out in an instant.
Numerous tree-like beings flew and drilled into the passage.
They followed Li Fan's orders to excavate the buried minerals and resources underground.
If one were to look at the top of the Spirit Tree and gaze around, they would see such scenes scattered throughout the entire Spirit Wood World.
"Master, it took the Spirit Trees nearly four thousand years just to slightly revive this place. The world’s ecosystem is still very fragile. If we continue to excavate in a destructive manner..." the tree-like being leader anxiously advised.
Li Fan merely smiled and said, "Your perspective is too narrow. Resources buried underground are no different from ordinary stones if not used. Only by utilizing them fully and developing quickly can it be the right path."
"Just become strong enough to plunder and nourish yourself before resources run out and the world declines."
"Being confined within a single realm, stuck in one place. Even if you manage to survive for some time, you will eventually be absorbed by other worlds."
The tree-like being leader was clearly hearing this theory for the first time and stood dumbfounded, "Is... is that so?"
Li Fan did not answer but instead revealed an enigmatic expression.
Looking at the countless tree-like beings working diligently in this realm, he suddenly had a strange thought: "If I help these tree-like beings to boost their strength overall, would there be any feedback on my修为through the True Technique of Sitting Immortal?"
Tree-like beings could not cultivate; their power was fixed from birth.
And the strength of a tree-like being depended on the Spirit Tree itself.
The stronger the Spirit Tree, the stronger the tree-like beings it produced.
Such celestial treasures, if properly nurtured, would grow much faster than cultivators.
At least, Li Fan knew of at least ten types of heavenly treasures that could nourish the Spirit Trees.
...
Sharing the global vision of the Spirit Tree, Li Fan was well aware of where valuable resources were hidden in this world.
Following Li Fan's instructions, Tianyang worked like a mud carp, taking several days to clear the passage first.
After instructing the tree-like being leader to supervise the mining work, Li Fan temporarily returned to the Xuanhuang Realm with Tianyang.
On his way out, he also stopped by at the ruins of the Celestial Oracle Sect to gather all the treasures inside, including the Heavenly Universe Dice.
"Now that there is no World Federation in existence, suddenly showing up and trying to gain the trust of the Five Elders Council would likely require much effort as before."
"Perhaps it's better to think of a way to make the World Federation famous..."
"Anchor 6 years."
Various events from this year flashed through Li Fan’s mind. He quickly found an appropriate target.
Soon, the Five Elders Council would launch a surprise attack on Jiashan Province, attempting to seize its territory.
However, for some reason, the plan leaked and they failed miserably, falling into the ambush of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
The final battle ended in a crushing defeat.
This incident was repeatedly mentioned as a classic example by the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance. Thus, Li Fan knew all about its details.
Jiashan Province, being the border between the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance and the Five Elders Council, due to its unique geography formed after the death of the creature [Kun], was extremely unstable in terms of space.
Teleportation arrays could not be used within the province’s territory.
As a result, managing this area was too costly for the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, which only built cities at key positions along Jiashan Pass to guard them.
The rest of the region was largely ignored.
This gave rise to unique phenomena: a mix of people and creatures.
Apart from the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, there were also various local forces led by the Spirit Essence Sect, as well as many spies cultivated by the Five Elders Council.
Jiashan Province, being difficult to attack but easy to defend, would always be at an advantageous position regardless of which side controlled it.
The Five Elders Council had long wanted to annex Jiashan Province into their territory.
However, they struggled due to a lack of strategy.
Their renewed assault was because they believed they had infiltrated the Spirit Essence Sect.
Although the Spirit Essence Sect was the largest local force in Jiashan Province and nominally under the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance’s rule, it maintained relative independence.
The sect had numerous元婴and transformation spirit cultivators, and its followers were extremely united.
It was a formidable force that could not be underestimated.
If they switched sides, with inside and outside support, Jiashan Province might fall in one fell swoop.
This was why the Five Elders Council repeatedly contacted the Spirit Essence Sect to confirm their willingness to assist before launching the surprise attack.
However, for some reason, the news leaked, and the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance’s reinforcements arrived swiftly.
It seemed they had anticipated this outcome.
Seeing that the tide had turned against them, the Spirit Essence Sect immediately switched sides again, attacking the Five Elders Council.
This battle left the Five Elders Council with no intention of launching an attack from Jiashan Province and instead shifted their focus to Tianling Province.
"Spirit Essence Sect..." Li Fan quickly pondered over the events leading up to this situation.
He also thought about this peculiar organization, frowning slightly.
While in terms of the overall layout of the Xuanhuang Realm, the Spirit Essence Sect was insignificant like an ant,
it could not be ignored within Jiashan Province.
Given the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance’s operational style, they allowed such a separate entity to exist under their rule, partly due to the unique geography and the "wild fire that never burns out" nature of the Spirit Essence Sect.
"The Life Essence for All Technique. The more people practice it simultaneously, the faster the cultivation speed."
"This can offset the negative effects brought by not being able to cultivate together."
Li Fan had a general understanding of this technique before but showed no interest in practicing such suspicious techniques.
"The leader of the Spirit Essence Sect has never appeared publicly. Their identity is extremely mysterious."
"Even if the Spirit Essence Sect was eradicated, it would quickly rise again due to its unique cultivation method."
"And there seem to be other secret arts within the sect that can resolve mutual hostility and allow repeated use of the Immortal Realm."
"For example, Shen Yurou's Peach Blossom Immortal Realm I saw before appeared on previous cultivators."
"..."
"There must be some special restrictions. Otherwise, no matter how well he tries to hide, he would eventually be found out."
Li Fan slowly pondered over everything related to the Spirit Essence Sect.
"But this time, I don’t need to conflict with them."
"I just need to help the Five Elders Council seize Jiashan Province."
With this thought in mind, Li Fan stood on Tianyang and sped towards Jiashan Province.
Upon entering Jiashan’s territory, he set up an array around himself to conceal his presence.
He then hid near Mount Heavenly Prison.
"The Five Elders Council probably never expected that their defeat was merely a coincidence and not due to a mole leaking information."
Li Fan thought as he soon saw a young man in white robes slowly appear on the horizon.
(End of chapter)
Today, I had to go out for work and won't be back until late tonight, so only one update today.
I'll make up for it tomorrow during the day.
(End of chapter)