“ jiǔ shān fēi bù dé ， xiū shì yǎng tiān tàn 。 guǒ rán shì nán dé yī jiàn de qí jǐng ！”
“九山飞不得，修士仰天叹。果然是难得一见的奇景！”
"Nine mountains, flying is impossible; cultivators look up in awe. Truly a rare sight!"
“ zhè děng xióng qí shān mài ， xún cháng zhōu yù ruò yǒu yī tiáo ， biàn zú yǐ wén míng tiān xià 。 ér zhè lǐ ， jìng rán yǒu zú zú jiǔ tiáo ！”
“这等雄奇山脉，寻常州域若有一条，便足以闻名天下。而这里，竟然有足足九条！”
"This magnificent mountain range would make the Constellation Province famous if it had just one. But here, there are an astonishing nine of them!"
bái yī shào nián láng huǎn bù zǒu dào tiān láo shān xià ， lián shēng gǎn tàn dào 。
白衣少年郎缓步走到天牢山下，连声感叹道。
The young man in white walked slowly down to the foot of Sky Prison Mountain, uttering continuous exclamations.
shào nián pí fū bái xī ， pǒ wèi jùn lǎng 。 zhǐ shì yǎn jīng lǐ bù shí liú lù chū yǔ tóng líng rén bù fú de jiān yì 。
少年皮肤白皙，颇为俊朗。只是眼睛里不时流露出与同龄人不符的坚毅。
His skin was fair and he looked quite handsome, but his eyes occasionally revealed a determination that didn't match his age.
tā de bó zi shàng ， guà zhe yī gēn qīng téng biān zhī ér chéng de zhǎng shéng 。
他的脖子上，挂着一根青藤编织而成的长绳。
A green vine rope hung around his neck, with a green gourd tied at the top.
qīng shéng dāng tóu xì zhe yí gè qīng sè de hú lú 。
青绳当头系着一个青色的葫芦。
The young man shook the gourd slightly before pulling out the stopper. He aimed it at the towering Sky Prison Mountain range ahead.
shào nián láng jiāng hú lú huǎng le huǎng ， suí hòu bá chū sài zi ， jiāng kǒu duì zhǔn qián fāng gāo sǒng de tiān láo shān mài 。
少年郎将葫芦晃了晃，随后拔出塞子，将口对准前方高耸的天牢山脉。
After adjusting its position, he nodded contentedly.
lüè wēi tiáo zhěng le xià fāng wèi ， tā zhè cái gǎn dào mǎn yì de diǎn le diǎn tóu 。
略微调整了下方位，他这才感到满意的点了点头。
"Seal!"
“ shōu ！”
“收！”
With a soft command, an image seemed to be sucked from afar and into the green gourd.
kǒu zhōng qīng hē yī shēng ， zhǐ jiàn shì yǒu yī tuán xū yǐng huà miàn ， cóng yuǎn fāng tiān láo shān shàng 、 bèi xī dào zhè qīng hú zhī zhōng 。
口中轻喝一声，只见似有一团虚影画面，从远方天牢山上、被吸到这青葫之中。
The young man brought his nose close to the mouth of the gourd and sniffed carefully.
shào nián láng bí zi còu dào hú lú kǒu ， zǐ xì wén le wén 。
少年郎鼻子凑到葫芦口，仔细闻了闻。
"Truly a magnificent sight!"
“ guǒ rán shì jué jǐng !”
“果然是绝景!”
His face was filled with a look of indulgence.
liǎn shàng mǎn shì táo zuì de shén sè 。
脸上满是陶醉的神色。
However, in the next moment, his expression suddenly froze, and he instantly became unable to move.
rán ér xià yī kè ， tā de biǎo qíng què shì dǒu rán jiāng zhù ， shēn tǐ yě shùn jiān wú fǎ dòng tán 。
然而下一刻，他的表情却是陡然僵住，身体也瞬间无法动弹。
A figure slowly appeared behind him, reaching out to take the green gourd from his hand.
yī dào rén yǐng huǎn huǎn chū xiàn zài tā de shēn hòu ， shēn chū shǒu ， jiāng tā shǒu zhōng de qīng sè hú lú qǔ zǒu 。
一道人影缓缓出现在他的身后，伸出手，将他手中的青色葫芦取走。
"This Heavenly Scene Treasure Gourd is indeed impressive," the man cackled.
“ tiān jǐng bǎo hú ， zhè wán yì dí què bù cuò 。” nà rén jié jié guài xiào dào 。
“天景宝葫，这玩意的确不错。”那人桀桀怪笑道。
A hint of fear flashed across the young man's eyes.
shào nián láng yǎn zhōng dùn shí shǎn guò yī sī jīng kǒng 。
少年郎眼中顿时闪过一丝惊恐。
Li Fan ordered Tianyang to carry the young man while he himself stored away the treasure gourd.
lǐ fán mìng lìng tiān yáng līn zhe shào nián láng ， zì jǐ zé shì jiāng bǎo hú lú shōu qǐ 。
李凡命令天阳拎着少年郎，自己则是将宝葫芦收起。
"Shang Tianci, a member of Immortal Alliance [Mountain River Pavilion]. He achieved Dan formation at eighteen and is considered an unparalleled genius."
“ shāng tiān cì ， xiān méng 【 shān hé xuān 】 de yī yuán 。 shí bā suì jié dān ， kān chēng jué shì zhī cái 。”
“商天赐，仙盟【山河轩】的一员。十八岁结丹，堪称绝世之才。”
"He has a Companion Treasure called Heavenly Scene Gourd. It can capture Xuanhuang mountain and water scenery into it. Inside the gourd, a nearly identical replica is generated, albeit slightly smaller in size."
“ bàn shēng qí wù tiān jǐng bǎo hú ， kě jiāng xuán huáng shān shuǐ zhī jǐng shè rù qí zhōng 。 zài hú lú zhōng shēng chéng jī hū wán quán yí zhì 、 zhǐ shì dà xiǎo lüè yǒu suō jiǎn de fù běn 。”
“伴生奇物天景宝葫，可将玄黄山水之景摄入其中。在葫芦中生成几乎完全一致、只是大小略有缩减的副本。”
"Moreover, he can instantly travel between locations recorded within the gourd with just a thought. Even if I didn't have the binding insect technique, it would be difficult to catch him at his current realm of cultivation unless he was already a Transcendent Realm."
“ gèng kě yí niàn zhī jiān ， chuān suō yú tiān jǐng bǎo hú zhōng suǒ jì lù de dì diǎn 。 ruò fēi wǒ yǒu fù chóng shén tōng ， jiù suàn huà shén jìng jiè le ， yě wèi bì néng zhè me qīng yì jiù jiāng tā zhuō zhù 。”
“更可一念之间，穿梭于天景宝葫中所记录的地点。若非我有缚虫神通，就算化神境界了，也未必能这么轻易就将他捉住。”
Li Fan's spiritual sense peered into the Heavenly Scene Gourd and saw clouds swirling around various distinctive mountain and water scenes.
lǐ fán shén niàn cháo zhe tiān jǐng bǎo hú zhōng wàng qù ， zhǐ jiàn yī piàn yún wù liáo rào zhōng ， xīng xīng diǎn diǎn fēn bù zhe gè yǒu tè diǎn de shān shuǐ zhī jǐng 。
李凡神念朝着天景宝葫中望去，只见一片云雾缭绕中，星星点点分布着各有特点的山水之景。
Some were familiar to Li Fan, like Taihua Ten Branches and Tianling Thousand Waters.
qí zhōng yǒu xiē lǐ fán hái bìng bù mò shēng 。
其中有些李凡还并不陌生。
Sky Prison Mountain, just ingested by Shang Tianci, was also included!
bǐ rú tài huá shí mài ， tiān líng qiān shuǐ děng 。
比如太华十脉，天灵千水等。
"Braving the Nine Provinces alone at such a young age, truly fearless."
ér gāng gāng bèi shāng tiān cì shè rù tiān jǐng bǎo hú de tiān láo shān ， yě zài qí zhōng ！
而刚刚被商天赐摄入天景宝葫的天牢山，也在其中！
"But if not for me, he would indeed be following the main character's script in what is about to happen next."
“ gāng rù jīn dān ， jiù gǎn gū shēn yī rén dú chuǎng hùn luàn zhì jí de jiǔ shān zhōu 。 dàng zhēn shì chū shēng niú dú bù pà hǔ 。”
“刚入金丹，就敢孤身一人独闯混乱至极的九山州。当真是初生牛犊不怕虎。”
During his travels, he happened upon an ambush by the Five Elders Association.
“ bù guò ruò shì méi yǒu wǒ de huà ， jiē xià lái jí jiāng fā shēng shì qíng ， tā dí què shì ná le zhǔ jué jù běn 。”
“不过若是没有我的话，接下来即将发生事情，他的确是拿了主角剧本。”
"With the help of Spirit Essence Sect, the Five Elders Association had already deployed heavy forces to seal off the Nine Provinces Province, allowing entry but not exit. They also blocked communications; ordinary methods could not transmit messages. They just wanted to stall for time."
“ zài yóu lì guò chéng zhōng ， qià hǎo zhuàng jiàn wǔ lǎo huì tū xí 。”
“在游历过程中，恰好撞见五老会突袭。”
"War is swift. Before the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance reacted, they would seize the Nine Provinces Province."
“ yǒu líng yuán jiào lǐ yìng wài hé ， wǔ lǎo huì zǎo yǐ jīng pài zhòng bīng bǎ jiǔ shān zhōu fēng suǒ 、 xǔ jìn bù xǔ chū 。 gèng shì píng bì le tōng xùn ， xún cháng fāng shì xiāo xī gēn běn wú fǎ chuán chū 。 zhǐ qiú jǐn liàng tuō yán shí jiān 。 bīng guì shén sù ， zài wàn xiān méng fǎn yìng guò lái zhī qián ， yī jǔ jiāng jiǔ shān zhōu ná xià 。”
“有灵元教里应外合，五老会早已经派重兵把九山州封锁、许进不许出。更是屏蔽了通讯，寻常方式消息根本无法传出。只求尽量拖延时间。兵贵神速，在万仙盟反应过来之前，一举将九山州拿下。”
"Who knew that bad luck led him to encounter Shang Tianci, an anomaly who managed to use his Companion Treasure to instantly teleport in a place where spatial transmission was impossible."
“ shuí zhī dào yùn qì bù hǎo ， piān piān yù dào le shāng tiān cì zhè děng yì lèi 。 jìng rán néng kào zhe bàn shēng zhī wù ， zài wú fǎ kōng jiān chuán sòng de jiǔ shān zhōu ， shùn jiān zhuǎn yí 。”
“谁知道运气不好，偏偏遇到了商天赐这等异类。竟然能靠着伴生之物，在无法空间传送的九山州，瞬间转移。”
"Thus, news leaked out and the plan failed."
“ yǐ zhì yú xiāo xī zǒu lòu 、 gōng kuī yī kuì 。”
“以致于消息走漏、功亏一篑。”
Li Fan's thoughts turned as he recalled the official statement from the previous life regarding this matter.
lǐ fán sī niàn zhuǎn dòng ， jiāng shàng yī shì wàn xiān méng guān yú cǐ shì de guān fāng shuō cí huí xiǎng le biàn 。
李凡思念转动，将上一世万仙盟关于此事的官方说辞回想了遍。
"But we can't be sure if that is the entire truth."
“ bù guò què yě bù néng bǎo zhèng ， zhè jiù shì shì qíng de quán bù zhēn xiàng 。”
“不过却也不能保证，这就是事情的全部真相。”
"We still need to observe more."
“ hái xū zài guān chá guān chá 。”
“还需再观察观察。”
"As for this young man..."
“ zhì yú zhè xiǎo zi ma ……”
“至于这小子嘛……”
Li Fan turned his head to look at Shang Tianci, who was now unconscious. Tianyang signaled and struck him out cold with a palm strike. Li Fan then lightly tapped his finger, sending a red light containing his own essence into the other's body.
lǐ fán zhuǎn guò tóu lái ， kàn le dòng tán bù dé de shāng tiān cì yī yǎn 。
李凡转过头来，看了动弹不得的商天赐一眼。
It was the technique called "Crossing Bloodline."
tiān yáng shì yì ， yī bā zhǎng jiāng qí dǎ yùn guò qù 。 ér hòu lǐ fán qū zhǐ qīng dàn ， yī dī bāo hán zì shēn jīng xuè de hóng sè guāng tuán ， shà shí fēi rù duì fāng tǐ nèi 。
天阳示意，一巴掌将其打晕过去。而后李凡屈指轻弹，一滴包含自身精血的红色光团，霎时飞入对方体内。
"The Interdimensional Federation; I can't do it alone. Such a genius would be perfect for showing off as face."
zhèng shì kě yǐ yǐng xiǎng xīn shén de 【 dù xuè yuán 】 zhī shù 。
正是可以影响心神的【渡血缘】之术。
Standing on Tianyang, Li Fan flew to the peak of Sky Prison Mountain.
“ wàn jiè lián hé huì ， zhǐ yǒu wǒ yí gè kě bù xíng 。 rú cǐ tiān cái ， yòng lái chōng dāng mén miàn ， dào yě zài hé shì bù guò 。”
“万界联合会，只有我一个可不行。如此天才，用来充当门面，倒也再合适不过。”
He set up an array around him to conceal his presence and then looked out into the distance, waiting for the Five Elders Association's army to arrive.
zhàn zài tiān yáng shēn shàng ， lǐ fán fēi zhì tiān láo shān dǐng 。
站在天阳身上，李凡飞至天牢山顶。
"They should be here soon."
suí shǒu zài zhōu shēn bù xià zhèn fǎ zhē yǎn qì xī ， ér hòu jǔ mù yuǎn tiào ， děng dài zhe wǔ lǎo huì dà jūn de lái lín 。
随手在周身布下阵法遮掩气息，而后举目远眺，等待着五老会大军的来临。
While waiting, Li Fan began studying the newly acquired Heavenly Scene Gourd. Although it was Shang Tianci's Companion Treasure, he himself had not used it to build his Dao foundation; instead, he carried it like a regular treasure.
“ yīng gāi kuài le 。”
“应该快了。”
Li Fan's spiritual sense delved into the green gourd, attempting to interact with the mountain and water scenes within to see if he could traverse them as Shang Tianci did. However, they ignored him completely, showing no response.
děng dài de gōng fu ， lǐ fán yán jiū qǐ le gāng dào shǒu de tiān jǐng bǎo hú 。
等待的功夫，李凡研究起了刚到手的天景宝葫。
"Unable to refine with Spirit Energy. Even the True Dao cannot sense or absorb it..."
zhè suī rán shì shāng tiān cì de bàn shēng zhī wù ， dàn tā běn rén què bù zhī wèi hé ， bìng wèi yòng tā lái zhù jiù dào jī 。
这虽然是商天赐的伴生之物，但他本人却不知为何，并未用它来筑就道基。
"It seems this is truly his personal treasure."
ér shì bǎ qí dàng zuò xún cháng bǎo wù bān ， zhǐ suí shēn xié dài 。
而是把其当做寻常宝物般，只随身携带。
After failing, Li Fan shook his head in resignation.
lǐ fán shén shí zuān rù qīng hú nèi ， shì tú yǔ qí zhōng de shān shuǐ zhī jǐng jiē chù 。 kàn kàn néng bù néng zuò dào ， xiàng shāng tiān cì yì bān ， zài zhè xiē chǎng jǐng zhōng suí xīn chuān suō 。
李凡神识钻入青葫内，试图与其中的山水之景接触。看看能不能做到，像商天赐一般，在这些场景中随心穿梭。
"A treasure like this wasn't used for foundation building. What could his foundation-building Companion Treasure be?"
nài hé tā men lǐ dōu bù lǐ lǐ fán ， méi yǒu sī háo fǎn yìng 。
奈何它们理都不理李凡，没有丝毫反应。
Li Fan approached the unconscious Shang Tianci and examined him carefully.
“ wú fǎ yòng líng qì liàn huà 。 jiù lián hái zhēn dōu wú fǎ gǎn yìng xī shōu ……”
“无法用灵气炼化。就连还真都无法感应吸收……”
"Hmm?" After a moment, a strange look appeared on Li Fan's face.
“ kàn lái zhēn shì zhè jiā huo de zhuān shǔ bǎo bèi 。”
“看来真是这家伙的专属宝贝。”
A purple-gold gourd emblem was etched onto the surface of Shang Tianci's golden core.
lǐ fán cháng shì yī fān wú guǒ hòu ， wēi wēi yáo tóu fàng qì 。
李凡尝试一番无果后，微微摇头放弃。
It looked identical to the Heavenly Scene Gourd but had an even more mysterious and noble aura.
“ cǐ děng bǎo wù ， dōu méi yǒu yòng lái zhù jī 。 nà tā de zhù jī qí wù ， yòu huì shì shén me ？”
“此等宝物，都没有用来筑基。那他的筑基奇物，又会是什么？”
"Double-hued gourds? Interesting."
lǐ fán lái dào hūn mí de shāng tiān cì miàn qián ， zǐ xì chá kàn qǐ lái 。
李凡来到昏迷的商天赐面前，仔细查看起来。
Li Fan's eyes sparkled, but he didn't immediately decide to seize it.
“ ń ？” piàn kè zhī hòu ， lǐ fán mù lù yī sī yì sè 。
“嗯？”片刻之后，李凡目露一丝异色。
One reason was that Shang Tianci might still be useful. The other was that this Companion Treasure likely belonged exclusively to him, like the Heavenly Scene Gourd, making it impossible to take.
zài shāng tiān cì jīn dān de biǎo miàn ， hè rán juān kè zhe yí gè zǐ jīn sè hú lú de tú ān 。
在商天赐金丹的表面，赫然镌刻着一个紫金色葫芦的图桉。
"Perhaps something like Mr. Bai, a manifestation of the Way, could use it without hindrance. I can't."
yàng mào gēn tiān jǐng hú lú wán quán yí zhì ， zhǐ shì qì xī gèng jiā xuán ào 、 huá guì 。
样貌跟天景葫芦完全一致，只是气息更加玄奥、华贵。
Facing such treasures, Li Fan felt no urgency.
“ shuāng shēng zhī hú ？ yǒu qù 。”
“双生之葫？有趣。”
He merely narrowed his eyes and silently observed Shang Tianci's progress with the Crossing Bloodline technique.
lǐ fán mù guāng shǎn dòng 。
李凡目光闪动。
When Shang Tianci slowly regained consciousness, he looked at the mysterious figure who had captured him, fear vanishing to be replaced by a sense of closeness and trust.
bù guò tā yě méi yǒu zhí jiē dòng shǒu qiǎng duó de niàn tou 。
不过他也没有直接动手抢夺的念头。
"Young man, what do you think of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance?" Li Fan asked in an unusual tone.
yī lái shì ， shāng tiān cì cǐ rén liú zhe hái yǒu diǎn yòng chǔ 。
一来是，商天赐此人留着还有点用处。
"Ah?" Shang Tianci was momentarily stunned. He hadn't expected such a random question.
èr lái zé shì zhè bàn shēng qí wù ， duō bàn gēn zhè tiān jǐng hú lú yī yàng 。 nǎi shì gè rén zhuān shǔ ， qiǎng yě qiǎng bù lái 。
二来则是这伴生奇物，多半跟这天景葫芦一样。乃是个人专属，抢也抢不来。
"I find it good! Everyone practices cultivation without worrying about their safety..." he replied instinctively.
“ huò xǔ xiàng bái xiān shēng nà bān de tiān dào huà shēn ， néng háo wú zhàng ài de jiè yòng 。 wǒ ma ， jiù bù xíng le 。”
“或许像白先生那般的天道化身，能毫无障碍的借用。我嘛，就不行了。”
Li Fan coldly snorted, interrupting him: "Good? Can you see how many cultivators work hard for decades just to obtain one technique? If only one true skill were enough."
bǎo wù zài yǎn qián ， wú fú xiǎng shòu 。
宝物在眼前，无福享受。
"But they break down the techniques and sell them. A foundation-building skill requires a new exchange when reaching Golden Core. The same goes for Spirit Embryo and Transcendent Realm!"
lǐ fán xīn zhōng què méi yǒu sī háo jí pò 。
李凡心中却没有丝毫急迫。
"Just treating us like cattle!"
zhǐ shì mī zhuó yǎn ， mò mò gǎn shòu zhe shāng tiān cì tǐ nèi ， dù xuè yuán de jìn dù 。
只是眯着眼，默默感受着商天赐体内，渡血缘的进度。
Shang Tianci was about to argue but was interrupted by Li Fan's finger pressing on his forehead.
dāng shāng tiān cì yōu yōu zhuǎn xǐng de shí hòu ， zài kàn xiàng yǎn qián jiāng zì jǐ zhuā bǔ de shén mì rén ， xīn zhōng de kǒng jù yǐ rán xiāo shī bú jiàn 。
当商天赐悠悠转醒的时候，再看向眼前将自己抓捕的神秘人，心中的恐惧已然消失不见。
Instantly, scenes of countless low-ranking cultivators struggling for meager contributions flashed through his mind.
ér shì duō le fēn qīn jìn yǔ xìn rèn 。
而是多了分亲近与信任。
As a prodigy, Shang Tianci naturally didn't know how difficult it was for ordinary cultivators with average talent to progress from mere mortals to Qi Condensation, Foundation Establishment, and Golden Core...
“ shào nián láng ， nǐ jué de wàn xiān méng rú hé ？” lǐ fán shēng yīn guài yì dì wèn dào 。
“少年郎，你觉得万仙盟如何？”李凡声音怪异地问道。
The journey was arduous. Many were stuck in realms he could easily break through their entire lives without making any progress.
“ a ？” shāng tiān cì wēi wēi lèng zhù ， méi xiǎng dào duì fāng huì mò míng wèn chū le zhè me gè méi tóu méi nǎo de wèn tí 。
“啊？”商天赐微微愣住，没想到对方会莫名问出了这么个没头没脑的问题。
For the first time, Shang Tianci truly understood these struggles, his mind shaken by the revelation.
tā xià yì shí de huí dá dào ：“ wàn xiān méng hěn hǎo a ！ rén rén yǒu gōng liàn ， hái bù yòng dān xīn shēng mìng ān quán ……”
他下意识的回答道：“万仙盟很好啊！人人有功练，还不用担心生命安全……”
Li Fan continued to sway him with words.
lǐ fán lěng hēng yī shēng ， jiāng qí dǎ duàn ：“ hǎo ？ nǐ kàn bú jiàn ， yǒu duō shǎo xiū shì ， xīn xīn kǔ kǔ máng lù le bàn bèi zi 。 zhǐ wèi le yī mén gōng fǎ me ？ ruò shì yī mén zhēn gōng yě jiù bà le 。”
李凡冷哼一声，将其打断：“好？你看不见，有多少修士，辛辛苦苦忙碌了半辈子。只为了一门功法么？若是一门真功也就罢了。”
Gradually, Shang Tianci's expression began to change.
"Nine mountains, flying is impossible; cultivators look up in awe. Truly a rare sight!"
"This magnificent mountain range would make the Constellation Province famous if it had just one. But here, there are an astonishing nine of them!"
The young man in white walked slowly down to the foot of Sky Prison Mountain, uttering continuous exclamations.
His skin was fair and he looked quite handsome, but his eyes occasionally revealed a determination that didn't match his age.
A green vine rope hung around his neck, with a green gourd tied at the top.
The young man shook the gourd slightly before pulling out the stopper. He aimed it at the towering Sky Prison Mountain range ahead.
After adjusting its position, he nodded contentedly.
"Seal!"
With a soft command, an image seemed to be sucked from afar and into the green gourd.
The young man brought his nose close to the mouth of the gourd and sniffed carefully.
"Truly a magnificent sight!"
His face was filled with a look of indulgence.
However, in the next moment, his expression suddenly froze, and he instantly became unable to move.
A figure slowly appeared behind him, reaching out to take the green gourd from his hand.
"This Heavenly Scene Treasure Gourd is indeed impressive," the man cackled.
A hint of fear flashed across the young man's eyes.
Li Fan ordered Tianyang to carry the young man while he himself stored away the treasure gourd.
"Shang Tianci, a member of Immortal Alliance [Mountain River Pavilion]. He achieved Dan formation at eighteen and is considered an unparalleled genius."
"He has a Companion Treasure called Heavenly Scene Gourd. It can capture Xuanhuang mountain and water scenery into it. Inside the gourd, a nearly identical replica is generated, albeit slightly smaller in size."
"Moreover, he can instantly travel between locations recorded within the gourd with just a thought. Even if I didn't have the binding insect technique, it would be difficult to catch him at his current realm of cultivation unless he was already a Transcendent Realm."
Li Fan's spiritual sense peered into the Heavenly Scene Gourd and saw clouds swirling around various distinctive mountain and water scenes.
Some were familiar to Li Fan, like Taihua Ten Branches and Tianling Thousand Waters.
Sky Prison Mountain, just ingested by Shang Tianci, was also included!
"Braving the Nine Provinces alone at such a young age, truly fearless."
"But if not for me, he would indeed be following the main character's script in what is about to happen next."
During his travels, he happened upon an ambush by the Five Elders Association.
"With the help of Spirit Essence Sect, the Five Elders Association had already deployed heavy forces to seal off the Nine Provinces Province, allowing entry but not exit. They also blocked communications; ordinary methods could not transmit messages. They just wanted to stall for time."
"War is swift. Before the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance reacted, they would seize the Nine Provinces Province."
"Who knew that bad luck led him to encounter Shang Tianci, an anomaly who managed to use his Companion Treasure to instantly teleport in a place where spatial transmission was impossible."
"Thus, news leaked out and the plan failed."
Li Fan's thoughts turned as he recalled the official statement from the previous life regarding this matter.
"But we can't be sure if that is the entire truth."
"We still need to observe more."
"As for this young man..."
Li Fan turned his head to look at Shang Tianci, who was now unconscious. Tianyang signaled and struck him out cold with a palm strike. Li Fan then lightly tapped his finger, sending a red light containing his own essence into the other's body.
It was the technique called "Crossing Bloodline."
"The Interdimensional Federation; I can't do it alone. Such a genius would be perfect for showing off as face."
Standing on Tianyang, Li Fan flew to the peak of Sky Prison Mountain.
He set up an array around him to conceal his presence and then looked out into the distance, waiting for the Five Elders Association's army to arrive.
"They should be here soon."
While waiting, Li Fan began studying the newly acquired Heavenly Scene Gourd. Although it was Shang Tianci's Companion Treasure, he himself had not used it to build his Dao foundation; instead, he carried it like a regular treasure.
Li Fan's spiritual sense delved into the green gourd, attempting to interact with the mountain and water scenes within to see if he could traverse them as Shang Tianci did. However, they ignored him completely, showing no response.
"Unable to refine with Spirit Energy. Even the True Dao cannot sense or absorb it..."
"It seems this is truly his personal treasure."
After failing, Li Fan shook his head in resignation.
"A treasure like this wasn't used for foundation building. What could his foundation-building Companion Treasure be?"
Li Fan approached the unconscious Shang Tianci and examined him carefully.
"Hmm?" After a moment, a strange look appeared on Li Fan's face.
A purple-gold gourd emblem was etched onto the surface of Shang Tianci's golden core.
It looked identical to the Heavenly Scene Gourd but had an even more mysterious and noble aura.
"Double-hued gourds? Interesting."
Li Fan's eyes sparkled, but he didn't immediately decide to seize it.
One reason was that Shang Tianci might still be useful. The other was that this Companion Treasure likely belonged exclusively to him, like the Heavenly Scene Gourd, making it impossible to take.
"Perhaps something like Mr. Bai, a manifestation of the Way, could use it without hindrance. I can't."
Facing such treasures, Li Fan felt no urgency.
He merely narrowed his eyes and silently observed Shang Tianci's progress with the Crossing Bloodline technique.
When Shang Tianci slowly regained consciousness, he looked at the mysterious figure who had captured him, fear vanishing to be replaced by a sense of closeness and trust.
"Young man, what do you think of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance?" Li Fan asked in an unusual tone.
"Ah?" Shang Tianci was momentarily stunned. He hadn't expected such a random question.
"I find it good! Everyone practices cultivation without worrying about their safety..." he replied instinctively.
Li Fan coldly snorted, interrupting him: "Good? Can you see how many cultivators work hard for decades just to obtain one technique? If only one true skill were enough."
"But they break down the techniques and sell them. A foundation-building skill requires a new exchange when reaching Golden Core. The same goes for Spirit Embryo and Transcendent Realm!"
"Just treating us like cattle!"
Shang Tianci was about to argue but was interrupted by Li Fan's finger pressing on his forehead.
Instantly, scenes of countless low-ranking cultivators struggling for meager contributions flashed through his mind.
As a prodigy, Shang Tianci naturally didn't know how difficult it was for ordinary cultivators with average talent to progress from mere mortals to Qi Condensation, Foundation Establishment, and Golden Core...
The journey was arduous. Many were stuck in realms he could easily break through their entire lives without making any progress.
For the first time, Shang Tianci truly understood these struggles, his mind shaken by the revelation.
Li Fan continued to sway him with words.
Gradually, Shang Tianci's expression began to change.