I must find a way to preserve this excess cultivation feedback.
Just as he was about to search for a solution in the Tianxuan Mirror, a broadcast abruptly rang out. Its tone was starkly different from usual and filled with solemn killing intent.
“Effective immediately, the Myriad Immortals Alliance enters level two combat readiness.
“All protective arrays across every province are to be fully activated.
“All cultivators are forbidden from inter-provincial movement.
“All alliance system members must return to their provincial cities immediately and await further instructions.
“Any external cultivators discovered are to be eliminated on sight.”
Li Fan's eyelids twitched as he stood up abruptly.
What's happening?
Why the sudden preparation for combat?
Level two...
Have we started fighting the Five Elders Council?
In that instant, numerous thoughts flashed through Li Fan's mind.
This sudden development was completely unexpected.
Something must have gone wrong, triggering a major event that had never occurred before.
Quickly suppressing his scattered thoughts, Li Fan began inquiring with his friends.
His social network was now extensive, and he had plentiful connections.
Hmm? This star...
Within the communication spirit talisman engraved with the word “Myriad,” among the stars representing the identities of numerous cultivators, one star displayed a withered, deathly gray hue.
This indicated that the cultivator had fallen.
Li Fan tapped this star, and the fallen cultivator's identity instantly appeared in his mind.
Chen Ying of the Medicine Hall, Congyun Sea.
Li Fan's heart shook.
Him? How could a Nascent Soul cultivator fall so easily?
And wasn't he heading to the five elements grotto-heavens...
Wait, could this conflict be related to those five elements grotto-heavens?
In that fleeting moment, Li Fan seemed to recall something.
During his twelfth lifetime, in Anchor Year 16, the Myriad Immortals Alliance had discovered four additional hidden grotto-heavens near the wood attribute grotto-heaven.
The five grotto-heavens corresponded to metal, wood, water, fire, and earth attributes,
yet they subtly formed an array, functioning as a unified whole.
The discovery of these five elements grotto-heavens attracted the covetous attention of the Five Elders Council.
A great battle erupted between the two factions, resulting in the Myriad Immortals Alliance losing one Spirit Transformation powerhouse.
The Five Elders Council's casualties remained unknown, but they were successfully repelled.
If my guess is correct...
In that moment, Li Fan deduced the cause of the incident.
During the twelfth lifetime, the Five Elders Council had only known that the Myriad Immortals Alliance discovered the five elements grotto-heavens.
However, they likely remained unaware of the internal situations of the grotto-heavens.
Thus, after some unsuccessful attempts, they simply withdrew and abandoned their efforts.
But in this lifetime, the Spirit Mist Grass incident had caused far too great a disturbance.
This forced the Tianxuan Mirror to step forward and stabilize public sentiment, calming the markets.
Though its words alone quelled the turmoil, it also inadvertently revealed the true nature of the wood attribute grotto-heaven.
.....
"...This grotto-heaven is extremely vast, with exceptionally concentrated wood attribute spiritual qi, and an extraordinary abundance of varieties of spirit plants and herbs..."
.....
Li Fan recalled the Tianxuan Mirror's exact phrasing, and his expression shifted dramatically.
The consecutive uses of "extremely", “exceptionally” and “extraordinary” fully conveyed just how rare and precious this grotto-heaven truly was.
If just one wood attribute grotto-heaven within the five elements grotto-heavens held such incredible value, the treasures contained within the other four elemental grotto-heavens were simply beyond imagination.
Having pieced this together, Li Fan suddenly understood.
No wonder we've suddenly entered a state of combat readiness this time. The Five Elders Council must have decided to go for the kill.
1. A boilerman is someone who shovels coal into engines. ☜