Suddenly, they sensed something and looked around.
The sky was clear, yet waves began to rise on Brightmoon Lake for no reason. The waters churned, the swells growing higher and more violent.
All eight hundred li of Brightmoon Lake began to boil.
Towering waves crashed and rampaged across the lake. The cave dwellings they had painstakingly begun to shape were swiftly submerged.
With no other choice, they took to the air to avoid the surging waters.
"What technique is Master comprehending now? He’s causing such a spectacle just by going into seclusion!" Su Xiaomei blinked her large eyes, her gaze brimming with curiosity.
The others had no answer, only staring in awe at the tumultuous lake below.
***
At the bottom of the lake, as the phantom of the sea gradually solidified, Li Fan's perception slowly shifted.
It rose from his body into the air above, then rapidly expanded, soon enveloping the entirety of Brightmoon Lake.
This sensation was familiar to Li Fan, exactly like when he had once become one with the sea.
But why was it happening now?
Li Fan was puzzled.
The Deepsea Pearl's power was being siphoned by the Heaven-Earth Root, shifting from real to illusory. His Dao Foundation was nearly complete. Everything was proceeding smoothly and perfectly.
So why had he suddenly become one with Brightmoon Lake?
Li Fan calmed his mind, focusing intently on the sensation.
After a long while, understanding dawned. He felt both amusement and exasperation.
It turned out this phenomenon was the Deepsea Pearl's doing.
As it faced its imminent transformation into a cultivator's Dao Foundation, the Deepsea Pearl became aware of the nearby Brightmoon Lake, a far weaker existence.
If the vast Congyun Sea could not escape calamity, how dare this insignificant Brightmoon Lake continue to thrive?
And so, with the last of its strength, the Deepsea Pearl sought to drag Brightmoon Lake down with it.
It was, of course, a futile effort. A cultivator could not use two Curios of heaven and earth to build a Dao Foundation.
Yet this final act of spite brought Li Fan an unexpected benefit.
***
The waters of the Brightmoon Lake raged and surged, waves climbing skyward.
This extraordinary phenomenon persisted for eighteen days.
Su Xiaomei and the others had withdrawn to the lakeshore and temporarily made camp there.
Then, on this day, without warning, the ceaselessly turbulent waters fell still.
The group exchanged glances, then focused their attention on the small island where Li Fan was undergoing Foundation Establishment.
Protected by arrays and shrouded by walls of light, the interior remained obscured from view.
Before long, a figure shot skyward from the island and hovered high in the air. His sleeves fluttered gracefully, and his bearing was otherworldly.
It was Li Fan, emerging from his long seclusion.
He extended his left hand, gazed down at Brightmoon Lake below, and slowly clenched his fist.
Nothing seemed to happen.
"What is Master doing?" Su Xiaomei asked, resting her chin in her hands as she stared ahead, puzzled.
The others shook their heads in silence, offering no answers.
Yet knowing Li Fan would never act without purpose, they fixed their eyes on the lake, afraid to miss even the slightest detail.
Moments later, they understood the reason for Li Fan's earlier gesture.
An unending suction force seemed to be generated within his palm. All eight hundred li of Brightmoon Lake's waters began rising from below, forming countless water dragons that flew toward Li Fan's hand.
These white water dragons roared as they soared from every corner of Brightmoon Lake, streaking toward Li Fan suspended in the sky, as if paying homage to their sovereign.
Above Brightmoon Lake, a single figure stood.
Three million water dragons danced through the air, churning up endless mist.
Sunlight poured down, revealing a brilliant rainbow.
Su Xiaomei and the others stared dumbfounded at the magnificent and dazzling spectacle before them, their minds momentarily blank.
The water dragons flying toward Li Fan's palm converged, forming a single tiny droplet.
Though the lake's waters continued to drain, the droplet's size remained unchanged, its color slowly shifting from white to deep blue.
Less than half a day later, the Brightmoon Lake had completely dried up.
Countless fish, shrimp, and crabs lay stranded on the lakebed, struggling in the throes of death.
Li Fan examined the droplet that was somewhat reminiscent of the Deepsea Pearl. There was a glint of understanding in his eyes.
A Dao Attainment Ground...