A sharp glint flashed through Li Fan’s eyes as he pushed the suction force to its absolute limit. The earth vein power that had traveled across countless li poured entirely into his body.

Thump!

Thump!

Li Fan could faintly hear heavy impacts and rumbling echoes coming from within himself.

In this clash of opposing forces, something seemed to be breaking apart. A clear, cracking sound rang in his ears.

Moments later, his cultivation surged, and his aura climbed without restraint. In the blink of an eye, he advanced from just having broken through to the mid-stage Golden Core realm to rapidly approaching the late stage.

It was at that instant that the already dim seafloor plunged into complete darkness. This was not just the absence of light, but a suffocating sensation, as though space itself had been sealed shut. Without interrupting the devouring process, Li Fan looked up.

At some unknown moment, a colossal palm had appeared above him, blotting out everything as it pressed downward. Before it, Li Fan was no more than an ant.

Damn it!

Li Fan’s avatar cursed inwardly at the sudden appearance of such a powerhouse. Yet, operating the Heaven-Swallowing, Earth-Devouring Grand Art, a surge of boldness and reckless daring welled up within him.

Faced with the terrifying giant palm, he showed no fear. Instead, he opened his mouth, attempting to devour the colossal hand as well.

The outcome went without saying.

In the next instant, Li Fan lost all contact with his avatar.

The sole consolation in this misfortune was that the entity responsible for the strike seemed to have no intention of probing further. It did not trace the connection back to Li Fan’s true body. Otherwise, he might have been forced to Return to Truth.

Li Fan carefully replayed the timing of the giant palm’s appearance in his mind.

Did it appear because I forcibly shattered the Heavenly Tribulation? He wondered. Was it a countermeasure of heaven and earth, or...?

He frowned slightly. Within his mind, the Dao Transformation Stone crystal emitted a faint blue glow.

In the instant before his avatar was destroyed, it had actually absorbed a wisp of energy from that giant palm. If the opponent had been a cultivator, such a feat would have been utterly impossible.

As he contemplated that trace of energy, Li Fan grew increasingly pensive.

It feels more like pure rule-based power. Seen this way, it resembles Senior Brother Zhang’s Vow Dharma Body—normally hidden from the world, only acting under specific conditions...

I originally intended to use the Heaven-Swallowing, Earth-Devouring Grand Art to raise my avatar’s cultivation to the final-stage Golden Core realm, gathering experience for the Nascent Soul breakthrough. Who would have thought I’d encounter such an abrupt calamity?

Fortunately, it was only an avatar.

Li Fan sighed softly, already accustomed to the ever-present dangers of the Xuanhuang World. He quietly left Myriad Immortals Island, found a deserted location, expended some effort, and once again molded “Zhou Qing’ang” into existence.

The avatar gave a slight nod, bid farewell to his true self, and hurried toward the scene of the incident to see what that stretch of sea would look like after that palm strike from the heavens.

Not long after, Li Fan returned to the site. To his great surprise, the sea was calm, the sky clear with gentle clouds. There was no sign of any catastrophe having occurred. It seemed as if everything that had happened was just a trick of his mind.

Li Fan pondered for a moment, then dove into the sea.

When he saw the scene on the seabed, his pupils involuntarily contracted.

The ruins of the sunken island were gone. In their place was sand and silt that looked no different from an ordinary seabed.

This wasn't simply destruction—it was more like the complete erasure of all traces of existence!

After staring deeply at the sight, “Zhou Qing'ang” returned to Tai’an Island without a word, lying low and biding his time.

Within the Tianxuan Mirror.

Using his avatar's eyes to observe the aftermath of the palm strike, Li Fan grew thoughtful.

Because the avatar forcibly shattered the Heavenly Tribulation, violating some taboo, it had to be erased.

And it all happened without leaving any trace.

What would happen if someone survived that palm strike?

Would they be freed from bottlenecks forever? Of course, they might also attract something even more terrifying.

The suicidal thought lingered only a moment before Li Fan dismissed it.

Still, in my past life, Heavenly Tribulations vanished inexplicably on their own after a while. I wonder what caused that.

After witnessing the sudden arrival of the giant palm, Li Fan abandoned the plan to have his avatar cultivate.

Better to keep it as a simple tool; something to sacrifice so he could make his escape at a critical moment.

Since his attempt to gain early insight into Nascent Soul formation through his avatar had failed, Li Fan had to settle for the next best thing: purchasing summaries of related experiences from the Tianxuan Mirror.

Everyone's insights differed greatly, yet each made sense in its own way, with little objective superiority between them.

Li Fan, flush with wealth, bought them all, absorbing every perspective for careful study.

Time passed slowly as Li Fan divided his efforts between cultivation and contemplation.

Soon, it was time for the second fundraising round he had agreed upon with He Zhenghao.

Thanks to their promising start last time, He Zhenghao's harvest this round was decent. A total of 550,000 contribution points were raised.

After confirming with Li Fan, He Zhenghao immediately transferred the contribution points over.

He also added 100,000 contribution points of his own.

"One million contribution points one year from now," Li Fan stated succinctly.

He Zhenghao was overjoyed, and a stream of flattering words poured from his lips.

Li Fan couldn't be bothered to listen and cut the communication short.

He then reviewed the list of contributors for this round.

One detail caught his attention: a cultivator named Zhou Peng still accounted for the largest share.

Interesting. He’s so confident in me? Not afraid I'll run off with the funds?

And where did such a Foundation Establishment cultivator get so many contribution points from?

In his past life, Li Fan had occasionally heard He Zhenghao mention this person.

He was a good friend who often gathered with He Zhenghao to discuss investment strategies.

He seemed to have close ties with a certain cultivator from the Heavenly Mechanism Hall, which made him rather well-informed, and he often led their group to modest profits.

Thus, he held considerable authority within their small circle.

In previous lives, this man had played a significant role in He Zhenghao's decision to speculate on Spirit Mist Grass.

Hmph, whatever tricks he has, I'm not afraid. I'll just keep an eye on him for now.

Li Fan glanced at his own balance of over six million contribution points and sneered inwardly.

With this many contribution points, he could maintain the facade a while longer.

Besides, the Spirit Mist Grass incident was approaching.

These contribution points would multiply several times over.

My only concern is that transactions of such magnitude are bound to attract unwanted attention.

It is time to check on how Little Junior Brother Tian Yang's recovery is progressing.

With that thought, Li Fan quietly made his way to the Embodiment Transformation Dao Sect.

Tian Yang rested peacefully within the array, drawing in energy to mend his form. He showed not the slightest hint of wariness at Li Fan's arrival.

Li Fan examined his progress.

Soon.

Spirit Transformation strength should be sufficient within the Congyun Sea, though beyond its borders, it would be somewhat lacking.

The Crimson Flame Sea-Scorching event...

Li Fan's gaze settled on Tian Yang, a flicker of hesitation passing through his eyes.