Chapter 676: Sowing Seeds, Awaiting Blooms

"There's such a thing? Don't think you can fool me just because I don't know the trade!" Li Fan wore an expression of disbelief and refused to let the matter go.

Only after the shopkeeper explained the situation repeatedly, and the cultivators watching nearby chimed in to corroborate the story, did Li Fan accept it with grudging suspicion.

"So the Tianling Flower, the once unparalleled beauty of Xuanhuang, has now vanished completely?"

Li Fan looked lost, deep regret coloring his voice. "If I had known this, I would have come years ago, no matter what, just to catch a glimpse of its glory!

"I've heard the Tianling Flower's petals each bloom differently. At full blossom, each petal manifests a unique scene: a chain of azure mountains, a surging mighty river, snowfall descending from the heavens… A single blossom gathers the most beautiful vistas from every corner of the world. Blessed by heaven's spirit, its beauty is beyond measure..."

Li Fan's words stirred the memories of the cultivators around him.

Most were native to Tianling Province, and they had all witnessed the peerless beauty of the Tianling Flower in its prime. Words flew back and forth between them now, deepening the sighs of everyone present.

That which could not be possessed was always the most beautiful.

The more they dwelt on it, the greater their sense of loss, and the cultivators shook their heads and lamented.

Seeing that the mood had been perfectly kindled, Li Fan spoke up, his voice clear. "Such a treasure! If I cannot see it with my own eyes, it will truly be a great regret of my lifetime! The Myriad Immortals Alliance has no shortage of capable people. I refuse to believe no one managed to preserve an intact Tianling Flower from its prime!

"I hereby offer a reward. I will trade a Longevity Pill, one capable of extending a lifespan by three hundred years, for a single chance to see an original Tianling Flower in person!"

As he spoke, Li Fan produced a pill and held it in his open palm, right before everyone's eyes.

His voice carried through the area. When the cultivators saw the pill and felt a stirring, pulling sensation in their hearts, an uproar swept through the crowd.

A treasure that extended life by three hundred years was already extremely precious. Yet this man was willing to give it up for nothing more than a single chance to see the flower!

"Fellow Daoist, you are truly a man of passion! I admire you! Rest assured, I have a friend who used to cultivate Tianling Flowers. Perhaps he still has one preserved in its original form."

"I'll ask around for you too!"

The crowd buzzed with excitement.

Even the flower shop owner's eyes flickered with interest. He took out a communication spirit talisman and began contacting people.

Li Fan stood amid the crowd, waiting in silence.

The outcome unfolded exactly as he had anticipated.

Half a day later, everyone wore expressions of deep regret. News had spread throughout Tianling City, but no one still possessed a Tianling Flower in its former glory.

Li Fan let out a long sigh, looking utterly disappointed.

"If I cannot have my wish fulfilled, I will not rest easy even in death!

"My reward stands indefinitely. I beg you all to keep your ears open for me!" Li Fan cupped his hands toward the crowd, then turned and strode away, sighing all the while.

Though the matter seemed trivial, it was still a rare piece of entertainment in the desolate Tianling City after the great war.

And so, in the idle chatter of the crowd, the fact that "the original Tianling Flower has vanished," something that had drawn little attention before, began to spread.

The number of cultivators who had seen or heard of the Tianling Flower's fame in the past was not small by any means.

As this curious tale spread, their memories of the Tianling Flower resurfaced from the depths of their minds.

"Ah, it really is a pity."

"Such a treasure, and I never beheld it back then? Truly, once missed, it's gone forever!"

More and more cultivators found thoughts like these surfacing unbidden.

Li Fan, the one who had set everything in motion, watched the situation unfold across various regions through the Tianxuan Mirror. He nodded with satisfaction.

Next, I need to let the emotions ferment for a while. I've made a good start with the common cultivators. A little more fire from the Medicine King Sect disciples, and there shouldn't be any problems.

But to truly drive up the value of the Tianling Flower, I'll need the real power brokers of the Myriad Immortals Alliance.

A glint of sharp light flashed in Li Fan's eyes. He took out the communication spirit talisman that Shuo Feng had left him.

"Brother Shuo, how have you been lately?" After exchanging pleasantries, Li Fan got straight to the point. "There's a matter I'd like to trouble you to look into, Brother Shuo.

"The Tianling Flower..."

After sending his message, Li Fan waited quietly for a reply.

Not long after, Shuo Feng's message arrived: "The Tianling Flower? I think I've heard of it before. A small matter. I'll ask around for you."

A faint smile touched Li Fan's lips. "Then let me thank you in advance, Brother Shuo!"

Shuo Feng fell silent for a while.

For now, I just need to wait for the flowers to bloom.

Instead of hurrying back to Longevity Valley, Li Fan browsed the Tianxuan Mirror, reading through the major and minor events of the Xuanhuang World over the past two years, missing no detail.

Intimately familiar with the course of history, Li Fan could pick out events that had been deliberately hidden from nothing more than subtle clues.

Take the ruins of the Chaoyuan Sect in Jiushan Province, something he had always kept a close eye on. All records of it had vanished overnight. It was as though the cave dwelling that had risen into the sky and drawn cultivators to explore it had never existed. The searches that turned up now were only scattered, fragmentary records of the ancient Chaoyuan Sect itself.

Or another example: some cultivators from various Martial Hall branches had been conscripted and sent to destinations unknown. The vacancies they left behind had sparked considerable contention and unrest.

Li Fan committed the many anomalies to memory, one by one.

I still need to solve the permission level problem. The information I can gather with my current status is far too meager. There are too many restrictions.

After half a day, Li Fan paused.

He considered for a moment, then sent another message to Shuo Feng. "Brother Shuo, I've recently comprehended a new divine ability. It brings back memories of our sparring matches, and I'm feeling an itch to test my skills. Are you free for another bout with me?"

This time, Shuo Feng replied quickly.

"Oh? What's this? After two years apart, you think you can beat me now? I forgot to tell you, I've broken through to the Golden Core realm. Even if you were to unleash your full Nascent Soul strength, you still might not win."

"Words are useless. We'll only know once we fight," Li Fan answered, equally direct.

Those words ignited Shuo Feng's fighting spirit at once.

"Come to this place." He sent the coordinates to a mountain range outside Tianquan City, in Tianquan Province.

"I'll be right there. Give me a moment, Brother Shuo."

"It's fine. I'll be here for the next few days," Shuo Feng replied, then fell silent.

Li Fan left the Tianxuan Mirror and made his way to the teleportation array.

Stepping through it, he emerged in Tianquan Province.

Throughout Tianquan Province, the cave dwellings of the Myriad Immortals Alliance's elite dotted the landscape.

The location Shuo Feng had given him was no exception.

Li Fan hung in the sky, surveying the faint traces of protective arrays shrouding each dwelling. He picked a careful path between them, weaving around the barriers, heading straight for his destination.