Chapter 652: Choosing Scenarios At Will

"Sounds like an interesting experience." Li Fan smiled lightly after hearing him out.

"Aside from our original world, there are countless other derivative spacetimes within the Fallen Immortal Realm. You just had bad luck this time, Old Liu. If you still want to try your luck, you can re-enter after some time," Li Fan explained.

Liu San let out a long sigh. "I've come to terms with it. The departed are gone. Even if I saw them again, what difference would it make? In the eyes of the Sect Leader, I'm no longer that loyal old servant. Let fate take its course. Better to spend my energy reviving our Medicine King Sect instead.

"The opportunities within the Fallen Immortal Realm are boundless. Why not let the disciples try their luck too? It'll keep them from growing restless, with how they’re cooped up like this and forbidden from going out," Liu San suddenly proposed.

Li Fan naturally had no objection.

In the time that followed, the members of the Medicine King Sect devoted themselves entirely to rebuilding their sect within Longevity Valley.

The general layout still followed that of the former Medicine King Sect.

Watching the familiar sight of building after building rising from the ground, Liu San and the disciples all wore excited expressions.

Out in the wider world, contrary to Li Fan's expectations, the destruction of the Congyun Sea did not stir up much of a storm.

By all rights, the annihilation of an entire province should have been horrifying enough to become a hot topic among cultivators for a long time to come.

But perhaps because the commotion stirred up in this lifetime had been too great, the speed at which word of the incident was suppressed, and the speed at which the calamity was forgotten, both far exceeded what had happened in previous lifetimes.

Disguised as an ordinary passerby, Li Fan looked into it and found that in less than a month, the memory of the countless lives lost within the Congyun Sea had already faded from the world's mind.

Even when someone happened to mention it, they recalled it as though it were an event from long ago.

The power of Heavenly Venerable Untroubled is truly both awe-inspiring and terrifying. Even as a firsthand witness, Li Fan found the memory growing hazy in his own mind. Fortunately, he possessed the Unity of Dao Transformation and Mind, which kept reminding him of the truth.

These days, the most discussed topic within the Myriad Immortals Alliance was instead a group of mysterious cultivators who had suddenly emerged from the White Mist, plundering and wreaking havoc wherever they pleased.

They were highly disciplined, coming and going like the wind, and seemed intimately familiar with the Myriad Immortals Alliance, specifically targeting guarded cities that produced special resources.

They never lingered for a prolonged fight. The moment they sensed reinforcements arriving, they withdrew back into the White Mist at once.

The Samantabhadra True Boat, which could greatly mitigate the effects of the Lifespan-Devouring White Mist, was still a rare commodity within the Myriad Immortals Alliance, not something every ordinary cultivator could get their hands on. So all they could do was watch helplessly as the raiders calmly vanished back into the mist.

What, pursue them at the cost of your own lifespan?

Fellow Daoist, how much do you even make in a year? Why throw your life away over that?

Just file a report and let the professionals handle it.

And so, in an instant, the Myriad Immortals Alliance headquarters was flooded with reports.

The Alliance's leadership was, naturally, furious.

In all the time since they had ruled over half of the Xuanhuang World, no one had ever dared slap them in the face so brazenly, right in their own territory.

So they dispatched specialized cultivators to investigate each affected site.

Unfortunately, the raiders were far too seasoned, and left behind no clues or evidence whatsoever.

Worse, they seemed to know exactly where the investigation teams were stationed and avoided those areas entirely, striking elsewhere instead.

Such open provocation enraged the Myriad Immortals Alliance completely.

Squad after squad of black-robed cultivators, steeped in killing intent, stepped through teleportation arrays into every province, vowing to hunt down the bandits and bring them to justice.

But after that, the attackers within the White Mist vanished as though they had never existed at all.

Having wound up for a mighty blow, the Myriad Immortals Alliance punched nothing but air. How frustrating was that?

Left with no choice, they kept the black-robed cultivators patrolling the provinces for a while, arrested a handful of suspicious-looking cultivators to save face, and hastily wrapped up the affair.

As for the true identities of the attackers, the Myriad Immortals Alliance's first suspect was, naturally, the Five Elders Council.

But accusations required evidence, especially one severe enough to spark another war between the two sides.

Before the Myriad Immortals Alliance could even issue a statement, the Five Elders Council spoke first.

They expressed regret and sympathy over the attacks within the Alliance's territory, and proposed that, in accordance with their agreement of friendly coexistence, the Council could send specialists to assist with the investigation if the Alliance found itself struggling to handle the matter.

Such an offer was impossible for the Myriad Immortals Alliance to accept. They strongly suspected that the Five Elders Council, having just finished carrying out this string of attacks, was now rubbing salt in the wound.

But lacking conclusive evidence, the Alliance had no choice but to swallow the bitter loss in silence.

Not only could they not confront the Five Elders Council, they had to grit their teeth and thank the Council for its concern.

In this round of confrontation, the Myriad Immortals Alliance had suffered a complete defeat.

The direct consequence was that the Alliance now took the Samantabhadra True Boats, vessels capable of freely traversing the White Mist, far more seriously. They mandated that every province be equipped with a sufficient number of them, and that cultivators be regularly dispatched to patrol and stand watch outside the White Mist Barrier, all to guard against another surprise attack.

This also triggered a brief but explosive surge in the price of Samantabhadra True Leaves, which had languished at rock bottom for a long time.

The cultivators who had been trapped in that market finally managed to recoup a good chunk of their losses.

Perhaps because their rule is maintained by contracts, the Five Elders Council is still quite faithful to its agreements.

Though they certainly reaped a good deal of benefit from this as well. Li Fan thought with a smile, scanning the unofficial tally of property losses from the attacks.

With such a magnificent show playing out, the matter of the Congyun Sea will soon be forgotten entirely.

Give it another year or so. Once the atmosphere calms down again, I can gradually start sending the Medicine King Sect disciples back to the Myriad Immortals Alliance.

Letting out a long breath, Li Fan cleared his mind and made his way to the now-completed main sect hall.

He formed a hand seal and descended into a secret chamber beneath the hall, sealing the entrance behind him.

He produced an ice-blue pill, the Supreme Detachment Pill refined by Liu San, and swallowed it.

A familiar sensation washed over Li Fan as he began the ritual.

"Blessed be Heavenly Venerable Xuanhuang!" he intoned in a low voice, and the next moment, a faint dizziness came over him.

But instead of entering the Fallen Immortal Realm instantly as usual, he found himself inside a warped, transparent bubble.

Before him, two scenes flickered into existence.

Li Fan recognized both of them at once.

They were the Ningyuan Longevity Fruits Retrieval incident and the Beast Taming Sect Upheaval, two scenarios he had already experienced within the Fallen Immortal Realm.

Being able to freely choose which scene to enter... is this the change brought about by the Xuanhuang Immortal Heart Sutra? Li Fan's mind stirred.

Without much hesitation, Li Fan chose to return to the Beast Taming Sect Upheaval scenario.

In that instant, the projection before him expanded, swallowing his surroundings whole.

Every image sharpened into perfect clarity.

"Haiz, I wonder when Senior Brother Lu Ya will be back."

Xu Ke's dejected voice reached Li Fan's ears.