Chapter 44

Zhang Haobo looked at Li Fan, his eyes filled with both awe and joy.

He had heard that Elder Li had already cleansed himself of the miasma and would soon become a revered immortal master.

Seeing him now, he felt both respect and fear.

"It's you." Li Fan still had a good impression of this person and immediately smiled. "It's been several years since we last met. How have you been recently?"

Zhang Haobo did not dare to be negligent and frankly replied, "Thanks to Elder Li, the fleet has been very profitable these past few years. Especially the fact that Elder Li always brings back a large amount of treasure from each voyage, which has attracted many young people to join the fleet."

"Our treatment and status on the island have also improved. Many people envy us."

After saying this, Zhang Haobo paused, hesitating to speak further.

"Feel free to say it." Li Fan gestured for him to continue.

"However... the brothers on the Cangyuan have been discussing leaving Liuli Island recently. I also have this idea in mind."

"Oh?" Li Fan was somewhat surprised. "Where are you planning to go?"

"To be honest, Elder Li, we haven't decided yet." Zhang Haobo said with some trepidation.

Li Fan became interested: "Since things are going well, why do you suddenly have the idea of leaving?"

Zhang Haobo scratched his head: "I'm afraid Elder Li will laugh, but... I have a vague sense of unease."

"Unease? Tell me more." Li Fan instructed.

Zhang Haobo was silent for a moment, as if organizing his thoughts.

After a while, he looked around and said in a low voice, "To be honest, Elder Li, we brothers have encountered various strange things on our recent voyages."

"Such as?"

"Recently, every time we cast our nets, we catch over a thousand pounds of fish, filling our nets to the brim. Nine out of ten times, it's like this, and we catch all kinds of fish."

"Isn't that a good thing?"

"It is indeed a good thing, but I've been fishing for over ten years, and I've never seen anything like this before." A hint of doubt and fear flashed in Zhang Haobo's eyes.

"It's as if all the fish in the sea are fleeing and have gathered together."

"Is there anything else?" Li Fan pondered for a moment and continued to ask.

"We brothers have lived on Liuli Island since childhood and are very familiar with the reefs around the island. Recently, we've noticed that more reefs are exposed." Zhang Haobo said seriously.

"Are you saying... the water level is dropping?" Li Fan instantly understood.

"Every year, the water level changes, but this year's changes seem unusual. The brothers are worried." Zhang Haobo added.

"We reported this to the Liuli Prefecture a month ago, but they didn't take it seriously, saying it was just a normal change in water level." Zhang Haobo补充道。

"Another thing that worries us is that in the past three years, there hasn't been a single storm. Not just around our island, but throughout the Congyun Sea."

"We've discussed this with the fleets from other islands, and it's definitely true. There hasn't been a single storm in the Congyun Sea for the past three years." Zhang Haobo added quickly, fearing Li Fan wouldn't believe him.

Li Fan remained silent, unsure what this meant.

"Storms have never stopped since I was born. Some years there were over ten, and even in the quietest years, there were two or three. This has been the case for decades."

"Now, there hasn't been a single storm for three years. Some people on the island are celebrating, saying it's the protection of the immortal masters. But my brothers and I don't see it that way."

"This is too abnormal. Something big must be happening." Zhang Haobo said firmly.

"Perhaps it just means the weather will be hotter in the future." Li Fan thought for a moment and tried to reassure him. "The island is protected by a great array, and there are immortal masters here. If anything happens, they can handle it."

"Of course, Elder Li is right. Many of the brothers think the same way. But I have a vague sense of unease and can't shake it off." Zhang Haobo smiled bitterly.

"That's why I've decided to leave, to depart from the Congyun Sea." Zhang Haobo's gaze gradually became more determined.

Seeing this, Li Fan could only say, "Leaving your homeland is not easy. You should think it over carefully."

Zhang Haobo nodded.

Li Fan said no more, bid farewell to Zhang Haobo, and spent the rest of the day wandering through the market before returning home.

After careful consideration, Li Fan realized that Zhang Haobo wasn't just being overly worried.

The signs indeed suggested that something unusual was happening in the Congyun Sea.

Perhaps a massive storm was gathering strength in secret;

Or perhaps a severe drought was forming.

But, none of this was particularly significant.

Zhang Haobo was just an ordinary person, and when disaster struck, he would have no means to protect himself, leaving him to the mercy of fate.

It was normal for him to be worried and fearful.

Li Fan, on the other hand, was already on the threshold of becoming a cultivator. Once he broke through to the Qi Condensation stage, he could go to the Ten Thousand Immortal Island.

There, cultivators gathered, and he wouldn't need to worry about such disasters.

Even if a disaster occurred that even cultivators couldn't handle, worrying would be futile.

So, what Li Fan needed to do now was to focus on cultivating the Five Spirit Qi Sensing Technique.

By the way, he could inform Yin Yuzhen at the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion to prepare in advance.

...

This interlude quickly passed, and Li Fan continued to focus on his cultivation.

Time passed.

Another year went by.

Six months ago, Zhang Haobo ultimately decided to leave the Congyun Sea with some of his brothers from the Cangyuan. This caused a stir on the island, and people began to worry.

However, the past six months had been calm, with no signs of any major disaster, so people dismissed it as a joke.

Yin Yuzhen finally accumulated enough strength and returned to Ye Lan Island with high spirits. After some difficulties, she reclaimed her position as the head of Tianbao Tower.

With the initial stabilization of Ye Lan Island, there were still many matters to handle. To prevent any treachery, Yin Yuzhen would have to stay on Ye Lan Island for the next few years and couldn't return. She sent someone to inform Li Fan of the good news.

He Zhenghao no longer sent anyone to visit. In his view, Li Fan had taken nearly four years to draw qi into his body, clearly indicating that his potential was exhausted and not worth his attention.

Xiao Heng, however, occasionally sent messengers with letters, inquiring about Li Fan's well-being.

It was said that Xiao Heng had made rapid progress and was now at the mid-stage of the Qi Condensation realm.

...

Amid the turmoil of the world, Li Fan observed it all with a detached eye.

He only focused on his cultivation.

One day, Li Fan felt a stirring in his heart.

Having accumulated enough of the Five Spirit fuel, the Root of Heaven and Earth was finally about to form!

A faint shadow appeared in Li Fan's dantian. In an instant, Li Fan felt a subtle yet incredibly strong connection to the heavens and earth.

Like a water wheel drawing water from a river to irrigate a dry field.

A thread of heaven and earth qi flowed through the Root of Heaven and Earth, slowly entering Li Fan's dantian and quickly spreading throughout his body.

In the seventh year of Li Fan's cultivation, he finally entered the Qi Condensation stage.