Chapter 672: 638: Flying Stone Falls into the Deep Sea

Chapter 672: Chapter 638: Flying Stone Falls into the Deep Sea

“Certain that you can advance to the level of Nascent Soul within ten years?” Zhou Qingang looked at the boastful He Zhenghao with an astounded expression.

This wasn’t an act.

After a detailed examination, he realized that He Zhenghao might not be bluffing. There was an enigmatic aura subtly concealed within him. Very covert, Zhou Qingang might not have noticed it if He Zhenghao hadn’t revealed it and if he himself hadn’t transformed into the real Li Fan.

Replaying the records from the Huadao Stone in his mind, Li Fan figured out the origin of this transformation. It was due to He XinXin giving He Zhenghao a plain white jade, urging him to nurture it within his Dantian before she reluctantly left.

“Not having put much effort into cultivating and relying merely on this white jade, he is confident of transitioning from Gold Core to Nascent Soul within such a short time…”

“This white jade is quite a precious treasure! Even for the Heng Family of Tianyu Province, it would be extremely rare. He XinXin has certainly given her all to save her father’s life.”

“What a pity…”

“Zhou Qingang” looked at He Zhenghao with barely detectable icy eyes, sneering inside.

He pretended to be astonished again, “Daoist He, your progress is so fast? Unbelievable. It seems your potential for cultivation is far superior to mine and Gao Yuan’s.”

A flicker of embarrassment crossed He Zhenghao’s face, but he quickly concealed it and boasted unabashedly, “Hehe, don’t be disheartened. The level of a cultivator doesn’t only depend on talent but also on diligence, opportunities, and other inseparable factors. Although your talent differs a bit, you can’t afford to miss this opportunity!”

Hearing He Zhenghao’s persuasion, Zhou Qingang seemed to fall into deep thought.

Just when He Zhenghao thought he had persuaded him and was feeling triumphant, Zhou Qingang sighed deeply, rejecting his suggestion.

“As Daoist He said, having a strong personal power is crucial to serving the Emissary better. But, opportunities often come with risks. I am the kind of person…” Zhou Qingang shook his head, looking regretful.

“Who always lacks luck! Even if the Chaoyuan Sect indeed has some opportunities, they probably wouldn’t fall into my lap! I’d rather stay put in the Misthaven Ocean and do my duty.”

“As for the Emissary…”

Zhou Qingang purposely paused, then continued, “He never short-changed his subordinates. He appreciates our hard work and might randomly bestow some rewards that can help us advance when he is in a good mood.”

“But thank you for your kind intention, Daoist He!” Zhou Qingang bowed slightly and left the Governance Hall.

Watching Zhou Qingang’s retreating figure, He Zhenghao’s expression fluctuated, “This youngster who has caught the Emissary’s fancy surely knows something! My decision seems to be right. Since he doesn’t want to leave the Misthaven Ocean, it indicates there isn’t any danger here but there must be huge benefits…”

With his last bit of hesitation dispelled, He Zhenghao resolved to follow his plan.

Seeing the enticing yet gloomy look in He Zhenghao’s eyes, Li Fan immediately understood what he was plotting.

“Greedy people are silly, and the silliest ones are the greediest.”

“It’s a vicious cycle, this current He Zhenghao is not the Daoist He I once knew!”

“The way different experiences contribute to the formation and influence of a person’s character is truly profound.”

Li Fan pondered for a moment, feeling somewhat enlightened.

“The deep-rooted plundering and avaricious foundation of the new law might have something to do with it.”

He stopped thinking about it, and in the following period, he engaged in various tasks meticulously, just like the usual Zhou Qingang.

The Secret Word Envoy, Li Fan, or rather his transformed clone, stayed deep inside the secret chamber of the Governance Hall, claiming to be in closed-door cultivation.

While secretly switching his real body and his clone, Li Fan also started building a puppet resembling Zhou Qingang.

In the depth of the Misthaven Ocean, he manipulated the Terrestrial Flame Genesis Array and used some common materials to construct a skeleton puppet. He then used the [True Spirit Mystic Transformation] method to form human skin and muscles on the puppet skeleton.

He also attached some of his Divine Sense to it.

Finally, he succeeded in creating a puppet body that looked exactly like Zhou Qingang.

After transferring all the attire and the storage ring, Li Fan looked at the azure Misthaven Ocean one last time and shook his head.

“It’s time to leave,” he thought.

Transforming back to his original appearance, he headed straight toward the location of the Valley of Eternal Life without looking back.

The puppet Zhou Qingang, under the manipulation of Li Fan’s retained Divine Sense, returned alone to Misthaven Elysian City.

Since Zhou Qingang seldom smiled or spoke, even when his expressions seemed somewhat stiff, it did not arouse any suspicion from other cultivators for the time being.

Moreover, Li Fan intentionally reduced his interactions with outsiders. When he did meet with others, he appeared seriously engrossed in official duties, seemingly overwhelmed with work.

Therefore, in spite of the continuous stream of cultivators in the vast Misthaven City, no one noticed that Zhou Qingang had secretly changed.

Indeed, there were still significant flaws and given more time, others would surely discover them.

Yet everyone in the vast Misthaven Ocean, including all the beings within, were already nearing their ultimate end.

While the real Li Fan was still on his way.

On this day, whether it was his real body or the puppet body, both felt a sudden stir.

“What’s that!”

The sporadic exclamations from Misthaven City caught Li Fan’s attention, causing him to look up at the Sky Dome.

Out of nowhere, a gigantic black fireball suddenly appeared high in the sky.

Leaving a dark trail behind, it was hurtling violently towards the Misthaven Ocean with no sign of slowing down.

“What is it?” Li Fan’s pupils contracted rapidly.

“Crimson Flame?” Sensing an uncanny aura emanating from the black fireball, Li Fan was unsure.

The black fireball was incredibly fast. Before the cultivators in Misthaven Ocean could react, it had already dropped from the sky into the sea.

All the water it came into contact with evaporated within an instant due to the high temperature.

In the sea area, a massive void appeared first. Then the black fireball harshly collided with the sea bed.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

The deafening explosion made the entire Misthaven Ocean shake violently. Even the Misthaven City high above the clouds was not spared from the shock waves and swayed unstoppably.

Under the violent shock, a tsunami, with the black fireball’s landing point as the epicenter, swept out in all directions.

All the cultivators witnessed towering waves, hundreds of meters high, mixed with half of the black flame.

Wherever the colossal waves passed, countless islands disappeared in an instant under the combination of water and fire!