Chapter 683: The Peerlessly Elegant Young Master

Liu San shot Fang Zaiji a glare, then turned to Li Fan. "That's because the young master urgently needs these items. I was afraid I might ruin them, so I held back my full strength.

"But to be fair, Young Master, Old Fang put real heart into refining these artifacts."

Fang Zaiji beamed at Liu San's words. "Exactly. I've studied the true Medicine King Cauldron for so long. I ought to have gained something, shouldn't I?"

Watching the two bicker, Li Fan smiled slightly.

"Mister Fang, aren't you going to bring out the artifacts so I can see them? I'm growing impatient." The speaker was his avatar, Xu Bai.

While Li Fan's true self had spent the past six months exploring the Fallen Immortal Realm and comprehending the sword path, Xu Bai had stayed within the Beastkin World, deepening his understanding of the five elements and the principles of the world.

This body was exceptionally attuned to the Beastkin World, and comprehension came easily to it. Its natural talent matched that of any so-called prodigy.

The two men had long grown accustomed to the avatar's presence. When Xu Bai appeared in the secret chamber, neither found it strange.

"Young Master, please look."

Fang Zaiji waved his hand with a proud expression, and four spheres of light materialized before everyone.

Within those clusters of light floated a set of white robes, a folding fan, a scented pouch, and a jade pendant.

"The Radiant Glass Robes. Forged from Prismatic Glass and the Radiant Light of Transient Life, along with other rare materials. It repels all dust and resists all calamities. Any attack below the Dao Unity realm is beneath its notice. Even a cultivator at the Dao Unity realm would have to exert considerable effort to break through its defenses.

"The Shadowless Hundred-Flower Fan. Crafted from Shadowless Stone and Sky Cavern Jade. The fan is painted with a scene of a hundred flowers vying for beauty, but hundreds of real blossoms lie sealed within it. You can pick and mix their fragrances at will. Beyond this, its greatest use is to create a phantom in moments of crisis, one that draws an enemy's attention while the true wielder slips silently away...

"The Thousand-Knot Entwining Sachet. Aside from its usual storage functions, it can trap a female cultivator of your choosing within. Through the Thousand-Knot Net of Affection, it will erode her thoughts day by day, month by month. Even an enemy bound to you by an irreconcilable blood feud can slowly have her heart changed, until she falls utterly and irrevocably in love with the sachet's master. Until death…"

Fang Zaiji rambled on, extremely excited.

Li Fan and Liu San, though, wore slightly odd expressions.

"And the final one, the Celestial Hundred-Vehicle Plaque. Appearance matters, but so does one's manner of travel. Simply flying through the void or riding a flying sword like an ordinary cultivator is beneath your dignity. This plaque holds over a hundred different types of flying carriages and flying boats sealed within it. I guarantee that every time you go out, you'll be spoiled for choice.

"Each flying artifact has more than enough space reserved inside. Even if you packed in ten or twenty young ladies, there would be room to spare—"

"Ahem. Mister Fang, that's quite enough." Li Fan's face twitched. His avatar, Xu Bai, let out a helpless sigh and cut in.

Fang Zaiji finally sensed the tension in the air. After surveying the room, he wisely moved on to instructing Xu Bai on how to refine the four artifacts.

"Refine them with your heart's blood and divine sense. This will not only bind the artifacts to you, but when you suffer a severe blow, all four will share the burden of the injury."

After the better part of a day, Xu Bai had fully refined the artifacts.

Dressed in the white robes, a folding fan in hand, the scented pouch hanging as a trinket from the fan's end, and the jade pendant resting against his chest, Xu Bai snapped the fan open and waved it gently.

An ethereal layer of white light enveloped him, and a drifting fragrance filled the air around him.

"Ah, now that is a truly elegant young master." Liu San's eyes lit up, and he couldn't help praising him aloud.

As the saying goes, fine clothes make the man. Xu Bai was already exceedingly handsome, with a peerless bearing. Now, set off by the artifacts Fang Zaiji had painstakingly designed and forged, he looked like someone descended from the heavens. The mere sight of him was enough to make one lose oneself.

Even Fang Zaiji couldn't help offering his praise.

But after a moment, he frowned. "Still, something feels missing."

Liu San looked puzzled. "Missing? I think it's already perfect."

Fang Zaiji's expression cleared, and he clapped his hands. "As they say, a beauty complements a hero. The young master's avatar looks like a celestial being. It's a real pity there's no beauty by his side to complement him!"

Liu San, who always had a retort ready for Fang Zaiji, nodded slightly in agreement this time.

"Heh heh."

Xu Bai smiled but said nothing.

After admiring Xu Bai's appearance a while longer, Li Fan finally turned to business. "How is the disciples' plan for entering the world proceeding?"

Liu San collected himself and answered seriously, "In the last six months, nearly two hundred disciples have left Longevity Valley. Following your instructions, Young Master, we've dispatched them to various provinces to go undercover.

"While spreading news of the Tianling Flower, they also gather noteworthy information. The Oneiric Seasons Array relays it back to sect headquarters here in Longevity Valley.

"I've also set up a dedicated organization to summarize and categorize this information, extracting the useful parts..."

In this regard, Liu San had earned Li Fan's trust. Without needing detailed orders, he had handled everything in an orderly fashion.

Li Fan was pleased to hear it. "Excellent. The disciples must not seek merit, only avoid fault. In their daily lives, they should act like ordinary cultivators of the Myriad Immortals Alliance. Their own safety comes first."

Liu San nodded in agreement.

"However..." He looked at Li Fan, hesitating.

"Old Liu, speak your mind."

"With so many disciples out in the world, manpower in Longevity Valley is stretched thin. Young Master, have you considered awakening more people?" Liu San asked tentatively.

Li Fan considered this, then shook his head. "We have no spare techniques on hand right now. Even if we awakened them, it would bring more trouble than benefit.

"The exotic beasts in the Beastkin World can serve for now. With my avatar presiding over that world, they won't harbor rebellious thoughts.

"We'll proceed slowly. The Medicine King Sect's revitalization isn't something to rush."

Liu San nodded slowly.

"But it won't be long now. If nothing goes wrong on this trip, I can acquire a batch of ownerless techniques. Old Liu, just wait a little longer." Li Fan offered another promise.

After giving further detailed instructions, the avatar and Li Fan both left Longevity Valley.

They passed through the White Mist Barrier and went their separate ways.

The true self changed his appearance to that of a middle-aged cultivator and headed straight for Qihong Isle in Leyang Province.

The avatar Xu Bai, meanwhile, set out at his leisure toward Tianling Province.

Li Fan's destination in Leyang Province was the residence of Ximen Yu, a scholar who studied the changes of the land from ancient times to the present. Ximen Yu possessed detailed maps comparing the geographical differences of the Xuanhuang World across the eras.

Li Fan wanted to use his maps to visit the Southern Abyss Sacred Beast Mountain of that earlier era.

His goal was to determine whether the demon race's retreat plan had succeeded.