Chapter 105 - 100 Zhang Haobo Tries the Sword
It makes sense.
Although the strength of these Mechanism Puppets has been suppressed to the Energy Refining Stage, their bodies are inherently capable of hard resisting the attacks of Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators.
How could puny Energy Refining Cultivators possibly harm them?
After a flurry of flashy attacks from these thirty-something Energy Refining Cultivators, these seventeen Puppets haven’t even budged.
They simply couldn’t break their defenses!
On the contrary, the lethality of these Puppets had also been limited to the Energy Refining Phase, so it wasn’t terrifying.
After a round of battle, the third expedition team, although severely beaten, was mostly able to survive.
At this point, everyone finally understood.
The Tianyang Cave Mansion was not something their lowly Energy Refining Cultivators could covet.
These high-defense Mechanism Puppets were like door gods, keeping all intruders at bay.
Li Fan thought about it, and even if he went, he probably wouldn’t achieve a good outcome.
“I wonder how this Cave Mansion ended up in my previous life?”
Li Fan pondered to himself.
After he joined the Alliance of Thousands of Immortals, no one mentioned the Tianyang Cave Mansion.
Obviously, by that time, the cave mansion had already disappeared.
“Perhaps, in the end, a powerful figure intervened and put an end to this situation.”
That was what Li Fan was guessing.
In this way, the storm stirred up by the Tianyang Cave Mansion gradually subsided.
For this inaccessible treasure ground, everyone decisively chose to forget about it.
Of course, there were smart people who tried to lobby secretly.
They wanted to gather hundreds or even more Energy Refining Cultivators to explore together once more.
By using swarm tactics, a part of them would hold off these seventeen Puppets.
The rest could then swarm in and go deep into the cave mansion to look for opportunities.
But…
No one was interested.
Everyone was an Energy Refining Cultivator, why should we risk our lives for your opportunities?
Nobody wanted to be the sacrificed pawns.
So, the number of Cultivators who had their eyes on Tianyang Cave Mansion gradually decreased.
The Alliance of Thousands of Immortals also seemed to forget about it, and never brought it up again.
The Misthaven Ocean calmed down again.
Li Fan also took this opportunity to concentrate on his cultivation.
Time flew, and half a year passed. It was now year 13.
On this day, Li Fan was checking the progress he had made over the past six months of cultivation.
“The Golden Seal of the Jade Realm of a Thousand Mechanisms” and “The Secret of Swapping Day and Night” were both cultivated together.
Both were cultivated to the Final Stage of Energy Refining, and he faintly felt a bottleneck.
As soon as he broke through this bottleneck, he could use a Natural Treasure to establish his Tao Foundation.
And become a Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator.
However, after the “Mistwater Mirage Technique” reached the third level, it was no longer progressing, so he had to stop cultivating it temporarily.
The third level of the Dream Technique could influence Foundation Establishment Cultivators to a certain extent.
The specific effect was determined by the difference in spiritual strength between the opponent and Li Fan.
As for “The Shadow-Following Form Secret” and “The Mystical Art of the
Nether Spirit”, there had been no time to cultivate them due to the limited time.
“It seems that having too many Techniques to cultivate isn’t necessarily a good thing. Maybe, I should consider integrating and simplifying them…” “With my current understanding of Techniques, of course I can’t do it.”
“But if I stay in an Enlightening state for a long time and study continuously, there might be a chance of success.”
In the Initial Stage of Energy Refining, Li Fan’s cultivation and comprehension efficiency was thirty times that of normal while in Enlightenment.
As his cultivation steadily improved, the efficiency declined.
When Lin Fan reached the Mid Stage of Energy Refining, the stacked effect of Enlightenment and the Exquisite Liuli Bead was roughly twenty-seven times the usual rate.
With enough contribution points, Lin Fan could always be in this amazing state.
Ten years, equivalent to an unceasing and arduous cultivation of two hundred and seventy years in a normal state.
Li Fan felt that even though merging and streamlining techniques could be rather challenging, it was absolutely something worth trying.
After all, he had plenty of opportunities to learn through trial and error.
His other self, Lin Fan, was still at a stage of sudden enlightenment.
The contribution points he had spent reached over six thousand.
Li Fan did not feel upset; instead, he was somewhat delighted.
The longer the enlightenment phase, presumably, the stronger the divine technique perceived would be.
Li Fan hoped that his double could spend all of the hundred thousand contribution points.
Suddenly, a thought arose in Li Fan’s heart.
The Formless Killing Machine that had always been locking onto Zhang Haobo began to somewhat weaken.
“Has Zhang Haobo finally made a breakthrough to the Energy Refining Stage?” “Very good, faster than I expected.”
“Who knows, he might truly reach the Gold Core within a decade or so.”
In less than a year, he transitioned from a mortal to an Energy Refining Stage Cultivator.
After the shift in his destiny, Zhang Haobo’s cultivation speed was much faster than in his previous life.
The faster he cultivates, the stronger he becomes, and the greater the turmoil he can stir up.
Even though he may not be able to get involved in the Crimson Flame battle, Li Fan, who has perceived the “Cycle of Birth and Death,” understood clearly. One must never underestimate the chain reaction a Golden Core Cultivator can set off.
“This life’s Crimson Blaze Ocean is truly something to look forward to.”
Three months later.
Li Fan, who was in seclusion, received a message from Yu Wenxing.
“Fellow Daoist Li Fan, do you know that our Liuli Island has recently produced a remarkable figure?”
Li Fan’s eyes flickered. “Oh? I’d like to know more.’ “Hehe, take a look.”
Yu Wenxing sent over a video.
In the video, seventeen giant puppets, their entire bodies in dark red, were swinging their enormous fists, each battling with a blue water sword in front of them.
In the middle of these seventeen puppets was only one person.
Indeed, it was Zhang Haobo!
Seven blue swords were floating around him, continuously revolving like protectors.
Meanwhile, he was controlling seventeen water swords, engaging with all the puppets simultaneously.
Such a battle was obviously extremely mentally draining.
Not long after, three of the puppets broke through the blockade of the water swords, approaching Zhang Haobo from both sides.
Of the seven protective blue swords, three were swiftly dispatched to clash with these three puppets.
As for Zhang Haobo himself, he swiftly retreated.
In the blink of an eye, amidst the fury and frustration of the puppets, he exited the Cave Mansion.
Sometime later, Yu Wenxing’s proud voice came in.
“How was it?”
“These seventeen puppets are from Tianyang Cave Mansion, right? Fighting alone against seventeen puppets although he managed to persist just for a moment, but it was quite astonishing nonetheless. Who is this person?” Li Fan pretended not to know.
“Hehe, this person is called Zhang Haobo. Over a year ago, he was an ordinary mortal.”
“A few months ago, after making a breakthrough to the Energy Refining Stage, he joined our Alliance of Thousands of Immortals, as I introduced him.”
“After he heard about the rumors of the Tianyang Cave Mansion, he went there all by himself.”
“I didn’t know what he was doing at first, but I found out later.” “He was using those seventeen Mechanism Puppets for his cultivation!”
“In the beginning, reportedly, he could only persist for a few moments. Later on, the time he managed to persist under the puppets’ assault gradually increased.”
“The video I sent to you was from over half a month ago.”
“I’m not sure what the situation is like now..”