"Bloody Disaster?" Chen Ying was taken aback, watching Li Fan's serious expression.

"Where did you get that idea?" Chen Ying asked, half-believing, half-doubting, as he had not expected this ancient Heavenly Mechanism Sect cultivator to give him such a surprise upon their first meeting.

Li Fan didn't immediately answer. Instead, he closed his eyes, furrowed his brows, and started calculating with his fingers.

Seeing this, Chen Ying stood aside, not daring to disturb him.

The divination lasted for as long as it takes an incense stick to burn.

Li Fan's breathing was erratic, and his face grew paler by the minute.

This made Chen Ying nervous as well.

Suddenly, Li Fan opened his eyes and spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Fellow Daoist Li Fan, are you alright?" Chen Ying was startled and stepped forward to check on him.

"It's nothing serious, just a little backlash," Li Fan wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and waved his hand.

Before Chen Ying could react, Li Fan looked at him intently and asked, "Fellow Daoist Chen, are you planning to go on a long journey soon?"

Chen Ying was first stunned, then shocked.

Not long ago, he had indeed received orders from headquarters to go to a newly discovered wood-element cave.

But he hadn't mentioned this to anyone yet, so how did Li Fan know?

Could it be that he really saw something through his divination?

Chen Ying quickly took out a Vital Qi Consolidation Pill and handed it to Li Fan.

"Fellow Daoist, please take this pill; it can help alleviate your injuries."

After Li Fan swallowed it and his complexion improved, Chen Ying asked solemnly, "It's true; I do have to leave Congyun Sea soon. Is the blood calamity you mentioned related to this journey?"

Li Fan slowly nodded, "If you return early, it should be fine. The longer you stay outside, the more dangerous it will become."

Chen Ying's heart sank.

This mission would definitely take at least ten years, if not longer, to complete.

Does that mean that if he goes, he is doomed to face great danger?

The thought of defying orders crossed Chen Ying's mind.

But it was only a thought.

The orders from the headquarters of the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance were not something a small Nascent Soul cultivator like him could refuse.

Is there no escape, only a path to death?

No wonder he'd been feeling uneasy recently but couldn't pinpoint the reason.

It turned out to be this!

Chen Ying's face turned extremely grim.

After a moment, he looked at Li Fan, who was standing nearby, and had an idea.

"This journey cannot be avoided; I beg you, fellow Daoist, to save me!" Chen Ying pleaded with a hopeful expression.

Li Fan sighed softly, "Understanding the will of heaven is easy; defying it is difficult. I can barely glimpse the secrets of the future, but to change one's fate against the heavens... that's..."

"You're asking a lot from me."

"However, I can give you some advice."

"I can't guarantee it will work, but you can try."

Just as Chen Ying was feeling extremely disappointed, Li Fan suddenly changed his tone.

Chen Ying was overjoyed, "Please tell me, fellow Daoist!"

Li Fan first sized up Chen Ying, then asked, "Forgive me for being blunt, but in a life-and-death struggle, how strong are you?"

Chen Ying's face showed some embarrassment, "As they say, 'each to their own expertise.' I'm good at alchemy and nurturing plants... but fighting..."

Chen Ying shook his head.

Li Fan asked again, "If you were ambushed, how strong is your ability to protect yourself? Do you have any defense mechanisms, stealth techniques, or escape methods prepared?"

"The Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance has been peaceful for a long time, and I’ve always been on good terms with others. I didn't think I'd need those things..." Chen Ying answered honestly.

Li Fan sighed deeply, "That's it! You have no sense of caution. If disaster strikes suddenly and you're unprepared, you're bound to fall."

"If this calamity cannot be avoided, you'll have to face it head-on."

"I see that you're wealthy enough to buy such a cave dwelling on Ten Thousand Immortal Island. The only way now is to spend money to avoid disaster!"

"In the Tianxuan Mirror, there are many defensive treasures and techniques. You must not be stingy; buy as much as you can and strengthen yourself."

"If you can hold off an attack from a cultivator of the Dao Integration stage for even a moment, you might find a chance to survive."

Li Fan spoke earnestly.

"The attack of an Dao Integration stage immortal Sage?" Chen Ying was startled.

With the contribution points he had accumulated over the years, he might be able to afford one or two treasures that could withstand an Dao Integration Stage attack.

But those were meant for him to exchange for an Dao Integration Stage cultivation method.

If the calamity Li Fan mentioned didn't happen, it would be a huge waste of contribution points.

He'd have to start from scratch again.

"Isn't this a bit..." Chen Ying couldn't help but ask, but he saw Li Fan subtly shake his head.

"I've said all I can. Whether you believe it or not is up to you. It has nothing to do with me now."

Li Fan turned to leave.

Chen Ying hurriedly stopped him.

"Fellow Daoist, you came in such a hurry; how can you leave in such a hurry? Your life-saving grace will be repaid later. For now, let me show you some hospitality!" Suppressing all his conflicting thoughts, Chen Ying took Li Fan on a tour of his cave dwelling.

After introducing him to the unique forbidden method he had developed for nurturing spiritual plants, Chen Ying personally refined a batch of pills in front of Li Fan.

During their conversations, Chen Ying discovered that this man truly was an ancient cultivator.

His knowledge was vast, and although he didn't specialize in alchemy, his understanding of herbal properties was profound, with some insights even benefiting Chen Ying.

Li Fan stayed in Chen Ying's cave dwelling for seven days before finally taking his leave, much to Chen Ying's reluctance.

Before departing, Chen Ying generously gifted a bottle of Insight Enlighten Pills to Li Fan.

This pill was specially refined by him and had remarkable effects when used during the breakthrough from the Golden Core to the Nascent Soul stage.

The materials were rare, and the success rate was extremely low.

Chen Ying himself didn't have much in stock and usually didn't sell them, instead using them as gifts in special circumstances.

He only gave it to Li Fan because he noticed that Li Fan's cultivation had recovered to the late Golden Core stage and that he was about to form his Nascent Soul again—a gesture of reciprocation.

"This man is not a fraud; he truly has real knowledge."

After sending Li Fan off, Chen Ying pondered to himself.

"A blood calamity..."

"It's just some contribution points. If I lose them, I can earn more. At worst, I'll just have to work harder and refine more pills."

"But if I die, everything is over."

"It's better to believe in it than not."

With this in mind, Chen Ying made up his mind.

He opened the Tianxuan Mirror in his cave dwelling and began searching.

...

"I wonder if Chen Ying will survive."

After leaving the cave dwelling, with multiple restrictions in place, the formless killing intent lost its ability to track Chen Ying precisely.

It could only faintly sense his presence.

"It's all up to him now."

Li Fan stopped thinking about it, left the residential area on Ten Thousand Immortal Island, and returned to the Tianxuan Mirror.

"If I didn't know that the entire Congyun Sea would disappear soon, I would definitely buy a cave dwelling myself."

Feeling the relatively cramped space in the Tianxuan Mirror, Li Fan couldn't help but have this thought.