Chapter 249: Chapter 216 Ji Water_1

Ji Yuanqing looked at Li Fan in shock, his eyes filled with incredulity.

“No, the Lord of the Heavenly Realm simply cannot be this young. How could such an existence be a young man?”

“I understand now. One who stands amidst the Saint Path can disregard the power of time. Thus, although this senior appears young, in reality… he is probably an old fossil who has lived for millions of years…”

He pondered, and at the same time, he saw the labyrinth map in Li Fan’s hand.

“Hm?”

His pupils suddenly contracted. What… what is that…

The Void Sea Domain filled with treacherous cloud waves…

Pathways hidden in secret places…

The little boat on the map was clearly identical to the Saintly Warship he had seen in the fragments of time!

“Heaven!”

He was shocked. At this moment, he completely understood.

This senior was studying the route from the Secret Place to this particular Void Sea Domain!

How terrifying is that!?

It’s widely known that millions of years ago, those Holy Dao Powers, facing some immense catastrophe, had no choice but to flee in madness towards the Secret Place.

But once they fled to the Secret Place, returning became extremely difficult!

Therefore, many powers left traces in their original world.

For example, the ancestors of his Ji Family left a grain of sand, which evolved into a world. As long as this world exists, the ancestors can always find their way back!

And this senior in front of him was actually mapping the terrifying void turbulence, the chaotic temporal seas, and many other fearsome heavenly and earthly laws onto a piece of paper for research…

“This must be an ancient being. Moreover, he knows of the existence of the Secret Place!”

“He is searching for a path, is he trying to guide those forces in the Secret Place back?”

He murmured to himself. In this moment, he could no longer restrain himself and stepped forward to pay his respects, saying:

“I have seen Senior!”

On the way here, Fire Spirit and Mu Qianning had already told him that Li Fan lived in seclusion here, immersed in the mundane world, and thus was not interested in matters of the Cultivation World.

Therefore, he dared not claim “Lord of the Heavenly Realm,” for fear of offending Li Fan.

Upon hearing this, Li Fan couldn’t help but be startled. A man as old as this still addressing him as senior?

Do I look that old?

That’s going too far!

But he suddenly confirmed something.

This elder was most likely another enthusiast of the arts.

After all, there was a saying in that field: “The master is revered.”

“No need for such ceremony. May I ask, old sir, what brings you here to see me?”

Li Fan asked.

Ji Yuanqing was excited as he spoke:

“Firstly, I wish to ask Senior to extend your help to Miss Ling’er and the others so that no one else can lay their hands on the Heavenly Realm!”

After understanding the survival of the First Heavenly Realm, he realized even more that if the current Heavenly Realm were to be destroyed again, then their ancestors might truly become lost on the road back.

Li Fan smiled and said, “I have already dispatched disciples and others to help. Is there anything else?”

Ji Yuanqing hesitated briefly but eventually gritted his teeth!

“Senior, I have a heritage Stone Command I wish to offer you as tribute!”

After saying this, he directly took out the Stone Command!

Seeing this, Li Fan was also instantly surprised.

What’s this thing?

He took the Stone Command, gave it a look, it seemed dull and grey, but made of good quality stone, carved with rather unique patterns. Within the lines, it seemed to hide a vague image of a long river.

Could it be some antique?

Li Fan instantly understood!

This old man is dressed in ragged clothes; he must be leading a miserable life, poor and destitute!

And knowing that I am someone who enjoys things like calligraphy and painting, he thought of selling this so-called ancestral Stone Command as an antique, in exchange for some money?

Once he realized this, Li Fan couldn’t help but smile wryly.

He had no interest in collecting antiques whatsoever.

“System task released: Each time you collect a Stone Command of this kind, you will obtain a butterfly!”

Just then, a voice sounded in his mind.

Li Fan was stunned at the message. A system task release? This lousy Stone Command could be exchanged for a butterfly?

Li Fan was not surprised; the tasks issued by the system had been much more ridiculous!

Now, with the Stone Command from Ji Yuanqing, he immediately discovered he could receive another butterfly!

He was one step closer to the seven butterflies!

Li Fan immediately felt joy; regardless, this was good news. The sooner he collected the seven butterflies, the sooner he could give them to Yun Xi, so he wouldn’t have to be worried and scared all the time!

“Good, I will accept this. For giving me this item, what reward do you seek?”

Li Fan asked.

He thought to himself that the Stone Command didn’t look like something valuable, so the other party shouldn’t make an excessive demand!

Hearing this, Ji Yuanqing was overjoyed!

The senior accepted it! It seemed that he indeed had ties with the Ji Family.

He was incredibly excited and immediately said:

“I am deeply grateful that Senior is willing to accept this item; how could I dare ask for a reward?”

Li Fan, however, shook his head, thinking this old man was not being quite honest. Making a transaction, yet being so insincere!

He weighed the Stone Command in his hand and said:

“Zi Ling, bring me brush and ink!”

Zi Ling promptly brought the brush and ink.

Li Fan picked up the brush and immediately began to draw!

Under his brush, a mighty river rapidly took shape!

That long river, like a giant dragon meandering across the land, surged onward as if it would never cease!

The momentum surged, vast and powerful!

As this long river painting unfolded, everyone in the arena was shocked!

“This river… is extraordinary!”

“It emanates a mysterious Dao rhyme… as if it cannot be looked upon directly!”

“This river… I feel like it doesn’t belong to this realm!”

A group of disciples was all astonished beyond measure.

Seeing this, Ji Yuanqing was even more profoundly shaken, too overwhelmed to speak!

“Could this river be… could it be our clan’s ancestral river—Ji Water?!”

He recalled the fragments of time he’d seen before.

When their people left, there were peerless strong beings, who, with peerless mana, took away a long river and the ancestral land along its banks…

That river was… Ji Water!

The place where their clan was born, as well as the source of their clan’s Saint Path!

“This senior… has actually seen our clan’s ancestral river. What kind of heaven-defying character must he be? Could it be that during that great calamity when the Holy Dao powers fled, this senior stood firm and unyielding… too terrifying!”

His aged eyes filled with complexity!

Moreover, he clearly felt that this painting called upon numerous laws of heaven and earth, as if truly restoring the ancestral river, and he even sensed the unique laws of his own clan within the painting!

Those…

Were the Dao inheritances that his Huangtian State line had long forgotten!

But Li Fan just smiled faintly and concluded his brushwork!

It was done.

He had sensed a vision of a long river from the archaic Stone Command, and so, he painted it out.

“Feeling uneasy for accepting the Stone Command from the elder, Li Fan painted this piece upon seeing the Stone Command. It’s a matter of fate, so consider it as a form of repayment, a gift to the elder.”

Li Fan was composed as he handed the painting to Ji Yuanqing.

Seeing this, Ji Yuanqing was dumbstruck. Give such a thing to him??

Inside, it likely contained the ancient Dao of his clan!

Immeasurable in value!

His spirit was deeply shocked. This was an offering he couldn’t refuse.

Because, ever since the First Heavenly Realm of his Huangtian State lineage was destroyed by the Immortal Domain, their inheritance had been severed, and even as the clan leader, he was but a minor Golden Immortal.

Now that the Three Great Heavenly Realms had taken notice of the existence of the Heavenly Realm, his clan urgently needed to grow!

And the painting bestowed by this senior was akin to restoring the lost inheritance to them!

What incredible fortune was this?

“Not only has this senior seen our ancestral river, but he is also well-versed in our clan’s Saint Path mystical methods… His origin is unimaginable, and he must have an inseparable relationship with the Ji Family!”

“Therefore, he has shown such generosity toward the descendants of the Ji Clan!”

Ji Yuanqing was moved, his eyes brimming with tears, and with trembling hands, he received the painting, saying,

“Many thanks, senior, many thanks!”

“Our clan will never forget this great kindness from the senior!”

Li Fan smiled, thinking that this painting would indeed fetch a good price in the outside world, and it would let the old man make a hefty profit.

He then said,

“It’s a trifle, no need for thanks… However, if Senior Ji has other Stone Commands, feel free to bring them here, Li Fan will make sure to repay generously!”

If the other party had one, then maybe more could be found.

At these words, Ji Yuanqing’s eyes flickered, but then he quickly realized!

“Senior Li seeks Stone Commands, mostly to find a way back from the Secret Place!”

He took a long look at the “Labyrinth Map” in Li Fan’s hands!

“Senior, we only have this one… however, I know where there are more!”

He was extremely excited!

Say no more, the Three Great Heavenly Realms surely had them!

After all, Ji Yuanqing now understood that the Four Great Heavenly Realms should be coordinates left by the fleeing Holy Dao Powers!

The Ji Family had left the Primeval Stone Mandate, so the other Three Great Heavenly Realms couldn’t possibly be without them!

And with the cultivation level of this senior, reaching the heavens and piercing the earth, to annihilate the Three Great Heavenly Realms?

It would probably be nothing more than a snap of his fingers!

Hearing this, Li Fan’s eyebrows also lifted in joy!

It seemed his butterfly had found a place to land!

He looked to Dugu Yuqing and the others, saying,

“My disciples, after you go out, follow the elder to look for this kind of Stone Command.”

Hearing this, Dugu Yuqing, Long Zixuan, and the others all stiffened instantaneously!

“Such an item can make Master personally ask about it? It must be important!”

“It seems this Stone Command must involve a major secret.”

Everyone understood!

“Rest assured, Master, we will bring it back!”

They spoke in unison!

Li Fan nodded and, after a moment of thought, said,

“Zi Ling, go to the study and find some paintings for them to take. They might be useful.”

After all, to seek Stone Commands, one needed some assets to exchange, and he… was short on funds.

He could only let Dugu Yuqing and the others take paintings with them, like the exchange with Ji Yuanqing, to ensure others would be willing to trade.

Upon hearing this, Zi Ling immediately went to the study.

“If Master orders Dugu Junior Brother and others to take paintings with them, it must be foreseen that they could encounter great enemies!”

Zi Ling realized as much.

She specifically selected paintings that contained the Dao of killing and warfare!

After coming out of the study, Zi Ling gave the paintings to Dugu Yuqing and the others.

Seeing them, Dugu Yuqing and the others gladly accepted!

“Master, we will be leaving now!”

They bid their farewell.

Following that, the group promptly left the small courtyard.