Chapter 458: Chapter 430: The Empire’s Ambition

After thoroughly understanding the history of the Xuanhuang World and carefully researching and verifying with the few cultivators in the Empire, the Intelligent Group came to a daring conclusion.

These restrictions might only be effective within the Xuanhuang World.

Techniques stolen by the Empire bear the same restriction of not being able to be cultivated simultaneously, but they do not allow for a clear sense of the location of those also cultivating the same technique as in Xuanhuang World.

In other words, the restriction has been weakened.

This should be due to the fact that the Empire is not in the Xuanhuang Mainland, but one of its subordinate Small Worlds.

And so, the solution to this problem became obvious.

That is, to break these shackles and separate from Xuanhuang World.

To become an independent Small World.

For a civilization of ordinary mortals, this might be an impossible task.

However, for the Empire that can control the power of Exotic Beasts, it’s certainly worth a try.

When the first generation of thieves ventured through the Immortal Forbiddance Formation to the Xuanhuang World,

The Rift Realm Whale swarm hovering in the void had already captured the attention of the Empire.

After hundreds of years of attempts and countless sacrifices of warriors, the Empire finally managed to capture a solitary Rift Realm Whale.

And thereafter, the Empire achieved large-scale farming of the Rift Realm Whale.

Unlike other Exotic Beasts, the Rift Realm Whale reproduces in a unique way known as “solitary reproduction”.

Any individual in its group can seemingly breed offspring on its own, merely by absorbing unknown energy from the void.

However, before this, the Empire had no notion of using the Rift Realm Whales to break away from Xuanhuang World.

The numerous and giant Rift Realm Whales served mainly as food in the Empire.

The meat of the Rift Realm Whale was plump and juicy. If consumed for a long period of time, it could even improve one’s constitution.

It was very popular in the Empire.

However, since the plan to break away from Xuanhuang World was established, the Empire issued orders to protect the Rift Realm Whale from unauthorized consumption.

With the force of the entire nation, the Rift Realm Whales were bred.

Also, elite thieves were once again dispatched to the Xuanhuang World to steal techniques.

Before this, the most profound technique in the Empire was nothing more than Nascent Soul Cultivation Technique.

Taking into account the plans to sever all ties with the Xuanhuang World, without any techniques for reference after Nascent Soul, it was extremely challenging to extrapolate realms from scratch.

Therefore, the Empire decided it was best to get their hands on a technique of the Unity Realm.

If not possible, then at least the God Transformation Technique.

To achieve this goal, the Empire dispatched dozens of extremely loyal warriors to infiltrate Xuanhuang World.

To avoid possibility of a total demise at once, they were grouped into small teams, without knowing the identity of other team members.

Zhu Shaotang and Xiao Jin originally belonged to the same team.

Another team member unfortunately died due to an accident, and Li Chenfeng was the backup member called to join later.

These three had been upholding their mission for years, accumulating contribution points, hoping to exchange them for the Unified Dao Technique and then escape back to their hometown.

Until Li Fan came from nowhere and arrested them all.

From Li Chenfeng’s memories, Li Fan also learned that there were still debates within the Empire over whether they should break away from the Xuanhuang World or not.

The biggest opposing faction had a simple rationale.

The Empire would face an unpreventable disaster if this kind of behavior was discovered.

What if they can control an Exotic Beast?

Could they withstand one attack from an Immortal?

Are they forgetting the Nine-headed Divine Bird that’s still staring at us after being beheaded?

Due to the inherent fear of Immortals, the opposition was very popular in the Empire.

The ruler of the Empire, however, forcefully suppressed all opposing ideas for the time being.

Only then was the ultimate technique heist program implemented.

The ruler, or Empress, was the descendant of the first person to awaken and control the power of Exotic Beasts.

“The imperial royal family, surnamed Xu…”

Exotic Beasts, surname Xu.

Putting these two words together, Li Fan couldn’t help but associate them with the Beast Taming Sect’s Xu Ke that he met in the Fallen Immortal Realm.

But it could also just be a simple coincidence.

“I once read some ancient books and discovered that there exists a crystal core inside the body of ancient monsters,”

“Moreover, cultivators can absorb the energy from it for cultivation.”

“I originally thought it was extinct, but I didn’t expect that a small number of Exotic Beasts still retain this.”

“Apparently today’s Exotic Beasts indeed evolved from the monsters from ancient times.”

Having witnessed a sword mark that has held sword energy for thousand years, it reminded Li Fan of the previous Beast Taming Sect.

Li Fan became slightly interested in this Small World.

“Maybe in the future, I can find some time to explore this Empire.”

“But now, there are more pressing matters.”

Li Fan looked at Li Chenfeng and his companions immersed in the Illusion Dream and snapped his fingers lightly.

In an instant, the dream shattered and the three returned back to reality.

They looked confused at first, and gradually came to their senses after looking around.

Everything that had just transpired from their successful technique theft, to the Empire breaking away from Xuanhuang World and developing their own Tao Lineage…

Was all just a dream.

“You really have some nerve.”

Li Fan’s casual remark sounded like a thunderclap in their ears.

Li Chenfeng and his companions instantly turned as pale as ashes, despairing in their hearts.

They didn’t care about their own deaths.

Their only fear was that their hometown would be affected.

If that happened, when an Immortal becomes angry, the death toll would likely not be as simple as just thousands or tens of thousands.

But the sad part was they couldn’t even commit suicide now.

Nevertheless, what they didn’t expect was the strong cultivator in front of them deviated greatly from their assumptions.

“Well done! I admire you guys.”

Li Fan nodded in satisfaction and released the bonds on Li Chenfeng and the others.

Sharing a glance with each other, they still didn’t dare to act rashly.

Zhu Shaotang cautiously asked: “Senior, does this mean you are letting us go?”

Li Fan let out a chuckle: “Originally, I had no intention of pursuing anything. The loss of the techniques by the Immortal Alliance has nothing to do with me.”

“On the contrary, you guys were pressing hard. If I wasn’t a bit capable, a single mistake would have cost me my life here.”

Li Fan looked at Li Chenfeng with a hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth.

Li Chenfeng took a deep breath and quickly said: “It was my recklessness. Please forgive me, Senior.”

As he spoke, Li Chenfeng was about to kneel down and apologize to Li Fan.

Li Fan shook his head, stopping him.

“No need for such formalities in front of me. Let’s go, I have something to tell you in your secret room.”

Hearing these words, Zhu Shaotang and the others had a slight change in their expression.

They didn’t expect their supposedly secret setup to be so easily seen through by this person.

Feeling apprehensive, they followed Li Fan into the secret room in the courtyard.

However, Li Fan’s next words immediately dispelled their anxieties.

Instead, they were filled with wild joy akin to being saved from desperate straits.

“To be honest, I actually come from a Small World outside of the Xuanhuang World too,”

Li Fan slowly revealed.