Chapter 77: Shadow-Following Art

Inside the Dragon Whale's stomach, Li Fan found many luli pearls that had not yet been fully digested.

They were likely the remains of the Luli Fish school it had devoured.

"It seems the Luli Fish school's situation has become dire since I killed that giant Luli Fish," Li Fan thought to himself.

Besides the luli pearls, there were other miscellaneous items like half a piece of coral and a glowing fish bone.

Whether he recognized them or not, Li Fan packed them all up.

Finally, Li Fan checked one last time to ensure he hadn't missed anything before quietly departing.

The journey back was uneventful, and he returned safely to Wanxian Island.

After handing over the Dragon Whale's carcass, Li Fan chose to exchange the items scavenged from its stomach for contribution points one by one.

A total of 320 points.

After an appraisal, the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance confirmed that the Dragon Whale carcass Li Fan submitted was indeed the one that had attacked the island.

Thus, the mission reward of 2,000 points was received.

Combined with the 450 points he had left, Li Fan currently had 2,770 contribution points available.

"With this many contribution points, it should be enough to select a satisfactory Cultivation Technique."

Currently, Li Fan lacked a means of concealing his own aura for tracking others.

This type of technique was relatively rare, but for just the Qi Refinement Stage, 2,770 contribution points were definitely enough.

Li Fan began his selection within the Tianxuan Realm.

Meanwhile, within the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, the mission to hunt the Dragon Whale—which had once left many Foundation Establishment cultivators helpless—had actually been completed by a Qi Refinement Cultivator.

This unusual phenomenon immediately caught the attention of many.

Especially the group of people who had collectively posted the mission; they were filled with profound confusion.

"Late Stage of Qi Refinement, Li Fan? Who is this? Wasn't that Dragon Whale said to be able to withstand attacks from Golden Core cultivators? How did this Li Fan hunt it?"

"Could it be that this person hid his cultivation level?"

"This Fellow Daoist must be new to our Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance. Hiding one's cultivation in front of the Spirit Treasure, the Tianxuan Mirror? How could that be possible!"

"This person's strength is indeed at the Late Stage of Qi Refinement, without a doubt. I've had someone confirm it; he was only recently introduced to our Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance by He Zhenghao."

"Oh? Then how exactly did he do it?"

"Could it be that he possesses an extraordinary treasure?"

…

A Qi Refinement Cultivator achieving something even Foundation Establishment cultivators couldn't do naturally sparked a lot of speculation.

Just then, a disdainful voice spoke up.

"Stop guessing. The latest inside information is that this kid just got lucky." These words immediately drew a round of attention.

"Daoist Zhou Peng, what do you mean by that?"

"Yeah, lucky? How is that possible?"

…

Zhou Peng also sighed with emotion, "I couldn't believe it either, but it's the truth."

"The Dragon Whale's carcass was sent to Gongsun Elder of Tianji Hall for analysis. The conclusion was that before its death, this Dragon Whale had fought with at least three deep-sea behemoths of the same level."

"Most of the scars on its body were left by those behemoths."

"Before it died, the Dragon Whale was already on its last legs. Even if that kid hadn't acted, the Dragon Whale wouldn't have lived much longer."

After Zhou Peng finished speaking, the surroundings fell silent.

Although it was a bit far-fetched, everyone had more or less heard of Gongsun Elder's name from Tianji Hall.

Therefore, the conclusion he reached was quite credible.

"It's said that the Dragon Whale showed signs of being about to transform into a dragon. Perhaps for this reason, it drew the greed of other behemoths."

"That makes sense. For exotic beasts that can evolve by devouring each other, those that have had a Bloodline Awakening of their ancestors are the most nourishing."

"Wow, this Qi Refinement kid is actually so lucky. It's really enviable; that's 2,000 contribution points!"

Hearing this, the people around them nodded in agreement.

…

Li Fan was already prepared for the potential impact of completing the Dragon Whale bounty mission.

However, he wasn't afraid at all.

Because no matter how one looked at it, the Dragon Whale had died from infighting between behemoths. He was just lucky enough to pass by and pick up the spoils.

For 2,000 contribution points, it was worth taking a slight risk.

Setting this matter aside, after a period of searching and comparing, Li Fan determined his target Cultivation Technique.

Shadow-Following Art.

The essence of this technique was embodied in the four words 'as a shadow follows the body'.

The technique specialized in tracking and concealment.

Once a target was locked, one could follow them closely like their own shadow, making it difficult for the opponent to escape.

Even more, one could hide like a shadow within shadows, making it impossible for the target to notice.

With such divine effects, the price was naturally not cheap.

1,800 contribution points.

Li Fan didn't hesitate and bought it directly.

Just as Li Fan was preparing to go into secluded Cultivation, he suddenly received a message via spirit talisman from He Zhenghao.

"Daoist Li Fan! Wow, I didn't expect the Cultivator who hunted the Dragon Whale to really be you! I thought it was just another Cultivator with the same name and Realm!"

"It was only when people started asking me about your situation that I confirmed it was really you who killed that Dragon Whale!"

He Zhenghao seemed exceptionally excited.

"Good, good, good! You've finally vented some frustration for me! You have no idea, these past few days, every time I close my eyes, I see the image of the lingwu grass price plummeting."

…

Li Fan was silent for a moment before replying, "It was just luck. While doing the mission, I happened to come across the Dragon Whale fighting with other behemoths, so I took advantage of the situation."

Not long after the message was sent, He Zhenghao replied immediately.

"Luck is also a part of one's strength. With your talent and fortune being so extraordinary, Fellow Daoist, your future path is surely promising!"

Before Li Fan could think of how to reply, he saw another message from He Zhenghao.

"I happen to have a matter I'd like to ask for your help with, if you're willing?"

"Oh? What is it?"

"Well, I'd like to ask you to act as the Acting Guardian of Liuli Island for me. What do you think?"

"Acting Guardian?" Li Fan was somewhat curious.

He Zhenghao quickly began to explain.

"Because of that lingwu grass incident, I lost most of the savings I'd accumulated over the years. Seeing that I'm getting further and further from the Nascent Soul Cultivation Technique I wanted to exchange for, I'm really unwilling to let it go."

"It just so happens that a few friends recently discovered an Ancient Immortal Cave and invited me to explore it with them. According to them, this cave should have been sealed before the Great Calamity, so there must be many rare treasures inside, and it's not impossible that there are even many Cultivation Techniques."

"If we can gain something, it might make up for my losses. So, I've decided to take a gamble."

Li Fan thought for a moment and didn't give an answer immediately, but instead asked, "How long would you need me to be the Acting Guardian?"

He Zhenghao replied quickly, "It won't be long. A year or two at the shortest, and only three or four years at most."