Martial Arts Hall is tried

The last time, the investigation by the Tianji Hall regarding the incident with the green ox pulling the cart was still vivid in his memory, and this time, Li Fan arrived at the central core area of Wanxian Island again.

Passing through the Ce Zhen Hall and continuing inwards, Li Fan stopped in front of a building with a stone tablet engraved with the character “Wu” (Martial) at its entrance.

The moment he saw the character, Li Fan felt a chilling, oppressive atmosphere envelop him.

Illusions seemed to appear before his eyes, as if swords and blades would be upon him the next moment.

“The character is good, but compared to the ‘Chaos’ character stone I saw before, it still lacks a certain flavor,” Li Fan thought to himself, suppressing the instinctive urge to retaliate, as he carefully observed it for a long time.

With a solemn expression, he calmly strode into the Yanwu Hall.

Inside the Ce Zhen Hall, which Li Fan was more familiar with, there were numerous overlapping spaces accessed by teleportation arrays. The main landscape of this Yanwu Hall, however, was composed of many giant stones floating in the air.

Craggy, strange rocks, like countless stars, were scattered throughout the space.

Looking at them abruptly, the shape of each stone was different.

Some resembled humans or beasts, while others were like mountains or water.

On the giant stones, one could vaguely see pavilions, plants, and figures flying by from time to time.

The flying stone Li Fan was currently standing on, however, was extremely special.

It was completely bare and flat as a mirror.

Faint lines of light flowed beneath the stone surface, and the moment Li Fan stepped onto the giant stone, a Formation was activated, and he felt himself uncontrollably transferred to the very center of the flying stone.

A mysterious energy surged from beneath his feet, like an invisible shackle, firmly binding him.

At the same time, Li Fan looked up, and the surrounding flying stones, like a cluster of stars, also underwent mysterious changes.

Originally, Li Fan's position was an inconspicuous corner in the sea of stars.

But when he was restrained, the sky changed, as if the stars were shifting.

In an instant, Li Fan seemed to have arrived at the center of the sea of stars, becoming the absolute focal point of this space.

Li Fan felt even more that at that moment, countless gazes hidden behind the various giant stones were all fixed on him.

Truly the focus of all eyes!

Every gaze was as heavy as a mountain. If it were an ordinary Cultivator who had not seen much of the world, or whose psychological endurance was poor, they would probably have immediately gone weak in the knees and collapsed on the spot.

But Li Fan remained composed, his expression unchanged.

After a moment of confrontation, a solemn and majestic voice boomed from the stone sea, echoing continuously.

“Cultivator Li Fan, due to the [pu xian true leaf price anomaly] incident, you are hereby summoned to be investigated.”

“This investigation is presided over by the Congyun Sea Yanwu Hall, with the Congyun Sea Tianji Hall and Bu Zheng Hall assisting.”

“As this incident has had a wide impact and is extremely serious in nature, the Immortal Alliance Headquarters will dispatch a special envoy to supervise the entire process.”

“Adhering to the principles of fairness, justice, and openness, this investigation process will not be kept secret and will be subject to the supervision of all members of the Immortal Alliance.”

After a long string of introductory remarks delivered verbatim by the grand voice, the main topic finally arrived.

“Cultivator Li Fan, during the investigation, you may defend yourself.”

“However, you are responsible for the truthfulness of every word you say. If any concealment or deception is discovered, you will be punished according to the severity of the circumstances and the Immortal Alliance regulations.”

The grand voice entered his mind, and Li Fan nodded, indicating that he understood.

“Now, I declare the investigation officially open.”

“Please, Yanwu Hall, Jin Chongcheng, recount the details of this incident.”

A flash of light, and a Cultivator dressed in the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance Yanwu Hall's standard uniform appeared out of thin air above the flying stone where Li Fan was located.

He was above Li Fan, looking down.

Yet, he looked up at the flying stones scattered across the sky and began to speak.

“This abnormal fluctuation in the price of pu xian true leaf originated from a statement made by this Cultivator Li Fan sixteen days ago.”

“He conveyed the message that [pu xian true leaf price would skyrocket] to the outside world through Jiao Xiuyuan’s mouth, and then…”

Jin Chongcheng concisely summarized the cause and effect of the matter, and as he spoke, images also appeared on the sky screen.

The price fluctuation curve of pu xian true leaf, the scene of Cultivators frantically buying, and the appearance of countless Cultivators who suffered heavy losses after the tianxuan mirror stabilized the situation.

“Furthermore, we noticed that Cultivator Li Fan had already purchased a large amount of stock before the price of pu xian true leaf rose. And he sold it at the peak, earning a large profit.”

“In summary, we believe that Cultivator Li Fan is suspected of spreading false information, exploiting the public's herd mentality to seek exorbitant profits, and maliciously undermining the stability of the Immortal Alliance,” Jin Chongcheng added.

After he finished speaking, the Yanwu Hall was silent.

Li Fan felt the gazes falling on him intensify.

If it were an ordinary Cultivator, they would probably have turned pale and confessed without prompting.

But Li Fan spoke up boldly, interrupting Jin Chongcheng, “I object!”

“You say I spread false information? Where does that even come from! Yes, I did make a little profit in this incident…”

Ignoring the faint killing intent emanating from the gazes, Li Fan continued, “However, wealth, companions, techniques, and land – it is only natural for Cultivators to pursue profit. I have the ability to deduce the future; what fault is there in profiting from this?”

“And the subsequent price trend of pu xian true leaf was consistent with my predictions. Doesn't this just prove the accuracy of my deductions?!” Li Fan said righteously.

Whispers arose in the Yanwu Hall.

“Silence!”

“Regarding the legitimacy of profiting from the art of deduction, please, Elder Gongsun Qixuan of the Tianji Hall, speak.”

Light flashed, and Jin Chongcheng disappeared from everyone's sight.

In his place appeared a young scholar who looked to be only in his twenties.

Although his appearance was quite handsome, his complexion was listless.

“It’s him…” Li Fan narrowed his eyes, looking at the other party, and nodded in acknowledgment.

This Gongsun Qixuan was precisely the Cultivator he had encountered when he was investigated by the Tianji Hall. The mysterious aura that inadvertently emanated from this person had left a deep impression on Li Fan.

After Gongsun Qixuan also kindly greeted Li Fan, he lightly coughed and slowly said, “Our Tianji Hall’s view has never changed.”

“The results obtained through deduction can absolutely be used as a reference for future actions. If not for this, why would our Tianji Hall be established?”

“If we can all do this, there is naturally no reason to forbid Fellow Daoists in the Alliance from doing so.”

Gongsun Qixuan’s words were extremely fair.

Li Fan nodded repeatedly as he listened.

Just then, he changed the subject, his sharp gaze fixed on Li Fan.

“However, I suspect whether Fellow Daoist Li Fan truly possesses the ability to deduce the future!”

“If the matter of [pu xian true leaf price will skyrocket] was truly deduced by him, our Tianji Hall advocates his innocence.”

“Conversely…”

A cold glint flashed in Gongsun Qixuan’s eyes.

“If this matter was fabricated by him out of thin air…”

“We recommend that he be executed with extreme punishment.”