Li Fan did not immediately rush to rescue the young girl being tormented by agony. Instead, by sensing everything happening to Lu Xuejing, he slowly comprehended the authority belonging to an owner.

Hmm... I can vaguely perceive the scenes around her. I can also speak directly into her mind and issue commands.

It seems that giving her a spirit talisman for communication was superfluous. It would only leave traces. Better to retrieve it.

Unhurriedly, Li Fan slowly flew to Lu Xuejing's side.

After prolonged suffering, her delicate face was as pale as a sheet of paper. Her entire body seemed as if it had just been pulled from water, soaked through with sweat. Her lithe, well-proportioned figure was faintly visible beneath her damp, translucent garments.

Li Fan placed both hands on Lu Xuejing, steadying her trembling body. His spiritual power exited his body, circulating once through her. Her body put up no defense whatsoever. In the blink of an eye, Li Fan completed his investigation. The young girl held no more secrets from him.

When he clearly saw the Foundation Establishment Curio within Lu Xuejing's dantian, Li Fan couldn't help but feel a pang of emotion.

It was an endless, frozen tundra stretching for a thousand li. He could even faintly make out the scenes of many miniature cities and villages.

A piece of information instantly surfaced in his mind: "Curio of Earth: Rimefrost Crystal."

Truly worthy of a top-tier second-generation immortal from the Myriad Immortals Alliance. Not only did she achieve Foundation Establishment at twenty-three, but her Foundation Establishment Curio is a Curio of Earth, one perfectly compatible with her own constitution and technique.

Her starting point in life is a level most ordinary cultivators could never hope to reach, even after toiling like beasts of burden their entire lives.

A pity her mind isn't quite up to par...

Li Fan's gaze was utterly cold and indifferent.

He continued his analysis.

Her body contains only pure spiritual qi, no other foreign energies. No traces of arrays or restrictions either.

As for the source of this pain... It's as if the most fundamental mechanisms of her body have been directly altered.

Without a master, she loses the foundation upon which her life depends.

What a truly unfathomable ability.

Just as he was marveling inwardly, Lu Xuejing, having been tortured for so long, grew weaker and weaker, clearly on the verge of collapse. Hovering on the very brink of death, her struggles grew feeble, her pupils beginning to lose focus.

"Master... save me." Lu Xuejing's voice suddenly echoed in Li Fan's mind.

At this moment, perhaps driven by the instinct to survive, she finally submitted completely to Li Fan.

Li Fan smiled faintly, gently stroking the top of her head with his right hand.

Lu Xuejing's body arched violently, and she began gasping for air in great heaves as if she could finally breathe smoothly again. A moment later, perhaps a lingering effect of the prolonged agony, her body quickly fell back down. She then began to convulse irregularly.

Li Fan never removed his hand.

Some time later, Lu Xuejing gradually returned to normal. She fell into a deep, heavy sleep, her body and spirit having reached their limit.

Too young and naive. If she returns like this, she'll likely give herself away, even if it concerns her own life.

She still needs further guidance.

Li Fan looked at the unconscious Lu Xuejing, whose cheeks were now colored with an unnatural flush. He withdrew his right hand, then pointed a finger gently toward the center of her brow.

Cloudwater Dream Illusion Art, activate!

With his advancement to the Golden Core realm, the strength of his divine sense had undergone a qualitative leap. The dreamscapes Li Fan wove now felt increasingly real.

In cycle after cycle of these dreams, Li Fan, acting as her master, accompanied and guided Lu Xuejing through the various possible scenarios she might face upon her return.

Within these dreamscapes, woven primarily from Lu Xuejing’s own memories, Li Fan also gained a general understanding of her mother, Lu Xichan.

To summarize: domineering and possessive to an extreme degree.

She had mapped out Lu Xuejing’s cultivation path from a very young age, but burdened with official duties, her true self could not constantly accompany her child. Thus, she left only an avatar to oversee her.

Her word was law, and she shared no emotional communication with her daughter.

If I hadn't intervened, she would have practically ruined the child. Li Fan thought to himself, shaking his head inwardly.

***

When the sun set once more, Lu Xuejing finally awoke from the endless illusions. The confusion in her eyes gradually dissipated.

The moment she saw Li Fan, she instinctively cried out, "Master..."

But she quickly realized her mistake. A flicker of panic flashed in her eyes, yet her body had already formed a conditioned response.

Coupled with the vivid agony of her recent torment, which had felt like falling into the endless hells, Lu Xuejing could not muster the courage to resist.

After only a moment's hesitation, she rolled over and, with practiced grace, knelt before Li Fan, her forehead touching the ground. She did not dare move a muscle without his command.

"You may go now. Lie low patiently, cultivate, and await my orders," Li Fan said after a long while.

"Understood, Master," Lu Xuejing replied, kowtowing once more with a solid thud.

She then rose and flew away. Her movements showed no trace of panic, and her face had regained its previous haughty expression.

With Lu Xuejing positioned to cooperate from within, my chances of entering the Five Elements Grotto-Heavens have increased significantly. Whether I will succeed or not still depends on how events unfold.

Nevertheless, the necessary preparations must still be made.

Li Fan watched Lu Xuejing's figure disappear. A moment later, he himself transformed into a streak of light, returning to Tianyu City.

Before beginning his cultivation, Li Fan first searched for information regarding Guan Xingxiu, the Garrison Command Commander of Tianyu Province.

Back when Ji Hongdao had uncharacteristically allowed him to leave, he had told Li Fan he need not worry about similar “accidents” occurring. Li Fan had sensed then that this Commander's fate might not have been a good one.

A quick check now confirmed it.

First, he was dismissed from his post and investigated.

Then, a verdict was swiftly reached: his cultivation was forcibly lowered by one realm, and he was exiled to the remote southern Lanlin Province.

The punishment could not be considered light.

Besides Guan Xingxiu, two other Garrison Commanders had also received severe punishments. Though not as cruel as having their cultivation lowered, they were still transferred from their posts, disqualifying them from the position of Chief Commander of the Garrison Command.

This is a thunderous message to those below, declaring their determination to complete the construction of the Tianxuan Soul-Locking Arrays.

Whether you were framed or the mastermind of the plot, if you were involved in this matter, you receive eighty heavy strokes.

Using some schemes and intrigues to compete for the position of Chief Commander? Acceptable.

But hindering the progress of the Tianxuan Soul-Locking Array's construction? Unacceptable.

With the sudden withdrawal of three candidates, the next Chief Commander was basically confirmed

It was the one originally considered the least promising, who hadn’t even taken his own candidacy seriously, yet in a sense won by default:

Lv Junyi of Tianyun Province.

Tianyun Province...

It reminded him that He Zhenghao was currently serving in the Garrison Command there.

When a man attains the Dao, even his chickens and dogs ascend to heaven. Li Fan wondered if he might stand to gain some advantage from this turn of events.