Li Fan discreetly examined the item in his hand. At first glance, it appeared to be an ordinary azure Glass Pearl, but upon closer inspection, one could see a radiant flow within, as if a vast blue ocean was being nurtured inside.
"Heaven and Earth Treasure: Canghai Pearl (Initial)."
"Where the sea fades, a new sea is born."
Li Fan never expected to encounter a Heaven and Earth Treasure here! Moreover, it was still in the process of forming, not yet fully matured. Suppressing his excitement, Li Fan placed the Canghai Pearl back in its original spot. He feigned indifference and began to look at other items around him. Until Wu Xingzou announced that time was up, he did not glance at the Canghai Pearl again.
Yin Yuzhen emerged with a mix of regret and excitement, holding a few items. "Aren't you going to pick a few things? It's rare for Wu Xingzou to be so generous; once this opportunity is gone, it's gone," Yin Yuzhen remarked, noticing Li Fan's empty hands.
Wu Xingzou also chimed in, "Yin Manager is right. How can you enter a treasure mountain and leave empty-handed? Wouldn't that be looking down on me, Wu?"
Li Fan thought to himself, it's a good thing you both said that, otherwise I would have brought it up myself. "In that case, it would be impolite to refuse." He walked over to the vicinity of the Canghai Pearl, selected a jade statue, and casually picked up the Canghai Pearl as well. "I'll take these two," Li Fan said somewhat nonchalantly.
The statue was in the shape of an ancient tree. Wu Xingzou glanced at it and praised, "Elder has a good eye. This ancient tree jade statue was found on a remote island in the northernmost part of the Congyun Sea."
"This jade statue was worshipped by a primitive tribe on the island for thousands of years and possesses mystical properties. Ordinary people who place it in their homes can achieve peace of mind and physical well-being," Wu Xingzou extolled the virtues of the jade tree statue but only glanced at the Canghai Pearl without further mention.
"Thanks to Wu Xingzou's generosity," Li Fan cupped his hands, clearly pleased.
"And what about this?" Li Fan toyed with the Canghai Pearl and asked.
"Oh, this? I acquired it from a fisherman on Liuyun Island," Wu Xingzou recalled after a moment. "It's nothing special, just something that looked interesting, so I picked it up."
"Liuyun Island..." Li Fan committed the name to memory.
He quickly changed the subject, "Yin Manager, what did you choose?"
Wu Xingzou's attention shifted to Yin Yuzhen, who had selected a painting, a pair of jade bracelets, and a gemstone. He enthusiastically introduced these items to the two of them.
Li Fan listened perfunctorily, his thoughts entirely focused on the Heaven and Earth Treasure, the Canghai Pearl. As Li Fan's mind wandered, the transaction between the parties concluded. The Tianhua Trading Company acquired a large batch of treasures, while Yin Yuzhen amassed a significant amount of gold and silver.
"Yin Manager, until we meet again," Wu Xingzou sighed, piloting the Wanhua Flying Boat out of their sight.
On the way back, although Yin Yuzhen had gained much, she couldn't hide the worry on her brow. "Are you concerned about the future business of the Treasure Pavilion?" Li Fan asked.
"Yes, without the Tianhua Trading Company, we've lost an important sales channel. I'm afraid the profits of the Treasure Pavilion will take a significant hit," Yin Yuzhen lamented. "I don't know why the Tianhua Trading Company suddenly withdrew from the Congyun Sea."
"Where there's a will, there's a way. No need to worry excessively," Li Fan couldn't think of a solution at the moment, so he offered words of comfort.
Yin Yuzhen nodded, but it was clear she hadn't taken his words to heart. Upon returning to Glass Island, Li Fan bid farewell to Yin Yuzhen and hurried back to the Listening Pavilion. Securing the door tightly, Li Fan took out the Canghai Pearl in his room.
"The original intention of this trip was merely to verify whether the Starsea Sands were meteorite iron. Unexpectedly, I acquired this treasure, a delightful surprise," Li Fan gazed at the Canghai Pearl in his hand, unable to contain his joy.
"But what special properties does this Canghai Pearl possess?" In Li Fan's understanding, each Heaven and Earth Treasure represented a certain characteristic or rule of the world. The horned dragon branch was about devouring and overwhelming the small with the large; the rusted sword dao xuan embodied unyielding will and the ability to slow and rust. The Fragmented Stele was about inscribing decrees and commanding actions. Why was this small Glass Pearl named Canghai? Could it be that it truly contained an ocean within?
Li Fan raised the Canghai Pearl, losing himself in its profound blue hue, his mind entranced. Unfortunately, after studying it for half a day, Li Fan couldn't discern the special properties of the Canghai Pearl. Perhaps only an immortal cultivator could glimpse its mysteries!
Li Fan sighed deeply, reluctantly storing the Canghai Pearl away. Should he absorb it now? Li Fan hesitated for a moment, but according to the feedback from [Return to Origin], the Canghai Pearl was still in its initial state. Absorbing it might only increase the charging progress by 1%-2%. It was better to wait until it fully matured before absorbing it. After all, the item was already in his possession, and he wasn't worried about it escaping.
After a long while, Li Fan finally calmed down from the excitement of obtaining the Heaven and Earth Treasure. Once he settled his mind, Li Fan resumed his cultivation of the Xuanhuang Clear Heart Mantra.
A few days later, Li Fan was awakened by a rapid knocking at the door. It was still dark outside; who could be disturbing him at this hour? Cautiously, Li Fan took out a dagger, hid it in his sleeve, and went to open the door.
"Who is it?"
"Brother Li, it's me."
Xiao Heng's voice came from outside the door. What is this kid doing here at this time? Could it be that I promised him a residence at the Treasure Pavilion and didn't deliver? A trace of doubt crossed Li Fan's mind, but he still opened the door and led Xiao Heng inside.
Xiao Heng's face was filled with urgency and panic. "Sit down and talk."
Once inside, Xiao Heng anxiously said, "Brother Li, something terrible has happened! Our secret of smuggling from the border has been leaked!"
"Who let the news slip?" Li Fan asked, somewhat surprised.
"We don't know. But now everyone on the island knows that we are not natives of the Great Immortal World, but have smuggled here through the Treasure Pavilion. It's said that the immortal master is extremely furious and wants to capture and kill us all. Some of us were so scared that they fled by boat overnight. The rest don't know what to do."
"They all said that Brother Li, you must have a solution, so they sent me to ask you," Xiao Heng explained hurriedly.
After listening, Li Fan thought for a moment and then chuckled, "Don't worry, it's not a big deal."
Xiao Heng was stunned, "Brother Li, why do you say that?"
Li Fan sneered, "Would the authorities notify you in advance if they were going to capture and kill bandits? If they truly intended to kill you, you would have been dead already. Would they let you know about it, allowing you to escape and discuss countermeasures?"
"Brother Li, do you mean this is a deliberately released rumor to scare us?" Xiao Heng realized suddenly.
"But why would they do that?" he asked, still puzzled.
"In my opinion, this matter is not aimed at us," Li Fan suddenly stood up. "Their target is the Treasure Pavilion."
(End of Chapter)