"What is happening?"
In a state of shock, Li Fan's Water Mirror Technique shattered with a loud crash. His mind was in turmoil, engulfed in confusion. After a moment, Li Fan gradually regained his composure.
"Could it be that this 'Thousand Mysteries Jade Golden Seal' has a problem?" His first reaction was to suspect the cultivation method. In the Immortal Cultivation World after the great changes in heaven and earth, the so-called "discern the mechanism" might no longer be applicable.
After all, Li Fan was currently within the Island Protection Array of Tai'an Island. Tai'an Island was located in the central region of the Congyun Sea, under the influence of the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals. It had always been safe and sound; how could it be that just after a closed-door cultivation session, a great disaster was looming?
However, sensing the dense aura of death around him, Li Fan couldn't easily convince himself otherwise. The unease in his heart grew stronger.
Li Fan made a decisive decision. Regardless of whether it was true or false, he decided to first head to Ten Thousand Immortals Island to avoid disaster. He immediately planned to activate the teleportation array to go to Ten Thousand Immortals Island. But to his dismay, the teleportation array showed no response!
Li Fan's expression turned somber. He took out the communication talisman given to him by He Zhenghao, attempting to contact him. Infusing it with spiritual energy, still, there was no response!
It was evident that something strange and unexpected had indeed occurred. Staying on Tai'an Island would be a dead end; he couldn't sit and wait for death!
Li Fan summoned the Taiyan Boat and took out the "Congyun Sea Atlas," preparing to personally pilot the flying boat. The spirit stones powering the Taiyan Boat were nearly depleted, but fortunately, during his previous extravagant shopping spree, the "Cultivator's Solo Travel Essential Kit" he purchased included a good number of spirit stones.
Li Fan estimated that it would take about two to three months to fly from Tai'an Island to Ten Thousand Immortals Island. The spirit stones should be sufficient.
At this moment, Li Fan no longer cared about the task of guarding the island. He directly piloted the flying boat, ready to leave. Just as the Taiyan Boat was about to fly out of the Island Protection Array, Li Fan suddenly sensed an endless killing intent outside.
It was as if ten thousand sharp swords filled the space between heaven and earth. Li Fan's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately halted the Taiyan Boat. His intuition told him that if he left the Island Protection Array, he would surely die!
Li Fan squinted his eyes, gazing at the calm sea, unsure of where the danger was coming from. Ultimately, Li Fan chose not to take the risk. He put away the Taiyan Boat and decided to first inquire with the island's mortals about recent events.
When his divine sense swept across the entire island, he was shocked. It turned out that the island's population had decreased by a third. Those who remained appeared emaciated, as if they hadn't eaten in a long time.
Realizing that something significant must have happened during his closed-door cultivation, Li Fan's expression turned grim as he flew to the residence of the Island Lord of Tai'an Island. Since taking over the responsibility of guarding the island, Li Fan had been in seclusion and hadn't paid much attention to mundane affairs. He had only met the Island Lord a few times.
Now, seeing Li Fan, the Island Lord immediately knelt on the ground, kowtowing and wailing. "Immortal Master, have mercy! Immortal Master, have mercy! Please save us!"
The Island Lord wept bitterly, his forehead nearly bleeding from the kowtowing. "What exactly happened? Speak quickly!" Li Fan's expression was extremely somber.
"To report to the Immortal Master, life has become unbearable. It hasn't rained for half a year, and the island's freshwater and food supplies are nearly exhausted. If this continues, everyone will starve to death!" The Island Lord cried while kowtowing.
"Half a year without rain?" Li Fan recalled what Zhang Haobo had told him years ago. "So the drought has come. But why did the Profound Mirror tell me there wouldn't be any major changes? Does this scale of drought not even concern the Profound Mirror?"
The Island Lord continued to wail, "The fish near the shore have all been caught, and the weather is too hot. None of the fleets venturing far out to sea have returned alive. We're all on the brink of starvation! Immortal Master, have mercy, save us!"
Annoyed by the Island Lord's cries, Li Fan noticed that despite his emaciated appearance, the Island Lord still had a body full of fat. Infuriated, Li Fan said, "Half the mortals on the island have starved to death, yet you haven't lost any weight?"
The Island Lord turned pale, about to defend himself. But Li Fan, having scanned the Island Lord's kitchen with his divine sense, was even more enraged. Without waiting for the Island Lord to speak, he slapped him into a pulp.
"Squandering resources, death is deserved!" Li Fan snorted coldly and used the power of the grand array to transmit his voice across the island. "The Island Lord has been executed by me. All other officials, come to the Island Lord's residence to see me!"
Moments later, several mortals arrived before Li Fan, trembling with fear. Seeing that they too appeared malnourished, Li Fan suppressed his killing intent. Through their tearful recounting, Li Fan finally understood what had transpired during his year of seclusion.
The drought began six months ago. Initially, after many days without rain, no one paid much attention. But after two consecutive months without a drop of rain, panic spread among the island's inhabitants.
The island had freshwater sources, but as the days without rain continued, they gradually dried up. Initially, they could rely on catching fish near the shore, but as the weather grew hotter, fish could no longer be caught around the island, and the fleets venturing out never returned. Tai'an Island fell into famine.
In just one month, a third of the island's population perished, and countless tragedies occurred. Those who remained were barely surviving. If Li Fan had delayed his emergence from seclusion any longer, he might not have seen any living people.
Given the situation, Li Fan couldn't stand by and do nothing. When he left the Great Xuan Kingdom years ago, the Taiyan Boat was filled with food, in addition to a few cabins of gold and silver treasures. It was a precautionary measure for exploring the unknown Immortal Cultivation World. Unexpectedly, after nearly ten years, it finally came into use.
The Taiyan Boat had a Dust-Cleansing Array, ensuring the food wouldn't spoil. Li Fan immediately expanded the Taiyan Boat to its maximum size and ordered the island's mortals to unload some of the food for emergency relief.
Seeing the Immortal Master bring life-saving food, the island's people were so moved that they knelt on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly. Li Fan ignored them, letting them celebrate.
The food in the Taiyan Boat, if rationed, should last the island's inhabitants several months. The primary issue was solving the freshwater problem. With water, they could survive.
Li Fan went to the island's main freshwater source, a medium-sized lake in the island's center. The area around the lake was already guarded, preventing ordinary people from approaching. Due to the prolonged lack of rain, the lake had significantly shrunk, leaving only a tenth of its original size, on the verge of drying up completely.
"When the Island Protection Array was built, we never anticipated a water shortage..." Holding the Tai'an Island Guardian Order, Li Fan shook his head helplessly. "It seems I'll have to construct a seawater purification array."
(End of Chapter)