Mogan Mountain.
In the midst of the vast mountains, the Lan Family Fortress. Kuaishu Pavilion.
Tonight was destined to be sleepless.
Too many people had died.
The Lan family had lost a full one to two hundred people, reducing the number of Lan family members by nearly a third.
Many familiar faces would never be seen again.
The City Lord's Mansion was even more tragic.
Over a thousand strong individuals were annihilated.
This was the elite force that the Li family, the City Lord's Mansion of Jiangnan City, had accumulated for twenty full years.
A full ten Xuan Gang realm experts.
Among them, three were in the late stage of the Xuan Gang realm.
Over a hundred peak Qi Refining realm cultivators!
The rest were all above the Qi Refining realm.
Such a luxurious lineup could not be assembled by all the other families in Jiangnan City combined.
However, with the deaths of City Lord Li Yuanzheng, Young City Lord Li Qingxuan, and this batch of elite experts, the Li family of Jiangnan City's City Lord's Mansion was effectively defunct.
The ruler of Jiangnan City had, in fact, become the Lan family.
It all depended on whether the Lan family wanted the title of City Lord.
"Xiao Fan, your hair..."
"Master, what exactly happened? Is it related to Li Yuanzheng destroying the grand formation?"
After everything was properly handled.
Lan Tianxiong and his wife, along with Lan Junjie, Li Shan, and Liang Hutou, finally voiced the question that had been weighing on their hearts for a long time.
Ling Fan shook his head indifferently and said, "Just a small trouble, nothing to worry about."
Since he had said so, even though everyone had myriad doubts, they could only suppress them and refrain from asking further.
In any case, they all vaguely felt that Ling Fan had paid an extremely heavy price this time.
...
In the next day or two.
The patriarchs and clan leaders of Jiangnan City's martial arts families came one after another, bringing generous gifts and displaying extreme humility.
However, they did not even get to see Ling Fan.
After Ling Fan resolved the matters, he disappeared from everyone's sight, leaving the handling of these affairs to Lan Tianxiong and his wife.
...
In the room.
Lan Xueyi was still asleep.
The seven days and seven nights of tribulation had indeed exhausted her.
However, the benefits she gained from the bloodline transformation were also unimaginable, the first being the improvement of her talent and aptitude.
Her current talent, even in the entire lower realm, could definitely be considered a top-tier genius.
If powerful sects were to learn of her existence, they would surely compete to take her as a disciple.
After the bloodline transformation, her physical potential also greatly increased. As her strength continuously improved, she would not need to cultivate specifically; her physical strength would soar, becoming extremely powerful.
It was likely that at that time, relying on her physical strength alone, she could crush opponents of the same level.
This was the monstrous aspect of the Nine Deaths Spirit Phoenix Body.
Furthermore, Xueyi seemed to have become even more beautiful.
Her skin was already good before, fair and tender, as if it could be broken by a touch.
Now, it was even more delicate and smooth, like a baby's, fair with a hint of rosy blush.
Especially the parts below her neck, they were radiantly white, dazzlingly so.
And...
Her figure also seemed to have become more voluptuous. Where it should be thin, it was thin; where it should be large, it was large.
What was already a devilish figure had now become even more visually impactful.
With such a beauty before him, and moreover, his wife, Ling Fan couldn't help but gaze at her for a long time.
To show his appreciation and respect.
Suddenly, he thought that although he was married to Xueyi in name.
It seemed they hadn't consummated their marriage yet.
This matter needed to be put on the agenda promptly.
Procrastination was not his style.
After indulging in fantasies for a while, Ling Fan smiled and shook his head after a long time.
It seemed that after reincarnating for some time, he had completely integrated into his current identity.
However, there was nothing wrong with this.
Cultivation was not just about cultivating strength, but also about cultivating the mind.
Love and hate, joy and sorrow, these were all parts of life.
Even the most powerful experts could not escape these bonds.
Moreover, if these bonds and emotions were absent, what would be the meaning of living?
What would be the difference from a cold and ruthless weapon?
Seeing Xueyi like this, she would likely sleep for another day or two before waking up.
Ling Fan casually sat by the bedside and began to recuperate.
The seven days of Xueyi's tribulation had consumed him greatly.
Moreover, the backlash he suffered when the Vermilion Bird Xuan Fire Grand Formation was destroyed was too severe, causing him to sustain quite heavy injuries.
Although not fatal, it was still unpleasant!
Furthermore, Ling Fan had no time to heal. After using the Great Underworld Wheel Technique to suppress the blood fire of the first tribulation of the Nine Deaths Spirit Phoenix Body, he then activated the True Martial Fist, the sixth of the Thirty-Six Heavenly Glimpsing Techniques, and forcefully killed Li Yuanzheng.
The series of events placed an unimaginable burden on his body.
It was Ling Fan himself; any other cultivator at the Qi Refining, Xuan Gang, or even Tian Yuan realm would have died countless times.
Half of a blood-red fruit appeared in Ling Fan's hand.
It was the Blood Spirit Fruit that Xinghe Zi had painstakingly cultivated for over a hundred years while lying in wait in the Xing Sha Lake ruins.
Ling Fan did not consume it directly.
In his current state, he could not absorb the Blood Spirit Fruit directly.
One must understand that a void cannot receive nourishment.
However, he possessed the Samsara Divine Cauldron. As long as it was refined and purified by the Samsara Divine Cauldron, all the side effects of the Blood Spirit Fruit could be eliminated.
The Samsara Divine Cauldron flew out from his body, and a powerful refining force enveloped the Blood Spirit Fruit, immediately drawing it into the cauldron.
Soon, the Blood Spirit Fruit disappeared within the cauldron, replaced by a pool of spiritual liquid at the bottom of the cauldron, about half a finger deep...
Ling Fan opened his mouth and swallowed, immediately consuming about ten drops of the spiritual liquid.
The injuries in his body began to slowly recover.
At the same time, his consumed energy was rapidly replenished.
...
A full day and night.
Ling Fan's injuries had basically recovered.
Ling Fan spent another day using the remaining portion of the Blood Spirit Fruit's spiritual liquid to further push his cultivation to the peak of the Qi Refining realm.
As for the consumption of lifespan, this was irreparable.
Unless he could find some extremely rare and precious divine medicines in the future, such as the Heavenly Pool Peach, the Ten Thousand Year Ginseng Fruit, or the Heavenly Dragon Inner Core.
Or perhaps refine a Heavenly-grade Longevity Treasure Pill to extend his lifespan.
Ordinary heavenly materials and earthly treasures, or spiritual herbs and old medicines, would have no effect at all.
Of course, breaking through cultivation could also grant some lifespan.
However, the effect of breaking through to the Xuan Gang realm or Tian Yuan realm was very small.
This was because the side effects of the Great Underworld Wheel Technique were too overbearing and troublesome.
It was likely that only by breaking through to the Giant Spirit realm or even the Condensing Core realm could his lifespan truly be replenished.
And now, Ling Fan only had about a year left.
If it were anyone else, they would probably have only death as their path.
But he was Ling Fan!
The dignified Emperor Qingyun.
Even if it was a bit tricky, it was merely so.
"Brother Fan..."
Suddenly, someone called out from behind him.
The voice was sweet and pleasant.
Ling Fan opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing past.
Turning around, he saw Xueyi propping herself up with one hand, looking at him with a smile.
In her eyes, there was still a trace of lazy drowsiness.
Beneath the thin veil, her exquisite body was faintly visible.
"Xueyi, you're awake."