Chapter 757

Chapter 757: We Are Good Friends

"I was just kidding earlier; your dad is, of course, your dad. He’ll always be your dad," Xu Fan said.

"I get it now, Grand Elder," Li Lei Hu replied, bowing respectfully.

As the thunder calamity continued, gentle waves of thunder struck Butcher Li, almost like they were tickling him.

Butcher Li stood still, letting the thunder hit him without moving a muscle, even letting out a few satisfied sounds.

Lightning dragons swirled around Butcher Li in waves; as one wave finished merging, another would appear.

A total of nine waves of lightning dragons merged with him.

With that, he had completed the Tribulation of the Physical Body.

Butcher Li’s eyes regained their focus.

"I’ve just passed the Tribulation of the Physical Body," Butcher Li said, feeling the power within him.

"You’ve passed it, and the scale of your thunder calamity was impressive—even more so than the Grand Elder’s back in the day," Spirit Cut said, stepping forward.

Li Lei Hu followed closely behind.

"I’m nothing compared to the Grand Elder; I’m just a small fry. Old Zhan, don’t hype me up too much," Butcher Li quickly shook his head.

"Dad, are you really a reincarnation of a great being?" Li Lei Hu asked eagerly.

"Didn’t I tell you I once dreamed of controlling a realm’s thunder calamity? I mentioned it before, but you didn’t believe me," Butcher Li teased.

"Who would believe that?" Li Lei Hu looked at his dad, who seemed just the same as always, and felt relieved.

"Greetings, Grand Elder," Butcher Li said, bowing to Xu Fan.

"No need for formalities. I heard you were going through a thunder calamity, so I came to watch, though I didn’t end up being much help," Xu Fan said with a smile.

"It’s an honor just to have the Grand Elder witness my thunder calamity; I wouldn’t dare trouble you to intervene," Butcher Li replied.

"I’ve prepared a gift for you in the sect’s treasury. You can go and collect it directly," Xu Fan said.

Xu Fan instructed Grape to pick out a thunder attribute celestial tool-level spirit ore from the batch he’d recently acquired to give to Butcher Li.

Cultivators who focus on the Way of Lightning usually need thunder attribute spirit ore to refine their thunder techniques.

Even as a reincarnation of a great being, it’s good to build connections.

That’s a saying in the cultivation world, especially since reincarnation and possession happen fairly often among practitioners.

"Thank you for the generous gift, Grand Elder," Li Lei Hu said gratefully.

"Your growing strength will benefit the sect as well," Xu Fan replied with a smile.

Xu Fan giving gifts to Li Lei Hu wasn’t unusual; in the Hidden Spirit Sect, anyone reaching the Overcoming Tribulations stage would receive a big gift from him.

When Spirit Cut and Su Rantian advanced to the Great Ascension Master level, he gifted each of them a celestial tool.

At the time, Xu Fan’s true body was still in a coma, and Grape handled the arrangements.

After Butcher Li finished his thunder calamity, Xu Fan returned to Hidden Spirit Island.

In the underground space, Xu Fan listened to Grape’s report.

"The celestial tool-level spirit ore stars you brought back last time can push the overall progress of Hidden Spirit Island to 70%."

"Based on these spirit ores, we still need more celestial tool-level spirit ores to complete the task."

A light curtain appeared before Xu Fan, displaying a long list of spirit ores.

"So we still need this much. Looks like I’ll have to make another trip to the towering tree in a few hundred years," Xu Fan said, stroking his chin.

"If possible, I suggest you give him the list directly. That way, his accuracy in collecting the disaster spirit ores will be higher," Grape advised from the side.

Xu Fan produced a jade slip and condensed the contents of the list Grape provided into it.

"That makes sense. I’ll be right back."

As Xu Fan spoke, he teleported to the surface of the lake where the Celestial Turtle was resting.

"Wake up, we’ve got work to do," Xu Fan said to the sleeping Celestial Turtle, who was dozing off.

The Celestial Turtle, just starting to fall asleep, seemed reluctant, but under Xu Fan’s threat of smashing its turtle eggs, it slowly rose to the water’s surface.

"Do a good job, and there’ll be a reward. I’ll take down that Two-headed Fish Giant Beast for you and refine some life-restoring holy elixirs."

"Not only will they enhance your child’s bloodline, but they’ll also strengthen your body."

Hearing Xu Fan’s words, the Celestial Turtle instantly perked up with motivation.

Meanwhile, the Two-headed Fish Giant Beast resting at the lakebed looked mournfully toward Xu Fan’s direction.

It wanted to move; it wanted to escape; it wanted to return to its familiar place.

It bore no grudge against the human race; it was simply suppressed after a brief encounter, feeling utterly wronged.

"Stay put here. When I return, I’ll make it quick for you," Xu Fan reassured the panicking Two-headed Fish Giant Beast.

In the most secretive area of the Extreme Void Domain, the towering tree stood tall in the void.

A dark silhouette looked on with satisfaction, observing the location.

Surely, moving the towering tree here would go unnoticed?

At that moment, the roar of the Celestial Turtle echoed through the Extreme Void Domain.

Spatial fluctuations surged like tides, and the Celestial Turtle brought Xu Fan before the towering tree.

Xu Fan leapt from the Heavenly Roc Palace, and behind him appeared a thousand-foot-tall thousand-hand illusion.

All the hands of the thousand-hand illusion began forming seals.

A golden crow shone brightly above the towering tree.

The divine fire instantly ignited thousands of Bat Giant Beasts.

A dark silhouette appeared not far from Xu Fan, watching him warily.

"You’ve been given everything you wanted. Why are you still here?" the dark silhouette asked.

"Yes, you’ve given me what I wanted, but something feels off now that I’m heading back."

"You giving me things counts as help, and I must return the favor. As the saying goes, ‘courtesy demands reciprocity.’"

"I noticed your towering tree has been stuck in this dark, sunless area for too long, so I thought I’d install a sun for you," Xu Fan said casually.

"Please take it away. I don’t need it."

The dark silhouette watched as one Bat Giant Beast after another was extinguished by the golden crow’s divine fire and clenched his fists in frustration.

"We’re friends here; no need to be so formal," Xu Fan said with a smile.

"What more do you want?" the dark silhouette asked, his voice tinged with sadness and anger.

Xu Fan tossed a jade slip toward him.

"Consider this the fee for my sun. After all, helping each other among friends comes with a price."

The dark silhouette caught the jade slip and glanced at it briefly.

"These things will take 100 years to gather. I hope that after this, you won’t come looking for me again."

"Though you are powerful, if I unleash all my Bat Giant Beasts…" the dark silhouette paused briefly before continuing, "you will still suffer serious injuries."

His tone carried a hint of melancholy, a sense of helplessness, and a touch of determination.

"Don’t say things like that. Since you’ve given me something, we’re friends. Isn’t it right for friends to help one another?"

"Then I’ll visit you again in 100 years," Xu Fan said, returning to the Heavenly Roc Palace.

The Celestial Turtle’s four legs stirred up spatial fluctuations and then vanished.