Zhou Qing'ang stammered an explanation, "With how the Spirit Mist Grass prices were trending back then, who could resist?
“Word was spreading like wildfire; there wasn't a single island guardian across the Congyun Sea who didn't speculate. If I'd stood apart from the crowd, wouldn't I have risked blowing my cover?
"Who knew the prices would crash so abruptly..."
Then, as if struck by a sudden realization, he shot a suspicious glance at the face within the broken stone. "Boss... don’t tell me you speculated too?"
The face sidestepped the question and snapped, "Enough! How much do you need?"
Zhou Qing'ang hesitated briefly before murmuring, "A hundred thousand..."
"A hundred thousand?!" The face’s voice rose sharply.
"Impossible! Funds are tight right now. You and the others have been undercover this long with next to nothing to show for it. What grounds do I have to request more resources from the higher-ups?" The face rejected him without hesitation.
Seeing this, Zhou Qing'ang quickly added, "But there has been progress, real progress! I’ve nearly decoded the outer structure of the Heavenly Vitality Transformation Array. In another seven or eight years at most, I’ll have the core fully deciphered.
"And this time, He Zhenghao suffered heavy losses too. I’m asking for these hundred thousand contribution points so I can seize the chance to strengthen my ties with him.
"He’s an expert in arrays who even took part in setting up the island protection array, and he’s completely guileless. With his help, we’re bound to decipher the array much sooner."
Hearing this, the face’s expression softened slightly.
After a pensive silence, it finally replied slowly, "In that case, transmit the decoded array data to me first."
Zhou Qing'ang nodded, pressed both palms against the broken stone again, and closed his eyes. Earthy yellow light flickered intermittently from his palms. Only after a long while did he withdraw his hands. This act seemed to drain him mentally, and his face was now deathly pale.
The face remained impassive, as though verifying the data’s authenticity.
"Mm, well done," it acknowledged after a moment.
"Still, a hundred thousand is far too much. Fifty thousand. That’s my offer." The face abruptly shifted his tone.
Zhou Qing'ang grimaced. "Boss, fifty thousand is far too little! Seventy thousand, or even sixty thousand would do!"
But the face ignored him entirely. "Fifty top-grade spirit stones. Fetch them from the usual spot one month from now. That’s final!"
The light from the broken stone faded, leaving behind an ordinary-looking rock.
Zhou Qing'ang slammed his palm down and shattered the stone to dust, his face dark with frustration.
Reverting to his original appearance, he returned to Tai’an Island in silence. He stayed dutifully within the island protection array, showing no outward sign of being an undercover spy.
It seems there are quite a few agents working on the same operation under this handler aside from Zhou Qing'ang.
However, the spies in this chain probably don’t hold high positions within the Alliance yet. Their current mission priority appears limited to deciphering the island protection array.
Besides, their method of communication seems to require re-establishing contact each time. Though cumbersome, this one-way link reduces the risk of the entire network being exposed.
Once Li Fan saw that Zhou Qing'ang had settled back into his role without further moves, he withdrew his attention and began calculating how to maximize gains from the situation.
Aside from the method to evade the White Jade Heart-Questioning Platform, Zhou Qing'ang’s face-changing technique would be incredibly useful to me as well. It’d be best to obtain both methods before reporting him to claim merit.
A shame I still haven’t uncovered the legendary soul-searching technique.
The Myriad Immortals Alliance seemed to regulate such methods extremely strictly. Even with Li Fan’s current Yan 8 permission level, he hadn’t found so much as a fragment of related information.
I wonder if there might be an opportunity in the Fallen Immortal Realm.
Not long ago, Li Fan had vaguely sensed that the cooldown period for the Fallen Immortal Realm had ended. However, he had been busy hunting down defectors to complete merit tasks, so he had yet to enter it.
Now that he finally had some free time, Li Fan felt the urge to explore the Fallen Immortal Realm once more. Thus, he immediately began setting up the ritual.
"Blessed be Heavenly Venerable Xuanhuang!"
As he silently completed the final incantation, countless chaotic, fragmented voices flooded his ears.
With that, Li Fan had entered the Fallen Immortal Realm once more.
"Junior brother? Junior brother?"
When Li Fan could clearly see his surroundings, his heart sank slightly.
"Junior brother, what are you thinking about? Why have you been spacing out for so long?"
Before him was a cultivator wearing purple and white Daoist robes, with a purple lightning mark between his eyebrows.
Li Fan was quite familiar with this person. It was Zhang Qianmo, whom he had encountered during his previous entry into the Fallen Immortal Realm.
Why am I here again? Countless questions instantly flashed through Li Fan's mind.
According to what Chen Ying had told him, he should appear in a different random location each time he entered the Fallen Immortal Realm.
Why was his second entry point exactly the same as the first? Even the timing was precisely identical. Was there some special reason for this?
Connecting this to his unique ability to have two lives in the Fallen Immortal Realm, a technique suddenly surfaced in Li Fan's mind.
Could it be because of the Xuanhuang Heart Refinement Sutra again?
Li Fan made this guess instinctively.
Last time, my divine sense incarnation was revealed. I was no match for Zhang Qianmo, and was slain by him.
If I defeat him this time, will the outcome be different?
However, this Senior Brother Zhang is not someone who can be easily dealt with.
Or perhaps, I could avoid being discovered by hiding within Li Chen's shell...
Instantly, numerous thoughts surged through Li Fan's mind.
Nevertheless, he didn't forget to respond to this seemingly frivolous senior brother before him.
Recalling what would happen next, Li Fan's thoughts raced: "Ah, Senior Brother, for some reason, I suddenly feel uneasy. It's as if this trip to retrieve the longevity fruits won't go smoothly."
Zhang Qianmo was slightly taken aback. Instead of dismissing it, he treated the matter with unusual seriousness.
He made some calculating gestures with his right hand, and purple clouds seemed to drift through his eyes.
"Eh?" Moments later, Zhang Qianmo's expression turned grave.
"Junior Brother, your premonition is correct. There is indeed something strange about Ningyuan City!"
"Really?" Li Fan feigned great surprise. "Then, Senior Brother, what should we do next?"
Zhang Qianmo pondered for a moment before saying, "My divination shows there is a slight risk, but no life-threatening danger.
"We must retrieve the longevity fruits. If we return to the sect for reinforcements without even setting foot in Ningyuan City ourselves, wouldn't we become the laughingstock of our fellow disciples?
"Why don't the two of us sneak into the city to check out the situation first?"
Li Fan had no objections: "You are absolutely right, Senior Brother!"
Zhang Qianmo activated some unknown method, and the lightning mark on his forehead gradually faded as he completely suppressed his aura.
Watching this scene, Li Fan felt a sudden compulsion. In no time, he similarly concealed his own presence with practiced precision.
So this is the aura-concealing method from the Purple Firmament Thunder Invocation Art...
Much like controlling a character in a game, Li Fan could currently utilize all of Li Chen's techniques and moves, yet he possessed little genuine understanding of their underlying principles.