One expedition team after another traced the ruins’ flight path, scouring the surrounding regions in search of its whereabouts.
Meanwhile, Li Fan remained within the Tianxuan Mirror, quietly awaiting news.
Three more months passed, yet the exploration still yielded no meaningful progress.
It was He Zhenghao who sent word first, his message brimming with excitement.
“Fellow Daoist Li Fan, good news. After some maneuvering, I’ve secured three possible postings, each in a different province. Could you help me weigh the options?”
Li Fan replied at once, “Oh? Let’s hear them.”
“The first is a position as the leader of the Martial Hall in Taihua Province.
“Taihua Province isn’t far from the Congyun Sea. The Taihua Mountain Range stretches across the entire region, earning it the name ‘the province on the mountain’s back.’
“With peaks everywhere, cultivation there would be far faster than in the Congyun Sea.
“The second option is a strategist post in the Strategy Array Hall of Qingwei Province.
“Qingwei lies south of Tianyu Province. Though still distant, it’s much closer than the Congyun Sea.
“The third is a guardian post in Tianyun Province.
"Tianyun Province is located not far west of Tianyu Province, so the competition for this position is extremely fierce.
“If I transfer there, my rank would remain unchanged as a guardian, but I’d be stationed in a city rather than on an island.
“The advantage is its proximity to the Myriad Immortals Alliance headquarters. Promotion opportunities there are far better than elsewhere.”
He Zhenghao carefully laid out the results of his efforts.
Tianyun Province... Li Fan pondered briefly before responding. “There’s no need to rush. I have some acquaintances among the cultivators there. Let me ask around first. Perhaps we can aim for something better.”
He Zhenghao was taken aback. “Fellow Daoist, you have connections in Tianyun Province?”
“Heh, no promises. But it’s worth a try. Wait for my news,” Li Fan replied calmly.
He Zhenghao readily agreed.
Li Fan then contacted Shen Yuzi and explained the situation.
“Senior, do you have any channels?” he asked.
Shen Yuzi’s reply was brief. “I’ll ask for you.”
And then, silence.
Li Fan wasn’t anxious. He waited.
Half a day later, a cultivator named Daoist Jingxuan sent him a friend request. The man was from Tianyun Province.
Intrigued, Li Fan accepted at once.
A hearty voice rang out.
“Hahaha! You must be Li Fan, yes? Shen Yu mentioned you have a friend hoping to take up a post in Tianyun Province.
“A Four-Law Golden Core, tsk, tsk. The younger generation truly is impressive.
“How about this: ask him whether he’s interested in joining the Tianyun Province Garrison Command.
“Heh, after the great battle a few years ago, there are still vacant positions that haven’t been filled.”
Li Fan was momentarily taken aback and couldn’t help asking, “Senior Jingxuan, may I ask... what exactly is the Garrison Command?”
This time it was Jingxuan’s turn to be surprised. He hadn’t expected Li Fan to be completely unfamiliar with it.
But recalling Li Fan’s origins from a remote region, he quickly understood and explained, “The Garrison Command is an organization unique to the Myriad Immortals Alliance’s heartlands.
“It reports directly to headquarters. Its primary duties are to suppress troublemakers and maintain stability within the core provinces.
“In times of crisis, it may also receive emergency orders to deploy elsewhere for combat.”
With this explanation, Li Fan immediately grasped its nature.
In essence, it was no different from the garrison forces of Great Xuan—elite troops stationed outside Xuanjing City, answering only to him and tasked with safeguarding the capital.
It should be considered an important position. But it seems to involve frequent combat. Given He Zhenghao's current temperament, I wonder if he'd be willing to accept.
Li Fan contemplated for a moment, bid farewell to Jingxuan, and contacted He Zhenghao again to explain the situation.
"Garrison Command?" This time, He Zhenghao was truly shaken.
He had spent some time in Tianyu Province during his youth, so he naturally understood what the Garrison Command represented.
Like the Enforcer Hall, it was an organization that answered directly to the Myriad Immortals Alliance headquarters.
Generally speaking, members of the Garrison Command were half a rank higher than those from other official organizations, second only to the Enforcer Hall.
Fellow Daoist Li Fan is truly unfathomable, to think he can actually secure me such a post. Although it carries some danger...
A beautiful figure flashed through He Zhenghao's mind.
He gritted his teeth and agreed immediately.
After learning of He Zhenghao's decision, Li Fan relayed the response to Daoist Jingxuan.
"Excellent!" Jingxuan was very pleased.
"Have your friend come to our Tianyun Province first, to serve as a guardian.
"After completing three years of service and accumulating some experience, I will use my connections to transfer him into the Garrison Command."
Jingxuan then carefully explained various matters to pay attention to before ending the communication.
Li Fan relayed every single word to He Zhenghao without omission.
After listening attentively, He Zhenghao hurried off to prepare for his future position.
Left in quiet, Li Fan thought it over.
Although the matter wasn't fully settled yet, he still transferred one hundred thousand contribution points each to Shen Yuzi and Jingxuan as a token of gratitude.
Of course, he put this debt on He Zhenghao's tab.
***
Tianyun Province.
Upon receiving the contribution points, Shen Yuzi was momentarily stunned, then chuckled wryly.
Jingxuan immediately sent a message asking: "Old charlatan, did you get contribution points from that Li kid? One hundred thousand contribution points! I remember he's only at the Foundation Establishment realm, right? Quite the extravagant gesture!"
Shen Yuzi replied with a laugh: "He's certainly more generous than we were during our Foundation Establishment days, at any rate.
"I simply passed along a message, yet received the same reward as you. Jingxuan, you're not upset, are you?"
Jingxuan laughed heartily: "Hahaha, treating everyone equally—this youngster is quite interesting.”
"Good, very good. I find him much more agreeable than that old fogey Guangwu.
"Since we've accepted his favor, let's put some effort into it. Don't mess this up. You might not care, but if my reputation as Shen Yuzi gets tarnished, heh..."
"Mess up? Who do you think you're looking down on?" Jingxuan snorted coldly and fell silent.
***
Time flowed on.
Three months later, He Zhenghao's official appointment transfer order arrived:
Guardian of Guang'an City, Tianyun Province.
The entire process cost a total of eighty thousand contribution points.
Naturally, it was a loan from Li Fan.
Already weighed down by his numerous debts, one or two more made no difference to He Zhenghao.
Li Fan was equally unstinting, lending whatever amount was requested.
Before his departure, He Zhenghao vowed earnestly that once he established himself in Tianyun Province, he would try to have Li Fan transferred there as well.
Li Fan said nothing, just patting He Zhenghao on the shoulder.
After He Zhenghao left, Li Fan secluded himself inside the Tianxuan Mirror day and night, refusing to go out. He devoted himself fully to cultivation.
Soon, it was Anchor Year 23.
The flying ruins were finally located.
They had landed in a swamp spanning a thousand li at the heart of Jiushan Province.
As cultivators began exploring the site, its origins were uncovered: the ancient immortal sect, Chaoyuan Sect.
Though not as renowned as the Taishang Sect or Great Dao Sect, whose legends endured millennia later, it had been a prestigious orthodox sect before the Great Reformation.
Based on prior experiences exploring sect ruins, this one undoubtedly held vast treasures.
News spread like wildfire, drawing swarms of cultivators to Jiushan Province in pursuit of opportunities.
The already chaotic province descended into further turmoil.
Some cultivators from the Five Elders Council donned simple disguises and brazenly infiltrated the region to plunder the ruins.
Their audacity spoke volumes.
It also revealed how tenuous the Myriad Immortals Alliance’s control over Jiushan Province truly was.
Initially, the Alliance had no intention of interfering with routine ruin exploration.
But then came a report that ignited their fury.
A Spirit Transformation cultivator from the Five Elders Council named Luo Xi had not only openly flaunted his identity, but also leveraged his superior cultivation to injure and kill numerous Alliance explorers.
After delving deep into the ruins and acquiring unknown treasures, he departed unscathed.
Such insolence—on our territory? It was a blatant slap to the face.
Yet suspicion swiftly followed.
This behavior reeked of deliberate provocation. Was there a deeper scheme at play?
Or, could the Five Elders Council be reigniting hostilities?
Regardless, their reputation had to be maintained.
The Myriad Immortals Alliance urgently dispatched several Spirit Transformation experts to Jiushan Province to reinforce their presence.
A stern warning was issued:
All Five Elders Council cultivators were forbidden from entering Jiushan Province.
Those who dared cross the line would meet their deaths!