"You want me to oversee the construction of the core structure?"
Inside Outpost 01-11, Li Fan looked at Xue Mu and the others who had suddenly come to visit, slightly taken aback.
He thought for only a moment before decisively refusing.
"I'm not being modest. During the assessment at the Cosmos Branch Academy, my affinity with the Tianxuan Mirror was just average.
"Fellow Daoist Xue Mu can attest to that.
"I appreciate your kind intentions, but my abilities are truly limited. I cannot shoulder such a heavy responsibility.
"Senior Jiang's mastery of the array path far surpasses mine, and he is widely respected. I see no one more suitable than him." Li Fan said earnestly.
The Nascent Soul array master named Jiang Qigui, noticing the somewhat unfriendly looks from the surrounding cultivators, hurriedly responded, "Fellow Daoist Li Fan, you jest. Your contributions are clear for all to see. How could I dare..."
Before he could finish, Li Fan interrupted with a smile, "Fellow Daoist Jiang, do not misunderstand. Every word I speak is sincere.
"As everyone knows, the final part of the construction procedure requires communication with the central hub device for future adjustments.
"This truly is not my forte. It is not a deliberate refusal on my part."
Seeing Jiang Qigui's hesitation, Li Fan added, "I understand your concern, Senior Jiang. Constructing the outer and inner structures of the array involves much effort but yields relatively less contribution, as calculated by the Tianxuan Mirror.
"Whereas the central core structure, while not requiring immense labor, offers significantly greater contribution.
"Taking over the lead role now would seem like plucking the ripest fruit. You fear future accusations, is that not so?"
Seeing Li Fan lay bare his innermost thoughts without reservation, Jiang Qigui's old face flushed slightly.
Just as he was about to explain, Li Fan continued, "Let me make something clear to everyone. I am already a man with one foot in the grave.
"As for the ranking on the golden leaderboard..." Li Fan paused, quelling a faint surge of indignation in his heart.
With a calm expression, he stated, "I simply do not care about it in the slightest. My only wish is to contribute as much as I can before my demise.
"My sole consideration is the efficiency of array construction.
"So, Fellow Daoist Jiang, there is no need for further refusal. Who else but you is suited for such a heavy responsibility?"
Having said this, Li Fan swept his gaze around the room to express his sincerity.
After hearing Li Fan's heartfelt words, Jiang Qigui's face flushed crimson. He took a deep breath and bowed deeply to Li Fan.
"In that case, I shall not decline out of false modesty! I will certainly live up to your high expectations, Fellow Daoist." Jiang Qigui said solemnly.
Li Fan grasped his hands, his face utterly sincere. "The hard work will fall to you now, Fellow Daoist."
Three days later, Huangfu Song arrived at Outpost 01-11, accompanied by two black-robed cultivators.
He had come in response to Li Fan's request for the Tianxuan Mirror surface, the central hub device.
"Greetings, Senior Huangfu!" Li Fan bowed.
"You..." The portly Huangfu Song looked at Li Fan, his expression complex.
"Well done!" He patted Li Fan's shoulder but said nothing more.
He took out a broken jade talisman, turned, and joined it with the talismans held by the two black-robed cultivators.
Inside the projected light screen, innumerable characters poured downward like a waterfall.
A nearly undetectable ripple spread from the screen, sweeping across the area as though performing an identity check.
Soon after, the ripple withdrew, and a small, finely wrought bronze mirror bearing an archaic motif emerged from the light.
The characters streamed into the mirror’s surface, and the screen of light vanished without leaving a trace.
Only the bronze mirror remained, hovering in the air and giving off a faint yet profound glow.
Huangfu Song’s face hardened as he quickly formed a sequence of hand seals.
He extended a finger toward the heart of the Lifespan-Devouring White Mist beyond the outpost.
Waves stirred across the misty expanse, as if something buried deep within the White Mist was responding to his movements.
Li Fan slightly narrowed his eyes. That should be where the core structure of the Tianxuan Soul-Locking Array had been established.
As expected, moments later, a streak of green light cut through the White Mist.
It plunged toward Outpost 01-11 below and slammed into the bronze mirror suspended in midair.
Specks of green brilliance were swallowed entirely by the mirror, and the green glow circling it slowly drew inward until it disappeared.
When not a hint of that profound aura remained, leaving the mirror looking like an utterly ordinary mundane object, Huangfu Song finally exhaled in relief. He produced a vermilion, square wooden box from his robes and placed the mirror inside.
The instant the mirror entered the box, the once-solid box turned, before everyone’s eyes, into a crimson, translucent apparition.
Then it collapsed inward, condensing into a single red point of light that shot to Huangfu Song’s forehead and came to rest there.
Offering no explanation for his actions, Huangfu Song addressed the group solemnly: "The central hub device will remain under my custody until its final installation is complete.
"Jiang Qigui, approximately how long will this process take your team?"
Jiang Qigui answered without a moment's hesitation: "With everyone working together, we can complete it within seven days."
Huangfu Song nodded slowly. "There's no time to waste. Once this array is finished, I must hurry to other locations."
With that, he looked at Li Fan, his expression softening somewhat. "Thanks to young Li Fan's relentless efforts, the construction progress of your array here is already among the fastest.
"From what I know, even the team at Tianchen, currently ranked first in progress, hasn't completed their entire array yet. They should still be in the process of constructing their central core structure.
"If you push harder, you might even overtake them..."
Just as Huangfu Song was encouraging the group, a cry of surprise suddenly came from the direction of the Tianxuan Mirror, outside the Council Hall.
"What's going on? How did the first-place score suddenly skyrocket like that?
"They've completely pulled away from second place now!"
Hearing these words, the cultivators present instantly shot Huangfu Song strange looks.
"Ah... just a step too slow. But there's still hope for second place," Huangfu Song said, thick-skinned and unperturbed.
"Alright, no time to delay. Set out immediately," he ordered.
Just as everyone was preparing to head to the central zone of the array to complete the final work, another exclamation rang out, drawing the attention of Li Fan and the others.
"Hey, look! That Guo Yezhong, the one who's been stuck in last place the whole time, has finally moved!"
"It's true. His score is still pitifully low, and he's still at the very bottom, but at least he's started working."
Li Fan, Xue Mu, and Jiang Qigui exchanged glances.
A shared sense of something being off immediately settled in their minds.
Guo Yezhong seemed to have started earning points at the exact moment the first Tianxuan Soul-Locking Array was completed.
Was there some connection between the two?
Li Fan turned his gaze to Huangfu Song, seeking an answer.
The fat man shrugged, his expression one of utter ignorance.