“Beyond that, it seems his body is shrouded in layers of secret arts,” the woman in green robes said slowly. “Trying to read him is like gazing at flowers through dense fog—vague, shifting, utterly unfathomable.”
At her words, Li Chenfeng, Zhu Shaotang, and the others exchanged glances, shock rippling through their hearts.
They knew all too well what the Empire’s two Holy Masters represented. Qing and Hong were ancient beings who had endured since the ancient era, personally witnessing the Empire’s rise from a fragile gathering of mortals into the vast dominion it was today. Throughout that long evolution, their guidance had been indispensable.
In the eyes of the Empire’s people, the two Holy Masters were the absolute embodiments of power and wisdom.
And yet now, Holy Master Qing herself admitted that she could not see through that envoy.
Recalling his own earlier rashness in front of that man, Li Chenfeng felt a chill crawl up his spine, and a wave of belated fear washed over him.
“Perhaps I have been away from this place for too long,” Qing sighed softly, a trace of melancholy in her voice. “I’ve grown... unaccustomed.”
That single sentence allowed Li Chenfeng to finally breathe a little easier.
Hundreds of li away.
Sensing the intermittent, blurred impressions transmitted back through Formless Killing Mechanism, Li Fan was quietly astonished.
This Holy Master is no ordinary figure either . He thought. To vaguely sense Formless Killing Mechanism and even make countermeasures...
Fortunately, my own methods are still superior.
Exchanging contribution points for the Empire’s technologies, especially something like the Divine Beast Armor, was an arrangement Li Fan was more than willing to accept. However, if cooperation truly deepened and he had to maintain the facade long-term, relying on himself alone would be risky. One misstep, and the act could collapse.
Moreover, managing the circulation of five million contribution points would also spread him too thin.
It’s time to move forward with the original plan. Li Fan decided.
His divine sense locked onto He Zhenghao’s location. As he headed toward Liuli Island, his appearance shifted once more, transforming into that of the ancient Heavenly Mechanisms Sect cultivator.
***
He Zhenghao had been having a miserable time lately.
The constant barrage of inquiries flooding his communication spirit talisman finally drove him to seal it away entirely inside his storage ring, buying himself a rare moment of peace.
These days, he didn’t dare step half a foot outside Liuli Island.
As stories of his meteoric rise spread, more and more people sought him out. Some wanted to test the credentials of that mysterious senior for themselves. Others hoped to latch onto a powerful patron and recreate He Zhenghao’s own ascent.
Still others spouted incomprehensible nonsense, proposing all sorts of transactions.
The sheer volume left him drained physically and mentally.
In the end, he could only use seclusion as an excuse, hiding within the Mountain River Constellation Array on Liuli Island and refusing to show his face.
Bitterness filled He Zhenghao’s heart.
It wasn’t that he was being intentionally evasive; ever since the day the Heavenly Mechanisms Sect senior joined the Myriad Immortals Alliance, he had simply vanished without a trace.
There was no word or sign of the man.
What was he supposed to do about that?
Just as he was fretting over how to explain things to his friends, a vaguely familiar aura approached rapidly.
It passed through the defenses of the Mountain River Constellation Array in an instant and boldly descended right before him.
"Hahaha, young He, long time no see!"
Li Fan laughed heartily, his voice brimming with triumphant satisfaction.
He Zhenghao was stunned for a moment, then overjoyed. Speak of the devil!
"Senior, you've finally come!" He nearly threw himself at Li Fan's feet, ready to weep and cling to his leg.
"Hmm? What's gotten into you, boy?"
With a light flick of his sleeve, Li Fan held He Zhenghao at bay several zhang away, feigning ignorance.
After He Zhenghao finished pouring out his woes, Li Fan's smile vanished instantly. He berated him sharply, "You brought this on yourself!
"You're a Foundation Establishment cultivator now, for heaven's sake. Don't you understand the wisdom of keeping a low profile when you've struck gold?
"You obtained a Nascent Soul technique. You should have just cultivated in peace. Why on earth did you have to show off?
"If only a few close friends knew about it, that would be one thing. But you had to make it common knowledge?
"Getting yourself killed is one thing, but you've dragged me into this!"
Li Fan’s beard and hair seemed to bristle as his face darkened with unrestrained fury.
He Zhenghao trembled, not daring to reply.
Li Fan shook his head, casting a disappointed glance at He Zhenghao like a teacher facing an unteachable student. He made as if to fly away.
He Zhenghao panicked. "Senior, wait! Save me!"
The picture of abject misery, he explained, "I didn't mean to boast on purpose. Perhaps it was because a lifelong wish of mine was finally fulfilled... that day, my emotions were just too stirred up. I couldn't control myself.
"By the time I came to my senses, the news had already spread. It was too late for regrets."
In truth, He Zhenghao's mental fortitude was far from this weak. While excitement and momentary impulse played a part, the greater reason was Li Fan's subtle manipulation that day.
Watching He Zhenghao's look of utter remorse, Li Fan chuckled inwardly but kept his face stern.
"Save you?" he said coldly. "How can I save you? As the saying goes, compassion cannot save those who seek their own doom. You dug your own grave. How can I help you?"
He Zhenghao's expression grew even more woeful, but seeing that Li Fan hadn't immediately flown off, he knew there was still hope.
He hurriedly continued, "The reason my friends are hounding me is simply that they want what I have. They want your guidance so they can profit from it too, Senior.
"You could use that divine ability of yours to sense the heavenly mechanisms again, and then—"
Li Fan's expression turned icy. "Ridiculous. They are neither kin nor friend to me. Why should I help them?
"Moreover, using a divine ability means facing the backlash of heaven and earth. What benefit do I get?"
With a sweep of his sleeves, Li Fan prepared to leave, showing clear displeasure.
He Zhenghao frantically blocked his path. A spark of inspiration struck him, and he blurted out in rapid succession, "The Mountain-Sitting Art! The Mountain-Sitting Art!
"Senior, when I broke through to the late-stage Foundation Establishment realm, did you sense any cultivation feedback?"
Li Fan's face showed a flicker of surprise. After a moment, he said slowly, "It seems... there was indeed such an occurrence."
He Zhenghao slapped his thigh. "Exactly! Think about it, Senior. In the current Myriad Immortals Alliance, techniques must be redeemed with contribution points.
"You help us earn contribution points, and we use those points to purchase techniques for cultivation.
"Doesn't that mean you are indirectly bestowing the grace of transmitting a technique?
"You must know, in today's cultivation world, no grace is greater than the transmission of a technique!
"You cultivate the Mountain-Sitting Art. By bestowing such grace, you are bound to receive immense cultivation feedback.
"And besides, the number of people who have come inquiring after you only grows by the day," He Zhenghao continued, his excitement building. "Senior, if you were to take action and help them all, little by little, it would accumulate. Just imagine the sheer, staggering quantity of cultivation feedback that would add up to! With that, Senior, you should be able to recover to your pre-slumber cultivation level quite swiftly, right?"
He Zhenghao seemed to have had an epiphany, growing increasingly animated the more he spoke.
Li Fan nodded slowly. "There's some merit to that. However, my divine ability is limited. How could I possibly help all these people individually?" After a moment's consideration, Li Fan still dismissed the idea.
Just then, inspiration struck He Zhenghao like a bolt from the blue.
The words burst from his lips. "Senior, we could pool the contribution points of all those who wish to request your aid and manage them centrally. Once you employ your divine ability to find a suitable investment method and earn contribution points, we can then return them to these investors."
Li Fan was quite pleased.
Excellent. He thought to himself. You've even learned to answer your own questions, He Zhenghao.