"Congyun Sea, Luoyan Province, Cangwu Abyss, Qianling Province..."
Lord Jinglun recited the names of various locations, some familiar to Li Fan, others entirely foreign.
"The common denominator," he continued, "is that Abyssal Passages have been found in all of these places.
"The true nature of an Abyssal Passage remains undetermined. However, our research indicates that if one is left exposed, the frequency of Oddity outbreaks in that province increases dramatically.
"Therefore, they must be suppressed with the Xuantian Abyss-Sealing Array."
Li Fan had not expected this answer from Diyi Jinglun at all.
"When Myriad Immortals Island still stood, we never managed to detect the Abyssal Passage beneath it. We could only infer its existence from the annual Oddity sighting reports submitted by the Congyun Sea branch's Heavenly Mechanism Hall.
"Who could have imagined it would lie beneath the very site where the Heavenly Venerable Dao Teacher once preached?
"The Heavenly Venerable's might was such that even a remnant of his power could seal the Abyssal Passage for thousands of years. But now that Myriad Immortals Island is gone, this passage must be plugged.
"The existence of Oddities is no great secret. Yet few know that Oddities can spread. To prevent panic and preserve the stability of the Myriad Immortals Alliance, strict confidentiality is required."
Lord Jinglun spoke at a measured, unhurried pace.
"All that secrecy... because of this?" Li Fan couldn't hold back his disbelief. These bizarre, stringent requirements were actually tied to the Oddities that plagued the world?
"Because of this?" Diyi Jinglun fixed Li Fan with a cold glance. "Island Master Li, you should not underestimate Oddities. They are not as easy to deal with as one might imagine."
His words carried a pointed weight, though he showed no intention of elaborating further.
Li Fan wiped the dismissal from his face and gave a slight nod.
He changed the subject. "Then why was I suddenly appointed Acting Island Master? This Congyun Sea..."
Diyi Jinglun shook his head slowly, cutting off the question. "It seems the infighting within sects during ancient times was quite severe. There is no need for such excessive suspicion.
"Rest assured, everything was done in accordance with established regulations and procedures.
"According to rules passed down from antiquity, when the entire structure of the Myriad Immortals Alliance within a region is destroyed, the highest-ranked surviving cultivator from that region automatically assumes the primary administrative position.
"If several cultivators hold the same rank, actual candidacy is determined by practical combat prowess.
"Fellow Daoist, you single-handedly slew four Nascent Soul cultivators. You claimed to have relied on external aids, and such excuses might fool others. But if you think you can deceive our Myriad Immortals Alliance with that, you are being naive.
"We maintain meticulous assessments of the destructive power of every tool sold through the Tianxuan Mirror.
"While it is possible for a Golden Core cultivator to slay a Nascent Soul cultivator, achieving what you did—killing them cleanly and efficiently while leaving no traces—is impossible.
"Among the surviving cultivators of the Congyun Sea, your combat strength is unmatched. Who else could possibly take the position of Acting Island Master?"
Diyi Jinglun looked at Li Fan with a faint, knowing smile.
A weight settled in Li Fan's chest. Outwardly, he assumed the flustered, pale-faced expression of a man whose deception had just been stripped away.
"So it seems I overthought matters. Very well, I accept the responsibility!" he declared frankly.
Regardless of how much truth or falsehood lay in Diyi Jinglun's words, the man had already gone this far. If Li Fan still refused, he likely wouldn't leave this room alive.
Seeing that Li Fan was so sensible, Diyi Jinglun gave a satisfied nod.
"The blockade of the Congyun Sea will not be lifted until Congyun Immortal City is completed.
"Headquarters will naturally dispatch cultivators to assist with the reconstruction.
"However, due to certain reasons, their numbers will not be substantial. Support will be limited to a few specific areas, such as the ultra-long-range teleportation array.
"The primary effort must come from yourselves.
"I will also send an assistant to help you complete the Immortal City's reconstruction.
"You may go to him for any materials needed for the construction project.
"A relevant materials list will be sent to you shortly. Your most crucial task is to coordinate and organize the surviving cultivators of the Congyun Sea, guiding and supervising them to rebuild Congyun City as swiftly as possible..."
Only after delivering these instructions did Diyi Jinglun allow Li Fan to leave.
Shortly afterward, a cultivator named Zhou Kebao sought Li Fan out, bringing with him the approved materials list.
"Island Master Li, here are the detailed, approved specifications for this project. Please review them." The portly Zhou Kebao said with a beaming smile.
Li Fan took the list and examined it carefully.
It was a long column of items; even a cursory read would take considerable time. The entries were a bewildering mix of familiar and unfamiliar names, labeled with quantities but no explanations of their purpose—easy enough to leave an ordinary reader thoroughly confused.
If it were any other specialization, Li Fan might have been none the wiser. But anything related to arrays could not escape him.
One of Congyun Immortal City's most vital functions was to serve as a nexus of teleportation arrays connecting various locations. The original Myriad Immortals Island had housed 11,687 such arrays, including the ultra-long-range one.
Li Fan searched the list for Voidstone, the special material required to construct teleportation arrays, then ran a quick calculation based on the quantities listed.
He found what he was looking for soon enough.
The materials listed here weren't even sufficient to build all the small teleportation arrays, let alone an ultra-long-range one.
Li Fan's face darkened immediately. "Fellow Daoist Zhou, are you certain this list is correct? You had better verify it again."
Naked, undisguised killing intent spilled from his eyes.
Zhou Kebao was momentarily taken aback, then retrieved the list and looked it over.
As he checked, he muttered, "This list is wrong? Impossible. Island Master Li, could it be that you..."
Before he could finish, Li Fan said coldly, "Fellow Daoist Zhou, I swore a military pledge before Diyi Jinglun. If I fail to complete the task on time, my fate will not be pleasant.
"I am a man with little tolerance. I repay every slight, however minor.
"If, when the time comes, there truly is no hope of completing the task, I would not mind dragging down those who secretly obstructed me. We can perish together."
Zhou Kebao wiped cold sweat from his forehead and hastily patted his chest. "Island Master Li, please don't be so agitated! I'll go verify it carefully once more!"
Without daring to meet Li Fan's eyes again, he hurried away.
Li Fan snorted, closed his eyes, and waited.
A full half-day later, Zhou Kebao returned with a fresh inventory list.
"Ah, Island Master Li, your eyes are truly sharp! There was indeed a mistake!
"The previous list was only a preliminary estimate. Compared to the final version, it was missing quite a few materials."
Li Fan took the new list. The quantities, he noted, were at least 1.5 times what the original had shown.