All of them had heard the name "Li Fan."
Few, however, knew that he had taken up the post of Acting Island Master.
So when they received the summons, they were all taken aback.
Then came feelings of indignation.
Yes, Master Li had the ability to deduce the heavenly mechanisms, but whatever his talents, he was still only a Golden Core cultivator. There were plenty of surviving Nascent Soul cultivators throughout the Congyun Sea. Why should he be the one to hold the title?
Everyone knew Li Fan was wealthy. Had he simply bought his way in?
And to make such a spectacle of it, holding a grand reconstruction commencement ceremony...
The thought circulated freely among them.
None of it mattered in the end. The position of Acting Island Master had been issued and backed by the Myriad Immortals Alliance headquarters. Whatever they thought in private, none of them dared defy the order.
Most settled into the posture of spectators waiting to be entertained, biding their time until the appointed day arrived.
Seven days passed. The cultivators of the Congyun Sea gathered at the former site of Myriad Immortals Island.
Word had spread beyond the system-affiliated members, and those with no official positions came as well, drawn by curiosity.
They spoke in low voices, their gazes drifting to the bottomless black pit yawning in the middle of the sea. For those who remembered what had stood there before, the sight stirred complicated feelings.
As time wore on, more cultivators arrived to witness the ceremony.
The man of the hour, however, had not yet appeared.
Murmurs began to spread through the crowd.
Then a streak of light cut across the sky from a distance, and all eyes lifted toward it.
"To celebrate Fellow Daoist Li Fan's promotion to Acting Island Master of Myriad Immortals Island, Shen Yuzi of Tianyun Province presents one scroll of the Heavenly Providence Alchemy Book as a token of regard!"
The light slowed to a halt above the crowd. A clear-eyed, handsome young Daoist was revealed, horsetail whisk in hand. He tossed the scroll upward.
It caught the wind and unfurled, drawing startled cries from the onlookers below as it stretched into something resembling a long dragon coiling through the sky. Multicolored light bloomed from it. Then, before their eyes, the Heavenly Providence Alchemy Book vanished.
The young Daoist offered a slight bow to the empty air, paid no attention to those below, and departed as a streak of light.
"Did you feel that? This place already seems different from before!"
"Of course it does. The Heavenly Providence Alchemy Book is said to gather providence and defy fate—with such a treasure consecrating this site, how could the reconstruction fail?"
"And who is this Shen Yuzi, to part so casually with something like that?"
The crowd buzzed. Before the discussion could settle, another streak of light arrived from the horizon.
"To celebrate...
"Daoist Jingxuan of Tianyun Province presents the Sea-Calming Azure Ox as a token of regard!"
A young Daoist priest stepped forward, leading an azure ox. The ox lowed softly and activated its Dharma Body, its form swelling in an instant to the size of a mountain range.
"Moo!"
The bellow rolled across the Congyun Sea. Then the ox dissolved into a blue-green radiance that spread out over the water.
"What extravagance! With this treasure in place, the Congyun Sea will see at least three years of calm!" someone who recognized the gift exclaimed before they could stop themselves.
"What connection does this Daoist Jingxuan have with Island Master Li?"
Before the crowd had time to process their astonishment, several more streaks of light arrived in quick succession, each bearing congratulatory gifts. Guangwu of Tianquan, Huangfu Song of Tianyu Province—all of them were powerful cultivators from the Myriad Immortals Alliance's heartlands.
“These people... they must be at the Spirit Transformation realm at least...” After a few discreet inquiries, the cultivators present marveled in silence.
"It seems our Island Master has connections that run deep. No wonder he can carry a responsibility this heavy at only the Golden Core realm."
A few remained skeptical.
"Not necessarily. None of them came in person, they all sent subordinates to deliver gifts. I'd wager our Island Master is paying good money to put on a show."
The stream of gift-bearers eventually slowed. Just as the crowd began to expect Li Fan's entrance, an ornate flying boat tore through the sky. Thirty-six Nascent Soul cultivators flew in formation as escort while a young man in white descended at a measured pace, his brows sharp as sword edges and his gaze bright and keen, strikingly handsome.
"Tantai Can of Tianshu Province extends his congratulations to Island Master Li Fan!"
The thirty-six Nascent Soul cultivators spoke as one.
The cultivators of the Congyun Sea went utterly silent.
"Tantai Can? The Tantai family?"
Those who knew the true weight of that name felt it like a blow. Those who did not were still rendered speechless by the sight of thirty-six Nascent Soul cultivators flying in escort.
Aboard the Dust-Crossing Boat hovering at a distance, Zhou Kebao rose to his feet, his face stricken.
Tantai Can? What is he doing here? This makes no sense at all.
A long moment passed. A flicker of dread crossed his face.
Could this be... a scheme they cooked up together?
Torn between doubt and alarm, Zhou Kebao produced a communication spirit talisman and hurriedly reported the development to his accomplices.
With Tantai Can's arrival, the atmosphere reached its peak. The stage was set for Li Fan.
Boom!
Boom!
A deep rumbling approached from the distance, like some primordial creature closing in.
"Look! What is that?!" A sharp-eyed cultivator caught it first.
On the horizon, a colossal stone giant rose against the sky.
Where it waded through the Congyun Sea, the water reached only halfway up its shins.
Despite its scale, it moved with startling speed, each stride sending tremors rolling across the sea.
In moments, the stone giant had drawn close to the ruins of Myriad Immortals Island.
The crowd's confusion curdled into alarm. Many assumed it was another attack from the Five Elders Council, and the tension that followed was immediate and palpable.
Feeling the aura emanating from the gigantic stone figure, their faces went pale.
"The peak of Spirit Transformation?"
As it drew closer, the pressure bearing down on the crowd grew heavier. Some could not help raising their artifacts in defense.
At that moment, led by Gao Yuan, He Zhenghao, and Zhou Qing'ang, more than a hundred cultivators flew forward as one, as if they had rehearsed the movement a hundred times before.
They bowed in unison toward the stone giant. "We humbly welcome the Island Master!"
"Hahaha, no need for such formalities!" A clear, hearty laugh rang out from the top of the stone giant's head.
The crowd squinted upward, and only then saw the figure standing there.
Li Fan.
A dignified Spirit Transformation Immortal Eminence was willingly letting a mere Golden Core cultivator stand upon its head?
No number of contribution points could accomplish that.
To have marshaled cultivators from the heartland of the Myriad Immortals Alliance, to have a Spirit Transformation realm powerhouse serve as his dais—what kind of standing did Island Master Li Fan actually possess?
It was not only the cultivators of the Congyun Sea who were shaken. Even Tantai Can, who had kept a perfectly composed expression throughout, looked up at Li Fan. For just a moment, a faint disturbance moved through his eyes.