If even Jiao Xiuyuan says so, then these strategic materials from the Myriad Immortals Alliance truly cannot be procured through conventional means.
Li Fan understood perfectly well that a massive undertaking like rebuilding an entire floating immortal city could not be accomplished without loss. An immortal city was like a vast, intricate instrument; if certain critical components were missing, it might simply fail to function. And even if he found some way to cover for the shortfall, those watching from the shadows would inevitably report it.
To untie the bell, you need the one who tied it. Li Fan's eyes narrowed slightly.
Whoever was scheming against him wanted revenge or profit. They did not want the situation to spiral out of control and draw investigation from higher authorities. Congyun Immortal City would be rebuilt—that was the supreme will of the Myriad Immortals Alliance, and no one could defy it. The Alliance didn't particularly care who did the work, but for Li Fan and the cultivators who followed him, it mattered enormously.
The withheld materials must still be with Zhou Kebao and his lot. What I need to do now is find a way to make them cough up what they've swallowed.
With that thought, Li Fan activated Formless Killing Mechanism and shifted his perspective to focus on Zhou Kebao.
In a dimly lit room aboard the Dust-Crossing Boat, Zhou Kebao paced anxiously. Before him, a shimmering, indistinct light flickered erratically. Then it stabilized, and several figures appeared within it.
"Well? What did Tantai Can say?" Zhou Kebao asked.
"I sent him a message, but got no reply."
"He didn't reply to mine either."
"He rejected mine outright!"
Different voices chimed in at once.
Zhou Kebao's face flushed a deep purplish red. His lips trembled, but he held his tongue.
After a moment of silence, one of the figures across from him spoke up. "What does Tantai Can mean by this?"
"Exactly. He was the one egging us on before. Why has he suddenly changed his mind and sided with Li Fan?"
"Enough! All of you, quiet!" A magnetic voice cut through the murmuring, and the other cultivators fell silent at once.
"It appears we may have fallen into Tantai Can's trap," this person said, his tone cool and analytical. "First, he used the tens of millions of contribution points on Li Fan as bait to draw us in. After we spent a considerable fortune greasing the so-called 'channels' he provided, intending to force Li Fan into submission, he turned around and stabbed us in the back."
Zhou Kebao slammed his hand on the table. "That makes no sense! What does Tantai Can gain from this? We may not compare to his Tantai family, but united, we are not to be trifled with. Why would he make so many enemies for no reason?"
Murmurs of agreement rippled through the group. Tantai Can's actions were utterly baffling to them all.
"Perhaps," another figure suggested, "Tantai Can doesn't want to oppose us. He wants to subjugate us entirely.
"I've heard that because of the recent Samantabhadra True Leaf incident, Tantai Can was publicly criticized by Immortal Venerable Liruo. His standing within the family has been extremely precarious, and even some of his former advisors have defected to serve other scions of the Tantai family. He must be desperate to consolidate his position. That's why he has set his sights on us."
The room went quiet as everyone considered this.
"Exactly. And his scheme seems to have worked. We are now riding a tiger and cannot dismount. Our plan to pressure Li Fan by holding back the Congyun Immortal City construction schedule has clearly failed. Li Fan and Tantai Can are in cahoots, and he likely has no shortage of the materials we've been skimming."
"Technique Transmission Spirit Remains, Tianxuan Crystal Fragment, Dark Primeval Wood... private possession of these items is strictly forbidden. Sitting on them for a short while is one thing, but if we can't use them and they're discovered..." Zhou Kebao shuddered.
"We'd like to sell them, but what other use do these things have besides constructing an immortal city? And besides the Congyun Sea, which other floating city is currently under construction?"
"That brat Tantai Can is truly despicable. It won't be long before he comes to threaten us in person."
"Very likely. After all, both skimming the construction materials and bribery are deeds that cannot see the light of day."
The more they talked, the more agitated they grew.
It was the authoritative voice that settled them again.
"Do not lose composure. The situation is not as dire as we imagine. All of this is speculation. We may simply be frightening ourselves. Here is what we will do: since we cannot reach Tantai Can, we will first sound out Li Fan and see what the actual situation is."
Zhou Kebao nodded.
"Although this person is an ancient cultivator, he is rather enigmatic. At the Golden Core realm, he can stir up storms and has connections with many veteran Spirit Transformation cultivators. Do not take him lightly."
"Rest assured, Fellow Daoist Long. I understand my own limitations," Zhou Kebao said readily.
The light dispersed, and Li Fan withdrew his gaze.
Just a bunch of rabble. He scoffed and began to consider carefully how he might strip a layer of skin from the lot of them.
***
Zhou Kebao's patience, however, somewhat exceeded Li Fan's expectations.
Even as the reconstruction of Congyun Immortal City began in full swing, and over a dozen support cultivators from the Myriad Immortals Alliance headquarters arrived one after another, Zhou Kebao made no attempt to probe Li Fan. He acted as if nothing were amiss, greeting Li Fan each day as usual.
If not for the Dao Transformation Stone in his mind faithfully recording their prior conversations, Li Fan might have believed the whole scene had been an illusion.
But Li Fan had no lack of patience himself.
No rush. I'll play with him for a while.
With over four months remaining until the final deadline for the immortal city's reconstruction, he could afford to wait. After replenishing some of the conventional supplies through Jiao Xiuyuan, construction progress had not been delayed in the slightest.
Structures like the ultra-long-distance teleportation array, the Tianxuan Mirror, and the Administration Hall were to be built last, and the supplies on hand were sufficient to allow for one round of errors. Li Fan was in no hurry at all.
Of course, while overseeing the construction of Congyun Immortal City, he had not forgotten the task Diyi Jinglun had entrusted to him: to construct the Xuantian Abyss-Sealing Array into the foundation of the immortal city.
Li Fan had reached a modest degree of mastery in the array path. Having personally participated in the construction of the Tianxuan Soul-Locking Array, his insight far surpassed that of an ordinary cultivator. And within the diagram of the Xuantian Abyss-Sealing Array, he could clearly see the shadow of the Soul-Locking Array.