Diyi Jinglun offered no comment on Li Fan's pledge of undying loyalty.
"Go now. Prepare well for the inauguration ceremony. Ensure there are no mistakes," he said flatly, his attention never wavering from the documents spread across his desk.
Li Fan bowed and took his leave.
Returning to his temporary quarters, he summoned Gao Yuan.
"City Lord, you wished to see me?" Gao Yuan fawned, his head dipping in a series of shallow bows.
"The Immortal Alliance headquarters has issued its decree," Li Fan said, his tone as detached as Diyi Jinglun's had been. "I am to assume the post of Secretary-Envoy of the Administration Hall. From this day forward, you must address me correctly. Do not make a mistake."
Gao Yuan blinked, momentarily stunned. Before he could speak, Li Fan continued. "The reconstruction of the immortal city is a task of monumental scale. The two Spirit Transformation Immortal Eminences, Hong Xi and Zi Yun, remain absent due to their own affairs. I will temporarily assume full authority over all administrative matters in the Congyun Sea."
Only then did the full weight of the situation land on Gao Yuan. Unbridled joy flashed in his eyes. "Congratulations, Secretary-Envoy! Your capabilities have been plain for all to see these past six months. With Island Master Hong Xi and the others away, having you to oversee affairs is a great blessing for all the cultivators of Congyun Sea!
"Perhaps you are unaware, Sir, but every cultivator I have encountered these past six months has spoken of your methods with nothing but praise and admiration..."
Li Fan offered a faint, knowing smile.
He was well aware this was flattery, but who didn't enjoy hearing pleasant words?
He raised a hand, cutting off Gao Yuan's stream of praise, and drew a sheet of paper from his robes, sending it drifting toward the man.
"This is a list of cultivators involved in Congyun City's reconstruction, roughly ranked by their contributions.
"With the new city rising, many positions stand empty. I have the authority to recommend candidates for one-third of them. Aside from those who pledged allegiance on the very first day, many slots remain. Look this over. Tell me who among these names might be of use." Li Fan stood with his hands clasped behind his back.
Gao Yuan took the paper. It was dense with names, thin as a cicada's wing, yet it felt as heavy as a mountain range in his grasp.
His hand trembled slightly. His breathing grew short and quick.
Why had he sworn loyalty to Li Fan? Was it not precisely for a moment like this?
To hold the power to decide another's fate with a single word—this was the true taste of authority.
Knowing this was Li Fan's final test of him, Gao Yuan drew a slow, steadying breath. His eyes moved down the list, and a plan quickly took shape.
"Among these cultivators, I would first recommend Fang Weihou. Though only a Golden Core cultivator, he is diligent and meticulous. Every task assigned to him these past six months has been completed ahead of schedule and without deviation. More importantly, he has no powerful backing; his cultivation has been entirely self-reliant.
"Then there is this cultivator named Jia Jun. His abilities are also quite exceptional..."
Gao Yuan spoke with confidence and ease.
He had not been idle these past six months.
Though he might appear to wander about aimlessly each day, his eyes had missed nothing, taking in the conduct and actions of every cultivator around him.
As Gao Yuan offered his assessments, Li Fan cross-referenced each one against the surveillance records the Dao Transformation Stone replayed at lightning speed through his mind.
After comparing them all, Li Fan nodded slowly.
Truly, the man had not spent half a lifetime standing guard at the Administration Hall gates for nothing.
Gao Yuan's ability to read people was extraordinary. Even Li Fan felt he might not have done better himself.
"Excellent," he said, offering rare praise. "I have a clear picture now." With a light gesture, dozens of names on the paper in Gao Yuan's hand were circled.
"Inform these people in advance as well. Have them prepare. There must be no mistakes during tomorrow's inauguration ceremony."
Gao Yuan's expression turned solemn. He bowed, accepted the order, and withdrew.
The next day. The Congyun Immortal City hung suspended in the sky. From a distance, one could see the shimmering light of its already-activated protective arrays flickering around it.
Nearly every cultivator from the Congyun Sea had gathered here. They gazed up at the new city from below, talking amongst themselves, filled with deep emotion.
Amid their focused attention, Li Fan made his entrance once more, riding atop his Spirit Transformation puppet.
Suddenly, a considerable number of cultivators in the crowd shouted in unison.
"We welcome the Island Master!"
Li Fan smiled and waved a hand. "Today marks the official completion of Congyun Immortal City's reconstruction, and my tenure as Acting Island Master has also come to an end. Fellow Daoists, you must not address me as such any longer."
He looked up at the floating city and sighed. "That you all united your efforts to rebuild this city within half a year is no small feat. I, too, share in this honor. Fellow Daoists, please accept my bow!" With that, Li Fan bowed deeply toward the assembled cultivators.
A stir immediately rippled through the crowd. Some wore panicked expressions and hurried to return the bow. Others accepted it calmly, as if it were only natural. Many more were simply there for the spectacle and paid little attention to Li Fan's performance.
Just as Li Fan straightened and prepared to speak again, a streak of light shot across the distant sky and arrived in an instant.
"Li Fan, Acting Island Master of Myriad Immortals Island, heed the decree!" A lean cultivator dressed in the standard uniform of the Myriad Immortals Alliance, holding a scroll of yellow parchment, declared with a face full of gravity.
His voice was not loud, yet it reached the ears of every cultivator present as clearly as a thunderclap. Silence fell around the immortal city in an instant.
It's here. Li Fan flew forward unhurriedly and offered a slight bow.
"Li Fan, Acting Island Master of Congyun Island, has toiled diligently day and night, overseeing the construction of Congyun City with commendable merit..."
It was exactly what he had seen the day before at Diyi Jinglun's residence. Only this time, after the representative from the Myriad Immortals Alliance's Administration Hall headquarters formally proclaimed it aloud, the scroll transformed into a stream of golden radiance and flew toward Li Fan.
Just before it touched him, the golden light shifted, resolving into form-fitting black Daoist robes that clothed him of their own accord.
The robes were embroidered with numerous profound patterns in golden thread. An air of nobility radiated from him at once.
"We congratulate the Secretary-Envoy!"
The moment Li Fan donned the garments, a group of cultivators within the crowd shouted in unison, as though they had rehearsed it beforehand.
Many quick-witted cultivators understood immediately. This, much like Li Fan's previous appointment as Acting Island Master, had likely been planned long ago.
They alone had been kept in the dark.
Those cultivators who had remained unmoved by Li Fan's earlier bow now wore expressions of open regret.
Seeking to make amends, they joined the chorus once the crowd had quieted for a moment.
"We congratulate the Secretary-Envoy!"
After the second cry, the shouting still did not cease.
And so those who had stayed silent found themselves swept up in the roar as well.
The cries of "We congratulate the Secretary-Envoy!" rolled on without end, spreading outward across the Congyun Sea.