"Pay no mind to the cost in contribution points. Just pick whichever wonders and cultivation methods suit your fancy."
Though he had spoken of careful budgeting, when Li Fan saw the conflicted, hesitant expressions on Su Xiaomei and Xiao Heng, he still gave those instructions.
Relieved, the two spent nearly half a day poring through the vast sea of supplies listed in the Heavenly Profound Mirror before finally choosing what they needed.
For her Foundation Establishment wonder, Su Xiaomei chose the Blazing Flame Feather, a superior wonder of Man priced at 6,000 contribution points.
For her cultivation method, she selected the higher-grade alternative to the Heart Wrath Blazing Flame Technique: the Heart Wrath Raging Flame Technique. It was also priced at 6,000 contribution points.
For his Foundation Establishment wonder, Xiao Heng chose the Moving Cloud Stele, a superior wonder of Man valued at 5,500 contribution points.
His chosen cultivation method was the Spring Breeze Transforming Rain Formula, priced at 5,500 contribution points.
Having made their selections, the two obediently sidled up to Li Fan's side, watching him eagerly as he prepared to pay.
The total came to 23,000 contribution points.
Even with Li Fan possessing a fortune of over ninety thousand contribution points, his eyelids twitched.
One could hardly blame He Zhenghao for thinking on a petty scale; investing in someone was simply too exorbitant.
Sponsoring a single Foundation Establishment cultivator required at least ten thousand contribution points.
Li Fan recalled that the annual stipend for an island warden in the Congyun Sea was merely a few hundred to over two thousand contribution points.
Even with side income, accumulating over ten thousand points would take at least two to three years of scraping by.
To toil and strive for so long only to gift the fruits of that labor to someone else...
Who could bear to part with it?
"As expected, this Mountain-Sitting Art isn't something ordinary people can practice," Li Fan sighed inwardly as he bought all four items.
In the blink of an eye, ninety thousand contribution points dwindled to 67,000. Adding the 1,100 points he previously had left, Li Fan now held only 68,100 contribution points.
"Establish your foundations right here. I will stand guard for you," Li Fan instructed, handing over the items.
Overjoyed, both immediately agreed.
Placing absolute trust in Li Fan, Su Xiaomei and Xiao Heng entered seclusion right there in the chamber to establish their foundations.
Locking onto the two with his Formless Killing Intent, Li Fan took advantage of the opportunity to contemplate the process of Foundation Establishment once more.
Though he had already completed his Foundation Establishment in this lifetime, his ultimate goal was far from being satisfied with merely forging a Dao Foundation with a wonder of Earth like the Vast Sea Pearl.
Therefore, when it came to insights into Foundation Establishment, the more he gathered, the better.
The aptitude of the pair was truly extraordinary.
After only a single day, as the phantom of a fiery bird materialized within Su Xiaomei's dantian, she successfully advanced to the Foundation Establishment stage.
At the exact same moment, Li Fan felt a surge of pure cultivation swell abruptly within his own body.
Moreover, it did not vanish after appearing just once.
Instead, like a babbling mountain brook, it continued to flow and accumulate steadily thereafter.
It was only that the rate of increase grew minuscule, almost negligible.
Having broken through, Su Xiaomei looked thrilled.
Yet she knew her limits; seeing Xiao Heng still midway through his Foundation Establishment, she refrained from crying out in excitement.
She quietly took her place beside Li Fan, waiting for Xiao Heng to finish.
After another half a day, a blue cloud coalesced, and Xiao Heng formally stepped into the Foundation Establishment stage as well.
Yet the cultivation feedback transmitted through the Mountain-Sitting Art this time was only a fifth of what Su Xiaomei had provided.
As for the subsequent trickle of cultivation growth, it went without saying—it was virtually nonexistent.
Having broken through, Xiao Heng beamed with delight.
Soon afterward, he composed himself and kowtowed in gratitude before Li Fan.
Li Fan accepted the gesture with a calm nod, then led the two out to meet Su Changyu and the others.
Seeing that both of them had broken through to Foundation Establishment, Su Changyu and the Yin sisters were genuinely elated, offering heartfelt congratulations one after another.
Zhao Erbao's eyes went wide as saucers, his gaze darting back and forth between the two and Li Fan in sheer disbelief.
After the cheerful commotion settled, Li Fan instructed, "Our current residence remains far too crude. Next, you are all to join forces and construct a proper cave abode on Mingyue Lake for everyone to cultivate in going forward.
"Xiao Heng, I will hand you five thousand contribution points. You may procure any necessary materials yourself through the Lesser Heavenly Profound Mirror.
"I have business to attend to and will be away for a time. When I return, I hope to see the cave abode fully built.
"In the stone chamber at the lake bottom resides another person, an old friend of mine. If you encounter any problems you cannot resolve, just consult him."
The group roared in assent.
After transferring five thousand contribution points to Xiao Heng, Li Fan spent over twenty days traveling back to Yuandao City.
Entering the Heavenly Profound Mirror, he expended ten thousand contribution points to activate the auxiliary cultivation mode.
He threw himself into cultivating the Mountain-Sitting Art with single-minded focus.
Time slipped past like water, and a hundred days drifted by in a flash.
In the blink of an eye, it was Anchored Year 29.
Li Fan emerged from seclusion and inspected his cultivation growth.
The results left him thoroughly astonished.
Over these hundred-plus days of cultivation, his cultivation had increased by only twice as much as the feedback from Su Xiaomei's breakthrough.
*No, it's probably not even double. Over these hundred days, Su Xiaomei's and Xiao Heng's strength must have increased somewhat. So of the cultivation I gained, aside from what came through my own practice, a small fraction also came from the feedback of the Mountain-Sitting Art.*
*It's foreseeable that as Su Xiaomei's realm continues to rise, the cultivation feeding back will keep flowing steadily. It will likely cease only when they reach peak Foundation Establishment.*
*A preliminary conclusion can already be drawn. For an equivalent investment of contribution points, the total amount of cultivation gained through feedback vastly exceeds what I can achieve by cultivating on my own. However, the process is prolonged. Investing in someone of average talent could easily take nearly a century to reap the full harvest.*
*Investing in exceptionally gifted prodigies, on the other hand, can shorten that timeline drastically.*
*No matter what, passing down techniques through the Mountain-Sitting Art is a surefire, profitable venture.*
*Looked at this way, provided one has sufficient contribution points, the fastest route to cultivation is a two-pronged approach: cultivating within the Heavenly Profound Mirror on one's own while simultaneously imparting techniques to reap without sowing.*
*The pity is that the point consumption is simply too exorbitant. Even two hundred thousand contribution points wouldn't last long. It isn't a viable long-term strategy.*
*If I want to maximize returns on contribution points, I shouldn't rely on the Heavenly Profound Mirror for personal cultivation at all. I should invest every point into geniuses, relying entirely on the cultivation fed back through reaping without sowing to advance my realm.*
*Yet true geniuses are rare after all. Across two lifetimes, I've only encountered two or three.*
*That cultivation speed would still be slower than pouring everything into Spirit Enlightenment.*
Li Fan paused, his thoughts turning to Xiao Heng's circumstances.
*Imparting methods for a fee still yields cultivation feedback. And if I can ensure the secure recovery of the contribution points, wouldn't that amount to pure profit with zero capital risked?*
*What if I charged just a tiny little fee on top of that...?*
*There must be countless cultivators trapped at bottlenecks, desperate to break through, who would happily pay a negligible price to secure techniques or wonders in advance.*
*With Formless Killing Intent, I have no fear of them absconding. Su Xiaomei and Xiao Heng can serve as my two great protectors; if anyone falls overdue on repayment, I won't even need to knock on their doors myself.*
*And if I happen upon a genuine prodigy, providing it free of charge isn't out of the question either...*
"Good! Truly splendid!"
The more Li Fan pondered, the more excited he became, until he blurted out aloud.
"The Mountain-Sitting Art is truly an incredible method!"
"With such a miraculous technique at your disposal, Brother He, you didn't even know how to use it. What an utter waste of heavenly gifts!"
Chapter 150