The idea was wonderful, but before officially putting it into practice, many problems urgently needed to be resolved.
For instance, did similar organizations already exist within the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals today?
Would stepping into this territory infringe upon the interests of others and result in him being casually struck down by some almighty expert?
After conducting a series of inquiries, Li Fan felt relieved.
Presently, large-scale, organized lending practices did not exist within the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals.
First, contribution points were exceedingly difficult to come by. Barely sustaining one's own cultivation was hard enough; who had surplus points to lend to others?
Another crucial reason was that lending was easy, but collecting was hard.
The cultivation world was vast, and cultivators possessed countless methods to conceal their presence. Anyone could easily slip into some remote mountain range, seclude themselves for five or ten years, and simply refuse to repay the debt. What could anyone do about it?
Perhaps powerful cultivators could track down an exact location, but they prioritized their own cultivation and would disdain wasting energy on something that offered little practical return.
Yet, while others were unwilling, Li Fan was more than eager.
On his journey back to Mingyue Lake, Li Fan was already sketching out various plans for the future in his mind.
Over twenty days later, Li Fan returned to Mingyue Lake.
After more than forty days of work, the underwater cave abode was nearly complete. However, it consisted merely of buildings with ornate exteriors; aside from the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation Flags, it lacked any defensive measures whatsoever.
Considering both future appearances and security, Li Fan spared no expense, shelling out twenty thousand contribution points to purchase a complete Kan Spirit Illusory Wave Grand Formation from the Heavenly Profound Mirror.
This formation was different from the mobile Ten Thousand Immortals Formation Flags; once laid down, it could not be relocated. Designed for watery environments, it possessed functions for concealment, defense, and repelling foes. When fully activated, it was said to be capable of withstanding the assaults of a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator.
Li Fan set it up personally.
Once the Kan Spirit Illusory Wave Grand Formation was successfully activated, looking at the faint blue protective barrier covering the underwater cave abode, Li Fan felt far more at ease.
With the cave abode officially finished, a celebration was naturally in order.
The group gathered before the entrance, gazing at the structure that had consumed dozens of days of painstaking labor, their faces alight with uncontainable excitement.
Li Fan took a look and felt something was still missing. Thus, from the Lesser Heavenly Profound Mirror, he purchased a jade plaque and two jade pillars.
Once they were set firmly in place, the Sea-Calming Divine Sword flew out from his dantian, and Li Fan wielded it like a brush of soaring dragons and dancing snakes.
On the left jade pillar, he carved four large characters: "Compassionately Bestowing the Dharma."
On the right jade pillar, he carved four large characters: "Delivering from Suffering and Tribulation."
Finally, upon the central jade plaque, the three characters "Mingyue Palace" were boldly inscribed.
Li Fan recalled the blue water sword and looked at his handiwork, nodding in satisfaction.
Su Xiaomei and the others gazed at Li Fan's inscriptions, utterly entranced and deeply moved. Su Xiaomei's eyes sparkled with stars, while Xiao Heng and Su Changyu were likewise overwhelmed by the magnanimity in those words, unable to contain their awe.
"'Compassionately bestowing the Dharma, delivering from suffering and tribulation...'" As the one among them who had drifted through the cultivation world the longest, Zhao Erbao understood the weight of those eight characters better than anyone else. Unable to fathom Li Fan's true depth of cultivation, all lingering stray thoughts instantly vanished from his mind.
Li Fan led the group into Mingyue Palace to tour the newly built cave abode.
Mingyue Palace spanned five li across, its primary structures laid out in a semi-cross pattern.
In the very center stood Mingyue Hall, designated as a hall for council and receiving guests. To the left and right lay living quarters for everyone, while the series of buildings behind Mingyue Hall was meant to house the Lesser Heavenly Profound Mirror, store and preserve artifacts with Dao charm, and serve as Li Fan's seclusion chamber.
At present, Mingyue Palace was merely an empty shell, lacking interior decorations, tables, and chairs. Yet to have reached this stage in just forty days left Li Fan very satisfied. Aside from the power of those five thousand contribution points, the Yin sisters of Tianbao Pavilion and Sun Zhang had all poured immense effort into the project. Sun Zhang in particular had meticulously designed the entire architectural layout.
After instructing everyone to furnish and decorate Mingyue Palace as quickly as possible in the coming days, Li Fan went to his seclusion chamber.
Ever since Mingyue Palace was completed, the clone had stayed here. It was not idling, but unraveling the sealing formation on the small black box Zhang Zhiliang had given Li Fan. Perhaps because this clone had seized a portion of He Zhenghao's talent in formations, the progress was far faster than Zhang Zhiliang had anticipated. Li Fan estimated that in a little over half a year, the seal would be undone. He looked forward to seeing what lay within.
Over the following period, everyone in Mingyue Palace remained very busy.
While they outfitted the sprawling Mingyue Palace to make it increasingly complete, the safe transfer of over ten thousand artifacts with Dao charm was accomplished without a hitch.
At the same time, Li Fan quietly traveled alone to Yuandao City and began spreading the word.
Gradually, many Qi Condensation cultivators within the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals learned that on the borders of Yuandao Province lay the eight-hundred-li Mingyue Lake. Inside Mingyue Lake stood Mingyue Palace.
For a trifling price, peak Qi Condensation cultivators could borrow Foundation Establishment cultivation techniques and wonders from Mingyue Palace to break through ahead of time. Once they reached Foundation Establishment, they could slowly repay the equivalent value in contribution points.
After all, Foundation Establishment cultivators earned contribution points far faster than Qi Condensation cultivators. An annual interest rate of thirty-six percent was practically negligible compared to the returns of establishing one's foundation years ahead of schedule.
It sounded too good to be true, so much so that it looked blatantly like a scam. Most Qi Condensation cultivators simply laughed it off. Yet as the rumor spread wider, one or two were bound to take it to heart.
***
Three months later.
Mingyue Palace, inside the underground treasury behind Mingyue Hall.
Tens of thousands of artifacts with Dao charm sat in neat, orderly rows. Li Fan was busy setting up a formation around them.
Because the number of collected artifacts still fell short of the full set, the complete Dao charm could not yet be reproduced. Thus, Li Fan had thought of a formation called "Seeing the Whole from the Minute."
The sole purpose of this formation was to amplify spiritual energy fluctuations and law rhythms to a certain degree. Though there would be some distortion depending on the caster's proficiency, it was already sufficient for Li Fan to comprehend that Ocean-Overturning Palm.
Just as Li Fan was concentrating on laying down the formation, a faint voice drifted down from above Mingyue Lake.
"Junior Chu Xingyang requests an audience with the seniors of Mingyue Palace!"
"Junior Chu Xingyang requests an audience with the seniors of Mingyue Palace!"
Repeated several times, the call echoed ceaselessly.
Li Fan smiled faintly.
After all this time, the first customer had finally arrived at the door. Still, there was no need for him to appear in person; he had made arrangements long ago and merely awaited Chu Xingyang's entrance onto the stage.
***
Above Mingyue Lake, after shouting several times, Chu Xingyang felt utterly apprehensive.
Mingyue Palace had appeared out of nowhere, seemingly springing up overnight. Cultivators in Yuandao Province knew next to nothing about it. Any force confident enough to lend out Foundation Establishment wonders and cultivation methods without fearing default had to be a colossal faction. Chu Xingyang was merely an insignificant peak Qi Condensation cultivator; clamoring outside the gates of such a mighty power naturally filled him with dread.
Moreover, he still had no idea whether the rumors of Mingyue Palace lending techniques were genuine or fabricated.
Yet Chu Xingyang had no choice. He had to take a chance.
If he continued taking on missions and saving points as before, it would take at least two or three years before he could successfully establish his foundation. That was far too long! There was no time!
At the thought of his childhood sweetheart tangled affectionately with another man, an endless rage flared within Chu Xingyang's chest. Why? Wasn't it simply because the other man was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, while he was nothing more than a lowly Qi Condensation cultivator?
In three months, their grand wedding would take place. He had to succeed in Foundation Establishment before then, and then crash the wedding to steal her back!
Chu Xingyang thought with burning resentment.
Just as he was lost in fantasies of fleeing together with his sweetheart, he suddenly sensed a figure appearing silently behind him. Before he could mount any resistance, he was hoisted straight into the air by the collar.
"Senior, spare me! Senior, spare my life!" Chu Xingyang screamed in panic.
"Quiet down! A grown man like you, why are you such a coward?!"
The voice was crisp and full of childish petulance.
Chu Xingyang looked closely and realized that the one holding him was actually a little girl of seven or eight dressed in fiery red! What terrified him even more was that she was at the Foundation Establishment stage!
A Foundation Establishment cultivator at seven or eight years old!
To establish a foundation at such a tender age—what kind of power must the rest of Mingyue Palace possess? What sort of supreme expert with miraculous abilities must the Master of Mingyue Palace be? No wonder they dared to lend Foundation Establishment wonders and techniques without fearing default!
Dizzied and lightheaded, Chu Xingyang was seized by boundless dread. Yet immediately after, an intense anticipation welled up within him. It seemed the lending of techniques by Mingyue Palace was no lie!
With his heart pounding frantically, Chu Xingyang was carried plunging into the lake. Passing through the blue barrier, they arrived before the main gates of Mingyue Palace.
Chu Xingyang was thoroughly shaken once more.
"Compassionately Bestowing the Dharma!"
"Delivering from Suffering and Tribulation!"
What grandeur and magnanimity would dare write these eight massive characters at their doorstep! The more Chu Xingyang looked at them, the more unfathomable they seemed, as though they contained the supreme Great Dao reaching the heavens. His reverence toward the mysterious Master of Mingyue Palace grew even deeper.
Following the little girl—no, following the Foundation Establishment senior—Chu Xingyang was guided around the central hall and led to a small pavilion on the right.
Inside the pavilion sat two identical-looking women. Graceful and slender, with skin fair as snow, their beauty far surpassed that of his childhood sweetheart! Chu Xingyang stared blankly in a daze until a slap from the little senior beside him jolted him awake.
Flustered, he fell to his knees to beg for mercy.
*I can't see through either fairy's cultivation; they must be Golden Core cultivators! How could I have lost my head over beauty? If I incur their disgust and anger them...*
At that thought, Chu Xingyang shuddered.
Fortunately, the two fairies did not fault him. Instead, they asked for his name and his reasons for coming to Mingyue Palace to borrow a technique.
Chu Xingyang honestly recounted every detail. Once they had clarified the full story, the two fairies vanished from sight without a trace, leaving only the little Foundation Establishment senior glaring fiercely at him.
Cold sweat dripped from Chu Xingyang's forehead. Not daring to act out of turn, he could only wait patiently in place.
***
"Elder Sister, look at him—borrowing a technique and wonder just to crash a wedding and snatch a bride. Isn't that what Senior called a high-risk client? Shouldn't we reject his request instead of lending to him?" Yin Yuzhen asked, tilting her head.
"That is where you are mistaken, Little Sister. Think about it: he chooses to cause a scene on their joyous wedding day. Even if he fails to snatch the bride, they will at most thrash him; they won't go so far as to kill him. Besides, he is only twenty-eight and already at peak Qi Condensation, fitting Senior's definition of a high-quality client. What's more, he is the very first customer to come knocking at Mingyue Palace's door... Yes, this deal can be made," Yin Yueting concluded.
"These are the wonder and technique he wants. Go fetch them from Senior."
Yin Yuzhen nodded, took the slip of paper written by her sister, and trotted all the way to Li Fan's seclusion chamber.
"I am already aware of the matter. Take the items."
Before she could speak, a storage ring flew out toward her. Yin Yuzhen stuck out her tongue, bowed toward the room, and promptly turned back without looking behind her.
"Little Sister, divine whether lending these items will bring fortune or disaster," Yin Yueting said.
Yin Yuzhen held the storage ring and closed her eyes to sense it. Her eyelashes fluttered, and after a moment, delight appeared on her face. "Minor fortune! Elder Sister, we can lend it!"
Yin Yueting also breathed a sigh of relief. Holding the storage ring, she stepped out of the room concealed by the formation and appeared before Chu Xingyang.
"Mid-grade wonder of Man: Indignant Meteorite. Foundation Establishment cultivation technique: Purple Radiant Starlight. Both items you requested are inside this storage ring. The total value is 9,500 contribution points. How do you choose to repay it?"
Looking at the storage ring in Yin Yueting's hand, Chu Xingyang's eyes lit up. All hope for his future life rested upon this single ring. Gritting his teeth, Chu Xingyang said, "I choose to make monthly payments and settle it in full within three years."
Yin Yueting nodded and produced a contract scroll. "Come, sign this, and you may take the storage ring."
Flushed with excitement, Chu Xingyang gave the contract only a cursory glance before writing down his name.
"Remember to transfer the contribution points to me at this time every month! Otherwise, I will come knocking on your door myself to collect! Understand?! Don't even think about running away; the cultivation world may be vast, but if you owe a debt to Mingyue Palace, there won't be a single place left for you to hide!" Su Xiaomei glared at Chu Xingyang like a predatory tiger as she spoke.
Shivering in terror, Chu Xingyang nodded frantically to show he understood.
Once he held the storage ring, tears nearly welled up in Chu Xingyang's eyes. Stepping out of Mingyue Palace, he bowed once more toward the two jade pillars at the gate. Then, with a resolute expression, he flew off into the distance to find a safe location to establish his foundation.
"Hehe, how was my performance?" Seeing that he was gone, Su Xiaomei rubbed her cheeks and grinned, fishing for praise.
"Still, is what we're doing really reliable? That was 9,500 contribution points! Can we really get it all back? What if he suddenly drops dead halfway through?" Su Xiaomei then asked with a hint of worry.
Chapter 151