Expedition team after expedition team began searching for the ruins' whereabouts along the path of its flight.
Li Fan, meanwhile, remained dormant within the Heavenly Profound Mirror, quietly awaiting the outcome.
Three months later, the exploration of the ruins had yielded no notable progress.
Yet He Zhenghao sent an excited message ahead of time.
"Fellow Daoist Li Fan, wonderful news."
"After some maneuvering on my part, I've secured three possible positions, each located in a different province."
"Could you help me weigh my options?"
Li Fan promptly replied, "Oh? Let's hear them."
"The first is head instructor at the Martial Practice Hall in Taihua Province."
"Taihua Province isn't far from the Congyun Sea. The Taihua Mountain Range traverses its entire territory, so it's also known as the Province on the Mountain's Back."
"Its peaks stand in countless groves. If I go there, my cultivation speed will be far faster than in the Congyun Sea."
"The second is counselor at the Formation Planning Hall in Qingwei Province."
"Qingwei Province lies south of Tianyu Province. Although it's still quite a distance away, compared to the Congyun Sea, it's far closer."
"The third is a garrison post in Tianyun Province."
"Tianyun Province isn't far west of Tianyu Province, so competition for the position is fierce."
"Transferring there would only be a lateral move to a city garrison post."
"The benefit is that it's close to the headquarters of the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals, making promotions easier than elsewhere."
He Zhenghao leisurely laid out the fruits of his recent efforts.
"Tianyun Province..."
Li Fan pondered for a moment before replying, "No need to rush into a decision. I have an acquaintance in Tianyun Province. Let me inquire for you and see if we can push things a step further."
Hearing this, He Zhenghao was astonished. "Fellow Daoist, you even have connections in Tianyun Province?"
"Haha, no guarantees. But it doesn't hurt to try. Await my word, Fellow Daoist," Li Fan said placidly.
He Zhenghao readily agreed.
And so Li Fan contacted Shenyuzi and explained the situation.
"Does Senior have any channels?"
Shenyuzi merely replied, "I'll ask around for you."
And said nothing more.
Li Fan was in no hurry either, waiting patiently.
Half a day later, a cultivator named Daoist Jingxuan requested to add Li Fan as a contact.
He was likewise from Tianyun Province.
Li Fan's heart stirred, and he promptly accepted.
Jingxuan's hearty voice came through.
"Hahaha, Little Friend Li Fan, is it? I heard from Shenyu that you have a friend who wants to take up a post in our Tianyun Province?"
"A Four-Law Golden Core—tsk tsk, youth to be reckoned with!"
"How about this: ask him if he's interested in joining our Tianyun Province Garrison Court?"
"Heh, due to that great war a few years back, there are still some vacant spots that have yet to be filled."
Li Fan was slightly taken aback and couldn't help asking, "Senior Jingxuan, might I ask what this Garrison Court..."
Jingxuan was taken aback as well.
He hadn't expected Li Fan wouldn't even know what the Garrison Court was.
Soon, however, remembering Li Fan came from a remote region, he realized why and explained, "The Garrison Court is an organization unique to the hinterlands of the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals."
"It answers directly to the Alliance headquarters. Its primary duty is suppressing villainy and safeguarding the peace of the hinterlands."
"In times of necessity, it also responds to emergency redeployment orders to fight in other provinces."
Once Jingxuan explained it this way, Li Fan understood.
In essence, it was the same as the Garrison Battalion back in Great Xuan, which had been stationed outside Xuanjing, answering only to Li Fan's commands to defend the capital's security.
*It can certainly be considered an important post.*
*However, it seems to involve frequent combat. Given He Zhenghao's current disposition, I wonder if he'd be willing to accept.*
Li Fan pondered for a moment, excused himself to Jingxuan, and contacted He Zhenghao to explain the situation.
"The Garrison Court?" Now He Zhenghao was truly shaken.
He had spent time in Tianyu Province in his youth, so he naturally understood what the Garrison Court was.
Like the Protector Hall, it was an organ that reported directly to the Alliance headquarters.
Generally speaking, members of the Garrison Court held a half-rank higher status than cultivators in other local departments.
Second only to the Protector Hall.
*Fellow Daoist Li Fan is truly unfathomable, to actually be able to secure this position.*
*Though it's somewhat dangerous...*
A graceful silhouette suddenly flashed through He Zhenghao's mind.
He gritted his teeth and agreed on the spot.
Once Li Fan learned of He Zhenghao's decision, he replied to Daoist Jingxuan.
"Great!" Jingxuan was delighted.
"Have that friend of yours come to Tianyun Province first as a garrison commander."
"Once he serves a full three years and builds up some seniority, I'll pull some strings to transfer him into the Garrison Court."
Afterward, Jingxuan carefully detailed a few matters to keep in mind before ending the communication.
Li Fan relayed everything word for word to He Zhenghao.
After listening attentively, He Zhenghao hurried off to busily arrange his future.
Once peace returned, Li Fan considered the matter. Though the business had yet to be finalized,
he still transferred one hundred thousand contribution points to Shenyuzi and Jingxuan each.
As a gesture of gratitude.
Naturally, he charged this tab to He Zhenghao's account.
...
Tianyun Province.
Receiving the contribution points, Shenyuzi paused in surprise, then chuckled wryly.
Jingxuan immediately sent a message asking, "Old Charlatan, did you get the transfer of contribution points from Kid Li? One hundred thousand contribution points! If I remember right, he's only at Foundation Establishment, isn't he? What an extravagant move!"
Shenyuzi smiled and replied, "At any rate, he's far more generous than we were at Foundation Establishment."
"I merely passed along a message and received the exact same reward as you. You're not upset, are you, Jingxuan?"
Jingxuan laughed heartily. "Hahaha! Keeping the bowl perfectly level—this little fellow is interesting."
"Not bad, not bad at all. I find him far more pleasing to the eye than old man Guangwu."
"Now that you've accepted his benefits, put some heart into it. Don't bungle things. It might not matter to you, but if the reputation of Shenyuzi gets tarnished, hehe..."
"Bungle? Who do you think you're looking down on?" Jingxuan snorted coldly, falling silent.
...
Time slipped by.
Three months later, He Zhenghao's appointment order arrived.
Nothing had gone awry.
Garrison of Guang'an City, Tianyun Province.
For this, a total of eighty thousand contribution points had been expended along the way.
Borrowed from Li Fan, naturally.
Regardless, He Zhenghao believed more debts meant less worry, feeling not the slightest psychological pressure.
Li Fan was equally unsparing, lending whatever was asked.
Before departing, He Zhenghao vowed solemnly:
once he established a firm foothold in Tianyun Province, he would try to arrange things and have Li Fan transferred over as well.
Li Fan said nothing, merely patting He Zhenghao's shoulder.
After He Zhenghao departed, Li Fan holed up inside the Heavenly Profound Mirror day in and day out, refusing to step outside and focusing diligently on cultivation.
Soon, time advanced to Anchor Year 23.
The ruins that had soared away were finally discovered.
They had landed in a thousand-li swamp at the heart of Jiushan Province.
And as cultivators launched their exploration, the origins of the ruins were unearthed.
An ancient immortal sect: Chaoyuan Sect.
Though not like the Taishang Sect or Dadao Sect, whose renown remained universally known even thousands of years later,
before the Great Tribulation befell the world, it had still been an illustrious, renowned sect.
Based on past experience exploring sect ruins, it was bound to hold an abundance of treasures.
Once word got out, it immediately attracted legions of cultivators to Jiushan Province to explore.
Jiushan Province, already chaotic beyond measure, grew all the more turbulent.
Cultivators from the Five Elders Association even disguised themselves haphazardly and slipped in brazenly, intending to explore the ruins as well.
Their sheer audacity was plain to see.
It also offered a glimpse into how weak the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals' control over Jiushan Province was.
At first, it was just ordinary ruin exploration, and the Alliance had not intended to intervene much.
Just then, however, news arrived that infuriated the Alliance.
It would have been one thing for a Soul Formation cultivator named Luo Xi from the Five Elders Association to explore the ruins.
Yet not only did he make no attempt to conceal his identity as a cultivator of the Five Elders Association, but relying on his profound cultivation, he had also injured and killed numerous exploration members from the Alliance.
After venturing deep into the ruins and seizing some unknown treasure, he swaggered away.
Acting so arrogant on our turf?
It was an outright slap in the face.
Yet doubts arose alongside the outrage.
Such conduct carried blatant provocative intent.
Could there be some hidden conspiracy?
Did it mean the Five Elders Association intended to reignite hostilities?
Regardless, face could not be lost.
The Alliance urgently dispatched several Soul Formation cultivators to Jiushan Province to hold the line.
And issued a stern warning:
All cultivators of the Five Elders Association are forbidden from entering Jiushan Province.
Dare to enter, and die!
Chapter 260