Fresh Crops

Just as Li Fan was worrying about the future of the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals' cultivators, the other trainees were far from sharing such lofty concerns. In the blink of an eye, every one of them was revitalized with excitement, itching to give it a try. "Master Ji, tell us quickly, how exactly is 'contributing the most' calculated?" "That's right, Senior Ji, there must be a quantifiable, concrete rule, right? Can how much effort we put in really serve as an evaluation criterion?" ... Ji Hongdao looked at the trainees whose enthusiasm had been thoroughly stirred up, unable to help a gratified smile. Clearing his throat, he began to explain to everyone. "The array hub of the Heavenly Profound Spirit-Locking Formation is, in essence, a newborn mirror surface of the Heavenly Profound Mirror. You all saw its encasing process with your own eyes." "Furthermore, the construction of the entire Heavenly Profound Spirit-Locking Formation begins from the central core area. In other words, from the inception of the formation's establishment, the entire construction process of the spirit-locking formation can essentially be sensed by the array hub—or rather, by the Heavenly Profound Mirror." "Down to every individual formation unit, precisely which cultivator personally laid it down will be completely within the grasp of the Heavenly Profound Mirror." "The final outcome will rely entirely on the data rankings published by the Heavenly Profound Mirror. This precludes any possibility of falsification, ensuring absolute fairness and impartiality." Ji Hongdao spoke with passion and eloquence, discoursing fluently. "I know that anyone recommended by their respective provinces to study here at the Universal Courtyard possesses extraordinary talents. You are all young elites—who among you would be willing to remain beneath others forever? To ensure everyone has a clear understanding of their performance standing, and to help everyone better bring their initiative into play, in this Heavenly Profound Spirit-Locking Formation Grand Competition, each of your contributions to building the formations will be displayed in real time as points." "Moreover, rankings will be ordered by points and published by the Heavenly Profound Mirror, accessible for anyone to check at any time!" Hearing this familiar tactic, Li Fan was inwardly shaken. *Good grief, they're driving these young formation masters into a brutal rat race to the death.* Next, Ji Hongdao announced the preliminary construction plan for the Heavenly Profound Spirit-Locking Formation. Tentatively, each cultivator would return to their respective homelands and begin building the spirit-locking formations with the assistance of the local Formation Planning Hall and Martial Practice Hall. If their own progress was fast, once all the spirit-locking formations in their province were completed, they could freely move to neighboring provinces to assist with construction. Because the Heavenly Profound Mirror saw through everything, there was no need to worry about one's merits being usurped while in another territory. The instant every Heavenly Profound Spirit-Locking Formation throughout all territories of the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals was completed... The formation master with the highest points would be the ultimate winner. Having laid out the competition's plan, a subtle, barely perceptible glint of complacency flashed in Ji Hongdao's eyes. Just then, he suddenly heard someone call out. "Senior Ji, may I ask: now that I am homeless, what should I do? Where should I go?" Ji Hongdao looked toward the voice; the speaking cultivator was none other than Li Fan. His expression darkened, and he chided, "You rascal, are you making fun of me? What do you mean by homeless? Naturally, you go back to wherever you came from..." In an instant, Ji Hongdao seemed to remember something, and his words abruptly halted. He looked Li Fan up and down once more, rubbing his chin. "That truly is a problem..." He did not answer directly. Instead, after a moment, he sent a divine sense transmission to Li Fan: "How about this: stay behind afterward, and I'll discuss it with you in detail." Li Fan tactfully refrained from saying anything further. This little interlude did not escape the notice of the cultivators present. Some thought nothing of it. Others suddenly realized the truth, looks of horror appearing on their faces. Still others seemed to have known long ago about cultivators forgetting their sorrows, their expressions remaining unchanged. Only when Ji Hongdao resumed explaining the competition's process was everyone's attention drawn back. One year from now, the newborn mirror surfaces of the Heavenly Profound Mirror would be transported to each province. Before then, the trainees had to return to their respective provinces first to assist local branches in coordinating and gathering the materials needed to build the formations. Naturally, certain special formation-laying materials would be centrally managed and distributed by the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals headquarters. ... After listening to the general construction plan, the trainees returned to their respective courtyards, contacting friends, family, and mentors. Li Fan, however, stayed behind. Apart from Li Fan, there was another cultivator who had not left. This person was named Xue Mu, a cultivator at peak Foundation Establishment, and was likewise one of the three trainees from the Congyun Sea. However, he was not under Zhang Zhiliang; Li Fan had only crossed paths with him a few times and was not very familiar with him. As for the third of the trio, he had failed the soul covenant resonance test earlier and had been eliminated. Presumably, he had returned to the Congyun Sea, only to perish in the apocalypse brought by Mo Sha. Xue Mu seemed to be sensing the existence of Heavenly Venerable Wuyou for the first time; the bewilderment and terror in his eyes had yet to fade. Looking at the two of them, Ji Hongdao asked with an amicable expression, "The Congyun Sea has suffered catastrophe, leaving you homeless. What plans do you have for the future?" Xue Mu pursed his lips, lowering his head in silence. Li Fan, however, cupped his hands calmly and said with great respect, "I await Senior's instructions." Ji Hongdao seemed quite pleased with Li Fan's response. He pondered for a moment before saying, "The rules of the Grand Competition are set now, each position strictly accounted for. If I were to casually assign you to some province, taking away other people's points for constructing the spirit-locking formations, it would inevitably cause resentment, which would only work against you." "Yet if we don't let you participate in this Grand Competition, you'll certainly feel aggrieved as well." "Hmm..." He paused, his gaze wavering for a brief second as if communicating with someone. A moment later, Ji Hongdao said, "I wonder if you would be willing to accept this arrangement." "Apart from the various provinces, the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals has many important grotto-heavens and small worlds that also require full coverage with the Heavenly Profound Spirit-Locking Formation." "Originally, these places were meant to be handled by us old fogies." "However, circumstances being exceptional, there is no harm in requisitioning you two." "It will also relieve a bit of the burden on us." Ji Hongdao smiled. "I don't have the drive you young people have anymore." "As for points from constructing the Heavenly Profound Spirit-Locking Formation, you needn't worry either. The Alliance governs a great number of grotto-heavens, and some are scarcely smaller than an entire province." "You can unleash your abilities with complete peace of mind." "What do you say?" Having spoken, Ji Hongdao looked at Li Fan and asked softly. *Grotto-heavens? I wonder if there will be a chance to come into contact with the Five Elements Great Grotto-Heaven.* The moment Li Fan heard Ji Hongdao's words, the thought flashed through his mind. However, he did not dare let his thoughts wander too far. Waiting until Ji Hongdao asked, he replied solemnly, "It is all I could hope for." Ji Hongdao nodded in satisfaction, then turned to Xue Mu: "And you?"