He Zhenghao Won Over

In just half a day, the price of Wugu Obsidian doubled. Driven by severe shortages, the upward momentum showed no sign of stopping. "How can this be?" Shocked once again, He Zhenghao looked toward Li Fan. Li Fan, however, wore a solemn expression, once more pinching his fingers in calculation, completely ignoring him. He Zhenghao had no choice but to turn his gaze back to the Lesser Heavenly Profound Mirror. The number representing his contribution points flickered continuously. 318,000. 328,600. ... His wealth was expanding at a pace visible to the naked eye. He Zhenghao pinched himself hard, making sure he was not dreaming. A long-cherished wish of so many years had actually been realized so easily? To scrape together that first 150,000, he had stumbled along for decades. Yet this second 150,000 had taken less than five days. Was this Senior Li Fan's way of investing? If only I could master such an ability... He Zhenghao felt the blood surging through his entire body, overwhelmed with excitement. He could hardly wait to go brag to his circle of brothers. Just then, Li Fan's voice suddenly cut in, pouring a bucket of cold water over his fervor. "Time to quit while you're ahead! Sell immediately!" He Zhenghao froze on the spot. "B-but the rally is in full swing right now..." "Hmm?" Li Fan gave him a sidelong glance. He Zhenghao's breath caught in his throat. With immense reluctance and tears in his eyes, He Zhenghao sold all the Wugu Obsidian in his hands at 630 points a jin. 333,900 contribution points! "I'm rich!" Having struck it rich overnight, He Zhenghao stared fixedly at the Lesser Heavenly Profound Mirror, mumbling under his breath. His mind was already spinning with fantasies of how to spend this massive fortune. "Hmph, I told you it was a simple matter, yet you refused to believe it," Li Fan's voice came, breaking He Zhenghao's reverie. "Alright, the wager is over, and you've lost. Hurry up and switch to any other technique!" He Zhenghao snapped back to reality. He opened the technique redemption list and looked at the Mountain River Hidden Dragon Technique he had yearned for day and night. Just as he was about to redeem it, he suddenly remembered that half of this sum exceeding three hundred thousand contribution points had come from Li Fan's guidance. Cautiously, he asked, "Senior, what about that extra hundred-odd thousand...?" Li Fan waved his hand, sounding impatient. "That profit came from the investment of your own principal. I merely offered a suggestion. Why would I ask you for it? Besides, I am not a member of your Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals. "Furthermore, I cultivate the Mountain-Sitting Art. The fact that half your contribution points for switching techniques came from me means you have received my grace..." Li Fan said no more, but He Zhenghao understood at once. He was wild with joy. Offering repeated thanks to Li Fan, he proceeded to redeem the Mountain River Hidden Dragon Technique and disperse his cultivation in the Mountain-Sitting Art in one smooth motion. To demonstrate his sincerity, He Zhenghao even took the initiative to draw up a covenant, purging all memory of the Mountain-Sitting Art's contents from his mind. Li Fan was very pleased with his performance and patted him on the shoulder. Then, he prepared to leave. "Senior, wait!" Seeing Li Fan already taking to the air, He Zhenghao came to his senses and hastily called out. "What else do you want, kid?" Li Fan paused, his brow furrowing. "Senior has slept for a thousand years and only recently awakened. Why not join our Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals? "Though I'm not qualified to recommend you myself, I know quite a few Nascent Soul cultivators..." Li Fan narrowed his eyes slightly, appearing to ponder. Delighted, He Zhenghao pressed on, "Times have changed. Without joining the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals, walking the path of a rogue cultivator is virtually impossible. "Besides, I told Senior about all the benefits of joining before. You witnessed firsthand how convenient the Heavenly Profound Mirror is just now..." ... Through He Zhenghao's tireless efforts, Li Fan was finally swayed and agreed to join the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals for the time being. He Zhenghao immediately reached out using a communication talisman. After bustling about for nearly half a day, He Zhenghao finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Senior, please wait a moment. "Once everything is arranged on my fellow daoist's end, Senior will only need to head to Wanxian Island and pass the verification." "What a hassle!" Li Fan huffed, looking displeased. He Zhenghao could only offer an apologetic smile. After a moment of silence, He Zhenghao could no longer hold back and asked tentatively, "Senior, how did you know that the price of Wugu Obsidian would skyrocket? "I looked into it, and there was no sign whatsoever!" Perhaps finding the waiting too dull, Li Fan rather smugly explained to him, "The qi mechanism of Heaven and Earth shifts constantly. Ordinary people might find it difficult to perceive. "Yet disciples of our Heavenly Mechanism Sect can see through it using secret arts. "The way of wealth is no different." He Zhenghao's eyes gleamed as he listened. "Such a divine ability actually exists? To double one's wealth so effortlessly—if one were to do this several times a year..." Li Fan gave a scoffing laugh. "How could it be so simple? "While a cultivator peeks into heavenly secrets, Heaven and Earth are watching the cultivator just the same. "Sensing heavenly secrets does not succeed every time. "Moreover, one must endure the backlash from the will of Heaven and Earth, so it cannot be used too often. "The reason it went so smoothly this time was merely because I had not cast this art in a very long time." Hearing Li Fan's explanation, He Zhenghao could not help feeling a bit disappointed. Yet he soon perked up again. "Even once a year would still be extraordinary!" Thinking of the eighty-odd thousand contribution points remaining after purchasing his new technique, a thought set his heart racing. Afraid of angering Li Fan, however, he hesitated. "What are you thinking about?" Unexpectedly, Li Fan saw right through him and asked directly. He Zhenghao decided not to hide anything and asked cautiously, "Senior, after you join the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals, could you find some free time to guide me once more?" Li Fan gave him a half-smile. He Zhenghao knew his request was rather presumptuous, but for the sake of contribution points, he thickened his skin and said, "Senior's divine ability is simply too incredible. "When people like us want to turn a profit, we must rack our brains and live in constant fear. "How could we ever compare to Senior's effortless ease...?" He Zhenghao tried every trick in the book to flatter Li Fan. Yet right until the notice arrived instructing Li Fan to head to Wanxian Island for the enrollment procedures, Li Fan showed no sign of agreeing. Watching Li Fan's departing figure, He Zhenghao sighed with deep regret and wrung his hands. Still, thinking of the Mountain River Hidden Dragon Technique he had already redeemed and the surplus contribution points he still held, he could not help feeling somewhat pleased with himself. "Truly, fortune rests upon misfortune. Who would have thought that a brush with death would turn into my greatest stroke of fortune?" Growing increasingly smug and complacent, he did not even care to cultivate right away, setting off instead to boast to the friends with whom he usually discussed the ways of investing. ... Wanxian Island, deep within the Administration Hall. In the space filled with countless towering red wooden cabinets that Li Fan had visited before. Li Fan stood atop the White Jade Heart-Interrogation Platform, listening to the interrogation from the white-haired elder before him. "You claim to be a cultivator of the ancient Heavenly Mechanism Sect who has slept until now due to an accident?" Li Fan nodded. "Indeed so."