Self-Taught

"On top of that, he seems to be veiled by numerous secret arts, making him like a flower seen through mist—utterly inscrutable," the green-robed woman said slowly. Li Chenfeng, Zhu Shaotang, and the others exchanged glances at her words, thoroughly appalled. They knew full well that the Empire's two Saint Teachers, Qing and Hong, were formidable beings who had survived since antiquity. The two Saint Teachers had witnessed the Empire grow step by step from a mortal tribe into the colossal domain it was today. In that journey, the guidance of the Saint Teachers had been invaluable. In the eyes of the Empire's people, the two Saint Teachers were the absolute embodiments of power and wisdom. Yet now, Saint Teacher Qing was actually saying she could not see through that envoy just now? Recalling his earlier rashness in the man's presence, Li Chenfeng could not help feeling a wave of lingering dread. "Perhaps I have been away from here for too long. In the end, I have grown somewhat unaccustomed to it." At this moment, Qing let out a melancholic sigh, allowing Li Chenfeng to breathe a slight sigh of relief. *** Hundreds of li away. Sensing the intermittent, blurry images transmitted through the Formless Killing Intent, Li Fan was inwardly astonished as well. *Looks like this Saint Teacher is no simple figure either. She was actually able to faintly detect it and mount a subtle countermeasure against the Formless Killing Intent.* *Fortunately, my skill was a cut above.* Trading contribution points for technologies held by the Empire, such as the Beast God Armor, was something Li Fan was entirely willing to do. However, if they were truly to initiate cooperation and keep acting out this play, he alone might struggle to hold up the stage and could easily be exposed. Moreover, five million contribution points was a bit tight to keep in circulation. *It seems the time has come to advance my original plan.* With that thought, Li Fan sensed He Zhenghao's location. Heading toward Liuli Island, he shifted back into the appearance of the ancient Heavenly Mechanism Sect cultivator. …… He Zhenghao had been rather vexed lately. Looking at the flood of inquiries pouring continuously into his communication talisman, he simply sealed it inside his storage ring, which finally granted him some peace and quiet. As things stood, he did not dare take half a step off Liuli Island. With the myth of his overnight wealth spreading far and wide, more and more people sought to pry information about Li Fan from him. Some harbored doubts and wanted to personally test the master's caliber. Others purely wanted to latch onto him, duplicate his fortune, and ascend to the heavens in a single bound. There were even those who babbled bizarre nonsense, wanting to strike some sort of deal with him. It left him thoroughly overwhelmed and exhausted from fending them off. He had no choice but to use closed-door cultivation as an excuse, hiding within Liuli Island's Mountains and Rivers Starry Array and not daring to face anyone. He Zhenghao's heart was full of bitterness. It was not that he was deliberately evasive; rather, ever since that day they joined the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals, that Heavenly Mechanism Sect senior had vanished without a trace, never to be seen again. What could he, He Zhenghao, possibly do? Just as he was wearing a miserable scowl, pondering how to account for himself to his close friends, a faintly familiar aura approached rapidly. Passing straight through the defenses of the Mountains and Rivers Stellar Formation, it descended brazenly before him in an instant. "Hahaha! Little He, long time no see!" Li Fan let out a hearty laugh, speaking with utmost smugness. He Zhenghao was stunned at first, then overjoyed. Speak of the devil! "Senior, you've finally come!" He nearly threw himself down to hug Li Fan's leg and weep. "Hmm? Kid, what is the matter with you?" With a gentle flick of his sleeve that held He Zhenghao several zhang away, Li Fan asked knowingly. Once He Zhenghao had poured out all the grievances in his stomach, Li Fan immediately wiped away his smile and snapped in rebuke, "Serves you right! "You are a Foundation Establishment cultivator after all. How do you not understand the principle of keeping quiet and making a fortune? "Having obtained a Nascent Soul technique, you should have cultivated diligently. Why did you have to go and show off to others? "If only your close friends knew, that would be one thing, but you went and made it known to everyone? "Courting death on your own is fine, but you dragged me into it as well!" Li Fan's hair and beard bristled, making him look thoroughly enraged. He Zhenghao trembled all over, not daring to reply. Li Fan shook his head and cast a glance at He Zhenghao, his eyes laden with the disappointment one felt toward a hopeless cause. He made a move as if to fly away. He Zhenghao grew frantic on the spot: "Senior, wait! Senior, save me!" Wearing a grief-stricken expression, he explained, "I didn't flaunt it intentionally. Perhaps it was because a lifelong wish had been fulfilled all at once, but my emotions were surging so wildly that day that I couldn't control myself. "By the time I came to my senses, the word was already out, and it was too late to regret it." In truth, He Zhenghao's temperament was far from being so fragile. While excitement and momentary impulse were certainly factors, it was largely due to Li Fan's subtle bewitchment and guidance back then. Seeing He Zhenghao's agonizing regret, Li Fan chuckled inwardly, yet kept his face stern. He said coldly, "Save you? How am I supposed to save you? As the saying goes, mercy does not ferry those who seek their own destruction. You brought this upon yourself; how could I help you?" He Zhenghao's expression grew even more mournful, but seeing that Li Fan had not flown off immediately, he knew there was still a chance. He hurriedly said, "The reason these friends of mine are pestering me is simply that they want to receive Senior's guidance and turn a profit just like I did. "Senior could display your divine ability to sense heavenly secrets and..." Li Fan's expression turned frigid: "Absurd! We are neither kin nor friend; why should I help them? "Besides, using my divine ability invites the backlash of Heaven and Earth. What benefit is there in it for me?" With a flick of his wide sleeve and a look of displeasure, Li Fan made ready to depart. He Zhenghao scrambled to block him. A thought struck him, and he blurted out, "The Mountain-Sitting Art! The Mountain-Sitting Art! "When I broke through to the late Foundation Establishment stage earlier, did Senior sense any feedback of cultivation?" Li Fan paused slightly, and after a moment, said slowly, "There does seem to have been such a thing." He Zhenghao slapped his thigh: "Precisely! Senior, think about it: in today's Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals, all techniques must be exchanged for with contribution points. "If Senior helps us earn contribution points, and we use those points to purchase techniques and cultivate, "would that not mean you are indirectly bestowing the grace of transmitting the Dharma? "You must understand, in today's cultivation world, no grace is greater than the transmission of Dharma! "Senior cultivates the Mountain-Sitting Art; bestowing grace in this manner will surely yield an immense feedback of cultivation. "Furthermore, an enormous crowd of friends has come looking for me after hearing the news. "If Senior steps in and helps them all, "many a little makes a mickle—what a staggering amount of cultivation that would add up to! "That way, shouldn't Senior be able to swiftly recover the cultivation you possessed before your slumber?" It was as though He Zhenghao had undergone an epiphany; the more he thought about it, the more thrilled he became. Li Fan nodded slowly: "That makes some sense! "However... with so many people, the number of times I can display my divine ability is limited. How could I possibly help them one by one?" Li Fan pondered for a moment and rejected the idea after all. Right at that moment, an inspiration struck He Zhenghao. He blurted out, "We can pool the contribution points of everyone who wants Senior's help and manage them centrally! "Once Senior uses your divine ability to find suitable investments and earns contribution points, we can return them!" Li Fan was thoroughly satisfied, musing to himself, *Splendid, He Zhenghao. You've even learned to jump in with the answers.*