"Ten million contribution points?! Has he lost his mind?" the stone face blurted out in shock.
Soon, however, it regained its composure.
"Hmph, his appetite is truly growing larger and larger. But is he certain that what occurred on Wanxian Island is worth that much?"
Li Fan watched the face's expression and added with cautious deference, "He has other conditions as well."
"Payment upfront before delivery."
"Furthermore, he said that whether we wish to proceed is entirely up to us; he won't force the matter. However, he guarantees the value of this intelligence far exceeds the price. He is risking his life, and only offered this rate on account of us being regular customers."
Hearing such an outrageous condition, the face seemed less agitated than before.
After pondering carefully, he said, "This matter is of the utmost importance. I must seek instructions first. Stay right here and do not wander off."
With that, the light and shadow on the broken stone vanished instantly.
Li Fan waited patiently where he was. After the time it takes an incense stick to burn, the stone face reappeared.
"Agree to it!" he declared decisively.
"Boss?!" This time, Li Fan was genuinely astonished by the other party's resolve.
"He Zhenghao previously said that the risk of this transaction is far too great, making it inconvenient for him to show himself directly, so it must pass through an intermediary. If we are willing to deal, we must deliver the spirit stones to this island. Simply state that you are from the 'Myriad Realms Association' and disregard everything else. Just hand over the spirit stones to them." Li Fan supplied the coordinates of an island—precisely the one where Li Chenfeng and the others from the Empire were staying.
"Only after he confirms receipt of the spirit stones will he hand over the message to us," Li Fan hurriedly added.
"Myriad Realms Association... What on earth is that?"
"Could it be..." The face seemed to realize something and fell abruptly silent.
"The spirit stones will arrive the day after tomorrow at the latest. Keep a close eye on He Zhenghao; do not let him slip away," the face instructed.
"Understood, Boss," Li Fan promised readily.
"This is a tremendous gamble. If we win, we claim boundless merit. If we lose..." the face muttered in a low voice to itself.
Evidently, it was the first time the face had ever encountered a transaction of such astronomical proportions conducted through such an unreliable method.
It seemed unable to avoid a touch of apprehension.
"Don't worry, Boss. Based on my interactions with He Zhenghao lately, I believe he is trustworthy," Li Fan lied smoothly without batting an eye.
"Let us hope so. Off you go."
Once the communication ended, Li Fan hurried back to Tai'an Island.
At the same time, through the Formless Killing Intent, he monitored the situation on Li Chenfeng's side.
Two days later.
A black-robed cultivator, acting on orders, arrived in the sky above the island where the Empire's people resided, glancing around.
The woman in green suddenly materialized before him.
The two stood facing each other, both wearing somber expressions.
In the end, following the procedure for the transaction, the black-robed cultivator identified himself: "I am a cultivator of the Myriad Realms Association."
With that, he tossed a storage ring across.
The woman in green caught the ring. After examining its contents, her pupils shrank violently.
"You..."
Just as she was about to say something, she saw him wave a hand dismissively and turn to leave without another word.
He left behind the woman in green, standing frozen on the spot in utter disbelief.
"Saint Teacher!"
Sensing something unusual, Li Chenfeng flew forward at once to investigate.
The woman in green handed the storage ring to him. After inspecting it, Li Chenfeng was likewise struck dumb.
"Saint Teacher, what on earth is this..." Li Chenfeng was thoroughly baffled.
"It seems our preparations this time were far from sufficient," the woman in green murmured with a wry smile.
***
"The Five Elders Association is indeed crisp and capable; they never drag their feet!" Sensing how smoothly the exchange had gone, Li Fan praised inwardly.
He immediately set off for Liuli Island, had another cup of tea with He Zhenghao, and then made a beeline for the contact point.
Activating communication with the stone face, Li Fan assumed an air of confusion and dread.
"Where is the message He Zhenghao was supposed to convey?" Skipping all pleasantries, the face asked directly.
"He already told me in secret," Li Fan whispered. "Just a single line."
"Oh?"
Li Fan pressed both palms against the broken stone, focused his mind, and transmitted the words across.
"Heavenly Profound Spirit Lock..."
"Xuanhuang returns..."
"...to unification?"
Absolute silence fell over the face's side.
A moment later, faint, chaotic clamor drifted through, carrying signs of tremendous upheaval.
"The transaction is complete. Remain dormant. If anything out of the ordinary occurs, I will contact you again." Despite his best efforts to restrain himself, Li Fan could still detect a tremor of terror in the face's voice.
The broken stone crumbled completely into powder, severing the link.
Wearing a bewildered expression, "Zhou Qing'ang" returned to Tai'an Island.
Only when he reached the deserted depths of the Island-Protecting Grand Formation did his countenance return to normal.
"With the Five Elders Association serving as a check, even if the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals wishes to establish the Heavenly Profound Spirit-Locking Formation in this life, they will likely find their strength falling short."
"As for how matters will develop, further observation is needed."
Li Fan narrowed his eyes slightly, shifting his attention back to his original body on Wanxian Island.
After a period of interrogation, Li Fan was released from the small, dark room.
His testimony matched those of the other survivors from that day almost word for word, revealing nothing suspicious.
The Alliance's primary focus remained on Gongsun Qixuan, who had vanished without a trace.
It was his deduction that had provoked that inexplicably terrifying green light.
Although Li Fan had deduced certain outcomes first, the resulting upheaval made it clear that Gongsun Qixuan's deductive prowess was far superior.
Uncovering what he had truly witnessed at that moment had become the single most critical priority.
Wanxian Island remained under total lockdown.
However, those cultivators who had undergone interrogation were permitted to move freely about the island once they signed confidentiality agreements.
Although they could not openly discuss what had occurred that day, the miraculous foresight Li Fan had demonstrated—both during the meteoric surge of the Puxian True Leaf and during the anomaly at the Martial Practice Hall—was plain for all to see.
Consequently, crowds of cultivators began flocking to Li Fan, seeking to curry favor.
With access to the Heavenly Profound Mirror blocked, Li Fan had no choice but to seek refuge in Thousand Li Hall for peace and quiet.
Ever since the day its entrance had been mobbed, Thousand Li Hall had remained closed for business, its heavy doors tightly barred.
Li Fan had to rely on the secret tunnel from before to slip back inside.
Stepping into the shop, he found Jiao Xiuyuan inside as expected.
Yet the man wore a vacant stare, his eyes lifeless.
No matter how Li Fan called out to him, there was not the slightest reaction.
It was precisely like the state his puppet had fallen into in the previous life after the Dao Transformation Stone shattered.
In fact, it appeared even somewhat more severe this time.
Li Fan observed him closely for a moment, deep in thought.
"It must be Lu Xichan's lockdown that severed the connection between the puppet and the true body."
"The methods of the Formation Planning Hall's chief are truly extraordinary."
"Yet she could never anticipate that a divine art like the *Wondrous Profound True Spirit Transformation* exists under the heavens."
Li Fan could not help feeling a touch of smug satisfaction.
With nothing else to occupy his time, he began to casually stroll through the deserted halls of Thousand Li Hall.
Chapter 463