Even as thoughts churned rapidly through his mind, Li Fan never stopped talking.
With a solemn face, he said, "This matter is of the utmost importance. According to our assessment, its significance is in no way inferior to the prophecy, 'The Heavenly Profound locks the spiritual aura; Xuanhuang returns to unity.'"
"In fact..." Li Fan looked at the stone face, which had completely lost its composure, and smiled faintly on the inside.
He continued, "If the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals is allowed to carry this out unhindered, it will likely be enough to fundamentally shift the balance of power between the Alliance and your Five Elders Association.
"The overall strengths of the Five Elders Association and the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals were already evenly matched. In fact, because of the existence of the Dharma-Transmitting Heavenly Venerable, you have even been subtly kept down. If the Alliance's strength increases even further, I fear that from now on, your Five Elders Association will be suppressed so severely you will never raise your heads again, doomed to remain on the back foot forever.
"This is something we do not wish to see," Li Fan said in all honesty.
"This is also why I sought you out in such a hurry. I understand that a spy contacting their superior so frequently is bound to arouse suspicion. But this matter arose so abruptly that I had no other choice but to resort to this desperate measure." Li Fan sighed and shook his head.
"Is that truly the case?" The face's tone turned exceedingly grim. He believed the other party had no reason to deceive him over something like this and was surely speaking with substance.
Yet, more important than the prophecy of Xuanhuang returning to unity...
That sounded a bit too alarmist.
After all, ever since he had been the first in the organization to report the prophecy, major movements had been taking place within the Five Elders Association one after another.
His superiors had treated him with unprecedented warmth. They had even promised that if he rendered another merit of equal magnitude, not only could he retire with honors and never have to struggle on the front lines again, but he could also redeem his Divine Soul Contract, becoming one of the most enviable "Carefree Laymen" among the cultivators of the Five Elders Association.
...
From this alone, one could see just how vast an enigma lay behind the prophecy of Xuanhuang returning to unity.
Yet now, the mysterious cultivator wearing Zhou Qing'ang's skin claimed to possess a secret even more important than that?
The stone face felt his heart thumping wildly with unprecedented intensity.
Could it be that his chance to alter his destiny once and for all had arrived?
"What is it, exactly?" he asked impatiently.
Li Fan raised a single index finger. "The usual terms. Ten million contribution points."
Before the face could object, Li Fan explained, "The growth of any organization depends on sufficient funding.
"While we do not wish to see the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals grow too powerful or the balance between you disrupted, the premise for all of this is ensuring our own survival and development first.
"Do not think it expensive. Since you were willing to spend ten million contribution points last time...
"Trust me, you will certainly not lose out this time either."
Li Fan looked at the stone face with eyes full of sincerity. "Hurry and apply to your superiors. I shall await your response right here."
The face hesitated for a moment, then quickly vanished from the severed stone.
Li Fan stood in place, closing his eyes to wait.
About the time it took for a stick of incense to burn, the face reappeared. "The higher-ups have agreed. How shall we make the transaction?"
Li Fan snapped his eyes open. "Before long, Li Fan, the Secret Script Emissary of the Congyun Sea, will restart the contribution point fundraising drive.
"All you need to do is deliver ten million contribution points within three months to He Zhenghao, the man in charge of the collection.
"Hmm... use the alias Han Wuyou," Li Fan said.
"Wuyou?!"
The face was startled and shook his head frantically. "Choose another alias! That one touches upon a taboo."
Li Fan fell silent for a moment.
"Then Liu Yihang," he offered instead.
"That is fine. Now, regarding what you mentioned just now..."
Before the face could finish, Li Fan cut him off.
"The matter is urgent and brooks no delay. Since you have already agreed, I can tell you right now.
"As for whether you would break your word over a mere ten million contribution points..."
Li Fan let out a low chuckle. "Then all I can say is that we misjudged you. Your Five Elders Association wouldn't even be worthy of being the Alliance's rival.
"Consider this piece of information a complimentary gift from us.
"I trust you will make the right choice."
Li Fan placed both hands on the smooth stone, using a secret art to transmit the information he had long since prepared in his mind.
"Beyond the wood-attributed grotto-heaven, there are four other great grotto-heavens?!"
"Forming a Five Elements tactical formation, and every single grotto-heaven is bursting with resources, akin to a complete, newly born world?!" Moments later, the face cried out in shock.
"Remember, within three months, ten million contribution points," Li Fan reminded him at just the right moment, snapping the thunderstruck face back to reality.
Without waiting for the face to reply, Li Fan struck out with a palm, shattering the severed stone into dust.
He then proceeded to obliterate the undersea ruins completely, erasing every trace before swaggering back to Congyun City.
Meanwhile, within the Administration Hall, Li Fan's true body rose to his feet.
*If all goes as expected, once the Five Elders Association learns of the Five Elements Great Grotto-Heaven's existence, they will certainly not sit idly by.*
*In all likelihood, just like in my previous life, they will dispatch Dao Integration cultivators to stage a surprise raid and seize the Five Elements Grotto-Heavens.*
*The Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals will surely mount a fierce counterattack, and an all-out war will be on the verge of erupting.*
*I remember that in my past life, once the battlefield fell into a stalemate, it became extraordinarily brutal. Cultivators at the Nascent Soul realm and above from every province were mobilized and deployed to the Tianling Province front.*
*Countless cultivators perished as a result. Although on the surface I possess only a Golden Core cultivation in this life, I have slaughtered several Nascent Soul cultivators fighting together. Given the actual combat prowess I have displayed, there is a very high probability that I would be conscripted.*
*The Tianling Province battlefield...*
*It's best to stay far away from it.*
Li Fan immediately summoned Gao Yuan and He Zhenghao and announced two matters.
The first was his proclamation that he sensed a rare, tremendous opportunity on the horizon. As the de facto governing sovereign of the Congyun Sea, and acting on the principle of seeking prosperity for its cultivators, he had decided to restart the contribution point fundraising program.
The upper limit for this fundraising drive would be...
One hundred million.
The moment Li Fan uttered the words "one hundred million," He Zhenghao's eyes went wide, and he stood dumbfounded as a wooden chicken, unable to recover his senses for a long time.
Meanwhile, the look Gao Yuan directed at Li Fan was brimming with fervent fanaticism.
Before either could regain their composure, Li Fan announced the second matter.
This contribution point fundraising drive was of grave significance and could brook no errors.
He had to make ample preparations.
Therefore, effective immediately, he would enter deep seclusion.
Furthermore, he would cut off all communication channels to prevent any and all disruptions.
He would not emerge until everything was properly prepared.
"This..." Hearing the two seemingly contradictory directives—announcing a contribution point drive while simultaneously going into seclusion—both Gao Yuan and He Zhenghao furrowed their brows, looking somewhat perplexed.
However, Gao Yuan reacted a beat faster and hurried to reply, "We shall obey Lord Secret Emissary's command!
"Rest assured, My Lord, we will not fail your trust!"
Chapter 542