Before entering secluded cultivation, Li Fan had set a minimum threshold of one hundred contribution points.
The moment they dropped below this number, the auxiliary cultivation mode would be forcibly terminated.
Like being abruptly woken from a sound sleep, Li Fan felt a wave of irritation, though he quickly suppressed the emotion.
"These contribution points burn away far too quickly."
The days of holding a fortune of over three thousand points felt like yesterday, yet in the blink of an eye, he was empty-handed once more.
"There are still nearly two years until the Cloud Water Heavenly Palace opens. Before that, I have to find a way to earn some contribution points and bolster my strength."
He browsed through the mission pages in the Heavenly Profound Mirror once again.
Li Fan chose to ignore the official missions posted by the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals entirely.
Even at the late Qi Condensation stage, the official missions available to him were still low-yield, low-risk chores.
For instance, serving as an assistant to an alchemist, artifact refiner, or talisman master, or helping inspect and repair formations across the Congyun Sea.
Safe and steady though they were, the contribution points came far too slowly.
If Li Fan had intended to study alchemy or artifact refining, he might have considered them.
However, with the Cloud Water Heavenly Palace opening soon, the most important task was securing the *Cloud Water Chart and Talismans* first.
Unfortunately, Li Fan's luck did not seem particularly good this time.
After browsing for a long while, he failed to find any satisfactory missions.
After some thought, Li Fan took out the communication talisman He Zhenghao had given him and sent him a message:
"May I ask Fellow Daoist He if there is any way to earn contribution points quickly? I have been looking through the Heavenly Profound Mirror for a long time, but the reward for most missions is only a few dozen points, while cultivating for a single day costs me thirty. At this rate, when will I ever be able to afford a Foundation Establishment cultivation technique?"
Li Fan spoke in a complaining tone.
Once the message was sent, Li Fan set the communication talisman aside.
While waiting for He Zhenghao's reply, he resumed cultivating.
Although his progress was much slower without the aid of Spirit Enlightenment, he was still inching forward.
Three days passed like this before He Zhenghao finally replied.
"Hahaha! That's just how our Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals is. Cultivators who just joined often have to toil for years before they can exchange for a technique. It's the same for everyone."
"However..."
He Zhenghao's tone shifted, and he continued: "Since Fellow Daoist joined through my recommendation, I naturally should lend you a hand."
"After all, I also hope Fellow Daoist can reach the Foundation Establishment stage as soon as possible!"
"Still, this matter isn't convenient to discuss over a communication talisman. If you are willing, you can pay a visit to Liuli Island. We can talk it over in detail face-to-face."
...
Li Fan had only asked casually with the mindset of testing the waters, not expecting He Zhenghao to give such a straightforward, affirmative response.
*He truly is a 'Timely Rain.' But nothing happens without a reason...* Recalling how generous He Zhenghao had been in both lifetimes—making him an anomaly among cultivators—Li Fan grew thoughtful.
Without hesitation, he exited the Heavenly Profound Mirror and flew straight toward Liuli Island.
Within the Island-Protecting Grand Formation of Liuli Island, He Zhenghao sat drinking tea in a mountaintop gazebo, clearly having waited for some time.
"It seems Fellow Daoist couldn't wait," He Zhenghao laughed aloud upon seeing Li Fan.
He clapped his hands, and the mountain beneath their feet suddenly shook.
Immediately afterward, Li Fan witnessed the wondrous spectacle of the surrounding mountains rising all at once.
Soon, however, Li Fan realized what was happening.
The other mountains were not rising; the mountain they stood on was descending.
The mountain sank rapidly, soon dropping below ground level and entering a space filled with silver clouds and mist.
Li Fan looked up. The rolling mountain ranges of the Island-Protecting Grand Formation now floated overhead like stars.
The mountains and streams were scattered, yet they seemed to form a coherent whole according to some pattern.
Seemingly motionless, they were actually in perpetual motion.
Seeing Li Fan's expression, He Zhenghao looked slightly proud. "Fellow Daoist, what do you think of my Mountains and Rivers Stellar Formation?"
In his previous life, Li Fan had never seen the true face of Liuli Island's Island-Protecting Grand Formation either. Seeing it now, he praised sincerely, "The Mountains and Rivers Stellar Formation... is truly extraordinary. But why does the Island-Protecting Grand Formation of Liuli Island seem..."
He Zhenghao already knew what Li Fan wanted to ask, and his pride grew further. "That is because this grand formation on Liuli Island was built by my own hands. Naturally, it differs from those on other islands."
Li Fan was surprised. "I didn't expect Fellow Daoist to be proficient in formations as well."
Yet he also had some doubt. "This Mountains and Rivers Stellar Formation is so vast. Could Fellow Daoist build it with only a Foundation Establishment cultivation base?"
He Zhenghao cleared his throat and assumed a serious expression. "Naturally, someone was assisting me. However, the arrangement of the formation was definitely spearheaded by me."
"To be honest with you, my Foundation Establishment wonder is a Mountains and Rivers Hundred Meridians Array Chart. Because of this, I possess a talent for the Dao of formations that ordinary cultivators cannot match. Setting cultivation base aside and judging purely by formation expertise, even an ordinary Nascent Soul formation master might not be my match," He Zhenghao said with complete confidence.
"So that's how it is..." Li Fan nodded, then asked, "May I know what matter Fellow Daoist spoke of that requires such secrecy and elaborate preparation?"
He Zhenghao smiled and said, "It's nothing major, just something that fringes on taboo."
"Does Fellow Daoist know that many years ago, all mortals in the cultivation world were exiled to various peripheral minor worlds?"
Li Fan narrowed his eyes. "I have heard a little."
He Zhenghao continued, "In fact, these minor worlds contain quite a few valuable things that can be exchanged for a good deal of contribution points. But relying on a single person to gather them is time-consuming and laborious—hardly worth the effort."
"However, the influential mortals in those minor worlds are often scheming desperately to return to the cultivation world. Therefore..."
Li Fan had already grasped what He Zhenghao was getting at. "Therefore?"
"We can use that as leverage to make those mortals collect resources for us. As it happens, I know of one such minor world called Great Li. It is quite vast and produces several precious treasures. There is even a substantial amount of Star Sea Flowing Sand."
"Star Sea Flowing Sand is a common material for setting up formations. It usually goes for two to three contribution points per jin..."
He Zhenghao explained volubly, but noticing that Li Fan's gaze was growing stranger and stranger, he couldn't help feeling a bit awkward.
He said, "Don't look at me like that. I know what you're thinking."
"'How could a dignified immortal cultivator lower himself to do such a thing,' right?"
"What you don't realize is that if you don't do it, someone else will."
"Raking through a minor world once every ten-odd years yields over two thousand contribution points. If you have several worlds like that, wouldn't that be equivalent to pocketing more than two thousand contribution points every year for nothing?"
"Look, now that I've broken it down for you, doesn't it seem completely reasonable?"
Chapter 69