Once one’s strength reaches the Longevity stage, even if it’s just a fake Longevity expert trapped in a corner of the Xuanhuang Realm, their power and abilities are beyond the comprehension of ordinary cultivators.
Just like Senior Sister Zhao, who during the guiding process, created a vivid illusion that felt like a “romantic simulation.”
But for her, what was the true significance of it all?
Li Fan believed that with her strength, even without the confusion of the illusion, she could easily devour and merge with other cultivators.
Yet she chose not to do so.
Instead, she insisted on playing this game with Li Fan, a game spanning several hundred years.
Could it be that she was truly bored to the extreme?
While this possibility couldn’t be ruled out, Li Fan was more inclined to believe that there was some hidden secret behind it.
The “ants” trying to spy on the Longevity Immortal Sovereigns thought they were doing so discreetly, assuming they hadn’t been discovered.
It was like Senior Sister Zhao’s final reminder, or perhaps more accurately, her warning.
Li Fan, trying to uncover the secret of the immortal-mortal miasma, might be in the same position as Master Yin.
A thought stirred in his mind, and Li Fan activated his formless killing intent, focusing his gaze on Yin Yin Island.
After observing for a while, Master Yin seemed to be as engrossed as ever, conducting experiments on mortals.
“So many years have passed, yet the lethal power of the Immortal-Mortal Miasma doesn’t seem to have weakened at all. Only its transmission ability has lessened compared to the original version…” Watching the mortals in the experiment groaning in pain, Li Fan recalled the scenes he had seen in Senior Sister Zhao’s illusion, comparing the two in his mind.
Master Yin remained deeply focused, unaffected by the horrific cries of the mortals. It was as if the lives before him were nothing more than disposable resources.
After watching for a while, Li Fan grew bored.
“It seems it will take him more time to truly figure anything out.” Thinking this, Li Fan withdrew his gaze.
His thoughts returned to the construction of Congyun Immortal City.
Now, most of the six-month deadline had already passed.
The basic structure of the immortal city had been mostly completed. What remained were critical installations like the “Statue of the Immortal Ancestor” and the “Long-Distance Teleportation Formation.”
In this regard, with help from the cultivators dispatched by the headquarters of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, there was no need to worry too much.
However, with the extended construction period, material shortages had inevitably started to appear.
After all, the resources Li Fan had received initially were only sufficient to build one floating city, assuming there were no mistakes.
Thanks to the coordination of He Zhenghao and Gao Yuan, the shortfall hadn’t been immediately exposed.
Meanwhile, Zhou Kebao, who had been secretly causing trouble, was surprisingly patient.
For all this time, he hadn’t contacted Li Fan or tried to feel him out.
“It seems I can’t rely on him making the first move. I have to come up with a solution myself.”
“Common materials can be purchased through Jiao Xiuyuan’s channels using contribution points.”
“But as for strategic resources, those aren’t easy to acquire through ordinary means. However…”
Li Fan smiled slightly, taking control of the current “Commander of the Congyun Immortal City Rebuilding Project,” Zhou Qingang.
In the rebuilding project, all the cultivators had their own responsibilities. Being the commander wasn’t actually too busy of a role.
When there was no one around, “Zhou Qingang” quietly left Congyun City.
To avoid being followed, he even hid in the deep sea for three days and three nights.
Only after confirming that he was safe did he contact the Five Elders Association.
A flicker of light appeared on the broken stone, and after a moment, a blurry figure emerged.
“Hmm? Why did you suddenly contact us? Did something happen?” Perhaps due to his past achievements, the figure’s tone was much warmer than before.
Even though “Zhou Qingang” had broken protocol by reaching out first, the figure wasn’t angry but instead asked with genuine concern.
“Haha, don’t worry, boss. It’s not trouble at all—in fact, it’s a golden opportunity!” Zhou Qingang said excitedly.
“Oh?” The figure sounded intrigued.
“Boss, you probably know that thanks to He Zhenghao, I became the commander of the Congyun City rebuilding project.” Zhou Qingang lowered his voice.
“But recently, we’ve run into some difficulties…”
He then briefly explained how someone within the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance was plotting against Li Fan by withholding resources and putting pressure on him.
The figure on the broken stone frowned as he listened.
“This is intolerable. How could someone like Master Li be subjected to such humiliation?”
“He’s mentioned privately that he’d rather defect to the Five Elders Association than submit to those people.”
Before Zhou Qingang could finish, the figure was overjoyed. “Oh? So, does that mean Li Fan intends to defect?”
However, he quickly became skeptical. “But what if it’s all part of a scheme by the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance to lure us into a trap?”
Zhou Qingang felt a bit awkward. “Ahem, boss, it was clearly just an angry remark…”
“Er…” The figure fell silent.
Zhou Qingang quickly continued, “Although the chances of defection are slim, we still have a great opportunity on our hands.”
“Li Fan made a military pledge to the Chief Administrator. If he fails to complete construction on time, he could lose his head. Lately, he’s been nearly driven mad trying to acquire the missing resources.”
“So, you mean…?” The figure immediately understood.
“A trade?”
Zhou Qingang nodded repeatedly and placed his palms on the stone, transmitting a list of materials.
“Exactly! Boss, take a look—can we acquire these resources?”
There was a brief pause.
After a moment, the figure spoke slowly, “No problem.”
“Good! With these materials, not only can we secure information about the protective formation, but we could even obtain the entire blueprint of the immortal city!” Zhou Qingang said confidently.
The figure remained silent, but it was clear he was tempted.
“The importance of the formation diagram has already been downgraded by two levels. It’s not a very lucrative trade now…” After some thought, the figure instructed, “If possible, try to find out from Li Fan what really happened on the day of the ‘Anomaly of Ten Thousand Immortals Island’.”
“And if you can get him to record the scene with a memory stone, even better.”
Zhou Qingang’s expression shifted, and he asked curiously, “Boss, was it us who took the entire Ten Thousand Immortals Island?”
“That was terrifying! I regret not being there. If I had been, I could’ve returned home by now!”
“By the way, what was the big commotion all about? What were we trying to find?”
The figure snorted coldly, “You’re asking about things you shouldn’t know. Just do your job.”