“Thank you for your help, Fellow Daoist!” He Zhenghao smiled warmly and clasped his hands as he left with Gao Yuan.
Watching their receding figures, Li Fan’s expression was unreadable.
“In just one year, they’ve been corrupted into this…”
“Not long ago, these two still believed I was a fallen Longevity Immortal Heavenly Sovereign and hoped to follow me for a prosperous future.”
“Now they even dare to deceive and disrespect me.”
A cold glint flashed in Li Fan’s eyes.
After all, the battle in Tianling Prefecture was initiated by him. He had foreseen that some cultivators participating in the investment plan would likely fall in the conflict there. However, he never mentioned this to He Zhenghao.
It was all to see how He Zhenghao would handle the unclaimed capital left behind by those who perished.
And the result…
“Especially when faced with such significant contributions. When one becomes accustomed to astronomical figures in the billions, how could one be content with a meager salary?”
“It’s inevitable that they’d seek side earnings.”
Li Fan shook his head slightly. He wasn’t particularly disappointed, only that he had once considered providing He Zhenghao a way out when the Crimson Flame will burn the sea and would eventually erupt—partly as recognition for his hard work and his contribution to the “Mountain Sitting Technique.”
But now…
“Perhaps in the next life.”
Expressionless, Li Fan began selecting personnel from the Congyun Sea System for the upcoming recruitment.
Indeed, as the war commenced, the first to be summoned were members within the structure of the Immortal Alliance.
After all, those who enjoyed the benefits of the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance also had to bear corresponding responsibilities.
“Zhu Yongshou…”
“This one spoke disrespectfully before—mark him down.”
“Qi Yan. Hmm, I don’t recall much about him. He wasn’t present at either the reconstruction ceremony of Congyun City or the foundation ceremony of Immortal City. Mark him down as well.”
“Zhao Kuo, feedback officer for the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance Congyun Sea?”
Li Fan raised an eyebrow, momentarily puzzled.
He had spent many cycles in the Congyun Sea and governed its affairs for some time now, yet he had never had the pleasure of meeting this individual.
“Who will die if not you?” With a stroke of his brush, Li Fan marked him down.
…
Before long, the “Cultivators Drafted List” that had left He Zhenghao and Gao Yuan in a bind was completed.
Overall, Li Fan’s selection of cultivators was quite casual. To him, even if they survived the Tianling Prefecture battle, they wouldn’t escape the Crimson Flame Burning the Sea. It was merely a question of sooner or later.
The recruitment order bore the seal that Li Fan had specifically left before entering seclusion, marked with the “Secret Envoy Sigil.” All that remained was for “Zhou Qingang” to add his stamp to officially issue it.
Shortly after, Zhou Qing’ang completed the final step.
“Injustice has its perpetrator; debts have their collector. It was all Zhou Qingang’s doing, nothing to do with me, Li Fan.”
Li Fan felt no pressure.
“Daoist Zhou is truly efficient! Haha, looks like I’ll need your assistance again next time!” He Zhenghao’s praise soon came through.
Li Fan responded with a faint smile.
Meanwhile, at the Crystal Palace beneath the sea.
After only half a day, Sima Changkong, who had been gathering ingredients for brewing, hurried back.
“Oh? Brother Sima, you’ve returned so quickly?” Li Fan asked in mild surprise.
“Ah, Daoist Friend, you misunderstand.”
Sima Changkong shook his head, explaining, “Something urgent came up, so I had to rush back.”
“Gathering the ingredients for the ‘Heavenly Green Brew’ isn’t easy, and I haven’t had time to prepare them yet. You’ll have to wait a while longer if you want to drink heartily.” He looked a bit apologetic.
“No worries!” Li Fan waved dismissively, indicating he didn’t mind.
“What’s happened to make you return in such a hurry?” Li Fan asked curiously.
“Something remarkable has appeared on the battlefield in Tianling Prefecture, and my ‘Blood Split Clone’ was unfortunately destroyed. So, I had to return to craft a new one,” Sima Changkong replied, looking a bit weary.
“Remarkable?” Li Fan’s eyes narrowed as he led Sima Changkong back into the Crystal Palace to sit.
“Yes, when I saw it, I was taken aback.” Sima Changkong, evidently fatigued from using his teleportation technique to return, sat to rest.
After a short break, he took out a small black canister.
With a hand gesture, he crushed it, and a torrent of blood poured out, fresh enough to still carry a sharp metallic scent.
The blood coalesced midair, gradually forming a vaguely human shape.
Without concern for Li Fan’s presence, Sima Changkong touched his brow with his finger, extracting a drop of prismatic blood, which he merged into the blood figure.
A soft glow emitted from it, and before long, a replica of Sima Changkong stood before them.
After dressing his clone, the replica clasped his hands in respect to the two of them before departing toward Tianling Prefecture.
Only then did Sima Changkong exhale, though now visibly weaker, his face ashen, barely able to stand.
Seeing this, Li Fan quickly helped him to a seat.
After a while, Sima Changkong regained some strength.
“How are you feeling, Fellow Daoist?” Li Fan asked, prioritizing his well-being over immediate questions about the battlefield in Tianling Prefecture.
“No problem. Just need to rest a bit,” Sima Changkong replied weakly, shaking his head.
“That’s good. I initially thought this was merely a ‘Blood Split Clone’ rather than your original form.”
“After cultivating the ‘Bloodline Historical Archive’, there’s hardly such a thing as an original form anymore,” Sima Changkong said with a bitter smile. “The Congyun Sea is the only place that has enough blood essence left for me to immediately craft a new clone.”
Hearing this, Li Fan nodded in understanding.
Soon, he frowned. “Brother Sima, crafting these clones seems to drain your energy substantially?”
“You’re correct, Daoist Friend. I need to drink Heavenly Green Brew regularly to replenish my lost vitality,” Sima Changkong admitted.
“Oh no! I’ve been drinking so much of Brother Sima’s brew without realizing…” Li Fan exclaimed with exaggerated regret.
“Haha, Brother Li, there’s no need to feel bad!” Sima Changkong reassured him.
“As I’ve said before, cultivating our Sima family’s ‘Bloodline Historical Archive’ makes our lifespans similar to mortals.”
“Life is fleeting, just a few short decades, gone in the blink of an eye.”
“In such a short existence, having a true friend like you is worth it. So live for today! I’m grateful you drink with me daily; how could I blame you?” Sima Changkong chuckled in reply.