“You, what are you so afraid of?”
These words struck like a dagger to the heart. Hearing them, He Zhenghao broke out into a cold sweat on the spot.
“I swear I have no ulterior motives. Please, my lord, discern my sincerity!” He immediately voiced his loyalty.
“Think carefully and act wisely,” Li Fan snorted coldly. Then his illusory figure shattered and disappeared without a trace.
It was only after a long while that He Zhenghao dared to straighten his bent posture.
Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he exhaled deeply. Suddenly realizing his daughter was nearby, he coughed lightly and quickly composed himself.
Fortunately, He Xinxin hadn’t noticed her father’s awkwardness. She clapped her small hands on her chest and exclaimed, “Senior Li is truly awe-inspiring! He’s almost on par with those Dao Integration Immortal Sages we’ve seen before. He really scared me.”
“Hmph, that’s only natural. The honored secret envoy might even be a Long…” He Zhenghao stopped himself abruptly, realizing his words might be inappropriate.
Luckily, his daughter hadn’t caught on to his implication. He quickly changed the topic.
“He didn’t outright deny Xinxin’s deduction. He merely said he wouldn’t leave…”
Moments later, a trace of alarm flashed through He Zhenghao’s eyes.
“Could it be that something truly shocking will happen in the Congyun Sea?”
He fell into deep thought for a while.
Meanwhile, in the depths of the Administrative Hall, Li Fan, who had been observing He Zhenghao’s every expression, remained indifferent.
“Abandon power and flee for your life, or cling to it with a gambler’s hope and refuse to leave…”
“He Zhenghao, what will you choose?”
Based on Li Fan’s understanding of He Zhenghao, the latter would undoubtedly choose to stay in the Congyun Sea. Even so, Li Fan hoped this version of He Zhenghao might surprise him.
Shifting his focus away from He Zhenghao, Li Fan used the Envoy Token to summon various internal members of the Congyun Sea’s administration.
“Lord secret envoy hasn’t summoned us in ages. I wonder what the urgency is?”
“It’s strange. I haven’t heard of any critical missions lately.”
As the crowd discussed, He Zhenghao remained caught in inner turmoil, his expression distracted.
Gao Yuan noticed this, his eyes revealing a thoughtful look. However, he refrained from asking immediately and instead made a mental note of it.
Before long, once everyone had gathered, Li Fan appeared leisurely.
“Greetings, Lord Secret Envoy!” the crowd greeted in unison.
“There’s no need for formalities. Please, take your seats,” Li Fan said warmly.
“I called you here today not for any pressing matters. As you know, while I hold the title of Secret Envoy of Congyun Immortal City, I have rarely interfered in administrative affairs. Yet, the governance of the Congyun Sea has never faltered. In fact, its overall ranking among the regions has even improved in recent years, and this is all thanks to your hard work.” 𝘙АΝǑ฿Ё𝐬
Li Fan paused, scanning the expressions of those present, before continuing:
“As the saying goes, ‘one good turn deserves another.’ Recently, I divined a new opportunity and decided to share it with you all.”
The cultivators in the hall perked up at these words, their eyes lighting up.
Who was Li Fan? A figure who wouldn’t bat an eye at contributions in the tens of millions! If he spoke of an opportunity, it was bound to be extraordinary. The group eagerly looked at him with anticipation.
“I have deduced that, in the near future, a hidden cave abode will rise from the depths of the Congyun Sea. The opportunity lies within that abode!” Li Fan announced solemnly.
As soon as the words left his mouth, the cultivators began to stir restlessly.
“Of course, opportunities always coexist with danger. Whether you choose to pursue them or not is entirely up to you.” Li Fan said these final words indifferently, his expression ambiguous, before disappearing from everyone’s sight.
Once they confirmed that Li Fan had left, the hall immediately erupted into an uproar.
“What exactly does Lord Envoy mean by this? Calling us all here from so far away, only to say something so simple?”
“Strange! Truly strange!”
“An underwater cave residence—could it be the ruins of an ancient sect? Hmm, for something to be called an opportunity by the lord and warrant such a commotion, it must be extraordinary!”
…
The crowd’s faces were filled with excitement as they buzzed with discussion.
He Zhenghao, however, was filled with doubts and confusion.
“Friend He, do you perhaps know some inside information?”
At that moment, he suddenly heard Gao Yuan’s voice transmitted directly to him.
After a moment’s hesitation, He Zhenghao decided to briefly explain the recent events to Gao Yuan, hoping to hear his thoughts.
“Something is about to happen in the Congyun Sea?” Gao Yuan was initially startled but maintained his composure.
“But the lord said he wouldn’t leave. After questioning your intentions, he then announced the opportunity of the cave residence…”
Gao Yuan’s mind raced as he quickly analyzed the situation.
Before long, a realization struck him.
“So that’s it!”
“Brother Gao, enlighten me!” He Zhenghao, feeling as though he’d found a savior, eagerly pressed for an explanation.
“The lord is using this matter of the cave residence to give us a hint. If something is happening in the Congyun Sea, yet the lord himself is unwilling to leave, why is that?”
“Because opportunity and danger go hand in hand!” Gao Yuan said excitedly. “Given the resources the lord has at his disposal, for him to value this opportunity so much…”
“It must be something that could lead to transcendence…”
“The Spirit of Heaven and Earth?”
He Zhenghao exchanged a glance with Gao Yuan, and both arrived at the same conclusion.
“So that’s how it is…” He Zhenghao murmured to himself as if everything suddenly made sense.
“The lord fell from the Longevity Immortal Realm and wants to reattain it. He will likely have to follow the steps of the new method. For him, this is undoubtedly a critical opportunity for integration. I’ve heard that when the Spirit of Heaven and Earth descends, it always stirs up chaos and bloodshed. At that time, not just us Golden Core cultivators but even Nascent Soul and Soul Transformation cultivators might not escape unscathed.”
“The descent of the Spirit of Heaven and Earth cannot be spoken of directly. Any disclosure might trigger changes due to the sensitivity of destiny. As loyal subordinates of the lord, he cannot bear to see us perish meaninglessly in the calamity. Thus, he chose an indirect method to alert us.”
…
He Zhenghao suddenly understood.
While his heart was filled with excitement, a certain inappropriate emotion began to stir within him.
“The Spirit of Heaven and Earth…”
He Zhenghao squinted his eyes.
“So, Brother Gao, what do you plan to do?” After some time, he looked at Gao Yuan, whose expression was also shifting unpredictably, and asked.
“Friend He, have you ever heard of this saying?” Gao Yuan looked at He Zhenghao.
“What is it?”
“There is no greater merit than following the dragon,” Gao Yuan said in a faint tone.
“If the lord successfully integrates with the Dao, then we, his steadfast and loyal subordinates…”
Hearing this, He Zhenghao suddenly felt a fire of ambition ignite within him.
Even deeper in his mind, a thought he dared not voice began to take form.
The Spirit of Heaven and Earth belongs to those with virtue.
If the lord envoy fails to claim the Spirit of Heaven and Earth, then perhaps, just perhaps, there might be the slightest chance for him…
After all, history in the Xuanhuang Realm has recorded instances of such occurrences.