chuāi zhe liǎng qiān qī bǎi zhū líng wù cǎo cóng qīng fēng táng chū lái hòu ， lǐ fán yòu zài zhōu biān liū dá le yī huì ， xī wàng néng zài zhǎo dào yī xiē yǐn cáng de xiǎo dài zǔ zhī 。
揣着两千七百株灵雾草从清风堂出来后，李凡又在周边溜达了一会，希望能再找到一些隐藏的小贷组织。
After carrying 2,700 Spirit Fog Grasses out of the Clear Breeze Hall, Li Fan wandered around for a while in hopes of finding some hidden small loan organizations.
kě xī de shì ， méi néng rú yuàn 。
可惜的是，没能如愿。
Unfortunately, his wish was not granted.
lǐ fán huí dào le tiān xuán jìng zhōng ， àn zì pán suàn qǐ lái 。
李凡回到了天玄镜中，暗自盘算起来。
Li Fan returned to the Ten Thousand Immortals Mirror and began to calculate secretly.
“ líng wù cǎo de jià gé zài bù jiǔ zhī hòu ， jiāng huì duǎn zàn de zhǎng dào 25 diǎn gòng xiàn dù ， wǒ yào zài nà zhī qián jiāng qí quán bù chū shǒu 。”
“灵雾草的价格在不久之后，将会短暂的涨到25点贡献度，我要在那之前将其全部出手。”
"The price of Spirit Fog Grass will temporarily rise to 25 points of contribution before long. I must sell all of them off before that happens."
“ mù shǔ xìng dòng tiān bèi fā xiàn de xiāo xī chuán kāi hòu ， jià gé jiāng huì xuě bēng 。 yì zhí diē dǎo 6 diǎn gòng xiàn dù cái wěn dìng 。”
“木属性洞天被发现的消息传开后，价格将会雪崩。一直跌倒6点贡献度才稳定。”
"After the news of the Wood Attribute Heavenly Realm being discovered spreads, the prices will plummet drastically. They'll stabilize at only 6 points of contribution."
“ dào shí hòu wǒ zài mǎi shàng sān qiān wǔ bǎi yī shí zhū huán gěi qīng fēng táng jiù shì le 。”
“到时候我再买上三千五百一十株还给清风堂就是了。”
"Then, I can buy back 3,510 Spirit Fog Grasses for Clear Breeze Hall."
“ yī lái yī huí ， wǒ jiù néng zhuàn gè chà bu duō sì wàn diǎn gòng xiàn dù 。”
“一来一回，我就能赚个差不多四万点贡献度。”
"With this round trip, I could earn about 40,000 points of contribution."
“ zé zé ， zhè me shǎo 。”
“啧啧，这么少。”
"Zz, so little."
“ zhuàn qián hái shì tài nán le a ……”
“赚钱还是太难了啊……”
"Earning money is still too difficult…."
yóu shē rù jiǎn nán 。 xí guàn le yǐ shí wàn wèi dān wèi de gòng xiàn dù ， qū qū sān sì wàn de zēng zhǎng shí zài tí bù qǐ jìn 。
由奢入俭难。习惯了以十万为单位的贡献度，区区三四万的增长实在提不起劲。
Going from luxury to frugality is hard. Having been accustomed to contributions measured in tens of thousands, a mere few thousand more barely raised his spirits.
bù guò ， zī běn de jī lěi zài zuì kāi shǐ wǎng wǎng shì zuì jiān nán de 。 děng dào dá yí gè shù liàng jí hòu ， gǔn qǐ xuě qiú lái ， cái fù de zēng zhǎng jiù huì biàn dé yuè lái yuè kuài 。
不过，资本的积累在最开始往往是最艰难的。等到达一个数量级后，滚起雪球来，财富的增长就会变得越来越快。
However, the accumulation of capital at the beginning was always the most challenging. Once reaching a certain scale, rolling up like a snowball would make wealth growth much faster.
“ zhè yī shì ， xiàng zhī qián nà yàng ， dà sì fā zhǎn dù fǎ yè wù yīng gāi shì bù xíng le 。 sì hū shì yào yán gé kòng zhì xiū shì shù liàng de yuán gù ， xiū xiān jiè duì cǐ de fǎn yìng zhī jī liè ， yuǎn chāo chū wǒ de xiǎng xiàng 。 hé dào zhī wēi ， hái bú shì mù qián de wǒ néng kàng héng de 。” lǐ fán zǐ xì sī suǒ zhe 。
“这一世，像之前那样，大肆发展渡法业务应该是不行了。似乎是要严格控制修士数量的缘故，修仙界对此的反应之激烈，远超出我的想象。合道之威，还不是目前的我能抗衡的。”李凡仔细思索着。
"Developing the Dao of Crossing in this life as I did before is probably not feasible anymore. It seems that strict control over cultivators' numbers is required. The reaction from the world of cultivation to this has been far more intense than I imagined. The might of forming a path, is still beyond my current capabilities."
“ zhāng zhì liáng nà lǐ de sì shí wàn gòng xiàn dù ， què shì bù néng fàng qì 。”
“张志良那里的四十万贡献度，却是不能放弃。”
"The 40,000 points of contribution from Zhang Ziliang cannot be abandoned."
“ zhè yī shì ， hái xū yào yǒu rén tuī dòng wàn xiān dǎo yī zhòng huà shén hé chì yán yī zhàn 。”
“这一世，还需要有人推动万仙岛一众化神和赤炎一战。”
"In this life, someone needs to push for the battle between the Ten Thousand Immortals Island and the Fiery Flame."
“ zhǐ shì ， huò xǔ kě yǐ huàn gè duì xiàng 。”
“只是，或许可以换个对象。”
"However, perhaps I could target another individual."
yí gè pàng zi de shēn yǐng hū dì fú xiàn zài lǐ fán nǎo hǎi zhōng 。
一个胖子的身影忽地浮现在李凡脑海中。
A fat figure suddenly appeared in Li Fan's mind.
“ zhāng hào bō ， yǒu qí yùn ér wú tiān yùn 。 suī rán néng zhàng zhe cóng yún hǎi shū sǐ yī bó de lì liàng ， zhǎn shā chì yán ， yǐ jīn dān chéng gōng hé dào 。”
“张浩波，有奇运而无天运。虽然能仗着丛云海殊死一搏的力量，斩杀赤炎，以金丹成功合道。”
"Zhang Haibo, with good fortune but no heavenly luck. Although he could rely on the power of Cunyun Sea to fight to the death and kill Fiery Flame successfully, achieving Golden Core success and forming a path,"
“ dàn miàn duì jiē xià lái jiàng lín de mò shā ， què shì yì diǎn fǎn kàng zhī lì dōu méi yǒu ， jiù bèi zhū shā 。”
“但面对接下来降临的墨杀，却是一点反抗之力都没有，就被诛杀。”
"But when faced with the impending Black Murder, there was nothing he could do; he was killed."
“ qì yùn yǐ jǐn ， shēn sǐ dào xiāo 。”
“气运已尽，身死道消。”
"His fate had run out, and his Dao perished."
“ ruò shì qì yùn zài qiáng yì diǎn ， jié jú huì bú huì yǒu suǒ bù tóng ne ？”
“若是气运再强一点，结局会不会有所不同呢？”
"If his fortune were stronger, would the outcome be different?"
“ dāng rán ， zuì zhǔ yào de shì 。 cóng yún èr shí bā jiàn wǒ rú jīn yǐ jīng jìn shù lǐng wù ， zhāng hào bō zài lái yī cì yě duì wǒ wú yòng 。”
“当然，最主要的是。丛云二十八剑我如今已经尽数领悟，张浩波再来一次也对我无用。”
"Of course, the main point is that I have comprehended all 28 swords of Cunyun. Zhang Haibo repeating this would be useless for me."
“ nà yè fēi péng mìng gé qí tè ， ruò shì gěi tā zú gòu de zhù lì ， shuō bù dé zhēn de néng gěi wǒ yí gè jīng xǐ 。”
“那叶飞鹏命格奇特，若是给他足够的助力，说不得真的能给我一个惊喜。”
"But Ye Feipeng'sfate constitutionis peculiar. If given enough support, he might really give me a surprise."
“ zài fǔ yǐ 《 zuò shān jué 》……”
“再辅以《坐山决》……”
"Adding The Sitting Mountain Decision…."
“ bù zhī dào ， ruò shì tā hé dào chéng gōng ， néng gòu fǎn kuì duō shǎo xiū wèi 。 néng bù néng jiāng wǒ tuī dào jīn dān jìng jiè ？”
“不知道，若是他合道成功，能够反馈多少修为。能不能将我推到金丹境界？”
"I wonder how much cultivation he could feedback if he successfully formed a path. Could it push me to the Golden Core realm?"
“ dāng rán ， yǐn dǎo cǐ rén ， bì xū dé huàn gè fāng fǎ le 。 zhāng hào bō dòng zhī yǐ qíng de huà ， cǐ rén jiù bì xū yòu zhī yǐ lì le 。”
“当然，引导此人，必须得换个方法了。张浩波动之以情的话，此人就必须诱之以利了。”
"Of course, guiding this person would require a different method. Using emotions with Zhang Haibo, I must entice him with benefits."
yī fān móu huà hòu ， lǐ fán xīn zhōng yǐ rán yǒu le jì jiào 。
一番谋划后，李凡心中已然有了计较。
After a series of plans, Li Fan had his strategy in place.
zhī suǒ yǐ yī rán xuǎn zé dài lǐ rén qù xíng hé dào zhī jǔ ， ér bú shì lǐ fán qīn zì shàng chǎng cháng shì 。
之所以依然选择代理人去行合道之举，而不是李凡亲自上场尝试。
---
zì rán shì yīn wèi ， zhè qí zhōng de fēng xiǎn tài gāo le 。
自然是因为，这其中的风险太高了。
Still choosing an agent for the path-forming ritual instead of doing it himself was natural because of the high risk involved.
hēi yī hé dào dōu néng jìn hū dòng jié lǐ fán de sī wéi ， shí lì míng xiǎn hái zài qí shàng de mò shā ， jiù gèng bú yòng shuō le 。
黑衣合道都能近乎冻结李凡的思维，实力明显还在其上的墨杀，就更不用说了。
The Black Cloaked Path-Forming could almost freeze Li Fan's mind. The more powerful Black Murder was even more so.
lián gāng hé dào de zhāng hào bō dōu lái bù jí fǎn yìng de bèi mǒ shā ， lǐ fán yòu rú hé néng què bǎo zì jǐ néng lì wài ne ？
连刚合道的张浩波都来不及反应的被抹杀，李凡又如何能确保自己能例外呢？
Even newly formed paths like Zhang Haibo's were not enough to react in time and were immediately eliminated. How could Li Fan ensure he would be an exception?
yǒu chéng gōng de gài lǜ ， yě yǒu shī bài bèi mǒ shā de gài lǜ 。 shī bài de gài lǜ hái bù xiǎo 。
有成功的概率，也有失败被抹杀的概率。失败的概率还不小。
There was a chance of success, but there was also the risk of failure and elimination. The latter had a higher probability.
yí dàn shī bài ， kě jiù zài méi yǒu zhòng lái de jī huì le 。
一旦失败，可就再没有重来的机会了。
Once failed, there would be no second chances.
lǐ fán méi yǒu bì yào qù dǔ 。
李凡没有必要去赌。
Li Fan did not want to take that risk.
“ kě yǐ děng líng wù cǎo shì jiàn chén āi luò dìng ， zài qù lí jiè bù jú 。”
“可以等灵雾草事件尘埃落定，再去离界布局。”
"I can wait for the Spirit Fog Grass incident to settle before setting up in the Exile Lands."
“ xiàn zài ma ……”
“现在嘛……”
"Now…"
lǐ fán sōu suǒ qǐ le rù zhí wàn xiān méng de fāng fǎ 。
李凡搜索起了入职万仙盟的方法。
Li Fan searched for ways to join the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
hěn kuài ， yī duī xìn xī jiù mào le chū lái 。
很快，一堆信息就冒了出来。
Soon, a pile of information popped up.
xiǎng yào zài wàn xiān méng dān rèn yí dìng zhí wù jiā rù tǐ zhì nèi ， yǒu jǐ zhǒng fāng fǎ 。
想要在万仙盟担任一定职务加入体制内，有几种方法。
To hold a certain position and be part of the system within the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance required several methods.
dì yī zhǒng ， jiù shì cān jiā wàn xiān méng měi 10 nián yī cì de kǎo hé 。
第一种，就是参加万仙盟每10年一次的考核。
The first was participating in the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance's assessment every 10 years. To participate, one needed to have been in the alliance for at least 30 years, with cultivation at the Foundation Establishment stage or above, and possessing a unique skill.
ér xiǎng yào cān jiā kǎo hé ， hái bì xū yào mǎn zú jǐ gè tiáo jiàn 。 bǐ rú xū yào jiā rù wàn xiān méng mǎn sān shí nián ， xiū wèi bì xū zài zhù jī qī jí yǐ shàng ， bì xū yǒu yī jì zhī cháng děng děng 。
而想要参加考核，还必须要满足几个条件。比如需要加入万仙盟满三十年，修为必须在筑基期及以上，必须有一技之长等等。
In short, the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance did not employ idle or useless people.
jiǎn dān de shuō ， wàn xiān méng bù yǎng xián rén 、 fèi rén 。
简单的说，万仙盟不养闲人、废人。
The second was being recommended by a high-ranking cultivator within the alliance. After passing a three-year probationary period, one could officially take up the position.
dì èr zhǒng ， jiù shì yǒu wàn xiān méng zhí wèi gāo de xiū shì zuò wéi dān bǎo ， jǔ jiàn wǎn bèi xiū shì rèn zhí 。 tōng guò sān nián de shì yòng qī zhī hòu ， fāng néng zhèng shì rèn zhí 。
第二种，就是有万仙盟职位高的修士作为担保，举荐晚辈修士任职。通过三年的试用期之后，方能正式任职。
Again, the alliance did not employ idle or useless people unless someone above them vouched for it.
jiǎn dān de shuō ， wàn xiān méng bù yǎng xián rén 、 fèi rén 。 chú fēi shàng miàn yǒu rén 。
简单的说，万仙盟不养闲人、废人。除非上面有人。
The third was more special. Completing specific reward tasks such as eliminating key figures from the Five Elders Association or completing critical missions.
dì sān zhǒng ， jiù shì bǐ jiào tè shū de le 。 wán chéng tè dìng de xuán shǎng rèn wù 。 bǐ rú zhū shā mǒu wǔ lǎo huì de guān jiàn rén wù ， yòu huò zhě wán chéng mǒu gè guān jiàn de rèn wù 。
第三种，就是比较特殊的了。完成特定的悬赏任务。比如诛杀某五老会的关键人物，又或者完成某个关键的任务。
It was said that Zhou Qingang of Tai'an Island had officially joined the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance through this method.
jù shuō ， tài ān dǎo zhèn shǒu zhōu qīng áng jiù shì tōng guò zhè zhǒng fāng shì zhèng shì rù zhí wàn xiān méng de 。
据说，泰安岛镇守周青昂就是通过这种方式正式入职万仙盟的。
Li Fan was interested in Hao Zhenghao's claim about his permissions being raised to a certain level, allowing him to exchange for previously unseen cultivative techniques.
lǐ fán duì yú hé zhèng hào suǒ shuō de ， quán xiàn tí gāo dào mǒu gè jí bié ， néng gòu duì huàn zhī qián shèn zhì wú fǎ kàn dào de gōng fǎ hěn gǎn xìng qù 。
李凡对于何正浩所说的，权限提高到某个级别，能够兑换之前甚至无法看到的功法很感兴趣。
He found that the conventional cultivative techniques offered by the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance and available for exchange generally had limited power.
yīn wèi lǐ fán fā xiàn ， wàn xiān méng cháng guī tí gōng de ， néng gòu duì huàn de gōng fǎ ， wēi néng yì bān dōu yǒu xiàn 。
因为李凡发现，万仙盟常规提供的，能够兑换的功法，威能一般都有限。
Perhaps due to limiting the combat capabilities of regular alliance members, none of the techniques Li Fan saw in his previous lives within the Ten Thousand Immortals Mirror could be considered true divine arts.
kě néng shì chū yú xiàn zhì wàn xiān méng cháng guī xiū shì zhàn lì de yuán yīn ， lǐ fán zhè jǐ shì zài wàn xuán jìng zhōng suǒ jiàn de gōng fǎ ， dōu méi yǒu zhēn zhèng yì yì shàng de shén gōng 。
可能是出于限制万仙盟常规修士战力的原因，李凡这几世在万玄镜中所见的功法，都没有真正意义上的神功。
They were not comparable to the 28 swords of Cunyun, or even those that could match the Divine Sword of Calming the Sea.
bù shuō kān bǐ cóng yún èr shí bā jiàn le ， jiù lián néng pì měi dìng hǎi shén jiàn de ， dōu hěn shǎo jiàn 。
不说堪比丛云二十八剑了，就连能媲美定海神剑的，都很少见。
However, after thinking about it, this was reasonable. If cattle and horses became a threat, they would still be cattle and horses, right? They couldn't just run rampant. There had to be some restrictions.
bù guò ， lǐ fán xiǎng le xiǎng ， zhè yě shì yīng yǒu zhī lǐ 。 ruò shì niú mǎ biàn dé néng gòu chǎn shēng le wēi xié ， nà hái shì niú mǎ ma ？ qǐ bù shì xiǎng fān le tiān ？ dāng rán yào yǒu suǒ xiàn zhì 。
不过，李凡想了想，这也是应有之理。若是牛马变得能够产生了威胁，那还是牛马嘛？岂不是想翻了天？当然要有所限制。
For insiders within the system, however, the treatment was different. As long as one's permissions were sufficient, all divine arts should be available.
ér duì yú tǐ zhì nèi de zì jǐ rén ， zì rán dài yù jiù bù yí yàng le 。 zhǐ yào nǐ quán xiàn zú gòu ， gè zhǒng shén gōng yīng yǒu jìn yǒu 。
而对于体制内的自己人，自然待遇就不一样了。只要你权限足够，各种神功应有尽有。
The benefits of being an insider did not need further elaboration. Li Fan carefully examined those special reward tasks.
tǐ zhì nèi de hǎo chù zì rán bù yòng zhuì shù 。 lǐ fán zǐ xì chá kàn qǐ nà xiē tè shū de xuán shǎng rèn wù lái 。
体制内的好处自然不用赘述。李凡仔细查看起那些特殊的悬赏任务来。
---
kàn zhe kàn zhe ， lǐ fán biàn zhòu qǐ le méi tóu 。 zhī qián méi yǒu guān zhù zhè fāng miàn de yuán yīn ， lǐ fán duì yú zhè xiē rèn wù dōu méi yǒu shén me tóu xù 。 dàn lǐ fán hěn kuài jiù fā xiàn le qí zhōng de qī qiāo zhī chù 。
看着看着，李凡便皱起了眉头。之前没有关注这方面的原因，李凡对于这些任务都没有什么头绪。但李凡很快就发现了其中的蹊跷之处。
As he looked through them, Li Fan frowned. The reason for not paying attention to this before was that he had no idea about these tasks. But soon, he noticed something odd.
zhè xiē rèn wù ， zhǐ yǒu jí shǎo shù dí què yǒu yī xiē xuán shǎng jià zhí 。 bǐ rú zhuī chá mǒu gè wǔ lǎo huì jiàn dié de zōng jì ， yòu bǐ rú shǒu rèn mǒu wàn xiān méng pàn tú 。
这些任务，只有极少数的确有一些悬赏价值。比如追查某个五老会间谍的踪迹，又比如手刃某万仙盟叛徒。
Only a few of the tasks actually had some value; for example, investigating the trail of a Five Elders Association spy or executing a traitor within the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
dàn jué dà duō shù rèn wù ， dōu jù yǒu jí qiáng de ……
但绝大多数任务，都具有极强的……
But most of the tasks were highly…
dìng zhì xìng ？
定制性？
Customized?
fǎng fú zhǐ shì wèi le mǒu gè xiū shì ér tè dì chuàng lì de xuán shǎng rèn wù yì bān 。
仿佛只是为了某个修士而特地创立的悬赏任务一般。
Seemingly created just for a specific cultivator.
bǐ rú ， lǐ fán suǒ jiàn de qí zhōng yí gè rèn wù jiù tè bié qí pā 。
比如，李凡所见的其中一个任务就特别奇葩。
For instance, one task Li Fan saw was particularly peculiar.
wàn xiān méng tiān jī táng ， yīn wèi cè suàn tiān jī xū qiú ， xū yào zhāo mù yī míng 123-130 suì zhī jiān ， wú xìng xiū shì ， suǒ xiū gōng fǎ shì huǒ shǔ xìng gōng fǎ ， xiū wèi shì zhù jī zhōng qī 。
万仙盟天机堂，因为测算天机需求，需要招募一名123-130岁之间，吴姓修士，所修功法是火属性功法，修为是筑基中期。
The Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance's Celestial Oracle Hall needed to recruit a Wu surname cultivator between 123-130 years old with Wood Attribute techniques and Foundation Establishment mid-stage cultivation.
jiù chà zhǐ míng dào xìng ， zhí jiē zhǐ dìng rén xuǎn le 。
就差指名道姓，直接指定人选了。
It almost named the person directly.
lǐ fán duì zhè zhǒng zuò fǎ yě bù mò shēng 。 suǒ wèi yī gè luó bo yī gè kēng ma 。
李凡对这种做法也不陌生。所谓一个萝卜一个坑嘛。
Li Fan was not unfamiliar with this practice; after all, it was like one slot for each person.
dàn shì què méi xiǎng dào ， wàn xiān méng xiàn rú jīn yě fā zhǎn dào le zhè ge dì bù 。
但是却没想到，万仙盟现如今也发展到了这个地步。
But he did not expect that the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance had reached such a level of specialization.
zuǒ yòu lín xuǎn le yī biàn ， lǐ fán méi yǒu zhǎo dào shì hé zì jǐ de rèn wù 。
左右遴选了一遍，李凡没有找到适合自己的任务。
After checking around, Li Fan could not find any suitable tasks for himself. The 10-year assessment had only just passed.
ér shí nián yī cì de kǎo hé yě cái gāng guò qù bù jiǔ 。
而十年一次的考核也才刚过去不久。
With no other options, Li Fan turned to Hao Daoist, who never let him down.
méi yǒu mén lù de lǐ fán ， yú shì zài yí cì xún wèn qǐ cóng bù ràng rén shī wàng de hé dào yǒu qǐ lái 。
没有门路的李凡，于是再一次询问起从不让人失望的何道友起来。
Hao Zhenghao responded quickly.
hé zhèng hào yī rán huí fù de hěn kuài 。
何正浩依然回复的很快。
"Friend wants to officially join the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance? Hmm, that's a bit difficult. Mainly because you've only been in the alliance for a short while."
“ dào yǒu xiǎng yào zhèng shì rù zhí wàn xiān méng ？ é ， zhè kě shì yǒu diǎn nán dù le 。 zhǔ yào shì dào yǒu cái gāng gāng jiā rù wàn xiān méng bù jiǔ 。”
“道友想要正式入职万仙盟？额，这可是有点难度了。主要是道友才刚刚加入万仙盟不久。”
"But there is still a way."
“ bù guò ma ， yě bú shì méi yǒu bàn fǎ 。”
“不过嘛，也不是没有办法。”
"I have some connections with Grandmaster Feng Boyu, an array formation master. He has some positions for array formation repairmen each year."
“ wǒ gēn zhèn fǎ dà shī gōng bó yǔ hái suàn yǒu xiē jiāo qíng 。 tā měi nián dōu yǒu yī xiē zhèn fǎ xiū shàn yuán rù zhí míng é 。”
“我跟阵法大师宫伯羽还算有些交情。他每年都有一些阵法修缮员入职名额。”
"Just spend a little contribution and get this position."
“ zhǐ xū yào huā shàng yì diǎn gòng xiàn dù ， jiù kě yǐ dé dào zhè ge zhí wèi 。”
“只需要花上一点贡献度，就可以得到这个职位。”
"Work hard at it for one or two years, then use your connections to transfer to other positions."
“ zhǐ xū yào zài zhè ge wèi zhì xīn kǔ gàn shàng gè yī liǎng nián ， jiù kě yǐ lìng zǒu guān xì ， diào dòng dào qí tā gǎng wèi le 。”
“只需要在这个位置辛苦干上个一两年，就可以另走关系，调动到其他岗位了。”
"Haha, that's why I'm telling you; don't spread this outside."
“ hē hē ， zhè yě shì wǒ gēn dào yǒu nǐ cái huì shuō zhè huà 。 dào yǒu kě bù yào zài wài miàn suí yì xuān yáng 。”
“呵呵，这也是我跟道友你才会说这话。道友可不要在外面随意宣扬。”
"It might not look good."
After carrying 2,700 Spirit Fog Grasses out of the Clear Breeze Hall, Li Fan wandered around for a while in hopes of finding some hidden small loan organizations.
Unfortunately, his wish was not granted.
Li Fan returned to the Ten Thousand Immortals Mirror and began to calculate secretly.
"The price of Spirit Fog Grass will temporarily rise to 25 points of contribution before long. I must sell all of them off before that happens."
"After the news of the Wood Attribute Heavenly Realm being discovered spreads, the prices will plummet drastically. They'll stabilize at only 6 points of contribution."
"Then, I can buy back 3,510 Spirit Fog Grasses for Clear Breeze Hall."
"With this round trip, I could earn about 40,000 points of contribution."
"Zz, so little."
"Earning money is still too difficult…."
Going from luxury to frugality is hard. Having been accustomed to contributions measured in tens of thousands, a mere few thousand more barely raised his spirits.
However, the accumulation of capital at the beginning was always the most challenging. Once reaching a certain scale, rolling up like a snowball would make wealth growth much faster.
"Developing the Dao of Crossing in this life as I did before is probably not feasible anymore. It seems that strict control over cultivators' numbers is required. The reaction from the world of cultivation to this has been far more intense than I imagined. The might of forming a path, is still beyond my current capabilities."
"The 40,000 points of contribution from Zhang Ziliang cannot be abandoned."
"In this life, someone needs to push for the battle between the Ten Thousand Immortals Island and the Fiery Flame."
"However, perhaps I could target another individual."
A fat figure suddenly appeared in Li Fan's mind.
"Zhang Haibo, with good fortune but no heavenly luck. Although he could rely on the power of Cunyun Sea to fight to the death and kill Fiery Flame successfully, achieving Golden Core success and forming a path,"
"But when faced with the impending Black Murder, there was nothing he could do; he was killed."
"His fate had run out, and his Dao perished."
"If his fortune were stronger, would the outcome be different?"
"Of course, the main point is that I have comprehended all 28 swords of Cunyun. Zhang Haibo repeating this would be useless for me."
"But Ye Feipeng'sfate constitutionis peculiar. If given enough support, he might really give me a surprise."
"Adding The Sitting Mountain Decision…."
"I wonder how much cultivation he could feedback if he successfully formed a path. Could it push me to the Golden Core realm?"
"Of course, guiding this person would require a different method. Using emotions with Zhang Haibo, I must entice him with benefits."
After a series of plans, Li Fan had his strategy in place.
---
Still choosing an agent for the path-forming ritual instead of doing it himself was natural because of the high risk involved.
The Black Cloaked Path-Forming could almost freeze Li Fan's mind. The more powerful Black Murder was even more so.
Even newly formed paths like Zhang Haibo's were not enough to react in time and were immediately eliminated. How could Li Fan ensure he would be an exception?
There was a chance of success, but there was also the risk of failure and elimination. The latter had a higher probability.
Once failed, there would be no second chances.
Li Fan did not want to take that risk.
"I can wait for the Spirit Fog Grass incident to settle before setting up in the Exile Lands."
"Now…"
Li Fan searched for ways to join the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
Soon, a pile of information popped up.
To hold a certain position and be part of the system within the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance required several methods.
The first was participating in the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance's assessment every 10 years. To participate, one needed to have been in the alliance for at least 30 years, with cultivation at the Foundation Establishment stage or above, and possessing a unique skill.
In short, the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance did not employ idle or useless people.
The second was being recommended by a high-ranking cultivator within the alliance. After passing a three-year probationary period, one could officially take up the position.
Again, the alliance did not employ idle or useless people unless someone above them vouched for it.
The third was more special. Completing specific reward tasks such as eliminating key figures from the Five Elders Association or completing critical missions.
It was said that Zhou Qingang of Tai'an Island had officially joined the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance through this method.
Li Fan was interested in Hao Zhenghao's claim about his permissions being raised to a certain level, allowing him to exchange for previously unseen cultivative techniques.
He found that the conventional cultivative techniques offered by the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance and available for exchange generally had limited power.
Perhaps due to limiting the combat capabilities of regular alliance members, none of the techniques Li Fan saw in his previous lives within the Ten Thousand Immortals Mirror could be considered true divine arts.
They were not comparable to the 28 swords of Cunyun, or even those that could match the Divine Sword of Calming the Sea.
However, after thinking about it, this was reasonable. If cattle and horses became a threat, they would still be cattle and horses, right? They couldn't just run rampant. There had to be some restrictions.
For insiders within the system, however, the treatment was different. As long as one's permissions were sufficient, all divine arts should be available.
The benefits of being an insider did not need further elaboration. Li Fan carefully examined those special reward tasks.
---
As he looked through them, Li Fan frowned. The reason for not paying attention to this before was that he had no idea about these tasks. But soon, he noticed something odd.
Only a few of the tasks actually had some value; for example, investigating the trail of a Five Elders Association spy or executing a traitor within the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
But most of the tasks were highly…
Customized?
Seemingly created just for a specific cultivator.
For instance, one task Li Fan saw was particularly peculiar.
The Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance's Celestial Oracle Hall needed to recruit a Wu surname cultivator between 123-130 years old with Wood Attribute techniques and Foundation Establishment mid-stage cultivation.
It almost named the person directly.
Li Fan was not unfamiliar with this practice; after all, it was like one slot for each person.
But he did not expect that the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance had reached such a level of specialization.
After checking around, Li Fan could not find any suitable tasks for himself. The 10-year assessment had only just passed.
With no other options, Li Fan turned to Hao Daoist, who never let him down.
Hao Zhenghao responded quickly.
"Friend wants to officially join the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance? Hmm, that's a bit difficult. Mainly because you've only been in the alliance for a short while."
"But there is still a way."
"I have some connections with Grandmaster Feng Boyu, an array formation master. He has some positions for array formation repairmen each year."
"Just spend a little contribution and get this position."
"Work hard at it for one or two years, then use your connections to transfer to other positions."
"Haha, that's why I'm telling you; don't spread this outside."
"It might not look good."