zhěng gè wàn xiān dǎo nǎi zhì wàn xiān méng ， jiē xià lái de yī duàn shí jiān dōu shì yī fù chóu yún cǎn dàn de mú yàng 。
整个万仙岛乃至万仙盟，接下来的一段时间都是一副愁云惨淡的模样。
The entire Ten Thousand Immortals Island and even the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance were shrouded in a gloomy atmosphere for some time.
lù shàng jiàn dào de měi gè xiū shì ， dōu shì hún bù shǒu shè de yàng zi 。
路上见到的每个修士，都是魂不守舍的样子。
Every cultivator they met on the road seemed lost in thought, their spirits dampened. Even worse, Li Fan heard that many cultivators had chosen to end their lives after losing everything in the wake of the incident with Spirit Fog Grass.
shèn zhì ， lǐ fán hái tīng shuō bù shǎo xiū shì qīng jiā dàng chǎn hòu ， wàn niàn jù huī zhī xià ， zhí jiē xuǎn zé zì wǒ liǎo duàn 。
甚至，李凡还听说不少修士倾家荡产后，万念俱灰之下，直接选择自我了断。
Periodically, fireworks would light up overhead as people struggled to pay off their debts from the plummeting price of Spirit Fog Grass. Some gamblers who had leveraged heavily were now burdened by massive debts that they could never hope to repay even if they worked a lifetime.
měi gé yī duàn shí jiān ， dōu néng jiàn dào tóu dǐng yān huā liàng qǐ 。
每隔一段时间，都能见到头顶烟花亮起。
Some chose to resist their creditors with force, while others defected and left the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, seeking refuge in the Five Elders Association. The number of defecting cultivators was so high that the Martial Arts Hall had run out of hands to handle them all.
hái yǒu yī xiē shàng le gàng gǎn ， zhǔn bèi bó yī bǎ de dǔ tú ， zài líng wù cǎo bào diē zhī hòu ， qiàn xià le jù é zhài wù 。
还有一些上了杠杆，准备搏一把的赌徒，在灵雾草暴跌之后，欠下了巨额债务。
The Ten Thousand Immortals Mirror issued a series of commendation pursuit tasks without any restrictions on their frequency. As a result, the entire Xuanhuang Realm was in turmoil and unrest.
dào le nǎ pà dǎ yī bèi zi gōng ， dōu hái bù qǐ de dì bù 。
到了哪怕打一辈子工，都还不起的地步。
Li Fan completed several of these pursuit missions, raising his authority level to Derivation Eight. Miraculously, just over a month later, thestorm (incident) calmed down on its own.
wèi le duǒ zhài ， yǒu de rén xuǎn zé wǔ lì kàng jù 。
为了躲债，有的人选择武力抗拒。
The sorrowful expressions on the cultivators' faces gradually faded as they returned to their usual vibrant spirits. They seemed to have forgotten about the Spirit Fog Grass incident altogether, rarely mentioning it in conversation. Even when they did bring it up, people spoke with a mix of mockery and jest.
ér yǒu de zhí jiē xuǎn zé pàn táo ， tuō lí wàn xiān méng ， tóu bèn wǔ lǎo huì 。
而有的直接选择叛逃，脱离万仙盟，投奔五老会。
"Only lost 50,000 points? You dare speak?"
gū jì shì pàn táo de xiū shì tài duō ， yǎn wǔ táng de rén shǒu dōu bù gòu yòng le 。
估计是叛逃的修士太多，演武堂的人手都不够用了。
"Haha, look at us; we all lost tens or even hundreds of thousands."
tiān xuán jìng nèi hǎn jiàn de yī lián zhuī jiā fā bù le xǔ duō gōng xūn zhuī shā rèn wù 。
天玄镜内罕见的一连追加发布了许多功勋追杀任务。
Such conversations were common. Gradually, the collective memory of the Spirit Fog Grass incident began to fade among the cultivators, leaving behind only a sigh about how difficult it was to earn points.
bù xiàn zhì jiē qǔ cì shù 。
不限制接取次数。
But Li Fan's memories remained vivid. He had benefited from the situation and had no painful experiences to recall. Additionally, the 650,000 points he gained served as constant reminders of his good fortune.
yī shí jiān ， zhěng gè xuán huáng jiè fēng qǐ yún yǒng ， dòng dàng bù ān 。
一时间，整个玄黄界风起云涌，动荡不安。
"Seems like I won't have to worry about points for a long time."
kě jiàn zhè cì líng wù cǎo fēng bō yǐng xiǎng zhī dà 。
可见这次灵雾草风波影响之大。
Li Fan thought this while sending a message to He Zhenghao.
lǐ fán yě gēn zài hòu miàn wán chéng le jǐ gè zhuī shā rèn wù ， jiāng quán xiàn děng jí tí shēng dào le yǎn bā 。
李凡也跟在后面完成了几个追杀任务，将权限等级提升到了衍八。
Previously, Li Fan had visited He Zhenghao and found him in a much worse state than the twelfth incarnation. He seemed heavily damaged, his eyes vacant.
shén qí de shì ， jǐn jǐn shì zài yí gè duō yuè zhī hòu ， fēng bō què zì fā de píng xī le xià lái 。
神奇的是，仅仅是在一个多月之后，风波却自发的平息了下来。
He only responded instinctively when called out to. It was only recently that he began to recover under the influence of the Immortal Supreme's teachings. He regretted not taking Li Fan's advice earlier. Envious of Li Fan's successful exit before the bubble burst, he lamented:
xiū shì liǎn shàng de āi chóu màn màn xiāo sàn ， chóng xīn biàn chéng le yǐ wǎng jīng shén huàn fā de mú yàng 。
修士脸上的哀愁慢慢消散，重新变成了以往精神焕发的模样。
"Li Fan friend, if I had listened to your advice back then..."
sì hū jiù zhè yàng bǎ bù jiǔ qián de líng wù cǎo shì jiàn gěi dàn wàng le ， bǐ cǐ yán yǔ jiāo tán jiān hěn shǎo tí jí 。
似乎就这样把不久前的灵雾草事件给淡忘了，彼此言语交谈间很少提及。
This was how many times Li Fan heard He Zhenghao say this.
jiù suàn ǒu ěr tí qǐ lái ， zhòng rén yě dōu bú shì tòng xīn jí shǒu de yàng zi 。
就算偶尔提起来，众人也都不是痛心疾首的样子。
"I'd advise you on investments, but clearly, you're not suited for it. Listen to my advice: stick to doing tasks and earning points!"
ér shì jū rán dài shàng le xì xuè hé tiáo kǎn 。
而是居然带上了戏谑和调侃。
"Heaven forbid anything happens to me; I still have my cultivation. I can start over from scratch."
“ nǐ cái kuī le wǔ wàn gòng xiàn dù ？ nǐ hǎo yì si jiǎng huà ？”
“你才亏了五万贡献度？你好意思讲话？”
Li Fan said earnestly.
“ hē hē ， nǐ kàn kàn wǒ men jǐ gè ， nǎ ge bú shì kuī le shí wàn bā wàn de ？”
“呵呵，你看看我们几个，哪个不是亏了十万八万的？”
"Of course, friend," He Zhenghao nodded vigorously, then asked hesitantly, "How much did you earn this time?"
zhū rú cǐ lèi de duì huà suí chù kě jiàn 。
诸如此类的对话随处可见。
"Haha, a lot, more than enough." Li Fan replied happily.
jiàn jiàn de ， zhòng xiū xiān zhě duì yú líng wù cǎo shì jiàn de jí tǐ jì yì màn màn dàn huà 。
渐渐的，众修仙者对于灵雾草事件的集体记忆慢慢淡化。
He Zhenghao's face showed envy, but he didn't dare ask for money. Li Fan saw him open his mouth several times before closing it again, unable to bring himself to ask.
zuì zhōng zhǐ shèng xià le “ gòng xiàn dù zhēn nán zhēng a ” de gǎn kǎi 。
最终只剩下了“贡献度真难挣啊”的感慨。
Li Fan wasn't in a hurry to reveal the truth and decided to give He Zhenghao some more time.
ér lǐ fán de jì yì què méi yǒu yīn cǐ jiǎn ruò 。
而李凡的记忆却没有因此减弱。
Zongyun Town's defense had lost many due to poor investments, not just He Zhenghao. Li Fan put away the ten-thousand-character communication token and turned his attention to Zhou Qingang on Taining Island.
yī shì yīn wèi tā zài zhè chǎng fēng bō zhōng ， wán quán shì shòu yì zhě 。 méi yǒu tòng kǔ yōu lǜ de jì yì 。
一是因为他在这场风波中，完全是受益者。没有痛苦忧虑的记忆。
Zhou appeared agitated, frowning deeply as he walked back and forth indecisively. Suddenly, his expression changed as he pulled out a spirit token and said with frustration:
èr zé shì shēn shàng nà liù shí wǔ wàn diǎn jù é gòng xiàn dù zài shí kè tí xǐng zhe tā 。
二则是身上那六十五万点巨额贡献度在时刻提醒着他。
"Urge them! Just 50,000 points, I'm the island's guardian; how can they expect me to be short?"
“ kàn lái ， hěn zhǎng yī duàn shí jiān nèi ， dōu bú yào wèi gòng xiàn dù fā chóu le 。”
“看来，很长一段时间内，都不要为贡献度发愁了。”
"I'll definitely pay by the end of this month!"
lǐ fán zhè me xiǎng zhe ， yòu gěi hé zhèng hào fā le yī tiáo xùn xī 。
李凡这么想着，又给何正浩发了一条讯息。
After putting away the spirit token, Zhou Qingang's expression darkened. He seemed to have made a decision and activated his disguise token before flying out from Taining Island’s protective array.
zhī jiān ， lǐ fán céng qù kàn wàng le yī yǎn hé zhèng hào 。
之间，李凡曾去看望了一眼何正浩。
He landed in an empty sea area and paused for a moment. His aura suddenly changed dramatically. Li Fan saw through the Heavenly Perspective that Zhou Qingang had completely transformed into another person. The original Zhou was a quiet young scholar, but now he looked like a thin, unremarkable middle-aged man.
cǐ shì ， tā sì hū bǐ dì shí èr shì de shí hòu ， sǔn shī hái yào cǎn zhòng 。
此世，他似乎比第十二世的时候，损失还要惨重。
After changing his appearance, Zhou Qingang continued to fly in a low profile towards a direction.
zhěng gè rén zāo dào zhòng chuāng shì de ， mù guāng chī chī dāi dāi 。
整个人遭到重创似的，目光痴痴呆呆。
"Finally showing your hand," Li Fan's eyes gleamed.
hǎn tā yě zhǐ shì běn néng de huí yìng 。
喊他也只是本能的回应。
Li Fan bought a recording stone from the Ten Thousand Immortals Mirror and began using his divine sense to record what he saw. After flying for an entire day, as night fell, Zhou Qingang arrived at a remote uninhabited island.
zhí dào zuì jìn zài cháng shēng tiān zūn de yǐng xiǎng xià ， cái màn màn huǎn le guò lái 。
直到最近在长生天尊的影响下，才慢慢缓了过来。
The island was barren, with no trees in sight; only scattered rocks covered the ground. Zhou landed on the island and looked around carefully before starting to search. After much time, it seemed he found his target—a stone that brought a smile to his face as he picked it up.
tā shì huǐ bù dāng chū ， méi yǒu tīng lǐ fán dāng shí de tí xǐng 。
他是悔不当初，没有听李凡当时的提醒。
The stone was ordinary, with no special markings or symbols. It had small holes in some pits. Zhou studied this stone for a long while, memorizing the exact location of these holes before breaking it into pieces and flying northwest.
zài dé zhī lǐ fán zài pào mò pò liè zhī qián chéng gōng quán shēn ér tuì hòu ， gèng shì xiàn mù bù yǐ 。
在得知李凡在泡沫破裂之前成功全身而退后，更是羡慕不已。
After half a day, Zhou stopped in an empty sea area and dived into the water. Underwater, he searched through ruins until he stopped by a nondescript broken stone. A yellowish light appeared as Zhou pressed his palms against the stone. The palm prints matched perfectly.
“ āi ， lǐ fán dào yǒu ， rú guǒ wǒ dāng chū tīng nǐ de quàn gào ， nà gāi duō hǎo 。”
“哎，李凡道友，如果我当初听你的劝告，那该多好。”
A beam of light emerged from the stone, sweeping over Zhou's body before returning to it. The smooth surface suddenly showed an image of a face.
zhè yǐ jīng shì lǐ fán bù zhī dào dì jǐ cì tīng hé zhèng hào zhè me shuō le 。
这已经是李凡不知道第几次听何正浩这么说了。
"Uh? Why are you contacting me so early?"
“ yào wǒ shuō ， tóu zī zhè shì ， hái shì yào kàn tiān fù de 。 hé dào yǒu nǐ míng xiǎn bú shì hé 。 tīng wǒ yī jù quàn ， yǐ hòu hái shì lǎo lǎo shí shí zuò rèn wù zǎn gòng xiàn dù ba ！”
“要我说，投资这事，还是要看天赋的。何道友你明显不适合。听我一句劝，以后还是老老实实做任务攒贡献度吧！”
"It should still be six years away."
“ hǎo zài rén méi shì ， xiū wèi yě hái zài 。 dà bù liǎo cóng tóu zài lái ma ！”
“好在人没事，修为也还在。大不了从头在来嘛！”
The face was indistinct; he scrutinized Zhou with confusion. Zhou hesitated and stammered: "Boss, the funds are running out. Can I get some more?"
lǐ fán yǔ zhòng xīn cháng de shuō dào 。
李凡语重心长的说道。
The face seemed taken aback for a moment before changing tone: "How long has it been? You've already used up your allocation?"
The entire Ten Thousand Immortals Island and even the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance were shrouded in a gloomy atmosphere for some time.
Every cultivator they met on the road seemed lost in thought, their spirits dampened. Even worse, Li Fan heard that many cultivators had chosen to end their lives after losing everything in the wake of the incident with Spirit Fog Grass.
Periodically, fireworks would light up overhead as people struggled to pay off their debts from the plummeting price of Spirit Fog Grass. Some gamblers who had leveraged heavily were now burdened by massive debts that they could never hope to repay even if they worked a lifetime.
Some chose to resist their creditors with force, while others defected and left the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, seeking refuge in the Five Elders Association. The number of defecting cultivators was so high that the Martial Arts Hall had run out of hands to handle them all.
The Ten Thousand Immortals Mirror issued a series of commendation pursuit tasks without any restrictions on their frequency. As a result, the entire Xuanhuang Realm was in turmoil and unrest.
Li Fan completed several of these pursuit missions, raising his authority level to Derivation Eight. Miraculously, just over a month later, thestorm (incident) calmed down on its own.
The sorrowful expressions on the cultivators' faces gradually faded as they returned to their usual vibrant spirits. They seemed to have forgotten about the Spirit Fog Grass incident altogether, rarely mentioning it in conversation. Even when they did bring it up, people spoke with a mix of mockery and jest.
"Only lost 50,000 points? You dare speak?"
"Haha, look at us; we all lost tens or even hundreds of thousands."
Such conversations were common. Gradually, the collective memory of the Spirit Fog Grass incident began to fade among the cultivators, leaving behind only a sigh about how difficult it was to earn points.
But Li Fan's memories remained vivid. He had benefited from the situation and had no painful experiences to recall. Additionally, the 650,000 points he gained served as constant reminders of his good fortune.
"Seems like I won't have to worry about points for a long time."
Li Fan thought this while sending a message to He Zhenghao.
Previously, Li Fan had visited He Zhenghao and found him in a much worse state than the twelfth incarnation. He seemed heavily damaged, his eyes vacant.
He only responded instinctively when called out to. It was only recently that he began to recover under the influence of the Immortal Supreme's teachings. He regretted not taking Li Fan's advice earlier. Envious of Li Fan's successful exit before the bubble burst, he lamented:
"Li Fan friend, if I had listened to your advice back then..."
This was how many times Li Fan heard He Zhenghao say this.
"I'd advise you on investments, but clearly, you're not suited for it. Listen to my advice: stick to doing tasks and earning points!"
"Heaven forbid anything happens to me; I still have my cultivation. I can start over from scratch."
Li Fan said earnestly.
"Of course, friend," He Zhenghao nodded vigorously, then asked hesitantly, "How much did you earn this time?"
"Haha, a lot, more than enough." Li Fan replied happily.
He Zhenghao's face showed envy, but he didn't dare ask for money. Li Fan saw him open his mouth several times before closing it again, unable to bring himself to ask.
Li Fan wasn't in a hurry to reveal the truth and decided to give He Zhenghao some more time.
Zongyun Town's defense had lost many due to poor investments, not just He Zhenghao. Li Fan put away the ten-thousand-character communication token and turned his attention to Zhou Qingang on Taining Island.
Zhou appeared agitated, frowning deeply as he walked back and forth indecisively. Suddenly, his expression changed as he pulled out a spirit token and said with frustration:
"Urge them! Just 50,000 points, I'm the island's guardian; how can they expect me to be short?"
"I'll definitely pay by the end of this month!"
After putting away the spirit token, Zhou Qingang's expression darkened. He seemed to have made a decision and activated his disguise token before flying out from Taining Island’s protective array.
He landed in an empty sea area and paused for a moment. His aura suddenly changed dramatically. Li Fan saw through the Heavenly Perspective that Zhou Qingang had completely transformed into another person. The original Zhou was a quiet young scholar, but now he looked like a thin, unremarkable middle-aged man.
After changing his appearance, Zhou Qingang continued to fly in a low profile towards a direction.
"Finally showing your hand," Li Fan's eyes gleamed.
Li Fan bought a recording stone from the Ten Thousand Immortals Mirror and began using his divine sense to record what he saw. After flying for an entire day, as night fell, Zhou Qingang arrived at a remote uninhabited island.
The island was barren, with no trees in sight; only scattered rocks covered the ground. Zhou landed on the island and looked around carefully before starting to search. After much time, it seemed he found his target—a stone that brought a smile to his face as he picked it up.
The stone was ordinary, with no special markings or symbols. It had small holes in some pits. Zhou studied this stone for a long while, memorizing the exact location of these holes before breaking it into pieces and flying northwest.
After half a day, Zhou stopped in an empty sea area and dived into the water. Underwater, he searched through ruins until he stopped by a nondescript broken stone. A yellowish light appeared as Zhou pressed his palms against the stone. The palm prints matched perfectly.
A beam of light emerged from the stone, sweeping over Zhou's body before returning to it. The smooth surface suddenly showed an image of a face.
"Uh? Why are you contacting me so early?"
"It should still be six years away."
The face was indistinct; he scrutinized Zhou with confusion. Zhou hesitated and stammered: "Boss, the funds are running out. Can I get some more?"
The face seemed taken aback for a moment before changing tone: "How long has it been? You've already used up your allocation?"