lǐ fán àn zhōng dǎ tàn le yī fān ， què dìng le lí chén dān zhī shì yīn yǔ zhēn méi yǒu sā huǎng 。
李凡暗中打探了一番，确定了离尘丹之事殷雨珍没有撒谎。
Li Fan secretly investigated and confirmed that Yin Yuzhen had not lied about the Dust-Parting Pill.
yú shì tā zài sān rì hòu yòu jiàn le yīn yǔ zhēn yí miàn ， dā yìng le tā de qǐng qiú 。
于是他在三日后又见了殷雨珍一面，答应了她的请求。
Three days later, he met with Yin Yuzhen again and agreed to her request. They decided that before the Purification Spirit Pool opened, Li Fan would collect a certain number of treasures for the Heavenly Treasure Hall at regular intervals. Once the pool was activated, Yin Yuzhen would hand over the Dust-Parting Pill to him.
shuāng fāng shāng dìng ， zài jìng tǐ líng chí kāi qǐ qián ， lǐ fán měi guò yī duàn shí jiān ， yào bāng tiān bǎo lóu sōu jí yí dìng shù liàng de bǎo wù 。
双方商定，在净体灵池开启前，李凡每过一段时间，要帮天宝楼搜集一定数量的宝物。
To show good faith, Yin Yuzhen also presented the deed to the Silent Listening Pavilion. Since they had made an agreement, Li Fan did not hesitate and put it away.
děng dào líng chí kāi qǐ zhī shí ， yīn yǔ zhēn biàn huì jiāng lí chén dān jiāo gěi lǐ fán 。
等到灵池开启之时，殷雨珍便会将离尘丹交给李凡。
Li Fan moved again. The Silent Listening Pavilion was located in the central part of Lustrous Isle, surrounded by bustling activity. However, through its unique architectural design and lush greenery, it completely separated from the noisy environment. It felt like being in a deep mountain even though it was in the heart of the city. Hence, it was named "Silent Listening."
dāng rán ， wèi biǎo chéng yì ， yīn yǔ zhēn yòu jiāng nà zhāng tīng yōu lóu de dì qì ná le chū lái 。
当然，为表诚意，殷雨珍又将那张听幽楼的地契拿了出来。
The Silent Listening Pavilion was much larger than Li Fan's previous courtyard. The artificial mountains, lakes, flowers, and trees required maintenance. He refused the servants sent by the Heavenly Treasure Hall and hired several workers from the island to clean every three days.
jì rán shuāng fāng yǒu le yuē dìng ， lǐ fán yě jiù méi zài kè qì ， jiāng qí shōu rù náng zhōng 。
既然双方有了约定，李凡也就没再客气，将其收入囊中。
Yin Yuzhen found Li Fan’s cautiousness somewhat frustrating but appreciated his seriousness about their agreement. Over the year, Li Fan completed three official sea voyages for Lustrous Isle, bringing back valuable treasures that shook the entire island while securing a ship for the Heavenly Treasure Hall. Each time he accompanied the hall's fleet on its voyages, the hall made substantial profits, nearly equaling five years of previous earnings combined.
yú shì lǐ fán zài cì bān jiā le 。
于是李凡再次搬家了。
He also gained respect from the Heavenly Treasure Hall members, who saw him as not only a powerful figure but someone meticulous and decisive. During one voyage, several crew members became envious of the treasures they had salvaged and planned to kill each other for them. However, Li Fan had already noticed their intentions and acted preemptively, executing all of them. Their heads were strung up to deter others.
tīng yōu lóu wèi yú liú lí dǎo zhōng xīn dì dài ， zhōu biān fán huá rè nào 。
听幽楼位于琉璃岛中心地带，周边繁华热闹。
Even the island's residents praised him, saying that these pirates deserved death, and that he had done a good job. From then on, no one in the Heavenly Treasure Hall dared to have any ill intentions.
dàn què tōng guò dú tè de jiàn zhù jié gòu yǔ cǎo mù diǎn zhuì ， jiāng cáo zá de huán jìng wán quán gé kāi 。
但却通过独特的建筑结构与草木点缀，将嘈杂的环境完全隔开。
...
suī chù nào shì ， què yòu fǎng fú jū yú shēn shān 。
虽处闹市，却又仿佛居于深山。
Li Fan was not concerned with what others thought of him. He believed it was necessary to use some harsh methods to fully control the fleet. He did not have the time or energy to waste on such trivial matters.
cǐ dòng zhōng qǔ jìng zhī yì ， gù míng tīng yōu 。
此动中取静之意，故名听幽。
During this year, he continued to diligently practice the Xuanhuang Qixin Spell whenever he had free time. Not only because it could dispel the Immortal-Demon Mist, but also because Li Fan discovered something that delighted him greatly: the recharge rate of "Truly Real" was accelerating!
tīng yōu lóu miàn jī shì lǐ fán zhī qián xiǎo yuàn de shù bèi zhī dà ， qí nèi bù de jiǎ shān hú shuǐ ， huā cǎo shù mù dōu yào rén dǎ lǐ 。
听幽楼面积是李凡之前小院的数倍之大，其内部的假山湖水，花草树木都要人打理。
Before, the recharge rate could only increase with the passage of time. It would gradually rise to 200% and then stop increasing. In his previous nine lifetimes, he had tried various methods to speed up the recharge but failed.
zài cì xiè jué le tiān bǎo lóu sòng lái de shì nǚ ， lǐ fán zì jǐ qù dǎo shàng pìn qǐng le jǐ míng yōng gōng ， ràng tā men měi gé sān tiān shàng mén yī cì dǎ sǎo jiù hǎo 。
再次谢绝了天宝楼送来的侍女，李凡自己去岛上聘请了几名佣工，让他们每隔三天上门一次打扫就好。
Li Fan had been in the world of cultivators for over a year. According to previous patterns, his recharge rate should be between 6-7%. However, Li Fan was surprised to find that it had reached 15%.
duì yú lǐ fán de jǐn shèn ， yīn yǔ zhēn yě hěn wú nài 。
对于李凡的谨慎，殷雨珍也很无奈。
The recharge speed almost doubled!
hǎo zài lǐ fán duì yú shuāng fāng yuē dìng de shì qíng méi yǒu dǎ mǎ hǔ yǎn 。
好在李凡对于双方约定的事情没有打马虎眼。
Apart from practicing the Xuanhuang Qixin Spell, he did not come into contact with any other possible aids.
zhù zài tīng yōu lóu de yī nián zhōng ， lǐ fán xiān shì wán chéng le sān cì liú lí dǎo guān fāng de chū hǎi ， měi cì dōu dài huí jǐ xiāng cái bǎo ， zhèn dòng quán dǎo de tóng shí yě chéng gōng wèi tiān bǎo lóu yíng dé le yī zhī chuán duì de míng é 。
住在听幽楼的一年中，李凡先是完成了三次琉璃岛官方的出海，每次都带回几箱财宝，震动全岛的同时也成功为天宝楼赢得了一支船队的名额。
The only explanation was that cultivating the Xuanhuang Qixin Spell could accelerate the "Truly Real" recharge rate. Although he didn't know the mechanism behind it, this did not hinder his diligent practice.
zhī hòu tiān bǎo lóu chuán duì měi cì chū hǎi ， lǐ fán dū huì gēn zhe qián qù 。
之后天宝楼船队每次出海，李凡都会跟着前去。
In addition to the recharge rate, Li Fan's age limit also increased significantly.
yī nián xià lái ， tiān bǎo lóu zhuàn de shì pén mǎn bō pán ， jī hū děng yú zhī qián wǔ nián de shōu yì zǒng hé 。
一年下来，天宝楼赚的是盆满钵盘，几乎等于之前五年的收益总和。
Name: Li Fan
Realm: Mortal
Physical Age: 42/95↑
ér tā yě zài tiān bǎo lóu zhòng rén xīn zhōng jiàn lì qǐ le wēi wàng ， rén rén jiàn dào tā dōu yòu jìng yòu wèi 。
而他也在天宝楼众人心中建立起了威望，人人见到他都又敬又畏。
Psychological Age: 505/1210↑
zài tiān bǎo lóu zhòng rén kàn lái ， zhè wèi lǐ zhǎng lǎo bù jīn yǒu zhe tiān dà de běn lǐng ， běn cì chū hǎi dōu néng dài zhe dà jiā zhǎo dào cái bǎo ； gèng shì xīn sī zhěn mì 、 shā fá guǒ duàn 。
在天宝楼众人看来，这位李长老不禁有着天大的本领，本次出海都能带着大家找到财宝；更是心思缜密、杀伐果断。
Xuanhuang True Recharge Progress: 15%
Ding Anchoring True Recharge Progress: 51%
Current Anchors: 1
Bound Items: Thousand Mechanisms and Jade Circle, Taiyin Boat, Stopstone (Damaged)
mǒu cì tiān bǎo lóu chuán duì chū hǎi shí ， yīn wèi yǎn hóng dǎ lāo shàng lái de zhēn bǎo ， jǐ wèi chuán yuán qǐ le dǎi niàn ， xiǎng yào lián hé qǐ lái ， shā rén duó bǎo 。
某次天宝楼船队出海时，因为眼红打捞上来的珍宝，几位船员起了歹念，想要联合起来，杀人夺宝。
...
méi céng xiǎng dào lǐ zhǎng lǎo zǎo jiù chá jué dào le yì cháng ， hái méi děng tā men fā zuò jiù xiān fā zhì rén ， jiāng tā men quán bù xiāo shǒu 。
没曾想到李长老早就察觉到了异常，还没等他们发作就先发制人，将他们全部枭首。
Time passed as Li Fan immersed himself in his cultivation. Soon, it was only a year until the Purification Spirit Pool opened.
shī tǐ rēng jìn hǎi zhōng ， nǎo dài chuàn zài yì qǐ zhèn shè páng rén 。
尸体扔进海中，脑袋串在一起震慑旁人。
Lustrous Isle had also released the list of required materials. Li Fan was currently studying this list with the Heavenly Treasure Hall members.
zhòng rén sī xià lǐ dōu shuō ， qí shí nà jǐ wèi chuán yuán yě xǔ zhǐ shì jiǔ hòu wàng yán ， wèi bì zhēn de yǒu dǎn zi gàn chū shā rén yuè huò zhī shì 。
众人私下里都说，其实那几位船员也许只是酒后妄言，未必真的有胆子干出杀人越货之事。
"This is easy to handle for everything else on the list, but what exactly is Star Sea Flowing Sand?" Li Fan frowned as he read through it and asked.
kě jiù shì yǒu zhè me yī sī kě néng ， lǐ zhǎng lǎo jiù háo bù shǒu ruǎn de bǎ tā men dōu shā le 。
可就是有这么一丝可能，李长老就毫不手软的把他们都杀了。
After a year working at the Heavenly Treasure Hall, Li Fan had gained some knowledge about common minerals and rare materials circulating in Cloud Sea Inner Region.
ér qiě liú lí dǎo guān fāng hái yǒu zhǎng guì de bù jǐn méi yǒu zé bèi ， fǎn ér shèng zàn le lǐ zhǎng lǎo zhè yī xíng wèi ， chēng qí hé lǐ yǒu xiào de bǎo hù le liú lí dǎo de zī chǎn 。
而且琉璃岛官方还有掌柜的不仅没有责备，反而盛赞了李长老这一行为，称其合理有效的保护了琉璃岛的资产。
Both Sun Zhang and Yin Yuzhen were equally puzzled.
jiù lián dǎo shàng de mín zhòng men dé zhī zhī hòu ， yě mà zhè xiē qiáng dào sǐ yǒu yú gū ， shuō lǐ zhǎng lǎo gàn de piào liàng 。
就连岛上的民众们得知之后，也骂这些强盗死有余辜，说李长老干的漂亮。
"This required material is very common, but I've never heard of Star Sea Flowing Sand," Sun Zhang said. "It seems this will be the key to securing a spot."
zì cǐ zhī hòu tiān bǎo lóu chuán duì zhōng zài méi yǒu gǎn qǐ yì xīn zhī rén 。
自此之后天宝楼船队中再没有敢起异心之人。
"I’ve been in business for over a decade, and I’ve never heard of it either." Yin Yuzhen tapped her fingers on the table. "We need to ask the Wan Hua Chamber of Commerce about it."
zhòng rén jiàn dào lǐ fán quán dōu xiǎo xīn yì yì ， shēng pà bèi tā zhǎo gè jiè kǒu gěi zhǎn le 。
众人见到李凡全都小心翼翼，生怕被他找个借口给斩了。
"These people are all greedy ghosts who will pay any price," Sun Zhang sighed.
……
……
"The slot at the Spirit Pool is mine," Li Fan said firmly.
lǐ fán zì shì bù zài yì páng rén duì tā de kàn fǎ 。
李凡自是不在意旁人对他的看法。
The Wan Hua Chamber of Commerce was not a local chamber but came from an unknown distance across the endless sea. The chamber claimed to have support from Immortal Masters, allowing them to easily cross the vast ocean and do business in this remote Cloud Sea Inner Region.
wèi le jǐn kuài wán quán zhǎng kòng chuán duì ， yī xiē shā jī jǐng hóu de shǒu duàn hái shì hěn bì yào de 。
为了尽快完全掌控船队，一些杀鸡儆猴的手段还是很必要的。
Since Yin Yuzhen had established contact with the Wan Hua Chamber of Commerce over ten years ago, they had been trading ever since. It was thanks to the Wan Hua Chamber that the Heavenly Treasure Hall could quickly turn Li Fan’s salvaged treasures into profits.
tā kě méi yǒu zhè me duō jīng lì làng fèi zài zhè xiē sú shì zhī shàng 。
他可没有这么多精力浪费在这些俗事之上。
"We still have a year for preparation. The Wan Hua Chamber of Commerce's representative should pass through Cloud Sea Inner Region in three months. I can contact him then," Yin Yuzhen said.
zhè yī nián lái ， tā hái shì yī yǒu xián xiá shí jiān biàn kǔ xiū 《 xuán huáng qīng xīn zhòu 》。
这一年来，他还是一有闲暇时间便苦修《玄黄清心咒》。
"We shouldn’t rely solely on the Wan Hua Chamber of Commerce. In recent years, Lustrous Isle has gathered many refugees from other islands, and some might know about Star Sea Flowing Sand. We should also keep an eye on other forces seeking this material. If they make any discoveries, we can follow up," Li Fan decided.
Li Fan secretly investigated and confirmed that Yin Yuzhen had not lied about the Dust-Parting Pill.
Three days later, he met with Yin Yuzhen again and agreed to her request. They decided that before the Purification Spirit Pool opened, Li Fan would collect a certain number of treasures for the Heavenly Treasure Hall at regular intervals. Once the pool was activated, Yin Yuzhen would hand over the Dust-Parting Pill to him.
To show good faith, Yin Yuzhen also presented the deed to the Silent Listening Pavilion. Since they had made an agreement, Li Fan did not hesitate and put it away.
Li Fan moved again. The Silent Listening Pavilion was located in the central part of Lustrous Isle, surrounded by bustling activity. However, through its unique architectural design and lush greenery, it completely separated from the noisy environment. It felt like being in a deep mountain even though it was in the heart of the city. Hence, it was named "Silent Listening."
The Silent Listening Pavilion was much larger than Li Fan's previous courtyard. The artificial mountains, lakes, flowers, and trees required maintenance. He refused the servants sent by the Heavenly Treasure Hall and hired several workers from the island to clean every three days.
Yin Yuzhen found Li Fan’s cautiousness somewhat frustrating but appreciated his seriousness about their agreement. Over the year, Li Fan completed three official sea voyages for Lustrous Isle, bringing back valuable treasures that shook the entire island while securing a ship for the Heavenly Treasure Hall. Each time he accompanied the hall's fleet on its voyages, the hall made substantial profits, nearly equaling five years of previous earnings combined.
He also gained respect from the Heavenly Treasure Hall members, who saw him as not only a powerful figure but someone meticulous and decisive. During one voyage, several crew members became envious of the treasures they had salvaged and planned to kill each other for them. However, Li Fan had already noticed their intentions and acted preemptively, executing all of them. Their heads were strung up to deter others.
Even the island's residents praised him, saying that these pirates deserved death, and that he had done a good job. From then on, no one in the Heavenly Treasure Hall dared to have any ill intentions.
...
Li Fan was not concerned with what others thought of him. He believed it was necessary to use some harsh methods to fully control the fleet. He did not have the time or energy to waste on such trivial matters.
During this year, he continued to diligently practice the Xuanhuang Qixin Spell whenever he had free time. Not only because it could dispel the Immortal-Demon Mist, but also because Li Fan discovered something that delighted him greatly: the recharge rate of "Truly Real" was accelerating!
Before, the recharge rate could only increase with the passage of time. It would gradually rise to 200% and then stop increasing. In his previous nine lifetimes, he had tried various methods to speed up the recharge but failed.
Li Fan had been in the world of cultivators for over a year. According to previous patterns, his recharge rate should be between 6-7%. However, Li Fan was surprised to find that it had reached 15%.
The recharge speed almost doubled!
Apart from practicing the Xuanhuang Qixin Spell, he did not come into contact with any other possible aids.
The only explanation was that cultivating the Xuanhuang Qixin Spell could accelerate the "Truly Real" recharge rate. Although he didn't know the mechanism behind it, this did not hinder his diligent practice.
In addition to the recharge rate, Li Fan's age limit also increased significantly.
Name: Li Fan
Realm: Mortal
Physical Age: 42/95↑
Psychological Age: 505/1210↑
Xuanhuang True Recharge Progress: 15%
Ding Anchoring True Recharge Progress: 51%
Current Anchors: 1
Bound Items: Thousand Mechanisms and Jade Circle, Taiyin Boat, Stopstone (Damaged)
...
Time passed as Li Fan immersed himself in his cultivation. Soon, it was only a year until the Purification Spirit Pool opened.
Lustrous Isle had also released the list of required materials. Li Fan was currently studying this list with the Heavenly Treasure Hall members.
"This is easy to handle for everything else on the list, but what exactly is Star Sea Flowing Sand?" Li Fan frowned as he read through it and asked.
After a year working at the Heavenly Treasure Hall, Li Fan had gained some knowledge about common minerals and rare materials circulating in Cloud Sea Inner Region.
Both Sun Zhang and Yin Yuzhen were equally puzzled.
"This required material is very common, but I've never heard of Star Sea Flowing Sand," Sun Zhang said. "It seems this will be the key to securing a spot."
"I’ve been in business for over a decade, and I’ve never heard of it either." Yin Yuzhen tapped her fingers on the table. "We need to ask the Wan Hua Chamber of Commerce about it."
"These people are all greedy ghosts who will pay any price," Sun Zhang sighed.
"The slot at the Spirit Pool is mine," Li Fan said firmly.
The Wan Hua Chamber of Commerce was not a local chamber but came from an unknown distance across the endless sea. The chamber claimed to have support from Immortal Masters, allowing them to easily cross the vast ocean and do business in this remote Cloud Sea Inner Region.
Since Yin Yuzhen had established contact with the Wan Hua Chamber of Commerce over ten years ago, they had been trading ever since. It was thanks to the Wan Hua Chamber that the Heavenly Treasure Hall could quickly turn Li Fan’s salvaged treasures into profits.
"We still have a year for preparation. The Wan Hua Chamber of Commerce's representative should pass through Cloud Sea Inner Region in three months. I can contact him then," Yin Yuzhen said.
"We shouldn’t rely solely on the Wan Hua Chamber of Commerce. In recent years, Lustrous Isle has gathered many refugees from other islands, and some might know about Star Sea Flowing Sand. We should also keep an eye on other forces seeking this material. If they make any discoveries, we can follow up," Li Fan decided.