dōng fāng yào xīn zhōng wēi wēi yǒu xiē jǐn zhāng ：“ cǐ rén míng jiào lǐ fán ， nǎi shì ……”
东方曜心中微微有些紧张：“此人名叫李凡，乃是……”
Eastern Yao felt a slight tension in his heart as he said, "This person is named Li Fan. He..."
yán jiǎn yì gāi ， biàn xiàng lù xī chán jiǎn dān jiè shào le fān lǐ fán de shēng píng 。
言简意赅，便向陆溪婵简单介绍了番李凡的生平。
With concise and straightforward words, he briefly introduced Li Fan's background to Lu Xichan.
suī shuō huáng fǔ sōng bìng wèi zhǔ dòng tí jí cǐ rén de xìn xī ， dàn shì nà rì dōng fāng yào zài chá jué dào tā kàn xiàng lǐ fán de yì yàng shén sè hòu 。
虽说皇甫松并未主动提及此人的信息，但是那日东方曜在察觉到他看向李凡的异样神色后。
Although Huangfu Song did not proactively mention this man's information, Eastern Yao had already known the nature of his brother after perceiving the unusual look in Li Fan's eyes on that day.
xīn zhī dù míng zì jǐ zhè wèi xiōng dì shì gè zěn yàng de rén wù ， dōng fāng yào dāng jí jiù àn zì chá tàn le yī fān 。
心知肚明自己这位兄弟是个怎样的人物，东方曜当即就暗自查探了一番。
Eastern Yao immediately conducted a covert investigation. Whether it was Li Fan's various extraordinary actions or the astonishing speed at which his accomplishments spread, they all convinced Eastern Yao that this person was far from ordinary. Even more so, Huangfu Song's sudden visit might be due to Li Fan.
wú lùn shì chuán wén zhōng lǐ fán nà zhǒng zhǒng yì yú cháng rén de jǔ cuò ， hái shì lìng rén jīng tàn de shì jì chuán bō sù dù 。
无论是传闻中李凡那种种异于常人的举措，还是令人惊叹的事迹传播速度。
When Lu Xichan suddenly asked, it indeed confirmed his suspicions.
dōu ràng dōng fāng yào rèn wéi ， cǐ rén jué bù jiǎn dān 。
都让东方曜认为，此人绝不简单。
However, even if one guesses correctly, knowing what can and cannot be said is crucial for subordinates like Eastern Yao.
shèn zhì zhè cì huáng fǔ sōng huì mò míng qián lái ， hěn kě néng jiù shì yīn wèi zhè lǐ fán 。
甚至这次皇甫松会莫名前来，很可能就是因为这李凡。
He knew that he should only cooperate with the leader. If he acted too smartly and disrupted someone's plans, it would not just be a matter of having a dim future; he might die an untimely death.
ér dāng xiàn zài lù shǒu xí hū rán fā wèn ， guǒ rán jiù yìn zhèng le zì jǐ de cāi xiǎng 。
而当现在陆首席忽然发问，果然就印证了自己的猜想。
With this in mind, Eastern Yao did not hesitate to recount all the information he had gathered in detail.
bù guò ， yǒu xiē shì ， jí biàn shì cāi dào le 。 shén me néng shuō ， shén me bù néng shuō 。
不过，有些事，即便是猜到了。什么能说，什么不能说。
Lu Xichan sensed that her subordinates seemed to have some ulterior motives. However, she did not delve deeper into it.
dōng fāng yào zì rán shì wú bǐ qīng chǔ de 。
东方曜自然是无比清楚的。
There were few matters worth her attention in the world, and these two alchemical array masters clearly didn't fall under them. Instead, Li Fan, who saved her daughter, surprised her.
zuò wéi xià shǔ ， zhǐ yào pèi hé hǎo lǐng dǎo jiù xíng 。
作为下属，只要配合好领导就行。
She had heard of Li Fan's name before. His willingness to risk his life to save someone was indeed rare in this era. More importantly, his persistence despite nearing the end of his lifespan to maintain the construction of an array was worthy of being highlighted as a model.
rú guǒ zì zuò cōng míng ， pò huài le shàng miàn mǒu rén de móu huà ， qián tú wú wàng hái shì xiǎo shì 。
如果自作聪明，破坏了上面某人的谋划，前途无望还是小事。
Whether he was truly a天生圣人 (a virtuous person) or if his cultivation technique allowed such actions, it mattered not to the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance. What mattered was that he had done those things and made them believable among most cultivators.
zhǐ kǒng pà huì mò míng sǐ yú fēi mìng 。
只恐怕会莫名死于非命。
A golden core cultivator's name entering her ears meant there were certain familiar hands behind it.
niàn jí cǐ chù ， dōng fāng yào bù gǎn dài màn ， yì wǔ yì shí jiāng zì jǐ suǒ dǎ tàn dào de biǎo miàn xìn xī xiáng jìn dào lái 。
念及此处，东方曜不敢怠慢，一五一十将自己所打探到的表面信息详尽道来。
Lu Xichan was unsurprised by this.
lù xī chán chá jué dào zhè liǎng wèi shǒu xià sì hū yǒu yī xiē xiǎo xīn sī 。
陆溪婵察觉到这两位手下似乎有一些小心思。
If she guessed correctly, even if Li Fan died before the array construction was complete, the alliance would still intervene to save his life and promote him further.
bù guò tā bìng méi yǒu shēn jiū de yì si 。
不过她并没有深究的意思。
They would use him like a thousand gold coins to buy a horse—fully utilizing every resource at their disposal.
yīn wèi zhè tiān xià zhí de tā zài yì de shì qíng bìng bù duō ， zhè liǎng wèi huà shén zhèn fǎ shī xiǎn rán bìng bù zài qí zhōng 。
因为这天下值得她在意的事情并不多，这两位化神阵法师显然并不在其中。
As several transmitters of teachings flashed through her mind, a gloomy thought arose in Lu Xichan's heart. As one of the earliest followers who actively spread teachings and established the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, the transmitters had maintained control over its highest authority after the disappearance of the Heavenly Dao Supreme.
dǎo shì nǚ ér de zhè wèi jiù mìng ēn rén ， ràng tā gǎn dào yǒu xiē yì wài 。
倒是女儿的这位救命恩人，让她感到有些意外。
Even without considering their cultivation levels, none were beneath her. Their ability to survive countless disasters for thousands of years made them formidable figures no one dared to underestimate. Moreover, they seemed to have some method of controlling the Heavenly Xuan Mirror...
lǐ fán zhī míng ， tā zhī qián yě céng tīng shuō guò 。
李凡之名，她之前也曾听说过。
"The Heavenly Xuan Lock Spirit is just the first step."
néng gòu shě shēng wàng sǐ ， jiù rén yú wēi nàn zhī zhōng 。 zài dāng jīn de nián dài ， dí què shì fēi cháng nán dé de 。
能够舍生忘死，救人于危难之中。在当今的年代，的确是非常难得的。
Lu Xichan coldly snorted and pushed down her thoughts.
gèng zhòng yào de shì ， shòu yuán jiāng jǐn 、 réng rán néng jiān shǒu zhèn fǎ jiàn zào dì yī xiàn de jǔ cuò ， shì zhí de yòng lái dàng zuò diǎn xíng xuān chuán 、 dà shū tè shū de 。
更重要的是，寿元将尽、仍然能坚守阵法建造第一线的举措，是值得用来当做典型宣传、大书特书的。
She turned her gaze toward the elderly cultivator below.
huò xǔ zhè rén shì zhēn de tiān shēng shèng rén ， dào dé gāo jié ； yì huò shì cǐ rén suǒ xiū gōng fǎ tè shū ， cǐ jǔ dān chún shì yǒu lì kě tú 。
或许这人是真的天生圣人，道德高洁；亦或是此人所修功法特殊，此举单纯是有利可图。
"If I were to intervene at this point, how would he react?"
duì yú wàn xiān méng lái shuō ， dōu bú zhòng yào 。
对于万仙盟来说，都不重要。
Although she had once been Li Fan's savior, Lu Xichan did not harbor any specific intentions of gratitude. After all, he left without making any demands after saving her daughter.
zhòng yào de shì tā zhēn de zuò le nà xiē shì qíng 。
重要的是他真的做了那些事情。
In Lu Xichan's eyes, that meant Li Fan had given up on the opportunity himself.
zhòng yào de shì ràng tiān xià dà bù fèn xiū shì qù nà me xiāng xìn 。
重要的是让天下大部分修士去那么相信。
However, now that this person was back as one of their pawns, it changed her perspective.
yī jīn dān xiū shì zhī míng ， néng gòu chuán jìn zì jǐ de ěr zhōng 。
一金丹修士之名，能够传进自己的耳中。
After a moment of thought, she checked Li Fan's ranking in the Grand Competition Golden List. "Fourth十五th place."
bèi hòu zì rán huì yǒu mǒu xiē shú rén de shǒu bǐ 。
背后自然会有某些熟人的手笔。
"Perhaps we can help him..."
lù xī chán duì cǐ háo bù yì wài 。
陆溪婵对此毫不意外。
Considering this, she looked at Eastern Yao and Huangfu Song and asked, "What do you think of this person?"
ruò shì tā cāi de bù cuò ， rú guǒ lǐ fán zài zhèn fǎ wán quán jiàn zào zhī qián jiù yào yǔn luò ， méng nèi hái huì chū miàn bǎo zhù tā de xìng mìng 。
若是她猜的不错，如果李凡在阵法完全建造之前就要陨落，盟内还会出面保住他的性命。
Huangfu Song and Eastern Yao exchanged glances, their minds churning.
rú qiān jīn mǎi mǎ bān ， zài zuò yī fān xuān chuán 。
如千金买马般，再做一番宣传。
You've specifically asked us to evaluate him; how could we say anything bad about him?
wù bì jǐn qí yòng ， yě suàn shì nà qún rén yí guàn de zuò shì shǒu duàn le 。
物必尽其用，也算是那群人一贯的做事手段了。
Having a powerful backer is great.
nǎo hǎi zhōng shǎn guò jǐ wèi chuán fǎ zhě de shēn yǐng ， lù xī chán xīn zhōng dùn shí yǒng qǐ yī zhèn yīn mái 。
脑海中闪过几位传法者的身影，陆溪婵心中顿时涌起一阵阴霾。
With envy in their hearts, they praised Li Fan endlessly, making him sound like an unparalleled genius. If Li Fan were here, he might blush at such praise.
zuò wéi zuì zǎo gēn suí chuán fǎ tiān zūn jī jí chuán fǎ 、 chuàng jiàn zuì chū de wàn xiān méng de nà yī pī rén 。
作为最早跟随传法天尊积极传法、创建最初的万仙盟的那一批人。
After a while, Lu Xichan nodded. "He has made so many sacrifices for the promotion of the Heavenly Xuan Lock Spirit Array, yet there have been no corresponding rewards from the alliance. That's rather unfair."
chuán fǎ zhě men zài tiān zūn xiāo shī zhī hòu ， jiù yì zhí zhǎng kòng zhe wàn xiān méng zuì gāo de tǒng zhì quán bǐng 。
传法者们在天尊消失之后，就一直掌控着万仙盟最高的统治权柄。
"If this continues, won't it make cultivators in the world feel cold?"
bù shuō xiū wèi ， gè gè dōu bù zài tā lù xī chán zhī xià 。
不说修为，各个都不在她陆溪婵之下。
Huangfu and Eastern were shrewd individuals.
dān shì shù qiān nián lái lì jīng wú shù zāi jié ， yī rán cún huó zhì jīn de néng lì ， jiù shǐ de wú rén gǎn xiǎo qù tā men 。
单是数千年来历经无数灾劫，依然存活至今的能力，就使得无人敢小觑他们。
They understood that Lu Chief was hinting at something when she spoke. They hesitated to respond but continued, "If I didn't know about it, I might not have intervened. But now that I've seen him personally, I can't just ignore it."
gèng bù yòng tí ， tā men hái yǐn yǐn zhǎng wò zhe qián zhì tiān xuán jìng de fāng fǎ ……
更不用提，他们还隐隐掌握着钳制天玄镜的方法……
"However, this is overstepping my bounds. It could cause misunderstandings and rumors."
“ tiān xuán suǒ líng ， zhǐ shì dì yī bù ér yǐ 。”
“天玄锁灵，只是第一步而已。”
"At such a critical moment, the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance should unite in one heart and mind."
lù xī chán xīn zhōng lěng hēng yī shēng ， jiāng sī xù yā xià 。
陆溪婵心中冷哼一声，将思绪压下。
"Do you two have any good ideas?"
mù guāng yòu kàn xiàng xià fāng nà wèi chuí chuí lǎo yǐ de xiū shì 。
目光又看向下方那位垂垂老矣的修士。
Recalling some of the rumors they occasionally heard, both quickly understood what Lu Chief meant.
“ zì yǐ wéi yī qiè dōu zài zhǎng wò zhī zhōng ， bù zhī ruò shì wǒ zhōng tú chā shàng nà me yī shǒu ， bù zhī yòu huì zuò hé fǎn yìng 。”
“自以为一切都在掌握之中，不知若是我中途插上那么一手，不知又会作何反应。”
However, such high-level struggles were beyond their reach as mere low-ranking officials. They groaned inwardly.
zài cǐ zhī qián ， suī rán céng shì nǚ ér de jiù mìng ēn rén 。
在此之前，虽然曾是女儿的救命恩人。
Under Lu Xichan's constant gaze, both felt immense pressure.
dàn lù xī chán què yě méi yǒu shēng chū zhuān mén bào ēn de xiǎng fǎ 。
但陆溪婵却也没有生出专门报恩的想法。
When a leader asks for advice, there is no reason to remain silent.
bì jìng shì tā dāng chū jiù xià nǚ ér hòu ， méi yǒu tí rèn hé yāo qiú jiù cōng cōng lí qù le 。
毕竟是他当初救下女儿后，没有提任何要求就匆匆离去了。
Cold sweat formed on their foreheads. Suddenly, Huangfu Song recalled Li Fan's conversation with him and said, "To inform the chief, I had several deep conversations with Li Fan before. Although his lifespan is nearing its end, he still wishes to contribute until his last breath."
zài lù xī chán yǎn zhōng ， jiù yì wèi zhe lǐ fán zì jǐ fàng qì le zhè ge jī huì 。
在陆溪婵眼中，就意味着李凡自己放弃了这个机会。
"The Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance does not neglect those who have served us well. However, if we specially favor him, there might be some discontent among cultivators ranked ahead of him."
bù guò rú jīn ， cǐ rén yòu zuò wéi nà qún rén de qí zi chū xiàn zài le zì jǐ yǎn qián 。
不过如今，此人又作为那群人的棋子出现在了自己眼前。
"If he were slightly higher in the ranking, it would make more sense."
zhè ràng lù xī chán bù jīn gǎi biàn le xiǎng fǎ 。
这让陆溪婵不禁改变了想法。
Huangfu Song paused and continued, "He once privately told me that even though death is inevitable, he regrets not being able to see all the wonders within our alliance..."
wēi wēi sī suǒ yī zhèn hòu ， tā chá kàn le xià lǐ fán zài dà bǐ jīn bǎng zhōng de pái míng 。
微微思索一阵后，她查看了下李凡在大比金榜中的排名。
This abrupt statement made sense to Lu Xichan and Eastern Yao, who understood the hidden meaning.
“ dì sì shí wǔ míng 。”
“第四十五名。”
"This is a good idea," Lu Xichan nodded in approval of Huangfu Song's suggestion.
“ huò xǔ kě yǐ zhù tā yī bì zhī lì ……”
“或许可以助他一臂之力……”
Huangfu Song breathed a sigh of relief. Before he could relax, Lu Chief asked again, "Do you have any recommendations?"
niàn jí cǐ chù ， tā kàn xiàng dōng fāng yào hé huáng fǔ sōng ， wèn dào ：“ nǐ men kàn ， cǐ rén rú hé a ？”
念及此处，她看向东方曜和皇甫松，问道：“你们看，此人如何啊？”
Huangfu Song's heart leapt with anxiety as he recalled Li Fan's words and said, "The Five Elements Great Profound Heavens, the Boundless Sea, and other secret realms are all good choices."
huáng fǔ sōng hé dōng fāng yào liǎng rén duì shì yī yǎn ， xīn zhōng yī zhèn dí gū 。
皇甫松和东方曜两人对视一眼，心中一阵嘀咕。
(End of Chapter)
Eastern Yao felt a slight tension in his heart as he said, "This person is named Li Fan. He..."
With concise and straightforward words, he briefly introduced Li Fan's background to Lu Xichan.
Although Huangfu Song did not proactively mention this man's information, Eastern Yao had already known the nature of his brother after perceiving the unusual look in Li Fan's eyes on that day.
Eastern Yao immediately conducted a covert investigation. Whether it was Li Fan's various extraordinary actions or the astonishing speed at which his accomplishments spread, they all convinced Eastern Yao that this person was far from ordinary. Even more so, Huangfu Song's sudden visit might be due to Li Fan.
When Lu Xichan suddenly asked, it indeed confirmed his suspicions.
However, even if one guesses correctly, knowing what can and cannot be said is crucial for subordinates like Eastern Yao.
He knew that he should only cooperate with the leader. If he acted too smartly and disrupted someone's plans, it would not just be a matter of having a dim future; he might die an untimely death.
With this in mind, Eastern Yao did not hesitate to recount all the information he had gathered in detail.
Lu Xichan sensed that her subordinates seemed to have some ulterior motives. However, she did not delve deeper into it.
There were few matters worth her attention in the world, and these two alchemical array masters clearly didn't fall under them. Instead, Li Fan, who saved her daughter, surprised her.
She had heard of Li Fan's name before. His willingness to risk his life to save someone was indeed rare in this era. More importantly, his persistence despite nearing the end of his lifespan to maintain the construction of an array was worthy of being highlighted as a model.
Whether he was truly a天生圣人 (a virtuous person) or if his cultivation technique allowed such actions, it mattered not to the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance. What mattered was that he had done those things and made them believable among most cultivators.
A golden core cultivator's name entering her ears meant there were certain familiar hands behind it.
Lu Xichan was unsurprised by this.
If she guessed correctly, even if Li Fan died before the array construction was complete, the alliance would still intervene to save his life and promote him further.
They would use him like a thousand gold coins to buy a horse—fully utilizing every resource at their disposal.
As several transmitters of teachings flashed through her mind, a gloomy thought arose in Lu Xichan's heart. As one of the earliest followers who actively spread teachings and established the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, the transmitters had maintained control over its highest authority after the disappearance of the Heavenly Dao Supreme.
Even without considering their cultivation levels, none were beneath her. Their ability to survive countless disasters for thousands of years made them formidable figures no one dared to underestimate. Moreover, they seemed to have some method of controlling the Heavenly Xuan Mirror...
"The Heavenly Xuan Lock Spirit is just the first step."
Lu Xichan coldly snorted and pushed down her thoughts.
She turned her gaze toward the elderly cultivator below.
"If I were to intervene at this point, how would he react?"
Although she had once been Li Fan's savior, Lu Xichan did not harbor any specific intentions of gratitude. After all, he left without making any demands after saving her daughter.
In Lu Xichan's eyes, that meant Li Fan had given up on the opportunity himself.
However, now that this person was back as one of their pawns, it changed her perspective.
After a moment of thought, she checked Li Fan's ranking in the Grand Competition Golden List. "Fourth十五th place."
"Perhaps we can help him..."
Considering this, she looked at Eastern Yao and Huangfu Song and asked, "What do you think of this person?"
Huangfu Song and Eastern Yao exchanged glances, their minds churning.
You've specifically asked us to evaluate him; how could we say anything bad about him?
Having a powerful backer is great.
With envy in their hearts, they praised Li Fan endlessly, making him sound like an unparalleled genius. If Li Fan were here, he might blush at such praise.
After a while, Lu Xichan nodded. "He has made so many sacrifices for the promotion of the Heavenly Xuan Lock Spirit Array, yet there have been no corresponding rewards from the alliance. That's rather unfair."
"If this continues, won't it make cultivators in the world feel cold?"
Huangfu and Eastern were shrewd individuals.
They understood that Lu Chief was hinting at something when she spoke. They hesitated to respond but continued, "If I didn't know about it, I might not have intervened. But now that I've seen him personally, I can't just ignore it."
"However, this is overstepping my bounds. It could cause misunderstandings and rumors."
"At such a critical moment, the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance should unite in one heart and mind."
"Do you two have any good ideas?"
Recalling some of the rumors they occasionally heard, both quickly understood what Lu Chief meant.
However, such high-level struggles were beyond their reach as mere low-ranking officials. They groaned inwardly.
Under Lu Xichan's constant gaze, both felt immense pressure.
When a leader asks for advice, there is no reason to remain silent.
Cold sweat formed on their foreheads. Suddenly, Huangfu Song recalled Li Fan's conversation with him and said, "To inform the chief, I had several deep conversations with Li Fan before. Although his lifespan is nearing its end, he still wishes to contribute until his last breath."
"The Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance does not neglect those who have served us well. However, if we specially favor him, there might be some discontent among cultivators ranked ahead of him."
"If he were slightly higher in the ranking, it would make more sense."
Huangfu Song paused and continued, "He once privately told me that even though death is inevitable, he regrets not being able to see all the wonders within our alliance..."
This abrupt statement made sense to Lu Xichan and Eastern Yao, who understood the hidden meaning.
"This is a good idea," Lu Xichan nodded in approval of Huangfu Song's suggestion.
Huangfu Song breathed a sigh of relief. Before he could relax, Lu Chief asked again, "Do you have any recommendations?"
Huangfu Song's heart leapt with anxiety as he recalled Li Fan's words and said, "The Five Elements Great Profound Heavens, the Boundless Sea, and other secret realms are all good choices."
(End of Chapter)