dāng chū zài yǔn xiān jìng zhōng ， nà wèi zhì huì zhī shòu dì sān mò céng duì lù yá shuō guò ，「 jí biàn qīn yǎn suǒ jiàn ， hěn duō shí hòu ， yě wèi bì shì shì qíng de zhēn xiàng 」。
当初在陨仙境中，那位智慧之兽帝三貘曾对陆涯说过，「即便亲眼所见，很多时候，也未必是事情的真相」。
In the Void Realm, Wisdom Beast Emperor Sanmo had once told Lu Ya that "Even if one witnesses something firsthand, it doesn't necessarily mean they grasp the truth."
tóng yàng de dào lǐ ， rú jīn lǐ fán tuī lǐ chū de jié lùn ， yě wèi bì jué duì zhèng què 。
同样的道理，如今李凡推理出的结论，也未必绝对正确。
The same principle applied to Li Fan's current deductions. His conclusions might not be entirely accurate.
jiù rú tóng máng rén mō xiàng ， suǒ gǎn zhī dào de kě néng bú huì shì shì qíng de quán mào 。
就如同盲人摸象，所感知到的可能不会是事情的全貌。
Just as a blind man perceives an elephant, his understanding of the situation might only capture part of the whole picture.
dàn què yě shì zhēn xiàng de yī bù fèn 。
但却也是真相的一部分。
But this was still a piece of the truth.
nǎo hǎi zhōng huà dào shí jīng tǐ fā chū zhàn lán guāng máng ， qǐng kè jiān jiāng sī xù bǎi zhuǎn de zhū duō niàn tou jìn shù jì lù 。
脑海中化道石晶体发出湛蓝光芒，顷刻间将思绪百转的诸多念头尽数记录。
A crystalline Daoist Stone in his mind emitted a deep blue light, instantly recording all his thoughts and reflections.
jiē xià lái ， lǐ fán yào sī kǎo de shì gāi rú hé yìng duì qīng yī nǚ zǐ 。
接下来，李凡要思考的是该如何应对青衣女子。
Next, Li Fan needed to think about how to deal with the robed woman. Soon after she finished speaking, he shook his head and replied: "The might of the Immortal Void is beyond ordinary people's imagination."
zài tā gāng gāng bǎ huà shuō wán hòu bù jiǔ ， lǐ fán jiù yáo yáo tóu huí dá dào ：「【 xiān xū 】 zhī wēi ， fēi shì cháng rén kě yǐ xiǎng xiàng 。」
在她刚刚把话说完后不久，李凡就摇摇头回答道：「【仙墟】之威，非是常人可以想象。」
"An existence that can distort space-time; its impact is hard to predict."
「 lián shí kōng dōu néng niǔ qū de cún zài ， dài lái de yǐng xiǎng shí nán yù cè 。」
「连时空都能扭曲的存在，带来的影响实难预测。」
"After severing the Immortal Desolation passage, you claimed it would liberate us from constraints and grant true freedom."
「 nǐ shuō zhǎn duàn xiān jué tōng dào hòu ， nǐ men jiù néng cóng cǐ tuō lí zhì gù ， chè dǐ zì yóu 。」
「你说斩断仙绝通道后，你们就能从此脱离桎梏，彻底自由。」
"But this is merely theory. How will reality unfold? Who can guarantee anything?"
「 dàn zhè jǐn jǐn shì lǐ lùn ér yǐ 。 shí jì yòu huì rú hé ， shuí yòu gǎn bǎo zhèng ne ？」
「但这仅仅是理论而已。实际又会如何，谁又敢保证呢？」
As he spoke slowly, Li Fan subtly observed her expression.
lǐ fán yī biān huǎn huǎn shuō zhe ， yī biān bù dòng shēng sè dì guān chá zhe qīng yī nǚ zǐ de shén qíng 。
李凡一边缓缓说着，一边不动声色地观察着青衣女子的神情。
"Besides, all those places that escaped the Xuanhuang Realm are now completely out of contact."
「 bì jìng zhī qián nà xiē tuō lí xuán huáng jiè de dì fāng ， rú jīn kě quán dōu xiāo shēng nì jì 、 zài yě lián xì bù shàng le 。」
「毕竟之前那些脱离玄黄界的地方，如今可全都销声匿迹、再也联系不上了。」
"Are they truly free or have they perished in the Immortal Void?"
「 shì zhēn de xiāo yáo zì zài le ， hái shì yǐ jīng huǐ miè zài xiān xū zhī zhōng ， shuí yòu zhī dào ne 。」
「是真的逍遥自在了，还是已经毁灭在仙墟之中，谁又知道呢。」
"And why should we, the Interdimensional Alliance, be able to attract so many members? Even if there's only a one-in-a-thousand chance of failure, it poses too much risk for our civilization."
「 yào bù rán ， wǒ men 【 wàn jiè lián hé huì 】 píng shén me néng lā lǒng zhè me duō chéng yuán ？」
「要不然，我们【万界联合会】凭什么能拉拢这么多成员？」
Li Fan spoke with a hint of mockery.
「 nǎ pà zhǐ yǒu wàn fēn zhī yī shī bài de kě néng xìng ， duì yú zhěng gè wén míng lái shuō ， yě shì fēng xiǎn tài dà le 。」
「哪怕只有万分之一失败的可能性，对于整个文明来说，也是风险太大了。」
The woman's smile gradually faded. She stared at Li Fan, trying to discern something from his face.
lǐ fán wēi wēi dài zhe diǎn cháo fěng de yǔ qì shuō dào 。
李凡微微带着点嘲讽的语气说道。
But Li Fan remained unmoved, showing no weaknesses.
qīng yī nǚ zǐ de xiào róng zhú jiàn shōu liǎn ， tā dīng zhe lǐ fán ， sì hū xiǎng yào cóng tā de liǎn shàng kàn chū diǎn shén me lái 。
青衣女子的笑容逐渐收敛，她盯着李凡，似乎想要从他的脸上看出点什么来。
She then said: "You're right. This is why I returned to the Xuanhuang Realm this time."
kě shì lǐ fán bā fēng bù dòng ， méi yǒu sī háo pò zhàn 。
可是李凡八风不动，没有丝毫破绽。
"The existence of the Immortal Void remains a closely guarded secret within the empire. But there's no such thing as a completely impenetrable wall. Once conservative factions learn about it, implementing our secession plans will face greater resistance."
qīng yī nǚ zǐ zhè cái shuō dào ：「 nǐ shuō de bù cuò 。 zhè yě shì wǒ zhè cì chóng fǎn xuán huáng jiè de yuán yīn 。」
青衣女子这才说道：「你说的不错。这也是我这次重返玄黄界的原因。」
"By then, even with the imperial family’s accumulated prestige over millennia, it might not be enough to execute this plan peacefully."
「 mù qián dì guó nèi ， xiān xū de cún zài hái shì zhǐ yǒu jí shǎo shù rén zhī dào de jué mì 。 bù guò tiān xià méi yǒu bù tòu fēng de qiáng ， yí dàn bèi nà xiē bǎo shǒu pài zhī xiǎo le cǐ shì ， nà me zài xiǎng yào tuī xíng tuō lí xuán huáng jiè de jì huà ， xū yào miàn lín de zǔ lì jiù gèng dà le 。」
「目前帝国内，仙墟的存在还是只有极少数人知道的绝密。不过天下没有不透风的墙，一旦被那些保守派知晓了此事，那么再想要推行脱离玄黄界的计划，需要面临的阻力就更大了。」
Li Fan asked: "So, you came seeking help?"
「 dào shí hòu ， kǒng pà jí biàn yǐ dì guó huáng shì jī lěi qiān nián de wēi wàng ， yě bù zú yǐ hé píng de zhí xíng zhè ge jì huà 。」
「到时候，恐怕即便以帝国皇室积累千年的威望，也不足以和平的执行这个计划。」
The woman nodded. "Our princess remains resolute in her resolve to leave the Xuanhuang Realm. Even if there are risks, we believe they're worth taking."
lǐ fán jiē huà wèn dào ：「 suǒ yǐ ， nǐ shì lái xún qiú bāng zhù de ？」
李凡接话问道：「所以，你是来寻求帮助的？」
"But those hateful nobles within the empire might not see it that way."
qīng yī nǚ zǐ diǎn tóu dào ：「 dì nǚ shí xíng tuō lí xuán huáng jiè jì huà de jué xīn méi yǒu biàn 。 jí biàn dí què cún zài yī xiē fēng xiǎn ， dàn wǒ men rèn wéi ， zhí de 。」
青衣女子点头道：「帝女实行脱离玄黄界计划的决心没有变。即便的确存在一些风险，但我们认为，值得。」
"To avoid internal conflict, the empire must accelerate its plans."
「 bù guò ， dì guó zhōng nà xiē miàn mù kě zēng de guì zú men ， kě bù yí dìng huì zhè me xiǎng le 。」
「不过，帝国中那些面目可憎的贵族们，可不一定会这么想了。」
She paused and continued: "We need to quickly exchange for Foundation Establishment techniques while also accelerating resource cultivation for the Boundary Whale..."
「 wèi le bì miǎn nèi dòu ， dì guó bì xū jiā kuài jì huà tuī jìn de sù dù 。」
「为了避免内斗，帝国必须加快计划推进的速度。」
Handing over an jade slip, she revealed a long list of supplies.
tā dùn le dùn ， jiē zhe dào ：「 jǐn kuài duì huàn dào hé dào gōng fǎ de tóng shí ， hái xū yào jiā sù péi yù liè jiè jīng de zī yuán ……」
她顿了顿，接着道：「尽快兑换到合道功法的同时，还需要加速培育裂界鲸的资源……」
Scanning through it with his spiritual sense, Li Fan found that although most items were not expensive individually, the quantity gaps were staggering. The total consumption would likely exceed his current 5 million contribution points.
shuō zhe ， tā jiāng yī méi yù jiǎn dì le guò lái 。
说着，她将一枚玉简递了过来。
Frowning slightly, he said: "If you join the Interdimensional Alliance, we'll naturally provide assistance for these needs."
shén shí yī sǎo ， fā xiàn lǐ miàn shì cháng cháng yī liè wù zī qīng dān 。
神识一扫，发现里面是长长一列物资清单。
"But since you're determined to leave, we can't be charities."
zài jì yì zhōng sōu xún le yī fān ， lǐ fán fā xiàn suī rán zhè xiē wù zī de dān jià dà duō bù guì ， dàn shù liàng quē kǒu kě shì yǒu xiē jīng rén 。
在记忆中搜寻了一番，李凡发现虽然这些物资的单价大多不贵，但数量缺口可是有些惊人。
The woman replied: "As your envoy said, leaving the Xuanhuang Realm could lead to destruction. The empire remains committed but will still diversify its bets."
zǒng jì xiāo hào ， kǒng pà bú shì tā shǒu zhōng de wǔ bǎi duō wàn gòng xiàn dù néng chéng dān de qǐ de 。
总计消耗，恐怕不是他手中的五百多万贡献度能承担的起的。
Li Fan's eyes flashed. "You mean..."
dāng xià méi tóu wēi wēi yáng qǐ ， dào ：「 rú guǒ jiā rù 【 wàn jiè lián hé huì 】 de huà ， nǐ shuō de zhè xiē ， zǔ zhī zì rán huì zhuó qíng jǐ yǔ bāng zhù 。」
当下眉头微微扬起，道：「如果加入【万界联合会】的话，你说的这些，组织自然会酌情给予帮助。」
"Indeed, the empire will allocate some forces to join the Interdimensional Alliance."
「 bù guò nǐ men yǐ jīng tiě le xīn yào pǎo ， wǒ men lián hé huì yòu bú shì zuò cí shàn de 。」
「不过你们已经铁了心要跑，我们联合会又不是做慈善的。」
"They'll remain in the Xuanhuang Realm as a branch of civilization. If the empire faces calamity, they can continue the legacy," she said confidently.
qīng yī nǚ zǐ dào ：「 zhèng rú shǐ zhě nǐ suǒ shuō ， tuō lí xuán huáng jiè yǒu kě néng yíng lái huǐ miè de mìng yùn 。」
青衣女子道：「正如使者你所说，脱离玄黄界有可能迎来毁灭的命运。」
Hearing this, Li Fan couldn't help but sneer: "You might be overestimating yourselves. To avoid arousing suspicion within the empire, you won’t allocate too many forces. These alone are unlikely to secure everything on that list."
「 dì guó suī rán jué xīn bù biàn ， bù guò yě bù fáng ài wǒ men fēn tóu xià zhù 。」
「帝国虽然决心不变，不过也不妨碍我们分头下注。」
The woman calmly replied: "Your Excellency Envoy likely misunderstood. As a civilization seed for the empire's continuation, all current technologies will be preserved. Once we join the alliance, these technologies can also be shared with the organization."
lǐ fán yǎn shén yī shǎn ：「 nǐ shì shuō ……」
李凡眼神一闪：「你是说……」
"Consider just the value of the Beast God Armor; it alone might cover half the items on that list."
「 bù cuò ， dì guó jiāng huì chōu diào chū yī bù fèn lì liàng ， jiā rù wàn jiè lián hé huì 。」
「不错，帝国将会抽调出一部分力量，加入万界联合会。」
He hadn’t expected such boldness from them, daring to offer their entire technology as a bargaining chip.
「 zuò wéi lìng wài de wén míng huǒ zhǒng ， tā men réng rán huì liú zài xuán huáng jiè 。 tǎng ruò rì hòu dì guó zhēn de zāo yù bù cè ， tā men yě néng zuò wéi yī mài fēn zhī ， yán xù dì guó de chuán chéng 。」 qīng yī nǚ zǐ mù guāng zhuó zhuó ， tǎn rán shuō dào 。
「作为另外的文明火种，他们仍然会留在玄黄界。倘若日后帝国真的遭遇不测，他们也能作为一脉分支，延续帝国的传承。」青衣女子目光灼灼，坦然说道。
Even if "all technologies" were somewhat exaggerated, what he had seen in Li Chenfeng’s mind was enough to make him interested.
lǐ fán wén yán ， bù jīn chī xiào dào ：「 nǐ mén shì fǒu wèi miǎn yǒu diǎn
李凡闻言，不禁嗤笑道：「你门是否未免有点
Surely, these wouldn't help his current cultivation. But the empire's unique power system could significantly bolster his foundation.
gāo kàn zì shēn le ？ wèi le bù yǐn qǐ dì guó nèi bù rén yuán de jǐng jué ， nǐ men chōu diào chū de lì liàng dìng rán bú huì tài duō 。 jǐn jǐn kào zhè xiē ， jiù xiǎng huàn qǔ qīng dān zhōng de dōng xī ， kǒng pà yuǎn yuǎn bù gòu a 。」
高看自身了？为了不引起帝国内部人员的警觉，你们抽调出的力量定然不会太多。仅仅靠这些，就想换取清单中的东西，恐怕远远不够啊。」
Skill is never wasted; perhaps such control over beasts would come in handy someday.
qīng yī nǚ zǐ dàn dàn dào ：「 shǐ zhě gé xià kǒng pà shì wù huì le 。 jì rán shì zuò wéi dì guó yán xù de wén míng huǒ zhǒng ， nà me dì guó rú jīn zhǎng wò de yī qiè jì shù ， zì rán yě huì liú cún 。 jiā rù lián hé huì hòu ， zhè xiē jì shù zì rán yě kě yǐ hé zǔ zhī gòng xiǎng 。」
青衣女子淡淡道：「使者阁下恐怕是误会了。既然是作为帝国延续的文明火种，那么帝国如今掌握的一切技术，自然也会留存。加入联合会后，这些技术自然也可以和组织共享。」
Without hesitation, Li Fan decided on this plan. He feigned interest and said: "This matter is significant; I can’t decide alone."
「 bié de bù shuō ， guāng shì 【 shòu shén jiǎ 】 de jià zhí ， wǒ jué de jiù yǐ jīng dǐ de shàng qīng dān zhōng de dà bàn wù zī le 。」
「别的不说，光是【兽神甲】的价值，我觉得就已经抵得上清单中的大半物资了。」
"I'll report back and give an answer later."
méi yǒu xiǎng dào duì fāng jū rán rú cǐ yǒu pò lì ， gǎn jiāng zì shēn zhǎng wò de quán bù jì shù dōu zuò wéi chóu mǎ 。
没有想到对方居然如此有魄力，敢将自身掌握的全部技术都作为筹码。
Li Fan’s words were as expected by the woman.
jí shǐ tā men suǒ shuō de 「 yī qiè jì shù 」 hěn kě néng huì dǎ gè zhé kòu ， guāng píng zài lǐ chén fēng nǎo hǎi zhōng kàn dào de dì guó zhǒng zhǒng ， yě zú yǐ ràng lǐ fán xīn dòng le 。
即使他们所说的「一切技术」很可能会打个折扣，光凭在李晨风脑海中看到的帝国种种，也足以让李凡心动了。
"Better to act quickly before more dreams are lost," she urged.
chéng rán ， zhè xiē duì lǐ fán jìng jiè xiū xíng huò xǔ méi yǒu shén me bāng zhù 。
诚然，这些对李凡境界修行或许没有什么帮助。
With a bow, Li Fan hurried away.
dàn dì guó zhè zhǒng jiǒng yì yú rú jīn xuán huáng jiè de lì liàng tǐ xì ， què shì kě yǐ dà dà zēng qiáng lǐ fán de dǐ yùn 。
但帝国这种迥异于如今玄黄界的力量体系，却是可以大大增强李凡的底蕴。
In the secret room, only the imperial group remained.
suǒ wèi jì duō bù yā shēn ， shuō bù dìng zài rì hòu nǎ cì de lún huí zhōng ， zhè zhǒng néng gòu cāo zòng yì shòu de lì liàng jiù huì pài shàng yòng chǎng 。
所谓技多不压身，说不定在日后哪次的轮回中，这种能够操纵异兽的力量就会派上用场。
"Immortal Master, really willing to trade our empire's core technologies for this?" Li Chenfeng asked reluctantly.
méi yǒu guò duō jiū jié ， jǐn jǐn piàn kè zhī hòu ， lǐ fán biàn jué dìng xià lái 。
没有过多纠结，仅仅片刻之后，李凡便决定下来。
But the robed woman didn’t immediately respond. She frowned and looked up at the sky.
yào jiāng zhè dì guó de jì shù zhěng tǐ piàn dào shǒu 。
要将这帝国的技术整体骗到手。
After setting many prohibitions, she turned to Li Chenfeng and scolded: "Have you forgotten what I taught you?"
zhuāng chū yī fù mò míng xīn dòng de yàng zi ， lǐ fán chén yín piàn kè dào ：「 zī shì tǐ dà ， bú shì wǒ néng jué dìng de le 。」
装出一副莫名心动的样子，李凡沉吟片刻道：「兹事体大，不是我能决定的了。」
"Survival is the first priority of civilization."
「 róng wǒ huí qù huì bào hòu ， zài gěi dá fù 。」
「容我回去汇报后，再给答复。」
"Only by staying alive do technology and culture have meaning."
lǐ fán de shuō cí ， yě zài qīng yī nǚ zǐ de yì liào zhī zhōng 。
李凡的说辞，也在青衣女子的意料之中。
"If the very civilization perishes, how useful can these be?"
「 yè cháng mèng duō ， hái wàng shǐ zhě jǐn kuài cái shì 。」
「夜长梦多，还望使者尽快才是。」
Li Chenfeng still felt aggrieved. "But..."
lǐ fán gǒng le gǒng shǒu ， jí cōng cōng lí qù 。
李凡拱了拱手，急匆匆离去。
The woman interrupted with a hand gesture: "We've already decided this with our princess; no need to discuss further!"
mì shì zhōng ， zhǐ liú xià le dì guó yī qún rén 。
密室中，只留下了帝国一群人。
Seeing her resolve, Li Chenfeng reluctantly nodded.
「 shèng shī ， zhēn de yào jiāng dì guó fā zhǎn le zhè me duō nián de hé xīn jì shù dàng zuò jiāo yì chóu mǎ ma ？」 lǐ chén fēng yǒu xiē bù gān xīn de wèn dào 。
「圣师，真的要将帝国发展了这么多年的核心技术当做交易筹码嘛？」李晨风有些不甘心的问道。
"That man was hard to read. He’s just an envoy, but the Interdimensional Alliance seems to have some depth."
qīng yī nǚ zǐ què méi yǒu mǎ shàng huí dá ， ér shì zhòu le zhòu méi ， tái tóu wàng tiān 。
青衣女子却没有马上回答，而是皱了皱眉，抬头望天。
Looking in Li Fan's direction, she said softly after a while.
yī lián bù xià le xǔ duō jìn zhì zhī hòu ， tā cái kàn xiàng lǐ chén fēng ， xùn chì dào ：「 wàng le wǒ shì zěn me jiào nǐ de le me ？」
一连布下了许多禁制之后，她才看向李晨风，训斥道：「忘了我是怎么教你的了么？」
Li Chenfeng was surprised: "Even with your cultivation, you couldn't see through his true nature? What level is he?"
「 shēng cún ， cái shì wén míng fā zhǎn de dì yī yào wù 。」
「生存，才是文明发展的第一要务。」
The woman also seemed puzzled. "He might not be at a high realm, but I always sense danger from him."
In the Void Realm, Wisdom Beast Emperor Sanmo had once told Lu Ya that "Even if one witnesses something firsthand, it doesn't necessarily mean they grasp the truth."
The same principle applied to Li Fan's current deductions. His conclusions might not be entirely accurate.
Just as a blind man perceives an elephant, his understanding of the situation might only capture part of the whole picture.
But this was still a piece of the truth.
A crystalline Daoist Stone in his mind emitted a deep blue light, instantly recording all his thoughts and reflections.
Next, Li Fan needed to think about how to deal with the robed woman. Soon after she finished speaking, he shook his head and replied: "The might of the Immortal Void is beyond ordinary people's imagination."
"An existence that can distort space-time; its impact is hard to predict."
"After severing the Immortal Desolation passage, you claimed it would liberate us from constraints and grant true freedom."
"But this is merely theory. How will reality unfold? Who can guarantee anything?"
As he spoke slowly, Li Fan subtly observed her expression.
"Besides, all those places that escaped the Xuanhuang Realm are now completely out of contact."
"Are they truly free or have they perished in the Immortal Void?"
"And why should we, the Interdimensional Alliance, be able to attract so many members? Even if there's only a one-in-a-thousand chance of failure, it poses too much risk for our civilization."
Li Fan spoke with a hint of mockery.
The woman's smile gradually faded. She stared at Li Fan, trying to discern something from his face.
But Li Fan remained unmoved, showing no weaknesses.
She then said: "You're right. This is why I returned to the Xuanhuang Realm this time."
"The existence of the Immortal Void remains a closely guarded secret within the empire. But there's no such thing as a completely impenetrable wall. Once conservative factions learn about it, implementing our secession plans will face greater resistance."
"By then, even with the imperial family’s accumulated prestige over millennia, it might not be enough to execute this plan peacefully."
Li Fan asked: "So, you came seeking help?"
The woman nodded. "Our princess remains resolute in her resolve to leave the Xuanhuang Realm. Even if there are risks, we believe they're worth taking."
"But those hateful nobles within the empire might not see it that way."
"To avoid internal conflict, the empire must accelerate its plans."
She paused and continued: "We need to quickly exchange for Foundation Establishment techniques while also accelerating resource cultivation for the Boundary Whale..."
Handing over an jade slip, she revealed a long list of supplies.
Scanning through it with his spiritual sense, Li Fan found that although most items were not expensive individually, the quantity gaps were staggering. The total consumption would likely exceed his current 5 million contribution points.
Frowning slightly, he said: "If you join the Interdimensional Alliance, we'll naturally provide assistance for these needs."
"But since you're determined to leave, we can't be charities."
The woman replied: "As your envoy said, leaving the Xuanhuang Realm could lead to destruction. The empire remains committed but will still diversify its bets."
Li Fan's eyes flashed. "You mean..."
"Indeed, the empire will allocate some forces to join the Interdimensional Alliance."
"They'll remain in the Xuanhuang Realm as a branch of civilization. If the empire faces calamity, they can continue the legacy," she said confidently.
Hearing this, Li Fan couldn't help but sneer: "You might be overestimating yourselves. To avoid arousing suspicion within the empire, you won’t allocate too many forces. These alone are unlikely to secure everything on that list."
The woman calmly replied: "Your Excellency Envoy likely misunderstood. As a civilization seed for the empire's continuation, all current technologies will be preserved. Once we join the alliance, these technologies can also be shared with the organization."
"Consider just the value of the Beast God Armor; it alone might cover half the items on that list."
He hadn’t expected such boldness from them, daring to offer their entire technology as a bargaining chip.
Even if "all technologies" were somewhat exaggerated, what he had seen in Li Chenfeng’s mind was enough to make him interested.
Surely, these wouldn't help his current cultivation. But the empire's unique power system could significantly bolster his foundation.
Skill is never wasted; perhaps such control over beasts would come in handy someday.
Without hesitation, Li Fan decided on this plan. He feigned interest and said: "This matter is significant; I can’t decide alone."
"I'll report back and give an answer later."
Li Fan’s words were as expected by the woman.
"Better to act quickly before more dreams are lost," she urged.
With a bow, Li Fan hurried away.
In the secret room, only the imperial group remained.
"Immortal Master, really willing to trade our empire's core technologies for this?" Li Chenfeng asked reluctantly.
But the robed woman didn’t immediately respond. She frowned and looked up at the sky.
After setting many prohibitions, she turned to Li Chenfeng and scolded: "Have you forgotten what I taught you?"
"Survival is the first priority of civilization."
"Only by staying alive do technology and culture have meaning."
"If the very civilization perishes, how useful can these be?"
Li Chenfeng still felt aggrieved. "But..."
The woman interrupted with a hand gesture: "We've already decided this with our princess; no need to discuss further!"
Seeing her resolve, Li Chenfeng reluctantly nodded.
"That man was hard to read. He’s just an envoy, but the Interdimensional Alliance seems to have some depth."
Looking in Li Fan's direction, she said softly after a while.
Li Chenfeng was surprised: "Even with your cultivation, you couldn't see through his true nature? What level is he?"
The woman also seemed puzzled. "He might not be at a high realm, but I always sense danger from him."