shàng yī cì yīn wèi qīng niú lā chē shì jiàn jiē shòu tiān jī táng de diào chá de qíng xíng hái lì lì zài mù ， zhè cì ， lǐ fán yòu lái dào le wàn xiān dǎo zhōng yāng hé xīn dì qū 。
上一次因为青牛拉车事件接受天机堂的调查的情形还历历在目，这次，李凡又来到了万仙岛中央核心地区。
The scene of the previous incident involving the qingniu-drawn carriage was still vivid in Li Fan's mind. This time, he found himself at the central core region of the Ten Thousand Immortals Island.
jīng guò cè zhèn táng ， jì xù cháo lǐ ， lǐ fán zài mén kǒu chù lì zhe yī kuài kè zhe “ wǔ ” zì shí bēi de jiàn zhù miàn qián tíng xià jiǎo bù 。
经过策阵堂，继续朝里，李凡在门口矗立着一块刻着“武”字石碑的建筑面前停下脚步。
Passing by the Strategy Array Hall, Li Fan stopped before a building marked with a stone tablet inscribed with the character "Wu" (武) as he continued to walk inward.
kàn jiàn zhè zì de shùn jiān ， lǐ fán biàn jué yī gǔ sù shā 、 yā yì de fēn wéi lǒng zhào ér lái 。
看见这字的瞬间，李凡便觉一股肃杀、压抑的氛围笼罩而来。
The moment he saw the character, an atmosphere of solemnity and pressure enveloped him.
yǎn qián fǎng fú fú xiàn chū ruò gān huàn yǐng ， xià yī kè jiù hǎo sì yào dāo jiàn jiā shēn 。
眼前仿佛浮现出若干幻影，下一刻就好似要刀剑加身。
Before his eyes seemed to flicker with various illusions, only for sharp blades and swords to appear in the next instant.
“ zì shì hǎo zì ， dàn gēn wǒ zhī qián jiàn dào de ‘ luàn ’ zì shí xiāng bǐ ， hái shì chà le nà me diǎn wèi dào 。”
“字是好字，但跟我之前见到的‘乱’字石相比，还是差了那么点味道。”
"This is a good character, but compared to the 'Luan' (乱) character stone I encountered before, it's still lacking something."
yā zhì zhù nèi xīn xiǎng yào fǎn jī de běn néng chōng dòng ， lǐ fán zǐ xì duān xiáng liáng jiǔ ， àn zì sī cǔn dào 。
压制住内心想要反击的本能冲动，李凡仔细端详良久，暗自思忖道。
Repressing the instinctive urge to retaliate, Li Fan carefully examined the tablet for a long time, pondering silently.
shén sè yī sù ， dāng xià miàn bù gǎi sè dì kuò bù zǒu jìn yǎn wǔ táng zhōng 。
神色一肃，当下面不改色地阔步走进演武堂中。
His expression turned serious as he stepped into the Performance Hall without any change in demeanor.
lǐ fán bǐ jiào shú xī de cè zhèn táng nèi ， shì tōng guò chuán sòng zhèn wǎng lái de zhū duō dié jiā kōng jiān 。 ér zhè yǎn wǔ táng de zhǔ yào jǐng guān ， zé shì yóu xǔ duō piāo fú zài kōng zhōng de jù shí gòu chéng 。
李凡比较熟悉的策阵堂内，是通过传送阵往来的诸多叠加空间。而这演武堂的主要景观，则是由许多漂浮在空中的巨石构成。
In the familiar Strategy Array Hall, various叠加 spaces were connected through teleportation arrays. The main feature of the Performance Hall was composed of many floating giant rocks.
lín xún guài shí ， rú màn tiān xīng chén bān ， fēn sàn zài kōng jiān zhōng 。
嶙峋怪石，如漫天星辰般，分散在空间中。
Rugged and strange stones, like countless stars, scattered throughout the space.
měng dì wàng qù ， měi kuài shí tou de xíng zhuàng dōu gè bù xiāng tóng 。
猛地望去，每块石头的形状都各不相同。
At a glance, each stone had a unique shape.
yǒu lèi rén shì shòu zhě ， yì yǒu rú shān xiàng shuǐ zhě 。
有类人似兽者，亦有如山像水者。
Some resembled humans or animals, while others looked like mountains or water.
jù shí zhī shàng ， yǐn yuē kě yǐ kàn dào lóu gé 、 cǎo mù ， yǐ jí bù shí fēi guò de rén yǐng 。
巨石之上，隐约可以看到楼阁、草木，以及不时飞过的人影。
On these giant stones, one could faintly see pavilions, grasses, and people flying past.
ér lǐ fán cǐ kè suǒ zhàn de fēi shí ， què shì jí wéi tè shū 。
而李凡此刻所站的飞石，却是极为特殊。
The flying stone Li Fan stood on was particularly special. It was bare and smooth as a mirror.
guāng tū tū yī piàn ， píng zhěng rú jìng 。
光秃秃一片，平整如镜。
Subtle lines of light seemed to flow beneath the surface. As soon as he stepped onto the giant stone, an array was activated, and he felt himself being transferred to the exact center of the stone.
yǐn yǐn yǒu tiáo tiáo guāng xiàn zài shí miàn xià liú zhuǎn ， dāng lǐ fán tà bù lái dào jù shí zhī shàng de shùn jiān ， yǒu yí gè zhèn fǎ bèi jī huó ， tā biàn gǎn jué dào zì shēn bù shòu kòng zhì de bèi zhuǎn yí dào le fēi shí zhèng zhōng yāng 。
隐隐有条条光线在石面下流转，当李凡踏步来到巨石之上的瞬间，有一个阵法被激活，他便感觉到自身不受控制的被转移到了飞石正中央。
A mysterious energy surged from below, binding him like invisible chains.
yī gǔ mò míng de néng liàng cóng jiǎo xià yǒng xiàn ， wǎn rú wú xíng de jiā suǒ ， jiāng tā láo láo shù fù zhù 。
一股莫名的能量从脚下涌现，宛如无形的枷锁，将他牢牢束缚住。
At the same time, Li Fan looked up and noticed that the surrounding flying stones also underwent strange changes.
yú cǐ tóng shí ， lǐ fán tái tóu wàng qù ， zhōu wéi qún xīng bān de fēi shí ， yě xiāng yìng de fā shēng le mò míng de biàn huà 。
于此同时，李凡抬头望去，周围群星般的飞石，也相应的发生了莫名的变化。
Initially, his position was a negligible corner in the Star Sea.
yuán běn lǐ fán suǒ chù de wèi zhì ， shì xīng hǎi zhōng háo bù qǐ yǎn de yì yú 。
原本李凡所处的位置，是星海中毫不起眼的一隅。
But after he was confined, the sky's scenery changed dramatically, as if the stars were shifting.
dàn dāng tā bèi jìn gù hòu ， kōng zhōng guāng jǐng biàn huàn ， wǎn rú dǒu zhuǎn xīng yí 。
但当他被禁锢后，空中光景变幻，宛如斗转星移。
In an instant, Li Fan felt like he had arrived at the center of the Star Sea, becoming the absolute focal point of this space.
qǐng kè jiān ， lǐ fán fǎng fú lái dào le xīng hǎi zhōng yāng ， chéng wéi le zhè piàn kōng jiān zhōng de jué duì jiāo diǎn 。
顷刻间，李凡仿佛来到了星海中央，成为了这片空间中的绝对焦点。
He also sensed that countless gazes hidden behind each giant stone fell on him in that moment.
lǐ fán gèng shì gǎn dào ， zài nà ge shùn jiān ， yǐn cáng zài gè gè jù shí hòu de wú shù dào mù guāng ， jìn shù luò zài le zì jǐ shēn shàng 。
李凡更是感到，在那个瞬间，隐藏在各个巨石后的无数道目光，尽数落在了自己身上。
A true spectacle!
zhēn zhèng de wàn zhòng zhǔ mù ！
真正的万众瞩目！
Each gaze was heavy as a mountain. If a common cultivator or someone with poor psychological resilience were here, they might have collapsed to their knees right away.
měi yī dào shì xiàn dōu wǎn rú shān yuè bān chén zhòng ， rú guǒ shì méi jiàn guò dà shì miàn 、 yì huò shì xīn lǐ chéng shòu néng lì bù jiā de xiū shì ， pà shì yào zhí jiē dāng chǎng shuāng xī yī ruǎn 、 tān dào zài dì 。
每一道视线都宛如山岳般沉重，如果是没见过大世面、亦或是心理承受能力不佳的修士，怕是要直接当场双膝一软、瘫倒在地。
But Li Fan remained calm and composed.
dàn lǐ fán què shì tǎn rán zì ruò ， miàn wú yì sè 。
但李凡却是坦然自若，面无异色。
After a brief confrontation, a solemn voice echoed from the sea of stones.
duì zhì piàn kè zhī hòu ， yǒu zhuāng yán sù mù de shēng yīn ， cóng shí hǎi zhōng hōng lōng chuán lái ， bù duàn huí xiǎng 。
对峙片刻之后，有庄严肃穆的声音，从石海中轰隆传来，不断回响。
"Immortal Li Fan, due to the incident involving the abnormal price of Puqian True Leaf, you are hereby summoned for an investigation."
“ xiū shì lǐ fán ， yīn 【 pǔ xián zhēn yè jià gé yì cháng 】 shì jiàn ， xiàn zhào nǐ qián lái ， jiē shòu diào chá 。”
“修士李凡，因【普闲真叶价格异常】事件，现召你前来，接受调查。”
"This investigation will be hosted by the Performance Hall of Cunyun Sea. The Strategy Array Hall and the Administration Hall will also cooperate."
“ cǐ cì diào chá yóu cóng yún hǎi yǎn wǔ táng zhǔ chí ， cóng yún hǎi tiān jī táng 、 bù zhèng táng xié tóng 。”
“此次调查由丛云海演武堂主持，丛云海天机堂、布政堂协同。”
"Given the extensive impact and severe nature of this event, the Immortal Alliance headquarters will dispatch a special envoy to oversee the entire process."
“ yīn cǐ cì shì jiàn yǐng xiǎng fàn wéi jí dà ， qiě xìng zhì jí wéi è liè ， suǒ yǐ xiān méng zǒng bù jiàng huì pài chū tè shǐ jìn xíng quán chéng dū bàn 。”
“因此次事件影响范围极大，且性质极为恶劣，所以仙盟总部将会派出特使进行全程督办。”
"In keeping with fairness, impartiality, and transparency, the investigation process will not be kept secret and will be supervised by all members of the Immortal Alliance."
“ bǐng zhe gōng píng 、 gōng zhèng 、 gōng kāi de yuán zé ， běn cì diào chá guò chéng bú huì bǎo mì ， bìng shòu dào xiān méng quán tǐ chéng yuán de jiān dū 。”
“秉着公平、公正、公开的原则，本次调查过程不会保密，并受到仙盟全体成员的监督。”
...
……
……
After reciting a long introduction, the voice finally reached its main point.
hào dà de shēng yīn zhào běn xuān kē de shuō le yī dà chuàn kāi chǎng bái hòu ， zhōng yú yíng lái le zhèng tí 。
浩大的声音照本宣科的说了一大串开场白后，终于迎来了正题。
"Immortal Li Fan, during the investigation, you may defend yourself."
“ xiū shì lǐ fán ， diào chá guò chéng zhōng ， nǐ kě yǐ wèi zì jǐ biàn jiě 。”
“修士李凡，调查过程中，你可以为自己辩解。”
"But you must take full responsibility for every word you say. If it is found that you have concealed or deceived, you will be punished according to the rules of the Immortal Alliance based on the severity of your actions."
“ dàn nǐ xū yào duì suǒ shuō měi yī jù huà de zhēn shí xìng fù zé 。 rú guǒ bèi fā xiàn yǒu yǐn mán 、 qī zhà děng xíng wéi ， huì yī qíng jié de yán zhòng xìng ， àn zhào xiān méng tiáo lǜ ， duì nǐ jìn xíng chéng fá 。”
“但你需要对所说每一句话的真实性负责。如果被发现有隐瞒、欺诈等行为，会依情节的严重性，按照仙盟条律，对你进行惩罚。”
Li Fan nodded, indicating he understood.
hóng yīn rù nǎo ， lǐ fán diǎn tóu ， shì yì zì jǐ yǐ jīng zhī xiǎo 。
鸿音入脑，李凡点头，示意自己已经知晓。
"Now, I announce that the investigation has officially begun."
“ xià miàn ， wǒ xuān bù ， diào chá zhèng shì kāi shǐ 。”
“下面，我宣布，调查正式开始。”
"Please, let Golden Chongqing from the Performance Hall recount the details of this incident."
“ qǐng yǎn wǔ táng ， jīn chóng chéng fù shù cǐ cì shì jiàn de jīng guò 。”
“请演武堂，金崇珵复述此次事件的经过。”
A bright light flashed, and a cultivator in the uniform of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance's Performance Hall appeared above Li Fan's flying stone.
yī dào liàng guāng shǎn guò ， shēn chuān wàn xiān méng yǎn wǔ táng zhì shì fú zhuāng de xiū shì píng kōng chū xiàn zài lǐ fán suǒ zài fēi shí de shàng kōng 。
一道亮光闪过，身穿万仙盟演武堂制式服装的修士凭空出现在李凡所在飞石的上空。
Standing above him, he looked up at the floating stones and began to speak.
wèi yú lǐ fán zhī shàng ， jū gāo lín xià 。
位于李凡之上，居高临下。
"The abnormal fluctuation in the price of Puqian True Leaf originated from a statement made by this Immortal Li Fan sixteen days ago."
què tái tóu yǎng wàng zhe màn tiān de fēi shí ， kāi kǒu shuō dào 。
却抬头仰望着漫天的飞石，开口说道。
"He conveyed through Jiao Xiyuan that the price of Puqian True Leaf would soar. Afterward..."
“ cǐ cì pǔ xián zhēn yè jià gé de yì cháng bō dòng ， yuán yú shí liù rì qián ， zhè wèi lǐ fán xiū shì de yī xí huà 。”
“此次普闲真叶价格的异常波动，源于十六日前，这位李凡修士的一席话。”
Golden Chongqing succinctly summarized the cause and effect, and as he spoke, images appeared in the sky.
“ tā jiè yóu jiāo xiū yuǎn zhī kǒu ， xiàng wài jiè chuán dá le 【 pǔ xián zhēn yè jià gé jiāng huì bào zhǎng 】 de xùn xī ， zhī hòu ……”
“他借由焦修远之口，向外界传达了【普贤真叶价格将会暴涨】的讯息，之后……”
A diagram showing the fluctuation curve of Puqian True Leaf's price, scenes of cultivators frantically buying it, and countless injured cultivars after the Tianxuan Mirror's stabilization风波.
jīn chóng chéng yán jiǎn yì gāi de gài shù le yī fān shì qíng de qǐ yīn jié guǒ ， bìng qiě bàn suí zhe tā de huà yǔ ， tiān mù shàng yě suí zhī fú xiàn chū yī fú fú huà miàn 。
金崇珵言简意赅的概述了一番事情的起因结果，并且伴随着他的话语，天幕上也随之浮现出一幅幅画面。
"And we noticed that Immortal Li Fan had already purchased a large stock before the price increased. He then sold at high points, making substantial profits."
pǔ xián zhēn yè cǎo de jià gé bō dòng qū xiàn shì yì tú ， xiū shì men fēng kuáng qiǎng gòu de qíng xíng ， yǐ jí tiān xuán jìng dìng fēng bō hòu 、 wú shù kuī sǔn xiū shì rú shòu zhòng chuāng de mú yàng 。
普闲真叶草的价格波动曲线示意图，修士们疯狂抢购的情形，以及天玄镜定风波后、无数亏损修士如受重创的模样。
"In conclusion, we believe that Immortal Li Fan spread false information, exploited public herd mentality to make huge profits, and maliciously disrupted the stability of the Immortal Alliance," Chongqing added.
“ bìng qiě ， wǒ men zhù yì dào ， xiū shì lǐ fán zài pǔ xián zhēn yè jià gé shàng zhǎng zhī qián ， jiù yǐ jīng tí qián gòu rù le dà liàng cún huò 。 bìng qiě zài gāo diǎn pāo shòu ， zhuàn qǔ le dà liàng lì lán 。”
“并且，我们注意到，修士李凡在普闲真叶价格上涨之前，就已经提前购入了大量存货。并且在高点抛售，赚取了大量利澜。”
The Performance Hall fell silent as soon as he finished speaking.
“ zōng shàng ， wǒ men rèn wéi ， xiū shì lǐ fán yǒu sàn bù xū jiǎ xìn xī 、 lì yòng gōng zhòng cóng zhòng xīn lǐ ， móu qǔ bào lì ； bìng qiě è yì pò huài xiān méng wěn dìng de xián yí 。” jīn chóng chéng bǔ chōng dào 。
“综上，我们认为，修士李凡有散布虚假信息、利用公众从众心理，谋取暴利；并且恶意破坏仙盟稳定的嫌疑。”金崇珵补充道。
Li Fan felt an even heavier gaze on him.
huà bì ， yǎn wǔ táng nèi ， yī piàn jì jìng 。
话毕，演武堂内，一片寂静。
If it were a common cultivator, they would likely have confessed under such intense pressure.
lǐ fán dùn jué luò zài zì jǐ shēn shàng de shì xiàn yòu zhòng le jǐ fēn 。
李凡顿觉落在自己身上的视线又重了几分。
But Li Fan stood tall and interrupted Chongqing: "I object!"
ruò shì xún cháng xiū shì ， pà bú shì zhí jiē miàn sè fā bái ， bù dǎ zì zhāo le 。
若是寻常修士，怕不是直接面色发白，不打自招了。
"Are you saying I spread false information? Where is the evidence for that! Yes, I did make some profit in this incident..."
lǐ fán què áng rán chū shēng ， bǎ jīn chóng chéng de huà dǎ duàn ：“ wǒ yǒu yì yì ！”
李凡却昂然出声，把金崇珵的话打断：“我有异议！”
Ignoring the murderous glares from those around him, Li Fan continued: "But wealth, companions, methods, and places—seeking profits is a natural pursuit for cultivators. I used my predictive abilities to make these gains; what's wrong with that?"
“ shuō wǒ sàn bù xū jiǎ xìn xī ？ zhè yòu shì cóng hé tán qǐ a ！ méi cuò ， wǒ shì zài zhè cì shì jiàn zhōng zhuàn le yì diǎn ……”
“说我散布虚假信息？这又是从何谈起啊！没错，我是在这次事件中赚了一点……”
"And as it turned out, the price of Puqian True Leaf followed exactly as I predicted. This proves the accuracy of my predictions!" Li Fan argued justly.
wú shì dào dào mù guāng zhōng yǐn yǐn chuán lái de shā yì ， lǐ fán zì gù zì dì shuō dào ：“ bù guò cái lǚ fǎ dì ， xiū shì zhú lì nǎi shì tiān jīng dì yì zhī shì 。 wǒ yǒu tuī yǎn wèi lái zhī néng ， píng cǐ móu lì ， yòu hé cuò zhī yǒu ？”
无视道道目光中隐隐传来的杀意，李凡自顾自地说道：“不过财侣法地，修士逐利乃是天经地义之事。我有推衍未来之能，凭此牟利，又何错之有？”
Whispers filled the Performance Hall.
“ ér zhī hòu pǔ xián zhēn yè de jià gé zǒu shì ， yě hé wǒ yù cè de jié guǒ yí zhì 。 zhè bú shì zhèng hǎo shuō míng wǒ tuī yǎn de jīng zhǔn xìng ma ！” lǐ fán yì zhèng yán cí dào 。
“而之后普贤真叶的价格走势，也和我预测的结果一致。这不是正好说明我推衍的精准性嘛！”李凡义正言辞道。
"Silence!"
yǎn wǔ táng zhōng chuán lái qiè qiè sī yǔ shēng 。
演武堂中传来窃窃私语声。
"The validity of using predictive techniques for profit is a matter for Elder Gong Quanxiang from the Strategy Array Hall to address."
“ ān jìng ！”
“安静！”
The light flickered, and Chongqing disappeared from sight.
“ guān yú lì yòng tuī yǎn zhī shù móu lì de zhèng dāng yǔ fǒu ， hái qǐng tiān jī táng gōng sūn qǐ xuán zhǎng lǎo fā yán 。”
“关于利用推衍之术牟利的正当与否，还请天机堂公孙启玄长老发言。”
In his place stood a young man in his twenties, though his appearance was handsome, he looked pale.
guāng máng shǎn shuò ， jīn chóng chéng xiāo shī zài zhòng rén de shì xiàn zhōng 。
光芒闪烁，金崇珵消失在众人的视线中。
"It's him..." Li Fan narrowed his eyes at the other, nodding.
qǔ ér dài zhī de ， shì yī wèi kàn shàng qù zhǐ èr shí duō suì de qīng nián shū shēng 。
取而代之的，是一位看上去只二十多岁的青年书生。
This was Gong Quanxiang, whom he had encountered during his previous investigation by the Strategy Array Hall. The mysterious aura this person exuded left a deep impression on Li Fan.
suī rán yàng mào pǒ wèi jùn qiào ， dàn miàn sè wěi mǐ 。
虽然样貌颇为俊俏，但面色萎靡。
After politely greeting Li Fan, Gong Quanxiang cleared his throat and said slowly: "Our view at the Strategy Array Hall has always been clear."
“ shì tā ……” lǐ fán shuāng mù wēi mī ， kàn zhe duì fāng ， diǎn tóu shì yì 。
“是他……”李凡双目微眯，看着对方，点头示意。
"The results of predictions can be used as references for future actions. If not, why would our Strategy Array Hall exist?"
zhè gōng sūn qǐ xuán zhèng shì tā céng jiē shòu tiān jī táng diào chá shí yù dào de nà míng xiū shì ， cǐ rén shēn shàng bù jīng yì jiān liú lù chū de shén mì qì xī ， ràng lǐ fán yìn xiàng hěn shì shēn kè 。
这公孙启玄正是他曾接受天机堂调查时遇到的那名修士，此人身上不经意间流露出的神秘气息，让李凡印象很是深刻。
"We allow others to do so; there's no reason to prohibit Alliance cultivators from doing the same."
gōng sūn qǐ xuán yě hé shàn dì gēn lǐ fán dǎ guò zhāo hū zhī hòu ， qīng ké le shēng ， huǎn huǎn shuō dào ：“ wǒ men tiān jī táng de guān diǎn yì zhí méi biàn 。”
公孙启玄也和善地跟李凡打过招呼之后，轻咳了声，缓缓说道：“我们天机堂的观点一直没变。”
Gong Quanxiang's words were fair and reasonable.
“ tuī yǎn suǒ de jié guǒ ， shì wán quán kě yǐ yòng lái dàng zuò jīn hòu xíng dòng cān kǎo de 。 ruò bú shì rú cǐ ， wǒ men tiān jī táng yīn hé ér chéng lì ?”
“推衍所得结果，是完全可以用来当做今后行动参考的。若不是如此，我们天机堂因何而成立?”
Li Fan nodded in agreement.
“ wǒ men dōu néng zhè me zuò ， zì rán méi yǒu fǎn ér jìn zhǐ méng nèi xiū shì rú cǐ zuò wéi de dào lǐ 。”
“我们都能这么做，自然没有反而禁止盟内修士如此作为的道理。”
But then he changed his tone, fixing Li Fan with a sharp gaze.
gōng sūn qǐ xuán de zhè fān huà ， shuō de jí wéi zhōng kěn 。
公孙启玄的这番话，说的极为中肯。
"However, I suspect that Immortal Fellow Daoist Li does not truly possess predictive abilities!"
tīng dé lǐ fán lián lián diǎn tóu 。
听得李凡连连点头。
"If the prediction of Puqian True Leaf's price increase was indeed made by him, we would consider him innocent."
jiù zài zhè shí ， tā què huà fēng yī zhuǎn ， ruì lì de mù guāng jǐn dīng zhe lǐ fán 。
就在这时，他却话锋一转，锐利的目光紧盯着李凡。
"On the other hand..."
“ bù guò ， wǒ què huái yí zhè wèi lǐ fán dào yǒu ， shì fǒu zhēn de yǒu tuī yǎn wèi lái de néng lì ！”
“不过，我却怀疑这位李凡道友，是否真的有推衍未来的能力！”
A cold glint flashed in Gong Quanxiang's eyes.
“ rú guǒ 【 pǔ xián zhēn yè jià gé jiāng huì bào zhǎng 】 zhè jiàn shì ， zhēn de shì tā tuī yǎn chū lái de 。 wǒ men tiān jī táng zhǔ zhāng tā wú zuì 。”
“如果【普贤真叶价格将会暴涨】这件事，真的是他推衍出来的。我们天机堂主张他无罪。”
"If this is something he fabricated out of thin air,"
“ fǎn zhī ……”
“反之……”
"We suggest that he be punished with extreme measures."
The scene of the previous incident involving the qingniu-drawn carriage was still vivid in Li Fan's mind. This time, he found himself at the central core region of the Ten Thousand Immortals Island.
Passing by the Strategy Array Hall, Li Fan stopped before a building marked with a stone tablet inscribed with the character "Wu" (武) as he continued to walk inward.
The moment he saw the character, an atmosphere of solemnity and pressure enveloped him.
Before his eyes seemed to flicker with various illusions, only for sharp blades and swords to appear in the next instant.
"This is a good character, but compared to the 'Luan' (乱) character stone I encountered before, it's still lacking something."
Repressing the instinctive urge to retaliate, Li Fan carefully examined the tablet for a long time, pondering silently.
His expression turned serious as he stepped into the Performance Hall without any change in demeanor.
In the familiar Strategy Array Hall, various叠加 spaces were connected through teleportation arrays. The main feature of the Performance Hall was composed of many floating giant rocks.
Rugged and strange stones, like countless stars, scattered throughout the space.
At a glance, each stone had a unique shape.
Some resembled humans or animals, while others looked like mountains or water.
On these giant stones, one could faintly see pavilions, grasses, and people flying past.
The flying stone Li Fan stood on was particularly special. It was bare and smooth as a mirror.
Subtle lines of light seemed to flow beneath the surface. As soon as he stepped onto the giant stone, an array was activated, and he felt himself being transferred to the exact center of the stone.
A mysterious energy surged from below, binding him like invisible chains.
At the same time, Li Fan looked up and noticed that the surrounding flying stones also underwent strange changes.
Initially, his position was a negligible corner in the Star Sea.
But after he was confined, the sky's scenery changed dramatically, as if the stars were shifting.
In an instant, Li Fan felt like he had arrived at the center of the Star Sea, becoming the absolute focal point of this space.
He also sensed that countless gazes hidden behind each giant stone fell on him in that moment.
A true spectacle!
Each gaze was heavy as a mountain. If a common cultivator or someone with poor psychological resilience were here, they might have collapsed to their knees right away.
But Li Fan remained calm and composed.
After a brief confrontation, a solemn voice echoed from the sea of stones.
"Immortal Li Fan, due to the incident involving the abnormal price of Puqian True Leaf, you are hereby summoned for an investigation."
"This investigation will be hosted by the Performance Hall of Cunyun Sea. The Strategy Array Hall and the Administration Hall will also cooperate."
"Given the extensive impact and severe nature of this event, the Immortal Alliance headquarters will dispatch a special envoy to oversee the entire process."
"In keeping with fairness, impartiality, and transparency, the investigation process will not be kept secret and will be supervised by all members of the Immortal Alliance."
...
After reciting a long introduction, the voice finally reached its main point.
"Immortal Li Fan, during the investigation, you may defend yourself."
"But you must take full responsibility for every word you say. If it is found that you have concealed or deceived, you will be punished according to the rules of the Immortal Alliance based on the severity of your actions."
Li Fan nodded, indicating he understood.
"Now, I announce that the investigation has officially begun."
"Please, let Golden Chongqing from the Performance Hall recount the details of this incident."
A bright light flashed, and a cultivator in the uniform of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance's Performance Hall appeared above Li Fan's flying stone.
Standing above him, he looked up at the floating stones and began to speak.
"The abnormal fluctuation in the price of Puqian True Leaf originated from a statement made by this Immortal Li Fan sixteen days ago."
"He conveyed through Jiao Xiyuan that the price of Puqian True Leaf would soar. Afterward..."
Golden Chongqing succinctly summarized the cause and effect, and as he spoke, images appeared in the sky.
A diagram showing the fluctuation curve of Puqian True Leaf's price, scenes of cultivators frantically buying it, and countless injured cultivars after the Tianxuan Mirror's stabilization风波.
"And we noticed that Immortal Li Fan had already purchased a large stock before the price increased. He then sold at high points, making substantial profits."
"In conclusion, we believe that Immortal Li Fan spread false information, exploited public herd mentality to make huge profits, and maliciously disrupted the stability of the Immortal Alliance," Chongqing added.
The Performance Hall fell silent as soon as he finished speaking.
Li Fan felt an even heavier gaze on him.
If it were a common cultivator, they would likely have confessed under such intense pressure.
But Li Fan stood tall and interrupted Chongqing: "I object!"
"Are you saying I spread false information? Where is the evidence for that! Yes, I did make some profit in this incident..."
Ignoring the murderous glares from those around him, Li Fan continued: "But wealth, companions, methods, and places—seeking profits is a natural pursuit for cultivators. I used my predictive abilities to make these gains; what's wrong with that?"
"And as it turned out, the price of Puqian True Leaf followed exactly as I predicted. This proves the accuracy of my predictions!" Li Fan argued justly.
Whispers filled the Performance Hall.
"Silence!"
"The validity of using predictive techniques for profit is a matter for Elder Gong Quanxiang from the Strategy Array Hall to address."
The light flickered, and Chongqing disappeared from sight.
In his place stood a young man in his twenties, though his appearance was handsome, he looked pale.
"It's him..." Li Fan narrowed his eyes at the other, nodding.
This was Gong Quanxiang, whom he had encountered during his previous investigation by the Strategy Array Hall. The mysterious aura this person exuded left a deep impression on Li Fan.
After politely greeting Li Fan, Gong Quanxiang cleared his throat and said slowly: "Our view at the Strategy Array Hall has always been clear."
"The results of predictions can be used as references for future actions. If not, why would our Strategy Array Hall exist?"
"We allow others to do so; there's no reason to prohibit Alliance cultivators from doing the same."
Gong Quanxiang's words were fair and reasonable.
Li Fan nodded in agreement.
But then he changed his tone, fixing Li Fan with a sharp gaze.
"However, I suspect that Immortal Fellow Daoist Li does not truly possess predictive abilities!"
"If the prediction of Puqian True Leaf's price increase was indeed made by him, we would consider him innocent."
"On the other hand..."
A cold glint flashed in Gong Quanxiang's eyes.
"If this is something he fabricated out of thin air,"
"We suggest that he be punished with extreme measures."