guō yè zhòng cǐ rén ， shēng píng chén mí zhèn dào 。
郭叶仲此人，生平沉迷阵道。
Guo Yezhong was a man who lived his life deeply immersed in the Art of Arrays.
xīn sī tiào tuō ， shí cháng yǒu xiē qí sī miào xiǎng 。 yòu xǐ hē jiǔ ， wǎng wǎng zài yī fān mǐng dǐng dà zuì hòu ， jiāng zì jǐ nǎo hǎi zhōng de kàn shàng qù zhǒng zhǒng bù qiē shí jì huàn xiǎng shuō yǔ hǎo yǒu tīng 。
心思跳脱，时常有些奇思妙想。又喜喝酒，往往在一番酩酊大醉后，将自己脑海中的看上去种种不切实际幻想说与好友听。
His thoughts were often whimsical, filled with strange and wonderful ideas. He also enjoyed drinking, and frequently regaled his friends with tales of his dreams after getting thoroughly drunk.
tā de hǎo yǒu men zhǐ dāng shì jiǔ hòu wàng yán ， dà duō yī xiào zhì zhī 。
他的好友们只当是酒后妄言，大多一笑置之。
His friends dismissed these stories as drunken ravings and paid little heed to them.
qián bù jiǔ ， guō yè zhòng yòu yī cì hē de làn zuì rú ní 。
前不久，郭叶仲又一次喝的烂醉如泥。
Recently, Guo Yezhong was again so drunk he could barely stand.
tā xiàng hǎo yǒu men jiǎng shù le zì jǐ céng jīng zài mèng zhōng jiàn dào de jǐng xiàng ： tiān xuán dāng kōng ， wǎn ruò zhū wǎng ； lǒng zhào sì yě ， jǐn suǒ cāng shēng 。
他向好友们讲述了自己曾经在梦中见到的景象：天玄当空，宛若蛛网；笼罩四野，紧锁苍生。
He recounted a vision from one of his dreams: the sky was filled with a web-like pattern, covering all four directions and trapping the world in its grip.
yóu yú tài guò lí qí ， zhè cì tā de hǎo yǒu yě tóng yàng shéi dōu méi yǒu dàng zhēn ， dōu zhǐ dāng zuò xiào tán 。
由于太过离奇，这次他的好友也同样谁都没有当真，都只当做笑谈。
His friends did not take this seriously, considering it just another joke after the drinking.
fǎn ér zài guō yè zhòng jiǔ xǐng zhī hòu ， ná cǐ shì cháo xiào yú tā 。
反而在郭叶仲酒醒之后，拿此事嘲笑于他。
However, when Guo Yezhong sobered up, he began to warn his friends against spreading these stories. He then left, closing himself off from everyone for several days.
shuí zhī guō yè zhòng wén yán lì kè sè biàn ， jǐng gào gè wèi hǎo yǒu bú yào luàn shuō zhī hòu ， fú xiù ér qù 。
谁知郭叶仲闻言立刻色变，警告各位好友不要乱说之后，拂袖而去。
Then one day, he suddenly announced that he had gained some insight and was going out in search of opportunities to advance to the Golden Core Realm.
zhī hòu yī lián jǐ tiān dōu shì bì mén xiè kè ， bù céng wài chū 。
之后一连几天都是闭门谢客，不曾外出。
He never returned.
zhí dào tū rán ， tīng tā shuō yǐn yǐn yǒu suǒ wù ， yào wài chū xún zhǎo tū pò dào jīn dān jìng jiè de jī yuán 。
直到突然，听他说隐隐有所悟，要外出寻找突破到金丹境界的机缘。
Days later, an unusual phenomenon led others to discover his body.
zì cǐ yī qù bù huí 。
自此一去不回。
...
shù tiān hòu ， hái shì tiān jiàng yì xiàng ， zhǐ yǐn páng rén fā xiàn le tā de shī tǐ 。
数天后，还是天降异象，指引旁人发现了他的尸体。
"Fake alcohol can be deadly!" Li Fan sighed before sinking into thought.
……
……
Was it the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance trying to prevent a leak by killing him?
“ jiǎ jiǔ hài rén a ！” lǐ fán wēi wēi gǎn tàn yī shēng hòu ， xiàn rù le chén sī 。
“假酒害人啊！”李凡微微感叹一声后，陷入了沉思。
For the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, which desperately needed array talent, there was no need for such drastic measures. A recruitment order could have inspired him to pour his heart and soul into constructing the Heavenlydark; deep; mysterious Array. There was no reason to go this far.
shì wàn xiān méng wèi le fáng zhǐ xiè mì ， shā rén miè kǒu ？
是万仙盟为了防止泄密，杀人灭口？
"The only other possibility is that the Five Elders' Council acted."
duì yú jí xū zhèn dào rén cái de wàn xiān méng lái jiǎng ， wán quán méi yǒu bì yào 。
对于急需阵道人才的万仙盟来讲，完全没有必要。
"After I revealed the information about the Heavenlydark; deep; mysterious Locking Spirit Array and the Unification of Xuanhuang, they would surely try every means possible to gather more details on it."
yī dào zhēng zhào lìng ， jiù kě ràng tā wèi tiān xuán suǒ líng zhèn de jiàn chéng pāo sǎ rè xuè 。 dà kě bù yòng rú cǐ jí duān xíng shì 。
一道征召令，就可让他为天玄锁灵阵的建成抛洒热血。大可不用如此极端行事。
"However, due to the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance's strict secrecy, their efforts yielded little."
“ nà shèng xià de kě néng ， jiù shì wǔ lǎo huì chū shǒu le 。”
“那剩下的可能，就是五老会出手了。”
"They eventually found that a seemingly insignificant Foundation Establishment cultivator had openly spoken about the Heavenlydark; deep; mysterious Locking Spirit Array after drinking."
“ wǒ bǎ 【 tiān xuán suǒ líng 、 xuán huáng guī yī tǒng 】 de xiāo xī tòu lù gěi wǔ lǎo huì hòu ， nà biān dìng rán huì xiǎng jǐn yī qiè bàn fǎ dǎ tàn yǔ zhī xiāng guān de xiāo xī 。”
“我把【天玄锁灵、玄黄归一统】的消息透露给五老会后，那边定然会想尽一切办法打探与之相关的消息。”
"So Guo Yezhong fell victim to this misfortune..."
“ dàn yīn wèi wàn xiān méng de bǎo mì jí wéi yán gé ， tā men xiǎn yǒu suǒ huò 。”
“但因为万仙盟的保密极为严格，他们鲜有所获。”
Li Fan stroked his chin and deduced the likely sequence of events.
“ zhí dào tā men fā xiàn ， yī wèi kàn shàng qù háo bù qǐ yǎn de zhù jī xiū shì ， jū rán zài jiǔ hòu 、 guāng míng zhèng dà de shuō chū le gēn tiān xuán suǒ líng yǒu guān de jǐng xiàng 。”
“直到他们发现，一位看上去毫不起眼的筑基修士，居然在酒后、光明正大的说出了跟天玄锁灵有关的景象。”
"Although Guo Yezhong possesses exceptional array talent, he knows little about the Heavenlydark; deep; mysterious Locking Spirit Array. At most, he only has a vague concept."
“ yú shì guō yè zhòng fēi lái hèng huò ……”
“于是郭叶仲飞来横祸……”
"The Five Elders' Council's research on arrays is not inferior to that of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance. With Guo Yezhong as a catalyst, what will eventually come of it remains uncertain."
lǐ fán mō le mō xià bā ， tuī cè chū liǎo shì qíng kě néng de jīng guò 。
李凡摸了摸下巴，推测出了事情可能的经过。
"In this world, the efforts made by the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance for the Heavenlydark; deep; mysterious Locking Spirit Array are even greater than in the previous life."
“ guō yè zhòng cǐ rén ， suī rán zhèn dào tiān fù jí gāo 。 dàn shì tā duì tiān xuán suǒ líng zhèn ， yīng gāi yě zhī dào de bù duō 。 zuì duō yě zhǐ shì méng fā le mó hú de gài niàn 。”
“郭叶仲此人，虽然阵道天赋极高。但是他对天玄锁灵阵，应该也知道的不多。最多也只是萌发了模糊的概念。”
"It is almost certain that under such intense competition, either the Heavenlydark; deep; mysterious Locking Spirit Array will not be born, or it will become an even more terrifying existence."
“ ér wǔ lǎo huì nà biān duì zhèn fǎ de yán jiū ， bìng bù xùn sè yú wàn xiān méng 。 yǒu le guō yè zhòng zhè ge yǐn zi ， zuì zhōng huì zào chéng shén me jié guǒ ， yě bù hǎo shuō 。”
“而五老会那边对阵法的研究，并不逊色于万仙盟。有了郭叶仲这个引子，最终会造成什么结果，也不好说。”
...
“ cǐ shì wèi le tiān xuán suǒ líng zhèn ， wàn xiān méng gǎo de zhèn zhàng ， bǐ qǐ shàng yī shì hái yào dà 。”
“此世为了天玄锁灵阵，万仙盟搞的阵仗，比起上一世还要大。”
"I can only hope the Five Elders' Council puts up a good fight. If necessary, I can lend them a hand."
“ jī hū kě yǐ kěn dìng de shì ， shuāng fāng jué lì zhī xià ， tiān xuán suǒ líng zhèn yào me bú huì dàn shēng 。”
“几乎可以肯定的是，双方角力之下，天玄锁灵阵要么不会诞生。”
Li Fan pondered further and recalled the array structure of the Locking Spirit Array.
“ yào me jiù huì yǎn biàn chéng ， bǐ shàng yī shì hái yào gèng kě pà de cún zài 。”
“要么就会衍变成，比上一世还要更可怕的存在。”
After much contemplation, he pushed aside his thoughts.
“ zhǐ néng xī wàng wǔ lǎo huì nà biān zhēng diǎn qì le 。 shí zài bù xíng ， bì yào shí hòu ， wǒ yě kě yǐ bāng tā men yī bǎ 。”
“只能希望五老会那边争点气了。实在不行，必要时候，我也可以帮他们一把。”
Most cultivators in the Xuanhuang Realm were unaware of this significant event that could shape their future history.
lǐ fán yòu xì xì sī suǒ le yī fān ， huí xiǎng le suǒ líng zhèn de zhèn fǎ jié gòu tú 。
李凡又细细思索了一番，回想了锁灵阵的阵法结构图。
To them, life continued as usual, with no change from their daily routines.
xǔ jiǔ zhī hòu ， cái yā xià xīn lǐ de zá niàn 。
许久之后，才压下心里的杂念。
They would do tasks, accumulate contribution points, exchange for mystical techniques and resources, and retreat to meditate.
duì yú zhè jiàn kě néng yǐng xiǎng xuán huáng jiè jīn hòu lì shǐ zǒu xiàng de dà shì ， wàn xiān méng de jué dà duō shù xiū shì duì cǐ què shì háo wú suǒ jué 。
对于这件可能影响玄黄界今后历史走向的大事，万仙盟的绝大多数修士对此却是毫无所觉。
Occasionally they would relax and play.
duì tā men lái jiǎng ， rì zi píng jìng yī jiù ， hé wǎng cháng méi yǒu shén me qū bié 。
对他们来讲，日子平静依旧，和往常没有什么区别。
This was their everyday life.
zuò rèn wù 、 zǎn gòng xiàn dù 、 duì huàn gōng fǎ yǐ jí xiū xíng suǒ xū zī yuán ， bì guān xiū liàn 。
做任务、攒贡献度、兑换功法以及修行所需资源，闭关修炼。
Their usual topics of conversation revolved around young prodigies breaking through or someone having a stroke of luck and discovering a technique in an ancient sect site.
ǒu ěr fàng sōng yóu wán piàn kè 。
偶尔放松游玩片刻。
But this year, one name became a frequent topic: Li Fan from the Ancient Heaven Immortal Sect.
zhè jiù shì tā men de rì cháng shēng huó le 。
这就是他们的日常生活了。
He had accurately predicted the surge in prices for True Leaf Pu Xian, despite most participants ending up with heavy losses, making them resent him deeply.
xiū shì men yǐ wǎng xián liáo de huà tí ， wú fēi shì nǎ ge shào nián tiān cái yòu tū pò le ， yòu huò zhě shì shuí zǒu le gǒu shǐ yùn 、 zài zōng mén yí jì zhōng xún dé le yī mén gōng fǎ ， zhè zhǒng huà tí 。
修士们以往闲聊的话题，无非是哪个少年天才又突破了，又或者是谁走了狗屎运、在宗门遗迹中寻得了一门功法，这种话题。
However, they did not doubt his ability to divine and calculate.
dàn shì jīn nián ， yí gè míng zì què chéng wéi le kǒu zhōng de cháng kè 。
但是今年，一个名字却成为了口中的常客。
Moreover, since some time ago, there was a group of cultivators who fervently praised Li Fan's divination techniques, claiming he was on par with the renowned masters of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
tiān jī zōng xiū shì lǐ fán 。
天机宗修士李凡。
It seemed that aside from the Pu Xian True Leaf incident, Li Fan had other achievements to his name. But when pressed, these people remained tight-lipped, giving a look of "take it or leave it."
céng jīng jīng zhǔn yù yán le pǔ xián zhēn yè jià gé bào zhǎng shì jiàn 。
曾经精准预言了普闲真叶价格暴涨事件。
If it were merely about divination skills, the Ancient Heaven Immortal Sect cultivator Li Fan would not have sparked such intense discussions.
suī rán jué dà duō shù shì jiàn de cān yù zhě zuì zhōng dōu yǐ sǔn shī cǎn zhòng shōu chǎng ， dǎo zhì tā men duì lǐ fán hèn dé yá yǎng yǎng 。
虽然绝大多数事件的参与者最终都以损失惨重收场，导致他们对李凡恨得牙痒痒。
The fundamental reason was that he could lead everyone to prosperity.
dàn shì tā men duì yú lǐ fán de tuī yǎn néng lì ， què shì méi yǒu zhì yí de 。
但是他们对于李凡的推衍能力，却是没有质疑的。
When news spread that He Zhenghao had gathered contributions from the Cloudy Sea and entrusted them to Li Fan for management, returning with a profit after a year, everyone knew about it.
ér qiě ， bù zhī dào cóng shén me shí hòu qǐ ， duō le yī qún fēng kuáng chuī pěng lǐ fán tuī yǎn zhī shù de xiū shì 。
而且，不知道从什么时候起，多了一群疯狂吹捧李凡推衍之术的修士。
Although it seemed like a fraudulent scheme at first glance, the "extremely skilled in divination" claim made everything seem real.
tā men xìn shì dàn dàn ， lǐ fán cǐ rén ， tuī yǎn zhī shù 、 shén hū qí jì ， bù zài wàn xiān méng nà xiē chéng míng yǐ jiǔ de dà shī zhī xià 。
他们信誓旦旦，李凡此人，推衍之术、神乎其技，不在万仙盟那些成名已久的大师之下。
Accumulating contribution points was so difficult! The promise of a 50% return on investment was too tempting!
fǎng fú chú le pǔ xián zhēn yè zhè yī shì jiàn zhī wài ， lǐ fán hái lìng yǒu zhàn jì 。
仿佛除了普闲真叶这一事件之外，李凡还另有战绩。
Driven by this desire, many cultivators approached He Zhenghao to join his next investment plan.
dàn zhuī wèn qǐ lái ， zhè qún rén què quán dōu bì kǒu bù tán 。
但追问起来，这群人却全都闭口不谈。
The number of inquiries overwhelmed the self-proclaimed worldly-wise He Zhenghao.
lù chū yī fù ài xìn bù xìn de biǎo qíng 。
露出一副爱信不信的表情。
He stayed hidden within the protective array of the Crystal Island, afraid to venture out.
ruò zhǐ shì dān chún de shàn yú tuī yǎn ，【 shàng gǔ tiān jī zōng xiū shì lǐ fán 】 yě bù zhì yú huì jī qǐ rú cǐ rè liè de tǎo lùn 。
若只是单纯的善于推衍，【上古天机宗修士李凡】也不至于会激起如此热烈的讨论。
...
jiū qí gēn běn yuán yīn ， zé shì yīn wèi lǐ fán huì dài zhe dà jiā fā cái 。
究其根本原因，则是因为李凡会带着大家发财。
Only after receiving Li Fan's approval did he feel at ease enough to release a statement.
cóng yún hǎi hé zhèng hào shōu liǎn gòng xiàn dù ， jiāo yǔ lǐ fán qù yùn zuò ， yī nián hòu lián běn dài lì guī huán de xiāo xī ， dà jiā dōu zhī dào de qīng qīng chǔ chǔ 。
丛云海何正浩收敛贡献度，交予李凡去运作，一年后连本带利归还的消息，大家都知道的清清楚楚。
Due to the overwhelming number of cultivators seeking investment, exceeding his ability to manage, he reluctantly made a difficult decision.
suī rán biǎo miàn shàng kàn shàng qù xiàng yí gè jī gǔ chuán huā de piàn jú ， bù guò yǒu le “ jí shàn tuī yǎn ” de néng lì zuò wéi bèi shū 。
虽然表面上看上去像一个击鼓传花的骗局，不过有了“极擅推衍”的能力作为背书。
This time, contributions from no more than five hundred cultivators would be accepted.
zhè yī qiè yòu biàn dé zhēn shí qǐ lái 。
这一切又变得真实起来。
They would be ranked based on their contribution amounts, with higher amounts coming first.
gòng xiàn dù de jī zǎn hé qí zhī nán ！ yī nián bǎi fēn zhī wǔ shí de lì rùn yòu hé qí yòu rén ！
贡献度的积攒何其之难！一年百分之五十的利润又何其诱人！
The news caused outrage among the cultivators.
xīn yǎng nán nài zhī xià ， bù duàn yǒu xiū shì zhǎo dào le hé zhèng hào ， xiǎng yào jiā rù xià cì de tóu zī jì huà 。
心痒难耐之下，不断有修士找到了何正浩，想要加入下次的投资计划。
Most eventually gave up after some hesitation.
qián lái xún wèn de xiū shì shù liàng zhī duō ， bǎ zì xǔ jiàn guò dà shì miàn de hé zhèng hào dōu xià dào le 。
前来询问的修士数量之多，把自诩见过大世面的何正浩都吓到了。
But a small group used their own contributions to vote for Li Fan's trust.
zhōng rì duǒ zài liú lí dǎo hù dǎo dà zhèn zhōng ， bù gǎn chū qù 。
终日躲在琉璃岛护岛大阵中，不敢出去。
After introducing competition, the third round of contributions astonishingly swelled to over 15 million points per person.
zhí dào lián xì shàng lǐ fán ， dé dào tā de shǒu kěn hòu ， fāng cái fàng xià xīn lái 。
直到联系上李凡，得到他的首肯后，方才放下心来。
He Zhenghao collected money with glee.
zài lǐ fán de jiàn yì xià ， tā fā bù le shēng míng 。
在李凡的建议下，他发布了声明。
Li Fan promised him one percent of the profits as a reward for his hard work.
yóu yú qián lái xún qiú tóu zī de xiū shì shí zài tài duō ， chāo chū le lǐ fán suǒ néng zhǎng kòng de néng lì fàn wéi ， suǒ yǐ tā bèi pò zuò le yí gè wú nài de jué dìng 。
由于前来寻求投资的修士实在太多，超出了李凡所能掌控的能力范围，所以他被迫做了一个无奈的决定。
This further motivated He Zhenghao, who began urging the investors to contribute more.
zhè cì tóu zī ， zuì duō zhǐ shōu qǔ wǔ bǎi míng xiū shì de gòng xiàn dù 。
这次投资，最多只收取五百名修士的贡献度。
While Li Fan was amassing wealth, the Empire's "Foundation Establishment Master" was not idle either.
yǐ suǒ yuàn yì jiǎo nà de gòng xiàn dù shù é ， cóng duō dào shǎo ， yī cì shōu qǔ 。
以所愿意缴纳的贡献度数额，从多到少，依次收取。
Although the million contribution points from Li Fan allowed them to complete their tasks early, they continued earning contributions through various means. They secretly transported these resources back to the Empire.
xiāo xī yī chū ， yǐn dé xiū shì men zài xīn zhōng pò kǒu dà mà 。
消息一出，引得修士们在心中破口大骂。
One day, a special guest arrived on the island.
dà bù fèn rén zài yóu yù le piàn kè hòu ， zuì zhōng xuǎn zé le fàng qì 。
大部分人在犹豫了片刻后，最终选择了放弃。
"I've saved up enough."
dàn shì hái yǒu nà me yī xiǎo cuō ， què shì yòng zì jǐ de gòng xiàn dù ， tóu le lǐ fán xìn rèn de yī piào 。
但是还有那么一小撮，却是用自己的贡献度，投了李凡信任的一票。
"This time with this renowned Foundation Establishment Master, I'm sure I can break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm."
yǐn rù jìng zhēng jī zhì hòu ， dì sān cì shōu liǎn de gòng xiàn dù ， jīng rén de péng zhàng dào le yī qiān wǔ duō wàn 。
引入竞争机制后，第三次收敛的贡献度，惊人的膨胀到了一千五多万。
"Then my fate will be in my own hands. The cultivation realm may be vast, but I, Han Yi, can still go anywhere!"
píng jūn měi rén sān wàn duō 。
平均每人三万多。
A somewhat delusional and unkempt young man stood before the Foundation Establishment Master's small courtyard, muttering to himself.
zhè hái shì dà jiā dōu yǒu suǒ bǎo liú 、 bào zhe shì shì kàn de xīn tài de qíng kuàng xià 。
这还是大家都有所保留、抱着试试看的心态的情况下。
(End of Chapter)
Guo Yezhong was a man who lived his life deeply immersed in the Art of Arrays.
His thoughts were often whimsical, filled with strange and wonderful ideas. He also enjoyed drinking, and frequently regaled his friends with tales of his dreams after getting thoroughly drunk.
His friends dismissed these stories as drunken ravings and paid little heed to them.
Recently, Guo Yezhong was again so drunk he could barely stand.
He recounted a vision from one of his dreams: the sky was filled with a web-like pattern, covering all four directions and trapping the world in its grip.
His friends did not take this seriously, considering it just another joke after the drinking.
However, when Guo Yezhong sobered up, he began to warn his friends against spreading these stories. He then left, closing himself off from everyone for several days.
Then one day, he suddenly announced that he had gained some insight and was going out in search of opportunities to advance to the Golden Core Realm.
He never returned.
Days later, an unusual phenomenon led others to discover his body.
...
"Fake alcohol can be deadly!" Li Fan sighed before sinking into thought.
Was it the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance trying to prevent a leak by killing him?
For the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, which desperately needed array talent, there was no need for such drastic measures. A recruitment order could have inspired him to pour his heart and soul into constructing the Heavenlydark; deep; mysterious Array. There was no reason to go this far.
"The only other possibility is that the Five Elders' Council acted."
"After I revealed the information about the Heavenlydark; deep; mysterious Locking Spirit Array and the Unification of Xuanhuang, they would surely try every means possible to gather more details on it."
"However, due to the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance's strict secrecy, their efforts yielded little."
"They eventually found that a seemingly insignificant Foundation Establishment cultivator had openly spoken about the Heavenlydark; deep; mysterious Locking Spirit Array after drinking."
"So Guo Yezhong fell victim to this misfortune..."
Li Fan stroked his chin and deduced the likely sequence of events.
"Although Guo Yezhong possesses exceptional array talent, he knows little about the Heavenlydark; deep; mysterious Locking Spirit Array. At most, he only has a vague concept."
"The Five Elders' Council's research on arrays is not inferior to that of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance. With Guo Yezhong as a catalyst, what will eventually come of it remains uncertain."
"In this world, the efforts made by the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance for the Heavenlydark; deep; mysterious Locking Spirit Array are even greater than in the previous life."
"It is almost certain that under such intense competition, either the Heavenlydark; deep; mysterious Locking Spirit Array will not be born, or it will become an even more terrifying existence."
...
"I can only hope the Five Elders' Council puts up a good fight. If necessary, I can lend them a hand."
Li Fan pondered further and recalled the array structure of the Locking Spirit Array.
After much contemplation, he pushed aside his thoughts.
Most cultivators in the Xuanhuang Realm were unaware of this significant event that could shape their future history.
To them, life continued as usual, with no change from their daily routines.
They would do tasks, accumulate contribution points, exchange for mystical techniques and resources, and retreat to meditate.
Occasionally they would relax and play.
This was their everyday life.
Their usual topics of conversation revolved around young prodigies breaking through or someone having a stroke of luck and discovering a technique in an ancient sect site.
But this year, one name became a frequent topic: Li Fan from the Ancient Heaven Immortal Sect.
He had accurately predicted the surge in prices for True Leaf Pu Xian, despite most participants ending up with heavy losses, making them resent him deeply.
However, they did not doubt his ability to divine and calculate.
Moreover, since some time ago, there was a group of cultivators who fervently praised Li Fan's divination techniques, claiming he was on par with the renowned masters of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
It seemed that aside from the Pu Xian True Leaf incident, Li Fan had other achievements to his name. But when pressed, these people remained tight-lipped, giving a look of "take it or leave it."
If it were merely about divination skills, the Ancient Heaven Immortal Sect cultivator Li Fan would not have sparked such intense discussions.
The fundamental reason was that he could lead everyone to prosperity.
When news spread that He Zhenghao had gathered contributions from the Cloudy Sea and entrusted them to Li Fan for management, returning with a profit after a year, everyone knew about it.
Although it seemed like a fraudulent scheme at first glance, the "extremely skilled in divination" claim made everything seem real.
Accumulating contribution points was so difficult! The promise of a 50% return on investment was too tempting!
Driven by this desire, many cultivators approached He Zhenghao to join his next investment plan.
The number of inquiries overwhelmed the self-proclaimed worldly-wise He Zhenghao.
He stayed hidden within the protective array of the Crystal Island, afraid to venture out.
...
Only after receiving Li Fan's approval did he feel at ease enough to release a statement.
Due to the overwhelming number of cultivators seeking investment, exceeding his ability to manage, he reluctantly made a difficult decision.
This time, contributions from no more than five hundred cultivators would be accepted.
They would be ranked based on their contribution amounts, with higher amounts coming first.
The news caused outrage among the cultivators.
Most eventually gave up after some hesitation.
But a small group used their own contributions to vote for Li Fan's trust.
After introducing competition, the third round of contributions astonishingly swelled to over 15 million points per person.
He Zhenghao collected money with glee.
Li Fan promised him one percent of the profits as a reward for his hard work.
This further motivated He Zhenghao, who began urging the investors to contribute more.
While Li Fan was amassing wealth, the Empire's "Foundation Establishment Master" was not idle either.
Although the million contribution points from Li Fan allowed them to complete their tasks early, they continued earning contributions through various means. They secretly transported these resources back to the Empire.
One day, a special guest arrived on the island.
"I've saved up enough."
"This time with this renowned Foundation Establishment Master, I'm sure I can break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm."
"Then my fate will be in my own hands. The cultivation realm may be vast, but I, Han Yi, can still go anywhere!"
A somewhat delusional and unkempt young man stood before the Foundation Establishment Master's small courtyard, muttering to himself.
(End of Chapter)