“ yí xiàng xiǎo xīn de wǒ ， jié guǒ zhè cì bù shèn bèi wǔ lǎo huì de jiàn dié zhuàng dào 。”
“一向小心的我，结果这次不慎被五老会的间谍撞到。”
"I've always been cautious, but this time I inadvertently ran into one of the Five Elders' spies."
“ ér yuán běn nán táo bèi sōu hún mìng yùn de hán yì ， què shì yīn cǐ dé yǐ táo chū shēng tiān 。”
“而原本难逃被搜魂命运的韩易，却是因此得以逃出生天。”
"And Han Yi, who was originally destined to be soul-searched and captured, managed to escape thanks to this."
“ shùn yùn zhě ， zhū shì suì xīn ； nì yùn zhě ， zhū shì bù lì 。”
“顺运者，诸事遂心；逆运者，诸事不利。”
"Those who follow the flow have their wishes fulfilled; those who go against it face misfortune."
“ zhè jiù shì qì yùn de lì liàng me ……”
“这就是气运的力量么……”
"This is the power of fate...," Li Fan finally began to understand what Song Yang must have gone through in the Void Realm, trying to secure a celestial bird from Xu Ke.
lǐ fán zǒng suàn yǒu diǎn tǐ huì dào ， yǔn xiān jìng zhōng nà xiǎng yào cóng xǔ kè shǒu lǐ móu qiú tiān mìng xuán niǎo de sòng yáng de tòng kǔ le 。
李凡总算有点体会到，陨仙境中那想要从许克手里谋求天命玄鸟的宋阳的痛苦了。
Staring at the vortex that continued to spin rapidly amidst the ruins, he hesitated for a moment before deciding not to follow it. His inner premonition told him that pursuing it forcefully would likely lead to no good outcome.
níng shì fèi xū zhōng yī rán zài kuài sù xuán zhuǎn de wō liú ， yóu yù le huì ， lǐ fán zuì zhōng hái shì méi yǒu gēn zhe zhuī rù 。
凝视废墟中依然在快速旋转的涡流，犹豫了会，李凡最终还是没有跟着追入。
The vortex's depths were clearly not like the ordinary world of Xuanhuang, where even extraordinary forces didn't exist.
xīn zhōng de míng míng yù gǎn gào sù tā ， ruò shì qiáng xíng zhuī jī ， pà shì bú huì yǒu shén me hǎo jié guǒ 。
心中的冥冥预感告诉他，若是强行追击，怕是不会有什么好结果。
"Enough, you can run but you can't hide."
néng ràng rú jīn de lǐ fán yǐn yǐn gǎn dào wēi jī ， xuán wō shēn chù jué bú shì xiàng lí jiè 、 dà xuán bān méi yǒu chāo fán lì liàng de fán rén xiǎo shì jiè 。
能让如今的李凡隐隐感到危机，漩涡深处绝不是像离界、大玄般没有超凡力量的凡人小世界。
The formless killing intent had locked onto Han Yi, just temporarily losing its sense of him for now. Once he returned to the Void Realm, Li Fan would know immediately.
“ bà le ， pǎo dé le hé shàng pǎo bù liǎo miào 。”
“罢了，跑得了和尚跑不了庙。”
Turning around and stepping back onto the sea surface, the four Immortal True Monarchs of the Five Elders who had been killed by the Wu Xing Jiexian Sword were completely annihilated, leaving not a single hair behind.
wú xiāng shā jī yǐ jīng bǎ hán yì suǒ dìng ， zhǐ shì zàn shí shī qù le duì tā de gǎn yìng 。
无相杀机已经把韩易锁定，只是暂时失去了对他的感应。
Li Fan took out his shadow stone to record the scene in the sky before returning calmly to Ten Thousand Immortals Island.
yí dàn děng tā chóng xīn fǎn huí xuán huáng jiè ， lǐ fán jiù néng lì kè zhī xiǎo 。
一旦等他重新返回玄黄界，李凡就能立刻知晓。
The spectacle of four Immortal True Monarchs' simultaneous demise was quite impressive and lingered for a long time. Even though this area was very remote, many cultivators gathered to watch.
fǎn shēn lái dào hǎi miàn zhī shàng ， wǔ lǎo huì sì wèi xiū shì yǐ jīng zài wǔ xíng jì miè jiàn xià chè dǐ yān miè ， lián gēn máo dōu méi shèng xià 。
返身来到海面之上，五老会四位修士已经在五行寂灭剑下彻底湮灭，连根毛都没剩下。
After confirming what they saw, their reactions were one of shock.
lǐ fán qǔ chū liú yǐng shí ， jì lù xià tiān kōng zhōng de jǐng xiàng hòu ， bù jí bù xú dì fǎn huí le wàn xiān dǎo 。
李凡取出留影石，记录下天空中的景象后，不疾不徐地返回了万仙岛。
Four Immortal True Monarchs had fallen!
sì wèi yuán yīng xiū shì yī qí yǔn luò yǔn luò de yì xiàng zhe shí yǒu diǎn zhuàng guān ， jiǔ jiǔ bù sàn 。
四位元婴修士一齐陨落陨落的异象着实有点壮观，久久不散。
More shocking still was that the killer turned out to be Li Fan himself, the renowned Master of Derivation and Calculation from the Ancient Celestial Oracle Sect.
nǎ pà cǐ chù hǎi yù jí wéi piān pì ， yě yǐn lái le bù shǎo xiū shì wéi guān 。
哪怕此处海域极为偏僻，也引来了不少修士围观。
This raised more questions in their minds.
zài kàn qīng chǔ yì xiàng de nèi róng hòu ， tā men bù jīn dà jīng shī sè 。
在看清楚异像的内容后，他们不禁大惊失色。
Didn't it say that Li Fan's cultivation had dropped to the Golden Core Realm due to his long slumber?
jìng rán yī xià zi yǔn luò le sì wèi yuán yīng zhēn jūn ！
竟然一下子陨落了四位元婴真君！
How could he single-handedly kill four Immortal True Monarchs?
gèng ràng tā men zhèn jīng de shì ， xiōng shǒu jìng rán shì tóng yī rén 。
更让他们震惊的是，凶手竟然是同一人。
Wasn't he known for his mastery of derivation and calculation? How could his combat prowess be so astonishing?
ér qiě shì cóng yún hǎi hè hè yǒu míng de tuī yǎn dà shī ， shàng gǔ tiān jī zōng xiū shì ， lǐ fán ！
而且是丛云海赫赫有名的推衍大师，上古天机宗修士，李凡！
They had never heard of these four Immortal True Monarchs. Who were they, and what grudge did they have with Li Master that led to such a brutal killing?
yú shì xīn zhōng yòu yǒu gèng duō de bù jiě 。
于是心中又有更多的不解。
Amidst all the doubts, they spread this explosive news among their friends and family.
lǐ fán cǐ rén bú shì shuō yīn wèi chén shuì shù qiān nián ， xiū wèi diē luò dào jīn dān jìng jiè le me ？
李凡此人不是说因为沉睡数千年，修为跌落到金丹境界了么？
Thus, the tale of Li Fan's four-Immortal True Monarch kill quickly spread throughout Cunyun Sea.
zěn me hái néng yī rén zhǎn shā sì wèi yuán yīng ？
怎么还能一人斩杀四位元婴？
In the Performance Hall on Ten Thousand Immortals Island:
tā bú shì shàn cháng tuī yǎn zhī dào me ， zěn me zhàn lì yòu huì rú cǐ jīng rén ？
他不是擅长推衍之道么，怎么战力又会如此惊人？
"Are you here for your reward?" The cultivator responsible for hosting looked at Li Fan, feeling somewhat bewildered. "What reward?"
zhè sì wèi yuán yīng xiū shì de míng hào cóng lái méi yǒu tīng shuō guò ， tā men yòu shì hé rén ？
这四位元婴修士的名号从来没有听说过，他们又是何人？
"I remember that there would be a corresponding reward if I successfully killed one of the Five Elders' spies," Li Fan asked patiently.
gēn lǐ dà shī yòu yǒu hé chóu yuàn ， yǐn dé tā tòng xià shā shǒu ？
跟李大师又有何仇怨，引得他痛下杀手？
As he spoke, he took out his shadow stone and played back the recorded scene.
yí dòu cóng shēng zhōng ， tā men fēn fēn xiàng qīn péng hǎo yǒu zhuǎn dá le zhè zé bào zhà xìng de xiāo xī 。
疑窦丛生中，他们纷纷向亲朋好友转达了这则爆炸性的消息。
"I killed four Immortal True Monarchs from the Five Elders," Li Fan said seriously.
yú shì ， lǐ fán zhǎn shā sì yuán yīng de shì jì ， xùn sù zài cóng yún hǎi liú chuán kāi lái 。
于是，李凡斩杀四元婴的事迹，迅速在从云海流传开来。
"Ahem... ahem..." The cultivator in the Performance Hall suddenly started coughing violently.
wàn xiān dǎo ， yǎn wǔ táng zhōng 。
万仙岛，演武堂中。
He snatched the shadow stone away, unable to believe what he was seeing. After a while, his face full of shock, he looked at Li Fan and said, "You... Please wait a moment!"
“ nǐ shì lái lǐng shǎng de ？” fù zé zhāo dài de xiū shì kàn zhe lǐ fán ， gǎn dào yǒu xiē mò míng qí miào ，“ lǐng shén me shǎng ？”
“你是来领赏的？”负责招待的修士看着李凡，感到有些莫名其妙，“领什么赏？”
With that, he stumbled towards the deeper parts of the Performance Hall.
“ wǒ jì de ， zhǐ yào chéng gōng jī shā wǔ lǎo huì de jiàn dié ， shì huì yǒu xiāng yìng de jiǎng lì ba ？” lǐ fán nài xīn de wèn dào 。
“我记得，只要成功击杀五老会的间谍，是会有相应的奖励吧？”李凡耐心的问道。
"What did you say?" A murmur could be heard from somewhere.
yī biān shuō zhe ， tā qǔ chū liú yǐng shí ， bō fàng qǐ le gāng gāng jì lù xià de huà miàn 。
一边说着，他取出留影石，播放起了刚刚记录下的画面。
Soon after, Li Fan was respectfully invited to the Performance Hall's reception room.
“ wǒ shā le sì gè wǔ lǎo huì de yuán yīng xiū shì 。” lǐ fán rèn zhēn shuō zhe 。
“我杀了四个五老会的元婴修士。”李凡认真说着。
Li Fan casually sat down.
“ hāi hāi ké ……” yǎn wǔ táng xiū shì shà shí jù liè de ké sòu qǐ lái 。
“咳咳咳……”演武堂修士霎时剧烈的咳嗽起来。
Not long afterward, a group of cultivators poured into the hall.
tā yī bǎ duó guò liú yǐng shí ， nán yǐ zhì xìn de fǎn fù guān kàn 。
他一把夺过留影石，难以置信的反复观看。
"Master Li... We have already confirmed that the image in your shadow stone is genuine," an Immortal True Monarch wearing a yellow-tan martial attire and still carrying some bloodstains said nervously as he stood before Li Fan.
guò le hǎo yī huì ， tā cái mǎn liǎn zhèn jīng de kàn xiàng lǐ fán ：“ nǐ …… nín shāo děng piàn kè ！”
过了好一会，他才满脸震惊的看向李凡：“你……您稍等片刻！”
"May I ask if you've recovered to your former strength?" He looked at Li Fan with hope.
shuō bà ， tā diē diē qiāng qiāng dì cháo zhe yǎn wǔ táng shēn chù bēn qù 。
说罢，他跌跌跄跄地朝着演武堂深处奔去。
Li Fan took a sip of the spiritual tea on the table, savored it for a while, put down the cup, and shook his head slowly. "Full recovery? Not possible! Am I still stuck in late Golden Core Realm? Can't you see that clearly?"
“ nǐ shuō shén me ？” yǐn yuē yǒu huá rán zhī shēng chuán lái 。
“你说什么？”隐约有哗然之声传来。
The air in the reception room suddenly fell silent.
bù jiǔ zhī hòu ， lǐ fán bèi gōng gōng jìng jìng de qǐng dào le yǎn wǔ táng huì kè tīng nèi 。
不久之后，李凡被恭恭敬敬的请到了演武堂会客厅内。
"Then... how did you kill those four Immortal True Monarchs of the Five Elders?" The martial attire cultivator asked anxiously.
lǐ fán dà dà liē liē de zuò xià 。
李凡大大咧咧的坐下。
Li Fan slammed his fist on the table, startling everyone. He looked disdainfully at them and said, "Is it really necessary to do everything yourself in this day and age?"
bù duō shí ， dà tīng nèi biàn yǒng rù le yī qún xiū shì 。
不多时，大厅内便涌入了一群修士。
"In ancient times, sects operated independently, hoarding their resources for personal gain. High-rank magical weapons, talismans, and other items were always expensive, almost unattainable."
“ lǐ …… dà shī ， gāng gāng wǒ men yǐ jīng què rèn guò le ， liú yǐng shí zhōng de yǐng xiàng wèi zhēn 。” yī míng shēn chuān tǔ huáng sè jǐn shēn wǔ fú 、 shēn shàng hái cán liú zhe xiē xǔ xuè xīng zhī qì de yuán yīng xiū shì ， zhàn zài lǐ fán miàn qián ， yǒu xiē jū jǐn de shuō dào 。
“李……大师，刚刚我们已经确认过了，留影石中的影像为真。”一名身穿土黄色紧身武服、身上还残留着些许血腥之气的元婴修士，站在李凡面前，有些拘谨的说道。
"But now that the Immortal Alliance controls half of Xuanhuang Realm, with the Celestial Mirror overseeing everything, there's no more room for greedy merchants to hoard goods."
“ néng fǒu mào mèi de wèn xià ， nín shì fǒu yǐ jīng huī fù dāng nián xiū wèi le ？” tā yǒu xiē qī dài de kàn zhe lǐ fán 。
“能否冒昧的问下，您是否已经恢复当年修为了？”他有些期待的看着李凡。
"Those one-time high-kill weaponary, diagrams, talismans... they're practically free!"
lǐ fán hē le kǒu zhuō shàng de líng chá ， xì xì pǐn wèi yī fān 、 jiāng chá bēi fàng xià hòu ， zhè cái bù jǐn bù màn dì yáo tóu dào ：“ xiū wèi jǐn fù ？ méi yǒu de shì ！ wǒ xiàn zài bú shì hái tíng liú zài jīn dān hòu qī ma ？ zhè me míng xiǎn ， nǐ men kàn bù chū lái ？”
李凡喝了口桌上的灵茶，细细品味一番、将茶杯放下后，这才不紧不慢地摇头道：“修为尽复？没有的事！我现在不是还停留在金丹后期嘛？这么明显，你们看不出来？”
Li Fan shook his head and said, "I woke up after a long slumber. Naturally, I need to take better care of myself. Buying some items in case of emergencies is perfectly normal."
huì kè tīng nèi de kōng qì dǒu rán ān jìng le xià lái 。
会客厅内的空气陡然安静了下来。
After Li Fan's explanation, the martial attire cultivator finally understood and gaped, "So you mean you killed these four Immortal True Monarchs using external tools?"
“ zhè ……” wǔ fú xiū shì wén yán ， dùn shí yǒu xiē shǎ yǎn 。
“这……”武服修士闻言，顿时有些傻眼。
Li Fan raised an eyebrow: "Is that a problem?"
piàn kè zhī hòu ， tā yǒu xiē qì jí bài huài dì wèn dào ：“ nà nǐ shì zěn me jī shā zhè wǔ lǎo huì de sì wèi yuán yīng xiū shì de ？”
片刻之后，他有些气急败坏地问道：“那你是怎么击杀这五老会的四位元婴修士的？”
He then snapped his fingers and took out several [Liangkong Lujin Thunder] from his storage ring and placed them on the table.
lǐ fán měng dì yī pāi zhuō zi ， bǎ chǎng jiān zhòng rén xià le yī tiào 。 mǎn liǎn bǐ yí dì sǎo shì zhòng rén ， dào ：“ dōu shén me nián dài le ， shā rén fēi yào zì jǐ dòng shǒu ma ？”
李凡勐地一拍桌子，把场间众人吓了一跳。满脸鄙夷地扫视众人，道：“都什么年代了，杀人非要自己动手吗？”
The Performance Hall immediately became chaotic.
“ shàng gǔ zhī shí ， zōng pài zhī jiān gè zì wèi yíng 、 bì zhǒu zì zhēn 。 wèi le zì shēn móu lì ， zuò dì qǐ jià 。 gāo jiē fǎ qì 、 fú lù děng děng zhè xiē jià gé yì zhí jū gāo bù xià ， kān chēng yī wù nán qiú 。”
“上古之时，宗派之间各自为营、敝帚自珍。为了自身谋利，坐地起价。高阶法器、符箓等等这些价格一直居高不下，堪称一物难求。”
But Li Fan continued undeterred, showing various expensive one-time-use weapons such as the [Anger Burning Heaven Array Diagram], [Eight Directions Annihilation Divine Thunder], [Spirit Pinning Divine Needle], and [Sealing Demons and Devils Flag]...
“ kě rú jīn xiān méng zhàn jù xuán huáng jiè bàn bì jiāng shān ， gèng yǒu tiān xuán jìng zhè děng shén wù tǒng chóu guī huà ， zài méi yǒu le jiān shāng tún jī jū qí de shì qíng 。”
“可如今仙盟占据玄黄界半壁江山，更有天玄镜这等神物统筹规划，再没有了奸商囤积居奇的事情。”
All these high-priced killing tools were placed in front of everyone.
“ nà xiē yí cì xìng gāo shā shāng fǎ qì a 、 zhèn tú a 、 fú zhǐ a ， jiǎn zhí jiù gēn bú yào qián yī yàng ！”
“那些一次性高杀伤法器啊、阵图啊、符纸啊，简直就跟不要钱一样！”
The Performance Hall fell silent.
lǐ fán yáo tóu huàng nǎo dào ：“ wǒ hǎo bù róng yì sū xǐng ， zì rán gèng jiā yào wèi zì jǐ xiǎo mìng duō kǎo lǜ kǎo lǜ 。 mǎi shàng yī xiē ， yǐ bèi bù shí zhī xū ， yě shì hěn zhèng cháng de ba ？”
李凡摇头晃脑道：“我好不容易苏醒，自然更加要为自己小命多考虑考虑。买上一些，以备不时之需，也是很正常的吧？”
The cultivators looked at the mountain of one-time-use magical weapons on the table, their faces turning pale.
jīng lǐ fán zhè me yī shuō ， wǔ fú xiū shì zǒng suàn míng bái guò lái ， chēng mù jié shé dào ：“ nǐ de yì si shì ， nǐ jiù shì kào zhe wài wù ， shēng shēng jiāng zhè sì míng yuán yīng xiū shì dǎ shā de ？”
经李凡这么一说，武服修士总算明白过来，瞠目结舌道：“你的意思是，你就是靠着外物，生生将这四名元婴修士打杀的？”
"Is that enough?"
lǐ fán méi tóu yī yáng ：“ zěn me ？ nǐ bù xìn ？”
李凡眉头一扬：“怎么？你不信？”
"If not, I have some even more powerful items," Li Fan said casually.
shuō zhe ， pā de yī shēng ， cóng chǔ wù jiè zhōng tāo chū shù méi 【 liè kōng liú jīn léi 】 fàng zài zhuō shàng 。
说着，啪的一声，从储物戒中掏出数枚【裂空鎏金雷】放在桌上。
A yellow-robed cultivator wiped his forehead with cold sweat and said hurriedly, "That's enough! Master Li, please put these things away. If they accidentally explode here, we'll be in big trouble!"
yǎn wǔ táng nèi dùn shí biàn dé yǒu xiē huāng luàn 。
演武堂内顿时变得有些慌乱。
Li Fan nodded contentedly as he waved his hand to retract his armaments. The Performance Hall cultivators breathed a sigh of relief.
lǐ fán què shì shǒu xià bù tíng 。
李凡却是手下不停。
Although all the weapons were substandard and had their power reduced by the Celestial Mirror, there was no denying their high grade and quantity.
【 nù huǒ fén tiān zhèn tú 】、【 bā huāng jì miè shén léi 】、【 dìng pò shén zhēn 】、【 fēng mó fú yāo fān 】……
【怒火焚天阵图】、【八荒寂灭神雷】、【定魄神针】、【封魔伏妖幡】……
These items could easily bring down even Immortal True Monarchs!
yī jiàn yòu yī jiàn jià gé bù fēi de shā qì dōu lǐ fán tāo chū ， duī fàng zài zhòng rén miàn qián 。
一件又一件价格不菲的杀器都李凡掏出，堆放在众人面前。
"Everyone knows that he relies on derivation to amass wealth. It looks like it's true."
yǎn wǔ táng nèi ， shà shí biàn dé yǎ què wú shēng 。
演武堂内，霎时变得雅雀无声。
"It really pays to be rich; these items are worth a year's funding for our team."
zhòng xiū shì kàn zhe zhuō zi shàng duī chéng xiǎo shān shì de yí cì xìng xiāo hào fǎ qì ， miàn sè jù shì biàn dé cāng bái qǐ lái 。
众修士看着桌子上堆成小山似的一次性消耗法器，面色俱是变得苍白起来。
"Heard we can invest in him through He Zhenghao? Might as well consider it."
“ nà zài jiā shàng zhè xiē ， gòu ma ？”
“那再加上这些，够嘛？”
...
“ rú guǒ bù gòu ， méi guān xì ， wǒ zhè lǐ hái yǒu xiē wēi lì gèng dà de jiā huo 。” lǐ fán yǒu xiē màn bù jīng xīn dì wèn dào 。
“如果不够，没关系，我这里还有些威力更大的家伙。”李凡有些漫不经心地问道。
The cultivators in the Performance Hall had various expressions and thoughts.
huáng yī xiū shì cā le cā é tóu de lěng hàn ， lián shēng shuō dào ：“ gòu le ！ gòu le ！ lǐ dà shī hái shì xiān bǎ zhè xiē dōng xī shōu qǐ lái ba ！ yào shì bù xiǎo xīn zài zhè lǐ bào fā kāi lái ， nà lè zi kě jiù dà le ！”
黄衣修士擦了擦额头的冷汗，连声说道：“够了！够了！李大师还是先把这些东西收起来吧！要是不小心在这里爆发开来，那乐子可就大了！”
"Since there's no problem, let's talk about my reward!"
lǐ fán wén yán ， mǎn yì de diǎn diǎn tóu ， huī shǒu jiāng zì jǐ de wǔ zhuāng shōu huí 。
李凡闻言，满意的点点头，挥手将自己的武装收回。
"I spent a lot on dealing with those Five Elders' black-robed cultivators. I can't afford to lose money," Li Fan said after drinking another cup of tea and looking at everyone slowly.
"I've always been cautious, but this time I inadvertently ran into one of the Five Elders' spies."
"And Han Yi, who was originally destined to be soul-searched and captured, managed to escape thanks to this."
"Those who follow the flow have their wishes fulfilled; those who go against it face misfortune."
"This is the power of fate...," Li Fan finally began to understand what Song Yang must have gone through in the Void Realm, trying to secure a celestial bird from Xu Ke.
Staring at the vortex that continued to spin rapidly amidst the ruins, he hesitated for a moment before deciding not to follow it. His inner premonition told him that pursuing it forcefully would likely lead to no good outcome.
The vortex's depths were clearly not like the ordinary world of Xuanhuang, where even extraordinary forces didn't exist.
"Enough, you can run but you can't hide."
The formless killing intent had locked onto Han Yi, just temporarily losing its sense of him for now. Once he returned to the Void Realm, Li Fan would know immediately.
Turning around and stepping back onto the sea surface, the four Immortal True Monarchs of the Five Elders who had been killed by the Wu Xing Jiexian Sword were completely annihilated, leaving not a single hair behind.
Li Fan took out his shadow stone to record the scene in the sky before returning calmly to Ten Thousand Immortals Island.
The spectacle of four Immortal True Monarchs' simultaneous demise was quite impressive and lingered for a long time. Even though this area was very remote, many cultivators gathered to watch.
After confirming what they saw, their reactions were one of shock.
Four Immortal True Monarchs had fallen!
More shocking still was that the killer turned out to be Li Fan himself, the renowned Master of Derivation and Calculation from the Ancient Celestial Oracle Sect.
This raised more questions in their minds.
Didn't it say that Li Fan's cultivation had dropped to the Golden Core Realm due to his long slumber?
How could he single-handedly kill four Immortal True Monarchs?
Wasn't he known for his mastery of derivation and calculation? How could his combat prowess be so astonishing?
They had never heard of these four Immortal True Monarchs. Who were they, and what grudge did they have with Li Master that led to such a brutal killing?
Amidst all the doubts, they spread this explosive news among their friends and family.
Thus, the tale of Li Fan's four-Immortal True Monarch kill quickly spread throughout Cunyun Sea.
In the Performance Hall on Ten Thousand Immortals Island:
"Are you here for your reward?" The cultivator responsible for hosting looked at Li Fan, feeling somewhat bewildered. "What reward?"
"I remember that there would be a corresponding reward if I successfully killed one of the Five Elders' spies," Li Fan asked patiently.
As he spoke, he took out his shadow stone and played back the recorded scene.
"I killed four Immortal True Monarchs from the Five Elders," Li Fan said seriously.
"Ahem... ahem..." The cultivator in the Performance Hall suddenly started coughing violently.
He snatched the shadow stone away, unable to believe what he was seeing. After a while, his face full of shock, he looked at Li Fan and said, "You... Please wait a moment!"
With that, he stumbled towards the deeper parts of the Performance Hall.
"What did you say?" A murmur could be heard from somewhere.
Soon after, Li Fan was respectfully invited to the Performance Hall's reception room.
Li Fan casually sat down.
Not long afterward, a group of cultivators poured into the hall.
"Master Li... We have already confirmed that the image in your shadow stone is genuine," an Immortal True Monarch wearing a yellow-tan martial attire and still carrying some bloodstains said nervously as he stood before Li Fan.
"May I ask if you've recovered to your former strength?" He looked at Li Fan with hope.
Li Fan took a sip of the spiritual tea on the table, savored it for a while, put down the cup, and shook his head slowly. "Full recovery? Not possible! Am I still stuck in late Golden Core Realm? Can't you see that clearly?"
The air in the reception room suddenly fell silent.
"Then... how did you kill those four Immortal True Monarchs of the Five Elders?" The martial attire cultivator asked anxiously.
Li Fan slammed his fist on the table, startling everyone. He looked disdainfully at them and said, "Is it really necessary to do everything yourself in this day and age?"
"In ancient times, sects operated independently, hoarding their resources for personal gain. High-rank magical weapons, talismans, and other items were always expensive, almost unattainable."
"But now that the Immortal Alliance controls half of Xuanhuang Realm, with the Celestial Mirror overseeing everything, there's no more room for greedy merchants to hoard goods."
"Those one-time high-kill weaponary, diagrams, talismans... they're practically free!"
Li Fan shook his head and said, "I woke up after a long slumber. Naturally, I need to take better care of myself. Buying some items in case of emergencies is perfectly normal."
After Li Fan's explanation, the martial attire cultivator finally understood and gaped, "So you mean you killed these four Immortal True Monarchs using external tools?"
Li Fan raised an eyebrow: "Is that a problem?"
He then snapped his fingers and took out several [Liangkong Lujin Thunder] from his storage ring and placed them on the table.
The Performance Hall immediately became chaotic.
But Li Fan continued undeterred, showing various expensive one-time-use weapons such as the [Anger Burning Heaven Array Diagram], [Eight Directions Annihilation Divine Thunder], [Spirit Pinning Divine Needle], and [Sealing Demons and Devils Flag]...
All these high-priced killing tools were placed in front of everyone.
The Performance Hall fell silent.
The cultivators looked at the mountain of one-time-use magical weapons on the table, their faces turning pale.
"Is that enough?"
"If not, I have some even more powerful items," Li Fan said casually.
A yellow-robed cultivator wiped his forehead with cold sweat and said hurriedly, "That's enough! Master Li, please put these things away. If they accidentally explode here, we'll be in big trouble!"
Li Fan nodded contentedly as he waved his hand to retract his armaments. The Performance Hall cultivators breathed a sigh of relief.
Although all the weapons were substandard and had their power reduced by the Celestial Mirror, there was no denying their high grade and quantity.
These items could easily bring down even Immortal True Monarchs!
"Everyone knows that he relies on derivation to amass wealth. It looks like it's true."
"It really pays to be rich; these items are worth a year's funding for our team."
"Heard we can invest in him through He Zhenghao? Might as well consider it."
...
The cultivators in the Performance Hall had various expressions and thoughts.
"Since there's no problem, let's talk about my reward!"
"I spent a lot on dealing with those Five Elders' black-robed cultivators. I can't afford to lose money," Li Fan said after drinking another cup of tea and looking at everyone slowly.