lǐ fán de yǎn jīng bù jīn mī qǐ 。
李凡的眼睛不禁眯起。
Li Fan's eyes narrowed.
jiàn dào zhōu kè bǎo zhè pàng zi sòng lái de qīng dān míng xì qián hòu chā bié rú cǐ zhī dà ， lǐ fán fǎn ér shōu qǐ le yáng zhuāng fā zuò yī fān de xīn sī ， zàn qiě lěng jìng le xià lái 。
见到周克宝这胖子送来的清单明细前后差别如此之大，李凡反而收起了佯装发作一番的心思，暂且冷静了下来。
Seeing the significant difference between the detailed list sent by Zhou Kebao and what he had in his possession, Li Fan put aside any pretense of an outburst. He temporarily calmed down.
wēi wēi tiáo zhěng ， jiù yǒu bǎi fēn zhī wǔ shí de shù liàng piān chā 。
微微调整，就有百分之五十的数量偏差。
With a slight adjustment, there was a fifty percent discrepancy in the numbers.
zhè zhǐ néng shuō míng zhēn zhèng de qīng dān shù liàng ， bǐ qǐ zì jǐ shǒu zhōng zhè fèn hái yào duō xǔ duō 。
这只能说明真正的清单数量，比起自己手中这份还要多许多。
This could only mean that the actual number on the true list was much greater than what he held.
suī shuō wàn xiān méng rú jīn huì yǒu xiē yíng sī wǔ bì 、 àn zhōng kè kòu de luàn xiàng fā shēng ， dàn dà jiā zuì qǐ mǎ yě dōu zhī dào zhuāng zhuāng yàng zi ， biǎo miàn zhē yǎn yī fān 。
虽说万仙盟如今会有些营私舞弊、暗中克扣的乱象发生，但大家最起码也都知道装装样子，表面遮掩一番。
Although the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance might have some issues with private dealings and covert deductions these days, everyone at least knew to put up a facade for appearances' sake.
bú huì zhè me míng mù zhāng dǎn ， kān chēng sàng xīn bìng kuáng ！
不会这么明目张胆，堪称丧心病狂！
It wouldn't be so blatant or considered insane!
chóng jiàn yī zhōu xiān chéng zhè me dà de shì ， xiàng zhōu kè bǎo zhè yàng ， háo bù yǎn shì dí dàng zhe tā lǐ fán zhè wèi dài lǐ dǎo zhǔ de miàn chī huí kòu ， bìng qiě tūn mò de cái liào shù liàng rú cǐ zhī duō ……
重建一州仙城这么大的事，像周克宝这样，毫不掩饰的当着他李凡这位代理岛主的面吃回扣，并且吞没的材料数量如此之多……
Rebuilding a state-level Immortal City was such a big matter. For someone like Zhou Kebao to openly take back his cut in front of him, Li Fan, the acting island lord, and consume such a large amount of materials...
zhǐ yǒu yī zhǒng jiě shì ， nà jiù shì àn zhōng zuò gěng de zhè qún rén ， jiù shì chōng zhe tā lǐ fán lái de 。
只有一种解释，那就是暗中作梗的这群人，就是冲着他李凡来的。
There could only be one explanation: The group secretly obstructing this must have targeted him.
méi cuò ， tā chéng wéi dài lǐ dǎo zhǔ de liú chéng huò xǔ zhēn de hé fǎ hé guī 。
没错，他成为代理岛主的流程或许真的合法合规。
Indeed, his process of becoming the acting island lord might have been legal and compliant.
dàn shì zhè yě bìng bù fáng ài ， yǒu xīn rén zài dé zhī zhè tiáo xiāo xī ， shùn shì fā zuò 、 jiè cǐ zhǎn kāi yīn móu 。
但是这也并不妨碍，有心人在得知这条消息，顺势发作、借此展开阴谋。
But that didn't stop someone from taking advantage of this news to orchestrate their schemes.
huò xǔ shì wèi le lǐ fán ， huò xǔ shì wèi le tā lǐ fán shēn shàng de jù é gòng xiàn dù 。
或许是为了李凡，或许是为了他李凡身上的巨额贡献度。
Perhaps it was for Li Fan or perhaps because of his massive contribution points.
cǐ shì dào mù qián wéi zhǐ ， chǎo zuò pǔ xián zhēn yè 、 shōu liǎn qí tā xiū shì gòng xiàn dù jìn xíng zài tóu zī ， děng děng dòng zuò lǐ fán dōu méi yǒu gù yì zhē bì 。
此世到目前为止，炒作普闲真叶、收敛其他修士贡献度进行再投资，等等动作李凡都没有故意遮蔽。
So far in this world, he hadn’t intentionally concealed actions like promoting Pu Xian's True Leaf or consolidating other cultivators' contributions.
chú le gēn dì guó fāng miàn de jiāo yì zhī wài ， qí yú měi yī bǐ mǎi mài ， dōu shì yǒu jù kě chá 。
除了跟帝国方面的交易之外，其余每一笔买卖，都是有据可查。
Apart from transactions with the Empire, every single trade had records. Without needing to be precise, a rough calculation could reveal how astonishingly high Li Fan’s current contribution points were.
bù yòng duō me jīng zhǔn ， zhǐ xū dà zhì yī suàn ， jiù kě yǐ zhī dào mù qián lǐ fán shēn shàng suǒ xié dài de gòng xiàn dù ， shù liàng shì hé děng jīng rén 。
不用多么精准，只需大致一算，就可以知道目前李凡身上所携带的贡献度，数量是何等惊人。
With interests at stake, it was only natural that he would attract attention.
lì yì dòng rén xīn ， tā bèi rén dīng shàng ， yě shí shǔ zhèng cháng 。
利益动人心，他被人盯上，也实属正常。
Beyond interest, there was hatred.
chú le lì yì zhī wài ， hái yǒu chóu hèn 。
除了利益之外，还有仇恨。
Dantian Cuan, who suffered an ambush during the promotion of Pu Xian's True Leaf, might also push things along in this process.
zhī qián zài chǎo zuò pǔ xián zhēn yè guò chéng zhōng chī le àn kuī de tán tái càn ， huò xǔ yě huì zài zhè ge guò chéng zhōng ， tuī bō zhù lán yě shuō bù dìng 。
之前在炒作普闲真叶过程中吃了暗亏的澹台灿，或许也会在这个过程中，推波助澜也说不定。
Li Fan’s mind raced as his gaze swept over the list again. Soon, he nodded slightly and carefully put away the list.
zuò shì wǎng wǎng móu dìng ér hòu dòng ， lǐ fán nǎo hǎi zhōng niàn tou jí zhuǎn ， shì xiàn zài cì zài qīng dān shàng lái huí sǎo guò 。
做事往往谋定而后动，李凡脑海中念头急转，视线再次在清单上来回扫过。
He then asked casually, "Friend Zhou, is there anything else you need to hand over besides this list?"
bù jiǔ zhī hòu ， tā wēi wēi diǎn tóu ， jiāng míng dān zhèng zhòng shōu qǐ 。
不久之后，他微微点头，将名单郑重收起。
"Nothing, nothing," Zhou Kebao smiled widely and shook his head repeatedly.
tóng shí zuǐ lǐ zhuāng zuò wú yì de wèn dào ：“ zhōu dào yǒu ， chú le zhè fèn qīng dān míng xì zhī wài ， hái yǒu shén me yào jiāo gěi wǒ de ma ？”
同时嘴里装作无意的问道：“周道友，除了这份清单明细之外，还有什么要交给我的吗？”
Li Fan coldly snorted in response but didn't pursue it further. He merely bowed slightly: "Rebuilding an Immortal City is a major matter involving many aspects. I still need to carefully plan how to proceed."
“ méi le ， méi le 。” zhōu kè bǎo mǎn liǎn xiào róng ， lián lián yáo tóu 。
“没了，没了。”周克宝满脸笑容，连连摇头。
After some thought, Li Fan pretended to ponder before saying, "I'll prepare first. When the official construction begins, I will contact Friend Zhou again!"
lǐ fán jiàn zhuàng ， xīn zhōng lěng hēng yī shēng 。
李凡见状，心中冷哼一声。
Zhou Kebao patted his chest and readily agreed: "Sure thing! Lord Island, if you have any requests, just let me know. I’ll do my best to cooperate and ensure that Master Jinglin’s instructions are carried out properly."
bù guò yě zàn shí méi yǒu gēn tā jì jiào ， zhǐ shì gǒng le gǒng shǒu ：“ chóng jiàn xiān chéng ， shì guān zhòng dà 。 shè jí fāng fāng miàn miàn ， kě wèi shì qiān tóu wàn xù 。 jù tǐ zěn me zuò ， wǒ hái yào hǎo hǎo lǚ yī lǚ 。”
不过也暂时没有跟他计较，只是拱了拱手：“重建仙城，事关重大。涉及方方面面，可谓是千头万绪。具体怎么做，我还要好好捋一捋。”
Li Fan didn’t respond but stared coldly at Zhou Kebao for a moment before leaving the skyward dust boat.
lǐ fán chén yín yī fān ， jiǎ yì si kǎo 。
李凡沉吟一番，假意思考。
Watching Li Fan's receding figure, Zhou Kebao's smile slowly faded, replaced by disdain and mockery.
suí hòu shuō dào ：“ zhè yàng ， wǒ xiān qù zuò fān zhǔn bèi 。 děng zhèng shì dòng gōng nà tiān ， wǒ huì zài lián xì zhōu dào yǒu ！”
随后说道：“这样，我先去做番准备。等正式动工那天，我会再联系周道友！”
"Let's see how you fare in six months..." he muttered as he pulled out a communication spirit token to inform someone of what had happened.
zhōu kè bǎo pāi le pāi xiōng pú ， mǎn kǒu yīng xià ：“ hǎo shuō ！ lǐ dǎo zhǔ nín yǒu shén me yāo qiú jǐn guǎn tí ， wǒ yí dìng quán lì pèi hé ， shì bì yào tuǒ shàn wán chéng jīng lún gōng zi jiāo dài de rèn wù 。”
周克宝拍了拍胸脯，满口应下：“好说！李岛主您有什么要求尽管提，我一定全力配合，势必要妥善完成经纶公子交代的任务。”
Zhou Kebao never imagined that his every move was being watched by the Unseen Killer Mechanism’s cosmic perspective, falling under Li Fan's surveillance.
lǐ fán méi yǒu fù hè ， zhǐ shì lěng liè de yǎn shén dīng zhe zhōu kè bǎo kàn le yī huì 。
李凡没有附和，只是冷冽的眼神盯着周克宝看了一会。
"Sure enough, there are hidden agendas..."
suí hòu fú xiù ér qù ， fēi lí le tiān kōng zhōng de dù chén zhōu 。
随后拂袖而去，飞离了天空中的渡尘舟。
"The assistance from Jinglin’s faction can't be relied on. To rebuild an Immortal City, we must rely mainly on personnel within my control..."
kàn zhe lǐ fán zhú jiàn xiāo shī de bèi yǐng ， zhōu kè bǎo liǎn shàng de xiào róng huǎn huǎn shōu qǐ ， yǎn zhōng mǎn shì bù xiè yǔ cháo xiào 。
看着李凡逐渐消失的背影，周克宝脸上的笑容缓缓收起，眼中满是不屑与嘲笑。
Returning to Shenhua Island, Li Fan looked at Tianyang, who stood silently with his gaze fixed on the children of the Departed Realm.
“ kàn nǐ bàn nián hòu zěn me shōu chǎng ……” lěng hēng yī shēng ， tā tāo chū yī méi tōng xùn líng fú ， bù zhī hé shuí lián luò ， jiāng cǐ jiān fā shēng de shì jìn shù chuán dì le guò qù 。
“看你半年后怎么收场……”冷哼一声，他掏出一枚通讯灵符，不知和谁联络，将此间发生的事尽数传递了过去。
"At least with his Shenxian power present, he can deter a group of petty people. That’s not an issue."
yǐ wéi jiāng lǐ fán chī de sǐ sǐ dì 、 shèng quàn zài wò de zhōu kè bǎo zěn me yě bú huì xiǎng dào ， tā de yī jǔ yī dòng ， dōu bèi wú xiāng shā jī de tiān dì shì jiǎo suǒ dìng ， luò zài le lǐ fán de jiān shì zhī zhōng 。
以为将李凡吃的死死地、胜券在握的周克宝怎么也不会想到，他的一举一动，都被无相杀机的天地视角锁定，落在了李凡的监视之中。
"But it's still not enough..."
“ guǒ rán yǒu guǐ ……”
“果然有鬼……”
Li Fan took out a glowing jade token inscribed with the character "Wan" and carefully examined it. It was the island lord token given to him along with the acting island lord appointment.
“ dì yī jīng lún nà biān de zhù lì kàn lái shì bù néng zhǐ wàng le 。 xiǎng yào chóng jiàn xiān chéng ， bì xū yào yǐ zài wǒ zhǎng kòng zhī zhōng de rén yuán wéi zhǔ lì ……”
“第一经纶那边的助力看来是不能指望了。想要重建仙城，必须要以在我掌控之中的人员为主力……”
Apart from being a symbol of his position, its primary use was to allow him to check on and contact all cultivators under his jurisdiction.
fǎn huí le shēn huà dǎo de lǐ fán ， kàn zhe dāi dāi zhàn lì yī páng 、 dīng zhe lí jiè hái zi men de tiān yáng ， xīn xià shāo ān 。
返回了身化岛的李凡，看着呆呆站立一旁、盯着离界孩子们的天阳，心下稍安。
A vast network of relationships instantly appeared in Li Fan’s mind.
“ yǒu huà shén shí lì de tiān yáng zuò zhèn ， zuì qǐ mǎ zhèn shè yī qún xiāo xiǎo ， wèn tí bù dà 。”
“有化神实力的天阳坐镇，最起码震慑一群宵小，问题不大。”
At the top naturally stood Li Fan himself. Below, according to their departments, they were listed as Strategy Array Hall, Martial Arts Hall, Celestial Oracle Hall, and various island defenders and external personnel.
“ zhǐ shì ， hái bù gòu ……”
“只是，还不够……”
Each node represented a cultivator. Focusing on one node allowed him to view that cultivator's basic information and contact them directly.
lǐ fán qǔ chū yī méi shǎn shǎn fā guāng 、 qí shàng kè zhe yí gè “ wàn ” zì de yù zhì lìng pái ， zǐ xì gǎn yìng qǐ lái 。
李凡取出一枚闪闪发光、其上刻着一个“万”字的玉制令牌，仔细感应起来。
"Surprisingly, the number of Immortal City’s internal cultivators is so high..."
zhèng shì hé dài lǐ dǎo zhǔ rèn mìng shū yī qí jiāo gěi tā de dǎo zhǔ lìng pái 。
正是和代理岛主任命书一齐交给他的岛主令牌。
Li Fan couldn’t help but marvel.
chú le shì dǎo zhǔ de shēn fèn xiàng zhēng zhī wài ， zuì dà de yòng tú jiù shì kě yǐ tōng guò tā ， chá kàn bìng lián xì zhì xià suǒ yǒu tǐ zhì nèi xiū shì 。
除了是岛主的身份象征之外，最大的用途就是可以通过他，查看并联系治下所有体制内修士。
Apart from common positions, there were some unusual roles he had never heard of before.
yī zhāng rén jì guān xì dà wǎng shà shí fú xiàn lǐ fán nǎo hǎi zhōng 。
一张人际关系大网霎时浮现李凡脑海中。
For example, [Immortal City’s Congyunhai Feedback Collector], [Stone Lingzhou Liaison Officer in Congyunhai], and [Geological Supervisors].
zuì shàng miàn zì rán shì tā lǐ fán le 。
最上面自然是他李凡了。
Face after face appeared.
xià fāng ， gēn jù suǒ shǔ bù mén de bù tóng ， àn zhào cè zhèn táng 、 yǎn wǔ táng 、 tiān jī táng ， yǐ jí zhū dǎo yǔ zhèn shǒu 、 gè bù mén wài biān rén yuán děng děng ， fēn liè ér xià 。
下方，根据所属部门的不同，按照策阵堂、演武堂、天机堂，以及诸岛屿镇守、各部门外编人员等等，分列而下。
Many of these people Li Fan had seen before. He hadn’t realized they held internal cultivator status.
měi yí gè jié diǎn ， dōu dài biǎo zhe yī wèi xiū shì 。
每一个节点，都代表着一位修士。
The vast majority of the nodes were dim, indicating that either they had perished or were out of contact.
jiāng jīng shén jí zhōng dān gè jié diǎn ， biàn kě chá kàn xiāng duì yīng de xiū shì jiǎn lüè xìn xī ， bìng qiě kě yǐ zhí jiē hé duì fāng qǔ dé lián xì 。
将精神集中单个节点，便可查看相对应的修士简略信息，并且可以直接和对方取得联系。
But the number of still-living cultivators was still significant.
“ yuán lái cóng yún hǎi suǒ shǔ de tǐ zhì nèi xiū shì shù liàng ， jìng rán yǒu zhè me duō ……”
“原来丛云海所属的体制内修士数量，竟然有这么多……”
"Looks like I need to pick from this group for the main force."
lǐ fán bù jīn wēi wēi jīng tàn 。
李凡不禁微微惊叹。
"But with such mixed quality, how can I select suitable candidates?"
chú le cháng jiàn de zhí wèi zhī wài ， hái yǒu yī xiē cóng lái méi tīng guò de 、 xī qí gǔ guài de gǎng wèi 。
除了常见的职位之外，还有一些从来没听过的、稀奇古怪的岗位。
Li Fan frowned and excluded those captured by the Five Elders Association. He carefully browsed through the remaining cultivators until his gaze paused on one individual.
bǐ rú 【 wàn xiān méng cóng yún hǎi xiū shì yì jiàn fǎn kuì shōu jí zhuān yuán 】、【 shí lín zhōu zhù cóng yún hǎi lián luò yuán 】、【 dì mài jiān dū yuán 】 děng děng 。
比如【万仙盟丛云海修士意见反馈收集专员】、【石临州驻丛云海联络员】、【地脉监督员】等等。
"Eh, who is he..."
yī zhāng zhāng liǎn páng yī cì fú xiàn 。
一张张脸庞依次浮现。
An idea immediately struck Li Fan.
zhè xiē rén ， yǒu bù shǎo lǐ fán yě céng jīng jiàn guò 。 yuán běn zhǐ yǐ wéi shì pǔ tōng sàn xiū ， méi xiǎng dào hái guà zhe yī céng tǐ zhì nèi xiū shì de shēn fèn 。
这些人，有不少李凡也曾经见过。原本只以为是普通散修，没想到还挂着一层体制内修士的身份。
---
jué dà duō shù xiū shì de jié diǎn yǐ jīng biàn dé àn dàn ， zhè dài biǎo zhe tā men yào me yǐ jīng yǔn luò ， yào me shì chù zài shī lián zhuàng tài 。
绝大多数修士的节点已经变得黯淡，这代表着他们要么已经陨落，要么是处在失联状态。
In a hidden cave in Congyunhai, Gao Yuan, who was meditating, suddenly woke up from a nightmare.
dàn shì shèng xià yī rán jiàn zài de xiū shì shù liàng ， yī rán jí wéi kě guān 。
但是剩下依然健在的修士数量，依然极为可观。
On that day, the Five Elders Association suddenly attacked Congyunhai and forcibly abducted Immortal City, resulting in hundreds of cultivators perishing.
“ kàn lái ， xiǎng yào chóng jiàn xiān chéng ， zhǔ lì jiù yào cóng zhè qún dāng zhōng tiāo xuǎn le 。”
“看来，想要重建仙城，主力就要从这群当中挑选了。”
Fortunately for him, he had been out on official business at the time and narrowly avoided this disaster.
“ zhǐ shì rén yuán liáng yǒu bù qí ， wǒ yǔ tā men yě zhǐ shì diǎn tóu zhī jiāo ， rú hé cái néng tiāo xuǎn hé shì rén xuǎn ne 。”
“只是人员良莠不齐，我与他们也只是点头之交，如何才能挑选合适人选呢。”
But the terrifying scene of those cultivators left an indelible mark in his mind, becoming a demon haunting him.
lǐ fán méi tóu jǐn suǒ ， jiāng nà xiē yǐ jīng bèi wǔ lǎo huì fú lǔ de xiū shì tī chú zài wài 。
李凡眉头紧锁，将那些已经被五老会俘虏的修士剔除在外。
"I never thought the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance would be so weak. They didn’t even make any move when their state-level Immortal City was taken."
zài shèng xià de xiū shì dāng zhōng ， zǐ xì liú lǎn qǐ lái 。
在剩下的修士当中，仔细浏览起来。
"Instead, they locked down Congyunhai and vented on their own people."
hū de ， tā de mù guāng zài qí zhōng yī wèi xiū shì de shēn shàng dùn zhù 。
忽的，他的目光在其中一位修士的身上顿住。
"Wasn't I diligently guarding the main gate of the Administration Hall for decades?"
“ yí ， tā shì ……”
“咦，他是……”
"Maybe it’s time to join the Five Elders Association..."
lǐ fán xīn zhōng dùn shí lái le zhǔ yì 。
李凡心中顿时来了主意。
Sweat trickled from his forehead as Gao Yuan thought this.
——
——
Just then, the internal communication spirit token he had assumed would never be contacted again suddenly lit up.
cóng yún hǎi ， yī chù bù wéi rén zhī de yǐn mì dòng fǔ zhōng 。
丛云海，一处不为人知的隐秘洞府中。
Gao Yuan's heart raced, thinking that his thoughts of betraying and defecting were discovered so quickly.
zhèng zài bì guān de gāo yuǎn hū de cóng è mèng zhōng jīng xǐng 。
正在闭关的高远忽的从噩梦中惊醒。
After carefully examining the token, a strange expression appeared on his face.
dāng rì wǔ lǎo huì tū xí cóng yún hǎi ， qiáng zhì lǔ zǒu wàn xiān dǎo ， dǎo zhì chéng bǎi shàng qiān de xiū shì yǔn luò 。
当日五老会突袭丛云海，强制掳走万仙岛，导致成百上千的修士陨落。
"Acting Island Lord, Li Fan?"
ér tā gāo yuǎn qià hǎo yīn gōng shì wài chū yī tàng ， xìng yùn de bì kāi le cǐ cì jié nàn 。
而他高远恰好因公事外出一趟，幸运的避开了此次劫难。
(End of Chapter)
Li Fan's eyes narrowed.
Seeing the significant difference between the detailed list sent by Zhou Kebao and what he had in his possession, Li Fan put aside any pretense of an outburst. He temporarily calmed down.
With a slight adjustment, there was a fifty percent discrepancy in the numbers.
This could only mean that the actual number on the true list was much greater than what he held.
Although the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance might have some issues with private dealings and covert deductions these days, everyone at least knew to put up a facade for appearances' sake.
It wouldn't be so blatant or considered insane!
Rebuilding a state-level Immortal City was such a big matter. For someone like Zhou Kebao to openly take back his cut in front of him, Li Fan, the acting island lord, and consume such a large amount of materials...
There could only be one explanation: The group secretly obstructing this must have targeted him.
Indeed, his process of becoming the acting island lord might have been legal and compliant.
But that didn't stop someone from taking advantage of this news to orchestrate their schemes.
Perhaps it was for Li Fan or perhaps because of his massive contribution points.
So far in this world, he hadn’t intentionally concealed actions like promoting Pu Xian's True Leaf or consolidating other cultivators' contributions.
Apart from transactions with the Empire, every single trade had records. Without needing to be precise, a rough calculation could reveal how astonishingly high Li Fan’s current contribution points were.
With interests at stake, it was only natural that he would attract attention.
Beyond interest, there was hatred.
Dantian Cuan, who suffered an ambush during the promotion of Pu Xian's True Leaf, might also push things along in this process.
Li Fan’s mind raced as his gaze swept over the list again. Soon, he nodded slightly and carefully put away the list.
He then asked casually, "Friend Zhou, is there anything else you need to hand over besides this list?"
"Nothing, nothing," Zhou Kebao smiled widely and shook his head repeatedly.
Li Fan coldly snorted in response but didn't pursue it further. He merely bowed slightly: "Rebuilding an Immortal City is a major matter involving many aspects. I still need to carefully plan how to proceed."
After some thought, Li Fan pretended to ponder before saying, "I'll prepare first. When the official construction begins, I will contact Friend Zhou again!"
Zhou Kebao patted his chest and readily agreed: "Sure thing! Lord Island, if you have any requests, just let me know. I’ll do my best to cooperate and ensure that Master Jinglin’s instructions are carried out properly."
Li Fan didn’t respond but stared coldly at Zhou Kebao for a moment before leaving the skyward dust boat.
Watching Li Fan's receding figure, Zhou Kebao's smile slowly faded, replaced by disdain and mockery.
"Let's see how you fare in six months..." he muttered as he pulled out a communication spirit token to inform someone of what had happened.
Zhou Kebao never imagined that his every move was being watched by the Unseen Killer Mechanism’s cosmic perspective, falling under Li Fan's surveillance.
"Sure enough, there are hidden agendas..."
"The assistance from Jinglin’s faction can't be relied on. To rebuild an Immortal City, we must rely mainly on personnel within my control..."
Returning to Shenhua Island, Li Fan looked at Tianyang, who stood silently with his gaze fixed on the children of the Departed Realm.
"At least with his Shenxian power present, he can deter a group of petty people. That’s not an issue."
"But it's still not enough..."
Li Fan took out a glowing jade token inscribed with the character "Wan" and carefully examined it. It was the island lord token given to him along with the acting island lord appointment.
Apart from being a symbol of his position, its primary use was to allow him to check on and contact all cultivators under his jurisdiction.
A vast network of relationships instantly appeared in Li Fan’s mind.
At the top naturally stood Li Fan himself. Below, according to their departments, they were listed as Strategy Array Hall, Martial Arts Hall, Celestial Oracle Hall, and various island defenders and external personnel.
Each node represented a cultivator. Focusing on one node allowed him to view that cultivator's basic information and contact them directly.
"Surprisingly, the number of Immortal City’s internal cultivators is so high..."
Li Fan couldn’t help but marvel.
Apart from common positions, there were some unusual roles he had never heard of before.
For example, [Immortal City’s Congyunhai Feedback Collector], [Stone Lingzhou Liaison Officer in Congyunhai], and [Geological Supervisors].
Face after face appeared.
Many of these people Li Fan had seen before. He hadn’t realized they held internal cultivator status.
The vast majority of the nodes were dim, indicating that either they had perished or were out of contact.
But the number of still-living cultivators was still significant.
"Looks like I need to pick from this group for the main force."
"But with such mixed quality, how can I select suitable candidates?"
Li Fan frowned and excluded those captured by the Five Elders Association. He carefully browsed through the remaining cultivators until his gaze paused on one individual.
"Eh, who is he..."
An idea immediately struck Li Fan.
---
In a hidden cave in Congyunhai, Gao Yuan, who was meditating, suddenly woke up from a nightmare.
On that day, the Five Elders Association suddenly attacked Congyunhai and forcibly abducted Immortal City, resulting in hundreds of cultivators perishing.
Fortunately for him, he had been out on official business at the time and narrowly avoided this disaster.
But the terrifying scene of those cultivators left an indelible mark in his mind, becoming a demon haunting him.
"I never thought the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance would be so weak. They didn’t even make any move when their state-level Immortal City was taken."
"Instead, they locked down Congyunhai and vented on their own people."
"Wasn't I diligently guarding the main gate of the Administration Hall for decades?"
"Maybe it’s time to join the Five Elders Association..."
Sweat trickled from his forehead as Gao Yuan thought this.
Just then, the internal communication spirit token he had assumed would never be contacted again suddenly lit up.
Gao Yuan's heart raced, thinking that his thoughts of betraying and defecting were discovered so quickly.
After carefully examining the token, a strange expression appeared on his face.
"Acting Island Lord, Li Fan?"
(End of Chapter)