“ dǎo shàng de fán rén quán dōu xiāo shī le 。 ér yuán běn fán rén jù jí de chéng shì ， què shì bù zhī hé shí zhǎng zhe le yī kē yòu yī kē zhī fán yè mào de dà shù ， wǎn ruò yuán shǐ sēn lín yì bān 。”
“岛上的凡人全都消失了。而原本凡人聚集的城市，却是不知何时长着了一颗又一颗枝繁叶茂的大树，宛若原始森林一般。”
"The ordinary people on the island had all vanished. In their place, there were now numerous large trees with lush branches and leaves, resembling a primeval forest."
“ nà xiē shù de zhī yā shàng ， guà mǎn le yī kē kē rén liǎn guǒ shí 。”
“那些树的枝桠上，挂满了一颗颗人脸果实。”
"Each of those tree branches was adorned with fruits shaped like human faces."
“ wēi fēng fú guò ， guǒ shí de rén liǎn shàng jiù lù chū yī sī shèn rén de xiào róng 。”
“微风拂过，果实的人脸上就露出一丝渗人的笑容。”
"As the wind blew gently, the faces on the fruits revealed eerie smiles."
suí zhe hé zhèng hào de jiǎng shù ， lǐ fán fǎng fú kàn jiàn liǎo wú shù rén liǎn zhèng zài cháo tā wēi xiào 。
随着何正浩的讲述，李凡仿佛看见了无数人脸正在朝他微笑。
As He Zhenghao narrated, Li Fan seemed to see countless human faces smiling at him.
zài xiǎng qǐ zì jǐ gāng gāng hái chī le yí gè zhè zhǒng guǒ shí ， lǐ fán gèng shì bù yóu zì zhǔ de qǐ le yī shēn jī pí gē da 。
在想起自己刚刚还吃了一个这种果实，李凡更是不由自主的起了一身鸡皮疙瘩。
Recalling that he had just consumed one such fruit, Li Fan involuntarily shuddered all over.
hé zhèng hào zé shì jì xù shuō zhe 。
何正浩则是继续说着。
He Zhenghao continued, "After the Golden Core cultivator regained his senses from shock, he descended into the city to investigate. The entire island was devoid of any surviving ordinary people; they had all turned into smiling fruits. However, why this bizarre incident occurred remained unclear to him. Thus, he reported it."
“ nà wèi jīn dān zhèn shǒu zài zhèn jīng zhī hòu huí guò shén lái ， xià dào chéng shì zhōng chá tàn 。”
“那位金丹镇守在震惊之后回过神来，下到城市中查探。”
"The Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance sent a specialist to check and determine what exactly happened, but no one knew the outcome. Eventually, all the trees in the city were cut down, restoring the island to its original state. The smiling fruits continued their lives as usual."
“ zhěng zuò dǎo méi yǒu yí gè fán rén xìng cún ， quán dōu biàn chéng le xiào miàn guǒ shí 。 dàn jiū jìng wèi hé fàng shēng le zhè jiàn guǐ yì de shì qíng ， zhè wèi jīn dān zhèn shǒu yě nòng bù qīng chǔ 。 yú shì tā zhǐ hǎo jiāng cǐ shì shàng bào 。”
“整座岛没有一个凡人幸存，全都变成了笑面果实。但究竟为何放生了这件诡异的事情，这位金丹镇守也弄不清楚。于是他只好将此事上报。”
"Generation after generation, they have survived until now. The Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance built a great array here and assigned specialists to guard it, harvesting the fruits."
“ wàn xiān méng pài le zhuān rén qián lái chá kàn ， jù tǐ dé chū le shén me jié guǒ shuí yě bù zhī 。 zhǐ shì hòu lái chéng zhōng de dà shù quán dōu bèi kǎn ， chéng shì yě huī fù le yuán běn de yàng mào 。 ér nà xiē xiào miàn guǒ shí yě fǎng fú shén me dōu méi fā shēng yì bān ， jì xù àn zhào yuán lái de fāng shì ， shēng huó zài chéng shì zhōng 。”
“万仙盟派了专人前来查看，具体得出了什么结果谁也不知。只是后来城中的大树全都被砍，城市也恢复了原本的样貌。而那些笑面果实也仿佛什么都没发生一般，继续按照原来的方式，生活在城市中。”
Li Fan said, "So, these Tai'an fruits are actually people?"
“ yí dài yí dài ， fán yǎn zhì jīn 。 wàn xiān méng yě zài cǐ dì jiàn zào le dà zhèn ， mìng zhuān rén zhèn shǒu ， shōu huò guǒ shí 。”
“一代一代，繁衍至今。万仙盟也在此地建造了大阵，命专人镇守，收获果实。”
He Zhenghao shook his head. "They aren't people. They lack any consciousness and act purely on instinct. If you must call them something, they might just be remnants of human wills."
lǐ fán tīng wán ， bù yóu dì shuō dào ：“ zhè me kàn lái ， zhè tài ān guǒ bù jiù shì rén me ？”
李凡听完，不由地说道：“这么看来，这泰安果不就是人么？”
After some thought, Li Fan did not refute him.
hé zhèng hào zé shì yáo le yáo tóu ：“ rú hé shì rén ？ tā men wán quán méi yǒu zì jǐ de shén zhì ， quán píng běn néng xíng shì 。 fēi yào shuō de huà ， tā men zuì duō yě zhǐ shì cán cún zhe yī xiē rén lèi de zhí niàn bà le 。”
何正浩则是摇了摇头：“如何是人？它们完全没有自己的神智，全凭本能行事。非要说的话，它们最多也只是残存着一些人类的执念罢了。”
This was too strange for him to categorize these Tai'an fruits properly.
lǐ fán chén yín piàn kè ， zuì zhōng hái shì méi yǒu fǎn bó 。
李凡沉吟片刻，最终还是没有反驳。
However, once the benefits of extending life through these fruits were discovered by cultivators, it mattered little else.
cǐ shì tài guò xuán qí ， tā yě bù zhī dào gāi rú hé dìng xìng zhè xiē tài ān guǒ 。
此事太过玄奇，他也不知道该如何定性这些泰安果。
Even if these Tai'an fruits weren't involved, ordinary people who could extend their lifespans would still be consumed.
bù guò ， zài tā men néng gòu zēng shòu de gōng xiào bèi xiū xiān zhě fā xiàn zhī hòu ， zhè xiē dōu bú zhòng yào le 。
不过，在它们能够增寿的功效被修仙者发现之后，这些都不重要了。
Li Fan lost himself in thought. He Zhenghao also fell silent, lost in his own thoughts for a while before snapping back to reality.
bú yào shuō zhè tài ān guǒ le ， jiù suàn shì zhēn de fán rén ， rú guǒ chī xià qù néng zēng zhǎng shòu mìng ， jiù táo bù chū bèi chī de mìng yùn le 。
不要说这泰安果了，就算是真的凡人，如果吃下去能增长寿命，就逃不出被吃的命运了。
Next, He Zhenghao instructed Li Fan on some matters he needed to pay attention to as the island's guardian.
lǐ fán xiàn rù chén sī 。
李凡陷入沉思。
Li Fan took note of each instruction.
hé zhèng hào yě bù zhī dào xiǎng qǐ le shén me ， yě shì xiàn rù le chén mò 。
何正浩也不知道想起了什么，也是陷入了沉默。
"The great array covers the entire island. Each time it activates, it draws a tiny bit of essence from the ordinary people within."
xǔ jiǔ zhī hòu ， èr rén fāng cái huí guò shén lái 。
许久之后，二人方才回过神来。
"Though this is minimal and won't affect them significantly, when combined over time, the amount becomes considerable."
jiē xià lái ， hé zhèng hào xiàng lǐ fán jiāo dài le zhèn shǒu yī dǎo xū yào zhù yì de yī xiē shì xiàng 。
接下来，何正浩向李凡交代了镇守一岛需要注意的一些事项。
"These essences, after transformation, increase the density of spiritual energy in the array."
lǐ fán yě dōu yī yī láo jì 。
李凡也都一一牢记。
"Therefore, cultivating within this protective array isn't as efficient as using the auxiliary cultivation mode in the Ten Thousand Immortals Mirror, but it's much faster than elsewhere."
“ dà zhèn fù gài quán dǎo ， měi cì yùn zhuàn dū huì cóng shēn chù qí zhōng de fán rén shēn shàng chōu qǔ yī sī jīng qì 。”
“大阵覆盖全岛，每次运转都会从身处其中的凡人身上抽取一丝精气。”
Finally, He Zhenghao proudly shared a secret known only to those who had served as island guardians.
“ chōu qǔ de shù liàng jí shǎo ， bú huì duì fán rén chǎn shēng shén me yǐng xiǎng 。 dàn dāng zhè xiē jīng qì huì jí zhī hòu ， jù shǎo chéng duō ， shù liàng jiù bǐ jiào kě guān le 。”
“抽取的数量极少，不会对凡人产生什么影响。但当这些精气汇集之后，聚少成多，数量就比较可观了。”
After giving Li Fan some final advice and assuring him he could contact him if needed, He Zhenghao left.
“ zhè xiē jīng qì jīng guò zhuǎn huà ， néng tí gāo fǎ zhèn nèi de líng qì nóng dù 。”
“这些精气经过转化，能提高法阵内的灵气浓度。”
Holding his guardian spirit token, the great array's power instantly allowed Li Fan's awareness to cover the entire island.
“ gù zài zhè hù dǎo dà zhèn nèi xiū xíng ， bù rú zài tiān xuán jìng zhōng kāi qǐ fǔ zhù xiū liàn mó shì nà me gāo xiào ， dàn yě bǐ xún cháng wài jiè yào kuài shàng bù shǎo 。”
“故在这护岛大阵内修行，不如在天玄镜中开启辅助修炼模式那么高效，但也比寻常外界要快上不少。”
The ordinary people on the island and the Tai'an fruits in the central core array were busy with their lives.
zuì hòu ， hé zhèng hào pǒ wèi dé yì de xiàng lǐ fán jiǎng shù le yí gè zhǐ yǒu dāng guò dǎo yǔ zhèn shǒu de xiū shì cái qīng chǔ de mì mì 。
最后，何正浩颇为得意的向李凡讲述了一个只有当过岛屿镇守的修士才清楚的秘密。
After a long while, Li Fan sighed.
yòu shì yī fān dīng zhǔ ， ràng lǐ fán yǒu wèn tí suí shí lián xì tā zhī hòu ， hé zhèng hào zhè cái shī shī rán lí qù 。
又是一番叮嘱，让李凡有问题随时联系他之后，何正浩这才施施然离去。
"Stripping the bones of the world to nourish cultivation."
lǐ fán shǒu chí zhèn shǒu líng pái ， dà zhèn jiā chí zhī xià ， shén shí dùn shí lǒng zhào quán dǎo 。
李凡手持镇守灵牌，大阵加持之下，神识顿时笼罩全岛。
If he could, Li Fan would have liked to do something. Unfortunately, he was still just a Foundation Establishment cultivator at this point.
dǎo shàng de pǔ tōng fán rén ， zhōng yāng hé xīn fǎ zhèn zhōng de tài ān guǒ shí ， dōu zài máng lù dì guò zhe zì jǐ de shēng huó 。
岛上的普通凡人，中央核心法阵中的泰安果实，都在忙碌地过着自己的生活。
The only thing he could do now was focus on his cultivation.
mù shì liáng jiǔ ， lǐ fán tàn le kǒu qì 。
目视良久，李凡叹了口气。
Li Fan suppressed his thoughts.
“ qiāo bō tiān xià zhī gǔ suǐ ， yǐ fèng xiū xíng 。”
“敲剥天下之骨髓，以奉修行。”
From then on, Li Fan settled into Tai'an Island.
rú guǒ kě yǐ ， lǐ fán zì rán xiǎng zuò diǎn shén me 。 kě xī tā mù qián hái zhǐ shì yí gè xiǎo xiǎo de zhù jī qī xiū shì 。
如果可以，李凡自然想做点什么。可惜他目前还只是一个小小的筑基期修士。
Indeed, the role of island guardian was rather easy.
mù qián wéi yī néng zuò de zhǐ néng shì nǔ lì xiū xíng ér yǐ 。
目前唯一能做的只能是努力修行而已。
Ordinary people on the island did not dare to trouble the Immortal Master.
lǐ fán jiāng xīn zhōng de zhǒng zhǒng xiǎng fǎ yā xià 。
李凡将心中的种种想法压下。
All Li Fan needed to do was periodically check if the protective array was functioning properly and timely harvest the mature Tai'an fruits for storage.
zì cǐ zhī hòu ， lǐ fán jiù zài zhè tài ān dǎo zhù zhā xià lái 。
自此之后，李凡就在这泰安岛驻扎下来。
With the rest of his time, he could freely manage his affairs.
bù dé bù shuō ， dǎo yǔ zhèn shǒu yī zhí ， hái zhēn de shì bǐ jiào qīng sōng de 。
不得不说，岛屿镇守一职，还真的是比较轻松的。
Li Fan threw himself into rigorous cultivation.
dǎo shàng fán rén wú shì bù gǎn dǎ rǎo xiān shī 。
岛上凡人无事不敢打扰仙师。
He started with "One Hundred Techniques for Using Spirit Energy," "Introduction to Spellcasting," "Secrets to Winning in Combat—Act First," "Surviving is Victory," and "Speed Triumphs."
lǐ fán xū yào de zuò de yě jiù shì měi gé yī duàn shí jiān chá tàn xià hù dǎo dà zhèn shì fǒu yùn zhuàn zhèng cháng ， jí shí jiāng chéng shú de tài ān guǒ shōu gē bǎo cún děng zhè xiē suǒ shì ér yǐ 。
李凡需要的做的也就是每隔一段时间查探下护岛大阵是否运转正常，及时将成熟的泰安果收割保存等这些琐事而已。
From these basic cultivation knowledge books, Li Fan gradually mastered some simple spells like Breath Control, False Death, Wind Mastery, and Great Strength.
qí yú shí jiān ， lǐ fán dōu kě yǐ zì yóu zhī pèi 。
其余时间，李凡都可以自由支配。
During his studies, Li Fan couldn't help but marvel at the extent of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance's knowledge monopoly.
lǐ fán zì shì quán bù tóu rù dào le kè kǔ de xiū liàn zhōng 。
李凡自是全部投入到了刻苦的修炼中。
While he could freely learn and use this knowledge from the Heavenly Calculation Realm, teaching it to others was not allowed unless one's strength surpassed that of the Ten Thousand Immortals Mirror, which could break through the restrictions.
《 líng qì de yì bǎi zhǒng shǐ yòng jì qiǎo 》、《 fǎ shù chū jiě 》、《 dòu fǎ bì shèng mì jué —— xiān xià shǒu wéi qiáng 》、《 huó zhe jiù shì shèng lì 》、《 wéi kuài bù pò 》……
《灵气的一百种使用技巧》、《法术初解》、《斗法必胜秘诀——先下手为强》、《活着就是胜利》、《唯快不破》……
Li Fan did not know what exact cultivation stage the power of the Ten Thousand Immortals Mirror equated to.
cóng zhè xiē jī chǔ xiū xíng zhī shí kāi shǐ xué qǐ ， lǐ fán màn màn zhǎng wò le yī xiē jiǎn dān de xiǎo fǎ shù 。
从这些基础修行知识开始学起，李凡慢慢掌握了一些简单的小法术。
However, by common sense, it should be at least beyond the Spirit Formation stage.
zhū rú liǎn xī shù 、 jiǎ sǐ shù 、 yù fēng shù 、 jù lì shù děng děng 。
诸如敛息术、假死术、御风术、巨力术等等。
The powers of a Spirit Formation cultivator were far beyond Li Fan's comprehension.
zài xué xí de tú zhōng ， lǐ fán yě bù dé bù gǎn kǎi wàn xiān méng duì yú zhī shí lǒng duàn de bǎo hù chéng dù 。
在学习的途中，李凡也不得不感慨万仙盟对于知识垄断的保护程度。
Therefore, despite his many grievances, he had to accept reality for now.
zhè xiē zì tiān xuán jìng zhōng gòu mǎi xué xí de zhī shí ， zì jǐ xué xí shǐ yòng shì méi wèn tí de 。
这些自天玄境中购买学习的知识，自己学习使用是没问题的。
After finishing these books, Li Fan began reading about alchemy, weapon forging, and array techniques.
dàn xiǎng yào xué wán zhī hòu jiāo gěi bié rén ， jiù bù xíng le 。
但想要学完之后教给别人，就不行了。
These topics were much more complex than spellcasting.
chú fēi nǐ de shí lì néng gòu chāo yuè tiān xuán jìng ， zì rán néng pò jiě cān zá zài qí zhōng de jìn zhì 。
除非你的实力能够超越天玄镜，自然能破解参杂在其中的禁制。
With so many details, Li Fan was unsure where to start.
tiān xuán jìng zhè yī líng bǎo de shí lì ， jù tǐ xiāng dāng yú nǎ zhǒng jìng jiè de xiū shì ， lǐ fán bù zhī dào 。
天玄镜这一灵宝的实力，具体相当于哪种境界的修士，李凡不知道。
Reading "Introduction to Alchemy" took him nearly two weeks just to go through the basics of various herbs' ages and effects.
bù guò cóng cháng lǐ lái tuī cè ， yīng gāi zhì shǎo bù zài huà shén qī xiū shì zhī xià 。
不过从常理来推测，应该至少不在化神期修士之下。
The selection and control methods for alchemical fires, ritual preparation in furnaces, and practical alchemy sections would likely take another year or more to fully comprehend.
huà shén xiū shì de wēi néng ， yuǎn bú shì rú jīn de lǐ fán néng chuǎi cè de 。
化神修士的威能，远不是如今的李凡能揣测的。
Knowing that these skills often required a master's guidance, Li Fan eventually decided to temporarily abandon them.
suǒ yǐ zòng shǐ yǒu tā yǒu zài duō bù mǎn ， yě zhǐ néng zàn shí jiē shòu xiàn shí 。
所以纵使有他有再多不满，也只能暂时接受现实。
Instead, he focused on The Thousand Mechanisms Jade Circle Golden Chapter.
zhè xiē shū jí kàn wán ， lǐ fán kāi shǐ cháng shì yuè dú qǐ le liàn dān 、 liàn qì 、 zhèn fǎ děng de xiāng guān nèi róng 。
这些书籍看完，李凡开始尝试阅读起了炼丹、炼器、阵法等的相关内容。
This ancient technique from the Heavenly Calculation Sect was extremely difficult to understand, vastly different from what Li Fan had previously studied in "The Water Decipherment."
xiāng bǐ yú zhī qián de fǎ shù bù fèn ， zhè xiē nèi róng jiù tài guò fù zá le 。
相比于之前的法术部分，这些内容就太过复杂了。
Even with the aid of a Lustrous Pearl to increase his comprehension, it took him half a year just to grasp the basics.
qiān tóu wàn xù ， lǐ fán bù zhī cóng hé kāi shǐ xué qǐ 。
千头万绪，李凡不知从何开始学起。
The difficulty made him consider training under the super-aided cultivation mode in the Ten Thousand Immortals Mirror.
jǐn jǐn shì 《 dān dào chū jiě 》 zhōng de liàn dān jī chǔ ： gè zhǒng cǎo yào de nián fèn 、 xiào yòng jiàn dìng fēn xī ， guāng shì wán zhěng de dú yī biàn ， lǐ fán jiù yòng le zhěng zhěng shí jǐ tiān 。
仅仅是《丹道初解》中的炼丹基础：各种草药的年份、效用鉴定分析，光是完整的读一遍，李凡就用了整整十几天。
But he ultimately suppressed that idea.
gèng bié tí zhī hòu de ： dān huǒ de xuǎn zé hé kòng zhì shǒu fǎ 、 dān lú jì liàn 、 liàn dān shí zhàn bù fèn ， lǐ fán gū jì zì jǐ xiǎng yào wán quán dú wán ， méi gè yī nián bàn zǎi shì bù kě néng de le 。
更别提之后的：丹火的选择和控制手法、丹炉祭练、炼丹实战部分，李凡估计自己想要完全读完，没个一年半载是不可能的了。
In the end, Li Fan was still wary of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
zhī dào zhè xiē jì yì wǎng wǎng xū yào míng shī lǐng jìn mén ， lǐ fán zài jiū jié yī fān hòu ， zhōng yú hái shì zàn shí xuǎn zé le fàng qì 。
知道这些技艺往往需要名师领进门，李凡在纠结一番后，终于还是暂时选择了放弃。
Their actions suggested they were not benevolent.
yú shì tā zàn shí pāo què zá niàn ， kāi shǐ xiū xíng qǐ le 《 qiān jī yù huán jīn zhāng 》。
于是他暂时抛却杂念，开始修行起了《千机玉寰金章》。
If their interest piqued and they revealed his existence as a True Origin cultivator, it would be disastrous.
zhè mén shàng gǔ tiān jī zōng de gōng fǎ shí zài shì huì sè nán dǒng ， yǔ zhī qián lǐ fán xiū xíng de 《 xiǎo yǎn shuǐ jué 》 dà xiāng jìng tíng ， wán quán bú shì yí gè tǐ xì de chǎn wù yì bān 。
这门上古天机宗的功法实在是晦涩难懂，与之前李凡修行的《小衍水决》大相径庭，完全不是一个体系的产物一般。
So, Li Fan preferred to cultivate on his own.
jiù suàn shí kè fǔ yǐ liú lí zhū ， zēng jiā wù xìng ， lǐ fán yě zú zú yòng le dà bàn nián de shí jiān cái kān kān rù mén 。
就算时刻辅以琉璃珠，增加悟性，李凡也足足用了大半年的时间才堪堪入门。
A year passed.
zhè qí zhōng de jiān xīn ， ràng lǐ fán yí dù shēng chū le qián wǎng tiān xuán jìng ， zài chāo jí fǔ zhù xiū liàn zhuàng tài xià xiū xíng 《 qiān jī yù huán jīn zhāng 》 de xiǎng fǎ 。
这其中的艰辛，让李凡一度生出了前往天玄镜，在超级辅助修炼状态下修行《千机玉寰金章》的想法。
Li Fan received 800 contribution points for his temporary guardianship.
kě zuì zhōng ， zhè zhǒng niàn tou hái shì bèi lǐ fán gěi yā xià le 。
可最终，这种念头还是被李凡给压下了。
He returned to the Ten Thousand Immortals Island, exchanging parts of "The Water Decipherment" for advanced alchemy knowledge.
shuō dào dǐ ， lǐ fán hái shì duì wàn xiān méng fàng bù xià xīn 。
说到底，李凡还是对万仙盟放不下心。
After five days of auxiliary cultivation in the Ten Thousand Immortals Mirror, he reluctantly returned to Tai'an Island.
cóng qí xíng shì fāng shì lái kàn ， wàn xiān méng míng xiǎn bú shì shén me shàn lèi 。
从其行事方式来看，万仙盟明显不是什么善类。
Five days of intensive training had Li Fan feeling that he was close to reaching the late-stage Alchemy stage.
"The ordinary people on the island had all vanished. In their place, there were now numerous large trees with lush branches and leaves, resembling a primeval forest."
"Each of those tree branches was adorned with fruits shaped like human faces."
"As the wind blew gently, the faces on the fruits revealed eerie smiles."
As He Zhenghao narrated, Li Fan seemed to see countless human faces smiling at him.
Recalling that he had just consumed one such fruit, Li Fan involuntarily shuddered all over.
He Zhenghao continued, "After the Golden Core cultivator regained his senses from shock, he descended into the city to investigate. The entire island was devoid of any surviving ordinary people; they had all turned into smiling fruits. However, why this bizarre incident occurred remained unclear to him. Thus, he reported it."
"The Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance sent a specialist to check and determine what exactly happened, but no one knew the outcome. Eventually, all the trees in the city were cut down, restoring the island to its original state. The smiling fruits continued their lives as usual."
"Generation after generation, they have survived until now. The Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance built a great array here and assigned specialists to guard it, harvesting the fruits."
Li Fan said, "So, these Tai'an fruits are actually people?"
He Zhenghao shook his head. "They aren't people. They lack any consciousness and act purely on instinct. If you must call them something, they might just be remnants of human wills."
After some thought, Li Fan did not refute him.
This was too strange for him to categorize these Tai'an fruits properly.
However, once the benefits of extending life through these fruits were discovered by cultivators, it mattered little else.
Even if these Tai'an fruits weren't involved, ordinary people who could extend their lifespans would still be consumed.
Li Fan lost himself in thought. He Zhenghao also fell silent, lost in his own thoughts for a while before snapping back to reality.
Next, He Zhenghao instructed Li Fan on some matters he needed to pay attention to as the island's guardian.
Li Fan took note of each instruction.
"The great array covers the entire island. Each time it activates, it draws a tiny bit of essence from the ordinary people within."
"Though this is minimal and won't affect them significantly, when combined over time, the amount becomes considerable."
"These essences, after transformation, increase the density of spiritual energy in the array."
"Therefore, cultivating within this protective array isn't as efficient as using the auxiliary cultivation mode in the Ten Thousand Immortals Mirror, but it's much faster than elsewhere."
Finally, He Zhenghao proudly shared a secret known only to those who had served as island guardians.
After giving Li Fan some final advice and assuring him he could contact him if needed, He Zhenghao left.
Holding his guardian spirit token, the great array's power instantly allowed Li Fan's awareness to cover the entire island.
The ordinary people on the island and the Tai'an fruits in the central core array were busy with their lives.
After a long while, Li Fan sighed.
"Stripping the bones of the world to nourish cultivation."
If he could, Li Fan would have liked to do something. Unfortunately, he was still just a Foundation Establishment cultivator at this point.
The only thing he could do now was focus on his cultivation.
Li Fan suppressed his thoughts.
From then on, Li Fan settled into Tai'an Island.
Indeed, the role of island guardian was rather easy.
Ordinary people on the island did not dare to trouble the Immortal Master.
All Li Fan needed to do was periodically check if the protective array was functioning properly and timely harvest the mature Tai'an fruits for storage.
With the rest of his time, he could freely manage his affairs.
Li Fan threw himself into rigorous cultivation.
He started with "One Hundred Techniques for Using Spirit Energy," "Introduction to Spellcasting," "Secrets to Winning in Combat—Act First," "Surviving is Victory," and "Speed Triumphs."
From these basic cultivation knowledge books, Li Fan gradually mastered some simple spells like Breath Control, False Death, Wind Mastery, and Great Strength.
During his studies, Li Fan couldn't help but marvel at the extent of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance's knowledge monopoly.
While he could freely learn and use this knowledge from the Heavenly Calculation Realm, teaching it to others was not allowed unless one's strength surpassed that of the Ten Thousand Immortals Mirror, which could break through the restrictions.
Li Fan did not know what exact cultivation stage the power of the Ten Thousand Immortals Mirror equated to.
However, by common sense, it should be at least beyond the Spirit Formation stage.
The powers of a Spirit Formation cultivator were far beyond Li Fan's comprehension.
Therefore, despite his many grievances, he had to accept reality for now.
After finishing these books, Li Fan began reading about alchemy, weapon forging, and array techniques.
These topics were much more complex than spellcasting.
With so many details, Li Fan was unsure where to start.
Reading "Introduction to Alchemy" took him nearly two weeks just to go through the basics of various herbs' ages and effects.
The selection and control methods for alchemical fires, ritual preparation in furnaces, and practical alchemy sections would likely take another year or more to fully comprehend.
Knowing that these skills often required a master's guidance, Li Fan eventually decided to temporarily abandon them.
Instead, he focused on The Thousand Mechanisms Jade Circle Golden Chapter.
This ancient technique from the Heavenly Calculation Sect was extremely difficult to understand, vastly different from what Li Fan had previously studied in "The Water Decipherment."
Even with the aid of a Lustrous Pearl to increase his comprehension, it took him half a year just to grasp the basics.
The difficulty made him consider training under the super-aided cultivation mode in the Ten Thousand Immortals Mirror.
But he ultimately suppressed that idea.
In the end, Li Fan was still wary of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
Their actions suggested they were not benevolent.
If their interest piqued and they revealed his existence as a True Origin cultivator, it would be disastrous.
So, Li Fan preferred to cultivate on his own.
A year passed.
Li Fan received 800 contribution points for his temporary guardianship.
He returned to the Ten Thousand Immortals Island, exchanging parts of "The Water Decipherment" for advanced alchemy knowledge.
After five days of auxiliary cultivation in the Ten Thousand Immortals Mirror, he reluctantly returned to Tai'an Island.
Five days of intensive training had Li Fan feeling that he was close to reaching the late-stage Alchemy stage.