“ lǐ dào yǒu ， qǐng ！”
“李道友，请！”
"Friend Daoist Li, please!"
nà wèi guó zì liǎn xiū shì ， lái dào lǐ fán miàn qián ， chén shēng shuō dào 。
那位国字脸修士，来到李凡面前，沉声说道。
The man with the square face approached Li Fan and spoke in a deep voice.
zhī qián lǐ fán tōu kuī zhè qún rén shāng yì duì cè de shí hòu ， cóng zhōu kè bǎo kǒu zhōng zhī dào ， cǐ rén xìng lóng 。
之前李凡偷窥这群人商议对策的时候，从周克宝口中知道，此人姓龙。
When Li Fan had been eavesdropping on their discussion earlier, he learned from Zhou Kebao that this person's surname was Long. He seemed to be the leader among them. The only Long-surname cultivator who signed the business contract left his name, so Li Fan deduced that this must be him: Long Yueyou.
zài tā men zhè yī qún rén zhōng ， yǐn yǐn chǔ yú lǐng dǎo dì wèi 。
在他们这一群人中，隐隐处于领导地位。
The surname Long wasn't very common. Back in Tianquan State, when he was at the Heavenly Pole Academy under Great Daoist Jincheng, Li Fan had heard of the Long Family's reputation. Although they didn't have any high-ranking elders like the Dantai family, the Longs were united and their descendants spread throughout the Immortal Alliance.
ér hé zhōu kè bǎo qiān dìng de nà fèn shāng qì shū shàng ， liú xià míng zì de lóng xìng xiū shì ， zhǐ yǒu yī wèi 。
而和周克宝签订的那份商契书上，留下名字的龙姓修士，只有一位。
Even though most held low-level positions, together they could be considered a formidable force. But he wondered if this Long Yueyou was related to his family.
yú shì lǐ fán jiù dé yǐ zhī dào le miàn qián zhè wèi xiū shì de shēn fèn 。
于是李凡就得以知道了面前这位修士的身份。
Li Fan pretended not to recognize him as he nodded in understanding. "Friend Daoist Li, we have completed your task for the Immortal Alliance and fulfilled everything you requested."
lóng yuè yóu 。
龙跃游。
"Let me show you," Zhou Kebao began with great diligence. He pointed out various features of this Immortal City. "The long-range teleportation requires a lot of energy. Besides top-grade spirit stones, it also needs certain rare materials like Split Sky Sand and Fixed Track Xuan Crystal. These are expensive on the market. If you need them, we can provide at reasonable prices."
lóng zhè ge xìng shì ， hái shì bù zěn me cháng jiàn de 。
龙这个姓氏，还是不怎么常见的。
Zhou Kebao whispered to the cultivators around him, causing laughter. "By the way, there's one thing to note. Long-range teleportation requires precise spatial coordinates of the target location. Otherwise, if it goes off course, or worse, into endless voids, that would be a problem," he said solemnly.
dāng chū zài tiān quán zhōu ， jí chéng tiān zūn de tiān jí yuàn zhōng de shí hòu ， lǐ fán jiù céng tīng shuō guò tiān quán lóng jiā de míng hào 。
当初在天权州，极成天尊的天极院中的时候，李凡就曾听说过天权龙家的名号。
Li Fan nodded in agreement. "The last feature is the self-destruct function you mentioned multiple times."
suī rán bù xiàng tán tái jiā zú nà bān ， yǒu zài wàn xiān méng shēn jū gāo wèi de hé dào zhǎng bèi 。
虽然不像澹台家族那般，有在万仙盟身居高位的合道长辈。
"Great care was taken to fulfill your request." Zhou Kebao's tone suddenly became tense. "We added special materials throughout the city that can trigger Annihilation Dampening Lightning. And since we built this Immortal City using magical means, it has a self-destruct mechanism as well."
dàn lóng jiā jí wéi tuán jié ， jiā zú zǐ dì biàn bù xiān méng 。
但龙家极为团结，家族子弟遍布仙盟。
Zhou Kebao paused.
jí biàn dà duō shù dān rèn de dōu shì jī céng gǎng wèi ， dàn tā men lián hé qǐ lái ， yě jué duì suàn de shàng yī gǔ bù róng xiǎo qù de shì lì le 。
即便大多数担任的都是基层岗位，但他们联合起来，也绝对算的上一股不容小觑的势力了。
"According to our calculations, if this city were to explode suddenly, even Great Daoists would suffer severe injuries without any preparation," he said seriously.
jiù shì bù zhī dào ， zhè wèi lóng yuè yóu ， gēn zhè ge lóng jiā ， yǒu méi yǒu guān xì 。
就是不知道，这位龙跃游，跟这个龙家，有没有关系。
The cultivators around him fell silent. They looked at Li Fan with curious and slightly suspicious eyes, but no one asked for details. It was reasonable that someone of his wealth might carry such a powerful weapon as a precaution against potential threats from the Five Elders Association.
nǎo hǎi zhōng cǐ fān niàn tou yī shǎn ér guò ， lǐ fán zé shì zhuāng zuò bù rèn shí de mú yàng ， kàn xiàng lóng yuè yóu ， wèn dào ：“ zhè wèi shì ？”
脑海中此番念头一闪而过，李凡则是装作不认识的模样，看向龙跃游，问道：“这位是？”
Li Fan didn't care about their thoughts. As long as he could sell this Immortal City and gain enough contribution points, he would avoid further conflict with them.
lóng yuè yóu wēi wēi yī xiào ， liǎn sè ào rán méi yǒu shuō huà 。
龙跃游微微一笑，脸色傲然没有说话。
After Li Fan completed the transaction, he used the seven-colored control token to activate his newly acquired Immortal City. He felt a sense of power as if it were an extension of his arm.
zì yǒu shēn páng de xiǎo dì men qiǎng zhe wèi lǐ fán jiè shào 。
自有身旁的小弟们抢着为李凡介绍。
The various functions flashed through his mind, and the city transformed into a tiny light particle that entered his dantian.
guǒ rán hé lǐ fán cāi cè de yī yàng 。
果然和李凡猜测的一样。
"Great treasure!"
“ jiǔ yǎng ！ jiǔ yǎng ！” lǐ fán lián máng gǒng shǒu ， yī fù chī jīng de yàng zi 。
“久仰！久仰！”李凡连忙拱手，一副吃惊的样子。
Li Fan clapped in approval. "If you need anything else in the future, feel free to come back."
rán ér xīn zhōng què shì duì zhè lóng yuè yóu de píng jià yǐ rán dī le jǐ fēn 。
然而心中却是对这龙跃游的评价已然低了几分。
"With enough contribution points, everything is possible," Zhou Kebao said with a smile.
lóng yuè yóu diǎn diǎn tóu ， yǐ zuò huí yìng 。
龙跃游点点头，以作回应。
"I will be troubling you often!" Li Fan smiled and waved goodbye as he left for Cunyun City's construction site.
lǐ fán yě bù jiè yì ， liǎng rén zài zhòng xiū shì cù yōng xià ， gēn zài zhōu kè bǎo shēn hòu ， fēi rù tiān shàng de xuán kōng chéng dāng zhōng 。
李凡也不介意，两人在众修士簇拥下，跟在周克宝身后，飞入天上的悬空城当中。
"Such a bold individual; we should avoid conflict unless necessary." Long Yueyou observed Li Fan's retreating figure. "Indeed, which normal cultivator would carry such a terrifying device? If it were to explode in any Immortal City..."
fáng hù dà zhèn méi yǒu kāi qǐ ， kě yǐ zài chéng zhōng zì yóu wú ài de fēi xíng 。
防护大阵没有开启，可以在城中自由无碍的飞行。
"Zzzt..."
zhè hái shì lǐ fán shǒu cì fǔ kàn wàn xiān méng de xiān chéng 。
这还是李凡首次俯瞰万仙盟的仙城。
"An ancient immortal, that makes sense. But if he harbors ill intentions towards the Immortal Alliance, then something is amiss."
shì jiǎo bù tóng ， bié yǒu yī fān fēng wèi 。
视角不同，别有一番风味。
"Hmm, we got our contribution points and it's not our concern anymore," the cultivators said with nonchalance.
zhōu kè bǎo wèi lǐ fán jiè shào qǐ chéng nèi zhū duō shè shī bù jú lái 。
周克宝为李凡介绍起城内诸多设施布局来。
---
qí shí bù yòng tā duō shuō ， lǐ fán yě néng kàn qīng chǔ ， zhè xiān chéng dòng fǔ ， dí què hé píng cháng jiàn dào de xiān méng chéng chí yī mú yī yàng 。
其实不用他多说，李凡也能看清楚，这仙城洞府，的确和平常见到的仙盟城池一模一样。
In Cunyun Sea, Li Fan checked his dantian where the Immortal City was dormant. He felt more secure now, knowing he had a powerful deterrent against Great Daoists. Even if Zhou Kebao left something behind in the city, it didn't matter to him as its fate was sealed.
yòu jù tǐ cān guān le chéng nèi de gè gè jiàn zhù ， zài yī yī xiáng xì kàn guò zhī hòu ， lǐ fán mǎn yì de diǎn diǎn tóu 。
又具体参观了城内的各个建筑，在一一详细看过之后，李凡满意的点点头。
Before the foundation ceremony of Cunyun City began, Li Fan sought out First Jinglun on the Ferry Dust Boat. "Lord Jinglun, after months of hard work, I have completed your task for the Immortal Alliance."
jiàn shí hòu chà bu duō le ， zhōu kè bǎo qǔ chū yī méi dài yǒu qī cǎi guāng huá de lìng pái ， dì le guò lái 。
见时候差不多了，周克宝取出一枚带有七彩光华的令牌，递了过来。
"Let me see..."
“ zhè jiù shì zhè chù dòng fǔ de kòng zhì shū niǔ ， zhǐ yào yòng xīn xuè liàn huà ， jiù néng píng xīn yì cāo zòng chéng nèi xiāng yìng dà xiǎo zhèn fǎ 。”
“这就是这处洞府的控制枢纽，只要用心血炼化，就能凭心意操纵城内相应大小阵法。”
Li Fan spoke diplomatically but he believed that a smart person like First Jinglun would understand his intentions.
“ chú le xiān chéng dōu jù bèi de jī běn gōng néng zhī wài ， wǒ men àn zhào dào yǒu de yāo qiú ， tè bié jiā rù chāo jù chuán sòng 、 mí huàn shèn jǐng 、 jiè zǐ xū mí děng zhū duō miào yòng 。”
“除了仙城都具备的基本功能之外，我们按照道友的要求，特别加入超距传送、迷幻蜃景、芥子须弥等诸多妙用。”
First Jinglun, who was deeply engrossed in reading information on an ancient tablet, did not look up. "Don't worry; the Immortal Alliance never fails to reward those with merit."
“ dāng rán ， dào yǒu hái kě yǐ jiāng dòng fǔ de mǒu xiē kòng zhì quán xiàn ， fēn fā gěi bié de xiū shì 。”
“当然，道友还可以将洞府的某些控制权限，分发给别的修士。”
"Appropriate rewards have already been decided and will be announced at the foundation ceremony. Since you are eager, I'll show them now," First Jinglun said.
……
……
He tapped his desk and a beam of light flew towards Li Fan. The information appeared in Li Fan's mind.
zhōu kè bǎo jìn xīn jìn zé de wèi lǐ fán zhǎn shì zhe zhè chù xiān chéng dòng fǔ de qiáng dà zhī chù ， bìng qiě hái tiē xīn de zuò chū tí xǐng 。
周克宝尽心尽责的为李凡展示着这处仙城洞府的强大之处，并且还贴心的做出提醒。
"Zongyun Island's Deputy Lord Li Fan has worked tirelessly to build Cunyun City."
“ chāo jù chuán sòng ， xū yào xiāo hào dà liàng de néng yuán 。 chú le jí pǐn líng shí zhī wài ， hái yào yí dìng liàng de 【 liè kōng shā 】、【 dìng guǐ xuán jīng 】 děng zhēn xī wù zī ， shì chǎng shàng jià gé áng guì 。 ruò shì dào yǒu yǒu xū qiú de huà ， kě yǐ zhǎo wǒ men ， pián yi shí huì 。” zhōu kè bǎo qiǎo shēng dào ， yǐn dé zhōu wéi xiū shì yī zhèn xiào shēng 。
“超距传送，需要消耗大量的能源。除了极品灵石之外，还要一定量的【裂空砂】、【定轨玄晶】等珍惜物资，市场上价格昂贵。若是道友有需求的话，可以找我们，便宜实惠。”周克宝悄声道，引得周围修士一阵笑声。
"He is hereby promoted to Cunyun City's Secretariat Governor, with full authority when the island's lord is not present."
“ duì le ， hái yǒu yī shì xū yào zhù yì 。 zhè chāo jù chuán sòng ， xū yào mù biāo dì diǎn de jīng què kōng jiān zuò biāo xìn xī 。 fǒu zé ， chuán sòng fā shēng wèi zhì piān yí shì xiǎo shì ， ruò shì wù rù wú jìn xū kōng zhī zhōng ， nà kě jiù má fán le 。” zhōu kè bǎo shén qíng sù mù dào 。
“对了，还有一事需要注意。这超距传送，需要目标地点的精确空间坐标信息。否则，传送发生位置偏移是小事，若是误入无尽虚空之中，那可就麻烦了。”周克宝神情肃穆道。
"Additionally, he will receive ten thousand contribution points and first-class upper-grade merit."
lǐ fán diǎn tóu biǎo shì zhī xiǎo 。
李凡点头表示知晓。
Li Fan smirked. "The Immortal Alliance doesn't fail those who have done well; that sounds familiar."
“ zuì hòu ma ， jiù shì dào yǒu zài sān chóng shēn de zì bào gōng néng le 。” zhōu kè bǎo de yǔ qì hū de biàn dé yǒu xiē jǐn zhāng qǐ lái 。
“最后嘛，就是道友再三重申的自爆功能了。”周克宝的语气忽的变得有些紧张起来。
"This reward for this task is worth it," Li Fan thought.
“ wèi le dào yǒu de zhè ge yāo qiú ， wǒ men kě shì pǒ fèi le yī fān xīn sī ne 。”
“为了道友的这个要求，我们可是颇费了一番心思呢。”
After carefully reading the order from the Secretariat Governor's headquarters, Li Fan realized the actual power of his new position as a Secretariat Governor was substantial. Many decisions were made by Secretariat Governors in the day-to-day operations of various regions. Only significant events required approval from the city lord.
“ wǒ men zài jiàn chéng de shí hòu ， jiù zài chéng zhōng gè chù tiān jiā le kě yǐ yǐn fā 【 jì miè yān léi 】 de tè shū cái liào 。”
“我们在建城的时候，就在城中各处添加了可以引发【寂灭湮雷】的特殊材料。”
With so many trivial matters to handle, it would be impractical for city lords to deal with everything themselves. Most city lords had reached the Transcendent Realm and desired further advancement to Great Daoist.
“ zài jiā shàng wǒ men yòu shì yòng liàn zhì fǎ bǎo de shǒu duàn dǎ zào zhè zuò xiān chéng dòng fǔ ， fǎ bǎo běn shēn jiù yǒu zì bào shāng dí de gōng néng 。”
“再加上我们又是用炼制法宝的手段打造这座仙城洞府，法宝本身就有自爆伤敌的功能。”
Once they entered the Great Dao realm, their status changed drastically. They became the true rulers of a region or could be transferred to the heart of power in the Immortal Alliance.
zhōu kè bǎo dùn le dùn 。
周克宝顿了顿。
Thus, Secretariat Governors helped manage these affairs while allowing city lords more time for cultivation.
“ gēn jù wǒ men de cè suàn ， zhè zuò dòng fǔ ruò shì zhòu rán bào kāi ， nǎ pà shì hé dào xiū shì ， zài méi yǒu fáng bèi de qíng kuàng xià ， yě yào shēn shòu zhòng shāng 。”
“根据我们的测算，这座洞府若是骤然爆开，哪怕是合道修士，在没有防备的情况下，也要身受重伤。”
Typically, each region had three to five Secretariat Governors. However, Cunyun Sea was unique. The top position was temporarily vacant and most lower-level cultivators were captured by the Five Elders Association.
cǐ yán yī chū ， zhōu wéi dùn shí ān jìng le xià lái 。
此言一出，周围顿时安静了下来。
To quickly get Cunyun City operational, the Secretariat Governor's headquarters appointed one Secretariat Governor with ample authority. Li Fan now had a third of an internal promotion slot for himself, while the rest would be filled later by other regions' cultivators.
zài chǎng xiū shì ， bāo kuò lóng yuè yóu ， dōu yòng lüè dài zhe guǐ yì de yǎn shén ， dǎ liàng zhe lǐ fán 。
在场修士，包括龙跃游，都用略带着诡异的眼神，打量着李凡。
"This means I can make decisions here without much interference," Li Fan thought excitedly. "I've worked hard for this."
bù guò tā men dào yě méi yǒu shuí wèn gè jiū jìng 。
不过他们倒也没有谁问个究竟。
"Thank you, Lord Jinglun! I will serve you faithfully to repay your kindness!" Li Fan declared with sincerity.
"Friend Daoist Li, please!"
The man with the square face approached Li Fan and spoke in a deep voice.
When Li Fan had been eavesdropping on their discussion earlier, he learned from Zhou Kebao that this person's surname was Long. He seemed to be the leader among them. The only Long-surname cultivator who signed the business contract left his name, so Li Fan deduced that this must be him: Long Yueyou.
The surname Long wasn't very common. Back in Tianquan State, when he was at the Heavenly Pole Academy under Great Daoist Jincheng, Li Fan had heard of the Long Family's reputation. Although they didn't have any high-ranking elders like the Dantai family, the Longs were united and their descendants spread throughout the Immortal Alliance.
Even though most held low-level positions, together they could be considered a formidable force. But he wondered if this Long Yueyou was related to his family.
Li Fan pretended not to recognize him as he nodded in understanding. "Friend Daoist Li, we have completed your task for the Immortal Alliance and fulfilled everything you requested."
"Let me show you," Zhou Kebao began with great diligence. He pointed out various features of this Immortal City. "The long-range teleportation requires a lot of energy. Besides top-grade spirit stones, it also needs certain rare materials like Split Sky Sand and Fixed Track Xuan Crystal. These are expensive on the market. If you need them, we can provide at reasonable prices."
Zhou Kebao whispered to the cultivators around him, causing laughter. "By the way, there's one thing to note. Long-range teleportation requires precise spatial coordinates of the target location. Otherwise, if it goes off course, or worse, into endless voids, that would be a problem," he said solemnly.
Li Fan nodded in agreement. "The last feature is the self-destruct function you mentioned multiple times."
"Great care was taken to fulfill your request." Zhou Kebao's tone suddenly became tense. "We added special materials throughout the city that can trigger Annihilation Dampening Lightning. And since we built this Immortal City using magical means, it has a self-destruct mechanism as well."
Zhou Kebao paused.
"According to our calculations, if this city were to explode suddenly, even Great Daoists would suffer severe injuries without any preparation," he said seriously.
The cultivators around him fell silent. They looked at Li Fan with curious and slightly suspicious eyes, but no one asked for details. It was reasonable that someone of his wealth might carry such a powerful weapon as a precaution against potential threats from the Five Elders Association.
Li Fan didn't care about their thoughts. As long as he could sell this Immortal City and gain enough contribution points, he would avoid further conflict with them.
After Li Fan completed the transaction, he used the seven-colored control token to activate his newly acquired Immortal City. He felt a sense of power as if it were an extension of his arm.
The various functions flashed through his mind, and the city transformed into a tiny light particle that entered his dantian.
"Great treasure!"
Li Fan clapped in approval. "If you need anything else in the future, feel free to come back."
"With enough contribution points, everything is possible," Zhou Kebao said with a smile.
"I will be troubling you often!" Li Fan smiled and waved goodbye as he left for Cunyun City's construction site.
"Such a bold individual; we should avoid conflict unless necessary." Long Yueyou observed Li Fan's retreating figure. "Indeed, which normal cultivator would carry such a terrifying device? If it were to explode in any Immortal City..."
"Zzzt..."
"An ancient immortal, that makes sense. But if he harbors ill intentions towards the Immortal Alliance, then something is amiss."
"Hmm, we got our contribution points and it's not our concern anymore," the cultivators said with nonchalance.
---
In Cunyun Sea, Li Fan checked his dantian where the Immortal City was dormant. He felt more secure now, knowing he had a powerful deterrent against Great Daoists. Even if Zhou Kebao left something behind in the city, it didn't matter to him as its fate was sealed.
Before the foundation ceremony of Cunyun City began, Li Fan sought out First Jinglun on the Ferry Dust Boat. "Lord Jinglun, after months of hard work, I have completed your task for the Immortal Alliance."
"Let me see..."
Li Fan spoke diplomatically but he believed that a smart person like First Jinglun would understand his intentions.
First Jinglun, who was deeply engrossed in reading information on an ancient tablet, did not look up. "Don't worry; the Immortal Alliance never fails to reward those with merit."
"Appropriate rewards have already been decided and will be announced at the foundation ceremony. Since you are eager, I'll show them now," First Jinglun said.
He tapped his desk and a beam of light flew towards Li Fan. The information appeared in Li Fan's mind.
"Zongyun Island's Deputy Lord Li Fan has worked tirelessly to build Cunyun City."
"He is hereby promoted to Cunyun City's Secretariat Governor, with full authority when the island's lord is not present."
"Additionally, he will receive ten thousand contribution points and first-class upper-grade merit."
Li Fan smirked. "The Immortal Alliance doesn't fail those who have done well; that sounds familiar."
"This reward for this task is worth it," Li Fan thought.
After carefully reading the order from the Secretariat Governor's headquarters, Li Fan realized the actual power of his new position as a Secretariat Governor was substantial. Many decisions were made by Secretariat Governors in the day-to-day operations of various regions. Only significant events required approval from the city lord.
With so many trivial matters to handle, it would be impractical for city lords to deal with everything themselves. Most city lords had reached the Transcendent Realm and desired further advancement to Great Daoist.
Once they entered the Great Dao realm, their status changed drastically. They became the true rulers of a region or could be transferred to the heart of power in the Immortal Alliance.
Thus, Secretariat Governors helped manage these affairs while allowing city lords more time for cultivation.
Typically, each region had three to five Secretariat Governors. However, Cunyun Sea was unique. The top position was temporarily vacant and most lower-level cultivators were captured by the Five Elders Association.
To quickly get Cunyun City operational, the Secretariat Governor's headquarters appointed one Secretariat Governor with ample authority. Li Fan now had a third of an internal promotion slot for himself, while the rest would be filled later by other regions' cultivators.
"This means I can make decisions here without much interference," Li Fan thought excitedly. "I've worked hard for this."
"Thank you, Lord Jinglun! I will serve you faithfully to repay your kindness!" Li Fan declared with sincerity.