“ yuán lái rú cǐ 。” lǐ fán wēi wēi diǎn tóu ， liǎn shàng gǔ jǐng wú bō ， zhǐ shì yǔ qì wēi wēi yǒu diǎn yí hàn ，“ bǎi mì yī shū ， fēi zhàn zhī zuì yě 。”
“原来如此。”李凡微微点头，脸上古井无波，只是语气微微有点遗憾，“百密一疏，非战之罪也。”
"Thus," Li Fan nodded slightly, his expression as calm and unchanging as a well in ancient times. "A hundred precautions for one oversight—this is not the fault of battle."
“ hēng ， gé xià néng piàn guò wǒ men zhè me jiǔ ， dàng zhēn shì hǎo shǒu duàn ！” guāng huá duàn shí shàng de rén liǎn shí yǐn shí xiàn ， shuō míng tā cǐ kè nèi xīn de dà bù píng jìng 。
“哼，阁下能骗过我们这么久，当真是好手段！”光滑断石上的人脸时隐时现，说明他此刻内心的大不平静。
"Humph! You managed to deceive us for so long; truly a fine hand you have!" The face on the smooth broken stone flickered intermittently, indicating his inner turmoil.
“ wǒ zǎo gāi chá jué chū bú duì de 。 yǐ zhōu qīng áng nà xiǎo zi píng yōng de néng lì ， jū rán néng zài duǎn duǎn jǐ nián nèi lì xià shù zhuāng qí gōng ……”
“我早该察觉出不对的。以周青昂那小子平庸的能力，居然能在短短几年内立下数桩奇功……”
"I should have noticed something amiss earlier. With Zhou Qingang's mediocre abilities, he actually achieved several remarkable feats in just a few years..."
“ xiān qián wǒ bèi zhè fēng shuò chéng guǒ suǒ méng bì ， zhǐ yǐ wéi shì tā nì tiān zhuǎn yùn le 。”
“先前我被这丰硕成果所蒙蔽，只以为是他逆天转运了。”
"Earlier, I was blinded by these achievements and thought it was due to his extraordinary good luck."
“ xiàn zài xiǎng lái ， ǒu ěr yī cì hái néng yòng yùn qì hǎo lái jiě shì 。 dàn shì jǐ cì sān fān ， hǎo yùn dōu rú cǐ chuí qīng ……”
“现在想来，偶尔一次还能用运气好来解释。但是几次三番，好运都如此垂青……”
"Now that I think about it, occasional good fortune can be attributed to luck. But repeated good fortune...?"
“ hēng ， tā zhōu qīng áng yòu bú shì shén me tiān mìng suǒ guī zhī rén 。” rén liǎn dài zhe yī sī ào nǎo ， huǎn huǎn shuō dào 。
“哼，他周青昂又不是什么天命所归之人。”人脸带着一丝懊恼，缓缓说道。
"Humph! He is not someone destined for greatness," the face said with a hint of frustration.
ér rén liǎn què shì shǐ zhōng dīng zhe lǐ fán ， xiǎng yào cóng tā liǎn shàng kàn dào zhū rú dé yì zhī lèi de biǎo qíng 。
而人脸却是始终盯着李凡，想要从他脸上看到诸如得意之类的表情。
The face continued to stare at Li Fan, hoping to catch any signs of satisfaction or pride on his face.
dàn lǐ fán de shén sè què shǐ zhōng méi yǒu rèn hé biàn huà 。 nǎ pà bèi lián jiē chuān shēn fèn zhī hòu de xiē xǔ huāng zhāng dōu méi yǒu 。
但李凡的神色却始终没有任何变化。哪怕被连揭穿身份之后的些许慌张都没有。
However, Li Fan's expression remained unchanged, even after being revealed. This made the face suspicious and hesitant, eventually stopping their conversation.
zhè fǎn ér ràng duàn shí rén liǎn yǒu xiē jīng yí bù dìng ， màn màn tíng zhǐ le yán yǔ 。
这反而让断石人脸有些惊疑不定，慢慢停止了言语。
Silence filled the underwater ruins.
zhè chù hǎi dǐ fèi xū ， yú shì biàn dé yī piàn jì jìng 。
这处海底废墟，于是变得一片寂静。
After a while, the face could no longer contain himself and asked in a deep voice, "Who are you, exactly?"
guò le huì ， zhōng jiū hái shì rén liǎn àn nà bù zhù ， chén shēng wèn dào ：“ gé xià jiū jìng shì shuí ？！”
过了会，终究还是人脸按捺不住，沉声问道：“阁下究竟是谁？！”
"The questions from the Great Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance's large entrance exam, the events on Ten Thousand Immortals Island when it was sealed... all of these are absolute secrets. Only someone high up in the alliance would know such things and sell them to us for a little contribution."
“ wàn xiān méng rù zhí dà kǎo shì tí 、 wàn xiān dǎo bèi fēng suǒ nà rì dǎo shàng fā shēng zhī shì ……”
“万仙盟入职大考试题、万仙岛被封锁那日岛上发生之事……”
"Is this to gain our trust so you can infiltrate us from within?"
“ zhè xiē wú yī bú shì jué duì de yǐn mì 。 néng zhī dào zhè xiē de ， jué duì zài wàn xiān méng zhōng shēn chù gāo wèi 。 wèi le xiē xǔ gòng xiàn dù ， jiù chū mài gěi wǒ men ……”
“这些无一不是绝对的隐秘。能知道这些的，绝对在万仙盟中身处高位。为了些许贡献度，就出卖给我们……”
After careful reasoning, the face concluded that Li Fan was a fellow conspirator.
“ shì wèi le qǔ dé xìn rèn ， xiǎng yào fǎn xiàng dǎ rù wǒ men ？”
“是为了取得信任，想要反向打入我们？”
"I'm not an agent of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance," Li Fan said calmly. "On the contrary, our goals are actually the same."
jīng guò yī fān zhěn mì de tuī lǐ ， rén liǎn dé dào le lǐ fán shì tóng háng de jié lùn 。
经过一番缜密的推理，人脸得到了李凡是同行的结论。
"For what...?"
“ fàng qīng sōng ， wǒ kě bú shì shén me wàn xiān méng jiàn dié 。” lǐ fán dàn dàn dì shuō dào ，“ qià qià xiāng fǎn ， wǒ hé nǐ men wǔ lǎo huì de mù dì ， qí shí dōu shì yī yàng de 。”
“放轻松，我可不是什么万仙盟间谍。”李凡澹澹地说道，“恰恰相反，我和你们五老会的目的，其实都是一样的。”
"To destroy the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance!"
“ dōu shì wèi le ……”
“都是为了……”
"What?" Li Fan's voice was light, but it struck like thunder in the face's ears.
“ fù miè wàn xiān méng ！”
“覆灭万仙盟！”
"You..." The face stood up, staring at Li Fan with shock.
“ shén me ？” lǐ fán yǔ qì hěn qīng ， dàn shì luò zài rén liǎn ěr zhōng ， què bù chì yú yī dào jīng léi 。
“什么？”李凡语气很轻，但是落在人脸耳中，却不啻于一道惊雷。
...
“ nǐ ……” rén liǎn sì hū yīn wèi jí dù de zhèn jīng ér zhàn qǐ ， lèng lèng de dīng zhe lǐ fán 。
“你……”人脸似乎因为极度的震惊而站起，愣愣的盯着李凡。
After a moment, he quickly regained his composure and asked incredulously, "Are you trying to deceive me again?"
piàn kè zhī hòu ， tā què shì hěn kuài huí guò shén lái ， mǎn shì bù xìn ：“ yòu xiǎng kuāng wǒ ？”
片刻之后，他却是很快回过神来，满是不信：“又想诓我？”
Li Fan continued as if not hearing him. "The alliance is unjust; they treat all cultivators like cattle, exploiting them mercilessly. Although it seems the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance's rule is unbreakable now, everyone is subservient..."
lǐ fán méi tīng dào duì fāng fǎn yìng shì de ， zì gù zì shuō dào ：“ xiān méng wú dào ， shì tiān xià xiū shì wèi niú mǎ ， sì yì bō xuē 。 suī rán kàn qǐ lái ， wàn xiān méng rú jīn de tǒng zhì láo bù kě pò ， zhòng shēng jǐn jiē chén fú 。 dàn ……”
李凡没听到对方反应似的，自顾自说道：“仙盟无道，视天下修士为牛马，肆意剥削。虽然看起来，万仙盟如今的统治牢不可破，众生尽皆臣服。但……”
Li Fan's tone changed, sharp and bold: "We, cultivators, defy the heavens. Even heaven dares not fear us; how much less a mere Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance!"
lǐ fán yǔ qì yī biàn ， fēng máng bì lù 、 háo qì chōng tiān ：“ wǒ bèi xiū shì ， nì tiān ér xíng 。 tiān dōu bù jù ， ér kuàng qū qū wàn xiān méng ！”
李凡语气一变，锋芒毕露、豪气冲天：“我辈修士，逆天而行。天都不惧，而况区区万仙盟！”
"In this vast world, there are always those who would rather die than remain subjugated. They would rather fight to the death than be treated like livestock."
“ yún yún zhòng shēng zhōng ， zǒng yǒu nà me yī xiē rén ， nìng yuàn sǐ ， yě yào jiē gān ér qǐ 。 nìng yuàn zhàn sǐ ， yě bù yuàn xiàng rú jīn zhè bān ， bèi dàng zuò jiā chù quān yǎng ！”
“芸芸众生中，总有那么一些人，宁愿死，也要揭竿而起。宁愿战死，也不愿像如今这般，被当做家畜圈养！”
"Better to die free than live in chains!"
“ bù zì yóu ， mǔ níng sǐ ！”
“不自由，母宁死！”
...
……
……
The intensity of his speech was so powerful that even the face on the opposite side was slightly moved.
qì shì dá dào dǐng fēng ， lián duì miàn de rén liǎn tīng dào rú cǐ kāng kǎi chén cí ， yě bù yóu wēi wēi dòng róng 。
气势达到顶峰，连对面的人脸听到如此康慨陈词，也不由微微动容。
Suddenly, Li Fan's tone shifted: "However, the alliance is formidable. If we act without proper strategy, it will be as good as suicide."
jiù zài cǐ shí ， lǐ fán què hū dì huà fēng yī zhuǎn ：“ rán ér ， xiān méng shì dà 。 rú guǒ bù zhǎng wò zhèng què de dòu zhēng fāng fǎ ， mào rán xíng dòng ， jī hū jiù gēn sòng sǐ wú yì 。”
就在此时，李凡却忽地话锋一转：“然而，仙盟势大。如果不掌握正确的斗争方法，贸然行动，几乎就跟送死无异。”
"We are not afraid of death, but we do not want to waste our precious lives for nothing."
“ wǒ men suī rán bù pà sǐ ， què yě bù yuàn shén me gòng xiàn dōu méi zuò ， bái bái làng fèi zì shēn bǎo guì shēng mìng 。”
“我们虽然不怕死，却也不愿什么贡献都没做，白白浪费自身宝贵生命。”
"So..." Li Fan looked at the face meaningfully.
“ suǒ yǐ ……” lǐ fán yì wèi shēn cháng dì kàn le rén liǎn yī yǎn 。
“所以……”李凡意味深长地看了人脸一眼。
The face on the smooth broken stone was silent for a moment before pondering: "So, you're targeting us Five Elders Association?"
guāng huá duàn shí shàng ， rén liǎn wén yán ， chén mò le yī zhèn hòu ， ruò yǒu suǒ sī ：“ suǒ yǐ ， nǐ men jiù dǎ qǐ le wǒ men wǔ lǎo huì de zhǔ yì ？”
光滑断石上，人脸闻言，沉默了一阵后，若有所思：“所以，你们就打起了我们五老会的主意？”
Li Fan admitted calmly, "Correct. Although your association is far from virtuous based on current intelligence, an enemy of my enemy is still my friend."
lǐ fán tǎn rán chéng rèn ：“ bù cuò 。 suī rán cóng mù qián de qíng bào lái kàn ， nǐ men wǔ lǎo huì yě bú shì shén me hǎo dōng xī 。 dàn shì dí rén de dí rén ， jiù shì péng yǒu 。”
李凡坦然承认：“不错。虽然从目前的情报来看，你们五老会也不是什么好东西。但是敌人的敌人，就是朋友。”
Li Fan spoke with a somber tone, directly stating, "Or perhaps, two tigers fighting will leave one injured. Let them fight each other to the death, and we'll step in later to restore order and create a new world!"
lǐ fán yǔ qì yōu yōu 、 zhí yán bù huì dào ：“ yòu huò zhě ， liǎng hǔ xiāng dòu ， bì yǒu yī shāng 。 ràng nǐ men gǒu yǎo gǒu ， pīn yí gè nǐ sǐ wǒ huó 。 dào shí hòu ， wǒ men zài chū lái chéng qīng yù yǔ ， zài zào qián kūn ！”
李凡语气幽幽、直言不讳道：“又或者，两虎相斗，必有一伤。让你们狗咬狗，拼一个你死我活。到时候，我们再出来澄清玉宇，再造乾坤！”
The face seemed to hear the most absurd words ever spoken, not even bothering to mock but merely sneered, "So you're all madmen."
rén liǎn fǎng fú tīng dào le shì shàng zuì huāng miù de huà bān ， lián cháo xiào dōu lǎn de cháo xiào ， zhǐ shì jī fěng dào ：“ yuán lái shì yī qún fēng zi 。”
人脸仿佛听到了世上最荒谬的话般，连嘲笑都懒得嘲笑，只是讥讽道：“原来是一群疯子。”
Li Fan did not take offense; he said earnestly, "Back when the Law Transmitter Immortal wanted to establish new laws and change the heavens and earth, didn't most people think he was a lunatic?"
lǐ fán bù yǐ wéi yì ， mǎn liǎn rèn zhēn dào ：“ xī rì chuán fǎ tiān zūn ， yù lì xīn fǎ 、 gǎi tiān huàn dì zhī shí ， xiǎng lái shì shàng jué dà duō shù rén ， yě dōu rèn wéi tā shì gè bù zhé bù kòu de fēng zi ba 。”
李凡不以为意，满脸认真道：“昔日传法天尊，欲立新法、改天换地之时，想来世上绝大多数人，也都认为他是个不折不扣的疯子吧。”
"After all, the strict rule of the Ten Sects of Immortality back then wasn't any less oppressive than the current Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance."
“ bì jìng dāng nián xiān dào shí zōng de sēn yán tǒng zhì ， kě yì diǎn dōu bù zài rú jīn de wàn xiān méng zhī xià 。”
“毕竟当年仙道十宗的森严统治，可一点都不在如今的万仙盟之下。”
"But where are the Ten Sects of Immortality now?"
“ kě rú jīn xiān dào shí zōng ān zài zāi ？”
“可如今仙道十宗安在哉？”
"Could we not do what Law Transmitter did...?"
“ chuán fǎ zuò dé ， yān zhī wǒ men fù tiān huì ……”
“传法做得，焉知我们覆天会……”
It seemed Li Fan had let something slip, as he paused and corrected himself: "Could we not do it ourselves?"
fǎng fú shuō lòu le zuǐ ， lǐ fán wēi wēi yī dùn ， ér hòu gǎi kǒu dào ：“ yān zhī wǒ men zuò bù dé ？”
仿佛说漏了嘴，李凡微微一顿，而后改口道：“焉知我们做不得？”
The face narrowed his eyes and looked at Li Fan deeply before saying nothing more.
rén liǎn yǎn jīng mī qǐ ， shēn shēn dì kàn le lǐ fán yī yǎn ， méi yǒu zài píng jià shén me 。
人脸眼睛眯起，深深地看了李凡一眼，没有再评价什么。
"In a sense, we are natural allies right now," Li Fan continued. "Actually, according to our current strategy, there is no plan to conflict with the Five Elders Association."
“ cóng mǒu zhǒng yì yì shàng lái shuō ， wǒ men cǐ shí ， shì tiān rán de méng yǒu ， bú shì ma ？” lǐ fán yòu jì xù shuō dào 。
“从某种意义上来说，我们此时，是天然的盟友，不是吗？”李凡又继续说道。
"We have no ill intentions. From the intelligence I provided earlier, if we wanted to sabotage you secretly, it would be easy for us to do so without your knowledge."
“ shí jì shàng ， àn zhào wǒ men mù qián de zuò zhàn fāng zhēn ， zàn shí bìng méi yǒu hé nǐ men wǔ lǎo huì wèi dí de jì huà 。”
“实际上，按照我们目前的作战方针，暂时并没有和你们五老会为敌的计划。”
"Why approach Zhou Qingang in the first place? It's because neither of our identities can see the light here. If someone suddenly came knocking, you'd probably think your identity had been exposed and run away immediately."
“ wǒ men bìng méi yǒu shén me è yì 。 cóng wǒ zhī qián tí gōng de zhǒng zhǒng qíng bào yě néng kàn chū lái ， rú guǒ wǒ men yǒu yì àn zhōng zuò gěng ， jué duì néng ràng nǐ men wǔ lǎo huì zài bù zhī bù jué jiān ， chī gè dà kuī 。”
“我们并没有什么恶意。从我之前提供的种种情报也能看出来，如果我们有意暗中作梗，绝对能让你们五老会在不知不觉间，吃个大亏。”
"Ha, I know all about people like you."
“ zhī suǒ yǐ jiè yóu zhōu qīng áng dào yǒu de shēn fèn gēn nǐ men jiē chù ， shí zài shì zài wàn xiān méng zhè yī mǔ sān fēn dì shàng ， nǐ wǒ de shēn fèn dōu jiàn bù dé guāng 。 ruò shì yǒu rén tū rán zhǎo shàng mén ， nǐ men pà bú shì zhǐ yǐ wéi zì jǐ shēn fèn yǐ jīng bào lù 、 dì yī shí jiān liū zhī dà jí le 。”
“之所以借由周青昂道友的身份跟你们接触，实在是在万仙盟这一亩三分地上，你我的身份都见不得光。若是有人突然找上门，你们怕不是只以为自己身份已经暴露、第一时间熘之大吉了。”
"Oh, right, speaking of Zhou Qingang, I just remembered— he is still alive. He could be returned to you if necessary."
“ hē hē ， duì nǐ men zhè zhǒng rén ， wǒ kě zài qīng chǔ bù guò le 。”
“呵呵，对你们这种人，我可再清楚不过了。”
Li Fan spoke fluently.
“ duì le ， shuō qǐ zhōu qīng áng ， wǒ tū rán xiǎng qǐ lái 。 tā hái huó zhe ne 。 yě bú shì bù kě yǐ bǎ fàng huí qù gěi nǐ men 。”
“对了，说起周青昂，我突然想起来。他还活着呢。也不是不可以把放回去给你们。”
The other's face was not pleased: "That fool can rot in peace!"
lǐ fán kǒu ruò xuán hé ， kǎn kǎn ér tán 。
李凡口若悬河，侃侃而谈。
After a while, the face calmed down and said with suppressed anger, "You've said so much; do you want to continue our cooperation?"
duì fāng de liǎn sè què bù zěn me hǎo kàn ：“ nà ge chǔn huò ， jiù ràng tā zì shēng zì miè ba ！”
对方的脸色却不怎么好看：“那个蠢货，就让他自生自灭吧！”
Li Fan chuckled and asked, "Why ask something obvious? After realizing Zhou Qingang had been exposed, why didn't you cut off communication immediately but chatted for such a long time? It's because you're unsure of my identity and still hoping for the secrets I might provide."
guò le huì ， rén liǎn jiāng zì shēn huǒ qì yā xià ， rěn zhe nù qì ， chén shēng dào ：“ nǐ shuō le zhè me duō ， shì hái xiǎng gēn wǒ men hé zuò ？”
过了会，人脸将自身火气压下，忍着怒气，沉声道：“你说了这么多，是还想跟我们合作？”
"Is it really that idle for your spy organization?"
lǐ fán hēi rán yī xiào ， fǎn wèn dào ：“ hé bì míng zhī gù wèn ？ yì shí dào zhōu qīng áng bào lù yǐ hòu ， méi yǒu mǎ shàng qiē duàn tōng xùn ， ér shì gēn wǒ láo le zhè me dà bàn tiān kē ， bù jiù shì yīn wèi nǐ ná bù zhǔn wǒ de shēn fèn ， ér qiě hái diàn jì zhe nà xiē wǒ kě néng tí gōng de jué mì qíng bào me ？”
李凡嘿然一笑，反问道：“何必明知故问？意识到周青昂暴露以后，没有马上切断通讯，而是跟我唠了这么大半天嗑，不就是因为你拿不准我的身份，而且还惦记着那些我可能提供的绝密情报么？”
The face sneered but did not refute. He implicitly agreed with Li Fan.
“ zǒng bù zhì yú shuō ， wǔ lǎo huì de jiàn dié zǔ zhī ， dōu zhè me xián le ？”
“总不至于说，五老会的间谍组织，都这么闲了？”
"All right, let's be open. We have new secret information," Li Fan said slowly, observing the other's reaction.
rén liǎn lěng xiào yī shēng ， què shì méi yǒu fǎn bó 。 suàn shì mò rèn le lǐ fán zhī yán 。
人脸冷笑一声，却是没有反驳。算是默认了李凡之言。
Sure enough, the other's expression changed slightly, and a glimmer of desire flashed in his eyes.
“ hǎo le ， gōng chéng bù kāi ， yǒu xiē huà jiù kě yǐ zhí shuō le 。 wǒ men zuì jìn dé dào le yí gè xīn de jué mì xiāo xī 。” lǐ fán huǎn huǎn shuō zhe ， guān chá zhe rén liǎn de fǎn yìng 。
“好了，公诚布开，有些话就可以直说了。我们最近得到了一个新的绝密消息。”李凡缓缓说着，观察着人脸的反应。
"For him, whether I am really Zhou Qingang or an undercover agent doesn't matter. What matters is if I can provide secrets about the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance."
guǒ bù qí rán ， duì fāng wēi wēi sè biàn ， tóng shí yǎn zhōng shǎn guò yī sī kě wàng 。
果不其然，对方微微色变，同时眼中闪过一丝渴望。
Li Fan's mind was clear as water.
“ duì yú tā lái shuō ， wǒ shì bú shì zhēn de zhōu qīng áng ， shì bú shì zhēn de wǔ lǎo huì wò dǐ ， gēn běn bú zhòng yào 。 zhòng yào de shì ， wǒ néng bù néng tí gōng wàn xiān méng de mì mì gěi tā 。”
“对于他来说，我是不是真的周青昂，是不是真的五老会卧底，根本不重要。重要的是，我能不能提供万仙盟的秘密给他。”
"No spy would want to maintain this identity forever. They'd prefer to achieve great feats and retire, living a life free from fear and enjoying peace. That's what they dream of."
lǐ fán xīn zhōng chéng qīng rú jìng 。
李凡心中澄清如镜。
"And I can help him do that," Li Fan concluded.
"Thus," Li Fan nodded slightly, his expression as calm and unchanging as a well in ancient times. "A hundred precautions for one oversight—this is not the fault of battle."
"Humph! You managed to deceive us for so long; truly a fine hand you have!" The face on the smooth broken stone flickered intermittently, indicating his inner turmoil.
"I should have noticed something amiss earlier. With Zhou Qingang's mediocre abilities, he actually achieved several remarkable feats in just a few years..."
"Earlier, I was blinded by these achievements and thought it was due to his extraordinary good luck."
"Now that I think about it, occasional good fortune can be attributed to luck. But repeated good fortune...?"
"Humph! He is not someone destined for greatness," the face said with a hint of frustration.
The face continued to stare at Li Fan, hoping to catch any signs of satisfaction or pride on his face.
However, Li Fan's expression remained unchanged, even after being revealed. This made the face suspicious and hesitant, eventually stopping their conversation.
Silence filled the underwater ruins.
After a while, the face could no longer contain himself and asked in a deep voice, "Who are you, exactly?"
"The questions from the Great Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance's large entrance exam, the events on Ten Thousand Immortals Island when it was sealed... all of these are absolute secrets. Only someone high up in the alliance would know such things and sell them to us for a little contribution."
"Is this to gain our trust so you can infiltrate us from within?"
After careful reasoning, the face concluded that Li Fan was a fellow conspirator.
"I'm not an agent of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance," Li Fan said calmly. "On the contrary, our goals are actually the same."
"For what...?"
"To destroy the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance!"
"What?" Li Fan's voice was light, but it struck like thunder in the face's ears.
"You..." The face stood up, staring at Li Fan with shock.
...
After a moment, he quickly regained his composure and asked incredulously, "Are you trying to deceive me again?"
Li Fan continued as if not hearing him. "The alliance is unjust; they treat all cultivators like cattle, exploiting them mercilessly. Although it seems the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance's rule is unbreakable now, everyone is subservient..."
Li Fan's tone changed, sharp and bold: "We, cultivators, defy the heavens. Even heaven dares not fear us; how much less a mere Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance!"
"In this vast world, there are always those who would rather die than remain subjugated. They would rather fight to the death than be treated like livestock."
"Better to die free than live in chains!"
...
The intensity of his speech was so powerful that even the face on the opposite side was slightly moved.
Suddenly, Li Fan's tone shifted: "However, the alliance is formidable. If we act without proper strategy, it will be as good as suicide."
"We are not afraid of death, but we do not want to waste our precious lives for nothing."
"So..." Li Fan looked at the face meaningfully.
The face on the smooth broken stone was silent for a moment before pondering: "So, you're targeting us Five Elders Association?"
Li Fan admitted calmly, "Correct. Although your association is far from virtuous based on current intelligence, an enemy of my enemy is still my friend."
Li Fan spoke with a somber tone, directly stating, "Or perhaps, two tigers fighting will leave one injured. Let them fight each other to the death, and we'll step in later to restore order and create a new world!"
The face seemed to hear the most absurd words ever spoken, not even bothering to mock but merely sneered, "So you're all madmen."
Li Fan did not take offense; he said earnestly, "Back when the Law Transmitter Immortal wanted to establish new laws and change the heavens and earth, didn't most people think he was a lunatic?"
"After all, the strict rule of the Ten Sects of Immortality back then wasn't any less oppressive than the current Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance."
"But where are the Ten Sects of Immortality now?"
"Could we not do what Law Transmitter did...?"
It seemed Li Fan had let something slip, as he paused and corrected himself: "Could we not do it ourselves?"
The face narrowed his eyes and looked at Li Fan deeply before saying nothing more.
"In a sense, we are natural allies right now," Li Fan continued. "Actually, according to our current strategy, there is no plan to conflict with the Five Elders Association."
"We have no ill intentions. From the intelligence I provided earlier, if we wanted to sabotage you secretly, it would be easy for us to do so without your knowledge."
"Why approach Zhou Qingang in the first place? It's because neither of our identities can see the light here. If someone suddenly came knocking, you'd probably think your identity had been exposed and run away immediately."
"Ha, I know all about people like you."
"Oh, right, speaking of Zhou Qingang, I just remembered— he is still alive. He could be returned to you if necessary."
Li Fan spoke fluently.
The other's face was not pleased: "That fool can rot in peace!"
After a while, the face calmed down and said with suppressed anger, "You've said so much; do you want to continue our cooperation?"
Li Fan chuckled and asked, "Why ask something obvious? After realizing Zhou Qingang had been exposed, why didn't you cut off communication immediately but chatted for such a long time? It's because you're unsure of my identity and still hoping for the secrets I might provide."
"Is it really that idle for your spy organization?"
The face sneered but did not refute. He implicitly agreed with Li Fan.
"All right, let's be open. We have new secret information," Li Fan said slowly, observing the other's reaction.
Sure enough, the other's expression changed slightly, and a glimmer of desire flashed in his eyes.
"For him, whether I am really Zhou Qingang or an undercover agent doesn't matter. What matters is if I can provide secrets about the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance."
Li Fan's mind was clear as water.
"No spy would want to maintain this identity forever. They'd prefer to achieve great feats and retire, living a life free from fear and enjoying peace. That's what they dream of."
"And I can help him do that," Li Fan concluded.