tiān shòu de jù tǐ yàng mào ， jiū jìng shì bú shì zhēn de rú tóng biē yì bān ， rú jīn yǐ jīng wú cóng yàn zhèng 。
兲兽的具体样貌，究竟是不是真的如同鳖一般，如今已经无从验证。
The exact appearance of the Yu Beast was still uncertain, whether it truly resembled a turtle or not. But with its specific name known, finding relevant information became much easier.
dàn yǒu le jù tǐ míng zì ， chá zhǎo xiāng guān zī liào qǐ lái ， jiù róng yì le xǔ duō 。
但有了具体名字，查找相关资料起来，就容易了许多。
Although most of the details were fragmentary, it could be determined that in ancient times, the Yu Beast had been an existence akin to a totem, closely related to some form of belief.
suī rán duō shì xiē zhī yán piàn yǔ ， dàn jī běn kě yǐ què dìng ， tiān shòu zài jiǔ yuǎn de shàng gǔ shí qī ， shì zuò wéi “ tú téng ” yì bān de cún zài 。
虽然多是些只言片语，但基本可以确定，兲兽在久远的上古时期，是作为“图腾”一般的存在。
Li Fan pondered, "The Yu Beast should belong to the Xuan Tian Sect."
sì hū gēn mǒu zhǒng xìn yǎng mì qiè xiāng guān 。
似乎跟某种信仰密切相关。
"In the war where the Ten Dao Sects fell and the Xuan Tian Sect rose, the Yu Beast perished, transforming into Nine Mountains."
lǐ fán ruò yǒu suǒ sī ：“ tiān shòu ， yīng gāi jiù shì xuán tiān jiào suǒ shǔ 。”
李凡若有所思：“兲兽，应该就是玄天教所属。”
"Senior Sister Zhao once mentioned that the Xuan Tian Sect had stolen the power of heaven, capable of bestowing [marks] upon mortals, allowing them to wield abilities only available to cultivators."
“ zài xiān dào shí zōng fù miè xuán tiān jiào de zhàn zhēng zhōng ， tiān shòu yǔn luò ， huà zuò jiǔ shān 。”
“在仙道十宗覆灭玄天教的战争中，兲兽陨落，化作九山。”
"If it could grant these powers, it naturally could also revoke them."
“ zhào shī jiě céng jīng shuō guò ， xuán tiān jiào qiè tiān zhī bǐng quán ， néng gòu fù yǔ fán rén 【 yìn jì 】， shǐ qí zhǎng wò xiū shì cái néng yōng yǒu de zhǒng zhǒng shén tōng 。”
“赵师姐曾经说过，玄天教窃天之柄权，能够赋予凡人【印记】，使其掌握修士才能拥有的种种神通。”
"Might those cultivators who were locked by green light in the Heavenly Spirit Battlefield have lost their ability to fly because of this?"
“ jì rán néng gòu fù yǔ ， zì rán yě kě yǐ bō duó 。”
“既然能够赋予，自然也可以剥夺。”
"In my previous life, the Xuan Network rarely exhibited such a [revoke] capability. The extermination of rebellious cultivators often required sending Black-Clothed Celestial Technicians."
“ huò xǔ tiān líng zhōu zhàn chǎng shàng ， nà xiē bèi lǜ guāng suǒ dìng de xiū shì men ， jiù shì yīn wèi zhè ge yuán gù 、 shī qù le fēi xíng de néng lì ， zhè cái fēn fēn cóng kōng zhōng zhuì luò 。”
“或许天灵州战场上，那些被绿光锁定的修士们，就是因为这个缘故、失去了飞行的能力，这才纷纷从空中坠落。”
"The strength lay more in monitoring and bestowing."
“ shàng yī shì ， wǒ jì yì zhōng de xuán wǎng ， què shì jī hū méi yǒu biǎo xiàn chū zhè zhǒng 【 bō duó 】 de néng lì 。 jiǎo miè fǎn kàng xiū shì ， wǎng wǎng xū yào pài chū hēi yī 【 tiān shù shì 】 chū mǎ 。”
“上一世，我记忆中的玄网，却是几乎没有表现出这种【剥夺】的能力。剿灭反抗修士，往往需要派出黑衣【天术士】出马。”
After a moment, Li Fan frowned again. "The Heavenly Xuan Locking Spirit and Xuan Tian Sealing Spirit might just be two sides of the same coin from the Xuan Tian Sect's power."
“ gèng qiáng zài jiān chá 、 cì yǔ děng fāng miàn 。”
“更强在监察、赐予等方面。”
"Granting and revoking were essentially taking heaven's place and using its authority."
piàn kè zhī hòu ， lǐ fán yòu àn zì zhòu méi ：“ tiān xuán suǒ líng 、 xuán tiān fēng líng ， huò xǔ zhǐ shì dāng chū xuán tiān jiào wēi néng de yì tǐ liǎng miàn 。”
片刻之后，李凡又暗自皱眉：“天玄锁灵、玄天封灵，或许只是当初玄天教威能的一体两面。”
With this in mind, Li Fan took out an unencrypted jade slip and his brainstone subtly activated.
“ suǒ wèi de 【 cì yǔ 】 hé 【 bō duó 】， qí shí dōu shì qǔ tiān ér dài 、 duì tiān zhī bǐng quán de shǐ yòng 。”
“所谓的【赐予】和【剥夺】，其实都是取天而代、对天之柄权的使用。”
The intricate structure of the Heavenly Xuan Locking Spirit Array, which he was intimately familiar with from his previous life, was now engraved on the jade slip. He made slight modifications, intentionally obscuring some details at the core.
niàn jí cǐ chù ， lǐ fán qǔ chū yī méi kòng bái de jiā mì yù jiǎn ， nǎo zhōng huà dào shí wēi wēi yùn zhuàn 。
念及此处，李凡取出一枚空白的加密玉简，脑中化道石微微运转。
It took him nearly half a day to complete the engraving.
shàng yī shì làn shú yú xiōng de 【 tiān xuán suǒ líng zhèn 】 zhèn fǎ jié gòu tú ， biàn jìn shù bèi tā yìn kè zài yù jiǎn zhī zhōng 。
上一世烂熟于胸的【天玄锁灵阵】阵法结构图，便尽数被他印刻在玉简之中。
Holding the jade slip, Li Fan's expression fluctuated: "Victory in Heavenly Spirit Province seems overwhelming for the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance. But all these advantages are merely illusions."
zhǐ shì lǐ fán zuò le shǎo xǔ de shān gǎi ， jiāng zhōng yāng hé xīn zhèn fǎ bù wèi de xì wēi jié gòu ， gù yì yǐn qù 。
只是李凡做了少许的删改，将中央核心阵法部位的细微结构，故意隐去。
"The Eternity Sky Elders of the Five Elders' Assembly only refrained from action due to their agreement with the Xuan Tian Sect regarding the transmission of teachings."
zú zú yòng le xiǎo bàn tiān de shí guāng ， zhè cái wán chéng zhèn tú de kè lù 。
足足用了小半天的时光，这才完成阵图的刻录。
"Actually, the Transmission Sky Elder..."
tā shǒu wò yù jiǎn ， liǎn shàng shén qíng yīn qíng bù dìng ：“ tiān líng zhōu qǔ dé dà jié ， wàn xiān méng kàn shì zhàn jǐn shàng fēng 。 shí zé yī qiè yōu shì biǎo xiàng ， dōu shì xū jiǎ de 。”
他手握玉简，脸上神情阴晴不定：“天灵州取得大捷，万仙盟看似占尽上风。实则一切优势表象，都是虚假的。”
Suddenly, Li Fan paused.
“ wǔ lǎo huì de cháng shēng tiān zūn men ， zhǐ shì yīn wèi dāng chū hé chuán fǎ de yuē dìng ， cái méi yǒu xuǎn zé dòng shǒu 。”
“五老会的长生天尊们，只是因为当初和传法的约定，才没有选择动手。”
He had thought that once the Transmission Sky Elder left the Xuanhuang Realm, the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance would struggle against the Five Elders' Assembly's five Eternity Sky Elders. Revealing the Locking Spirit Array to the Five Elders' Assembly might hasten their downfall and expose his hollow facade.
“ shí zé chuán fǎ tiān zūn yǐ jīng ……”
“实则传法天尊已经……”
But soon he realized his mistake.
hū rán ， lǐ fán wēi wēi yí zhèng 。
忽然，李凡微微一怔。
In his previous life, it was only after Senior Sister Zhao's probe in year 41 that they finally confirmed the Transmission Sky Elder had departed.
yuán běn tā xiǎng zhe ， chuán fǎ tiān zūn yǐ jīng lí kāi xuán huáng jiè 。 yí dàn cǐ shì bào lù ， zài yǒu zhe wǔ wèi cháng shēng tiān zūn shí lì de wǔ lǎo huì miàn qián ， wàn nián méng jī hū nán yǐ dǐ dǎng 。 zì jǐ jiāng suǒ líng zhèn zhèn tú xiè lòu gěi wǔ lǎo huì ， huò xǔ kě néng huì dǎo zhì wàn xiān méng jú shì kuài sù bēng huài xià ， bào lù zì jǐ wài qiáng zhōng gān de shì shí 。
原本他想着，传法天尊已经离开玄黄界。一旦此事暴露，在有着五位长生天尊实力的五老会面前，万年盟几乎难以抵挡。自己将锁灵阵阵图泄露给五老会，或许可能会导致万仙盟局势快速崩坏下，暴露自己外强中干的事实。
But no one knew exactly when.
dàn hěn kuài ， tā jiù yì shí dào le zì jǐ rèn zhī zhōng de miù wù 。
但很快，他就意识到了自己认知中的谬误。
Perhaps from the plan to fully implement the Heavenly Xuan Locking Spirit Array in year 24, some clues might be discerned.
shàng yī shì ， shì zài máo dìng 41 nián ， zhào shī jiě chū shǒu shì tàn ， zhè cái zuì zhōng què dìng le chuán fǎ tiān zūn yǐ jīng piāo rán yuǎn qù 。
上一世，是在锚定41年，赵师姐出手试探，这才最终确定了传法天尊已经飘然远去。
However, Li Fan felt that initially, their various array geniuses did not need such urgency. Perhaps it was because the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance itself had not noticed the Transmission Sky Elder's departure or...
dàn chuán fǎ jiū jìng shì shén me shí hòu lí kāi de ， què shì shuí yě bù zhī dào 。
但传法究竟是什么时候离开的，却是谁也不知道。
The Transmission Sky Elder may have not left yet.
wéi yǒu cóng máo dìng 24 nián 、 wàn xiān méng dìng xià yào quán miàn pǔ jí tiān xuán suǒ líng zhèn de jì huà zhōng ， huò xǔ néng piē dé yī xiē duān ní 。
唯有从锚定24年、万仙盟定下要全面普及天玄锁灵阵的计划中，或许能瞥得一些端倪。
"Should I push this further and test?"
bù guò lǐ fán jué de ， zuì kāi shǐ tā men zhè xiē gè zhǒng zhèn dào jùn jié jiē shòu péi xùn de shí hòu ， wàn xiān méng shì méi yǒu nà me jí de 。
不过李凡觉得，最开始他们这些各种阵道俊杰接受培训的时候，万仙盟是没有那么急的。
For a moment, Li Fan hesitated.
huò xǔ shì yīn wèi wàn xiān méng běn shēn yě méi yǒu chá jué dào chuán fǎ de lí qù ， yòu huò xǔ shì yīn wèi ……
或许是因为万仙盟本身也没有察觉到传法的离去，又或许是因为……
But after much contemplation, he ultimately decided against it.
chuán fǎ tiān zūn nà shí hòu zhēn de shàng wèi lí kāi 。
传法天尊那时候真的尚未离开。
His primary goal in this life was to cultivate his essence core.
“ yào bù yào tuī bō zhù lán ， shì tàn yī bǎ ne 。”
“要不要推波助澜，试探一把呢。”
Only if the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance won the battle in Heavenly Spirit Province and the Five Great Caverns were relocated could he venture into that mysterious void where the Five Great Caverns were continuously born.
lǐ fán yī shí jiān ， bù jīn yǒu xiē yóu yù 。
李凡一时间，不禁有些犹豫。
If the alliance failed, there would be no freedom of movement for him.
bù guò zài sī cǔn xǔ jiǔ hòu ， tā zuì zhōng hái shì zàn shí fàng qì le zhè ge jué dìng 。
不过在思忖许久后，他最终还是暂时放弃了这个决定。
"But I can't give them zero pressure. Otherwise, if the Five Elders' Assembly keeps losing battles, the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance might think they are invincible and not need to relocate the Five Great Caverns. That would be awkward."
cǐ shì zuì zhǔ yào de mù biāo ， hái shì yǐ jié yīng wéi zhǔ 。
此世最主要的目标，还是以结婴为主。
After much thought, Li Fan crushed the encrypted jade slip in his hand.
zhǐ yǒu tiān líng zhōu zhī zhàn wàn xiān méng shèng ， wǔ xíng dà dòng tiān bèi qiān xǐ zǒu ， lǐ fán cái yǒu jī huì qù wǎng nà piàn bù duàn yùn yù wǔ xíng dòng tiān de shén mì xū kōng yī tàn jiū jìng 。
只有天灵州之战万仙盟胜，五行大洞天被迁徙走，李凡才有机会去往那片不断孕育五行洞天的神秘虚空一探究竟。
He then took out a new blank one and began re-encoding it.
ér ruò shì wàn xiān méng kuì bài ， fù cháo zhī xià wú wán luǎn ， tā fǎn dào shì méi yǒu zì yóu huó dòng de kōng jiān 。
而若是万仙盟溃败，覆巢之下无完卵，他反倒是没有自由活动的空间。
This time, he removed the central part of the array structure, retaining only the outermost area's layout.
“ dàn yě bù néng yì diǎn yā lì bù gěi wàn xiān méng 。 fǒu zé wǔ lǎo huì lián zhàn lián bài ， wàn xiān méng jué de duì miàn shí zài bù kān yī jī ， gēn běn bù yòng qiān xǐ wǔ xíng dà dòng tiān 。 nà jiù yǒu diǎn gān gà le 。”
“但也不能一点压力不给万仙盟。否则五老会连战连败，万仙盟觉得对面实在不堪一击，根本不用迁徙五行大洞天。那就有点尴尬了。”
"Seeing the big picture from small details. The Five Elders' Assembly surely has array geniuses. With just a portion of this information, they might not be able to fully decipher the Locking Spirit Array."
sī cǔn xǔ jiǔ ， lǐ fán jiāng shǒu zhōng de jiā mì yù jiǎn niē de fěn suì 。
思忖许久，李凡将手中的加密玉简捏的粉碎。
"But we can still counteract it."
yòu qǔ chū yī méi kòng bái de ， chóng xīn kè lù qǐ lái 。
又取出一枚空白的，重新刻录起来。
After completing his masterpiece, Li Fan stored the encrypted jade slip in a separate storage ring.
zhè cì ， hái shān jiǎn diào le zhōng yāng bù fèn de zhèn fǎ ， zhǐ bǎo liú le zuì wài wéi zhèn fǎ qū yù de jié gòu tú 。
这次，还删减掉了中央部分的阵法，只保留了最外围阵法区域的结构图。
Three days later, Li Fan met with the Five Elders' Assembly's spy again.
“ suǒ wèi jiàn wēi zhī zhe 。 wǔ lǎo huì dìng rán bù quē shǎo zhèn dào tiān cái ， píng jiè wǒ tòu lù zhèn fǎ de yī bù fèn ， wán quán pò jiě suǒ líng zhèn huò xǔ wú fǎ zuò dào 。”
“所谓见微知着。五老会定然不缺少阵道天才，凭借我透露阵法的一部分，完全破解锁灵阵或许无法做到。”
"Friend Zhou, what do you think?"
“ dàn duì tā yǒu suǒ fǎn zhì ， yīng gāi bú shì wèn tí 。”
“但对它有所反制，应该不是问题。”
As soon as he appeared, the spy eagerly asked.
xīn kǔ wán chéng jié zuò de lǐ fán ， mù guāng shǎn dòng ， jiāng jiā mì yù jiǎn shōu yú yī méi dān dú de chǔ wù jiè zhōng 。
辛苦完成杰作的李凡，目光闪动，将加密玉简收于一枚单独的储物戒中。
"We can obtain the blueprints," Li Fan stated directly.
sān tiān hòu 。
三天后。
The Five Elders' Assembly cultivator was initially taken aback but then burst into a mixture of disbelief and elation.
lǐ fán zài dù hé wǔ lǎo huì de jiàn dié pèng miàn 。
李凡再度和五老会的间谍碰面。
But quickly, Li Fan doused his hopes with cold water: "However, only the outer structure..."
“ zhōu dào yǒu ， zěn me shuō ？”
“周道友，怎么说？”
"And it's the original version. The Xuan Tian Sealing Spirit Array has undergone countless iterations and refinements, likely unrecognizable."
lǐ fán yī chū xiàn ， tā jiù pò bù jí dài de fā wèn dào 。
李凡一出现，他就迫不及待的发问道。
"It can only serve as a reference for you," Li Fan said calmly.
“ tú zhǐ wǒ men néng nòng dào 。” lǐ fán zhí jiē liǎo dàng de shuō dào 。
“图纸我们能弄到。”李凡直接了当的说道。
Hearing this, the Five Elders' Assembly cultivator felt disappointed but soon regained his spirits.
wǔ lǎo huì xiū shì xiān shì yī lèng ， suí hòu liǎn shàng mǎn shì nán yǐ zhì xìn de kuáng xǐ 。
五老会修士先是一愣，随后脸上满是难以置信的狂喜。
Obtaining the initial external structure of the array was already a significant achievement. This was a reasonable outcome that could be expected.
bù guò hěn kuài ， lǐ fán jiù gěi duì fāng pō le pén lěng shuǐ ：“ bù guò zhǐ yǒu wài wéi zhèn fǎ jié gòu tú ……”
不过很快，李凡就给对方泼了盆冷水：“不过只有外围阵法结构图……”
After all, the secrecy level of the Xuan Tian Sealing Spirit Array ranked among the highest in the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance's secrets.
“ ér qiě ， hái shì chū dài bǎn běn 。 zhè xuán tiān fēng líng zhèn hòu lái jīng guò bù zhī dào duō shǎo cì de tuī yǎn 、 dié dài ， kǒng pà yǐ jīng miàn mù quán fēi le 。”
“而且，还是初代版本。这玄天封灵阵后来经过不知道多少次的推衍、迭代，恐怕已经面目全非了。”
Several deep-cover spies had been lost by the Five Elders' Assembly without any leads.
“ zhǐ néng yòng lái gěi nǐ men dàng zuò cān kǎo 。”
“只能用来给你们当做参考。”
If this person could take on everything and agree outright, he might suspect it was a trap or that this person was actually the Transmission Sky Elder himself.
lǐ fán dàn dàn dì shuō dào 。
李凡澹澹地说道。
"It doesn't matter. An original array diagram is still excellent."
wǔ lǎo huì xiū shì wén yán ， dùn shí yǒu xiē shī wàng 。
五老会修士闻言，顿时有些失望。
The spy looked forward to Li Fan: "What are your conditions?"
bù guò hěn kuài ， tā jiù chóng xīn zhèn fèn le jīng shén 。
不过很快，他就重新振奋了精神。
Li Fan replied solemnly: "The value of these blueprints should be clear to you. I won't elaborate, as it can't be measured by contributions."
néng nòng lái yuán shǐ de zhèn fǎ wài bù jié gòu tú ， yǐ jīng shì dà gōng yī jiàn le 。
能弄来原始的阵法外部结构图，已经是大功一件了。
"But our requirements are simple."
zhè yě shì bǐ jiào hé lǐ de 、 zài yù liào zhī zhōng de jié guǒ 。
这也是比较合理的、在预料之中的结果。
Li Fan's gaze was deep and enigmatic: "At certain critical moments, we need your cooperation for our actions."
bì jìng 【 xuán tiān fēng líng zhèn 】 de bǎo mì děng jí zhī gāo ， zài wàn xiān méng suǒ yǒu jī mì zhōng ， dōu néng pái de shàng qián liè 。
毕竟【玄天封灵阵】的保密等级之高，在万仙盟所有机密中，都能排的上前列。
The Five Elders' Assembly spy was taken aback.
wǔ lǎo huì sǔn shī le shù míng yǐn cáng pǒ shēn de jiàn dié ， dōu méi néng dǎ tīng dào yī dīng diǎn xiāo xī 。
五老会损失了数名隐藏颇深的间谍，都没能打听到一丁点消息。
"Meaning?"
rú guǒ miàn qián zhè wèi néng gòu dà bāo dà lǎn 、 mǎn kǒu yīng xià 。
如果面前这位能够大包大揽、满口应下。
Li Fan did not answer but continued: "With the power of a contract, I believe you won't regret it."
nà me tā kǒng pà jiù yào bù dé bù huái yí ， zhè shì fǒu shì yí gè xiàn jǐng 。
那么他恐怕就要不得不怀疑，这是否是一个陷阱。
"Don't worry. We won't make overly unreasonable demands."
yòu huò zhě ， miàn qián zhè wèi shì fǒu jiù shì chuán fǎ tiān zūn běn rén le 。
又或者，面前这位是否就是传法天尊本人了。
"At crucial times, at most in one province, we might need your assistance."
“ wú fáng ， yǒu yuán shǐ zhèn tú yě shì jí hǎo de 。”
“无妨，有原始阵图也是极好的。”
The Five Elders' Assembly spy fell silent.
wǔ lǎo huì xiū shì mǎn huái qī dài ， kàn zhe lǐ fán ：“ nǐ men yǒu shén me tiáo jiàn ？”
五老会修士满怀期待，看着李凡：“你们有什么条件？”
"Wait."
lǐ fán zé shì chén shēng dào ：“ zhèn tú de jià zhí ， xiāng xìn nǐ xīn lǐ yě hěn qīng chǔ ， wǒ jiù bù duō shuō le ， gēn běn wú fǎ yòng gòng xiàn dù lái héng liáng 。”
李凡则是沉声道：“阵图的价值，相信你心里也很清楚，我就不多说了，根本无法用贡献度来衡量。”
He turned away and closed his eyes, seemingly seeking approval from superiors.
“ bù guò ， wǒ men de yāo qiú yě hěn jiǎn dān 。”
“不过，我们的要求也很简单。”
After a long while, he returned, drenched in sweat.
lǐ fán mù guāng yōu yōu ， lù chū yī fù gāo shēn mò cè de biǎo qíng ：“ nǐ men wǔ lǎo huì ， xū yào zài mǒu xiē bì yào shí kè ， pèi hé wǒ men de xíng dòng 。”
李凡目光幽幽，露出一副高深莫测的表情：“你们五老会，需要在某些必要时刻，配合我们的行动。”
"We agree to this transaction."
The exact appearance of the Yu Beast was still uncertain, whether it truly resembled a turtle or not. But with its specific name known, finding relevant information became much easier.
Although most of the details were fragmentary, it could be determined that in ancient times, the Yu Beast had been an existence akin to a totem, closely related to some form of belief.
Li Fan pondered, "The Yu Beast should belong to the Xuan Tian Sect."
"In the war where the Ten Dao Sects fell and the Xuan Tian Sect rose, the Yu Beast perished, transforming into Nine Mountains."
"Senior Sister Zhao once mentioned that the Xuan Tian Sect had stolen the power of heaven, capable of bestowing [marks] upon mortals, allowing them to wield abilities only available to cultivators."
"If it could grant these powers, it naturally could also revoke them."
"Might those cultivators who were locked by green light in the Heavenly Spirit Battlefield have lost their ability to fly because of this?"
"In my previous life, the Xuan Network rarely exhibited such a [revoke] capability. The extermination of rebellious cultivators often required sending Black-Clothed Celestial Technicians."
"The strength lay more in monitoring and bestowing."
After a moment, Li Fan frowned again. "The Heavenly Xuan Locking Spirit and Xuan Tian Sealing Spirit might just be two sides of the same coin from the Xuan Tian Sect's power."
"Granting and revoking were essentially taking heaven's place and using its authority."
With this in mind, Li Fan took out an unencrypted jade slip and his brainstone subtly activated.
The intricate structure of the Heavenly Xuan Locking Spirit Array, which he was intimately familiar with from his previous life, was now engraved on the jade slip. He made slight modifications, intentionally obscuring some details at the core.
It took him nearly half a day to complete the engraving.
Holding the jade slip, Li Fan's expression fluctuated: "Victory in Heavenly Spirit Province seems overwhelming for the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance. But all these advantages are merely illusions."
"The Eternity Sky Elders of the Five Elders' Assembly only refrained from action due to their agreement with the Xuan Tian Sect regarding the transmission of teachings."
"Actually, the Transmission Sky Elder..."
Suddenly, Li Fan paused.
He had thought that once the Transmission Sky Elder left the Xuanhuang Realm, the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance would struggle against the Five Elders' Assembly's five Eternity Sky Elders. Revealing the Locking Spirit Array to the Five Elders' Assembly might hasten their downfall and expose his hollow facade.
But soon he realized his mistake.
In his previous life, it was only after Senior Sister Zhao's probe in year 41 that they finally confirmed the Transmission Sky Elder had departed.
But no one knew exactly when.
Perhaps from the plan to fully implement the Heavenly Xuan Locking Spirit Array in year 24, some clues might be discerned.
However, Li Fan felt that initially, their various array geniuses did not need such urgency. Perhaps it was because the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance itself had not noticed the Transmission Sky Elder's departure or...
The Transmission Sky Elder may have not left yet.
"Should I push this further and test?"
For a moment, Li Fan hesitated.
But after much contemplation, he ultimately decided against it.
His primary goal in this life was to cultivate his essence core.
Only if the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance won the battle in Heavenly Spirit Province and the Five Great Caverns were relocated could he venture into that mysterious void where the Five Great Caverns were continuously born.
If the alliance failed, there would be no freedom of movement for him.
"But I can't give them zero pressure. Otherwise, if the Five Elders' Assembly keeps losing battles, the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance might think they are invincible and not need to relocate the Five Great Caverns. That would be awkward."
After much thought, Li Fan crushed the encrypted jade slip in his hand.
He then took out a new blank one and began re-encoding it.
This time, he removed the central part of the array structure, retaining only the outermost area's layout.
"Seeing the big picture from small details. The Five Elders' Assembly surely has array geniuses. With just a portion of this information, they might not be able to fully decipher the Locking Spirit Array."
"But we can still counteract it."
After completing his masterpiece, Li Fan stored the encrypted jade slip in a separate storage ring.
Three days later, Li Fan met with the Five Elders' Assembly's spy again.
"Friend Zhou, what do you think?"
As soon as he appeared, the spy eagerly asked.
"We can obtain the blueprints," Li Fan stated directly.
The Five Elders' Assembly cultivator was initially taken aback but then burst into a mixture of disbelief and elation.
But quickly, Li Fan doused his hopes with cold water: "However, only the outer structure..."
"And it's the original version. The Xuan Tian Sealing Spirit Array has undergone countless iterations and refinements, likely unrecognizable."
"It can only serve as a reference for you," Li Fan said calmly.
Hearing this, the Five Elders' Assembly cultivator felt disappointed but soon regained his spirits.
Obtaining the initial external structure of the array was already a significant achievement. This was a reasonable outcome that could be expected.
After all, the secrecy level of the Xuan Tian Sealing Spirit Array ranked among the highest in the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance's secrets.
Several deep-cover spies had been lost by the Five Elders' Assembly without any leads.
If this person could take on everything and agree outright, he might suspect it was a trap or that this person was actually the Transmission Sky Elder himself.
"It doesn't matter. An original array diagram is still excellent."
The spy looked forward to Li Fan: "What are your conditions?"
Li Fan replied solemnly: "The value of these blueprints should be clear to you. I won't elaborate, as it can't be measured by contributions."
"But our requirements are simple."
Li Fan's gaze was deep and enigmatic: "At certain critical moments, we need your cooperation for our actions."
The Five Elders' Assembly spy was taken aback.
"Meaning?"
Li Fan did not answer but continued: "With the power of a contract, I believe you won't regret it."
"Don't worry. We won't make overly unreasonable demands."
"At crucial times, at most in one province, we might need your assistance."
The Five Elders' Assembly spy fell silent.
"Wait."
He turned away and closed his eyes, seemingly seeking approval from superiors.
After a long while, he returned, drenched in sweat.
"We agree to this transaction."