「 nǐ yòu zài pà xiē shén me ？」
「你又在怕些什么？」
"Scaring me about what?"
cǐ wú yì yú shā rén zhū xīn zhī yǔ 。 hé zhèng hào wén yán ， dāng chǎng lěng hàn jiù liú le xià lái 。
此无异于杀人诛心之语。何正浩闻言，当场冷汗就流了下来。
This was akin to a statement that would strike at one's heart. Upon hearing this, He Zhenghao immediately broke out in cold sweat.
「 xiǎo rén jué wú èr xīn ， dà rén míng chá ！」 tā dāng jí biǎo tài dào 。
「小人绝无二心，大人明察！」他当即表态道。
"I have no other intentions, Sir! Please be clear!" He responded promptly.
「 zài sān sī lǜ 、 hǎo zì wéi zhī ！」 lǐ fán lěng hēng yī shēng ， suí hòu xū yǐng pò suì ， xiāo sàn wú zōng 。
「再三思虑、好自为之！」李凡冷哼一声，随后虚影破碎，消散无踪。
"Think it over and take care of yourself!" Li Fan snorted coldly before the shadowy figure shattered and vanished without a trace.
xǔ jiǔ zhī hòu ， hé zhèng hào cái gǎn zhí qǐ wān zhe de shēn qū 。
许久之后，何正浩才敢直起弯着的身躯。
After a long while, He Zhenghao finally dared to straighten his hunched back.
cā le cā é tóu de hàn shuǐ ， tā zhǎng hū le kǒu qì 。 yòu tū rán xiǎng dào nǚ ér jiù zài yī páng ， bù jīn ké le ké ， shùn jiān huī fù rú cháng 。
擦了擦额头的汗水，他长呼了口气。又突然想到女儿就在一旁，不禁咳了咳，瞬间恢复如常。
He wiped away the sweat on his forehead and took a deep breath. Suddenly, he remembered that his daughter was nearby and coughed, instantly returning to normal.
hǎo zài hé xīn xīn bìng méi zhù yì dào zì jǐ fù qīn de jiǒng pò ， ér shì xiǎo shǒu pāi zhe xiōng pú ， gǎn tàn dào ：「 lǐ qián bèi hǎo dà de wēi shì a ， bǐ qǐ zhī qián zài jiā lǐ jiàn dào de nà xiē hé dào xiān zūn dōu chà bu duō le 。 zhēn shì xià sǐ wǒ le 。」
好在何忻忻并没注意到自己父亲的窘迫，而是小手拍着胸脯，感叹道：「李前辈好大的威势啊，比起之前在家里见到的那些合道仙尊都差不多了。真是吓死我了。」
Fortunately, He Xinxin did not notice her father's embarrassment but instead patted her chest and said with wonder, "Senior Li has such a powerful presence! Compared to those Daoist Sages we saw at home before, it’s almost the same. I was really scared."
「 hēng hēng ， nà shì zì rán 。 mì shǐ dà rén hěn yǒu kě néng shì zhǎng ……」 hé zhèng hào shuō dào yí bàn ， zì jué bù tuǒ ， yú shì měng rán dùn zhù 。
「哼哼，那是自然。秘使大人很有可能是长……」何正浩说道一半，自觉不妥，于是猛然顿住。
"Hmph, that is natural. The Secret Envoy might be…" He Zhenghao stopped mid-sentence as he realized his mistake.
xìng hǎo nǚ ér yě bìng méi zhù yì dào huà lǐ de yì si ， hé zhèng hào zhuǎn yí qǐ le huà tí 。
幸好女儿也并没注意到话里的意思，何正浩转移起了话题。
Fortunately, his daughter did not notice either, and He Zhenghao changed the subject.
「 dà rén tā gāng cái de huà ， jiū jìng shì shén me yì si ne ？」
「大人他刚才的话，究竟是什么意思呢？」
"What exactly did Sir say?"
「 bìng méi yǒu zhí jiē fǒu rèn xīn xīn de tuī yǎn jié guǒ ， zhǐ shì shuō zì jǐ bú huì lí kāi ……」
「并没有直接否认忻忻的推衍结果，只是说自己不会离开……」
"He didn't deny Xinxin's deduction outright but said he wouldn’t leave…"
piàn kè zhī hòu ， hé zhèng hào yǎn zhōng shǎn guò yī sī jīng jì 。
片刻之后，何正浩眼中闪过一丝惊悸。
After a moment, Li Fan noticed that He Zhenghao’s eyes flickered with concern.
「 nán bù chéng ， cóng yún hǎi hái zhēn de huì yǒu jīng biàn fā shēng ？」
「难不成，丛云海还真的会有惊变发生？」
"Could it be that there really will be an upheaval in the Cunyun Sea?"
tā yī shí jiān xiàn rù le chén sī zhī hòu 。
他一时间陷入了沉思之后。
He fell into deep thought.
ér zài bù zhèng táng shēn chù ， jiāng hé zhèng hào de měi yī sī biǎo qíng biàn huà dōu kàn zài yǎn zhōng de lǐ fán ， xīn zhōng què shì méi yǒu sī háo bō dòng 。
而在布政堂深处，将何正浩的每一丝表情变化都看在眼中的李凡，心中却是没有丝毫波动。
Meanwhile, in the depths of the Administration Hall, where every change in He Zhenghao's expression was observed by Li Fan, his heart remained undisturbed.
「 fàng qì quán shì ， yuǎn dùn táo mìng 。 hái shì bào zhe jiǎo xìng xīn lǐ ， wèi le quán cái ， bù kěn lí kāi ……」
「放弃权势，远遁逃命。还是抱着侥幸心理，为了权财，不肯离开……」
"Abandoning power and fleeing far away. Or clinging to hope, unwilling to leave for wealth and power…"
「 hé dào yǒu ， nǐ huì zěn me xuǎn ne ？」
「何道友，你会怎么选呢？」
"Friend Daoist He, which path will you choose?"
àn zhào lǐ fán duì hé zhèng hào de liǎo jiě ， háo wú yí wèn ， tā huì xuǎn zé liú zài cóng yún hǎi 。 dàn hái shì xī wàng ， cǐ shì de hé zhèng hào néng gěi tā dài diǎn jīng xǐ 。
按照李凡对何正浩的了解，毫无疑问，他会选择留在丛云海。但还是希望，此世的何正浩能给他带点惊喜。
Based on his understanding of He Zhenghao, Li Fan had no doubt that he would stay in the Cunyun Sea but still hoped this world's He Zhenghao might bring a surprise.
zhù yì lì bù zài tíng liú yú hé zhèng hào nà biān ， lǐ fán tōng guò mì shǐ lìng ， jiāng cóng yún hǎi zhū duō tǐ zhì nèi chéng yuán zhào jí ér lái 。
注意力不再停留于何正浩那边，李凡通过秘使令，将丛云海诸多体制内成员召集而来。
No longer focusing on He Zhenghao, Li Fan used the Secret Envoy order to gather many members from within the system.
「 dà rén xǔ jiǔ bù céng zhào jiàn wǒ děng ， bù zhī yǒu shén me jí shì ？」
「大人许久不曾召见我等，不知有什么急事？」
"Sir hasn't called us for some time. Is there any urgent matter?"
「 shì yǒu diǎn qī qiāo ， méi tīng shuō zuì jìn yǒu yào jǐn de rèn wù a 。」
「是有点蹊跷，没听说最近有要紧的任务啊。」
"There doesn’t seem to be anything pressing; I haven’t heard of any important tasks recently," the crowd murmured.
zhòng rén yì lùn fēn fēn 。
众人议论纷纷。
He Zhenghao was still in a state of indecision, his expression fluctuating.
ér hé zhèng hào réng rán chǔ yú jiū jié zhī zhōng ， shén sè piāo hū 。
而何正浩仍然处于纠结之中，神色飘忽。
Gao Yuan noticed this and wore a thoughtful look but did not immediately ask. He noted it down instead.
gāo yuǎn jiàn zhuàng ， lù chū yī sī ruò yǒu suǒ sī de shén qíng 。 zhǐ shì méi yǒu lì jí xún wèn ， ér shì jì zài le xīn zhōng 。
高远见状，露出一丝若有所思的神情。只是没有立即询问，而是记在了心中。
Soon after everyone arrived, Li Fan appeared leisurely.
bù jiǔ hòu ， děng rén yuán quán dōu qí le ， lǐ fán shī shī rán xiàn shēn 。
不久后，等人员全都齐了，李凡施施然现身。
"Salutations, Secret Envoy!" The crowd bowed.
「 jiàn guò mì shǐ dà rén ！」 zhòng rén quán dōu xíng lǐ dào 。
「见过秘使大人！」众人全都行礼道。
"Do not be formal; sit down," Li Fan said kindly.
「 bù bì jū shù ， zuò ba 。」 lǐ fán miàn róng hé ǎi 。
「不必拘束，坐吧。」李凡面容和蔼。
"I called you all here today for no urgent matter. You know, as the Secret Envoy of Cunyun Immortal City, I have always been uninvolved in affairs. The governance of Cunyun Sea has never been neglected and even ranked higher than other regions each year. This is due to everyone's hard work," Li Fan paused, sweeping his gaze over them before continuing.
「 jīn tiān bǎ nǐ men hǎn guò lái ， yě bú shì yǒu shén me yào jǐn de shì qíng 。 zhū wèi zhī dào ， wǒ suī rán shēn wèi cóng yún xiān chéng mì zì shǐ ， kě xiàng lái shì bù guǎn shì de 。 cóng yún hǎi zhèng wù yì zhí méi yǒu huāng fèi ， shèn zhì zài suǒ yǒu zhōu yù zhōng měi nián de zōng hé pái míng hái yǒu suǒ shàng shēng ， zì rán dōu lí bù kāi dà jiā de gōng láo 。」
「今天把你们喊过来，也不是有什么要紧的事情。诸位知道，我虽然身为丛云仙城秘字使，可向来是不管事的。丛云海政务一直没有荒废，甚至在所有州域中每年的综合排名还有所上升，自然都离不开大家的功劳。」
"Reciprocating kindness with kindness. Recently, I deduced a new opportunity that I wish to share with you all."
lǐ fán dùn le dùn ， sǎo shì zhòng rén shén qíng ， yòu jiē zhe shuō dào ：「 suǒ wèi tóu táo bào lǐ 。 wǒ zuì jìn yòu tuī cè chū yī cháng jī yuán ， zhèng hǎo gào zhī ěr děng 。」
李凡顿了顿，扫视众人神情，又接着说道：「所谓投桃报李。我最近又推测出一场机缘，正好告之尔等。」
The cultivators' eyes lit up at this news. Who was Li Fan? He was someone who would not even consider a million contributions points.
zài chǎng xiū shì wén yán ， fēn fēn yǎn jīng yī liàng 。 lǐ fán shì hé děng rén wù ？ bǎi qiān wàn gòng xiàn dù dōu bú huì fàng zài yǎn lǐ de zhǔ 。
在场修士闻言，纷纷眼睛一亮。李凡是何等人物？百千万贡献度都不会放在眼里的主。
His deduction must be significant! They looked at him expectantly.
tā suǒ shuō de jī yuán ， nà yí dìng shì fēi tóng xiǎo kě a ！ yú shì fēn fēn yòng mǎn huái qī dài de yǎn shén kàn zhe lǐ fán 。
他所说的机缘，那一定是非同小可啊！于是纷纷用满怀期待的眼神看着李凡。
"I have deduced that soon, a cave will rise from the bottom of Cunyun Sea. The opportunity lies within!" Li Fan said solemnly.
「 wǒ tuī yǎn chū ， bù jiǔ hòu ， jiāng huì yǒu yī zuò dòng fǔ cóng cóng yún hǎi dǐ shēng téng ér qǐ 。 jī yuán ， jiù zài cǐ chù dòng fǔ zhī zhōng ！」 lǐ fán chén shēng dào 。
「我推衍出，不久后，将会有一座洞府从丛云海底升腾而起。机缘，就在此处洞府之中！」李凡沉声道。
This caused some agitation among the cultivators.
cǐ yán yī chū ， xiū shì men biàn dé yǒu xiē zào dòng qǐ lái 。
此言一出，修士们变得有些躁动起来。
"Of course, opportunities come with risks. Whether you choose to pursue it is up to your own decision," Li Fan said calmly and disappeared in their sight.
「 dāng rán ， jī yuán cóng lái dōu shì yǔ wēi xiǎn gòng cún de 。 zhì yú nǐ men yào bù yào qù zhuī xún ， jiù quán kàn nǐ men zì jǐ xuǎn zé le 。」 lǐ fán dàn dàn dì shuō le zuì hòu yī jù ， lù chū gè sì xiào fēi xiào de shén qíng ， zuì hòu xiāo shī zài zhòng rén shì xiàn zhōng 。
「当然，机缘从来都是与危险共存的。至于你们要不要去追寻，就全看你们自己选择了。」李凡淡淡地说了最后一句，露出个似笑非笑的神情，最后消失在众人视线中。
Once he was sure that Li Fan had left, the hall erupted into a flurry of activity.
děng què dìng lǐ fán yǐ jīng lí kāi hòu ， dà tīng nèi dùn shí fèi téng qǐ lái 。
等确定李凡已经离开后，大厅内顿时沸腾起来。
"What does Secret Envoy Sir intend? Simply telling us this after traveling such a long distance?"
「 mì shǐ dà rén zhè jiū jìng shì hé yì a ？ bǎ wǒ men dà lǎo yuǎn hǎn guò lái ， jiù shì zhè me jiǎn dān yī jù huà ？」
「秘使大人这究竟是何意啊？把我们大老远喊过来，就是这么简单一句话？」
"Strange! Truly strange!"
「 gǔ guài ！ dàng zhēn gǔ guài ！」
「古怪！当真古怪！」
"A cave at the bottom of the sea might be an ancient sect's ruins. Sigh, something that can be called an opportunity and warrants such attention must be significant!"
「 hǎi dǐ dòng fǔ ， huò xǔ shì shàng gǔ zōng mén yí zhǐ ？ sī ， néng bèi dà rén chēng zhī wèi jī yuán 、 bìng qiě rú cǐ xīng shī dòng zhòng de ， kěn
「海底洞府，或许是上古宗门遗址？嘶，能被大人称之为机缘、并且如此兴师动众的，肯
...
dìng fēi tóng xiǎo kě a ！」
定非同小可啊！」
The cultivators were excited as they discussed.
……
……
He Zhenghao was even more perplexed, his mind filled with questions.
zhòng rén liǎn sè xīng fèn ， yì lùn fēn fēn 。
众人脸色兴奋，议论纷纷。
"Friend Daoist He, do you know any insider information?"
ér hé zhèng hào xīn zhōng gèng shì yí lǜ cóng shēng ， mǎn shì bù jiě 。
而何正浩心中更是疑虑丛生，满是不解。
At this moment, he heard Gao Yuan's voice through the transmission.
「 hé dào yǒu ， kě shì zhī dào diǎn nèi mù ？」
「何道友，可是知道点内幕？」
After a brief contemplation, He Zhenghao explained to Gao Yuan what had happened recently, hoping for his advice.
jiù zài zhè shí ， tā hū de tīng dào le gāo yuǎn de chuán yīn 。
就在这时，他忽的听到了高远的传音。
"The Cunyun Sea is about to experience some changes?" Gao Yuan was surprised but kept silent.
chén yín piàn kè ， hé zhèng hào hái shì wèi gāo yuǎn jiǎn dān jiě shì le xià zuì jìn fā shēng de shì qíng ， xiǎng yào tīng tīng tā de yì jiàn 。
沉吟片刻，何正浩还是为高远简单解释了下最近发生的事情，想要听听他的意见。
"But Sir said he wouldn’t leave. After questioning your intentions, he announced the opportunity from the cave…"
「 cóng yún hǎi jí jiāng yǒu biàn gù fā shēng ？」 gāo yuǎn xiān shì yī jīng ， dàn què bù dòng shēng sè 。
「丛云海即将有变故发生？」高远先是一惊，但却不动声色。
Gao Yuan’s mind raced as he quickly thought through it.
「 dàn dà rén què shuō tā zì jǐ bú huì lí kāi 。 zhì wèn nǐ yì yù hé wèi hòu ， yòu xuān bù dòng fǔ jī yuán ……」
「但大人却说他自己不会离开。质问你意欲何为后，又宣布洞府机缘……」
Soon, a realization struck him.
gāo yuǎn xīn niàn jí zhuǎn ， xùn sù sī kǎo qǐ lái 。
高远心念急转，迅速思考起来。
"Ah, I see!"
bù duō shí ， gāo yuǎn xīn zhōng yī dòng ， yǒu liǎo jié guǒ 。
不多时，高远心中一动，有了结果。
"Brother Gao, teach me!" He Zhenghao seemed to have found his savior and eagerly asked.
「 yuán lái rú cǐ ！」
「原来如此！」
"Why is Sir using this opportunity of the cave to awaken us? What is the reason behind his unwillingness to leave when there are changes in Cunyun Sea?"
「 gāo xiōng jiào wǒ ！」 hé zhèng hào fǎng fú zhǎo dào le jiù xīng bān ， lián máng zhuī wèn 。
「高兄教我！」何正浩仿佛找到了救星般，连忙追问。
"Because opportunities come with risks!" Gao Yuan said excitedly. "Given the resources at his disposal, he still values this opportunity so much…"
「 dà rén shì zài yòng zhè dòng fǔ jī yuán yī shì ， diǎn xǐng wǒ men 。 cóng yún hǎi yǒu yì biàn fā shēng ， dà rén què bù yuàn yì lí kāi ， zhè shì wèi hé ？」
「大人是在用这洞府机缘一事，点醒我们。丛云海有异变发生，大人却不愿意离开，这是为何？」
"It must be that step to ascend to heaven!"
「 yīn wèi jī yuán yǔ wēi jī bìng cún ！」 gāo yuǎn xīng fèn dì shuō dào ，「 yǐ dà rén rú jīn suǒ néng zhǎng wò de zī yuán ， tā hái rú cǐ kàn zhòng de jī yuán ……」
「因为机缘与危机并存！」高远兴奋地说道，「以大人如今所能掌握的资源，他还如此看重的机缘……」
"The Heavenly Essence?"
「 kǒng pà wéi yǒu nà yī bù dēng tiān ……」
「恐怕唯有那一步登天……」
He Zhenghao and Gao Yuan’s eyes met as they realized.
「 tiān dì zhī pò ？」
「天地之魄？」
"Ah, I see…" He Zhenghao murmured, as if everything made sense now.
hé zhèng hào gēn gāo yuǎn shì xiàn jiāo huì ， xiǎng dào le yī chù 。
何正浩跟高远视线交汇，想到了一处。
"If Sir falls from the Immortal Realm and wishes to re-attain immortality, he must follow the new steps. For him, this opportunity of merging with the Dao cannot be missed. I heard that when the Heavenly Essence descends, it will surely cause a storm. Not only would we Golden Core cultivators not escape, but even Yuan婴 and Transcendence might not be spared."
「 yuán lái shì zhè yàng ……」 hé zhèng hào nán nán zì yǔ ， fǎng fú yī qiè jiē dōu shuō tōng le bān 。
「原来是这样……」何正浩喃喃自语，仿佛一切皆都说通了般。
"The Heavenly Essence is about to descend; we must not speak openly about this. Perhaps unforeseen changes may occur due to divine感应. As Sir's old subordinates, he cannot bear to see us perish in the calamity. Thus, he uses this method to awaken us."
「 dà rén cóng cháng shēng jìng diē luò xiū wèi ， xiǎng yào chóng xīn zhèng dào zhǎng shēng ， kǒng pà réng rán yào àn zhào xīn fǎ de bù zhòu lái 。 duì tā ér yán ， kěn dìng bú huì fàng guò zhè ge hé dào de jī huì 。 wǒ tīng wén ， tiān dì zhī pò jiàng shì ， bì rán huì xiān qǐ yī zhèn xīng fēng xuè yǔ 。 dào shí hòu bú yào shuō wǒ men zhè xiē jīn dān xiū shì le ， jiù suàn shì yuán yīng 、 huà shén ， yě wèi bì néng xìng miǎn yú nán 。」
「大人从长生境跌落修为，想要重新证道长生，恐怕仍然要按照新法的步骤来。对他而言，肯定不会放过这个合道的机会。我听闻，天地之魄降世，必然会掀起一阵腥风血雨。到时候不要说我们这些金丹修士了，就算是元婴、化神，也未必能幸免于难。」
...
「 tiān dì zhī pò jí jiāng jiàng shì ， cǐ shì bù néng zhí yán 。 shuō bù dìng tiān jī gǎn yìng xià ， yòu huì yǒu biàn shù fā shēng 。 ér wǒ děng shēn wèi dà rén de lǎo bù xià ， dà rén tā yòu bù rěn kàn wǒ men bái bái zài jié nàn zhōng sàng mìng 。 yú shì lìng pì xī jìng ， yòng zhè zhǒng fāng fǎ diǎn xǐng wǒ men 。」
「天地之魄即将降世，此事不能直言。说不定天机感应下，又会有变数发生。而我等身为大人的老部下，大人他又不忍看我们白白在劫难中丧命。于是另辟蹊径，用这种方法点醒我们。」
He Zhenghao suddenly understood.
……
……
His heart was filled with excitement but also with an emotion he shouldn’t have had.
hé zhèng hào huǎng rán dà wù 。
何正浩恍然大悟。
"The Heavenly Essence..."
xīn zhōng jī dòng bù yǐ de tóng shí ， yòu méng fā le mǒu zhǒng bù gāi yǒu de qíng xù 。
心中激动不已的同时，又萌发了某种不该有的情绪。
He Zhenghao’s eyes narrowed.
「 tiān dì zhī pò a ……」
「天地之魄啊……」
"So, Brother Gao, what do you think?" After a while, he looked at the equally agitated Gao Yuan and asked.
hé zhèng hào de yǎn jīng mī qǐ 。
何正浩的眼睛眯起。
"Do you know this phrase, Friend Daoist He?" Gao Yuan looked at him.
「 nà me gāo xiōng ， nǐ shì zěn me xiǎng de ？」 guò le huì ， tā kàn zhe tóng yàng liǎn sè biàn huàn bù dìng de gāo yuǎn ， xún wèn dào 。
「那么高兄，你是怎么想的？」过了会，他看着同样脸色变幻不定的高远，询问道。
"What?"
「 hé dào yǒu ， bù zhī nǐ kě tīng guò yī jù huà ？」 gāo yuǎn kàn zhe hé zhèng hào 。
「何道友，不知你可听过一句话？」高远看着何正浩。
"Great merit comes from following the Dragon!" Gao Yuan said softly.
「 shén me ？」
「什么？」
"If Sir succeeds in merging with the Dao, what will happen to us, his loyal subordinates who still remain and support him..."
「 gōng mò dà yú cóng lóng a ！」 gāo yuǎn yǔ qì yōu yōu dào 。
「功莫大于从龙啊！」高远语气幽幽道。
He Zhenghao’s heart was suddenly filled with ambition.
「 rú guǒ dà rén chéng gōng hé dào ， ér wǒ men zhè xiē yī rán jiān shǒu péi bàn de xià shǔ ……」
「如果大人成功合道，而我们这些依然坚守陪伴的下属……」
In his mind, a thought that he had never dared to express surfaced.
hé zhèng hào tīng zhe ， xīn zhōng yě hū de rán qǐ le yě xīn de huǒ yàn 。
何正浩听着，心中也忽的燃起了野心的火焰。
The one who receives the Heavenly Essence is the virtuous.
shèn zhì ， zài tā de nǎo hǎi shēn chù ， hái fú xiàn le mǒu gè gēn běn bù gǎn biǎo lù bàn fēn de xiǎng fǎ 。
甚至，在他的脑海深处，还浮现了某个根本不敢表露半分的想法。
If Secret Envoy Sir fails in invoking the Heavenly Essence, could I perhaps have a chance?
tiān dì zhī pò ， yǒu dé zhě jū zhī 。
天地之魄，有德者居之。
After all, such events did occur in history within the Xuanhuang Realm.
"Scaring me about what?"
This was akin to a statement that would strike at one's heart. Upon hearing this, He Zhenghao immediately broke out in cold sweat.
"I have no other intentions, Sir! Please be clear!" He responded promptly.
"Think it over and take care of yourself!" Li Fan snorted coldly before the shadowy figure shattered and vanished without a trace.
After a long while, He Zhenghao finally dared to straighten his hunched back.
He wiped away the sweat on his forehead and took a deep breath. Suddenly, he remembered that his daughter was nearby and coughed, instantly returning to normal.
Fortunately, He Xinxin did not notice her father's embarrassment but instead patted her chest and said with wonder, "Senior Li has such a powerful presence! Compared to those Daoist Sages we saw at home before, it’s almost the same. I was really scared."
"Hmph, that is natural. The Secret Envoy might be…" He Zhenghao stopped mid-sentence as he realized his mistake.
Fortunately, his daughter did not notice either, and He Zhenghao changed the subject.
"What exactly did Sir say?"
"He didn't deny Xinxin's deduction outright but said he wouldn’t leave…"
After a moment, Li Fan noticed that He Zhenghao’s eyes flickered with concern.
"Could it be that there really will be an upheaval in the Cunyun Sea?"
He fell into deep thought.
Meanwhile, in the depths of the Administration Hall, where every change in He Zhenghao's expression was observed by Li Fan, his heart remained undisturbed.
"Abandoning power and fleeing far away. Or clinging to hope, unwilling to leave for wealth and power…"
"Friend Daoist He, which path will you choose?"
Based on his understanding of He Zhenghao, Li Fan had no doubt that he would stay in the Cunyun Sea but still hoped this world's He Zhenghao might bring a surprise.
No longer focusing on He Zhenghao, Li Fan used the Secret Envoy order to gather many members from within the system.
"Sir hasn't called us for some time. Is there any urgent matter?"
"There doesn’t seem to be anything pressing; I haven’t heard of any important tasks recently," the crowd murmured.
He Zhenghao was still in a state of indecision, his expression fluctuating.
Gao Yuan noticed this and wore a thoughtful look but did not immediately ask. He noted it down instead.
Soon after everyone arrived, Li Fan appeared leisurely.
"Salutations, Secret Envoy!" The crowd bowed.
"Do not be formal; sit down," Li Fan said kindly.
"I called you all here today for no urgent matter. You know, as the Secret Envoy of Cunyun Immortal City, I have always been uninvolved in affairs. The governance of Cunyun Sea has never been neglected and even ranked higher than other regions each year. This is due to everyone's hard work," Li Fan paused, sweeping his gaze over them before continuing.
"Reciprocating kindness with kindness. Recently, I deduced a new opportunity that I wish to share with you all."
The cultivators' eyes lit up at this news. Who was Li Fan? He was someone who would not even consider a million contributions points.
His deduction must be significant! They looked at him expectantly.
"I have deduced that soon, a cave will rise from the bottom of Cunyun Sea. The opportunity lies within!" Li Fan said solemnly.
This caused some agitation among the cultivators.
"Of course, opportunities come with risks. Whether you choose to pursue it is up to your own decision," Li Fan said calmly and disappeared in their sight.
Once he was sure that Li Fan had left, the hall erupted into a flurry of activity.
"What does Secret Envoy Sir intend? Simply telling us this after traveling such a long distance?"
"Strange! Truly strange!"
"A cave at the bottom of the sea might be an ancient sect's ruins. Sigh, something that can be called an opportunity and warrants such attention must be significant!"
...
The cultivators were excited as they discussed.
He Zhenghao was even more perplexed, his mind filled with questions.
"Friend Daoist He, do you know any insider information?"
At this moment, he heard Gao Yuan's voice through the transmission.
After a brief contemplation, He Zhenghao explained to Gao Yuan what had happened recently, hoping for his advice.
"The Cunyun Sea is about to experience some changes?" Gao Yuan was surprised but kept silent.
"But Sir said he wouldn’t leave. After questioning your intentions, he announced the opportunity from the cave…"
Gao Yuan’s mind raced as he quickly thought through it.
Soon, a realization struck him.
"Ah, I see!"
"Brother Gao, teach me!" He Zhenghao seemed to have found his savior and eagerly asked.
"Why is Sir using this opportunity of the cave to awaken us? What is the reason behind his unwillingness to leave when there are changes in Cunyun Sea?"
"Because opportunities come with risks!" Gao Yuan said excitedly. "Given the resources at his disposal, he still values this opportunity so much…"
"It must be that step to ascend to heaven!"
"The Heavenly Essence?"
He Zhenghao and Gao Yuan’s eyes met as they realized.
"Ah, I see…" He Zhenghao murmured, as if everything made sense now.
"If Sir falls from the Immortal Realm and wishes to re-attain immortality, he must follow the new steps. For him, this opportunity of merging with the Dao cannot be missed. I heard that when the Heavenly Essence descends, it will surely cause a storm. Not only would we Golden Core cultivators not escape, but even Yuan婴 and Transcendence might not be spared."
"The Heavenly Essence is about to descend; we must not speak openly about this. Perhaps unforeseen changes may occur due to divine感应. As Sir's old subordinates, he cannot bear to see us perish in the calamity. Thus, he uses this method to awaken us."
...
He Zhenghao suddenly understood.
His heart was filled with excitement but also with an emotion he shouldn’t have had.
"The Heavenly Essence..."
He Zhenghao’s eyes narrowed.
"So, Brother Gao, what do you think?" After a while, he looked at the equally agitated Gao Yuan and asked.
"Do you know this phrase, Friend Daoist He?" Gao Yuan looked at him.
"What?"
"Great merit comes from following the Dragon!" Gao Yuan said softly.
"If Sir succeeds in merging with the Dao, what will happen to us, his loyal subordinates who still remain and support him..."
He Zhenghao’s heart was suddenly filled with ambition.
In his mind, a thought that he had never dared to express surfaced.
The one who receives the Heavenly Essence is the virtuous.
If Secret Envoy Sir fails in invoking the Heavenly Essence, could I perhaps have a chance?
After all, such events did occur in history within the Xuanhuang Realm.