zài dà wēn yì shí dài de mò qī ， zài xiū xiān zhě men de qiǎng pò xià ， jué dà duō shù de fán rén yǐ jīng bèi qiān xǐ dào le gè chù dòng tiān 、 xiǎo shì jiè zhī zhōng 。
在大瘟疫时代的末期，在修仙者们的强迫下，绝大多数的凡人已经被迁徙到了各处洞天、小世界之中。
During the late period of the Great Plague Era, under the forced migration by cultivators, most ordinary people had been relocated to various Immortal Realms and small worlds.
dàn jǐn jiē zhe xiān fǎ bù kě tóng xiū de yǐng xiǎng yuè lái yuè qiáng ， xiū xiān zhě men zuì zhōng méi néng táo tuō zì xiāng cán shā de mìng yùn 。 xiān mén pò miè ， xiū xiān wén míng yě yíng lái le yī duàn zhǎng shí jiān de zhì àn shí qī 。
但紧接着仙法不可同修的影响越来越强，修仙者们最终没能逃脱自相残杀的命运。仙门破灭，修仙文明也迎来了一段长时间的至暗时期。
But as the influence of immortal techniques not being able to be practiced simultaneously grew stronger, cultivators ultimately failed to escape their self-inflicted fate. The Immortal Sects fell apart, and the era of cultivation civilization entered a long period of darkness.
zhèng suǒ wèi cǐ xiāo bǐ zhǎng 。
正所谓此消彼长。
As they say, every rise has its fall.
xiū xiān zhě men de shù liàng jí dù jiǎn shǎo 、 jìn hū miè jué 。 dàn shì fán rén men ， què rú tóng shēng mìng lì wàng shèng de zá cǎo bān ， chóng xīn cóng shì jiè gè dì mào le chū lái 。
修仙者们的数量极度减少、近乎灭绝。但是凡人们，却如同生命力旺盛的杂草般，重新从世界各地冒了出来。
The number of cultivators drastically reduced, nearly leading to extinction. However, ordinary people, like tenacious weeds, re-emerged from all corners of the world.
duì yú zhè xiē xīn dàn shēng de fán rén men de lái lì ， yǒu rén shuō shì dāng chū dà qiān yí yùn dòng zhōng de lòu wǎng zhī yú 。 yě yǒu rén shuō shì xiū xiān zhě men dàn xià de hòu dài 。 yě yǒu rén shuō ， shì xiǎo shì jiè de fán rén men tū pò le xiān jué dà zhèn de fēng suǒ ， chóng xīn fǎn huí 。
对于这些新诞生的凡人们的来历，有人说是当初大迁移运动中的漏网之鱼。也有人说是修仙者们诞下的后代。也有人说，是小世界的凡人们突破了仙绝大阵的封锁，重新返回。
Regarding the origin of these newly born ordinary people, some said they were remnants of the Great Migration Movement. Others believed they were descendants of cultivators. Still, others claimed that the people from small worlds had broken through the封锁 of the Immortal Desolation Array and returned.
zǒng zhī ， dāng xiū xiān zhě men màn màn xiāo shī zài dà dì zhī shàng de shí hòu 。 xuán huáng jiè de fán rén men yě kāi shǐ zài jiā fèng zhōng zhú jiàn zhuàng dà 。
总之，当修仙者们慢慢消失在大地之上的时候。玄黄界的凡人们也开始在夹缝中逐渐壮大。
In any case, as the cultivators slowly vanished from the earth, the people in the Xuanhuang Realm began to gradually grow stronger amidst the cracks.
gēn fán rén men yī tóng chū xiàn de ， hái yǒu xuán huáng qīng xīn zhòu 。
跟凡人们一同出现的，还有玄黄清心咒。
Along with ordinary people came the Xuanhuang Qixin Spell.
jiù xiàng shì bù zhī cóng hé ér qǐ de mín yáo 、 chuán shuō yì bān 。 kǒu kǒu xiāng chuán zhī xià ， jī hū suǒ yǒu rén lèi de zú qún ， dōu zhī xiǎo le zhè zhǒng néng gòu shǐ de fán rén bǎi tuō xiān fán zhàng yǐng xiǎng 、 chóng xīn tà shàng xiū xíng lù de fāng fǎ 。
就像是不知从何而起的民谣、传说一般。口口相传之下，几乎所有人类的族群，都知晓了这种能够使得凡人摆脱仙凡瘴影响、重新踏上修行路的方法。
Like an unknown folk song or legend that spread through oral tradition, almost all human tribes knew this method that could free ordinary people from the Immortal-Demon Mist and allow them to embark on their path of cultivation.
xiàn zài de xiū xíng zhě men cāi cè ， zhè hěn yǒu kě néng shì wàn xiān méng nà wèi shén mì de dōng jí tiān zūn de shǒu bǐ 。
现在的修行者们猜测，这很有可能是万仙盟那位神秘的东极天尊的手笔。
The current cultivators speculated that this might have been the work of the mysterious Eastern Heaven Supreme Master in the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
yīn wèi tóng yàng néng gòu qū chú xiān fán zhàng de jìng tǐ líng chí ， zhèng shì dōng jí tiān zūn suǒ chuàng 。 hěn yǒu kě néng ， xuán huáng qīng xīn zhòu ， jiù shì dōng jí tiān zūn zài chuàng zào chū jìng tǐ líng chí qián de cháng shì 。
因为同样能够祛除仙凡瘴的净体灵池，正是东极天尊所创。很有可能，玄黄清心咒，就是东极天尊在创造出净体灵池前的尝试。
Since the Spirit Token of Purification, which can also remove the Immortal-Demon Mist, was created by the Eastern Heaven Supreme Master, it was likely that the Xuanhuang Qixin Spell was his attempt before creating the Spirit Token of Purification.
dàn rú jīn yǐ jīng zhī xiǎo xuán huáng qīng xīn zhòu zhēn miàn mù dì lǐ fán míng bái ， zhè zhǒng kě néng xìng hěn dī 。
但如今已经知晓玄黄清心咒真面目的李凡明白，这种可能性很低。
But Li Fan, who had already uncovered the true nature of the Xuanhuang Qixin Spell, knew this possibility was low.
dōng jí tiān zūn ， zhè wèi míng yì shàng de wàn xiān méng lǐng xiù ， zhǐ zài wàn xiān méng zuì chū yǒu jì zǎi de lì shǐ zhōng chū xiàn guò liáo liáo jǐ cì ， suí hòu jiù chè dǐ shī zōng bú jiàn 。
东极天尊，这位名义上的万仙盟领袖，只在万仙盟最初有记载的历史中出现过寥寥几次，随后就彻底失踪不见。
The Eastern Heaven Supreme Master, who was supposed to be the leader of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, only appeared a few times in the earliest recorded history. He then disappeared completely.
yǔ qí shuō tā shì yī wèi zhēn xiān ， lǐ fán rèn wéi ， tā gèng yǒu kě néng shì gēn zì jǐ yī yàng ， fā xiàn le xuán huáng qīng xīn zhòu de ào mì 。
与其说他是一位真仙，李凡认为，他更有可能是跟自己一样，发现了玄黄清心咒的奥秘。
Rather than being a true immortal, Li Fan believed that he more likely discovered the secrets of the Xuanhuang Qixin Spell and was inspired to create the Spirit Token of Purification.
shòu dào qǐ fā ， suí hòu fāng cái chuàng zào le jìng tǐ líng chí 。
受到启发，随后方才创造了净体灵池。
"Perhaps, the disappearance of the Eastern Heaven Supreme Master is also related to the Xuanhuang Immortal Heart Spell?" this thought flashed through Li Fan's mind.
“ huò xǔ ， dōng jí tiān zūn de shī zōng ， yě gēn xuán huáng xiān xīn zhòu yǒu guān ？” lǐ fán de nǎo hǎi zhōng bù jīn fú xiàn chū zhè ge niàn tou 。
“或许，东极天尊的失踪，也跟玄黄仙心咒有关？”李凡的脑海中不禁浮现出这个念头。
When Li Fan wanted to look up information about the Eastern Heaven Supreme Master, he found himself facing a blank slate, with no additional records.
ér děng lǐ fán xiǎng yào chá zhǎo dōng jí tiān zūn de zī liào shí ， què hé zhī qián yī yàng ， jìn hū yí piàn kòng bái 、 méi yǒu sī háo duō yú de jì zǎi 。
而等李凡想要查找东极天尊的资料时，却和之前一样，近乎一片空白、没有丝毫多余的记载。
This was clearly inconsistent with his status as the leader of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
zhè xiǎn rán gēn wàn xiān méng lǐng xiù de shēn fèn ， shì wán quán bù xiāng fú de 。
这显然跟万仙盟领袖的身份，是完全不相符的。
"Truly terrifying to think about."
“ zhēn shì ràng rén xì sī jí kǒng 。”
“真是让人细思极恐。”
Li Fan decided not to delve deeper and instead focused on comprehending the Xuanhuang Qixin Spell more thoroughly.
lǐ fán yú shì bù zài shēn jiū ， zhuǎn ér zài dù zǐ xì gǎn wù qǐ xuán huáng xiān xīn zhòu qǐ lái 。
李凡于是不再深究，转而再度仔细感悟起玄黄仙心咒起来。
Half a month later, Li Fan convened everyone in the Office of Administration once again.
bàn gè yuè zhī hòu ， lǐ fán zài dù yú bù zhèng táng zhào jí yī zhòng rén děng 。
半个月之后，李凡再度于布政堂召集一众人等。
Initially thinking that Li Fan had some major news to announce, they were surprised when he informed them that he was about to retreat into seclusion.
yuán běn hái yǐ wéi lǐ fán yòu yǒu shén me zhòng bàng xiāo xī yào xuān bù ， bù xiǎng děng lái de què shì lǐ fán yòu yào bì guān de xùn xī 。
原本还以为李凡又有什么重磅消息要宣布，不想等来的却是李凡又要闭关的讯息。
"Didn't you just come out of your seclusion? Are you going back in now? Could it be that ancient cultivators are all so diligent?"
“ bú shì gāng chū guān bù jiǔ ma ？ yòu yào bì guān le ？ nán bù chéng shàng gǔ xiū shì xiū xíng qǐ lái ， dōu shì rú cǐ qín fèn ？”
“不是刚出关不久嘛？又要闭关了？难不成上古修士修行起来，都是如此勤奋？”
"Not lacking in contributions, the Secret Envoy can stay in the启灵state and find cultivation a pleasure. I could do the same."
“ mì shǐ dà rén tā bù quē gòng xiàn dù ， kě yǐ cháng zhù 【 qǐ líng 】 zhuàng tài ， xiū xíng jiǎn zhí shì yī zhǒng xiǎng shòu 。 huàn wǒ yě kě yǐ 。”
“秘使大人他不缺贡献度，可以常驻【启灵】状态，修行简直是一种享受。换我也可以。”
"Previously, there were rumors saying that the大人 has already recovered to the Golden Core Realm. Could he be about to breakthrough to the Transcendental Realm now?"
“ zhī qián yǒu xiǎo dào xiāo xī chēng ， dà rén yǐ jīng huī fù dào yuán yīng jìng jiè le 。 nán bù chéng ， xiàn zài tā yòu yào tū pò dào huà shén le ？”
“之前有小道消息称，大人已经恢复到元婴境界了。难不成，现在他又要突破到化神了？”
...
……
……
The crowd discussed fervently, except for He Zhenghao who seemed thoughtful.
zhòng rén yì lùn fēn fēn zhōng ， wéi yǒu hé zhèng hào ruò yǒu suǒ sī 。
众人议论纷纷中，唯有何正浩若有所思。
"It seems this is the Secret Envoy preparing for the descent of the Heavenly Soul."
“ kàn lái ， zhè yīng gāi shì mì shǐ dà rén zài wèi tiān dì zhī pò de jiàng lín zuò zhǔn bèi 。”
“看来，这应该是秘使大人在为天地之魄的降临做准备。”
He glanced at Zhou Qingang beside him casually.
tā bù jīng yì de piē xiàng le yī páng de zhōu qīng áng 。
他不经意的瞥向了一旁的周青昂。
When the Secret Envoy announced it, there was no unusual expression on his face, indicating he had known about it long ago.
mì shǐ dà rén xuān bù cǐ shì de shí hòu ， tā liǎn shàng háo wú yì sè ， xiǎn rán shì duì cǐ zǎo yǐ jīng zhī xiǎo le 。
秘使大人宣布此事的时候，他脸上毫无异色，显然是对此早已经知晓了。
Thinking back to when he was trusted by the Secret Envoy, regret washed over him due to his momentary greed that allowed this young man to take his trust.
xiǎng dào zuì kāi shǐ de shí hòu ， míng míng shì zì jǐ zuì shòu mì shǐ dà rén xìn lài de 。 kě xī yīn wèi zì jǐ yī shí tān niàn ， ràng zhè xiǎo zi bǎ xìn rèn gěi qiǎng le guò qù 。
想到最开始的时候，明明是自己最受秘使大人信赖的。可惜因为自己一时贪念，让这小子把信任给抢了过去。
Feeling uncomfortable, He Zhenghao's eyes flickered as an idea formed in his mind.
niàn jí cǐ chù ， hé zhèng hào xīn zhōng jiù yǒng qǐ yī zhèn bù shū fú 。
念及此处，何正浩心中就涌起一阵不舒服。
He whispered to Zhou Qingang: "How is your cultivation state recently, Fellow Daoist?"
yǎn jīng yī zhuǎn ， tā de xīn zhōng shà shí jiān fú xiàn chū yí gè xiǎng fǎ 。
眼睛一转，他的心中霎时间浮现出一个想法。
Zhou Qingang looked surprised at the sudden approach from He Zhenghao and thought for a moment before understanding his intentions.
yú shì cháo zhe zhōu qīng áng chuán yīn guò qù ：“ zhōu dào yǒu zuì jìn xiū xíng zhuàng tài rú hé ？”
于是朝着周青昂传音过去：“周道友最近修行状态如何？”
With a sneer, he replied: "Ha ha, Brother He, you jest. You know that the Secret Envoy doesn't handle administrative matters; all minor affairs are left to us. With Gao Yuan's help, I was already busy enough. But now that he has taken leave, it’s even more hectic."
zhōu qīng áng yǒu xiē chà yì de kàn zhe qián lái dā shàn de hé zhèng hào ， xiǎng le xiǎng ， dùn shí zhī dào le tā dǎ dī xiǎo zhǔ yì 。
周青昂有些诧异的看着前来搭讪的何正浩，想了想，顿时知道了他打的小主意。
"Dealing with daily governance consumes most of my time; how could I possibly find a moment for cultivation?"
xīn zhōng lěng xiào ， yú shì shùn zhe hé zhèng hào de huà huí dá dào ：“ hē hē ， hé xiōng shuō xiào le 。 nǐ yě zhī mì shǐ dà rén bù guǎn zhèng wù ， dà xiǎo suǒ shì jǐn jiē jiāo yǔ wǒ men chǔ lǐ 。 yuán běn hái yǒu gāo yuǎn bāng máng fēn dān ， kě bù jiǔ qián tā yě gào jià wài chū ， yú shì gèng jiā máng lù le 。”
心中冷笑，于是顺着何正浩的话回答道：“呵呵，何兄说笑了。你也知秘使大人不管政务，大小琐事尽皆交予我们处理。原本还有高远帮忙分担，可不久前他也告假外出，于是更加忙碌了。”
He Zhenghao pretended to agree and sighed in agreement.
“ měi tiān guāng chǔ lǐ zhèng shì dōu yǐ jīng xiāo hào le jué dà duō shù de shí jiān ， yòu nǎ lǐ néng gòu jìng xīn xiū xíng ne 。”
“每天光处理政事都已经消耗了绝大多数的时间，又哪里能够静心修行呢。”
But quickly, his tone changed: "I have something to say, Fellow Daoist. Would you be willing to listen?"
hé zhèng hào zhuāng zuò shí fēn zàn tóng de yàng zi ， tàn le kǒu qì ， fù hè qǐ lái 。
何正浩装作十分赞同的样子，叹了口气，附和起来。
Zhou Qingang was taken aback but quickly replied: "Brother He, please speak."
bù guò hěn kuài ， tā jiù huà fēng yī zhuǎn 。
不过很快，他就话锋一转。
He Zhenghao said seriously: "You have done your best to alleviate the burden on the Secret Envoy; that's commendable."
“ wǒ yǒu yī yán ， dào yǒu bù zhī kě yuàn tīng fǒu ？”
“我有一言，道友不知可愿听否？”
"But..."
zhōu qīng áng xiān shì lèng zhù ， suí hòu lián máng shuō dào ：“ hé xiōng qǐng jiǎng 。”
周青昂先是愣住，随后连忙说道：“何兄请讲。”
He Zhenghao said earnestly: "It takes hard work to forge one’s own strength! Even if you are favored by the Master, your power is only at the Golden Core stage. Moreover, it’s the weakest early-stage Golden Core. Here in this small Congyun Sea, you can still control your subordinates. But as the Master's cultivation recovers and his realm rises, he will have a gathering of Transcendental Realm and Golden Core cultivators. If you don't advance, how could you command their respect?"
hé zhèng hào zhèng sè dào ：“ dào yǒu jìn xīn jìn lì wèi mì shǐ dà rén fēn yōu ， gù rán bù cuò 。”
何正浩正色道：“道友尽心尽力为秘使大人分忧，固然不错。”
Zhou Qingang’s expression changed slightly.
“ dàn ……”
“但……”
Initially, he seemed ready to argue but soon fell into deep thought.
hé zhèng hào yǔ zhòng xīn cháng dào ：“ dǎ tiě hái xū zì shēn yìng ！ jiù suàn zài zěn me shòu dà rén qīng lài ， nǐ de shí lì bì jìng zhǐ yǒu jīn dān 。 hái qiě hái shì zuì ruò de jīn dān qián qī 。 rú jīn zài zhè xiǎo xiǎo de cóng yún hǎi ， shàng qiě hái néng zhèn zhù shǒu xià 。 dàn suí zhe dà rén xiū wèi bù duàn huī fù ， zì shēn jìng jiè yuè lái yuè gāo 。 nà shí tā shǒu xià dìng rán shì huà shén 、 yuán yīng yún jí 。 dào yǒu rú guǒ guǒ bù bù qián ， dào shí hòu yòu qǐ néng fú zhòng ？”
何正浩语重心长道：“打铁还需自身硬！就算再怎么受大人青睐，你的实力毕竟只有金丹。还且还是最弱的金丹前期。如今在这小小的丛云海，尚且还能镇住手下。但随着大人修为不断恢复，自身境界越来越高。那时他手下定然是化神、元婴云集。道友如果裹步不前，到时候又岂能服众？”
Seeing this, He Zhenghao felt secretly pleased.
zhōu qīng áng wén yán ， miàn sè wēi biàn 。
周青昂闻言，面色微变。
"The words of Gao Yuan are indeed effective. Had I not been so resolute in my heart, I might have been swayed by him back then," He Zhenghao thought to himself.
xiān shì yī fù zhāng zuǐ yù fǎn bó de yàng zi ， kě hòu lái hěn kuài jiù xiàn rù le chén sī 。
先是一副张嘴欲反驳的样子，可后来很快就陷入了沉思。
After a long while, Zhou Qingang seemed to understand and looked bitter: "Your words make sense. But I am too busy; how can I focus on cultivation?"
hé zhèng hào jiàn zhuàng ， xīn zhōng bù jīn àn zì dé yì 。
何正浩见状，心中不禁暗自得意。
He Zhenghao’s face brightened: "Fellow Daoist Zhou, why not follow Gao Yuan's example? There must be great opportunities in the ruins of the Tao Yuan Sect. If you could obtain them, at the very least, your realm would advance by a small step. Even breaking through to the Golden Core Realm is possible."
“ gāo yuǎn de zhè fān shuō cí ， hái zhēn shì hǎo yòng 。 ruò bú shì wǒ dào xīn jiān dìng ， pà bú shì dāng chū jiù xiǎn xiē bèi tā shuō fú le 。” hé zhèng hào àn zì xiǎng dào 。
“高远的这番说辞，还真是好用。若不是我道心坚定，怕不是当初就险些被他说服了。”何正浩暗自想到。
Zhou Qingang hesitated.
xǔ jiǔ zhī hòu ， zhōu qīng áng sì hū xiǎng qīng chǔ le ， miàn lù kǔ sè 。
许久之后，周青昂似乎想清楚了，面露苦涩。
But He Zhenghao preempted him: "I know what you're worried about—fear of neglecting administrative duties. Don't worry; I'm here! Since this adds another task, it doesn’t matter if there’s one more!"
“ dào yǒu shuō de zài lǐ 。 kě wǒ dí què tuō bù kāi shēn ， nán yǐ jìng xīn xiū xíng a 。” tā kàn zhe hé zhèng hào shuō dào 。
“道友说的在理。可我的确脱不开身，难以静心修行啊。”他看着何正浩说道。
Zhou Qingang looked doubtful: "If that's the case, why don't you go? When did you start caring so much for your colleagues?"
hé zhèng hào shén sè yī zhèn ：“ zhōu dào yǒu hé bù xiào páng gāo yuǎn xíng shì ？ nà cháo yuán zōng yí jì nèi ， dìng rán yǒu mò dà jī yuán 。 rú néng jiāng qí huò dé ， shǎo shuō yě yào tí shēng yí gè xiǎo jìng jiè 。 nǎ pà shì tū pò zhì yuán yīng jìng ， yě bú shì bù kě néng 。”
何正浩神色一振：“周道友何不效彷高远行事？那朝元宗遗迹内，定然有莫大机缘。如能将其获得，少说也要提升一个小境界。哪怕是突破至元婴境，也不是不可能。”
He Zhenghao showed an unhappy expression: "That’s not the point. The Secret Envoy reminded us to prioritize unity. To help my two brothers advance in cultivation, I worked hard for a while—what’s wrong with that?"
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"Remember, as the Secret Envoy's cultivation improves, more people will follow him. We are natural allies; helping you is helping myself."
zhōu qīng áng yù yán yòu zhǐ 。
周青昂欲言又止。
He Zhenghao paused, observing Zhou Qingang's expression before continuing: "Moreover, recently, I have had some insights and might be close to breaking through to the Golden Core Realm within ten years!"
hé zhèng hào què qiǎng xiān dào ：“ wǒ zhī dào dào yǒu dān xīn shén me ， bù jiù shì pà dān wù le zhèng wù ma 。 fàng xīn ， yǒu wǒ zài ！ jì rán duō le yī fèn chāi shì ， yě bù zài hū zài duō shàng yī fèn ！”
何正浩却抢先道：“我知道道友担心什么，不就是怕耽误了政务嘛。放心，有我在！既然多了一份差事，也不在乎再多上一份！”
"Why not help a friend?"
During the late period of the Great Plague Era, under the forced migration by cultivators, most ordinary people had been relocated to various Immortal Realms and small worlds.
But as the influence of immortal techniques not being able to be practiced simultaneously grew stronger, cultivators ultimately failed to escape their self-inflicted fate. The Immortal Sects fell apart, and the era of cultivation civilization entered a long period of darkness.
As they say, every rise has its fall.
The number of cultivators drastically reduced, nearly leading to extinction. However, ordinary people, like tenacious weeds, re-emerged from all corners of the world.
Regarding the origin of these newly born ordinary people, some said they were remnants of the Great Migration Movement. Others believed they were descendants of cultivators. Still, others claimed that the people from small worlds had broken through the封锁 of the Immortal Desolation Array and returned.
In any case, as the cultivators slowly vanished from the earth, the people in the Xuanhuang Realm began to gradually grow stronger amidst the cracks.
Along with ordinary people came the Xuanhuang Qixin Spell.
Like an unknown folk song or legend that spread through oral tradition, almost all human tribes knew this method that could free ordinary people from the Immortal-Demon Mist and allow them to embark on their path of cultivation.
The current cultivators speculated that this might have been the work of the mysterious Eastern Heaven Supreme Master in the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
Since the Spirit Token of Purification, which can also remove the Immortal-Demon Mist, was created by the Eastern Heaven Supreme Master, it was likely that the Xuanhuang Qixin Spell was his attempt before creating the Spirit Token of Purification.
But Li Fan, who had already uncovered the true nature of the Xuanhuang Qixin Spell, knew this possibility was low.
The Eastern Heaven Supreme Master, who was supposed to be the leader of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, only appeared a few times in the earliest recorded history. He then disappeared completely.
Rather than being a true immortal, Li Fan believed that he more likely discovered the secrets of the Xuanhuang Qixin Spell and was inspired to create the Spirit Token of Purification.
"Perhaps, the disappearance of the Eastern Heaven Supreme Master is also related to the Xuanhuang Immortal Heart Spell?" this thought flashed through Li Fan's mind.
When Li Fan wanted to look up information about the Eastern Heaven Supreme Master, he found himself facing a blank slate, with no additional records.
This was clearly inconsistent with his status as the leader of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
"Truly terrifying to think about."
Li Fan decided not to delve deeper and instead focused on comprehending the Xuanhuang Qixin Spell more thoroughly.
Half a month later, Li Fan convened everyone in the Office of Administration once again.
Initially thinking that Li Fan had some major news to announce, they were surprised when he informed them that he was about to retreat into seclusion.
"Didn't you just come out of your seclusion? Are you going back in now? Could it be that ancient cultivators are all so diligent?"
"Not lacking in contributions, the Secret Envoy can stay in the启灵state and find cultivation a pleasure. I could do the same."
"Previously, there were rumors saying that the大人 has already recovered to the Golden Core Realm. Could he be about to breakthrough to the Transcendental Realm now?"
...
The crowd discussed fervently, except for He Zhenghao who seemed thoughtful.
"It seems this is the Secret Envoy preparing for the descent of the Heavenly Soul."
He glanced at Zhou Qingang beside him casually.
When the Secret Envoy announced it, there was no unusual expression on his face, indicating he had known about it long ago.
Thinking back to when he was trusted by the Secret Envoy, regret washed over him due to his momentary greed that allowed this young man to take his trust.
Feeling uncomfortable, He Zhenghao's eyes flickered as an idea formed in his mind.
He whispered to Zhou Qingang: "How is your cultivation state recently, Fellow Daoist?"
Zhou Qingang looked surprised at the sudden approach from He Zhenghao and thought for a moment before understanding his intentions.
With a sneer, he replied: "Ha ha, Brother He, you jest. You know that the Secret Envoy doesn't handle administrative matters; all minor affairs are left to us. With Gao Yuan's help, I was already busy enough. But now that he has taken leave, it’s even more hectic."
"Dealing with daily governance consumes most of my time; how could I possibly find a moment for cultivation?"
He Zhenghao pretended to agree and sighed in agreement.
But quickly, his tone changed: "I have something to say, Fellow Daoist. Would you be willing to listen?"
Zhou Qingang was taken aback but quickly replied: "Brother He, please speak."
He Zhenghao said seriously: "You have done your best to alleviate the burden on the Secret Envoy; that's commendable."
"But..."
He Zhenghao said earnestly: "It takes hard work to forge one’s own strength! Even if you are favored by the Master, your power is only at the Golden Core stage. Moreover, it’s the weakest early-stage Golden Core. Here in this small Congyun Sea, you can still control your subordinates. But as the Master's cultivation recovers and his realm rises, he will have a gathering of Transcendental Realm and Golden Core cultivators. If you don't advance, how could you command their respect?"
Zhou Qingang’s expression changed slightly.
Initially, he seemed ready to argue but soon fell into deep thought.
Seeing this, He Zhenghao felt secretly pleased.
"The words of Gao Yuan are indeed effective. Had I not been so resolute in my heart, I might have been swayed by him back then," He Zhenghao thought to himself.
After a long while, Zhou Qingang seemed to understand and looked bitter: "Your words make sense. But I am too busy; how can I focus on cultivation?"
He Zhenghao’s face brightened: "Fellow Daoist Zhou, why not follow Gao Yuan's example? There must be great opportunities in the ruins of the Tao Yuan Sect. If you could obtain them, at the very least, your realm would advance by a small step. Even breaking through to the Golden Core Realm is possible."
Zhou Qingang hesitated.
But He Zhenghao preempted him: "I know what you're worried about—fear of neglecting administrative duties. Don't worry; I'm here! Since this adds another task, it doesn’t matter if there’s one more!"
Zhou Qingang looked doubtful: "If that's the case, why don't you go? When did you start caring so much for your colleagues?"
He Zhenghao showed an unhappy expression: "That’s not the point. The Secret Envoy reminded us to prioritize unity. To help my two brothers advance in cultivation, I worked hard for a while—what’s wrong with that?"
"Remember, as the Secret Envoy's cultivation improves, more people will follow him. We are natural allies; helping you is helping myself."
He Zhenghao paused, observing Zhou Qingang's expression before continuing: "Moreover, recently, I have had some insights and might be close to breaking through to the Golden Core Realm within ten years!"
"Why not help a friend?"