jī shì wén qǔ chū yī méi jīn sè lìng qí ， zhì yú dì miàn 。
姬士文取出一枚金色令旗，掷于地面。
Kesiwen took out a golden command flag and tossed it onto the ground.
chà nà zhī jiān ， zài sān rén jiǎo dǐ biàn fú xiàn chū yī quān zhèn fǎ 。
刹那之间，在三人脚底便浮现出一圈阵法。
In an instant, a circle of阵法appeared beneath their feet.
chǔ zōng yǐn miàn sè jī dòng ， lǐ fán shén qíng bù biàn 。
楚宗尹面色激动，李凡神情不变。
Chuzongyin's face was agitated while Li Fan remained calm.
fǎ zhèn guāng máng shǎn yào zhōng ， tā men qí qí huà zuò liú guāng ， rú nì fēi zhī liú xīng ， cóng fāng shì zhí dá tiān shàng de líng shí zhī chéng 。
法阵光芒闪耀中，他们齐齐化作流光，如逆飞之流星，从坊市直达天上的灵石之城。
As the magical array shone with light, they transformed into streaks of light, like reverse-flying meteors, shooting straight from the market district to the celestial stone city in the sky.
bù guò jǐ xī gōng fu ， sān rén yǐ jīng shuāng jiǎo tà zài yóu líng shí dǎ zào de dì miàn zhī shàng 。
不过几息功夫，三人已经双脚踏在由灵石打造的地面之上。
In just a few breaths, the three of them were standing on the ground made of spirit stones.
“ wū wū ……” tiān shàng zhī chéng de líng qì nóng dù yǐ rán dào dá le zhǒng jīng shì hài sú de dì bù ， fēng kuáng guàn shū jìn tǐ nèi ， dǎo zhì líng qì de yùn xíng dōu chū xiàn le zǔ sè 。 chǔ zōng yǐn miàn sè zhǎng zǐ ， jiù xiàng fán rén bèi kǎ zhù le yān hóu 、 wú fǎ hū xī yī yàng 。
“呜呜……”天上之城的灵气浓度已然到达了种惊世骇俗的地步，疯狂灌输进体内，导致灵气的运行都出现了阻塞。楚宗尹面色涨紫，就像凡人被卡住了咽喉、无法呼吸一样。
"Woo woo..." The spiritual energy concentration in the heavenly city had reached an astounding level. It flooded into their bodies so intensely that it caused blockages in their spiritual energy flow. Chuzongyin's face turned purple as if a human was choking and unable to breathe.
hái shì lǐ fán měng dì pāi le zhǎng tā de hòu bèi ， fāng cái bǎ tā jiù le huí lái 。
还是李凡勐地拍了掌他的后背，方才把他救了回来。
Li Fan suddenly slapped him on the back, saving him from suffocation.
“ hāi hāi ……” huī fù zhèng cháng de chǔ zōng yǐn réng shì tān lán de xī qǔ zhe zhōu wéi de chún jìng líng qì ， miàn lù jīng tàn zhī sè 。
“咳咳……”恢复正常的楚宗尹仍是贪婪的吸取着周围的纯净灵气，面露惊叹之色。
"Cough cough..."恢复正常 breathing, Chuzongyin greedily absorbed the surrounding pure spiritual energy with an expression of amazement.
lǐng lù de jī shì wén jiàn zhuàng ， yǎn zhōng shǎn guò yī sī dé yì 。 dàn zài kàn dào lǐ fán nà zhāng háo wú bō dòng de miàn páng zhī hòu ， liǎn sè yòu shùn jiān yīn chén xià lái 。
领路的姬士文见状，眼中闪过一丝得意。但在看到李凡那张毫无波动的面庞之后，脸色又瞬间阴沉下来。
Kesiwen, leading the way, felt a hint of pride at this scene. But his face instantly turned grim when he saw Li Fan's expressionless face.
cóng líng shí zhī chéng zhōng chuān guò ， lǐ fán zuì zhōng zài zhōng yāng yī chù yuán lín zhōng ， jiàn dào le jī jiā lǎo zǔ 。
从灵石之城中穿过，李凡最终在中央一处园林中，见到了姬家老祖。
Passing through the celestial stone city, Li Fan eventually met Kijiasuowei in a central garden.
hé xiǎng xiàng zhōng cāng lǎo mú yàng bù tóng ， jī wàng xiān jìng rán shì èr shí chū tóu de shào nián láng mú yàng 。
和想象中苍老模样不同，姬望仙竟然是二十出头的少年郎模样。
Unlike his imagined old appearance, Kijiasuowei was actually a young man in his twenties. He had shoulder-length hair and a handsome appearance with stars twinkling in his eyes.
liú zhe qí jiān cháng fà ， róng mào jùn lǎng ， yǎn jīng zhōng shì yǒu xīng guāng shǎn dòng 。
留着齐肩长发，容貌俊朗，眼睛中似有星光闪动。
If not for Kesiwen's respectful bow saying "Meeting the Grandmaster," Li Fan and Chuzongyin would have found it hard to believe that this "young cultivator" was indeed Kijiasuowei.
rú guǒ bú shì jī shì wén bì gōng bì jìng de gōng shēn hǎn le shēng “ jiàn guò lǎo zǔ ”， lǐ fán yǔ chǔ zōng yǐn shí nán xiāng xìn yǎn qián zhè wèi “ nián qīng xiū shì ” de shēn fèn 。
如果不是姬士文毕恭毕敬的躬身喊了声“见过老祖”，李凡与楚宗尹实难相信眼前这位“年轻修士”的身份。
"You are here to see me?" Kijiasuowei asked softly.
“ jiù shì nǐ men ， yào jiàn wǒ ？” jī wàng xiān qīng shēng wèn dào 。
“就是你们，要见我？”姬望仙轻声问道。
Even without deliberate pressure, his presence made Li Fan and Chuzongyin feel a constriction in their chests.
jí biàn méi yǒu kè yì de wēi yā ， tā shēn shàng bù jīng yì jiān liú lù de qì xī ， yě ràng lǐ fán liǎng rén gǎn dào xīn tóu yī zhì 。
即便没有刻意的威压，他身上不经意间流露的气息，也让李凡两人感到心头一窒。
Chuzongyin nodded repeatedly, about to explain the situation.
chǔ zōng yǐn lián lián diǎn tóu ， jiù yào jiāng shì qíng yuán wěi dào lái 。
楚宗尹连连点头，就要将事情原委道来。
But Li Fan stopped him.
què réng bèi lǐ fán lán zhù 。
却仍被李凡拦住。
Looking at his biological father's body, Li Fan said calmly, "A secret is best kept. With this person around, it’s not advisable to say anything."
kàn zhe zì jǐ zhè jù shēn qū de qīn shēng fù qīn ， lǐ fán dàn dàn dì shuō dào ：“ shì yǐ mì chéng 。 yǒu zhè rén zài ， què shì bù hǎo shuō 。”
看着自己这具身躯的亲生父亲，李凡澹澹地说道：“事以密成。有这人在，却是不好说。”
Kesiwen was furious: "You, this wicked child..."
jī shì wén zhèn nù ：“ nǐ zhè niè zhàng ……”
姬士文震怒：“你这孽障……”
Before he could fully erupt, Kijiasuowei interrupted with a hand gesture.
hái méi chè dǐ fā zuò ， biàn bèi jī wàng xiān shēn shǒu dǎ duàn 。
还没彻底发作，便被姬望仙伸手打断。
"Ah, you little brat, quite interesting. Kesiwen, step down," Kijiasuowei said with a light laugh.
jī wàng xiān qīng xiào le zhèn ：“ nǐ zhè xiǎo wá wá ， dào yě yǒu qù 。 shì wén ， nǐ qiě tuì xià ba 。”
姬望仙轻笑了阵：“你这小娃娃，倒也有趣。士文，你且退下吧。”
How dare Kijiasuowei defy his grandfather's command? With eyes filled with the desire to cut Li Fan into pieces, he bowed and left in anger.
lǎo zǔ zhī mìng ， jī shì wén nǎ gǎn wéi bèi 。 yǎn zhōng liú lù chū hèn bù dé jiāng lǐ fán qiān dāo wàn guǎ de nù yì ， tā dī tóu fèn rán lí kāi 。
老祖之命，姬士文哪敢违背。眼中流露出恨不得将李凡千刀万剐的怒意，他低头愤然离开。
"Now, can you speak?" Kijiasuowei's smile faded.
“ zěn me yàng ， xiàn zài kě yǐ shuō le ba 。” jī wàng xiān xiào róng shōu liǎn 。
“怎么样，现在可以说了吧。”姬望仙笑容收敛。
Chuzongyin was startled. He immediately blurted out that Tianguan Sect needed a large amount of 太元精金to forge a boundary-breaking divine weapon, and whoever could solve this issue would have the chance to become the next sect leader.
chǔ zōng yǐn xīn tóu yī chàn ， dāng jí lián máng jiāng tiān jiàn zōng xū yào dà liàng de 【 tài yuán jīng jīn 】 duàn zào liè jiè shén bīng 、 yǐ jí shuí néng jiě jué cǐ shì jiù yǒu wàng jìn shēng xià rèn zhǎng mén de shì qíng yī gǔ nǎo shuō le chū lái 。
楚宗尹心头一颤，当即连忙将天剑宗需要大量的【太元精金】锻造裂界神兵、以及谁能解决此事就有望晋升下任掌门的事情一股脑说了出来。
"Senior Kijia, with your vast strength, if you join in, the position of sect leader is almost guaranteed. After we leave Tianguan Sect, the nine万里soil around Mount Tianguan will all belong to Senior," Chuzongyi urged enthusiastically.
“ jī qián bèi ， yǐ nǐ men tiān xià shāng huì de xióng hòu shí lì ， rú guǒ cān yù jìn lái ， zhǎng mén zhī wèi shí ná jiǔ wěn a 。 děng wǒ men tiān jiàn zōng lí qù zhī hòu ， tiān jiàn shān fāng yuán jiǔ wàn lǐ wò tǔ ， dōu jiāng jìn shù guī yú qián bèi suǒ yǒu ……” chǔ zōng yī shí fēn mài lì de quàn shuō dào 。
“姬前辈，以你们天下商会的雄厚实力，如果参与进来，掌门之位十拿九稳啊。等我们天剑宗离去之后，天剑山方圆九万里沃土，都将尽数归于前辈所有……”楚宗依十分卖力的劝说道。
But Kijiasuowei was different from what Chuzongyin expected; he remained unmoved.
jī wàng xiān què hé tā xiǎng xiàng zhōng de bù tóng ， gēn běn wú dòng yú zhōng 。
姬望仙却和他想象中的不同，根本无动于衷。
Instead, he sighed: "Everyone knows that the position of sect leader at Tianguan Sect is merely a nominal role. The true ruler of Tianguan Sect is 'Senior Brother' Situo Yao."
ér shì gǎn tàn dào ：“ shì rén jiē zhī ， tiān jiàn zōng zhǎng mén zhī wèi ， bù guò tú yǒu xū zhí 。 tiān jiàn zōng zhēn zhèng de zhǎng quán zhě ， nǎi shì ‘ dà shī xiōng ’ sī tú yáo 。”
而是感叹道：“世人皆知，天剑宗掌门之位，不过徒有虚职。天剑宗真正的掌权者，乃是‘大师兄’司徒遥。”
"太元精金, extremely rare and valuable. Boundary-breaking divine weapon..."
“ tài yuán jīng jīn ， shì suǒ hǎn jiàn ， jià zhí bù fēi 。 liè jiè shén bīng ……”
“太元精金，世所罕见，价值不菲。裂界神兵……”
"Even with our vast resources, it would cost us a fortune to meet the requirements for forging such a weapon. We would just end up with an empty title..."
“ jí biàn yǐ wǒ men tiān xià shāng huì de cái lì ， xiǎng yào mǎn zú duàn zào shén bīng suǒ xū ， yě yào dà chū xuè 。 suǒ huàn lái jiù shì yí gè kōng de tóu xián ……”
“即便以我们天下商会的财力，想要满足锻造神兵所需，也要大出血。所换来就是一个空的头衔……”
Kijiasuowei suddenly looked at Li Fan: "You are... Ji Zhaoyuan, right? This is your first return home after leaving. You traveled thousands of miles back. Do you think this matter can be resolved?"
jī wàng xiān hū de kàn xiàng lǐ fán ：“ nǐ jiào …… jī zhào xuàn shì ba ？ zì nǐ lí jiā zhī hòu ， yīng gāi hái shì dì yī cì fǎn jiā 。 qiān lǐ tiáo tiáo guī lái ， nǐ rèn wéi cǐ shì kě xíng ？”
姬望仙忽的看向李凡：“你叫……姬兆炫是吧？自你离家之后，应该还是第一次返家。千里迢迢归来，你认为此事可行？”
Li Fan slightly shook his head: "Not feasible."
lǐ fán wēi wēi yáo tóu ：“ bù kě xíng 。”
李凡微微摇头：“不可行。”
Chuzongyi was stunned: "Junior Kijia..."
chǔ zōng yī dùn shí jīng zhù ：“ jī shī dì ……”
楚宗依顿时惊住：“姬师弟……”
Li Fan continued: "But we could take a chance."
lǐ fán jiē zhe shuō dào ：“ dàn kě yǐ dǔ yī dǔ 。”
李凡接着说道：“但可以赌一赌。”
Kijiasuowei's eyes lit up with excitement: "Good, just like my younger self. You are right! The uncertainty of this matter is too high; the risks and rewards don't match. Tianguan Sect will likely leave after settling their affairs. We won't even be able to find our creditors."
jī wàng xiān yǎn zhōng shùn jiān bào fā chū yī sī yì cǎi ， hā hā dà xiào dào ：“ hǎo ， yǒu jǐ fēn dāng nián wǒ de yàng zi 。”
姬望仙眼中瞬间爆发出一丝异彩，哈哈大笑道：“好，有几分当年我的样子。”
"But, it can still be a gamble!"
“ nǐ shuō de bù cuò ！ cǐ shì bù què dìng xìng tài gāo ， fēng xiǎn yǔ huí bào bù chéng zhèng bǐ 。 tiān jiàn zōng dào shí hòu pāi pāi pì gǔ ， yī zǒu liǎo zhī 。 wǒ men xiǎng yào zhǎo zhài zhǔ dōu zhǎo bú dào 。”
“你说的不错！此事不确定性太高，风险与回报不成正比。天剑宗到时候拍拍屁股，一走了之。我们想要找债主都找不到。”
"The foundation of the Ten Immortal Sects. If our Tianguan Commerce Guild could swallow..." Kijiasuowei stood with his hands behind his back and turned to gaze into the distance, his tone mysterious.
“ dàn ， dí què kě yǐ dǔ yī dǔ ！”
“但，的确可以赌一赌！”
Suddenly, everything changed.
“ xiān dào shí zōng zhī jī yè 。 rú guǒ wǒ men tiān xià shāng huì néng gòu tūn bìng ……” jī wàng xiān fù shǒu ér lì ， zhuǎn guò tóu qù 、 tiào wàng yuǎn fāng ， yǔ qì mò míng dào 。
“仙道十宗之基业。如果我们天下商会能够吞并……”姬望仙负手而立，转过头去、眺望远方，语气莫名道。
Chuzongyin was overjoyed upon hearing this.
chà nà jiān ， fēng huí lù zhuǎn 。
刹那间，峰回路转。
With his grandfather's approval, things proceeded surprisingly smoothly for Li Fan.
chǔ zōng yǐn wén yán xǐ chū wàng wài 。
楚宗尹闻言喜出望外。
In front of Kesiwen's incredulous eyes, Li Fan and Chuzongyi returned with three thousand catties of 太元精金from the Tianguan Commerce Guild.
yǒu le lǎo zǔ shǒu kěn ， jiē xià lái shì qíng de chū hū lǐ fán yì liào zhī wài de shùn lì 。
有了老祖首肯，接下来事情的出乎李凡意料之外的顺利。
Kijiasuowei said that the guild would fully acquire more 太元精金to support "Ji Zhaoyuan" in his bid for sect leader.
zài jī shì wén nán yǐ zhì xìn de mù guāng zhōng ， lǐ fán hé chǔ zōng yī dài zhe tiān xià shāng huì kù cún de sān qiān jīn tài yuán jīng jīn fǎn huí 。
在姬士文难以置信的目光中，李凡和楚宗依带着天下商会库存的三千斤太元精金返回。
The offer was unusually generous, and Kijiasuowei did not ask Li Fan to make any promises.
bìng qiě jī wàng xiān biǎo shì ， jiē xià lái tiān xià shāng huì jiāng quán lì shōu gòu tài yuán jīng jīn ， zhī chí “ jī zhào xuàn ” zhēng duó tiān jiàn zōng zhǎng mén zhī wèi 。
并且姬望仙表示，接下来天下商会将全力收购太元精金，支持“姬兆炫”争夺天剑宗掌门之位。
If it weren't for Li Fan knowing about this body's autonomous actions, he almost felt moved by such unconditional trust.
chū qí de dà fāng ， bìng qiě méi yǒu yāo qiú lǐ fán xǔ xià rèn hé chéng nuò 。
出奇的大方，并且没有要求李凡许下任何承诺。
"It seems that Ji Family is very confident in their ability to control the spies sent to each sect," Li Fan sneered inwardly. He was thinking of a way to counteract them.
rú guǒ bú shì lǐ fán zhī dào zhè jù shēn qū ， céng chū xiàn guò shī qù kòng zhì de zì zhǔ xíng dòng ， jī hū jiù yào bèi zhè zhǒng wú tiáo jiàn de xìn rèn suǒ gǎn dòng le 。
如果不是李凡知道这具身躯，曾出现过失去控制的自主行动，几乎就要被这种无条件的信任所感动了。
Returning to Tianguan Sect, Li Fan submitted three thousand catties of 太元精金and said there would be more arriving soon.
“ kàn lái ， duì yú néng fǒu zhǎng kòng zhè xiē pài wǎng gè zōng de jiàn dié ， jī jiā hái zhēn shì xìn xīn shí zú a 。” lǐ fán xīn zhōng lěng xiào ， tóng shí sī suǒ zhe pò jiě zhī fǎ 。
“看来，对于能否掌控这些派往各宗的间谍，姬家还真是信心十足啊。”李凡心中冷笑，同时思索着破解之法。
This caused an immediate stir in the entire sect.
huí dào tiān jiàn zōng nèi ， lǐ fán shàng jiāo le sān qiān jīn tài yuán jīng jīn 、 bìng biǎo shì zhī hòu hái huì yǒu yuán yuán bù duàn de hòu xù dǐ dá 。
回到天剑宗内，李凡上交了三千斤太元精金、并表示之后还会有源源不断的后续抵达。
After all, the combined efforts and original stockpiles of the disciples only amounted to about a thousand catties.
dùn shí yǐn qǐ zhěng gè zōng mén de hōng dòng 。
顿时引起整个宗门的轰动。
Li Fan alone had obtained over triple that amount.
yào zhī dào ， zhè duàn shí jiān dì zǐ men chóu jí de 、 jiā shàng yuán běn de zōng mén kù cún ， yī gòng yě cái yī qiān duō jīn bà le 。
要知道，这段时间弟子们筹集的、加上原本的宗门库存，一共也才一千多斤罢了。
After presenting several bottles of fine wine from Ji Family back to Situo Yao, Tianguan Sect's senior brother was delighted. He immediately praised Li Fan as an exemplary junior disciple for Tianguan Sect.
lǐ fán yí gè rén ， jiù nòng dào le sān bèi yǒu yú 。
李凡一个人，就弄到了三倍有余。
Thanks to Chuzongyi’s promotion, news about Li Fan and the Tianguan Commerce Guild spread quickly.
yòu jiāng zì jī fǔ dài huí de jǐ hú hǎo jiǔ xiàn gěi sī tú yáo hòu ， zhè wèi tiān jiàn zōng dà shī xiōng gèng shì xǐ xiào yán kāi 。 dāng chǎng chēng zàn lǐ fán wèi tiān jiàn zōng hòu bèi dì zǐ kǎi mó 。
又将自姬府带回的几壶好酒献给司徒遥后，这位天剑宗大师兄更是喜笑颜开。当场称赞李凡为天剑宗后辈弟子楷模。
Soon, visitors and fellow disciples flocked to his residence, eager to establish connections.
ér zài chǔ zōng yī de xuān chuán xià ， lǐ fán tiān xià shāng huì de bèi jǐng yě zhú jiàn chuán bō kāi lái 。
而在楚宗依的宣传下，李凡天下商会的背景也逐渐传播开来。
Most of the Tianguan Sect cultivators believed that Li Fan was a strong contender for the next sect leader.
yī shí jiān ， lǐ fán zhù suǒ qián mén tíng ruò shì ， qián lái bài fǎng 、 pān guān xì de shī xiōng dì luò yì bù jué 。
一时间，李凡住所前门庭若市，前来拜访、攀关系的师兄弟络绎不绝。
As more 太元精金arrived from the Tianguan Commerce Guild, everyone became even more certain of their judgment.
dà bù fèn tiān jiàn zōng xiū shì ， dōu rèn wéi lǐ fán shì xià yī rèn zhǎng mén qiáng yǒu lì jìng zhēng rén xuǎn 。
大部分天剑宗修士，都认为李凡是下一任掌门强有力竞争人选。
Just as this was happening, Li Fan secretly visited the current Tianguan Sect leader, Huoyuzhuang.
ér suí zhe tiān xià shāng huì hòu xù tài yuán jīng jīn de sòng dá ， zhòng rén yě yuè fā kěn dìng le zì jǐ xīn zhōng de pàn duàn 。
而随着天下商会后续太元精金的送达，众人也越发肯定了自己心中的判断。
"Oh? Aren't you our Tianguan Sect's pillar and designated successor? What brings you here?" Huoyuzhuang smiled, but his eyes held a hint of mockery.
jiù zài zhè ge guān tóu ， lǐ fán què shì qiǎo rán bài fǎng le xiàn rèn tiān jiàn zōng zhǎng mén ， huò yǔ zhú 。
就在这个关头，李凡却是悄然拜访了现任天剑宗掌门，霍宇竹。
Li Fan remained calm: "To seek the position of sect leader."
“ ó ？ zhè bú shì wǒ men tiān jiàn zōng de dòng liáng 、 qīn dìng de zhǎng mén jiē bān rén me 。 zhǎo wǒ suǒ wèi hé shì a ？” huò yǔ zhú miàn dài xiào róng ， yǎn jīng zhōng què shǎn guò yī sī jī fěng 。
“哦？这不是我们天剑宗的栋梁、钦定的掌门接班人么。找我所为何事啊？”霍宇竹面带笑容，眼睛中却闪过一丝讥讽。
Huoyuzhuang's face changed: "Junior, don’t think that..."
lǐ fán shén sè zì ruò ， tǎn yán dào ：“ wèi le zhǎng mén zhī wèi ér lái 。”
李凡神色自若，坦言道：“为了掌门之位而来。”
"Senior Huo, do you really want to give up your position? Even if it’s just a nominal role, the power as sect leader is still intoxicating."
huò yǔ zhú miàn sè yī biàn ：“ xiǎo bèi ， bú yào yǐ wéi zhàng zhe ……”
霍宇竹面色一变：“小辈，不要以为仗着……”
Hearing Li Fan’s implication, Huoyuzhuang's expression fluctuated: "What do you mean?"
“ huò zhǎng mén nán dào xī wàng jiāng zì jǐ de wèi zhì gǒng shǒu ràng rén me ？ jí biàn shì xū zhí ， zhǎng mén de quán shì yě yī jiù huì ràng rén chén zuì ba 。”
“霍掌门难道希望将自己的位置拱手让人么？即便是虚职，掌门的权势也依旧会让人沉醉吧。”
"I know of a place with an abundance of 太元精金. It surpasses what our Ji Family can gather," Li Fan said solemnly.
tīng chū lái lǐ fán huà zhōng yǒu huà ， huò yǔ zhú liǎn sè yīn qíng bù dìng ：“ nǐ dào dǐ shén me yì si ？”
听出来李凡话中有话，霍宇竹脸色阴晴不定：“你到底什么意思？”
"?" Huoyuzhuang looked surprised at Li Fan, not understanding his intentions.
“ wǒ zhī dào yī chù dì fāng ， yǒu zhe dà liàng de tài yuán jīng jīn 。 jué duì bǐ qǐ wǒ men jī jiā suǒ néng chóu jí de hái yào duō 。” lǐ fán chén shēng dào 。
“我知道一处地方，有着大量的太元精金。绝对比起我们姬家所能筹集的还要多。”李凡沉声道。
"I want to trade the position of sect leader for complete freedom. Do you think you could help me?" Li Fan asked with a smile.
Kesiwen took out a golden command flag and tossed it onto the ground.
In an instant, a circle of阵法appeared beneath their feet.
Chuzongyin's face was agitated while Li Fan remained calm.
As the magical array shone with light, they transformed into streaks of light, like reverse-flying meteors, shooting straight from the market district to the celestial stone city in the sky.
In just a few breaths, the three of them were standing on the ground made of spirit stones.
"Woo woo..." The spiritual energy concentration in the heavenly city had reached an astounding level. It flooded into their bodies so intensely that it caused blockages in their spiritual energy flow. Chuzongyin's face turned purple as if a human was choking and unable to breathe.
Li Fan suddenly slapped him on the back, saving him from suffocation.
"Cough cough..."恢复正常 breathing, Chuzongyin greedily absorbed the surrounding pure spiritual energy with an expression of amazement.
Kesiwen, leading the way, felt a hint of pride at this scene. But his face instantly turned grim when he saw Li Fan's expressionless face.
Passing through the celestial stone city, Li Fan eventually met Kijiasuowei in a central garden.
Unlike his imagined old appearance, Kijiasuowei was actually a young man in his twenties. He had shoulder-length hair and a handsome appearance with stars twinkling in his eyes.
If not for Kesiwen's respectful bow saying "Meeting the Grandmaster," Li Fan and Chuzongyin would have found it hard to believe that this "young cultivator" was indeed Kijiasuowei.
"You are here to see me?" Kijiasuowei asked softly.
Even without deliberate pressure, his presence made Li Fan and Chuzongyin feel a constriction in their chests.
Chuzongyin nodded repeatedly, about to explain the situation.
But Li Fan stopped him.
Looking at his biological father's body, Li Fan said calmly, "A secret is best kept. With this person around, it’s not advisable to say anything."
Kesiwen was furious: "You, this wicked child..."
Before he could fully erupt, Kijiasuowei interrupted with a hand gesture.
"Ah, you little brat, quite interesting. Kesiwen, step down," Kijiasuowei said with a light laugh.
How dare Kijiasuowei defy his grandfather's command? With eyes filled with the desire to cut Li Fan into pieces, he bowed and left in anger.
"Now, can you speak?" Kijiasuowei's smile faded.
Chuzongyin was startled. He immediately blurted out that Tianguan Sect needed a large amount of 太元精金to forge a boundary-breaking divine weapon, and whoever could solve this issue would have the chance to become the next sect leader.
"Senior Kijia, with your vast strength, if you join in, the position of sect leader is almost guaranteed. After we leave Tianguan Sect, the nine万里soil around Mount Tianguan will all belong to Senior," Chuzongyi urged enthusiastically.
But Kijiasuowei was different from what Chuzongyin expected; he remained unmoved.
Instead, he sighed: "Everyone knows that the position of sect leader at Tianguan Sect is merely a nominal role. The true ruler of Tianguan Sect is 'Senior Brother' Situo Yao."
"太元精金, extremely rare and valuable. Boundary-breaking divine weapon..."
"Even with our vast resources, it would cost us a fortune to meet the requirements for forging such a weapon. We would just end up with an empty title..."
Kijiasuowei suddenly looked at Li Fan: "You are... Ji Zhaoyuan, right? This is your first return home after leaving. You traveled thousands of miles back. Do you think this matter can be resolved?"
Li Fan slightly shook his head: "Not feasible."
Chuzongyi was stunned: "Junior Kijia..."
Li Fan continued: "But we could take a chance."
Kijiasuowei's eyes lit up with excitement: "Good, just like my younger self. You are right! The uncertainty of this matter is too high; the risks and rewards don't match. Tianguan Sect will likely leave after settling their affairs. We won't even be able to find our creditors."
"But, it can still be a gamble!"
"The foundation of the Ten Immortal Sects. If our Tianguan Commerce Guild could swallow..." Kijiasuowei stood with his hands behind his back and turned to gaze into the distance, his tone mysterious.
Suddenly, everything changed.
Chuzongyin was overjoyed upon hearing this.
With his grandfather's approval, things proceeded surprisingly smoothly for Li Fan.
In front of Kesiwen's incredulous eyes, Li Fan and Chuzongyi returned with three thousand catties of 太元精金from the Tianguan Commerce Guild.
Kijiasuowei said that the guild would fully acquire more 太元精金to support "Ji Zhaoyuan" in his bid for sect leader.
The offer was unusually generous, and Kijiasuowei did not ask Li Fan to make any promises.
If it weren't for Li Fan knowing about this body's autonomous actions, he almost felt moved by such unconditional trust.
"It seems that Ji Family is very confident in their ability to control the spies sent to each sect," Li Fan sneered inwardly. He was thinking of a way to counteract them.
Returning to Tianguan Sect, Li Fan submitted three thousand catties of 太元精金and said there would be more arriving soon.
This caused an immediate stir in the entire sect.
After all, the combined efforts and original stockpiles of the disciples only amounted to about a thousand catties.
Li Fan alone had obtained over triple that amount.
After presenting several bottles of fine wine from Ji Family back to Situo Yao, Tianguan Sect's senior brother was delighted. He immediately praised Li Fan as an exemplary junior disciple for Tianguan Sect.
Thanks to Chuzongyi’s promotion, news about Li Fan and the Tianguan Commerce Guild spread quickly.
Soon, visitors and fellow disciples flocked to his residence, eager to establish connections.
Most of the Tianguan Sect cultivators believed that Li Fan was a strong contender for the next sect leader.
As more 太元精金arrived from the Tianguan Commerce Guild, everyone became even more certain of their judgment.
Just as this was happening, Li Fan secretly visited the current Tianguan Sect leader, Huoyuzhuang.
"Oh? Aren't you our Tianguan Sect's pillar and designated successor? What brings you here?" Huoyuzhuang smiled, but his eyes held a hint of mockery.
Li Fan remained calm: "To seek the position of sect leader."
Huoyuzhuang's face changed: "Junior, don’t think that..."
"Senior Huo, do you really want to give up your position? Even if it’s just a nominal role, the power as sect leader is still intoxicating."
Hearing Li Fan’s implication, Huoyuzhuang's expression fluctuated: "What do you mean?"
"I know of a place with an abundance of 太元精金. It surpasses what our Ji Family can gather," Li Fan said solemnly.
"?" Huoyuzhuang looked surprised at Li Fan, not understanding his intentions.
"I want to trade the position of sect leader for complete freedom. Do you think you could help me?" Li Fan asked with a smile.