bái fà lǎo zhě kàn shàng qù yǒu xiē miàn shú ， què xiǎng bù qǐ lái zài nǎ jiàn guò 。
白发老者看上去有些面熟，却想不起来在哪见过。
The white-haired old man looked somewhat familiar, but Lin Fan couldn't recall where he had met him before.
yóu rú lín jiā lǎo yé yé bān cí méi shàn mù ， píng yì jìn rén 。
犹如邻家老爷爷般慈眉善目，平易近人。
With a gentle and kind expression, like that of a friendly neighbor, the old man seemed approachable.
ràng rén rěn bú zhù xīn shēng hǎo gǎn 。
让人忍不住心生好感。
This made one feel an instant liking towards him.
lín fán dāng rán bù kě néng rèn wéi duì fāng zhǐ shì gè pǔ tōng rén 。
林凡当然不可能认为对方只是个普通人。
Of course, Lin Fan couldn’t possibly think of this person as just an ordinary mortal.
háo wú yí wèn shì duì fāng de xiū wèi tài gāo le ， yuǎn yuǎn chāo chū le lín fán cǐ kè néng gǎn yìng de fàn wéi 。
毫无疑问是对方的修为太高了，远远超出了林凡此刻能感应的范围。
Without a doubt, his cultivation was far too high, surpassing what Lin Fan could sense at the moment.
yú shì lín fán yù fā jǐn shèn 。
于是林凡愈发谨慎。
Thus, Lin Fan became even more cautious.
tā xíng le gè lǐ ：“ jiàn guò qián bèi 。”
他行了个礼：“见过前辈。”
He bowed respectfully and said, "I have met you before."
bái fà lǎo zhě xiào hē hē dì huí yìng ：“ bù bì zhè me jū jǐn ， wǒ zhǐ bù guò shì gè gāi sǐ wèi sǐ de lǎo tóu zi ér yǐ 。”
白发老者笑呵呵地回应：“不必这么拘谨，我只不过是个该死未死的老头子而已。”
The old man chuckled and replied, "There's no need to be so formal. I'm just an old man who should have died but hasn't yet."
dùn le dùn ， tā hé shàn dì wèn dào ：“ shì nǐ yào shàng jiāo 《 yún shuǐ tú lù 》？”
顿了顿，他和善地问道：“是你要上交《云水图箓》？”
Pausing for a moment, he kindly asked, "Is it you who wishes to hand over the *Cloud Water Scroll*?"
lǐ fán diǎn diǎn tóu ， suí hòu jiāng qī cǎi mó xíng dì le guò qù 。
李凡点点头，随后将七彩模型递了过去。
Li Fan nodded and then passed over the miniature model of the Cloud Water Heavenly Palace.
bái fà lǎo zhě jiē guò nà wēi xíng de yún shuǐ tiān gōng ， zǐ xì duān xiáng ， yǎn zhōng lù chū wú xiàn miǎn huái zhī sè 。
白发老者接过那微型的云水天宫，仔细端详，眼中露出无限缅怀之色。
The old man took the tiny model in his hands and examined it with great care, his eyes filled with endless nostalgia.
“ méi cuò ， jiù shì zhè ge 。”
“没错，就是这个。”
"Correct. It's this one."
“ hàn hǎi 、 tài yī 、 fú yún ……”
“瀚海、太一、拂云……”
"Hanhai, Taiyi,拂云..."
“ hǎo jiǔ bú jiàn 。”
“好久不见。”
"It has been a long time since we last met."
sì hū xiàn rù huí yì zhī zhōng ， lǎo zhě de yǎn shén biàn dé yǒu xiē hún zhuó 。
似乎陷入回忆之中，老者的眼神变得有些浑浊。
It seemed as if he was lost in thought, his gaze becoming somewhat hazy.
lín fán tīng le lǎo zhě de huà ， xīn zhōng yī tiào 。
林凡听了老者的话，心中一跳。
Upon hearing the old man’s words, Lin Fan’s heart skipped a beat.
mò mò chù lì yī páng ， bù gǎn shàn dòng 。
默默矗立一旁，不敢擅动。
He stood silently beside him, not daring to move.
tīng tā huà lǐ de yì si ， zhè lǎo zhě jū rán hé nà guī shé tài yī ， shì tóng yī bèi rén ？
听他话里的意思，这老者居然和那龟蛇太一，是同一辈人？
From what he could gather from the old man's tone, this old man was actually of the same generation as that Turtle Snake Taiyi?
yún shuǐ tiān gōng pò miè ， yǐ jīng shì bù zhī dào duō shǎo nián qián de shì qíng le 。 zhè jiā huo jū rán néng cóng nà shí hòu yì zhí huó dào xiàn zài ？
云水天宫破灭，已经是不知道多少年前的事情了。这家伙居然能从那时候一直活到现在？
The fall of the Cloud Water Heavenly Palace had already been many years ago. How could this guy still be alive until now?
yào zhī dào ， dà jié zhī hòu ， xiū shì pǔ biàn shòu dào tiān dì è yì de zhēn duì 。
要知道，大劫之后，修士普遍受到天地恶意的针对。
After all, after a great calamity, cultivators were generally targeted by the malevolent will of heaven and earth.
bù zài néng xiàng shàng gǔ xiū shì yì bān cháng shòu 。
不再能像上古修士一般长寿。
They no longer lived as long as ancient cultivators did.
shòu qiān nián yǐ jīng shì jí wéi jiān nán le 。
寿千年已经是极为艰难了。
Living for a thousand years was already extremely difficult.
jiū jìng shì hé děng xiū wèi ， cái néng huó zhè me jiǔ ？
究竟是何等修为，才能活这么久？
What kind of cultivation had he reached to live so long?
huà shén ？ hé dào ？
化神？合道？
Possibly Transcendence? Unity with Dao?
lín fán bù gǎn wàng jiā chuǎi cè ， zhǐ shì xīn lǐ gèng jiā jǐng tì 。
林凡不敢妄加揣测，只是心里更加警惕。
Lin Fan dared not speculate, but his vigilance increased even more.
zài zhè ge xiān fǎ bù néng tóng xiū de shì jiè ， néng cóng dà jié yì zhí huó dào xiàn zài 。
在这个仙法不能同修的世界，能从大劫一直活到现在。
In this world where immortal techniques could not be practiced simultaneously,
zhè yàng de dà lǎo ……
这样的大佬……
such a powerful figure...
ruò shì zhēn de yǐ wéi ， tā shí jì huì gēn kàn shàng qù yī yàng “ cí xiáng ”， nà me yě wèi miǎn tài guò tiān zhēn le 。
若是真的以为，他实际会跟看上去一样“慈祥”，那么也未免太过天真了。
If one truly believed that he would actually be as "kind" and "gentle" as he appeared, then they were far too naive.
bái fà lǎo zhě kàn zhe yǒu xiē jǐn zhāng de lín fán ， shěn rán yī xiào 。
白发老者看着有些紧张的林凡，哂然一笑。
The old man with the white hair looked at Lin Fan, who seemed somewhat nervous, and chuckled.
“ yún shuǐ tiān gōng nèi rú jīn shì hé guāng jǐng ？” tā wèn dào 。
“云水天宫内如今是何光景？”他问道。
"What is the current state of affairs within the Cloud Water Heavenly Palace?" he asked.
lín fán yú shì jiāng biàn zuò shí xiàng de qín fán 、 yǐ zì shēn liàn dān de chóng dào rén ， yǐ jí shēn shàng chā mǎn cán jiàn de tài yī dōu xiáng xì miáo shù le yī fān 。
林凡于是将变作石像的秦凡、以自身炼丹的虫道人，以及身上插满残剑的太一都详细描述了一番。
Lin Fan detailed KF's transformation into a stone statue, the Worm Daoist using his own body to refine elixirs, and Taiyi being pierced by broken swords.
“ ruò fēi yǒu tè shū yuán yīn ， wǒ wú fǎ jìn rù yún shuǐ tiān gōng 。 yě bú huì yì zhí zuò shì tā men shòu kǔ 。”
“若非有特殊原因，我无法进入云水天宫。也不会一直坐视他们受苦。”
"If it weren't for some special reason, I wouldn’t be able to enter the Cloud Water Heavenly Palace. I also wouldn’t just sit idly by while they suffer."
chén mò le xǔ jiǔ zhī hòu ， lǎo zhě fā chū wú jìn gǎn kǎi 。
沉默了许久之后，老者发出无尽感慨。
After a long silence, the old man expressed boundless emotion.
“ néng cóng yún shuǐ tiān gōng huó zhe chū lái ， nǐ dǎo shì yǒu jǐ fēn jī jǐng 。” dǎ liàng le yǎn lín fán ， lǎo zhě zàn xǔ dào 。
“能从云水天宫活着出来，你倒是有几分机警。”打量了眼林凡，老者赞许道。
"You are indeed quite astute to survive from the Cloud Water Heavenly Palace." He looked at Lin Fan and praised him.
“ jiǎo xìng ér yǐ 。” lín fán zì qiān dào 。
“侥幸而已。”林凡自谦道。
"Just luck," Lin Fan modestly replied.
“ wǒ hái yǒu gè wěi tuō ， bù zhī nǐ shì fǒu yuàn yì ？” bái fà lǎo zhě hū yòu wèn dào 。
“我还有个委托，不知你是否愿意？”白发老者忽又问道。
"Before I forget, do you have any interest in taking on another commission for me?" the old man suddenly asked.
“ qián bèi jǐn guǎn shuō biàn shì 。”
“前辈尽管说便是。”
"Of course, please speak."
“ nǐ yǒu kòng zài tì wǒ pǎo yī tàng yún shuǐ tiān gōng ， jiāng cǐ wù fàng zài nà lǐ jí kě 。” bái fà lǎo zhě ná chū yí gè xiǎo xiǎo de bái yù diāo xiàng ， dì gěi le lín fán 。
“你有空再替我跑一趟云水天宫，将此物放在那里即可。”白发老者拿出一个小小的白玉雕像，递给了林凡。
"I need you to run one more errand to the Cloud Water Heavenly Palace. Just place this item there." The old man took out a small white jade statue and handed it to Lin Fan.
zhè bái yù diāo xiàng méi yǒu shén me tè shū qì xī ， sì hū zhǐ shì yòng fán yù diāo zhuó 。
这白玉雕像没有什么特殊气息，似乎只是用凡玉雕琢。
This white jade statue had no special aura; it seemed just an ordinary piece of mundane jade carved into the likeness of the old man himself.
ér diāo xiàng de mú yàng ， huó miàn qián de bái fà lǎo zhě yī mú yī yàng 。
而雕像的模样，和面前的白发老者一模一样。
"Since I can't personally enter the Cloud Water Heavenly Palace, let me use this statue as a constant companion for them."
“ jì rán wǒ wú fǎ qīn zì jìn rù yún shuǐ tiān gōng ， jiù yòng zhè diāo xiàng ， dài tì wǒ yì zhí péi zhe tā men ba 。”
“既然我无法亲自进入云水天宫，就用这雕像，代替我一直陪着他们吧。”
"As for compensation..."
“ zhì yú bào chóu me ……”
“至于报酬么……”
The old man pondered for a moment and pointed to Lin Fan's forehead with his finger.
bái fà lǎo zhě chén yín le piàn kè ， cháo zhe lín fán méi xīn yī zhǐ 。
白发老者沉吟了片刻，朝着林凡眉心一指。
Suddenly, countless pieces of information flooded into Lin Fan's mind.
shà shí jiān ， lín fán nǎo hǎi zhōng duō chū lái wú shù xìn xī 。
霎时间，林凡脑海中多出来无数信息。
Even with his Qi Condensation Stage Sixth Level mental acuity, he felt dizzy and the pressure in his head increased.
yǐ lín fán liàn qì zhōng qī de shén shí qiáng dù ， yě bù yóu dì yī zhèn tóu yūn mù xuàn ， nǎo dài fā zhǎng 。
以林凡炼气中期的神识强度，也不由地一阵头晕目眩，脑袋发涨。
When he came back to himself, the figure of the old man had vanished from the Ten Thousand Immortals Mirror, and 100,000 contribution points had already been credited to him.
děng huí guò shén lái shí ， tiān xuán jìng zhōng ， bái fà lǎo zhě de shēn yǐng zǎo yǐ xiāo shī bú jiàn 。
等回过神来时，天玄镜中，白发老者的身影早已消失不见。
After slowly sorting through the vast information in his mind for a long time, Li Fan finally understood what the old man's compensation was.
ér shí wàn diǎn gòng xiàn dù yě yǐ jīng chéng gōng dào zhàng 。
而十万点贡献度也已经成功到账。
*The Heavenly Medicine Scripture*.
huǎn huǎn jiāng nǎo zhōng páng dà de xìn xī jìn xíng shū lǐ ， xǔ jiǔ zhī hòu ， lǐ fán cái gǎo qīng chǔ bái fà lǎo zhě de bào chóu shì shá 。
缓缓将脑中庞大的信息进行梳理，许久之后，李凡才搞清楚白发老者的报酬是啥。
Not some cultivation technique, but a medical scripture that encompassed the study of human physiology, pathology, diagnosis, treatment, and medicine.
《 tiān yī xiān jīng 》。
《天医仙经》。
Its subjects even included all kinds of animals and plants in the world.
bú shì shén me gōng fǎ ， ér shì yī bù yī jīng 。
不是什么功法，而是一部医经。
It was truly comprehensive, containing everything under the sun.
bù jǐn bāo hán le yán jiū rén de shēng lǐ 、 bìng lǐ 、 zhěn duàn 、 zhì liáo huò yào wù děng xué wèn 。
不仅包含了研究人的生理、病理、诊断、治疗和药物等学问。
With such vast information, Lin Fan estimated it would take at least ten years just to read through it once.
yán jiū duì xiàng shèn zhì náng kuò le tiān dì jiān gè zhǒng dòng wù 、 zhí wù 。
研究对象甚至囊括了天地间各种动物、植物。
This immense treasure of knowledge had been casually passed on to him by the old man.
kān chēng bāo luó wàn xiàng 、 wú suǒ bù yǒu 。
堪称包罗万象、无所不有。
"Good things are good. Unfortunately, studying them consumes too much energy. I’ll have to set it aside for now."
qí xìn xī liàng zhī páng dà ， lín fán gū jì ， zì jǐ guāng shì tōng dú yī biàn ， zuì shǎo jiù yào huā shàng shí jǐ nián de shí jiān 。
其信息量之庞大，林凡估计，自己光是通读一遍，最少就要花上十几年的时间。
Lin Fan took the old man's commission seriously.
zhè hào hàn ér bǎo guì de zhī shí bǎo kù ， jiù bèi zhè bái fà lǎo zhě suí shǒu jiān chuán gěi le lín fán 。
这浩瀚而宝贵的知识宝库，就被这白发老者随手间传给了林凡。
After all, the old man had even given him the compensation in advance.
“ hǎo dōng xī shì hǎo dōng xī 。 kě xī ， xué qǐ lái tài hào fèi jīng lì 。 zhǐ néng xiān fàng zài yī biān le 。”
“好东西是好东西。可惜，学起来太耗费精力。只能先放在一边了。”
So Lin Fan made another trip to the Cloud Water Heavenly Palace.
bái fà lǎo zhě de wěi tuō ， lín fán bù gǎn dài màn 。
白发老者的委托，林凡不敢怠慢。
He thought he would once again go through Qin Tang’s illusionary dream test when his doppelganger entered.
bì jìng duì fāng dà lǎo lián bào chóu dōu tí qián gěi le 。
毕竟对方大佬连报酬都提前给了。
But after a burst of white light from the statue within his storage ring, Li Fan found himself directly standing before the entrance of the Cloud Water Heavenly Palace.
yú shì lín fán yòu pǎo le yī tàng yún shuǐ tiān gōng 。
于是林凡又跑了一趟云水天宫。
The old man's statue detached itself from Lin Fan's storage ring and flew up into the air.
běn yǐ wéi fēn shēn zài cì jìn rù hòu ， huì chóng xīn jīng lì yī biàn qín táng shī xiōng de huàn mèng kǎo yàn 。
本以为分身再次进入后，会重新经历一遍秦堂师兄的幻梦考验。
Then it slowly dissolved like ice melting away.
dàn chǔ wù jiè zhōng ， diāo xiàng fā chū yī zhèn bái guāng hòu ， lǐ fán què shì zhí jiē chū xiàn zài le yún shuǐ tiān gōng dà mén zhī qián 。
但储物戒中，雕像发出一阵白光后，李凡却是直接出现在了云水天宫大门之前。
"Is this task completed? It seems too easy," Lin Fan thought to himself.
lǎo zhě diāo xiàng zì xíng tuō lí lín fán de chǔ wù jiè ， fēi shàng gāo kōng 。
老者雕像自行脱离林凡的储物戒，飞上高空。
After a while, nothing unusual happened within the Cloud Water Heavenly Palace.
suí hòu rú tóng bīng xuě xiāo róng bān ， màn màn róng jiě xiāo shī le 。
随后如同冰雪消融般，慢慢溶解消失了。
"I wonder what use that statue has."
“ zhè rèn wù jiù suàn wán chéng le ？ yě wèi miǎn tài jiǎn dān shùn lì le diǎn 。” lín fán xīn zhōng zhí fàn dí gū 。
“这任务就算完成了？也未免太简单顺利了点。”林凡心中直犯嘀咕。
Unable to discern any hidden meaning, Lin Fan had no choice but to leave.
yòu dài le piàn kè ， yún shuǐ tiān gōng nèi shén me yì zhuàng dōu méi fā shēng 。
又待了片刻，云水天宫内什么异状都没发生。
Returning safely to the Ten Thousand Immortals Mirror, Lin Fan looked at his remaining 100,000 contribution points and fell into deep thought.
“ yě bù zhī nà diāo xiàng yǒu shén me yòng 。”
“也不知那雕像有什么用。”
Originally, Li Fan planned to have his doppelganger use the 100,000 contribution points to exchange for cultivation techniques and treasures, then pass them on to his main body.
méi néng kàn chū shén me xuán jī ， lín fán zhǐ néng shì xuǎn zé lí kāi 。
没能看出什么玄机，林凡只能是选择离开。
Just like how Xiao Heng from the previous life had exchanged *The Small Derivation Water Technique* and sent it to Li Fan.
ān quán de huí dào le tiān xuán jìng nèi ， lín fán kàn zhe zì jǐ shí wàn diǎn gòng xiàn dù de yú é ， xiàn rù le chén sī zhī zhōng 。
安全的回到了天玄镜内，林凡看着自己十万点贡献度的余额，陷入了沉思之中。
But after meeting this old man with white hair, Li Fan abandoned that idea.
yuán běn lǐ fán dǎ suàn fēn shēn ná dào shí wàn diǎn gòng xiàn dù zhī hòu ， zhí jiē jiāng suǒ xū yào de gōng fǎ 、 zhēn bǎo duì huàn ， rán hòu jiāo gěi běn zūn de 。
原本李凡打算分身拿到十万点贡献度之后，直接将所需要的功法、珍宝兑换，然后交给本尊的。
For now, he still shouldn't establish any connection between his doppelganger and his main body.
jiù rú tóng shàng yī shì xiāo héng duì huàn 《 xiǎo yǎn shuǐ jué 》， jì gěi lǐ fán de nà yàng 。
就如同上一世萧恒兑换《小衍水诀》，寄给李凡的那样。
This old man always gave him a feeling of extreme danger.
dàn jiàn dào le zhè bái fà lǎo zhě zhī hòu ， lǐ fán què shì dǎ xiāo le zhè ge niàn tou 。
但见到了这白发老者之后，李凡却是打消了这个念头。
His doppelganger was already in his line of sight.
mù qián kàn lái ， fēn shēn yǔ běn zūn ， hái shì bú yào chǎn shēng rèn hé guān lián cái hǎo 。
目前看来，分身与本尊，还是不要产生任何关联才好。
If the main body and doppelganger were to suddenly come into contact and be discovered by this old man,
zhè bái fà lǎo zhě zǒng gěi lǐ fán yī zhǒng jí dù wēi xiǎn de gǎn jué 。
这白发老者总给李凡一种极度危险的感觉。
given the wonders of *The Steal Heaven Replace Sun Technique*, even if the old man’s cultivation was supreme, he couldn’t guarantee that he wouldn't be tempted.
mù qián fēn shēn yǐ jīng luò rù tā de shì xiàn zhōng 。
目前分身已经落入他的视线中。
After all, in this dangerous world, people could be transformed into extraordinary objects of heaven and earth.
ruò shì běn zūn hé fēn shēn mào rán jiē chù ， bèi tā fā xiàn le èr zhě de lián xì 。
若是本尊和分身贸然接触，被他发现了二者的联系。
No matter how careful one is, it's never enough.
yǐ 《 tōu tiān huàn rì jué 》 de shén yì chéng dù ， jiù suàn zhè bái fà lǎo zhě xiū wèi gāo jué ， yě wú fǎ què bǎo tā bú huì xīn dòng 。
以《偷天换日诀》的神异程度，就算这白发老者修为高绝，也无法确保他不会心动。
As for whether these 100,000 contribution points would go to waste,
bì jìng ， zhè ge wēi xiǎn de xiū xiān jiè ， rén dōu néng bèi liàn chéng tiān dì qí wù 。
毕竟，这个危险的修仙界，人都能被炼成天地奇物。
there was no need to worry about that at all.
zài zěn me xiǎo xīn yě bù wèi guò 。
再怎么小心也不为过。
After all, the most precious thing in this world was various kinds of knowledge, including cultivation techniques!
zhì yú zhè shí wàn gòng xiàn dù huì bú huì làn zài fēn shēn shǒu shàng ， huā bù chū qù 。
至于这十万贡献度会不会烂在分身手上，花不出去。
While his doppelganger browsed through all this knowledge, it was as if Lin Fan himself were reading them simultaneously.
wán quán bù bì yǒu zhè zhǒng dān xīn 。
完全不必有这种担心。
So spending these 100,000 contribution points from the doppelganger and the main body had the same effect.
bì jìng ， zhè ge shì jiè ， zuì zhēn guì de ， shì bāo kuò gōng fǎ zài nèi de gè zhǒng zhī shí a ！
毕竟，这个世界，最珍贵的，是包括功法在内的各种知识啊！
Settling down, Lin Fan first searched for information about "ancient wars."
zài fēn shēn liú lǎn gè zhǒng zhī shí de tóng shí ， yě děng tóng yú běn zūn tóng shí zài kàn 。
在分身浏览各种知识的同时，也等同于本尊同时在看。
When he was in the Cloud Water Heavenly Palace, he was particularly interested in the frontline war mentioned by Qin Tang and Worm Daoist.
suǒ yǐ zhè shí wàn gòng xiàn dù yóu fēn shēn huā chū qù ， hé yóu běn zūn huā chū qù xiào guǒ shì yī yàng de 。
所以这十万贡献度由分身花出去，和由本尊花出去效果是一样的。
That war seemed to have been quite brutal, leaving them with a lingering memory even after their strange transformation.
dìng xià shén lái ， lín fán shǒu xiān sōu suǒ le guān yú “ shàng gǔ zhàn zhēng ” de yǒu guān xìn xī 。
定下神来，林凡首先搜索了关于“上古战争”的有关信息。
Soon enough, Li Fan found some scattered pieces of information.
zài yún shuǐ tiān gōng zhōng shí ， tā jiù duì yú qín táng yǐ jí chóng dào rén lǚ lǚ tí jí de qián xiàn zhàn zhēng shí fēn zài yì 。
在云水天宫中时，他就对于秦堂以及虫道人屡屡提及的前线战争十分在意。
Unfortunately, due to the immense passage of time, all related records were vague.
nà chǎng zhàn zhēng sì hū pǒ wèi cǎn liè ， ràng tā men zài biàn wèi guǐ yì hòu ， réng rán duì zhī niàn niàn bù wàng 。
那场战争似乎颇为惨烈，让他们在变为诡异后，仍然对之念念不忘。
What could be confirmed was that there indeed had been such a great battle.
hěn kuài ， lín fán jiù zhǎo dào le yī xiē zhī yán piàn yǔ 。
很快，林凡就找到了一些只言片语。
This war seemed to have lasted for years, starting before the transmission of Dao by Immortal Sages and ending only when the Great Calamity descended.
kě xī de shì ， sì hū shì yóu yú nián dài guò yú jiǔ yuǎn de yuán gù ， suǒ yǒu de xiāng guān jì zǎi dōu duì qí yǔ yān bù xiáng 。
可惜的是，似乎是由于年代过于久远的缘故，所有的相关记载都对其语焉不详。
Lin Fan then searched for information about heavenly treasures.
The white-haired old man looked somewhat familiar, but Lin Fan couldn't recall where he had met him before.
With a gentle and kind expression, like that of a friendly neighbor, the old man seemed approachable.
This made one feel an instant liking towards him.
Of course, Lin Fan couldn’t possibly think of this person as just an ordinary mortal.
Without a doubt, his cultivation was far too high, surpassing what Lin Fan could sense at the moment.
Thus, Lin Fan became even more cautious.
He bowed respectfully and said, "I have met you before."
The old man chuckled and replied, "There's no need to be so formal. I'm just an old man who should have died but hasn't yet."
Pausing for a moment, he kindly asked, "Is it you who wishes to hand over the *Cloud Water Scroll*?"
Li Fan nodded and then passed over the miniature model of the Cloud Water Heavenly Palace.
The old man took the tiny model in his hands and examined it with great care, his eyes filled with endless nostalgia.
"Correct. It's this one."
"Hanhai, Taiyi,拂云..."
"It has been a long time since we last met."
It seemed as if he was lost in thought, his gaze becoming somewhat hazy.
Upon hearing the old man’s words, Lin Fan’s heart skipped a beat.
He stood silently beside him, not daring to move.
From what he could gather from the old man's tone, this old man was actually of the same generation as that Turtle Snake Taiyi?
The fall of the Cloud Water Heavenly Palace had already been many years ago. How could this guy still be alive until now?
After all, after a great calamity, cultivators were generally targeted by the malevolent will of heaven and earth.
They no longer lived as long as ancient cultivators did.
Living for a thousand years was already extremely difficult.
What kind of cultivation had he reached to live so long?
Possibly Transcendence? Unity with Dao?
Lin Fan dared not speculate, but his vigilance increased even more.
In this world where immortal techniques could not be practiced simultaneously,
such a powerful figure...
If one truly believed that he would actually be as "kind" and "gentle" as he appeared, then they were far too naive.
The old man with the white hair looked at Lin Fan, who seemed somewhat nervous, and chuckled.
"What is the current state of affairs within the Cloud Water Heavenly Palace?" he asked.
Lin Fan detailed KF's transformation into a stone statue, the Worm Daoist using his own body to refine elixirs, and Taiyi being pierced by broken swords.
"If it weren't for some special reason, I wouldn’t be able to enter the Cloud Water Heavenly Palace. I also wouldn’t just sit idly by while they suffer."
After a long silence, the old man expressed boundless emotion.
"You are indeed quite astute to survive from the Cloud Water Heavenly Palace." He looked at Lin Fan and praised him.
"Just luck," Lin Fan modestly replied.
"Before I forget, do you have any interest in taking on another commission for me?" the old man suddenly asked.
"Of course, please speak."
"I need you to run one more errand to the Cloud Water Heavenly Palace. Just place this item there." The old man took out a small white jade statue and handed it to Lin Fan.
This white jade statue had no special aura; it seemed just an ordinary piece of mundane jade carved into the likeness of the old man himself.
"Since I can't personally enter the Cloud Water Heavenly Palace, let me use this statue as a constant companion for them."
"As for compensation..."
The old man pondered for a moment and pointed to Lin Fan's forehead with his finger.
Suddenly, countless pieces of information flooded into Lin Fan's mind.
Even with his Qi Condensation Stage Sixth Level mental acuity, he felt dizzy and the pressure in his head increased.
When he came back to himself, the figure of the old man had vanished from the Ten Thousand Immortals Mirror, and 100,000 contribution points had already been credited to him.
After slowly sorting through the vast information in his mind for a long time, Li Fan finally understood what the old man's compensation was.
*The Heavenly Medicine Scripture*.
Not some cultivation technique, but a medical scripture that encompassed the study of human physiology, pathology, diagnosis, treatment, and medicine.
Its subjects even included all kinds of animals and plants in the world.
It was truly comprehensive, containing everything under the sun.
With such vast information, Lin Fan estimated it would take at least ten years just to read through it once.
This immense treasure of knowledge had been casually passed on to him by the old man.
"Good things are good. Unfortunately, studying them consumes too much energy. I’ll have to set it aside for now."
Lin Fan took the old man's commission seriously.
After all, the old man had even given him the compensation in advance.
So Lin Fan made another trip to the Cloud Water Heavenly Palace.
He thought he would once again go through Qin Tang’s illusionary dream test when his doppelganger entered.
But after a burst of white light from the statue within his storage ring, Li Fan found himself directly standing before the entrance of the Cloud Water Heavenly Palace.
The old man's statue detached itself from Lin Fan's storage ring and flew up into the air.
Then it slowly dissolved like ice melting away.
"Is this task completed? It seems too easy," Lin Fan thought to himself.
After a while, nothing unusual happened within the Cloud Water Heavenly Palace.
"I wonder what use that statue has."
Unable to discern any hidden meaning, Lin Fan had no choice but to leave.
Returning safely to the Ten Thousand Immortals Mirror, Lin Fan looked at his remaining 100,000 contribution points and fell into deep thought.
Originally, Li Fan planned to have his doppelganger use the 100,000 contribution points to exchange for cultivation techniques and treasures, then pass them on to his main body.
Just like how Xiao Heng from the previous life had exchanged *The Small Derivation Water Technique* and sent it to Li Fan.
But after meeting this old man with white hair, Li Fan abandoned that idea.
For now, he still shouldn't establish any connection between his doppelganger and his main body.
This old man always gave him a feeling of extreme danger.
His doppelganger was already in his line of sight.
If the main body and doppelganger were to suddenly come into contact and be discovered by this old man,
given the wonders of *The Steal Heaven Replace Sun Technique*, even if the old man’s cultivation was supreme, he couldn’t guarantee that he wouldn't be tempted.
After all, in this dangerous world, people could be transformed into extraordinary objects of heaven and earth.
No matter how careful one is, it's never enough.
As for whether these 100,000 contribution points would go to waste,
there was no need to worry about that at all.
After all, the most precious thing in this world was various kinds of knowledge, including cultivation techniques!
While his doppelganger browsed through all this knowledge, it was as if Lin Fan himself were reading them simultaneously.
So spending these 100,000 contribution points from the doppelganger and the main body had the same effect.
Settling down, Lin Fan first searched for information about "ancient wars."
When he was in the Cloud Water Heavenly Palace, he was particularly interested in the frontline war mentioned by Qin Tang and Worm Daoist.
That war seemed to have been quite brutal, leaving them with a lingering memory even after their strange transformation.
Soon enough, Li Fan found some scattered pieces of information.
Unfortunately, due to the immense passage of time, all related records were vague.
What could be confirmed was that there indeed had been such a great battle.
This war seemed to have lasted for years, starting before the transmission of Dao by Immortal Sages and ending only when the Great Calamity descended.
Lin Fan then searched for information about heavenly treasures.