“ zhè jù shēn qū ， wǒ jiù zàn qiě jiè zǒu 、 xiān yǐn cáng qǐ lái 。 děng rì hòu xū yào lián xì shí ， wǒ hái shì tōng guò cǐ fǎ 。” mò rú bīn zuì hòu shuō dào 。
“这具身躯，我就暂且借走、先隐藏起来。等日后需要联系时，我还是通过此法。”墨儒斌最后说道。
"Shall I keep this body for now and hide it? When the time comes to contact me, I will still use this method," Mo Roubin said at last.
lǐ fán yě shì diǎn tóu yīng xià 。
李凡也是点头应下。
Li Fan nodded in agreement.
zhī qián èr rén xiáng xì de yuē dìng le jiē xià lái xiāng hù pèi hé zhōng xū yào zhù yì de zhǒng zhǒng shì xiàng ， lǐ fán què méi yǒu tí chū ràng mò rú bīn dǎ tīng xiān méng yǐn mì de yāo qiú 。 suǒ wèi jiāng yù qǔ zhī ， bì xiān yǔ zhī 。 zài lǐ fán kàn lái ， mò rú bīn zhè tiáo xiàn hái zài fā zhǎn jiē duàn 、 yuǎn méi dào shōu huò de shí hòu 。
之前二人详细的约定了接下来相互配合中需要注意的种种事项，李凡却没有提出让墨儒斌打听仙盟隐秘的要求。所谓将欲取之，必先予之。在李凡看来，墨儒斌这条线还在发展阶段、远没到收获的时候。
The two had detailed plans on how they would cooperate in the future. However, Li Fan did not ask Mo Roubin to gather intelligence on the Immortal Alliance's secrets. As the saying goes: "If you want something, you must first give it." In Li Fan’s view, Mo Roubin was still developing his line and had yet to reach a stage where he could reap benefits.
“ děng dào zhè cì bāng tā zài wàn xiān méng chuán fǎ zhě zhōng de dì wèi gèng jìn yí bù hòu ， huò xǔ jiù kě yǐ tí chū xiǎo xiǎo de yāo qiú le 。”
“等到这次帮他在万仙盟传法者中的地位更进一步后，或许就可以提出小小的要求了。”
"Once I help him advance further in the Immortal Alliance's Transcendent Preacher ranks, perhaps I can make some small requests."
děng dào mò rú bīn de shén niàn chè dǐ xiāo shī zài shí hǎi zhī zhōng hòu ， tā rú cǐ xiǎng dào 。
等到墨儒斌的神念彻底消失在识海之中后，他如此想到。
After Mo Roubin's spiritual sense completely vanished from Li Fan’s mind, he thought thusly.
jiē xià lái de shí tiān ， suǒ yǒu xiū xíng 【 shén lín shēn 】 de xiū shì ， zài lǐ fán de àn shì zhī xià ， quán dōu cháo zhe luó yān zhōu jí zhōng ér qù 。
接下来的十天，所有修行【神临身】的修士，在李凡的暗示之下，全都朝着罗烟州集中而去。
For the next ten days, all cultivators practicing [God Presence Body] converged on Luo Yan State under Li Fan's subtle guidance.
gēn jù mò rú bīn de jì huà ， tā jiāng zài zuì jìn yǐ chuán fǎ zhě de shēn fèn lì lín luó yān zhōu 。
根据墨儒斌的计划，他将在最近以传法者的身份莅临罗烟州。
According to Mo Roubin's plan, he would soon arrive in Luo Yan State as a Transcendent Preacher. The officials of various levels within Luo Yan State and the Immortal Alliance’s defense force would treat this matter with the highest规格.
luó yān zhōu shàng xià ， wàn xiān méng gè jí zǔ zhī guān yuán bì rán huì yǐ zuì gāo guī gé duì dài cǐ shì 。
罗烟州上下，万仙盟各级组织官员必然会以最高规格对待此事。
Moreover, Mo Roubin would attract all surveillance forces' attention, creating an environment where Li Fan could freely spread God Presence Body in Luo Yan State.
bìng qiě mò rú bīn hái huì tè bié xī yǐn le quán bù jiān chá lì liàng de zhù yì lì ， jiù néng wèi lǐ fán zài luó yān zhōu chuàng zào chū yí gè kě yǐ jìn qíng chuán bō shén lín shēn de wēn chuáng 。
并且墨儒斌还会特别吸引了全部监察力量的注意力，就能为李凡在罗烟州创造出一个可以尽情传播神临身的温床。
Over a month, Li Fan aimed to influence as many cultivators as possible. Afterward, he would disperse them across the Immortal Alliance and wait for Mo Roubin to complete his inspection before launching a coordinated attack shortly after his return to the alliance headquarters.
chí xù yí gè yuè de shí jiān ， lǐ fán yào zài zhè qī jiān jǐn kě néng de gǔ huò zuì duō de xiū shì 。
持续一个月的时间，李凡要在这期间尽可能的蛊惑最多的修士。
Once things spiraled out of control, Mo Roubin could volunteer to take on the task of exterminating these rebels.
ér hòu jiāng zhè xiē xiū shì sàn bō dào xiān méng gè dì ， děng dài mò rú bīn wán chéng xún shì 、 fǎn huí xiān méng zǒng bù hòu bù jiǔ 。
而后将这些修士散播到仙盟各地，等待墨儒斌完成巡视、返回仙盟总部后不久。
With Li Fan as an inside man, this would be easily resolved.
zài qí qí bào kāi 。
再齐齐爆开。
The plan was roughly like that. However, in actual execution, various unforeseen events might occur. Mo Roubin had already prepared contingency plans for such scenarios.
děng dào shì tài yī fā bù kě shōu shí zhī hòu ， mò rú bīn zài zhǔ dòng qǐng yīng 、 lǎn xià chè dǐ miè shā zhè xiē fǎn zéi de rèn wù 。
等到事态一发不可收拾之后，墨儒斌再主动请缨、揽下彻底灭杀这些反贼的任务。
There was a sense of strategizing from afar and winning battles thousands of miles away.
yǒu zhe lǐ fán zhè ge zhǔ móu zhě zuò wéi nèi yìng ， bì rán huì hěn róng yì wán měi jiě jué cǐ shì 。
有着李凡这个主谋者作为内应，必然会很容易完美解决此事。
Still, compared to Li Fan, he was slightly less experienced.
dà zhì de jì huà jiù shì rú cǐ 。
大致的计划就是如此。
Soon, over thirty thousand God Presence Body cultivators were subtly guided by Li Fan's influence toward Luo Yan State.
dāng rán zài shí jì shī xíng zhōng ， hěn yǒu kě néng huì yù dào zhǒng zhǒng yì xiǎng bù dào de biàn gù 。 mò rú bīn yě zǎo yǐ jīng zuò hǎo le gè zhǒng yù àn 。
当然在实际施行中，很有可能会遇到种种意想不到的变故。墨儒斌也早已经做好了各种预案。
To avoid arousing suspicion among the Immortal Alliance due to this sudden influx of people, they used teleportation arrays and flew through the skies under Li Fan’s manipulation. They arrived in batches across various locations within Luo Yan State over ten days and began observing their surroundings while searching for suitable targets.
dàng zhēn yǒu zhǒng yùn chóu wéi wò zhī zhōng 、 jué shèng qiān lǐ zhī wài de gǎn jué 。
当真有种运筹帷幄之中、决胜千里之外的感觉。
Although not as prosperous as the central four states of the Immortal Alliance, Luo Yan was still a major state. The overall quality of cultivators here far exceeded that of Cunyun Sea, a remote region.
dāng rán ， bǐ qǐ lǐ fán ， hái shì yào lüè xún yī chóu 。
当然，比起李凡，还是要略寻一筹。
Only beings at the Transcendent Preacher level could make such careful arrangements in Luo Yan State.
hěn kuài ， sān wàn duō míng shén lín shēn xiū shì ， shòu dào lǐ fán de àn shì 。
很快，三万多名神临身修士，受到李凡的暗示。
Li Fan’s mind mapped out Luo Yan State as he scanned the information from his subordinates. Red dots representing God Presence Body cultivators were scattered across the state.
gè zì qián wǎng luó yān zhōu 。
各自前往罗烟州。
Nodding to himself, Li Fan said, "With the major families excluded, the overall quality of these cultivators is far superior to those in Cunyun Sea."
wèi le bù zhì shǐ zhè tū rán zēng dà de rén liú liàng yǐn qǐ wàn xiān méng yǒu guān fāng miàn de jǐng jué ， zài lǐ fán de cāo zòng zhī xià ， zhè qún rén yǒu de tōng guò chuán sòng zhèn 、 yǒu de zé shì yù kōng fēi dùn 。
为了不致使这突然增大的人流量引起万仙盟有关方面的警觉，在李凡的操纵之下，这群人有的通过传送阵、有的则是御空飞遁。
"Indeed..."
fēn pī cì ， zài shí tiān zhī nèi xiān hòu lái dào luó yān zhōu gè chù qián fú le xià lái 。
分批次，在十天之内先后来到罗烟州各处潜伏了下来。
"All preparations are in place; we just wait for Mo Roubin's signal."
bìng kāi shǐ guān chá sì zhōu xiū shì 、 wù sè hé shì rén xuǎn 。
并开始观察四周修士、物色合适人选。
Li Fan first arranged his subordinates to establish good relationships with their targets. He did not rush into action but gradually gained their trust.
luó yān zhōu suī rán bù bǐ xiān méng zhōng yāng sì zhōu fán huá ， dàn yě shì yī děng yī de dà zhōu 。
罗烟州虽然不比仙盟中央四州繁华，但也是一等一的大州。
The scenes from the thirty thousand conversations were all recorded within Li Fan’s mind. With his powerful divine sense and high emotional intelligence, he always provided the best responses.
wàn xiān méng wèi shù yuàn zǒng zhǐ huī jí chéng xiān zūn ， jiù shì luó yān zhōu rén shì 。
万仙盟卫戍院总指挥极成仙尊，就是罗烟州人士。
Moreover, many of these God Presence Body cultivators did not act alone. Li Fan deliberately grouped those with lower abilities together. Their combined efforts proved even more effective than those acting individually.
zài tā shǒu lǎn dà quán zhī hòu ， duì jiā xiāng duō yǒu tí xié 。
在他手揽大权之后，对家乡多有提携。
Within a few days, thousands of "close friends" were formed in Luo Yan State.
luó yān zhōu nèi zhū duō jiā zú zǐ dì fēn fēn dé yǐ qián wǎng xiān méng zǒng bù rèn zhí ， cǐ hòu jīng nián ， zài fǎn bǔ jiā xiāng 。
罗烟州内诸多家族子弟纷纷得以前往仙盟总部任职，此后经年，再反哺家乡。
Li Fan looked at the myriad images floating before him, his expression calm.
jīng guò zhè xiē nián de shēn gēng ， guān xì wǎng kě wèi shì pán gēn cuò jié 、 shēn bù kě cè 。
经过这些年的深耕，关系网可谓是盘根错节、深不可测。
To him, making acquaintances and building trust was merely a series of multiple-choice questions.
yě jiù shì chuán fǎ zhě zhè děng céng cì de cún zài ， cái néng shǐ de luó yān zhōu shàng xià rú cǐ shèn zhòng duō dài 。
也就是传法者这等层次的存在，才能使得罗烟州上下如此慎重多待。
With Li Fan’s extensive experience and sharp mind, finding the optimal solution among countless choices was not difficult. Moreover, objective, rational decisions often fostered better relationships.
lǐ fán shí hǎi zhōng ， luó yān zhōu de dì tú xú xú zhǎn kāi 。
李凡识海中，罗烟州的地图徐徐展开。
"Hot relations need to be solidified..." he thought silently.
yí gè gè dài biǎo zhe shén lín shēn xiū shì de hóng diǎn ， fēn bù zài luó yān zhōu gè chù 。
一个个代表着神临身修士的红点，分布在罗烟州各处。
A day later than scheduled, an unusual atmosphere seemed to envelop Luo Yan State.
gǎn yìng zhuó shǒu xià men chuán huí lái de xìn xī ， lǐ fán bù jīn àn zì diǎn tóu ：“ dì líng rén jié ， jiù suàn pái chú nà xiē dà jiā zú zǐ dì ， zhěng tǐ xiū shì de zhì liàng yě yào bèi cóng yún hǎi zhè piān yuǎn zhī dì yào hǎo shàng tài duō 。”
感应着手下们传回来的信息，李凡不禁暗自点头：“地灵人杰，就算排除那些大家族子弟，整体修士的质量也要被丛云海这偏远之地要好上太多。”
Numerous discussions flooded into Li Fan’s ears from the images.
“ ń ……”
“嗯……”
"Eh? Why hasn’t I Daigong appeared recently? Could he have found something new?"
“ yī qiè jiù wèi ， zhǐ děng mò rú bīn nà biān le 。”
“一切就位，只等墨儒斌那边了。”
"It's strange; I haven't seen Brother Zhang for a few days."
lǐ fán xiān ān pái zhuó shǒu xià men ， gēn xún zhǎo hǎo de mù biāo jiē chù 、 dǎ hǎo guān xì 。
李凡先安排着手下们，跟寻找好的目标接触、打好关系。
"F*ck! Today when I went to Luo Yan Heavenly City, someone blocked me at the entrance. They wouldn't even explain why and wouldn't let me in! F*ck!"
bù jí zhe xiān dòng shǒu ， ér shì xiān zhú jiàn qǔ dé mù biāo de xìn rèn 。
不急着先动手，而是先逐渐取得目标的信任。
"The guys from the Martial Arts Hall have been busier lately. But no matter how I look at it, they seem to be putting on a show."
sān wàn rén de tán huà chǎng jǐng ， jìn shù guī yú lǐ fán shí hǎi 。
三万人的谈话场景，尽数归于李凡识海。
...
lǐ fán zuò zhèn zhōng yāng ， kào zhe qiáng dà de shén shí yǐ jí jí gāo de qíng shāng ， měi měi zǒng néng gěi chū zuì jiā de huí dá fāng àn 。
李凡坐镇中央，靠着强大的神识以及极高的情商，每每总能给出最佳的回答方案。
The various unusual behaviors combined quickly made the cultivators realize that someone of high status was visiting Luo Yan State.
ér qiě zhè sān wàn duō míng shén lín shēn xiū shì ， bìng bù quán dōu shì dān dú xíng dòng 。
而且这三万多名神临身修士，并不全都是单独行动。
However, their identities and true statuses remained unknown.
néng lì jiào dī de nà xiē rén ， lǐ fán yǒu yì jiāng tā men ān pái zài yì qǐ 。 nǐ yī yán wǒ yī yǔ zhī xià ， gǔ huò de xiào lǜ shèn zhì bǐ qǐ nà xiē dān dǎ dú dòu de xiū shì hái yào gāo 。
能力较低的那些人，李凡有意将他们安排在一起。你一言我一语之下，蛊惑的效率甚至比起那些单打独斗的修士还要高。
Intelligent people decided to close themselves off in their meditation rooms within the Heavenly Dao Mirror for some time. Otherwise, they might vanish inexplicably due to unforeseen circumstances.
hěn kuài ， duǎn duǎn jǐ tiān nèi ， luó yān zhōu nèi jiù duō le shàng wàn duì “ zhì yǒu ”。
很快，短短几天内，罗烟州内就多了上万对“挚友”。
Luo Yan State was calm as usual. Cultivators kept their distance from each other, discussing privately among friends.
lǐ fán kàn zhe piāo fú zài yǎn qián de shù wàn fú bù tóng de huà miàn ， shén qíng dàn rán 。
李凡看着漂浮在眼前的数万幅不同的画面，神情淡然。
It was finally Li Fan’s turn to show his prowess.
duì tā ér yán ， suǒ wèi de jié shí 、 pān tán 、 qǔ xìn ， dōu bù guò shì yí gè gè xuǎn zé tí bà le 。
对他而言，所谓的结识、攀谈、取信，都不过是一个个选择题罢了。
Stirring up emotions and creating resonance among the target cultivators was simple. Most of them came from humble backgrounds and had reached this level through sheer effort. They were mostly at the Foundation Establishment stage; a few had reached the Golden Core realm, but they were rare. Only one in a thousand could reach the Essence Body stage.
yǐ lǐ fán rú jīn de yuè lì yǐ jí xīn sī ， xiǎng yào zài wú shù xuǎn zé zhōng zhǎo dào zuì yōu jiě ， bìng bú shì shén me nán shì 。
以李凡如今的阅历以及心思，想要在无数选择中找到最优解，并不是什么难事。
Li Fan’s persuasive words echoed in their ears.
bìng qiě wǎng wǎng bù dài gǎn qíng 、 jué duì lǐ zhì de xuǎn zé ， gèng néng cù jìn shuāng fāng guān xì 。
并且往往不带感情、绝对理智的选择，更能促进双方关系。
"Hmph, these families control Luo Yan State. We lowly cultivators will likely never rise to prominence."
“ gāng jié jiāo shí ， guān xì zuì shì huǒ rè 。 hái xū chèn rè dǎ tiě ……” tā mò mò xiǎng dào 。
“刚结交时，关系最是火热。还需趁热打铁……”他默默想到。
"Indeed, all good things go to them. Even when something happens, we don't have the right to know..."
zhǐ bǐ yuē dìng de shí jiān yán hòu de yī tiān ， zhè yī rì ， sì hū yǒu zhǒng bù tài xún cháng de qì fēn lǒng zhào zài luó yān zhōu shàng kōng 。
只比约定的时间延后的一天，这一日，似乎有种不太寻常的气氛笼罩在罗烟州上空。
"Ugh, what a life."
sān wàn fú huà miàn zhōng ， wú shù tǎo lùn shēng fēi rù lǐ fán de ěr zhōng 。
三万幅画面中，无数讨论声飞入李凡的耳中。
"How high can one achieve without resources and just relying on cultivation? Without a dao heaven, even a world-renowned prodigy would be stuck at the Essence Body stage. I doubt those major family members are much better than me. Take that I Daigong for example; he has everything but remains in the late Golden Core stage. He's nothing more than a complete waste of space! If it were me..."
“ yí ？ zěn me zuì jìn méi yǒu jiàn dào cài dà gōng zi ？ mò fēi tā yòu zhǎo dào shén me xīn huā yàng le ？”
“咦？怎么最近没有见到蔡大公子？莫非他又找到什么新花样了？”
...
“ shuō lái qí guài ， wǒ yě yǒu hǎo jǐ tiān méi yǒu yù dào guò zhāng xiōng le 。”
“说来奇怪，我也有好几天没有遇到过张兄了。”
Anger and resentment spread among the lower-ranking cultivators.
“ tā mā de ， lǎo zi jīn tiān qù luó yān tiān chéng lǐ miàn bàn shì ， jū rán bèi lán zhù le 。 shén me lǐ yóu dōu bù shuō ， jiù shì bù ràng jìn ！ wǒ pēi ！”
“他妈的，老子今天去罗烟天城里面办事，居然被拦住了。什么理由都不说，就是不让进！我呸！”
(End of chapter)
"Shall I keep this body for now and hide it? When the time comes to contact me, I will still use this method," Mo Roubin said at last.
Li Fan nodded in agreement.
The two had detailed plans on how they would cooperate in the future. However, Li Fan did not ask Mo Roubin to gather intelligence on the Immortal Alliance's secrets. As the saying goes: "If you want something, you must first give it." In Li Fan’s view, Mo Roubin was still developing his line and had yet to reach a stage where he could reap benefits.
"Once I help him advance further in the Immortal Alliance's Transcendent Preacher ranks, perhaps I can make some small requests."
After Mo Roubin's spiritual sense completely vanished from Li Fan’s mind, he thought thusly.
For the next ten days, all cultivators practicing [God Presence Body] converged on Luo Yan State under Li Fan's subtle guidance.
According to Mo Roubin's plan, he would soon arrive in Luo Yan State as a Transcendent Preacher. The officials of various levels within Luo Yan State and the Immortal Alliance’s defense force would treat this matter with the highest规格.
Moreover, Mo Roubin would attract all surveillance forces' attention, creating an environment where Li Fan could freely spread God Presence Body in Luo Yan State.
Over a month, Li Fan aimed to influence as many cultivators as possible. Afterward, he would disperse them across the Immortal Alliance and wait for Mo Roubin to complete his inspection before launching a coordinated attack shortly after his return to the alliance headquarters.
Once things spiraled out of control, Mo Roubin could volunteer to take on the task of exterminating these rebels.
With Li Fan as an inside man, this would be easily resolved.
The plan was roughly like that. However, in actual execution, various unforeseen events might occur. Mo Roubin had already prepared contingency plans for such scenarios.
There was a sense of strategizing from afar and winning battles thousands of miles away.
Still, compared to Li Fan, he was slightly less experienced.
Soon, over thirty thousand God Presence Body cultivators were subtly guided by Li Fan's influence toward Luo Yan State.
To avoid arousing suspicion among the Immortal Alliance due to this sudden influx of people, they used teleportation arrays and flew through the skies under Li Fan’s manipulation. They arrived in batches across various locations within Luo Yan State over ten days and began observing their surroundings while searching for suitable targets.
Although not as prosperous as the central four states of the Immortal Alliance, Luo Yan was still a major state. The overall quality of cultivators here far exceeded that of Cunyun Sea, a remote region.
Only beings at the Transcendent Preacher level could make such careful arrangements in Luo Yan State.
Li Fan’s mind mapped out Luo Yan State as he scanned the information from his subordinates. Red dots representing God Presence Body cultivators were scattered across the state.
Nodding to himself, Li Fan said, "With the major families excluded, the overall quality of these cultivators is far superior to those in Cunyun Sea."
"Indeed..."
"All preparations are in place; we just wait for Mo Roubin's signal."
Li Fan first arranged his subordinates to establish good relationships with their targets. He did not rush into action but gradually gained their trust.
The scenes from the thirty thousand conversations were all recorded within Li Fan’s mind. With his powerful divine sense and high emotional intelligence, he always provided the best responses.
Moreover, many of these God Presence Body cultivators did not act alone. Li Fan deliberately grouped those with lower abilities together. Their combined efforts proved even more effective than those acting individually.
Within a few days, thousands of "close friends" were formed in Luo Yan State.
Li Fan looked at the myriad images floating before him, his expression calm.
To him, making acquaintances and building trust was merely a series of multiple-choice questions.
With Li Fan’s extensive experience and sharp mind, finding the optimal solution among countless choices was not difficult. Moreover, objective, rational decisions often fostered better relationships.
"Hot relations need to be solidified..." he thought silently.
A day later than scheduled, an unusual atmosphere seemed to envelop Luo Yan State.
Numerous discussions flooded into Li Fan’s ears from the images.
"Eh? Why hasn’t I Daigong appeared recently? Could he have found something new?"
"It's strange; I haven't seen Brother Zhang for a few days."
"F*ck! Today when I went to Luo Yan Heavenly City, someone blocked me at the entrance. They wouldn't even explain why and wouldn't let me in! F*ck!"
"The guys from the Martial Arts Hall have been busier lately. But no matter how I look at it, they seem to be putting on a show."
...
The various unusual behaviors combined quickly made the cultivators realize that someone of high status was visiting Luo Yan State.
However, their identities and true statuses remained unknown.
Intelligent people decided to close themselves off in their meditation rooms within the Heavenly Dao Mirror for some time. Otherwise, they might vanish inexplicably due to unforeseen circumstances.
Luo Yan State was calm as usual. Cultivators kept their distance from each other, discussing privately among friends.
It was finally Li Fan’s turn to show his prowess.
Stirring up emotions and creating resonance among the target cultivators was simple. Most of them came from humble backgrounds and had reached this level through sheer effort. They were mostly at the Foundation Establishment stage; a few had reached the Golden Core realm, but they were rare. Only one in a thousand could reach the Essence Body stage.
Li Fan’s persuasive words echoed in their ears.
"Hmph, these families control Luo Yan State. We lowly cultivators will likely never rise to prominence."
"Indeed, all good things go to them. Even when something happens, we don't have the right to know..."
"Ugh, what a life."
"How high can one achieve without resources and just relying on cultivation? Without a dao heaven, even a world-renowned prodigy would be stuck at the Essence Body stage. I doubt those major family members are much better than me. Take that I Daigong for example; he has everything but remains in the late Golden Core stage. He's nothing more than a complete waste of space! If it were me..."
...
Anger and resentment spread among the lower-ranking cultivators.
(End of chapter)