Chapter 392: Ten Years, Lost Traces

"So many years have passed; if my expectations are correct, the Medicine King True Cauldron in the Cangwu Abyss should be appearing in the world soon."

"I hope Su Xiaomei and the others can protect these four small cauldrons, allowing me to glimpse the mysteries of the Medicine King Cauldron."

Before leaving the Lundao Tower courtyard, Li Fan checked the tianxuan mirror once more.

First was the Grand Competition Golden Ranking.

He still firmly held the second position, unshakable.

After more than two years of frantically farming points within the Five Elements Cave Heaven, he had already opened up a significant gap between himself and the third-place contestant.

If no major accidents occur in the near future, this will likely be his final ranking when it ends.

As for the first-place Guo Yezhong, because of that unsolvable, one-of-a-kind point commission, he was far ahead of Li Fan.

At present, there seems to be no hope of surpassing him.

Li Fan stared intently at Guo Yezhong's name: "Disintegration Disc…"

"Perhaps the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance never intended to give it away at all."

With a cold snort, Li Fan closed the ranking and checked the communications he had received over these years.

Because he had been in various Secret Realms, his communication talismans could not connect with the outside world.

The vast majority of the messages had been sent to the tianxuan mirror space.

Most were just pleasantries sent from time to time by He Zhenghao, Daoist Kyoto Xuan, and others; there was nothing of importance.

Li Fan scanned through them quickly.

Finally, he checked his own Merit Rank.

"Yan Thirty-one."

The moment he saw this number, Li Fan's heart couldn't help but skip a beat.

"As expected of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance's millennial plan; I only participated in the construction of three Formations, yet my Merit Rank has skyrocketed to thirty-one."

"If one were to leisurely complete Merit missions, a Golden Core Cultivator would likely never reach this height in a lifetime."

Participating in the construction of the Tianxuan Locking Spirit Array came with Merit rewards.

Furthermore, every time a Formation was completed, the settlement was processed in real-time.

This point had already been clearly explained by Ji Hongdao when he was conducting the mobilization.

After reaching Merit Rank Yan Thirty-one, new privileges were unlocked.

First were some minor perks.

One could apply to visit certain scenic spots of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance for free, such as the Divine Treasury Museum he had seen before.

Another example was being able to apply for a lateral transfer of duties across regions.

If He Zhenghao had possessed this privilege back then, he wouldn't have needed to trouble the Divine Oracle or Daoist Kyoto Xuan; he could have simply transferred to Tian Yu State directly.

Besides this, what Li Fan valued more was the declassification of certain forbidden materials.

Much information that could not be searched for previously could now be seen by Li Fan within the tianxuan mirror.

For instance, the materials for the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance's decennial recruitment examination.

Li Fan's eyes flashed as he recorded the exam questions anchored for nine years in the future.

While Li Fan was devouring various information with great hunger, two days passed in the blink of an eye.

On the final day of rest, Li Fan received messages from Gu Youguang and Xiang Liu.

The two of them had searched all around but couldn't find Li Fan in the Thousand Stars Courtyard.

Being somewhat worried, they sent inquiries.

After Li Fan replied that he was unharmed, he returned to the celebration site at the very last moment.

Inside the Thousand Stars Courtyard, the lights were bright.

People came and went like a tapestry; it was incredibly lively.

"I felt slightly fatigued, so I went to rest for a moment. Please forgive me," Li Fan said with a smile.

Both Xiang Liu and Gu Youguang nodded repeatedly, looking very understanding.

"However, it truly is a pity," Gu Youguang shook his head and sighed.

"Oh? How so?" Li Fan asked.

Xiang Liu picked up the conversation: "Fellow Daoist, you may not know, but yesterday the illustrious 【Celestial Maiden Kongyou】 of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance came to offer her condolences."

"Fellow Daoist, missing the chance to behold her beauty is truly a great pity!"

Gu Youguang also agreed strongly: "Celestial Maiden Kongyou is unparalleled in beauty, rarely seen in this era. The image stones I have collected cannot convey even one ten-thousandth of her charm. That kind of beauty has already exceeded the limits of what words can describe. Only by seeing her with one's own eyes can one understand that her reputation is truly well-deserved."

Li Fan had thought it was something important; it turned out to be merely about a woman.

He smiled dismissively, unimpressed: "I am a dying old man; why would I care about such things?"

Gu Youguang couldn't help but become solemn, lowering his voice: "If Fellow Daoist could have the chance to get intimate with her, you might just find a Heaven-Defying opportunity to change your fate."

"Celestial Maiden Kongyou, her Physique is special…"

"Hmm, you understand."

Li Fan smiled and shook his head.

Xiang Liu also sensed that this topic was a bit inappropriate and immediately changed the subject: "Fellow Daoist, what are your plans for the next steps?"

"Senior Qi has already publicized the overall construction status of the Lock Spirit Arrays within the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance. All Cultivators who participated in the construction of the Five Elements Great Cave Heaven are free to choose their next target."

As he spoke, he took out a crystal shaped like a Jade Slip from his storage ring and handed it over.

After Li Fan took it and checked it, he was somewhat surprised.

"How is the construction progress so fast?"

Compared to what he saw from Huangfu Song more than two years ago.

The Lock Spirit Array construction tasks visible now were almost entirely completed.

The overall progress was approaching 95%.

"It's all because of those dissenting voices causing such a stir."

Gu Youguang shrugged: "The wave of opposition against the Tianxuan Locking Spirit Array has been getting more and more turbulent recently. In some places, there have even been incidents of people using force to stop the construction. Although it was immediately suppressed, it still shows the danger of the situation."

"To avoid long delays leading to more trouble, everyone has been going all out during this period, working without a moment's rest."

Xiang Liu was also extremely emotional: "I really don't understand why there are people with such strong opposition."

"If they saw the performance of the Lock Spirit Array within the Five Elements Cave Heaven, they would definitely change their minds," Gu Youguang said earnestly. "It's a pity that Senior Qi has already instructed that it is top-secret information and cannot be leaked. Otherwise, I would have to have a word with them."

Li Fan nodded in agreement on the surface, but inwardly he retorted: "If those opponents were to see the might of the Lock Spirit Array with their own eyes, they would likely be even more desperate to stop it, even at the cost of their lives."

"No matter, the day the Tianxuan Locking Spirit Array is truly popularized, all doubts will crumble on their own." Suddenly, the voice of Qi Buyi came from beside the three of them.

Li Fan and the others were startled and quickly bowed to her.

Qi Buyi waved her hand; perhaps because she had drunk quite a bit of spirit wine, her face was slightly flushed.

She said to Li Fan: "You can rest assured, the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance will never treat those who have rendered service unfairly. The matter of extending your Lifespan has been approved, and the treasure will be delivered in a few days. If there are no accidents, the additional Lifespan will be enough for you to persevere until you reach the Nascent Soul Breakthrough."

Xiang Liu and Gu Youguang were both overjoyed upon hearing this.

Li Fan also put on a face full of gratitude and thanked Qi Buyi.

While they were talking, a ray of sunlight shone into the Thousand Stars Courtyard.

"Hmm, it is dawn."

"Just as this dark night will eventually pass."

"Under the Tianxuan Locking Spirit, the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance will surely welcome an incomparably bright future."

Qi Buyi's gaze was hazy, yet she spoke with absolute firmness.

Li Fan and the others exchanged glances and nodded in agreement.

Just at this moment, a great deal of information appeared out of thin air in Li Fan's mind.

It was the experiences of that Clone that had inexplicably disappeared earlier.

"Yuandao Province, the ten lost years…"

In an instant, Li Fan's expression could not help but change.