Translator: 549690339
In the following period, a pall of gloom descends over the entire Ten Thousand Immortals Island and the whole of the Alliance of Thousands of Immortals.
Every cultivator encountered on the way appears to have lost their soul.
Even worse, Li Fan hears that some cultivators have chosen to end their lives out of desperation after losing everything in ruinous investments.
Every now and again, fireworks light up above their heads.
There are also some gamblers who have racked up colossal amounts of debt after going all-in just before the price of the Spirit Mist Grass plummeted.
The debt they owe is now so massive that even if they were to work all their lives, they wouldnât be able to repay it.
To escape their creditors, some people choose to resist through force.
Others directly choose to defect, leaving the Alliance of Thousands of Immortals to join the Five Elders Organization.
Presumably due to the large number of cultivators defecting, the Martial Arts Battle Hall is understaffed.
In the Tianxuan Mirror, a rare sequence of bounty hunt missions has been posted.
Thereâs no limit to the number of tasks one can accept.
For a time, the entire Xuanhuang World is in upheaval and unrest.
The impact of the Spirit Mist Grass incident is evident.
Li Fan himself also completes several bounty hunt missions and raises his Authority Level to Yan tier eight.
Interestingly, the storm seems to have subsided spontaneously after just over a month.
The sorrow on the cultivatorsâ faces gradually dissipates, and their expressions return to their former vitality.
It seems as though theyâve simply forgotten the recent event of the Spirit Mist Grass, rarely ever mentioning it in their conversations.
Even when it does occasionally come up, people donât seem particularly heartbroken about it.
Instead, theyâre even cracking jokes and making light of the situation. âYou only lost 50,000 contribution points? And you still want to talk?â âHehe, just look at us. Which one of us didnât lose at least a hundred or eighty thousand?â
Such conversations can be seen everywhere.
Gradually, everyoneâs collective memory of the Spirit Mist Grass incident is fading.
In the end, all that is left is lamentations about how hard it is to earn contribution points.
However, Li Fanâs memory has not weakened as a result.
One, because he is a beneficiary in this upheave without painful and anxious memories.
Second, the enormous 650,000 points of contribution he holds in his possession remind him constantly.
âIt seems like for a long time from now, I wonât have to worry about earning contribution points,â thought Li Fan, who then sent a message to He Zhenghao.
In the past, Li Fan had gone to see He Zhenghao.
In this life, it seemed that He Zhenghao had suffered even greater losses than he had in the twelfth life.
His whole demeanor was that of a man who had been seriously wounded, his gaze dull and vacant.
He responded mechanically to calls and only recently started to recover slowly under the influence of the Immortal Sovereign.
He regretted not heeding Li Fanâs warning at that time.
Upon learning that Li Fan had managed to escape the bubble burst, he couldnât help but feel envious.
âAh, Daoist Li Fan, if only Iâd listened to your advice then, things would have been so much better,â said He Zhenghao.
It was probably the umpteenth time Li Fan had heard He Zhenghao say this.
âYou see, investing is all about talent. You, Daoist He, obviously donât have it. Listen to me, itâd be better to simply do tasks and earn contribution points the hard way!â Li Fan said earnestly.
âThe good news is that youâre still alive, and your cultivation level hasnât been affected. So you can always start over!â
Li Fan said with deep conviction.
âYes, yes, youâre right, Daoist Li,â He Zhenghao nodded, desperately agreeing. Then, tentatively, he asked, âCan I ask how much you earned this time?
âHehe, a lot. A whole lot,â said Li Fan cheerfully.
He Zhenghaoâs face showed a hint of envy. He seemed to want to say something but hesitated.
Li Fan noticed that He Zhenghao seemed to be wanting to borrow money but couldnât swallow his pride. A few times, he opened his mouth as if to say something, only to close it again.
He just couldnât spit it out.
Li Fan wasnât in a hurry to press him and decided to let him stew a little longer.
On the Misthaven Ocean, those who guard the islands and have lost their lifeâs savings due to unwise investments, obviously, He Zhenghao isnât the only one.
After putting away the Ten Thousand Words Talisman, Li Fan turned his attention to Zhou Qingang of Taian Island.
Zhou Qingang looked frustrated, his brows furrowed tightly.
Pacing back and forth, he seemed to want to do something but was hesitant.
Suddenly, his expression changed. He pulled out a spirit symbol and exclaimed bitterly, âSo what if itâs 50,000 contribution points? Am I, the dignified Island Guard, going to be diminished without indebted to you?
âRest assured, I will definitely repay it by the end of this month!â
After putting away the spirit symbol, Zhou Qingangâs expression darkened.
As though finally making up his mind, he activated an Invisible Talisman and then flew out of the Taian Island Protection Array after using it.
He arrived at a deserted uninhabited sea area and remained stationary in mid-air for a moment, his aura abruptly changing.
Not only that, but under the Heavenly-Earthly View, Li Fan also saw Zhou Qingangâs body and face transform in an instant.
This wasnât just some illusion or disguise, but a thorough change into another person.
The original Zhou Qingang was a gentle and unassuming young scholar.
But now, he has turned into a thin, inconspicuous middle-aged man.
After completing his disguise, Zhou Qingang continues to fly discreetly in a certain direction.
âHas he finally shown his true colors?â A glint flashed in Li Fanâs eyes.
He purchased a Shadow Stone with the TianXuan Mirror and began recording with his divine senses by slightly adjusting the surveillance angle.
After flying for a whole day, as night fell.
Zhou Qingang arrived at a remote, uninhabited island.
It was a desolate place, bereft of even a single tree. Rocks and rubble lay scattered as far as the eye could see.
Zhou Qingang landed on the island and looked around.
After observing meticulously for a long time and ensured nobody was tracking him, he began searching the island.
After what seemed like ages, he seemed to have finally found what he was looking for.
He looked pleased as he picked up a rock and held it in his hand.
It was the most ordinary rock.
There were no special symbols or markings on it.
It was full of pits and bumps, with a few small holes in specific places.
Zhou Qingang spent a long time observing the rock, memorizing the locations of the small holes in his mind.
Then he crushed the rock with a strong squeeze.
Zhou Qingang soared into the sky and flew in the northwest direction of the island.
After half a day, Zhou Qingang came to a halt abruptly in the middle of a desolate sea area.
Then he dove into the sea.
Deep beneath the surface laid a wreckage, where Zhou Qingang searched for a long while before stopping in front of an inconspicuous piece of broken stone.
With his palms glowing with earthy hue, Zhou Qingang imprinted them on the surface of the broken stone.
The imprints matched.
A beam of light emerged from the broken stone, scanning Zhou Qingangâs entire body.
Then, it returned to the stone.
The smooth surface of the broken stone suddenly projected an image of a human face.
âHmm? Why are you contacting earlier? Isnât there still six years left?â
The face was unclear, and it watched Zhou Qingang with a bewildered expression.
Zhou Qingang stuttered in hesitation, âBoss, weâre running out of funds. Could we receive some additional allocations?â
The face seemed taken aback: âItâs only been a short while, and youâve used up everything?â
Then, as if remembering something, its voice transformed, âYou fool, did you also invest in Spirit Mist Grass?â