Three days later, at sunset.

Li Fan sat cross-legged on the seabed, eyes closed in meditation.

Suddenly, a flare of yellow light ignited from the stone.

His eyes snapped open.

Rising to his feet, he asked at once, “Well? How did it go? Are the examination questions genuine?”

“Haha! You’ve rendered a great service this time, kid!” The face’s voice trembled with barely restrained excitement. “They’re real! Every single question matches perfectly!

“I had long heard that the Myriad Immortals Alliance was glossy on the outside and rotten within, but I never imagined it was worse than the rumors!

“A matter as critical as the entrance examination, something that concerns the very future and fate of the organization, was actually exploited for personal gain!

“And this is only the Heng Family of Tianyu Province!

“If even they can do this, what about those with greater power and influence? I hardly dare to imagine it!”

The face clicked its tongue repeatedly, its worldview clearly shaken.

Li Fan interjected calmly, “Isn’t that better for us? The sooner the Myriad Immortals Alliance collapses, the sooner our Five Elders Council can unify the Xuanhuang World.”

The face nodded firmly. “Correct! In the end, victory will belong to the Five Elders Council!”

After a moment, its exhilaration gradually subsided. Its expression grew solemn.

“We must move quickly. Contact He Zhenghao at once and secure the remaining examination questions as soon as possible. The exchange will be held inside the Myriad Vault.

“I will dispatch someone. You are responsible for the rendezvous.

“And to ensure the remaining questions are genuine, you must not let him leave until the examination concludes and the official results are announced.”

The face went on to outline numerous precautions and detailed the contact procedure before finally fading from view.

As always, Li Fan erased all traces at the scene before returning to Tai’an Island.

Deep within the island protection array, he sat facing his avatar.

The Myriad Vault...

He had been there before.

In his twelfth lifetime, it was the very place where He Zhenghao had stored his legacy, Detailed Explanations of the Hundred Veins Array Diagram, before his untimely death.

It was located on Youlan Island in the Congyun Sea.

And in another lifetime, Zhou Qing’ang had also received spirit stone supplies from the stone-face from that very location. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

It may very well be a hidden stronghold of the Five Elders Council.

After a brief contemplation, Li Fan immediately employed A Single Hand Veils the Heavens and affixed a Qi-Concealing Talisman to suppress his avatar’s cultivation, waiting for the Council’s liaison to arrive.

His true self, meanwhile, altered his appearance to an entirely different guise and traveled ahead to Youlan Island via teleportation array.

A little over half a day later, after his true self had quietly concealed himself in the waters off Youlan Island, a cultivator suddenly emerged from Tai’an Island’s teleportation array.

The man’s features were indistinct, as though obscured by mist. Upon arriving, he slowly circled above the island. After a while, he shook his head and sighed faintly, as if disappointed.

He hovered in silence for a long moment before finally drifting away.

Seeing this, Li Fan’s avatar followed in secret.

The man did not fly quickly. He meandered through the air at a leisurely pace, as though deliberately waiting.

A while later, they reached a barren, uninhabited stretch of sea some distance from Tai’an Island.

The man suddenly halted and transmitted a message.

“Fellow Daoist, why do you follow me in secret?”

Following the stone-face’s prior instructions, Li Fan’s avatar offered no reply.

Instead, he struck without warning—a palm strike suffused with yellow, earth attribute power.

The man seemed caught off guard by the sudden attack. He did not resist, standing there in apparent bewilderment.

Just as the palm was about to land, the earth attribute force abruptly shifted to wood.

The man neither dodged nor countered. He received the palm strike head-on without so much as flinching.

After confirming Li Fan’s identity, the man offered no greeting. In a strange, distorted voice, he said, “Follow me. We shall head to Youlan Island.”

“By teleportation array, or—”

“We’ll fly,” the man replied before Li Fan could finish.

He stepped forward, seized Li Fan by the shoulder, and shot into the sky.

The scenery blurred past at astonishing speed. It was only marginally slower compared to the Dust-Crossing Boat Li Fan had ridden in his previous life.

This velocity... Spirit Transformation? Or perhaps a Nascent Soul cultivator who specializes in movement techniques...

Li Fan remained outwardly composed, refraining from probing the cultivator beside him.

The two traveled in silence.

Before long, Youlan Island appeared ahead.

Li Fan swept the area with his gaze but saw no sign of He Zhenghao.

“You informed He Zhenghao?” the man asked again, as though seeking confirmation.

Li Fan nodded. “Shall I contact him to ask where he is?”

The man stopped him at once. “No. Best not to use a communication talisman.”

There was an unspoken implication in his tone. Li Fan inclined his head in agreement.

At the same time, his true self openly approached from afar, making no effort to conceal his presence.

Soon, the Five Elders Council liaison detected the incoming aura. His brows furrowed slightly, vigilance rising.

Li Fan’s true self descended before the two of them.

“Zhou Qing’ang, I presume?” he said calmly. “He Zhenghao sent me.”

At those words, both the Five Elders Council liaison and Li Fan’s avatar showed subtle changes in expression.

The liaison first glanced at “Zhou Qing’ang,” then his face darkened.

“What do you mean by that, Fellow Daoist?” he asked coldly.

Li Fan appeared entirely at ease. “What do I mean? I’m here for the transaction.”

“Why didn’t He Zhenghao come personally?” the liaison pressed after a brief pause.

Li Fan let out a short laugh. “For something this dangerous? If it were exposed, wouldn’t he be the first to be implicated? It seems you don’t know him very well.”

The liaison’s gaze flicked once more toward “Zhou Qing’ang.”

“And if you were caught,” he countered, “wouldn’t that still implicate him? Five million contribution points—does he truly trust you that much?”

Li Fan’s expression turned impatient. “That’s none of your concern. Are we making this deal or not?

“If not, I’m leaving. To think someone in this line of work would have such timid nerves.”

He looked at the two men with open dissatisfaction.

“Besides, as long as the examination materials are genuine, does it matter who you’re dealing with?”

His voice rang out loudly, with no attempt at discretion.

The liaison’s expression shifted slightly. But after a brief moment of consideration, he found the logic sound enough.

He instinctively swept his divine sense across the surroundings before lowering his voice.

“Enough. Keep it down and follow me.”

He led the two of them into the Myriad Vault.

The staff inside behaved as though Li Fan’s group did not exist at all. No one obstructed them as they proceeded straight to the innermost chamber.

Once inside, the liaison sealed the room with several layers of restrictions.

“The examination questions?” he asked gravely.

“And the five million?” Li Fan countered coolly.

“Payment first...”

“Goods first...”

They spoke at the same time and fell silent, locking eyes.

A tense standoff followed.

At last, they exchanged storage rings simultaneously.

After verifying the contents, the liaison said coldly, “You cannot leave yet.”

Li Fan waved a dismissive hand. “Yes, yes. You’re worried the questions might be fake, right?”

He wore a look of supreme confidence, bordering on arrogance.

"Look at you, acting as if you’ve never seen the world."

He shot them a disdainful glance, plopped himself down with a flourish, and crossed his legs.

“Fine. I’ll wait here until the entrance examination concludes.”