Chapter 199: Threatening He Zhenghao

Affected by the Formless Killing Intent, the schools of fish around Zhou Qingang instantly went mad. Ignoring the oppressive aura emanating from him, they frantically gnawed at his body. Without the soul's automatic protection, a stream of blood soon dyed the surrounding seawater red. Zhou Qingang was completely devoured, leaving no trace behind.

A stone-like heart, glowing with seven colors and featuring seven holes, appeared at the site. Its radiance was incredibly dim. With its owner's death, this Exquisite Heart with Seven Apertures lost its celestial wonder, becoming an ordinary, unremarkable stone that sank to the seabed.

After waiting for several days and seeing that the unusual death hadn't attracted other cultivators, Li Fan returned. He ignored everything else and only absorbed the Exquisite Heart with Seven Apertures to recharge Huanzhen. After that, Li Fan quietly returned to Myriad Immortals Island without alarming anyone along the way.

Zhou Qingang's disappearance had not yet attracted any attention. It was perfectly normal for a Foundation Establishment cultivator to be unreachable for ten days or so while away. Li Fan was not in a hurry to report Zhou Qingang's spy identity; instead, he first began to comprehend the Exquisite Heart with Seven Apertures.

"Resourceful in all aspects, with a heart as deep as the sea; capable of misleading minds, blurring the line between truth and falsehood."

Three days later, Li Fan exhaled deeply, his eyes gleaming with an unreadable expression. "Although it's only a mid-grade Human Wonder, offering no special benefits for cultivation, it is absolutely perfect as a Foundation Establishment artifact for a spy."

Inside his dantian, Huanzhen emitted a gentle glow, slowly transforming into the likeness of the Exquisite Heart with Seven Apertures. Li Fan had a subtle feeling, as if he had donned countless layers of false cloaks, making it impossible for others to easily penetrate his mind.

"This item is truly marvelous!" Li Fan secretly praised.

Subsequently, Li Fan examined the accompanying secret technique, "Appearance Changes with the Heart." This was not a cultivation technique, but rather a disguise secret art specifically created by Zhou Qingang's organization for the Exquisite Heart with Seven Apertures. After setting a specific appearance in one's mind, the Exquisite Heart with Seven Apertures and the secret technique would activate each other, allowing one to instantly transform into another person. Both body shape and appearance would differ from the original. Moreover, it was a genuine transformation that could not be seen through by illusion-breaking spells or similar techniques.

The only drawback was that it could only change appearance, not one's aura. This was why Zhou Qingang was always exceptionally cautious when changing his appearance for travel. He would seek out desolate, uninhabited places to conceal his aura. However, with Li Fan, who possessed the Formless Killing Intent, targeting him, no amount of caution would have mattered.

As Li Fan mentally practiced "Appearance Changes with the Heart," he pondered. "I've had the idea of using Huanzhen to transform Foundation Establishment artifacts and impersonate others before. Now, with the Exquisite Heart with Seven Apertures and this disguise secret art, impersonating others will be even more convincing. Furthermore, I possess the 'Thousand Mechanisms Jade Ring Golden Tome' to discern auras and the 'Heaven-Stealing Sun-Shifting Art' to recognize destinies. If I could imitate and change auras and destinies as well, then it would truly be impossible to distinguish truth from falsehood. If I succeed..."

Li Fan's thoughts surged, many ideas surfacing simultaneously. "Once my current avatar receives the one hundred thousand contribution points from Cloudwater Heavenly Palace, it won't lack for things to do."

To test the effectiveness of the Exquisite Heart with Seven Apertures, Li Fan traveled to Lapis Lazuli Island via a teleportation array. He didn't see He Zhenghao's figure and didn't know where he had gone. Li Fan temporarily ignored him, instead changing into a different appearance and going to Manager Zhao to ramble nonsensically. Manager Zhao's ability to discern truth from falsehood in speech indeed lost its effectiveness, and he was easily tricked.

Leaving a stunned Manager Zhao standing rooted to the spot, Li Fan, in a secluded area, reverted to his original appearance. He sent a message to He Zhenghao: "Fellow Daoist, where are you now?"

Soon after, He Zhenghao's slightly weary voice replied: "I took on a mission; I'm currently constructing a defensive array for a fellow Daoist's island abode. May I ask why you're looking for me, Fellow Daoist Li Fan?"

Li Fan sneered, "What mission? He Zhenghao, do you realize a great disaster is about to befall you!"

He Zhenghao was slightly taken aback: "Fellow Daoist, why do you say that?"

"We need to discuss this in person. Return to Lapis Lazuli Island quickly. The situation is urgent; delays will lead to complications," Li Fan said solemnly.

"Alright... Fellow Daoist, please wait for me." Perhaps it was Li Fan's performance during the Spirit Mist Grass incident that had earned He Zhenghao's trust. At this moment, he had no doubt about Li Fan's words. His tone panicked, and he immediately cut off communication.

After about half a day, He Zhenghao finally arrived, belatedly. His face was haggard, and his demeanor was weary, as if he hadn't had a proper rest in a long time. There was also a hint of fear in his eyes, though it was forcibly suppressed.

"Fellow Daoist..." He Zhenghao, seeing Li Fan, was about to speak. Li Fan waved a hand, directly interrupting him. Following Li Fan's glance, He Zhenghao activated the Mountains, Rivers, and Starry Dipper Array. Li Fan's demeanor made him increasingly uneasy.

"Fellow Daoist He, are you familiar with Zhou Qingang, the guardian of Taian Island?" Li Fan asked.

He Zhenghao paused, then replied truthfully, "Fellow Daoist Zhou? Yes, very familiar. We have a good relationship, and he often consults me on array formations. Why do you ask?"

"Hmph. It's fortunate you didn't deceive me," Li Fan said coldly. "If you had uttered even half a lie just now, I would have immediately left."

He Zhenghao grew increasingly flustered. Seeing that the atmosphere was sufficiently set, Li Fan stopped playing coy and pulled out a recording stone. He played the conversation between Zhou Qingang and the broken stone human face.

"This time, He Zhenghao also suffered heavy losses. I applied for these 100,000 contribution points, hoping to use this opportunity to deepen my relationship with him. This person is skilled in array formations and even participated in setting up the island's protective grand array. Furthermore, he's rather simple-minded. With his help, I'll surely be able to fully master the array sooner."

At first, because Zhou Qingang was not in his original appearance, He Zhenghao couldn't make sense of what he was seeing. But as the conversation unfolded, He Zhenghao instantly realized what was happening. And when he heard his own name mentioned in the conversation, his face turned deathly pale. Large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, and He Zhenghao began to tremble uncontrollably.

Putting away the recording stone, Li Fan looked at He Zhenghao, his expression severe: "Fellow Daoist He, how much information about the island's protective grand array did you actually leak?"

"No... not much! Really not much!" He Zhenghao stammered, trying to defend himself.

"Still not being honest! Do you really want me to hand over this recording stone and let the Martial Arts Hall interrogate you?!" Li Fan rebuked angrily.

He Zhenghao first shuddered in fear, then understood the implication in Li Fan's words, and hope suddenly flickered in his eyes. He grabbed Li Fan's hands and pleaded repeatedly, "Fellow Daoist, save me! Save me!"

Li Fan shook him off: "If you truly want me to save you, then truthfully tell me everything about this Zhou Qingang!"

He Zhenghao, with a mournful face, recounted everything in detail. After listening, Li Fan was momentarily speechless. It turned out that a significant portion of the external array structure data that Zhou Qingang submitted genuinely came from He Zhenghao.

"He would frequently flatter me, praise my array formation skills, and then consult me about array details. I was flattered to the point of being a bit carried away, so I... Who would have thought that Zhou Qingang, also a guardian of the Cloud Sea, was actually a spy! How could I have been deceived by his honeyed words!" He Zhenghao had an expression as if he was about to burst into tears.

"Regardless of whether you knew or not, it doesn't change the fact that you leaked the Myriad Immortals Alliance's secrets," Li Fan coldly snorted. "Fellow Daoist He, you must know the consequences, right?"

He Zhenghao shivered: "Removal from office, strict investigation. Deduction of authority levels, and perhaps even the abolition of cultivation..." The more he thought, the more terrified he became, feeling that his future life would be bleak and without light. Furthermore, having previously lost all his life savings, he had been frantically taking on missions in recent days to reaccumulate contribution points. This left him mentally and physically exhausted. Under the multiple blows, He Zhenghao could no longer hold back; his composure shattered, and he burst into loud sobs.

"Why am I so miserable! I've lost all my savings, and now I'm entangled in this mess! How am I supposed to live like this!"

Li Fan remained unmoved. He Zhenghao cried for a while, then, seeing no reaction from Li Fan, felt a bit awkward. Wiping away his tears, He Zhenghao said with a sob, "Fellow Daoist, please, you must save me! This recording stone must not be handed in! Otherwise, my future will surely be ruined!"

Li Fan retorted, "Reporting a spy is a huge merit. Surely, Fellow Daoist, you're aware of that."

He Zhenghao stammered, "I can compensate you, can't I?"

Li Fan chuckled, "Fellow Daoist, you're utterly penniless now. What could you possibly compensate me with? I'm not short on contribution points. Perhaps you don't know, but during the Spirit Mist Grass incident, I made a massive 600,000!"

Hearing this, He Zhenghao's eyes widened instantly, and he stared at Li Fan with an incredulous expression.

"What, you don't believe me?" Li Fan asked, squinting.

"I believe you, I believe you," He Zhenghao nodded repeatedly. The envy and regret in his eyes intensified: "I truly regret not listening to your words back then!"

After a while, He Zhenghao thought for a moment and said, "I have half a volume of the 'Hundred Meridian Array Diagrams Explained,' which is my lifelong..." Before he could finish, Li Fan interrupted him.

"Array formations? Not very interested. Becoming an array repairman was just a stepping stone for me."

He Zhenghao stammered and hesitated for a long time before, with difficulty, saying, "I also have a daughter, who is also a Foundation Establishment cultivator. I can introduce her to you, Fellow Daoist..."

Li Fan's expression turned serious, and he righteously refused: "What kind of person do you take me for! Never bring this up again!"

He Zhenghao breathed a slight sigh of relief, then his face fell into a bitter expression as he pondered again. He now understood that Li Fan indeed had the intention of letting him off the hook. But it also seemed that Li Fan genuinely wanted something from him. But besides that, He Zhenghao was practically penniless now, wasn't he? He thought for a long time but couldn't come up with an answer.

He Zhenghao couldn't help but give a wry smile: "Fellow Daoist, please stop toying with me. Just tell me directly what you want."

Li Fan smiled slightly and patted He Zhenghao's shoulder. "I want you."

He Zhenghao was first startled by the words, then his face turned pale, and he subconsciously jumped back, looking at Li Fan warily.

"Heh heh, what are you thinking, Fellow Daoist?" Li Fan stood before He Zhenghao and spoke slowly. "I mean, I want you to obey my every command from now on."