Chapter 370: Not Without Merit

"What about Master Ji? Did he lose his mind?" Li Fan, keenly aware of the critical point, spoke up and asked.

Huangfu Song glanced at Li Fan, cleared his throat, and said, "Dean Ji's cultivation is unfathomable; naturally, it's impossible for him to lose his self-will. Unfortunately, the accompanying cultivators were all quite powerful. When they banded together, Dean Ji found it difficult to resist them for a time. For self-preservation, Dean Ji had no choice but to kill them all."

Huangfu Song looked quite regretful. Upon hearing this, Li Fan and the others couldn't help but be slightly startled. They then seemed to understand something but dared not dwell on it.

"It is indeed too dangerous; no wonder it has to be temporarily sealed off," Li Fan said, deeply convinced.

Huangfu Song swept a warning gaze over Li Fan and transmitted a message: "Kid, I've told you what you need to know. Don't push your luck." Li Fan merely pretended not to hear.

"Tomorrow, I will be heading to other regions to oversee the construction of formations," Huangfu Song said. "If any of you have needs, you can come find me before then."

Upon arriving at the Eternal Immortal Fortress, Huangfu Song put on a smile and said this to Xue Mu and Jiang Qigui. As for Li Fan, he didn't even spare him a glance, just flicked his sleeve and walked away. Li Fan didn't mind.

After years of hard work, success was achieved in one fell swoop. The first thing everyone did upon returning to Broken Palm Immortal City was to check their rankings on the Golden Scroll. Within these five days, the points leaderboard had undergone dramatic changes. Jiang Qigui's contribution points surged due to his supervision of the Celestial Profound Array Core's integration. Li Fan, relying on his previous advantage, only had slightly more total points than him. However, both had fallen out of the top ten and were now close to the twentieth rank.

"Looking at this, many places have completed the Celestial Profound Spirit-Locking Formation in the past few days. The top ranks of the leaderboard even show some unfamiliar faces," someone remarked.

"I actually think it's a bit unfair," another said. "Building formations above the Roaring Abyss is much harder than in ordinary regions. Master Li and his team should have received more points."

"Is there a possibility that the points have already been adjusted for difficulty? After all, while the Roaring Abyss is dangerous, it's not necessarily the most perilous place in the Myriad Immortals Alliance."

"Fellow Daoist Li Fan, look, that Guo Yezhong has actually climbed to the 300th rank!" Amidst the general discussion, Xue Mu sent a private message as a reminder.

"Hmm, I noticed that too. What do you think, fellow Daoist?" Li Fan asked.

"Everyone's points aren't static; they're constantly increasing. In such circumstances, Guo Yezhong has managed to surge ahead," Xue Mu analyzed calmly. "And this explosive rise only happened after many formations had already been completed... I believe perhaps this person participated in the initial design of the Celestial Profound Spirit-Locking Formation."

Although Xue Mu appeared dull, he was by no means foolish. He continued, "Dean Ji once said that the number of points awarded is determined by one's contribution to the completion of the formation. And as the creator of the formation, naturally, he would receive a share of the credit for every completed formation. Only this can explain the current situation."

Li Fan recalled Guo Yezhong's appearance when he saw him at the Universal Villa. "He was just a Golden Core Formation Master back then. Is that possible?" he asked with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Xue Mu also felt a little hesitant. "Perhaps he just came up with one of the ideas?" he ventured.

"Overthinking is useless. Let's just focus on doing our part," Li Fan advised.

Xue Mu looked at the incredibly aged Li Fan, his expression solemn, and nodded in agreement.

"Participate in the initial design of the Celestial Profound Spirit-Locking Formation, then reap the benefits," Li Fan couldn't help but think after parting ways with Xue Mu and returning to his room. "Not only would one gain a huge amount of points out of nowhere in this grand competition, but once the Spirit-Locking Formation is fully popularized, one's status and position would surely rise by a level. That's a good idea! If time were to rewind thirty years, there would probably be no one in this world who understands the Celestial Profound Spirit-Locking Formation better than me. Excellent! Just need to be careful when revealing it..." Li Fan pondered leisurely.

After nightfall, Li Fan quietly went to Huangfu Song's place. It was as if he had long anticipated Li Fan's arrival; a bowl of spirit tea was already set on the table, waiting for a long time.

"Azure Dragon Whiskers, can extend life by ten years. It can barely keep your little life going," Huangfu Song said with a slight taunt.

Li Fan didn't stand on ceremony and drank it all in one gulp. He smacked his lips and looked at his panel. It only increased his physiological age limit by one year.

"It really is barely adequate," Li Fan said, shaking his head with a look of extreme dissatisfaction.

Huangfu Song was a little exasperated but also amused. However, he didn't dwell on that point, instead directly asking, "You're a dying man; why are you still pushing so hard? Wouldn't it be better to live out your remaining days leisurely? Still thinking of competing for rankings? What are you thinking?"

Before Huangfu Song, Li Fan no longer displayed the selfless dedication and noble character he showed to outsiders, but instead adopted a different rhetoric. "Precisely because my time is running out, I must struggle even harder. Only then can I seek life from death and reclaim a sliver of hope for survival," Li Fan spoke with conviction.

"Oh? How so?" Huangfu Song became interested.

"Being trapped in the demonic sound tide and soul-devouring white mist was completely unexpected. Exhausting nearly all my lifespan while seeking rescue was also beyond my anticipation. I've only been in this world for less than a hundred years. How can I accept dying and fading away so soon? Naturally, I want to live. However, those longevity-extending treasures are too precious for me; I probably couldn't acquire even one in my entire remaining life. To survive, I naturally have to find another way, a roundabout approach. Although I don't have absolute certainty, it's definitely worth taking a gamble." The sharp glint in Li Fan's eyes was starkly incongruous with his extremely aged appearance.

Huangfu Song grew even more curious: "A gamble? What are you gambling on?"

Li Fan's expression turned serious, and he said word by word, "I'm gambling that... the Immortal Alliance will not shortchange those who render great service! Especially regarding the construction of the Celestial Profound Spirit-Locking Formation!"

Huangfu Song stared blankly at Li Fan, then drank the Azure Dragon Whiskers tea in front of him.

Li Fan continued speaking, his arguments well-founded: "You and I both know the importance of the Celestial Profound Spirit-Locking Formation. And my desperate efforts to construct the formation have spread throughout the world. Whose doing it is, goes without saying. Before all the formations are fully built, would it be better for someone like me, a global role model, to die a miserable old man, or for the Myriad Immortals Alliance to step forward and save my life? Compared to motivating all the formation masters in the world to work diligently, a few longevity-extending treasures should be nothing, right? Therefore, for now, not only do I not fear dying of old age soon, but I even find my remaining lifespan too long! Senior Huangfu, that cup of tea you just gave me almost harmed me. How will you compensate me?"

After speaking, Li Fan quietly watched Huangfu Song.