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Chapter 184: Tai'an Island Spy
🕑 Added 2023-12-08 04:06:44 +0000 UTCIn addition to the robe uniform and identity jade disk, there was also a unique communication talisman.
The talisman was circular, intricately carved with patterns around it, and a 'Ten Thousand' character engraved in the center.
As his spiritual consciousness was immersed in it, he instantly felt like he was in the starry sea.
Countless dim stars were faintly visible around, representing members of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
The image of He Zhenghao flashed through his mind.
In an instant, among countless stars, he found the one representing He Zhenghao.
Li Fan sent a friend request.
After a while, that dim star brightened.
In a dark galaxy, it became conspicuously bright.
"Fellow Daoist acted so fast; you've officially joined? Congratulations!" He Zhenghao's message quickly arrived.
"I must thank Fellow Daoist He!" Li Fan replied.
However, there was no further response, indicating that He Zhenghao was once again immersed in the study of the Mountain and River Formation.
Li Fan also sent friend requests to Chen Ying, Zhang Zhiliang, Gong Boyu, and others.
Then his spiritual consciousness retreated from the communication talisman.
In the Tianxuan Mirror, Li Fan began to search for merit tasks.
As opposed to tasks that earned contribution points, merit tasks were mostly directly issued by the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
The task types ranged from collecting materials to participating in the maintenance of the daily operations of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
There was also a special category of tasks, which involved reporting and exposing spies infiltrating the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, such as those from the Five Elders Association or other cultivation organizations.
For such tasks, the merits varied based on the spy's rank.
Li Fan's current permission level was One.
Basically, by completing any merit task, he could upgrade to level Two.
However, there was a limit on the number of merit tasks one could complete.
A maximum of three tasks could be completed each year.
Li Fan wasn't in a hurry to accept them.
Apart from tasks, there were other ways to earn merits.
For example, recommending cultivators to join the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, like He Zhenghao did before.
Or providing valuable information.
There were no restrictions on these, and more was better.
One point that caught Li Fan's interest was that the merits required to upgrade permission levels were not a fixed value but instead displayed as a progress bar.
This was because the Tianxuan Mirror would adjust the merits based on their real-time value.
For example, say a merit task that required handing in 'Scarlet Cloud Ice' would always exist.
After completing the task, a lower third-class merit would be rewarded.
However, the value of 'Scarlet Cloud Ice' itself fluctuated continuously.
Under normal circumstances, the value of these items wouldn't fluctuate drastically.
But in the history of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, there were cases where the value of certain resources plummeted significantly.
So, the Tianxuan Mirror would adjust and precisely control based on the real-time value of merits.
Li Fan's focus was on a merit task with a middle third-class merit reward.
A small progress bar appeared next to the task introduction.
Above the progress bar, there was a small number indicating forty-three.
This meant that completing this task and earning the medium third-class merit would raise Li Fan's permission level by one, as well as providing an additional forty-three percent progress.
The Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance had a total of forty-nine permission levels.
In the beginning, promotion was relatively simple, but it became increasingly difficult as one progressed.
Understanding the mechanism of merits and permission levels, Li Fan then searched for cultivation techniques.
Immediately, Li Fan noticed a difference from the past.
Some search results were prominently marked with golden font.
This indicated that only members within the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance system could see these cultivation techniques.
Moreover, these restricted cultivation techniques could only be used for personal cultivation after redemption and couldn't be shared with others. If they were "lost" and someone else learned them, there were personnel from the Law Enforcement Hall responsible for recovery, and the original redeemer would be penalized by deducting a certain amount of merits.
Li Fan carefully examined these restricted cultivation techniques.
Among them, the golden font of some was bright, indicating that Li Fan could redeem them with his current permission level.
However, there was another fraction with a dim golden color, requiring permission levels beyond Li Fan's current level. He could only view their introductions but couldn't redeem them.
Generally speaking, one could see search results three permission levels above their own as a form of encouragement. Li Fan casually looked at a dim golden Golden Core-stage cultivation technique.
Sixty-five thousand contribution points, permission level three required for redemption.
"Absorb the spiritual energy of metal to nurture sword intent within the body. Sword intent can be used for flying on a sword and as a spiritual weapon to kill enemies."
"The power is indeed much stronger than what I've seen before, and the price is higher too."
Li Fan looked at several other dim golden cultivation techniques, and they were all the same.
"If the Yanfa Jue constantly derivates out cultivation techniques day and night, there will certainly be some world-shaking divine techniques."
"They likely won't be much weaker than the foundational techniques of those ancient sects."
"Even if I can't redeem them, taking a glance and broadening my knowledge would be good."
"Unfortunately, my permission level is not enough."
"Permission level, permission level..."
Li Fan then recalled the various ways to earn merits.
A figure suddenly flashed in his mind.
The guardian of Tai'an Island, Zhou Qingang.
In his previous two lives, this person always fled before the arrival of the Crimson Flame, which seemed somewhat suspicious to Li Fan.
There were only two possibilities.
One was that Zhou Qingang had a very strong background.
In the tenth life, even the two Soul Transformation True Monarchs of the Ten Thousand Immortals Island couldn't detect the imminent arrival of the Crimson Flame. However, Zhou Qingang did.
This indicated that Zhou Qingang's background was even more formidable than these Soul Transformation powerhouses; in other words, a Dao Integration Immortal Sage.
In Li Fan's opinion, this possibility was low. If Zhou Qingang truly had the backing of an Immortal Sage, he could have just left directly.
There would be no need to appoint someone else to guard Tai'an Island as a proxy under the pretense of going out to look for opportunities.
Therefore, the remaining possibility was far more likely.
Zhou Qingang might be a spy planted by another organization within the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
Li Fan believed that the top powerhouses of this world must have sensed something before the Crimson Flame arrived.
For some unknown reason, the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance headquarters did not issue a warning about the danger to the Ten Thousand Immortals Islands, but other organizations should have detected some signs as well.
For instance, the Wanhua Chamber of Commerce had issued an order for all its members to evacuate the Cong Yun Sea before the calamity struck.
Zhou Qingang likely also received a notice from his organization, which led him to escape from the Cong Yun Sea.
Of course, this was just Li Fan's speculation.
To confirm this, further verification was needed. If his guess was wrong, that would be fine.
However, if Zhou Qingang was indeed a spy, Li Fan would gain a lot.
Not only would he harvest a large amount of merits and contribution points, but more importantly, Li Fan also wanted to find a way to deceive the Inquiry Platform from him.
