Listening to He Zhenghao's long-winded explanation, Li Fan's mind drifted back to his past life when he first entered the Immortal Cultivation World. The figure before him gradually overlapped with the image of the cultivator who had once saved the group departing from the realm.
"So, it was you, boy, guarding and stealing! No wonder the Treasure Pavilion was conducting smuggling right under your nose without any issues. Even in the past life, when rumors of the Treasure Pavilion smuggling mortals spread across the island, it never brought any trouble."
Upon careful thought, it made sense. With He Zhenghao's greedy nature, how could he possibly let such a lucrative opportunity slip by?
It was reasonable.
Li Fan felt a bit speechless, but he quickly accepted the reality.
"So, what does Fellow Daoist He propose?"
Seeing that Li Fan did not object, He Zhenghao became quite pleased. "It's simple. You just need to make a trip to the realm and bring back the materials I had the people there collect ten years ago."
"Once these materials are sold, we'll split the contribution points equally."
"I need to guard Glass Island and cannot leave. I was originally planning to find someone else to cooperate with, but since you contacted me, I decided to work with you."
Thinking it over, there seemed to be no risk involved. Earning over a thousand contribution points in thirty days was far beyond what most tasks offered.
"How long will the round trip take?" Li Fan had to ask in advance, as he didn't want to miss the opening of the Cloud Water Heavenly Palace.
"Don't worry, it will take at most twenty to thirty days and won't delay your cultivation," He Zhenghao assured.
"Alright, I agree to this."
He Zhenghao smiled contentedly and handed Li Fan a small wooden boat. "Once you have the materials, give this to the mortals in the realm, and you won't need to worry about anything else."
Li Fan took a look. The wooden boat resembled the Taiyan Boat but was far less exquisite.
"It's just an ordinary wooden boat inscribed with some formations, not a magical artifact. But it's enough to protect those mortals as they pass through the Immortal-Sealing Grand Formation and arrive here," He Zhenghao explained.
"Of course, the formation's strength only supports a single crossing. Once they reach the Immortal Cultivation World, the formation on the wooden boat will exhaust its energy and dissipate on its own."
"This is also to prevent those mortals from replicating it."
"Fellow Daoist He is indeed thorough," Li Fan said insincerely.
He Zhenghao laughed heartily, not minding at all.
He then reluctantly took out a talisman and handed it to Li Fan.
"After all, helping mortals smuggle is not something to be seen. If other cultivators catch you, it would be embarrassing and might even lead to questioning by the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals. To be cautious, you should carry this Concealment Talisman to avoid being recognized."
Li Fan nodded and accepted it.
"This Concealment Talisman can hide your form and aura. It's an advanced version of the Concealment Qi Talisman. Once used, even a Golden Core stage cultivator cannot see through it. It's truly essential for cultivators when traveling," He Zhenghao paused, somewhat regretful. "Unfortunately, the Spirit Mist Grass needed to craft this Concealment Talisman is quite rare, making the talisman's price consistently high."
"One talisman costs 50 contribution points."
"However, if you ever need more, you can look for a cultivator named Jiao Xiuyuan on Ten Thousand Immortals Island. He has many defective Concealment Talismans, supposedly discarded from the talisman hall on the island. Though called defective, they still function normally. They just aren't as effective, only hiding from Foundation Establishment cultivators."
"But at least they're cheap, only 20 contribution points each. If you travel in the future, you might want to prepare a few," He Zhenghao advised Li Fan earnestly.
He Zhenghao then detailed the precautions and possible situations Li Fan might encounter on his journey to the realm.
Once everything was ready, Li Fan prepared to set off for the realm, aiming to leave and return as quickly as possible.
However, before departing, Li Fan couldn't help but ask, "Fellow Daoist He, there's something I've always been puzzled about. I'm not sure if I should ask..."
He Zhenghao was momentarily stunned, then said, "Feel free to ask."
"Fellow Daoist He, you are a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator, holding the position of guarding Glass Island. As a formation expert, you shouldn't be so lacking in contribution points. Why..."
"...do you seem somewhat strapped?" Li Fan pondered for a moment and asked tactfully.
He Zhenghao thought Li Fan was concerned about his future in the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals.
With a bitter smile, he explained, "You misunderstand. Within the Alliance, Foundation Establishment cultivators may not have complete freedom with contribution points, but they aren't as constrained as I am."
"Oh? Does Fellow Daoist He have some unspeakable difficulties?" Li Fan asked curiously.
"To be honest, I've set my sights on a Nascent Soul method. This method aligns perfectly with my Foundation Establishment treasure. If I can switch to that method, I am certain to achieve the Golden Core within a hundred years, and even reaching the Nascent Soul stage would be a sure thing," a hint of longing flashed in He Zhenghao's eyes.
"Unfortunately, Nascent Soul true methods are exceedingly precious. Even after saving for a long time, I still lack the necessary contribution points."
"So, I have to save whenever I can," he sighed. "Even with that, I don't know when I'll be able to exchange for it."
"And who knows if this method that I long for will be exchanged by someone else before then?"
He Zhenghao sighed deeply.
Then, remembering something, he said to Li Fan, "By the way, you are now in the late stage of Qi Refining. When selecting a Foundation Establishment method, if possible, make sure to choose one that aligns with your Foundation Establishment treasure. This way, not only will your future cultivation be more efficient, but there will also be many other benefits. Due to the limitations of the Profound Mirror, I can't tell you much more. Just remember this point, and you won't go wrong."
"Foundation Establishment treasure and method alignment..." Li Fan nodded slowly upon hearing this.
He then heard He Zhenghao sigh, "Actually, the method I'm currently cultivating is quite extraordinary. I obtained it by chance during an exploration of an unnamed cave mansion in my youth. It contains many incredible techniques."
"Unfortunately, the cultivation difficulty is too high. It takes decades or even a hundred years to advance a small realm."
"The Foundation Establishment stage is already so difficult. If I forcefully cultivate this method during the Golden Core stage, I would certainly exhaust my lifespan and perish before breaking through."
"Switching methods is really a last resort." After saying this, He Zhenghao fell into deep silence.
Li Fan listened, cupped his hands, and headed straight for the realm.
Watching Li Fan's departing figure, He Zhenghao sighed inwardly once more.
There was actually one thing he hadn't mentioned.
While the Mountain-Sitting Technique could indeed receive feedback from helping junior cultivators, the path of cultivation was simply too difficult.
Over the years, he had cast his net wide, nurturing newcomers.
Yet, the vast majority perished mysteriously before even reaching the Foundation Establishment stage.
Encountering a talent like Li Fan, who had reached the late stage of Qi Refining at such a young age, was already a stroke of luck.
After all, how many geniuses could there be in this world, and how many could he happen to meet?
Thank you to the reader Yuan Ding San Sheng Ban Shi Shang for the reward.