A Little Problem

My goodness, so this is the entry-level mission for the Nine Great Xuan Sects? This is the intrigue and power struggles of the Three Great Sects?! Wow! Cultivation in the Central Plains! This is terrifying!

Thinking back to that naive young man who, at the Golden Core Stage, planned to roam the martial world and experience the customs and culture of the Central Plains, Li Fan couldn't help but sigh that he was still too young. Sometimes he really was just being naive.

Okay, let's start by rationally analyzing and calculating the current situation.

The Supreme Zhenzhen Xianhua Daojun, the head of Penglai, and a powerful figure who holds sway over one of the Nine Great Xuan Sects.

The biggest problem we can't get around right now is him. After several encounters, Li Fan could tell that this manifestation was a super BOSS with top-notch strength, methods, and cunning, who had no shame whatsoever and no moral bottom line whatsoever!

It seems that this person is capable of anything and willing to sacrifice anything for Penglai and the Zhenzhen Palace lineage. His Dao heart is as hard as iron, he is ruthless and cold-blooded, biased and protective of his own, and he will resort to underhanded tactics without regard for his reputation. He is truly a typical old Xuanmen.

Resisting through violence was utterly impossible, and Li Fan had no confidence in using cunning to fool them; he was being suppressed in every way by the hierarchy. Being targeted by the manifestation, Li Fan was truly at a loss.

However, there's a silver lining. It seems the Manifestation Dao Lord isn't seriously watching 'Li Tang'; at most, he's just using him as a tool. Whether he's a readily replaceable consumable or a valuable weapon remains to be seen. But among the people the Manifestation Dao Lord is most suspicious of and focused on, 'Red-Haired Ghost Li Tang' certainly doesn't rank. The one most prominently featured in the sect leader's notebook should be 'Xu Chengyang Xuanzhen Palace,' the one he was tasked with breaking a brick.

Clearly, what's giving Daojun a headache right now is the traitor hidden within Penglai Sect. This person has repeatedly caused trouble, resulting in losses for the sect, and has even stirred up internal strife and discord. This is what he fears most, and it's the most urgent matter that needs to be dealt with.

As for the newly arrived 'Li Tang', these shrewd old men certainly knew he couldn't be trusted, but precisely because he was clearly a newcomer with no deep connections to either side, and no one would confide in him, he was actually the least likely traitor to infiltrate the sect and cause trouble.

The Manifestation Dao Lord now intends to use 'Li Tang,' the least suspicious person, as a tool to stir up trouble and test the waters. Therefore, after figuring out the Manifestation Dao Lord's motives, Li Fan knows that he must cooperate with his actions.

Yes, we must cooperate this time. Being used as a pawn is dangerous, but it also has its advantages. This way, the Manifestation Dao Lord will continue to keep an eye on things within the sect, instead of constantly causing him trouble.

After all, this sect leader is so petty, already embroiled in the internal strife of the Li Tang dynasty in Penglai. At this point, there's absolutely no way he can easily extricate himself. If he resists and tries to escape, feigning compliance while secretly defying orders, he might just attract the attention of the Dao Lord, who could easily kill him. But given the other party's cunning and treacherous nature, he might resort to force if soft tactics fail, secretly spying on Li Fan and using his weaknesses to blackmail him into doing things. That would be disastrous!

Li Fan has way too many weaknesses to be exposed. Exposing just one of them would be fatal. He can't withstand the serious attention of a Dao Lord. He doesn't want to be locked up in jail for hundreds of years and live happily ever after with that old madman Xian Xiantong!

Conversely, if we look at it from another angle, instead of directly confronting the Manifestation, we should stand with the Sect Leader. These three tasks are actually not that difficult to accomplish, and they were even tasks that Li Fan was originally supposed to do anyway. The difficulty of the three side quests—rescuing Amao, thwarting the Divine Cult's plot, and avenging the Huan family—is dangerous for 'Li Tang,' but not so great for Li Fan.

What reincarnation of the Diao Xuan Sect, what Devil Sect Dharma Protector, what incarnation of the Diao Mo God—hasn't Li Fan killed enough of those? His current worry is simply how to walk a tightrope while maintaining his persona...

Therefore, the goal this time is to do our job for Penglai conscientiously, and even if it's difficult, we must do the things assigned by the sect leader perfectly.

"Li Lang, what are you thinking about, staring at me like that?" Xiao Yushi's eyes were alluring as she rolled into Li Fan's arms, resting her head on his arm, her fingers tickling his chest muscles like a cat.

"Hmm, oh, I was thinking that <Xiao Clan Ling Shu> really has a unique use. It can ignore the difference in cultivation levels between the two parties, and it's different from the other books. Which one is the real one? I still need to study it carefully..." Li Fan came back to his senses, smiled, and hugged Xiao Yushi affectionately.

"You rascal, it's already dawn, isn't that enough...?" Xiao Yushi also came closer and lingered.

Well, the pressure from Lao Bie San yesterday was immense, and Li Fan also accumulated a lot of stress. But thanks to Xiao Yushi studying the Ling Shu with him, he was able to release the pressure, relieve his fatigue, and even enter a state of enlightenment, regaining his composure and clearing his mind. That's the wonder of the Ling Shu! cough cough

However, he's currently forbidden from leaving the mountain to carry out the sect leader's mission, and he needs to find a way to escape. That requires the cooperation and assistance of his wife. But how can he bring it up? Even if Xiao Yushi is willing to cooperate, can they keep it a secret...?

Just as Li Fan was planning to have another friendly match with Xiao Yushi, deepen their relationship, and then discuss serious matters, the magic circle outside was suddenly triggered, and a visitor sent a message to inquire.

So Li Fan had no choice but to give up for the time being, put on his clothes and came out to greet the guests, letting Xiao Yushi, who had been working hard all night, take another nap on the bed.

"Brother Zhou, what brings a group of people over for a visit so early in the morning?"

Li Fan glared at Zhou Chengxue with annoyance. It seemed that too many people had died in the Inner Sect in the past few days, which had frightened Penglai as well. Zhou Chengxue, who was now in charge of alchemy, had also upgraded his equipment. He was wearing three layers of Purple Sash Immortal Clothes, with gold-threaded robes underneath, and rune armor. He had a large number of colorful treasures and pill gourds around his waist. Four magical artifact attendants in human form stood by his side at all times, and eight Nascent Soul Stage generals who looked like King Kong protectors rode Divine Beast to follow closely behind and protect him.

These guardians were probably bestowed upon them by the ancestors. It seems the Shenzhen Palace was indeed a powerful family back in the day; they can certainly put on a show. Tsk, some people brave danger and risk their lives, while others win without even lifting a finger. This world is truly unbelievable...

Zhou Chengxue shook his head and sighed, "Brother Li, I'm sorry. If I had gone with you then, perhaps you wouldn't have gotten involved in their conflict..."

Li Fan cupped his hands and said, "Oh, Brother Zhou, you flatter me. Everyone has their own opportunities. My current situation is sensitive, and I plan to cultivate in seclusion with Xiao Niang for the next few days. I can't invite you for drinks. I wish you success in your alchemy this time."

Zhou Chengxue nodded, took out a gourd and gave it to Li Fan, saying, "These are two hundred Nine-Turn Changchun Pill that Brother Li entrusted me to refine."

"Huh? It's already finished? Wasn't it supposed to take a month...?"

But Zhou Chengxue shook his head and stuffed the gourd into Li Fan. "These were prepared by my grandmaster uncles to make up the numbers in case I'm out of practice and can't complete the task. I just didn't have the opportunity before, but now that I'm in charge of Penglai Pill Workshop, I must prove that I'm no worse than anyone else! How can I rely on such luck!"

Brother Li, I plan to use the batch of pills you entrusted to me for practice before the factory is repaired. Just in case I mess it up, these are a way of returning them to you in advance."

"Alas, Brother Zhou, why did you do this..."

Before Li Fan could refuse, Zhou Chengxue had already bid him farewell and left with a group of young disciples and protectors, flying towards the alchemy workshop.

Li Fan was utterly speechless. He wasn't being polite, but couldn't they have given him something else? Why were they always fixated on the Donghua Changchun Pill? He already had an overflowing supply of Changchun Pill...

"Exterminate evil spirits! Slay Devil Seed! Supreme Truth! Ice Jade Liu Ying!" x2

Li Fan curled his lips, turned his head to look at the Ling sisters, one standing tall like a crane and the other crouching like a tiger, who had designed a new entrance pose and jumped over to show off.

"Oh, good morning."

"What? Good morning! Show some spirit!" "That's right! Cheer up! Aren't you happy to see us!"

Well...

Li Fan could only casually perform a couple of Tai Chi moves. "The Red-Haired Ghost Li Tang is here! So it's the renowned Ice Jade Liu Ying! May I ask what brings you here?"

Ling Liuying nodded in satisfaction. "Yes, we heard you were confined by the sect leader, so we came to see you."

Ling Bingyu added, "I just heard you say you were planning to cultivate in seclusion? Great! Let's all do it together!"

"Oh... Huh???" Li Fan was shocked. "No, you guys are coming along too??"

"Yes, practicing with you is very effective, since you don't have anything else to do anyway, right?"

"Anyway, it's just one more concubine of yours, we don't mind. Let's go, let's go! Let's get back to our cultivation."

"Wait, wait a minute!" Li Fan broke out in a cold sweat. "I... I'll go ask first..."

"Li Lang, please invite them in." Xiao Yushi peeked out from the window. Although she sounded reluctant at first, she seemed to adjust her mindset in just a few seconds. Having three Nascent Soul Stage as backers was better than having only Nascent Soul Stage. "I also want to learn about the cultivation methods of the <Spiritual Pivot> from the two elder sisters of the Ling family."

"That's fine then. Come on, come on, Li Tang, hurry up and join us!" "Is there a shower? We just finished our morning swim, let's shower first."

The Ling sisters rushed in with great fanfare.

Li Fan stood at the doorway, only to feel a gust of cold wind. What the hell was he going to do...?

"Cough cough."

"Hmm! Yi Si Shenjun!" Li Fan turned his head and saw the acting palace master of the Shenzhen Palace standing behind him, and his heart sank.

What to do? The bodyguard has slept with the young lady!

But Yi Si Shenjun glanced at Li Fan, then at the pill gourd in his hand, and said expressionlessly, "Although our sect's Changchun Pill lives up to its reputation and can provide temporary enjoyment, these are ultimately just incidental effects, not the fundamental ones. Moreover, all medicines have some degree of toxicity. Remember, one pill a day is best. Body cultivation is fundamental; do not take too many, otherwise it will damage your foundation."

After he finished speaking, he walked away with his hands behind his back.

Li Fan stared, jaw agape, stunned for a long time. Oh, Changchun... that Changchun... Holy crap! So the Changchun Pill has this effect too! No wonder it's so famous, so hard to find, practically a currency! Wow! He already has nearly six hundred pills, so getting seven or eight more wouldn't be a problem...

Li Fan's mood improved significantly.

Wow, we thought you were dead! We never expected you to be picking up girls here!

"Three at a time, Li Fan, you're getting more and more outrageous. Take care of your health."

Damn it! System! How did you guys reappear?! Could it be...?

'That enlightened one flew away, just like that.'

'I was hoping you could help me with a task, but it turns out you have other important things to do.'

'Then I won't disturb your relaxation. After all, work is never-ending, so keeping a cheerful mood is the most important thing.'

Uh, why are they all here together...? And what kind of mission are you guys on?

"The crystal analysis report is out. Just as that enlightened one left, I wanted to let you know."

'And our ship has reached that place, but we've encountered a small problem.'

"Of course, if you want to take care of important business first, we understand."

What kind of serious business is this? The Guicang method is mutually beneficial, but the Lingshu method is useless against him; it's practically a waste of his time! One or two is one thing, but three coming in rotation might really require medicine. Besides, with the system now verified and the Manifestation Dao Lord not in the mountains, who knows when he'll return? Using our trump cards to escape Penglai—now is the best opportunity!

After a moment's thought, Li Fan made up his mind.

Action!

He first set up a magic array barrier, making it appear as if he was about to enter seclusion to cultivate two... three... four stages. Then he put on the Gui Xu Dao Yi, struck his chest with a palm, and triggered the second stage, creating a clone.

The number of clones that Gui Xu Dao Yi can create depends on the number of his Dao bodies. He currently has nine clones, but with the Five Luo Sword Ghosts Ghost's method of splitting his soul, he can only control five. Moreover, having more than five is useless and will only consume more of his true essence.

Just in case, Li Fan kept two clones, one to accompany him in cultivation and the other as a backup. In addition, he set up the illusion array of "Yan Ruyu" in Mo Shan. The Ling sisters and Xiao Yushi were naturally confused by the illusion and lost in their cultivation, unable to see the real "Li Tang".

Li Fan's true form adopted the pre-planned escape route, transforming into a Kun to escape from the Shenzhen Palace. He hopped all the way to the Nine Heavens Dark River Formation, where he transformed into human form. Relying on the powerful physique of the Tai Su Dao Body, he braved the Dark River and swam through the Penglai Mountain Protector Formation!

Fortunately, the gods of Penglai were all helping to repair the alchemy workshop today, and the Dao Lord was not around, so it was truly a close call, and he successfully escaped!

But it's easier said than done. Li Fan only tried it once and didn't want to try it a second time.

The Weak Water in the Nine Heavens Dark River Formation was truly deadly. He couldn't use water escape techniques within the formation to avoid attracting attention, so he had to rely entirely on diving and swimming. In this Weak Water, his body felt as heavy as if he were mixing concrete. Moreover, the Weak Water was eroding his bones and flesh, constantly ravaging his body, and his mood was also constantly plummeting.

Li Fan had a bunch of Changchun Pill in his mouth, and at the same time, he gritted his teeth and activated the Sky-Piercing Rebirth Technique to restore his flesh and blood to withstand the damage. He only managed to survive because his Tai Su Dao Body had accumulated enough attributes. Just passing through the formation was enough to completely replace Li Fan's flesh and blood. He looked like a blood gourd, with only bones and muscles remaining. His skin, flesh, and hair had all been devoured by the Weak Water.

Well, that's not so bad. At least I don't have to worry about being recognized. Now that I'm pretending to be a skinned cult protector, people will definitely believe me.

'Sometimes I think you're really tough on yourself.'

Alright, enough talk. Let's hurry up and find out which direction that old ghost went before he manifested.

The source of the signal interference has moved to the northwest.

Northwest?

Li Fan had already memorized the mission jade slip and the map of Penglai given to him by the manifestation, and knew that it was the direction of Fanghu Immortal Island.

Sure enough, the old man said he was arranging three tasks to give him a chance, but he was still worried and personally went to Fanghu Immortal Island, which was controlled by the Supreme Lingzhen Palace, to verify Amao's background.

Li Fan first chewed on the Changchun Pill underwater like candy, took a breath, and then used earth magic to turn around and head northeast.

To the northeast lies the mythical island of Penglai. Xu Chengyang, having received a summons from the sect leader, will surely travel there personally to explain the matter of the Demonic Sect.

If we follow the plan given by the Manifestation Dao Lord, we should first rob the Demonic Cult thief Amao, then return to Penglai where Xu Chengyang will come to us, give him a good beating, and then escape to the direction of the Yulin Manor to take refuge. We can also complete the third task at the same time. It's an efficient route. However, this route was designed by the Manifestation Dao Lord, and that old turtle San will almost certainly be hiding nearby and spying on us!

If Li Fan were truly the 'Li Tang,' he might have hoped to manifest himself in the shadows and lend a helping hand when the time was right. But he is Li Fan, and he also has a host of hidden methods, so he simply cannot act according to Dao Jun's plan.

To put it bluntly, he knew that Amao wasn't some demonic cult member and he wouldn't get any information out of him, so he ruled out a time-wasting, wrong answer. As for the task at the Yulin Manor, he had already completed it; all he needed to do was mention the Qilin mural and the octopus nest to finish the task. So, the only person he really needed to deal with was Xu Chengyang.

Moreover, Xu Chengyang must be dealt with immediately. According to Liu Chengzong, the disciples of the Inner Sect palaces of Penglai are dissatisfied with the sect leader's favoritism and all support Xu Chengyang. Therefore, there will inevitably be many experts protecting this future Daoist.

This person, even if he wasn't the reincarnation of a Xuanmen master, was ranked number one and was stronger than Xia Chengming, making him someone Li Fan couldn't easily defeat in a single move. If there was another Manifestation Dao Lord lurking nearby, with so many trump cards unusable, how could Li Fan possibly fight them?

Therefore, Li Fan's route was to head northeast and ambush Xu Chengyang at the entrance of Yingzhou Immortal Island. Regardless of whether Xu Chengyang was a spy from the Xuanmen, Shenjiao, or Luo Sect, he would simply kill him all.

So, are you far enough away from Penglai now, System? Tell me about the situation on your end too.

Those crystals possess logical thinking abilities; they are a type of self-aware, silicon-based life form.

'It's like the brain of those rock giants. In another worldview, it's something like a soul crystal.'

'The purple ones indicate they've been influenced by the False Moon and gone mad. The green ones represent those who still possess rational thought and are still usable.'

What's the point of this thing?

'Mining, huh... Damn, I suddenly realize how ironic this is...'

What...

'Here, supercomputers capable of running systems are strictly controlled items. These crystals, being capable of thought, can be made into substitutes to provide computing power, such as serving as illicit servers to load the Legion's independent system database.'

Oh... Holy crap!? So it's used to build operating systems??

"Pretty much. Of course, building a complete system requires more than just these. Many key chips are unavailable through black market smuggling; you have to hire people to cheat, swindle, or steal them. If we can use these crystals to bypass that, we can save a lot of money."

'So we wanted to take down a batch of them, but we've run into a small problem.'

Usually, when a conversation has progressed to this point, even a small problem is definitely not a small problem.

However, Li Fan calculated the distance and looked at the map. He figured he could still make it to Yingzhou during the day after completing the moon-worshiping mission that night, so he agreed immediately.

Tell me, what's the problem? How small is it exactly?

'The Legion has assigned security personnel to the mine.'

Oh, so we have to fight robots?

'Hehehe, no, it's an orbital cannon. ODS, the near-Earth orbit defense system, used to shoot down meteorites, satellites, landing pods, cruisers, and the like. One shot and it's gone.'

'In short, our boat can't dock. Afan, now you're the last hope for the whole village.'

Li Fan, "..."