He Zhenghao's voice of self-praise came through the talisman.
"This Zhang Zhiliang has a peculiar temperament. To persuade him, I really spent quite a bit of effort."
"Of course, the required contribution points are a bit higher than what I mentioned to you earlier when dealing with Palace Boyu's underling."
"Thirteen thousand contribution points."
"It's a rare opportunity. If you're interested, contact me as soon as possible!"
After that, the talisman fell silent.
"Just three thousand more contribution points, no problem. Thank you, friend!" Li Fan only pondered for a moment before giving He Zhenghao a positive response.
On the one hand, it was to get closer to Zhang Zhiliang, with plans to become his formal disciple later on. On the other hand, it was also an opportunity to join the Immortal Alliance.
Joining the system had many benefits.
Compared to the over ten thousand contribution points spent in this cultivation retreat, this thirteen thousand contribution points were well worth it.
After sending the message, He Zhenghao immediately replied, "In that case, to avoid unnecessary delays, friend, quickly go to the Square of Transmission and wait for me."
"I will take you to meet Zhang Zhiliang first. Then, we'll swiftly secure the position."
"Be aware, although it's just a small Formation Repair Specialist position, there are quite a few Foundation Establishment cultivators eyeing this spot!"
Li Fan also replied, "Thank you, friend!"
Then he left the Heavenly Profound Mirror and went to the Square of Transmission to wait for He Zhenghao.
As soon as he arrived, he saw He Zhenghao already waiting.
"Friend, you've gone through trouble!" Li Fan said to He Zhenghao.
"Hehe, don't be polite. Since you're the one I recommended to join the Immortal Alliance, I naturally have to take care of you."
"And besides, it's mutually beneficial. You might have to help me with something in the future!"
He Zhenghao waved his hand, not minding it.
Then he said, "Zhang Zhiliang is not on Wanyuan Island right now. Recently, an island suddenly emerged from the seabed in the western part of the Cloud Mist Sea. Zhang Zhiliang and Palace Boyu are currently on that island."
"When they come back, it might take a year or more."
"You can come with me to meet them, maybe secure the position first."
Li Fan nodded.
"An island emerging from the seabed? Several Formation Masters from the Strategy Formation Hall are on the island? Did they discover some sect relic?" Li Fan asked as he followed He Zhenghao toward a tree-like teleportation array.
He Zhenghao shook his head, "It's not a sect relic, just an ordinary island."
"For some reason, over three thousand years ago, the entire island sank into the ocean. Now, it has resurfaced."
"Strangely, it seems that the island was originally the guardian island of the Immortal Alliance, but there are no records about this island. The island's protective formation reactivated after it resurfaced."
"And the protective formation at that time is significantly different from the current one. So, several Formation Masters from the Strategy Formation Hall went over to take a look."
He Zhenghao explained.
Through the teleportation array, the two arrived at a massive island filled with various trees, resembling a primitive forest.
This island was more than ten times larger than the Glass Island.
"Lingmu Island is more than five hundred miles to the west. That's where the island is located."
Li Fan and He Zhenghao conversed as they flew towards their destination.
"Could it be that the formations from a thousand years ago are even more powerful than those now? Why would several Formation Masters specifically go to observe this?" Li Fan voiced his doubts.
"Hehe, friend, you might not know. The protective formations commonly used within our Immortal Alliance are not fixed."
"The Immortal Alliance has always been at odds with the Five Elders. If we use a fixed formation set for over a hundred years, there's a risk of leaks and being easily deciphered on a large scale."
"So, the protective formations undergo a small change every two hundred years and a significant change every thousand years."
"A small change means that the basic logic of the formation remains unchanged, only adjusting the subtle layout of the formation."
"And a significant change means completely reconstructing a new set of formations."
"The previous set of formations will be sealed and no longer used."
He Zhenghao explained slowly.
"So, the protective formation from three thousand years ago running on that island is quite interesting. Its power is average, but for those proficient in formations, they can discern it and deduce the corresponding Immortal Formation."
Li Fan was momentarily stunned. "The corresponding Immortal Formation?"
He Zhenghao hesitated for a moment and then explained in a low voice, "This Immortal Formation doesn't refer to the Immortal Formation on Wanyuan Island. It refers to the true Immortal Formation covering the entire state, formed by the protective formations of all cities and islands as nodes, with the central island or the Immortal Formation of Lingtian City as the core."
"This Immortal Formation, once fully activated, covers the entire state, and its power is unimaginable. It is said to have a record of killing the Combined Dao Immortal Venerable."
"But the resources it consumes are extremely vast. It can only be activated with the approval of the headquarters of the Immortal Alliance."
"It's usually only used in the event of an invasion by the Five Elders, during a major war."
Li Fan, still a novice in formations, imagined the scene in his mind and couldn't help but take a sharp breath.
"No wonder the Immortal Alliance goes to great lengths to build protective formations in most cities within their territory."
"There's so much more to consider."
Just then, He Zhenghao continued with a cheerful tone, "Privately, we've speculated. I'm afraid this isn't the complete form of the Immortal Formation. The enormous formation covering all the territories of the Immortal Alliance, with each state's fully activated Immortal Formation as nodes, might be the true form of the Immortal Formation."
"But this is purely our speculation during our leisure time. That kind of formation is too terrifying. Once activated, I'm afraid the entire cultivation world would suffer tremendous damage."
Li Fan listened in silence.
"Based on the style of the Immortal Alliance, the ultimate form of the Immortal Formation must exist."
"And even in a situation where the Immortal Alliance and the Five Elders almost completely divided the Xuanhuang Realm, maintaining peace on the surface, apart from those elusive Longevity Heaven Venerables, the existence of this ultimate Immortal Formation is probably a crucial factor."
After pondering, Li Fan fell into silence, and the two continued their journey in silence.
Not long after, the once-sunken island was already in sight.
From a distance, Li Fan sensed that the damp atmosphere on the island had not yet dissipated.
Most of the buildings on the island were still intact.
However, having been submerged in the sea for a thousand years, the surfaces of the buildings were covered with seaweed and moss.
On the streets, countless fish that had been out of the water were struggling for survival.
Outside the island, Li Fan could vaguely see a layer of golden formation barrier.
"I wonder why this island sank three thousand years ago."
"Now, why did it suddenly resurface?"
(End of this chapter)