With his collection of Dao resonance artifacts still incomplete, he couldn't yet reproduce the original Dao resonance.
So he devised an array called Perceiving the Vast from the Minute. This array's sole purpose was amplifying spiritual qi fluctuations and law resonances to some degree. Though some degree of distortion would occur depending on the array master's skill, it was sufficient for Li Fan to comprehend the sea-overturning palm strike.
Just as Li Fan concentrated on setting up the array, he heard faint voices carrying across Brightmoon Lake.
"I, Junior Chu Xingyang, seek an audience with Brightmoon Palace's esteemed seniors!"
"I, Junior Chu Xingyang, seek an audience with Brightmoon Palace's esteemed seniors!"
The calls repeated several times, echoing across the waters.
Li Fan smiled faintly.
After all this time, their first customer had finally arrived.
However, there was no need for him to appear personally. He had already made preparations, quietly waiting for this Chu Xingyang to make his entrance.
***
Above Brightmoon Lake, Chu Xingyang felt extremely anxious after shouting several times.
The appearance of this Brightmoon Palace was peculiar, as if it had suddenly sprung into existence.
Cultivators in Yuandao Province knew very little about it. Yet an organization confident enough to lend out Foundation Establishment Curios and techniques without worrying about recovering repayment was surely formidable.
Chu Xingyang was just an insignificant cultivator at the final-stage Qi Refinement realm; coming to the gates of such a major establishment and loudly announcing his presence naturally filled him with terror.
Moreover, it was still unknown whether Brightmoon Palace's offer to lend techniques was genuine.
But Chu Xingyang had no other choice. He had to come here and try.
If he continued as before, slowly accumulating contribution points by completing tasks, it would take him at least two or three more years to undergo Foundation Establishment.
That was far too long! There simply wasn't enough time!
Whenever he envisioned his childhood sweetheart entwined with another man, boundless rage ignited in Chu Xingyang's heart.
Why? Was it not simply because the other party was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, while he was a Qi Refinement cultivator?
In three months, the two would be married. He absolutely had to advance to the Foundation Establishment realm before then.
Then, at the wedding, I will snatch her back! Chu Xingyang thought bitterly.
Just as he was lost in his beautiful fantasy of flying off together with his childhood sweetheart, he suddenly noticed a figure had silently appeared behind him.
Immediately after, he was lifted effortlessly, completely unable to resist.
"Senior, spare me! Senior, spare me!" Chu Xingyang hurriedly cried out.
"Stop shouting! You are a grown man, why are you so timid!" The voice was clear and childlike.
Chu Xingyang focused his gaze and realized that the one who had restrained him was actually a little girl no more than seven or eight years old, dressed in fiery red clothes.
What horrified Chu Xingyang even more was that this little girl was actually at the Foundation Establishment realm!
If even such a young girl was this strong, what heights had the others in Brightmoon Palace reached? And the Brightmoon Palace Master... his power had to be unimaginable.
No wonder they dared to loan out Foundation Establishment Curios and techniques without fear!
Chu Xingyang felt dizzy, and his heart was suddenly flooded with dread. But immediately after, he grew expectant. It seemed that Brightmoon Palace's offer to loan techniques was not a scam!
With his heart in turmoil, Chu Xingyang was carried into the lake. Passing through the blue protective barrier, they arrived before the main gate of Brightmoon Palace.
Once again, Chu Xingyang was profoundly shocked.
Compassionate Ferry to Salvation!
Relieving Suffering and Hardship!
What immense courage and breadth of vision must one possess to dare inscribe these eight great words at the entrance?
The more Chu Xingyang looked at them, the more profound and mysterious the eight words seemed, as if they held the path leading to the heavens. Simultaneously, he grew increasingly reverent toward the mysterious Brightmoon Palace Master.
Following the little girl... No, following the Foundation Establishment senior, Chu Xingyang passed the central hall and arrived at a small pavilion on the right.
Inside the pavilion, two women who looked identical sat at the front. Their figures were graceful, their skin whiter than snow. Their beauty far surpassed that of his childhood sweetheart!
Chu Xingyang found himself staring dumbfounded, completely transfixed. Only after receiving a slap from the young Foundation Establishment senior beside him did he regain his senses.
Flustered, he immediately knelt to apologize.
I can't even discern the cultivation level of these two immortal maidens—they must be Golden Core cultivators. How could I have lost my mind over their beauty? If I offended them and made them angry... At this thought, Chu Xingyang couldn't help but shudder.
Fortunately, the two immortal maidens didn't blame him. Instead, they asked for his name and the reason he had come to Brightmoon Palace to loan techniques.
Chu Xingyang naturally explained everything truthfully. After understanding the whole story, the two maidens vanished, leaving no trace of where they had gone. Only the young Foundation Establishment senior remained, glaring fiercely at him.
Cold sweat beaded on Chu Xingyang's forehead. He dared not make any rash moves, patiently waiting where he stood.
***
"Big Sis, look at this man; he wants to borrow a technique and Curio to crash a wedding! Isn't this what Senior called a high-risk client? Shouldn't we refuse his request and not lend him anything?" Yin Yuzhen tilted her head as she asked.
"You're mistaken, Little Sis. Think about it, he’s planning to cause trouble on someone's wedding day. Even if he fails to steal the bride, the worst that will happen is a beating; they won't kill him.
“Besides, he's only twenty-eight and has already reached the final-stage Qi Refinement realm. He qualifies as what Senior called a high-quality client.
“And he's the first client to visit our Brightmoon Palace... Hmm, this business deal is worth doing." Yin Yueting concluded. "These are the Curio and technique he wants. Go retrieve them from Senior."
Yin Yuzhen nodded, took the note her sister had written, and hurried to where Li Fan was in seclusion.
"I already know about this matter. Take it." Before she could speak, a storage ring flew toward her.
Yin Yuzhen stuck out her tongue, bowed respectfully toward the inner chamber, then immediately turned and left without looking back.
"Little Sis, try sensing whether lending these items will bring good or ill fortune," Yin Yueting asked.
Yin Yuzhen held the storage ring, closed her eyes, and concentrated. Her eyelashes fluttered slightly, and after a moment, her face brightened with joy: "Certain Auspiciousness! Sister, we can lend them!"
Yin Yueting also breathed a sigh of relief. Then, holding the storage ring, she stepped out of the array-concealed room and stood before Chu Xingyang.
"Mid-grade Curio of Man: Indignant Fall. Foundation Establishment technique: Purple Brilliance Starlight. Both items you requested are inside this storage ring. The total cost is 9500 contribution points. Which repayment method do you choose?"
Chu Xingyang's eyes lit up as he stared at the storage ring in Yin Yueting's hand. All his hopes for the future rested in this ring.
Gritting his teeth, he said, "I choose to repay monthly, clearing the debt within three years."
Yin Yueting nodded and produced a contract. "Sign this, and you may take the storage ring."
Chu Xingyang's face flushed with excitement. He gave the contract only a cursory glance before signing his name.
"Remember to transfer the contribution points to me at this time every month. Otherwise, I'll come find you myself to collect the repayment. Understand?
"Don't even think about running away. The cultivation world may be vast, but if you owe a debt to our Brightmoon Palace, there'll be no place for you to hide!"
Su Xiaomei watched Chu Xingyang with a predatory gaze as she delivered this warning.
Chu Xingyang trembled, nodding hurriedly to show he understood.
When he finally held the storage ring in his hand, his eyes nearly brimmed with tears of joy.
Upon leaving Brightmoon Palace, he bowed respectfully toward the two jade pillars flanking the entrance.
Then, his expression turned resolute, and he soared into the sky. He was off to find a safe place to begin Foundation Establishment.
"Heh, my acting wasn’t bad, right?" Su Xiaomei rubbed her cheeks once the young man had disappeared, seeking praise for her performance.
"But are we really doing the right thing here? This is 9500 contribution points we're talking about! Can we actually recover that much? What if he dies halfway through paying us back?"
Her triumphant expression quickly shifted to one of worry as she voiced these practical concerns.
1. 慈悲渡法(Cíbēi Dù Fǎ): idea of using compassion as a means to guide beings across the sea of suffering to the shore of enlightenment. In this context, it is the idea of their mission statement being to help cultivators overcome their bottlenecks “out of kindness” so they can achieve their breakthroughs ☜