Volume 1 Volume 7 Chapter 72

Volume 7 Chapter 72: The Eerie Treasure Hunt (3)

"Over the years, your plans have been clever, tightly connected, and very likely to succeed. However, you have two obvious flaws. First, the time you take from designing to preparing to executing your plans is simply too long. You always wait for the best moment, waiting for the highest chance of success; if there is even a slight risk of failure, you will not act."

Saying this, Mr. Liu sighed, stared at Xu Qingfan in front of him, and continued, "For example, you sent Wang Zegang to reach out to the Human Alliance, but you did this 30 years after arriving at Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands. Although that was the time when it was hardest for us to refuse your request, have you thought about it? You lost 30 years of development time…"

"Moreover, you tried to gather people’s hearts by using the attack of the East Sea Demon Monster, which took ten years from design to execution. While by that time the cultivators had already formed an identity with Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands and you understand them better, the cultivators under your command have only just begun to form their combat power now. Don’t you think that is very slow?"

"For instance, this time your action has taken forty years. After we leave the ‘Azure Crystal Treasure House,’ the Zhong family is likely to be doomed, and the Shura Clan will also suffer significant losses. But why did you choose to act at this moment? Because the top experts from both powerful factions are not present, right? If they were here, your plan would have a risk of failure, correct? While executing this plan earlier or later could directly lead to a clash between the top experts of the Shura Clan and the ancestors of the Zhong family—though there is a risk of failure, the outcome would be much greater. But to ensure the possibility of success, you would rather have a much smaller outcome, right?"

"Yes."

Xu Qingfan nodded in agreement, his eyes glinting with thoughtful insight.

"The second flaw is that you are unwilling to allow too many losses among your people. With every plan, aside from ensuring its success, you also need to minimize the losses of your team. To reduce their casualties, you are even willing to lower the plan’s chances of success. So, for the sake of success, you’d rather sacrifice the plan’s results. Yet, to reduce your people’s losses, you would again choose to lower the plan’s success. These two significant flaws show that you are too cautious. But you forget that what you lack most right now is time, and so-called opportunities are fleeting. By giving up, your careful planning may lead to frequent victories, but the tide will gradually turn in favor of your opponents. In the end, when the situation changes, you will still face defeat."

"For example, this time, we all know that the Shura Clan will ambush us at the ‘Azure Crystal Treasure House.’ We also know there will be heavy losses, but whether it’s me, Immortal Zizhen, or Zhang Xusheng, we choose to enter the ‘Azure Crystal Treasure House’ together, using its unique features to counterattack the Shura Clan. Why? Because while this plan is risky, the rewards are great if it succeeds. We cannot waste time perfecting it to increase success and reduce casualties, as this will only cause us to miss our opportunity. When an opportunity arises, seize it. For the sake of the results, we should not be too concerned about the losses. This should be what you pursue right now."

Mr. Liu’s words left Xu Qingfan in a long silence and deep thought.

After a long time, Xu Qingfan suddenly raised his head, smiled gently at Mr. Liu, and said, "Senior, we should quickly enter the ‘Azure Crystal Treasure House’ to search for treasures. After all, it will only be open for a hundred days, and we have already delayed for too long."

Seeing the faint smile on Xu Qingfan’s face, Mr. Liu furrowed his brow and asked, "It seems you do not take my words seriously."

Xu Qingfan shook his head and said, "No, Senior, what you said makes a lot of sense and points out my weaknesses clearly, but I cannot change myself based on your words."

"Why?"

Mr. Liu was slightly taken aback and asked.

"In my view, everyone has their own style of doing things. Zhang Xusheng focuses on exploiting people’s weaknesses, making them aware of flaws they cannot resolve, planning far ahead, and using clever strategies. It may seem precarious, yet it is quite stable, dropping seemingly insignificant pieces into play unnoticed, and then gradually controlling the situation. Your approach, Senior, is as you described just now—seizing every opportunity, calculating precisely, being sharp-eyed, and responding quickly, ultimately turning small victories into greater influence. In contrast, Immortal Zizhen focuses on mastering the larger situation, aligning it with himself, and ultimately using that power to compel others."

Xu Qingfan sighed and said, "Unfortunately, I am not as talented as Zhang Xusheng, who has deep insight and the ability to understand people’s hearts. I also do not have your sharp eyes and quick reactions. I am not like Immortal Zizhen, who controls people’s hearts and represents the entire righteous path. Therefore, I cannot act like my seniors because I lack their ambition and skills, as well as their powerful influence. I must be careful and cautious, like walking on thin ice or near a deep abyss. The clever plans that Zhang Xusheng can think up in an instant take me a long time to consider, and I still cannot compare to his ingenuity. So, I prefer to take my time to ensure the success of my plans. I must make every move count and preserve my strength because, if I fail, I have no means to strike back and cannot afford to fail. In the end, it all comes down to working hard to make up for shortcomings. Unlike my three seniors who are exceptionally talented, I can only rely on caution and spending more time to supplement my weaknesses. I may not have the deep strength of my seniors, so I must do my best to conserve my own power."

Xu Qingfan shook his head and said, "Everyone has different personalities, statuses, and strengths, which lead to different ways of acting and thinking. I can only proceed cautiously like this. If I try to imitate my three seniors without fitting my own character and abilities, I might find myself stuck and making many mistakes."

Hearing Xu Qingfan’s reasoning, Mr. Liu was taken aback and looked closely at Xu Qingfan, who remained calm and met Mr. Liu’s gaze confidently.

Although Mr. Liu knew that Xu Qingfan was now one of the top masters in the world and currently led a significant power, in Mr. Liu’s heart, Xu Qingfan was still the junior who needed his careful guidance and supervision. That’s why Mr. Liu often unconsciously wanted Xu Qingfan to act according to his ideas and requirements, always speaking to Xu Qingfan with the attitude of a senior.

However, at that moment, Mr. Liu suddenly realized that the Xu Qingfan before him was no longer the junior who needed guidance in everything. He had developed his own methods and style, which, while different from others, were equally effective. Unbeknownst to Mr. Liu, Xu Qingfan had already reached the same level of understanding, recognizing his own strengths and weaknesses, knowing what he needed to do and should do, and no longer required Mr. Liu’s teaching since Xu Qingfan’s abilities had surpassed his.

Thinking of this, a complex expression crossed Mr. Liu’s eyes, a mix of pride and loss. Without him, there would be no Xu Qingfan or Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands today. Yet, when Xu Qingfan finally grew up, Mr. Liu realized that both Xu Qingfan and Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands could no longer be controlled by him.

After a long silence, Mr. Liu sighed and said, "Indeed, everyone has their own style and methods. I hope you are right."

Unknowingly, Mr. Liu had started speaking to Xu Qingfan in the tone used for a peer.

Xu Qingfan glanced at Mr. Liu, his gaze deep, and suddenly said, "Senior, I have said that Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands is both mine and yours, and you need not worry about it."

Mr. Liu nodded slightly but did not say anything more.

Liu Ziqing had been watching Xu Qingfan and Mr. Liu talk with a smile, and now that their conversation was over, he cheerfully interrupted, saying, "Gentlemen, we have already spent a lot of time. After entering the ‘Azure Crystal Treasure House,’ we have been on our way without collecting anything. Isn’t it time we took action?"

Hearing Liu Ziqing’s words, Mr. Liu was momentarily taken aback, but he quickly regained his composure and smiled, saying, "There is no hurry; we still need to go deeper for a while."

"Why? On the way, we have already given up many ‘Azure Crystal Dust’ and precious treasures."

Mr. Liu smiled and said, "The ‘Azure Crystal Treasure House’ is incredibly mysterious. Once inside, all cultivators have their senses suppressed. This place feels like endless void, making it hard to know which way is which, and time and space are jumbled. So, all the great masters who enter the ‘Azure Crystal Treasure House’ do not dare to go too deep. If they do, they may lose their way and will never find their way back. It is unknown that the treasures at the entrance of the ‘Azure Crystal Treasure House’ have been fought over for countless years and are already very scarce. How much can we gain? Right now, the Shura Clan is lurking there, waiting to ambush us. We won’t get involved in such chaos. The deeper we go, the more ‘Azure Crystal Dust’ and precious treasures we will find. Let them fight; we will focus on treasure hunting."

"So, elder, do you have treasures that can help find direction inside the ‘Azure Crystal Treasure House’?"

Liu Ziqing asked with a smile.

"Not only that; otherwise, do you think I earned the title of Immortal Many Treasures?" Mr. Liu replied with a laugh.

While speaking, Mr. Liu took out a Star Chart, a large net, and a flag from his sleeve, saying, "The reason I have so many precious treasures is all thanks to these three treasures."

"I have never seen these three treasures; they do not seem to be well-known artifacts. Please explain, senior, to ease our confusion."

Liu Ziqing’s eyes brightened slightly as he smiled and spoke.