Before Lin Fan could speak, Wang Xuan waved away the few people beside him, standing on the wooden bridge watching the flowing stream, feeling quite relaxed.

Lin Fan was deeply conflicted, knowing that he had been exposed and could no longer hide in the Martial Arts Hall, disguising himself as an ordinary person.

The reason he entered the Martial Arts Hall was because he valued the safety of the Immortal Martial Combat Hall; other forces wouldn't think he was there, and indeed, no one had discovered his anomaly during these months.

It's a pity he didn't expect Wang Xuan to arrive at this time, with such strong power.

"You're very conflicted?" Wang Xuan asked. Although confident in his strength, he still needed help, especially since Lin Fan knew the area well.

"Senior's cultivation is profound, and you've already discovered me. Say whatever you want directly to Lin Fan." Lin Fan said with a bitter smile, but his hidden weapon was ready to be activated at any time, the Sword Pill poised to move in his mouth.

He didn't intend to let someone else dictate his life and wouldn't allow himself to be slaughtered. If faced with a dead-end, he would only fight to the death.

"Are you afraid of me? As long as you don't harm the Immortal Martial Combat Hall, we don't have much conflict of interest, so what's there to worry about?" Wang Xuan chuckled lightly, inviting Lin Fan to sit down as the two drank tea in the pavilion.

Lin Fan wasn't afraid, but rather reverential towards the strong. Being an assassin, he naturally believed in power; sometimes, power is indeed everything.

Wang Xuan said, "You're an assassin from the Assassin Alliance? I know about your killings in the alley; clean and efficient, your sword strikes are fast, accurate, and ruthless.

Achieving such feats in your early twenties, you're considered talented in the martial sect. However, I can see your cultivation is rough, relying entirely on talent and diligence for your current strength.

Unfortunately, if you continue this way, your path will eventually be blocked. You know the risks of feeling your way, and you're aware of several flaws and misconceptions in your cultivation."

He understood Lin Fan is a loose cultivator with obvious shortcomings, eagerly wanting techniques and guidance, yet this young man feared others approaching, apparently worried.

Lin Fan remained cautious, not granting trust because of Wang Xuan's words. He was a man who could yield or stand, even Wang Xuan felt he had potential like a hidden dragon.

"If you want me to do something for you, consider it a transaction, and we'll talk about other matters later." Lin Fan said.

Wang Xuan asked questions Lin Fan was unwilling to answer, as silence is an assassin's survival rule; only enough caution ensures longevity.

"Since you don't want to join me and only wish for a transaction, let's make a deal." Wang Xuan did not insist, or perhaps did not care.

Loose cultivators have certain habits, like being overly cautious, as they cannot afford mistakes, frugality due to lack of resources, and distrust because too many only talk about interests.

"I need to do something in Changming City; the Immortal Martial Combat Hall should be a pillar in this area, not an optional force." Wang Xuan said, "You know this area well, which is what I need. Also, there are parts I find inconvenient to handle myself.

As long as you perform satisfactorily, I can guide you on the Sword Dao as a form of compensation."

Wang Xuan blew a breath, his magical power transformed into a Magic Sword striking towards Lin Fan, exactly pinpointing Lin Fan's flaws.

"How is that possible!" Lin Fan exclaimed, shocked at Wang Xuan's keen insight, easily noting his shortcomings.

His body constantly shifted to dodge, but the Magic Sword always found gaps in his defense, ready to inflict serious harm if its speed and strength were sufficient.

Many flaws he rarely noticed were plainly visible to Wang Xuan, stemming from his shortcomings, areas needing improvement.

In his constant evasions, any slight lapse allowed the Magic Sword to pierce him, leaving him no chance to fight back.

Lin Fan didn't know his disparity with Wang Xuan, but a sword formed from magical power putting him in such a plight suggested Wang Xuan could suppress him effortlessly.

"Senior's cultivation far surpasses mine. If you could guide me, Lin Fan would benefit greatly. I am willing to exert all my strength for senior." Lin Fan solemnly declared.

He revered power but didn't expect Wang Xuan to be principled instead of arrogant, reassuring him.

"This is a wise choice." Wang Xuan chuckled.

He inquired about Lin Fan's cultivation path. In the Body Refining Realm, the young man took some detours, consuming numerous pills, reaching the Meridian Opening level by 13 or 14, too early. During the Human Immortal Realm, lacking good techniques, he practiced a Demon Technique, switching at the Divine Treasure Realm.

Until now, at the Peak of Sky Control, Lin Fan spent vast resources, all earned from Assassin Alliance missions. Rough cultivation made him feel his foundation was shaky; his combat power wholly relied on Sword Technique, an explosive force far surpassing same-realm methods.

"A pity; if you were in the sect, True Immortal was foreseeable, but with such a rough foundation now, becoming a Celestial Immortal would take considerable fortune." Wang Xuan shook his head, "However, achieving the Peak of Sky Control at 22 or 23 despite being a loose cultivator demonstrates undeniable talent."

Wang Xuan sensed Lin Fan's unease as he mentioned his age and cultivation level, fearing his secrets would be unearthed.

Attaining such feats at his age clearly involved secrets, but Wang Xuan had no strong desire to delve, instead recognizing Lin Fan as promising; a natural talent reaching this stage was extremely rare.

"Luck resulted in this achievement; many insights arose amid life and death, plus immense pressure—those not breaking through died." Lin Fan smiled bitterly.

Wang Xuan was uninterested in probing further, beyond seeking Source Power; "Who was the Earth Immortal killed on the street, and what was in his Storage Celestial Treasure?"

Regarding this assassination target, Lin Fan knew some details and didn't mind sharing: "He came from Demon City shipping goods; his Storage Celestial Treasure contained ten tons of diluted Spiritual Medicine, originally to refine and enhance Divine Souls for Divine Treasure and Vajra Cultivators. Ordinary people consuming it can't resist the hallucinations, damaging their brains.

This stuff is effectively poison; valued tens of billions, his movements were leaked, with a bounty of ten billion Star Yuan for his head."

This gain included the ten billion bounty, the value of this poison, and the Storage Celestial Treasure were equally substantial. This single mission's income meant Lin Fan could become a billionaire, exchanging for vast cultivation resources.

"Is that so?" Wang Xuan understood some Demon Race forces liked founding cities where demons and people lived under minimal law, reliant only on personal and factional power.

Business in drugs flourished here; life on the Mother Star was too good, leading many to seek thrill, falling into an abyss.

Vice, crime, and various dark businesses—trafficking, duel rings, weapons trafficking, money laundering, smuggling, assassination, contraband—were too abundant, backed by numerous forces profiting while others bore blame.

Lin Fan and Wang Xuan discussed the tangled forces in Changming City, peeling layers off the complex situation. Growing up in Southeast Asia and surviving in dark areas, Lin Fan knew much.

Taking bold steps to transform Changming City's Immortal Martial Combat Hall, Wang Xuan recruited reputable local loose cultivators as instructors, employed locals in many service roles. Although austere, the hall's grand facade was maintained—Wang Xuan tailored his approach to local needs.

"Start by recruiting students, lower fees. We need to nurture talent to win honors in competitions, using reputation to enter the market." Wang Xuan instructed.

After refurbishing the Martial Arts Hall, Wang Xuan followed Lin Fan's guidance to greet Changming City's local bosses.

A saying goes that strong dragons don't suppress local bosses, but that's only if the dragon isn't strong enough; Wang Xuan would ensure the Immortal Martial Combat Hall's survival space with his strength.