dà xuán guó ， xuán jīng ， tài shī fǔ 。
大玄国，玄京，太师府。
Great Xuan Kingdom, Xuanjing, Taiyi Mansion.
lǐ fán duān zhe jiǔ bēi ， kàn zhe mǎn táng qián lái zhù shòu de wén wǔ guān yuán ， ráo shì tā rú jīn yǐ shì gǔ xī zhī nián ， què yě bù jīn xīn zhōng àn zì dé yì 。
李凡端着酒杯，看着满堂前来祝寿的文武官员，饶是他如今已是古稀之年，却也不禁心中暗自得意。
Li Fan held a wine cup and looked at the gathered officials from both military and civil service who had come to celebrate his birthday. Despite being in his seventies, he couldn't help but feel secretly pleased.
xū zhī ， jīn rì tài shī fǔ nèi ， mǎn cháo gōng qīng ， lái le shí zhī bā jiǔ ！ zhè shì hé děng shēng shì ！
须知，今日太师府内，满朝公卿，来了十之八九！这是何等声势！
After all, nearly ninety percent of the high-ranking officials from the entire court were present at Taiyi Mansion today! What an impressive display!
xiǎng tā lǐ fán ， gāng chuān yuè dào zhè yī fāng shì jiè shí ， nǎi shì yī qióng kǔ shū shēng 。
想他李凡，刚穿越到这一方世界时，乃是一穷苦书生。
When Li Fan first arrived in this world, he was just a poor scholar. Over fifty years later, he had risen to become Grand Tutor and wielded immense power over the land. The journey from nothing to everything could fill volumes.
wǔ shí duō nián lái ， tā cóng yī wú suǒ yǒu dào rú jīn guān bài tài shī 、 quán qīng tiān xià ， zhè qí zhōng zhǒng zhǒng ， zú yǐ xiě chéng yī běn jǐ bǎi wàn zì de cháng piān xiǎo shuō 。
五十多年来，他从一无所有到如今官拜太师、权倾天下，这其中种种，足以写成一本几百万字的长篇小说。
Life is like this; what more can one ask for?
rén shēng rú cǐ ， fū fù hé qiú a ！
人生如此，夫复何求啊！
Li Fan stroked his beard and drained the wine in his cup.
lǐ fán fǔ le fǔ hú zi ， jiāng bēi zhōng měi jiǔ yī yǐn ér jǐn 。
李凡抚了抚胡子，将杯中美酒一饮而尽。
"To the health of the Grand Tutor!"
“ wèi tài shī shòu ！”
“为太师寿！”
The officials present echoed him with their voices.
zài chǎng de yī zhòng guān yuán qí shēng hè dào 。
在场的一众官员齐声贺道。
Li Fan felt a sense of unease as he listened to the conversation between two cultivators above. Before he could react, a crimson flame exploded over Xuanjing City.
lǐ fán yù fā dé yì le 。
李凡愈发得意了。
"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"
jiù zài zhè shí ， wài miàn hū rán chuán lái le zhèn zhèn bù hé xié de jīng hū 。
就在这时，外面忽然传来了阵阵不和谐的惊呼。
The loud explosions filled Li Fan's ears and his vision turned blood-red. He fainted almost instantly.
“ kuài kàn ！ nà shì shén me ！”
“快看！那是什么！”
---
“ tiān jiàng liú huǒ ， zhè shì xiáng ruì ， xiáng ruì a ！ kuài qù gào yǔ tài shī ！”
“天降流火，这是祥瑞，祥瑞啊！快去告予太师！”
After an indeterminate amount of time, Li Fan regained consciousness. At first, he was disoriented but eventually remembered what had happened.
“ zěn me hǎo xiàng cháo zán men tài shī fǔ fēi guò lái le ！”
“怎么好像朝咱们太师府飞过来了！”
He coughed up some blood and shakily got to his feet, looking around. It was still night, and the once opulent Taiyi Mansion had turned into a ruin.
……
……
The air was thick with the smell of burnt corpses. The high-ranking officials from the entire court had all met their end. His wives and five sons were also gone.
tīng dé wū wài xuān huá ， lǐ fán cù le cù méi tóu 。
听得屋外喧哗，李凡蹙了蹙眉头。
Li Fan's aged face showed no expression as he stared blankly for some time before limping out of the Taiyi Mansion.
yuán běn hái yǒu xiē rè nào de dà táng nèi dǒu rán ān jìng le xià lái 。
原本还有些热闹的大堂内陡然安静了下来。
What once was a bustling city now resembled a hell of blood and fire, with broken bodies and collapsed buildings everywhere. It seemed that only one in a hundred people survived this calamity.
lǐ fán qǐ shēn ， shuài xiān zǒu le chū qù 。
李凡起身，率先走了出去。
All because of two suddenly appearing "immortals," two cultivators.
rán ér ， hái méi děng tā lái de jí hē chì xià rén 、 biǎo dá chū xīn zhōng de bù mǎn ， tā jiù bèi tiān shàng de jǐng sè xī yǐn zhù le 。
然而，还没等他来得及呵斥下人、表达出心中的不满，他就被天上的景色吸引住了。
Li Fan slumped against a shattered wall corner, his hearing damaged by the explosion. But it didn't matter now.
yuǎn yuǎn de tiān biān ， liǎng dào yín sè de guāng máng ， yī qián yī hòu ， rú liú xīng bān ， fēi sù cháo zhè biān shǐ lái 。
远远的天边，两道银色的光芒，一前一后，如流星般，飞速朝这边驶来。
He just wanted to laugh.
“ zhè shì ……” lǐ fán lèng zhù le 。
“这是……”李凡愣住了。
How could there be cultivators in this world?
zhuǎn yǎn jiān ， liǎng dào liú xīng jiù lái dào le xuán jīng chéng shàng kōng ， què hū de tíng le xià lái 。
转眼间，两道流星就来到了玄京城上空，却忽的停了下来。
Since he became an official, he had used his power to search for any trace of immortality.
yú cǐ tóng shí ， yī dào shēng yīn rú tóng léi tíng cóng tiān ér jiàng ， zài zhòng rén ěr biān zhà xiǎng 。
于此同时，一道声音如同雷霆从天而降，在众人耳边炸响。
As Grand Tutor, he had combed through every inch of the land from the Frozen Sea in the north to the Great Ocean in the south, from the Vast Abyss to the Chain Mountains.
“ dào xuán zi ！ nǐ bú yào qī rén tài shèn ！”
“道玄子！你不要欺人太甚！”
But there was no sign of any immortal anywhere in all of Great Xuan!
……
……
Yet today, after so many years and just as he was about to give up, two cultivators had descended from the heavens and shattered everything he held dear.
zài chǎng zhòng rén fēn fēn jīng hài mò míng 。 shèn zhì hái yǒu jǐ rén kǒu hū xiān shī ， zhí jiē bài dǎo zài dì 。
在场众人纷纷惊骇莫名。甚至还有几人口呼仙师，直接拜倒在地。
So, this is what it means to be an immortal?
ér yí gè bèi yā zài jì yì shēn chù ， jī hū kuài yào bèi yí wàng de cí huì ， cǐ kè què shì tū rán cóng lǐ fán de nǎo hǎi zhōng bèng le chū lái 。
而一个被压在记忆深处，几乎快要被遗忘的词汇，此刻却是突然从李凡的脑海中蹦了出来。
Where do immortals come from?
“ xiū …… xiū xiān zhě ！” lǐ fán zhèng zhù le ， nán nán zì yǔ dào ，“ zhè zěn me kě néng ……”
“修……修仙者！”李凡怔住了，喃喃自语道，“这怎么可能……”
All his anger and frustration turned into a profound sense of bewilderment.
tiān shàng de liǎng wèi xiū xiān zhě ， xiǎn rán bú huì zài hū xià fāng yī zhòng fán rén de xiǎng fǎ 。
天上的两位修仙者，显然不会在乎下方一众凡人的想法。
Fate was cruel!
zhǐ tīng lìng wài yí gè shēng yīn xiǎng qǐ ：“ kòu hóng ！ nǐ yǐ wéi nǐ táo dào zhè xiān jué zhī dì ， wǒ jiù huì fàng guò nǐ ？ bǎ nà rì nǐ dé dào de gōng fǎ jiāo chū lái ， fǒu zé wǒ gēn nǐ bù sǐ bù xiū ！”
只听另外一个声音响起：“寇洪！你以为你逃到这仙绝之地，我就会放过你？把那日你得到的功法交出来，否则我跟你不死不休！”
But Li Fan felt relieved. At least before he died, he had finally confirmed the existence of immortals.
“ xiào huà ， jiù shì yīn wèi qiàn quē jié dān fǎ mén ， wǒ cái bèi kùn zhù jī qī jìn bǎi zài ， yǎn kàn dà xiàn jiāng zhì ， jiù yào huà wèi kū gǔ 。 què dé cǐ jié dān gōng fǎ ， zěn me kě néng jiāo yǔ tā rén ！” kòu hóng lěng hēng yī shēng ， yǔ qì zhōng mǎn shì bù xiè 。
“笑话，就是因为欠缺结丹法门，我才被困筑基期近百载，眼看大限将至，就要化为枯骨。却得此结丹功法，怎么可能交予他人！”寇洪冷哼一声，语气中满是不屑。
Otherwise, wouldn't he have wasted another fifty years in his next life?!
“ shì le ！” dào xuán zi cháng tàn yī shēng ，“ jīn dān dà dào ， yǒu wǒ wú tā 。 zhè shì jiān jié dān fǎ mén suī duō ， nài hé kùn dùn yú zhù jī qī de xiū shì gèng duō ！”
“是了！”道玄子长叹一声，“金丹大道，有我无他。这世间结丹法门虽多，奈何困顿于筑基期的修士更多！”
Indeed! As an ordinary man, how could Li Fan, who started as a mere scholar, rise to become Grand Tutor if not for some support?
dào xuán zi de yǔ qì hū dì biàn wèi xiōng hěn ：“ jì rú cǐ ， rú jīn cháng shēng fǎ mén zài qián ， wǒ yòu zěn me kě néng fàng guò nǐ ， wǒ yòu zěn me kě néng bù qī rén tài shèn ！”
道玄子的语气忽地变为凶狠：“既如此，如今长生法门在前，我又怎么可能放过你，我又怎么可能不欺人太甚！”
This was also why he could survive such a close encounter with cultivators.
kòu hóng dà xiào ：“ bù guò zuò guò yī cháng bà le ！ kě xiào nǐ wǒ bǎi nián xiōng dì ， rú jīn què wèi le yī xiàn shēng jī bá dāo xiāng xiàng ！”
寇洪大笑：“不过做过一场罢了！可笑你我百年兄弟，如今却为了一线生机拔刀相向！”
"True!"
dào xuán zi lěng xiào bù dá 。
道玄子冷笑不答。
Li Fan silently repeated the word. Suddenly, the surroundings dimmed and became hazy like a thick curtain of water.
kòu hóng què hū rán dào ：“ wǒ zhī dào wǒ bú shì nǐ duì shǒu ， jīn rì xiǎng bì nán táo yī jié 。 dàn shì cǐ dì fán rén rú cǐ zhī duō ， què yòu bù zhī dào ， nǐ shì fǒu yòu néng dǐ dǎng dé zhù rú cǐ nóng dù de xiān fán zhàng ne ！”
寇洪却忽然道：“我知道我不是你对手，今日想必难逃一劫。但是此地凡人如此之多，却又不知道，你是否又能抵挡得住如此浓度的仙凡瘴呢！”
"True is false when false becomes true."
dào xuán zi dùn shí sè biàn ：“ kòu hóng ! nǐ xiǎng gàn shén me ！”
道玄子顿时色变：“寇洪!你想干什么！”
Seven large characters appeared in the darkness before scattering into a light screen.
kòu hóng fēng kuáng dì xiào le qǐ lái ：“ bù guò shì qiú yī xiàn shēng jī bà le ！”
寇洪疯狂地笑了起来：“不过是求一线生机罢了！”
---
tīng zhe tóu dǐng shàng fāng liǎng wèi xiū xiān zhě de duì huà ， lǐ fán xīn zhōng dùn gǎn bù miào 。 rán ér hái wèi děng tā yǒu suǒ fǎn yìng ， jiù kàn dào yī dào chì sè de huǒ yàn zài xuán jīng chéng shàng fāng zhà liè kāi lái 。
听着头顶上方两位修仙者的对话，李凡心中顿感不妙。然而还未等他有所反应，就看到一道赤色的火焰在玄京城上方炸裂开来。
"Energy fully charged."
“ hōng hōng hōng hōng ！”
“轰轰轰轰！”
"Should we virtualize this scene and return to the initial anchor point?"
jù dà de hōng míng shēng zài lǐ fán ěr biān bù duàn bào fā ， tā de yǎn qián shùn jiān yī piàn xuè hóng ， bù guò piàn kè ， tā biàn yūn le guò qù 。
巨大的轰鸣声在李凡耳边不断爆发，他的眼前瞬间一片血红，不过片刻，他便晕了过去。
Two lines of text appeared as images rapidly filled the screen, depicting Li Fan's fifty-year life in his current world.
……
……
Li Fan stared at each image for a long time.
bù zhī guò le duō jiǔ ， lǐ fán cái sū xǐng guò lái 。
不知过了多久，李凡才苏醒过来。
[True]
qǐ chū ， tā yǒu xiē máng rán 。 guò le xǔ jiǔ ， cái xiǎng qǐ zhī qián fā shēng le shén me 。
起初，他有些茫然。过了许久，才想起之前发生了什么。
This was how Li Fan named his portable treasure. It had only one function: turning reality into illusion!
lǐ fán ké le ké ， tǔ chū jǐ kǒu xiān xuè ， chàn dǒu zhe pá qǐ shēn ， cháo zhe zhōu wéi wàng qù 。
李凡咳了咳，吐出几口鲜血，颤抖着爬起身，朝着周围望去。
To turn reality into illusion meant that everything Li Fan experienced would be simulated as a virtual experience, allowing him to return to the initial anchor point—when he first arrived in this world.
yī rán hái shì yè lǐ ， xī rì shē huá de tài shī fǔ yǐ rán biàn chéng le yī piàn fèi xū 。
依然还是夜里，昔日奢华的太师府已然变成了一片废墟。
In fact, this was already his second life.
zhōu wéi kōng qì lǐ jìn shì shī shǒu shāo jiāo de nán wén wèi dào 。
周围空气里尽是尸首烧焦的难闻味道。
In his first life, despite having grand ambitions, Li Fan was just an ordinary person. He failed numerous times and gave up on becoming an official at thirty. Instead, he ran a small business as a wealthy man, married, and had children. He lived a simple life until he finally awakened to [True] when he was old.
piàn kè zhī qián de mǎn cháo wén wǔ ， quán dōu sǐ wú quán shī ， hún guī xī tiān 。
片刻之前的满朝文武，全都死无全尸，魂归西天。
This led to his rise in the second life, unstoppable and formidable.
ér lǐ fán de qī qiè ， wǔ gè ér zi ， yě dōu méi néng xìng miǎn 。
而李凡的妻妾，五个儿子，也都没能幸免。
Unfortunately, it seemed misplaced now.
lǐ fán cāng lǎo de miàn páng shàng zài wú yī sī biǎo qíng 。 tā de yǎn shén yǒu xiē dāi zhì 。
李凡苍老的面庞上再无一丝表情。他的眼神有些呆滞。
After some thought, Li Fan decided not to end this life immediately. There were still a few things he needed to do first.
yuán dì zhàn le xǔ jiǔ ， tā cái tuō zhe xū ruò de shēn tǐ ， zǒu chū le tài shī fǔ 。
原地站了许久，他才拖着虚弱的身体，走出了太师府。
Turning off the light screen, returning to reality, Li Fan rallied himself and began dealing with the aftermath of the cultivators' destruction of Xuanjing City.
piàn kè zhī qián hái wú bǐ fán huá rè nào de xuán jīng chéng ， cǐ kè yǎn rán yǐ jīng chéng wéi le xuè yǔ huǒ de dì yù 。 rù mù suǒ jí ， quán shì cán pò de qū tǐ yǐ jí dǎo tā de jiàn zhù 。
片刻之前还无比繁华热闹的玄京城，此刻俨然已经成为了血与火的地狱。入目所及，全是残破的躯体以及倒塌的建筑。
After searching for survivors, Li Fan used his long-standing reputation to somewhat stabilize public sentiment.
xiǎng bì ， zāo cǐ jié nàn hòu néng huó xià lái de bǎi xìng ， bǎi bù cún yī 。
想必，遭此劫难后能活下来的百姓，百不存一。
Even though he was deaf, he could still find paper and pen. Although communication was difficult, it didn't hinder him from issuing orders.
zhè yī qiè dōu yī qiè ， dōu shì yīn wèi liǎng wèi hū rán jiàng lín de “ xiān shī ”， liǎng wèi xiū xiān zhě 。
这一切都一切，都是因为两位忽然降临的“仙师”，两位修仙者。
Firstly, he ordered his loyal guards stationed outside the city to rush to Xuanjing City to maintain order after the disaster. Then, he instructed nearby cities to send food supplies and officials to assist in Xuanjing.
lǐ fán méi le lì qì ， suí yì tān zuò zài yī chù pò suì de qiáng jiǎo 。
李凡没了力气，随意瘫坐在一处破碎的墙角。
Most of Xuanjing's buildings had been destroyed, so when the guards took over, Li Fan stayed in the military camp to oversee post-disaster relief efforts.
tā de tīng lì zǎo yǐ zài gāng cái nà chǎng jù liè de bào zhà shēng zhōng bèi pò huài le 。 bù guò ， zhè yě méi shén me le 。
他的听力早已在刚才那场剧烈的爆炸声中被破坏了。不过，这也没什么了。
With his orders, resources and talent from surrounding cities continuously flowed into Xuanjing City.
cǐ shí cǐ kè ， tā zhǐ xiǎng xiào 。
此时此刻，他只想笑。
A month later, the once desolate city began to regain some vitality.
zhè ge shì jiè zěn me huì yǒu xiū xiān zhě ne ？
这个世界怎么会有修仙者呢？
Only after Great Xuan Kingdom recovered from the cultivators' attack did Li Fan order a search for information about the two immortals who appeared that night. This included their origin, destination, and any other conversations they might have had during their journey.
zì cóng tā wèi guān de nà yī kè qǐ ， tā jiù dòng yòng zhuó shǒu zhōng de quán lì ， xún zhǎo zháo xiān dào kě néng cún zài de hén jì 。
自从他为官的那一刻起，他就动用着手中的权力，寻找着仙道可能存在的痕迹。
Unfortunately, months of investigation revealed little more than the fact that these two cultivators seemed to have come from the Vast Abyss in the east.
dài dào tā chéng wéi dì shī ， wèi yú wàn rén zhī shàng hòu ， gèng shì fān biàn le zhěng gè tiān xià ！
待到他成为帝师，位于万人之上后，更是翻遍了整个天下！
The expected confrontation between the two immortals did not occur.
běi zhì bīng hǎi ， nán zhì dà yáng ， dōng zhì xū yuān ， xī zhì lián shān 。
北至冰海，南至大洋，东至墟渊，西至连山。
"Such expectations were unwarranted." Li Fan sighed inwardly. "If this is how it is, I don't need anything else from this life."
zhěng gè dà xuán ， gēn běn méi yǒu yī sī yī háo xiān rén cún zài de hén jì ！
整个大玄，根本没有一丝一毫仙人存在的痕迹！
Standing in his newly built Taiyi Mansion, Li Fan once again activated [True].
dàn shì jīn tiān ， zài tā yǐ jīng chuí chuí lǎo yǐ ， zài tā yǐ jīng chè dǐ sǐ xīn hòu de ruò gān nián hòu ， liǎng wèi xiū xiān zhě què cóng tiān ér jiàng ， lái dào tā de miàn qián ， ér qiě bù yóu fēn shuō jiāng tā suǒ yōng yǒu de yī qiè dōu jiǎo dé fěn suì 。
但是今天，在他已经垂垂老矣，在他已经彻底死心后的若干年后，两位修仙者却从天而降，来到他的面前，而且不由分说将他所拥有的一切都绞得粉碎。
"Should we virtualize this scene and return to the initial anchor point?"
zhè jiù shì xiān me ？
这就是仙么？
Li Fan made no hesitation and chose yes.
xiān yòu cóng hé chù lái ne ？
仙又从何处来呢？
The light screen froze countless vivid images. Then, everything from this life's power and wealth shattered like a mirage, turning into streaks of light that entered his mind.
mǎn qiāng de fèn nù yǔ bù gān ， zuì hòu dōu huà chéng liǎo wú jǐn de máng rán 。
满腔的愤怒与不甘，最后都化成了无尽的茫然。
Scene after scene flashed before Li Fan's eyes until they settled on the two cultivators standing high above Taiyi Mansion.
tiān yì nòng rén ！
天意弄人！
"Daoxuanzi, Kuhong," he whispered their names. "Fifty years later, I will still be waiting for you in this Xuanjing City."
tóng shí ， lǐ fán yòu gǎn dào wú bǐ de qìng xìng 。
同时，李凡又感到无比的庆幸。
"Wealth and honor are but fleeting clouds to me." Li Fan's consciousness began to fade, but his resolve and goals became clearer than ever before.
qìng xìng zài tā lín sǐ zhī qián ， zhōng yú zhèng shí le xiān rén de cún zài ！
庆幸在他临死之前，终于证实了仙人的存在！
"In my next life, I must capture an immortal!"
yào bù rán ， tā kāi qǐ xià yī shì de rén shēng hòu ， qǐ bù shì yòu yào kōng cuō tuó wǔ shí zài guāng yīn ？！
要不然，他开启下一世的人生后，岂不是又要空蹉跎五十载光阴？！
The light in his mind gradually disappeared as Li Fan slowly fell into a deep sleep.
Great Xuan Kingdom, Xuanjing, Taiyi Mansion.
Li Fan held a wine cup and looked at the gathered officials from both military and civil service who had come to celebrate his birthday. Despite being in his seventies, he couldn't help but feel secretly pleased.
After all, nearly ninety percent of the high-ranking officials from the entire court were present at Taiyi Mansion today! What an impressive display!
When Li Fan first arrived in this world, he was just a poor scholar. Over fifty years later, he had risen to become Grand Tutor and wielded immense power over the land. The journey from nothing to everything could fill volumes.
Life is like this; what more can one ask for?
Li Fan stroked his beard and drained the wine in his cup.
"To the health of the Grand Tutor!"
The officials present echoed him with their voices.
Li Fan felt a sense of unease as he listened to the conversation between two cultivators above. Before he could react, a crimson flame exploded over Xuanjing City.
"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The loud explosions filled Li Fan's ears and his vision turned blood-red. He fainted almost instantly.
---
After an indeterminate amount of time, Li Fan regained consciousness. At first, he was disoriented but eventually remembered what had happened.
He coughed up some blood and shakily got to his feet, looking around. It was still night, and the once opulent Taiyi Mansion had turned into a ruin.
The air was thick with the smell of burnt corpses. The high-ranking officials from the entire court had all met their end. His wives and five sons were also gone.
Li Fan's aged face showed no expression as he stared blankly for some time before limping out of the Taiyi Mansion.
What once was a bustling city now resembled a hell of blood and fire, with broken bodies and collapsed buildings everywhere. It seemed that only one in a hundred people survived this calamity.
All because of two suddenly appearing "immortals," two cultivators.
Li Fan slumped against a shattered wall corner, his hearing damaged by the explosion. But it didn't matter now.
He just wanted to laugh.
How could there be cultivators in this world?
Since he became an official, he had used his power to search for any trace of immortality.
As Grand Tutor, he had combed through every inch of the land from the Frozen Sea in the north to the Great Ocean in the south, from the Vast Abyss to the Chain Mountains.
But there was no sign of any immortal anywhere in all of Great Xuan!
Yet today, after so many years and just as he was about to give up, two cultivators had descended from the heavens and shattered everything he held dear.
So, this is what it means to be an immortal?
Where do immortals come from?
All his anger and frustration turned into a profound sense of bewilderment.
Fate was cruel!
But Li Fan felt relieved. At least before he died, he had finally confirmed the existence of immortals.
Otherwise, wouldn't he have wasted another fifty years in his next life?!
Indeed! As an ordinary man, how could Li Fan, who started as a mere scholar, rise to become Grand Tutor if not for some support?
This was also why he could survive such a close encounter with cultivators.
"True!"
Li Fan silently repeated the word. Suddenly, the surroundings dimmed and became hazy like a thick curtain of water.
"True is false when false becomes true."
Seven large characters appeared in the darkness before scattering into a light screen.
---
"Energy fully charged."
"Should we virtualize this scene and return to the initial anchor point?"
Two lines of text appeared as images rapidly filled the screen, depicting Li Fan's fifty-year life in his current world.
Li Fan stared at each image for a long time.
[True]
This was how Li Fan named his portable treasure. It had only one function: turning reality into illusion!
To turn reality into illusion meant that everything Li Fan experienced would be simulated as a virtual experience, allowing him to return to the initial anchor point—when he first arrived in this world.
In fact, this was already his second life.
In his first life, despite having grand ambitions, Li Fan was just an ordinary person. He failed numerous times and gave up on becoming an official at thirty. Instead, he ran a small business as a wealthy man, married, and had children. He lived a simple life until he finally awakened to [True] when he was old.
This led to his rise in the second life, unstoppable and formidable.
Unfortunately, it seemed misplaced now.
After some thought, Li Fan decided not to end this life immediately. There were still a few things he needed to do first.
Turning off the light screen, returning to reality, Li Fan rallied himself and began dealing with the aftermath of the cultivators' destruction of Xuanjing City.
After searching for survivors, Li Fan used his long-standing reputation to somewhat stabilize public sentiment.
Even though he was deaf, he could still find paper and pen. Although communication was difficult, it didn't hinder him from issuing orders.
Firstly, he ordered his loyal guards stationed outside the city to rush to Xuanjing City to maintain order after the disaster. Then, he instructed nearby cities to send food supplies and officials to assist in Xuanjing.
Most of Xuanjing's buildings had been destroyed, so when the guards took over, Li Fan stayed in the military camp to oversee post-disaster relief efforts.
With his orders, resources and talent from surrounding cities continuously flowed into Xuanjing City.
A month later, the once desolate city began to regain some vitality.
Only after Great Xuan Kingdom recovered from the cultivators' attack did Li Fan order a search for information about the two immortals who appeared that night. This included their origin, destination, and any other conversations they might have had during their journey.
Unfortunately, months of investigation revealed little more than the fact that these two cultivators seemed to have come from the Vast Abyss in the east.
The expected confrontation between the two immortals did not occur.
"Such expectations were unwarranted." Li Fan sighed inwardly. "If this is how it is, I don't need anything else from this life."
Standing in his newly built Taiyi Mansion, Li Fan once again activated [True].
"Should we virtualize this scene and return to the initial anchor point?"
Li Fan made no hesitation and chose yes.
The light screen froze countless vivid images. Then, everything from this life's power and wealth shattered like a mirage, turning into streaks of light that entered his mind.
Scene after scene flashed before Li Fan's eyes until they settled on the two cultivators standing high above Taiyi Mansion.
"Daoxuanzi, Kuhong," he whispered their names. "Fifty years later, I will still be waiting for you in this Xuanjing City."
"Wealth and honor are but fleeting clouds to me." Li Fan's consciousness began to fade, but his resolve and goals became clearer than ever before.
"In my next life, I must capture an immortal!"
The light in his mind gradually disappeared as Li Fan slowly fell into a deep sleep.