máo dìng shí sān nián ， yòu yǒu 《 shàng shū 》、《 shī 》、《 lǐ 》 děng gǔ jí miàn shì ， tiān xià dú shū rén duì yú nà duàn yí shī de lì shǐ yù fā xiàng wǎng 。
锚定十三年，又有《尚书》、《诗》、《礼》等古籍面世，天下读书人对于那段遗失的历史愈发向往。
In the 13th year, ancient texts such as The Book of Documents and The Book of Poetry began to appear. Scholars across the land grew increasingly nostalgic for that lost era.
máo dìng shí wǔ nián ， huáng dì bìng zhòng 。 yù zài qiú xiān dān xù mìng ， suì fā jūn duì shí yú wàn ， sì chù fā jué gǔ mù ， xún zhǎo xiān dān hén jì 。
锚定十五年，皇帝病重。欲再求仙丹续命，遂发军队十余万，四处发掘古墓，寻找仙丹痕迹。
By the 15th year, the emperor was gravely ill. He sought to prolong his life by searching for elixirs of immortality and dispatched an army of over ten thousand men to excavate ancient tombs in search of such elixirs.
cháo chén suī duō yǒu wēi cí ， dàn yě méi yǒu dà guī mó shàng shū fǎn duì 。
朝臣虽多有微辞，但也没有大规模上书反对。
Despite many objections from ministers, no large-scale protests were raised against this plan.
kě xī de shì ， xiān dān nán xún 。 jí shǐ fā jué de gǔ mù duō dá shàng bǎi ， yě méi néng dé jiàn qí hén jì 。
可惜的是，仙丹难寻。即使发掘的古墓多达上百，也没能得见其痕迹。
Unfortunately, the elixirs proved elusive. Even after excavating hundreds of tombs, none contained any trace of them.
nián mò ， huáng dì bào hàn ér zhōng 。 lín zhōng qián chuán wèi yú láng yá wáng 。
年末，皇帝抱憾而终。临终前传位于琅琊王。
By year-end, the emperor died with regret. He passed on his throne to the Langya Wang before his death.
zhì cǐ ， lǐ fán zhōng yú zài cì àn zhōng zhǎng kòng le tiān xià 。
至此，李凡终于再次暗中掌控了天下。
Thus, Li Fan once again secretly regained control over the land.
ér zài lǐ fán de yǐng xiǎng xià ， tiān xià fǎng gǔ xún mù zhī fēng yù shèng 。
而在李凡的影响下，天下访古寻墓之风愈盛。
Under Li Fan's influence, the trend of visiting ancient sites and tomb-hunting grew even more fervent.
máo dìng shí qī nián ， yī shān jiān liè hù ， yīn xún dé yī fāng gǔ mù ， bó dé tài shī huān xīn ， dé fēng liè hòu 。 cǐ hòu ， tiān xià rén duì yú fǎng gǔ yī shì gèng jiā rè zhōng yǔ fēng kuáng 。 wú lùn duō me piān pì de shān lín lǐ ， dōu néng kàn dào chéng qún jié duì de fǎng gǔ zhě 。
锚定十七年，一山间猎户，因寻得一方古墓，搏得太师欢心，得封列候。此后，天下人对于访古一事更加热衷与疯狂。无论多么偏僻的山林里，都能看到成群结队的访古者。
In the 17th year, a hunter in the mountains was rewarded with a marquis title after discovering an ancient tomb that pleased his lord. This sparked a greater enthusiasm for tomb-hunting among the people. Even remote forests were now filled with groups of tomb-seekers.
shí jiān liú zhuǎn ， lái dào máo dìng èr shí sān nián 。
时间流转，来到锚定二十三年。
By the 23rd year, Li Fan stood in the prime minister's mansion, reviewing the accumulated clues from official and civilian excavations over the years.
lǐ fán lì yú tài shī fǔ zhōng ， kàn zhāo shù nián lái guān fāng yǔ mín jiān bù duàn fǎng gǔ dé dào de xiàn suǒ huì zǒng 。
李凡立于太师府中，看着数年来官方与民间不断访古得到的线索汇总。
Before this era, only three thousand years of history had been recorded, spanning twenty-three dynasties.
zài cǐ zhī qián ， cǐ shì zhǐ yǒu sān qiān nián de shǐ shū jì zǎi ， gòng jì èr shí sān cháo 。
在此之前，此世只有三千年的史书记载，共计二十三朝。
As more ancient tombs were unearthed, lost historical records began to be restored.
ér suí zhe yī zuò zuò gǔ mù bèi fā jué ， zhī qián yí shī de lì shǐ yě zhú jiàn bèi bǔ quán 。
而随着一座座古墓被发掘，之前遗失的历史也逐渐被补全。
The 23 dynasties that followed追溯到约六七千年前，还有十六个朝代。最早的那个朝代叫启。
zhè èr shí sān cháo zhī qián ， hái yǒu shí liù cháo ， kě zhuī sù dào yuē liù qī qiān nián qián 。
这二十三朝之前，还有十六朝，可追溯到约六七千年前。
"Six or seven thousand years—about the same as the Great Migration era," Li Fan thought.
ér néng gòu zhǎo dào de zuì zǎo de nà ge cháo dài ， míng jiào qǐ 。
而能够找到的最早的那个朝代，名叫启。
He then ordered his subordinates to focus on excavating tombs from the Dynasty of Qi.
“ liù qī qiān nián ， chà bu duō néng hé dà qiān xǐ shí dài duì shàng le 。” lǐ fán àn dào 。
“六七千年，差不多能和大迁徙时代对上了。”李凡暗道。
A reward was offered: anyone who found a tomb from the Dynasty of Qi would be granted a marquis title.
suí jí ， tā kāi shǐ mìng lìng shǒu xià ， zhuó zhòng fā jué qǐ cháo de gǔ mù 。
随即，他开始命令手下，着重发掘启朝的古墓。
News spread rapidly, and countless young people embarked on their own tomb-hunting journeys.
gèng xuán shǎng tiān xià ， fán néng zhǎo dào qǐ cháo gǔ mù zhě ， yī lǜ fēng hóu 。
更悬赏天下，凡能找到启朝古墓者，一律封侯。
No matter how long buried in history, such fervent excavation could not be contained.
xiāo xī yī chū ， tiān xià rén fēn fēn bēn zǒu xiāng gào 。
消息一出，天下人纷纷奔走相告。
In the 25th year, the first emperor of the Dynasty of Qi, Yi Xing, was finally located.
wú shù nián qīng rén jié bàn tà shàng fǎng gǔ zhī lù 。
无数年轻人结伴踏上访古之路。
Li Fan led his closest confidants to the site and sealed off the surrounding area.
zài zěn me chén fēng de lì shǐ ， yě jīng bú zhù quán tiān xià zhī rén rú cǐ rè liè de fā jué xún zhǎo 。
再怎么尘封的历史，也经不住全天下之人如此热烈的发掘寻找。
Over the past decade, the Great Xuan Kingdom had rapidly developed techniques for tomb excavation, devising an extremely effective plan.
máo dìng èr shí wǔ nián ， qǐ cháo dì yī rèn huáng dì ， yī xíng zhī mù zhōng yú bèi zhǎo dào 。
锚定二十五年，启朝第一任皇帝，伊行之墓终于被找到。
Despite the vast scale and numerous traps in Emperor Qi's tomb, it took only a month for the tomb entrance to be cleared by the tomb-hunting camp.
lǐ fán wén xùn ， shuài lǐng xīn fù qīn zhì xiàn chǎng ， fēng suǒ zhōu biān 。
李凡闻讯，率领心腹亲至现场，封锁周边。
With all obstacles removed, Li Fan entered the ancient tomb under his entourage.
shí jǐ nián lái ， dà xuán cháo wā jué gǔ mù de jì shù fēi sù fā zhǎn ， zǒng jié chū le yī tào jí wéi yǒu xiào de kāi mù fāng àn 。
十几年来，大玄朝挖掘古墓的技术飞速发展，总结出了一套极为有效的开墓方案。
The main tomb passage stretched hundreds of meters, with lifelike murals on both sides. Though thousands of years old, they remained vividly clear.
zòng shǐ cǐ jiè dì yī wèi huáng dì zhī mù guī mó páng dà ， yǒu wú shù jī guān ， dàn zài fǎng gǔ yíng zhòng rén de nǔ lì xià ， bù guò yí yuè yǒu yú ， yī tiáo tōng wǎng zhǔ mù shì de tōng dào biàn bèi záo tōng 。
纵使此界第一位皇帝之墓规模庞大，有无数机关，但在访古营众人的努力下，不过一月有余，一条通往主墓室的通道便被凿通。
Li Fan strolled slowly, reviewing these murals.
yī qiè zhàng ài bèi qīng chú hòu ， lǐ fán zài zhòng rén de cù yōng xià ， jìn rù le gǔ mù nèi bù 。
一切障碍被清除后，李凡在众人的簇拥下，进入了古墓内部。
They were divided into several sections.
zhǔ mù dào lián mián shù bǎi mǐ ， liǎng cè qiáng bì jiē huì mǎn xǔ xǔ rú shēng de bì huà 。 suī guò qù le jǐ qiān nián ， yī rán qīng xī kě jiàn 。
主墓道连绵数百米，两侧墙壁皆绘满栩栩如生的壁画。虽过去了几千年，依然清晰可见。
The first section depicted Emperor Qi Yi Xing sitting atop a mountain peak, surrounded by ethereal clouds and figures of immortals who seemed to be speaking with him.
lǐ fán huǎn huǎn duó bù ， yī lù jiāng zhè xiē bì huà kàn guò qù 。
李凡缓缓踱步，一路将这些壁画看过去。
The second section showed the descent of calamity. Blood-red stains covered the land as survivors boarded large boats and crossed vast seas, enduring countless dangers before settling in an expansive plain. From there, people began their new lives.
bì huà fēn wéi le jǐ dà bù fèn 。
壁画分为了几大部分。
The third section depicted Emperor Qi Yi Xing establishing his rule after gaining support from his subjects, founding the Dynasty of Qi.
dì yī bù fèn ， huà zhōng zhǔ rén wēng ， yě jiù shì qǐ cháo dì yī wèi huáng dì yī xíng ， zuò yú shān diān 。 miǎo miǎo bái yún zhī shàng ， yǒu shù dào xiān rén zōng yǐng ， sì hū zài duì tā shuō xiē shén me 。
第一部分，画中主人翁，也就是启朝第一位皇帝伊行，坐于山巅。渺渺白云之上，有数道仙人踪影，似乎在对他说些什么。
The fourth section detailed various events during his reign.
dì èr bù fèn ， dài biǎo zāi è de hēi àn jiàng lín 。 dài biǎo xiān xuè de hóng sè sǎ mǎn dà dì 。 zài yī xíng de dài lǐng xià ， xìng cún xià lái de rén men chéng zuò zhe yī sōu yòu yī sōu dà chuán mú yàng de gōng jù ， fēi guò hào hàn yún hǎi ， zāo yù liǎo wú shù xiōng xiǎn zhī hòu ， lái dào le yī chù guǎng mào de píng yuán 。 zì cǐ ， rén men zài cǐ chù ān xià le jiā 。
第二部分，代表灾厄的黑暗降临。代表鲜血的红色洒满大地。在伊行的带领下，幸存下来的人们乘坐着一艘又一艘大船模样的工具，飞过浩瀚云海，遭遇了无数凶险之后，来到了一处广袤的平原。自此，人们在此处安下了家。
...
dì sān bù fèn ， yī xíng zài zhòng rén de zhī chí xià ， zì lì wèi huáng dì ， jiàn lì le qǐ cháo 。
第三部分，伊行在众人的支持下，自立为皇帝，建立了启朝。
After reviewing all the murals, Li Fan arrived at the main tomb chamber.
dì sì bù fèn ， zé shì yī xíng zhí zhèng qī jiān fā shēng de zhǒng zhǒng suǒ shì 。
第四部分，则是伊行执政期间发生的种种琐事。
The chamber was high and wide, with a ceiling adorned with thousands of night pearls arranged like stars. Inside, it resembled a mountain pass, with peaks submerged in clouds.
……
……
This cloud formation remained fixed within the chamber, never drifting away. Despite millennia passing, it did not dissipate.
bì huà kàn wán ， lǐ fán yě jiù lái dào le zhǔ mù shì chù 。
壁画看完，李凡也就来到了主墓室处。
Peaks were connected by invisible paths, leaving everyone marveling at the craftsmanship.
mù shì kōng jiān gāo sì wǔ shí mǐ ， zhǎng kuān yǒu shù qiān mǐ 。 mù dǐng sì hū fǎng zào xīng chén bù jú ， xiāng qiàn chéng qiān shàng wàn kē yè míng zhū 。
墓室空间高四五十米，长宽有数千米。墓顶似乎仿造星辰布局，镶嵌成千上万颗夜明珠。
"Truly an immortal's handiwork," Li Fan thought.
mù shì nèi zé shì fǎng zào mǒu chù shān mén bù jú ， yī chù chù shān tóu lín lì ， yān mò zài yún hǎi zhī zhōng 。
墓室内则是仿造某处山门布局，一处处山头林立，淹没在云海之中。
At the highest peak was a simple cottage with abandoned farmland outside. Upon entering, they discovered that the roof of the cottage was made from countless fine golden threads.
zhè yún hǎi bù zhī rú hé shēng chéng ， zhǐ gù dìng zài mù shì lǐ ， bú huì sì chù piāo dòng 。 shù qiān nián guò qù ， yě méi yǒu xiāo sàn 。
这云海不知如何生成，只固定在墓室里，不会四处飘动。数千年过去，也没有消散。
Clearly, this was Emperor Qi Yi Xing's coffin.
gè gè shān tóu yǒu kàn bú jiàn de dào lù xiāng lián ， zhòng rén yī lù zǒu lái ， jiē shì zé zé chēng qí ， zàn tàn bù yǐ 。
各个山头有看不见的道路相连，众人一路走来，皆是啧啧称奇，赞叹不已。
Following Li Fan's instructions, his men opened the door to the cottage first.
“ guǒ rán shì xiān jiā shǒu duàn 。” lǐ fán xīn zhōng àn dào 。
“果然是仙家手段。”李凡心中暗道。
To everyone's surprise, there was no trace of Emperor Qi's remains inside.
zài zuì gāo chù de shān fēng chù ， shì yī jiān jiǎn lòu de cǎo wū ， wū wài de liáng tián yǐ jīng huāng fèi 。
在最高处的山峰处，是一间简陋的草屋，屋外的良田已经荒废。
Only a wooden tablet stood quietly in the center. It read: "Grave of Outer Sect Disciple Yi Xing from the Taiyin Sect."
zhòng rén zǒu jìn cái fā jué ， nà cǎo wū de máo cǎo jū rán shì yòng shù bù jìn de xì xì jīn sī chán rào ér chéng 。
众人走进才发觉，那草屋的茅草居然是用数不尽的细细金丝缠绕而成。
Apart from this, nothing else remained.
xiǎn rán ， zhè jiān cǎo wū ， jiù shì yī xíng de guān guǒ le 。
显然，这间草屋，就是伊行的棺椁了。
"Seems he only managed to join the Taiyin Sect as an outer sect disciple and never ascended to immortality. He was eventually exiled here by cultivators," Li Fan thought.
zài lǐ fán de shì yì xià ， zhòng rén xiān xíng dǎ kāi le cǎo wū de dà mén 。
在李凡的示意下，众人先行打开了草屋的大门。
"He died still thinking of his sect, not considering himself emperor but always referring to himself as an outer sect disciple."
chū hū suǒ yǒu rén yì liào de shì ， wū nèi jū rán méi yǒu yī xíng de yí hái 。
出乎所有人意料的是，屋内居然没有伊行的遗骸。
"But according to Cao Hong's previous account, all the sects should have vanished during the Great Migration era. There must be something hidden behind this."
zhǐ yǒu yí gè mù zhì de pái wèi ， jìng jìng dì chù lì zài lǐ miàn 。
只有一个木制的牌位，静静地矗立在里面。
Li Fan pondered deeply.
pái wèi shàng xiě zhe jǐ gè jīn sè dà zì ：“ tài yǎn zōng wài mén dì zǐ yī xíng zhī mù ”。
牌位上写着几个金色大字：“太衍宗外门弟子伊行之墓”。
"Perhaps Yi Xing was tasked by Taiyin Sect cultivators to oversee the Great Migration of this world. I wonder if we can find any trace of the flying boats used in that migration."
chú cǐ zhī wài ， zài wú tā wù 。
除此之外，再无它物。
---
“ kàn lái cǐ rén suī rán jiā rù le zhè ge jiào zuò tài yǎn zōng de zōng mén ， dàn shǐ zhōng zhǐ shì gè wài mén dì zǐ ， méi néng tà shàng xiān tú 。 zuì zhōng hái shì bèi xiū xiān zhě men fàng zhú dào le cǐ dì 。”
“看来此人虽然加入了这个叫做太衍宗的宗门，但始终只是个外门弟子，没能踏上仙途。最终还是被修仙者们放逐到了此地。”
After a fruitless search, Li Fan ordered the tomb-hunting camp to excavate around the main tomb, hoping to find clues from nearby tombs.
“ tā sǐ qián hái niàn niàn bù wàng zì jǐ de zōng mén ， bù yǐ huáng dì ér shǐ zhōng yǐ tài yǎn zōng wài mén dì zǐ de shēn fèn zì jū 。”
“他死前还念念不忘自己的宗门，不以皇帝而始终以太衍宗外门弟子的身份自居。”
A few days later, an unexpected piece of news arrived, angering and frustrating Li Fan.
“ zhǐ shì àn zhào kòu hóng zhī qián de shuō fǎ ， tiān xià zōng mén yīng gāi zài dà qiān xǐ shí dài zhī qián de dà jié zhōng jìn shù xiāo sàn le cái shì 。 xiàn zài kàn lái ， zhè qí zhōng yīng dāng lìng yǒu yǐn qíng 。”
“只是按照寇洪之前的说法，天下宗门应该在大迁徙时代之前的大劫中尽数消散了才是。现在看来，这其中应当另有隐情。”
In one of the surrounding burial chambers, records mentioned flying boats, but the chamber had been looted long ago. The destruction suggested it happened over a thousand years ago.
lǐ fán xīn zhōng bù duàn sī suǒ 。
李凡心中不断思索。
"Again, again! Every time I see hope, only to have it shattered like a mirage!"
“ zhè yī xíng yīng dāng shì shòu tài yǎn zōng xiū xiān zhě de zhǔ tuō ， fù zé cǐ jiè dà qiān xǐ zhī shì 。 jiù shì bù zhī ， cǐ fān néng bù néng zhǎo dào dāng chū qiān xǐ yòng de fēi zhōu ne 。”
“这伊行应当是受太衍宗修仙者的嘱托，负责此界大迁徙之事。就是不知，此番能不能找到当初迁徙用的飞舟呢。”
Li Fan raged and broke several objects around him.
zhǔ mù shì sōu xún wú guǒ ， lǐ fán suì mìng lìng fǎng gǔ yíng wā jué zhōu biān ， shì tú cóng zhōu wéi de péi mù zhōng zhǎo dào xiàn suǒ 。
主墓室搜寻无果，李凡遂命令访古营挖掘周边，试图从周围的陪墓中找到线索。
His subordinates fell silent in fear.
shù rì zhī hòu ， yí gè huài xiāo xī chuán lái ， ràng lǐ fán gǎn dào wú bǐ de fèn nù yǔ wú nài 。
数日之后，一个坏消息传来，让李凡感到无比的愤怒与无奈。
After some time, Li Fan calmed down.
yuán lái ， fǎng gǔ yíng zhòng rén yú zhōu biān yī chù péi zàng mù shì de péi zàng pǐn qīng dān zhōng ， zhǎo dào le yǒu guān fēi zhōu zì yàng de jì lù 。 kě xī de shì ， zhè chù mù shì jū rán zǎo zǎo de bèi dào le 。
原来，访古营众人于周边一处陪葬墓室的陪葬品清单中，找到了有关飞舟字样的记录。可惜的是，这处墓室居然早早的被盗了。
He still ordered the tomb-hunting camp to continue excavating ancient tombs, searching for any trace of flying boats, while he returned to Xuanjing City with little hope.
ér gēn jù pò huài hén jì lái kàn ， bèi dào yě shì qiān nián yǐ qián de shì le 。
而根据破坏痕迹来看，被盗也是千年以前的事了。
Ten years passed before a turning point occurred in the 35th year.
“ yòu shì rú cǐ ， yòu shì rú cǐ ！ měi měi ràng wǒ kàn dào le xī wàng ， què yòu zhōng shì jìng huā shuǐ yuè bān bù kě dé ！”
“又是如此，又是如此！每每让我看到了希望，却又终是镜花水月般不可得！”
One day, Li Fan received an urgent report: "Discovery of an immortal's tomb?" He was surprised but then delighted, asking detailed questions.
lǐ fán shí fēn hǎn jiàn dì dà fā léi tíng ， zá huài le shù jiàn shēn biān wù pǐn 。
李凡十分罕见地大发雷霆，砸坏了数件身边物品。
In recent years, although Li Fan had grown somewhat disinterested, the public's enthusiasm for tomb-hunting remained undiminished. Countless ancient tombs were excavated across Great Xuan.
shēn biān zhī rén fēn fēn jìn ruò hán chán 。
身边之人纷纷噤若寒蝉。
As large tombs were exhausted, people began to focus on smaller, previously unexplored tombs.
guò le xǔ jiǔ ， lǐ fán cái píng fù le zì jǐ fù zá de xīn xù 。
过了许久，李凡才平复了自己复杂的心绪。
A few days ago, a group of young men discovered an unremarkable burial site but were suddenly injured by unknown forces, suffering heavy casualties.
tā yī rán hái mìng lìng fǎng gǔ yíng sì chù fā jué gǔ mù ， xún zhǎo xiān zhōu kě néng cún zài de hén jì ， zì jǐ què huí dào le xuán jīng chéng zhōng ， yǎn rán shì duì cǐ bù bào shén me xī wàng le 。
他依然还命令访古营四处发掘古墓，寻找仙舟可能存在的痕迹，自己却回到了玄京城中，俨然是对此不报什么希望了。
The survivors immediately reported the incident to officials.
rú cǐ yòu guò le shí nián ， shí jiān lái dào le máo dìng sān shí wǔ nián ， shì qíng què shì chū xiàn le zhuǎn jī 。
如此又过了十年，时间来到了锚定三十五年，事情却是出现了转机。
This was unprecedented in Great Xuan's tomb-hunting history—people had died before even opening a tomb due to such mysterious events.
zhè yī rì ， lǐ fán shōu dào jí bào 。
这一日，李凡收到急报。
The tomb-hunting camp did not slacken and sent experienced veterans and heavily armed soldiers to investigate.
“ fā xiàn xiān rén zhī mù ？” lǐ fán yǒu xiē è rán ， suí hòu dà xǐ ， zǐ xì xún wèn 。
“发现仙人之墓？”李凡有些愕然，随后大喜，仔细询问。
Despite their efforts, they could not budge this small tomb at all.
yuán lái ， zhè xiē nián lái ， suī rán lǐ fán yǒu xiē yì xìng lán shān ， dàn mín jiān duì fǎng gǔ zhī shì de rè qíng què sī háo méi yǒu shuāi tuì 。 dà xuán tǔ dì shàng ， wú shù gǔ mù bèi wā 。
原来，这些年来，虽然李凡有些意兴阑珊，但民间对访古之事的热情却丝毫没有衰退。大玄土地上，无数古墓被挖。
Everyone was both alarmed and excited. They quickly reported the matter to Li Fan.
ér suí zhe nà xiē dà xíng gǔ mù bèi wā jué dài jìn ， rén men kāi shǐ bǎ yǎn guāng zhuǎn xiàng nà xiē xiān qián wú rén wèn jīn de xiǎo xíng gǔ mù 。
而随着那些大型古墓被挖掘殆尽，人们开始把眼光转向那些先前无人问津的小型古墓。
Using Immortal-Demon Mist, Li Fan finally broke through the mysterious force surrounding the tomb.
zài shù rì zhī qián ， yī huǒ nián qīng rén zài wā jué yī chù bù qǐ yǎn de mù dì shí ， tū rán bèi mò míng de lì liàng suǒ shāng ， sǐ shāng cǎn zhòng 。
在数日之前，一伙年轻人在挖掘一处不起眼的墓地时，突然被莫名的力量所伤，死伤惨重。
Entering inside, among the burial goods, a tiny wooden boat stood out prominently.
In the 13th year, ancient texts such as The Book of Documents and The Book of Poetry began to appear. Scholars across the land grew increasingly nostalgic for that lost era.
By the 15th year, the emperor was gravely ill. He sought to prolong his life by searching for elixirs of immortality and dispatched an army of over ten thousand men to excavate ancient tombs in search of such elixirs.
Despite many objections from ministers, no large-scale protests were raised against this plan.
Unfortunately, the elixirs proved elusive. Even after excavating hundreds of tombs, none contained any trace of them.
By year-end, the emperor died with regret. He passed on his throne to the Langya Wang before his death.
Thus, Li Fan once again secretly regained control over the land.
Under Li Fan's influence, the trend of visiting ancient sites and tomb-hunting grew even more fervent.
In the 17th year, a hunter in the mountains was rewarded with a marquis title after discovering an ancient tomb that pleased his lord. This sparked a greater enthusiasm for tomb-hunting among the people. Even remote forests were now filled with groups of tomb-seekers.
By the 23rd year, Li Fan stood in the prime minister's mansion, reviewing the accumulated clues from official and civilian excavations over the years.
Before this era, only three thousand years of history had been recorded, spanning twenty-three dynasties.
As more ancient tombs were unearthed, lost historical records began to be restored.
The 23 dynasties that followed追溯到约六七千年前，还有十六个朝代。最早的那个朝代叫启。
"Six or seven thousand years—about the same as the Great Migration era," Li Fan thought.
He then ordered his subordinates to focus on excavating tombs from the Dynasty of Qi.
A reward was offered: anyone who found a tomb from the Dynasty of Qi would be granted a marquis title.
News spread rapidly, and countless young people embarked on their own tomb-hunting journeys.
No matter how long buried in history, such fervent excavation could not be contained.
In the 25th year, the first emperor of the Dynasty of Qi, Yi Xing, was finally located.
Li Fan led his closest confidants to the site and sealed off the surrounding area.
Over the past decade, the Great Xuan Kingdom had rapidly developed techniques for tomb excavation, devising an extremely effective plan.
Despite the vast scale and numerous traps in Emperor Qi's tomb, it took only a month for the tomb entrance to be cleared by the tomb-hunting camp.
With all obstacles removed, Li Fan entered the ancient tomb under his entourage.
The main tomb passage stretched hundreds of meters, with lifelike murals on both sides. Though thousands of years old, they remained vividly clear.
Li Fan strolled slowly, reviewing these murals.
They were divided into several sections.
The first section depicted Emperor Qi Yi Xing sitting atop a mountain peak, surrounded by ethereal clouds and figures of immortals who seemed to be speaking with him.
The second section showed the descent of calamity. Blood-red stains covered the land as survivors boarded large boats and crossed vast seas, enduring countless dangers before settling in an expansive plain. From there, people began their new lives.
The third section depicted Emperor Qi Yi Xing establishing his rule after gaining support from his subjects, founding the Dynasty of Qi.
The fourth section detailed various events during his reign.
...
After reviewing all the murals, Li Fan arrived at the main tomb chamber.
The chamber was high and wide, with a ceiling adorned with thousands of night pearls arranged like stars. Inside, it resembled a mountain pass, with peaks submerged in clouds.
This cloud formation remained fixed within the chamber, never drifting away. Despite millennia passing, it did not dissipate.
Peaks were connected by invisible paths, leaving everyone marveling at the craftsmanship.
"Truly an immortal's handiwork," Li Fan thought.
At the highest peak was a simple cottage with abandoned farmland outside. Upon entering, they discovered that the roof of the cottage was made from countless fine golden threads.
Clearly, this was Emperor Qi Yi Xing's coffin.
Following Li Fan's instructions, his men opened the door to the cottage first.
To everyone's surprise, there was no trace of Emperor Qi's remains inside.
Only a wooden tablet stood quietly in the center. It read: "Grave of Outer Sect Disciple Yi Xing from the Taiyin Sect."
Apart from this, nothing else remained.
"Seems he only managed to join the Taiyin Sect as an outer sect disciple and never ascended to immortality. He was eventually exiled here by cultivators," Li Fan thought.
"He died still thinking of his sect, not considering himself emperor but always referring to himself as an outer sect disciple."
"But according to Cao Hong's previous account, all the sects should have vanished during the Great Migration era. There must be something hidden behind this."
Li Fan pondered deeply.
"Perhaps Yi Xing was tasked by Taiyin Sect cultivators to oversee the Great Migration of this world. I wonder if we can find any trace of the flying boats used in that migration."
---
After a fruitless search, Li Fan ordered the tomb-hunting camp to excavate around the main tomb, hoping to find clues from nearby tombs.
A few days later, an unexpected piece of news arrived, angering and frustrating Li Fan.
In one of the surrounding burial chambers, records mentioned flying boats, but the chamber had been looted long ago. The destruction suggested it happened over a thousand years ago.
"Again, again! Every time I see hope, only to have it shattered like a mirage!"
Li Fan raged and broke several objects around him.
His subordinates fell silent in fear.
After some time, Li Fan calmed down.
He still ordered the tomb-hunting camp to continue excavating ancient tombs, searching for any trace of flying boats, while he returned to Xuanjing City with little hope.
Ten years passed before a turning point occurred in the 35th year.
One day, Li Fan received an urgent report: "Discovery of an immortal's tomb?" He was surprised but then delighted, asking detailed questions.
In recent years, although Li Fan had grown somewhat disinterested, the public's enthusiasm for tomb-hunting remained undiminished. Countless ancient tombs were excavated across Great Xuan.
As large tombs were exhausted, people began to focus on smaller, previously unexplored tombs.
A few days ago, a group of young men discovered an unremarkable burial site but were suddenly injured by unknown forces, suffering heavy casualties.
The survivors immediately reported the incident to officials.
This was unprecedented in Great Xuan's tomb-hunting history—people had died before even opening a tomb due to such mysterious events.
The tomb-hunting camp did not slacken and sent experienced veterans and heavily armed soldiers to investigate.
Despite their efforts, they could not budge this small tomb at all.
Everyone was both alarmed and excited. They quickly reported the matter to Li Fan.
Using Immortal-Demon Mist, Li Fan finally broke through the mysterious force surrounding the tomb.
Entering inside, among the burial goods, a tiny wooden boat stood out prominently.