zhè xiǎo xiǎo mù chuán ， zhèng shì lǐ fán xīn xīn niàn niàn de fēi zhōu 。
这小小木船，正是李凡心心念念的飞舟。
This tiny wooden boat was indeed Li Fan's long-desired flying boat.
ér tōng guò mù zhǔ rén lín zhōng qián kè zài mù zhōng qiáng bì shàng de yī duàn xìn xī ， lǐ fán yě zhōng yú liǎo jiě liǎo shì qíng de lái lóng qù mài 。
而通过墓主人临终前刻在墓中墙壁上的一段信息，李凡也终于了解了事情的来龙去脉。
Through the information inscribed on a wall by the tomb owner before his death, Li Fan finally understood the entire story. The tomb owner's name was Qian Hong, and he was a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator. About three thousand years ago, he was pursued by enemies and had no choice but to hide in this Realm of Immortal Desolation.
yuán lái ， mù zhǔ rén jiào qián hóng ， nǎi shì yī míng zhù jī qī xiū shì 。 sān qiān duō nián qián ， tā bèi chóu jiā zhuī shā ， zǒu tóu wú lù zhī xià duǒ jìn le zhè xiān jué zhī dì 。
原来，墓主人叫钱宏，乃是一名筑基期修士。三千多年前，他被仇家追杀，走投无路之下躲进了这仙绝之地。
He initially planned to stay for a while before leaving, but found that the place lacked any essence energy, and as fate would have it, Qian Hong himself was a poor cultivator with very few Spirit Stones. After some time, his Spirit Stones ran out. Without the replenishment from Spirit Stones, his cultivation declined.
běn xiǎng duǒ yī zhèn jiù chū qù ， shuí zhī dào zhè xiān jué zhī dì líng qì quán wú ， ér piān piān cǐ rén yòu shì yī qióng kǔ xiū shì ， shēn shàng gēn běn méi yǒu jǐ kuài líng shí 。 mò guò duō jiǔ ， líng shí jiù yòng jǐn le 。 méi yǒu le líng shí bǔ chōng líng qì ， tā de xiū wèi měi kuàng yù xià 。
本想躲一阵就出去，谁知道这仙绝之地灵气全无，而偏偏此人又是一穷苦修士，身上根本没有几块灵石。没过多久，灵石就用尽了。没有了灵石补充灵气，他的修为每况愈下。
After failing to break through the Great Desolation Array and instead suffering severe injuries, Qian Hong realized he was trapped here.
zài qiáng chuǎng xiān jué dà zhèn bù chéng fǎn shòu zhòng shāng zhī hòu ， qián hóng zhī dào tā suàn shì bèi kùn zài cǐ dì le 。
在强闯仙绝大阵不成反受重伤之后，钱宏知道他算是被困在此地了。
However, this man was resilient and did not give up easily. He guessed that a thousand years ago when ordinary people were banished here, they might have left behind a few flying boats.
dàn shì cǐ rén dào yě shì jiān rèn bù bá zhī bèi ， méi yǒu jiù cǐ fàng qì 。
但是此人倒也是坚韧不拔之辈，没有就此放弃。
Thus, after decades of searching, he finally found Yi Xing's tomb.
tā cāi cè qiān nián qián fán rén bèi fàng zhú dào cǐ dì shí ， huò xǔ huì liú yǒu yī liǎng jù fēi zhōu 。
他猜测千年前凡人被放逐到此地时，或许会留有一两具飞舟。
There indeed was a flying boat in the tomb, but Qian Hong felt utterly hopeless as its power core array had been damaged. He lacked the skills to repair it and even if he could, his current cultivation level would not provide enough power for the boat.
yú shì tā duō fāng chá tàn ， hào fèi jǐ shí nián shí guāng ， zhōng yú zhǎo dào le yī xíng zhī mù 。
于是他多方查探，耗费几十年时光，终于找到了伊行之墓。
Thus, Qian Hong finally gave up on leaving this Realm of Immortal Desolation. He lived out a normal life under a false identity until his death, hoping that if any cultivator entered his tomb in the future, they would take his remains back to the world of cultivators and consider the items he left behind as payment.
mù zhōng de què yǒu fēi zhōu cún zài ， kě ràng tā gǎn dào jué wàng de shì ， fēi zhōu nèi de dòng lì hé xīn fǎ zhèn yǐ jīng sǔn huài ， tā yòu bù shàn liàn qì zhī shù ， wú fǎ xiū fù 。
墓中的确有飞舟存在，可让他感到绝望的是，飞舟内的动力核心法阵已经损坏，他又不擅炼器之术，无法修复。
The first item was the source of power that had caused the deaths of dozens of ancient explorers. Qian Hong firmly believed that anyone who could enter this tomb must be a cultivator.
kuàng qiě ， jiù suàn fēi zhōu xiū hǎo le ， méi yǒu líng shí ， yǐ tā dāng shí de xiū wèi yě wú fǎ wèi qí tí gōng zú gòu de dòng lì 。
况且，就算飞舟修好了，没有灵石，以他当时的修为也无法为其提供足够的动力。
A Heavenly Treasure: The Stopping Stele.
zhì cǐ ， qián hóng zhōng yú fàng qì le lí kāi cǐ chù xiān jué zhī dì de xiǎng fǎ 。 zhī hòu tā yǐn xìng mái míng ， yǐ fán rén de shēn fèn ， guò wán le pǔ tōng de yī shēng 。
至此，钱宏终于放弃了离开此处仙绝之地的想法。之后他隐姓埋名，以凡人的身份，过完了普通的一生。
A half-broken stone tablet with only one visible character, "Stop."
lín zhōng zhī qián ， tā jiāng zì jǐ de shēng píng kè zài mù bì shàng ， xī wàng hòu shì rú guǒ yǒu xiū xiān zhě chuǎng jìn zì jǐ de mù ， néng bǎ zì jǐ de shī gǔ dài huí xiū xiān jiè ， mù lǐ tā suǒ liú de jǐ yàng dōng xī suàn shì tā tí qián zhī fù de bào chóu 。
临终之前，他将自己的生平刻在墓壁上，希望后世如果有修仙者闯进自己的墓，能把自己的尸骨带回修仙界，墓里他所留的几样东西算是他提前支付的报酬。
Li Fan touched the stone tablet and found no reaction, feeling somewhat disappointed. Previously, he had used a lot of Immortal-Demon Mist to forcefully enter the tomb, and now this Stopping Stele was affected by the Immortal-Demon Mist, turning into an ordinary rock.
dì yī yàng jiù shì shǒu wèi zhe qián hóng mù dì ， zhī qián zào chéng shù shí míng fǎng gǔ zhě sǐ wáng de lì liàng lái yuán ， yě shì qián hóng dǔ xìn néng gòu chuǎng jìn lái de rén yí dìng shì xiū xiān zhě de yuán yīn 。
第一样就是守卫着钱宏墓地，之前造成数十名访古者死亡的力量来源，也是钱宏笃信能够闯进来的人一定是修仙者的原因。
However, Li Fan wasn't too concerned. Knowing where Qian Hong's tomb was, he could come back in his next life to retrieve it.
tiān dì qí wù ： zhǐ bù cán bēi 。
天地奇物：止步残碑。
The second item left behind by Qian Hong were two jade slips. These recorded the cultivation techniques he had painstakingly obtained from the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
bàn kuài pò sǔn de shí bēi ， yī xī kě jiàn shàng miàn de yí gè “ zhǐ ” zì 。
半块破损的石碑，依稀可见上面的一个“止”字。
"Small Truly Real Decision, Qi Refinement Period Technique, Current Practitioners: 1."
lǐ fán mō le mō shí bēi ，【 hái zhēn 】 méi yǒu rèn hé fǎn yìng ， bù yóu dì yǒu xiē kě xī 。 zhī qián wèi le qiáng chuǎng jìn mù dì ， shǐ yòng le dà liàng de xiān fán zhàng ， cǐ kè zhè zhǐ bù cán bēi bèi xiān fán zhàng suǒ yǐng xiǎng ， yǐ jīng biàn chéng le yī kuài pǔ tōng de shí tou 。
李凡摸了摸石碑，【还真】没有任何反应，不由地有些可惜。之前为了强闯进墓地，使用了大量的仙凡瘴，此刻这止步残碑被仙凡瘴所影响，已经变成了一块普通的石头。
"Cloud Water Record, Foundation Establishment Realm Technique, Current Practitioners: 1."
bù guò lǐ fán yě bìng méi yǒu tài zài yì ， zhī dào le qián hóng mù suǒ zài ， tā dà kě yǐ xià yī shì zài lái qǔ 。
不过李凡也并没有太在意，知道了钱宏墓所在，他大可以下一世再来取。
When Li Fan picked up the jade slips and felt their information, his heart skipped a beat. He thought Qian Hong was still alive and had set this trap.
qián hóng suǒ liú de dì èr jiàn shì wù ， nǎi shì liǎng méi yù jiǎn 。 yù jiǎn zhōng jì zǎi zhe tā xīn xīn kǔ kǔ cóng wàn xiān méng chù duì huàn de gōng fǎ 。
钱宏所留的第二件事物，乃是两枚玉简。玉简中记载着他辛辛苦苦从万仙盟处兑换的功法。
But after a moment, he realized that over three thousand years had passed. Even if there were Foundation Establishment cultivators, Golden Core cultivators would have long since turned to dust.
“《 xiǎo hái zhēn jué 》， liàn qì qī gōng fǎ ， dāng qián xiū liàn rén shù ：1。”
“《小还真决》，炼气期功法，当前修炼人数：1。”
As for why someone was practicing these techniques now, Li Fan quickly understood. The Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance must have the original archives of these cultivation techniques. If they saw a zero in the number of practitioners, it meant that the cultivator who had obtained this technique had died.
“《 yún shuǐ lù 》， zhù jī qī gōng fǎ ， dāng qián xiū liàn rén shù ：1。”
“《云水录》，筑基期功法，当前修炼人数：1。”
In such cases, they could simply reintroduce the technique for others to exchange for. Over three thousand years, these two techniques might have changed hands several times.
ná qǐ yù jiǎn ， gǎn shòu dào yù jiǎn chuán lái de xìn xī de lǐ fán xīn zhōng měng dì yī tiào ， hái yǐ wéi qián hóng běn rén méi sǐ ， cǐ chù shì qí shè xià de yí gè xiàn jǐng 。
拿起玉简，感受到玉简传来的信息的李凡心中猛地一跳，还以为钱宏本人没死，此处是其设下的一个陷阱。
"Dark... so dark..." Li Fan couldn't help but sigh.
dàn piàn kè zhī hòu ， lǐ fán fǎn yìng guò lái 。 yǐ jīng guò qù sān qiān duō nián ， bié shuō shì zhù jī xiū shì le ， kǒng pà lián jīn dān xiū shì yě tóng yàng yào huà zuò yī póu huáng tǔ 。
但片刻之后，李凡反应过来。已经过去三千多年，别说是筑基修士了，恐怕连金丹修士也同样要化作一抔黄土。
After his thoughts, he turned his attention to the third item: Taiyin Boat.
zhì yú zhè xiē gōng fǎ rú jīn wèi hé yǒu rén zài xiū liàn ， lǐ fán shāo wēi yī xiǎng jiù míng bái le 。
至于这些功法如今为何有人在修炼，李凡稍微一想就明白了。
This was a tool used by the Taiyin Sect to transport ordinary people. Perhaps it was precisely because this boat was damaged that it had been left behind.
nà wàn xiān méng chù dìng rán yǒu gōng fǎ de yuán shǐ cún dàng 。 ruò jiàn dào gōng fǎ xiū liàn de rén shù biàn wèi líng ， jiù zhī dào zhī qián duì huàn xiū liàn cǐ gōng fǎ de xiū shì yǐ jīng shēn sǐ dào xiāo le 。
那万仙盟处定然有功法的原始存档。若见到功法修炼的人数变为零，就知道之前兑换修炼此功法的修士已经身死道消了。
And after thousands of years of wandering, it ended up in Li Fan's hands, becoming his hope for escaping from this Realm of Immortal Desolation and Ordinary People.
zhè zhī hòu zì rán yòu néng jiāng zhè xiē gōng fǎ ná chū lái chóng xīn ràng rén duì huàn 。
这之后自然又能将这些功法拿出来重新让人兑换。
Holding the Taiyin Boat, Li Fan felt a surge of emotion. His centuries-long wish had finally come true.
shèn zhì shuō ， zhè sān qiān nián lái ， zhè liǎng mén gōng fǎ dōu bù zhī dào huàn le jǐ rèn zhǔ rén le 。
甚至说，这三千年来，这两门功法都不知道换了几任主人了。
As for the fact that the boat was damaged, Li Fan wasn't worried at all.
“ hēi …… zhēn hēi a ……” lǐ fán xīn zhōng yī zhèn wú yǔ 。
“黑……真黑啊……”李凡心中一阵无语。
Qian Hong couldn't repair it, nor could he, but someone would surely be able to!
yī fān gǎn kǎi zhī hòu ， lǐ fán jiāng mù guāng zhuǎn xiàng dì sān yàng wù pǐn ， tài yǎn zhōu 。
一番感慨之后，李凡将目光转向第三样物品，太衍舟。
...
cǐ wù zhèng shì tài yǎn zōng yòng lái qiān xǐ fán rén de gōng jù 。
此物正是太衍宗用来迁徙凡人的工具。
Fifteen years later, with the anchor set for fifty years, Cao Hong and Dao Xuanzi returned to Xuanjing City.
huò xǔ zhèng shì yīn wèi zhè sōu fēi zhōu huài le de yuán gù ， suǒ yǐ cái néng bèi liú xià 。
或许正是因为这艘飞舟坏了的缘故，所以才能被留下。
"Dao Xuanzi! You're pushing your luck!"
ér jīng guò shù qiān nián de dōu dōu zhuǎn zhuǎn ， cǐ kè què shì luò dào le lǐ fán shǒu lǐ ， chéng wéi tā tiào chū cǐ chù xiān fán jué dì de xī wàng 。
而经过数千年的兜兜转转，此刻却是落到了李凡手里，成为他跳出此处仙凡绝地的希望。
"Cao Hong! Do you think I'll let you off just because you've run away to this Realm of Immortal Desolation? Hand over the cultivation technique you obtained that day or we won't stop fighting until one of us is dead!"
jiāng tài yǎn zhōu ná zài shǒu zhōng ， lǐ fán xīn cháo pēng pài 。 shù bǎi nián de qī pàn ， zhōng yú dé cháng suǒ yuàn 。
将太衍舟拿在手中，李凡心潮澎湃。数百年的期盼，终于得偿所愿。
"Hah, it's precisely because I lack a core formation method that I've been trapped in Foundation Establishment for nearly a century. With my time running out and me turning to dust, I got this core formation technique. How could I give it up to anyone!"
zhì yú tài yǎn zhōu yǐ jīng sǔn huài ， lǐ fán zé yì diǎn dōu bù dān xīn 。
至于太衍舟已经损坏，李凡则一点都不担心。
"Exactly! Golden Core Dao, there can only be one of us. In the world, though many core formation techniques exist, more are stuck at the Foundation Establishment Realm. Given that, with the immortality path in front of me, how could I let you go? How could I push my luck!"
qián hóng bú huì xiū ， tā lǐ fán yě bú huì xiū ， dàn shì yǒu rén huì xiū a ！
钱宏不会修，他李凡也不会修，但是有人会修啊！
"It's just a game! You and I were brothers for a hundred years, yet we're fighting over a chance at survival!"
shí wǔ nián hòu ， máo dìng wǔ shí nián ， kòu hóng yǔ dào xuán zi èr rén zài lín xuán jīng chéng 。
十五年后，锚定五十年，寇洪与道玄子二人再临玄京城。
Just as they were about to fight to the death, they heard laughter from Xuanjing City below.
“ dào xuán zi ！ nǐ bú yào qī rén tài shèn ！”
“道玄子！你不要欺人太甚！”
"Is it really worth dying over just because of a core formation technique?"
“ 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 ！”
“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！”
Cao Hong and Dao Xuanzi's expressions changed, looking down.
“ 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 ！”
“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！”
"Who are you? What big talk!"
“ shì le ！ 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 ！ 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 ！”
“是了！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！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！”
"Arrogant!"
“ 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 ！”
“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！”
Their words were met with wary glances.
……
……
"Come down to chat," the silver-haired elder called out from within the Chancellor's Mansion.
èr rén zhèng yù dòu gè nǐ sǐ wǒ huó ， què tīng dé xià fāng de xuán jīng chéng chuán lái yī zhèn zhèn háo fàng de xiào shēng 。
二人正欲斗个你死我活，却听得下方的玄京城传来一阵阵豪放的笑声。
Cao Hong and Dao Xuanzi exchanged a glance, maintaining their distance as they descended into the Chancellor's Mansion.
“ bù guò qū qū yī jié dān gōng fǎ ， yě zhí de èr wèi sǐ dòu ？！”
“不过区区一结丹功法，也值得二位死斗？！”
"Hahaha, please come in!" The silver-haired elder seemed very pleased. He led them to the main hall where they sat down.
kòu hóng yǔ dào xuán zi èr rén tóng shí sè biàn ， cháo xià fāng wàng qù 。
寇洪与道玄子二人同时色变，朝下方望去。
After ordering servants to prepare wine and food, he sighed and said, "Our ancestors once said that two people from Eastern Vast Abyss would come here and step into the capital city, which would be a sign of our departure from this place."
“ shén me rén ！ hǎo dà de kǒu qì ！”
“什么人！好大的口气！”
"For thousands of years, my family members have always been half-believing. Today's confirmation is cause for celebration!" The elder laughed loudly, downing his wine.
“ kuáng wàng ！”
“狂妄！”
Cao Hong and Dao Xuanzi exchanged glances.
èr rén zuǐ lǐ shuō zhe ， shén qíng què tóng shí jiè bèi qǐ lái 。
二人嘴里说着，神情却同时戒备起来。
"How should I address you?" Cao Hong asked first, his tone much more polite.
“ èr wèi bù fáng xià lái yī xù ！”
“二位不妨下来一叙！”
"I am Li Fan." Li Fan replied with a smile.
zhǐ jiàn xià fāng de tài shī fǔ nèi ， yī yín fā lǎo zhě gāo shēng hǎn dào 。
只见下方的太师府内，一银发老者高声喊道。
"By your words, did your ancestors foresee our arrival here three thousand years ago? What does the sign of departure mean?" Dao Xuanzi frowned as he sized up Li Fan.
kòu hóng yǔ dào xuán zi èr rén hù kàn yī yǎn ， jiè bèi zhe bǎo chí yī duàn jù lí ， jiàng luò dào le tài shī fǔ zhōng 。
寇洪与道玄子二人互看一眼，戒备着保持一段距离，降落到了太师府中。
Li Fan seemed slightly irked: "Is that so?"
“ hā hā hā ， qǐng ！” yín fā lǎo zhě sì hū shí fēn gāo xìng ， tā dài zhe èr rén lái dào dà táng zhōng zuò xià 。
“哈哈哈，请！”银发老者似乎十分高兴，他带着二人来到大堂中坐下。
Cao Hong smiled and shook his head. "This is too mysterious. We've been wandering in the world of cultivators for a hundred years, but we've never heard of any divination techniques predicting events a thousand years later."
yòu mìng lìng xià rén zhǔn bèi jiǔ cài zhāo dài zhī hòu ， fāng cái yǒu xiē gǎn kǎi zhe shuō dào ：“ dāng nián xiān zǔ lín zhōng shí céng yán ， hòu shì huò yǒu èr rén zì xū yuān dōng lái ， tà lín jīng chéng ， nǎi shì wǒ zú tuō lí cǐ dì de qì jī 。”
又命令下人准备酒菜招待之后，方才有些感慨着说道：“当年先祖临终时曾言，后世或有二人自墟渊东来，踏临京城，乃是我族脱离此地的契机。”
Dao Xuanzi nodded along.
“ shù qiān nián lái ， wǒ zú zhōng rén yì zhí bàn xìn bàn yí 。 jīn rì dé zhèng ， dāng fú yī dà bái ！” lǎo zhě dà xiào yī shēng ， jiāng miàn qián jiǔ bēi zhōng de jiǔ yī yǐn ér jǐn 。
“数千年来，我族中人一直半信半疑。今日得证，当浮一大白！”老者大笑一声，将面前酒杯中的酒一饮而尽。
Li Fan straightened up, looking down at them with disdain: "Have either of you ever heard of Taiyin Sect?"
kòu hóng yǔ dào xuán zi zé miàn miàn xiāng qù 。
寇洪与道玄子则面面相觑。
Cao Hong and Dao Xuanzi exchanged a look. They were shocked. "Could it be the ancient sect known for its divination techniques?"
“ bù zhī zú xià rú hé chēng hū ？” kòu hóng shǒu xiān chū yán wèn dào ， yǔ qì jiān yǎn rán kè qì le xǔ duō 。
“不知足下如何称呼？”寇洪首先出言问道，语气间俨然客气了许多。
Li Fan heaved a sigh of relief, nodding slightly. "My ancestor was indeed from the Taiyin Sect."
This tiny wooden boat was indeed Li Fan's long-desired flying boat.
Through the information inscribed on a wall by the tomb owner before his death, Li Fan finally understood the entire story. The tomb owner's name was Qian Hong, and he was a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator. About three thousand years ago, he was pursued by enemies and had no choice but to hide in this Realm of Immortal Desolation.
He initially planned to stay for a while before leaving, but found that the place lacked any essence energy, and as fate would have it, Qian Hong himself was a poor cultivator with very few Spirit Stones. After some time, his Spirit Stones ran out. Without the replenishment from Spirit Stones, his cultivation declined.
After failing to break through the Great Desolation Array and instead suffering severe injuries, Qian Hong realized he was trapped here.
However, this man was resilient and did not give up easily. He guessed that a thousand years ago when ordinary people were banished here, they might have left behind a few flying boats.
Thus, after decades of searching, he finally found Yi Xing's tomb.
There indeed was a flying boat in the tomb, but Qian Hong felt utterly hopeless as its power core array had been damaged. He lacked the skills to repair it and even if he could, his current cultivation level would not provide enough power for the boat.
Thus, Qian Hong finally gave up on leaving this Realm of Immortal Desolation. He lived out a normal life under a false identity until his death, hoping that if any cultivator entered his tomb in the future, they would take his remains back to the world of cultivators and consider the items he left behind as payment.
The first item was the source of power that had caused the deaths of dozens of ancient explorers. Qian Hong firmly believed that anyone who could enter this tomb must be a cultivator.
A Heavenly Treasure: The Stopping Stele.
A half-broken stone tablet with only one visible character, "Stop."
Li Fan touched the stone tablet and found no reaction, feeling somewhat disappointed. Previously, he had used a lot of Immortal-Demon Mist to forcefully enter the tomb, and now this Stopping Stele was affected by the Immortal-Demon Mist, turning into an ordinary rock.
However, Li Fan wasn't too concerned. Knowing where Qian Hong's tomb was, he could come back in his next life to retrieve it.
The second item left behind by Qian Hong were two jade slips. These recorded the cultivation techniques he had painstakingly obtained from the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
"Small Truly Real Decision, Qi Refinement Period Technique, Current Practitioners: 1."
"Cloud Water Record, Foundation Establishment Realm Technique, Current Practitioners: 1."
When Li Fan picked up the jade slips and felt their information, his heart skipped a beat. He thought Qian Hong was still alive and had set this trap.
But after a moment, he realized that over three thousand years had passed. Even if there were Foundation Establishment cultivators, Golden Core cultivators would have long since turned to dust.
As for why someone was practicing these techniques now, Li Fan quickly understood. The Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance must have the original archives of these cultivation techniques. If they saw a zero in the number of practitioners, it meant that the cultivator who had obtained this technique had died.
In such cases, they could simply reintroduce the technique for others to exchange for. Over three thousand years, these two techniques might have changed hands several times.
"Dark... so dark..." Li Fan couldn't help but sigh.
After his thoughts, he turned his attention to the third item: Taiyin Boat.
This was a tool used by the Taiyin Sect to transport ordinary people. Perhaps it was precisely because this boat was damaged that it had been left behind.
And after thousands of years of wandering, it ended up in Li Fan's hands, becoming his hope for escaping from this Realm of Immortal Desolation and Ordinary People.
Holding the Taiyin Boat, Li Fan felt a surge of emotion. His centuries-long wish had finally come true.
As for the fact that the boat was damaged, Li Fan wasn't worried at all.
Qian Hong couldn't repair it, nor could he, but someone would surely be able to!
...
Fifteen years later, with the anchor set for fifty years, Cao Hong and Dao Xuanzi returned to Xuanjing City.
"Dao Xuanzi! You're pushing your luck!"
"Cao Hong! Do you think I'll let you off just because you've run away to this Realm of Immortal Desolation? Hand over the cultivation technique you obtained that day or we won't stop fighting until one of us is dead!"
"Hah, it's precisely because I lack a core formation method that I've been trapped in Foundation Establishment for nearly a century. With my time running out and me turning to dust, I got this core formation technique. How could I give it up to anyone!"
"Exactly! Golden Core Dao, there can only be one of us. In the world, though many core formation techniques exist, more are stuck at the Foundation Establishment Realm. Given that, with the immortality path in front of me, how could I let you go? How could I push my luck!"
"It's just a game! You and I were brothers for a hundred years, yet we're fighting over a chance at survival!"
...
Just as they were about to fight to the death, they heard laughter from Xuanjing City below.
"Is it really worth dying over just because of a core formation technique?"
Cao Hong and Dao Xuanzi's expressions changed, looking down.
"Who are you? What big talk!"
"Arrogant!"
Their words were met with wary glances.
"Come down to chat," the silver-haired elder called out from within the Chancellor's Mansion.
Cao Hong and Dao Xuanzi exchanged a glance, maintaining their distance as they descended into the Chancellor's Mansion.
"Hahaha, please come in!" The silver-haired elder seemed very pleased. He led them to the main hall where they sat down.
After ordering servants to prepare wine and food, he sighed and said, "Our ancestors once said that two people from Eastern Vast Abyss would come here and step into the capital city, which would be a sign of our departure from this place."
"For thousands of years, my family members have always been half-believing. Today's confirmation is cause for celebration!" The elder laughed loudly, downing his wine.
Cao Hong and Dao Xuanzi exchanged glances.
"How should I address you?" Cao Hong asked first, his tone much more polite.
"I am Li Fan." Li Fan replied with a smile.
"By your words, did your ancestors foresee our arrival here three thousand years ago? What does the sign of departure mean?" Dao Xuanzi frowned as he sized up Li Fan.
Li Fan seemed slightly irked: "Is that so?"
Cao Hong smiled and shook his head. "This is too mysterious. We've been wandering in the world of cultivators for a hundred years, but we've never heard of any divination techniques predicting events a thousand years later."
Dao Xuanzi nodded along.
Li Fan straightened up, looking down at them with disdain: "Have either of you ever heard of Taiyin Sect?"
Cao Hong and Dao Xuanzi exchanged a look. They were shocked. "Could it be the ancient sect known for its divination techniques?"
Li Fan heaved a sigh of relief, nodding slightly. "My ancestor was indeed from the Taiyin Sect."