hé zhèng hào zǎo yǐ bú shì dāng chū nà ge kuáng wàng rè xuè de shào nián 。
何正浩早已不是当初那个狂妄热血的少年。
He Zhenghao was no longer the arrogant and fiery youth he once was.
zài cóng yún hǎi mō pá gǔn dǎ shù shí nián de tā ， zǎo yǐ jīng rèn qīng le xiàn shí de cán kù 。
在丛云海摸爬滚打数十年的他，早已经认清了现实的残酷。
After decades of struggling in the Cunyun Sea, he had already come to terms with the harsh reality.
hé zhèng hào cháng tàn yī shēng ， yáo tóu dào ：“ dào yǒu shuō xiào le 。 ruò shuǐ de xiū xíng tiān fù zhī gāo ， yuǎn zài wǒ zhī shàng 。”
何正浩长叹一声，摇头道：“道友说笑了。若水的修行天赋之高，远在我之上。”
He Zhenghao sighed deeply and shook his head. "Friend, you jest. Afu's cultivation talent is far beyond mine."
“ jiù suàn zhè bèi zi wǒ néng xiū xíng dào yuán yīng jìng jiè ， dào shí hòu tā shuō bù dìng zǎo yǐ jīng jìn shēng huà shén 。”
“就算这辈子我能修行到元婴境界，到时候她说不定早已经晋升化神。”
"Even if I could reach the Foundation Establishment realm in this life, she might have already advanced to the Transcendence realm by then."
“ huà shén zhī fǎ shī ……”
“化神织法师……”
"The Transcendence Weaving Mage... The gap between us will only grow wider."
“ wǒ men zhī jiān de dì wèi chā jù ， zhǐ huì gèng gāo 。”
“我们之间的地位差距，只会更高。”
"I am too old now and no longer expect much from it."
“ wǒ nián suì yǐ dà ， yǐ jīng bù shē qiú zhè ge le 。”
“我年岁已大，已经不奢求这个了。”
"All I ask is that Xinxin occasionally visits me."
“ zhǐ yào xīn xīn néng shí bù shí lái kàn kàn wǒ ， jiù hěn xīn mǎn yì zú le 。”
“只要忻忻能时不时来看看我，就很心满意足了。”
With these words, He Zhenghao expressed his sentiments.
hé zhèng hào gǎn kǎi dào 。
何正浩感慨道。
Li Fan said nothing in return. He patted He Zhenghao's shoulder and then took leave.
lǐ fán yě méi shuō shén me ， pāi le pāi tā de jiān bǎng ， suí hòu gào cí lí kāi 。
李凡也没说什么，拍了拍他的肩膀，随后告辞离开。
Returning to the Heavenly Xuan Mirror, Li Fan began a thorough search for information about Source Dao State.
huí dào le tiān xuán jìng zhōng ， lǐ fán kāi shǐ zǐ xì sōu suǒ qǐ le guān yú yuán dào zhōu de xìn xī 。
回到了天玄镜中，李凡开始仔细搜索起了关于源道州的信息。
The entire state was devoured by time every decade or so.
zhěng zhěng yī zhōu zhī rén ， bù dìng shí huì bèi tūn shì shí nián guāng yīn 。
整整一州之人，不定时会被吞噬十年光阴。
Perhaps those within were unaware at the time, but would they notice something amiss when interacting with cultivators from other states?
yuán dào zhōu nèi zhī rén huò xǔ dāng shí wú fǎ chá jué 。
源道州内之人或许当时无法察觉。
During this period of devouring, how did the outside world perceive Source Dao State?
dàn shì zài yǔ wài zhōu xiū shì bǐ cǐ jiāo liú shí ， huì bú huì yì shí dào shén me bú duì jìn de dì fāng ne ？
但是在与外州修士彼此交流时，会不会意识到什么不对劲的地方呢？
The information in the Heavenly Xuan Mirror was vast and deep. There should be some trace related to this matter.
zài zhè bèi tūn shì de shí nián zhōng ， wài jiè kàn yuán dào zhōu ， yòu huì shì zěn yàng de yī zhǒng zhuàng tài ？
在这被吞噬的十年中，外界看源道州，又会是怎样的一种状态？
Li Fan spent half a day confirming it.
tiān xuán jìng zhōng xìn xī hào hàn rú hǎi ， zǒng yīng gāi huì yǒu shè jí zhè fāng biàn de zhū sī mǎ jì ba ？
天玄镜中信息浩瀚如海，总应该会有涉及这方便的蛛丝马迹吧？
There was nothing.
lǐ fán yòng dà bàn tiān de shí jiān duì cǐ zuò le què rèn 。
李凡用大半天的时间对此做了确认。
He could not help but exclaim, "All that can be seen is what you are meant to see."
méi yǒu 。
没有。
"Everything else has vanished without a trace."
lǐ fán bù jīn gǎn tàn dào ：“ suǒ yǒu néng kàn dào de ， dōu shì xiǎng ràng nǐ kàn de 。”
李凡不禁感叹道：“所有能看到的，都是想让你看的。”
Shaking his head, he abandoned his previous plans and focused on researching the history of Source Dao State.
“ bù xiǎng ràng nǐ kàn de ， quán dōu xiāo shī de yī gān èr jìng a 。”
“不想让你看的，全都消失的一干二净啊。”
*The Examination of Heavenly Capital Ruins*, *Source Dao? Dao Origin? On the Relationship Between Source Dao State and Ancient Dao Origin Lands*, *A Brief Discussion on the Lineage Transmission of Great Master of Heavenly Capital...*
yáo le yáo tóu ， fàng qì le cǐ qián de dǎ suàn 。
摇了摇头，放弃了此前的打算。
One by one, Li Fan carefully flipped through these books. Almost all of them revolved around a key term: Heavenly Capital.
zhuān zhù sōu xún qǐ le yuán dào zhōu de lì shǐ lái 。
专注搜寻起了源道州的历史来。
"The source of dao techniques, the foremost among all sects..."
《 tiān dōu yí jì kǎo 》、《 yuán dào ？ dào yuán ？ shì lùn yuán dào zhōu yǔ shàng gǔ dào yuán zhī dì de guān xì 》、《 qiǎn lùn tiān dōu dà fǎ shī yī mài de chuán chéng 》……
《天都遗迹考》、《源道？道源？试论源道州与上古道源之地的关系》、《浅论天都大法师一脉的传承》……
"What arrogance."
yī běn běn zhù zuò bèi lǐ fán nài xīn fān yuè 。
一本本著作被李凡耐心翻阅。
Li Fan thought to himself, "Could this Heavenly Capital be one of the Ten Ancient Immortal Sects?"
ér zhè xiē guān yú yuán dào zhōu de shū jí zhōng ， jī hū dōu rào bù kāi yí gè guān jiàn zì 。
而这些关于源道州的书籍中，几乎都绕不开一个关键字。
According to later research, in ancient times, Heavenly Capital hung high above the Nine Heavens, overseeing the myriad beings of the Xuanhuang Realm.
tiān dōu 。
天都。
It was said to be the source of dao techniques and the foremost among all sects.
“ dào fǎ zhī yuán ， zhū jiào zhī shǒu ……”
“道法之源，诸教之首……”
The specific cultivators within Heavenly Capital were unknown.
“ hǎo dà de kǒu qì 。”
“好大的口气。”
The only name that survived was *Great Master of Heavenly Capital*.
lǐ fán bù jīn àn dào ：“ mò fēi zhè tiān dōu ， jiù shì shàng gǔ shí dà xiān zōng zhī yī ？”
李凡不禁暗道：“莫非这天都，就是上古十大仙宗之一？”
Legend had it that Blue Feather Immortal Sovereign, who united with the Dao in the Origin State, was a descendant of this Great Master. The *Heavenly Capital Transformation Technique* he practiced was directly passed down by the Great Master.
jù hòu rén de kǎo zhèng ， shàng gǔ zhī shí ，【 tiān dōu 】 gāo xuán jiǔ tiān zhī shàng ， fǔ kàn xuán huáng jiè yún yún zhòng shēng 。
据后人的考证，上古之时，【天都】高悬九天之上，俯瞰玄黄界芸芸众生。
Blue Feather's many treasures, such as the Heavenly Capital Arena and the Eight Trigram Purple Gold Furnace, all originated from the Heavenly Capital lineage.
hào chēng dào fǎ zhī yuán ， zhū jiào zhī shǒu 。
号称道法之源，诸教之首。
"This year won't be long before Blue Feather's time comes to an end. He plans to set up a Devouring Essence Reviving Formation before his death, attempting to reverse the laws of life and death in order to achieve eternal immortality."
xī rì tiān dōu zhī nèi jù tǐ yǒu nǎ xiē xiū shì yǐ jīng bù dé ér zhī 。
昔日天都之内具体有哪些修士已经不得而知。
"It is said that when Blue Feather fell, strange phenomena spread throughout the entire state, visible to everyone."
wéi yì liú chuán xià míng hào de ， jiù shì 【 tiān dōu dà fǎ shī 】。
唯一流传下名号的，就是【天都大法师】。
"I cannot go myself, but sending my avatar might be worth it."
jù shuō ， dào yuán zhōu hé dào lán yǔ xiān zūn ， jiù shì xī rì tiān dōu dà fǎ shī yī mài 。
据说，道源州合道蓝羽仙尊，就是昔日天都大法师一脉。
Li Fan felt intuitively that the unknown entity devouring time was likely related to the ancient Heavenly Capital.
qí suǒ xiū xíng de 【 tiān dōu huà yǔ gōng 】， zhèng shì dà fǎ shī qīn chuán 。
其所修行的【天都化羽功】，正是大法师亲传。
However, there was no evidence to prove this.
lán yǔ de zhū duō yì bǎo ， zhū rú tiān dōu yǎn wǔ chǎng 、 bā guà zǐ jīn lú ， jù shì lái zì tiān dōu chuán chéng 。
蓝羽的诸多异宝，诸如天都演武场、八卦紫金炉，俱是来自天都传承。
"Regardless, witnessing a Great Immortal Sovereign's demise is a rare sight."
“ jīn nián bù yòng duō jiǔ ， lán yǔ jiù huì dà xiàn jiāng zhì 。 sǐ qián bù xià shì yuán fǎn shēng dà zhèn ， wàng tú nì zhuǎn sǐ shēng zhī lǐ ， zhèng dào zhǎng shēng 。”
“今年不用多久，蓝羽就会大限将至。死前布下噬元返生大阵，妄图逆转死生之理，证道长生。”
"It would do me good to see the world."
“ jù shuō lán yǔ yǔn luò shí ， yì xiàng biàn bù quán zhōu ， rén rén kě jiàn 。”
“据说蓝羽陨落时，异像遍布全州，人人可见。”
"I've heard Blue Feather fell because he had already united with the Dao before the major calamity. Therefore, his fall might be different from that of ordinary cultivators."
“ wǒ běn zūn wú fǎ qián wǎng ， dàn fēn shēn qù yī tàng wú fáng 。”
“我本尊无法前往，但分身去一趟无妨。”
...
lǐ fán xīn zhōng yǐn yǐn jué de ， nà tūn shì guāng yīn de wèi zhī cún zài ， hěn kě néng jiù gēn xī rì de 【 tiān dōu 】 yǒu guān 。
李凡心中隐隐觉得，那吞噬光阴的未知存在，很可能就跟昔日的【天都】有关。
With these thoughts in mind, Li Fan began searching for ways to eliminate any mysterious traces on his body.
dàn zhè zhǐ shì yī zhǒng zhí jué ， bìng méi yǒu rèn hé de zhèng jù néng gòu zhèng míng 。
但这只是一种直觉，并没有任何的证据能够证明。
While expertise has its limits, just because *Truly Real* couldn't do it didn't mean there weren't other methods available.
“ bù guǎn rú hé ， hé dào xiān zūn yǔn luò de chǎng miàn ， kě shì nán dé yī jiàn 。”
“不管如何，合道仙尊陨落的场面，可是难得一见。”
As long as he could spend contributions, the problem wouldn't be a concern for him.
“ qù jiàn jiàn shì miàn yě hǎo 。”
“去见见世面也好。”
Keywords: purification, curse, trace, elimination...
“ tīng shuō lán yǔ yīn wèi shì dà jié zhī qián jiù yǐ jīng hé dào xiū shì de yuán gù ， suǒ yǐ yǔn luò yì xiàng yě hé rú jīn xiū shì jiē bù xiāng tóng 。”
“听说蓝羽因为是大劫之前就已经合道修士的缘故，所以陨落异像也和如今修士皆不相同。”
Li Fan methodically checked each piece of information that popped up.
……
……
These solutions roughly fell into three categories.
xīn zhōng dìng jì ， lǐ fán yòu sōu xún qǐ le guān yú rú hé qīng chú zì jǐ shēn shàng ， nà kě néng cún zài de mò míng hén jì de fāng fǎ 。
心中定计，李凡又搜寻起了关于如何清除自己身上，那可能存在的莫名痕迹的方法。
The first relied on prodigious treasures to cleanse his body and purge evil influences.
suǒ wèi shù yè yǒu zhuān gōng 。
所谓术业有专攻。
The second involved cultivating special techniques continuously until he achieved purity and clarity.
【 hái zhēn 】 wú fǎ zuò dào ， bù dài biǎo cǐ jiè qí tā fāng fǎ jiù wú fǎ zuò dào 。
【还真】无法做到，不代表此界其他方法就无法做到。
The third was specialized cultivators who could remove these anomalies for a price.
zhǐ yào néng huā fèi gòng xiàn dù jiě jué de shì qíng ， duì yú lǐ fán lái shuō ， dōu bú shì wèn tí 。
只要能花费贡献度解决的事情，对于李凡来说，都不是问题。
If unsuccessful, they wouldn't charge.
guān jiàn cí ： jìng huà 、 zǔ zhòu 、 hén jì 、 xiāo chú ……
关键词：净化、诅咒、痕迹、消除……
With a trial mindset, Li Fan contacted several of these cultivators.
lǐ fán bù jí bù xú ， jiāng tiào chū lái de xìn xī yī yī chá kàn 。
李凡不疾不徐，将跳出来的信息一一查看。
When asked about the type of trace to be eliminated, Li Fan only said he wasn't sure. His inner sense told him something was amiss, but he couldn't pinpoint exactly what.
zhè xiē suǒ yǒu de fāng àn ， dà zhì fēn wéi sān lèi 。
这些所有的方案，大致分为三类。
This explanation was perfectly normal.
dì yī lèi shì kào tiān cái dì bǎo ， chōng shuā zì shēn ， dí dàng yāo xié qì xī 。
第一类是靠天才地宝，冲刷自身，涤荡妖邪气息。
A dozen or so cultivators with Foundation Establishment and Golden Core cultivation levels came and went, but none found anything out of the ordinary after their efforts.
dì èr lèi shì xiū xíng tè shū gōng fǎ ， bù duàn xiū xíng zhōng ， zuò dào shēn xīn chéng jìng 、 liú lí wú xiá 。
第二类是修行特殊功法，不断修行中，做到身心澄净、琉璃无瑕。
When Li Fan was about to give up, one final cultivator named Fang Yang surprised him.
dì sān lèi zé shì yǒu zhuān mén zuò zhè xíng de xiū shì 。
第三类则是有专门做这行的修士。
Fang Yang was also at the Foundation Establishment realm. After observing Li Fan for a while, he was about to perform his technique when his expression suddenly changed dramatically.
zhǐ xū yào fù chū yí dìng de dài jià ， duì fāng biàn kě yǐ zhǔ dòng shàng mén fú wù 。
只需要付出一定的代价，对方便可以主动上门服务。
Without saying a word, he turned and walked away.
wèi nǐ qīng chú zhè xiē chán luò shēn shàng de yì cháng 。
为你清除这些缠络身上的异常。
Li Fan knew that Fang Yang had noticed something and hurried after him.
dāng rán ， rú guǒ bù chéng gōng ， duì fāng yě bú huì shōu fèi 。
当然，如果不成功，对方也不会收费。
In front of the Transmission Plaza, Fang Yang's face was contorted with displeasure. If not for the rule against combat on the island, he would have killed this disrespectful youth on the spot.
bào zhe shì shì kàn de xiǎng fǎ ， lǐ fán lián xì qǐ zhè xiē xiū shì lái 。
抱着试试看的想法，李凡联系起这些修士来。
"Little friend, return! I am unable to help you with your ailments!"
dāng duì fāng xún wèn qǐ xū yào qū zhú de hén jì shì shén me lèi xíng de shí hòu ， lǐ fán zhǐ shuō zì jǐ yě bù qīng chǔ 。
当对方询问起需要驱逐的痕迹是什么类型的时候，李凡只说自己也不清楚。
Li Fan pleaded earnestly, "Please, senior, save me!"
zhǐ shì xīn zhōng líng jué fǎn kuì ， yǐn yǐn gǎn jué shēn tǐ yǒu xiē bú duì jìn 。
只是心中灵觉反馈，隐隐感觉身体有些不对劲。
"I don't know why, but lately I've been restless and agitated. Even peaceful cultivation is impossible."
zhè zhǒng shuō cí ， yě shí fēn zhèng cháng 。
这种说辞，也十分正常。
"If this continues, my cultivation will stagnate, and I might die at the Foundation Establishment stage, cutting off my path to immortality!"
qián qián hòu hòu lái le shí duō míng xiū shì ， yǒu yuán yīng xiū wèi ， yǒu jīn dān xiū wèi 。
前前后后来了十多名修士，有元婴修为，有金丹修为。
Holding Fang Yang's hand tightly, Li Fan refused to let go.
shī fǎ zhī hòu ， lǐ fán méi yǒu gǎn dào yǒu rèn hé xiào guǒ 。
施法之后，李凡没有感到有任何效果。
Fang Yang's face turned red, but he couldn't react.
duì fāng xiū shì yě dōu shì dīng zhe lǐ fán piàn kè ， suí hòu yáo yáo tóu ， biǎo shì méi néng zhǎo chū yì cháng suǒ zài 。
对方修士也都是盯着李凡片刻，随后摇摇头，表示没能找出异常所在。
Lowering his voice, he said, "Boy, listen up. Although I'm not sure what's wrong with you, it's clear that you've provoked something beyond my capacity as a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator."
dāng lǐ fán zhèng dǎ suàn fàng qì de shí hòu ， zuì hòu yī wèi xiū shì ， què shì gěi le tā jīng xǐ 。
当李凡正打算放弃的时候，最后一位修士，却是给了他惊喜。
"At this level, the problem is too great for me to handle."
zhè wèi xiū shì míng jiào fāng yáng ， yě shì yuán yīng xiū wèi 。
这位修士名叫方杨，也是元婴修为。
"Even if I have a solution, I won't act on your behalf."
jiàn dào lǐ fán hòu ， guān chá le yī zhèn ， zhèng yù shī fǎ 。
见到李凡后，观察了一阵，正欲施法。
"Because in essence, the anomaly on your body is like a mark left by the other party. If you rashly remove it, you'll surely draw their attention."
què hū rán liǎn sè dà biàn 。
却忽然脸色大变。
...
shén me huà yě bù shuō ， diào tóu biàn zǒu 。
什么话也不说，掉头便走。
Fang Yang concluded his words and said no more.
lǐ fán zhī dào zhè fāng yáng dìng rán shì kàn chū le duān ní ， lián máng zhuī shàng qù 。
李凡知道这方杨定然是看出了端倪，连忙追上去。
Li Fan's heart sank; he hadn't anticipated the situation to be so severe.
chuán fǎ guǎng chǎng qián ， bèi lán zhù de fāng yáng miàn sè nán kàn 。
传法广场前，被拦住的方杨面色难看。
"Senior, do you have any solution? If I can escape this calamity, I will certainly repay your kindness!" Li Fan solemnly stated.
ruò bú shì dǎo shàng bù xǔ zhàn dòu ， kǒng pà tā zǎo jiù bǎ zhè bù shí hǎo dǎi de xiǎo zi gěi suí shǒu pāi sǐ le 。
若不是岛上不许战斗，恐怕他早就把这不识好歹的小子给随手拍死了。
After re-evaluating Li Fan, Fang Yang pondered for a moment before replying, "Find a remote small world and cultivate a purifying technique. With ten years of effort, you might be able to shed it."
“ xiǎo yǒu qiě huí ba ！ nǐ shēn shàng de máo bìng ， hái shù lǎo fū wú néng wéi lì ！”
“小友且回吧！你身上的毛病，还恕老夫无能为力！”
"Of course, this is just advice. Whether it works depends on your own fortune; I can't guarantee anything."
lǐ fán yī liǎn jǐn zhāng ， chéng kěn dì shuō dào ：“ hái qǐng qián bèi jiù wǒ ！”
李凡一脸紧张，诚恳地说道：“还请前辈救我！”
Hearing this, Li Fan nodded slowly.
“ bù zhī wèi hé ， wǒ zuì jìn zǒng gǎn jué qǐn shí nán ān ， xīn shén bù níng 。”
“不知为何，我最近总感觉寝食难安，心神不宁。”
He thanked Fang Yang and left without further纠缠。
He Zhenghao was no longer the arrogant and fiery youth he once was.
After decades of struggling in the Cunyun Sea, he had already come to terms with the harsh reality.
He Zhenghao sighed deeply and shook his head. "Friend, you jest. Afu's cultivation talent is far beyond mine."
"Even if I could reach the Foundation Establishment realm in this life, she might have already advanced to the Transcendence realm by then."
"The Transcendence Weaving Mage... The gap between us will only grow wider."
"I am too old now and no longer expect much from it."
"All I ask is that Xinxin occasionally visits me."
With these words, He Zhenghao expressed his sentiments.
Li Fan said nothing in return. He patted He Zhenghao's shoulder and then took leave.
Returning to the Heavenly Xuan Mirror, Li Fan began a thorough search for information about Source Dao State.
The entire state was devoured by time every decade or so.
Perhaps those within were unaware at the time, but would they notice something amiss when interacting with cultivators from other states?
During this period of devouring, how did the outside world perceive Source Dao State?
The information in the Heavenly Xuan Mirror was vast and deep. There should be some trace related to this matter.
Li Fan spent half a day confirming it.
There was nothing.
He could not help but exclaim, "All that can be seen is what you are meant to see."
"Everything else has vanished without a trace."
Shaking his head, he abandoned his previous plans and focused on researching the history of Source Dao State.
*The Examination of Heavenly Capital Ruins*, *Source Dao? Dao Origin? On the Relationship Between Source Dao State and Ancient Dao Origin Lands*, *A Brief Discussion on the Lineage Transmission of Great Master of Heavenly Capital...*
One by one, Li Fan carefully flipped through these books. Almost all of them revolved around a key term: Heavenly Capital.
"The source of dao techniques, the foremost among all sects..."
"What arrogance."
Li Fan thought to himself, "Could this Heavenly Capital be one of the Ten Ancient Immortal Sects?"
According to later research, in ancient times, Heavenly Capital hung high above the Nine Heavens, overseeing the myriad beings of the Xuanhuang Realm.
It was said to be the source of dao techniques and the foremost among all sects.
The specific cultivators within Heavenly Capital were unknown.
The only name that survived was *Great Master of Heavenly Capital*.
Legend had it that Blue Feather Immortal Sovereign, who united with the Dao in the Origin State, was a descendant of this Great Master. The *Heavenly Capital Transformation Technique* he practiced was directly passed down by the Great Master.
Blue Feather's many treasures, such as the Heavenly Capital Arena and the Eight Trigram Purple Gold Furnace, all originated from the Heavenly Capital lineage.
"This year won't be long before Blue Feather's time comes to an end. He plans to set up a Devouring Essence Reviving Formation before his death, attempting to reverse the laws of life and death in order to achieve eternal immortality."
"It is said that when Blue Feather fell, strange phenomena spread throughout the entire state, visible to everyone."
"I cannot go myself, but sending my avatar might be worth it."
Li Fan felt intuitively that the unknown entity devouring time was likely related to the ancient Heavenly Capital.
However, there was no evidence to prove this.
"Regardless, witnessing a Great Immortal Sovereign's demise is a rare sight."
"It would do me good to see the world."
"I've heard Blue Feather fell because he had already united with the Dao before the major calamity. Therefore, his fall might be different from that of ordinary cultivators."
...
With these thoughts in mind, Li Fan began searching for ways to eliminate any mysterious traces on his body.
While expertise has its limits, just because *Truly Real* couldn't do it didn't mean there weren't other methods available.
As long as he could spend contributions, the problem wouldn't be a concern for him.
Keywords: purification, curse, trace, elimination...
Li Fan methodically checked each piece of information that popped up.
These solutions roughly fell into three categories.
The first relied on prodigious treasures to cleanse his body and purge evil influences.
The second involved cultivating special techniques continuously until he achieved purity and clarity.
The third was specialized cultivators who could remove these anomalies for a price.
If unsuccessful, they wouldn't charge.
With a trial mindset, Li Fan contacted several of these cultivators.
When asked about the type of trace to be eliminated, Li Fan only said he wasn't sure. His inner sense told him something was amiss, but he couldn't pinpoint exactly what.
This explanation was perfectly normal.
A dozen or so cultivators with Foundation Establishment and Golden Core cultivation levels came and went, but none found anything out of the ordinary after their efforts.
When Li Fan was about to give up, one final cultivator named Fang Yang surprised him.
Fang Yang was also at the Foundation Establishment realm. After observing Li Fan for a while, he was about to perform his technique when his expression suddenly changed dramatically.
Without saying a word, he turned and walked away.
Li Fan knew that Fang Yang had noticed something and hurried after him.
In front of the Transmission Plaza, Fang Yang's face was contorted with displeasure. If not for the rule against combat on the island, he would have killed this disrespectful youth on the spot.
"Little friend, return! I am unable to help you with your ailments!"
Li Fan pleaded earnestly, "Please, senior, save me!"
"I don't know why, but lately I've been restless and agitated. Even peaceful cultivation is impossible."
"If this continues, my cultivation will stagnate, and I might die at the Foundation Establishment stage, cutting off my path to immortality!"
Holding Fang Yang's hand tightly, Li Fan refused to let go.
Fang Yang's face turned red, but he couldn't react.
Lowering his voice, he said, "Boy, listen up. Although I'm not sure what's wrong with you, it's clear that you've provoked something beyond my capacity as a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator."
"At this level, the problem is too great for me to handle."
"Even if I have a solution, I won't act on your behalf."
"Because in essence, the anomaly on your body is like a mark left by the other party. If you rashly remove it, you'll surely draw their attention."
...
Fang Yang concluded his words and said no more.
Li Fan's heart sank; he hadn't anticipated the situation to be so severe.
"Senior, do you have any solution? If I can escape this calamity, I will certainly repay your kindness!" Li Fan solemnly stated.
After re-evaluating Li Fan, Fang Yang pondered for a moment before replying, "Find a remote small world and cultivate a purifying technique. With ten years of effort, you might be able to shed it."
"Of course, this is just advice. Whether it works depends on your own fortune; I can't guarantee anything."
Hearing this, Li Fan nodded slowly.
He thanked Fang Yang and left without further纠缠。