wú jìn xū yuān ， wèi yú dà xuán guó de zuì dōng fāng ， shēn bú jiàn dǐ ， qí shàng cháng nián yǒu nóng wù lǒng zhào 。 ruò shì bù xiǎo xīn shī zú zhuì luò ， dìng rán shì luò de gè shī gǔ wú cún de xià chǎng 。
无尽墟渊，位于大玄国的最东方，深不见底，其上常年有浓雾笼罩。若是不小心失足坠落，定然是落得个尸骨无存的下场。
Endless Vast Abyss, located in the far eastern part of Great Xuan Kingdom, was deep beyond measure and perpetually shrouded in thick fog. Should one accidentally fall into it, they would surely meet a gruesome end.
shuí yě bù zhī dào ， xū yuān xià fāng yǒu zhe xiē shén me 。 lián fēi niǎo dōu jué jì de dì fāng ， duō nián lái yì zhí dōu shì rén lèi de jìn qū 。
谁也不知道，墟渊下方有着些什么。连飞鸟都绝迹的地方，多年来一直都是人类的禁区。
No one knew what lay beneath the abyss. A place where even birds had ceased to fly over remained off-limits for humans for years.
ér lǐ fán zé tōng guò shàng yī cì mó nǐ de jīng lì ， zhī dào le xū yuān shàng fāng de nóng wù ， měi guò shí wǔ nián huì sàn kāi yī cì 。 jīn rì ， tā lái dào xū yuān ， jiù shì wèi le qīn yǎn yī jiàn 。
而李凡则通过上一次模拟的经历，知道了墟渊上方的浓雾，每过十五年会散开一次。今日，他来到墟渊，就是为了亲眼一见。
Li Fan, however, learned from his previous simulation that the dense fog above the Vast Abyss would lift every fifteen years. Today, he came here to witness it firsthand.
bì jìng ， rú guǒ tā cāi de méi cuò de huà ， dào xuán zi hé kòu hóng liǎng wèi xiū xiān zhě ， hěn kě néng jiù shì tōng guò xū yuān lái dào zhè chù xiān jué zhī dì de 。
毕竟，如果他猜的没错的话，道玄子和寇洪两位修仙者，很可能就是通过墟渊来到这处仙绝之地的。
After all, if his guess was correct, Dao Xuanzi and Cao Hong, two cultivators, might have used the Vast Abyss to reach this Immortal Land.
lǐ fán mò mò zhàn zhe ， kàn zhe bù yuǎn chù wàng zhī shēng wèi de wú jìn shēn yuān ， nài xīn dì děng dài 。
李凡默默站着，看着不远处望之生畏的无尽深渊，耐心地等待。
Li Fan stood silently, gazing at the daunting Endless Abyss not far away, waiting patiently.
bù zhī guò le duō jiǔ ， nà sàn fà zhe gèn gǔ qì xī de nóng nóng bái wù ， zhōng yú qǐ le biàn huà 。
不知过了多久，那散发着亘古气息的浓浓白雾，终于起了变化。
No one knew how long passed before the ancient fog began to change.
shì yǒu yuǎn gǔ yì shòu de dī háo zì xià fāng yǐn yǐn chuán lái ， děng shēng yīn zhú jiàn biàn dà ， zhòng rén cái tīng qīng chǔ ， yuán lái nà shì fēng de shēng yīn ！
似有远古异兽的低嚎自下方隐隐传来，等声音逐渐变大，众人才听清楚，原来那是风的声音！
A low growl seemed to come from below, gradually growing louder until it was clear that it was wind!
nóng hòu de bái wù shòu dào jiǎo dòng ， dàng qǐ céng céng lián yī 。
浓厚的白雾受到搅动，荡起层层涟漪。
The thick white fog stirred, creating ripples.
suí hòu fēng yuè lái yuè dà ， dà liàng bái wù cóng xū yuān bèi pò pēn yǒng ér chū ， rú tóng dào liú pù bù bān ， zhí chōng tiān jì 。
随后风越来越大，大量白雾从墟渊被迫喷涌而出，如同倒流瀑布般，直冲天际。
Then the wind grew stronger, forcing a torrent of white fog out of the Vast Abyss like an inverted waterfall, shooting up into the sky.
rú cǐ dà fēng zú zú chí xù le xiǎo bàn gè shí chén ， chóng chóng nóng wù fāng cái sàn qù 。
如此大风足足持续了小半个时辰，重重浓雾方才散去。
This strong wind lasted for nearly half an hour before the heavy fog finally dissipated.
lǐ fán miàn sè níng zhòng ， ná chū wàng yuǎn jìng cháo xū yuān dǐ bù wàng qù 。
李凡面色凝重，拿出望远镜朝墟渊底部望去。
Li Fan's expression turned serious as he took out his telescope to look down at the bottom of the abyss.
qǐ chū ， xū yuān dǐ bù nǎi shì yī piàn qī hēi ， shén me yě kàn bù qīng chǔ 。
起初，墟渊底部乃是一片漆黑，什么也看不清楚。
At first, it was pitch black, and nothing could be seen clearly.
jiàn jiàn dì ， yì diǎn diǎn guāng liàng xīng xīng diǎn diǎn de chū xiàn 。
渐渐地，一点点光亮星星点点的出现。
Gradually, faint glimmers appeared.
guò le xǔ jiǔ ， xū yuān dǐ bù guāng máng dà zuò ， hǎi shì shèn lóu bān dào zhì de jǐng xiàng yìng rù lǐ fán yǎn lián 。
过了许久，墟渊底部光芒大作，海市蜃楼般倒置的景象映入李凡眼帘。
After a long time, the bottom of the Vast Abyss lit up with an image that seemed like a mirage.
gēn jù qíng bào ， xū yuān dǐ bù chū xiàn de jǐng xiàng ， měi rén kàn qù dōu bù xiāng tóng 。
根据情报，墟渊底部出现的景象，每人看去都不相同。
According to intelligence, what appeared in the Vast Abyss varied for each person who saw it.
ér lǐ fán yǎn qián zhè yí mù ， zé shì ràng tā xīn shén jù zhèn 。
而李凡眼前这一幕，则是让他心神巨震。
What Li Fan saw was shocking. A dilapidated gatehouse stood amidst fallen buildings. The ground and walls were riddled with cracks, bearing marks of sword strikes and magical attacks. Some areas seemed stained with blood, appearing a strange dark red.
yī chù pò bài de shān mén ， dào chù dōu shì dǎo tā de jiàn zhù 。 mǎn shì liè xì de dì miàn yǔ qiáng tǐ shàng ， chōng chì de dāo jiàn yǔ fǎ shù chōng jī de hén jì 。
一处破败的山门，到处都是倒塌的建筑。满是裂隙的地面与墙体上，充斥的刀剑与法术冲击的痕迹。
Scattered corpses and scattered weapons littered the ground, silently narrating a calamity that occurred long ago.
gèng yǒu jǐ chù dì yù sì hū bèi xuè yè jìn rǎn ， chéng xiàn chū guǐ yì de àn hóng zhī sè 。
更有几处地域似乎被血液浸染，呈现出诡异的暗红之色。
Li Fan was stunned as he turned his gaze to see four large characters carved on a smooth cliff face.
yī jù jù biàn bù de shī hái yǔ sàn luò mǎn dì de bīng qì ， sì hū zài wú yán sù shuō zhe duō nián qián zāo yù de yī cháng jié nàn 。
一具具遍布的尸骸与散落满地的兵器，似乎在无言诉说着多年前遭遇的一场劫难。
"Immortal Path Perished!"
lǐ fán mǎn shì zhèn hàn ， zhuǎn dòng shì jiǎo ， yòu zài yī chù shān yá de guāng huá jué bì zhī shàng ， kàn dào le kè zài qí shàng de sì gè dà zì 。
李凡满是震撼，转动视角，又在一处山崖的光滑绝壁之上，看到了刻在其上的四个大字。
The characters were in a deep crimson color, seemingly written with blood.
“ xiān dào wáng yǐ ”！
“仙道亡矣”！
Even from a distance, Li Fan could feel the indescribable fear and despair contained within those words.
sì zì jù shì hēi hóng sè ， sì hū shì yòng xiān xuè suǒ shū 。
四字具是黑红色，似乎是用鲜血所书。
"Immortal Path Perished... What happened here; what has transpired throughout the entire cultivation realm?" Li Fan was lost in thought, speechless for a long time.
nǎ pà gé le bù zhī dào duō shǎo jù lí ， zài kàn dào zhè sì gè dà zì de shí hòu ， lǐ fán yě néng gǎn shòu dào qí zhōng yùn hán de nà gǔ nán yǐ yán shuō de kǒng jù yǔ jué wàng 。
哪怕隔了不知道多少距离，在看到这四个大字的时候，李凡也能感受到其中蕴含的那股难以言说的恐惧与绝望。
...
“ xiān dào wáng yǐ …… cǐ dì ， dào dǐ chū le shén me biàn gù ； zhěng gè xiū xiān jiè ， yòu dào dǐ fā shēng le xiē shén me 。” lǐ fán chén jìn qí zhōng ， jiǔ jiǔ bù yǔ 。
“仙道亡矣……此地，到底出了什么变故；整个修仙界，又到底发生了些什么。”李凡沉浸其中，久久不语。
The fog reformed after half a day. Li Fan returned to Xuanjing City.
……
……
Soon, it was time for the fifty-year anchor point.
dà wù zhǐ sàn qù le bàn rì yòu chóng xīn kāi shǐ níng jù ， lǐ fán chóng xīn fǎn huí xuán jīng 。
大雾只散去了半日又重新开始凝聚，李凡重新返回玄京。
On this day, Li Fan celebrated his seventieth birthday with thousands of soldiers on high alert in Xuanjing City.
zhī hòu ， shí guāng liú zhuǎn ， hěn kuài yòu dào le máo dìng wǔ shí nián 。
之后，时光流转，很快又到了锚定五十年。
"Dao Xuanzi! You're going too far! Don't bully me!"
zhè yī rì ， lǐ fán qī shí dà shòu ， xuán jīng chéng zhōng shù qiān míng shì bīng yán zhèn yǐ dài 。
这一日，李凡七十大寿，玄京城中数千名士兵严阵以待。
Cao Hong turned and shouted angrily, hovering above Xuanjing City.
“ dào xuán zi ！ nǐ bú yào qī rén tài shèn ！”
“道玄子！你不要欺人太甚！”
But before Dao Xuanzi could respond, a barrage of voices echoed throughout the city from below.
kòu hóng zhuǎn shēn nù hè ， fēi tíng yú xuán jīng chéng shàng kōng 。
寇洪转身怒喝，飞停于玄京城上空。
"Little Cao Hong, we were sent by Master Dao Xuanzi to wait for you here for some time now!"
rán ér hái méi dào xuán zi yǒu suǒ huí yìng ， yī dào dào shēng yīn jiù xiān yī bù zì xià fāng chuán lái ， xiǎng chè xuán jīng 。
然而还没道玄子有所回应，一道道声音就先一步自下方传来，响彻玄京。
Along with these voices came a deluge of bullets.
“ kòu hóng xiǎo ér ， wú děng fèng dào xuán zi xiān shī zhī mìng ， zài cǐ gōng hòu duō shí le ！”
“寇洪小儿，吾等奉道玄子仙师之命，在此恭候多时了！”
Caught off guard, Cao Hong was hit hard.
yǔ shēng yīn yī tóng chū xiàn de ， hái yǒu pū tiān gài dì de zǐ dàn 。
与声音一同出现的，还有铺天盖地的子弹。
"How is this possible? Did Dao Xuanzi know I would flee here beforehand? When did he become so cunning?" Cao Hong was both shocked and angry.
cù bù jí fáng zhī xià ， kòu hóng bèi dǎ le gè zhèng zhe 。
猝不及防之下，寇洪被打了个正着。
Then, to his horror, Cao Hong discovered that his spiritual energy was being rapidly depleted as he resisted the magical attacks. A quick scan revealed the culprit.
“ zěn me kě néng ？ dào xuán zi nán dào zǎo jiù zhī dào wǒ yào táo wǎng zhè lǐ ？ tā shén me shí hòu biàn dé xīn jī rú cǐ zhī shēn le ？！” kòu hóng yòu jīng yòu nù 。
“怎么可能？道玄子难道早就知道我要逃往这里？他什么时候变得心机如此之深了？！”寇洪又惊又怒。
"Immortal-Demon Mist! You despicable scoundrel!" Cao Hong looked incredulously at Dao Xuanzi, as if seeing him for the first time after a century of friendship.
ér jǐn jiē zhe ， kòu hóng jīng hài de fā xiàn tā de líng lì zài dǐ dǎng zhè xiē fǎ qì de tóng shí zài bèi fēi sù dì xiāo hào ， shén shí yī sǎo ， kòu hóng dùn shí míng bái le 。
而紧接着，寇洪惊骇的发现他的灵力在抵挡这些法器的同时在被飞速地消耗，神识一扫，寇洪顿时明白了。
Dao Xuanzi seemed bewildered.
“ xiān fán zhàng ！？ dào xuán zi ， nǐ hǎo shēng bēi bǐ ！” kòu hóng yòng nán yǐ zhì xìn de yǎn guāng kàn zhe suí hòu gǎn lái de dào xuán zi ， sì hū shì dì yī cì rèn shí zhè wèi xiāng shí le bǎi nián de zhì yǒu 。
“仙凡瘴！？道玄子，你好生卑鄙！”寇洪用难以置信的眼光看着随后赶来的道玄子，似乎是第一次认识这位相识了百年的挚友。
"What's going on with these mortals? Why are they attacking me and using Immortal-Demon Mist?" The sudden incident left Dao Xuanzi momentarily speechless.
cǐ kè de dào xuán zi zé yǒu xiē měng quān 。
此刻的道玄子则有些懵圈。
But seeing Cao Hong's extreme anger, Dao Xuanzi snapped to attention.
“ zhè xiē fán rén shì zěn me huí shì ， wèi hé dǎ zhe wǒ de qí hào xí jī kòu hóng ？ jū rán hái huì shǐ yòng xiān fán zhàng ？” shì chū tū rán ， dào xuán zi yī shí xiàn rù dà nǎo dàng jī zhuàng tài 。
“这些凡人是怎么回事，为何打着我的旗号袭击寇洪？居然还会使用仙凡瘴？”事出突然，道玄子一时陷入大脑宕机状态。
"This place is strange! Cao Hong, these mortals didn't follow my orders!" Dao Xuanzi hurriedly explained.
dàn kàn zhe bù yuǎn chù yǐ jīng xiàn rù jí dù fèn nù de kòu hóng ， dào xuán zi dùn shí dǎ le gè jī líng 。
但看着不远处已经陷入极度愤怒的寇洪，道玄子顿时打了个激灵。
"How so? Are you afraid of being hunted down by all cultivators if the use of Immortal-Demon Mist becomes public?" "Or are you more worried about your reputation as a respected cultivator crumbling?"
“ cǐ chù yǒu xiē guǐ yì ！ kòu hóng ， zhè xiē fán rén bìng bú shì wǒ zhǐ shǐ de ！” dào xuán zi lián máng jiě shì dào 。
“此处有些诡异！寇洪，这些凡人并不是我指使的！”道玄子连忙解释道。
Dao Xuanzi knew his friend's temperament well, realizing that Cao Hong was now out of his mind and wouldn't listen to reason.
“ zěn me ？ gǎn zuò bù gǎn rèn me ？” kòu hóng nù jí fǎn xiào 。“ hái shì nǐ pà shǐ yòng xiān fán zhàng yī shì chuán chū qù hòu ， huì bèi suǒ yǒu xiū shì lián hé zhuī shā ？ yòu huò zhě ， nǐ gèng dān xīn nǐ dào xuán zi bǎi nián xiū dé de hǎo míng shēng bèi huǐ yú yí dàn ？”
“怎么？敢做不敢认么？”寇洪怒极反笑。“还是你怕使用仙凡瘴一事传出去后，会被所有修士联合追杀？又或者，你更担心你道玄子百年修得的好名声被毁于一旦？”
He felt he had fallen into some kind of trap.
dào xuán zi shú zhī tā zhè wèi xiōng dì de pí qì ， zhī dào tā cǐ kè yǐ jīng shī qù le lǐ zhì ， kǒng pà zì jǐ shuō shén me tā yě tīng bù jìn qù le 。
道玄子熟知他这位兄弟的脾气，知道他此刻已经失去了理智，恐怕自己说什么他也听不进去了。
The eerie atmosphere heightened his sense of danger.
dào xuán zi yǐn yǐn gǎn dào zì jǐ xiàn rù le mǒu gè quān tào zhī zhōng 。
道玄子隐隐感到自己陷入了某个圈套之中。
It wasn't wise to argue with Cao Hong at this moment.
zhè lǐ guǐ yì de qì xī gèng shì ràng tā chǎn shēng le bù xiǎo de wēi jī gǎn 。
这里诡异的气息更是让他产生了不小的危机感。
Thus, Dao Xuanzi patiently explained, "We've known each other for a century. Have I ever lied to you? This place is not..."
cǐ kè hé kòu hóng xiāng zhēng ， bú shì míng zhì zhī jǔ 。
此刻和寇洪相争，不是明智之举。
But before he could finish, an old voice suddenly echoed from all directions, cutting him off mid-sentence.
yú shì ， tā hái shì nài xīn xiàng kòu hóng jiě shì dào ：“ xiāng shí bǎi nián ， nǐ hé shí jiàn guò wǒ shuō guò huǎng huà ？ cǐ chù què shí bú shì ……”
于是，他还是耐心向寇洪解释道：“相识百年，你何时见过我说过谎话？此处确实不是……”
"Master Dao Xuanzi, how can you turn your back on me? Didn't we agree that after you kill Cao Hong here and obtain his Golden Core Technique, I would lead my people out of this Immortal Land?" The voice sounded aggrieved and resentful.
rán ér hái méi děng tā bǎ huà shuō wán ， yí gè cāng lǎo de shēng yīn hū rán zì sì miàn bā fāng chuán lái ， bǎ tā de huà shēng shēng dǎ duàn 。
然而还没等他把话说完，一个苍老的声音忽然自四面八方传来，把他的话生生打断。
"Golden Core Technique!?" Both Cao Hong and Dao Xuanzi's faces changed color at the mention.
“ dào xuán zi xiān shī rú hé fān liǎn bù rèn rén le ？ bú shì shuō hǎo zhǐ yào wǒ děng xié zhù nǐ jiāng zhè kòu hóng jī shā zài cǐ dì ， duó le tā de jié dān gōng fǎ ， jiù huì dài lǐng wǒ de zú rén lí kāi zhè xiān jué zhī dì me ？” shēng yīn yǒu xiē yǒu xiē wěi qū ， hái dài zhe diǎn fèn hèn 。
“道玄子仙师如何翻脸不认人了？不是说好只要我等协助你将这寇洪击杀在此地，夺了他的结丹功法，就会带领我的族人离开这仙绝之地么？”声音有些有些委屈，还带着点愤恨。
"You're the one! No one else knows about this except you!" Cao Hong's hair stood on end, clearly furious to the point of madness.
“ jié dān gōng fǎ ？！” kòu hóng hé dào xuán zi wén yán tóng shí liǎn sè yī biàn 。
“结丹功法？！”寇洪和道玄子闻言同时脸色一变。
"This person actually knows about the Golden Core Technique..." Dao Xuanzi's heart sank.
“ hái shuō bú shì nǐ ！ chú le nǐ wǒ ， zhè shì jiān hái huì yǒu shuí zhī dào zhè jiàn shì ！” kòu hóng xū fà jiē zhāng ， yǎn rán yǐ jīng shì nù dào jí diǎn 。
“还说不是你！除了你我，这世间还会有谁知道这件事！”寇洪须发皆张，俨然已经是怒到极点。
The voice continued, "Remember, we got into trouble for the Immortal-Demon Mist. Now that public opinion is boiling over, if you don't fulfill your promise and take us out, our tribe might not survive long."
“ cǐ rén jū rán zhī xiǎo jié dān gōng fǎ yī shì ……” dào xuán zi yī kē xīn chè dǐ chén le xià qù 。
“此人居然知晓结丹功法一事……”道玄子一颗心彻底沉了下去。
Insulted, Dao Xuanzi roared, "You shameless scoundrel! Shut up!"
ér xià fāng nà dào shēng yīn hái zài zì gù zì dì bù duàn sù shuō ：“ yào zhī dào ， wèi le xiān shī nǐ suǒ shuō de nà xiān fán zhàng ， wǒ men kě shì rě le zhòng nù 。 rú jīn tiān xià mín yuàn fèi téng ， ruò shì xiān shī bù néng zūn shǒu ruò yán ， dài wǒ men chū qù ， kǒng pà bú yào duō jiǔ ， wǒ zú jiù yào sǐ wú zàng shēn zhī dì le ！”
而下方那道声音还在自顾自地不断诉说：“要知道，为了仙师你所说的那仙凡瘴，我们可是惹了众怒。如今天下民怨沸腾，若是仙师不能遵守若言，带我们出去，恐怕不要多久，我族就要死无葬身之地了！”
He leaped towards the source of the voice to find the mastermind but only saw a strange rectangular object from which the voice emanated. Similar objects were scattered throughout Xuanjing City, making it impossible to know how many there were.
bèi rén wū miè ， dào xuán zi zhǐ tīng dé xīn fán yì luàn ， dà hè dào ：“ wú chǐ xiǎo rén ， gěi wǒ zhù kǒu ！”
被人污蔑，道玄子只听得心烦意乱，大喝道：“无耻小人，给我住口！”
"Such caution..." Dao Xuanzi was at his wit's end.
tā cháo zhe shēng yīn lái yuán chù zòng shēn yī fēi ， xiǎng yào zhǎo chū mù hòu hēi shǒu ， què zhǐ kàn dào yí gè guài yì de cháng fāng xíng wù tǐ 。 nà shēng yīn jiù shì cóng zhōng chuán chū 。 ér lèi sì de dōng xī biàn bù zhěng gè xuán jīng chéng ， gēn běn bù zhī dào hái yǒu duō shǎo ！
他朝着声音来源处纵身一飞，想要找出幕后黑手，却只看到一个怪异的长方形物体。那声音就是从中传出。而类似的东西遍布整个玄京城，根本不知道还有多少！
"Does Master Xuanzi now want to kill me to cover up your tracks?" The mocking voice continued.
“ jū rán rú cǐ jǐn shèn ……” dào xuán zi wú nài zhì jí 。
“居然如此谨慎……”道玄子无奈至极。
Dao Xuanzi gritted his teeth and crushed the object.
“ nán dào xiān shī xiàn zài jiù yù shā rén miè kǒu le me ？” tīng zhe yǒu xiē cháo fěng de huà jì xù cóng lǐ miàn chuán chū 。
“难道仙师现在就欲杀人灭口了么？”听着有些嘲讽的话继续从里面传出。
To Cao Hong, it looked like Dao Xuanzi was enraged after being exposed and wanted to silence him with violence.
dào xuán zi yá chǐ yǎo dé gē gē zuò xiǎng ， yī bǎ jiāng qí niē de fěn suì 。
道玄子牙齿咬得咯咯作响，一把将其捏的粉碎。
Cao Hong let out a long roar: "Dao Xuanzi! We've known each other for a century, but I see you differently now! You want my Golden Core Technique, why use such underhanded tactics? I won't run anymore. Come get it if you have the guts!"
ér zài kòu hóng yǎn zhōng ， kàn qǐ lái jiù xiàng dào xuán zi bèi jiē chuān zhī hòu nǎo xiū chéng nù xiǎng yào shā rén fēng kǒu yì bān 。
而在寇洪眼中，看起来就像道玄子被揭穿之后恼羞成怒想要杀人封口一般。
"Fire Dragon Roar!"
kòu hóng yǎng tiān cháng xiào ：“ dào xuán zi ！ nǐ wǒ jié shí bǎi nián ， bù xiǎng wǒ què shì kàn cuò le nǐ ！ nǐ bú shì xiǎng yào jié dān gōng fǎ me ， hé bì shǐ zhè me duō xià zuò shǒu duàn 。 wǒ yě bù pǎo le ， nǐ yǒu běn shì jǐn guǎn lái qǔ ！”
寇洪仰天长啸：“道玄子！你我结识百年，不想我却是看错了你！你不是想要结丹功法么，何必使这么多下作手段。我也不跑了，你有本事尽管来取！”
A furious fire dragon circled Cao Hong, roaring loudly.
“ dào fǎ ： yán lóng nù ！”
“道法：炎龙怒！”
The fire dragon glared ahead and spat out a crimson flame that shot towards Dao Xuanzi.
yī tóu bào nù de huǒ lóng huán rào zhe kòu hóng ， fā chū zhèn tiān de páo xiāo 。
一头暴怒的火龙环绕着寇洪，发出震天的咆哮。
Dao Xuanzi sighed helplessly as a flying sword appeared behind him, turning into a white light to meet the fiery blast.
Endless Vast Abyss, located in the far eastern part of Great Xuan Kingdom, was deep beyond measure and perpetually shrouded in thick fog. Should one accidentally fall into it, they would surely meet a gruesome end.
No one knew what lay beneath the abyss. A place where even birds had ceased to fly over remained off-limits for humans for years.
Li Fan, however, learned from his previous simulation that the dense fog above the Vast Abyss would lift every fifteen years. Today, he came here to witness it firsthand.
After all, if his guess was correct, Dao Xuanzi and Cao Hong, two cultivators, might have used the Vast Abyss to reach this Immortal Land.
Li Fan stood silently, gazing at the daunting Endless Abyss not far away, waiting patiently.
No one knew how long passed before the ancient fog began to change.
"Woo..."
A low growl seemed to come from below, gradually growing louder until it was clear that it was wind!
The thick white fog stirred, creating ripples.
Then the wind grew stronger, forcing a torrent of white fog out of the Vast Abyss like an inverted waterfall, shooting up into the sky.
This strong wind lasted for nearly half an hour before the heavy fog finally dissipated.
Li Fan's expression turned serious as he took out his telescope to look down at the bottom of the abyss.
At first, it was pitch black, and nothing could be seen clearly.
Gradually, faint glimmers appeared.
After a long time, the bottom of the Vast Abyss lit up with an image that seemed like a mirage.
According to intelligence, what appeared in the Vast Abyss varied for each person who saw it.
What Li Fan saw was shocking. A dilapidated gatehouse stood amidst fallen buildings. The ground and walls were riddled with cracks, bearing marks of sword strikes and magical attacks. Some areas seemed stained with blood, appearing a strange dark red.
Scattered corpses and scattered weapons littered the ground, silently narrating a calamity that occurred long ago.
Li Fan was stunned as he turned his gaze to see four large characters carved on a smooth cliff face.
"Immortal Path Perished!"
The characters were in a deep crimson color, seemingly written with blood.
Even from a distance, Li Fan could feel the indescribable fear and despair contained within those words.
"Immortal Path Perished... What happened here; what has transpired throughout the entire cultivation realm?" Li Fan was lost in thought, speechless for a long time.
...
The fog reformed after half a day. Li Fan returned to Xuanjing City.
Soon, it was time for the fifty-year anchor point.
On this day, Li Fan celebrated his seventieth birthday with thousands of soldiers on high alert in Xuanjing City.
"Dao Xuanzi! You're going too far! Don't bully me!"
Cao Hong turned and shouted angrily, hovering above Xuanjing City.
But before Dao Xuanzi could respond, a barrage of voices echoed throughout the city from below.
"Little Cao Hong, we were sent by Master Dao Xuanzi to wait for you here for some time now!"
Along with these voices came a deluge of bullets.
Caught off guard, Cao Hong was hit hard.
"How is this possible? Did Dao Xuanzi know I would flee here beforehand? When did he become so cunning?" Cao Hong was both shocked and angry.
Then, to his horror, Cao Hong discovered that his spiritual energy was being rapidly depleted as he resisted the magical attacks. A quick scan revealed the culprit.
"Immortal-Demon Mist! You despicable scoundrel!" Cao Hong looked incredulously at Dao Xuanzi, as if seeing him for the first time after a century of friendship.
Dao Xuanzi seemed bewildered.
"What's going on with these mortals? Why are they attacking me and using Immortal-Demon Mist?" The sudden incident left Dao Xuanzi momentarily speechless.
But seeing Cao Hong's extreme anger, Dao Xuanzi snapped to attention.
"This place is strange! Cao Hong, these mortals didn't follow my orders!" Dao Xuanzi hurriedly explained.
"How so? Are you afraid of being hunted down by all cultivators if the use of Immortal-Demon Mist becomes public?" "Or are you more worried about your reputation as a respected cultivator crumbling?"
Dao Xuanzi knew his friend's temperament well, realizing that Cao Hong was now out of his mind and wouldn't listen to reason.
He felt he had fallen into some kind of trap.
The eerie atmosphere heightened his sense of danger.
It wasn't wise to argue with Cao Hong at this moment.
Thus, Dao Xuanzi patiently explained, "We've known each other for a century. Have I ever lied to you? This place is not..."
But before he could finish, an old voice suddenly echoed from all directions, cutting him off mid-sentence.
"Master Dao Xuanzi, how can you turn your back on me? Didn't we agree that after you kill Cao Hong here and obtain his Golden Core Technique, I would lead my people out of this Immortal Land?" The voice sounded aggrieved and resentful.
"Golden Core Technique!?" Both Cao Hong and Dao Xuanzi's faces changed color at the mention.
"You're the one! No one else knows about this except you!" Cao Hong's hair stood on end, clearly furious to the point of madness.
"This person actually knows about the Golden Core Technique..." Dao Xuanzi's heart sank.
The voice continued, "Remember, we got into trouble for the Immortal-Demon Mist. Now that public opinion is boiling over, if you don't fulfill your promise and take us out, our tribe might not survive long."
Insulted, Dao Xuanzi roared, "You shameless scoundrel! Shut up!"
He leaped towards the source of the voice to find the mastermind but only saw a strange rectangular object from which the voice emanated. Similar objects were scattered throughout Xuanjing City, making it impossible to know how many there were.
"Such caution..." Dao Xuanzi was at his wit's end.
"Does Master Xuanzi now want to kill me to cover up your tracks?" The mocking voice continued.
Dao Xuanzi gritted his teeth and crushed the object.
To Cao Hong, it looked like Dao Xuanzi was enraged after being exposed and wanted to silence him with violence.
Cao Hong let out a long roar: "Dao Xuanzi! We've known each other for a century, but I see you differently now! You want my Golden Core Technique, why use such underhanded tactics? I won't run anymore. Come get it if you have the guts!"
"Fire Dragon Roar!"
A furious fire dragon circled Cao Hong, roaring loudly.
The fire dragon glared ahead and spat out a crimson flame that shot towards Dao Xuanzi.
Dao Xuanzi sighed helplessly as a flying sword appeared behind him, turning into a white light to meet the fiery blast.