cǐ shí de hé zhèng hào ， yǐ jīng bǎ nǚ ér de jǐng gào pāo zhī nǎo hòu le 。
此时的何正浩，已经把女儿的警告抛之脑后了。
At this moment, Zhenghao He had already forgotten his daughter's warning.
zài tā xiǎng lái ， jiù suàn jì liàn tiān dì zhī pò de guò chéng shí fēn xiōng xiǎn ， dàn tā hé zhèng hào yě bú shì lǔ mǎng zhī rén 。 jiàn jī xíng shì bà le ， rú guǒ shí zài shì bù kě wèi ， tā yě jué bú huì bái bái sòng sǐ de 。 mào zhe xiē xǔ fēng xiǎn ， dǔ yí gè yī bù dēng tiān de jī huì 。 yòu yǒu hé bù kě ne ？
在他想来，就算祭炼天地之魄的过程十分凶险，但他何正浩也不是鲁莽之人。见机行事罢了，如果实在事不可为，他也绝不会白白送死的。冒着些许风险，赌一个一步登天的机会。又有何不可呢？
In his view, even if the process of refining the Essence of Heaven and Earth was extremely perilous, he wasn't a rash person. He would act according to circumstances. If it truly couldn’t be done, he wouldn't risk dying for nothing. Taking some risks to bet on a chance at rapid advancement—what harm could that do?
rán ér ， hé zhèng hào jué bú huì xiǎng dào ， zhēn zhèng de tiān dì zhī pò hé tā yù xiǎng zhōng de ， zhe shí bú shì yí gè děng jí de cún zài 。
然而，何正浩绝不会想到，真正的天地之魄和他预想中的，着实不是一个等级的存在。
However, Zhenghao He never imagined that the true Essence of Heaven and Earth was actually an entirely different level from what he had anticipated.
shuō dào dǐ ， jiù shì tā yǎn jiè suǒ xiàn le 。 hé zhèng hào rú jīn bù guò jīn dān xiū wèi ， suī rán yóu lì 、 jiāo yóu pǒ guǎng ， dàn yě méi yǒu qīn yǎn jiàn guò 、 shèn zhì yě méi yǒu cóng diǎn jí jì lù zhōng ， liǎo jiě guò tiān dì zhī pò de zhēn zhèng wēi néng 。
说到底，就是他眼界所限了。何正浩如今不过金丹修为，虽然游历、交游颇广，但也没有亲眼见过、甚至也没有从典籍记录中，了解过天地之魄的真正威能。
Essentially, his vision was limited. Zhenghao He's current cultivation was only at the Golden Core realm. Although he had traveled widely and met many people, he hadn't personally seen or even read about the true power of the Essence of Heaven and Earth in ancient texts.
jǐn jǐn shì zhī dào yǒu zhè me yī huí shì bà le 。
仅仅是知道有这么一回事罢了。
He merely knew that such a thing existed.
jiù xiàng nóng fū xiǎng xiàng zhōng huáng dì de jīn chú tou bān ， jù shì shí yuǎn yǐ 。 ér zhè ， yě sì hū yě zhù dìng le hé zhèng hào cǐ shì de bēi jù jié jú 。
就像农夫想象中皇帝的金锄头般，距事实远矣。而这，也似乎也注定了何正浩此世的悲剧结局。
Like how a farmer imagined the golden spade used by an emperor—far from reality. This seemed to have sealed Zhenghao He's tragic fate for this life.
zhèng dāng yī zhòng xiū shì réng rán zài bù zhèng táng zhōng ， tǎo lùn zhe lǐ fán yù yán zhōng de hǎi dǐ shēng téng dòng fǔ de shí hòu 。
正当一众修士仍然在布政堂中，讨论着李凡预言中的海底升腾洞府的时候。
Just as all the cultivators were still discussing Li Fan’s prediction about the underwater ascending cave in the Council Hall, the main subject himself had quietly arrived at the location of the cave.
zhèng zhǔ lǐ fán què shì yǐ jīng qiǎo rán lái dào le dòng fǔ suǒ zài dì 。
正主李凡却是已经悄然来到了洞府所在地。
Within a few hundred miles, the sea bed formed three steep layers like steps. Each layer had a drop of several thousand meters. On each layer, due to intense geological activity, the sea bed rose into many mountain ranges. The scenery was magnificent and even more spectacular than that on land.
zài bù guò shù bǎi lǐ de cháng dù shàng ， hǎi chuáng què rú dǒu qiào de jiē tī yì bān ， xíng chéng le sān dà duàn céng 。 měi yī céng zhī jiān ， dōu yǒu sì wǔ qiān mǐ de luò chà 。 měi gè duàn céng zhī shàng ， hǎi chuáng yóu yú jù liè de dì mài zuò yòng ， lóng qǐ xǔ duō shān mài 。 jǐng xiàng guī lì qí jué ， gèng shèn lù dì shān chuān 。
在不过数百里的长度上，海床却如陡峭的阶梯一般，形成了三大断层。每一层之间，都有四五千米的落差。每个断层之上，海床由于剧烈的地脉作用，隆起许多山脉。景象瑰丽奇绝，更甚陆地山川。
This was where Zhenghao He had refined his essence in the previous life: the Undersea Three Layers.
zhèng shì shàng yī shì hé zhèng hào jié dān de suǒ zài dì ： hǎi dǐ sān duàn céng 。
正是上一世何正浩结丹的所在地：海底三断层。
"Although Zhenghao He from the previous life felt somewhat down, he still didn't lose his进取 spirit. After obtaining the 'Mountain River Concealing Dragon Technique,' he rose like a dragon out of the nine depths and rapidly gained strength. With four methods understanding the Golden Core, his prospects were limitless."
“ shàng yī shì hé zhèng hào suī rán yǒu xiē yù yù bù dé zhì ， dàn què yě méi yǒu sàng shī jìn qǔ zhī xīn ， yī zhāo dé dào 《 shān hé yǐn lóng gōng 》， rú lóng chū jiǔ yuān 、 qiáng shì jué qǐ 。 yǐ sì fǎ lǐng wù jīn dān ， kě wèi qián tú wú liàng 。”
“上一世何正浩虽然有些郁郁不得志，但却也没有丧失进取之心，一朝得到《山河隐龙功》，如龙出九渊、强势崛起。以四法领悟金丹，可谓前途无量。”
"This time around, although Zhenghao He's power far exceeded that in the past, and he was cultivating a technique to align with Dao, he neglected cultivation and only refined one method."
“ ér zhè yī shì ， hé zhèng hào suī rán quán shì yuǎn shèng dāng chū ， xiū xíng de gèng shì yī mén hé dào gōng fǎ 。 dàn què shū yú xiū xíng ， jǐn jǐn dān fǎ jié dān 。”
“而这一世，何正浩虽然权势远胜当初，修行的更是一门合道功法。但却疏于修行，仅仅单法结丹。”
"Even if you have an opportunity, you're not up to it."
“ gěi nǐ jī huì ， nǐ bù zhōng yòng a 。”
“给你机会，你不中用啊。”
Li Fan felt a hint of regret.
lǐ fán xīn zhōng yǐn yǐn yǒu xiē gǎn kǎi 。
李凡心中隐隐有些感慨。
After shaking his head slightly, he got down to business. His divine sense swept over the layers below. "Tao Yuan Sect..."
wēi wēi yáo tóu zhī hòu ， bàn qǐ le zhèng shì 。
微微摇头之后，办起了正事。
What Li Fan had said in the Council Hall was no lie. Although the Tao Yuan Sect was extremely mysterious and dangerous, everyone who entered from the previous life returned safely with a significant increase in cultivation.
shén shí sǎo guò xià fāng de duàn céng shān mài ， tā yǎn jīng wēi mī ：“ cháo yuán zōng ……”
神识扫过下方的断层山脉，他眼睛微眯：“朝元宗……”
Not considering the accidental factors that led to Zhenghao He's Foundation Establishment, this relic should have departed for Nine Mountain State after 22 years, having left the Cunyun Sea.
lǐ fán zhī qián zài bù zhèng táng zhōng suǒ shuō ， bìng fēi xū yán 。 suī rán zhè cháo yuán zōng guǐ yì wú bǐ 、 wēi jī chóng chóng ， dàn shàng yī shì shuò fēng 、 sū xiǎo mèi děng rén jìn rù qí zhōng yòu ān rán fǎn huí zhī hòu ， quán dōu tí shēng le yí gè dà jìng jiè de xiū wèi 。
李凡之前在布政堂中所说，并非虚言。虽然这朝元宗诡异无比、危机重重，但上一世朔锋、苏小妹等人进入其中又安然返回之后，全都提升了一个大境界的修为。
Thus, it still quietly hid beneath the layers.
bù tí shàng yī shì yīn wèi hé zhèng hào zhù jī de yì wài yīn sù ， zhè zuò yí jì yuán běn yīng dāng shì zài máo dìng 22 nián fēi lí cóng yún hǎi 、 qù wǎng jiǔ shān zhōu de 。
不提上一世因为何正浩筑基的意外因素，这座遗迹原本应当是在锚定22年飞离丛云海、去往九山州的。
...
suǒ yǐ cǐ kè réng rán jìng qiāo qiāo de yǐn nì zài duàn céng zhī xià 。
所以此刻仍然静悄悄的隐匿在断层之下。
Having fully inherited Gu Chang’s memories from the Medicine King Sect, Li Fan searched for a while but found no trace of the Tao Yuan Sect.
quán pán jì chéng le yào wáng zōng dú gū chāng de jì yì ， lǐ fán sōu xún le piàn kè ， què bìng méi yǒu cóng zhōng zhǎo dào guān yú cháo yuán zōng de hén jì 。
全盘继承了药王宗独孤昌的记忆，李凡搜寻了片刻，却并没有从中找到关于朝元宗的痕迹。
Not only that, even the Cloud Water Heavenly Palace, which was supposed to be the dominant force in Cunyun Sea, also had nothing.
bù jǐn rú cǐ ， lián hào chēng cóng yún hǎi bà zhǔ de yún shuǐ tiān gōng ， yì shì rú cǐ 。
不仅如此，连号称丛云海霸主的云水天宫，亦是如此。
"There's something strange. According to the records in the Celestial Mirror, both the Cloud Water Heavenly Palace and the Tao Yuan Sect were famous sects from ancient times. Although they can't compare with the Ten Immortal Sects, they are definitely stronger than the Medicine King Sect. Why do none of the Medicine King Sect disciples have any information about them?"
jūn chá wú cǐ zōng 。
均查无此宗。
"Could it be that they weren’t in the same era? The Cloud Water Heavenly Palace might have existed more recently?"
“ qí guài ， wú lùn shì yún shuǐ tiān gōng yì huò shì cháo yuán zōng ， gēn jù tiān xuán jìng zhōng de zī liào xiǎn shì ， dōu shì shàng gǔ shí qī bǐ jiào yǒu míng de zōng mén 。 suī shuō wú fǎ gēn xiān dào shí zōng xiāng tí bìng lùn ， dàn yě jué duì bǐ yào wáng zōng yào qiáng shàng yì diǎn 。 wèi shén me yào wáng zōng dì zǐ nǎo hǎi zhōng ， dōu méi yǒu guān yú tā men de xìn xī ne ？”
“奇怪，无论是云水天宫亦或是朝元宗，根据天玄镜中的资料显示，都是上古时期比较有名的宗门。虽说无法跟仙道十宗相提并论，但也绝对比药王宗要强上一点。为什么药王宗弟子脑海中，都没有关于它们的信息呢？”
Li Fan pondered for a moment but couldn't find an answer. Instead, he found many contradictions and unreasonable aspects.
“ nán bù chéng ， tā men yě bìng bú shì chǔ yú tóng yī gè shí qī 。 yún shuǐ tiān gōng cún zài de nián dài ， hái yào gèng jìn yī xiē ？”
“难不成，他们也并不是处于同一个时期。云水天宫存在的年代，还要更近一些？”
Putting these thoughts aside, Li Fan looked at the sea bed and unleashed his newly understood divine technique [Piercing Heaven Heart Sword].
lǐ fán àn zì sī cǔn piàn kè ， méi néng zhǎo dào dá ān 。 fǎn ér jué de zhū duō xiàn suǒ hù xiāng máo dùn 、 yǒu xǔ duō bù hé lǐ zhī chù 。
李凡暗自思忖片刻，没能找到答桉。反而觉得诸多线索互相矛盾、有许多不合理之处。
In the next instant, countless sword lights suddenly appeared in the continuous underwater mountain ranges.
zàn qiě jiāng qí jì zài xīn zhōng ， lǐ fán kàn zhe xià fāng hǎi chuáng ， shī zhǎn chū le xīn lǐng wù de shén tōng 【 pò tiān xīn jiàn 】。
暂且将其记在心中，李凡看着下方海床，施展出了新领悟的神通【破天心剑】。
Illuminating the dark sea bed, a tremendous roar echoed.
xià yí gè chà nà ， lián mián de hǎi dǐ shān mài zhōng ， hū de chū xiàn liǎo wú shù dào jiàn guāng 。
下一个刹那，连绵的海底山脉中，忽的出现了无数道剑光。
The mountains crumbled, and one after another, huge cracks appeared on the sea bed. This vast underwater wonderland seemed to be instantly torn apart by countless sword lights as Li Fan's heart moved, completely collapsing and disappearing.
jiāng qī hēi de hǎi dǐ zhào liàng zhī hòu ， jù dà de hōng míng shēng dùn shí bù duàn huí dàng 。
将漆黑的海底照亮之后，巨大的轰鸣声顿时不断回荡。
In this chaos, Li Fan finally found the traces of the Tao Yuan Sect hidden away.
shān mài bēng liè ， yī dào yòu yī dào jù dà de liè xì zài hǎi chuáng zhōng chū xiàn 。
山脉崩裂，一道又一道巨大的裂隙在海床中出现。
There was no resistance; he merely watched as the ruins rose up, breaking through the water.
fǎng fú zài shùn jiān bèi wú shù jiàn guāng sī liè ， zhè chù mián yán bǎi lǐ de hǎi dǐ qí jǐng ， suí zhe lǐ fán xīn niàn yī dòng ， jiù chè dǐ wǎ jiě 、 xiāo shī 。
仿佛在瞬间被无数剑光撕裂，这处绵延百里的海底奇景，随着李凡心念一动，就彻底瓦解、消失。
Growing smaller and smaller until it became a cave-like structure, it headed towards Nine Mountain State.
ér zài zhè chǎng hào jié zhī zhōng ， lǐ fán yě zhōng yú zhǎo dào le yǐn cáng de cháo yuán zōng de hén jì 。
而在这场浩劫之中，李凡也终于找到了隐藏的朝元宗的痕迹。
After refining his essence, Li Fan's spirit sense had become even more acute. Just facing the remains of the Tao Yuan Sect, even his heart sensed a looming danger.
méi yǒu zǔ dǎng ， zhǐ shì mù shì zhe yí jì jiàn zhù qún shēng téng ér qǐ ， pò shuǐ ér chū 。
没有阻挡，只是目视着遗迹建筑群升腾而起，破水而出。
"There are countless opportunities in this world; there’s no need to take such risks. Let others go and explore for now. I'll figure out the details later."
yuè lái yuè xiǎo ， zuì zhōng biàn chéng yī zuò dòng fǔ mú yàng ， cháo zhe jiǔ shān zhōu ér qù 。
越来越小，最终变成一座洞府模样，朝着九山州而去。
Li Fan watched as the Tao Yuan Sect left, thinking so to himself.
yuán yīng zhī hòu ， lǐ fán xīn zhōng líng jué yuè fā mǐn ruì 。 gāng gāng zhí miàn cháo yuán zōng yí jì de nà yī shùn jiān ， shèn zhì lián tā xīn zhōng dōu yǐn yǐn gǎn dào yī sī zhì mìng wēi jī 。
元婴之后，李凡心中灵觉越发敏锐。刚刚直面朝元宗遗迹的那一瞬间，甚至连他心中都隐隐感到一丝致命危机。
Although Li Fan didn't care much about it, the remains of the Tao Yuan Sect still caused a stir among the cultivator community.
“ tiān xià jī yuán shù zhī bù jìn ， méi bì yào mào zhè ge fēng xiǎn 。 qiě ràng tiān xià rén zài qù chuǎng yī chuǎng ba ， děng wán quán nòng qīng chǔ le qí zhōng xuán xū zài shuō 。”
“天下机缘数之不尽，没必要冒这个风险。且让天下人再去闯一闯吧，等完全弄清楚了其中玄虚再说。”
Just when he had told everyone that an underwater ascending cave opportunity was appearing. Before the cultivators could even leave the Council Hall, this cave appeared.
lǐ fán mù sòng cháo yuán zōng lí kāi ， xīn zhōng rú cǐ xiǎng dào 。
李凡目送朝元宗离开，心中如此想到。
What a coincidence!
suī rán lǐ fán běn rén bù zài yì ， dàn shì cháo yuán zōng yí jì hái shì zài xiū shì qún tǐ zhōng yǐn qǐ le xuān rán dà bō 。
虽然李凡本人不在意，但是朝元宗遗迹还是在修士群体中引起了轩然大波。
Some cultivators even suspected that Li Fan might have fabricated this cave to once again showcase his mysterious predictive abilities.
qián jiǎo gāng gāng gào sù zhòng rén ， yǒu hǎi dǐ shēng téng dòng fǔ jī yuán chū xiàn 。 shèn zhì xiū shì men hái méi lái de jí quán dōu lí kāi bù zhèng táng ne ， zhè dòng fǔ jiù chū xiàn le 。
前脚刚刚告诉众人，有海底升腾洞府机缘出现。甚至修士们还没来得及全都离开布政堂呢，这洞府就出现了。
However, soon after, such speculations were dismissed. The ancient and沧桑 atmosphere of the ruins couldn't be faked.
zhè yě tài qiǎo le ！
这也太巧了！
Moreover, due to its global significance, with everyone's collective efforts, they quickly traced back the origin of the main hall [Taiyuan Hall].
yǒu xiū shì shèn zhì huái yí ， zhè zuò dòng fǔ huì bú huì shì lǐ fán wěi zào 、 jiù shì wèi le zài cì zhāng xiǎn zì shēn nà shén guǐ mò cè de yù yán néng lì 。
有修士甚至怀疑，这座洞府会不会是李凡伪造、就是为了再次彰显自身那神鬼莫测的预言能力。
Ancient Immortal Sect: Tao Yuan!
bù guò hěn kuài ， zhè zhǒng shuō fǎ jiù bèi fǒu dìng le 。 wú tā ， cháo yuán zōng yí jì zhōng ， nà cāng sāng gǔ lǎo de qì xī ， shì jué duì zuò bù dé jiǎ de 。
不过很快，这种说法就被否定了。无他，朝元宗遗迹中，那沧桑古老的气息，是绝对做不得假的。
A cultivator who was well-versed in ancient cultivation history personally confirmed the authenticity of the ruins.
ér qiě ， yīn wèi jǔ shì zhǔ mù dì yuán gù ， xiū shì men qún cè qún lì zhī xià ， yě shì hěn kuài jiù chá dào le yí jì zhǔ diàn 【 tài yuán diàn 】 de lái lì 。
而且，因为举世瞩目的缘故，修士们群策群力之下，也是很快就查到了遗迹主殿【太元殿】的来历。
Thus, many cultivators within Cunyun Sea and throughout the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance were tempted by what they considered "opportunities" and followed the ruins.
shàng gǔ xiān zōng ， cháo yuán zōng ！
上古仙宗，朝元宗！
Among them was someone Li Fan hadn’t expected.
gèng yǒu yī wèi shú zhī shàng gǔ xiū xíng lì shǐ de huà shén xiū shì qīn zì bèi shū ， zuò shí le yí jì de zhēn shí xìng 。
更有一位熟知上古修行历史的化神修士亲自背书，坐实了遗迹的真实性。
In the Council Hall,
yú shì ， cóng yún hǎi nèi nǎi zhì quán wàn xiān méng ， dōu yǒu bù shǎo xiū shì shòu dào suǒ wèi “ jī yuán ” yòu huò ， yī lù zhuī suí yí jì ér qù 。
于是，丛云海内乃至全万仙盟，都有不少修士受到所谓“机缘”诱惑，一路追随遗迹而去。
"You're also going? The opportunity from the Tao Yuan Sect can't compare to... right? Or are you just going to observe for a while before coming back?" Zhenghao He, full of surprise, asked High Far.
zhè qí zhōng ， shèn zhì hái yǒu yī wèi lǐ fán yì xiǎng bù dào de rén yuán 。
这其中，甚至还有一位李凡意想不到的人员。
"Haha. After returning and thinking about it for three days, I finally realized something was wrong." High Far said with some emotion.
bù zhèng táng nèi 。
布政堂内。
"Even the best iron needs to be tempered by its own strength. No matter how much the大人 favors me, my cultivation is only at the Golden Core realm. Here in Cunyun Sea, I can still maintain order. But if the大人 truly achieves Dao Alignment, his subordinates will surely gather countless Immortals and Transcendents. How could I possibly win their favor? To better follow the footsteps of the大人, I must strive even harder!"
“ nǐ yě yào qù ？ nà cháo yuán zōng jī yuán ， zài zěn me shuō ， yě wú fǎ gēn …… xiāng bǐ ba ？ hái shì shuō ， nǐ xiān qù guān wàng yī zhèn ， mǎ shàng zài huí lái ？” miàn duì gāo yuǎn de cí xíng ， hé zhèng hào mǎn shì cuò è de wèn dào 。
“你也要去？那朝元宗机缘，再怎么说，也无法跟……相比吧？还是说，你先去观望一阵，马上再回来？”面对高远的辞行，何正浩满是错愕的问道。
Zhenghao He wasn't swayed by High Far’s righteous words and suspiciously sized him up.
“ hē hē 。 wǒ huí qù hòu sī lái xiǎng qù ， zǒng jué de yǒu nǎ lǐ bú duì 。 zú zú xiǎng le sān tiān sān yè ， cái zuì zhōng xiǎng míng bái 。” gāo yuǎn yǒu xiē gǎn kǎi dào 。
“呵呵。我回去后思来想去，总觉得有哪里不对。足足想了三天三夜，才最终想明白。”高远有些感慨道。
"Don’t look at me with that expression." High Far smiled. "I didn’t deceive you this time. I've already applied for leave from the大人 and am about to depart."
“ dǎ tiě hái xū zì shēn yìng 。 jiù suàn zài zěn me shòu dà rén qīng lài ， wǒ de shí lì bì jìng zhǐ yǒu jīn dān 。 zài zhè cóng yún hǎi ， shàng qiě hái néng zhèn zhù 。 ruò shì dà rén zhēn de hé dào chéng gōng ， nà shí tā shǒu xià dìng rán shì huà shén 、 yuán yīng yún jí 。 wǒ yòu qǐ néng fú zhòng ？ wèi le gèng hǎo zhuī suí dà rén jiǎo bù ， wǒ gāo yuǎn yě yào pīn mìng yī fān le ！”
“打铁还需自身硬。就算再怎么受大人青睐，我的实力毕竟只有金丹。在这丛云海，尚且还能镇住。若是大人真的合道成功，那时他手下定然是化神、元婴云集。我又岂能服众？为了更好追随大人脚步，我高远也要拼命一番了！”
"How about you, Fellow Daoist Zhenghao? What do you think?" High Far looked meaningfully at Zhenghao He.
hé zhèng hào méi yǒu bèi duì fāng zhè fān yì zhèng yán cí de huà yǔ suǒ gǔ huò ， mǎn shì hú yí de dǎ liàng zhe gāo yuǎn 。
何正浩没有被对方这番义正言辞的话语所蛊惑，满是狐疑的打量着高远。
Zhenghao He hesitated but ultimately refused High Far's request, citing the need to maintain Cunyun Sea’s affairs.
“ bié ná nà zhǒng yǎn shén kàn zhe wǒ 。” gāo yuǎn shěn rán yī xiào 。“ wǒ zhè cì kě méi yǒu hǔ nǐ ， yǐ jīng xiàng dà rén shēn qǐng le jià qī le ， jí kè jiù yào dòng shēn 。”
“别拿那种眼神看着我。”高远哂然一笑。“我这次可没有唬你，已经向大人申请了假期了，即刻就要动身。”
High Far then said no more and bowed before departing.
At this moment, Zhenghao He had already forgotten his daughter's warning.
In his view, even if the process of refining the Essence of Heaven and Earth was extremely perilous, he wasn't a rash person. He would act according to circumstances. If it truly couldn’t be done, he wouldn't risk dying for nothing. Taking some risks to bet on a chance at rapid advancement—what harm could that do?
However, Zhenghao He never imagined that the true Essence of Heaven and Earth was actually an entirely different level from what he had anticipated.
Essentially, his vision was limited. Zhenghao He's current cultivation was only at the Golden Core realm. Although he had traveled widely and met many people, he hadn't personally seen or even read about the true power of the Essence of Heaven and Earth in ancient texts.
He merely knew that such a thing existed.
Like how a farmer imagined the golden spade used by an emperor—far from reality. This seemed to have sealed Zhenghao He's tragic fate for this life.
...
Just as all the cultivators were still discussing Li Fan’s prediction about the underwater ascending cave in the Council Hall, the main subject himself had quietly arrived at the location of the cave.
Within a few hundred miles, the sea bed formed three steep layers like steps. Each layer had a drop of several thousand meters. On each layer, due to intense geological activity, the sea bed rose into many mountain ranges. The scenery was magnificent and even more spectacular than that on land.
This was where Zhenghao He had refined his essence in the previous life: the Undersea Three Layers.
"Although Zhenghao He from the previous life felt somewhat down, he still didn't lose his进取 spirit. After obtaining the 'Mountain River Concealing Dragon Technique,' he rose like a dragon out of the nine depths and rapidly gained strength. With four methods understanding the Golden Core, his prospects were limitless."
"This time around, although Zhenghao He's power far exceeded that in the past, and he was cultivating a technique to align with Dao, he neglected cultivation and only refined one method."
"Even if you have an opportunity, you're not up to it."
Li Fan felt a hint of regret.
After shaking his head slightly, he got down to business. His divine sense swept over the layers below. "Tao Yuan Sect..."
What Li Fan had said in the Council Hall was no lie. Although the Tao Yuan Sect was extremely mysterious and dangerous, everyone who entered from the previous life returned safely with a significant increase in cultivation.
Not considering the accidental factors that led to Zhenghao He's Foundation Establishment, this relic should have departed for Nine Mountain State after 22 years, having left the Cunyun Sea.
Thus, it still quietly hid beneath the layers.
...
Having fully inherited Gu Chang’s memories from the Medicine King Sect, Li Fan searched for a while but found no trace of the Tao Yuan Sect.
Not only that, even the Cloud Water Heavenly Palace, which was supposed to be the dominant force in Cunyun Sea, also had nothing.
"There's something strange. According to the records in the Celestial Mirror, both the Cloud Water Heavenly Palace and the Tao Yuan Sect were famous sects from ancient times. Although they can't compare with the Ten Immortal Sects, they are definitely stronger than the Medicine King Sect. Why do none of the Medicine King Sect disciples have any information about them?"
"Could it be that they weren’t in the same era? The Cloud Water Heavenly Palace might have existed more recently?"
Li Fan pondered for a moment but couldn't find an answer. Instead, he found many contradictions and unreasonable aspects.
Putting these thoughts aside, Li Fan looked at the sea bed and unleashed his newly understood divine technique [Piercing Heaven Heart Sword].
In the next instant, countless sword lights suddenly appeared in the continuous underwater mountain ranges.
Illuminating the dark sea bed, a tremendous roar echoed.
The mountains crumbled, and one after another, huge cracks appeared on the sea bed. This vast underwater wonderland seemed to be instantly torn apart by countless sword lights as Li Fan's heart moved, completely collapsing and disappearing.
In this chaos, Li Fan finally found the traces of the Tao Yuan Sect hidden away.
There was no resistance; he merely watched as the ruins rose up, breaking through the water.
Growing smaller and smaller until it became a cave-like structure, it headed towards Nine Mountain State.
After refining his essence, Li Fan's spirit sense had become even more acute. Just facing the remains of the Tao Yuan Sect, even his heart sensed a looming danger.
"There are countless opportunities in this world; there’s no need to take such risks. Let others go and explore for now. I'll figure out the details later."
Li Fan watched as the Tao Yuan Sect left, thinking so to himself.
Although Li Fan didn't care much about it, the remains of the Tao Yuan Sect still caused a stir among the cultivator community.
Just when he had told everyone that an underwater ascending cave opportunity was appearing. Before the cultivators could even leave the Council Hall, this cave appeared.
What a coincidence!
Some cultivators even suspected that Li Fan might have fabricated this cave to once again showcase his mysterious predictive abilities.
However, soon after, such speculations were dismissed. The ancient and沧桑 atmosphere of the ruins couldn't be faked.
Moreover, due to its global significance, with everyone's collective efforts, they quickly traced back the origin of the main hall [Taiyuan Hall].
Ancient Immortal Sect: Tao Yuan!
A cultivator who was well-versed in ancient cultivation history personally confirmed the authenticity of the ruins.
Thus, many cultivators within Cunyun Sea and throughout the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance were tempted by what they considered "opportunities" and followed the ruins.
Among them was someone Li Fan hadn’t expected.
In the Council Hall,
"You're also going? The opportunity from the Tao Yuan Sect can't compare to... right? Or are you just going to observe for a while before coming back?" Zhenghao He, full of surprise, asked High Far.
"Haha. After returning and thinking about it for three days, I finally realized something was wrong." High Far said with some emotion.
"Even the best iron needs to be tempered by its own strength. No matter how much the大人 favors me, my cultivation is only at the Golden Core realm. Here in Cunyun Sea, I can still maintain order. But if the大人 truly achieves Dao Alignment, his subordinates will surely gather countless Immortals and Transcendents. How could I possibly win their favor? To better follow the footsteps of the大人, I must strive even harder!"
Zhenghao He wasn't swayed by High Far’s righteous words and suspiciously sized him up.
"Don’t look at me with that expression." High Far smiled. "I didn’t deceive you this time. I've already applied for leave from the大人 and am about to depart."
"How about you, Fellow Daoist Zhenghao? What do you think?" High Far looked meaningfully at Zhenghao He.
Zhenghao He hesitated but ultimately refused High Far's request, citing the need to maintain Cunyun Sea’s affairs.
High Far then said no more and bowed before departing.