This small wooden boat was precisely the flying boat that Li Fan had been yearning for. Through a message carved on the tomb wall by the tomb's owner before his death, Li Fan finally understood the entire story.
It turned out that the tomb's owner was named Qian Hong, a cultivator at the Foundation Establishment stage. Over three thousand years ago, he was pursued by enemies and, with no other options, hid in this Immortal-Forsaken Land. He initially intended to hide for a while and then leave, but who would have thought that this place was devoid of spiritual energy? Moreover, he was a poor cultivator with barely any spirit stones. It wasn't long before his spirit stones were exhausted. Without spirit stones to replenish his qi, his cultivation deteriorated.
After failing to forcibly break through the Immortal-Sealing Grand Formation and suffering severe injuries, Qian Hong realized he was trapped here. However, he was a tenacious individual and did not give up. He speculated that when mortals were exiled here a millennium ago, they might have left behind one or two flying boats. Thus, he searched extensively and spent decades until he finally found the tomb of Yi Xing.
Indeed, there was a flying boat in the tomb, but to his despair, the power core formation within the boat was damaged, and he was not skilled in artifact crafting, unable to repair it. Moreover, even if the flying boat were repaired, without spirit stones, he could not provide enough power for it with his cultivation at the time.
At this point, Qian Hong finally abandoned the idea of leaving this Immortal-Forsaken Land. He then lived out his life incognito as a mortal. Before his death, he carved his life's story on the tomb wall, hoping that if a cultivator ever entered his tomb, they could take his remains back to the Immortal Cultivation World. The few items he left in the tomb were his pre-paid reward.
The first item was the source of power that guarded Qian Hong's tomb, which had previously caused the deaths of dozens of explorers. It was also the reason Qian Hong believed that anyone who could break in must be a cultivator. It was a rare treasure of heaven and earth: the Fragmented Stele. A half-broken stone tablet with a barely visible "Halt" character on it.
Li Fan touched the stone tablet, and [Return to Origin] had no reaction, which was somewhat disappointing. Previously, to force his way into the tomb, he had used a large amount of immortal miasma, and now this Fragmented Stele, affected by the immortal miasma, had become an ordinary stone. However, Li Fan didn't mind much, knowing the location of Qian Hong's tomb, he could return in the next life to retrieve it.
The second item left by Qian Hong was two jade slips. The jade slips contained the cultivation techniques he painstakingly exchanged from the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals.
"Small Return to Origin Technique, Qi Refining stage technique, current practitioners: 1."
"Cloud Water Record, Foundation Establishment stage technique, current practitioners: 1."
Picking up the jade slips and sensing the information they transmitted, Li Fan's heart skipped a beat, thinking Qian Hong might not be dead and that this was a trap he had set. But after a moment, Li Fan realized that over three thousand years had passed. Not to mention a Foundation Establishment cultivator, even a Golden Core cultivator would have turned to dust by now.
As for why these techniques still had practitioners, Li Fan quickly understood. The Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals must have original archives of the techniques. If they saw the number of practitioners drop to zero, they would know the previous cultivators had perished. Naturally, they would then make these techniques available for others to exchange again. Over the past three thousand years, who knows how many owners these two techniques have had.
"Black... truly black..." Li Fan thought speechlessly.
After some reflection, Li Fan turned his attention to the third item, the Taiyan Boat. This was the tool used by the Taiyan Sect to migrate mortals. Perhaps it was precisely because this flying boat was broken that it was left behind. After thousands of years of twists and turns, it had now fallen into Li Fan's hands, becoming his hope to escape this Immortal-Forsaken Land.
Holding the Taiyan Boat, Li Fan's heart surged with emotion. Hundreds of years of anticipation had finally come to fruition. As for the Taiyan Boat being damaged, Li Fan was not worried at all. Qian Hong couldn't repair it, and neither could Li Fan, but there were others who could!
...
Fifteen years later, after anchoring for fifty years, Kou Hong and Dao Xuanzi returned to Xuan Capital City.
"Dao Xuanzi! Don't push me too far!"
"Kou Hong! Do you think I'll let you go just because you fled to this Immortal-Forsaken Land? Hand over the technique you obtained that day, or we'll fight to the death!"
"Ridiculous, it's precisely because I lack the method to form a Golden Core that I've been stuck at the Foundation Establishment stage for nearly a century, with my lifespan limit approaching, about to turn to bones. Now that I've obtained this Golden Core technique, how could I possibly give it to someone else!"
"Indeed! The path to the Golden Core allows for no others. Though there are many methods to form a Golden Core in this world, there are even more cultivators stuck at the Foundation Establishment stage! Given this, with the path to longevity before me, how could I let you go, how could I not push you too far!"
"After all, it's just a fight! It's laughable that we, brothers for a century, now draw swords against each other for a chance at life!"
...
The two were about to fight to the death when they heard hearty laughter coming from below in Xuan Capital City.
"Is a mere Golden Core technique worth a life-and-death battle between you two?!"
Kou Hong and Dao Xuanzi both changed expressions and looked down.
"Who is it! Such arrogance!"
"Presumptuous!"
Though they spoke harshly, their expressions became cautious.
"Why don't you two come down for a chat!"
Below, in the Grand Tutor's residence, a silver-haired elder shouted loudly.
Kou Hong and Dao Xuanzi exchanged glances, maintained a cautious distance, and descended into the Grand Tutor's residence.
"Hahaha, please!" The silver-haired elder seemed very pleased, leading the two to the main hall to sit down. After ordering servants to prepare food and wine, he sighed and said, "When my ancestor was on his deathbed, he said that in the future, two people might come from the East of the Void Abyss to the capital, which would be the opportunity for our clan to leave this place."
"For thousands of years, my clan has been half-believing and half-doubting. Today, it is proven true, let's celebrate with a drink!" The elder laughed heartily and drank the wine in his cup in one go.
Kou Hong and Dao Xuanzi looked at each other in bewilderment.
"May I ask your name?" Kou Hong was the first to speak, his tone much more polite.
"I am Li Fan," Li Fan replied with a smile.
"From your words, it seems your ancestor foresaw our arrival here thousands of years ago? What do you mean by the opportunity to leave this place?" Dao Xuanzi frowned, scrutinizing Li Fan.
Li Fan seemed a bit displeased by this: "What? You two don't believe?"
Kou Hong chuckled and shook his head: "This matter is too mysterious. We have roamed the Immortal Cultivation World for a century and have never heard of any divination technique that can predict events a thousand years in advance."
Dao Xuanzi also shook his head in agreement.
Li Fan straightened up, looking down at them with a proud gaze: "Have you two ever heard of the Taiyan Sect?"
Kou Hong and Dao Xuanzi exchanged a shocked glance: "Could it be the ancient sect renowned for its divination techniques?"
Li Fan secretly breathed a sigh of relief and nodded slightly: "My ancestor was indeed a member of the Taiyan Sect."
(End of Chapter)