"Is this the Immortal Cultivation World..."
The Taiyan Boat broke through the Immortal-Sealing Grand Formation, emerging amidst a vast mountain range. Below lay a bottomless chasm, its aura faintly reminiscent of the Void Abyss. The mountains rose and fell, shrouded in mist, presenting a magnificent spectacle. Atop the tallest peak, a colossal city floated in mid-air.
Li Fan wanted to laugh, but was instead overtaken by uncontrollable coughing, spitting out blood continuously. He was already too old. Having been on the brink of life and death, the pressure from traversing the Immortal-Sealing Grand Formation had utterly destroyed his vitality. However, being able to glimpse the Immortal Cultivation World before dying made this life worthwhile!
"Return to Origin!"
...
[Simulation Ends]
After the darkness, Li Fan's consciousness gradually returned. Reflecting on his past life, where he had exhausted all efforts and tried various methods but failed to breach the Immortal-Sealing Grand Formation, he inadvertently stumbled upon the solution in the end. Li Fan couldn't help but marvel at the unpredictability of fate. What lingered most in his mind was the final scene of looking back at the Realm-Splitting Whales.
"How much did the cultivators of old despise mortals? Not only did they exile them all and seal them with the Immortal-Sealing Grand Formation, but they also deployed so many Realm-Splitting Whales..."
"No wonder the Dark Layer is so vast, larger than all the previous layers combined. It seems that over the millennia, the Realm-Splitting Whales have carved it out from the void."
"The distance is growing ever greater. In a few years, the Immortal-Forsaken Land might truly detach from the Immortal Cultivation World..."
Various thoughts surged in Li Fan's mind, but he suppressed them one by one. Replacing them was an uncontrollable joy. After nine cycles of reincarnation and nearly five hundred years, he had finally touched the threshold of cultivation. The road ahead was bound to be even more arduous. Yet, Li Fan's pursuit of immortality remained unwavering and unrepentant through a hundred lifetimes!
...
Returning to the present, faced with the choices after this simulation ended, Li Fan found himself unusually perplexed. According to his previous plan, Li Fan intended to accelerate the charging progress. The sooner he completed the Void Energy Charge, the sooner he could head to the Immortal Cultivation World. Even though the path to the Immortal Cultivation World was now clear and without danger, Li Fan still decided to wait until he had a chance to start over before setting out. After all...
The path of immortality is arduous! This Immortal Cultivation World doesn't seem very friendly to mortals. Caution first, no harm in that!
However, upon seeing the list of selectable items, Li Fan hesitated. Among them, he saw the Fragmented Stele. After some thought, Li Fan decided to keep the Fragmented Stele. He wanted to use it to verify a certain suspicion in his heart.
Name: Li Fan
Realm: Mortal
Biological Age: 20/86
Mental Age: 483/1116
Void Energy Charge Progress: 0%
Anchor Charging Progress: 51%
Current Anchor Point Count: 1
Bound Items: Thousand Mysteries Jade Golden Seal, Taiyan Boat, Fragmented Stele (damaged)
...
Thus began Li Fan's tenth life. During the first twenty years of waiting for the charge to complete, Li Fan followed the established historical trajectory with ease. During this period, he only did a few things that wouldn't affect the course of history, preparing for his future journey to the Immortal Cultivation World.
Three years into anchoring, Li Fan arrived outside Qian Hong's tomb. He pondered for a moment, choosing not to use the immortal miasma to break the tomb, but instead directly took out the Fragmented Stele from the Return to Origin. The stele, brought by Li Fan from his previous life, underwent a mysterious change upon appearing in the world. It was enveloped in a soft white light, appearing somewhat illusory. Before long, it slowly dissipated like ice under the scorching sun.
Li Fan then ordered an assault on Qian Hong's tomb. As expected, the power of the Fragmented Stele within the tomb had indeed strengthened significantly!
"Just as I thought! Immortal arts cannot be cultivated together, and neither can these worldly wonders."
"There shouldn't be two identical wonders in the world, yet I used the power of Return to Origin to create another identical one out of thin air. The result was the spontaneous fusion of the two wonders, ultimately merging into one."
"As for which disappears and which remains..."
"Of course, the strong survive, the weak vanish!"
Li Fan squinted his eyes and ordered his men to start breaking the tomb with the immortal miasma spray. The enhanced Fragmented Stele was indeed formidable; even with the use of the immortal miasma, it took considerable effort to gradually diminish its power. Clad in steel armor, Li Fan entered Qian Hong's tomb, his gaze falling upon the Fragmented Stele. Its exterior hadn't changed much, only appearing slightly less damaged.
"Return to Origin still can't absorb it; it seems it's only a quantitative change, not yet a qualitative one," Li Fan thought regretfully. After ordering his men to move the stele out of the tomb, the destructive force surrounding it vanished abruptly. This was convenient for Li Fan. He stored the enhanced Fragmented Stele in the Taiyan Boat, intending to use it as his asset for the journey to the Immortal Cultivation World.
Twenty years into anchoring, the Void Energy Charge was nearing completion. Li Fan ruthlessly purged a batch of corrupt officials and powerful landlords, seizing the gold and silver treasures accumulated by their families over generations. This was because he would still need to interact with mortals after reaching the Immortal Cultivation World, so gold and silver had to be prepared in advance. Moreover, since cultivators occasionally used gold and silver in artifact refinement, there was no concern about them becoming useless in the outside world.
Besides wealth, food was also essential. However, grain was the foundation of the nation, and Li Fan needed an enormous amount. Officials across the board opposed him, and even merchants in the capital raised grain prices upon hearing the news, hoping to make a fortune. Li Fan didn't bother with words; during a morning court session, he placed the Taiyan Boat at its largest size, hovering above the imperial palace in front of all civil and military officials.
The massive Taiyan Boat floated like a dark cloud over Xuanjing. Countless citizens knelt and kowtowed upon seeing it, and the civil and military officials in the court changed their attitudes upon witnessing Li Fan's immortal-like methods. The complaints about Li Fan's killings and wealth accumulation vanished instantly, and they even eagerly helped Li Fan prepare the grain.
With the officials' proactive assistance and after eliminating another batch of unscrupulous merchants, the Taiyan Boat was finally filled to the brim. With everything prepared, Li Fan had no attachments in the mortal world. He piloted the Taiyan Boat back to the skies above the Void Abyss. Opening his mind, he let the Taiyan Boat navigate automatically at a constant speed. It took only a few hours, but to Li Fan, it felt longer than the centuries he had previously endured.
After a long wait, Li Fan finally traversed the Immortal-Sealing Grand Formation and arrived in the Immortal Cultivation World! Adjusting to the tearing sensation of crossing between worlds, Li Fan excitedly looked out from the Taiyan Boat. However, upon seeing the surrounding scenery, Li Fan was left somewhat dumbfounded.
(End of Chapter)