Void Abyss, located at the easternmost part of the Great Xuan Kingdom, is an unfathomable chasm perpetually shrouded in thick fog. A misstep would surely result in a fate where not even bones remain.
No one knows what lies beneath the Void Abyss. It has been a forbidden zone for humans for years, a place where even birds have vanished.
However, Li Fan, through his previous simulation experience, learned that the dense fog above the Void Abyss disperses once every fifteen years. Today, he came to the Void Abyss to witness it with his own eyes.
After all, if his guess was correct, the two immortal cultivators, Dao Xuanzi and Kou Hong, likely arrived at this Immortal-Forsaken Land through the Void Abyss.
Li Fan stood silently, gazing at the awe-inspiring endless abyss not far away, patiently waiting.
After an unknown period, the ancient aura-emitting thick white fog finally began to change.
"Woo..."
A low howl, as if from an ancient beast, faintly emanated from below. As the sound gradually grew louder, everyone realized it was the sound of the wind!
The thick white fog was stirred, creating ripples.
Then the wind intensified, forcing a massive amount of white fog to gush out from the Void Abyss, shooting skyward like an inverted waterfall.
The strong wind lasted for nearly half an hour before the dense fog finally dispersed.
Li Fan, with a serious expression, took out a telescope to look at the bottom of the Void Abyss.
Initially, the bottom of the Void Abyss was pitch black, revealing nothing.
Gradually, tiny specks of light began to appear.
After a long while, the bottom of the Void Abyss erupted in brilliance, presenting an inverted mirage-like scene to Li Fan's eyes.
According to information, the scene at the bottom of the Void Abyss appears differently to each observer.
The scene before Li Fan, however, left him deeply shaken.
A dilapidated mountain gate, surrounded by collapsed buildings. The ground and walls, full of cracks, bore the marks of sword and spell impacts.
Some areas seemed to be stained with blood, displaying an eerie dark red hue.
Scattered corpses and weapons littered the ground, silently narrating a calamity from years past.
Li Fan, filled with shock, shifted his view and saw four large characters carved on a smooth cliff.
"Immortal Dao is Extinct"!
The characters were black and red, seemingly written in blood.
Even from an unknown distance, seeing these four characters, Li Fan could feel the indescribable fear and despair contained within.
"Immortal Dao is Extinct... What on earth happened here; what has transpired in the entire cultivation world?" Li Fan was immersed in thought, speechless for a long time.
...
The fog only dispersed for half a day before beginning to gather again, and Li Fan returned to Xuanjing.
Time flowed, and soon it was the anchor point of fifty years.
On this day, Li Fan's seventieth birthday, thousands of soldiers in Xuanjing were on high alert.
"Dao Xuanzi! Don't push me too far!"
Kou Hong turned and shouted angrily, hovering above Xuanjing.
Before Dao Xuanzi could respond, voices echoed from below, resounding throughout Xuanjing.
"Kou Hong, we have been waiting here on the orders of Immortal Master Dao Xuanzi!"
With the voices came a barrage of bullets.
Caught off guard, Kou Hong was hit directly.
"How is this possible? Did Dao Xuanzi know I would flee here? When did he become so cunning?!" Kou Hong was both shocked and furious.
Immediately, Kou Hong realized in horror that his spiritual power was rapidly depleting while resisting these weapons. A sweep of his divine sense revealed the truth.
"Immortal miasma!? Dao Xuanzi, you are despicable!" Kou Hong looked at the approaching Dao Xuanzi with disbelief, as if seeing this century-old friend for the first time.
Dao Xuanzi was momentarily bewildered.
"Who are these mortals, and why are they attacking Kou Hong under my name? How do they even know how to use immortal miasma?" The sudden turn of events left Dao Xuanzi's mind in disarray.
But seeing the extremely enraged Kou Hong not far away, Dao Xuanzi snapped back to reality.
"This place is strange! Kou Hong, these mortals are not under my command!" Dao Xuanzi hurriedly explained.
"What? Afraid to admit it?" Kou Hong laughed angrily. "Or are you worried that using immortal miasma will make you a target for all cultivators? Or perhaps you're more concerned about your century-old reputation being ruined?"
Dao Xuanzi knew his brother's temperament well, realizing that Kou Hong had lost all reason and wouldn't listen to anything he said.
Dao Xuanzi sensed he had fallen into a trap.
The eerie atmosphere here heightened his sense of danger.
Fighting Kou Hong now was unwise.
Thus, he patiently explained to Kou Hong, "We've known each other for a hundred years, have I ever lied to you? This place is indeed not..."
Before he could finish, an old voice suddenly echoed from all directions, interrupting him.
"Immortal Master Dao Xuanzi, how can you deny it now? Didn't you promise that if we helped you kill Kou Hong here and seize his Core Formation technique, you would lead my people out of this Immortal-Forsaken Land?" The voice sounded aggrieved, with a hint of resentment.
"Core Formation technique?!" Both Kou Hong and Dao Xuanzi's expressions changed upon hearing this.
"You still deny it! Besides you and me, who else in this world knows about this?!" Kou Hong's hair and beard stood on end, clearly enraged to the extreme.
"This person actually knows about the Core Formation technique..." Dao Xuanzi's heart sank completely.
Meanwhile, the voice below continued its monologue: "You must know, for the immortal miasma you mentioned, we have incurred great wrath. Now, with public resentment boiling, if Immortal Master doesn't keep his word and lead us out, it won't be long before my people are doomed!"
Being slandered, Dao Xuanzi felt utterly vexed and shouted, "Shameless scoundrel, shut up!"
He flew towards the source of the voice, intending to find the mastermind, only to see a strange rectangular object. The voice emanated from it. Similar objects were scattered throughout Xuanjing, with no telling how many there were!
"So cautious..." Dao Xuanzi was utterly helpless.
"Is Immortal Master now planning to silence us?" The mocking voice continued from within.
Dao Xuanzi's teeth ground together, and he crushed the object in his hand.
In Kou Hong's eyes, it seemed as if Dao Xuanzi, exposed, was enraged and trying to silence witnesses.
Kou Hong roared to the sky, "Dao Xuanzi! We've known each other for a hundred years, yet I misjudged you! If you want the Core Formation technique, why resort to such despicable means? I won't run anymore; come and take it if you can!"
"Dao Technique: Furious Dragon!"
An enraged fire dragon coiled around Kou Hong, letting out a thunderous roar.
The fire dragon glared ahead, spewing a red flame directly at Dao Xuanzi.
Dao Xuanzi sighed helplessly. With a soft chant, a flying sword appeared behind him, transforming into a white light to meet the red flame.
(End of Chapter)