After leaving Glass Island, Li Fan followed the guidance given by He Zhenghao and flew westward for two days, arriving at a sea area filled with reefs and whirlpools.
Activating the Concealment Talisman, Li Fan dove into the ocean and discovered an entrance to the Immortal-Forsaken Land within the ruins at the seabed.
It was an unassuming well.
As he entered the well, a familiar aura, reminiscent of the Great Xuan Kingdom's Void Abyss, enveloped him.
Continuing down the passage within the well, Li Fan suddenly felt a wave of dizziness after an unknown period of time.
When he regained his senses, he found himself in a boundless expanse of darkness, devoid of seawater.
"It seems that the Immortal-Sealing Grand Formation sealing off the various minor worlds is all the same," Li Fan mused as he gazed into the void.
A colony of over ten thousand Realm-Splitting Whales concealed themselves in the darkness, tirelessly opening up space and pushing the Immortal-Forsaken Land away from the Immortal Cultivation World.
Just like the Great Xuan Kingdom he had previously inhabited.
The Realm-Splitting Whales were extremely sensitive to the presence of mortals but paid no heed to Immortal Cultivators.
However, Li Fan chose to cautiously avoid the Realm-Splitting Whales and approached the Thunderstorm Layer.
At this moment, He Zhenghao's words echoed in his mind.
"The Immortal-Sealing Grand Formation isolates the Immortal-Forsaken Land from the Immortal Cultivation World. If one were to force their way in, even a Foundation Establishment cultivator must tread carefully. However, as long as you follow the method I mentioned to breach the formation, you won't trigger the grand formation's attack..."
Li Fan circulated his spiritual energy as instructed by He Zhenghao and flew into the Thunderstorm Layer.
He remained stationary for a while, with violent thunderbolts striking around him, yet none landed on him.
"Indeed effective. This way, even without the Taiyan Boat, I can pass through the Immortal-Sealing Grand Formation. The ordinary wooden boat given to the mortals of the Immortal-Forsaken Land uses the formation to stabilize these fluctuations, thus avoiding the grand formation's attacks."
"The Taiyan Boat's passage through the Immortal-Sealing Grand Formation was a method established during its construction. He Zhenghao essentially cracked the grand formation's defense system, creating a secret door for himself."
"From this perspective, he wasn't exaggerating. His mastery of formations is indeed extraordinary."
With this verification, Li Fan decided against crossing with his physical body.
He summoned the Taiyan Boat and skillfully navigated through the Immortal-Sealing Grand Formation, heading towards the Great Li Kingdom.
...
Both the Great Li and Great Xuan were mundane worlds, with similar circumstances.
However, at the center of this world stood a towering volcano, thousands of meters high.
The volcano erupted every two to three hundred years, causing countless casualties.
Moreover, the eruptions had been occurring more frequently and on a larger scale.
The ruling class of the Great Li Dynasty feared that one day the volcano would transform this world into a lava hell, and thus sought every possible means to escape this realm.
Yet, they could never find a way out.
Until fifty years ago, an Immortal Master suddenly descended. He promised to take a group of people away every ten years.
The condition was that they must help him gather the materials on a list.
Naturally, the nobles of the Great Li were overjoyed and agreed.
Thus, the trade between both parties had continued for fifty years.
As the time for this transaction approached, the four watchtowers in the capital of the Great Li were manned by Immortal-Seeking Officials at all times.
Therefore, when Li Fan arrived at the capital of the Great Li, he heard the continuous ringing of bells below.
Soon after, the Emperor of the Great Li, accompanied by civil and military officials, approached Li Fan.
"Welcome, Immortal Master!"
In the square, the Emperor and officials knelt on the ground, shouting in unison.
"The appointed day has arrived. Have you gathered the materials?" Li Fan asked coldly from his elevated position.
The Emperor of the Great Li hurriedly replied, "Reporting to the Immortal Master, all items on the list have been prepared."
Li Fan nodded, "If so, take me to retrieve them."
Thus, under the Emperor's personal guidance, Li Fan arrived at the royal treasury.
Here, the materials prepared by He Zhenghao were neatly categorized and labeled with names and quantities.
Li Fan swept his divine sense across the items and nodded in satisfaction.
Not only were the required materials all present, but each one exceeded the requested amount slightly.
After placing the materials into the storage ring given by He Zhenghao, this mission was deemed successfully completed.
Smooth sailing, without any setbacks.
Aside from the travel time, the risks were nearly zero.
No wonder He Zhenghao was so eager; it truly was a lucrative deal.
After handing over the wooden boat inscribed with formations to the Emperor of the Great Li and seeing the joy on his face, Li Fan suddenly asked, "Is the Prince of Southern Town present today?"
The Emperor was taken aback; usually, Immortal Masters would take the materials and leave directly, not inquiring about the Prince of Southern Town.
Not daring to be negligent, the Emperor replied anxiously, "Reporting to the Immortal Master, my brother has long been stationed at the southern border and is not in the capital."
"However, his son, Xiao Heng, is here," the Emperor quickly added, fearing he might anger the Immortal Master.
Li Fan nodded, understanding that Xiao Heng was kept in the capital as a hostage, and was not surprised: "Where is he now? Take me to see him!"
The Emperor, not knowing where the mere hostage of the Prince of Southern Town resided, was at a loss and froze in place, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
Fortunately, a nearby guard quickly whispered, "Your Majesty, that Xiao Heng should be staying at Scholar Su's residence."
"Scholar Su..." Li Fan's heart stirred at this mention.
Hearing this, the Emperor breathed a sigh of relief and quickly arranged for someone to lead the way.
Before long, Li Fan met Xiao Heng at the Su residence.
At this moment, he was still just a seven or eight-year-old child, surrounded by so many strangers, his little face filled with nervousness.
The small figure overlapped with his memories of Xiao Heng, causing Li Fan to chuckle softly.
"I see this child possesses extraordinary talent; he will surely not be an ordinary person in the future," he suddenly remarked.
The expressions of those present varied as they looked at the bewildered Xiao Heng, who was unaware of what was happening.
Then, Li Fan gently pointed his finger at Xiao Heng's forehead.
He transmitted the methods for using the Xuanhuang Heart Refining Mantra and the corresponding medicinal herbs to him.
"I will return in ten years to personally take him away," Li Fan said, scanning the crowd with indifference.
In an instant, those who had previously harbored ill thoughts were drenched in cold sweat, trembling in fear.
The Emperor of the Great Li naturally understood the implication of Li Fan's words and quickly promised, "Immortal Master, rest assured, I will take good care of him."
Li Fan nodded in satisfaction.
At present, he was still establishing his footing in the Immortal Cultivation World, and in two years, he would explore the Cloud Water Heavenly Palace, with an uncertain future ahead.
He could only transmit the Xuanhuang Heart Refining Mantra to Xiao Heng, waiting for the day when he would mature before coming to take him into the Immortal Cultivation World.
With matters of the Immortal-Forsaken Land concluded, Li Fan prepared to leave.
But suddenly, a childish voice rang out from the crowd.
"Please, Immortal Master, save my sister!"
(End of Chapter)