High above in the sky, a strange phenomenon reappeared!
A giant sword, forged through countless trials, lay forgotten in the shadows, untouched for millennia. As time passed, its blade lost its luster, its edge dulled, and its entire body became riddled with rust. Yet, a surge of anger and unwillingness suddenly emerged!
The corrosion of rust grew more severe, but the sword's mystical aura and majesty increased day by day!
"Dao Xuanzi, a foundation-building cultivator, practiced for two hundred and one years, establishing his foundation with the mystical artifact [Rust Sword Dao Xuan]. In the Immortal-Forsaken Land, he fought fiercely and ultimately fell at the hands of the foundation-building cultivator Kou Hong."
"Now, with his death, the Dao fades, returning to the heavens!"
The dazzling scene lit up the sky for thousands of miles like fireworks.
"Dao Xuanzi..." Kou Hong looked up at the magnificent spectacle, seemingly stunned, muttering to himself incessantly. All the soldiers present also gazed at the sky, lost in thought.
"I am Li Fan, greeting the Immortal Master."
At this moment, an elderly man with white hair and beard, leaning on a cane, shakily approached Kou Hong. Kou Hong ignored him, and Li Fan, unhurried, stood by, signaling the soldiers to wait patiently.
After a long while, when the celestial phenomenon dissipated, Kou Hong finally looked at Li Fan.
"Are you the leader of these mortals?" Kou Hong's tone was harsh, clearly not having a good impression of Li Fan. "The voice that echoed earlier, was that you?"
"A trivial trick, not worth the Immortal Master's attention." Li Fan cupped his hands, avoiding the topic, and bowed deeply. "I humbly ask the Immortal Master for mercy, to save the lives of over a thousand of my clan."
"Mercy..." Kou Hong sneered at the words. "My battle with Dao Xuanzi was a test of skill, life and death left to fate. You, a mere mortal, dared to interfere in the battle between us cultivators."
He looked at Li Fan, his words filled with killing intent: "Speaking of which, although Dao Xuanzi and I fought to the death over the Core Formation technique, he was still my brother for over a hundred years. Now that you have plotted against him, should I not kill you to avenge Dao Xuanzi?"
Unfazed by Kou Hong's aggressive stance, Li Fan merely smiled bitterly: "I only sought a sliver of hope! As I mentioned before, if the Immortal Master were to fall, my clan would surely face death."
Hearing this, Kou Hong's expression softened. He sighed lightly: "A sliver of hope indeed. You're right, the world is harsh, and who isn't struggling for that sliver of hope?"
Seeing Kou Hong's tone soften, Li Fan quickly seized the opportunity: "Previously, Dao Xuanzi... the Immortal Master promised me that if..."
Before he could finish, Kou Hong frowned and interrupted: "If it's about that matter, I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. Dao Xuanzi probably never intended to fulfill his promise from the start."
Li Fan was taken aback: "What does the Immortal Master mean by this?"
Kou Hong replied with a hint of sarcasm: "For a hundred years, Dao Xuanzi maintained a serious and unwavering image in front of others, but who would have thought he would act without principles, even deceiving mortals."
He paused, observing Li Fan's expression, then continued: "The Immortal-Sealing Grand Formation is extremely dangerous. We were lucky to break in. Even we find it difficult to leave, let alone take mortals with us."
"What? You don't know how to leave this place either?" Li Fan was shocked, his face turning grim. A century of hope was dashed by the cultivator before him, nearly breaking his spirit.
Fortunately, having endured many trials, Li Fan's mind was resilient. He composed himself and said to Kou Hong: "This is not the place to talk. Please, Immortal Master, follow me."
With that, he led Kou Hong through the ruins of Xuanjing City, arriving at an underground shelter. During Kou Hong and Dao Xuanzi's conflict, the city's soldiers hid in these shelters. Xuanjing City had over a hundred such shelters, varying in size.
Though buried underground, the shelter was well-lit and ventilated, not at all stifling. Kou Hong examined the lights on the ceiling with interest, praising: "No wonder Dao Xuanzi sought cooperation with you mortals. To harness and utilize the power of lightning, it seems you mortals in the Immortal-Forsaken Land have developed quite well over the millennia. Even the hidden weapons earlier were quite formidable."
He then shook his head: "Unfortunately, these artifacts are only useful in this land where the Great Dao is incomplete. Outside, under the pressure of the Great Dao's laws, these things are useless."
"By the way, when did Dao Xuanzi find you to plot against me? The timing doesn't match. Could it be he secretly practiced the art of creating avatars?" Kou Hong suddenly asked, recalling something.
Li Fan remained calm, about to answer, when Kou Hong suddenly lost interest, waving his hand: "Forget it, why dwell on it? After death, all is void." With that, he sat down, looking dejected, clearly affected by Dao Xuanzi's death.
"It's best not to ask about this. If I say too much, there might be flaws," Li Fan thought to himself.
He then nervously asked Kou Hong: "Earlier, the Immortal Master mentioned that mortals cannot leave this Immortal-Forsaken Land. Is this true?"
Kou Hong sneered: "You, a mere mortal, why would I lie to you? Perhaps a Golden Core stage cultivator could protect a mortal through the Immortal-Sealing Grand Formation, but with just a foundation-building level, it's impossible!"
"Of course, if you don't mind being reduced to a few pieces upon exiting, I might be willing to give it a try."
Ignoring Kou Hong's not-so-funny joke, Li Fan persistently asked: "Is there truly no hope for us mortals to leave this world?"
Kou Hong thought for a moment, then shook his head: "To leave the Immortal-Forsaken Land, one must break through the Immortal-Sealing Grand Formation. With a mere mortal body, it's impossible. Any attempt is just seeking death. Besides, at your age, why are you so determined to leave? Being a local ruler isn't so bad."
Kou Hong looked indifferent.
"I may not mind dying, but I wish to leave some hope for my descendants," Li Fan persisted. "If my descendants could cultivate to the foundation-building stage like the Immortal Master, wouldn't they have a chance to leave?"
Kou Hong laughed heartily: "Not to mention there's no spiritual energy here to cultivate, but the immortal and mortal are eternally separated. Mortals here are tainted with miasma, how can they cultivate the immortal path?"
Kou Hong sneered: "I advise you to give up. For you mortals to cultivate, you must first go outside to reshape your body and cleanse the miasma. Otherwise, even if the path to immortality is before you, you can see it but not touch it."
After several questions, with Kou Hong so certain, Li Fan seemed to finally give up.
"The immortal and mortal are eternally separated, eternally separated..." Li Fan murmured, seemingly lost, "So, there's truly no way?"
"Truly none." Seeing Li Fan's extreme dejection, Kou Hong inexplicably felt pleased.
"Truly none," he repeated.
"As the Immortal Master said, the immortal and mortal are eternally separated." Li Fan sighed deeply.
"Yes, yes," Kou Hong nodded repeatedly.
Li Fan, appearing crushed by this harsh truth, seemed dazed as he took his leave.
The moment he stepped out of the shelter, the door slammed shut.
Kou Hong's expression changed, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart.
But it was too late.
Billowing white mist, filled with the immortal miasma, erupted from all corners of the room.
"Ah!"
Kou Hong let out a scream, swallowed by the dense fog.
Outside the shelter, Li Fan's gaze was deep as he slowly spoke: "Since the immortal and mortal cannot coexist."
"How could I, a mere mortal, fully trust your words?"
(End of Chapter)