"Sitting back and reaping the benefits, who would've thought there's such a technique in the world?" "It's a pity he just mentioned it in passing and didn't leave the technique behind." "I wonder if we can still find the remains of our fellow cultivator..."
The "Mountain Sitting Technique" was perfect for Li Fan, allowing him to fully use the foresight and intuition of the [Return to Origin]. Before, he didn't know about the "Mountain Sitting Technique," but now that he understood its wonders, he was determined to learn it, and no one could stop him!
He Zhenghao was already dead, and it seemed he hadn't passed on the technique. But that didn't matter. Li Fan had the "Heaven-Stealing Sun-Swapping Technique," which allowed him to use a ritual to take He Zhenghao's memories. Maybe he could recreate the "Mountain Sitting Technique."
If luck wasn't on his side and he didn't succeed, Li Fan could continue planning in his next life. Thinking of this, Li Fan became interested in the ancient cave mansion where He Zhenghao fell.
He Zhenghao and five other Foundation Establishment cultivators all perished, with only one Golden Core cultivator barely surviving. This shocking news caused quite a stir on Ten Thousand Immortals Island. Rumors flew everywhere.
After some investigation, Li Fan gradually pieced together the story. The cave mansion was inside an underwater volcano. It had remained hidden because the volcano was dormant until it suddenly erupted, revealing the cave to passing cultivators. That's when He Zhenghao and his group decided to explore it.
A Golden Core and five Foundation Establishments—this wasn't a weak group. Based on their information, this was just the cave mansion of a Golden Core cultivator named Sunlight True Immortal from ancient times. Normally, exploring a Golden Core cultivator's cave shouldn't have been too dangerous for them.
But upon entering the cave and triggering a restriction, they discovered that Sunlight True Immortal, although a Golden Core, practiced an ancient and long-lost mechanical art. Dozens of Firestone Mechanical Golems were activated, surrounding the group. Only the Golden Core cultivator, Zheng Xiaoyun, managed to escape with severe injuries. The other five Foundation Establishment cultivators were killed by the golems.
Because three of the deceased Foundation Establishment cultivators were guardians of the Congyun Sea islands, the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals sent a Nascent Soul expert to investigate Zheng Xiaoyun, checking for any foul play. The conclusion was that it was indeed an accident.
The death of the five Foundation Establishment cultivators didn't deter others from exploring the cave. Instead, it made them even more eager. Besides the valuable mechanical golems inside, the inheritance of the five cultivators was enough to make many people envious. It's said that a second exploration team was already gathering, led by a Nascent Soul expert named Gou Xuan True Monarch. This person was fascinated by secret arts and couldn't resist the lure of the rediscovered mechanical art.
"I wonder if this exploration will be successful? But since it's led by Nascent Soul and Golden Core cultivators, I won't join the excitement." "With so much treasure, they surely won't compete with me for our fellow cultivator's remains, right?" "Maybe I should post a reward task?" "1000 contribution points? Maybe that's too much, 500 should be enough..."
Li Fan wasn't worried about the "Mountain Sitting Technique" being leaked. Cultivators in this world didn't carry their technique jade slips with them. After mastering a technique, they usually destroyed the jade slip and would only recreate it when needed, like for trading. Immortal techniques couldn't be practiced simultaneously, so techniques were the most valuable resources in the Immortal Cultivation World.
A technique like the "Mountain Sitting Technique," found by chance in an ancient cave, could be sold to the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals or other organizations for a good price if not practiced. Techniques like the "Small Cyclic Water Art," obtained from the Heaven's Mystery Realm, could also be sold back after breaking through to a new realm, recovering some resources.
Once a technique was sold, the memory of it would be erased from the mind.
"Techniques in the world can be divided into two types."
"One type is developed after the great calamity, with backups available. Even if a cultivator dies unexpectedly, the technique won't be lost and will be resold, like the two techniques in Qian Hong's tomb."
"The other type existed before the great calamity and is known only to the practicing cultivator. If they die without leaving a copy, the technique is lost forever, like the 'Mountain Sitting Technique' and 'Sea-Stabilizing Sword.'"
"But with the Heaven-Stealing Sun-Swapping Technique, I can sometimes recreate lost techniques from a cultivator's remains..."
"Maybe that's the right way to use the Heaven-Stealing Sun-Swapping Technique?"
"Am I going back to my old ways?"
Li Fan pondered for a while before shaking his head. "I should first retrieve our fellow cultivator's remains. Before that, I need to complete some tasks to earn contribution points." Creating an avatar required the main body to act. Since he decided that his avatar, Lin Fan, would have no connection to his main body, it was best for the main body to post the task.
500 contribution points might take other cultivators months to accumulate, but for Li Fan, who knew many secrets of the Congyun Sea, it was just a matter of one task. It had been three years since he submitted the blue-blood coral task, so completing one or two tasks now wouldn't draw much attention.
Li Fan began browsing the task list and quickly chose a task with a 2000-point reward. He accepted the task and sent a message. "In the southwestern sea region of the Congyun Sea, beneath Sea Palace Island, in an underwater cave, you'll find the sea beasts you're looking for." "They're equivalent to late-stage Qi Refinement in strength but travel in groups, making them difficult to deal with." "Note, the cave has two levels. You need to explore carefully to find the entrance to the second level." "The sea beast group is in the second cave."
After half a day, the other party confirmed the information's accuracy. Generously, they gave Li Fan 1000 contribution points. With the contribution points in hand, Li Fan immediately posted a 500-point reward task on the Heavenly Profound Mirror. The task stated that he and He Zhenghao had been close friends for nearly forty years. Unable to bear seeing his friend's remains exposed, he posted the reward to have them brought back for a proper burial.
He thought it would take some time for someone to take the task, but surprisingly, it was accepted shortly after. The person was a Foundation Establishment cultivator and part of the gathering exploration team. They even sent a message asking if Li Fan wanted to join them. "With a Nascent Soul expert leading, we'll surely return safely," the person assured confidently.
(End of Chapter)