So this... is the cultivation world...
The Taiyan Boat broke through the Immortal-Slaying Grand Array, emerging within a stretch of mountain ranges.
Below lay a bottomless pit which emanated an aura faintly similar to the Abyssal Chasm.
Rolling mountains wreathed in clouds and mist stretched into the distance, making for a magnificent and awe-inspiring sight.
On the tallest of these peaks, an immense city hung suspended in the air.
Li Fan wanted to laugh heartily, but could only manage an uncontrollable cough while spitting up fresh blood.
He was far too old.
He had already been teetering on the brink of life and death, and the pressure from crossing the Immortal-Slaying Grand Array had utterly drained his remaining vitality.
Yet, being able to catch a single glimpse of the cultivation world before dying meant this lifetime had not been lived in vain!
Return to Truth!
[This simulation has ended.]
After the darkness, Li Fan’s consciousness gradually returned.
He recalled how he had exhausted himself mentally and physically in his last life. Yet, after painstakingly trying every method imaginable, he still failed to breach the Immortal-Slaying Grand Array, only to accidentally stumble upon the solution through sheer luck in the end.
Li Fan could not help but sigh at the unpredictability of fate.
What left an even more indelible mark on him was that final glance at the pods of Realm-Splitting Whales.
Just how much did the cultivators of that era despise mortals? Not only were mortals all exiled and sealed away with the Immortal-Slaying Grand Array, they even deployed so many Realm-Splitting Whales as well...
No wonder that Darkness Layer is so vast, larger than all the previous layers combined. It must have been carved out from the void by these Realm-Splitting Whales over thousands of years.
The distance will only continue to grow. Perhaps, after many years, the Immortal Forsaken Lands will truly break away from the cultivation world entirely...
A torrent of thoughts surged within Li Fan’s mind, each one subsequently suppressed by him.
Replacing them was an irrepressible joy.
After nine lifetimes, across nearly five hundred long years, he had finally brushed against the threshold of cultivation.
He could foresee that the path ahead would undoubtedly be even more arduous. But Li Fan would remain steadfast in his pursuit of eternal life. Even if it took a hundred lifetimes, he would have no regrets!
His mind soon returned to the present. Faced with the choice presented at the conclusion of this simulation, Li Fan found himself uncharacteristically hesitant.
According to his initial plan, Li Fan had intended to accelerate the charging process. The sooner Return to Truth finished charging, the sooner he could leave for the cultivation world.
Indeed, even though the path to the cultivation world was now smooth and clear of danger, Li Fan still decided to play it safe, waiting until he had the chance to start over before setting out on his journey.
After all, the path of immortality was arduous. And by all appearances, this cultivation world did not seem particularly friendly to mortals.
Safety first—there was no argument there!
Yet, upon seeing the list of available items to choose from, Li Fan hesitated once more. Listed clearly among them was the Halt Stele Fragment.
After some consideration, Li Fan ultimately decided to retain the stele fragment. He wanted to take this opportunity to verify a certain hypothesis.
Name: Li Fan
Realm: Mortal
Biological Age: 20/86
Psychological Age: 483/1116
Virtualization Charging Progress: 0%
Charging Progress of Next Anchor Point: 51%
Anchor Points In Use: 1
Bound Items: Thousand Mechanisms Jade Cosmos Scripture, Taiyan Boat, Halt Stele Fragment (Damaged)
Thus, Li Fan’s tenth lifetime began.
While waiting for the charging process to complete, Li Fan acted with practiced ease, following the established trajectory of history.
During this period of twenty years, he only carried out minor actions that wouldn’t alter the usual course of events, preparing for his eventual journey to the cultivation world.
In Anchor Year 3, Li Fan arrived outside Qian Hong’s tomb.
He pondered for a moment, then chose not to employ Immortal-Mortal Miasma to breach the tomb’s protective force. Instead, he retrieved the Halt Stele Fragment from Return to Truth.
As the Halt Stele Fragment that Li Fan had brought from his previous life appeared in this world, a mystical change occurred.
A layer of soft white light coated the stele fragment, giving it an ethereal appearance.
Not long after, it began to dissipate slowly, much like ice melting under the scorching sun.
Li Fan then ordered his men to launch attacks on Qian Hong’s tomb.
Just as Li Fan had anticipated, the power of the Halt Stele Fragment within Qian Hong’s tomb had grown much stronger!
Just as I thought! A single immortal technique cannot be cultivated by multiple practitioners. The same goes for Curios of heaven and earth.
Two identical Curios should not exist in this world, yet I used the power of Return to Truth to create a second one out of thin air. The consequence is that the two Curios spontaneously merge, ultimately returning to a single entity.
As for which one disappears and which one remains... Naturally, the strong survive, while the weak perish!
Li Fan narrowed his eyes and ordered his subordinates to begin breaching the tomb using the Immortal-Mortal Miasma spray.
The enhanced Halt Stele Fragment was indeed extraordinary; even with the use of Immortal-Mortal Miasma, it took considerable effort to whittle down its power.
Clad in steel armor, Li Fan entered Qian Hong’s tomb, his gaze falling on the Halt Stele Fragment.
There were no major changes in its appearance; it merely looked slightly less dilapidated.
Return to Truth still cannot absorb it. It seems this is only a quantitative change, not yet a qualitative transformation. Li Fan thought with regret.
After ordering his subordinates to move the stele fragment out of the tomb chamber, the protective force surrounding it abruptly vanished.
This conveniently suited Li Fan’s purposes. He stored this enhanced Halt Stele Fragment in the Taiyan Boat, keeping it as part of his belongings for his future journey to the cultivation world.
In Anchor Year 20, when Return to Truth was about to finish charging, Li Fan ruthlessly executed a group of corrupt officials and oppressive landlords, seizing all the gold, silver, and jewels their families had accumulated over generations.
He would still need to interact with other mortals after arriving in the cultivation world, so gold, silver, and valuables had to be prepared in advance.
Additionally, since cultivators occasionally incorporated gold and silver into artifact forging, there was no need to worry about these metals losing their value completely.
Apart from wealth, food was also essential. However, grain was the foundation of the state, and moreover, Li Fan was demanding an enormous quantity all at once.
One after another, officials submitted petitions opposing his request. Meanwhile, upon hearing the news, merchants in the capital seized the opportunity to drive up grain prices in an attempt to make a huge profit.
Li Fan didn’t bother with lengthy explanations. Instead, during a morning court session, in front of all civil and military officials, he enlarged the Taiyan Boat to its maximum size and suspended it in the air above the imperial palace.
The massive Taiyan Boat floated above Xuanjing City like a dark cloud.
Commoners who saw it dropped to their knees in reverence. Meanwhile, the court officials, witnessing Li Fan's display of immortal power, shifted their attitudes entirely.
All previous complaints arising from Li Fan’s killings and seizures of wealth vanished in an instant. The crowd even actively and eagerly helped Li Fan gather provisions.
With the officials’ proactive assistance, and after executing the group of unscrupulous merchants, the Taiyan Boat was finally filled to the brim.
With all preparations made, Li Fan had no more attachments to the mortal world.
He piloted the Taiyan Boat, arriving once more above the Abyssal Chasm.
He relaxed his mind, allowing the Taiyan Boat to proceed at a constant, self-guided speed.
The entire journey took only a few hours, yet to Li Fan, it felt far longer than all the centuries he had experienced before.
After the interminable wait, Li Fan finally broke through the Immortal-Slaying Grand Array and arrived in the cultivation world!
As he acclimated to the rending sensation of crossing between two worlds, Li Fan peered out excitedly from the Taiyan Boat.
Yet, as he looked at the surrounding scenery, Li Fan was left utterly dumbstruck.