Sun Zhang glanced at Su Changyu, explaining patiently, “For mortals to cultivate, they must first purge the miasma within their bodies. You have just arrived from the Immortal Forsaken Lands, so you carry a concentration of miasma far exceeding that of ordinary people. Without cleansing this miasma, cultivation is impossible.”
Su Changyu frowned. “We already knew that much. But how does one remove this miasma?”
“There are several methods,” Sun Zhang said. “The first is the Body Purification Spirit Pool on the island. Soaking in the spirit pool for a full day and night can enable one to purge all the miasma from one’s body. Unfortunately, the materials required to activate the pool are astonishingly costly. Though our Liuli Island is prosperous, we can only open it once every three years. Let me think... the last opening was a year ago. That means you’d need to wait nearly two more years.
“Furthermore, the number of spots to enter the spirit pool is limited, and competition is fierce. You outsiders have no foundation here. How could you possibly compete with the island’s established families?” Sun Zhang shook his head.
“What about the other methods?” Su Changyu pressed.
“The second method is to practice the Xuanhuang Heart Clarification Sutra,” Sun Zhang continued. “Coupled with specific medicines and a regulated diet, it gradually alters one’s constitution over time, eventually allowing one to purge one’s internal miasma completely. While this method is time-consuming, often taking five or six years, it is stable and requires no special sacrifices. The Xuanhuang Heart Clarification Sutra and the corresponding elixirs can be purchased at the island’s apothecaries.”
“Five or six years...” Su Changyu murmured softly, then asked stubbornly, “What else?”
“The third method is to become an experimental subject.” At this, Sun Zhang’s expression darkened, and a flicker of barely suppressed fear crossed his features, but he still answered Su Changyu.
“Experimental subject?” Su Changyu looked bewildered.
“Correct. Some Immortal Masters are very interested in the miasma within our mortal bodies. Every year, they select volunteers from the island’s mortal population to serve as test subjects. The Immortal Masters use special means to draw out the miasma slowly from the subjects for their research. It takes only a few months to completely drain a subject of their miasma.”
Sun Zhang’s face seemed to pale, as if recalling something. “But the process... it is utterly agonizing. One could say it’s a state where you crave death but cannot die, and wish to live but find it unbearable. The vast majority break under the torment long before the miasma is fully extracted, driven utterly mad.
“I do not recommend this method for you. It is truly beyond what an ordinary person can endure.”
It was unclear if Su Changyu had truly taken in Sun Zhang’s warning. He remained silent for a moment before asking again, “Are there any other methods?”
Sun Zhang shook his head. “It is said that the direct mortal descendants of certain Immortal Masters are provided with heaven-defying treasures to reforge their bodies. Not only does this free them from worries about miasma, but it also enhances their cultivation aptitude simultaneously. However, such means are beyond the imagination of people like you and me. Even the Liuli Island Master did not receive such treatment.
“That is all I know. If you truly wish to cultivate, you should carefully consider your options in the days to come.”
Sun Zhang noticed Su Changyu’s despondent expression and couldn’t help but offer consolation. “I know you’ve endured countless hardships to travel here from the Immortal Forsaken Lands, and your hearts yearn for the Dao. Who among us didn’t feel this way at first?
“Unfortunately, the path of immortality is truly arduous. Even if you purge the miasma from your body, few can sense the spiritual qi of heaven and earth, let alone draw it into oneself. Why go through all that trouble? There’s nothing wrong with being mortal.” Sun Zhang comforted Su Changyu, though perhaps he was also comforting himself.
“Bathed by the intangible nourishment of heaven and earth’s spiritual qi, you will live longer here than in the Immortal Forsaken Lands, even if you cannot cultivate. The tremendous price your families paid to send you out won’t be in vain.
“Rather than pursuing the difficult and elusive path of immortality, it’s better to embrace life, indulge your passions, and live in the present.”
With these words, Sun Zhang departed.
Among the gathered crowd, some wore expressions of delight, appearing to take Sun Zhang’s advice to heart. Others, unable to accept the sheer difficulty of cultivation, broke down in tears on the spot. Meanwhile, some were fraught with worry, unsure of what to do.
Only Su Changyu’s face held a steely resolve, as if he had quietly made some firm decision.
Observing each reaction, Li Fan had a bout of introspection. The world was full of people, each with their own unique disposition. And every individual’s choice would lead them down a completely different path.
Not one to meddle, Li Fan took advantage of the group’s distracted state and slipped away quietly.
After asking for directions, he found the island office responsible for assigning free housing.
Li Fan presented his spirit talisman and was led by someone to the residential district in the northern part of Liuli Island.
Countless dwellings stood packed together here, some empty, others already occupied.
Most were single-room structures, but each had a small courtyard enclosed by walls, so it didn’t look too shabby.
“Row six, unit seven. This is it.” The man handed Li Fan the key impatiently before hurrying off.
Li Fan pushed the courtyard gate open, stepped inside, and closed it behind him.
The room was sparsely furnished—just a bed and a few tables and chairs. It was a far cry from what he was accustomed to.
But he paid little mind to such material comforts. After a quick tidy-up, Li Fan settled down to contemplate his next move.
It’s a decent start. I managed to get situated without much trouble thanks to those people from the Li World. A pity that aside from Su Changyu, the rest seem utterly mediocre, lacking any real drive for the Dao. They’ll never amount to much.
The accommodations are a bit crude, but at least security isn’t a concern since Liuli Island has an Immortal Master overseeing it. It’s been ages since anyone dared cause trouble here.
My immediate goal is to purge the miasma from my body. A spot in the Body Purification Spirit Pool may be valuable, but the treasures held in the Taiyan Boat should be more than sufficient. Securing a spot won’t be difficult if I bring them out.
The downside is drawing too much attention. As the saying goes, wealth should not be flaunted. As an outsider with no roots here, suddenly revealing such riches would inevitably attract unwanted attention. I’ll need to plan this carefully.
Suddenly, a knock at the door interrupted Li Fan’s thoughts.
“Who is it?” Li Fan instantly grew wary.
“Me.” The voice was low, yet vaguely familiar.
Without changing his expression, Li Fan took out a dagger from the Taiyan Boat, and concealed it in his sleeve.
Li Fan cracked the door open just enough to see his visitor.
It was that chubby youth who had tried to accost him earlier.
Without hesitation, Li Fan moved to slam the door shut.
“Wait...” the youth blurted, hastily wedging a hand in the gap and lowering his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “You’re not from Li World, are you?”
“What?” Li Fan faltered for an instant.
The chubby youth seized the opening to shove his way inside.
He looked Li Fan up and down, a sly, predatory glint in his eyes. “Just who are you, really? What’s your purpose, sneaking onto Liuli Island like this?”
“How did you know I’m not from the Li World?” Li Fan countered.
The fat man’s face twisted into a sneer. “When I fell in the water, I caught a glimpse of you skulking about. I thought it was a trick of the light at first. But after seeing you last night, the pieces didn’t fit. Something felt off, so I kept my eyes open. I saw you scrambling to find a place to stay in a hurry, so I followed you to test my theory.
“Sure enough, one little test, and you gave yourself away.” The chubby youth puffed out his chest, oozing smug satisfaction.
“You’re rather smart. Quite observant indeed,” Li Fan conceded with a nod.
“Of course! Aside from me, those other fools haven’t got a clue that a stranger walked right among them.”
“Truly? No one else has noticed?” Li Fan pressed.
“Absolutely! How could those dullards possibly compare to—”
The chubby youth’s boast died in his throat, choked off mid-sentence.
A cold, sharp blade had already pierced through his chest.
Li Fan looked down at the chubby youth’s body crumpled on the floor, his own face an impassive mask.