In Anchor Year 9, Li Fan had once received a merit task: he was to assist the Congyun Sea Martial Hall in culling the red-haired exotic beasts on Wanlai Island.
Those beasts fed on sound, reproducing with terrifying speed. They could also merge, forming a monster whose power far exceeded the sum of its parts.
After a grueling battle, the squad from the Martial Hall successfully eradicated a certain number of the red-haired beasts, completing the mission.
Back then, Li Fan had asked Jiang Zhengji why they didn’t completely exterminate the exotic beasts on Wanlai Island.
Jiang Zhengji told him that the headquarters of the Martial Hall had a standing order: each year, every region was required to collect and submit a set quantity of esoteric treasures capable of absorbing sound. And the required amount was increasing every year.
At the time, Li Fan had simply thought the task rather peculiar.
Now, looking back, it likely had to do with this Roaring Abyss?
Sure enough, the moment this thought surfaced in Li Fan’s mind, he heard Huangfu Song say, “The demonic noises emanating from the depths of the Roaring Abyss are utterly terrifying. The Alliance tried every method, but nothing could block them.
“Silencing arcane arts, sound-dampening materials... none had the slightest effect.
“It was only later, when a certain cultivator employed a stone toad artifact that could swallow and expel sound, that they discovered this type of esoteric treasure was miraculously effective.
“Perhaps because these esoteric treasures lack intelligence or complex thoughts, the demonic sounds that are lethal to cultivators have a greatly diminished effect on them.
“Truly, everything has its natural counter!
“The Alliance gathered numerous such esoteric treasures and finally managed to hold the line at the Roaring Abyss. At the same time, for safety’s sake, they moved the Eternal Immortal Fortress back to its original position.”
“So, for us to be heading there now, has something happened to the Eternal Immortal Fortress?” Li Fan asked.
Huangfu Song shook his head. “With that esteemed being stationed there and the accumulated stockpile of esoteric treasures, the defensive line is nearly unshakable. In fact, the recent incident occurred outside the Roaring Abyss...”
Huangfu Song was about to continue when his expression shifted slightly.
He glanced out the window and instructed, “Prepare yourselves. We’re about to depart.
“Young Xue, drink your tea. Traversing the White Mist consumes a significant amount of lifespan. This is complimentary compensation for you. Miss it, and it’s gone.”
With that, he shifted his posture, sitting up straight on the circular seat beneath him.
Seeing this, Li Fan mimicked the action, sitting upright.
With a slight focus of his senses, he felt an instantaneous shift, as if he had stepped into a separate space, detached from the flying boat’s cabin.
At this moment, Xue Mu had just finished his spirit tea. Before he could do anything, the flying boat gave a violent, sudden lurch, and he stumbled, nearly falling to the floor.
The sudden acceleration had no effect on Li Fan or Huangfu Song. Watching Xue Mu struggle, both men broke into broad smiles.
As the flying boat continued to pick up speed, Xue Mu had to exert quite a bit of effort to imitate their movements. Finally, he was able to awkwardly settle into his circular seat.
Only after Xue Mu was properly seated did Huangfu Song rein in his smile and resume his earlier topic. “Not long ago, the Alliance discovered that outside the Roaring Abyss, not far from this Lost Domain, there are signs of another Lost Domain about to form.
“Dealing with the Roaring Abyss alone is difficult enough. If these two Lost Domains were to merge, who knows what might happen.
“Therefore, the Alliance has issued an order to relocate this newly emerging Lost Domain to another empty region.
“And while we’re at it, to construct a Tianxuan Soul-Locking Array around both Lost Domains for future monitoring and observation.
“That is the purpose of our journey.” Huangfu Song stated this matter-of-factly.
The information contained in these few sentences was substantial.
"Lost Domains can be relocated?"
"Lost Domains can merge?"
Xue Mu and Li Fan asked simultaneously.
Huangfu Song glanced at the two of them and explained, “A Lost Domain is simply a region where the spatial structure changes the moment one enters.
“Outside this region, everything is normal. That dividing line is the boundary of the Lost Domain.
“If one has mastered the Space Dao, it’s naturally possible to carve out and relocate the entire area. It’s a bit troublesome, but not especially difficult.”
"Of course, such tasks fall to us old-timers. We can't rely on you youngsters.
"Your task is simply to assist in constructing the Tianxuan Soul-Locking Array and sealing off the Lost Domain."
Li Fan gave a slight nod.
Xue Mu, however, still seemed puzzled. "Senior Huangfu, if a Lost Domain can be relocated, then why not simply move the Roaring Abyss away, instead of spending so much effort to suppress it?"
Huangfu Song gave a grim smile. "Yes, why indeed?"
Xue Mu was immediately at a loss for words, unsure how to respond.
Huangfu Song fixed Xue Mu with a deep gaze and spoke slowly, “Who knows what even more terrifying thing might emerge if we were to move it? It’s better to suppress it properly. At the very least, it remains something we can still handle, for now.
"Once the Tianxuan Mirror—"
Just as Huangfu Song's words abruptly ceased, a sudden, hair-raising sensation prickled at Li Fan's heart.
A chill crept over his skin, as if something were slithering across it.
Inside, he felt hollow, as if something was quietly draining away without his notice.
Xue Mu's face turned pale. While Huangfu Song's expression remained unchanged, the flicker of fear in his eyes did not escape Li Fan's notice.
Something inside them was being slowly devoured.
Li Fan opened Return to Truth’s panel. His biological age, which had been 49, had become 50.
Fortunately, his mental age remained the same, so he wasn’t worried in the least.
Of course, he couldn't show this. Thus, Li Fan also feigned a look of great tension and asked, "Have we already entered the Lifespan-Devouring White Mist?"
He then looked out the window.
Sure enough, there was only a vast expanse of white blocking all visibility.
Huangfu Song nodded. "The location of the Roaring Abyss isn't far from the boundary of the White Mist. We'll arrive soon."
"The closer you are to a Lost Domain, the more lifespan is consumed by the Lifespan-Devouring White Mist.
"It's still tolerable inside this Dust-Crossing Boat. But without protection, diving into a Lost Domain alone... even a thousand years of lifespan wouldn't be enough.
"You must remember, within these Lost Domains, you must always carry a Black Death Talisman on your person.
"Otherwise, with your mere Golden Core cultivation, you'd likely be reduced to bleached bones in the time it takes an incense stick to burn."
Huangfu Song delivered this warning with grave seriousness, then seemed to remember something and added, "Ah, these will be distributed to you all before we disembark. They must also be collected before we leave."
Not expecting the mission location to be so perilous, Xue Mu, who was someone of few words to begin with, fell into an even deeper silence.
Though he forced an appearance of calm, he could not fully conceal the unease within.
Li Fan, for his part, continued to wear a mask of fear tempered by a thread of steadiness.
Huangfu Song had said all that needed saying, and for a moment, the cabin was plunged into quiet.
But the silence did not last.
Soon, a faint, rustling whisper abruptly sounded in Li Fan’s ear.
“Physi...”
“Heav...”
Li Fan’s heart gave a jolt. He looked at the two men beside him.
“Did you hear something?” he asked.