Chapter 15 – Foundation Establishment, Already Bones

Chapter 15 – Foundation Establishment, Already Bones

This small wooden boat was none other than the flying vessel Li Fan had been dreaming of.

And through a passage of information the tomb’s owner had carved into the walls before death, Li Fan finally understood the full story.

As it turned out, the tomb’s owner was named Qian Hong, a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Over three thousand years ago, he had been hunted by enemies and, with nowhere left to turn, fled into this immortal-barren land.

He had planned to hide for a while before leaving, but this immortal-barren land was completely devoid of spiritual energy, and he happened to be a destitute cultivator with barely any spirit stones on him. Before long, his spirit stones were completely exhausted. Without spirit stones to replenish his spiritual energy, his cultivation deteriorated steadily.

After failing to force his way through the immortal-barren grand formation and suffering severe injuries in the attempt, Qian Hong realized he was well and truly trapped here.

But this man was nothing if not tenacious, and he did not give up.

He speculated that when mortals were exiled to this place a thousand years ago, perhaps one or two flying vessels had been left behind.

So he investigated extensively, spending decades searching, and finally discovered Yi Xing’s tomb.

There was indeed a flying vessel inside the tomb, but what filled him with despair was that the power core formation array within the vessel was damaged. Since he had no skill in artifact refinement, he was unable to repair it.

Moreover, even if the vessel could be repaired, without spirit stones, his cultivation at the time would be insufficient to provide it with adequate power.

At this point, Qian Hong finally abandoned all hope of leaving this immortal-barren land. Afterward, he assumed a false identity and lived out an ordinary life as a mortal.

Before his death, he carved his life story onto the tomb walls, hoping that if any cultivator in later generations broke into his tomb, they might carry his remains back to the cultivation world. The few items he left in the tomb were payment offered in advance.

The first item was the source of power that had guarded Qian Hong’s tomb and previously caused the deaths of dozens of antiquity seekers — and also the reason Qian Hong was certain that anyone who managed to break in would have to be a cultivator.

A marvel of heaven and earth: the Halt Stele Fragment.

Half of a damaged stone stele, upon which the character for “halt” could still be faintly discerned.

Li Fan touched the stele, but Return to Truth showed no reaction whatsoever, which was rather disappointing. In order to force his way into the tomb earlier, he had used a large amount of Mortal Taint. Now, affected by the miasma, the Halt Stele Fragment had been reduced to an ordinary stone.

However, Li Fan didn’t mind too much. Now that he knew the location of Qian Hong’s tomb, he could simply come back for it in his next life.

The second thing Qian Hong left behind was a pair of jade slips. Recorded within them were cultivation techniques he had painstakingly exchanged for at the Myriad Immortals Alliance.

“《minor True essence Art》, a Qi Refining technique. Current practitioners: 1.”

“《Cloud Water Record》, a Foundation Establishment technique. Current practitioners: 1.”

Picking up the jade slips and sensing the information they transmitted, Li Fan’s heart lurched. For a moment he thought Qian Hong hadn’t actually died and that this was all a trap he had set.

But after a brief moment, Li Fan realized the truth. Over three thousand years had passed — never mind a Foundation Establishment cultivator, even a Core Formation cultivator would have long since turned to dust.

As for why someone was currently cultivating these techniques, Li Fan only needed to think for a moment to understand.

The Myriad Immortals Alliance surely kept original archives of the techniques. If they noticed the number of practitioners drop to zero, they would know that the cultivator who had previously exchanged for and practiced the technique had perished.

After that, they could naturally bring these techniques back out and offer them for exchange again.

In fact, over these three thousand years, these two techniques had likely changed hands who knows how many times.

“Dark… truly dark…” Li Fan was speechless.

After a round of sighing, Li Fan turned his gaze to the third item — the Taiyan Vessel.

This was the very tool the Taiyan Sect had used to transport mortals during the migration.

Perhaps it was precisely because this flying vessel was broken that it had been left behind.

And after thousands of years of twists and turns, it had now fallen into Li Fan’s hands, becoming his hope of escaping this immortal-barren land.

Holding the Taiyan Vessel in his hands, Li Fan’s heart surged with emotion. Centuries of longing had finally been fulfilled.

As for the Taiyan Vessel being damaged, Li Fan wasn’t worried in the slightest.

Qian Hong couldn’t repair it, and Li Fan couldn’t repair it either — but someone else could!

……

Fifteen years later, at the anchored fifty-year mark, Kou Hong and Daoxuanzi arrived at Xuanjing City once more.

“Daoxuanzi! Don’t push me too far!”

“Kou Hong! Did you think that by fleeing to this immortal-barren land, I’d let you go? Hand over the technique you obtained that day, or I’ll hound you to the death!”

“What a joke! It’s precisely because I lacked a Core Formation method that I’ve been stuck at Foundation Establishment for nearly a century. With my end approaching, I was about to wither into bones. Now that I’ve obtained this Core Formation technique, how could I possibly hand it over to someone else!”

“Exactly! The path to Golden Core — there can only be one. Though Core Formation methods abound in this world, cultivators trapped at Foundation Establishment are far more numerous! That being so, with the path to longevity right before me, how could I possibly let you go? How could I possibly not push you too far!”

“Then let us settle this once and for all! How laughable — you and I, brothers for a hundred years, now drawing blades against each other for a sliver of hope!”

……

Just as the two were about to fight to the death, a burst of hearty laughter rose from Xuanjing City below.

“A mere Core Formation technique, and it’s worth a duel to the death between you two?!”

Kou Hong and Daoxuanzi’s expressions changed simultaneously as they looked downward.

“Who goes there! What arrogance!”

“Preposterous!”

Though their mouths spoke harshly, both became wary at the same time.

“Why don’t the two of you come down for a chat!”

Below, within the Grand Preceptor’s Manor, a silver-haired elder called out in a booming voice.

Kou Hong and Daoxuanzi exchanged a glance, then cautiously maintained their distance from each other as they descended into the Grand Preceptor’s Manor.

“Ha ha ha, please, come in!” The silver-haired elder seemed quite delighted. He led the two into the main hall and seated them.

After ordering his servants to prepare food and wine for his guests, he spoke with some emotion: “Before my ancestor passed away, he once said that in future generations, two people would come from the east, from the Ruins Abyss, and arrive at the capital city. They would represent our clan’s opportunity to leave this place.”

“For thousands of years, the people of our clan have remained half-skeptical. Today, it has been proven true. This calls for a toast!” The elder laughed heartily and drained the wine in his cup in one gulp.

Kou Hong and Daoxuanzi looked at each other in bewilderment.

“May we ask how to address you, sir?” Kou Hong was the first to speak, his tone now considerably more courteous.

“This old man is Li Fan,” Li Fan replied with a smile.

“From what you’re saying, your ancestor foresaw thousands of years ago that the two of us would come here? And what do you mean by an opportunity to leave this place?” Daoxuanzi frowned, studying Li Fan closely.

Li Fan seemed somewhat displeased at this. “What? You two don’t believe me?”

Kou Hong smiled and shook his head. “This matter is too extraordinary. The two of us have traveled the cultivation world for a hundred years, and we’ve never heard of any divination art capable of predicting events a thousand years in the future.”

Daoxuanzi also shook his head repeatedly.

Li Fan straightened up, lifted his chin, and looked down at them with a lofty gaze. “Have the two of you, by any chance, heard of the Taiyan Sect?”

Kou Hong and Daoxuanzi exchanged a glance, visibly shocked. “Could it be — that sect from ancient times, the one renowned throughout the world for its divination arts?”

Li Fan secretly breathed a sigh of relief and nodded calmly. “This old man’s ancestor was indeed a member of the Taiyan Sect.”