Chapter 20 – Success Without Intent

Li Fan piloted the Celestial Derivation Vessel back above the Ruins Abyss.

“What the hell was that thing…” Li Fan’s expression was somewhat grim.

Though he had used a small trick to see the monster’s true form, he had absolutely no clue how to evade its detection and successfully cross the dark layer.

“That giant whale is so enormous, and the Celestial Derivation Vessel is so small. Yet every time I pass through, it finds me like a cat spotting a mouse…” Thinking this, Li Fan found it quite vexing.

“I’ll just have to try other methods. At least I still have plenty of attempts left.” Li Fan let out a helpless sigh.

…

Another fifteen years later, at the thirty-five-year anchor point.

Li Fan had already positioned himself early within the thunderstorm layer.

Over these fifteen years, he had attempted to force his way through the dark layer several times.

But during these attempts, the time between his entering the dark layer and being discovered had decreased dramatically. At the Celestial Derivation Vessel’s flight speed, he simply couldn’t escape in time. So each time, he could only retreat in disarray after a bout of evasive maneuvering against the giant whale.

“Only on the Day of White Mist Dispersal does the giant whale seem delayed by something, taking a while before it notices me. With that extra bit of time, perhaps I can fly to the bottom of the Ruins Abyss.”

This time, Li Fan decided to go all out — crossing the dark layer at maximum speed before the giant whale could react.

The great wind began to rise.

The Celestial Derivation Vessel surged to full power, unleashing astonishing speed.

The illusory scenery drew closer and closer. Just as he was about to reach it, the giant whale’s terrifying cry rang out once more.

And it was approaching rapidly.

“About a quarter of the distance remains. There’s not enough time.” Li Fan made his judgment.

Narrowing his eyes, a fierce streak was ignited within him.

Rather than continuing toward the bottom of the Ruins Abyss, he turned around and charged headlong toward the direction of the giant whale’s cry.

Unfortunately, reckless fury was of no use.

There was no collision. Li Fan only felt everything around him go dark, and he knew he had been swallowed by the giant whale once again.

“Return to Truth!”

Li Fan snarled viciously.

…

【This simulation has ended】

Li Fan let out a somewhat sullen breath.

After taking a long time to settle his emotions, Li Fan chose this time to accelerate the charging progress.

Name: Li Fan

Realm: Mortal

Physiological Age: 20/86

Psychological Age: 368/1116

Psychological age has fully reached its upper limit and will no longer increase.

“At least I still have 748 years left to spend.” Li Fan could only console himself with this thought.

He also wondered if there were immortal techniques for erasing memories, and if so could he use them to reduce his “psychological age” in the future. Certainly, he wouldn’t mind erasing most of the tedious years that he had to repeat every simulation.

Eighth life.

Anchor point: Year Four.

Li Fan once again opened Qian Hong’s tomb.

“Chargeable item detected: Halt Remnant Stele (Damaged).”

“Proceed with charging?”

Seeing Return to Truth’s prompt, Li Fan’s mood finally improved somewhat.

At this moment, the anchor charging progress had already reached 51%.

“At the very least, this life wasn’t wasted…” Li Fan said with some self-deprecation.

Anchor point: Year Five. On the Day of White Mist Dispersal, the Unreality Charging progress was already approaching 90%. But anything less than 100% made no real difference to Li Fan. He could only choose to wait patiently.

Anchor point: Year Twenty. Li Fan attempted, and failed.

Anchor point: Year Thirty-Five. Li Fan attempted again, and failed again.

However, these attempts were not entirely without merit — at the very least, his control of the Celestial Derivation Vessel grew increasingly skilled, and he could hold out longer under the giant whale’s pursuit.

Anchor point: Year Fifty. Li Fan chose not to force his way through the dark layer again.

He had grown old. His reflexes and mental acuity had declined significantly. Going would have no chance of success.

So he chose to visit his two old friends, hoping to glean some clues from them.

On Li Fan’s seventieth birthday, Kou Hong and Daoxuanzi arrived punctually.

“Daoxuanzi, don’t push your luck!”

…

Listening, Li Fan suddenly felt a touch of nostalgia.

As before, he lured the two to the Grand Preceptor’s Manor under the pretense of a Golden Core cultivation method. After three rounds of wine, Li Fan produced a painted scroll.

The painting appeared quite old. It depicted a terrifying, enormous whale lurking behind darkness, revealing only its hideous, gaping maw, ready to devour all who approached.

“Have either of you ever seen such a creature? My ancestor said on his deathbed that should the opportunity arise to escape this forsaken place in the future, there would be nothing else to worry about. With our sect’s Celestial Derivation Vessel as protection, all would be well. The only exception is the final layer, where a giant whale lies in ambush — one must exercise the utmost caution.” Li Fan inquired.

“There’s actually such a ferocious beast in that pitch-black expanse?” Kou Hong glanced at the painting, furrowing his brows slightly, somewhat skeptical. “How come I never saw it?”

“Could it be…” Daoxuanzi, however, seemed to recall something.

“Oh? Fellow Daoist seems to know of this beast?” Li Fan asked with some anticipation.

Daoxuanzi shook his head. “I merely came across a related record in an ancient text. It is said that in antiquity, there was a sect called the Beast Taming Sect. The Beast Taming Sect possessed no profound cultivation methods, yet through a single Beast Taming Art, they could control the world’s exotic beasts to fight for them. At the height of the Beast Taming Sect’s power, it was said to rival even the Supreme and Great Dao sects — the most elite sects of that era.”

“Unfortunately, when the Great Heavenly Calamity struck, the Beast Taming Sect, which cultivated only a single art, was also the fastest to perish.”

“Among the most renowned exotic beasts controlled by the Beast Taming Sect, there seems to have been this very type of giant whale.”

“Now that you mention it, I remember!” Kou Hong slapped his palm. “Wasn’t it called the Rift Whale or something?”

Li Fan’s heart stirred, and he hastily asked, “Do either of you know how one might evade this Rift Whale?”

Kou Hong and Daoxuanzi both smiled sheepishly. “We’ve only heard a few scattered words about it. Such an exotic beast vanished from the cultivation world thousands of years ago. How could we possibly know its habits?”

Li Fan couldn’t help but feel disappointed.

In the end, he would have to rely on himself after all.

After handing the 《Thousand Mechanisms Jade Cosmos Golden Chapter》 to Daoxuanzi and sending the two on their way, Li Fan chose to end this life.

…

Name: Li Fan

Realm: Mortal

Physiological Age: 20/86

Psychological Age: 418/1116

Ninth life!

In this life, Li Fan once again opened Qian Hong’s tomb, hoping to absorb the Halt Remnant Stele for charging.

Unfortunately, Return to Truth showed no response.

Though disappointed, Li Fan had long been mentally prepared for this.

With that, Return to Truth’s anchor charging progress was fixed at 51%.

Anchor point: Year Twenty. Anchor point: Year Thirty-Five. Anchor point: Year Fifty. Li Fan tried every method he could think of, but none could get him past the dark layer under the Rift Whale’s watchful gaze.

Anchor point: Year Sixty-Five. Li Fan was already eighty-five years old, his lamp nearly spent.

This time, he did not choose to end things early, because he didn’t know how many more attempts it would take to break through this Immortal Severance Formation.

Every additional attempt was a good thing.

Unfortunately, he was far too old this time. His thinking had become sluggish, his reactions dull.

Unable to match wits with the giant whale any longer, Li Fan didn’t force it. He simply gave up all control of the Celestial Derivation Vessel entirely, letting it drift slowly downward through the Ruins Abyss from the very start.

The squall layer, the phantom light layer, the inversion layer, the flowing fire layer, the profound ice layer, the thunderstorm layer, the dark layer…

Li Fan dozed off. When he woke, he was astonished to find that the Celestial Derivation Vessel had nearly reached the very bottom of the Ruins Abyss!

“What happened? Why didn’t the Rift Whale appear this time?” Li Fan was utterly baffled, but that didn’t stop him from increasing thrust and racing at full speed toward where the faint, scattered points of light appeared.

But as Li Fan accelerated, the giant whale’s roar suddenly erupted!

“Why did it suddenly detect me now?” Li Fan’s brow furrowed deeply.

Then, as if a bolt of lightning had illuminated the night sky, the realization struck him.

“So that’s it! The Rift Whale can’t see — or rather, it ignores — objects moving at a constant velocity! As long as you maintain the same speed throughout, you can pass safely through this Immortal Severance Formation!”

Having grasped this crucial insight, Li Fan couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

With this, the final shackle binding him to this immortal-severed land was completely undone!

Amid Li Fan’s wild laughter and the giant whale’s roars, the Celestial Derivation Vessel broke through the rift between the two realms and was about to return to the cultivation world.

The surrounding scenery blurred, as if he had crossed the distance of several worlds in an instant. Crushed by the immense pressure, Li Fan let out a stifled groan as blood streamed from his nose and eyes.

Yet he paid it no mind whatsoever.

Looking back toward the immortal-severed land from which he had come, the vast distance granting him an infinitely elevated vantage point, Li Fan witnessed a sight he would never forget for the rest of his life:

Hundreds upon hundreds, thousands upon thousands of Rift Whales, gathered in swarms, toiling day and night, carving vast expanses of pitch-black space out of the void.

And that immortal-severed land from which Li Fan had come was drifting ever farther away from the cultivation world.