Cultivating Immortality, Yet Still a Beast of Burden

"Nowadays, for a mortal to cultivate immortality in the Cultivation World, there are only a few options," Kou Hong explained patiently.

"First, join the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance. The Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance is a loose coalition formed by numerous cultivators. Within the alliance, one can earn Merit Points by accepting and completing missions, trading with others, and so on. These Merit Points can then be exchanged within the alliance for cultivation techniques and resources."

"Second, the Five Elders Society. The Five Elders Society was founded by five supreme powers and possesses immense influence. As long as one has the aptitude for cultivation, one may voluntarily join and choose a cultivation technique. The price is that one must sign a Soul Contract and serve the Five Elders Society for a set period of time."

"Third, join the local powers in various regions. Though these powers cannot compare to those two behemoths, local forces are often more united and generally do not have particularly dangerous missions. They are better suited for those with lazy, placid temperaments. As for certain other messy organizations, none of them are very reliable, so there is no need to mention them." Kou Hong slowly laid out the general state of the present Cultivation World.

Li Fan frowned at this, somewhat puzzled. "From your description, why does it seem that cultivation techniques are not all that scarce in the Cultivation World?"

Kou Hong snorted coldly. "That is because the techniques obtained through such methods are all incomplete."

"Incomplete?" Li Fan froze, then suddenly understood. "To obtain a higher-tier technique, one has to keep selling one's life to them?"

"Exactly!" Kou Hong said resentfully. "These techniques were all newly compiled by the major powers over the years. Qi Refining Great Perfection is already their limit. To take another step and achieve Foundation Establishment, one must replace them with a higher-tier technique. The same applies above Foundation Establishment."

"Replace techniques? If one has to replace one's technique and start cultivating from scratch every time one breaks through a realm, wouldn't that mean all one's previous painstaking efforts would turn to nothing?" Li Fan was shocked.

"Not quite." Kou Hong shook his head. "All cultivators must cultivate the 'Supreme Primordial True Scripture.' It is said that this scripture was the Supreme Sect's highest true scripture in Ancient Times, the foundation upon which the sect was built. After the Great Calamity, the Supreme Sect vanished into ashes and smoke, leaving only fragments of the 'Supreme Primordial True Scripture' in the world. This scripture is not a cultivation technique, but something closer to a secret art. Its purpose is to allow cultivators to freely disperse their entire cultivation and realm without suffering much loss, so that after dispersing their cultivation and switching to another technique, they can quickly catch back up to their former realm."

"There is actually such a miraculous method." Li Fan praised it. "Still, these fragments appeared at exactly the right time. Only with them could the countless cultivators of the world accept constantly changing techniques."

Li Fan sneered. "In my view, the 'Supreme Primordial True Scripture' may not have been reduced to fragments at all. I fear the people behind this are merely willing to release the portion about dispersing one's cultivation and starting anew."

Kou Hong let out a long sigh. "Who does not understand that? But what can be done? True techniques are hard to come by. Being drained dry is helpless, but at least there is a visible goal and path. If one works hard enough, one can still reach it. Those unwilling to be controlled by others for a lifetime, willing to risk falling in various secret realms and ancient sects in search of opportunities, are a minority after all."

Li Fan nodded, gaining a rough understanding of the current situation in the Cultivation World. It was completely unlike the unfettered immortal path he had imagined, one devoted solely to seeking longevity. Instead, it bore some resemblance to the world before his transmigration.

Thinking of all this, Li Fan sneered inwardly.

Kou Hong did not notice Li Fan's oddness. Instead, he could not help sighing. "Dao Xuanzi never knew that the reason I snatched the technique and fled was not merely because it was a Core Formation Skill, but because it was a true technique that led directly to the Nascent Soul Realm."

"If it had truly only been a Core Formation Skill, perhaps I could have restrained myself. But that was a Nascent Soul true technique..." Kou Hong repeated again and again.

Hearing this, Li Fan's heart stirred. He touched the ring on his hand.

He had confiscated all of Kou Hong and Dao Xuanzi's belongings and stored them within this Storage Ring. Perhaps because he had experienced multiple reincarnations and his spiritual strength far surpassed that of ordinary people, he could use this Storage Ring freely despite it originally requiring Divine Sense cultivated at the Qi Refining Stage. But if he could not find a way to leave the Immortal Forsaken Land, these things would be of no use to him. Thus, he had not yet been in the mood to inspect them one by one.

After Kou Hong went on to explain common knowledge of the Cultivation World, such as how a cultivator's death would trigger celestial phenomena within a certain range, he finally returned to the main topic and spoke of Li Fan's conjecture regarding Flying Boats left behind from the Great Migration Era.

"Perhaps such a possibility does indeed exist." Kou Hong pondered carefully for a long while before speaking.

"I once heard a certain rumor. Over the past several thousand years, mortals exiled to the Immortal Forsaken Land back then had gradually and secretly returned to the Cultivation World. But most of it was idle tavern talk, wind-catching and shadow-chasing, with no solid evidence."

"Where there is no wind, there are no waves. Sometimes rumors are the truth of the matter." Li Fan's spirits rose. "After all, mortals and cultivators are bound by countless threads. It would be normal for cultivators back then to leave a way out for their mortal families. Presumably, these mortals returned through the contingencies those cultivators left behind."

Kou Hong was not optimistic. "Even so, several thousand years have already passed. This world is also exceedingly vast. The chances of finding anything are far too small."

"As long as there is a sliver of hope, I will not give up," Li Fan said resolutely.

"I really do not know how an old man with one foot in the grave can still make such a fuss..." Kou Hong muttered softly.

Li Fan pretended not to hear him and said solemnly, "As long as you help me find a way to reach the Cultivation World, I will not only release you and let you return with me, but I will also return all the belongings of you and Dao Xuanzi."

"Including that true technique for Nascent Soul Formation!"

"Is that true?!" Kou Hong abruptly raised his head, and a trace of hope suddenly flared in his eyes.

"Of course." Li Fan nodded.

"Fine... in that case, I will help you with all my strength." Kou Hong gritted his teeth and finally made up his mind.

Though Li Fan had tricked him several times and he did not know how much Li Fan's promise could be trusted, he was the same as Li Fan. So long as there was even a thread of hope, he was unwilling to let go.

To be trapped here for decades, then die of old age.

That was most certainly not what Kou Hong wanted!...

Thus, with Kou Hong's help, Li Fan gathered historical books and ancient records from across the land, striving to find clues about the Great Migration Era in scattered phrases from ancient accounts.

At the same time, Li Fan mobilized the army and excavated ancient tombs on a massive scale, attempting to uncover some trace of a clue. Though public resentment boiled over and officials submitted memorials of remonstrance day after day, he forcibly suppressed them all.

Unfortunately, too much time had passed since the Great Migration Era, while the lifespan he had left in this life was far too short.

Sixteen years later, in the sixty-sixth year of Anchoring, Li Fan's end was near, yet he had still found nothing.

After ordering Kou Hong to be released, Li Fan went alone to the underground Secret Chamber beneath the Grand Preceptor's residence.

With a thought, Li Fan took every item from the Storage Ring and laid them out in order.

His gaze first settled upon the Jade Slip that emitted a faint golden glow.

It was precisely the Nascent Soul Skill that had caused Kou Hong and Dao Xuanzi to turn against one another.