Everything Was Ready

Everything Was Ready

"So, Li Fan had not been lying. He truly possessed a scroll of ancestral Core Formation Skill?"

Within the Grand Tutor Estate, Kou Hong and Dao Xuanzi secretly conferred through voice transmission.

"That's right. I saw it with my own eyes." Dao Xuanzi nodded.

"Can't we simply seize it? He's merely a mortal..." Kou Hong's vicious visage emerged.

Dao Xuanzi hastily dissuaded him. "Though Li Fan is only a mortal, he is still a descendant of the Taiyan Sect. You saw that terrifying divination technique before—it truly inspires dread. If we forcefully seize it, who knows what other methods he might have."

"We only need to help him repair the Taiyan Boat. It's no difficult task. Why stir up further trouble?" Of course, Dao Xuanzi's greatest fear was that if they drove Li Fan into desperation, he might reveal that the scroll was in fact a Nascent Soul Skill.

Only after Dao Xuanzi's repeated persuasion did Kou Hong abandon the thought of taking it by force.

The two then secretly haggled over the division of benefits before finally agreeing to help repair the Taiyan Boat.

The next day, the two saw the Taiyan Boat Li Fan had spoken of.

At the sight of it, Kou Hong's heart leaped with delight. He immediately took it over and examined it closely.

"As expected of an item from the Taiyan Sect. The ingenuity of its crafting methods and the mystery of its formations far surpass anything I have learned!" The more Kou Hong looked, the more delighted he became. "If I can restore it, my Artifact Crafting will surely advance!"

"Then I shall leave it to you two. Whatever you need, please name it. This old man will certainly provide it." Li Fan spoke solemnly.

"Go on, then. Do not disturb me." Kou Hong waved him away, already immersed in studying the Taiyan Boat.

Cultivation knew neither months nor years.

Though it looked like nothing more than a small Wooden Boat, it took Kou Hong and Dao Xuanzi nearly a full year to restore it.

That day, upon hearing that the Taiyan Boat had been repaired, Li Fan hurriedly sought the two out.

Receiving the Taiyan Boat from Kou Hong's hands, he was overjoyed beyond measure.

Kou Hong said with some pride, "The Taiyan Boat's core propulsion formation, transformation and resizing formation, Dust Cleansing formation, and the like have all been fully restored. Only the defensive and offensive formations were limited by available materials and could only receive simple repairs. Passing through the Immortal Forsaken Grand Formation should not be a problem, but if it is used to fend off attacks from cultivators, it will be somewhat inadequate."

Li Fan did not mind this. "No matter. So long as I can leave the Immortal Forsaken Grand Formation and return to the Cultivation World, I will naturally be able to find a way back to the Taiyan Sect using my ancestor's token."

Kou Hong's gaze flickered, then he enthusiastically began explaining how to use the Taiyan Boat.

"The Taiyan Boat uses spiritual energy for power and must be controlled with Divine Sense. It can shift between three different sizes according to one's needs."

"At its smallest, it is only ten meters long and two or three meters wide, able to carry around ten people. A little larger, it reaches one hundred meters in length and can carry several hundred people. At its greatest size, it stretches for over a thousand meters and can carry tens of thousands! The spirit stones we have on hand are not plentiful, but the fuel I placed within is enough for you to leave this place in its second form."

"However, piloting the Taiyan Boat requires, at the very least, Divine Sense at the Qi Refining Stage. I wonder whether Fellow Daoist needs us to take care of it..."

Before Kou Hong could finish, he saw the Taiyan Boat slowly enlarge under Li Fan's control, changing from a tiny toy into a genuine small boat.

Li Fan impatiently stepped inside the Taiyan Boat.

The ten-meter form of the Taiyan Boat was quite simple, consisting of only one level. The foredeck was nearly two meters long, followed in turn by the control cabin and living cabin.

Standing in the control cabin, Li Fan linked his divine awareness to the Taiyan Boat. A sensation of moving it as easily as one moved an arm or finger surged into his heart.

Under his control, the Taiyan Boat rose steadily into the air and hovered overhead.

Li Fan then piloted it up, down, left, and right through the air for a while before finally suppressing his excitement and returning to the ground.

"Fellow Daoist truly possesses extraordinary means. Though a mortal, you can still control the Taiyan Boat!" Kou Hong praised.

"It is only a trifling trick, not worth mentioning!" Li Fan smiled faintly. "I must also thank you both, Fellow Daoists! Trapped for a thousand years, I now see hope of escape—all thanks to the two of you!"

Li Fan spoke those words with complete sincerity.

Though Kou Hong was exceedingly curious how Li Fan could control the Taiyan Boat without Divine Sense, seeing that Li Fan avoided the subject, he could only let it go.

Dao Xuanzi, however, had already grown somewhat impatient. "Now that the Taiyan Boat has been repaired, then..."

Li Fan laughed heartily. "It has long been prepared. Fellow Daoist, simply follow me to retrieve it."

Dao Xuanzi's spirits lifted at once, and he hurriedly followed.

The two had long since agreed on the arrangement. Kou Hong did not go with them, instead waiting where he was.

A short while later, Dao Xuanzi returned with a beaming smile. Clearly, the skill manual was already in his hands.

Li Fan, Dao Xuanzi, and Kou Hong were all satisfied with this transaction.

To express his gratitude, Li Fan laid out a grand feast for the two.

Wine and food flowed without end, while song and dance never ceased, for three days straight.

Three days later, Kou Hong and Dao Xuanzi bade Li Fan farewell.

"Fellow Daoist, the spirit stones we have left are running low. If we remain in this Immortal Forsaken Land any longer, we risk a decline in cultivation. We have come today to bid you farewell," Dao Xuanzi said to Li Fan.

Li Fan was somewhat regretful. "There are still several matters concerning my clan here that have yet to be settled. I cannot travel with you two, Fellow Daoists!"

Kou Hong said warmly, "No matter. Once Fellow Daoist gets out, you may come find me in Lingtian City within the Congyun Mountain Range."

As he spoke, Kou Hong handed Li Fan a map.

"At Fellow Daoist's request, I drew this map from memory of the area near the exit of the Immortal Forsaken Grand Formation. There were no blank Jade Slips here, so I had no choice but to use paper and Brush."

Li Fan solemnly accepted the map and thanked him again and again.

After the three exchanged another round of pleasantries, Kou Hong and Dao Xuanzi finally transformed into two streaks of light and departed.

After dismissing everyone else, Li Fan went alone to the underground Secret Chamber.

Placing the map beside the Taiyan Boat, Li Fan's heart immediately filled with countless emotions.

Six lifetimes of reincarnation, more than three hundred years of painstaking planning—at this moment, it had finally borne fruit.

These two items were the key to breaking free of this Immortal Forsaken Land and gaining hope for immortality!...

Eastern Ruin Abyss.

Kou Hong and Dao Xuanzi stood in the air, looking back toward Mystic Capital.

"When we first forced our way into this Immortal Forsaken Land, I thought that even if we did not die, we would suffer grievous injuries. Who would have thought that through a twist of fate, we would encounter such an opportunity?" Dao Xuanzi quietly said, sensing the Nascent Soul Skill within his Storage Ring.

Kou Hong nodded in agreement, then sighed with some regret. "That Li Fan possesses uncommon resolve. He is a capable man. What a pity that his lifespan is nearly at its end. Even if he returns to the Cultivation World, he has only a few years left to live."

"Without attaining immortality, all else is empty illusion. Was it not for the hope of immortality that you and I turned against each other and fought to the death?" Dao Xuanzi said blandly.

"Speaking of which, what skill did Li Fan actually give you?" Kou Hong suddenly grew curious.

Rather than answering, Dao Xuanzi smiled. "It cannot possibly be the same skill as the one in your hands, can it? Rest assured. Once I return and enter seclusion to break through to the Golden Core Stage, I certainly will not forget the three things I promised to do for you."

Kou Hong did not ask further. Instead, he said excitedly, "Once I break through as well, with us two brothers joining forces, who in the Congyun Mountain Range could stand against us?"

"The protective formation's mist has yet to disperse. Does Brother dare venture through it?" Dao Xuan looked at the thick mist above the Void Abyss, then suddenly flew into it ahead of him.

Clearly, he could not wait to return to the Cultivation World and comprehend the skill.

"Why wouldn't I dare?" Kou Hong burst into laughter, then followed close behind and plunged headfirst into the mist.