Ashes

Li Fan silently counted the seconds in his mind as he walked step by step through the passageway between the cabins of the ancient flying boat into the interior.

Nothing happened. At least he can still have his wild thoughts; he didn't just turn to ashes with a snap! So it shouldn't be a big problem. Anyway, he's already numb, and he's already inside, so whatever...

Holding the still faintly glowing crystal block in his hand, Li Fan ventured deeper into the cabin, scanning the spaceship's interior. There were no patterns, decorations, markings, items, or other man-made objects to suggest anything, not even dust. It was clean and empty, like an unfinished house; perhaps it was merely the hull structure.

However, it's not fair to say we didn't notice anything. In the two minutes since we came in, Li Fan has made some guesses.

First, the owner of this spaceship is at least highly likely to be a humanoid of normal physique. If it were the Gonggong clan, the entrance should have been a huge pipe. But now Li Fan can reach the top by standing on tiptoe and stretching his hand. If a Gonggong clan member with such a large body were to squeeze in, wouldn't it become a "Brother, help me, I'm stuck in the washing machine" scenario... cough cough cough!

Secondly, this spaceship is clearly technologically advanced, or at least has a similar background to the system; otherwise, it wouldn't be able to completely block out the system signal, which keeps beeping even in front of the Dao Ancestor. Yes, it should only be that the signal is blocked, because the Si Nan is still spinning, but at a constant counter-clockwise speed. It doesn't seem to be in a state of flux due to too many opportunities. Rather, it's more like it's unable to detect the surrounding 'opportunities,' but its own functions are still present.

Third, Jade Toad Granny said that attacking the spaceship from the outside using Daoist magic was ineffective. However, this did not mean that the Taiji spiritual energy was no longer effective. Rather, it simply meant that the volume of energy within the cabin was extremely small. At least Li Fan could feel that the circulation of his Inner Landscape energy was still unaffected. However, when he tried to use Daoist breath to perform Dao Breath, the emitted magic power would quickly disappear. Even with each breath, the spiritual energy he emitted would disappear without a trace. It was possible that a ventilation and filtration system or similar device was expelling the spiritual energy from the system.

However, this is not a major problem. As long as the circulation of qi is controlled, with the enhancement of body refining techniques, the physical strength of the Dao body will not be affected in a short period of time.

Fourth, this thing might actually be a spaceship.

Li Fan followed the passage to the end and could see that the door led to the main cabin. He tried reaching out to feel around, and thankfully there were no traps. So Li Fan peeked out and took a look. Calculating the dimensions of the inner cabin, he could deduce that the cross-section of the main cabin's central axis was a symmetrical octagon, like a Bagua (Eight Trigrams). If the direction of gravity was taken as the Kan position, then the passage where Li Fan was located was the Dui position.

However, the octagonal prism interface is only one ring, and the main cabin contracts at both ends, making the whole thing a near-spherical cavity.

Li Fan tried to lean out to observe the other interfaces inside the main cabin, but the moment he stepped through the door, he vaguely felt a change in the direction of gravity. After thinking for a moment, he threw the crystal in his hand out the door.

Sure enough, the crystal fell directly onto the wall, where every surface had its own gravity system.

Li Fan thought for a moment, then leaped through the door and landed on the opposite edge. Standing up, he looked up and saw the passageway he had come in through overhead, with the crystals he had thrown down beside it, now illuminating the cabin like chandeliers from the ceiling.

Each of these octagonal faces experiences gravity, almost like a mirror image. In other words, there is no concept of up, down, left, or right in this internal space. This design is probably not for aircraft used in normal gravity environments.

But a new problem arose. The passage that Jade Toad Granny opened outside only opened one door on one side. He had to find a new path from the remaining seven sides.

But this doesn't seem difficult at all. It's just a matter of touching it with your hand...

Li Fan rolled up his sleeves and used the Motian Huasheng Dafa to create a hand, which he then placed on the hull of the ship.

However, there was no response...

Li Fan frowned and thought for a moment, a hint of doubt in his mind.

Thunder Magic.

It wasn't just about placing your hand on the ship; there should also be a specific voltage input via a palm strike to activate the spaceship's internal facilities.

This is a bit of a problem. He doesn't know lightning magic, and even if he did, it wouldn't be of any use. Heaven knows how many times Jade Toad Granny tried to open the hatch. Now he has to risk being smashed to ashes with a 'smack' and repeatedly try to find a way to Door Opening using palm lightning. Then he has to find a real way out from the seven doors in front of him. Otherwise, in the end, he will still have to go back the way he came and face a toad that is two major realms above him.

He might only have half an incense stick's time left. By then, Jade Toad Granny might assume he's dead and close the passage. Who knows what will happen once the door is closed? But if he returns empty-handed, and that old toad loses his composure and eats him whole, that would be disastrous.

Okay, it's truly a nine-out-of-ten chance of death... but theoretically, there's still a chance of survival...

The Jade Toad Granny's Sunflower Water Yin Thunder technique must have been memorized on the stone wall by the immortals of Qingcheng Mountain. Li Fan has a photographic memory, but having only glanced at it, it would be very difficult to force himself to memorize it and then deduce Qingcheng Mountain's Palm Thunder Cultivation Method using a technique he didn't even fully understand. But it's possible.

Although attempting to Door Opening carried the risk of death, Li Fan wasn't afraid. He had come here prepared to fight to the death, wearing layers upon layers of life-saving Daoist robes, including those from the Luo Sect's Returning to Emptiness cultivation. He also had so many Nine Revolutions Donghua Changchun Divine Pills. Bring it on, let's fight!

Since there was no other way out anyway, Li Fan simply stopped worrying and closed his eyes to meditate.

At least among the Tai Chi Five Qi Escape Techniques, he had already mastered the Profound Nether True Qi, which allowed him to escape and evade attacks. Moreover, he had long since opened the meridian acupoints in his hands through the Emei Introductory Palm Technique. Kui Shui Yin Lei also belonged to the Dark Underworld transformations, and he had also seen the Daoist Dao Breath of Yin Lei in the illuminating crystal above his head. As long as he could find the corresponding cultivation Cultivation Method and key points from his memory, deduce them backwards without much difficulty...

Alright, a quarter of an incense stick's worth of the <Jade Pure Water Yin Thunder> is finished. It seems that as long as I give it my all, I can still succeed.

Li Fan looked at the lightning flashing in his palm, nodded in satisfaction, wiped away the blood streaming from his nose, and ignoring his exhaustion, immediately slammed the electric snake in his hand onto the ground.

With a loud thud, Li Fan was quickly slapped, his face covered in dust, and sent flying backwards, almost tumbling head over heels out of the passageway.

He struggled to his feet and saw that he was covered in a layer of black ash, and his Luo Sect robe was completely carbonized... Had he exerted too much force...?

Li Fan tried again, and was slapped back again. This time, he simply lay down in the ash-covered ground, too lazy to get up.

Okay, unsurprisingly, it failed. There wasn't a single hint or clue. Using the brute-force method, there's absolutely no way to Door Opening before the robes run out... What other methods are there...?

Turning his head to look at the crystal beside his face, Dao Breath had been depleted and whose light was gradually dimming, Li Fan was stunned for a moment before suddenly jumping up.

By the way, this kind of trial and error would be shattered in one go, so Jade Toad Granny wouldn't be as reckless as him! She must have used the crystal experiment! This crystal is clearly some kind of consumable or device that comes with the spaceship. If the artificial talisman in this crystal can be activated with Yin Thunder first, it might be close to the standard inside the spaceship!

Li Fan held the crystal in his hand and rubbed it repeatedly. Fortunately, his comprehension was exceptional; his mastery of the subtle manipulations of Dao Breath energy was so superb that there was no possibility of his hands trembling. Soon, he was able to light up the talismans inside the crystal, just like Jade Toad Granny. He even noticed something more: it seemed to be some kind of circuit diagram, although only a part of it, it could convert all the Yin lightning into light and store it inside the crystal.

Light... Li Fan remembered that before he transmigrated, Earth already had a mature optical communication technology. Using intelligent optical networks for information transmission and storage was the future direction of the next generation of global communication systems. Could this crystal be a further technological achievement after optical fibers and optical chips? Or is it a material that can spontaneously crystallize and grow? Could this ship really be based on Earth technology...? Wait, could the prehistoric era of this cultivation world be a high-tech Earth?? And people have evolved into immortals??

Are you dead?!

Jade Toad Granny's voice came through the passage.

"Not yet!!"

Li Fan yelled back at the top of his lungs.

"Hurry up and get out of here!"

Damn it, now's not the time for archaeology!

Li Fan gritted his teeth and leaped onto the mirror opposite once more, placing his hand on the cabin floor. Thankfully, the door opened this time.

However, Li Fan did not go in directly. The moment he removed his hand, the hatch closed instantly.

Damn it, there's no way we can get through in time! And who knows if it's even safe on the other side of the door! One person can't possibly try seven doors...

"Hehehehehehe..."

A strange laugh, like the croaking of a toad yet also the low barking of a hyena, came from the cave entrance. It seemed the toad really couldn't hold on any longer...

But Li Fan wasn't alone! He was going all out!

Taking a deep breath, he took off his Luo Sect Daoist robe, leaving only the Gui Xu Dao Yi, and with the Donghua Changchun Pill and the reincarnated Golden Cicada in his mouth, he slapped himself in the chest!

Then, in the next instant, Li Fan cracked open. A mitotic crack.

After deactivating the invisibility effect of the Gui Xu Dao Yi, seven Li Fan appeared precisely on the octagonal mirror surface: one main body and six clones.

At that moment, Li Fan's head felt like it was about to explode; he felt as if he were caught in a kaleidoscope, simultaneously existing in different worlds, yet connected at the same time.

"Damn it! It's better to rely on yourself than to ask others! Take them one by one!"

Li Fan slapped open a door, and instantly a clone jumped in. Then, a bright light flashed, and with a snap, the clone vanished.

This road is blocked! Again! Blocked! Again! Still blocked! Again! Died again! Damn it!

Having been reduced to ashes four times in a row, Li Fan felt his scalp tingle.

Damn, this spaceship definitely has a built-in security system that can distinguish between clones and biological beings. From the vision transmitted back before the clones were annihilated, Li Fan could already see the other side of the door, which was clearly a warehouse, or something like an egg sac similar to a biological pod. But the clones couldn't get close at all before being killed.

He now only has two clones left, and there are still three paths ahead that he hasn't explored. On the bright side, though, having lost four clones, his headache isn't as bad anymore, and he can think more calmly.

In any case, if he wants to get out of this ship, he must at least leave one of his own people in the central cabin to Door Opening.

Although the clone created by the Gui Xu Dao Yi can only use Returning to Emptiness True Essence and cannot directly produce Yin Thunder to activate the pathway, it doesn't matter. He can use the Transformation Technique to tear off an arm, graft it onto the clone, and then give the clone the Changchun Pill, which will keep the pathway open for a short time.

Furthermore, if necessary, one can use a clone to disguise oneself and go out to confuse Jade Toad Granny into feigning death, perhaps even managing to trick her away. However, this trick of using a clone to feign death probably only has one chance, and it's uncertain whether it will be able to fool the toad.

Should we try this move now? Or should we wait until Jade Toad Granny heart completely collapses before using it? Are there any chances of survival among the remaining three gates? Should we try creating a few more clones using the Gui Xu Dao Yi to test the waters...?

"Aww--"

The sounds coming from the other side of the passage were now almost inhuman.

Are you kidding me? This isn't even a human vocal cord capable of producing a roar! What happened to the promise of turning them to ashes??

Faced with the choice between unknown dangers and known impasses, Li Fan ultimately chose the former.

Golden Core cultivator has no chance against a Nascent Divine Transformation. Even when Lü Qingyang was on the verge of death and had little time left, there were countless opportunities to kill him instantly. It was entirely his own fault for getting too high on his spirits. Even if the scriptures of the Luo Sect were used to attack his Dao heart, it probably wouldn't be effective. Because upon careful reflection, even the natives were not incapable of resisting Tai Su's true scriptures.

Leaving aside Zhang Jiugao, even the Nascent Soul Stage monk from Tiantai Mountain was able to withstand the sword energy of the scriptures and almost kill Li Fan. Moreover, if the Luo Sect's scriptures were really that effective, how did they manage to be wiped out by the Three Great Sects in the first place?

In fact, Li Fan had planned to gang up on the toad from the very beginning, but he never thought of fighting it one-on-one. Who could have guessed that the Qingcheng Immortal and a spaceship were hidden in the Lei Marsh?

In short, a direct confrontation with Jade Toad Granny would have been utterly hopeless; we had no choice but to take another gamble! Good thing! This time she survived!

Through his clone's vision, Li Fan could see that the room on the other side of the door was a smooth sphere, its surface covered in crystals like a clear mirror. It looked like a control room, but why was there no security system that could turn a person to dust?

Do we have to go over and activate those crystals with the Palm Lightning?

Li Fan didn't hesitate for long. He decided to check it out himself, so as planned, he grew an arm, sewed the clone to his chest with ink thread to stabilize the passage, and then slipped into the crystal ball room.

As soon as Li Fan jumped out of the passage, a sudden burst of light from all directions illuminated the spherical crystal room. His heart skipped a beat; he thought he was about to be shot again!

Fortunately, nothing happened.

Upon closer inspection, Li Fan discovered that the light inside the crystal room was merely a reflection; the light was actually emanating from his own body.

Li Fan was stunned for a moment, then suddenly understood, and took out the Rubik's Cube given to him by the system from his pocket.

Oh, come to think of it, this thing is actually a 'glowing crystal' too. So, this ship really is a creation from the same origin as the system?

Li Fan fiddled with the glowing Rubik's Cube for a while. But it didn't seem to be working. After all, he hadn't wiped out the entire Nangong family and fulfilled Li Yi's wish yet; there was still one square he hadn't lit up...

'Li Fan, where are you!'

"Oh! You're finally online? Is this your ship?"

What kind of ship?

'Get out of there immediately, no matter where you are! Something is using you to track us down!'

Li Fan was taken aback, exchanged a glance with his clone, and then turned his head to see the Rubik's Cube reflected on the crystal ball-like screen, flashing with dazzling light spots.

Grass

Li Fan turned around and rushed towards the passageway, then crashed headfirst into the suddenly closed crystal wall.

The passage was closed because the other clone's vision suddenly went black; it was probably 'snap'ed away.

Li Fan lay on the crystal mirror, blinked, and then saw the image of his clone behind him in the mirror gradually blurring, turning into a dark human figure. It looked as if it were a human figure pieced together with black ash and charcoal, as if it were the remains left after a crematorium had burned out.

Just seeing the reflection of that thing in the mirror filled Li Fan with indescribable disgust and terror. He knew he absolutely could not turn around and look directly at the humanoid figure, and he desperately wanted to close his eyes, but he couldn't. He could only watch as the black humanoid figure slowly approached him in the crystal mirror, while dark red blood gushed from his eye sockets, and his mouth and nose were filled with the smell of blood and rust. His flesh and blood were crumbling and disintegrating, his ears were ringing, and his scalp was trembling. His system, his magic, his plans—none of them worked.

In that instant, he realized he had really messed up.

Then the thing walked over to Li Fan and took the Rubik's Cube from his hand.

In an instant, the Rubik's Cube's light disappeared, and the entire mirrored sphere was plunged into deep darkness. The humanoid figure behind him was like a black hole, the deepest black that absorbed all light and heat. Even though he couldn't see it, every cell in Li Fan's body was still collapsing, screaming, and shouting to proclaim 'its' existence.

Then the shrill ringing in my ears, those hateful melodies, the pounding drumbeats—all vanished in an instant.

Li Fan heard his own voice, accompanied by a static-like crackling noise, speaking in his ear.

"Li... Yi... your... sacrifice... satisfies me..."

Then all the sounds, the human figures, and the ashes vanished without a trace.

Bathed in blood, darkness, and profound silence, Li Fan seemed to remember something only after a long while, and took a deep breath. It was as if he inhaled a mass of magma, which filled his lungs and melted his body, which had almost frozen to death in those few seconds.

He vomited loudly, knelt on the ground, and spat out a large mass of dark blood, as if he were vomiting up his bile and internal organs.

For some inexplicable reason, Li Fan survived once again.

But the Rubik's Cube was taken away.