Chapter 20: Unintentional Success

Li Fan steered the Taiyan Boat back above the Abyss of Ruins.

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

Although he had used a trick to get a clear look at the monster’s true form, Li Fan had no idea how to escape its sight and successfully cross the Dark Layer.

“The giant whale is so enormous, and the Taiyan Boat is so tiny. Yet every time I pass by, it always finds me as if a cat found a mouse…” This thought bothered Li Fan.

“I’ll just have to try other methods. Luckily, I still have plenty of chances to try,” Li Fan sighed helplessly.

Fifteen more years passed, marking Anchor Year 35.

Li Fan had long since infiltrated the Thunderstorm Layer.

Over those fifteen years, he had attempted to force his way through the Dark Layer several times.

However, during these attempts, the time it took for the giant whale to discover him after he entered the Dark Layer had significantly decreased. Given the Taiyan Boat’s speed, he couldn’t escape in time. As a result, he invariably returned in disarray after each skirmish with the whale.

“Only on the day the white mist dissipates does the giant whale seem to be delayed by something, taking a while to find me. With that extra bit of time, perhaps I can fly to the bottom of the Abyss of Ruins.”

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

A strong wind began to rise.

The Taiyan Boat’s power was fully unleashed, bursting forth with incredible speed.

The ethereal light grew closer, almost within reach, but the giant whale’s terrifying roar resounded once more.

And it was rapidly approaching.

“Only about a quarter of the distance left, not enough time,” Li Fan concluded.

Li Fan’s eyes narrowed, and a fierce determination surged within him.

Instead of flying towards the bottom of the Abyss of Ruins, he turned and slammed directly towards the source of the whale’s roar.

Unfortunately, his ferocity was useless.

There was no collision; Li Fan only felt darkness envelop him, knowing he had been swallowed by the giant whale once again.

“Damn it, again!”

This simulation has ended.

Li Fan let out a frustrated sigh.

After a long time calming himself down, Li Fan chose to accelerate the charging process this time.

Name: Li FanRealm: MortalPhysical Age: 20/86Mental Age: 368/1116Mental age has completely reached its limit and will no longer increase.

“At least I still have 748 years to spare,” Li Fan could only comfort himself.

The Eighth Life.

Anchor Year 4.

Li Fan reopened Qian Hong’s tomb.

“Discoverable rechargeable item: Fragmented Stele of Stopping (damaged).”“Proceed with charging?”

Seeing this prompt, Li Fan’s mood finally improved slightly.

At this moment, the anchoring charge progress had reached 51.

“At least this life wasn’t wasted…” Li Fan said, a hint of self-mockery in his voice.

Anchor Year 5, on the day the white mist dissipated, the Void Transformation charging progress was already close to 90%. However, anything less than 100% made little difference to Li Fan. He could only choose to wait patiently.

Anchor Year 20, Li Fan tried, but failed.

Anchor Year 35, Li Fan tried again, and still failed.

Nevertheless, these attempts were not entirely useless. At the very least, his control over the Taiyan Boat became increasingly skillful, allowing him to endure the giant whale’s pursuit for longer.

In Anchor Year 50, Li Fan chose not to force his way through the Dark Layer again.

He was old now, his reactions and mental acuity significantly diminished. There was no chance of success.

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

On Li Fan’s seventieth birthday, Kou Hong and Dao Xuanzi arrived promptly.

“Dao Xuanzi, don’t push your luck!”

Listening, Li Fan suddenly felt a pang of nostalgia.

As before, he lured the two to the Grand Tutor’s Mansion under the pretense of discussing Golden Core cultivation methods. After a few rounds of wine, Li Fan took out a scroll painting.

The painting looked old. It depicted a terrifyingly massive whale, hidden behind darkness, with only its monstrous maw exposed, ready to devour.

“Have either of you ever seen such a monster? My ancestor said before he died that if I ever got the chance to escape this death trap, I needn’t worry about anything else. With our sect’s Taiyan Boat protecting me, I would be safe. Only the final layer, where a giant whale lurks, requires extreme caution,” Li Fan inquired.

“Such a fierce beast exists in that vast, dark emptiness?” Kou Hong looked at the painting, his brow furrowed with disbelief. “Why haven’t I seen it?”

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

“Oh? It seems you know about this beast, fellow Daoist?” Li Fan asked, a hint of expectation in his voice.

Dao Xuanzi shook his head. “I’ve only seen related records in an ancient text. It’s said that in ancient times, there was a sect called the Beast Taming Sect. The Beast Taming Sect didn’t possess profound cultivation methods, but they could control exotic beasts between heaven and earth to fight for them using their Beast Taming Art. At its peak, the Beast Taming Sect was said to rival top sects like the Taishang and the Grand Dao.”

“Unfortunately, during the Great Tribulation of Heaven and Earth, the Beast Taming Sect, which only cultivated one method, was the quickest to perish.”

“Among the most famous exotic beasts controlled by the Beast Taming Sect, there seemed to be this type of giant whale.”

“Now that you mention it, I remember. I think it was called the Rift Whale?” Kou Hong clapped his hands and quickly said.

Li Fan’s heart stirred, and he quickly asked, “Do either of you know how to avoid this Rift Whale?”

Kou Hong and Dao Xuanzi both gave an awkward smile. “We’ve only heard fragments of information. Such exotic beasts have disappeared from the cultivation world for thousands of years. How could we know their habits?”

Li Fan couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed.

In the end, would he still have to rely on himself?

After handing the “Thousand Mechanism Jade Realm Golden Scroll” to Dao Xuanzi and sending the two away, Li Fan chose to end this life.

Name: Li FanRealm: MortalPhysical Age: 20/86Mental Age: 418/1116

The Ninth Life!

In this life, Li Fan once again opened Qian Hong’s tomb, intending to absorb the Fragmented Stele of Stopping for charging.

Unfortunately, there was no reaction.

Though regretful, Li Fan had already prepared himself mentally.

Thus, the anchoring charge progress remained fixed at 51.

In Anchor Year 20, Anchor Year 35, and Anchor Year 50, Li Fan tried various methods, but none allowed him to break through the Dark Layer under the giant whale’s watchful gaze.

By Anchor Year 65, Li Fan was eighty-five years old, nearing the end of his life.

He didn’t choose to end it early this time, because he didn’t know how many more attempts it would take to break through this Immortal Extinction Array.

One more attempt was always better.

Unfortunately, he was too old this time; his thoughts had slowed, and his reactions had become sluggish.

Unable to outwit the giant whale anymore, Li Fan didn’t force it. He simply gave up control of the Taiyan Boat entirely, letting it drift slowly downwards towards the Abyss of Ruins from the very beginning.

The Gale Wind Layer, the Illusionary Light Layer, the Inversion Layer, the Flowing Fire Layer, the Profound Ice Layer, the Thunderstorm Layer, the Dark Layer…

Li Fan fell into a daze and slept. When he woke up, he was astonished to find that the Taiyan Boat was almost at the very bottom of the Abyss of Ruins!

“What’s going on? Why didn’t the Rift Whale appear this time?” Li Fan was utterly perplexed, but that didn’t stop him from accelerating, heading at full speed towards the place where faint lights twinkled.

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

“Why did it suddenly find me now?” Li Fan frowned deeply.

Then, like a bolt of lightning illuminating the night sky, Li Fan suddenly understood.

“So that’s it! This Rift Whale can’t see, or rather, ignores objects moving at a constant speed! As long as I maintain the same speed, I can pass through this Immortal Extinction Array safely!”

Having figured out this crucial detail, Li Fan couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

With that, the last shackles preventing him from leaving this Immortal Extinction Land were completely broken!

Amidst Li Fan’s wild laughter and the giant whale’s roar, the Taiyan Boat broke through the rift between the two realms, about to return to the cultivation world.

The surroundings blurred, as if traversing the distance of several worlds in an instant. Li Fan, subjected to immense pressure, grunted, blood flowing from his nose and eyes.

Yet, he didn’t care in the slightest.

Looking back at the Immortal Extinction Land he had come from, Li Fan saw an unforgettable sight as the distance was too vast, and his perspective was infinitely elevated:

Hundreds upon thousands, even tens of thousands of Rift Whales, moving in vast schools, toiled day and night to carve out stretches of dark void within the nothingness.

And the Immortal Extinction Land from which Li Fan had come was growing further and further from the cultivation world.