Chapter 97: Trap Setup

A cultivation method that allows one to achieve success effortlessly—Li Fan never imagined such a technique existed in this world.

Unfortunately, the cultivator had only mentioned it in passing and hadn't left the method behind.

"I wonder if Fellow Daoist He's remains can still be recovered..."

The "Mountain Sitting Art" was truly too suitable for Li Fan, as it could fully utilize the advantage of his innate foresight.

It was one thing not knowing about the "Mountain Sitting Art" before, but now that he was aware of its profound mysteries, he was determined to cultivate this method, and no one could stop him!

He Zhenghao was already dead and seemingly had not passed down the cultivation method. But that was fine; Li Fan possessed the "Heaven-Swapping Art," which allowed him to extract He Zhenghao's memories by refining a clone. Perhaps he could re-manifest the "Mountain Sitting Art." If he were truly unlucky and failed, Li Fan could continue to plan in his next life.

Thinking of this, Li Fan couldn't help but become interested in the ancient cave where He Zhenghao had perished. He Zhenghao and his group of five Foundation Establishment cultivators had all perished, with only one Core Formation cultivator narrowly escaping alive. Such shocking news still caused quite a stir on Wanxian Island. For a time, rumors spread wildly.

After some inquiries, Li Fan gradually learned the full story. The cave was located inside an underwater volcano. Previously, the cave had remained undiscovered because the volcano was dormant. It was only recently, when the volcano suddenly erupted, that passing cultivators noticed the hidden cave within. Thus, He Zhenghao and others had teamed up to explore it.

One Core Formation, five Foundation Establishment. This lineup could not be considered weak. After all, according to the information they had, this was merely the ancient cave dwelling of a Core Formation cultivator named True Monarch Tianyang. By common sense, when exploring a Core Formation cultivator's cave, even if He Zhenghao's group couldn't return with a full bounty, it shouldn't have been difficult for them to retreat safely if they encountered danger.

However, it was only after they delved deeper into the cave and triggered a restriction that they discovered True Monarch Tianyang indeed had Core Formation cultivation. But what he cultivated was the ancient art of mechanisms, long lost in the present era. Over a dozen flint mechanism puppets were instantly activated, surrounding the group. Only the Core Formation cultivator named Zheng Xiaoyun managed to escape, albeit severely wounded. The other five Foundation Establishment cultivators all died tragically at the hands of the mechanism puppets.

As three of the five deceased Foundation Establishment cultivators were island guardians of the Congyun Sea, the Wanxian Alliance also dispatched a Nascent Soul Grandmaster to investigate Zheng Xiaoyun, to see if there was any possibility of intentional entrapment leading to their deaths. The conclusion was that it was indeed just an accident.

The demise of the five Foundation Establishment cultivators not only failed to deter others from exploring the cave, but instead fueled their enthusiasm even further. Aside from the priceless mechanism puppets inside the cave, just the legacies of the five Foundation Establishment cultivators were enough to make many people envious. It was said that a second exploration team was already gathering. This time, the leader was a Nascent Soul Grandmaster, True Monarch Gou Xuan. This person was deeply fascinated by various secret arts. Upon hearing that the lost art of mechanisms had reappeared, he was itching with curiosity. Thus, he decided to personally investigate.

"I wonder if this exploration will be successful? But since those going are all Grandmasters of the Nascent Soul and Core Formation stages, I won't join in the excitement."

"With so many treasures, they surely wouldn't compete with me for Fellow Daoist He's remains, right?"

"Perhaps I could post a bounty mission?"

"1000 contribution points? Perhaps that's too much; 500 points should be about right..."

Li Fan also wasn't worried that the "Mountain Sitting Art" would be leaked. Cultivators in this realm would not choose to carry cultivation method jade slips with them. Generally, after learning a cultivation method, they would choose to destroy the jade slip. They would then re-engrave it when needed. What was "needed" naturally referred to cultivation method transactions. Immortal arts cannot be cultivated concurrently, making cultivation methods the most valuable resource in the cultivation world. For cultivation methods like the "Mountain Sitting Art," accidentally found in ancient caves, if one chose not to cultivate them, they could be sold to the Wanxian Alliance or other organizations for a good price. As for cultivation methods like the "Lesser Evolution Water Art," which were exchanged from the Heavenly Profound Realm, if one changed to another cultivation method after breaking through a realm, they could also choose to sell it back to recover some resources. After selling a cultivation method, the memories of that method in one's mind would naturally be erased.

"Cultivation methods in this world can broadly be divided into two types. One type is newly derived after the Great Tribulation, with corresponding backups. Even if a cultivator practicing it dies unexpectedly, the method will not be lost. It will simply be recovered and resold, just like the two cultivation methods found in Qian Hong's tomb."

"The other type consists of methods that existed before the Great Tribulation but are no longer common in the world for various reasons, known only to the cultivators who practice them. If such a cultivator perishes without leaving a copy, it generally means the method is completely lost. The 'Mountain Sitting Art,' 'Sea Stabilizing Divine Sword,' and others fall into this category."

"And with my 'Heaven-Swapping Art,' there's a certain probability I can re-manifest lost cultivation methods from a cultivator's remains..."

"Or perhaps, this is the correct way to use the 'Heaven-Swapping Art'?"

"Could it be that I'll have to pick up my old trade again?"

Li Fan fell into deep thought.

After a moment, Li Fan shook his head. "It's better to get Fellow Daoist He's remains first. Before that, I should do some tasks to earn contribution points."

Refining a clone could only be done by his true body. And since he had already decided that the Lin Fan clone would not have any contact with his true body, it would be better for his true body to personally post this mission. 500 contribution points, for other cultivators, might take half a year to accumulate. But for Li Fan, who held many secrets of the Congyun Sea in his mind, it was just a matter of one mission. Three years had passed since he last submitted the Blue Blood Coral mission, so completing one or two more missions now wouldn't attract too much attention.

So Li Fan began browsing the mission list. Soon, he selected a bounty mission with a reward of 2000 points. He accepted the mission and replied:

"In the southwestern sea area of the Congyun Sea, in the underwater cave beneath Gonghai Island, you will find the type of sea beast you are looking for."

"They are equivalent to cultivators in the late Qi Refining stage, but they gather in groups and are difficult to deal with."

"Note that this cave has two layers. You'll need to explore carefully to find the entrance to the second layer."

"The sea beast swarm is in the second cave."

It was still just providing information. After more than half a day, the other party confirmed the veracity of the information. Quite generously, they gave Li Fan 1000 contribution points.

With the contribution points in hand, Li Fan immediately posted a bounty mission for 500 contribution points on the Heavenly Profound Mirror. The mission stated that he and He Zhenghao had been close friends for nearly forty years, sharing an unbreakable bond. Unable to bear seeing his remains exposed, he was posting a bounty to have his bones brought back for proper burial.

He originally thought it would take some time for someone to accept the mission. Unexpectedly, it wasn't long before the mission was accepted. This person was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, a member of the expedition team currently being assembled. The other party even sent a message, asking Li Fan if he wanted to go along.

"With a Nascent Soul Grandmaster leading the team, they would surely return safely."