Chapter 10: Unique Paths to Immortality
"How did the mortals during the Great Migration Plan come to the Land of Immortal Extinction?" Perhaps he had never thought about this before, as Kou Hong directly froze after hearing Li Fan ask this.
"Thousands of years have passed since the era of the Great Plague, and we're not sure what exactly happened during that time. Regarding the various things that happened back then, I've only heard rumors." Kou Hong shook his head after thinking for a moment.
"What, you still haven't given up?" Kou Hong looked at Li Fan and couldn't help but mock, "Even if you get out, what could you do? Still wanting to cultivate immortality at the age of seventy..."
He was halfway through his sentence, but when he saw Li Fan's icy cold eyes watching him as several trained soldiers stood beside them, he couldn't help but shiver and snapped his mouth shut.
Kou Hong had long been released from his prison by Li Fan.
After being trapped in the secret room and baptized by the Immortal-Mortal Miasma by Li Fan, his cultivation had regressed drastically, falling directly to the early stage of Qi Refining.
Unable to use any of his dao techniques, he was now just a slightly stronger mortal.
After being captured, he had originally cursed and raged, but after a few rounds of severe torture, Kou Hong became obedient.
"It turns out that high and mighty cultivators, after losing their cultivation, are no different from us mortals. In fact, they have even less backbone than us," a soldier on the side said mockingly.
"Yeah, this one didn't even last an hour under us." Another soldier chimed in.
Kou Hong was very frank: "Better to be alive than dead. Besides, in the cultivation realm, death is common. Although you are just a mortal, your skills and determination are not bad. I can't complain about you ambushing us, as you proved superior!"
"Don't you hate me?" Li Fan was a little curious.
"Hate? Of course I do!" Kou Hong aggressively drank a mouthful of the wine Li Fan had prepared for him, "But what can I do about it? Now that you are the knife and I am the meat on the chopping board, how could I threaten you? Wouldn't that be a death wish?"
"You are quite open-minded!" Li Fan smiled.
"It's just surviving by any means necessary!" Kou Hong snorted coldly.
"If you could return to the cultivation world, would you still be able to continue your cultivation?" After a moment of silence, Li Fan suddenly asked.
"What..." Kou Hong didn't react immediately.
"If you can help me find a way to travel to the cultivation realm, maybe I will take you with me." Li Fan promised.
"You treacherous villain, you still want to swindle me?" Kou Hong was furious, but he soon calmed down and looked at Li Fan fiercely.
Li Fan's face was calm: "Truth or falsehood, it's still a glimmer of hope for you. Are you willing to give up on your life and just die of old age in this tiny place?"
Hearing Li Fan's words, Kou Hong fell silent.
His face changed intensely, and it was obvious that his heart was struggling deeply.
After a long time, he finally let out a long sigh.
"Fine! I agree!"
"Don't worry, I, Li Fan, have always kept my promises, and have never gone back on my word." Li Fan said reassuringly.
The henchmen on the side carried solemn faces and lowered their heads.
In the entire court, who didn't know that the current Imperial Advisor was a man of his word; if he said he would kill your entire family, he would!
"No need to paint a rosy picture for me, as I am already willing to help you if only to gamble for a slim chance of survival." Kou Hong said coldly.
Hearing this, Li Fan didn't bother to explain further. Instead, he directly raised his speculation.
"If my guess is correct, back then, cultivators should have used a magic artifact similar to a flying boat or shuttle to migrate the mortals. In ancient times, when the cultivation world was flourishing with numerous sects and schools, this kind of transportation-type artifact was very popular. Unfortunately, later on, the world underwent tremendous changes, and cultivators became wary of each other. They started to act alone, and these flying boats and shuttles became rare sights." Kou Hong slowly responded.
"Are you referring to the catastrophe caused by the mysterious Immortal-Mortal Miasma?" Li Fan asked.
"Although the Immortal-Mortal Miasma was bizarre, it couldn't shake the foundations of the cultivation world. In fact, the reason why the Immortal-Mortal Miasma was able to run rampant was because the vast majority of the cultivators in heaven and earth had already fallen victim to a great calamity. The strength of the cultivation world plummeted, which is why it was unable to effectively deal with the Immortal-Mortal Miasma." Kou Hong shook his head, his complexion somewhat grave.
"A great calamity?" Li Fan suddenly recalled the scene of the crumbling mountain gate that he had seen in the depths of the Abyss Ruins previously, and he could not help but feel his heart trembling, "Could it be that immortality techniques cannot be practiced together?"
Kou Hong glanced at Li Fan in surprise, unsure of how he came up with the idea.
"Indeed, practitioners of the same technique cannot coexist!" Kou Hong let out a long sigh.
"In the ancient times, there was no such restriction. At that time, a countless number of great cultivation sects opened their doors to the world, recruiting disciples and teaching them their techniques. Cultivators had masters to guide them, and when they encountered difficulties in their cultivation, they could ask for advice at any time. They could also spar and learn from their fellow disciples who practiced the same techniques. Back then, the entire cultivation world flourished vibrantly!" Kou Hong said, unable to hide his longing.
"Unfortunately, the heavens and earth changed drastically! Immortal cultivators suddenly realized one day the efficiency of their cultivation was greatly reduced. While cultivating, they would know in their minds how many people in the entire cultivation world were practicing the same techniques as them. They discovered to their horror that the more people that practiced the same technique simultaneously, the lower the cultivation efficiency would be for everyone." Kou Hong spoke slowly in a dark voice, a hint of fear flashing in his eyes.
"In the beginning, everyone maintained restraint, trying to find a solution to the problem. However, in the following decades, countless cultivators were stuck in place, unable to advance their cultivation. Eventually, they reached their limits and could no longer hide the killing intent within their hearts."
"A catastrophe that swept through the entire cultivation world began. Anyone who practiced the same technique became an obstacle to all the others! Former masters and disciples, senior brothers and junior sisters, all became mortal enemies in an instant! Even if someone's heart was not willing to kill, how could they be sure all other parties thought the same? Who could guarantee that the other party would not eventually ambush them? All cultivators were plunged into endless suspicion, and the only people they could trust were themselves!"
"At that time, all sects became hell overnight. Those scattered cultivators hiding in deep mountains and secret realms trying to take refuge were not spared either, because cultivators who practiced the same technique would also sense each other's location!"
"Massacre, endless massacre. I don't know how long it lasted before it gradually subsided. By then, the once thriving cultivation realm had become incredibly desolate, with all the sects ceasing to exist, leaving behind only solitary cultivators." Kou Hong narrated this ancient calamity in the cultivation world with great detail.
Li Fan listened intently, his emotions rising and falling as more questions formed in his heart.
Since immortal practitioners of the same technique could not coexist, how did cultivators practice now? What did the cultivation world look like today?