[Simulation ended]
...
Li Fan regained consciousness.
He stared intensely at the scene on the screen where the Tai Yan Boat shattered, a deep fear lingering in his mind unceasingly.
"What could that possibly have been?" Li Fan was somewhat puzzled.
Kou Hong and Dao Xuanzi did not encounter any such thing in the dark layer of the Immortal Forbiddance Formation before, so why was his experience different?
Could it simply be bad luck?
Li Fan didn't think so.
The darkness inside the Immortal Forbiddance Formation was vast, and the small Tai Yan Boat inside was but a speck in the ocean.
But this unknown entity managed to locate him accurately...
"Most likely, it was a tool specifically designed to target mortals."
"It seems the safest option is to wait until the fog dissipates and light emanates from the bottom of the abyss before exploring."
"Although we failed at the last moment, the gains from the previous life were indeed far beyond expectations…"
Li Fan contemplated inside his heart, then chose to retain the "Tai Yan Boat".
Name: Li Fan
Realm: Mortal
Physical Age: 20/86
Mental Age: 333/1113↑
Virtual Energy Progress: 0％
Anchoring Energy Progress: 1％
Current number of anchor points: 1
Bound Items: "The Golden Seal of the Jade Realm of a Thousand Mechanisms", Tai Yan Boat
...
Looking at the increasingly small mental age limit, Li Fan felt a touch of pressure.
Fortunately, the Immortal Cultivation World was within reach, as long as he escaped from the Immortal Realm, he could set his sights high!
In this anticipation, Li Fan began his seventh life.
Before [Real] fully charged, Li Fan was determined not to take any risks.
So, he still planned to live through the first twenty years according to the script he had already experienced several times.
In the 3rd anchoring year, Li Fan hid in Jiangnan Wen County once again.
In the 4th anchoring year, he led his confidants in secret to Qian Hong's Tomb.
This time, he used a spray filled with Immortal-Ordinary Miasma to slowly corrode until the power of the Stepping Stone Tablet was weakened to the point where it could not penetrate the steel armor.
Li Fan, clad in steel armor, entered the tomb and placed his hand on the stele.
"Discovered rechargeable item: Stepping Stone Tablet (damaged)."
"Proceed with recharging?"
The prompt of [Real] jumped out timely.
"It's a pity there's still some loss." Li Fan regretted in his mind, choosing yes.
The Stepping Stone Tablet gradually disintegrated into nothing, disappearing.
And the anchoring charging progress of [Real], after absorbing the Stepping Stone Tablet, directly increased by 25%.
"Just three more times and I can unlock the second anchor point?" Li Fan was overjoyed, but still felt that it wouldn't be that simple.
"No use in guessing too much, I'll find out next life."
Other items in Qian Hong's tomb had lost their value to Li Fan. After having the tomb resealed, only then did Li Fan leave.
In the 5th anchoring year, Li Fan couldn't resist, and went to the Eastern Ruin Abyss.
"I'll just take a look and not go down." Li Fan told himself.
Looking at the endless misty sea, his gaze seemed to penetrate infinite space, reaching the bottom of the abyss.
After standing for a while, with the howling wind, the thick fog gradually dispersed. The originally perilous Immortal Forbiddance Formation also seemed to became less dangerous.
"At this moment, if I were to steer the Tai Yan Boat, I could smoothly sail straight to the Immortal Cultivation World," a sudden thought sprang up in Li Fan's consciousness and could no longer be suppressed, wildly expanding and rapidly occupying all of Li Fan's mind.
"Yes, I've been waiting for so long, should I wait another fifteen years?"
"What if [Real] isn't fully charged? This constant hesitation, how can I ever achieve the Great Way?"
"I have already explored once in my previous life. As long as I carefully avoid that unknown creature in the dark layer, I can leave this damn place!"
...
Voices mixed and clamored in Li Fan's ears; his eyes gradually lost focus and turned blood-red, seemingly bewitched by these voices.
Li Fan began walking forward step by step, getting closer to the Endless Abyss.
It seemed that Li Fan was on the verge of being lured into the abyss, to be shattered into pieces.
However, at the bottom of the abyss, suddenly a brilliant light emerged, breaking through the Immortal Forbiddance Formation and coming into Li Fan's vision.
The madness in his eyes was temporarily suppressed as the four words "Immortality is Dead" appeared in his sight.
"Boom!"
All the thoughts that engulfed his consciousness, the not caring for any consequences in the pursuit of the way of Immortal Cultivation, and the desire to leap forward instantly dissipated.
"What just happened?" A now lucid Li Fan suddenly broke out in cold sweat.
In his eyes, the abyss that once seemed calm had suddenly transformed into a lurking monster, its massive jaw agape, ready to swallow him up.
Li Fan immediately turned and ran away without looking back.
After a long time, the heavy fog reconverged.
At the bottom of the abyss, a faint angry roar was heard.
...
Fifteen years later, after a total of twenty years.
[Real] was finally fully charged.
With this assurance, Li Fan finally returned to the abyss.
It still sent shivers down his spine to recall the event from all those years ago.
"It seems that I was right. The creature in the Dark Layer does indeed harbor great malice towards ordinary mortals. Perhaps, its purpose is to devour any mortals who approach this place."
Even with the danger, Li Fan would never give up on his path to longevity.
Without any more hesitation, Li Fan steered the Tai Yan Boat smoothly all the way to the Thunderstorm Layer.
Instead of going further down, he stayed just above the Dark Layer, waiting patiently.
"Whoo..."
A big wind started to rise.
The raging thunderstorm was affected by this mysterious wind and began to weaken gradually.
Specks of light emerged from the darkness and then joined together, forming a vast panorama.
Li Fan didn't pay attention to this surreal spectacle. Instead, he took advantage of this rare and fleeting light, seeking the monster lurking in the darkness.
Regrettably, he achieved nothing!
Seeing the light about to vanish, Li Fan gritted his teeth, no longer hesitated, and steered the Tai Yan Boat at full speed straight toward the bottom of the abyss.
The strange call echoed again, in an instant it had approached him.
At this moment, Li Fan abruptly changed the direction of the Tai Yan Boat's sprint.
After drawing a beautiful curve, the Tai Yan Boat, which was originally charging straight down, was now flying upward at a speed several times faster than before!
Upward, and further up!
The power of the Tai Yan Boat was fully activated, and amid a furious roar, it re-entered the Thunder Storm Layer!
With the last bit of light fading away, Li Fan, from his higher position, finally got a clear view of the true appearance of the monster in the darkness.
It was a gigantic whale, too enormous to describe with words. Even with all the distance between them, Li Fan still couldn't fully make out its shape.
Even just its opened mouth filled the entirety of Li Fan's view.
Seeing its prey return to the Thunderstorm Layer, the whale became furious but could only swim forward ineffectively.
After a few roars to vent its dissatisfaction, it reluctantly closed its mouth and disappeared into the darkness.