Despite their grumbling, everyone was deeply curious about why the Netherworld Demon Emperor later decided to annihilate the Qingyun Sect.
It was no surprise that Xiao Fan began his cultivation journey at Qingyun Sect and eventually rose step by step to become the formidable Netherworld Demon Emperor who shook the entire cultivation world.
Even if the Demon Emperor felt no gratitude, there seemed to be no need for such ruthless action. There must have been some secret the Demon Emperor wanted to keep hidden from outsiders.
Especially considering that Xiao Fan was just an ordinary mortal at first, yet later managed to become the feared Netherworld Demon Emperor. It was plausible that he gained some extraordinary opportunity at Qingyun Sect and didn't want anyone else to obtain it, leading him to destroy the entire sect.
Many people thought this way, so they watched the scene in the Haotian Mirror with intense focus, afraid of missing any crucial details.
Inside the Haotian Mirror, the young Xiao Fan curiously observed the young men dressed in Taoist robes. These Taoist-robed youths commanded great respect from even the fiercest slave traders, indicating their extraordinary status.
As Xiao Fan and the other children were brought here, they didn't know whether to feel hopeful or anxious.
At that moment, a boy around eleven or twelve years old, standing next to Xiao Fan, whispered excitedly, "Xiao Fan, those people look like cultivators. We might have encountered an immortal fate!"
"Cultivators?" Xiao Fan looked at the boy, confused, not knowing what the term meant.
The boy's name was Zhang Tie, a few years older than Xiao Fan. He was sold to the slave traders due to his family's extreme poverty. Zhang Tie was quite mature for his age and had a cheerful and talkative nature, becoming quite familiar with Xiao Fan during their days in the iron cage.
After Zhang Tie's explanation, Xiao Fan learned that in this world, there existed lofty beings known as cultivators. To ordinary people, cultivators were like unattainable immortals. Many mortals might never see a cultivator in their lifetime, so they often doubted their existence.
However, Zhang Tie had seen a cultivator once when he was younger, and he was very passionate about all the stories and rumors about them.
Honestly, after hearing Zhang Tie's descriptions, Xiao Fan felt a surge of excitement and anticipation. If he could become a cultivator, he might be able to avenge his parents!
Just then, the Taoist-robed youths in the distance waved their hands, and the iron cages holding all the children opened simultaneously.
Zhang Tie and Xiao Fan became more certain that these youths were indeed the legendary cultivators.
"Xiao Fan, we're definitely being taken to the immortal mountains. This is probably a selection for new disciples. Make sure you perform well to get chosen," Zhang Tie whispered to Xiao Fan like a big brother advising him.
"Mm!" Xiao Fan nodded earnestly. To avenge his parents, this was his best opportunity, and he had to seize it no matter what.
The Taoist-robed youths, seemingly hearing Zhang Tie and Xiao Fan's conversation, looked in their direction and smiled meaningfully.
Just as Xiao Fan was wondering how these youths would take them to the immortal mountains, he suddenly blacked out and fell unconscious.
When he woke up, Xiao Fan found himself in a dimly lit dungeon, filled with a rotten and foul stench that made him gag. This was nothing like the place where immortals should reside.
Xiao Fan looked around and saw many familiar faces; the other children were also imprisoned here. The dungeon echoed with the sound of children's cries.
Xiao Fan quickly noticed that several children were missing. He searched thoroughly but couldn't find Zhang Tie anywhere in the dungeon.
This was no immortal fate!
Xiao Fan felt a wave of despair wash over him, realizing they had just escaped one peril only to fall into another.
In the following days, Xiao Fan finally understood why so many children were missing. Almost every day, the Taoist-robed youths would come to the dungeon and take a few children away.
Finally, it was Xiao Fan's turn. As he walked out of the dungeon, he saw pavilions and towers shrouded in mist, resembling a paradise. This was a stark contrast to the dungeon's bleakness.
The Taoist-robed youth led Xiao Fan on a sword flight across numerous peaks, eventually arriving at a secluded stone chamber on a remote mountain peak.
The youth called out to the chamber, "Elder Zhao, I've brought the person you needed."
Boom!
The stone door opened.
A white-bearded elder, exuding an air of immortality, slowly emerged. He walked up to Xiao Fan, pinched his face, and chuckled, "Not bad, not bad."
"What's your name?" the elder asked, smiling.
The elder's appearance matched the image of an immortal in Xiao Fan's mind. He immediately knelt and pleaded, "Immortal, my name is Xiao Fan. Please accept me as your disciple."
The white-bearded elder stroked his beard, his eyes flashing with a hint of malice. "I happen to need a servant boy. Are you willing?"
"Yes, I am willing," Xiao Fan quickly expressed his gratitude, bowing deeply.
No one noticed the seriousness in Xiao Fan's eyes. After days of thinking in the dungeon, he was sure that the children taken away must have died. These cultivators were likely not benevolent.
So he had to do everything he could to earn their trust and survive.
At that moment, a crazed boy suddenly ran out of the stone chamber, laughing maniacally, "I'm becoming an immortal! I'm becoming an immortal!"
Xiao Fan's eyes widened in shock.
Zhang Tie!
The once cheerful Zhang Tie was now emaciated, his skin a ghastly green, his eyes clouded and lifeless, his expression manic.
The white-bearded elder frowned and instructed the Taoist-robed youth, "Deal with him."
"Yes, Elder Zhao." The youth walked up to Zhang Tie and touched his forehead, causing Zhang Tie to instantly go silent. With a wave of his hand, Zhang Tie's body vanished.
Later, Xiao Fan learned that Zhang Tie had been stored in a Qiankun Bag, which could only hold non-living things.
After finishing, the youth left, leaving only Elder Zhao and Xiao Fan. Elder Zhao looked at Xiao Fan and asked meaningfully, "Did you know him?"
Xiao Fan didn't hesitate and replied, "He was just a fellow traveler. Unfortunately, his fate was too shallow to enjoy the immortal destiny."
"Good! Such shallow fate!" Elder Zhao seemed very pleased with Xiao Fan's answer. "I hope you won't disappoint me!"
Xiao Fan later understood what Elder Zhao meant by not disappointing him.
The path of cultivation had several stages: Body Refining, Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Mortal Transformation, Dragon Transformation, Ascension, Sage, Great Sage, Quasi-Emperor, Emperor, and Immortal.
Although Body Refining was the most basic stage, it was also the most crucial. To reach higher levels of cultivation, one needed a solid foundation.
Elder Zhao possessed an ancient incomplete recipe for a Body Refining Elixir. If a cultivator in the Body Refining stage used this elixir to temper their body, their physical strength would be ten times that of other cultivators at the same stage.
To complete the recipe, Elder Zhao needed to conduct constant experiments. If he succeeded in creating the complete recipe, his status in the Qingyun Sect would rise significantly.