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"How did the mortals from the Great Migration come to the Severed Immortal Land?" Kou Hong was taken aback by Li Fan's question, perhaps because he had never really cared about it before.
"The Great Plague Era ended thousands of years ago, and we don't know the specific circumstances at the time. Most of what we know is just hearsay," Kou Hong shook his head after a moment of thought.
"What, still not giving up?" Kou Hong looked at Li Fan and couldn't help but sneer, "Even if you get out, what can you do? You're seventy years old and still want to cultivate immortality..."
He was halfway through his sentence when he saw Li Fan's cold gaze sweeping over him, and the few stern officials nearby looking eager and predatory. He shivered and closed his mouth with a forced smile.
Kou Hong had already been released from the dungeon by Li Fan.
After being confined in the secret room and subjected to the Mortal Immortal Miasma, his cultivation had drastically regressed, falling directly to the Initial Qi Condensation Stage.
He could no longer use any Dao Techniques, and now he was just a slightly more powerful mortal.
After being captured, he had initially been cursing non-stop, but after several rounds of severe torture, Kou Hong finally became compliant.
"It turns out that even a high-ranking cultivator, once stripped of his cultivation, is no different from us mortals. In fact, he's even less principled than we are," one of the stern officials said sarcastically.
"That's right, he didn't even last an hour under our hands," another stern official chimed in.
Kou Hong was quite calm, "Better to live a miserable life than die a glorious death. Besides, in the Cultivation World, life and death, success and failure are common. Although you are just a mortal, your methods and will are extraordinary. Being outsmarted by you, my brother and I have no complaints. We were simply outmatched!"
"You don't hate me?" Li Fan was somewhat curious.
"Hate, of course I do!" Kou Hong took a fierce sip of the fine wine Li Fan had prepared for him, "But what can I do? Now you are the butcher and I am the fish, can I still threaten you? That would be courting death!"
"You're quite philosophical!" Li Fan smiled wryly.
"Just scraping by!" Kou Hong snorted.
"If you could return to the Cultivation World, could you continue to cultivate?" After a moment of silence, Li Fan suddenly asked.
"What..." Kou Hong was taken aback for a moment.
"If you can help me find a way to the Cultivation World, perhaps I will take you with me," Li Fan promised.
"You treacherous little man, trying to deceive me again?" Kou Hong was furious, but he quickly calmed down and glared at Li Fan.
Li Fan remained calm, "Whether it's the truth or a lie, it's still a hope. Are you willing to give up this chance to live and just grow old in this small place?"
Hearing Li Fan's words, Kou Hong fell silent.
His expression changed dramatically, clearly struggling internally.
After a long while, he finally sighed deeply.
"Fine! I agree!"
"Rest assured, I, Li Fan, always keep my word and never go back on it," Li Fan said solemnly.
The stern officials nearby grew serious and lowered their heads.
In the entire court, who didn't know that the current Grand Tutor's word was law: if he said to exterminate your family, he would exterminate your family!
"Don't try to sweet-talk me, I'm willing to help you just to gamble on that slim chance of survival," Kou Hong sneered.
Seeing this, Li Fan didn't try to explain further but directly outlined his hypothesis.
"If I'm not mistaken, the cultivators back then used something like a Flying Boat or a Flying Shuttle to migrate the mortals. In ancient times, the Cultivation World was populous, with numerous sects and great prosperity. Such transportation tools were very popular. Unfortunately, after the Great Cosmic Change, cultivators were in constant danger, and most acted alone, so Flying Boats and Flying Shuttles became rare," Kou Hong responded slowly after listening.
"The Great Cosmic Change, was it the strange plague?" Li Fan asked.
"While the Mortal Immortal Miasma was strange, it didn't shake the foundation of the cultivators. In fact, the Mortal Immortal Miasma was able to spread because most of the cultivators in the world perished in a great calamity. The strength of the Cultivation World plummeted, and it could no longer effectively deal with the Mortal Immortal Miasma," Kou Hong shook his head, his expression grave.
"The Great Cosmic Tribulation?" Li Fan suddenly remembered the dilapidated mountain gate he had seen deep in the Xuyuan Abyss, and his heart stirred, "Could it be the Incompatible Divine Techniques?"
Kou Hong looked at Li Fan in surprise, not understanding how he had come to that conclusion.
"Yes, the Incompatible Divine Techniques!" Kou Hong sighed deeply.
"In ancient times, there were no such restrictions. Back then, numerous great sects widely opened their doors to teach disciples. Cultivators had Masters to guide them, and they could seek advice whenever they encountered difficulties in cultivation. They could also discuss and learn from fellow disciples who practiced the same cultivation techniques. The Cultivation World was a vibrant and thriving place back then!" Kou Hong said, his voice filled with longing.
"Unfortunately! The Great Cosmic Change! Cultivators suddenly found that the efficiency of their cultivation techniques had drastically decreased. During cultivation, they would sense how many people in the entire Cultivation World were practicing the same technique. They also discovered in horror that the more people practicing the same technique, the lower the efficiency of cultivation for all of them," Kou Hong spoke softly, a trace of fear flashing in his eyes.
"At first, everyone tried to be restrained and find a solution. But over the next few decades, countless cultivators were stuck in place, unable to make any progress in their cultivation. As their lifespans approached, they could no longer hide their murderous intentions."
"A great calamity swept across the entire Cultivation World. Anyone who practiced the same technique as me was an obstacle on my path, and we would fight to the death! Former Masters and disciples, elder brothers and sisters, all became mortal enemies in an instant! Even if someone didn't want to kill, how could they be sure the other person felt the same? Who could guarantee that the other person wouldn't suddenly stab them in the back? All cultivators fell into endless suspicion, and the only person they could trust was themselves!"
"All sects became hells in an instant. Even the Independent Cultivators hiding in Hidden Mountains and Secret Realms could not escape, because cultivators practicing the same technique could sense each other's locations!"
"Endless slaughter. No one knows how long it lasted before it gradually subsided. By then, the once prosperous Cultivation World had become desolate, and all the sects had vanished, leaving only solitary cultivators wandering alone." Kou Hong recounted this ancient transformation of the Cultivation World.
Li Fan listened with a tumultuous heart, but an even greater question arose.
If it was the Incompatible Divine Techniques, how do cultivators today manage to cultivate? What is the Cultivation World like now?
(End of Chapter)