Chapter 24

Sun Zhang glanced at Su Zhangyu and patiently explained, "For ordinary people to cultivate, they must rid their bodies of miasma. You, who have returned from the Exile Land, have a much higher concentration of miasma in your bodies than ordinary people. Therefore, without removing this miasma, it is impossible to cultivate."

Su Zhangyu frowned and said, "We are already aware of this. But how can we remove this miasma?"

Sun Zhang replied, "There are several methods to remove miasma. One is the Purifying Spirit Pool on the island. Soaking in the Spirit Pool for a day and a night can completely remove the miasma from your body. Unfortunately, the materials required to activate the Spirit Pool are quite astonishing. Although our Liuli Island is wealthy, we can only activate it once every three years. Let me think, the last activation was a year ago, which means we have to wait about two more years for the next activation."

"Moreover, the number of people who can enter the Spirit Pool is limited, and the competition is fierce. You, as outsiders without any foundation, how can you possibly compete with the islanders?" Sun Zhang shook his head and said.

"What about the other methods?" Su Zhangyu continued to ask.

"The second method is to practice the 'Xuanhuang Cleansing Heart Spell' and combine it with specific medications and diet. Over time, this can change your physical constitution and ultimately remove all the miasma from your body. Although this method takes a long time, usually five to six years, it is stable and does not require any special sacrifices. The 'Xuanhuang Cleansing Heart Spell' and the corresponding pills can be bought from the island's pharmacies."

"Five to six years..." Su Zhangyu muttered, then asked again, "What else?"

"The third method is to become a test subject." At this point, Sun Zhang's face turned somewhat grim, as if he was struggling to suppress his fear. However, he still answered Su Zhangyu.

"A test subject?" Su Zhangyu was somewhat bewildered.

"Exactly. Some Immortal Masters are very interested in the miasma in our bodies. Every year, they select volunteers from the island's ordinary people to serve as test subjects. The Immortal Masters use special methods to continuously extract the miasma from the test subjects for research. It usually takes only a few months to completely remove the miasma from the test subjects."

Sun Zhang's face turned pale, as if he was thinking of something: "But the process is extremely painful. It is a state where one cannot find life or death. Most people cannot endure until the miasma is completely removed and are driven mad by the torture."

"I do not recommend you use this method. It is not something ordinary people can bear."

Su Zhangyu did not seem to have taken Sun Zhang's advice to heart. He remained silent for a moment and then asked, "Are there any other methods?"

Sun Zhang shook his head: "It is said that the direct descendants of the Immortal Masters can reshape their bodies using heavenly treasures, not only eliminating the miasma but also improving their cultivation potential. However, this method is beyond our imagination. Even the Lord of Liuli Island does not have such treatment."

"That is all I know. If you really want to cultivate, you should consider it carefully in the coming days."

After saying this, Sun Zhang saw that Su Zhangyu looked somewhat dispirited and could not help but console him: "I know you have endured great hardships to return from the Exile Land and have a heart for the Dao. Who wasn't like that at first?"

"Unfortunately, the path of immortality is extremely difficult. Even if you can remove the miasma, very few can sense the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and draw it into their bodies. Why seek trouble for yourself? Being an ordinary person is not bad either." Sun Zhang seemed to be comforting Su Zhangyu, but also himself.

"With the invisible nourishment of the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, even if you cannot cultivate, you can live longer than in the Exile Land. It will not be in vain for your families to have paid a great price to send you out."

"Instead of desperately pursuing the path of immortality, why not enjoy life, indulge in pleasure, and live in the present?"

...

After Sun Zhang finished speaking, he left.

The people present had various reactions. Some looked delighted, deeply agreeing with Sun Zhang's words, as if they had found an excuse for indulgence; some could not accept the difficulty of cultivation and burst into tears; some looked worried, not knowing what to do...

Only Su Zhangyu's face was resolute, as if he had made a hidden decision.

Seeing everyone's reactions, Li Fan sneered inwardly.

Without interfering, Li Fan took advantage of everyone's distraction to quietly leave.

He inquired and found the place on the island where free residences were distributed.

Li Fan showed his spirit talisman and was then led by a staff member to the residential area in the northern part of Liuli Island.

There were countless houses here, some empty and some already occupied.

Most of these houses had only one room, but they had small couryards surrounded by walls, which prevented them from looking too shabby.

"The sixth row, seventh house, this is it." The staff member impatiently handed the key to Li Fan and hurriedly left.

Li Fan opened the gate, walked in, and closed the door behind him.

The house was quite simple, with only a bed and a few tables and chairs, which made Li Fan somewhat uncomfortable.

However, he did not care much about these external things. After a simple cleanup, Li Fan rested and pondered his next steps.

"The start was quite lucky, and I settled down without much effort. I owe this to those people from the Exile Land. Unfortunately, apart from Su Zhangyu, the rest seem to be ordinary people with no heart for the Dao, and they will not achieve much."

"This residence is a bit simple, but the safety is not a concern. I have already inquired, and Liuli Island is guarded by Immortal Masters, and there have been no bold and reckless incidents for a long time."

"The next primary goal is to remove the miasma from my body. Although the quota for the Purifying Spirit Pool is precious, the treasures I plundered from the Taiyan Boat are countless, and obtaining a quota should not be difficult. The downside is that it will be too conspicuous, and wealth should not be shown. As an outsider without a foundation, suddenly revealing so much wealth will inevitably attract attention. I need to plan carefully."

...

Suddenly, a knock on the door interrupted Li Fan's thoughts.

"Who is it?" Li Fan immediately became alert.

"It's me." The voice was somewhat low and familiar.

Li Fan remained calm, took out the Taiyan Boat, and retrieved a dagger, hiding it in his sleeve.

He opened the door slightly and saw the person's face.

It was the fat man who had tried to chat him up earlier.

Li Fan decisively chose to close the door.

"Wait..." The young fat man quickly blocked the door and whispered, "You are not one of us from the Exile Land, are you?"

"What?" Li Fan was taken aback.

The fat man took the opportunity to slip inside.

He sized up Li Fan and said with ill intent, "Who are you, and what is your purpose for infiltrating Liuli Island?"

"How do you know I am not from the Exile Land?" Li Fan countered.

The fat man looked disdainful: "When we fell into the water, I vaguely saw your suspicious figure. At first, I thought it was an illusion, but after seeing your behavior last night, I became more and more suspicious, so I kept an eye on you. When I saw you urgently looking for a residence, I secretly followed you to test you."

"Sure enough, I exposed your true colors with just one test." The fat man was somewhat smug.

"From this, it seems you are quite astute and meticulous." Li Fan nodded.

"Of course, apart from me, those fools didn't notice a stranger had infiltrated."

"Is it really just you, and no one else noticed this?" Li Fan asked.

"Of course! How can those fools be compared to me..."

The fat man's words were cut short.

Because a sharp dagger had already pierced his chest.

Looking at the fat man lying on the ground, Li Fan's face was expressionless.