Chapter 82

It was the corpse of Jiao Xiuyuan.

Three months had passed, and it gradually began to show signs of being extraordinary.

Unlike normal flesh and blood, it resembled withered wood, turning a withered yellow color.

Li Fan kicked it with his foot, and the sound was exactly like kicking a piece of wood.

At that moment, a voice came from behind Li Fan.

"This is just a puppet, not the real body. It's a common tactic of Jiao Xiuyuan, Fellow Daoist, you need not be surprised."

Li Fan turned his head and saw that the speaker was also a Qi Condensation stage cultivator.

He immediately clasped his hands in greeting. "Thank you for your guidance, Fellow Daoist. Are you also a member of the Myriad Immortals Alliance?"

The man nodded. "Yes, I am Chen An, and I have been a member of the Myriad Immortals Alliance for over thirty years."

"I am Li Fan. From your words, it seems you are quite familiar with Jiao Xiuyuan?"

Chen An smiled. "I wouldn't say familiar, but having lived on the island for so long, I do know some things."

"Take Jiao Xiuyuan, for example. He runs a general store called Qianli Hall on the island, selling all sorts of things. It's said that he has connections with the Myriad Immortals Alliance and occasionally sells some good items."

"Besides that, he often deals in information. But this guy never puts himself at risk, always using puppets to do the dirty work."

Li Fan nodded slowly. "So he's greedy and afraid of death, I see."

Chen An laughed heartily. "Fellow Daoist has summed it up perfectly! The four words 'greedy and afraid of death' describe Jiao Xiuyuan most aptly!"

After laughing, Chen An suddenly said, "When I was copying the cultivation techniques in the library, I noticed that everyone else would write for a while, then rest when they were tired, to conserve their energy before continuing. Only Fellow Daoist didn't rest for three months. I am very impressed!"

"But I wonder, what deeper meaning does Fellow Daoist have in mind? If we only consider writing speed, Fellow Daoist would certainly be outpaced by those who took breaks due to physical and mental fatigue."

"Could Fellow Daoist enlighten me?" Chen An bowed in respect.

Li Fan pondered for a moment before speaking. "I wouldn't dare to claim any deeper meaning, just a gut feeling."

"Qin Tang said the first test was about 'focus.'"

"Focus means being completely absorbed, undistracted by anything external. Can physical and mental fatigue also be considered an external distraction? If one stops because of it, does that mean they are no longer 'focused'?"

"Just a humble opinion, Fellow Daoist can take it or leave it."

Li Fan said modestly.

Chen An, hearing this, seemed to be deep in thought.

Li Fan said no more and returned to his room to rest.

The next day, Qin Tang did not appear.

The group did not dare to wander around and patiently waited inside the building.

On the third morning, Qin Tang appeared before them, staggering and drinking.

"Good wine, good wine!"

He burped and squinted at the group of cultivators.

"Today, we begin the second test!"

"This time, I will test your courage!"

"The path of immortality is long and fraught with countless hardships. Do you have the courage to face them all?"

Qin Tang smiled slightly.

The group felt a blur before their eyes and suddenly found themselves at the seaside.

Their cultivation levels were sealed, making them no different from ordinary people.

Qin Tang had vanished, but his voice echoed from afar.

"I will be waiting for you on the other side of the sea. Use your courage to cross this sea!"

The group looked at each other in surprise.

A bold individual walked to the edge of the sea and took a step forward.

The seawater instantly froze into ice, supporting the person firmly.

The person was overjoyed and continued walking, soon disappearing from the group's sight.

The rest, seeing someone take the lead, hurriedly followed into the sea.

Li Fan noticed that Baili Chen also stepped into the sea.

However, Sikuang Yi remained at the shore, hesitating to move.

Li Fan paid no more attention and focused his mind, stepping onto the sea.

The water froze under his feet, but he saw no one else in his field of vision.

Alone on the vast sea, Li Fan walked step by step.

The sun rose and set, and he didn't know how much time had passed.

The scenery remained unchanged, as if the sea had no end.

Even though Li Fan had known the answer in advance, he still felt a sense of helplessness and hesitation.

At this moment, he could feel the ice under his feet gradually thinning.

Taking a deep breath, Li Fan expelled his doubts and fears.

He continued walking resolutely.

The ice under his feet thickened again.

This second test was about 'courage.'

It tested not only the courage to face external challenges but also the courage to confront one's inner self.

Walking on the vast sea for a long time, he saw no sign of the opposite shore.

Would you doubt whether you had lost your way?

Would you feel anxious about whether the sea had an end?

Would you feel terrified and lose the courage to move forward?

Or would you give up and stop moving?

Li Fan walked step by step, questioning his own heart.

Even after hundreds of years of reincarnation, he had never felt like this before.

He temporarily put aside all external matters and thought deeply as he walked.

Crossing the sea on ice was like the path of immortality.

The road ahead was vast and without a visible end.

Halfway through, looking around, one couldn't be sure if they had lost their way.

From start to finish, one was alone, with nothing to rely on.

Time seemed to flow endlessly.

Without end.

...

Even so, could one firmly hold onto their beliefs and never lose the courage to move forward?

Even knowing that this test would eventually end.

But Li Fan had wavered in his heart.

Because this journey across the sea was too long.

One year, two years...

Decades passed.

Li Fan's hair turned gray, his body bent, but he never stopped moving forward.

Until his body, too old to walk, finally collapsed on the sea.

His vision blurred, and before losing consciousness, Li Fan seemed to see.

Not far ahead, Qin Tang in white robes stood alone on the shore.

Raising his wine gourd to Li Fan, Qin Tang smiled and took a sip.

...

Opening his eyes, Li Fan found himself and the other cultivators still in the building.

But a long time had passed since his memory, and many people looked dazed.

After a while, they regained their clarity.

"Crossing the River of the Netherworld is easy, but crossing the sea of the heart is difficult."

"The second test, the trial of courage, is over."

"The final test will take place the day after tomorrow."

With that, Qin Tang, with his ever-present wine gourd, staggered away.