Chapter 31

From the modern era, Luo Fan, adhering to the principle that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, chose a route from Jiangxi to Hunan, then to Guiyang, and finally to Yunnan. After several months of crossing mountains and rivers, the two finally arrived in Dali.

The first place Luo Fan went to was not the Tianlong Temple, where the Six Pulse Sword Technique might be hidden, but Wuliang Mountain.

Based on some speculations from the internet in the real world and some of Luo Fan's own guesses, Duan Yu very likely returned the Northern Darkness Divine Skill and the Lingbo Microstep to the Lanhuan Blissful Land.

This was not without theoretical basis. After all, in the plot of "The Return of the Condor Heroes" and the stories that followed, there were no traces of the Lingbo Microstep. The only thing related to the Northern Darkness Divine Skill was the Star Absorbing Technique, which was said to be created by Ren Wo Xing. This meant that Duan Yu had never passed on these two martial arts. If it were the Northern Darkness Divine Skill, one could say it was too dangerous and should not be passed on to those with evil intentions, as it would harm the martial world. However, the Lingbo Microstep did not have so many concerns, did it?

In fact, even Duan Yu's grandson, Duan Zhi Xing, also known as the Great Master Yideng, did not know the Lingbo Microstep. As everyone knew, the Lingbo Microstep was not particularly difficult to practice. Why didn't Yideng know it? Clearly, because Duan Yu didn't teach it.

If Duan Yu didn't even pass on his martial arts to his own descendants, would he bury these two martial arts with him? If not, where did these two supreme martial arts go?

Many speculations in the real world pointed to the Lanhuan Blissful Land. This was not without reason. Among them, Luo Fan believed the two most likely reasons were:

1. In the new revised edition of "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils," it was mentioned that Duan Yu truly loved the "Immortal Sister" rather than Wang Yuyan. Therefore, he naturally returned the records of the two supreme martial arts to the "Immortal Sister" because he deeply loved her and considered these two secret manuals as her personal belongings, which should be returned to their rightful owner.

2. Before Duan Yu learned the Northern Darkness and Lingbo Microstep, the words left by Li Qiushui were, "Bow a thousand times, serve me, obey my commands, and die a hundred deaths without regret." The task that required Duan Yu to do was to kill all the members of the Free and Easy Sect. However, due to a twist of fate, Xuzhu became the leader of the Free and Easy Sect, and Duan Yu could not possibly kill Xuzhu. Moreover, he was inherently kind-hearted. Therefore, he felt he did not deserve to possess these two secret manuals and returned them to their original place without passing them on.

From any perspective, the possibility that the two supreme martial arts remained in the Lanhuan Blissful Land was very high. Therefore, Luo Fan decided to find the Lanhuan Blissful Land first. If he could find the Northern Darkness Divine Skill and the Lingbo Microstep, he might not even need to go to the Tianlong Temple.

Even the imperial palace, which did not house any supreme martial arts, had a red-robed eunuch guarding it. Luo Fan did not believe the Tianlong Temple lacked a formidable guardian. If unnecessary, Luo Fan felt it was better not to take the risk of going to the Tianlong Temple.

Wuliang Mountain, where the Lanhuan Blissful Land was located in "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils," stretched for a hundred miles, with its grand, strange, and beautiful scenery. It was part of the Hengduan Mountains, a branch of the Yunling Mountains, extending southward from Diancang Mountain. It stretched 89 kilometers from north to south and 50 kilometers from west to east, covering an area of 23,355 hectares. The main peak, Bijiashan, was 3,376 meters above sea level, and other peaks over 2,500 meters included Maotou Mountain, Beiwawa Mountain, Jinding Mountain, Tongbi Mountain, Datunzi Mountain, Fengguan Mountain, and Chaoyang Mountain. Wuliang Mountain was a collection of many mysterious and grand mountains.

Before reaching Wuliang Mountain, Luo Fan saw its grandeur, strangeness, danger, and beauty, just as the poem said: "No mountain is higher than Wuliang Mountain, a mighty pass of the ancient Zhenan Prefecture. It shares the majestic momentum of Diancang Mountain, and for a hundred miles, it is all layered peaks. Its towering and majestic appearance shines with luster, standing in the clouds, impossible to climb." It was autumn, and the mountains were covered in red leaves, adding a majestic beauty to the vast mountains.

Even Luo Fan, who was eager to find the Lanhuan Blissful Land and had no interest in the scenery, could not help but praise the natural wonders, truly a masterpiece of nature!

Entering Wuliang Mountain, the dense vegetation greeted him. Walking on the ground, the dry leaves and branches crunched underfoot. This was a primeval forest, and in many places, various animals could be seen foraging for food. Most of them were not afraid of humans, and even a few squirrels climbed onto Luo Fan's shoulders to gather pine nuts. Seeing these cute little creatures, Luo Fan felt a bit happy, while Yang Guo wanted to play with them, but soon scared them away.

The Lanhuan Blissful Land was marked by a waterfall, a large lake, and the Wuliang Jade Wall. Luo Fan thought it should be easy to find, but the mountain was so vast, stretching for a hundred miles. It took him ten days to find a place that matched the description.

"Master, what are you looking for?" Yang Guo, who had been following Luo Fan across half of China and then running around in the mountains, was already exhausted. Seeing Luo Fan stop, he quickly sat down, panting and asked.

"Looking for a cave," Luo Fan did not explain further. He surveyed the surroundings and saw a large waterfall like a hanging silver river, cascading down from a high cliff into a lake, splashing water several meters high. Not far away was a smooth, emerald-green stone wall, looking like jade from a distance.

"Wuliang Jade Wall?" Luo Fan thought he might have found the right place and began to recall how Duan Yu entered the Lanhuan Blissful Land.

Luo Fan remembered that Duan Yu was forced to fall off a cliff and then found a cave. Therefore, there should be a cliff nearby. The only place that could be a cliff was above the waterfall. Thinking this, Luo Fan leaped up to the source of the waterfall and began searching. After a few hours, he indeed found a large crevice, shrouded in mist, with no visible bottom. Luo Fan cursed, "Duan Yu didn't get hurt when he fell, but at this rate, even a immortal would die!"

However, Luo Fan had almost searched the entire Wuliang Mountain and found only this place that matched the description. The stone wall was very similar to the Wuliang Jade Wall, though the cliff was different from his memory. Therefore, he was unwilling to give up. Relying on his excellent lightness skills, he told Yang Guo, "Wait here."

With that, he suddenly held a small bag, put it on his back, and jumped down.

"Master!" Yang Guo thought Luo Fan had lost his mind and shouted, looking down the cliff. He saw a large umbrella-like object suddenly appear, slowly descending.

This was the parachute Luo Fan had exchanged from the system. Without it, even if he had ten lives, he would not dare to jump. The cliff was so deep that jumping down was a gamble with his life. Luo Fan was not that stupid. Why did he buy a parachute, a lighter, and various medicines from the system but not the original texts of "The Return of the Condor Heroes" and "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils"?

It was not that Luo Fan did not want to buy them, but the system had classified these items as prophetic treasures, with prices so high that Luo Fan cursed. Therefore, he resolved to memorize all the relevant plots after leaving the "The Return of the Condor Heroes" world.

Falling down for about two hundred meters, Luo Fan saw many pine trees and other plants growing on the cliff. The cliff became more inclined as he descended, and he eventually landed on a slope, sliding down slowly.

Gradually, Luo Fan heard a rumbling sound, which grew louder and louder. He was startled, thinking, "Is there a raging river at the bottom of the cliff? That would be a big problem." Then, he felt rain-like water droplets splashing on his face, causing a slight pain.

In a moment, he reached the bottom of the valley and sighed in relief. On the left cliff, a large waterfall like a hanging jade dragon poured into a crystal-clear lake. The waterfall continuously poured in, but the lake did not overflow, suggesting there was a drainage outlet. The water near the waterfall was turbulent, but about ten meters away, the lake was as calm as a mirror.

Faced with this natural wonder, Luo Fan was momentarily stunned. He suddenly felt a sense of inspiration but, thinking he might be near the Lanhuan Blissful Land, his thoughts became chaotic, and the inspiration slipped away like a mirage.

Glancing to the side, he saw clusters of tea flowers swaying in the valley. Luo Fan calmed himself and walked along the lake, hoping to find a cave or something similar.

The lake was oval-shaped, mostly hidden in the flower trees. Luo Fan walked around the valley, covering about three miles, but found nothing unusual.

"Is this not the place?" Luo Fan was puzzled. But he had seen the Wuliang Jade Wall, the waterfall, and the lake, so it seemed unlikely to be a coincidence. Thinking this, he searched the valley for another day.

After a day of searching, Luo Fan found no cave or any sign of life, feeling very disappointed. He leaned against a large rock to rest.

"Is this really not the place?" Luo Fan was beginning to doubt. The valley was surrounded by steep cliffs, with no way out except the slope he had descended. Looking up at the high cliffs, shrouded in white mist, he realized he was trapped.

"Damn!" Thinking of his journey from Lin'an, followed by days of searching in the mountains, only to end up trapped, he was furious. He struck the nearby large rock with a palm, shattering it into pieces, which fell to the sides with a loud thud.

It was now night, and under the moonlight, a black, dark cave suddenly appeared where the rock had split.

Luo Fan was startled but then overjoyed. He said in a hesitant voice, "Is this the right place?"

Ignoring any potential danger, he stepped into the cave.

"Click," the flame from the lighter he held emitted a faint light. He did not like using a flashlight, as it was too cumbersome, so he did not exchange one from the system. As a先天高手 (先天高手 means a master of innate skills, which can be translated as a "natural master" or "innate master"), this light was enough for him to see inside the cave.

The cave was slightly rugged but did not hinder his movement. The ground was very flat, clearly artificially smoothed. The path sloped downward, gradually becoming steeper. Suddenly, Luo Fan saw a wooden door, somewhat rotten, with several rusty nails. He kicked the door open and stepped inside.

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