To comprehend all laws and attain immortality

Gu Fan stood in mid-air, looking down at the hundreds of mortals struggling in agony below, and felt a pang of pity in his heart.

Even if these people manage to evade the black mist, their bodies, corrupted by the turbid air, won't last long.

He slumped down and landed in front of the crowd.

The crowd immediately stirred.

However, the reaction was completely different from what Gu Fan had expected.

"Please spare my life, Immortal Master!"

A gasp rang out, and everyone knelt down, bowing their heads and not daring to look up.

Gu Fan frowned slightly and said in a deep voice, "Everyone stand up, and one of you come out to answer."

After a long while, the crowd shakily helped each other to their feet and slowly moved aside.

A slightly immature figure slowly walked out from the crowd.

Gu Fan was slightly surprised to see this.

Normally, in such a situation, it is an older, more composed person who steps forward, but in front of us is just a teenager.

The boy was thin, but his back was straight, and his complexion was not as withered and dark as others.

"This humble one, Lin Chen, pays his respects to the Immortal Master."

Lin Chen bowed respectfully, his eyes trembling slightly, revealing that he was not at peace with himself.

"The foul air has been spreading for many days, why haven't you moved away yet?" Gu Fan asked directly.

This place belongs to the Qin state. Yun Shuwan clearly said that he had ordered the evacuation of ordinary people.

Lin Chen gave a wry smile and lowered his head to reply, "Reporting to the Immortal Master, we were actually among the first to evacuate, even before the Immortal Master of the Rebirth Sect sent the message. However, packing our belongings took a few days, and since the town is close to Falling Immortal Peak, everyone felt unwell and became increasingly weak as we walked, which is why we ended up here."

As Gu Fan listened to the narration, he already understood.

The so-called Fallen Immortal Peak is the dark stone mountain that hides the filthy treasure cauldron.

According to ancient legend, demons once wreaked havoc in this place.

In times of crisis, immortals descended and used a stone mountain to suppress demons, hence the name Luoxian Peak (Falling Immortal Peak).

Before the turbid energy leaked out, the sealing array had the effect of gathering spiritual energy, and the surrounding area was not a dangerous place, but rather a fertile land.

These people lived in a town dozens of miles outside Luoxian Peak. When the turbid air erupted, they thought that the legendary demons had reappeared and immediately set off to flee. However, due to the haste and the turbid air, their progress was extremely slow.

Seeing that these people were already on the road, the monks of the Rebirth Sect pointed out the direction to everyone and then hurried to the next place.

They were considered lucky; many villages and towns didn't even have a chance to escape.

Gu Fan nodded slightly, then asked, "If that's the case, why did you beg for mercy as soon as you saw me?"

Lin Chen carefully observed the situation and said softly, "Because the Immortal Master is not a member of the Rebirth Sect."

"Oh?" Gu Fan asked with slight curiosity. "How do you distinguish between cultivators from other countries and those from other nations?"

Lin Chen breathed a slight sigh of relief when he saw that he was not angry.

"Immortal Master, you may not know this, but although the immortal masters of the Rebirth Sect wear different attire, they all carry soul-summoning banners to help the souls of the dead pass on. Many of them also carry gourds on their backs, making them very easy to identify."

"As for immortal masters from other countries... they may not directly take action, but sometimes, living is more unbearable than dying."

"Why do you say that?" Gu Fan frowned.

The states of Qin and Chen are adjacent, and most of the cultivators from other countries that Lin Chen mentioned were from the state of Chen.

Juezhen once said that the cultivators of Chen Kingdom cherished the lives of mortals, which Gu Fan had never quite believed. Now, hearing this, it was clear that there was more to the story.

A hint of reminiscence and fear flashed across Lin Chen's eyes as he slowly said, "I heard about this from the village elders, so please take it with a grain of salt, Immortal Master."

"Luoxian Peak is located on the frontier, and immortal masters from other countries often come and go. Some people predict marriage, some point out the way to wealth, and some ask for children and health advice. At first, things went smoothly. Those who sought marriage found good partners, those who sought wealth gradually became wealthy, and those who sought children had many children and grandchildren. Everyone was grateful."

"But as time went on, things gradually went wrong."

"Couples who sought marriage turned against each other, those who sought wealth squandered their fortunes and died, and those who sought children had rebellious children and grandchildren, ultimately ending up with their families destroyed and their lives lost. No one was an exception. Only then did everyone realize this and dare not approach the immortal master again."

"Even more audacious ones dared to question the immortal master, only to find that the immortal master changed their minds with just a few words. They were wary just a moment ago, but in the blink of an eye, they entrusted themselves to him. In a few years, their fate will be even worse."

"The crowd was filled with fear, and when they saw a foreign immortal master again, they could only kneel down and beg for mercy."

"If it's a quick and decisive kill, that would be satisfying. But to experience all the joys and pleasures of life first, and then watch everything slip through your fingers... that feeling... might be worse than just dying."

After he finished speaking, Gu Fan remained silent for a long time.

Without a doubt, the one who could do such a thing must be a cultivator from the Chen Kingdom.

Just then, Chang Yuan slowly peeked out from his sleeve and spoke in a hoarse voice: "Boy, now you know why the [Ancestor of Myriad Fates] is also known as the [Ancestor of Misfortune and Calamity], right?"

"Those who hold office will see their families decline; the wealthy will lose all their gold and silver; the kind-hearted will escape death; and the heartless will clearly receive their retribution."

"This lineage of cultivators is most adept at manipulating cause and effect and stirring up emotions. Many of their secret techniques involve extracting blessings, karma, love, hate, and grudges from sentient beings for their own cultivation, resulting in a multitude of karmic entanglements. Among the six major lineages, this lineage is the most detestable."

Gu Fan nodded in understanding upon hearing this.

Thinking back to Juezhen's gentle appearance, one can only feel that beneath his skin lies a bottomless quagmire.

He composed himself and said in a deep voice, "Don't worry, I am a cultivator from the Wei Kingdom. I don't know such mysterious methods. I only came down to check on you because I saw that the turbid energy had entered your bodies. If you are not treated soon after being eroded by the turbid energy, you will not live long even if you escape from here."

Upon hearing this, everyone panicked. Lin Chen's eyes trembled, and he immediately knelt down, crying out, "Please, Immortal Master, save my life!"

"Please, Immortal Master, save us!" the crowd cried out, their heart-wrenching cries moving all who heard them.

Gu Fan nodded and ordered, "Go and fetch some water."

Lin Chen repeatedly kowtowed in thanks, then stood up to explain the situation to everyone and asked them to fetch a wooden bucket and a water bag.

After all the water had been poured into the bucket, Gu Fan took out a pill from his pocket and threw it into the water.

The elixir dissolves upon contact with water, releasing a wisp of clear, refreshing fragrance.

"One sip per person, drinking more is harmful and not beneficial," Gu Fan instructed.

"Thank you, Immortal Master."

Lin Chen respectfully agreed and, under everyone's watchful eyes, took the first scoop of water and drank a mouthful.

The next instant, a warm current spread from my abdomen, coursing through my limbs and bones.

He suddenly felt a slight itch in his throat, lowered his head and coughed lightly, spitting out a mouthful of dark black blood.

After spitting out the foul blood, the black aura on Lin Chen's face disappeared, and he felt much healthier, overjoyed.

Seeing this, everyone finally felt completely relieved.

Afterwards, Lin Chen invited everyone to drink water in turn, and the order was well maintained without any disturbance.

Gu Fan observed this and his eyes revealed a hint of appreciation.

The pill he threw into the water was called the Evil-Removing Pill, which he prepared when he explored the Abyss of Fallen Souls. Its function was to remove the yin and evil energy from the body.

He didn't know the boy's background, but at only a teenager, he could command hundreds of people to obey him.

After drinking the spiritual water, everyone felt their impurities dispelled and, led by Lin Chen, bowed in gratitude.

Although Gu Fan didn't seem to care much, he still managed a slight smile.

"Although the turbid energy in your body has been removed, the black mist spreads extremely quickly. If you linger for even a short while, you will be invaded again."

After speaking, Gu Fan raised his hand and summoned the Covering Sky Umbrella, saying in a deep voice, "No need to panic."

Before the words were finished, the Cloud-Covering Umbrella flew into the air, expanded in the wind, and cast a dark golden light curtain, enveloping everyone and their luggage and valuables inside.

A moment later, Gu Fan flew to a valley a hundred miles away before releasing everyone.

"The black mist cannot spread to this place, so you may rest here for now," Gu Fan said.

The group looked around at the valley scenery, feeling as if they were in a dream, and repeatedly expressed their gratitude.

While everyone was busy setting up camp and settling in, Gu Fan found a secluded spot in the valley and closed his eyes to think about ways to reduce the black fog.

A wisp of inspiration flickers in my mind, yet I can never quite grasp it.

Half a day later.

Gu Fan noticed someone approaching and looked up to see Lin Chen carrying a plate of wild fruit, slowly walking forward.