Chapter 520: Chapter 492: The Original Dharma Transmitter
The man’s demeanor was cordial initially, but upon hearing Li Fan’s question, his expression shifted.
“Ha-ha, you must have heard wrong, friend. I don’t know anything about the original site of the Law Transmission!” He quickly waved his hands in denial, behaving as if Li Fan had mistaken him for someone else.
Without waiting for Li Fan to respond, he quickly fled towards the horizon.
His speed was remarkable, even surpassing some Nascent Soul Monks.
Li Fan had finally encountered someone with information, he couldn’t let this lead slip away so easily.
He hastily followed, keeping a safe distance and trailing behind.
Simultaneously, he continually transmitted his thoughts: “Don’t misunderstand friend; I mean no harm. I’m merely interested in what you were saying earlier.”
Rather than responding, the man accelerated his flight, attempting to shake off Li Fan.
Li Fan, however, doggedly kept on his tail, offering persistent persuasions.
After more than half a day passed and the man saw that he couldn’t shake Li Fan off, he finally slowed down.
Scanning his surroundings and seeing no one else, his emotions seemed to fluctuate on his face.
After some hesitation, he spoke in a low voice: “This is not the place to talk, come with me.”
Li Fan slightly smiled and bowed his hand, “Just like that? I thank you, friend.”
Following the man westward, they traveled for hundreds of miles before descending under the sea.
They arrived at a structure that seemed to be like a Crystal Palace.
The man invited Li Fan to sit in a room deep within his Cave Mansion, and sighed, “It’s not that I was unwilling to share earlier, I was just afraid of inviting trouble.”
“What should I call you, my friend?” Li Fan nodded, not inquiring further, instead asking for the man’s name.
“I am Sima Changkong!” The man called, producing a servant who was half-human, half-fish.
The servant poured two cups of tea and then bowed out of the room.
Li Fan glanced at the departing servant.
“It’s just a beastkin, a personal preference. Sorry for the embarrassment!” Sima Changkong took a sip of his tea without changing expression.
“Beastkin…”
Li Fan’s eyes flickered.
The half-human, half-animal bones Li Fan once found in Mr. Bai’s basement in Ningyuan City, his elder brother once called them the same.
He thought they had become extinct, yet he encountered one now.
But Li Fan didn’t feel compelled to defend them, he only nodded in acknowledgement and steered the conversation back on track.
“So, you are Monk Zhou…” Sima Changkong revealed the identity of Li Fan’s avatar.
“Now that you are in my private mansion, you can speak freely.”
“Do you know why Ten Thousand Immortals Island is called Ten Thousand Immortals Island?” Sima Changkong asked.
This question had puzzled Li Fan as well.
Because all the Heaven Cities in each state are named after the state.
For example, Dao Origin City, Shi Lin City, Tianyun City, and so forth.
However, only the base of the Misthaven Ocean is not called Misthaven City or Island; instead, it’s called Ten Thousand Immortals Island.
Despite scouring the archives, he never stumbled upon peculiar records about this, and so he considered it commonplace terminology.
But now it appears there is more secrecy to it.
“I’m interested to know in detail,” Li Fan said, preparing himself to listen closely.
“A long time ago, when the Misthaven Ocean was still a plain, there was a large lake.”
“There was an island in the lake. The Celestial Dharma Bearer first transmitted the Law to the masses there.”
“At that time, thousands of cultivators and mortals gathered here, listening to the teachings of the Immortal.”
“Eventually, everyone understood the Immortal Law of the Celestial Dharma Bearer, establishing the initial foundation of the Alliance of Thousands of Immortals.”
Sima Changkong narrated.
“Perhaps protected by the Celestial Dharma Bearer, despite the changes of mountains and rivers, and the transformations of the vast ocean, this island always retained its form.”
“Thousands of years later, when the Alliance of Thousands of Immortals was founded and the capital city was chosen, this island was picked out of regard for the Celestial Dharma Bearer.”
“To a certain extent, this island could even be considered the origin of the Alliance of Thousands of Immortals. Hence, it is commonly referred to as ‘the Ten Thousand Immortals Island’.”
Sima Changkong briefly explained the origins to Li Fan. He then took a deep sip of tea, observing Li Fan quietly.
Li Fan considered Sima Changkong’s words, a hint of a frown on his face, “If the Island holds such importance as the origin of the Alliance and the first place of the Celestial Dharma Bearer’s Law Transmission, why does hardly anyone know of it?”
“Even related records are hard to find.”
“And why has it been left defenseless, simple to be whisked away by someone?”
Li Fan shook his head, apparently having difficulty believing Sima Changkong’s words.
Sima Changkong sighed deeply, “That’s exactly why I was reluctant to say more.”
He paused for a moment, falling silent.
And then he confessed quietly, “Tens of thousands of our predecessors sacrificed their lives propagating the Tianzun New Method. Due to their efforts, we have the foundation of the Alliance of Thousands of Immortals that now exists.”
“This should be a grand event recorded in history, something current cultivators should remember.”
“But now it is being dealt with coldly, even suppressed.”
“The reason for this is the absence of the Celestial Dharma Bearer for many years. The current controllers of the Alliance of Thousands of Immortals are not the original tens of thousands of Law Transmitters.”
A grave look appeared on Sima Changkong’s face, he then finished the rest of his tea and said, “The strife between the old and the new ways is far graver than we imagined. The old Sect, confronted with an existence that could shake its own rule, naturally wielded its butcher’s knife without hesitation.”
“The true and pure Law Transmitters almost all sacrificed themselves in the struggle against the original Sect.”
“Those who are left are nothing more than mere riffraff who seized the power of the Heaven’s Supreme.”
There was a trace of contempt in Sima Changkong’s voice.
…
Li Fan’s eyes were slightly narrowed.
He found the reason barely acceptable.
The transition of powers in the Mortal Dynasty often caused the image of the predecessors to be forgotten, even distorted, which was not uncommon.
It seems the same applies in the Immortal Cultivation World.
“If it can withstand the changes of the vast ocean without changing its form, there might indeed be some secret hidden in this Ten Thousand Immortals Island.”
“The Alliance of Thousands of Immortals must have examined it carefully before, but finding nothing, they ignored it.”
“However, the Five Elders Organization seems to have received some news recently, prompting them to risk the possibility of a full-scale war to forcibly seize Ten Thousand Immortals Island.”
Thoughts raced through Li Fan’s mind.
After a while, he turned his attention to Sima Changkong, who was still brooding, and asked again, “Sima, you seem to know a lot about the secrets of the Alliance of Thousands of Immortals.”
“However, according to what you said, the symbolic significance of Ten Thousand Immortals Island seems to be greater than its actual value.”
“It doesn’t seem to be worth the great risk to the Five Elders Organization to forcibly seize it. What are your thoughts on this matter?”
Sima Changkong’s face turned solemn.
He thought for a moment then slowly said: “I do have an idea…”
“The original Law Transmitters, due to their rapid cultivation progress, had concepts and habits that were similar to mortals.”
“There is a belief that a mortal should return to their roots after death.”
“So, when the Law Transmitters died in battle against the Xian Dao Sect, their remaining bones were often sent back to Ten Thousand Immortals Island for burial by their companions.”
