"Thank you," Chen Fan said to the staff after entering, and then sped directly towards the backpacker route.
The backpacker route was different from the ordinary sightseeing route. It was specifically for walking through undeveloped areas of the mountains. Only one mountain connected to the main peak of Kunlun Mountain was fully developed. The other mountains, and the main area of Kunlun Mountain, were protected by the state and remained undeveloped.
Soon, Chen Fan arrived by a small stream and began to deploy his true qi to search for a shortcut.
His true qi rapidly spread, exploring and covering a large area.
Within his divine sense, Chen Fan immediately detected a fluctuation of true qi.
Upon closer inspection, Chen Fan realized it was a trace of spatial fluctuation at the end of the stream.
"Is this the Kunlun Mountain shortcut Bai Zhannian mentioned?" Chen Fan wondered, looking at the small area of spatial fluctuation.
However, the spatial fluctuation was indeed set by the Kunlun Ancestor in his lifetime. The last time he went to the Kunlun Secret Realm, he slowly walked up the mountain from the foot. This time, experiencing the secret realm was quite a good feeling.
Although Chen Fan had reached a realm that ordinary people could never achieve in a lifetime, it was precisely his cautious and prudent nature that had kept him alive until now.
Chen Fan cautiously touched it. The spatial fluctuation scattered like water and then regrouped.
"On the news, so many missing backpackers must have stepped on this kind of spatial fluctuation and been swallowed by space-time, right?" Chen Fan said, observing the spatial fluctuation.
Without further thought, after confirming it was real spatial fluctuation, Chen Fan touched the spot of the fluctuation and released his true qi, directly infusing it into the spatial distortion.
A powerful suction immediately began to absorb Chen Fan's true qi. In less than the time it takes for a cup of tea to steep, the true qi was fully absorbed, and the space-time fluctuation began to activate.
With a flash of blue light, Chen Fan was instantly drawn in.
What appeared before Chen Fan's eyes was the true space-time tunnel, with guidance to the Kunlun Secret Realm. Chen Fan flew automatically.
However, the surrounding space-time turbulence was still tearing at his body.
"It really hurts." Chen Fan recalled Bai Zhannian mentioning that to activate space-time fluctuations, one needed at least Nascent Soul cultivation. A Golden Core cultivator would be torn to shreds if they entered, and this was the Ancestor using ancestral artifacts to allow them to teleport instantly to unknown locations.
The light ahead grew brighter and brighter, making it impossible for Chen Fan to open his eyes. With a swoosh.
Chen Fan fell directly from the sky.
"Plop."
Having completed the instantaneous teleportation of the space-time fluctuation, Chen Fan had already arrived at the Kunlun Secret Realm.
The Kunlun Secret Realm was a new space created by powerful beings in ancient times, existing both on Earth and beneath space. Chen Fan couldn't comprehend how strong the earth-shattering powerhouses of ancient times were, to be so formidable.
Chen Fan didn't dwell on it. In the distance, the Life Lamp Pavilion of the Kunlun Secret Realm stood in the very center of the entire realm.
After observing for a long time, Chen Fan flew towards it.
The solemn and upright Life Lamp Pavilion had no disciples on guard, but its doors were wide open, as if they already knew Chen Fan would arrive.
It lacked the grand gilded pillars of the Tongtian Pavilion in the ancient tomb, nor the towering height of the Chaotian Pavilion. The Life Lamp Pavilion was merely a simple, ordinary three-story building.
Chen Fan walked inside. The life lamps of the Kunlun disciples were scattered on the ground in various tilted and collapsed postures. At the forefront was the life lamp of the Kunlun Ancestor, which also had no flame.
Beneath the Kunlun Ancestor was his most favored disciple, Bai Zhannian.
As the weather outside was clear, sunlight streamed in through the paper-covered windows.
Chen Fan dared not look, fearing what would happen if the flame extinguished.
This was a gamble akin to opening a blind box.
Although he feared Bai Zhannian's primordial life lamp would extinguish, Chen Fan decided to put an end to the hope in his heart and see if his worry would be laid to rest or his hope shattered. He fixed his gaze and looked.
A faint flickering flame still danced, unstable as if it could extinguish at any moment.
"Not dead!!"
Chen Fan was overcome with excitement, and the knot of anxiety in his heart loosened.
"Then Bai Zhannian should still be in the ancient tomb!!" Chen Fan's thoughts raced.
Time continued to tick by. Chen Fan watched the flickering primordial lamp and attempted to inject a thread of his true qi, hoping to make it burn more vigorously.
As the true qi flowed in, Bai Zhannian's primordial lamp seemed to sense something and madly absorbed the hard-won pure true qi.
"Does this flame have life??"
Chen Fan looked at the flame absorbing his true qi with doubt and began to search his memory.
After the time it took to steep a cup of tea.
"Oh! I remember now," Chen Fan said, clapping his hands.
Bai Zhannian had once said that the primordial lamp was created when the Kunlun Ancestor used ancestral artifacts to house one of his souls and one of his spirits. If the main body was harmed, the soul and spirit within the life lamp would instantly dissipate. However, although the life lamp was not directly connected to the main body, the relationship between the two was extremely close. If the life lamp was nourished, it could also nourish the main body. Although the true qi transmitted to the main body would be very scarce due to the distance, it would be enough if there were many people.
Chen Fan looked at the flame in the primordial lamp. It was no longer flickering but was still very small. He immediately decided to meditate there to recover his true qi and completely restore Bai Zhannian's primordial lamp.
...