It was Jiao Xiuyuan's corpse.
After three months, it had gradually begun to reveal something unusual.
Unlike normal flesh and blood, it resembled withered wood, taking on a yellowish hue.
Li Fan nudged it with his foot. The sound was identical to kicking a tree log.
Just then, a voice came from behind Li Fan.
"That's just a puppet, not his true body. It's one of Jiao Xiuyuan's usual methods. There's no need to be surprised, Fellow Daoist."
Li Fan turned. The speaker was also a Qi Refinement cultivator.
He immediately cupped his hands in salute. "Thank you for the guidance, Fellow Daoist. Are you also a member of the Myriad Immortals Alliance?"
The man nodded. "Indeed. I am Chen An. I've been with the Alliance for over thirty years now."
"I am Li Fan. From your words, it seems you are quite familiar with this Jiao Xiuyuan?"
Chen An chuckled. "Familiar wouldn't be the right word. But after living on this island for so long, one comes to know certain things.
"Take Jiao Xiuyuan, for example. He runs a general store on the island called Thousand Li Hall that sells just about everything. Rumor has it that he has connections with the official Myriad Immortals Alliance channels, so occasionally he even manages to sell some genuinely good items.
"Beyond that, he frequently deals in information. But the man never risks his own skin. He always uses puppets to handle his business."
Li Fan listened, then slowly nodded. "Greedy for wealth and fearful of death, I see."
Chen An laughed heartily. "An excellent summary, Fellow Daoist! That phrase describes Jiao Xiuyuan perfectly!"
After his laughter subsided, Chen An suddenly said, "Back when we were copying techniques in the archive, I noticed everyone else would write for a while, rest when tired, recuperate their energy, then continue. You were the only one who worked for three months without pause. I found that quite admirable!
"Yet I wonder, what was the deeper meaning behind your actions? In terms of pure copying speed, your fatigue must have eventually made you slower than those who rested periodically.
"Might you enlighten me, Fellow Daoist?" Chen An bowed slightly as he inquired.
Li Fan pondered for a moment before speaking. "I wouldn't call it deeper meaning. Just a personal intuition, really.
"Qin Tang said the first trial was about focus.
"Focus means an undivided mind. To achieve ultimate focus, one must remain undisturbed by any external factors. Isn't physical and mental fatigue also an external disturbance? If you stop because of it, does that not mean you've lost your focus?
"Anyway, this is just a foolish thought of mine. Take it for what it's worth." Li Fan said modestly.
Upon hearing this, Chen An fell into thoughtful silence.
Li Fan said no more and returned to his room to rest.
The next day, Qin Tang indeed did not appear.
No one dared to wander off, patiently waiting within the building instead.
Early on the third day, Qin Tang staggered before the group, drinking from a gourd.
"Fine wine, truly fine wine!" He let out a hearty belch, then squinted at the assembled cultivators.
"Today, we begin the second trial!
"This time, I shall test your courage!
"The path of immortality is long and fraught with countless hardships and trials. Do you possess the courage to face each one?" Qin Tang smiled faintly.
The cultivators felt their vision blur. In an instant, they had been transported from the pavilion to the seashore.
Their cultivation and power were sealed, rendering them no different from mortals.
Qin Tang, however, was nowhere to be seen.
Only his voice echoed from afar. "I await you on the other shore. Use your courage to cross this sea!"
The crowd exchanged uneasy glances.
One bold soul stepped forward, planting his foot upon the water's surface.
The water instantly solidified into ice, bearing his weight steadily.
Elated, he strode forward and soon vanished from sight.
Seeing someone take the initiative, the rest grew impatient and surged into the sea.
Li Fan noticed Baili Chen among them, following the crowd. Yet Sikong Yi remained motionless on the shore.
Li Fan paid them no further mind, steadying his thoughts as he stepped onto the water.
Ice formed beneath his feet, but the others had already disappeared from view.
On the vast, empty sea, he stood utterly alone.
With a calm expression, Li Fan walked onward, step by step.
The sun rose, and the moon fell, again and again.
How long had it been?
The scenery never changed.
This sea seemed endless.
Even knowing the answer in advance, Li Fan felt tendrils of doubt and powerlessness creeping into his heart.