At this moment, Yun Fan took out the few items from the rock crevice. Among them were two partial scrolls that looked like animal skins.
Due to the passage of time, the contents on them had vanished, which made Yun Fan feel extremely regretful.
He could guess that the contents on these two partial scrolls should be supreme cultivation techniques left behind by two predecessors.
After all, in that era, top-tier cultivation techniques were not written in books; they were either passed down personally to the next generation, or recorded on these animal skin scrolls, which could last for hundreds or even thousands of years if preserved properly.
But now, due to weathering, the records on them were gone. If he could learn the martial arts of these two predecessors, it would indeed be a fortunate event.
Therefore, Yun Fan could only set the partial scrolls aside.
At this point, he turned his gaze to the box beside the partial scrolls. This box was crafted from thousand-year-old wood, which was why it had not decayed.
Similarly, this box also possessed intricate mechanisms, but they posed no problem for Yun Fan. It took him only half a day to open the box.
Of course, he could have forced it open, but if he used brute force, the contents inside might also be damaged.
There was nothing else inside except for a pill.
"Great Returning Pill!"
A look of delight flashed in Yun Fan's eyes. This was a perfect, unblemished Great Returning Pill, its medicinal efficacy undiminished after millennia.
The Guigu Sect also possessed Great Returning Pills now, and he himself had the ability and strength to refine them.
However, the Great Returning Pills of Guigu were incomplete. He recalled his master telling him that the complete Great Returning Pill of the Guigu Sect had vanished a thousand years ago.
Only half of the secret refinement method had survived. Yet, even with this incomplete record, the Great Returning Pills of Guigu were already heaven-defying.
But they were in no way comparable to this complete Great Returning Pill.
Legend had it that upon consuming a complete Great Returning Pill, one's strength could surge by a hundred years. This was why, a thousand years ago, every generation of Guigu Heavenly Masters possessed the strength of a Land Immortal.
For a thousand years, every generation of Guigu Heavenly Masters had been infinitely close to becoming Land Immortals, yet none could break through.
Perhaps it was due to the absence of the Great Returning Pill. Of course, this was merely Yun Fan's conjecture.
After all, in the past millennium, no Land Immortals had emerged from those ancient aristocratic families and sacred lands either.
It was impossible that they too were unable to become Land Immortals due to the lack of a Great Returning Pill, right? Regardless, having this Great Returning Pill was a good thing.
Yun Fan did not rush to consume it. Instead, he spent three full days studying the Great Returning Pill in his hands.
After three days, he managed to reconstruct the complete formula for the Great Returning Pill. As for the refinement method, it was impossible to deduce solely from the pill itself.
But just reconstructing the formula was already an immense gain.
After meticulously recording the formula, Yun Fan swallowed the Great Returning Pill in one gulp. Who wouldn't be tempted by the prospect of a hundred-year surge in strength?
Although there might be some exaggeration involved, it was enough to demonstrate the heaven-defying nature of the Great Returning Pill.
The moment the pill entered his body, Yun Fan expected a fierce ordeal, similar to how he felt with other Great Returning Pills.
However, to his surprise, the medicinal efficacy of this Great Returning Pill was remarkably gentle, causing no pain whatsoever. Yet, he felt an immense power accumulating within him.
With the aid of this power, he touched the threshold of true Golden Core stage cultivators.
Finally, at the last moment, he grasped the bottleneck of breaking through to the Golden Core stage and successfully became a Golden Core cultivator.
However, this path was not yet over; it continued onward, though it would eventually reach its limit. Yun Fan did not believe he could surpass the Golden Core stage and break through to the Nascent Soul.
After becoming a Golden Core cultivator, Yun Fan felt his growth had significantly leveled up. Of course, Golden Core cultivators did not form a core within their bodies,
unlike in online novels where a core formed within the body, and a baby resided within the Nascent Soul. These terms were merely stage names.
Instead, "gathering Qi into a blade" was a more accurate description of the Golden Core stage.
To verify his conjecture, Yun Fan unleashed a palm strike at the stone wall, causing it to instantly shatter.
Indeed, upon reaching the Golden Core realm, he could gather Qi into a blade, allowing him to kill enemies from a distance without engaging in close combat.
He was just unsure how his Golden Core stage differed from others', as the Golden Core realm was a major stage.
Like the Foundation Establishment realm, it was divided into several minor stages.
The Golden Core realm was divided into only three stages: early, middle, and peak.
Yun Fan was surprised that the hundred-year surge in his strength only brought him to the middle stage of Golden Core. He had thought he might reach the peak.
But upon reflection, it was unlikely. After all, the peak of Golden Core was the strength of the patriarchs of those top-tier ancient aristocratic families.
As for the masters of the sacred lands, it was possible they harbored cultivators at the Nascent Soul stage. Beyond Nascent Soul was Spirit Transformation, and Spirit Transformation cultivators were already considered Land Immortals.
It had been a full thousand years since any Land Immortal had appeared.
The Nascent Soul stage represented the pinnacle of combat power, and in the current era, it was even uncertain if Nascent Soul cultivators existed.
However, Yun Fan never underestimated the strength of his opponents.
After breaking through to the middle stage of Golden Core, Yun Fan finally breathed a sigh of relief. Previously, his strength was only at the half-step Golden Core stage due to his inability to break through.
This made him extremely passive after entering the small world, even earning him the title of "demon." Now, with the Golden Core realm, he could finally assert himself.
Afterward, he proceeded to bury the withered bones of the two predecessors. He had thought he might uncover more information about the predecessor who had become a demon, but the outcome left him very disappointed.
Having buried the two predecessors, Yun Fan departed from the Abyss Forbidden Land.
...
The Jiang Family.
At this moment, Jiang Daolin, the patriarch of the Jiang Family, let out a sigh of relief.
This was because an elder of the Jiang Family had returned with a report that Yun Fan had fallen into the Abyss Forbidden Land and had no chance of survival.
For the Jiang Family, this was good news. If Yun Fan had escaped and been allowed to grow as a young man who had embraced the demonic path,
the Jiang Family would likely be the first to face his wrath in the future. This was because the Jiang Family and the Long Family had always been sworn enemies, and the Jiang Family had relentlessly pursued Yun Fan.
Therefore, Yun Fan was a potential threat. If he hadn't embraced the demonic path, it would be fine; he was just a junior, what could he possibly achieve?
The Jiang Family had a hundred ways to kill Yun Fan.
But Yun Fan, having embraced the demonic path, was a different matter entirely.
Now that Yun Fan was dead, the Jiang Family had no further worries. Only Yun Fan's parents remained in the mortal world. The Jiang Family was already preparing to exert pressure on the Wanchu Sacred Land,
intending to force them to hand over Yun Fan's parents. Concurrently, Jiang Daolin also planned to dispatch a group to the secular world to eliminate everyone associated with Yun Fan.
After all, if the roots are not removed, the grass will grow back with the spring breeze. The Jiang Family's status as a leading ancient aristocratic family was not solely due to their heritage;
it was also a result of their formidable strength and ruthless methods. Over thousands of years, the Jiang Family had dealt with countless enemies.
However, at this very moment, the sounds of a fierce battle erupted from outside the mansion.
The roars of agony from the Jiang Family warriors filled the air.
Jiang Daolin and the two elders of the Jiang Family frowned. Who dared to attack the Jiang Family with such audacity?
Aside from the former patriarch who had been taken to the forbidden land by the Old Heavenly Master, the three of them were the strongest existences in the Jiang Family.
Three cultivators at the Golden Core stage. They had originally been four, but everyone tacitly agreed that the former patriarch's fate was likely not optimistic.
With four cultivators at the Golden Core stage, it was no wonder the Jiang Family was a leading ancient aristocratic family. Consider the Yang Family; apart from Yang Can, they had no other Golden Core cultivators.
This was the difference.
As the three of them stepped out to investigate, they saw Yun Fan.
"He... he's not dead?"
The three of them looked shocked. They knew that Yun Fan had fallen into the Abyss Forbidden Land, and for many years, no one who had fallen into it had ever emerged alive.
To their surprise, Yun Fan had not only survived but had also come to attack the Jiang Family.
Yun Fan's primary reason for attacking the Jiang Family first was for revenge, both for the century-old feud and for the more recent animosity.
After all, the Jiang Family had wronged him the most. Therefore, after breaking through to the Golden Core stage, the Jiang Family became his first target for vengeance, followed by the Ji Family.
Once these two families were dealt with, he would rescue his woman.
"You three, quite surprised, aren't you?"
Yun Fan asked disdainfully.
"How did you manage to survive and emerge from the forbidden land?"
An elder of the Jiang Family inquired.
Yun Fan replied, "Because you haven't died yet, I wouldn't die before you!"
"Hmph!"
Jiang Daolin let out a cold snort. "Even if you survived and emerged, so what? Although you've embraced the demonic path, you only have the strength of a half-step Golden Core. How dare you overestimate yourself and trespass into my Jiang Family? Today will be your day of demise!"
"I have not embraced the demonic path!"
Yun Fan stated coldly. "All of this is merely the Jiang Family spreading baseless rumors!"
"Still spouting defiance even when death is imminent!"
"Attack!"
Beside Jiang Daolin, the two elders lunged towards Yun Fan, gathering Qi into blades, intending to deal with Yun Fan from a distance.
But in the next instant, Yun Fan unleashed two moves. Two streams of Qi split into two from his hands and shot towards the two elders.
"Bang!"
After two loud explosions, the two elders felt their Qi and blood surge, and they were forced to retreat repeatedly. Had they not reacted swiftly, they might have been severely injured by Yun Fan.
"Impossible, how can you be Golden Core?"
The two elders looked at Yun Fan in shock, astonished that he had broken through to the Golden Core stage in just a few days.
And it wasn't just the early stage of Golden Core. They themselves were at the early stage of Golden Core, yet Yun Fan had effortlessly repelled them.
This led them to conclude that Yun Fan was at least a cultivator in the middle stage of Golden Core.
Yun Fan said, "Only your ancient families are allowed to have Golden Core cultivators, and I'm not allowed to become one?"
"You couldn't have broken through so quickly!"
Jiang Daolin said, "You are a demon; you must have used demonic power to achieve such rapid progress!"
Upon hearing this, Yun Fan calmly replied, "Since the mouth is on your body, you can say whatever you wish. I believe the best explanation is to send you to hell!"
"Arrogant!"
Jiang Daolin sneered. "My Jiang Family has been passed down for thousands of years and is a leader among ancient families. We have encountered countless powerful enemies, yet they all fell before my Jiang Family. For you, a mere wild brat, to think of overthrowing my Jiang Family is like an ant trying to shake a mountain, an act of utter folly!"
"Is that so?"
Yun Fan retorted, "What does it matter if your Jiang Family has been passed down for thousands of years? There is no immortal heritage in this world. Your Jiang Family has long been rotten and decayed; you have merely survived due to luck!"
"Today, I will completely dismantle your Jiang Family!"
"Dream on!"
Jiang Daolin attacked first, lunging towards Yun Fan.
He possessed the strength of the middle stage of Golden Core, far superior to the two elders.
At the same time, the two elders activated the Jiang Family's formation, intending to trap Yun Fan like a turtle in a jar.
Facing three opponents, Yun Fan showed no fear. When he was at the half-step Golden Core stage, he had to play defensively and develop.
After entering the Golden Core stage, Yun Fan feared nothing.
At this moment, he was engaged in a fierce clash with Jiang Daolin. During the exchange, Yun Fan also resorted to close combat.
This was because he had discovered Jiang Daolin's weakness. Although the latter possessed formidable Qi, he was not skilled in close-quarters combat.
And close combat was the advantage of his Guigu Heavenly Scripture.
Jiang Daolin was enraged because Yun Fan's moves lacked any discernible pattern. Just moments ago, he had endured two palm strikes from Yun Fan, causing him immense pain.
"Die!"
Jiang Daolin attacked again, this time with his full might. A powerful surge of Qi pierced through the air.
"Boom!"
Yun Fan used his own formidable physical strength to block this surge of Qi. The next moment, he leaped forward and struck Jiang Daolin's chest with a palm.
"Pfft!"
Jiang Daolin spat out a mouthful of blood. He was injured.
Upon witnessing this scene, the members of the Jiang Family trembled. They had never imagined that the ant they had looked down upon possessed such formidable strength.
They had thought that by trapping and killing Yun Fan, he would perish quickly, as this was the Jiang Family's home ground.
Who would have thought that despite all these advantages, Yun Fan would still be invincible? Their patriarch had fallen, and the two elders were certainly no match for Yun Fan.
If this was not the work of a demon, they simply wouldn't believe it. Apart from embracing demonic power, no normal person could possess such savage combat prowess.
"Patriarch!"
The two elders rushed to Jiang Daolin's side, shielding him.
Frankly speaking, at this moment, they were truly terrified of Yun Fan.
Jiang Daolin said, "All three of us, combine our strength and utilize the formation to ensure his death!"
At this point, he had recognized the gravity of the situation. If Yun Fan was not killed today, it would be more than just letting Yun Fan escape.
The entire Jiang Family might be wiped out by Yun Fan.
"A pity. If the former patriarch were still here, how could this savage brat be so arrogant?"
Everyone grumbled indignantly. If the former patriarch hadn't been taken away by the Old Heavenly Master, Yun Fan would have been nothing more than an ant before a peak Golden Core cultivator.
Just then, the battle between the four resumed, more intense than before. Jiang Daolin directly employed a forbidden technique.
The two elders also did not hold back. In essence, Yun Fan was now facing a cultivator at the peak of Golden Core and two at the middle stage of Golden Core.
Although none of them had truly reached the pinnacle of these stages, their combat power was comparable.
Seeing this, Yun Fan's fighting spirit intensified.
Entering a berserk state, he launched a fierce assault on the three. The first to bear the brunt of his attack was Jiang Daolin.
Jiang Daolin was in agony. He had initially believed that with the formation continuously supplying him with power, Yun Fan would perish once he was exhausted.
But in his current state, Yun Fan showed no signs of exhaustion.
He seemed to be on the verge of breaking down.
The two elders attempted to sneak attack Yun Fan. At that precise moment, Yun Fan shoved Jiang Daolin away and turned his attention to the two elders.
The expressions of the two elders changed. Without Jiang Daolin's restraint, they were no match for Yun Fan.
With a single blow, the two elders exploded, their bodies disintegrating. To their dying moments, they never imagined that the prey they had hunted just days ago,
could now so easily turn the tables and kill them.
At this point, Yun Fan turned his gaze towards Jiang Daolin.
For the first time, a look of fear appeared in Jiang Daolin's eyes.
"Kid, enough is enough. You have killed two elders of my Jiang Family, and even my family's successor. Even with a century-old feud, it should be settled now!"
He glared at Yun Fan in anger.
Although he had already passed his peak, he paid it no mind, as he could still enter a second peak.
However, he understood that even if he entered his second peak, he would still not be Yun Fan's match. Once, the Jiang Family had been so arrogant.
A hundred years ago, they had massacred the Long Family and hadn't even batted an eyelid. When pursuing Yun Fan, they had treated him like an ant.
But they never imagined that the ant they had looked down upon would possess the strength to massacre the Jiang Family. Thus, at this moment, both Jiang Daolin and the members of the Jiang Family's eyes were filled with terror.
At this moment, Yun Fan said, "I said I would raze the Jiang Family, and I will keep my word!"
Hearing this, Jiang Daolin's heart sank. He said to Yun Fan, "As long as you cease to be an enemy of my Jiang Family, my Jiang Family will testify for you that you have not embraced the demonic path, and we will also provide you with generous compensation!"
The Jiang Family had never humbled themselves so much before, but this was an exception. The circumstances left him no choice.
The members of the Jiang Family also felt humiliated and unwilling, but what could they do?
At this moment, Yun Fan shook his head. "There's no need for you to testify for me. Even if the whole world is my enemy, I fear no one. Are you prepared for your annihilation?"