After the old man's explanation, Chen Fan finally understood some things.
The Wasteland was the land where they lived, and the Immortal Gate was the passage into the Immortal Realm back then.
After those people established themselves in the Immortal Realm, they sealed the passage.
As for why it was sealed rather than destroyed, the old man didn't know the reason.
And this place of banishment, because it was where the passage opened, was inevitably contaminated by the aura of the Wasteland. Hence, it was isolated by the mist to prevent the contamination from spreading to the entire Immortal Realm.
"There's still one more question."
Recalling the old man's fear just now, Chen Fan pressed further, "Why were you so afraid of me? Even if I came from the Wasteland, it has nothing to do with you, right?"
The old man gave a wry smile, "It's not that simple. If people knew you had come to our village, everyone would have to die to prevent the spread of contamination."
"...Isn't that a bit too cruel?"
The old man fell silent.
He also felt it was cruel, but what could be done?
In the eyes of those high and mighty figures, their lives were less than that of ants.
Being allowed to live here was already something to be grateful for, let alone complaining.
Having understood the cause and effect, Chen Fan asked again, "Uncle, besides me, have you seen anyone else from the Wasteland?"
"No."
The old man shook his head with absolute certainty.
Alright.
Seeing that the old man didn't seem to be lying, Chen Fan had nothing more to say.
So be it.
"Thank you for your clarification, Uncle."
Chen Fan expressed his gratitude, "I'll be leaving now. Don't worry, I absolutely won't tell anyone I've been to the village."
Seeing Chen Fan about to leave, the old man finally breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank you."
Chen Fan turned and left.
"Wait a moment."
The old man called out to him from behind.
"Is there something else, Uncle?"
"Are you planning to smuggle yourself into the Immortal Realm?"
Chen Fan: "..."
The word "smuggle" was used well. "Yes."
The old man nodded, "If you intend to smuggle yourself, I suggest you head in that direction. Keep going, and you might have a chance."
"Thank you."
The old man had a good heart.
If it weren't for Chen Fan's identity, he probably wouldn't have been driven away.
It seemed that this so-called Immortal Realm wasn't as good as it appeared on the surface.
Leaving the village, Chen Fan moved forward quickly in the direction indicated by the old man.
Statues appeared again.
The further he walked, the more statues there were.
Unfortunately, they were all broken. Chen Fan didn't know what this place was, and he didn't dare to approach any villages he occasionally saw, for fear of causing trouble for them.
Or... causing trouble for himself.
In any case, Chen Fan continued his solitary journey.
Barren and endless.
There was no trace of spiritual energy, and life was completely absent. It was a scene of unrecovered spiritual energy.
Night fell.
There was night here. Through the mist, only the vague outline of the moon could be seen, and little moonlight managed to shine through.
The climate was not cold, perhaps the only advantage of this place of banishment.
A day and a night, another day and another night.
Ten days had passed.
The opportunity the old man had mentioned still hadn't appeared.
There was a slight difference, though. The statues were no longer intact; they were all shattered.
Right, he forgot to ask the old man what these statues were and what they represented.
A few more days passed...
"Sigh."
Chen Fan sat down helplessly on a piece of a broken statue.
There was nothing.
He had tried many methods: ascending, digging tunnels. None of them had succeeded.
Even with his top-tier Supreme strength, he couldn't tear through the mist in the sky.
This place was a cage.
The term "place of banishment" was most fitting.
Chen Fan lay on the stone and looked at the sky in despair.
As soon as he lay down, Chen Fan sprang up.
"Fluctuations of spiritual energy."
Spiritual energy fluctuations appeared in this lifeless, desolate land.
There were only two possibilities.
Either it was his teammates who had come up with him.
Or, someone had come down from above.
"Whoosh."
Chen Fan immediately got up and ran towards the direction where the spiritual energy fluctuations originated.
He didn't use his spiritual energy.
There was not a single drop of spiritual energy here, so he could only deplete his own reserves indefinitely.
That was why he basically didn't use spiritual energy when walking now.
This was also why he could detect them, but they hadn't detected him.
Chen Fan ran quickly and, from a distance, saw a group of people walking through the air.
"So extravagant."
Chen Fan curled his lips.
He said it out loud but was incredibly envious in his heart.
The group ahead were all wearing white robes, similar in style to ancient long gowns but more form-fitting.
Yes, to describe it accurately, it was like the clothes scholars wore when traveling to the capital for exams.
Very handsome.
The group was not large, about ten people, and they didn't appear to be very old, as if they were on an outing.
Chen Fan spread out his spiritual sense and overheard their conversation.
"Young Master Huo, are you sure someone from the Wasteland has come up?" a woman's voice was heard by Chen Fan.
Then, a man's voice followed, "Of course. My father told me that someone from the Wasteland entered the Immortal Realm through the teleportation gate."
Then someone else asked, "Young Master Huo, aren't people from the Wasteland said to carry contamination? Why are you still looking for them?"
"Nonsense."
Young Master Huo chuckled disdainfully, "Contamination? It's just a trick to deceive people. In fact, there are great secrets in the Wasteland."
"Oh?"
The others became interested.
This was the first time they had heard such a statement.
Young Master Huo enjoyed being the center of attention and said with a smile, "You all know Yi Fu, right?"
Everyone nodded.
Of course, they knew him; he was the City Lord of the City of Freedom.
"Then do you know why the City of Freedom can be the top city below the Imperial Palace?"
"It is said that City Lord Yi Fu's power is second only to the Heavenly Emperor."
"That's right."
No one denied this. "But do you know how Yi Fu achieved such success in less than a thousand years?"
"City Lord Yi Fu is a peerless prodigy." someone offered.
"Not necessarily."
Young Master Huo denied it again. "My father once said that Yi Fu's talent was very ordinary. The achievements he has today are entirely due to a treasure."
"A treasure?"
"Yes, this treasure is called the Heavenly Crown."
Everyone: "???"
What is the Heavenly Crown?
Young Master Huo didn't explain and continued, "It was the Heavenly Crown that made City Lord Yi Fu what he is today. And according to City Lord Yi Fu, he obtained the Heavenly Crown from the Wasteland. It is highly likely that such treasures still exist in the Wasteland."
"Now do you understand why I came here?"
"I understand. Young Master Huo also wants to search for treasures in the Wasteland."
"Correct."
Young Master Huo laughed heartily, "As long as I can find a teleportation gate, I can enter the Wasteland and search for divine artifacts as powerful as the Heavenly Crown."
From a distance, Chen Fan listened to their conversation word for word.
He had already guessed what the Heavenly Crown was.
Could the City Lord of the City of Freedom, Yi Fu, be the Boundless Supreme?