In order to continue reading Han Zexian’s diary, Tian Yang had to constantly replenish his diminishing longevity with longevity pills. Each of the longevity pills granted Tian Yang a hundred years of life. Although this may not seem like much at a glance, these pills were unique in the sense that they could be consumed endlessly. While most longevity pills could only be consumed once in a lifetime before their effects ceased, Han Zexian’s longevity pills were an exception—they had no limit. As long as one had an endless supply, they could achieve eternal life. However, such pills were exceedingly rare and unimaginably valuable. Their creation required specific herbs, ones that were nearly impossible to find. These herbs could only thrive in the most harsh and unforgiving environments, where even the strongest cultivators would struggle to survive. Yet, the very same herbs, ones thought to exist only in the most extreme landscapes, were right here in the cavern, growing beneath the waterfall. It was clear that Han Zexian had concocted the longevity pills by himself using the herbs he’d grown. However, Tian Yang was not an alchemist, so there was no way for him to utilize the herbs before him. This meant that once the supply of longevity pills ran out, Tian Yang would not be able to acquire more. Fortunately for him, Han Zexian had left behind an immense supply of longevity pills—enough to increase his longevity by tens of millions of years. Enjoy new adventures from freewebnovel Yet, at the rate his longevity was being depleted, Tian Yang wasn’t sure the supply would last him until he could learn the secrets of the cavern. However, Tian Yang didn’t care and continued. Time slipped away like grains of sand through Tian Yang’s fingers. With his mind wholly immersed in Han Zexian’s diary, he lost all sense of the outside world. One year… ten years… twenty years… In what felt like an instant, twenty-five years had passed since Tian Yang first set foot inside Han Zexian’s cavern. During this time, Tian Yang had managed to improve his cultivation to the peak of Immortal Ascension, and he’d also long finished Han Zexian’s diary and was now studying the engravings on the walls. Just finishing Han Zexian’s diary had cost Tian Yang over a million years of his lifespan. Yet, he felt no regret. The knowledge he had gained was beyond anything he had ever imagined. Through the diary, he had not only unraveled the mystery of Han Zexian’s existence but also uncovered his purpose in the cavern. According to Han Zexian, he had somehow stumbled upon forbidden knowledge—information about entities so powerful they surpassed all mortal and even Immortal comprehension. These entities not only controlled the Divine Heavens, but they could even be dictators of their universe. Han Zexian referred to these unfathomable beings as Outer Gods—entities beyond the reach of mortals, immortals, and even divine beings. Their very existence defied logic, and their power was so absolute that even the highest realms of cultivation could not comprehend them. Han Zexian became obsessed with these beings, dedicating the rest of his life to studying them. His desire to learn more eventually evolved into something far more dangerous—he sought to contact them. This pursuit led him to this very cavern, a place Tian Yang had initially assumed belonged to Han Zexian. However, in truth, the cavern wasn’t Han Zexian’s creation, and the cultivation bed and engravings on the wall existed before Han Zexian’s arrival. The only things that truly belonged to him were the herbs and the longevity pills. As for Han Zexian’s Tomb, while it was indeed created by Han Zexian, this cavern was never originally part of it. In truth, the cavern existed somewhere else entirely, and the tomb itself was nothing more than a method of transportation—a gateway that led here. Tian Yang had suspected this from the very beginning, so he wasn’t too surprised about it. Tian Yang hoped to find a translation of the engravings on the walls, but Han Zexian never managed to decipher it—or so Tian Yang thought, as the diary lacked any mention of it. Tian Yang looked at the longevity pills and mumbled to himself, "Maybe Han Zexian actually managed to contact these Outer Gods, hence why he left his supplies here and disappeared." If Han Zexian had failed, it would have only been because his entire lifespan had been drained away from trying to decipher the engravings. However, the abundance of remaining longevity pills suggested otherwise. If he had perished from longevity depletion, he would have consumed every last pill. The fact that so many pills were still left behind meant Han Zexian hadn’t met his end in such a way. After spending over a decade studying the engravings, Tian Yang had begun to understand it. While he didn’t decipher the words, he could somehow feel and understand them. It was a weird phenomenon that Tian Yang couldn’t comprehend himself. As time passed and the supply of longevity pills neared depletion, Tian Yang at last grasped the true meaning of the engravings. Although the engravings didn’t reveal any new information about the Outer Gods, they revealed something much more valuable—a method of contacting the Outer Gods. "This engraving is actually a technique! One that lets me contact the Outer Gods!" he clenched his fists in excitement. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚 "Perhaps Han Zexian actually managed to understand the engravings and fulfilled his goal of contacting the Outer Gods…" However, as much as Tian Yang yearned to contact the Outer Gods, a deep sense of unease held him back. What would happen to him if he succeeded? After all, Han Zexian had likely attempted it and succeeded… yet he was nowhere to be found. No body, no trace—as if he had been erased from existence itself. The unknown loomed before Tian Yang, both tempting and terrifying. "Despite everything, I am still stuck in this place… I might as well give it a try and see what happens." Tian Yang sighed, his gaze lingering on the ancient engravings. He had uncovered forbidden knowledge, deciphered the truth behind the Outer Gods, and sacrificed an unimaginable portion of his lifespan. Yet, he remained trapped inside the cavern with no way out. Han Zexian’s diary, despite its wealth of knowledge, contained no mention of a way to leave the cavern. Tian Yang was no different from a caged beast, left with only two choices: to wait for an escape that may never come… or to take the risk and reach out to the Outer Gods. After spending days pondering about it, Tian Yang decided to contact the Outer Gods.