Xianye

Chapter 472 Immortality
The three streams of water swirled behind him, their red, black, and white colors vying for attention, creating a series of muffled, trembling sounds in the air.

It was as if a hundred ghosts were pushing a giant iron millstone, grinding the skin and bones together into a fine, mushy bloody paste, the sound of which filled the ears and chilled people to the bone.

Strange, colorful flowers occasionally rained down from the sky, pressing down on his shoulders.

Then those strange, faceless spirits, each about a foot long, emerged from the flowers, some carrying copper bells, some holding round chimes, some wielding large cymbals, and some holding wooden fish, surrounding Chen Heng and playing music in a solemn and orderly manner.

Almost at the same time the music started, Chen Heng's mind seemed to suddenly open up.

He seemed to be suspended in a vacuum, and suddenly countless paths appeared beneath his feet, densely packed and intersecting like a spider web, eventually extending into a boundless expanse of murky, deep water, from which he could no longer see or know where they led.

Chen Heng's mind cleared for a brief moment, but before he could think any further, he quickly drifted back into a daze, his thoughts heavily suppressed.

He felt as if two hands were pushing him forward from behind, urging him to choose a path to take from among these intricate and complex roads.

A strange feeling was urging him to set off.

If he stays where he is, it seems that disaster is about to befall him, and all his hard work will be in vain...

Although he was delirious, with the story of refining the Void and Dangerous Divine Sand before him, Chen Heng instinctively followed the faint feeling in his mind and let his mind guide him, choosing one of the hundreds of winding paths to embark on.

In a daze, only half an hour had passed outside, but to Chen Heng, it felt like more than ten days and nights had gone by.

As his consciousness wandered east and west along the path, stopping and starting, Chen Heng's internal magical power moved on its own according to that mysterious feeling, sometimes fast and sometimes slow, sometimes active and sometimes still, between his meridians and major acupoints.

Sometimes it is as powerful and unstoppable as Mount Tai falling from the sky, and sometimes it is as fleeting and elusive as a dragonfly skimming the water.

Three days passed in a row. When Chen Heng finally reached the visible end of the path and fell into the water, the three streams behind him also let out a clear and melodious whistle, as if they had a spirit and faintly conveyed joy and happiness.

Chen Heng was startled by the whistling sound, then a flash of inspiration shone through him, making him suddenly realize what was happening.

"The purpose of refining the Void and Dangerous Divine Sand earlier was indeed revealed here."

Recalling what had just happened, Chen Heng wasn't too surprised; he just smiled.

As he looked up, the red, black, and white stripes of water behind him now exuded a profound and distant atmosphere.

Although its form and substance have not changed much from before, its interior seems to be quite different.

He immediately made a hand seal, and the black water surged and rose rapidly, transforming in the blink of an eye into a long river stretching dozens of feet across the sky. Fortunately, the space inside the flying tower was quite large, which allowed it to be contained.

Chen Heng then took out a talisman shaped like a white bone bull's head, infused it with magic power, and two beams of yellowish light burst from the bull's head's eyes, swirling around its body like an iron wall, appearing extremely hard.

This treasure was obtained by Chen Heng from an unknown Dongxuan cultivator when he accompanied Yu Shitong on a campaign against the Huzhao Sect cultivators.

Although it is only a talisman, it is quite hard after activation, and can not only protect the body, but also be used as a flying stone.

At this moment, Chen Heng gently tossed it upwards, and the white bone bull head slammed into the Luo An Black Water with a "plop".

Blackwater, which had not previously launched a direct attack, suddenly revealed a different side.

The white skeletal bull's head sizzled in the black water, pieces of bone trembling and peeling off. Before long, the bull's head turned into a wisp of gray smoke and disappeared silently, never to be seen again.

Although it cannot compare to Hongshui's abilities, its performance is still quite remarkable.

Seeing this, Chen Heng continued to use the magic incantation, and this time the red water suddenly surged and splashed out above his head.

From black water, red water, and then white water...

After manipulating the water in turn, Chen Heng understood that the three waters had reached a point where they were intertwined, like "the moon reflected in the river."

That also means that all the previous work has been done and we can proceed to the final step!

He first held a precious pill that could protect his body and spirit under his tongue, and then circulated his magical power according to the instructions of the combined practice method.

A moment later, a muffled thud was heard from inside his head. Chen Heng's eyes darted around, blood flowed uncontrollably, and then his bones crackled and his spine made a popping sound.

A line of jet-black light gradually solidified at the top of his head, its radiance shining through.

It was as if someone was holding a divine sword inside his body, slowly sawing at his skull so that the divine sword could break free of its shackles and see the light of day!
At this moment, behind Chen Heng, the three streams of water also began to collide and tremble with each other, trying to merge into one and return to their original form.

Just as Chen Heng was fully focused on practicing his technique, a shadow silently swept past outside the tower, and then Lu Zhuang's figure appeared from it.

"Strange, how bizarre!"

After seeing Chen Heng, Lu Zhuang slightly suppressed the strange feeling that had inexplicably arisen in his mind.

He pondered for a few times but couldn't find a way out. After muttering something in frustration, he had no choice but to turn his attention back to Chen Heng.

"For example, when a divine sword is sharpened, iron filings will inevitably appear; when a miraculous elixir is refined, it will spew forth fiery sand..."

Although there has always been debate about whether the Divine Water of the Universe or the Netherworld is superior, in my opinion, the latter is slightly more powerful and has more effects. How could one not show signs of transformation and sainthood upon attaining such a wondrous method?

Lu Zhuang looked Chen Heng up and down several times, shook his head and recited a few lines. After he finished speaking, he looked at Chen Heng, who was now covered in blood, and couldn't help but feel a little surprised.

Judging from Chen Heng's actions just now, he had clearly reached a point where he could begin, and without hesitation, he pushed his cultivation to the next level.

Without cultivating one's spirit and will, one cannot attain sufficient magical power.

Instead of returning to the Realm of the Dead first, we must repeatedly study and refine the combined training method until it is perfect, in order to ensure that nothing goes wrong.

They didn't wait even a moment longer, and were determined to cultivate the Netherworld True Water right here and now!

Where does he get such confidence that he can quickly achieve success and become the only newly born Netherworld True Water cultivator in three thousand years?
After a few thoughts, Lu Zhuang was too lazy to think about it anymore. He scratched his head and took out paper and pen again to start writing his story.

"It's wonderful to have achieved the first grade of Dan! So young, this is the perfect time to be full of vigor and ambition!"

Lu Zhuang sighed with a sense of melancholy, then, biting his pen, he suddenly looked troubled:
"How about changing his background in this story? Make him a wanderer from the void who accidentally obtains the inheritance of the Tribulation Immortal Ancestor, sweeps across the road without being invincible, and finally cultivates a first-grade golden core. Then he is summoned to court by the Heavenly Emperor, who bestows upon him the Fire Date and Golden Flower to commend his cultivation, and also a princess..."

"Wait, if I were to write about the love and hate entanglements of those nobles, I would inevitably have to project Chen Heng's image onto the page first. No, this is about me, Old Lu, so it's best not to change it!"

While Lu Zhuang was pondering this, several days passed in the blink of an eye.

At this moment, Chen Heng, who had been sitting silently, suddenly and slowly suppressed his magical power.

He glanced at the shimmering water curtain behind him, now a mixture of red, white, and black, and smiled.

He immediately moved outside the flying tower, and with a full-force sword strike, severed his own head. This scene was as fast as lightning, without any warning, leaving everyone stunned!

"I--"

Lu Zhuang stared wide-eyed as a rainbow of blood spurted from Chen Heng's neck. The headless corpse trembled only once before it and its head fell limply downwards, their life force rapidly extinguished.

He was about to reach out and reattach Chen Heng's head to see if there was any hope of saving him, but he quickly realized what was happening and stopped himself from doing so.

As the corpse fell, it was battered and bruised by the eerie wind and evil energy. After a long while, the corpse finally fell into the dark spring without splashing much water.

Lu Zhuang watched as Chen Heng's physical life force completely dissipated, his flesh and bones rapidly dissolved in the water, and finally, his physical form vanished completely, even his primordial spirit was swallowed by the Nether Spring.

He frowned slightly and waited patiently for a long time, but nothing unusual happened.

As time went by, even magical artifacts like the Escape Shuttle and the Five Qi Universe Ring, which had been instructed beforehand, could not bear the panic. Suddenly, a ball of black water emerged from the void.

It was a color deeper than ink, starting as a fist-sized lump, which slowly expanded into a long, flowing, pitch-black river that stretched across the sky.

Waves surged endlessly, and a chilling, ominous atmosphere emanated from the water. Hundreds of souls floated and sank in the water, emitting howling sounds, as they all prostrated themselves, guarding an arm that slowly emerged from the water.

First it was the arms, then the head, chest, and abdomen...

Chen Heng slowly straightened up on the crest of the wave. Apart from his pale face, he was completely unharmed.

"The first time I used this water magic, I was still not very skilled and used too much magic power that I shouldn't have used."

After examining himself internally, Chen Heng secretly shook his head.

After a brief moment of contemplation, he raised his eyes and gazed at the boundless dark spring, his gaze seemingly trying to pierce through the vast distance and land on the dark spring's prison of slaying evil spirits, and the corners of his lips slowly turned up.

From Xudu to Xuhuang, he endured hardship and traveled all the way, but in the end, his efforts were not in vain.

Now that the Netherworld True Water has been cultivated, he possesses an immortal body.

Now he is qualified to try to learn the Taiyi Divine Thunder!

He used his Golden Core form to wield the most powerful and unparalleled killing technique among the Twenty-Five Orthodox Methods of Jade Emperor, the number one in the Nine Provinces and Four Seas!
A glint of light flashed in Chen Heng's eyes, and with a sudden flick of his sleeve, he muttered to himself:
"The Great Elixir of Xudu, I am determined to obtain this!"

……

……

After Chen Heng used his sword escape technique to reach the high place, he had just released the restriction and landed in the flying tower when Lu Zhuang's figure appeared at the same time, holding paper and pen in his hand.

"No need for formalities, why are you being so polite with me?"

Seeing Chen Heng deep in thought, and Ji Tou coming to thank him for protecting the Dharma, Lu Zhuang quickly jumped two steps to the side and dodged away.

"How is it?" he asked.

"Very good."

Chen Heng pondered for a moment before replying in this way.

After mastering the Netherworld True Water, he felt as if he had merged into an immeasurable, deep river, and his spirit and will were entrusted to it.

Even if his body is damaged or destroyed, it doesn't matter. As long as he has a single thought and his magical power remains, he can reassemble his body from the river at any time and reappear in the world intact.

Unless it's an unparalleled force that can instantly erase the primordial spirit, leaving Chen Heng no time to react, or a vicious curse that clings to the bone and only holds onto the true nature of the primordial spirit, causing it to revive once and then come back from the void to kill again, endlessly, or an injury that can destroy one's Dao fruit.

With the power of this Netherworld True Water, it was enough to cope with most calamities, giving Chen Heng a means of self-protection.

This is truly immortal!
Among cultivators of the same realm, those who can achieve such equal success are extremely rare, numbering only a handful!

Lu Zhuang nodded in agreement with Chen Heng's reply and smiled:
"Immortality is certainly good. The Netherworld True Water is the best method of immortality in the world. Not to mention that it also has the various wonderful uses of the Three Sons Water, making it truly extraordinary in power."

Unfortunately, ever since that person buried his Dao fruit in the source of the divine water, cultivators in this world who wish to attain immortality have had no choice but to bypass the Netherworld True Water and instead choose those complicated and difficult supernatural techniques, which not only waste time but also have various limitations when used.

"But speaking of which, after you cultivated to True Water, were you able to sense the one slumbering deep within the Divine Water?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Heng's expression hardened, and he nodded solemnly.

The instant he had just mastered the Netherworld True Water, a wisp of his consciousness seemed to be pulled by the Netherworld True Water to an unknown realm, where he saw a towering black figure, seemingly a god in the heavens and a saint on the earth, lying across the void, its form unfathomable, majestic and boundless.

The dark figure rested peacefully on a majestic jade mountain behind its head, with vermilion smoke flowing above and three streams of energy swirling below. Divine light shone high above. The jade mountain had ninety-nine thousand apertures, each containing a world that radiated boundless essence.

In that fleeting glance, Chen Heng seemed to vaguely sense a figure rising up and looking over from Jade Mountain.

But under the heavy shimmering light, even with Chen Heng's keen eyesight, he couldn't say whether he could really see clearly. Soon, with a moment of distraction, his consciousness returned to the present world.

When Chen Heng inquired about the identity of the person deep within the divine water, Lu Zhuang pondered for a long time before finally shaking his head helplessly.
"I am not aware of the details of such a high-ranking secret, but I have heard a few rumors about it."

Some say that he was an important minister of the Shen Gao Dynasty who, after failing to seize the throne from Emperor Shen Gao, abandoned himself and fled to a distant place outside the mortal world.

Some say that he was a great enemy of the Great Mystic Mother from years past. The two fought fiercely over the path of cultivation. In the end, the Great Mystic Mother, together with several others, set a trap, and he could only enter the depths of the True Water to protect himself.

Of course, some say that he has a mysterious background, that he comes from behind the Gate of All Wonders..."

Seeing the thoughtful look on Chen Heng's face, Lu Zhuang shrugged and said dismissively:

"There are many different opinions on this matter, and there is no definitive conclusion. Even if you rack your brains now, it will be of no use. When the sky falls, there will be tall people to hold it up."

Let alone the fact that the one whose anchor of destiny has been severed is beyond waking up, even if a major upheaval were to occur one day, the powerful figures would certainly have to intervene. Why should we worry about it?

After saying this, Lu Zhuang tugged at Chen Heng's sleeve again, urging him on:
"Go, go! Since you've already completed your cultivation, you probably won't stay in the underworld for long."

Who knows when we'll meet again? While we still have some time, the best thing to do is to have a few more drinks with me!

Chen Heng smiled and nodded, saying:
"Dare to disobey orders."

After lingering in the Lu Wang Realm for several days and exchanging communication items with Lu Zhuang, Chen Heng returned to the mortal world once again through that ancient well.

This time, he had only been back in the Void Emperor Heaven for less than half a day when Chen Yu ordered palace servants to summon him to the Zhuling Palace.

(End of this chapter)