Simultaneous traversal: All Abyss difficulty.

Chapter 704 Mortal's Journey to Immortality
Kinmen, the cold courtyard in the back mountain.

Frost still covered the gray-brown rocks, but for Fang Yu at this moment, the cold had lost its bone-chilling edge that could threaten his life.

Although the cultivation method given by the skinny Taoist was vicious, it could quickly put people into a state of cultivation, and it also provided a good explanation for the great changes that the "Qingjing Jing" brought to Fang Yu.

Inside the stone house, Fang Yu sat cross-legged, not holding the jade scroll with gold lettering of the "Qingjing Jing" in his hands. Its contents had already been deeply ingrained in his mind after several recitations the previous night.

He was calm and focused, but his mind was stirred.

The barely perceptible, cold yet warm highlights in the air—the spiritual energy of heaven and earth—were now, as if stirred by an invisible hand, appearing in his perception far more clearly than last night.

They are no longer vague energy points, but rather threads carrying their own faint aura.

Some exude a hint of the vitality of plants, some carry the weight of solid rocks, and most are pure, attribute-free energy of heaven and earth.

Following the peaceful and grand Daoist principles of the "Qingjing Jing" (Classic of Purity and Tranquility), Fang Yu carefully guided a wisp of attribute-less spiritual energy within it.

That wisp of inspiration flowed like a stream into the sea, penetrating the skin and meandering through the meridians along a mysterious path that had been forcibly opened up last night but was now running incredibly smoothly.

Wherever it passed, it no longer brought the soothing warmth of last night, but a deeper nourishment and strengthening. A subtle yet clear tingling sensation emanated from the meridian walls, as if a more resilient structure was quietly taking shape.

Eleventh level of Qi Refining!
A crystal-clear understanding naturally emerged in Fang Yu's mind.

He opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing in them before disappearing, then returning to its original intensity.

The shock of last night's incredible leap has long since subsided, replaced by a solid sense of control and an infinite yearning for the future.

"Eleventh level of Qi Refining," Fang Yu muttered to himself, his knuckles unconsciously tapping lightly on the cold stone floor. "The pinnacle of life that withered old ghost spoke of is nothing more than this starting point."

He stood up, stretched his limbs, and felt a surge of power and agility far beyond what he had ever experienced, making him want to let out a long roar.

But the desolate and gloomy mountain scenery outside the window immediately suppressed this restlessness.

Although the thin Taoist priest is nowhere to be found, he certainly cannot reveal his cultivation level now.

"You have to act convincingly." Fang Yu's eyes were serious.

To survive under the watchful eye of this eerie "master," he must quickly master the intricacies of this evil book and simulate the pain and "effects" it should bring.

Moreover, the sect still has that so-called "formality" today—the sect disciples' duel tournament.

Zhang Boxing's fellow apprentice, whom he had blasted into the mountainside, or perhaps an even greater force behind him, would never let the matter rest.

Just then, two soft "tap-tap" sounds came.

Fang Yu's heart stirred, and he got up to open the door.

Standing outside the door was Su Su.

She was still wearing the faded blue cloth robe, her face less haggard than yesterday, and a complex, indescribable emotion flashed in her cool eyes when she looked at Fang Yu. "Su Su." Fang Yu stepped aside to let her in.

Su Su silently entered the room and casually set up a weak soundproof barrier, which was obviously one of the minor techniques she had learned under the tutelage of the Thin Taoist.

The golden light flashed and disappeared in an instant, and the room became even quieter.

"Ready?" Su Su's voice was very low as she glanced at Fang Yu's seemingly ordinary but actually radiant body. "Master only returns to his meditation room at noon to meditate for a short while. This is a habit he has maintained for many years. The competition will start at 3:45 AM. The drawing of lots and the process of going through the arena will take a lot of time. We must set off down the mountain now to go to the Hundred Refinement Platform in the eastern part of the sect."

Fang Yu nodded: "I haven't had a chance to examine the thing that my master gave me in detail yet, but I feel a chill running through me." He patted the evil book in his arms.

Su Su's eyes darkened, and she said in a low voice, "The Blood Fiend Yin Talisman Scripture, I was taught the first half of this technique when I entered the sect. Every three days, I have to endure the kind of pain you felt yesterday, like being bitten by ten thousand ants, and 'feed' my dantian with my own blood essence to produce a Yin Talisman. Only by enduring this can my cultivation advance even a little. The deeper the cultivation, the more intense the pain. As for the second half, I heard that it requires other methods to open." She didn't finish her sentence, but a trace of fear flashed deep in her eyes.

Fang Yu felt a chill run down his spine when he heard the words "Blood Fiend Yin Talisman." The words themselves sounded incredibly sinister.

What horrified him even more was the implication in Su Su's words—this cultivation method required continuous suffering and torment to maintain progress! This wasn't cultivation of immortality; it was clearly torture!

He asked instinctively, "Senior Sister, how long have you been practicing this skill? What's your cultivation level?"

Su Su's cold face was expressionless: "Seventeen years, early stage of Foundation Establishment." Her tone was neither happy nor sad, as if she were talking about someone else, but Fang Yu clearly caught the imperceptible tremor in her fingertips.

Seventeen years to build a foundation is not slow, but the price paid is torture day and night, and the suffering is unimaginable!

"Seventeen years," Fang Yu murmured, his heart churning with emotion.

Compared to the dramatic changes he had witnessed overnight, the difference was stark, making him feel both incredibly fearful and fortunate about the origins of the "Qingjing Jing" (Classic of Purity and Tranquility).

"This kind of evil technique is even more vicious than demonic arts! I've never heard of any demon lord in the mortal world using such a self-harming method!"

Fang Yu muttered these words almost subconsciously, with indignation in them.

However, as soon as he finished speaking, Su Su across from him suddenly raised her head!

"Tiannan? A demon?" For the first time, Su Su's usually cold face showed obvious astonishment. Her delicate brows furrowed tightly. "Junior brother, what are you talking about? What Tiannan? This Blood Fiend Yin Talisman, though vicious, is merely a method for us minor sects to obtain power. How could it alarm the 'Tiannan' cultivator who has long since vanished and only exists in legends? Not to mention, those true demonic giants and Nascent Soul Venerables, how could we ants presume to discuss them? Don't speak nonsense. If this gets out, you and I will perish in an instant!"

Fang Yu's heart skipped a beat!
Oops!
In his emotional state, he blurted out the words "Tiannan"! This is entirely based on the perception of a modern soul, and he's just making a joke about it.

I didn't expect Su Su to react so strongly.

Tiannan is a name for another vast region outside the mainland!

Su Su's reaction clearly confirmed this.

In the eyes of this Golden Gate disciple, the cultivators of "Tiannan" are legendary beings, unimaginably powerful. The true demonic giants who can roam Tiannan and the legendary Nascent Soul stage figures are taboo subjects that they are not even worthy of discussing!
These seemingly rebuking remarks about "ignorance is bliss" actually reveal a huge amount of information—how far away is the "Golden Gate" they are in from the "Tiannan" cultivation world that belongs to Han Li, to Huangfeng Valley, and to the entire magnificent story!
They are like dust particles beside a giant beast!

(End of this chapter)