My blind date failed, so I had to ascend the throne and become emperor.

Chapter 198 Leaving to Enter the Path to Immortality

"what?"

"Unable to teleport?"

Just as Chen Xue, Tian Xiaoqin, and the other women returned to Canglan Mountain, Zhou Ping was about to have Xiao Ding immediately activate the formation and return to Earth when he received this reply from Xiao Ding.

However, no matter how he asked, the little cauldron did not respond, but the array patterns around it kept flashing. He knew that the little cauldron was definitely working hard to set up the array, so he did not continue to ask.

Chen Xue, Tian Xiaoqin, and the other women looked puzzled, but they all waited obediently and sensibly.

Time passed little by little.

It took a full half day.

The formation still did not react.

At this moment, Xiao Ding's helpless yet solemn voice came from within his mind, "It's no use, the formation seems to have malfunctioned, it can't sense the formation coordinates on Earth!"

The phoenix's voice followed, "Little Cauldron, with your abilities, how could there be a problem!"

Xiao Ding couldn't help but say, "I don't know either. I even used my natal cauldron pattern. Logically speaking, even if the array pattern on Mount Tai on Earth is flawed or attacked, it shouldn't affect the teleportation. But there's no reaction. Moreover, I used to be able to easily sense the array coordinates on Earth, but now it's very blurry. It seems that the array coordinates are rapidly moving away from my sensing range!"

The phoenix fell silent.

This was the first time she had encountered such a phenomenon.

"Actually, there's only one possibility that this situation could occur?"

Xiao Ding said uncertainly.

"what's the situation?"

Zhou Ping and the Phoenix Fairy asked at the same time.

Xiao Ding hesitated for a moment, then slowly said, "That means the ancient ruins of Mount Tai are collapsing or moving!"

The Phoenix Fairy exclaimed in shock, "Collapse and movement... Could it be?"

Xiao Ding said solemnly, "Yes, it's the kind you guessed."

"Impossible! How long has it been? Besides, the near-immortal level experts on Earth have long since perished!"

Zhou Ping hurriedly asked, "Seniors, what exactly are you talking about?"

Xiao Ding replied, "Zhou Ping, the Phoenix Fairy and I speculate that the ancient ruins on Earth may have encountered some kind of change, causing them to move ahead of schedule and enter the path to immortality!"

"The Road to Immortality?"

"That's right. You should know that the ancient times on Earth were very prosperous, and many powerful beings at the near-immortal level emerged. But now, the world has changed, and time is merciless. Only bones and ruins remain. Those extraordinary and talented beings have also vanished. The reason is actually the path to immortality. When the path to immortality was opened, many powerful beings fought each other to become immortals, vying for resources, plundering mineral veins, and even going so far as to gather the Dao fortune of Earth into themselves, all for the sake of having a better chance of becoming immortal!"

At this point, Xiao Ding sighed, "But becoming an immortal is easier said than done. Throughout history, countless great figures and geniuses have fallen on this path!"

Zhou Ping suddenly realized that such a major change had occurred during that time.

No wonder the Earth has become like this.

The Phoenix Fairy said in a deep voice, "In my opinion, the path to immortality is a dead end. However, once you break through to the near-immortal level, no one can resist the temptation of the final step to immortality. Even I couldn't resist back then and entered the path to immortality. However, it was too terrifying inside, so I chose to retreat. That's how I managed to preserve a remnant soul and have been barely surviving until now!"

Zhou Ping was shocked. So, the Phoenix Fairy was also a powerful being at the near-immortal level!

It seems they guessed Zhou Ping's thoughts.

The Phoenix Fairy shook her head and said, "The path to immortality has opened. It's not just those at the near-immortal level who can enter; those at the Void Returning level and even the Nascent Soul level can enter, and even a few at the Nascent Soul level can go. The path to immortality will last for thousands of years. Besides strength, luck is also extremely important. You might get incredibly lucky and obtain an immortal fruit, which could allow you to become an immortal directly!"

Xiao Ding nodded, "That's right, the rumors about the Path to Immortality are true. I've been there with my master, and it's indeed extremely terrifying. There are powerful dangers everywhere, along with many monsters, misfortunes, disasters, and so on. The so-called three calamities and nine tribulations are nothing compared to these dangers. But besides the dangers, there are also many more opportunities!"

"The only thing that could cause the Taishan Ruins to move now is the opening of the Path to Immortality!"

Speaking of which.

It paused, then continued, "Zhou Ping, do you know why the Star River Sect insists on exploring these ancient ruins? Those near-immortal level experts know that anything involving near-immortals has consequences, and they can't obtain it. Yet, even so, they still want to conquer Earth, actually for the sake of the path to immortality!"

Zhou Ping asked in surprise, "Could it be that there is an entrance to the path to immortality on Earth?"

Xiao Ding nodded, "That's right, every ancient cultivation civilization is actually an entrance to the path to immortality!"

That's it!

The Phoenix Fairy sighed, "Normally, the Path to Immortality opens only once every 100,000 years. But now, only a little over half of the time has passed since the last opening. If it really opens ahead of schedule, I'm afraid even more cultivators will perish inside!"

Xiao Ding suddenly asked, "Phoenix Girl, if it's activated, will you go?"

The Phoenix Fairy remained silent for a long while, then said softly, "Go!"

“Last time, I backed down and my Dao heart was damaged. Now I have recovered somewhat, and I don’t want to miss such an opportunity again. I can’t wait another 100,000 years, and I am very dissatisfied with my current state!”

Even if the path to immortality is a dead end, I will still go!

Zhou Ping never expected the allure of the path to immortality to be so great.

"Zhou Ping, where are you?"

"Me? I don't know, I'm only at the Nascent Soul stage, I probably won't go!"

Xiao Ding chuckled, "The entrance to the path to immortality will remain open for ten years. Once you miss it, you'll have to wait tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of years. Many cultivators will try their luck!"

"You're not exactly a peaceful soul. Alright, if you want to confirm whether the path to immortality has opened, just go to the Lotus Pond, the place of opportunity. If I'm not mistaken, there's a Daoist temple there!"

Zhou Ping nodded.

He immediately told Chen Xue, Tian Xiaoqin, and the other women to stay at the sect, while he led Jiang Xia on a swift journey to the Xia Yin Forbidden Land.

The area was already filled with incredibly dense spiritual energy. The closer you got to the core, the denser the spiritual energy became, and the oppressive force was also extremely strong. Even with his strength, he was finding it very difficult.

"The path to immortality has truly opened!"

"I never expected that the Lotus Pond would also be an entrance!"

The Phoenix Fairy was shocked.

Xiao Ding snorted, "This Lotus Senior was a powerful being who had entered the path to immortality and condensed immortal energy. He must have gone very far on the path to immortality. Even if he perished, he must have grasped the opportunity to enter the path to immortality. That's why he made this place into a small entrance. Unfortunately, such an entrance will only be revealed within a few years of its opening!"

Zhou Ping then asked, "Senior Ding, is there still a way to return to Earth?"

"Yes, of course!"

"Although we can't communicate the coordinates of the formation, as long as we know the surrounding star map, we can find the Taiji Star Region by following the star map..."

Just saying.

Zhou Ping and Jiang Xia saw a familiar face.

The stunning woman in black armor also sensed Zhou Ping and Jiang Xia. "It's you?!"

She appeared in front of Zhou Ping in a flash, her stunningly beautiful face looking somewhat unnatural. Then she said coldly, "What are you two doing here? This is not a place for you. Get out of here!"

Zhou Ping narrowed his eyes. He knew that the stunning woman in black armor had come here most likely for the path to immortality. Sure enough, the moment he mentioned the path to immortality, the woman's expression changed drastically. "You, you also know about the path to immortality!"

"Alright, I did come here to enter the Path to Immortality. When I first entered the Lotus Pond and saw the immortal energy, I guessed that this place might be an entrance to the Path to Immortality. I didn't expect it to be true. However, the Path to Immortality is extremely dangerous. You are only at the Nascent Soul stage. Even if you are powerful, it is not something you can pass through with your current cultivation level!"

"Let's go back!"

Zhou Ping ignored these words and instead asked, "Senior Black Armor..."

The stunning woman in black armor said irritably, "You can call me by my Daoist name, Yun Rou."

"Senior Yunrou."

"You must have star maps of nearby star regions and even more distant star regions on you. Would you be so kind as to give me a copy?"

Listen to this.

Yun Rou took out a jade slip. "Here, there are star maps of hundreds of star regions inside."

Zhou Ping hurriedly scanned the area with his divine sense, but he didn't see the Taiji Star Domain. He couldn't help but ask, after all, the black-armored beauty in front of him was definitely not simple in terms of cultivation and knowledge.

"Tai Chi Star Territory?"

"Are you referring to the star region where the Star River Sect is located?"

“Yes!” “That’s quite far. I’ve only heard of such a large power. How do you know about the Taiji Star Region?”

Zhou Ping's heart sank. He vaguely brushed it off, chatted for a few more minutes, and then they parted ways.

"Kid, this is trouble!"

"I didn't expect Huangling Star to be so far away from Earth's star system. Even if we could use a star system teleportation array from a major power, it would still take a long time to reach Taiji Star System. Generally speaking, it would take a hundred years to cross a range of hundreds of star systems, and that's still at the Void Returning level!"

Xiao Ding said helplessly.

Jiang Xia's skin and hair quickly changed, and the Phoenix Fairy appeared. She said softly, "Zhou Ping, go back to Canglan Mountain and cultivate diligently. With your potential and aptitude, it will only take you a thousand years to reach the near-immortal level. There's no need to rush back to Earth. Now that the path to immortality has opened, there's no need to return to Earth. Those ancient ruins, whether it's Kunlun, Lishan Afang Palace, or Taishan, will all be part of the path to immortality!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Ping thought to himself that it made sense. He had returned to Earth mainly because he was worried that the treasures of the ancient ruins would fall into the hands of the Star River Sect. Now that he knew the truth, he was not in such a hurry anymore. As for the New Han Kingdom, to be honest, the main people, such as Captain Wu, Xue Ji, and Tian Sen, had already moved to Canglan Mountain. Therefore, the true core of the New Han Kingdom was no longer on Earth, so there was really nothing to miss.

However, Earth is my home, and I always have a slightly different feeling towards it.

Moreover, my aunt and uncle also wanted to return to Earth; they were more attached to Earth.

"and many more……"

"Senior Phoenix, you...you don't mean you're planning to enter the path to immortality."

He asked hurriedly.

Clad in phoenix armor, the graceful Phoenix Fairy nodded slowly. "I apologize, but I need to occupy your Daoist partner's body. I truly didn't expect the path to immortality to open so quickly. I thought I would have to wait tens of thousands of years. But now that it's open, I must go in!"

Zhou Ping frowned.

The path to immortality is fraught with peril, with nine deaths and one life. Even the ancient near-immortal level beings on Earth have all perished or left only with a wisp of their souls. You can imagine how dangerous it is. Jiang Xia is not even a Nascent Soul cultivator yet!
Xiao Ding said in his sea of ​​consciousness, "Kid, don't blame Phoenix. She has her reasons for going in. Many of her fellow disciples and best friends went in with her back then. And there are some places on the path to immortality where one can survive, so she probably wants to go and save her senior brothers and sisters!"

Zhou Ping opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end he swallowed it back.

For a long time.

He left the desolate land of Xiayin.

He came with Jiang Xia, but he left alone.

Back to Canglan Mountain.

He then chose to go into seclusion.

He didn't even pay attention to Hu Yudie, whom he favored.

However, after two years of seclusion, Zhou Ping's cultivation level did not increase at all.

Xiao Ding sighed, "Kid, your mind is in turmoil!"

Zhou Ping was silent.

How could his mind not be in turmoil? That's Jiang Xia!!

Since he began his cultivation, the only person who has truly stayed by his side is Jiang Xia. Whether it's solving cases, exploring ruins, or cultivating, they often travel together. Not to mention, over the past hundred years, they have spent every day together in the hot springs, becoming intimately familiar with every inch of each other's skin. It can be said that even with their eyes closed, the two can fit together perfectly.

If Jiang Xia were just traveling and broadening his horizons, even if he went to other cultivation planets, he wouldn't have done this, since he would have the Phoenix Fairy protecting him and they would meet sooner or later.

But now...

The Path to Immortality!!

A perilous path to immortality!
He now deeply regrets not holding onto Jiang Xia two years ago, and not having the courage to let Senior Phoenix Fairy leave Jiang Xia's body!
It's too late to regret it now.

Jiangxia has already entered the path to immortality!

Xiao Ding's voice continued, "Boy, if you continue like this, you'll suffer a qi deviation. You're relying on immortal energy to increase your cultivation, so your mental state isn't good either. If you keep thinking about it without making any progress, it will have a huge impact. I suggest you go out for a walk!"

Zhou Ping nodded.

So he left Canglan Mountain and traveled around. But a few months later, he unknowingly arrived at Xiayin Juedi.

Xiao Ding sighed deeply.

How could it not know Zhou Ping's thoughts? "Have you made up your mind?"

Zhou Ping said nothing.

Xiao Ding continued, "You need to understand that with your current cultivation level, going into the Immortal Ascension Path is simply courting death. Phoenix is ​​more familiar with the Immortal Ascension Path, so she won't be in any trouble in the early stages. But what about you? You're not even at the Nascent Soul Realm!"

"I know!"

Zhou Ping interrupted Xiao Ding, "If we miss this opportunity, will we have to wait another 100,000 years?!"

"That's the theory, but as you've seen, it only took a little over 60,000 years for the path to immortality to open this time. Of course, no matter what, it will take at least 50,000 years!"

"Can one become an immortal without entering the Path to Immortality?"

"Throughout history, there has never been such an example where a cultivator in this universe could only break through to the near-immortal level, and even then, it was a near-immortal level without condensing immortal energy. At this level, lifespan is limited!"

"Many Void Returners and Immortals will enter the Path to Immortality as soon as it opens, mainly because of their lifespan!"

"No one can roam the ages for long. Ten thousand years is a limit, and it is also the limit for near-immortal level experts. Perhaps someone can survive the ten thousand-year hurdle and live another life, but it is meaningless. They will all perish!"

Xiao Ding's voice was filled with the vicissitudes of time, "You are too young. You have not experienced the trials of thousands, tens of thousands of years. Once you reach the end of your lifespan, the fear of death will constantly haunt you!"

"That's why many cultivators won't give up such an opportunity!"

Zhou Ping was silent.

He suddenly understood why Hei Jia Yun Rou, who was only at the Nascent Soul stage, was going to enter. Even if she didn't have a lifespan limit, once she missed this opportunity, she could only quietly wait for the end of her life.

Xiao Ding continued, "Kid, you need to understand that besides those dangers, the path to immortality also involves dangers from other cultivators..."

Zhou Ping suddenly said firmly, "I want to go in!"

Xiao Ding grunted, then laughed. "Alright, since you've made your decision, you have to bear the consequences. In any case, you're still quite lucky, and you have immortal energy. Sooner or later you'll become a near-immortal. But once you miss this opportunity, you'll have to wait for the next one. Maybe you can wait for it, but that will be a very, very long time!"

"And with your potential, you might even advance faster on the path to immortality!"

"This entrance will remain open for another year, so there's no need to rush in. Take some time to spend with your woman, family, and friends, because you might not have another chance later!"

Zhou Ping nodded heavily.

He then returned to Canglan Mountain, but did not go into seclusion to cultivate. For a year, he traveled around with Chen Xuetian, Xiaoqin and other women, and would pamper and nourish them one by one every night.

Perhaps they guessed something.

Chen Xuetian, Xiaoqin, and the other women cherished this opportunity. When serving, they agreed to any request or posture and were very proactive.

This brought Zhou Ping a lot of joy.

Unfortunately, happy times are always short-lived. When it was time to go to the Xiayin Forbidden Land, he didn't specify what he was going to do, as that would only cause more trouble. He only said that he was going to explore a relatively far place, which might take hundreds or even thousands of years. So during this time, he told Chen Xue and Tian Xiaoqin to stay in the Canglan Mountain to cultivate.

"These are the puppets, talismans, and formations I made. The puppets have one-third of my strength. As long as you have enough top-grade spirit stones, or even a lot of high-grade spirit stones, the talismans can protect you. As for those Nascent Soul cultivators in the sect, don't worry about them. As long as I don't perish, they won't dare to cause trouble!"

"My Soul Sect is located in the main hall. If it goes out, you must use the teleportation array to leave immediately!"

Listen to Zhou Ping's arrangements.

Chen Xuetian, Xiaoqin, and the other girls bit their red lips, which were about to fall. They were really reluctant to part, even though they didn't usually feel this way. But now it was a real farewell.

Because Zhou Ping was making arrangements for his funeral.

"All right."

"You're an old married couple, don't cry, you still have a long way to go!"

In the past year, he used the national fortune points to raise the talents and aptitudes of the girls to their limits, making it no problem for them to cultivate to the Nascent Soul Realm. With talismans, puppets, and formations, he was not worried about the safety of the girls.

"Husband, you must come back alive!"

Chen Xue said loudly.

Tian Xiaoqin sobbed, unable to speak.

Zhou Ping smiled and said, "Take care."

(End of this chapter)