The Path to Immortality: Starting with an Analysis of Basic Concepts

A clear blue sky.

A bolt of azure lightning, as thick as a bucket, appeared out of thin air above the Sword Peak Master's head and struck down with lightning speed.

The Sword Peak Master's expression changed drastically. He tried to use his supernatural powers to block it, but the lightning had already struck. His sword shield, which could both attack and defend, was pierced through after only a moment due to the destructive effect of the "Mysterious Water Lightning".

Then the lightning struck him directly.

boom…

The azure lightning, carrying the Sword Peak Master, crashed into the basin, unleashing blinding flashes of light, followed by a long, belated roar of thunder.

Holding the "Mountain-Striking Pestle," Ma Zhenren, his face deathly pale, was stunned.

Minglan Zhenren, who was waiting for an opportunity to launch a sneak attack, was stunned.

far away.

Shangguan Zhong, also known as Qinghong Zhenren, and many other Foundation Establishment Zhenren were also stunned.

Coming to their senses, everyone's expressions changed drastically, their eyes filled with horror. "Who? Who did this?..."

Just now, they only saw a flash of lightning, and the Sword Peak Master was struck down into the basin by the lightning. You should know that the Sword Peak Master has long since reached the peak of Foundation Establishment, and there are even rumors that he has cultivated the legendary "Divine Power Domain".

His strength is immense.

Only a handful of people can be compared to him.

Yet this very person was struck down by lightning, driven by an unknown force, and his fate remains unknown.

If it were them, they would probably be dead by now.

There was a hint of fear in everyone's eyes. If they weren't afraid of being noticed by the cultivator who wielded the lightning, they would have turned around and left this place of trouble long ago.

Qinghong Zhenren's eyes flickered, and he took a barely perceptible step back. Jianfeng, who was at the Foundation Establishment stage, glanced at him, said nothing, and then moved back as well.

With the peak master's condition unknown, they had no intention of seeking death.

High above the heavens.

Master Ma came to his senses and stared in shock at Lei Bo leaping in the basin, vaguely guessing who had done it.

"He just broke through recently, how can he be so strong?... "

His eyes were vacant.

This was somewhat beyond his comprehension.

Only those who have fought with the Sword Peak Master know how strong he is. Yet, even such a powerful Sword Peak Master was left with no clue as to his fate under that bolt of lightning.

A thought suddenly flashed through Ma Zhenren's mind, "Could it be... 'The Natal Spirit Ruins'?"

That's the only way.

Only then can we explain why he is so strong.

read this.

Ma Zhenren's thoughts were in turmoil.

No wonder the Foundation Establishment cultivators of the "Heavenly Dao Sect" look down on him.

If Zhu Yugang has such strength so soon after reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, what about the veteran Foundation Establishment cultivators of the "Heavenly Dao Sect"? Their strength will only be stronger.

I reckon I'm no different from an ant in his eyes...

"Is the difference between having cultivated a 'Natal Spiritual Void' and not having it really this big...?"

Master Ma's expression was complicated. Somewhat bored, he put away the "Mountain-Striking Pestle," glanced at the frightened and panicked Minglan, waved his hand to release the flying boat, and steered the boat away.

Seeing this, the other Foundation Establishment cultivators felt relieved and dared not linger, so they all dispersed.

This spectacle is too frightening; it's better not to watch.

Whether the Sword Peak Master lives or dies is none of their business.

Master Qinghong's eyes flickered for a few moments before he turned to the Foundation Establishment cultivator at Sword Peak beside him and said with distress, "Junior Brother Ma, my physical body is still in the process of being broken in, and I am most susceptible to the aura of heavenly punishment, so I will return first. Peak Master, please remember to inform me if you have any news."

Having said that, without waiting for a reply, he rode away in a streak of light.

Watching him leave, the Foundation Establishment cultivator surnamed Ma cursed under his breath, hesitated only slightly, and then followed suit, riding his escape light away from the place.

Things are different now than before.

The "Qingping Sect" was merged into the "Tiandao Sect" and renamed "Qingping Tower".

Although the Sword Peak Master is still the Sword Peak Master, his power has been greatly reduced and is far less than before. Although they are Sword Peak Elders, they are also members of the "Heavenly Dao Sect".

Even if the Sword Peak Master seeks revenge, he can simply leave Sword Peak.

the other side.

Minglan watched the two leave one after another, her face turning grim.

She wanted to leave, but she didn't dare.

The incident started because of her, and the Sword Peak Master stood up for her. If she were to simply walk away, not only would she likely face repercussions, but she would also be unable to hold her head high in the sect in the future, and no one would associate with her.

As the lightning in the basin gradually subsided, Minglan suppressed her fear and used her escape light to land in the basin. Seeing the faint aura of the peak master amidst the remaining lightning, she breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's good that he's not dead..."

With a flick of her sleeve, she channeled her magical power, preparing to disperse the remaining lightning. But the moment she touched the lightning, her expression suddenly changed.

next moment.

The listless thunder suddenly burst forth with dazzling light, surging towards Minglan through her magical connection. Although she had prepared her defenses, it was as fragile as paper in front of the "Mysterious Water Thunder".

what…

The magical energy contained in "Mysterious Water Thunder" directly shattered Minglan's magical power. The lightning spread across her body, causing her to scream in agony as her fair, jade-like skin instantly turned to carbon. She suffered a severe injury in an instant.

After this wave, the thunder had dissipated.

At the bottom of the pit, which had turned a glassy color, only two charred black human figures lay on the ground.

a long time.

Click...

Several crisp sounds were heard, and cracks appeared on one of the charred human figures. Clang... Sword energy roared out, shattering the hard shell, and a pale-faced young man suddenly stood up.

Ahem...

He coughed violently a few times, spitting out a mouthful of dark red blood that fell to the ground. Wisps of lightning crackled and instantly vaporized the blood.

"hiss…"

The Sword Peak Master took a deep breath, and the surging spiritual energy was absorbed into his body, repairing his nearly damaged physical body and temporarily suppressing his injuries. He opened his eyes, and recalling the violent lightning bolt just now, a trace of fear appeared in his eyes.

"So close, so very close..."

If he hadn't cultivated the "Sword Domain," even if he hadn't died, his physical foundation would have been destroyed by the destructive power contained in the lightning, and six or seven tenths of his hundreds of years of cultivation would have vanished in an instant.

Although his foundation was not damaged, his physical injuries were extremely severe. It would take several years of recuperation to fully recover.

"Who is it?...

A sinister glint flashed in the eyes of the Sword Peak Master, but he extinguished the thought as soon as it arose.

A single "thunderbolt" was enough to severely injure him; the person who made the move was clearly someone he couldn't afford to offend. If that person had personally intervened, he probably wouldn't have been able to escape.

"Perhaps he's wary of the True Lord and doesn't dare to kill him..."

The Sword Peak Master's thoughts flashed through his mind. He put on his robe, turned to look at Minglan, who was also charred black, snorted coldly, and sent her flying a hundred feet away with a flick of his sleeve. He ignored her and carefully rode away in his escape light.

at this time.

"Qingping" is a mountain ridge in the border region.

"call…"

Zhu Yu opened his eyes, let out a soft sigh, wiped non-existent cold sweat from his forehead, and said with lingering fear, "Luckily, I'm not dead..."

Originally, according to his idea...

He used the supernatural power "Mysterious Water Thunder" to temporarily block the young man who had cultivated the "Supernatural Domain" so that Master Ma could escape.

What Zhu Yu didn't expect was...

When he activated the "Mysterious Water Thunder" and then unleashed it through his "Native Spiritual Ruins," the accumulated essence of the Spiritual Ruins was suddenly consumed, and its power then surged nearly a hundredfold.

Therefore.

He nearly killed the unprepared Sword Peak Master with a single blow.

Coming to my senses, I wish myself satisfaction.

This move made him realize that using "Origin Spirit Void" directly would consume "Spirit Void Origin," but at the same time, the power of his divine ability would increase by at least a hundredfold.

At the same time, he also understood.

No wonder the sect forbids its disciples from using unorthodox methods to break through to the second level.

Among these issues, there's the problem of the "Immortal Tomb and Spirit Ruins" being able to accommodate it, but perhaps more importantly, people genuinely look down on those who are at the second level of the unorthodox path.

He had only just entered the Foundation Establishment stage, yet he nearly killed Qingping, who was also at the Foundation Establishment stage, with a single move. If he were to expand his "Origin Spirit Ruins" further and improve his cultivation, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that killing second-stage heretical cultivators would be as easy as slaughtering dogs.

While he was lost in thought.

Master Ma steered the boat back. He stepped out and stood before Zhu Yu, a complex look flashing in his eyes. He respectfully cupped his hands and said:

"Thank you, junior brother. If you ever need my help in the future, I will do my utmost, even at the cost of my life."

His words no longer carried the same care for a junior as before, but instead placed Zhu Yu in a superior position, showing respect.

Zhu Yu waved his hand dismissively and said with a smile, "Since you treat me with sincerity, I will not stand by and watch you suffer."

He paused, then asked with a puzzled look:

"What is the reason for this argument, Senior Brother?..."

"well…"

Upon hearing this, Master Ma sighed, sat cross-legged to the side, and said with a wry smile, "Junior brother, you don't know, I am now nine hundred years old, nearing my natural lifespan. If I don't find a way to extend my life, it won't be long before I turn to ashes..."

"That day..."

He did not hide anything and told her about his grievances with Minglan.

It's actually very simple.

Master Ma's lifespan was nearing its end, and he searched everywhere for treasures to prolong his life. Master Minglan learned of this and used the "Life Dew" from the insect realm as bait to obtain many precious resources from him.

After that, whenever Master Ma asked where the "elixir of life" was,

Immortal Minglan declined, saying that the "Life Dew" was too precious and was guarded very closely by the native insect race of the insect realm, making it difficult to obtain easily. She was trying to find a way.

Master Ma naturally sensed something was wrong and wanted to get back the various spiritual items that had been used as a deposit, but each time he was tricked back by Master Minglan with her clever words, and she would always leave one or two spiritual items behind.

Over time.

Master Ma simply stopped looking for Master Minglan.

He had almost forgotten about it, but Zhu Yu's words, especially the mention of "Life Dew" being sold at a clearly marked price in the "Insect World Market," came to mind.

This completely enraged Ma Zhenren, who had been honest and upright for most of his life.

This led to the scene described earlier.

After learning about it, Zhu Yu looked at the sighing and groaning Master Ma and felt a strange unease. "Master Ma is an honest man..."

He's just a little too honest.

If it were him, it would be strange if he didn't kill Minglan.

Zhu Yu offered no words of comfort. He had just stopped the young man. If Master Ma had intervened, even if he couldn't kill Master Minglan, he could have at least vented his anger. But he didn't, which only shows that his humiliation was not without reason.

After Master Ma finished speaking, his mood improved noticeably, and he said with a smile, "Junior Brother, if you have anything to do, you can go ahead and attend to it. I'll keep an eye on things here and make sure your 'mansion' is built properly."

Zhu Yu was about to politely decline when his expression suddenly changed slightly. He said, "Thank you for your trouble, Senior Brother Ma," and wisps of black smoke appeared out of thin air, condensing into a bronze gate ten feet high.

He waved, pushed open the door, and stepped inside.

Wait until he disappears.

The bronze door collapsed with a roar, turning into wisps of black smoke that vanished silently.

"This…"

Master Ma stared blankly at the scene for a long while before he came to his senses and murmured, "It's truly something to admire..."

He shook his head, turned around, and returned to the boat.

"Immortal's Tomb and Spiritual Ruins", Black Sea.

The world was dark and gloomy.

A colossal mountain, its peak invisible, sits amidst the boundless black waters. The tides rise and fall, stirring up waves that spray up and disperse into wisps of black mist that drift toward the towering peak.

Somewhere at the foot of the mountain.

A brand-new bronze door, ten feet tall, suddenly opened.

A young man dressed in a gray robe, with a refined and handsome appearance, stepped out from the crowd. Sensing the corrosive black water aura surrounding him, he looked around, turned around, and rode his escape light into the depths of the thick fog.

The edge of the giant mountain.

The black water crashed against the reef, creating waves, and several people stood on the reef, their eyes fixed on the depths of the Black Sea clouds, their expressions solemn.

As Zhu Yu manifested his escape light and descended, the others all turned to look.

I saw that unfamiliar face.

One of the young men, dressed in a black robe and with a handsome yet otherworldly face, suddenly chuckled and said, "Junior Brother Yinming has arrived."

This statement came out.

The other men and women immediately looked puzzled.

Zhu Yu was taken aback, his gaze lingering on the young man's face for a moment before he nodded and said, "Zhu Yu greets all senior brothers and sisters."

"Negative…"

The strange young man was about to say something more when he was interrupted by a man with a large belly and round face, who looked like a wealthy man. He smiled and said:

"Junior Brother Zhu, my name is Hong Sheng, and I come from the inner palace of the 'Tower of Fallen Gods'."

Before Zhu Yu could speak.

Hong Sheng pointed to the strange-looking young man beside him and introduced him: "His name is Li Hui, also known as 'The Dead Soul Master.' You're probably familiar with him."

Zhu Yu then realized that Hong Sheng was introducing him to the various True Immortals who had cultivated the "Natural Spirit Void," so he quickly cupped his hands in thanks and nodded in greeting as Hong Sheng introduced them.

He was not unfamiliar with most of them.

A man as tall as an iron tower, named Fan Yu, also known as "Nine-Headed Immortal".

The frail-looking, handsome young man was named Bai Qing, and styled himself "True Man of Falling Clouds".

An old man with dark skin, resembling a farmer, and with an air of unyielding sorrow in his brows, was named Qing Ju, and styled "Soul Devouring Immortal".

A spirited young man with the distinct appearance of a member of the Spirit Clan, named Yu Mang, also known as "Wind Howl Immortal".

Her body was shrouded in spiritual light, obscuring her features. Her name was Li Zhen, and she was known as "Sword Maiden Zhenren".

There are also real people such as "Yingshui", "Jinpeng", and "Baihao"...

Some of them came from the "Tower of Fallen Gods" and some came from the "Azure Tower," subtly dividing them into two waves.

He was the only one who built the foundation of the "Qingping Tower".

Most of the Foundation Establishment cultivators were well-intentioned, except for "Sword Maiden," who seemed to have some connection with "Yinming True Man," whose gaze towards him was somewhat sharp, but without any obvious malice.

"It seems the Foundation Establishment cultivators in the sect are quite united..."

A thought flashed through my mind: "May I wish you well."

Just as he was asking Hong Sheng why the sect leader, "Master Huiyue," had summoned them here and what had happened,

Several streaks of light pierced the darkness and landed on the floating reef.

Before he could even look at her.

A soft, charming voice came first.

"Hey, which junior brother is this? Why are you so ashamed to show your face?"

A woman dressed in a bright red palace gown with a charming face appeared. She first bowed gracefully to Hong Sheng, then her narrow eyes swept over Zhu Yu for a moment before landing on Li Zhen, who was shrouded in spiritual light. She smiled and said...

The woman finished speaking.

The others paled and fled in their own light.

Zhu Yu was taken aback. Seeing everyone's reaction, he didn't dare to linger. Just as he was about to ride away in his escape light, Hong Sheng, who was not far away, spoke up.

"It seems that Junior Sister Lianhua's cultivation has improved again. When the evil tide comes, you should take the lead."

Lianhua's expression changed, and she dared not provoke Lizhen any further. She turned to look at Hong Sheng, who had a stern face, and waved her hands repeatedly, saying hurriedly:

"Senior brother, this is no laughing matter. What merit do I have? Only you, the sect leader, and Senior Sister Bai are capable of leading the charge to repel the evil tide..."