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

A smile that was hard to decipher appeared in Zhu Yu's eyes. He turned to Ma Zhenren and said, "Senior Brother, please sit for a moment. I'll be right back." His figure disappeared from the spot like a wisp of green smoke.

Master Ma was filled with doubt.

Just then, Chen Ying's voice came from the side, "Husband, look at this..."

Master Ma turned his head and saw Chen Ying raise the jade pendant with a puzzled expression. His face lit up with joy. He took the jade pendant, gently tied it around the neck of the sleeping infant in swaddling clothes, and sighed:

"My junior brother is truly my dearest friend..."

In his divine perception, the "jade tablet" emitted an invisible force field, covering his son's entire body, nourishing his physique, and in the event of danger, the "supernatural power" contained within the "jade tablet" would be immediately activated.

Although Master Ma did not know the supernatural power "Superior Man", he could see that it was a "supernatural power" that could absorb external attacks and return them.

He knew that even with his late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation, it would take him quite a while to break through this "divine power" field, even if he used all his strength.

Recalling the "thunder" strike not long ago, Master Ma couldn't help but sigh, "The 'Lord of the Spirit Ruins'... is truly terrifying..."

Unfortunately, his cultivation level was insufficient. Since he began cultivating, he rarely fought or battled with others. Even when an opportunity came, he ultimately did not have the courage to participate and compete for the position of "Lord of the Spirit Ruins".

However, he doesn't regret it.

Although the "Lord of the Spirit Ruins" is powerful, he cannot extend one's lifespan, and it is said that his cultivation is extremely difficult, which is rather useless for someone as old as him.

With various thoughts flashing through his mind, Master Ma led Chen Ying and her son to the banquet venue with a smile. He was not pretentious at all and chatted with Xiang Sui, Liang Kuan, Bai Yan, Zhou Tong and others for a few words. His eyes were on Xiao Qing and Xiao Hei playing in the square with great interest.

Chen Ying wasn't shy at all; she chatted animatedly with Bai Yan and "Meng," who had regained her composure, while holding the baby.

at this time.

Outside the gates of the Underworld.

Zhu Yu's figure materialized, his gaze fixed on the middle-aged man in a green robe carrying a sword, his face resolute. He narrowed his eyes slightly and said calmly:

"I wonder what brings the Azure Rainbow Sword Immortal here?..."

"I wouldn't dare." Qinghong Sword, also known as Yao Ye, looked at Zhu Yu, a complex expression flashing in his eyes. He bowed deeply and said, "Yao Ye was unaware of 'The True Man' before. If I have offended you, please forgive me. I have come to your residence today to seek refuge with 'The True Man.'"

"Come and join me?...

Zhu Yu's eyes widened in surprise. He had originally thought that Yao Ye had come to settle scores from the "Lingze Secret Realm," but he hadn't expected that she had come to seek refuge with him.

"Should I or shouldn't I?...

After a brief moment of contemplation, he decided to take Yao Ye into his household.

Once upon a time, the "Azure Rainbow Sword" was able to fight against the Nine-Headed Immortal. Although its physical body was destroyed, it was able to survive the Nine-Headed Immortal's attack, so it must have had some skill.

As for Yao Ye coming to seek refuge, it's very likely to avoid trouble.

This is not important.

Of the many foundations built by him at the Qingping Tower, there are very few that he finds worthy of his attention, and none that pose a threat to him.

The thought flashed through his mind, and a smile appeared on Zhu Yu's lips. He quickly took a few steps forward, helped Yao Ye up, and said warmly, "What offense or not, it's all in the past. As the saying goes, no fight, no friendship. Quickly come with me into the mansion, and I will welcome you and wash away the dust of your journey."

Seeing that Zhu Yu was willing to accept him, Yao Ye breathed a sigh of relief, a smile appeared on his face, and he replied, "Thank you, fellow Daoist, please."

The two entered the house.

They walked arm in arm, chatting happily, and you'd think they were longtime best friends.

Zhu Yu learned this from Yao Ye.

He came to seek refuge in order to avoid trouble.

The source of the trouble lies in his physical body, and in the "great ancestor" of the Shangguan family.

in short.

Yao Ye accidentally learns that his possession of Shangguan Zhong's body was a trap deliberately set by the Shangguan family's ancestor, who had lived for nearly a thousand years, with the aim of seizing the "Divine Domain" that he had cultivated for hundreds of years.

"Take away the 'Divine Power Domain' you've cultivated?" Zhu Yu's eyes showed doubt. The "Divine Power Domain" is closely related to a cultivator's soul. If it is forcibly taken away, the "Divine Power Domain" will also be damaged.

Yao Ye's eyes flashed with indignation. He took a deep breath and explained, "I only learned about this by chance. The Shangguan family actually possesses two great bloodline inheritance abilities. The one that has always been outwardly manifested is the sword technique 'Sword Heart Clarity,' while the other bloodline ability has always remained hidden."

Its name is "The Demon Seed in the Heart of the Dao".

At this point, a hint of fear flashed in his eyes, and he said:

"The 'Demon Seed of the Dao Heart' is not good at defending against enemies, but rather at 'seizing bodies.' It's not ordinary seizure, but rather the cultivation of a 'demon seed' within the 'Dao Heart,' which is then planted in the bloodline of one's descendants. Once activated, it will imperceptibly erode and alter the memories of cultivators..."

"As time goes by, you will no longer be yourself, but will completely transform into someone else..."

Zhu Yu's eyes lit up, and he exclaimed in surprise, "Such a strange and wondrous power?...!"

If Yao Ye's words are true.

The supernatural power "Demon Seed in the Heart of the Dao" is indeed quite powerful and very practical.

Unknowingly, one person is assimilated into a "clone".

Wouldn't that mean you could have multiple versions of yourself?

It shares a similar concept with "The Path to Immortal's Tomb".

However, if he could only assimilate "bloodline descendants", it would be somewhat of a double-edged sword for him. He didn't care about bloodline descendants; what he cared about was the trouble of raising them from a young age.

Instead of wasting time on this, it would be better to create some "clones" for storage.

"However, it's worth studying..."

Zhu Yu hesitated for a moment, then looked at Yao Ye and said with a smile, "If you don't mind, how about I investigate for you?"

Yao Ye hesitated for a moment, then nodded and cupped his hands in a gesture of respect, saying, "Then I'll have to trouble you, Lord of the Manor."

In his speech, he very flexibly referred to himself as a subordinate.

Zhu Yu was very satisfied with his attitude. He raised his hand and touched his forehead, seemingly probing in with a trace of magic power, but actually using the "Eye of True Sight" to examine his body.

An information panel slowly unfolded.

[Target: Yao Ye]

[Age: 260/720]

[Spiritual Root: Single-Element Metal Spiritual Root]

[Cultivation Technique: Sword Flower Record "Nine/Nine"]

[Cultivation Level: Foundation Establishment Level 1 "35/100" "Pseudo-Second Tier"]

[Innate Divine Abilities: Taiyi Splitting Light Sword "Mastery 167/10000", Fleeting Light and Shadow "Proficiency 56/100"]

[Law Domain: Sword Domain Lv1, "Sword Qi Transforms into Silk"]

[Foundation: Taiyi Sword Qi Dharma Image]

[Status: Anxious, Mildly Polluted]

"not bad…"

Zhu Yu glanced over it and felt that it was slightly stronger than "Blood Slave", but only by a limited margin. He then focused his attention on its status column.

"Light pollution..."

My gaze was fixed on it, my vision blurred for a moment, and then, three small marks of varying sizes came into view.

The largest mark is "Azure Sun," which undoubtedly belongs to "True Lord Qingping." Following that is a mark that is constantly twisting and changing, resembling countless faces overlapping together.

"Is this the demonic seed of 'planting a demon in the heart of the Dao'?"

Zhu Yu looked at it closely and sensed that this "demon seed" was constantly emitting unique frequencies containing fragmented memories. With each inflow and outflow, the "demon seed" devoured the memories belonging to "Yao Ye" that poured in, and spat out fragmented and unfamiliar memories to "replace" them.

Yao Ye was completely unaware of all of this.

"So this is what a 'Demon Seed in the Heart of the Dao' is all about..."

Zhu Yu thought to himself that he had discovered some new and strange species. He examined it carefully and tried to analyze it with his "Eye of True Sight," but unfortunately, he lacked useful information and could not analyze it.

He was not discouraged. Instead of eliminating the "demon seed," he glanced at it a few times and then turned his attention back to it.

Opening his eyes, Zhu Yu looked at Yao Ye, who seemed anxious and uneasy. He frowned slightly for a few moments, then slowly nodded and said:

"You do indeed possess a 'demon seed,' but its roots are planted in your soul. If you wish to remove it..."

He paused deliberately, and only after Yao Ye showed signs of anxiety did he say, "It's not difficult, but it will take a considerable amount of time and effort..."

"really!…"

Seeing Zhu Yu nod affirmatively, Yao Ye was overjoyed. He had come to seek refuge precisely to eliminate the "demon seed." After a moment of excitement, his reason returned. Looking at Zhu Yu, who was smiling silently before him, and recalling what Zhu Yu had said earlier, he immediately understood the meaning behind his words. He bowed respectfully and said:

"Your subordinate is willing to die for your lord."

This statement is somewhat grandiose and even a bit untrue, but the attitude is clear.

Zhu Yu nodded in satisfaction. What he wanted was Yao Ye's attitude. As for what Yao Ye thought in his heart, that was not important. There would be plenty of opportunities to make him show his loyalty when they attacked the "Martial World" in the future.

He hurriedly stepped forward to help him up, feigning reproach, and said:

"I am not one to indulge in empty formalities. Fellow Daoist Yao, you need not demean yourself in this way in the future. Just focus on doing your work well."

"Yes, Lord."

Yao Ye did not refute, but respectfully bowed and accepted.

"You..."

Zhu Yu patted him on the shoulder affectionately and walked slowly, soon arriving outside the "Upside-down Tower".

Standing at the entrance, Liu San had seen the "Lord of the Manor"'s appearance from his father. Following his father's instructions, he knelt down and kowtowed respectfully.

"Guard Liu San greets you, sir."

Zhu Yu glanced at him, initially not paying much attention, but when she glimpsed some of his rudimentary memories, her eyes widened in surprise, and she waved her hand with a smile:

"So you are Zhu Er's son. Get up. You are a disciple of my 'Yinming Mansion,' so there's no need to address you as 'Master,' just call me 'Lord of the Mansion.'"

"Thank you, sir."

Liu San kept his father's instructions in mind: whenever he met Zhu Yu, he should always act as a servant and address him as "Master".

At this time.

The bronze doors slowly opened, and Zhu Er strode out, bowing respectfully, "Master, you're back."

Zhu Yu raised his hand and pointed at him lightly, laughing and scolding, "You good-for-nothing Zhu Er, you don't even know how to teach your son anything good."

Zhu Er mistakenly thought that his dull son had caused trouble. His face turned pale instantly, and he hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly.

"It's my fault, I failed to raise my son properly, sir, please forgive me, please forgive me..."

Zhu Yu was taken aback, then helped him up with a flick of her sleeve. Seeing the bright red blood seeping from his forehead, she couldn't help but glare at him speechlessly, then waved her hand and said:

"Get out of here! Take your son to the Dharma Pavilion and tell them it was me who said he should choose between 'cultivation technique inheritance' and 'skill inheritance.'"

After saying this, ignoring Zhu Er's overjoyed and grateful expression, he led Yao Ye into the "Upside-Down Tower".

The bronze door closed.

Zhu Er stood up and subconsciously touched his forehead, but the sensation told him that his forehead was not injured or bleeding. He felt cold for a moment, and then a flush of excitement rose on his face.

"The master hasn't forgotten me..."

In an instant, the chest tightness he had felt from his nephew's anger over the past few days suddenly felt incredibly relieved, and he hummed:

"A servant? You need to be qualified to be one!..."

He walked over to his eldest son, who was still kneeling, grabbed him by the back of the collar, lifted him up, and said:

"Did you hear what the master said? In a moment, you will take my 'identity jade token' to the 'Secret Library' to choose your successor."

He paused, his expression solemn, and said:

"San'er, you know your own aptitude. Don't be overly ambitious. Choose the easy method of cultivation, not the difficult one. Remember that?"

"As for the 'skill inheritance,' you can learn whatever you want, but remember to focus on cultivation. Your father will grow old sooner or later, and you will be serving by the master's side in the future. It won't do if your cultivation level is too low, as it would be a disgrace to the master..."

Zhu Er hesitated for a moment, then grasped his son's shoulder and said solemnly, "When I get old and have to retire, I hope you will inherit the name 'Zhu Er'."

Before his son could answer, he continued, "..."

"Remember this: in the future, there will only be more and more servants in the manor. Many of them have better cultivation aptitude than you, are better at speaking than you, are more pleasing to the eye than you, and are better than you in every way."

"But there's one thing they don't have now, and they never will, and that's the name 'Zhu Er' bestowed upon you by the master. As long as you bear this name, no one in the manor will dare to look down on you, and no one will be foolish enough to provoke you..."

Zhu Er hesitated for a moment, glanced around, and whispered, "Master has already advanced to the Foundation Establishment Realm at such a young age; his future cultivation will definitely be incredibly high."

Do you know what "when one person attains enlightenment, even their chickens and dogs ascend to heaven" means?

Liu San nodded vigorously.

Zhu Er chuckled and patted his head, saying, "We're just the master's chickens and dogs. When the master becomes an immortal, Dad definitely won't live to see the day he ascends to heaven. You're too poor for him, so it's unlikely you'll succeed."

"But one day, your descendants might succeed..."

As he spoke, he patted his son's shoulder, whose face was full of confusion.

"In a few days, Dad will find you a good marriage. Let's get married first, and have lots of big, healthy sons, hmm... try to have one who's smart..."

"oh…"

Liu San responded sullenly.

"Get lost..." Zhu Er waved his hand dismissively, put his hands behind his back, and hummed a strange little tune as he entered the bronze door.

Liu San looked at the closed bronze door, scratched his head, and didn't leave. Instead, he stood until the waning moon appeared in the sky before turning to leave.

The "inverted tower" has two levels of space.

Ma Zhenren was quite surprised by Yao Ye's arrival, and his surprise deepened when he learned that Yao Ye had come to seek refuge with Zhu Yu.

But without giving it much thought, I happily started chatting with him.

The banquet began when the guests arrived.

Zhu Yu wasn't very formal. After a brief greeting, he started eating on his own. With Xiao Qing wolfing down her food beside him, his appetite improved considerably.

Xiang Sui, Liang Kuan, Bai Yan, Zhou Tong, and the others unconsciously became somewhat restrained, eating cautiously and without making a sound.

Zhu Yu had no way to deal with this.

Xiang Sui and the others might want to talk to him as freely as before, and he would be happy to do so, but in reality, it's simply not possible.

Oppression based on the hierarchy of life.

This subconsciously instilled in them obedience and reverence for Zhu Yu, leaving them with no inclination to gossip or interrupt.

Things will only get better once they advance to the "Foundation Building" stage.

After a sumptuous meal.

Xiang Sui and the others bid farewell and left, and Yao Ye also left under the pretext of choosing a cave dwelling.

Just as Master Ma was leaving with his wife and children, Zhu Yu called him back, handing him a jade bottle containing sixty drops of "Life Dew," enough to extend one's life by sixty years, and said with a light laugh:

"This is the 'Life Dew' that I previously granted to you, Senior Brother. Its effects are enough to extend one's lifespan by sixty years. However, do not refine it too frequently; it is best to wait half a month between each drop..."

Master Ma was stunned for a moment, then his face lit up with joy. He took the jade bottle and opened it impatiently. Sensing the immense vitality contained within, he took a deep breath as if intoxicated, and then hurriedly sealed it.

Coming to his senses, after a slight hesitation, he solemnly said:

"Junior brother, please wait for me a moment..."