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

"Greetings, True Lord."

All the builders of the "Qingping Pagoda" respectfully greeted him.

Its sound was not heard.

Everyone felt an immense, overwhelming force, like the might of heaven, crashing down upon them; before it, they felt as if they were naked in an instant. Zhu Yu and the others didn't seem to notice anything, but all the female cultivators present changed color, their eyes filled with shock and anger, yet they dared not say a word.

Fortunately, the grand idea quickly faded, and then a clear voice resounded throughout the tower.

"Not bad, get up, all of you."

Everyone subconsciously straightened up as he spoke, their eyes fixed on the head of the table. When they saw the "True Lord Qingping" sitting high above them, they were stunned.

He was dressed in a blue robe, his handsome face filled with a lazy air, and he was slumped in his chair. On the table next to him was a worn-out, sheathed sword that looked like it had been used for a long time.

I don't know why.

Its aura was not obvious, and it did not have the force field that could distort people's senses, erode information, or transform into all things, but everyone knew it was the master of this world just by looking at it.

"Could this be the true form of the 'True Lord'?..."

Zhu Yu's eyes widened in surprise. Thinking of the "True Lord's" supernatural powers, he dared not think too much. He forcibly suppressed his surging thoughts, held his breath, and listened attentively to what was to come.

Zang Hai, Cang Li, and the others also lowered their heads.

At this time.

The clear, lazy voice of "True Lord Qingping" rang out once again.

"I won't waste any more words with you. In half a month, I will send you into the 'Martial World.' No matter what you do—whether you kill or set fires—the 'Martial World' must descend into chaos within a year."

"The most powerful force in the martial arts world is called 'Great Yu'."

"It contains eight prefectures and seventy-two counties."

As he spoke, "True Monarch Qingping" sat up straight, his clear black and white pupils looking down at the Foundation Establishment cultivators below, and said calmly:

"I have always been fair in rewarding and punishing."

"Within one year, whoever occupies a state will be granted one 'Fragment of the Dao,' two spiritual artifacts, one hundred catties of the Five Elements Essence, and one thousand Daos of the Spirit Void Origin."

"Whoever occupies a prefecture within a year will be bestowed with a spiritual artifact, one hundred catties of the Five Elements essence, and a thousand strands of the Spirit Ruins' origin..."

The words fell.

The Foundation Establishment cultivators present were momentarily stunned, their eyes suddenly brightening.

Although they did not know what "Fragments of the Dao" were, the fact that "True Lord Qingping" regarded them as the top prize meant they were extremely precious. The "Spiritual Artifacts," "Five Elements Essence," and "Origin of the Spiritual Ruins" that followed were all genuinely good items that could enhance one's strength.

And this doesn't even include the plundering of resources from the "Martial World".

If one could occupy a "state," one could likely accumulate enough resources in an instant to break through to the second level of the Foundation Establishment stage, or even more...

Hearing "True Lord Qingping" bestow such a boisterous reward, Zhu Yu sighed inwardly, "True Lord is indeed a sword cultivator..."

I dared not think too much about it; my mind was elsewhere.

The "True Lord" may be brutal, but the rewards are truly generous.

The essence of the Five Elements is measured in catties, and the origin of the Spirit Ruins is thousands of times. It has to be said that he was tempted, and then his eyes showed a thoughtful expression.

According to information obtained by "Distracted Spirit" in the "Martial World".

In the eight states of "Da Yu", each state has a martial artist at the "Dharma Aspect Realm" level. In some important states that connect to the outer regions, there is more than one martial artist at the "Dharma Aspect Realm" level.

And the path of the "Martial World".

The fourth realm, "Golden Body Realm," is equivalent to the second tier advanced through "external objects," and its strength ranks in the third tier of the "second tier."

The fifth realm, "Dharma Realm," is also at the second level.

However, it is equivalent to breaking through to the second level with "supernatural power" and cultivating "supernatural power domain". In its own domain, its strength is comparable to that of a "Great True Person" who has perfected the "Triple Tower" technique.

With their strength as mere newly appointed "Spirit Ruins Masters," attempting to seize a state territory guarded by a "Dharma Aspect Realm" expert under such unfavorable circumstances is tantamount to courting death.

"A whole state won't work, but a single prefecture might..."

Reflecting on the message conveyed by the "distraction," I felt somewhat calmer.

Just as the foundation builders had different thoughts.

The voice of "True Lord Qingping" came again.

"Rewards and punishments, there are both rewards and punishments..."

Upon hearing this...

Everyone's hearts skipped a beat, and they stared intently.

Qingping Zhenjun narrowed her eyes slightly, looked around at everyone, and said calmly:

"Anyone who fails to seize a prefecture or county within a year shall be removed from their post. Anyone who remains inactive within a year shall have their base seized and be expelled from 'Qingping'..."

The words fell.

Everyone's expression changed.

But "True Lord Qingping" had not finished speaking.

"Every month, I will personally assess your merits. The one who ranks last will be rewarded with a sword. The one who is also last will have their foundation confiscated and be treated like a horse's foreleg..."

"True Lord Qingping" gazed deeply at everyone before his figure vanished silently, leaving only his voice echoing through the tower.

"The above rewards are just the basics. The more states you conquer, the richer the rewards will be. Don't disappoint me..."

The "True Lord" departed.

The crowd looked at each other, speechless, and then left the tower one after another.

Outside the "Tower".

Just as Zhu Yu was about to leave, a gentle voice came from the side.

"Young friend, please wait a moment."

Turning around, he saw a handsome young man in a black robe walking towards him, with eyes as dark as an abyss and a delicate face. Shangguan Jiang, whom he was more familiar with, followed behind him.

Upon approaching, Shangguan Yang greeted him with a smile, "Senior Brother Zhu."

"Congratulations, Junior Brother Shangguan."

Looking at the composed Shangguan Jiang, Zhu Yu nodded in return, then turned his gaze to the handsome young man who had made the newly promoted "Spirit Ruins Master" Shangguan Jiang perform the junior's greeting.

The young man smiled and said, "I am Shangguan Wanhe. I apologize for stopping you, young friend. Please forgive me."

Seeing that Shangguan Wanhe addressed him with the respect due to an elder, Zhu Yu raised an eyebrow, feeling quite annoyed and not wanting to waste words with him, and said directly:

"Fellow Daoist, please speak frankly if you have something to say."

Shangguan Wanhe frowned slightly, but his smile remained unchanged. He said, "In that case, I will speak frankly. I request that you release my clan's junior, Shangguan Zhong, back to his home."

As soon as he spoke.

Zhu Yu immediately understood who the young man before him was.

Nine times out of ten, it is Shangguan Dazu, whom Shangguan Zhong once said had cultivated the strange supernatural power "Dao Xin Zhong Mo".

"He was also granted the title of 'Spirit Ruins' and promoted to 'Spirit Ruins Master'..."

A hint of doubt flashed in Zhu Yu's eyes. According to Yao Ye, also known as "Qinghong Sword," Shangguan Zhong was older than Ma Zhenren and should be nearing the end of his life.

In my perception, the "young man" before me is full of vitality, showing no sign of "life force depletion".

Furthermore, no matter how generous "True Lord Qingping" is, he wouldn't bestow "Lingxu" upon an old fellow whose lifespan is nearing its end.

"Could it be that the 'Demon Seed in the Dao Heart' has some kind of miraculous life-extending effect?..."

A flurry of thoughts flashed through his mind. Zhu Yu glanced at him, neither denying his presence, but instead said directly:

"Fellow Daoist, you jest. Having joined my 'Netherworld Palace,' how can you speak of sending them back?..."

Having said that, he ignored it and with a slight thought, the "bronze door" appeared before him. The door opened wide, he stepped inside, and disappeared.

"A person from the 'Underworld'...?"

Shangguan Wanhe narrowed his eyes, paused for a few moments, and began reading "The Path to Immortality: Starting with the Analysis of Basic Visualization Techniques," enjoying his reading time. Then, he rose into the air, transforming into a rainbow and departing.

Shangguan Jiang's eyes shifted slightly for a moment before he rode his escape light to catch up.

Not far away.

Seeing this, two men and a woman, one of whom was dressed in black and nearly ten feet tall, asked in confusion:

"How old is this old guy? How come he's still alive? And he's even become the 'Lord of the Spirit Ruins'..."

A man with a head as large as a millstone, disproportionately large to his body, stared at him for a few moments, then shook his head and said, "He is not the Great Ancestor Shangguan." He paused, then added, "At least not the Great Ancestor Shangguan we heard about in our childhood."

"Huh?" The man in black was a little confused by what he said, and stared at him, saying, "Is it or isn't it? If it is, when we get to the 'Martial World,' we'll team up and pull off a heist, and ask this old guy how he can live so long."

The man with a head as big as a millstone glanced at him and chuckled, "Take him down? Who do you think he is? Or who do you think you are?...

"you…"

The man in black glared angrily, about to unleash a torrent of curses.

A woman in a white robe, with black hair adorned with a wooden hairpin, and an indifferent expression, who had remained silent all along, glanced at him, and his voice suddenly faltered.

The woman parted her lips slightly, and a voice devoid of any emotion rang out, "Don't worry about it. It's not some method of prolonging life; it's just a bloodline inheritance that's not very useful..."

"Yes."

The man in black, whose head was as big as a millstone, clearly trusted the woman and nodded without hesitation upon hearing her words.

"Let's go, the 'Martial World' is no safe place..."

The woman turned around and rose into the air like a rainbow, followed by the man in black and the man with a head as big as a millstone.

The other Foundation Establishment cultivators either left alone or in groups of three or five. Before long, only a woman in a green robe remained, sitting cross-legged beneath the tower, her brows furrowed and her aura fluctuating.

The Underworld.

The "Whale," who looks after the "Painted Fish People" on the first floor of the Inverted Tower, and "Hong Youfu" and "Qiao Heyong," who are polishing their foundations in a pavilion on the second floor of the Inverted Tower, all come to the top palace on the second floor of the Inverted Tower.

"Owner."

"Your subordinate pays respects to the True Man."

"Jing", "Hong Youfu", and "Qiao Heyong" greeted him respectfully.

Zhu Yu waved to help the three of them up, looked them over, nodded secretly, and said, "You should break through today."

"Yes, Master."

Upon hearing this, "Whale" responded without hesitation.

Hong Youfu and Qiao Heyong were stunned for a moment, then came to their senses, their faces lit up with joy, and they bowed deeply, saying, "Your subordinates thank you, Master."

"Go, I will guide you, those with the foundation of your Dao, into your 'Natal Spiritual Ruins'."

Zhu Yu smiled and waved his hand.

"Whale," "Hong Youfu," and "Qiao Heyong" bowed again, exited the hall, exchanged glances, and all could see the excitement in each other's eyes. They nodded slightly and stepped away.

After thinking for a moment, "Whale" chose a "spiritual pool" as the breakthrough point, jumped into it, closed his eyes and concentrated, stirred his body and blood, and stimulated his meridians.

Not long after.

A wisp of crimson, glass-like aura rose from the top of his head, coiling and swirling like a dragon or snake. Soon, another wisp of crimson aura overflowed, merging with the one above his head...

As the crimson aura left its body, the "whale's" physique visibly shrank considerably, and with each wisp of crimson aura escaping, its body rapidly became withered.

The crimson aura hovering above his head was faintly manifesting as a small, crimson snake with prominent horns and head.

I don't know how much time has passed.

昂…

A low moo, like that of a cow, came from the bottom of the Spirit Pool.

On the mountaintop, three black-feathered chickens, who were idly pecking at the soil in the flower bed, seemed to sense something terrifying. Their feathers bristled instantly, they clucked, closed their eyes, and collapsed to the ground.

The common birds and beasts that roamed freely in the mountains cried out in alarm and fled towards the outside of the mountains.

Palaces atop the mountain.

Zhu Yu's furrowed brows relaxed, and he chuckled, "This guy, breaking through like this, isn't he afraid of dying a violent death...?"

This breakthrough for "Whale" can be described as a do-or-die situation.

It uses the innate technique "Transformation into a Dragon" as its core skeleton, "bloodline" as its muscles, and qi and blood as its skin to forge a "Transformation into a Dragon Foundation".

It now faces two choices: one is to imprint its "foundation" on the "Immortal Tomb Spirit Ruins" and thus achieve "Second Stage"; the other is to wait for "Zhu Yu" to guide its "foundation" into the "Natal Spirit Ruins" and thus achieve Second Stage.

Simply put...

One focuses on "Immortal Tomb and Spirit Ruins," while the other focuses on "Blessings and Fulfillment."

The "whale" is not stupid. It seems free because it is based on the "Immortal Tomb and Spirit Ruins". In reality, it can be controlled by a "Foundation Establishment True Person" in the "Immortal Tomb and Spirit Ruins". With "Zhu Yu" as its master, it only needs to obey one person's orders.

Without waiting for more than a few breaths.

The whale felt an immense force descend upon its foundation, and without resistance, it followed its guidance.

For a moment, I was in a daze.

When it opened its eyes again, the "whale" found itself in a dark and gloomy world. Looking down at the tombs divided by a gurgling stream and the thunderclouds in the sky, it murmured:

"Is this Master's 'Life-Bound Spirit Ruins'...?"

Without thinking too much.

The whale suddenly felt surrounded by a large amount of "pure spiritual energy" containing amazing spirituality. It was stunned for a moment, and then hurriedly drove its "dragon transformation foundation" to swallow the spiritual energy in large gulps.

Immediately after being refined by the "Transformation into a Dragon Foundation", a wisp of light golden magic power containing a strong "Dragon Attribute" aura condensed out.

The moment it appeared.

Suddenly, the whale felt a violent and powerful energy surging from the depths of its bloodline. It transformed into a rolling heat current that spread throughout its entire body. Accompanied by excruciating pain, it could sense that under the nourishment of this energy, its "foundation for transforming into a dragon" and its soul were being constantly torn apart and reconstructed.

Its consciousness was quickly overwhelmed by excruciating pain.

It may be a moment, or it may be a long time.

When the "whale" woke up, it instinctively opened its mouth.

next moment.

Aww…

A powerful and domineering roar resounded throughout the "Natal Spirit Ruins".

The thunderclouds formed by "Mysterious Water Thunder" briefly tore apart.

A giant python, about ten zhang long, with scales as black as ink, a jagged skull, and bony spines resembling fish fins, coiled high in the sky, roaring towards the heavens.

below.

Zhu Yu's figure materialized, gazing at the "giant python" in the sky, a smile appearing on his lips, and he said softly:

"A snake becomes a viper after a hundred years, a viper, isn't it..."

Immediately under his gaze, the whale, whose foundation had transformed into a "Hui," manifested rolling black water around its body, which submerged its figure. Then, the black water fell to the earth, transforming into torrents that quickly merged with the streams in the "Spirit Ruins."

"Such an auxiliary foundation is neither bad nor bad..."

Zhu Yu briefly sensed the various wonderful uses of the "Whale" foundation after it was integrated into the "Natural Spirit Ruins," and his smile grew even wider.

But this was not the time to use it. He raised his hand and grabbed, and a torrent of black light surged from the stream, gathering in his palm and manifesting as a miniature black "serpent".

"The whale pays homage to its master."

The black "Hui" was stunned for a moment, then kowtowed repeatedly.

Zhu Yu didn't say anything. With a slight thought, the bronze door in front of him appeared, and he threw the black "Hui" out. Then, he looked up at the sky again.

A tower-shaped mountain made of countless bones appeared.