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

A bright silver disc hangs high in the sky.

The pale, clear moonlight, like a long river, pierces the darkness and washes away the filth.

On the Great Road.

Zhu Yu stood on the carriage shaft, sensing that the surrounding energy suddenly dissipated, the boiling blood and qi in his body subsided, and the divine word "righteous qi" shone with a restrained light.

Looking up at the suddenly appearing moon, feeling its aloof and arrogant aura that swept away all ghosts and demons, he twitched his lips.

"Is this the Dharma form of the 'Five Realms'?..."

He knew that "Sword Saint Dugu" was very strong, but he did not expect him to be this strong. The vast energy fluctuations overflowing from the "Moon Disc" meant that even if the real person faced him, they probably would not gain any advantage.

I don't know if it's just my imagination.

Zhu Yu vaguely sensed that the "Moon Plate" was somewhat disgusted with him, its light and shadow shifting as if urging them to leave the territory of the "Peerless Gate" quickly.

"Let's go..."

Coming to his senses, Zhu Yu turned to Ma Cheng, who was on high alert.

"drive…"

Without further ado, Ma Cheng raised his hand and whipped the carriage, which immediately sped off along the road like an arrow.

Despite some doubts, Yu Lou, Liu Peisan, and the others in the nearly one hundred carriages following behind chose to trust Zhu Yu and urged their carriages to follow.

Unlike when they were relaxed as they left the mountain gate, they now looked warily into the darkness. What they didn't know was that the "moon disc" hung high above them, always shining on the convoy.

"The Peerless Gate".

An elegant guesthouse.

"Come, come, have some tea..."

"Elder" Yan Shu picked up the teapot, and "County Lieutenant of Jiangning County" Yang Lun poured a cup of tea with a smile on his face.

Having drunk at least a pot of tea, Yang Lun said helplessly, "Elder Yan is underestimating me, Yang Lun, and the 'Sword Saint' far too much, isn't he?"

"What?"

"Elder Yan Shu" asked, feigning confusion.

Seeing that he was pretending to be stupid, Yang Lun simply shut up, picked up his teacup and took a sip, then picked up a piece of pastry and stuffed it into the mouth of the child who was lying on the table eating candied fruit.

"Elder" Yan Shu smiled, his gaze falling on the child. Sensing the spiritual energy emanating from the child, his eyes brightened, and he suddenly said:

"Yang County Guard, has your son ever taken a master?...

Yang Lun glanced at him and said indifferently, "No need for the Grand Elder to worry. Mingdao will take the martial arts examination in the future to serve the imperial family."

Upon hearing this...

The "Grand Elder" Yan Shu glanced at the child with pity, shook his head slightly, and said, "I really don't understand why you people are so eager to become officials. Isn't it more enjoyable for us to roam the martial world freely?"

Yang Lun smiled but didn't say anything.

A roaming adventurer?

The dangers of the martial world are no less than those of the officialdom, and perhaps even greater.

In officialdom, the struggle for fame is about cleverness and skill, not about momentary pleasure. But in the world of martial arts, the struggle for fame is about life itself. A momentary gratification could mean turning into a withered skeleton by the roadside one day.

Therefore, most aristocratic families pursued military examinations.

Only those from humble backgrounds or with shallow connections would enter the underworld, attempting to risk their lives to make a name for themselves.

of course.

Those who can rise to prominence in the martial arts world are all formidable figures.

Thinking of this, Yang Lun couldn't help but look up at the "bright moon," his admiration mixed with envy. After a long while, he said:

When will the "Sword Saint" break through to the "Sixth Realm"?...

"Elder" Yan Shu shook his head, "How would I know?"

Yang Lun hesitated for a moment, then transmitted his voice, saying, "The Yang family and the 'Peerless Sect' have lived side by side for hundreds of years, and we hope that this relationship can continue for a long time to come. I have something to say, and I would like to ask the Grand Elder to convey it to the 'Sword Saint.'"

He paused, his eyes serious, and said:

"The 80,000-strong 'Zhenwu Army' stationed at the mouth of the Guanjiang River upstream has disappeared..."

"Um?"

The Grand Elder Yan Shu's pupils narrowed, and he abruptly stood up. "Gone? Where did they go?... "

The Zhenwu Army is no ordinary army.

As a military force to suppress the land of Kyushu, its soldiers are all Daoist warriors, and its chief generals cannot be appointed unless they are at the "Five Realms" level.

The Zhenwu Army at Guankou was responsible for suppressing the Jiujiang waters. They were not short of wealth and were the elite of the elite. Their leader was the famous Huang Shi, a killer known as "Po Jun Jiang Shi".

Such a colossal creature, with every move it makes attracting the attention of countless people, cannot simply disappear.

Yang Lun frowned and shook his head. "I don't know." He paused, then asked doubtfully, "According to news from Guanjiangkou, the 80,000 'Zhenwu Army' vanished overnight, with no carriages, horses, or equipment left. Clearly, they didn't leave in a hurry."

"All gone overnight..."

The "Grand Elder" Yan Shu didn't frown. He paced back and forth a few times before turning to Yang Lun and saying, "Patriarch Yang, please wait a moment. This matter is of great importance. I will go and inform the 'Sect Leader' first."

After saying this, he nodded to him, took a step, and vanished into thin air.

Watching him leave, Yang Lun did not wait as "Elder" Yan Shu had suggested. Instead, he picked up the child, turned around, and stepped into the air.

He glanced around at the brightly lit "Peerless Gate" and lingered for a moment at the "Bridge of Immortals" bathed in moonlight, then turned and disappeared into the darkness.

……

The night ends and the day dawns.

The full moon disappears, and the first rays of the sun rise in the east.

Huiwan Wharf.

"Fish balls, fish balls, smooth and bouncy fish balls."

"Fresh ribbonfish for sale..."

"Steamed buns, steamed buns..."

"..."

As dawn broke, the docks were bustling with activity. Vendors shouted in unison, trying to attract fishermen, laborers, peddlers, and people disembarking from passenger ships to their stalls.

At this time.

On one side of Huiwan Wharf, a large, black ship about 100 feet long, with a flag bearing a dragon pattern, slowly set sail and went upstream. In a short while, it turned into a black dot and quickly disappeared.

The cabin of a large ship.

A young man dressed in brocade robes, with two swords at his waist, and clear, bright eyes, bowed respectfully to an elderly man with a full head of white hair and a dragon-headed cane, and said:

"Ping An greets Senior Dong. Thank you for giving us a ride."

"White Dragon King" Dong Biwu gave him a strange look a few times, then waved his hand with a smile and said, "We are family, there's no need to be so formal. Sit down and talk."

"Thank you, senior."

He thanked me and then took his seat.

After the maid poured tea and they exchanged a few pleasantries, "White Dragon King" Dong Biwu asked with a smile, "Are you all planning to go to 'Taihu Lake' to suppress bandits?"

Zhu Yu was taken aback, then nodded and said, "Yes, Senior."

Upon hearing this...

Standing to the left and right of the "White Dragon King," Dong Qing'er's eyes flickered with a strange light as she subtly reminded him, "The bandits of 'Taihu Lake' have been a long-standing problem, and even the imperial court can't do anything about it. Junior Brother Wu, you should reconsider."

Lin Lu looked disdainful and said bluntly, "Suppressing bandits? People should know their own limitations. With your strength, you might end up getting in but not coming out."

Zhu Yu glanced at him but didn't say anything.

"White Dragon King" Dong Biwu seemed oblivious, and said with a smile, "It's good to have some experience. With your strength, as long as you don't provoke the Thirteen Strongholds or those two evil cults, you'll be safe."

He hesitated for a moment, then said;

Author Ru Xian personally presents "The Immortal Path to Immortality: Starting with Analyzing Basic Viewpoints" on Cola Novels, waiting for you.

"The 'Sea Whale Gang' has some business dealings in 'Taihu Lake,' which has always been handled by your senior sister Qing'er. You can chat with her later to get to know her better beforehand..."

"Thank you, senior."

Zhu Yu's eyes brightened slightly, and he immediately thanked her, then turned to Dong Qing'er and cupped his hands in thanks, saying, "Then I'll have to trouble Senior Sister Dong."

He only knew about "Taihu" from written records and did not know the specific details. He would have to go to "Taihu" to inquire again. However, the news about the "Sea Whale Gang" would undoubtedly save him a lot of time.

Dong Qing'er glanced at her father, a hint of joy appearing on her face, and replied, "Junior Brother, you're too kind." With that, she stepped outside. "Junior Brother, please come with me. I have a map of the 'Taihu' power distribution in my room."

"This junior takes his leave."

Zhu Yu bowed to "White Dragon King" Dong Biwu, not even glancing at Lin Lu's gloomy face, and turned to follow Dong Qing'er out of the room.

Their rooms are not far apart.

Pushing open the door, the room was simply furnished, resembling a man's room rather than a woman's boudoir.

Dong Qing'er walked to a bookshelf, took down a scroll, returned to the table, and unrolled it, revealing a map with waterways, islands, and densely packed tiny characters.

"Um?…"

Zhu Yu's gaze swept over it, and his eyes lit up.

As seen on the map.

"Taihu Lake" is like a swan bottle that is narrow at the top and wide at the bottom, with many holes. The neck of the swan, which is the main passage in and out of "Taihu Lake", is occupied by the "Thirteen Villages of Taihu Lake".

The "Evil God Cult" and the "Peace Society" have no specific location; they are usually active in the area between the neck and waist, and have divided up nearly 70% of the larger water vein entrances.

The remaining 30% of the larger water vein entrances, as well as some smaller ones, were divided and occupied by no fewer than a hundred different factions.

Beside these power insignia were inscriptions detailing their approximate strengths, ranging from powerful to weak. The stronger ones were guarded by martial artists at the fourth realm "Golden Body," while the weaker ones were guarded by martial artists at the third realm "Dao Fruit."

Zhu Yu looked around and quickly settled on a small force that occupied a narrow water vein.

Recorded according to handwriting.

This is a group of mountain bandits who fled to "Taihu Lake". Their number is about a thousand or so. The three leaders are all martial artists at the "Dao Fruit Realm".

Its strength isn't particularly strong, but it's not the weakest either.

The main reason Zhu Yu set his sights on it was that it had been established for less than a year and acted without regard for rules, offending all the surrounding forces.

Taking action against it will not cause much of a backlash.

Dong Qing'er, who had been watching Zhu Yu's expression closely, asked with a smile, "Junior Brother, have you found a target yet?"

Zhu Yu nodded slightly, not hiding anything, and pointed to the words "Qingfeng Village" on the sign, saying:

"What does Senior Sister Dong think of it?"

Dong Qing glanced at it and nodded slightly, "It's possible." But then she raised her hand and pointed to a faction marked "White Horse Village" that was quite far away from "Qingfeng Village".

"From what I understand, Qingfeng Village and Baima Village seem unrelated, but in reality, they are closely connected. Junior brother, you should think carefully. Once you take action to eliminate Qingfeng Village," it may very well attract the attention of Baima Village.

"And it has a martial artist at the 'Golden Body' realm in charge."

"The Golden Body of the Four Realms..."

Zhu Yu frowned slightly, but when his gaze fell upon the blank space connecting to Taihu Lake—a space without a map, marked only by two words—he nodded without further hesitation:

"Thank you for reminding me, Senior Sister Dong. I'm from Wuping Province."

Dong Qing'er glanced at him but didn't try to persuade him. After a moment's recollection, she carefully explained to him the geographical location of "Qingfeng Village," the specific strengths of its three leaders, and other information...

A short while passed.

The door was open.

Zhu Yu and Dong Qing'er walked out of the room chatting and laughing. Just as they stepped out and were saying goodbye, Zhu Yu suddenly caught a glimpse of a figure flashing past a corner of the cabin. He raised an eyebrow, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said:

"Senior sister, please wait. Once you have safely settled in Taihu Lake, you are welcome to come and visit us."

"it is good."

Dong Qing'er nodded and teased with a smile, "It just so happens that the gang will be transporting a batch of goods to Taihu soon. Junior brother, don't leave me without a place to stay then."

"Won't."

Zhu Yu shook his head, exchanged a few pleasantries, and took his leave.

Watching his figure disappear into the corner of the cabin, Dong Qing'er's smile faded. She glanced behind her, a hint of coldness flashing in her eyes, before turning back to her room.

The door closed.

Lin Lu emerged from the corner with a livid face, his sinister gaze sweeping across the area. He snorted coldly and turned away.

a long time.

"well…"

A soft sigh rang out.

deck.

"Big brother..."

As Zhu Yu stepped out of the cabin, his eight hundred sworn brothers and sisters, divided into dozens of small groups, immediately surrounded him, called out to him, looked at him, and remained silent, waiting for him to explain.

Zhu Yu did not rush to explain. Instead, he subtly shifted his thoughts and distributed the vast amount of "popularity" he had accumulated to his sworn brothers and sisters through the bond of "sworn brotherhood."

This method has immediate and noticeable effects.

When everyone sensed that the "popularity" around them had suddenly surged, the tension in their hearts and the hesitation on their faces vanished in an instant, leaving only excitement and exhilaration.

"So many people are watching..."

"Haha, at least it saves me half a year of arduous training..."

"Following my elder brother was definitely the right choice..."

"Absolutely, absolutely..."

"..."

After recovering from their surprise, everyone started talking and showering Zhu Yu with compliments, especially "Yuan Guang" whose voice was the loudest and clearest.

Zhu Yu glanced at him, pressed his hands down, and waited until the voices of his brothers and sisters quieted down. He looked around and said in a deep voice:

"So that all my brothers and sisters may know, we are on the orders of the 'Sect Leader' to go to 'Taihu Lake' to suppress bandits and protect the peace of this region..."

"Bandit suppression? Taihu Lake?... "

Everyone was stunned. Those who knew about the situation at Taihu Lake turned deathly pale and exclaimed:

"Brother, is the 'Sect Leader' sending us to our deaths?..."

These words were spoken.

The deck was silent for a moment, then a loud bang erupted.

"Sending them to their deaths?"

"Taihu Lake? Is it the Taihu Lake I'm thinking of?"

"Is it that Taihu Lake, rife with bandits, cults, and rebels?"

"Even the imperial court can't do anything about it, yet the 'Sect Leader' wants a bunch of us second-level cultivators to go and suppress bandits? What kind of logic is that...?"

"This is just throwing my life away, I'm not going..."

"..."

With everyone chiming in, the deck erupted into chaos.

Zhu Yu did not interrupt their arguing, but watched quietly. As the noise grew louder, he soon sensed that most of his "sworn brotherhood" with his brothers and sisters was wavering.

He frowned and sighed inwardly:

"As expected, the 'sworn brotherhood' forcibly formed by relying on 'righteous spirit' to gain favor in this world is not solid..."

He had no doubt that if he hadn't just shared the "prestige" with others, simply saying those words would have caused someone to sever their "sworn brotherhood" with him.

However, if someone breaks off his "sworn brotherhood" with him, even if it's just one person, then his act of forming eight hundred sworn brothers and sisters will not be an unprecedented and magnificent feat, but rather a huge joke...