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

The "Source of Magic Power" expanded from its initial 1.5 feet to 2.6 feet in diameter, and the amount of magic power it could withstand increased from 15 to 26.

Moreover, compared to before, the magic has become purer, more spiritual, and more powerful.

Then there are the several spiritual vein beads rooted in the "natal spiritual ruins". As the "natal spiritual ruins" expand, they develop fine veins like branches of grass and trees, like springs, continuously spewing out spiritual energy.

Finally, there are his innate supernatural powers, "Mass Burial Mound" and "Superior Man".

The former serves as the cornerstone for constructing the "Native Spiritual Ruins." As the "Native Spiritual Ruins" expands, it also develops mysteries, and the "Divine Power Talismans" become more complex, steadily transforming towards intermediate-level divine powers.

His proficiency in the lower-level divine abilities "Mysterious Water Thunder" and "Water Control" has also increased, but compared to his innate divine abilities such as "Mass Burial Mound," the increase is not significant.

The expansion of his "Native Spiritual Ruins" brought Zhu Yu an indescribable sense of joy. The transformation that made him feel fulfilled, powerful, and full of life essence made him intoxicated by it.

I don't know how long it has been.

Zhu Yu's mind returned to its normal state, and his consciousness encompassed his "natal spiritual realm." He felt that the deathly aura, malevolent aura, and yin energy of his natal spiritual realm were becoming increasingly intense, but he always felt that something was missing.

He soon realized what was missing.

The "Benming Spirit Ruins" is too quiet and lacks vitality.

It's not the kind of vitality that comes from spiritual practice, but rather the kind of vitality that's like the everyday life of ordinary people.

While anger cannot increase one's cultivation level, it can nourish and strengthen the activity of one's "natal spiritual essence," providing a solid foundation. Similarly, it can also contribute to resisting the erosion of "black water."

With this in mind, Zhu Yu pondered for a moment, then connected his mind with the "Yinming Mansion" mark and issued a task to the disciples belonging to the "Yinming Mansion".

The task is very simple.

Collect living souls, regardless of whether they are human or beast.

Meanwhile, Whale, Blood Slave, Hong Youfu, and others also received his message, sending the complete body and soul of the martial artist into the "Life Spirit Ruins"...

The thought settled.

Several bronze doors immediately appeared in the "Benming Lingxu".

Hong Youfu, Jing, Xue Nu, Meng and others appeared one after another. As soon as they entered, they sensed the changes in the "Native Spirit Ruins". Their eyes lit up with joy and they all rushed forward to greet him respectfully.

"Congratulations on your advancement in cultivation, sir."

"Congratulations, my lord! You are immortal!"

Zhu Yu smiled and waved her hand, "No need for formalities, please rise."

"Thank you, sir."

The group immediately stood up and took out the corpses and souls of martial artists they had collected over the past few days, as well as fragments of subtle spiritual veins and spiritual soil that they had extracted...

Zhu Yu waved his hand, and beast bags and soul-gathering bags floated up, their mouths wide open. Corpses, spiritual soil, fragments of spiritual veins like starlight, five-element spiritual minerals, and the souls of humans and beasts fell like rain, scattering to all corners of the land.

next moment.

The churning earth, like flesh and blood, swallowed them up one by one.

However, he did not refine the martial artist's corpse and soul, but instead allowed it to be nourished by the "Life Spirit Ruins" and transformed into a wild corpse or a wild ghost.

After doing all this.

Zhu Yu turned to look at Jing, Meng, Hong Youfu, and the others standing beside him, raised his hand, and transferred the memories of his affairs in Yongzhou Prefecture into their minds. He then instructed them:

"The Great Yu court has issued the 'Demon Slaying Order,' and the number of people coming to 'Yongzhou' will only increase. Among them, there may be beings I cannot afford to offend. You must remember: kill if you can, fight if you can, and if you cannot kill or fight, then hide. Do not act rashly."

At this point, his gaze fell on Qiao Heyong.

"Especially you, if you act rashly again and your true form is killed, I won't say anything if you can recover your true form on your own, but if you can't, hehe..."

"Rest assured, my lord, I will not act rashly this time."

Upon hearing his laughter, Qiao Heyong couldn't help but think of the "Yuanhai" trip, and shuddered. He quickly made a promise.

Hong Youfu, standing to the side, seemed to share the same feeling, and his face twitched slightly.

Yao Ye glanced at the two of them curiously, wondering what the "Source Sea" was that made them so afraid, but he wisely kept quiet and didn't ask.

"That would be best, go ahead."

Zhu Yu nodded slightly and waved his hand.

"Your subordinate takes his leave."

Qiao Heyong and Hong Youfu were the first to manifest the bronze gate and leave. They wanted to take advantage of the arrival of the powerful figures from the Great Yu Dynasty to harvest some "Spirit Ruins Origin".

Yao Ye hesitated for a moment, then said, "My lord, I sensed Shangguan Wanhe's presence yesterday."

"Um?"

Zhu Yu's eyes narrowed slightly, signaling him to continue.

Yao Ye said, "Shangguan Wanhe also sensed my presence and wanted me to submit to him, but after I refused, he blocked all contact." He paused, then frowned and said, "However, I am certain that he is somewhere in Yongzhou."

"He's quite clever..."

Zhu Yu knew without a doubt that Shangguan Dazu had come to Yongzhou because "Qingping Zhenjun" had informed all the Foundation Establishment cultivators that he had occupied a prefecture, and he estimated that he was not the only one who had come here.

Seeing the slight hint of apprehension in Yao Ye's eyes, he spoke reassuringly:

"Junior Brother Yao, there's no need to worry. You bear the mark of my 'Innate Spiritual Ruins.' Even if Ancestor Shangguan were right in front of you, his divine power 'Demon Seed in the Dao Heart' wouldn't be able to touch you, much less refine you."

Upon hearing this...

Yao Ye's tense expression vanished instantly, a smile appeared on his face, and he cupped his hands, saying, "This subordinate's life is entirely in your hands, sir."

Having said that, Ju Manifested Bronze Gate emerged from his natal spirit realm.

Zhu Yu looked at the whale, and was about to say something when he felt his arm sink. Looking down, he saw Meng hugging him tightly with both arms, her face buried in his body. Then he heard a deep breath, and her pointed ears were visibly flushed.

His lips twitched involuntarily, but he didn't stop him. He looked up at the whale, his gaze falling on the cloth bag at his waist, and asked:

"How effective is the Black Gold Mace? Is it easy to use?... "

Upon hearing this, the whale, who was never one to smile, parted its lips to reveal a set of sharp, white teeth. It raised its hand, gave a thumbs-up, and said in a deep voice:

"powerful!…"

Feeling that one word was insufficient to express the power of the "Black Gold Mace," he quickly added:

"We can take down three whales..."

Zhu Yu nodded in satisfaction and said with a smile, "When we return to the sect, I will have someone help you refine it into a 'natal divine weapon,' and its power will be even greater."

The implication was that the "Black Gold Mace" would belong to him from now on.

"Thank you for the gift, my lord..."

Whale wasn't stupid; it naturally understood what he meant. Its eyes lit up, and it knelt on one knee, thanking him repeatedly.

"I don't have that many formalities..."

Zhu Yu smiled and helped him up.

The reason he gave the famous weapon "Black Gold Mace" to Whale was twofold: first, only Whale could unleash the magical power of the "Black Gold Mace" under his command; second, he intended to elevate Whale to suppress the arrogant Hong Youfu and Qiao Heyong.

Since the last time the two fought without his permission in the "Native Spirit Ruins", he realized that although they were his "Subordinate Foundation Establishment", they probably thought that becoming his "Subordinate Foundation Establishment" was just a temporary arrangement, waiting for an opportunity.

Among them, Hong Youfu, who looked honest and kind, had the deepest thought.

Zhu Yu doesn't have a good solution for this at the moment.

In terms of foundational knowledge in Qi Refining Realm, cultivation of superior inherited methods, and possession of a companion spirit, Hong Youfu's foundation is much deeper, and his potential is also greater.

"We still need to cultivate 'subordinate foundations' that suit us..."

The thought flashed through his mind, but Zhu Yu shook his head to suppress it and looked at the Blood Slave. He sensed that the Blood Slave was surrounded by a terrifyingly strong and intense resentment, and had probably devoured the blood of at least ten thousand people.

He had no objection to this. "Blood Demons" are born from blood, and blood is their source of power. However, "Blood Slaves" are too indiscriminate in their eating habits, indiscriminately consuming anything.

It is not a complete "Blood Demon" after all, which has caused some impurities to accumulate in its body. Although its cultivation level seems to have increased significantly, its magic power has become somewhat mixed and impure.

"Let's go to the 'Source Sea' to temper ourselves..."

Zhu Yu shook his head slightly, waved his hand to move the Blood Slave to the "Source Sea" space, and let it refine the "Black Water". Through the corrosive power of the Black Water, the impurities in its body were removed.

At this time.

After taking a deep breath of Zhu Yu's aura, Meng raised her head, handed him a storage bag, and landed on the ground in a flash of light.

A vibrant green halo spread out, and black thorns rose from the ground, weaving together to form a massive thorn altar, supporting the dream that knelt and worshipped upon the thorns.

A soft murmur came out.

"Actress of the Night, wielder of the power of pain and pleasure, creator of the great divine kingdom, 'Lady of Pleasure,' your faithful follower 'Lilith Dream,' prays here..."

An invisible energy erupted from the "altar," and with Zhu Yu's consent, it explored the unknown depths through the "Life Spirit Ruins."

Whether it was because of Meng's breakthrough to the second tier or not, after only a moment, a power filled with incense, or rather, containing the aura of faith, reached out through the "passage," and a thick gray mist spread, engulfing Meng and the Thorn Altar.

Zhu Yu glanced at it, and a wisp of incense smoke appeared in his mind. Then, a soft and languid voice rang in his mind.

"Long time no see, little demon king. Is this your 'divine kingdom'? It's so small and shabby. As the ruler of a divine kingdom, how can you not have servants to attend to you? Dragon girls, elves, succubi... Consider this: today is the birthday of the Pillar God, so we'll give you a 10% discount..."

Zhu Yu was speechless for a moment. Are demigods so free? Instead of spreading the faith and exalting God's Kingdom, all they do is pimp.

Of course, that's what I think, but I definitely can't say it like that. After all, he's a half-step "Golden Core" level expert, and we should still show him the respect he deserves.

"Honorable Lady of Pleasure, have you found the faithless demigod?...

The woman's thoughts wavered slightly, and then her slightly amused voice came through.

"Of course...no."

"Little demon, do you think demigods are like maggots that can be found anywhere?"

The maggots He spoke of were the larvae of demons from the "Abyss," the source of countless demon races in the Abyss. Many gods in the "Abyss," comparable to those at the "Golden Core Realm," were transformed from maggots through battles and metamorphosis.

As if remembering something, Ms. Huan Yu's voice came again, but compared to before, it was more hurried and hesitant.

"Little Demon King, have you found the 'Source of Power'?"

Zhu Yu paused for a moment, then, remembering that he had been distracted by connecting to the "Vast River," nodded and said, "I have indeed gained something, but..."

He was about to explain when he heard Ms. Huanyu's solemn voice, which sounded somewhat restrained.

"Heavenly Demon, please forgive my ignorance, I think we can talk about the deal now."

He paused, then added:

"Could you tell Pleasure what kind of 'source of power' you've discovered, and how difficult was it to capture? Do you need any help?..."

Zhu Yu's eyes were strange and peculiar.

Capturing the "vast river"? ...

Not to mention him, given his scale, even the legendary "Primordial Spirit Dao Lord" probably doesn't have this ability.

He shook his head slightly and said, "I'm afraid that won't work." Before Lady Huanyu could speak, he quickly interjected:

"Madam, have you ever heard of 'The Vast River'?"

Fearing He might not understand, he added, "It is also called the 'River of Knowledge'..."

The words fell.

Lady Joy suddenly fell silent, but her thoughts were surging like a tidal wave. Several breaths passed before her somewhat incredulous voice finally came through.

"You, a demon, have found the 'River of Knowledge'?..."

Zhu Yu was puzzled as to why He was so agitated. He was incredulous, and after a moment of doubt, nodded, then shook his head, saying:

"We've found it, but trying to capture it is just wishful thinking."

He thought Lady Pleasure would be angry, but to his surprise, she was not only not angry, but even more excited.

"Heavenly Demon, I think we can talk about a deal..."

"trade?…"

Zhu Yu looked surprised, then asked with great interest, "How will the transaction proceed?"

After a few moments of silence, Lady Joy solemnly replied, "A demigod's body, and a thousand drops of water from the 'River of Knowledge.'"

"The River of Knowledge?"

Zhu Yu was taken aback. This really touched on a blind spot in his knowledge. Whether it was "vast river" or "river of knowledge", they were just names, not actual rivers. Where did the river water come from?

However, since Lady Pleasure is willing to make this transaction, it means that this "river water" really exists and is extremely valuable.

If we could get the method to obtain "river water" from Him, wouldn't that be another great way to obtain resources?

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel excited and asked directly:

"Madam, how can I obtain water from the 'River of Knowledge'?"

Lady Joy fell silent again. After a long while, she replied, "I don't know either. Doesn't your Demon Realm have a way?...

have no idea?…

Zhu Yu's excitement was immediately dashed, as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over him.

If one were unaware of the value of the "river of knowledge," it would be fine. But now that one knows, it's like having a gold mine but no tools to mine it—truly distressing.

As if sensing his thoughts, Lady Huanyu remained silent for a few moments before saying, "According to a book I've read, 'scholars' who awaken to the light of wisdom are drawn by the 'River of Knowledge,' traversing it to gain knowledge of the past and present."

"And the 'river water' is the 'essence' that has settled over the long years of the 'river of knowledge,' which only 'scholars' can extract from the 'river of knowledge.'"

He paused, then said in a seductive tone:

"The books don't explicitly state how to extract the 'essence,' but you, Heavenly Demon, can try navigating the 'River of Knowledge.'"

"With just one thousand... no, five hundred drops of the 'River of Knowledge' water, you can obtain a fresh 'demigod' body, a demigod of the dark attribute..."

Zhu Yu neither agreed nor disagreed, but said, "Madam, whether we can obtain the 'river water' is still unknown. As for the transaction, how about we discuss it again once we have the 'river water'?"

"it is good."

Lady Joy readily agreed. As her senses gradually weakened and her consciousness returned, she hurriedly said, "Heavenly Demon, if you obtain the 'River Water,' please contact me through my mark or my agent..."