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

"What is it?"

Zhu Yu's eyes flickered slightly, and he asked with a puzzled expression.

Qin Hou did not answer, but slightly raised his hand, and the young man holding the sword handed him the jade box.

Reaching out to open it, a soft, pale blue light flowed out like water, revealing a jade bead the size of an infant's fist, its color a deep blue.

As soon as it appeared, water mist arose, churning and surging, and a sound like the crashing of the sea immediately filled the tent.

Such an unusual phenomenon.

Everyone's eyes lit up, and they were full of praise.

"What a precious pearl!"

"Worth at least a million taels of silver..."

"So beautiful! If it were set into jewelry, it could be passed down through generations..."

"..."

Sword Elder stared intently for a few moments, then stroked his beard and chuckled, "If I'm not mistaken, is the jade bead in your hand, young master, a mermaid pearl presented as tribute by the merfolk of the South Sea?..."

Qin Hou nodded and flattered him, saying, "Elder Jian has a good eye; this is indeed a South China Sea mermaid pearl." With that, he presented the mermaid pearl.

Sword Elder took the mermaid pearl, examined it for a few moments, then handed it back, clicking his tongue in amazement, "It is said that wearing a mermaid pearl can preserve one's appearance forever and allow one to walk on water as if on flat ground. I wonder if the effects are true...?"

"It has such a miraculous effect!..."

Upon hearing this, everyone's eyes lit up even more.

I originally thought the mermaid pearl was just something to play with and admire, but I never expected it to be such a rare treasure.

Most of the people present were focused on the mermaid pearl's ability to move freely in water. If they had this pearl with them, it might save their lives in the future, or at the very least, it would provide them with another means of protection.

Only two women were preoccupied with the idea of ​​eternal youth, their eyes gleaming and their expressions restless. If the location weren't so inappropriate, they might have resorted to robbery.

Qin Hou sensed a strange light flashing in everyone's eyes. He didn't explain whether the effects of the mermaid pearl were as strange as the sword elder had said. Instead, he closed the jade box, stood up, and came to Zhu Yu.

Amidst his surprised and delighted gaze, she handed him the jade box and solemnly said:

"I would like to trouble you, Uncle, to restrain General Huang Shi. Regardless of the means, just make sure he doesn't interfere in my conflict with Qin Chuan. In return, I will give you this mermaid pearl as a deposit."

He paused, then added:

"Qin Hou rewarded me handsomely afterward..."

This statement came out.

Everyone present looked strange.

Even the Sword Elder paused involuntarily while stroking his beard.

To contain Huangshi?

This is a deadly job.

Everyone knows he's a ruthless devil who can turn on you at any moment.

If Huang Shi were weak, it would be fine, but the key is that his strength is ridiculously strong. Even though there are rumors that he was cut off by the Sword Saint and dropped from the fifth realm to the fourth realm, no one dares to touch his tiger's whiskers.

Rather than having Zhu Yu restrain Huang Shi, it would be more accurate to say that he was sent to test Huang Shi's attitude. If Huang Shi had no intention of interfering in the conflict, everyone would be happy. But if he did intend to interfere, his life would be in danger.

read this.

Everyone quickly suppressed their greed, fearing that this deadly task would fall on their shoulders.

Zhu Yu was not afraid of Huang Shi. Even if Huang Shi hadn't fallen from his cultivation level, Zhu Yu would have to think twice before taking Huang Shi's life.

However, he was currently disguised as Qin Ying, and given his cunning, he certainly wouldn't readily agree to this. Therefore, he revealed an expression that showed he clearly wanted the mermaid pearl, but was even less willing to confront that evil god.

He shook his head hesitantly and said:

"Well... Second Young Master, you should find someone more capable. How could someone like General Huang, a nobody like me, possibly control him? I think..."

Before he could finish speaking, Qin Hou shoved the jade box into his arms, a smile on his face but a cold glint in his eyes.

"Uncle, please don't refuse. This matter cannot be left to you alone..."

"If Uncle really doesn't want to go, that's fine, but then he'll have to come with me to fight Qin Chuan..."

As he spoke, he fixed his gaze on Zhu Yu, seemingly jokingly saying:

"Uncle should know that there's no such thing as a free lunch. And have you forgotten that you almost strangled Qin Chuan back then? If he had gained power, Uncle, you... hehe..."

After speaking, ignoring the stunned Zhu Yu, he turned back to the head of the table and whispered something to Jian Lao and the Mu family head on either side.

A while later.

Zhu Yu seemed to snap out of his daze, looked down at the jade box, his expression struggling for a moment, then suddenly sighed, put the jade box into his sleeve, stood up, and said proudly to Qin Hou at the head of the table:

"In that case, I will risk my life to accompany him. When the time is right, I will go and meet that evil god and see if he is as frightening as the rumors say."

"Goodbye..."

After saying that, he raised his hand, turned around and left gracefully.

After he left the main tent.

Sitting beside the head of the Mu family, a middle-aged man with a scarred face, sharp eyes, and two swords strapped to his back spoke up:

"Is this person reliable? Don't leak any more information."

Qin Hou smiled slightly and replied, "Second Brother Liu, there's no need to worry. My uncle may seem rough, but he's actually very meticulous. He knows what's best for him."

"Heh, I didn't realize he was so meticulous. He's all bark and no bite," a middle-aged woman dressed as a Taoist nun said coldly beside the burly man surnamed Liu.

"Sister is right. I think he'd be scared out of his wits if he saw General Huang, let alone restrain him," a petite woman in green, who looked like a young girl of sixteen or seventeen, echoed at the very end.

However, upon closer inspection, it is not difficult to see that her cheeks are as white as snow, as if she has applied a lot of powder. As she speaks, the powder flutters like snow, and the crow's feet at the corners of her eyes are deep.

Not only Qin Hou, but everyone else also realized that the two of them were expressing their dissatisfaction with losing the mermaid pearl by belittling Zhu Yu.

Not only Qin Hou, but everyone else also realized that the two of them were expressing their dissatisfaction with losing the mermaid pearl by belittling Zhu Yu.

As a senior, Elder Jian naturally ignored it.

His disciples were not familiar with him and simply watched the show.

The head of the Mu family frowned almost imperceptibly. He had invited several people to help him, not only out of personal favors, but also at a considerable cost.

His blatant disregard for morality and profit was not meant to make things difficult for Qin Hou, but rather it was his own doing.

Just as he was about to say something.

Qin Hou slapped his forehead, feigning annoyance, and said, "Look at my memory! Changying, Huaiwu, hurry up and bring over the gifts I prepared for the seniors."

Li Huaiwu and Mu Changying were both taken aback for a moment, but when they saw Qin Hou's gaze, they nodded in agreement.

"Yes."

As they spoke, they walked behind the tent, and soon each of them carried a silver tray with several exquisitely crafted little trinkets on it, all of which were full of "human charm" and brimming with spiritual energy.

"Young master, you've gone to great lengths."

"Thank you, Second Young Master."

Everyone could tell at a glance that this was definitely not a pre-prepared gift; it was most likely an object that Qin Hou usually played with. However, no one pointed it out and happily accepted it.

After all, who doesn't like something that's free?

Moreover, all of these items are extremely valuable.

Upon receiving the gifts, the guests were overjoyed, and laughter filled the air.

Only Qin Hou's smile seemed somewhat forced.

the other side.

Zhu Yu had just returned to his carriage when he saw Qin Yu sitting at the far end with a cold face. Unsurprised, he plopped down on a cushion and chuckled.

"Why would you, sir, condescend to sit in my cramped carriage instead of drinking and making merry in your main tent? It's so uncomfortable."

Qin Yu's eyes flashed colder as he stared at Zhu Yu for a few moments before saying indifferently, "Uncle, are you kidding me?"

Zhu Yu knew what he meant, but felt no remorse. Instead, she lowered her face and coldly said:

"Bang! You? Young master, you must have got it backwards, haven't you?..."

Qin Yu's brows furrowed suddenly, and he said coldly, "Does Uncle think that my things are so easy to take?...

"Ha..." Zhu Yu scoffed, knocking the teacup off the table with a flick of his sleeve, and said disdainfully, "I've already taken it, what can you do about it?"

Qin Yu stared intently at him.

Zhu Yu responded with a cold laugh.

a long time.

Qin Yu's cold expression faltered, and he said with a wry smile, "This humble one doesn't understand, Uncle. Why didn't you take action? Are you worried about Father's pursuit? Or are you worried about General Kou? Or perhaps Yang Jiu?...

Zhu Yu shook his head. "Young Master, do you truly not know, or are you playing dumb with me?" Before Qin Yu could speak, he coldly said, "What is the strange power within Qin Qi's body? Don't tell me you don't know."

Qin Yu's eyes narrowed suddenly as she stared intently at Zhu Yu for a few moments before bursting into laughter: "You really aren't Qin Ying."

As he spoke, his demeanor suddenly changed. He looked the same, but his presence was that of a demon, with dark, unfathomable eyes.

A slightly chilling voice came from his mouth.

"May I ask which realm you belong to, brother? Is that senior who forcibly occupied the Nightmare Continent from the same sect as you, fellow Daoist?"

"Huh..."

Zhu Yu looked at Qin Yu with some surprise, sensing the aura that came from the same source. His emotions surged, and a name that had been suppressed deep in his mind came to mind.

"Return to the Ruins".

Qin Yu actually came from the Guixu Realm, one of the Twelve Heavenly Immortal Alliances, or rather, he possessed Qin Yu's body.

If it weren't for the deliberate leak of his aura, he wouldn't have noticed it at all. From this, it's not hard to see that the person who possessed Qin Yu's body was at least at the Foundation Establishment stage.

With a series of thoughts swirling in his mind, Zhu Yu hesitated for a moment before releasing a wisp of his aura.

To his surprise, Qin Yu did not show any joy at seeing a fellow disciple. Instead, he seemed to be on high alert, locking his divine sense onto him as if he were about to launch an attack at any moment.

Zhu Yu's eyes turned dark in an instant, but just as he was about to make a move, the divine sense locked onto him suddenly vanished like the wind.

What puzzled him even more was that Qin Yu again put on a look of lingering fear. Seeing him frown, she quickly said:

"Brother Dao, please don't attack! It's a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding..."

Seemingly afraid that Zhu Yu would make a move, he waved his hand to create a thin protective barrier and hurriedly explained:

"Please forgive me, fellow Daoist. The entire 'Guixu' sect has sided with the 'Zhongshenyu' sect and is at odds with the 'Tianxianmeng' sect. They especially hate us, the disciples of their affiliated sects. I assumed you were from 'Guixu' and instinctively took a defensive stance."

"Has 'Guixu' sided with 'The Realm of Gods'?..."

Zhu Yu was taken aback.

Seeing his puzzled expression, Qin Yu mistakenly assumed he was a reclusive cultivator who spent most of his time in seclusion, using his distractions to plunder resources in the "Heavenly Abyss." She nodded, then shook her head with a wry smile, saying:

"Brother Dao, you may not know this, but three hundred years ago, for some unknown reason, the entire 'Return to the Void Realm' sided with the 'Realm of Gods,' tearing a huge gap in the 'Twelve Celestial Immortals Formation.'"

"This resulted in heavy losses for the 'Twelve Celestial Alliances,' with countless affiliated sects being wiped out."

At this point, Qin Yu said with some relief:

Fortunately, the "Twelve Celestial Immortals Formation" lacked a "formation eye" to suppress it, and in the end, the "Forgotten River Realm," one of the two strongest subordinate realms of the former "Return to the Void Realm," stepped in to fill the gap.

"Although we are weak now, it is still better than being wiped out and punished."

He paused, then said with considerable excitement:

"I wonder which realm you come from? If we join forces, we might be able to snatch a piece of meat from the 'Flower Goddess's Ruins'..."

"The Flower Goddess's Spirit Ruins?"

Zhu Yu looked at him with a puzzled expression.

Qin Yu perhaps genuinely wanted to join forces with him, or perhaps out of respect for "True Lord Qingping," he patiently explained:

"The 'Flower Goddess Spirit Ruins' originates from the 'Palace Punishment Prison,' one of the 'Five Punishment Prisons.' Her path of cultivation is primarily based on 'Celestial Being Transformation.' Although her strength isn't particularly high, she and they have powerful backers..."

After saying that, he gave Zhu Yu a knowing look.

"The Five Punishments Prison Realm, the Palace Punishment Prison..."

Zhu Yu repeated two sentences, and information about the "Twelve Celestial Realms" immediately came to mind.

The Twelve Celestial Realms are composed of twelve powerful Spirit Ruins Realms.

These are respectively the Three Calamities, the Four Evils, and the Five Punishments.

The three calamities are: water, fire, and wind.

The Four Evils are: year, month, day, and hour.

The five punishments are: tattooing, nose amputation, foot amputation, castration, and death penalty.

Let's assume that the "Twelve Celestial Realms" are a large tree.

So, the Three Calamities, Four Evils, and Five Punishments, the twelve realms of Daoist paths, share the same main trunk, while the branches that grow from the great tree represent the different and mysterious aspects of their respective paths.

"The Realm of Return to Nothingness" is one of the three calamities, and it is water.

According to the books he consulted, he had described it in a veiled manner.

The core tradition of the "Return to the Void Realm" is to cultivate the "Foundation Building Realm" and the "Black Sea". As for how to cultivate, the books do not record it, but the reason why their magic power is so corrosive is not unrelated to this.

"hiss…"

Zhu Yu took a deep breath, suppressing the jumbled thoughts in his mind, and said, "Brother Dao, please wait a moment. Let me inform the elders of my sect before we proceed, shall we?"

He paused, then asked:

"I wonder which spirit realm you come from, my friend?"

"it is good."

Qin Yu nodded and replied, "The Three Paths Spirit Ruins."

He also needed to report to his superiors that the sects that once belonged to "Guixu" were now all like frightened rabbits. If the difference in benefits was not significant, they would not refuse to stick together for warmth.

Before leaving, he suddenly turned back and asked, "Fellow Daoist, you are from the Spirit Ruins, aren't you...?"

Zhu Yu truthfully replied, "It is a celestial tomb and a sacred ruin."

"The Immortal's Tomb and the Spirit Ruins..."

Qin Yu frowned and pondered for a few moments, but found no information about it. He couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. He had thought that it came from the Great Spirit Ruins, but it turned out to be an unknown small Spirit Ruins that he had never even heard of.

However, with a "Golden Core True Monarch" in charge, it was worth trying to win him over. He nodded slightly, turned around, and left the carriage.

Wait until they leave.

Zhu Yu closed his eyes and focused his mind, then immediately sent his thoughts into the Foundation Establishment Realm to inform Qingping Zhenjun of the news. To his surprise, Qingping Zhenjun did not react much to it.

A slight worry arose in his heart. After thinking for a moment, he had a sudden thought and tried to open the "chat group". When he saw it appear on the screen, he was overjoyed.

After a moment's thought, he mentally typed a line of text.

[Yinming: I encountered a fellow Daoist from the "Twelve Celestial Immortals Alliance" in the "Martial World." From him, I learned that "Guixu" had joined the "Realm of Gods," causing significant losses to the "Twelve Celestial Immortals Alliance." Now, "Wangchuan Lingxu" has taken its place.]

According to this fellow Daoist from the "Three Paths Spirit Ruins," the "Martial World" has long been targeted by the "Flower Goddess Spirit Ruins," which originated from the "Palace Prison." They intend to join forces with us. My cultivation is shallow, and I do not know what to do. I hope my senior brothers and sisters can give me some guidance.

The message was sent out immediately.

Several messages immediately popped up, and the screen was quickly filled with messages.

【Huiyue Zhenren: …】