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

boom…

A loud bang came from outside the carriage shaft.

Immediately following was a scream, and shortly after, a voice filled with exasperation and disbelief rang out.

"Kou Tong! How dare you kill me!..."

"That voice... is it Qin Hou?..."

Zhu Yu was taken aback, his eyes showing surprise.

Wasn't the plan to eliminate Qin Chuan tonight? It seems Qin Hou has suffered quite a loss instead.

Moreover, the one who made the move was Kou Tong, who commanded the state guards.

"Qin Qi and Qin Chuan have joined forces? Interesting..."

Zhu Yu's eyes flickered slightly, and with a flash, he arrived at the window. He looked in the direction from which the sound came, and saw flames shooting into the sky, with several figures standing in mid-air.

The leader was Qin Hou, but he looked quite miserable. His hair was disheveled, and there was a dent in his forehead, as if it had been blasted out by some cone-shaped object, with blood gushing out.

With his cannibalistic gaze, he no longer resembled a noble young master, but rather a demon.

The Mu family head, along with his three closest friends and the two disciples of the Sword Elder, stood on either side of him, their faces equally grim.

However, the Sword Elder, whose cultivation had reached the fifth realm, was nowhere to be seen.

And at this time.

In the darkness, several streaks of blood-red light rose into the air.

The one leading them was Qin Chuan.

Behind him were Lady Fei, Qin Ying, Princess Huangqi, and Princess Sangma, and finally a cold-looking man wearing dark leather armor and holding a bow nearly as tall as a person.

Before Qin Hou could speak, Qin Chuan coldly shouted, "You, Qin Hou, how dare you collude with outsiders to plot against me! Today I will capture you and hand you over to my father for punishment."

He immediately waved his hand and shouted:

"Let's do it."

The words fell.

A blinding crimson streak shot out before the others, accompanied by a chilling shriek. Like a startled swan, it reached Qin Hou in an instant, its target aimed directly at his sunken forehead.

Qin Hou, who was about to speak, felt a life-or-death crisis, and his words caught in his throat, his eyes revealing uncontrollable terror.

The sudden cold arrow that had struck him earlier almost killed him. Although he survived, it had depleted his trump card for survival.

Now, facing arrows once again, he could only watch helplessly.

Just then.

"How dare you!"

An angry shout rang out, and the head of the Mu family, who was standing next to Qin Hou, flashed in front of him and raised his hand to grab the arrow that had transformed into a startled swan. Just before he was about to touch the arrow, strands of dark red true qi and blood essence, so thick that they seemed to be liquefying, seeped from the pores of his arm.

next moment.

boom…

With a deafening roar, a blinding crimson eruption erupted, and the powerful aftershocks, like a storm, shattered the carriage shafts and tents within a ten-zhang radius.

The servants attending to the main tent didn't even have time to scream before they were turned into a cloud of blood mist by the chaotic qi and blood.

"Hahaha, impressive skills! I'll leave him to me now!..."

Fei Niangzi laughed loudly, and her obese body rushed into the blood-red light with a speed disproportionate to her size. Then, a clanging sound like metal clashing came from within.

In just a few breaths.

A figure was sent flying backward.

Immediately afterward, a massive figure, as thick as a barrel and covered in scarlet heavy armor, chased after him. Before he could even land, the figure slammed a punch into his face, causing blood to gush out, and his body crashed to the ground.

"Brother Mu!..."

Upon seeing this, the burly man surnamed Liu and the middle-aged Taoist nun all changed color and, without hesitation, took action.

The four individuals exuded vital energy and true qi, with wisps of golden aura rising from their bodies, manifesting four distinct golden divine words above their heads.

[Grasshopper] [Great Monument-Splitting Hand] [One-Word Sword Technique] [Illusory Demon Sound]

Among them, the burly man surnamed Liu, whose head was adorned with the divine inscription "Flying on Grass," moved slightly, leaving dozens of afterimages in his wake. He was one step ahead of Lady Fei, who was wearing "True Qi Armor," and rescued the Mu family head who was trapped in the pit.

boom…

The earth roared and trembled, and soil and rocks flew everywhere.

"Ha, I thought they were someone important, but they're just low-level martial arts practitioners..."

Inside the pit, Fei Niangzi slowly straightened up, tilted her head back, and a buzzing sound, indistinguishable between male and female, came from her armor.

"However, it's quite rare to be able to advance to the 'Golden Body Realm.' After I kill you all and dig out the 'Divine Seed,' it will be a decent collectible..."

As she spoke, she stepped into the air, and wisps of dark golden aura emerged, manifesting as a four-character divine incantation above her head.

Nine bulls and one tiger

The moment the divine words manifested, its body visibly expanded to nearly ten feet tall, as if inflated, with sharp curved horns growing from its head and foot-long claws growing from its hands.

boom…

Its raging aura soared into the sky, making it appear as if it were a god or a demon.

Fei Niangzi bent her knees and stomped down, causing the air to explode. She suddenly rushed in front of the middle-aged Taoist nun who displayed the divine words "One-Word Sword Technique" above her head and clenched her fist to smash down.

"die!"

"Good timing..."

The middle-aged Taoist nun's face paled, but she knew that backing down would be tantamount to courting death. Her eyes flashed with cold light, and she reached for her waist, whereupon a slender, soft sword appeared in her hand. She then raised her arm and thrust it unremarkably at Lady Fei.

Above his head, the divine inscription "One-Word Sword Technique" shimmered with light.

next moment.

In Fei Niangzi's sight, the middle-aged Taoist nun and the soft sword in her hand disappeared together, replaced by a fine, rain-like cold light.

Fei Niangzi subconsciously closed her eyes and tried to clench her fists to protect her head.

But just then...

"whee…"

A clear and melodious laugh echoed in Fei Niangzi's mind. In an instant, her mind was filled with random thoughts, and she hesitated for a moment.

That is, in this very instant.

She then felt a stinging pain all over her body, like being pricked by needles.

But outside the home...

The middle-aged Taoist nun, wielding a sword, unleashed no fewer than a thousand sword shadows in an instant, all of which landed on Lady Fei, striking either her eyes or the joints of her heavy armor.

Ding ding ding…

The dense clanging of metal echoed throughout, causing Qin Ying, Princess Huangqi, and Princess Sangma, who were about to make their move, to pause for a moment and cast their gazes in that direction.

When the sword shadows receded.

The middle-aged Taoist nun was pale, the divine light above her head was dim, and the sword in her hand was covered with dense cracks, yet a carefree smile appeared on her face.

Before her, Fei Niangzi seemed to have no strength to lean on and plummeted downwards. As she fell, glistening droplets appeared on her armor joints, and two bloody holes appeared in her eyes, from which drops of crimson blood flowed out.

"True Qi Condensed Armor? Ha, it's nothing special..."

The middle-aged Taoist nun's eyes flashed with mockery. Just as she was about to say something, she heard the hurried voices of the burly man surnamed Liu and the girl with a voice as clear as a bell.

"careful…"

"Be careful? Be careful of what?... "

As the middle-aged Taoist nun watched Fei Niangzi fall downwards, a thought crossed her mind. Then she felt a sharp pain between her eyebrows and her head bent back ninety degrees.

"Such a fast, such a well-hidden arrow..."

Before her consciousness faded into darkness, she saw the tail of a transparent arrow, the color of glass. The thought flashed through her mind, and then she fell into darkness.

"Junior Sister Ma!" "Senior Sister Ma!"

The burly man surnamed Liu left a trail of afterimages as he caught the nun's body. Sensing the life force within her collapsing like a breached dam, his heart sank. He abruptly looked up into the darkness before him, his eyes blazing with murderous intent.

Kou Tong, with his stern face, slowly lowered his bow and arrow.

It was obvious that the arrow that pierced through Ma Daogu's head was shot by her.

Seeing this scene.

The two disciples of the Sword Elder exchanged a solemn glance and secretly decided that they should hold back more strength in future battles, lest they end up like the Taoist nun Ma.

"hiss…"

Qin Ying, Princess Huangqi, and Princess Sangma all gasped in unison, their gazes towards Kou Tong filled with shock and astonishment, but mostly with wariness.

"Haha, good! These kinds of bandits deserve to be killed!"

Qin Chuan was overjoyed and immediately said, "General Kou's archery skills are divine. After the matter is settled, I will reward you handsomely and also ask my father to recommend you for credit."

After speaking, he looked at Qin Ying and the other two who remained motionless.

"kill!"

Qin Ying and his two companions nodded slightly. Now that the enemy had lost one person, and they still had Kou Tong, whose archery skills were superb, ready to launch a surprise attack at any moment, they had a clear advantage. It was time to beat the dog when it was down.

The three of them soared into the air, with wisps of energy emanating from above their heads, manifesting as three divine incantations of varying depths.

Soaring Eagle in the Sky; Refined Gold Through Hundreds of Trials; Keen Insight

At this time.

Despite suffering a severe blow, the Mu family head, who appeared only somewhat disheveled, stepped through the air to stand beside the man surnamed Liu. Looking at the lifeless nun Ma, his expression was as still as water, and he exuded a chilling killing intent.

A wisp of dark golden aura emerged, manifesting as a divine incantation.

Steel frame

He remained silent, his divine words scattering points of light, and his pale golden skin visibly took on a bronze hue as he strode towards Qin Ying and the other two.

Seeing this, the two disciples of the Sword Elder drew their swords and followed.

Divine words were also manifested above its head.

[Fufeng Willow Leaf Sword] [Chongyue Sword]

When the two sides met, they didn't waste any words and immediately started fighting.

Whether it was due to rage or not, when faced with Qin Ying's distinctly different eagle claws, Princess Huangqi's fierce fists, and Princess Sangma's short blade, the head of the Mu family did not dodge. Instead, he closed in on Qin Ying, and instead of clenching his fists to strike, he opened his arms wide and hugged him like a bear.

Qin Ying's eyes flashed with wariness, not daring to let him get close. He pulled his arms back and kicked at the chest, but the moment he made contact, his heart skipped a beat.

The kick felt to him as if he had not kicked flesh and blood, but a piece of divine metal, which made his hands and feet go numb.

at the same time.

Princess Huangqi's fist and Princess Sangma's dagger fell one after another, but the only feedback they received was the sound of metal clashing and the surging power of qi and blood.

The head of the Mu family twitched, clearly he was also not in good shape to take the attack of the three of them head-on, but with the help of the two pushing forces from Princess Huangqi and Princess Sangma, he successfully got within a foot of Qin Ying.

Then, amidst the panicked gaze, a sinister smile appeared on his lips. He embraced her tightly, his arms encircling her chest, his hands clasped together. With a thought, the muscles and flesh, honed through countless trials, suddenly contracted like a fishing net.

Click...

A series of fine cracking sounds rang out, Qin Ying's eyes bulged, and his chest was dented into a pit.

A piercing scream rang out as Qin Ying, his hands claw-like, frantically clawed at the bronze-like head and throat of the Mu family head.

Ding ding ding…

The sound of metal clashing against metal rang out continuously.

As if realizing that doing so was futile, or perhaps sensing that his life was about to end, divine light rained down from above Qin Ying's head, and his claw-shaped hands developed wrinkles and scales, hooking their fingers and claws as they grabbed down again.

When its claws landed on the head and throat of the Mu family head, with a flick of its fingers, the qi and blood collided like fire. Unlike before, when it was bounced away, it was deeply embedded in his flesh.

In an instant, bloodstains appeared.

In response, the head of the Mu family's eyes flashed with ruthlessness. He did not loosen his grip, but instead wrapped his legs around the waist like a python, forcefully constricting his prey.

Click...

An even louder sound of bones shattering rang out, and Qin Ying had lost even more weight, his face was purplish-red, and his eyes bulged out like a goldfish.

next moment.

Ah... ripping... snap...

With a piercing scream echoing through the night sky, Qin Ying tore off the Mu family head's scalp and throat with his claws, splattering blood all over his face. At the same time, his body was shaped like an S, spitting out blood mixed with shattered organs, and the life in his eyes gradually faded.

It seems to have been a long time.

In reality, the two only exchanged blows for a few breaths.

Princess Huangqi and Princess Sangma, seeing that Qin Ying was about to die, were startled and, without hesitating to deplete their divine essence, launched their strongest attacks.

But at this moment...

The dense sword light swept in like a gentle breeze, forcing Princess Huangqi to retreat, while Princess Sangma was also cleaved away by a large sword.

The two retreated several feet before stopping. When they came to their senses and looked again, they saw that Qin Ying was limp as a noodle, lying in the arms of the blood-stained Mu family head, barely breathing.

Upon seeing this, the two couldn't help but cry out:

"Qin Ying..."

below.

Having finally recovered from the shock, Qin Hou, protected by Li Huaiwu and Mu Changying, saw this scene and a ferocious smile appeared on his blood-stained face.

"Haha, good! Patriarch Mu, quickly kill Qin Chuan! From now on, in Yongzhou, we'll share wealth and glory..."

This statement came out.

Li Huaiwu and Mu Changying were stunned for a moment, then the latter's eyes lit up with fervor.

Mid-air.

Upon hearing this, the head of the Mu family, who had originally intended to give up, was moved.

Sharing wealth and prosperity...

If Qin Hou inherits the throne and becomes the governor, wouldn't that mean the Mu family is essentially a governor without actually being one?

With a sudden thought, Patriarch Mu suppressed the discomfort of losing the source of the divine words, his palm pulsed with true qi and blood, completely shattering Qin Ying's life force. He then casually tossed it aside and strode towards Qin Chuan, whose expression had suddenly changed.

But just then...

"ah…"

A piercing scream suddenly rang out.

Everyone instinctively looked in the direction of the sound and saw that the girl Lingyin, who had been cleaning up Ma Daogu's body earlier, was now being held in the hands of a figure covered in scarlet heavy armor.

No matter how much it resists, it cannot escape.

"Junior Sister Liu!..."

The man surnamed Liu following behind the head of the Mu family changed his expression drastically. Then, under the gaze of him and the others, the girl Lingyin screamed as she was squeezed into the shape of Qin Ying.

Lady Fei reached into his chest, groped and felt, and pulled out a light-colored glass heart that faintly rang with a bell-like sound.

Casually tossing aside the corpse in her hand, she peered closely at the "divine seed" with her half-recovered, terrifying eyes. Suddenly, she looked up at the four members of the Mu family and grinned:

"This is the first item in the collection, and next up are you all..."

After saying this, he put the "divine seed" into his pocket and stepped into the air.

As the Mu family head watched her approaching figure, his heart grew heavy. After a moment of struggle in his eyes, he turned to look at a certain spot below and said indifferently, "Two of my closest friends have already perished. Does the young master have any other trump cards up his sleeve? If so, reveal them. If not…"

He didn't say everything, but his intention to back down was obvious.

below.

Qin Hou was startled, then came to his senses and hurriedly shouted:

"Why aren't you making a move!..."