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

Huang Shi, who was examining the jade box and pondering something, replied casually, "A guy with only a rudimentary understanding of swordsmanship isn't even worthy of carrying the shoes of a Sword Saint."

"Has a basic understanding of swordsmanship..."

The first person Zhu Yu thought of was the Sword Elder, who had not shown up during the clash between Qin Hou and Qin Chuan.

If the divine seed truly originated from him, it would indeed be considered novel.

However, Huang Shi was being far too reckless, and wasn't his cultivation crippled by Dugu Jiansheng? Even with the saliva Xiao Qi provided by him, he shouldn't have recovered so quickly.

Zhu Yu didn't think much of it. He glanced at the crystal in his palm, his mind stirred slightly, and he looked at Huang Shi, saying, "I wonder if the general's previous promise still stands?"

"promise?…"

Huang Shi raised an eyebrow slightly, stared at Zhu Yu for a few moments, then grinned and said, "It's a deal, of course it's a deal. Tell me, what do you want to ask of this general?"

The tone was slightly emphasized in the word "seek".

Zhu Yu didn't pay any attention, but instead cupped his hands and said, "There is indeed something I need to trouble you with, General." He paused, then solemnly said, "I would like to ask you to kill someone."

Huang Shi narrowed his eyes. "Who?"

Zhu Yu said softly, "The current ruler of Yongzhou is Qin Wuxiang."

Huang Shi's pupils suddenly contracted. He had thought that the person Zhu Yu had asked him to kill was not simple, but he hadn't expected him to be this complicated.

This is different from killing a rogue cultivator from a martial arts faction.

Killing the ruler of a province—let alone whether he could actually do it, what would happen afterward? He would likely be no different from any other outsider, and the Great Yu would have nowhere to hide.

Huang Shi thought Zhu Yu was doing this on purpose, and his eyes flashed with sarcasm. Just as he was about to say something, he saw Zhu Yu take out another identical jade box from his sleeve, place it on the table, and open the lid.

Upon seeing the "goji berries," a divine gift, inside, his breathing became slightly heavier. He looked at Zhu Yu, somewhat bewildered, and said:

"You actually possess such a divine object..."

Zhu Yu chuckled and asked, "General, what if we add this divinely bestowed fruit to the mix?...

Huang Shi's eyes flickered, subtly revealing a hint of danger.

Zhu Yu seemed completely unaware and said lightly, "From what I've observed, Qin Wuxiang's vital energy is depleted; he's practically a skeleton in a tomb and won't live much longer. General, you only need to make a slight move, and you can kill him without lifting a finger."

"Not only is this a favor from last time, but this divinely bestowed fruit is also yours, General. After this matter is resolved, if you require anything, we can continue our trade..."

As if he had just thought of something, he lightly patted his forehead and chuckled:

"Look at my memory! A few days ago, while searching for spiritual items for the general, I fortuitously obtained some longevity elixir, enough to forcibly extend the lifespan of someone whose lifespan is about to end by sixty years. I wonder if the general needs it?..."

"Extending lifespan by sixty years! Is there truly such a miraculous object?... "

Huang Shi suddenly stood up.

Zhu Yu felt a fierce and ominous aura wash over him. Suddenly, his vision changed. The camp disappeared, replaced by a scarlet world. As far as the eye could see, there were mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

Looking around at the scene, a solemn expression appeared on his face.

"It's not an illusion..."

"Could it be intention?...No, there's also the power of the Law Domain..."

Just as he was thinking this, the blood-red color in front of him suddenly receded like the tide. When he came to his senses, he saw Huang Shi sitting upright, playing with two jade boxes. Although he did not say anything, his face clearly showed the words "I can't breathe".

"not enough".

Seeing this, Zhu Yu was not angry at all; on the contrary, he smiled. He was not afraid of Huang Shi bargaining; he was just afraid that Huang Shi would refuse to take the money.

After a moment's hesitation, he feigned a pang of heartache and said:

"Besides the divine reward, would it be acceptable to bestow upon the general a spiritual gift that extends his life by sixty years after the matter is accomplished?"

Huang Shi shook his head. "Not enough."

Zhu Yu did not raise the price, but said, "General, the Lord of Yongzhou is just a dying man, he is only worth this much."

"ha…"

Huang Shi suddenly chuckled, "Dying? As the saying goes, even a centipede with a hundred legs doesn't fall down when it's dead. You underestimate him too much."

Without explaining why, he threw the jade box on the table, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and clearly did not want to talk about it anymore.

Zhu Yu frowned slightly. He wouldn't mind adding a portion or two of "Life Dew," but judging from Huang Shi's expression, his purpose seemed to go beyond that.

A thought flashed through his mind, and he reached out and put away the jade box, leaving behind a single jade stone, saying, "If the general is willing, you may crush the jade stone, and I will arrive soon."

After speaking, a bronze door appeared, and he stepped inside and disappeared.

Looking at the spot where the bronze gate had disappeared, Huang Shi turned his gaze to a corner of the camp and said calmly:

"Come out. With me here, he won't dare touch you. Why hide like a coward?..."

"The general is absolutely right."

As a gentle voice rang out, a slender figure silently stepped out from the shadows of the corner.

Under the lamplight.

It revealed the face of a young man who looked to be about 28 years old.

If Zhu Yu were here, he would surely recognize that the young man was none other than Shangguan Dazu, who had retreated from Yinlan County earlier.

Huang Shi asked, "Is he telling the truth? Are there really magical objects in this world that can extend one's lifespan by sixty years?...

"Although it's not common, it does exist."

Shangguan Dazu replied with a smile.

Huang Shi nodded in satisfaction, toying with the jade cup, and said calmly, "This general desires a longevity artifact, yet does not wish to kill the Lord of Yongzhou. What do you suggest we do?"

Shangguan Dazu's smile deepened, and he said softly, "Kill and plunder."

Huang Shi stared at him intently for a few moments, then suddenly laughed and said, "Then I'll leave this matter to you. Can you manage it?... "

"Can."

Shangguan Dazu nodded without hesitation, then said with difficulty, "General, you know how skilled this person is at escaping. If you want to kill him, you will need to borrow something from you."

Huang Shi stared at him intently for a few moments, then suddenly laughed and said, "Then I'll leave this matter to you. Can you manage it?... "

"Can."

Shangguan Dazu nodded without hesitation, then said with difficulty, "General, you know how skilled this person is at escaping. If you want to kill him, you will need to borrow something from you."

"What is it?" Huang Shi asked.

"Battle flags".

Shangguan Dazu immediately replied.

Fearing Huang Shi might misunderstand, he quickly explained, "I possess a technique that can restrict that person's escape skills. If we use the general's 'battle flag' as a focal point, it should leave him nowhere to hide. At that time..."

But before he could finish speaking, Huang Shi raised his hand to interrupt him.

"There's no need to bring this up again."

"Tell me about the situation in the Spirit Ruins where you are..."

As if afraid he might not be completely honest, she offered him a sweet treat, taking a book from her sleeve and placing it on the table.

"This is the basic method of 'military strategy.' If you serve this general wholeheartedly for ten years, this general will certainly not be stingy with your reward..."

"Thank you, General, for bestowing this law upon me."

Upon seeing the book, Shangguan Dazu's face lit up with joy. He carefully put it away, sat cross-legged opposite Huang Shi, and began to tell him about the "Qingping Spirit Ruins".

Huang Shi listened with narrowed eyes, occasionally interrupting Shangguan Dazu to ask him questions.

Not long.

Shangguan Dazu emerged from his tent and, amidst the wary gazes of the Zhenwu Guards, entered a small tent in a corner of the camp.

Shangguan Jiang, who was serving as his attendant, and the former peak master of Jianfeng both turned their gazes toward him upon his return.

Shangguan Dazu waved his hand, setting up a barrier, and took out the military training manual he had obtained from Huang Shi, handing it to the two men.

After a quick glance, Shangguan Jiang was speechless. "This Huang Shi is really stingy, not giving a single penny."

The Sword Peak Master tossed the book onto the table, looked at Shangguan Dazu, and frowned, saying, "Do we need to waste our time here? Don't forget, if we don't occupy a prefecture within the time limit set by the True Lord..."

He didn't reveal the outcome, but the two officials understood his meaning.

Shangguan Dazu tilted his head slightly, his gaze seemingly piercing through the tent, landing on the slightly tattered flag. A dark light flickered deep within his eyes, vaguely forming a tiger-shaped phantom. He calmly said:

"Don't worry, don't worry, it'll be done soon..."

Shangguan Yan seemed to have noticed something, his expression hardened, and he lowered his head slightly.

The Sword Peak Master frowned, thought for a moment, and decided to wait a few more days. If he still wasted time like this, he would decide to go it alone.

the other side.

After leaving the Zhenwu Army's garrison, Zhu Yu arrived at Huangliang City.

As he stepped into the prefectural governor's mansion, Cang Hai, Cang Li, Hong Youfu, and others, who sensed his presence, appeared one after another, their faces beaming with joy, and stepped forward to pay their respects.

"Brother Zhu."

"Your subordinate greets Your Excellency."

Zhu Yu nodded slightly, and then entered the living room surrounded by the crowd.

As soon as they sat down...

Zang Hai then pleaded pitifully, "Senior brother, could you please have pity on your little sister and lend her some Dao soldiers?..."

Despite the fact that the "Tuyuren" and Yongzhou Guards were evenly matched during the day, these were actually 70% of the Daoist soldiers under Canghai's command.

"Huangliang County" is not just Huangliang County City. Huangliang County City is currently safe, but the "Tuyu people" in other places are being purged by martial arts practitioners who have accepted the "Demon Extermination Order".

Even now.

While inspecting her territory, Cang Hai discovered that half of her lands had already fallen. If she didn't take action soon, she feared that she would be left with only Huangliang County as her isolated city.

Although she had completed the task of occupying a prefecture, the size of the territory she occupied was subject to a share of the "Spiritual Ruins Origin," and she felt heartbroken every time she saw her share decrease.

Zhu Yu thought for a moment, then nodded and asked, "How much?"

Zang Hai's eyes lit up. She held up one index finger, "Ten..." Then she added two more fingers, cautiously asking, "Three hundred thousand, is that alright?..."

Upon hearing this...

Cang Li and Fu Hongxi gave her strange looks.

Three hundred thousand "Tuyu people" is no small number. If they had that many "Tuyu people", the county town they occupied probably wouldn't have fallen so quickly.

To their surprise, Zhu Yu agreed without hesitation.

"Can."

"Thank you, Senior Brother."

Zang Hai's face lit up with joy, and he quickly expressed his gratitude.

Zhu Yu nodded slightly, then turned to Cang Li and Fu Hongxi, and said with a smile, "Would you like to borrow some too?..."

"May I?…"

Cang Li and Fu Hongxi were stunned for a moment, then their faces lit up with surprise.

Unlike Zang Hai, Zhu Yu owes them no favors, so even if he wanted to borrow troops, he couldn't bring himself to ask.

Zhu Yu pondered for a moment, then said, "I'll lend you each 100,000." He paused, then smiled and added, "But you must lead the 'Tuyu People' to fight back."

"Fight back?"

Cang Li and Fu Hongxi were stunned again, vaguely understanding why Zhu Yu would borrow troops. He wanted them to be the first to resist and attract the people of the Great Yu Jianghu who came to "Yongzhou" to eliminate demons.

But the two of them showed no dissatisfaction and readily agreed.

"Thank you, Senior Brother."

So be it, as long as you're careful not to lose your main body, you can make a profit by counterattacking and winning one city, and two cities would be a huge profit...

Zhu Yu nodded, chatted with the three for a while, and then spoke a few words with Hong Youfu, Qiao Heyong, and Yao Ye. He instructed them to help Canghai defend Huangliang County well, and to leave immediately if anything went wrong.

After speaking, Ju Xian left Huangliang County through the bronze gate.

The next few days.

He looked around at the five counties that occupied Baiya, Gelan, Huangqi, Sangma, and Yinlan.

The good news is that the five prefectures remain under his control, but the bad news is that people from the Great Yu Jianghu who come in response to the "Demon Extermination Order" infiltrate the five prefectures from time to time to kill the "Tu Yu people".

Fortunately, under his cultivation, the number of "trolls" has reached several million, and this number continues to surge due to their natural reproduction.

This is also the source of his confidence in lending 500,000 "trolls" to Zang Hai and others.

If we can let him develop in peace for a few years.

The number of "graffiti artists" has increased more than tenfold...

Zhu Yu was beginning to appreciate the advantages of the "Fish People." Although their bloodline was inferior, the fact that only one could reproduce overshadowed most of their shortcomings, making them excellent cannon fodder...

Then time.

He ordered the Whale, Dream, and Blood Slave guards stationed there to patrol more frequently, and to kill anyone from the Great Yu Jianghu they saw.

For a time, it was quite effective.

The number of martial artists entering the five prefectures was noticeably smaller, but soon after, Whale and others reported to him that "Tuyuren" strongholds in various parts of the five prefectures had been destroyed, and it was suspected that Golden Body Realm martial artists had appeared.

Just as Zhu Yu was about to set off to investigate, he seemed to sense something, his expression suddenly changed, and his eyes showed joy.

"Finally, I've broken through..."

After the initial joy, a thought crossed his mind: "I wonder if I can enter the 'Vast River' after breaking through to the Divided Spirit Realm..."

He was both curious and covetous of the "water of knowledge" that the Lady of Pleasure spoke of, which could be exchanged for "demigods".

At this time.

Taihu Lake, Qingfeng Village.

Whether they were patrolling the island, honing their martial arts skills, or tempering their qi and blood, they all seemed to sense something and turned their gazes toward the "Hall of Righteousness" in the mountain stronghold.

next moment.

Then a thick plume of blood-red smoke shot into the sky, stirring up the surrounding clouds and mist.

"This is... Big Brother has broken through!..."

"Blood and Qi Smoke, Big Brother has broken through to the Golden Body Realm..."

"Very good!…"

"..."

Sensing the familiar aura of the Qi Blood Wolf Smoke, everyone was overjoyed and rushed towards the "Hall of Gathering Righteousness".

"Gathering Hall" is a secluded and quiet room for meditation.

"The Five Realms of Dharma Forms..."

Zhu Yu raised his hand and made a grasping motion, which seemed to distort the space around him, producing muffled thunder-like sounds. Feeling the powerful strength of his body, which was enough to shatter mountains and break peaks, he chuckled and focused his mind on the divine words "Righteous Qi".

As his cultivation level broke through, he did indeed vaguely sense the existence of the "Vast River," and it seemed that he could enter it with just a slight thought.

"The vast and mighty river..."

Zhu Yu hesitated for a moment, then waved his hand to set up an early warning array. He closed his eyes, focused his mind, and, following his intuition, imagined entering it.

next moment.

He felt his consciousness lighten, and when he opened his eyes again, the quiet room had disappeared, replaced by a narrow and cramped space with hard wooden planks on all sides, and a faint smell of urine wafted through the air.

Inside the small room.

There was only one desk, on which were placed writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstone.

"Is this the mighty, long river?... "

Zhu Yu curiously picked up a calligraphy brush, and the genuinely warm and smooth touch made him feel quite strange.

At this time.

Suddenly, a wooden board was pulled open, revealing a yamen runner in a black robe with a stern face. He was holding a wooden tray in one hand and picking up a piece of paper from it with the other, placing it on the table.

Without saying a word, he closed the wooden planks and left.