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

"Based on the underworld, in the mire of the Yellow Springs, the flowers of the other shore bloom..."

Zhu Yu recalled what was needed to construct the Daojing "Road to the Underworld".

Now that the "Red Spider Lily" has been obtained, the next step is to search for the "Underworld Land" and the "Yellow Spring Water." Although these two spiritual objects are rare compared to the "Red Spider Lily," which grows in the land of life and death, they can be found in some places.

Well known.

Heaven and earth are divided into yin and yang. Yang represents life, and yin represents death. Death is the place of the netherworld and reincarnation.

Wherever there is a "spiritual ruin" containing living beings, there must be a place of reincarnation.

However, due to the different sizes and rules of the "Spiritual Ruins", the appearance of "Reincarnation" is also different.

The "underworld soil" and "yellow spring water" needed by Zhu Yu to construct the Dao landscape are spiritual objects nurtured by the "Netherworld".

For an ordinary cultivator, even knowing about the "Netherworld" would make entering extremely difficult, but for Zhu Yu, it was as simple as it could be.

"Judging by the time, Black Tiger should be completing its transformation soon..."

The thought flashed through his mind, and Zhu Yu's gaze fell on the huge tomb where "Yuan Hai" was located. He took a step forward, and his figure suddenly disappeared.

When it reappears.

We had suddenly arrived inside the "tomb".

bang...

Flames of icy blue suddenly ignited, illuminating the space as if it were daytime.

can be seen.

The space is round at the top and square at the bottom.

The ground was as black as iron, the mist moved like snakes, and a thick layer of dark black ice crystals condensed on the walls and ceiling, constantly spewing out cold air.

In the very center of the space, there are two coffins.

One side is an iron pavilion, covered with mottled rust marks.

One of them is a stone coffin, which is pitted and uneven, with a faint bluish tinge.

If a discerning cultivator were here, they would surely recognize that this space is clearly an excellent artificially created place for raising corpses.

The ground is paved entirely with top-grade spirit iron "corpse steel", and the dome walls are built with top-grade spirit object Xuan Corpse Ice. Both coffins are ancient "corpse-nurturing coffins", one is a magic artifact, and the other is a natural "corpse-nurturing coffin" nurtured by a ten-thousand-year-old corpse-nurturing ground.

Zhu Yufu appeared.

The slowly drifting mist in the space suddenly stopped for a moment, then rushed into the four walls. In just a few breaths, a ferocious ghostly figure with bared teeth and claws condensed in the walls.

It slowly swam through the wall, its head hanging high above the dome, as if peering into a well, staring at Zhu Yu, as if it would pounce down at any moment.

Zhu Yu ignored him completely and strode toward the coffin.

Aww…

A non-human roar rang out, and a hideous ghostly figure suddenly pounced down.

Zhu Yu casually raised his hand and grabbed, and the hideous ghostly shadow plunged into his palm, swarming and converging, finally manifesting as a ghost doll with indigo skin, horns on its head, and hands that resembled beast claws rather than human hands.

Waaah…

It gripped Zhu Yu's fingers with both claws, howling and struggling incessantly.

"If you keep making trouble, I'll eat you up..."

Zhu Yu glanced at it and casually tossed aside the ghost doll that had been manifested from the second-tier spiritual object "Mysterious Corpse Ice".

Waaah…

The ghost doll whimpered and scurried into the "Mysterious Corpse Ice," transforming into a giant ghostly shadow once more. This time, it dared not bar its teeth and claws, but swam slowly, occasionally peeking out from the dome.

Zhu Yu ignored it, stepped forward to the two coffins, and with a flick of his sleeve, the coffin lids slowly opened with a tooth-grinding creak.

The dense, almost tangible aura of corpse energy transformed into billowing black mist that surged forth, making the already chilling space even more eerie.

The ghost doll perched on the dome poked its head out, took a deep breath of the rising black mist, and the billowing black mist immediately poured into its mouth, making its form visibly solidify.

"This little thing is quite clever..."

Zhu Yu looked up at it, which immediately frightened the ghost doll so much that it shrank back, shook its head slightly, withdrew its gaze, and looked down at the coffin.

First, there's the stone coffin.

Inside lay a hideous figure.

It is five zhang tall, with layers of scales covered in red copper rust, as if it were wearing a thick armor. Its head is like a dragon or a crocodile, with a spiral broken horn. Jagged bone spikes with a metallic luster extend down its back to the tip of its thick tail. Its ferocious claws, the size of a millstone, gleam with a cold and eerie light.

That is the corpse refiner "Dragon Blood Kobold Warrior".

Zhu Yu carefully examined the two eyes, raised his hand and touched the center of the forehead, staring intently at it.

An information panel appeared.

[Target: Dog Head]

[Race: Dragonblood Kobold Warrior]

[Bloodline: Hybrid Dragon Beast]

[First-Tier Perfection: 20/20]

[Innate Spells: Dragon Flame, Dragon Scale Armor]

[Quality: Dragonblood Copper Armor Corpse "Variant"]

Status: Quiet

"Not bad, not bad..."

Zhu Yu glanced over it and nodded in satisfaction.

After nearly two years of nurturing, the "Dragon Blood Kobold Warrior" not only transformed from an iron-armored corpse into a bronze-armored corpse, but also reached the pinnacle of cultivation, just a thought away from breaking through.

It's better to say something than to say it.

Anything associated with the character "dragon" is rarely bad.

The "Dragonblood Kobold Warrior" has only awakened a thin bloodline of hybrid dragon beasts and is not even a mythical "dragon," yet its potential can accommodate nearly twenty-five "Spiritual Ruins Origins."

Although he was still at the bottom among all his demon-refining subordinates.

However, "Dragon Seeds" have a natural advantage that other demon-refining and subordinates do not possess: they can enhance their bloodline through cultivation.

After clearing the panel information, Zhu Yu carefully examined it again, hesitated for a moment, and decided not to let it continue to transform into a "silver-armored corpse".

One reason is the time it takes.

The key is to maintain a balance between dragon blood and armored corpses. If the armored corpses become too powerful and suppress the dragon blood, it would be counterproductive.

Having made up his mind, Zhu Yu waved his hand to seal the stone lid, then turned his gaze to the iron coffin, a smile appearing on his face.

What came into view was a majestic white tiger lying down, wreathed in pale black flames. Its eyes were not open, yet a wild and majestic aura emanated from it, as if it would open its eyes and pounce at any moment.

After examining it closely, I raised my hand and placed it on its forehead, gazing intently at it.

[Target: Black Tiger]

Race: Tiger

[Bloodline: Netherworld Tiger]

[First-Tier Perfection: 25/25]

[Innate Spells: Netherflame Armor, Ghostly Apparition]

[Quality: Netherworld Ghost Tiger Silver Armor Corpse "Strange"]

Status: Quiet

"Not bad, not bad..."

Zhu Yu nodded in satisfaction.

After nearly two years of nurturing, Black Tiger successfully transformed from a bronze-armored corpse into a silver-armored corpse. Not only did its overall defense and physical strength increase more than tenfold compared to before, but it also possessed extremely strong regenerative abilities.

He had previously planned to fit Black Tiger's severed leg with a prosthesis, but now it's unnecessary, as the severed leg has been fully restored.

Furthermore, its "Netherworld Tiger" bloodline successfully fused with the corpse, transforming it into a "mutant corpse," greatly increasing its strength and potential.

"In that case, let's all break through..."

Zhu Yu waved his hand to close the coffin lid. With a slight thought, the corpse evil energy generated by the "Life Spirit Ruins" surged and gathered. He then took two large clumps of Yin-attribute "Earth Spirit Evil" and "Metal Spirit Evil" and threw them into the coffin.

Once he began to refine and absorb it, and confirmed that there were no problems, he vanished from the spot in a flash.

Just then.

He seemed to sense something, his eyes lit up with joy, and with a wave of his sleeve, a bronze door appeared. He stepped inside.

Yongzhou Prefecture.

As the "Demon Slayer Order" gained traction.

More and more martial artists from all walks of life gathered in "Yongzhou" to slay the demon.

A small number of hotheads, or self-confident martial artists, went straight to the demon-infested land to slay the demons, while most experienced martial artists stayed in "Yongzhou City".

This brought Yongzhou City to a level of prosperity it had never seen in decades.

Restaurants, casinos, and brothels are packed to capacity every day, making a fortune daily.

Even some street vendors can sell as much in a day as they would in a month or several months on a normal day.

This made them gradually forget about the external crisis, from initially earning enough money for the road to later earning enough to buy land and build houses.

All I think about every day is making a little money, and then leaving as soon as I've made a little more...

As for the crisis? ...

They had long forgotten about it...

city ​​center.

"Baiweilou".

Zhu Yu, dressed in blue robes and carrying a sword, stepped into the restaurant.

Suddenly, a cacophony of shouts and cheers filled the air. The building was packed with people, eating and drinking, their energy boiling and seemingly about to burst into the sky.

"Tsk, if the Blood Slave were here, he probably wouldn't be able to control himself from revealing himself..."

As Zhu Yu's thoughts flashed through his mind, he sensed the overflowing "Spiritual Ruins Origin" and couldn't help but feel a little envious. If it weren't for the many auras in the city that made him feel uneasy, he would have really wanted to pack them up and take them away.

"Sir, please have a greeting."

A young servant in a green robe greeted him with a forced smile, immediately bowing and saying obsequiously, "The tables downstairs are full, sir, would you prefer a private room?"

"A private room, the Spring Water Pavilion."

Zhu Yu nodded in agreement.

"Sir, please come with me."

The servant quickly reached out and led the way.

Led by him, we went up to the third floor and arrived at the private room.

The servant stepped forward and knocked on the door.

"Come in."

A deep voice came from within.

Zhu Yu waved the servant away, pushed open the door and went in. His gaze immediately fell on the handsome young man in brocade robes sitting at the table.

"Boring."

The two looked at each other, then shook their heads simultaneously.

It's like looking in a mirror; both inside and outside the mirror, there is a person.

After taking their seats, Zhu Yu asked, "Where is the 'corpse'?"

"Righteous Spirit" glanced at him absentmindedly and said, "Is talking to yourself interesting?... "

"Too…"

Zhu Yu smiled, got up and went to the person in front of him. He raised his hand and touched the person's forehead, taking five drops of the ten drops of "Vast River of Righteousness" water that supported the person's Dao foundation. Then he turned and left.

Before leaving the room, he paused, turned to look at Divided Spirit, and said, "'Heavenly Principle' has found the hiding place of the White Lotus Sect's 'Green-Clad Envoy.' After you return to Taihu Lake, lend him a hand."

"Righteous Spirit" was distracted, his eyes wide with surprise, and he said with a strange expression, "Aren't you afraid that the 'Silent Mother' will appear and slap him to death?..."

"Both the White Lotus Sect and the Heavenly Principle Sect worship the Old Mother..."

Zhu Yu chuckled lightly, stopped talking to himself, and turned to leave.

As I descended the stairs, two figures, one tall and one short, approached me. The taller one wore white, a veil over his face, and had a slender waist and a large belly. The shorter one had a round face like an apple and a bun hairstyle.

"Miss, Xiao Hong said their roasted pork and squab are delicious..."

The chubby-faced maid was walking without looking where she was going, chattering away as she bumped into him, cried out in pain, and sat down on the ground with a thud.

She was stunned for a moment, then stood up abruptly, but instead of yelling or cursing, she kept bowing and apologizing.

"Young master, Baozi bumped into you. I apologize."

"It's alright."

Zhu Yu waved his hand, his gaze lingering on the tall woman for a moment before he nodded slightly, turned and left. Once outside the pavilion, his eyes narrowed slightly as he murmured to himself:

"Such a rich and abundant 'Spiritual Ruins Origin,' at least ten thousand strands..."

"A special constitution, huh... Lord Wuping, interesting..."

Without lingering, he looked around and headed straight in a certain direction.

In a private room at "Baiweifang".

The chubby-faced maid chattered excitedly about the food, while Wu Pingjun gently touched his chest, his thoughts lingering on Zhu Yu.

"Such terrifying malevolent energy, it even causes the 'Sword Heart' to tremble incessantly..."

"Who is that young man? Where does he come from?... "

"Such terrifying malevolent energy, it even causes the 'Sword Heart' to tremble incessantly..."

"Who is that young man? Where does he come from?... "

Spring Water Pavilion.

"Righteous Qi" was distracted by Zhu Yu's message. After reading it, his lips twitched slightly. After a brief hesitation, he got up, pushed open the door, and went out. He soon arrived at an elegant pavilion called "Hundred Flowers Pavilion" and knocked on the door.

With a crisp "Come in," I pushed open the door and went inside.

"Second...Second Young Master?"

"Ping An greets...eldest sister..."

"..."

Tiger Might Escort Agency.

Zhu Yu presented the nameplate, and soon, amidst the strange looks from the镖局 (escort agency) guards, he drove a black box pulled by three horses away from the镖局 and headed straight for the city gate.

On the way, he seemed to sense something, his eyes filled with a smile, and then he seriously pondered a rather philosophical question.

"Is the seed of a distracted person considered his seed?...

After a few moments of contemplation, he arrived at a definite answer.

Doesn't count.

"Sigh, never mind..."

Zhu Yu hesitated for a moment, then gave up the idea of ​​cultivating the avatar and Wu Pingjun's seed into an avatar. However, he did not want to give up on Wu Pingjun's special physique, but he also could not ruin the cultivation of the avatar because of it.

"Let's try nurturing it with some essence blood first..."

"If it doesn't work, we'll see..."

Shaking his head slightly, he stopped thinking about it, drove the carriage a hundred miles outside the city, and made sure that it would not be detected by the Dharma Aspect Realm martial artists in Yongzhou City. He then manifested the bronze gate and took the Golden Body Realm martial artist in the "coffin" into his "Life Spirit Ruins".

Stepping into the highest heavens, he gazed at "Yongzhou City," where six pillars of qi and blood smoke shot straight into the sky.

"Not counting those who were distracted, there are at least five martial artists at the Dharma Aspect Realm..."

Without pausing, he stepped through the bronze gate and left Yongzhou Prefecture.

Returning to the "Original Spirit Ruins", he scattered the corpse of the martial artist who had entered the Dao from the coffin in all directions, while refining and storing the corpse of the Golden Body Realm martial artist who contained a thousand Spirit Ruins origins. He then examined the martial artist's memories of Taihu Lake and transmitted the information to his divided spirit.

After doing all this.

Zhu Yu's mind stirred slightly. He opened the "group chat," pondered for a moment, and then edited a message before sending it out.

[Yinming Zhenren: I have accidentally obtained a drop of water from the "Vast River," but I do not know its value. I would appreciate it if my fellow disciples could enlighten me.]

The message has been sent.

Before he could close the group chat, a message popped up.

[Master Huiyue: "The Vast River" water? It's a river, isn't that something you can easily obtain? It's not worth a few spirit stones. Junior Brother Yinming, please send that water to me. The flowers at home have been wilting lately and need watering...]

Photo: A wilted morning glory

Zhu Yu was speechless and sent a question mark.

[Bai Ze Zhenren: ?]

[True Man of Falling Clouds: ?]

[Lianhua Zhenren: Good brother, the flowers in your sister's house are also a bit wilted.]

Photo: Beautiful peach blossoms

[Wind Howl Master: The sect leader is right, what's the point of water being worth spirit stones? Um, Junior Brother Yinming, where are you now? I haven't even drunk the water from the 'Vast River' yet...]