Immortality: Starting with the Fruit of Taiyin

……

That evening, outside Baihefang Market.

In the southwest, a faint but swift streak of light pierced the night sky.

Amidst the trembling magical power, a Foundation Establishment level spiritual awareness alerted all directions.

Seemingly sensing the arrival of the newcomers, a middle-aged woman from among the cultivators stationed at the market flew up to greet them.

Just moments later, when Lu He saw the newcomer's condition, she was shocked.

Within the weakened beam of light, the newcomer's robe was stained with blood, and a large hole had been torn in his waist and abdomen.

If it weren't for the miraculous pill that stabilized his injuries, the visitor would probably have died on the spot.

"Chief Han, you're still alive?"

Recognizing the newcomer's identity, Lu He asked in shock.

Han Changming's face turned even paler upon hearing this:

"What do you mean by this, fellow Daoist?"

"I have come here to report an emergency. A group of vicious bandits attacked and destroyed my Han clan's territory a few days ago. I barely escaped with my life."

"The situation is urgent, please summon your clan—"

"Chief Han."

She interrupted him softly, a hint of embarrassment flashing in Lu He's eyes.

"On the very day the noble clan was destroyed, a Foundation Establishment cultivator from my Lu clan happened to be passing by and was tragically killed by a robber."

"Therefore, we are already aware of this matter."

"Chief Han...please accept my condolences."

Startled and suspicious, Lu He had previously known that even her own clan's cultivators had perished when facing the infamous Four Fiends of Hengyang, let alone a newly promoted Foundation Establishment cultivator like Han Changming who had just gotten lucky.

But faced with the facts, she had no choice but to believe them.

It is unknown what methods this person used or how he managed to escape with his life.

"What?"

"Even nobles who have reached the Foundation Establishment stage have fallen victim to such a heinous act?"

Unaware of what she was thinking, Han Changming, sitting opposite Lu He, was startled upon hearing her words.

Besides myself, there were also Foundation Establishment cultivators fighting nearby that day, so there were more than three of them in that group of Tribulation cultivators.

Though he felt a lingering fear, which he couldn't bring himself to say aloud, Han Changming couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

The Lu family could not let the death of a Foundation Establishment cultivator go unpunished.

With their involvement, the clan's territory can definitely be easily reclaimed; it's just a pity for the clansmen there...

"Yes, but Chief Han."

Speaking softly, a hint of pity flashed in Lu He's eyes.

"Since you are still alive, there is something I need to tell you, so please be prepared."

"...Fellow Daoist, please speak freely. I am all ears."

His heart sank slightly as he met Lu He's gaze.

A bad feeling rose in Han Changming's heart, and soon, this premonition came true.

"Chief Han, as you know..."

"The group of cultivators who raided Xiaoze Mountain were extremely vicious, killing members of their families at the Foundation Establishment stage and destroying their vassal immortal clans."

"Upon learning of this, the Seventh Patriarch was enraged and personally pursued and killed him."

"But before that, according to the family geomancer's investigation, the spiritual veins of Xiaoze Mountain seemed to have been severely damaged."

"The original source of the spiritual vein, which could have lasted for five hundred years, has begun to dissipate. I'm afraid it won't last much longer."

With her eyes lowered, Lu He didn't look at the other person's reaction.

"So, Chief Han, that's how it all happened."

"And you know the rules of the State of Chen."

Speaking in a deep voice, Lu He slowly said:

"Spiritual veins are precious; they are the foundation of cultivation."

"Any act that damages the spiritual vein itself will be considered a demonic act."

"The Lu family will never tolerate those robbers."

"But if the Han family fails to maintain the spiritual vein or find a new second-tier spiritual vein before the next offering..."

She didn't finish her sentence, but Han Changming already understood what Lu He meant.

The Han family has only been established for a little over ten years. They not only lack the foundation but also the connections of a large family that has existed for hundreds of years. Therefore, the Lu family's attitude is very straightforward.

Putting everything else aside, if a small family that has only paid its dues a few years ago can't even afford the tribute once every ten years, what use are they?

If you're sensible, you should make preparations in advance.

Otherwise, there's no point in forcing yourself to stay in the position.

……

A short while later, at the top floor of the Han family's Dan Pavilion.

bang——

There was no time to knock on the door, and no time to treat his injuries.

He barged in, and to Han Changde's horrified gaze, Han Changming dragged his injured body into the room.

"Brother, what happened to you—who hurt you like this?!"

"There's no time to say more!"

"Pack your things, let's go now!"

With a low shout, Han Changming interrupted the other party's inquiry.

"Go? Go where?"

Still shocked by the clan leader's injuries, Han Changde realized something, though he was confused.

"Was it that kid surnamed Lin who did it? He's incredibly ruthless!"

"But elder brother, with your foresight, the direct descendants of the family are now all in the market."

"Now that they've already made their move, why not report it to the Lu family immediately—"

"It's pointless."

With a difficult shake of his head, Han Changming took a deep breath.

"As expected, the Lu family thought I was dead, so they didn't inform you at all... Do you know that the spiritual vein of Xiaoze Mountain has been damaged, and with my abilities, there is absolutely no possibility of repairing it."

"What?!"

He gasped in surprise, his expression changing again.

With the spiritual veins damaged, Han Changde certainly knew what that meant.

But how dare he damage the spiritual veins? This is something that almost all cultivators abhor!

There's even a rumor in the cultivation world that destroying spiritual veins will damage a cultivator's "luck" in the unseen realm... Only special methods can exempt one from this.

Has Lin Qingyi gone mad? How could she do something so harmful to others and herself?

"alright!"

"We'll talk about this later... He didn't do it himself, but delegated it to someone else—cough cough cough cough..."

A heavy cough followed, and Han Changming said sternly:

"Now, divide the Dan Pavilion clansmen into three... no, into five groups."

"You escorted me the whole way, carrying a token... the third brother escorted me the rest of the way, leaving the market town on the west side... and another route led south..."

"I will escort you on the final journey."

"But along the way, you only need to pick some disciples who seem important but can actually be discarded to come along."

"If the journey goes smoothly, we will meet in Binzhou in the future."

"As for now, let's get moving!"

Chen State Binzhou was jointly governed by the Muyang clan and the Baishan Li clan, and was adjacent to Danzhou, where the Lu clan was located.

However, for Foundation Establishment families, once they leave their current state, it's no different from starting all over again.

With a dazed expression, Han Changde hesitated, his face showing a mixture of reluctance and confusion.

"Brother, why did it have to come to this?"

"The Lu family is also a prominent clan in the Chen state, so they still care about their reputation to some extent."

"Even if the spiritual veins are damaged, falling in rank is not something that happens overnight, we..."

"—Han Changde!"

"With such thoughts in mind, do you want your family to repeat the story of the Three Clans and Two Families?"

The rare instance of addressing him by his given name made Han Changming feel slightly dizzy.

Yes, the Lu family certainly won't do anything to them, but others will, especially the Huang family, with whom they had a conflict because of the puppet inheritance.

If he were the head of the Huang family, upon learning that his newly formed enemy was in trouble, he would not miss the opportunity to kick a dog when it was down.

So what's the point of hiding in the market and barely surviving?

If we leave now, before they can react, we can still save most of our clan.

If they simply stay in their ancestral lands, the immediate problem might not be too serious.

However, after more than a decade, the spiritual veins were downgraded, and the Han family lost its status as a vassal immortal clan...

"Oh."

"By then, the Mu family's present will be our future."

Han Changming chuckled self-deprecatingly and muttered to himself.

"Back then, outside the Immortal City, I obtained this extraordinary opportunity. I thought it was a blessing from my ancestors, and from then on, I was able to defy fate and change my destiny."

"But looking back, what did I actually gain?"

It's hard to say what he gained, but Han Changming cheered himself up and wasn't too discouraged.

No matter what, the Han family still has him, the talents they have cultivated over the years, and the foundation-building opportunities prepared for future generations. They are far from being at their wits' end.

People may be lost, but both will survive... As long as people are still alive, no matter how bad the situation gets, it won't be more unacceptable than before.

……

That night, in the southwest of the market town.

Without much preparation, I packed my bags as quickly as possible.

In a hurry, trying not to attract attention, a group of cultivators dressed in black left the area covered by the market's grand formation.

Although, according to common sense, this behavior is actually not in compliance with regulations.

To reduce safety risks, Baihefang City has always prohibited nighttime entry and exit.

However, on this day, the Foundation Establishment cultivators stationed there simply turned a blind eye and did not choose to step in to stop it.

So it really is the Han family... It's good that they're gone.

If they are forced to stay, it will be quite difficult for them.

After all, cultivation families value bloodlines, and various relationships are intricately intertwined.

If any of the "old relatives" really set their sights on this easy target, the Lu family will be caught in a dilemma.

"Quick, hold on tight, don't stop!"

"We must evacuate a sufficient distance before dawn. If anyone falls behind, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

Outside the market, at the back of the queue, Han Changde reprimanded them sternly.

In front of him, several young tribesmen, pulling along young children, rushed forward upon hearing this.

Seeing this, Han Changde breathed a sigh of relief, but his face remained solemn.

After being reprimanded by the patriarch, he finally had a better understanding of the predicament the family was facing.

Fortunately, there's always a way out; the Han family is, after all, a family of cultivators.

With a little caution and by traversing some treacherous terrain, the group was able to leave the nearby prefectures and counties, making them untraceable to ordinary people.

The only concern is that a monk might follow them, revealing their whereabouts to those who come later.

Therefore, Han Changde chose to leave late at night, and the head of the family secretly guarded him with his spiritual sense.

Unless other Foundation Establishment cultivators wait outside the market for a long time, secretly monitoring them, no one can keep track of their movements.

"We've only had peace for a little over a decade; heaven is truly blind..."

With a sigh, Han Changde bowed respectfully to the market, thanking the guards for their leniency, and led his team away in haste.

Meanwhile, several miles outside the market town.

A small figure, enveloped in a ball of silver light, quietly watched the person in the distance depart.

A moment later, the silver shadow flashed and disappeared without causing any commotion.

In terms of keen spiritual perception, humans are indeed superior.

However, in terms of visual acuity, even cultivators cannot match the instincts of the demon race.

"Have they left?"

"That's decisive."

Muttering to himself, Wang Xuan stroked Xiao Qing's feathers with his fingertips; he was not surprised by the result.

Given the Han family's current situation, staying in the market would only be a slow death... He took out a communication jade slip from his pocket, and unsurprisingly, this "unofficial member" did not receive a notice to evacuate, but instead received an explanation for the broken spirit contract.

By scanning the area with his spiritual sense and ignoring the meaningless parts, Wang Xuan could see that the Han family had beautified the current situation and appeased the guest elders in the clan.

The letter mentioned that the Han family's spiritual veins were damaged, but not beyond repair, and that the family's Foundation Establishment ancestor was still alive.

We hope that all of you retainers can stay in the market for a while so that we can discuss the renewal of your contracts in the future. Even if you do not wish to renew, the Han family will provide appropriate compensation.

The words were sincere and the content was reasonable. Even Wang Xuan might not have been able to see the flaws unless he understood the general cause and effect of the matter.

After all, there are very few cultivators in the cultivation world who specialize in destroying spiritual veins.

Now that he knew the reason, Wang Xuan could tell at a glance that this was probably a smokescreen released by the Han family to cover up the movements of the clan.

"The idea was good, but unfortunately it ran into me."

Wang Xuan shook his head slightly, put away the jade talisman, and did not reply.

He needed to find a way to confirm whether the Han family's Foundation Establishment stage was following behind them.

Xiaoqing has already advanced to the second rank, but in truth, Wang Xuan does not want to fight Han Changming.

After all, just like Lin Qingyi, no one knows what other deadly tricks this Foundation Establishment Ancestor who got such a great deal has up his sleeve.

……

About half a month later.

They had long since left the market town, traveling over mountains and rivers, avoiding the main roads.

With trepidation, Han Changde dared not slacken his efforts in the slightest.

On this day, the sun rose.

Ahead of the group, a steep canyon stood silently.

This is a forbidden zone in the eyes of mortals and a spiritually impoverished place in the eyes of cultivators. No one would approach it for years on end.

Once we cross this canyon, Linzhou will be close.

Exhausted, Han Changde forced himself to stay awake.

The last leg of a journey is the hardest; he can't afford to make a mistake on this final stretch...

"Um?!"

"--alert!"

A talisman on his chest suddenly became hot. Without hesitation, Han Changde whispered a command.

A second-tier, low-grade spirit-sensing talisman can sense the fluctuations of spiritual energy within a radius of several miles, which is almost impossible for Qi-refining cultivators to block.

Without the ability to fly, Qi Refining cultivators would be easy targets in combat if they flew.

Looking at the silent canyon ahead, Han Changde took a few steps forward.

"I am an elder of the vassal immortal clan of the Xuanfu Lu clan. May I ask which fellow Daoist is waiting for me ahead?"

"Whatever your purpose in coming here, if you wish to be my friend, I, Han, am willing to offer you one hundred spirit stones as payment for tea."

"If you are unwilling... please leave immediately. Magical artifacts have no eyes; it is easy to damage harmony."

His expression was calm, his tone was deep, and he seemed to have something to rely on.

But beneath his calm exterior, Han Changde was inwardly tense.

He naturally possessed protective measures, and the patriarch even gave him a trump card.

According to his spiritual talisman, there was at least one person ahead who had reached the peak of Qi Refining, and there were probably more than ten others who were at the mid-stage or above of Qi Refining.

If a real war breaks out... even if we win in the end, the losses will probably be considerable.