Mortal: The Path to Immortality

A year later, twenty-year-old Lu Nanzhu sat upright on the bamboo bed, the green magic power around him slowly calming down. Even with the constraints of the "Wind Spirit Body", he successfully cultivated the "Eternal Spring Skill" to the eleventh level, and the first level of the incomplete but miraculous "Legend of Fuyao" was also completed.

On the long table inside the room, Lu Nanzhu was meticulously taking stock of all his possessions: the black and white twin blades [Severing Flow, Dividing Shadow], the "Azure Scale Armor" gleaming with cold light, the demonic sword and bone shuttle seized from Liu Yuan, the pseudo-talisman "Panlong Armor", and some spirit stones and pills.

"With these, my chances of making it to the Crimson Forbidden Land have increased significantly," Lu Nanzhu thought to himself.

Just then, the cry of birds came from above the Valley of Abandoned Spirits. Lu Nanzhu's expression changed, he put away the items on the table, and went to greet them.

As usual, Uncle Xiao would come here regularly to collect observation records of the "Spirit-Seeking Rats" that had taken the medicine, and take away the remaining Spirit-Seeking Rats that had completed the verification of the pill formula's value.

"Greetings, Uncle-Master Xiao." Lu Nanzhu bowed respectfully.

After receiving the jade slip, Uncle Xiao glanced at it briefly and nodded slightly. He looked at the magical aura surrounding Lu Nanzhu with a complex expression.

"How are the preparations for the trip to the Crimson Forbidden Land going?" Uncle Xiao asked softly.

"I have been diligently cultivating and have some confidence," Lu Nanzhu replied earnestly.

Uncle Xiao remained silent for a moment, then took out a wisp of fine silk that shimmered with a faint blue light from his sleeve.

He raised his hand, and the tuft of silk rapidly expanded in mid-air, transforming into a nearly transparent net that shimmered with light.

"This is the 'Tethering Rope,' a top-tier magical artifact that combines trapping enemies with defense. Not only can it deplete magical power, but it is also virtually indestructible against ordinary magical artifacts." With a light tap of his finger, the net fell into Lu Nanzhu's hand.

"I've heard that in that Crimson Forbidden Land, besides facing attacks from other cultivators, you also have to deal with all sorts of strange insects and beasts, making it extremely dangerous. You can use this for self-defense for now, but remember to be extra careful."

Then, as if he had thought of something, Uncle Xiao added:

"By the way, be extra careful of your fellow disciples during this trip to the forbidden area. Don't let a moment of carelessness cost you your life."

Seeing Lu Nanzhu holding the "Tethering Rope" with eyes full of gratitude, Uncle Xiao immediately felt something was amiss and hurriedly explained:

"I still have so many 'Spirit-Seeking Rats' to raise, so I certainly don't want you... to die so easily. Alright! I'll go back to my seclusion now!"

Having said that, without waiting for Lu Nanzhu to express his gratitude, he fled from the Abandoned Spirit Valley as if escaping.

A few days later, Lu Nanzhu was still cultivating in the valley.

"Junior Brother Lu, are you home?"

A sound came from outside. Lu Nanzhu pushed open the door and came out. It was Song Ji. A year of alchemy work had made his face a little thinner. He was also carrying a bulging bundle on his back, looking like he was about to go on a long trip.

Seeing Lu Nanzhu's improved cultivation level, Song Ji was overjoyed but also felt a pang of disappointment: "Junior Brother Lu has advanced again? Truly a cause for celebration!"

Lu Nanzhu descended the wooden steps and greeted him with a smile: "I also recently advanced in my cultivation level by sheer luck. By the way, Senior Brother Song, what brings you here today?"

As he spoke, Lu Nanzhu led Song Ji to the stone table in the courtyard, and the two sat down one after the other. Song Ji untied his bundle, took out a large scroll from his storage bag, handed it to Lu Nanzhu, and said in a low voice, "Junior brother, please keep this safe."

"What is this?" Lu Nanzhu asked with some doubt. After taking the scroll and unfolding it slightly, he discovered that the scroll was actually a map of the Crimson Forbidden Land, but the items and locations marked on it were extremely detailed.

He put away the scroll and looked at Song Ji. Song Ji noticed his doubt and explained:

"As you can see, this is a map of that forbidden area. Unlike the cheap stuff distributed inside the sect, this is something my best friend and I painstakingly compiled many years ago. Recently, I also marked it with my observations of the forbidden area that I've learned during my travels over the years. If you want to venture into that forbidden area, this should come in handy."

Lu Nanzhu was also amazed by the item's value and began to ponder Song Ji's thoughts, hesitatingly asking, "This item is far too precious; how can I accept it without having contributed anything?"

Song Ji glanced at Lu Nanzhu, then looked at him and said sincerely:

"Please accept this item, Junior Brother. Back then, my best friend and I entered the sect together, vowing to explore the path to immortality together. In order to go to the Crimson Forbidden Land to find the opportunity to establish our foundation, we spent a lot of effort drawing this map."

It's a pity my dear friend didn't live to see the day he used this item. I have no intention of going to such a dangerous place now, so this item is useless to me. Therefore, I'll give it to Junior Brother Lu; perhaps it can be of some help to you.”

After much hesitation, Lu Nanzhu finally accepted the gift: "I am deeply grateful for Brother Song's kindness, so I humbly accept it. If you ever need anything in the future, I will do my best to help."

Seeing that the gift had been accepted, Song Ji grinned and said, "I came here today for two reasons: first, to present this gift, and second, to bid farewell to my junior brother."

"Saying goodbye? Where is Senior Brother going?" Lu Nanzhu asked, somewhat surprised.

Song Ji picked up the tea on the table and took a sip:

"I heard from the sect's higher-ups that the demonic invasion is imminent, and Spirit Beast Mountain is closest to the demonic border, so it seems this place will not be peaceful in the future. I have some friends in some trading companies in Tiannan, and I plan to find an opportunity to leave Yue Kingdom and settle down elsewhere."

"Yuanwu Kingdom? Or perhaps Xi Kingdom further north? It doesn't matter. The most important thing right now is to leave this place of trouble. Thanks to Elder Xiao of the Alchemy Room for teaching me some alchemy skills, I now have a skill to rely on, so I won't have to worry about going hungry wherever I go."

In a major sect like Spirit Beast Mountain, ordinary disciples can leave the sect's ranks and become independent cultivators by paying a sum of spirit stones and not learning any secret techniques. However, most cultivators would only do this as a last resort.

After saying this, Song Ji drank the tea in his cup in one gulp. Seeing this, Lu Nanzhu refilled his cup with some more tea.

As if their parting was imminent, Song Ji couldn't stop talking:

"I've been in the sect for so many years, and I may seem like a smooth talker with friends everywhere, but when it really comes down to this, I'm really clear-headed. Most of my fellow disciples on this mountain are here for personal gain. The only ones who have truly been kind to me are you, Junior Brother Lu, and Elder Xiao from the alchemy room."

I had already bid farewell to Elder Xiao. Although he was aloof, he was ultimately kind-hearted and even gave me two bottles of life-saving pills before I left.

When Elder Xiao was mentioned, a hint of awe and gratitude flashed in Song Ji's eyes. Lu Nanzhu seized the opportunity to ask Song Ji about some information within the sect, including his understanding of Elder Xiao.

It turns out that Elder Xiao's real name was Xiao Suqing. Decades ago, he joined Spirit Beast Mountain as a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Elder Xiao was highly skilled in alchemy and knew some ancient formulas that were almost lost in Tiannan, which made him highly valued by the sect's elders. However, he was aloof and only wanted to stay in the sect as an alchemist, without any particularly close fellow disciples.

Before they knew it, the two had been chatting for quite a while, and the pot full of spiritual tea had been finished.

Seeing that it was getting late, Song Ji stood up, dusted himself off, picked up his bundle, and slung it over his shoulder.

"I had planned to chat with you a little longer, but I don't know when we'll meet again after this parting. I have to leave in a little while; I need to hurry back to the market while it's still early."

Lu Nanzhu stood up, a thought flickering in his mind. He took out several talismans from his storage bag and handed them to Song Ji.

"Senior brother, Nan Zhu doesn't have much to offer. This is a 'Wind-Traveling Talisman' that I created myself, which I'll give to you. I wish you a safe journey!"

Taking the talisman and feeling the familiar spiritual power, Song Ji smiled and said:

"Excellent! This is a wonderful item. Yu'er will surely be delighted to see it. Junior brother, farewell!"

Lu Nanzhu paused for a moment, then exchanged a smile with Song Ji and bowed in farewell.