Mortal: The Path to Immortality

That day, Lu Nanzhu was doing chores in the Foreign Affairs Hall when he heard footsteps outside the door.

A strong, well-built man strode into the hall, dressed in proper disciple's robes. Upon seeing him, the disciples in the hall all stopped what they were doing and respectfully bowed in greeting.

The man's gaze swept around the hall before finally settling on Lu Nanzhu. He walked straight over, gave a brief greeting, and then gestured for Lu Nanzhu to speak privately.

Lu Nanzhu recognized the man; he was none other than Li Feiyu, the senior brother with exceptional swordsmanship mentioned by the outer disciples.

The two walked to a secluded corner of the corridor. After confirming that no one was around, Li Feiyu lowered her voice and spoke:

"Junior Brother Lu, Han Li asked me to pass on a message to you."

He paused, giving the outer disciple chosen by Han Li a complex look, and continued, "There are some things he wants to clarify with you in person. If it's convenient for you, Junior Brother Lu, he'll be waiting for you at the cliff at the back of the mountain this evening."

After saying that, Li Feiyu didn't wait for Lu Nanzhu's response. She just gave him a deep look, then turned around and left the Foreign Affairs Hall as quickly as she had come.

Lu Nanzhu evaded the patrolling disciples and skillfully made his way to the cliff at the back of the mountain. At the edge of the cliff, the setting sun cast a slender, dark shadow on him. Upon closer inspection, it was none other than Han Li.

Lu Nanzhu stopped five steps away and did not approach further. Han Li's cold eyes swept over Lu Nanzhu's back, and after confirming that there was no tail, he spoke: "Junior Brother Lu, I invited you here because I have a few words to ask you about the 'Celestial Fate' that day. I would like to ask you about it in person."

Han Li's voice was devoid of emotion; he kept his hands hidden in his sleeves, maintaining a posture that allowed him to retreat at any moment.

"Brother Han, you're too kind. It's not like I'm asking for your advice," Lu Nanzhu replied calmly, standing still. "I was just too eager that day, which is why I dared to say a few more words. I hope Brother Han won't hold my rash actions against me."

"Junior Brother Lu, you flatter me." Han Li spoke again, his tone a bit gentler than before. "What you said that day was so sincere, it didn't seem like you were just anxious for a moment. After that day, I pondered for a long time and also consulted some classics, but I didn't find anything about the 'spiritual root' you mentioned. However, I did find a record of 'sensory acupuncture' in Elder Mo's medical classic."

Han Li is truly cunning; he actually tried to trick me with the "illness," but he underestimated me.

"Brother Han, let's not mince words." Lu Nanzhu chuckled self-deprecatingly, looked directly at Han Li, and said in a somewhat languid tone, "You went to all that trouble to have Senior Brother Li invite me to this cliff. If you truly believed it was an 'illness,' you would probably already be researching a prescription in the valley. Why bother standing here in the cold wind?"

Han Li's pupils contracted slightly, and his hands, which were tucked into his sleeves, seemed to tighten, but he did not respond.

Lu Nanzhu continued speaking to himself:

"As for the 'spiritual root' you mentioned, that's the threshold for immortals to choose their disciples. It's ethereal and formless, how could ordinary medical books record it? And not everyone in this world can cultivate."

Those with spiritual roots are those who sense the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and transform it for their own use; this is entirely different from the internal energy cultivation practiced by martial artists.

He paused here, a hint of doubt in his voice:

"I am rather puzzled. I only mentioned it casually that day, yet Brother Han took it so seriously, even going so far as to consult medical texts. Could it be...?"

Lu Nanzhu paused deliberately and said in a low voice:

"Could it be that Brother Han truly possesses a celestial cultivation technique?"

The moment those words fell, Han Li clearly felt all the muscles in his body tense up. The air around them became exceptionally quiet. After a while, Lu Nanzhu waved his hand slightly.

"It's alright! Brother Han must have some reason for telling me about this immortal cultivation technique. Since Brother Han trusts me so much, then... I'll get straight to the point—how can I exchange it for the immortal cultivation technique in Brother Han's possession?"

As for other matters, I have no intention of inquiring.

Seeing that Lu Nanzhu had directly stated his purpose, Han Li no longer had any intention of hiding it.

"Since Junior Brother Lu is like this, I, Han, will not hide anything from you." He took out a few thin sheets of paper from his backpack, which were the first layer of the nameless mantra that he had already memorized.

"This is the immortal cultivation technique you desired. What would Junior Brother Lu offer in exchange?"

Lu Nanzhu, sensing the situation, took out a small booklet from his pocket, stepped forward, and handed it to Han Li.

"This book contains some information about 'spiritual practice,' and I don't know if it can answer Brother Han's questions. These few words may not be of much help to ordinary people, but they are invaluable advice to practitioners."

Then he casually took the few thin sheets of paper from Han Li's hand.

"Oh? Junior Brother Lu didn't even verify the authenticity of this cultivation technique before handing me this 'cultivation' information?"

"Brother Han's invitation this time must be based on what I said before, or perhaps... Brother Han has already knocked on the gate of immortality."

Besides, those capable of cultivating immortal techniques are one in ten thousand. You and I are both struggling to survive within the Seven Mysteries Sect. Brother Han, there's absolutely no need for you to resort to such a self-destructive tactic to deceive me."

At this point, Lu Nanzhu paused for a moment, then smiled and said:

"If I truly lack spiritual roots and am destined never to learn immortal techniques in this lifetime, then these 'cultivation' books will be of no use to me. I might as well give them to Brother Han and help him achieve his goal."

These words were spoken sincerely, and Han Li's eyes flickered slightly upon hearing them. He had always been the type to respond better to gentle persuasion than force. In this world full of scheming, unexpected "goodwill" often caught him off guard more than a blatant threat.

Han Li quickly flipped open the booklet and glanced at it. Even just the outlines of the "Qi Refining Stage" and "Foundation Establishment Stage" were enough to open up a whole new world for the young man.

"Junior Brother Lu, I will remember this favor." Han Li closed the booklet, his expression much more relaxed than before, at least his guard had loosened slightly. He remained silent for a moment, not saying a word more about the origin of the cultivation technique, but before leaving, he added somewhat stiffly:

"This thing has a rather complicated origin. Whether you can master it or not depends entirely on fate. If Junior Brother Lu can't make any progress with it, it's best to destroy it as soon as possible. Things that are hard to explain often bring the most trouble."

"Thank you for the reminder, Brother Han. I, Lu, have always valued my life and know my limits," Lu Nanzhu said, cupping his hands in a respectful gesture.

"This booklet contains all the key information that Mr. Lu can recall at the moment."

However, the things in books are ultimately static. If you encounter anything obscure or difficult to understand on your path of cultivation, or any strange phenomena that don't match up, Brother Han, if you don't mind, you are welcome to come and discuss it with me at any time.

Although I, Lu, have no cultivation, perhaps by comparing the messy notes at home, I can help Brother Han find a different way of thinking.

Upon hearing this, Han Li paused slightly in his steps, as he was about to leave.

There will be an opportunity.

He didn't linger any longer, and with a leap, he quickly disappeared into the shadows of the forest.

"Originally, the remains of Master Qijue in the Transmission Hall were my first choice. Now, by a twist of fate, I've obtained the Everlasting Spring Technique from Han Li. Oh well, I'll try cultivating it first."

Lu Nanzhu didn't linger. He carefully put away the few thin sheets of paper and hurriedly left the cliff.