Mortal: The Path to Immortality

A month later, Lu Nanzhu arrived at the pharmacy as promised.

Upon entering the reception room, Manager Wang and Li Feng were already waiting inside.

In addition, a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator dressed in a black Taoist robe and with a sinister face was sitting in the chair in front of the two.

Upon seeing Lu Nanzhu push open the door and enter, Manager Wang immediately plastered his professional, fake smile on his face, and rose to greet him warmly:

"Fellow Daoist Lu is indeed punctual. Come, let me introduce you. This is Fellow Daoist Lü. Fellow Daoist Lü, and this is Fellow Daoist De, whom I mentioned to you before, who will be going to the Fire Abyss Secret Realm with you."

The black-clad monk looked Lu Nanzhu up and down suspiciously, probably finding the masked fellow who dared not show his true face rather strange.

However, after sensing Lu Nanzhu's solid mid-Foundation Establishment cultivation, the contempt in his eyes subsided somewhat, and he returned the greeting with a rather indifferent expression.

Without much small talk, Manager Wang took out three exquisite wooden boxes, each containing a gleaming, radiant "golden talisman" token.

"According to the rules, this golden talisman is the exclusive property of several major sects. Before you take it, you must leave two spiritual herbs over a hundred years old at my shop as collateral. Once you return safely, I, Wang, will certainly return it to you in its entirety."

For Lu Nanzhu, who could easily use "Spirit-Generating Moss" to accelerate the growth of spiritual herbs, a century-old elixir was nothing more than a drop in the ocean.

But in this dog-eat-dog world of cultivation, keeping your wealth hidden is the first ironclad rule for survival.

Lu Nanzhu deliberately frowned, and when he took out the wooden boxes, his fingers were deliberately stiff with a hint of struggle as he reluctantly handed over the two somewhat worn wooden boxes.

Seeing Lu Nanzhu's pained and penniless appearance, Manager Wang felt more at ease. He chuckled as he carefully put away the wooden box and comforted him:

"Haha, Fellow Daoist, don't be so reluctant to part with it. You'll understand the wonder of this certificate once you're inside."

On this trip to the Fire Abyss Secret Realm, which of their previous trips hadn't yielded a full harvest?

With Fellow Daoist De's cultivation level, are you worried about not being able to recoup your investment? Rest assured, as long as you all return safely, I, Wang, am a man of my word, and these two spiritual herbs will definitely be returned to you intact.

Lu Nanzhu finally let out a long breath, silently put away the golden talisman, and nodded as if he had been persuaded.

Without further delay, led by the experienced Li Feng, they all activated their flying magical artifacts, transforming into three faint streaks of light as they left the market and sped off towards the Eastern Yu Kingdom.

……

a few days later.

After several days of continuous flight, the flat wasteland ahead gradually turned into an eerie darkness.

Crossing the border of Dongyu Kingdom, a vast expanse of dense forest came into view.

Strangely, although the trees here are lush, all the leaves are covered with an eerie black color, as if they have been soaked in ink.

As he probed the depths of the dense forest with his divine sense, he could vaguely detect several extremely strong fluctuations of spiritual energy, which seemed to be the cultivation grounds of several immortal cultivation families.

After flying for about half a day, the dense black forest began to thin out, and the ordinary trees disappeared completely, replaced by charred ironwood covering the mountains and fields, lifeless and desolate.

These ironwood trees not only lacked any green leaves, but their branches were also covered with clusters of black needles as thick as steel needles.

The soil on the ground had turned completely black and charred, with whitish volcanic ash drifting in the wind from time to time, and a pungent smell began to fill the air.

Suddenly, at the far horizon, a massive, towering black mountain rose abruptly from the ground.

On the dark mountain, hundreds of red lines crisscrossed and shimmered—not some kind of formation, but rather molten lava overflowing from the crater.

The lava flowed slowly along the ridge, past the foot of the mountain, and spread directly into the ironwood forest below, burning the iron-hard trees into charcoal.

As the crowd drew closer, the surrounding temperature began to rise, and even the scenery in sight became distorted due to the intense heat.

The entire mountain resembles a giant funnel turned upside down on the ground.

The slope at the foot of the mountain is gentle as usual, but once you pass the middle of the mountain, the mountain rises sharply, like a black wall that pierces the sky.

The three put away their flying artifacts and landed at the edge of the mountaintop. A wave of heat immediately swept over them, forcing them to activate their magical protective shields to avoid the heat.

At this moment, forty or fifty cultivators had gathered scattered around the crater, most of them being Foundation Establishment stage cultivators.

Many people took precautions, some wearing heavy hoods and others covering their faces with fire-resistant veils, which made Lu Nanzhu, who always wore a mask, seem quite ordinary among them.

Lu Nanzhu stood behind the group, looking towards the center of the crater.

Inside the massive crater, which was several miles in diameter, crimson magma was bubbling and spewing huge bubbles. Each burst of the magma brought forth a blinding burst of light, casting flickering shadows on the faces of the onlookers.

Just as he turned his gaze away, he caught sight of a familiar figure in a purple robe with gold trim near a boulder not far away.

Helian Yu!

Lu Nanzhu's heart skipped a beat, and he subconsciously shrank back behind Li Feng.

Back on the battlefield of Yuanwu Kingdom, this guy led a group of men and chased me so hard that I was in a terrible state.

"This guy has a Nascent Soul stage ancestor as his backer, so he should never lack any top-quality resources. Why would he risk coming to the Fire Abyss of Dongyu Kingdom?"

Could it be that hidden beneath this secret realm lies an extraordinary opportunity that even Nascent Soul cultivators cannot provide? Lu Nanzhu's mind was filled with countless thoughts, and his anticipation for this trip to the Fire Abyss grew even stronger.

Suddenly, a boastful shout broke the silence on the mountaintop.

Behind an obsidian table beside the crater, a Qi Refining stage disciple dressed in the robes of a nearby demonic sect was slamming his fist on the table and shouting:

"Line up! Everyone, line up properly! Only those who have registered and paid their spirit stones can enter. Anyone who tries to take advantage of the situation and breaks the rules will face the ruthless treatment of the various sects' immortal masters!"

The surrounding rogue cultivators were clearly used to this behavior. Although their expressions were unpleasant, they still obediently formed a long queue.

Soon, it was the turn of a young rogue cultivator at the tenth level of Qi Refining, dressed simply and with dark skin.

Upon hearing the number the other party quoted, the young rogue cultivator's temples bulged with veins, and he couldn't help but roar:

"Fifty spirit stones!? The notice posted in the market a few days ago clearly said forty. How can the price suddenly go up? What's the difference between you and mountain bandits!"

"Go away, go away, what are you yelling about here if you have no money?" The disciple on duty rolled his eyes and waved his hand impatiently, as if shooing away a fly.

"If you can't pay, go back to your dilapidated cave and cultivate asceticism. Don't waste the time of those who come after you!"

The young rogue cultivator was trembling with anger, pointing his finger at the disciple's nose, ready to argue. Just then, Helian Yu, who was standing behind him, frowned, a hint of violence flashing in his eyes.

"Noisy."

The moment those two cold words left his lips, Helian Yu didn't even bother to summon his magical weapon. He simply raised his right hand and unleashed a powerful punch.

The young rogue cultivator was only at the Qi Refining stage; he didn't even have time to scream or summon his fire-repelling treasure.

Under the heavy blow, it was blasted straight away like a kite with a broken string, and with a "plop," it fell directly into the lava below.

A wisp of white smoke rose, and in the blink of an eye, the person was swallowed up without leaving a trace.

The surrounding rogue cultivators all gasped in unison, and the previously somewhat agitated group instantly quieted down.

Helian Yu snorted coldly, threw down a bag of spirit stones, and a purple-red light transformed into a protective shield around him. He then leaped into the crater with great elegance.

Lu Nanzhu watched this scene coldly from behind his mask, gaining a more concrete understanding of the survival of the fittest in the cultivation world.

When it was the turn of the three of them, Lu Nanzhu did not cause any trouble. He obediently paid the spirit stones and completed the formalities before arriving at the edge of the volcano.

He took a deep breath and pulled out a bead the size of a pigeon egg from his storage bag, emitting a soft white glow—the "Fire-Avoiding Bead," the spoils of war he had obtained from killing Fu Kuang.

"hiss--"

Fellow Daoist Lü, walking slightly ahead, glanced back unintentionally. The instant he saw the bead, his narrow eyes widened in shock, and his voice trembled slightly:

"A...A Fire-Avoiding Pearl? Fellow Daoist De is truly a master of disguise! This 'Fire-Avoiding Pearl' is one of the best magical treasures for crossing that fiery abyss, and you actually possess one?"

Hearing the commotion, Li Feng, who was walking in front, also turned around abruptly, his pupils shrinking almost imperceptibly.

Lu Nanzhu inwardly cursed himself for his carelessness, but on the surface he could only feign a look of fear and trepidation, shaking his head with a wry smile and saying:

"Fellow Daoist Lü, you flatter me. It was merely something I obtained by chance from a heretical cultivator back then, nothing to boast about."

"Not at all. Fellow Daoist De is truly blessed." Fellow Daoist Lü remarked with a forced smile.

Subsequently, each of them used their own methods.

Li Feng and Fellow Daoist Lü unleashed their top-grade fire-repelling shield and magic shield, while Lu Nanzhu activated the fire-avoiding pearl, creating a thin layer of white light to envelop himself.

The three of them jumped into the churning lava, one after the other.

The Fire Abyss is hundreds of feet deep. The deeper you go, the more viscous the surrounding magma becomes. The immense resistance and extreme heat cause even the most precious treasures to accelerate the depletion of your mana.

Deep within the magma, Li Feng and Daoist Lü led the way, while Lu Nanzhu followed behind, maintaining a relatively short distance between them.

"Brother Li, who exactly is that guy surnamed De behind us?" Fellow Daoist Lü asked Li Feng telepathically while resisting the heavy pressure around him.

"He can casually pull out something as priceless as the 'Fire-Avoiding Pearl,' could he really have some connection with the Hu family? Should we continue with our plan later?"

Li Feng calmly cleared the way ahead, his expression remaining unchanged even after hearing the telepathic message:

"Now that the demonic forces in Yue Kingdom and Yuanwu Kingdom are at their peak, the elite disciples of the major sects are too busy defending their own sects to have any time to come to this remote Fire Abyss to search for treasures."

Moreover, countless sects and cultivation families were destroyed in this battle, and countless treasures were scattered and lost.

Li Feng snorted coldly and continued in reply:

"Weren't you and I able to obtain Foundation Establishment Pills and break through by taking advantage of the opportunity when the Hu family was destroyed back then?"

This person surnamed De is probably a rogue cultivator with good fortune, or a stray dog ​​from some minor sect.

"It's alright. This naturally formed place is perfect for his burial. The plan will proceed as scheduled."

"Fine, it seems I was just overthinking it," Fellow Daoist Lü sneered inwardly.

"Brother Li is right. Underneath this fiery abyss, how could the two of us combined not subdue him?"

About 15 minutes later.

The three people who were struggling through the lava suddenly felt their feet sink into the void, and the suffocating red lava around them vanished.

Instead, a thick, massive array of restrictions was erected.

Through the thick barrier, one could vaguely see the vast space below, shimmering with a faint, cold blue light.

Li Feng and Fellow Daoist Lü exchanged a glance, and without further hesitation, they both took out the "golden talisman" from Manager Wang's pockets and poured their magical power into it.

Once activated, the golden talisman transformed into a faint golden glow that enveloped the three of them.

"Buzz—"

With a soft hum, the three people enveloped in golden light calmly passed through the barrier.

The three filed in, and felt a lightness all over their bodies. The next moment, they landed steadily in an ancient and desolate underground ruin, with scattered broken walls and rubble.