The Long Journey to Immortality

After the waiter went in and out of the room twice, he helped Han Lu fill the bathtub with hot spring water and sprinkled flower petals on it.

The hard work earned him two cents, and the shopkeeper, naturally grateful to the beautiful Han Lu, left happily.

The Harmony Secret Technique, combined with the new True Spirit Bloodline, naturally transformed Han Lu's body, making her increasingly unlike a human cultivator, and expelled a considerable amount of the already scarce "filth" from her body.

After seven days of cultivation, the filth was completely expelled from her pores and adhered to Han Lu's body. It was necessary to wash her with clean water.

Although she couldn't sense any difference between the hot spring water and the water she summoned with her spiritual power, Han Lu still felt refreshed after getting out of the bathtub, and she was completely awakened from the drowsiness of sleeping for twenty-one days.

The spiritual energy circulated, evaporating the water stains from my body.

Han Lu then used the "True Phoenix Manual" to transform into a phoenix feather robe.

This outfit is slightly different from the style of the previous few days, and the color has changed from a faded shade to a bright yellow.

This was a small adjustment Han Lu made to her appearance in order to avoid possibly running into Mo Li in Mingsha Village.

To match the new hair color of her hair, Han Lu sat in front of the "modern mirror" she took out of her storage bag and spent a long time fussing over it before finally giving herself a suitable hairstyle.

A wisp of wine-red hair fell naturally outside her bun, adding a touch of casualness and unpretentiousness to her image.

With her slender fingers, Han Lu played with a strand of long hair, pulling it into a curve several times to adjust it to a suitable shape. Looking at herself in the mirror, Han Lu was quite satisfied.

Using her magic, Han Lu turned the bathwater in the tub into steam that dissipated into the air before leaving the room. She planned to wander around Mingsha Village before meeting Xiao Ran and experience the unique local customs and culture of the city.

Upon arriving at the hotel lobby, Han Lu casually ordered a few dishes.

While ordering food, Han Lu asked the shopkeeper about interesting places to visit in Mingsha Village.

Although the shopkeeper wasn't a local who grew up in Mingsha Village, he had lived there for almost twenty years and naturally knew all the worthwhile places to visit in this small place.

“If you’ve come here to visit, Miss, you’ve come to the right place.”

"Two miles north of Mingsha Village, there is a singing sand pool."

"Legend has it that ten thousand years ago it was a lake, but because of a great battle between Nascent Soul cultivators, the water in the pool turned into sand."

"Every few days, the sand in that pool would leap and make a sound as if it were boiling water, which is a local wonder."

……

The shopkeeper listed several places that, in his humble opinion, were suitable for a wealthy young lady to visit.

Han Lu had only intended to wander around at her own pace, so she wrote down everything the shopkeeper said.

Finally, the shopkeeper added, "A month ago, Ci Daoren, a Golden Core cultivator from Dongzhou Prefecture, came to our village."

"Today he will be holding a gathering of immortals at Guansha Tower. If you are interested in asking questions or want to admire the demeanor of a Golden Core cultivator, you might as well go to Guansha Tower later."

"I remember the Immortal Gathering is about to begin in about 15 minutes."

"Ci Dao Ren?" Han Lu remembered hearing this cultivator's Daoist name from Mo Li.

The shopkeeper wasn't surprised that Han Lu hadn't heard of Ci Daoren's reputation. He took a sip of tea and continued to enthusiastically introduce the beautiful Han Lu, saying, "Ci Daoren's reputation is absolutely second to none in Dongzhou Prefecture."

Han Lu played along, asking, "How exactly did you become famous?"

The innkeeper is perhaps more suited to be a storyteller than an innkeeper. "I only heard this secondhand, so please forgive me if I am wrong."

"Legend has it that the Ci Daoist was once a wicked cultivator who committed all sorts of evil deeds, and had taken the lives of at least three hundred people, if not five hundred."

"Therefore, when he advanced to the Golden Core stage and faced the initial tribulation of the Golden Core stage, the heavens sent down three five-colored divine lightning bolts."

"It was only because Ci Daoren possessed a magical artifact of spiritual level that he avoided being reduced to ashes on the spot."

"However, the divine lightning still shattered his newly formed third-grade golden core, causing his cultivation level to drop back to the early stage of Foundation Establishment."

Realizing that he had suffered this terrible tribulation because of his own evil deeds, Ci Daoren changed his ways and began to cultivate good relationships and do good deeds.

"After cultivating the Dao for twenty years and doing good deeds for twenty years, when Ci Daoren was advancing to the Golden Core realm and facing the initial tribulation of Core Formation, the lightning tribulation was only the size of a finger and did not harm Ci Daoren in the slightest."

"In just twenty years, the Great Yu Dynasty lost one evil cultivator and gained one compassionate Taoist."

"Legend has it that there is a tribulation of lightning when advancing from the Golden Core stage to the Nascent Soul stage."

"Therefore, even though Ci Daoren is now at the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm, he still does good deeds and helps younger generations while traveling through various prefectures of the Great Yu Dynasty."

"As far as I know, in the past month, Ci Daoren has held several Immortal Fate Gatherings in Mingsha Village and given away no less than thirty magic treasures."

"Judging from your appearance, you must be someone with a destiny to immortality and a talent for enlightenment. I should go there and take a look. Maybe in the future I can boast to everyone that I've spoken with a Nascent Soul cultivator like you."

The shopkeeper had a sweet tongue, and his few flattering words made Han Lu feel comfortable.

Han Lu banished the harsh words, "While I've advanced to the Nascent Soul stage, you're probably already in your grave," thanked them again, placed a few taels of silver on the table, and then picked up her chopsticks to clean up the food on her own table.

"This Ci Daoist is indeed an extraordinary person. It is certainly worthwhile to join in the fun and see this reformed Golden Core senior."

After finishing her meal, Han Lu had just left the small inn where she was staying when she noticed that many young men and women in Mingsha Village, as well as many cultivators at the Qi Refining stage, were heading in one direction.

Needless to say, that must be the place where Cidaoren held the Immortal Fate Gathering.

Sure enough, following the flow of people, after walking for about half a cup of tea's time, Han Lu saw the Guansha Tower, which was already surrounded by layers of people.

Among the crowd were both cultivators and ordinary people, but because the space was small, they were all mixed together.

Han Lu chose a quiet spot on the outskirts suitable for watching the ceremony, and silently gazed at Ci Daoren, who was already meditating on the top floor of Guansha Tower.

Chapter 309 Assassination Attempt?

Ci Daoren's attire was no different from that of ordinary cultivators.

However, the Taoist robe worn by Ci Daoren was white on one side and black on the other.

The left half is black, and the other half is white.

This outfit was so awful that Han Lu found it extremely offensive and completely lacking in aesthetic appeal.

In the eyes of ordinary cultivators, white symbolizes the righteous path of cultivation. Black is generally the favorite color of heretical cultivators.

Han Lu guessed that Ci Daoren's attire was probably a symbol of his cultivation journey, which was initially wicked but later turned virtuous.

Han Lu wasn't far from Ci Daoren, so she could see Ci Daoren's facial features clearly without using any magic.

Ci Daoren's features were nothing special; he neither gave Han Lu a fierce or menacing look, nor did he inspire any kind or benevolent impression.

The only distinctive feature was his forehead and the hairstyle that completely exposed it.

Because he had been struck by lightning and suffered severe injuries, he had a hideous scar on his forehead. As if to remind himself of the pain of such disfigurement, Ci Daoren did not cover the scar with his hair. Instead, he deliberately shaved his head to expose the scar that symbolized his "evil" past.

Looking at Ci Daoren's somewhat comical attire, Han Lu thought to herself, "It does seem like he's shaving his head to show his resolve."

However, these were all superficial. Han Lu had only met Ci Daoren and heard a story about Ci Daoren from the mortal shopkeeper. She did not fully believe that the evil cultivators in the Great Yu Dynasty could reform so thoroughly.

It's important to understand that even the two most recognized righteous sects in Dongzhou Prefecture, Jiulong Mountain and Xuanyu Temple, haven't been immune to dirty deeds in private. They've produced scoundrels like Lin Jin and Tang Sifan.

Could someone like Ci Daoren truly be enlightened and reformed after being struck by lightning? Han Lu, based on her prejudice against cultivators of the Great Yu Dynasty, remained skeptical.

"Don't just say one thing to your face and another behind your back."

Han Lu only thought these words to herself; she dared not say them aloud.

After all, the opponent was a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator. Even though Han Lu had fused three True Spirit Bloodlines, dealing with her would only take one or two moves.

It's best to be careful with your words and actions, and avoid getting into trouble.

With a skeptical attitude, Han Lu silently watched the upcoming Immortal Encounter.

When the three sticks of sandalwood incense placed before Ci Daoren burned out, the six disciples standing beside him spoke in unison, tacitly, "The predestined affinity for immortality has arrived, the karmic connection for good has come. Ci Daoren, perform many good deeds. At the age of twelve, you first glimpsed the path to immortality. At the age of eighteen, you finally established your foundation..."

A ballad composed of countless short phrases, in a unique way, tells the story of Ci Daoren's reformation and righteous cultivation to all the mortals and cultivators who come here to participate in the Immortal Gathering.

This opening was quite interesting, and even many ordinary people who were just passing by and had no particular interest in the matter couldn't help but stop and want to see what this Golden Core cultivator was up to.

After his six disciples finished reciting their opening remarks, Ci Dao opened his eyes and addressed the mortals and cultivators watching, saying, "I will be leaving Dongzhou Prefecture tomorrow to go elsewhere. Therefore, I am holding another Immortal Fate Gathering in Mingsha Village today, hoping to do more good deeds, reap good results, and atone for my sins in the past."

"If any family doesn't care about my past and hopes to let their child find a destiny in the immortal realm, they are welcome to come up on stage and meet me so I can see if I have the fate to take on a worthy disciple."

"If any fellow Daoist wishes to acquire a few magical treasures, you may come up on stage and discuss them with me. Let me see if the treasures in my storage bag are worthy of you fellow Daoists."

Despite being a Golden Core cultivator, Ci Daoren placed himself in a very humble position in his words, as if he was afraid that people would not come up to meet him, so that he would not be able to do good deeds and gain good fortune, so that Heaven would sense it and help him reduce the lightning tribulation that would fall when he advances to the Nascent Soul stage in the future.

After all, there are magical treasures lying in Ci Daoren's storage bag, and all the cultivators and mortals who come here are here because of Ci Daoren, a Golden Core cultivator.

Although he spoke politely, the visitors who came to see the place were incredibly enthusiastic.

Ci Daoren's six disciples, whom he had taken in during his travels in the Great Yu Dynasty, maintained order at the scene. The cultivators, mortals, and children who had been waiting for a long time in the Guansha Tower were arranged to go on stage one by one to meet Ci Daoren.

Looking at the people coming and going on Guansha Tower, Han Lu could imagine that Mo Li had met Ci Daoren at a certain Immortal Fate Gathering, exchanged a few words, obtained two magical artifacts, and then was targeted by those two villains, which led to a thousand-mile chase and other stories.

Regarding the role Ci Daoren played in Mo Li's story, Han Lu commented, "He probably meant well but did something wrong."

She jokingly muttered "fate" to herself, "I wonder if Mo Li died at the hands of those two villains because of the magical artifacts given to him by Ci Daoren, would Ci Daoren have done a good deed or a bad deed?"

As she went from one thing to another, and then continued to expand her thinking, Han Lu felt a bit of a headache.

After all, she estimated that even a Nascent Soul cultivator couldn't explain this kind of thing clearly, so how could she possibly fathom the will of Heaven and figure out such a mysterious matter just by sitting there?

Just as Han Lu was holding her head, trying her best to stop thinking about such a pointless matter, Ci Daoren suddenly grabbed the hand of a ten-year-old child and kept him by her side.

After exchanging a few warm words, and guiding a wisp of spiritual energy into the child to test his talent, the Compassionate Taoist immediately announced that he would accept this child, who was still unaware of what had happened, as his seventh disciple.

Ci Daoren held six celestial affinity gatherings during his thirty days in Mingsha Village, but this was the first time he had accepted a disciple.

The child's elders were also led onto the stage by Cidaoren's disciples to meet Cidaoren.

When Ci Daoren traveled to the Great Yu Dynasty, his disciples naturally had to accompany him, leaving their parents behind.

However, since the child was brought here, the parents were naturally prepared for the "separation of flesh and blood" long ago.

This appearance on stage was just a formality.

The compassionate Taoist then bestowed upon him a great deal of gold and silver, and only then did he smoothly accept this destined disciple.

Being able to become a disciple of a Golden Core cultivator is a blessing that most cultivators do not have, and naturally, many mortals who come to become disciples are extremely envious.

However, such a fortunate connection with the immortals is rare. Ci Daoren traveled to nearly ten prefectures and only accepted six disciples. His conditions for accepting disciples were naturally not high, and it was not something that just anyone could easily attain.

So, in the next hour.

Although occasionally some cultivators would linger a little longer in front of Ci Daoren and obtain a few spirit stones or a magical artifact, not a single mortal child was ever truly valued by Ci Daoren.

Two cultivators at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage also shamelessly went up on stage, but only received a few words of encouragement and no other substantial rewards.

The Immortal Destiny Gathering lasted only two hours. Just when Han Lu thought the gathering would end so abruptly, an unexpected event occurred.

Suddenly, a Qi Refining cultivator who had gone up on stage to talk with Ci Daoren made a move, using a short dagger magic weapon that he had hidden in his sleeve to attack the unsuspecting Ci Daoren.