The Long Journey to Immortality

Chapter 883 Purple Traces Reappear

Although there were five other Golden Core cultivators present besides Fu Tianqiao, including Han Lu.

But at this banquet celebrating Fu Tianqiao's key step in his cultivation career, Fu Tianqiao, who had just advanced to the Golden Core realm, was ultimately the main character.

In her speech, Fu Tianqiao expressed her feelings to everyone.

When recalling her nearly 100-year-long cultivation journey, Fu Tianqiao was so moved that she shed a few tears.

The congratulatory gift from Xuan Chengzi, the sect leader of Zhengyi Sect, arrived at the right time. The numerous pills and materials worth about three thousand spirit stones brought the atmosphere of the banquet to its peak.

Everyone raised their glasses in celebration, each reciting congratulatory messages.

In this atmosphere, even Han Lu, who doesn't drink much, drank the wine that Elder Wine Pot had given her in one gulp.

The Immortal Banquet doesn't have a specific format; it's simply a place for cultivators who have advanced to the Golden Core realm to express their feelings, share their joy, and receive blessings.

The most crucial point is to maintain relationships with friends who have a difference in cultivation level, and to establish friendly relationships with fellow cultivators who are currently at the same level.

This crucial issue was resolved smoothly when the gift was given.

Naturally, after the banquet began, all that was left was to eat.

Having just advanced to the Golden Core Realm, Fu Tianqiao still regarded himself as an ordinary disciple of the Zhengyi Sect.

When he approached the table where the five Golden Core cultivators were sitting to offer a toast, he still maintained the courtesy due to a junior.

In particular, Fu Tianqiao almost knelt down to thank the two branch deans and Elder Jiuhu for their guidance and support over the years.

Fu Tianqiao also treated Han Lu and Mo Zhehan well.

However, in this setting, some words were not appropriate to say aloud, so Fu Tianqiao simply used the wine glass in her hand to express her feelings.

After the host, Fu Tianqiao, left, the five people at the long table picked up their chopsticks and began to enjoy the food.

The Venerable Wine Pot, who was the first to meet Han Lu and Mo Zhehan, acted as a mediator, maintaining a pleasant atmosphere at the dinner table.

The Golden Core cultivators were not particularly familiar with each other, and their conversations were just about ordinary things, not much different from the casual chatter of the sect disciples after meals.

Having been away from the Central Plains for some time, the idle talk of the other three Zheng Yi Sect elders was still new to Han Lu. Even if she was just a listener, sitting at the table wouldn't make her feel bored.

This cultivator recounted the romantic escapades of a certain Golden Core cultivator within the sect.

The cultivator talked about the recent news of the disciples who performed well after the minor competition.

The Venerable Wine Pot was tasting and explaining the spiritual wine provided by Fu Tianqiao.

Han Lu and Mo Zhehan, at the invitation of others, chatted about the Wilderness and the Great Yu Dynasty.

As Golden Core cultivators, all of them except Han Lu have a hundred years of experience and countless stories to tell strangers.

The five Golden Core cultivators at the table never had a moment of silence.

After drinking cup after cup of spiritual wine, Han Lu, who disliked drinking but had exceptional spiritual cultivation, remained clear-headed. However, the other four cultivators at the table gradually entered a state of slight intoxication, and their conversations became increasingly casual, gradually touching on personal or private matters.

After washing the cups and drinking more, the Taoist in the wine pot suddenly began to tell a story he had recently heard.

"Legend has it that half a month ago, a monster never before seen appeared in the western region of the Southern Dynasty."

"This monster not only attacked several nearby villages, but also attacked two Foundation Establishment cultivators who went to subdue it."

"Now, the monster is hiding in the mountains and forests, and there is no trace of it."

“Fairy Zhenfeng and Fellow Daoist Moqiong, you two are both born from True Spirits and have been to the Wilderness. You must know many demons and spirits.”

"Could you please tell me what kind of strange creature this recently appeared is?"

"If we can identify it, it will definitely help us eliminate that annoying monster."

Because one of the two disciples who went to subdue the demon was a grand-disciple of the Wine Pot Venerable, he paid special attention to this matter.

At this moment, two "knowledgeable spirits" happened to be nearby, so they took the opportunity to inquire about the situation.

Han Lu and Mo Zhehan were both very modest, saying that they only knew a portion of the true spirits and magical beasts, and could not necessarily help the Wine Pot Taoist answer his questions.

"Please, Daoist Wine Pot, describe it to us first, so we can make a judgment." Han Lu was also curious about what kind of strange monster had appeared in the Central Plains and done such a hateful thing.

Because it was not something he witnessed firsthand, Venerable Wine Pot's description was merely a retelling, and not very clear. It could only barely reflect what the two injured cultivators saw and heard at the time.

"It is a purple creature with a soft and sticky body, more like an aquatic monster living in the East China Sea than a land-based species."

"It has a gaping maw that can suck cattle and sheep from over a hundred meters away with just a deep breath."

"Tall in stature, reaching seven or eight meters in height during combat, although slow in movement, it can change its form to cope with different situations by utilizing the characteristics of its body."

……

He described many things, but all he got in return was Han Lu's hesitation and Mo Zhehan's head shaking.

Mo Zhehan said, "I've never seen such a monster in the Wilderness or the Great Yu Dynasty. Han Lu, what about you?"

Han Lu hesitated for a moment, which to others seemed as if she was reminiscing.

Three breaths later, Han Lu also shook her head and said, "I have never heard of such a monster in the wilderness."

The description by the Venerable Wine Pot immediately reminded Han Lu of the instigator of the plague, the purple monster that was killed by a Nascent Soul cultivator from the Northern Dynasty with a single sword strike.

Although their physical attributes are slightly different, they all look like monsters from the same race.

The difference between the two is like the difference between the Illusion Phoenix and the Ice Phoenix and Fire Phoenix.

However, the matter was confidential, and Han Lu, being clear-headed, did not intend to talk about the past at this time, so she only gave an honest but incomplete answer.

Worried that the purple monster that had reappeared in the Central Plains might cause another plague or other disaster, Han Lu quickly asked a few more questions to find out more details.

Elder Jiuhu didn't actually know much, and after saying a few more words, he spoke to Han Lu.

"Elder Zhenfeng, if you are truly interested in this matter, why don't you go and ask the sect leader for information?"

"The sect leader?"

The images of Yunmin Daoist and Xuanchengzi appeared in Han Lu's mind.

Back when the "Purple Monster Plague" disaster struck, it was Daoist Yunmin who was in charge of the Zhengyi Sect.

But now, it is Xuan Chengzi who holds the reins of power.

"Perhaps Sect Master Xuanchengzi doesn't even realize the importance of this matter," Han Lu muttered to herself.

As for what she said, Han Lu asked, "Has the sect leader taken any measures to find that purple monster?"

"Three disciples were sent to search, but I don't know the specifics."

Upon hearing this, Han Lu thought to herself, "It seems I'll have to make a trip to the sect leader."

[Author's Note] I've unexpectedly become very busy. My last blind date went exceptionally smoothly, and I hope to take this opportunity to settle down on this important life event.

Chapter 884 Indirect Approach

Mo Zhehan was naturally suspicious that Han Lu was so nervous about such a small matter, and felt that something was amiss.

He secretly sent a telepathic message to inquire about the situation.

After only a moment's thought, Han Lu told Mo Zhehan the truth without hesitation.

Compared to Venerable Wine Pot and the other two sect elders, Han Lu believed more that Mo Zhehan, this "outsider," could keep the secret and keep the secret that might cause panic to rot inside her.

"This all started with a plague decades ago..."

Han Lu recounted the problem that broke out in the Central Plains, and emphasized the story of how she and Wen Erya traced the source of the plague together, eventually finding the purple poisonous creature that spread the disease.

Listening to Han Lu's description of the purple, slimy monster that had appeared in the past stories, Mo Zhehan immediately understood why Han Lu was so concerned about what the Wine Pot Taoist had mentioned, and even a little nervous.

"Could it be that these two monsters are from the same source? Did they both fall from the sky along with the meteorite?" Mo Zhehan put forward his conjecture.

Holding a wine glass, Han Lu half-covered her face, pretending to be drunk, and transmitted her voice to Mo Zhehan, "I'm not sure either, after all, Elder Wine Pot didn't go into too much detail."

"But based on Elder Wine Pot's description of the monster's appearance, I think it's pretty close to the truth."

Han Lu was certain of this conclusion, her intuition and reasonable deduction leading her to it.

Despite his straightforward nature, Mo Zhehan is not lacking in thinking ability and imagination.

Daring to speculate, he couldn't help but connect the purple monster that had inexplicably appeared twice in the Central Plains in recent decades with the "doomsday prophecy" that Han Lu had once mentioned.

When Han Lu mentioned this idea to him, she couldn't help but feel a pang of anxiety.

But upon closer reflection, she took the opportunity of answering Mo Zhehan's question to comfort herself, saying, "If it's just this strange purple monster invading the Central Plains - the Great Yu Dynasty, it's unlikely to cause an extinction disaster."

Han Lu finished the story she had just told, focusing on how a Nascent Soul cultivator from the Northern Dynasty, using only a spirit sword of unknown quality, managed to kill and purify the purple monster from a distance of thousands of miles.

"With such strength, and with several Nascent Soul Realm cultivators in both the East and West, even if these purple monsters number in the thousands, at most they can only find a remote place in this world to hide and settle down. They cannot become the source of the disaster that destroys the human race."

With the help of a Nascent Soul cultivator, Han Lu, as a Foundation Establishment cultivator, had a brief encounter with a purple monster whose cultivation was comparable to the mid- or late-stage Golden Core realm. She was definitely the cultivator in the Central Plains who knew these purple monsters best.

Now, times have changed, and her cultivation and combat power have advanced by leaps and bounds. Naturally, she no longer regards the purple monster that caused her so much trouble as a formidable opponent. She feels that she has enough strength to easily defeat a similar purple monster if she encounters it again.

Mo Zhehan, on the other hand, has a broader perspective because he knows less about the subject.

He drew parallels between the dragon and phoenix races of the wilderness and the purple monsters to illustrate that these purple monsters might be incredibly powerful.

"Just like the phoenix, the dragon, and other true spirits, there are powerful members as well as newly born infants."

"Perhaps the purple monster you met was just a fledgling in its kind."

"When the disaster truly strikes, those purple monsters with strength comparable to Nascent Soul or even Divine Transformation Realm will invade the Central Plains, the Great Yu Dynasty, and even the Wilderness in various ways, ultimately driving our human race into the sea or completely annihilating it."

The story was chilling, but Han Lu had to admit that Mo Zhehan's words were not entirely unfounded.

"There is indeed a slight possibility. It seems I really need to go and have a good talk with Sect Master Xuanchengzi about this matter."

Mo Zhehan was unaware of the rules governing the selection and rotation of the Zhengyi Sect's leader. "Why? Didn't Sect Leader Xuanchengzi also know about this matter and even send disciples to investigate?"

"The rules of the sects in the Central Plains are quite different from those of the Great Yu Dynasty..."

Han Lu and Mo Zhehan pretended to be drunk, leaning back in their seats with their eyes half-closed, communicating and chatting through telepathy, enjoying the tranquility amidst the noise.

The banquet lasted for about an hour before the first guest left.

As if receiving a signal, the remaining guests left in an orderly fashion.

How long one can stay at this celestial banquet depends on the distance between the guests and the host, as well as the difference in their spiritual realms.

Han Lu measured her relationship with Fu Tianqiao by ordinary standards, and in the end, she and Mo Zhehan became the first cultivators to leave the table of Golden Core cultivators.