The Long Journey to Immortality

The two sleeves stretched out and grew larger, actually engulfing the two sword formations.

Venerable Qingyang quickly cast a spell, unleashing the full power of the twelve spiritual swords.

The sleeves were filled with clanging sounds, and the robe, which seemed to be made of ordinary cloth, actually trapped the twelve spirit swords for a full five seconds.

Five seconds is a short time for a Qi Refining cultivator, but an incredibly long time for a Nascent Soul cultivator.

With Venerable Qingyang deliberately "letting things slide," five seconds was enough time for Layman Wanghan to make a move.

Seeing that Venerable Qingyang was merely manipulating his spirit sword and his two long sleeves to fight, Layman Wanghan understood Venerable Qingyang's intention.

He knew that Venerable Qingyang was hesitant to engage in battle with him within the Zhengyi Sect, and that they would fight each other as Nascent Soul cultivators, using powerful spells to kill each other.

However, he also didn't want to stay in Zhengyimen's territory for long.

Nascent Soul cultivators are all people who cherish their lives. He was sent by the Palace Master of the Extreme Heaven Palace to steal treasures from the Zhengyi Sect, which was originally intended to eliminate dissidents and kill people with a borrowed knife.

He naturally didn't want to fight on Qingyang Venerable's home turf at the Zhengyi Sect, fearing that if he delayed any longer, other Nascent Soul cultivators would come to help Qingyang Venerable and leave him here permanently.

As for killing a large number of low-level cultivators, Layman Wanghan is not stupid.

He felt that this would only provoke the other party and lead to his death, and would not serve any threatening purpose whatsoever.

Wang Han Jushi did not consider the lives of hundreds of Qi Refining cultivators to be as precious as his own.

Thus, the two, who had not communicated at all and were still adversaries, reached a tacit understanding in a short period of time.

Wang Han Jushi spat out a bit of his essence blood, quickly recited two incantations, and performed a secret technique.

The blood turned into a blood mist and appeared on his back, forming a pair of blood-red wings.

With his long sleeves retracted and his wings flapped, the Hermit of the Vanished Cold was even faster than lightning, flying straight towards the outside of the Zhengyi Gate.

Seeing this, Venerable Qingyang was overjoyed, but he still shouted, "Don't run away, you little thief!"

All talk and no action, after completing these superficial formalities, and after the blood-red escape light of the Hermit of Illusory Cold had traveled nearly ten miles, Venerable Qingyang, wielding twelve spiritual swords, quickly gave chase.

The disciples of the Zhengyi Sect who were at the competition site were completely unaware of this major event taking place in the forbidden area.

All they knew was that the three sect leaders suddenly took to the air and cast defensive spells above the venue.

A moment later, a blood-red light and a light silver light streaked across the sky above the competition venue and flew westward.

As the two streaks of light disappeared from everyone's sight, the three sect leaders dispelled their spells and gracefully flew back to their seats, continuing to observe the ceremony as if nothing had happened.

Some disciples with keen observation skills and quick reflexes immediately realized that something big was probably happening.

However, no matter how vivid their imaginations were, these disciples would never have imagined that an outside force had arranged for a Nascent Soul cultivator to infiltrate the Zhengyi Sect and steal its treasures.

Two streaks of light chased each other across the sky of the Southern Dynasty.

Knowing he was no match for Venerable Qingyang, Layman Wanghan had no desire to fight and only wanted to get rid of his opponent as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, Venerable Qingyang, who was following behind Layman Wanghan, was not in a hurry at all, leisurely hanging behind Layman Wanghan.

He knew that the Hermit of the Vanished Cold had probably used a secret technique that damaged his vital energy to escape at such an astonishing speed, and the longer he could delay, the more advantageous it would be for him.

On this Central Plains land, Venerable Qingyang felt that he was fighting on home ground and was not worried that the other side had made any arrangements or that other Nascent Soul cultivators would come to reinforce him.

After fleeing for a quarter of an hour, and seeing that the Seven Mountains Alliance's territory was not far away, the Hermit of the Vanished Cold dispelled his secret technique and found a place to land in the mountains.

"What, not running anymore?" In the blink of an eye, before the feet of the recluse Wang Han could even stand firmly on the ground, Venerable Qing Yang appeared behind him as if he were glued to him.

Venerable Qingyang was a realm stronger than Layman Wanghan, and he was not the kind of cultivator skilled in combat. Layman Wanghan tried his best to keep a straight face, intending to save his life through verbal sparring.

“Fellow Daoist Qingyang, I only tried to steal the Heaven-Stealing Bottle but failed. There’s no need to chase after me so relentlessly,” Layman Wanghan said, using his silver tongue. “We are all Nascent Soul cultivators, and everyone has a few tricks up their sleeve. If you really push me too far, I will fight you to the death and seriously injure you.”

“I am aware of the situation of your Zhengyi Sect. In the last hundred years, it has been severely suppressed by Xuan Yang Valley. If one of the Supreme Elders is seriously injured, who knows how the situation in the Central Plains will change.”

Although Wang Han Jushi was a stranger in the Central Plains, he was forced to come to the Central Plains to engage in petty theft, so he naturally had some understanding of the situation there.

“Oh, that makes some sense,” Venerable Qingyang had already recalled the extent of the power of the Extreme Heaven Palace while chasing after Layman Wanghan, so he was naturally more wary when talking to Layman Wanghan again. “I can let you leave, but you need to answer a few questions for me and leave some money for the journey.”

What Wang Han Jushi said makes sense. The two of them didn't have any deep-seated hatred. Venerable Qingyang didn't mind reconciling in private to gain greater benefits for himself and his sect.

Upon hearing this, Layman Wanghan breathed a sigh of relief. "Fellow Daoist, please ask any questions you may have. I will answer to the best of my knowledge."

Venerable Qingyang sheathed his spirit sword in a gesture of reconciliation and asked, "You, a Nascent Soul cultivator from the Great Yu Chaotianji Palace, wouldn't have come to the Central Plains to act foolishly and do such a despicable thing as stealing from my Zhengyi Sect, would you?"

To the west of the Western Regions lies a vast wilderness, home to many demonic beasts at the Golden Core and Nascent Soul stages.

The westernmost part of the wilderness is also the territory of human cultivators, called the Great Yu Dynasty, and the Heavenly Palace is the largest sect in the Great Yu Dynasty.

Thousands of years ago, explorers and monks from the Great Yu Dynasty sailed for five years to reach the Northern Dynasty, making each other aware of their existence.

After the war between the Western Regions and the Central Plains gradually subsided, some information about the Great Yu Dynasty entered the ears of the people in the Central Plains through the mouths of the people in the Western Regions.

Information about the Celestial Palace is contained within it.

"We were forced into this situation," Layman Wanghan complained to Venerable Qingyang. "A few days ago, a relatively stable long-range teleportation portal appeared in a certain place in the Great Yu Dynasty for some reason. After several attempts, we realized that this teleportation portal leads directly to the Central Plains."

"The new Palace Master of Jitian Palace has only been in office for a year. He is eager to establish his authority, eliminate dissidents, and wants to do some big things."

"The fame of the Heaven-Stealing Bottle, the supreme treasure of the Zhengyi Sect, is known to many in the Great Yu Dynasty. If this treasure can be brought to the Jitian Palace, it wouldn't be a problem for him to remain the Palace Master for another hundred years."

"I, an outsider skilled in unorthodox methods, was assigned to do this petty theft."

"It's done. The Heavenly Palace has acquired a supreme treasure. I will most likely be sent to the edge of the wilderness to do dirty and tiring work as a guard. I might even die in the mouth of some powerful and ferocious beast in ten years."

"If the theft fails, whether I die in the Central Plains or escape back to the Jitian Palace, that bastard palace master will be happy to see it happen."

Upon hearing this, Venerable Qingyang immediately understood the subtext of Layman Wanghan: "You mean you want to leave the Jitian Palace and settle in our Central Plains region?"

“I have this idea,” Layman Wanghan admitted frankly, knowing that Venerable Qingyang intended to recruit him. “I have long heard that the Zhengyi Sect is the second largest sect in the Central Plains, with many talented people among its members. Although you Nascent Soul cultivators are ambitious and have great talents, you have always lacked the opportunity to become the number one sect in the Central Plains.”

"If Fellow Daoist Qingyang thinks highly of me, I am willing to join the Zhengyi Sect and work hard for its cause."

After saying this, Layman Wanghan had more thoughts about this "long journey," and he sighed that the bastard palace master might have even thought about his possibility of joining a sect in the Central Plains.

Venerable Qingyang was quite willing to see the idea of ​​turning hostility into friendship.

"Don't rush, Fellow Daoist Wang Han," Venerable Qingyang addressed Layman Wang Han with much more kindness, "Tell me first where that teleportation portal you mentioned is."

If it weren't for the matter of the ancient cultivation secret realm, Venerable Qingyang would definitely have thought that Layman Wanghan was lying there.

However, with the emergence of ancient cultivation realms, it is not impossible for unexpected changes to occur in the world.

Wang Han Jushi quickly took out a map from his storage bag and pointed on it, "Here, fifty miles northwest of Luoxia Valley, there is a cave. The teleportation portal is deep inside this cave."

Upon hearing this, Venerable Qingyang casually sent a message to the sect, and then said, "Tell me more about the teleportation gate."

Wang Han Jushi revealed all the information he knew.

"The portal is extremely stable, but it requires a large amount of spirit stones to activate and complete the teleportation."

"Besides me, two other fellow Daoists who didn't get along with that bastard palace master were also sent here."

"I was responsible for stealing the Heaven-Stealing Bottle from the Zhengyi Sect, while they were tasked with stealing the Earth Mother's Spiritual Liquid from Xuan Yang Valley and the Heaven-Melting Furnace from the Seven Mountains Alliance."

"After leaving the teleportation array, we will go our separate ways."

"Presumably, they both know that this trip is a dead end regardless of whether it succeeds or not, and like me, they have reached a tacit understanding with the higher-ups of the two major sects. They may have already stayed at those two sects."

Upon hearing this, Venerable Qingyang was slightly disappointed. After all, if each of the three families added a Nascent Soul cultivator, the value of recruiting Layman Wanghan would be greatly reduced.

To please Venerable Qingyang, Layman Wanghan sold all the information about his two unfortunate brothers without hesitation, using it as one of his pledges to join the Zhengyi Sect.

The two chatted quite pleasantly, and Venerable Qingyang was quite satisfied with Layman Wanghan's attitude.

Half an hour later, a message from a Golden Core cultivator of the Zhengyi Sect convinced him that Layman Wanghan was not lying.

After asking a few more questions, Venerable Qingyang finally said, "Alright, Fellow Daoist Wang Han, welcome to the Zhengyi Sect."

Upon hearing this, Layman Wanghan breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Fellow Daoist Qingyang, for accepting me. If the Zhengyi Sect ever encounters any trouble in the future and needs my help, I will do my utmost, even at the cost of my life."

Venerable Qingyang didn't stand on ceremony and said directly, "That's right. Perfect timing, there's a place where your help is needed right now."

Wang Han Jushi's expression froze.

“Don’t be afraid, I’m not asking you to open your heart,” Venerable Qingyang laughed when he saw the expression on Layman Wanghan’s face. “I just heard that there are cultivators in the Jitian Palace who are skilled in alchemy and can refine a supreme pill that can help cultivators in the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm improve their cultivation. Is there such a thing?”

Venerable Qingyang had only heard about this incident secondhand.

Upon hearing this, Layman Wanghan nodded slightly and decisively took out a brocade box from his storage bag.

Upon opening the brocade box, one finds a fist-sized golden pill inside.

After hesitating for a moment, Layman Wanghan presented the elixir along with the brocade box with both hands.

“I presume that Venerable Qingyang is referring to the Imperial Extreme Pill,” Layman Wanghan explained. “This pill can only be taken once by a cultivator. If a cultivator in the early stage of the Golden Core takes it, it can allow them to advance to the middle stage of the Golden Core within five years. If a cultivator in the middle stage of the Golden Core takes the Imperial Extreme Pill, three additional pill patterns will appear on their Golden Core, enhancing their strength.”

"I originally prepared this Imperial Extreme Pill for one of my good disciples, but now I'm afraid I can never return to the Great Yu Dynasty Extreme Heaven Palace. It's useless to keep it by my side, so I might as well contribute it to the Zhengyi Sect."

If it weren't for the fact that he was in the Heavenly Palace and had many other concerns in the Great Yu Dynasty, the Hermit of the Vanished Cold wouldn't have made the trip to the Righteous One Sect to try and steal the treasure. He would most likely have surrendered like the two Nascent Soul cultivators who were also exiled, thus avoiding trouble.

Venerable Qingyang did not suspect that Layman Wanghan was lying or that he had taken out a fake pill. He just glanced at it and put it into his storage bag.

Qingyang Venerable did not intend to give the pill to the Golden Core elder he knew, but rather hoped to study it, decipher its formula, and use it to increase the sect's strength.

However, Venerable Qingyang was not entirely at ease with Layman Wanghan, who had just decided to join the Zhengyi Sect.

He took out a black pill from his storage bag, flicked it with his finger, and presented it to Layman Wang Han.

Wang Han Jushi accepted the pill, and Qingyang Venerable said, "This is the Thousand Insect Devouring Infant Pill. If the corresponding antidote is not taken every year after swallowing it, the nascent soul will suffer pain as if it were being torn apart by hundreds or thousands of poisonous insects."

"If the antidote is not taken within five years, the cultivator who swallowed the pill will have their nascent soul explode and die instantly."

"Fellow Daoist Wang Han, if you could..."

No sooner had Venerable Qingyang finished explaining the uses of this small black pill than Layman Wanghan swallowed it in one gulp without the slightest hesitation.

Upon seeing this, Venerable Qingyang burst into laughter.

"Fellow Daoist Wang Han is indeed a ruthless person. Alright, you don't need to worry. This pill is actually just a worldly candy, without any toxic side effects. I was just testing you."

"The taste is alright."

"Good job. Let's go, Layman Wang Han. You are now the fifty-seventh elder of our Zhengyi Sect. You will be well provided with spirit stones and pills every day."

"If you are loyal to the Zhengyi Sect for ten years, the position of the sixth Supreme Elder in the sect will be yours."

Upon hearing this, the expression on Layman Wanghan's face changed from gloomy to cheerful, and he was overjoyed.

After making his promise, Venerable Qingyang led Layman Wanghan, who had become his friend in the blink of an eye, back the way they came.

Meanwhile, the second round of the second match of the Five Elements Mountain Academy arena competition was just about to begin.

[Author's Note] Before you joined, we were already the second largest in the Central Plains.