The Forbidden Path to Immortality - Chapter 105

Chapter 8 The Killer

Ignoring the drama of their long-awaited reunion below the cliff, Li Xun and Shui Die Lan silently stole away, covering a hundred miles in the blink of an eye. Finding a secluded spot, they finally stopped.

Shui Die Lan was in a state of extreme distress, her face grim after just such a short walk. As soon as she stopped, she immediately sat cross-legged, exhaling several times before recovering.

“Ramash’s unique skill, ‘Heavenly Loss,’ truly lives up to its reputation!” Shui Die Lan gritted her teeth and laughed, her hatred for Ramashus evident in her deepest depths.

“He tricked me this time, I’ll admit it. Next time, it’ll be my turn to trick him. Humph, don’t let me know when he’ll transcend his tribulation!”

Li Xun grinned. This was truly the most despicable form of revenge in the Tongxuan Realm. With Shui Die Lan being so ruthless, she must have suffered a heavy loss. But he still couldn’t understand how Ramash had calculated that Shui Die Lan would be visiting the Southeast Forest Sea anytime soon.

While Water Die Lan recuperated, Li Xun posed this question.

Water Die Lan frowned, but ultimately gave a direct answer: “Because Ramasha ambushed not Water Die Lan, but Hundred Illusion Butterfly, it’s that simple.”

“They know your true identity?” Li Xun felt something was amiss the moment he uttered the question, but for a moment, unable to think of anything else, he asked, “Is there a reason?”

“Well, it’s actually quite simple. Anyone with a bit of age and experience in the Profound Realm knows that if you anger the Qing Emperor’s elder, you’re effectively provoking two of the most powerful demons simultaneously. Because… the Qing Elder raised me.”

“Is that so?”

Li Xun’s curiosity piqued. However, Water Die Lan seemed reluctant to speak, simply replying, “Before my spiritual intelligence was fully developed, I made a living collecting the pollen and honey from the spiritual flowers of the Qing Elder. That’s how I achieved enlightenment early. The Qing Elder truly saved me, that’s all.”

This was truly a “monster-like” secret. Li Xun found this somewhat amusing, but he finally understood some of the context. It also suddenly clarified a topic that Shui Die Lan had been holding back on.

“Actually, you’re so interested in Wu Yin Xuan to protect the secret of Qu Jing Tong You, right? Yeah, you really have a grateful side!”

Shui Die Lan snorted at Li Xun’s teasing. “Same here. I’ve just seen someone go beyond scheming and scheming to devour raw meat and drink blood, a mad, mad maniac. I admire you, I admire you!”

The two sarcastic expressions collided, a collision that left both sides wounded.

In an instant, the deliberately accumulated mockery dissipated, and the two men burst into laughter, appearing even more carefree and frivolous in the deserted wilderness.

The clash of two minds, no longer hostile—at least for now.

Perhaps they were still entangled in intrigue, perhaps never reaching the depth of affection expected of a “couple,” but now, they were gradually coming to see each other as equals, and any sparks of chemistry were ignited by this dynamic.

Li Xun leaped to his feet, a gesture typical of a young man. Then, he reached out to Shui Dielan, who had collapsed on the ground in laughter, and with a slight effort, he pulled the beautiful butterfly spirit to her feet. Shui Dielan

seemed to have lost her breath from laughter, and after coughing twice, she choked on blood.

“…Tian Sun Qi Gong, truly impressive!”

Li Xun sighed, the atmosphere, which had inexplicably risen, stagnated again with the blood. He gently placed his hand on Shui Dielan’s back, about to inhale his true energy to test the situation, but Shui Dielan slapped him away.

“My constitution is different from yours, so there’s no need to waste your energy!”

Li Xun chuckled softly, unconcerned. But in the blink of an eye, Shui Dielan suddenly grabbed his wrist again: “Huh, it seems your physical condition is quite different now, isn’t it?”

As she spoke, her true energy seeped into Li Xun, swirling around him, and a look of surprise involuntarily crossed her face: “What?”

Li Xun calmly withdrew his hand, saying calmly: “This is the direct consequence of practicing magic. First, you mess with your body until it becomes neither human nor ghost. But it’s a good thing this way. You are a demon and I am a demon, so we are more compatible!”

Shui Dielan could not fail to see that Li Xun was forcing a smile. However, if she were more considerate, she would not be Shui Dielan.

Regardless of Li Xun’s thoughts, she reverted to her old self and said with a smile: “There are many rumors that the ultimate practice of ‘Blood God Son’ becomes ‘Blood Nightmare, Blood Demon, Blood God Son, Blood Heart, Blood Body, Blood Clone’. What ‘blood what’ have you cultivated now?”

“How can there be so many ‘blood what’s’?” In fact, while these two sentences aren’t entirely wrong, they actually correspond to each other: Blood Nightmare to Blood Heart, Blood Demon to Blood Body, Blood God Son to Blood Clone. The former is the exterior, the latter the interior. The unity of the exterior and the interior is the secret of this method.

Li Xun was puzzled. This enchanting woman had clearly obtained the manuscript of ‘Blood God Son,’ so how could she still lack basic common sense? However, he didn’t mind discussing this, as it would be a good opportunity for him to sort out his thoughts.

“Besides the required course of ‘Resisting Evil Thoughts,’ completing ‘Blood God Son’ requires five major transitions: ‘Body Tempering,’ ‘Externalization,’ ‘Transformation,’ ‘Duplicate,’ and ‘Immortality.’ I should have reached ‘Transformation,’ right?” “

Huh? So fast?”

“Yes, it’s too fast, but it’s better than dying!” Despite saying this, Li Xun’s face was as gloomy as water, and it was clear that he was in a very bad mood.

“At that time, the Huayin Pool wanted to melt all my flesh and bones. If it weren’t for Yin Sanren… hey, I would have merged into the Huayin Jade Liquid by now, and no body would be left. At that time, body training and externalization were of no use. I could only choose the “transformation” as a emergency measure. Right now, it’s just a “blood body” level.”

“Blood body? That’s quite vivid. It’s like being washed by blood, with all the internal organs out of shape. Well, if I cut open this layer of your skin, will the stuff inside come out?”

“Hey, don’t joke!”

Li Xun dodged her nails that were sharper than a knife, and said unhappily: “Are you sure you are seriously injured? You can’t see it at all now!”

Before she finished speaking, Shui Dielan spat out another mouthful of blood. Li Xun’s eyelids twitched and he felt quite embarrassed.

Shui Dielan didn’t blame him. She just took a deep breath and temporarily suppressed the injury: “This injury will not heal in a short time. I need to recuperate slowly and quietly. It’s best to go to Wuyinxuan. Hey, will you accompany me?”

“Of course!” Li Xun agreed very happily: “Just because you came thousands of miles to help, I would…”

He suddenly stopped talking, but his eyes were always fixed on Shui Dielan’s face. Shui Dielan raised her eyebrows in some confusion, a little confused about what happened.

After a long time, Li Xun suddenly laughed again. He stretched out his hand and gently placed it on Shui Dielan’s shoulder: “I’m sorry, I didn’t expect that things would become so bad at the time. However, I will definitely remember the kindness of Madam coming thousands of miles to help.”

Shui Dielan was so smart that she immediately understood what Li Xun was thinking of. However, she cared more about the way Li Xun addressed her. She raised her eyes and glanced at him, then stretched out her hand with a smile and gently pressed it on Li Xun’s chest: “It’s rare that you still have this self-awareness! Hey, your heartbeat is a little…ah!”

She let out a short cry of surprise, and a moment earlier, Li Xun suddenly took advantage of her and hugged her into his arms. Their bodies collided with a dull sound. Amidst Shui Dielan’s cries of pain, Li Xun hugged her tightly, almost suffocating her.

The fiery breath on the back of her neck was practically burning her skin. Li Xun was breathing heavily, while Shui Die Lan remained silent. Because she found that when she stopped using a condescending attitude to interact with this peculiar guy, many things had gone out of control.

She had a very deep understanding of human emotional changes, but applying this conclusion to Li Xun could sometimes be inaccurate.

For example, now!

When Li Xun, such a deep and introverted personality, suddenly burst into emotions as hot and surging as magma due to a very subtle inducement, she instinctively felt a little flustered.

She only knew that the subtle elements that caused this v*olence would only hide deeper afterwards. And the only thing that was certain was that this “element” was not herself.

So, Shui Die Lan remained silent.

Li Xun finally realized his own indiscretion. Amidst Shui Dielan’s strange silence, he awkwardly released her hand, then explained, “Well, it’s just like you said. I’ve been practicing Blood Godson too quickly, and my emotions are a bit out of control. But… Madam, won’t you fulfill your wifely duties?”

This joke marked the return of their relationship to normal. Shui Dielan rolled her eyes at him, then took in his attire, almost laughing. “You’re going to escort me like this? Not a spiritual bamboo, not a ghost, or perhaps you’re trying to find a new identity for fun?”

“It’s just a temporary solution!”

Li Xun casually removed his bloodstained robe, revealing a short-sleeved outfit. He frowned, thought for a moment, and said, “The Hundred Ghosts are still in seclusion. If they come out too soon, it’ll be troublesome.

Let’s use Lingzhu. While their sudden appearance in the southwest is a bit abrupt, overall, we can handle them.” As he spoke, he transformed his facial features with his inner energy and summoned Youyi.

He then took out all of Lingzhu’s equipment and was about to put it on when Shui Dielan suddenly called out, “Wait!” Li Xun hummed and turned back, but soon gasped and visibly flinched his arm. There was a slight sound, and Shui Dielan saw clearly that a small jade item had fallen into the grass. Li Xun was stunned for a moment before opening his hand. His palm was charred black.

Shui Dielan immediately understood and picked up the small pendant. Sure enough, it was one of Li Xun’s most treasured magical items: the Jade Evil-Repelling Pendant.

This invaluable magical item, which had been with Li Xun since his youth, had now turned against him and dealt him a heavy blow.

Shui Dielan sighed and said to Li Xun, “It’s over!”

Li Xun looked up at her in a daze. Shui Dielan shook her head slightly. “You can’t change back. The signs of practicing Blood God Son are too obvious. Even if you transform into Lingzhu, you can’t hide the bloody smell. This thing… you shouldn’t wear it anymore!”

Li Xun said nothing, just staring blankly. After a long moment, he shook his head and said, “That’s not right!”

“Nothing’s wrong. Perhaps this is the price you have to pay for your life. There’s no such thing as a free lunch. If you try to take advantage of everything, in the end, only something even more terrible will be waiting for you!”

Shui Dielan rarely spoke some profound truths, but it was obvious that they were not working well. Li Xun’s expression became extremely depressed. He just casually fiddled with the robe in his hands, his face turning pale and blue, and it was clear that he was extremely uneasy.

Shui Dielan frowned, about to say something else when Li Xun suddenly glared at her. “Why is Tianzhi okay?”

“She hasn’t reached that high a level yet, and no one knows her current situation! Anyway, hey, what are you doing?”

She wasn’t paying attention, and Li Xun snatched the jade ward off evil spirits from her. Startled, Shui Dielan instinctively reached out to reclaim it, but Li Xun leaned sideways, allowing the blow to strike her shoulder.

Simultaneously, Shui Dielan distinctly heard the series of crackling sounds of flesh bursting in her palm.

“Idiot! If you can’t even let go of your identity, what’s the point of practicing Taoism!”

Shui Dielan reached back to grab it, but before she could muster the strength, she was frightened by Li Xun’s surreptitious expression. Li Xun must have been in excruciating pain at this moment, his brow muscles twitching slightly, yet he forced a smile and placed his finger on his lips, silencing her.

“Listen!”

What was he listening to? Shui Dielan’s sensitive ears only heard the faint sounds of flesh tearing and blood dripping. But Li Xun didn’t think so. He closed his eyes and, as calm as possible, let out a long sigh, as if expelling all the pain.

“Can’t you hear it? I can hear it! It’s my muscles, bones, and skin adapting. The changes here are extremely mysterious. Once I find the key, everything will fall into place!”

Hearing the trembling voice, Shui Dielan thought Li Xun was crazy. But as she saw his increasingly calm and composed eyes, this conclusion suddenly became untenable.

Li Xun grinned and quickly put on his clothes, not Lingzhu’s, but Baigui’s.

Then, he stuffed all of Lingzhu’s equipment into Youyi’s hand, making it disappear. However, he left one item behind: the Jade Evil-Repelling Blade!

This treasure, which had helped him countless times, but now continued to harm him, was tightly grasped in his palm, not a single piece exposed.

“There’s no other way. I’ll just use the identity of Bai Gui.” Li Xun curled his lips helplessly. “However, it’s hard to talk to the sect. Please help me think of a reason first!”

At this moment, he didn’t have any expression of pain. Shui Dielan stared at him for a long while before she hummed softly and responded with a mocking smile: “Do you still need to think about it? Just say that someone’s brain is burnt out, that’s enough!”

Li Xun blew a few breaths of cold air on his clenched fists. Finally, he shrugged: “Whatever you say. But, this is also what you said: there is no such thing as a free lunch in the world. If I let it go now, won’t it cost more to get it in the future?

“Besides, I just found out that things are worse than I thought! When I just came out of the Huayin Pool, the internal organs and meridians in my body were still barely in shape, but after killing for the past few days, the burning blood and energy filled my body, which washed them all to pieces.

“Right now, I’m afraid I can’t even use the most basic Youming Qi or Qingyan Zhuying Sword Technique. Decades of cultivation are destroyed. If I let it go easily, is there any price more tragic than this?”

So serious? Shui Dielan was quite surprised. Now she understood more clearly why Xue Sanren had left this uniquely magical secret technique unused and chosen a new path.

Seeing Li Xun’s compelling reasons, Shui Dielan was at a loss for words. However, she remained unyielding, “If it can be restored, that would be wonderful, but I hope it’s not just an illusion.”

“How could it be? I know my body well… Go, it’s refreshing!”

“Oh, I see!”

With laughter, two figures flashed and soared through the air.

The incident in the southwest corner did not disrupt the broader situation in the Tongxuan Realm, but only caused ripples within a smaller area.

To the astonishment of those waiting to see the excitement, after the Shuijing Sect rescued its disciples and learned of Taoist Yulan’s house arrest, they did not seize the opportunity to demand the release of their disciples in the name of justice. They didn’t even issue a strongly worded statement.

What is even more ridiculous is that Western Union took the initiative to step forward at this time, solemnly sent Taoist Yu Lan back, and expressed apologies for “acting too aggressively”.

As the entire Tongxuan Realm whispered about the “Xuanhai Youming City,” the Seventh Cultivator, the leader of the Heavenly Demon Sword Sect and the voice of the entire Western Alliance, laughed heartily: “A treasured land belongs only to the capable. This Xuanhai Youming City is firmly in the hands of the Western Alliance!”

Naturally, each sect in this realm reacted differently to this attitude. However, someone nearing the Southeast Forest Sea shook his head and sighed, “How cruel!”

“What do you mean by cruel?”

Watching Li Xun, returning from hunting, speak like this, Shui Dielan was somewhat puzzled. “Did you encounter some powerful beast?”

“Of course not!” Li Xun tossed a musk deer to the ground and handed Shui Dielan some of her favorite fruits. Shaking his head, he repeated the news he had just received from a wandering cultivator.

Shui Dielan wasn’t very interested in these things, yawning constantly as she listened, and not wanting to bother thinking about them. Finally, out of curiosity, she asked him, “Are you saying that the Western Union is ruthless? In what way?”

“Ruthless! The move to release Yu Lan was really insidious. As far as I think, that Taoist nun Yu Lan is very tight-lipped. Even for Ramash, it would be difficult to pry anything out of her mouth. So, just make a gesture and make everything public.”

Li Xun shook his wrist lightly to relieve the strength of his severely injured left hand, and said, “It’s okay if they are not interested in Xuanhai Youming City, but as long as they have the slightest intention, what would they suspect?”

“Suspicious? Oh, yes, Yu Lan must have calculated the location of Xuanhai Youming City and gave it to Ramash to get away!”

“That’s right. Moreover, even if Taoist Yu Lan didn’t give the information to the Western Alliance, or even calculated the exact location, it’s clear that if you want to get involved in this matter, you can either follow the Western Alliance’s people everywhere, or go to Langya Shuijing Heaven and ask the Shuijing Sect directly! Isn’t this year’s Shuijing Conference going to be held soon?”

Shui Dielan clicked her tongue twice, and she understood everything completely.

“How ruthless! Even if they didn’t know beforehand, once the truth is made public, the pressure from the entire Tongxuan Sect will force the Shuijing Sect to calculate the location of Xuanhai Youming City… Of course, whether they can calculate it or not, the Shuijing Sect will never be at peace again!”

“And more!” Li Xun began to skin the deer, saying, “Trouble is brewing in the Southeast Forest Sea as well. I don’t think Ramash will cover up for us under these circumstances! There’s no need to say more, just a little word will suffice! This, the first one!”

Li Xun threw out a sign, and Shui Dielan immediately recognized it as the Flying Soul Edict from the Ghost Devouring Shadow Sect.

At this moment, the presence of this sign undoubtedly proved that the sect knew that the Hundred Ghosts had quietly broken through the barrier and escaped.

“It’s been revealed! She must have heard something, and she found out when she came to discuss it with me. You see, what an interesting saying: Master and disciple are of one mind, and they are not afraid of any difficulties; when they are alone outside, they should be cautious. Ha, what difficulties are there, and what caution is there? Don’t I know that?”

Shui Dielan smiled softly, and then clapped her hands, attracting Li Xun’s attention: “Do you want to know what the difficulties are? I originally wanted to let you have a peaceful meal, but since you mentioned it, here, look at this!”

She held something out from behind her back. Li Xun was slightly stunned when he saw it.

It was a bird with gray feathers and a white beak. He couldn’t tell what it was called, but its body was stiff, and its claws were stiff. It must have been dead a long time ago.

The thing Shui Dielan showed him specifically was certainly not just an ordinary dead bird. Li Xun examined it carefully and found something: “This bird seems to be a ‘vessel’, used to carry spirits?”

“Yes, this is the famous ‘death bird’, understand?”

Death bird? I’ve heard of this before. Li Xun tutted his words, “Luoyu Sect? They’re really haunting us!”

Shui Dielan looked at him with a smile, raised her eyebrows and said, “Well? I know you never suffer any loss. It must not feel good to be nearly smashed to pieces by the Luoyu Sect. Do you want to get it back?”

“Come for me?” Li Xun was quite self-aware, but when he thought about it, he felt something was wrong: “It seems that you are also one of the targets of Luoyu Sect, and no matter how you look at it, your standards are higher than mine.”

“What’s the difference between us?” Shui Dielan said this without blushing at all: “Since they saw the “Death Bird”, they must know that we are together. I’m afraid they have already prepared all kinds of means by now.

“However, if I destroy the spirit carried by this bird, it is equivalent to telling them that I already know the details. It will just disrupt their arrangements and buy some time. Then, what should we do with a wounded and a sick person?”

Li Xun touched his chin and began to observe the surrounding environment.

This is a hilly area in the eastern part of the Tongxuan Realm. If we were to judge by sphere of influence, it would belong to the Huayan Sect. However, the monks, who spend their days chanting sutras and eating vegetarian food, don’t really value material possessions. Therefore, this area is very active with the activities of various sects and independent practitioners.

The two of them were currently on the shady side of a small hill. Because it was winter, and the climate wasn’t as humid and warm as in the southwest, the trees on the hill had already fallen. Furthermore, the sky was not bright today, leaving only the strange shadows of branches, a rather eerie appearance.

However, purely in terms of feeling, Li Xun’s voice was no less powerful. “I don’t know what rumors have spread, but I’m certain the Luoyu Sect will never allow us to swagger into the Southeast Forest Sea. So… should we give it a try?”

Shui Dielan pondered for a moment, then suddenly extended a hand, inviting us: “Then please, Grandmaster of Forbidden Techniques, Taoist Master Baigui!”

The sky darkened rapidly. In the darkness, the sparsely leafed forest looked like a forest of countless demons, a scene of bizarre phenomena.

A small gray-feathered bird fluttered onto a branch, flapping its wings before preening its dull feathers with its long beak.

It looked like an ordinary bird, foraging at night. However, a closer look at its eyes revealed the flickering green light emanating from its pupils, a light that was uncharacteristic of any other creature.

Bored of perching on a branch, the bird took flight again, preparing to venture deeper into the dense forest. However, just as it gracefully leaped from branch to branch, the air resounded with a resounding buzzing

sound, and the next moment, the gray-feathered bird shattered into pieces, as if countless sharp blades were crisscrossing through the darkness.

Strangely, no blood spurted from the shattered bird. As the shattered feathers fell, the dense forest returned to a suffocating calm.

This atmosphere lasted for a long time, until the night was about to fade, when it was broken by a stranger. The man, dressed in green, arrived at an extremely fast speed, with a clear goal in mind, running straight towards the place where the bird’s body was dismembered.

“Tsk, although he has good skills, he doesn’t look like a killer, right?”

Li Xun and Shui Dielan, who had hidden themselves under the restriction, whispered to each other, but Li Xun’s question was obviously a stupid one.

Shui Dielan said lightly, “Stupid, look at the sky! This is the ‘luring the enemy into a trap’ formation that Luoyu Sect likes to use the most. There are at least four masters of the same level as this person who are eyeing you covetously. Once you attack this person, the others will use the ‘Four Directions Seal of Death’ to attack you together… Even I have to think twice!”

As he spoke, the monk had half-crouched down and carefully examined the bird’s corpse.

Of course, he also quickly spotted the forbidden patterns carved into the surrounding tree trunks and the ground. Naturally, his attention was focused on them, and he seemed completely absorbed.

This, in turn, presented a perfect opportunity for a surprise attack.

Li Xun licked his lips. He absolutely refused to acknowledge the “idiot”‘s assessment. He might have missed this one because he wasn’t used to the new technique.

However, after Shui Dielan’s reminder, he focused his attention and, as expected, discovered several subtle strands of energy in the air.

These faint strands clung to the approaching figure like spider silk, seemingly powerless, yet incredibly sensitive. He had no doubt that if he lost his composure and acted rashly, his fate would be disastrous.

Quickly, the cultivator straightened up, and Li Xun sensed a slight surge of energy around him, as if a signal. Immediately, a figure in black swooped down from the sky.

The two exchanged a few simple words, seemingly finalizing the nature of this formation. The man in green nodded, pulled out a jade box from his bosom, and carefully opened it. A line of ice

shot out with a clang, and the forest suddenly felt a little cooler.

“Trouble!” Li Xun sighed when he saw the appearance of the object.

He didn’t expect the Luoyu Sect to be so willing to invest so much and even bring the famous “Soushen Ice Fly”!

This little thing is a well-known supernatural creature, with an extremely keen sense of the breath of all living things. With this little guy here, it will be impossible to escape purely by relying on restrictions.

Moreover, even if these people are killed now, if this little thing escapes, it will really run to the ends of the earth and cannot escape the clutches of the Luoyu Sect!

In this case, it is better to be straightforward.

He coughed lightly, and the blood and energy in his body suddenly rose up, like a torch suddenly lit in the dark night, instantly attracting everyone’s attention.

Under the surprised gazes of the two monks, he walked out from the shadows leisurely and said with a smile, “Are you two looking for me?”

His actions were certainly forced, but the two people in front of him were obviously in greater trouble.

Luoyu Sect has never been a sect that is good at dealing with things head-on, so when the two monks saw Li Xun with a warm smile on his face, they were even a little at a loss.

In the sky, an invisible bowstring slowly tightened.

At this moment, another voice sounded: “No, we are not doing business tonight!”

Li Xun looked in surprise. He saw a figure walking slowly towards him.

He was wearing a snow-white robe, which was particularly conspicuous in the darkening night, but the aura on his body was restrained to an extremely weak limit, which was very inconsistent with his clothes.

This man was undoubtedly extremely handsome, his snow-white skin almost indistinguishable from his matching clothing, a figure many female cultivators would envy. His facial features were remarkably strong, yet his composed expression imbued them with a softness that was both paradoxical and alluring.

However, upon gazing into his warm, luminous eyes, Li Xun felt a wave of doubt. He

couldn’t discern any definitive emotion in them—because, with a cursory glance, he might have thought he’d grasped the direction of his consciousness, but that direction would undoubtedly shift completely the next moment. A

dangerous individual!

Li Xun had never encountered such a figure before. It seemed as if every gesture he made was designed to confuse and mislead others, ultimately plotting against them. Even more terrifying, this feeling might not be real—the most crucial aspect.

Suddenly, he regretted his brash decision.

Looking forward to the sequel to “The Journey to the Netherworld” Part Two.