The Forbidden Path to Immortality - Chapter 13

Chapter 4: Flying

Flying freely through the air like a bird is perhaps one of the most primal and yearning desires in everyone’s heart.

Li Xun was no exception.

Ever since he first ascended Lianxia Mountain, he’d been captivated by the fleeting sword lights of the sky.

Even when he witnessed Shan Zhi, who had climbed the mountain with him, descend from the sky on a slanting blade of light, his jealousy erupted uncontrollably, extinguishing any remaining possibility of a true friendship between them.

Seven or eight years had passed in a flash, and he had ascended Lianxia Mountain once again, becoming a direct disciple of the sect. His status had changed, but some desires remained constant.

While Shan Zhi could already wield his sword across thousands of miles, arriving at his destination day and night, Li Xun had only just acquired a sword.

But he wasn’t in a hurry.

Sitting on the thousand-foot cliff atop Zhiguan Peak, he slowly drew his sword, its azure glow radiating far into the distance under the dim sky.

Following Mingji’s example, Li Xun gently brushed his palm along the sword’s spine, narrowing his eyes as he felt the chill of the blade.

He first evened out his breath, placed his palm on the sword’s spine, and began to tap the blade slowly and rhythmically with his fingers, making a series of buzzing sounds. The green light on the sword also began to fluctuate, and the light flickered depending on the strength of Li Xun’s application.

There are generally two ways to practice swordsmanship in the Mingxin Sword Sect.

Li Xun did not use the common method of sword cultivation, but a different method, which Mingji called the “spirit attachment” technique. It is based on the “seal carving” method, using the true breath to carve runes on the sword body, so that the flow of the true breath on the sword is in line with the sword master’s habits.

This method is not very helpful for improving cultivation, but it is simple and easy to use. Once the rune is drawn, it can be used immediately.

Li Xun used his expertise in talismans and forbidden patterns, abandoning the strengths and using the weaknesses, which is what fools do.

Yet he didn’t dare to carve the patterns rashly. The key to the “spiritual possession” technique lay in unleashing the sword’s optimal performance. He only had a limited understanding of the sword’s properties at this point, and simply carving the patterns would only yield half the result with twice the

effort—an absolute no-no! He tapped the sword’s spine with his fingers, a technique he employed to test the flow of spiritual energy. The “Green Jade” should have been a formidable divine weapon, but flaws in its craftsmanship had degraded it—a real shame.

Li Xun repeated the sword-testing technique repeatedly. Sure enough, a faint disconnect could be detected between the sword’s inherent sharpness and the spiritual energy swirling around it.

The two were mutually exclusive. Without a focused mind, the sword’s power was diminished, reaching less than 70% of its full potential.

Li Xun’s abilities naturally proved impossible to resolve. Fortunately, he didn’t need to. His current goal was to cultivate the art of sword flight.

After more than three hours of sensing, he finally understood the fluctuations of spiritual energy on the “Green Jade”, and the sky was already completely dark.

He raised his palm, swirled it, and brought it down, slapping the sword’s spine with a fierce blow. The sword emitted a low “humming” sound that lasted for a long time. Taking advantage of the sword’s trembling, he placed his finger on the blade. The sharp sword energy cut his index finger, and blood dripped.

He slightly bent his finger, letting the blood swirl around his fingertip. Suddenly, the sword light of the “Green Jade” dimmed slightly in a fluctuation. Li Xun’s bleeding finger was now pressed against the center of the sword’s spine, sliding from the top of the sword’s hilt to the tip of the sword. The blood-red lines were continuous, straight and without twists, as if they were engraved on the sword.

“Qingyu” let out a low whistle, its azure glow instantly dimming. The bloodstains on the sword’s spine grew increasingly vibrant. The traces, once the thickness of a little finger, rapidly thinned until they became thread-thin lines, then stopped.

Li Xun’s face paled with satisfaction.

He had just used the “Dragon-Returning Trough” technique, taking advantage of a moment of slightly diminished spiritual energy. Using the blood as a guide, he created a “Dragon-Returning Trough,” trapping the spiritual energy flowing through the sword’s body.

While it appeared to have lost all spiritual energy, its power was greatly diminished, in reality, without the spiritual energy’s restraint, the sword’s inherent murderous aura was unleashed to its full potential. No longer suffering the rift between body and mind, it was now more effective.

However, the spiritual energy within the “Dragon-Returning Trough” would be a great waste if left unused. Li Xun wanted to release it to fuel his sword energy.

By channeling spiritual energy into countless threads and infiltrating them into the sword’s material, and then controlling this energy to form talismans and forbidden patterns within the blade, he could stimulate the sword’s energy from within.

However, this skill wouldn’t be mastered in a day or two, so he had to put it aside for now.

Thus, the sword’s refinement came to a close. Even after being given the name “Returning Dragon Trough Jade,” it was no longer worthy of its name. The azure glow had vanished, leaving only a faint halo around the blade, signaling its extraordinary nature.

Li Xun silently chanted the incantation, his true energy flowing through his body and striking the sword. Another low humming sound escaped his grasp, and he released his grip. The “Green Jade” floated in mid-air amidst a low, resonant hum.

The art of controlling the sword, in essence, involves using the sword as a medium to connect with the vital energy of heaven and earth, allowing it to float back and forth, into and out of the azure sky.

Relying on the sect’s incantations, Li Xun controlled the “Green Jade,” causing it to spin several times in the air, moving very slowly but steadily.

Li Xun could feel the heaven and earth’s vital energy, flowing through the “Green Jade,” interacting subtly with his inner Qi. Every fluctuation of his Qi would pass through the sword and act upon the heaven and earth’s vital energy.

He controlled the sword, gradually increasing its speed, allowing himself to adapt to the impact on the heaven and earth’s vital energy under this situation.

Gradually, the high-flying “Green Jade” formed a dim circle of light outside Li Xun’s body. The sword energy broke free from his control and scattered in all directions, leaving many scratches on the rock.

Li Xun understood that if he exceeded this limit, he would not be able to control his flight smoothly, and he would have to be more careful in the future.

The sword moved as his heart moved, and the “Green Jade” suddenly fell in mid-air, slamming diagonally down to the ground.

Li Xun lightly leaped onto the sword, swaying slightly before stabilizing himself. With a flick of the Green Jade sword tip, it floated in the air.

“Good!”

Li Xun exhaled. While experiencing the strange sensation of standing in the air, he carefully controlled his true breath, aligning it with the energy of the sword beneath his feet. Only when he achieved perfect harmony did he ascend again.

Zhiguan Peak beneath his feet gradually shrank. From his vantage point, he could see the entire summit in full view. The tiny lights were a beautiful embellishment in the darkness, gleaming brightly in his eyes.

The wind whistled through the sky, ruffling only his clothes but failing to disturb his balance. His courage grew. He

first circled slowly with his sword, then sped up, then began to rise and fall, swerving sideways, stopping and starting suddenly. He played for the better part of an hour before finally descending with his heart’s content.

If he hadn’t been worried about any trouble at night, he would have soared over the seventy-two peaks of Lianxia!

Just this alone was enough to make him smile even in his dreams.

Tomorrow, tomorrow, I must have some fun!

But before he could figure out his plans for tomorrow, Lin Ge was already waiting for him at the door.

Looking at Lin Ge’s half-smile, Li Xun realized that his outrageous behavior in the sky had been noticed by Lin Ge down below. Fortunately, Lin Ge still acted as if he didn’t care about anything. He just waved and asked him to come in.

Speaking of which, it was rare for Lin Ge to take the initiative to invite someone. Li Xun was a little flattered for a moment and hurriedly put away his sword and followed him.

But this time, it seemed different.

Lin Ge entered the house and walked upstairs without stopping. Li Xun hesitated. He hadn’t been upstairs in the past few months. He vaguely knew that this upstairs was Lin Ge’s private space and he didn’t like others to dabble in it. What happened today? He

thought so in his mind, but only paused for a moment before continuing to follow.

When he got upstairs, he watched Lin Ge go straight into the inner room, but he didn’t dare to go in again. He just waited respectfully in the outer hall.

Lin Ge came out a short while later with a jade box in his hand.

Throwing the box on the table, he sat down and suddenly asked, “Is Lao Si back?”

Li Xun knew that the “Lao Si” he was referring to was Ming Ji, and he quickly responded, but inwardly he laughed at how inappropriate the name was for such a beautiful woman.

Lin Ge still spoke weakly, “Give me the sword!”

Li Xun hurriedly offered the sword with both hands. By now, he understood that Lin Ge must have learned about Ming Ji from the sword.

Lin Ge unsheathed the sword half a foot, examined it briefly, and was surprised.

“Huilongcao? What a brilliant idea!”

He looked up at Li Xun and said, “Did you make it?”

Li Xun nodded quickly. Lin Ge praised again, “Dare to give up in order to gain. Well done!”

It was the first time Li Xun had heard such obvious praise, and he was naturally delighted, but of course he didn’t dare to show it on his face.

Lin Ge pulled out the sword completely, and with a flick of his finger, the sword emitted a clear vibration. A hint of nostalgia crossed his face. “When Fourth Sister got this sword, she initially thought of the ‘Returning Dragon Trough’ technique. Your Grandmaster also praised it…”

Li Xun felt a little embarrassed. It turned out that this praise had a story behind it.

“However, in the end, Fourth Sister didn’t use this method because your Grandmaster felt that she was too stubborn at the time and would often draw her sword at the slightest disagreement. The ‘Dragon Trough’ suppressed the sword’s spirituality and stimulated evil spirits, hindering her cultivation… But you don’t have that problem.”

Lin Ge’s fingers traced the blood veins on the sword’s spine, moving slowly upwards. “Your temperament is very similar to mine. At such a young age, you plan before you act, and you can endure what ordinary people can’t. That’s why you were able to survive seven years at Zuowang Peak…

“Of course, Mingji has also been tempered enough now… She’s now profound and cunning, far superior to you and me. What’s rare is that she’s determined to cultivate herself and not be preoccupied with external things. I’m ashamed of myself in this respect. From now on, you should learn from her. That’s the right path. “

Li Xun nodded and agreed.

However, Lin Ge’s two comments, “act after determination, and endure what ordinary people cannot”, still made his heart beat a little faster, and he almost thought that Lin Ge had seen something. But

Lin Ge didn’t show any abnormality, and the confusion in his eyes became stronger: “When I was young, I always kept some things in my heart. Not only did I not say them out loud, but I also didn’t let people see through them.

To put it nicely, it’s responsibility, and to put it bluntly, it’s overestimating oneself.”

Seeing the embarrassment on Li Xun’s face, Lin Ge smiled: “You are still young now, of course you don’t know the harm of this approach. At first, you just thought you could solve everything by yourself, and you thought you were right. Over time, you began to be self-righteous and stubborn, which is a common thing…is this the best example?”

A gust of wind blew in from outside the building, rolling up the screen curtains on the doors and windows, and the shadows swayed, blocking half of Lin Ge’s face in an instant.

For some reason, Li Xun felt a distorted black shadow on Lin Ge’s side. As the lights flickered, it roared and charged straight into his heart.

He couldn’t help but take a half step back, cold sweat streaming down his back.

The wind blew, and the light of the night pearl was as warm as ever, but the Lin Ge before him was beyond his comprehension.

In a daze, he heard Lin Ge’s gentle voice: “Do you want to tell me about my past?”

Li Xun twitched his lips, wanting to say he didn’t know, but he didn’t have the courage, so he nodded.

Lin Ge asked again: “Do you think I was self-righteous and stubborn back then?”

Li Xun groaned inwardly. How could he, as a disciple, comment on such a thing? It was already embarrassing to just listen to it as a story on a normal day, and now he had to comment on it in front of the person involved. If he were to do it in front of a strict elder, it would be a crime of disrespect!

However, he couldn’t help but answer Lin Ge’s words. After a few turns in his mind, he could only say: “My disciple is very inexperienced in matters of the heart!” “

He also knew that this method of avoiding the important and focusing on the trivial would not work, so he quickly added: “Disciple just heard from the senior brothers that feelings are the most subtle thing. No matter how smart a person is in normal times, if he gets caught up in it, he will be like a fool. His daily schemes may not be even one tenth of a tenth…”

Like a fool! He really is like a fool!”

Lin Ge laughed when he heard this. Li Xun groaned in his heart. He felt that this laughter was really weird. He couldn’t figure out the emotional tendency of it at all, so how could he prescribe the right medicine and deal with it?

Lin Ge laughed for a long time, until tears came out of his eyes. Then he pointed at Li Xun and said, “Who do you say is the fool?”

“I’m a fool! It’s because I’m a fool that I came to listen to you!” Li Xun cursed in his heart.

Of course, this was something he absolutely couldn’t say out loud. He forced a smile and said, “Disciple, I don’t know!”

Lin Ge’s smile faded, and he finally shook his head, returning to his usual languid demeanor. He said, “Never mind, never mind. Asking you to say it is indeed embarrassing! Forget it, let’s not talk about this. I’m telling you all this today only to help you understand the direction of your future conduct. Remember, learn from the Fourth Brother, not me!”

Li Xun had nothing else to say but a vague agreement.

Lin Ge didn’t dwell on the topic any further. He sheathed the “Green Jade” and handed it back to Li Xun, then picked up the jade box on the table and

opened it. To Li Xun’s surprise, inside was a men’s hairpin, bluish-white, resembling jade, without a distinctive luster. However, upon closer inspection, a trace of blood running from beginning to end was visible, similar to the “returning dragon groove” on the “Green Jade.”

“Your fourth uncle has already given me a sword, so it would be unreasonable for me, your master, not to show some appreciation.” Lin Ge had a hint of self-mockery on his face. He took out the hairpin and handed it to Li Xun: “What a coincidence, something like this could be quite useful to you right now. Take a look at this hairpin, do you like it?”

Li Xun hurriedly took it with both hands and took a closer look. Sure enough, the blood-stained veins on it were the “Returning Dragon Groove”. The blood-red color on it was crystal clear, and it was unknown what kind of spiritual energy was

sealed in it. Lin Ge pointed out: “This jade hairpin also has the ‘Returning Dragon Groove’ to seal the spiritual energy, but the runes engraved on it are very exquisite, much more powerful than your simple drawing. This hairpin does have magical uses, but you have to understand it yourself, do you understand?”

Li Xun knew that Lin Ge, like Mingji, wanted him to understand the secrets on his own, so he naturally had no objection. He happily bowed, “Thank you, Master!”

Lin Ge waved his hand, “I’m tired. You take this box and go down. We’ll be descending the mountain in a month, so hurry and make preparations.”

The contrast between his high spirits just a moment ago and his now completely different demeanor was too much for Li Xun to bear. However, what Lin Ge had arranged was something he had long awaited. He hurriedly thanked him again, picked up the box, and was about to descend.

But then he heard Lin Ge say behind him, “Name the hairpin ‘Phoenix Feather Needle.’ You can choose it yourself!”

The tone of his voice was so inconsistent that Li Xun was puzzled. He glanced back and saw Lin Ge staring intently at the jade box in his hand. His heart skipped a beat.

Then, the pearly light from the upper floor faded, and darkness fell.

Li Xun’s heart skipped a beat, and he hurried downstairs.

In the darkness, he thought he heard a muffled gasp, stirring the misty air and swirling softly above.

“Who’s the fool?”

Lin Ge’s question somehow etched itself in Li Xun’s mind.

For months, besides diligently practicing his daily lessons, Li Xun had spent his days soaring up and down the mountain, traversing the peaks and valleys.

This excitement was a common experience for every beginner swordsman. The people on the mountain didn’t seem to mind, at most lamenting the boy’s improved fortunes since descending from Zuowang Peak.

Not only had he become a direct descendant, but he also enjoyed the favor of his master and mentor, even receiving the sword that had made him famous.

While others might not have much to say about this kind of luck, Shan Zhi was envious. Although he managed to control himself fairly well, the sour tone in his voice whenever he spoke of it irritated Li Xun.

However, after Li Xun’s words, Shan Zhi fell silent.

“Back then, Senior Brother Shan Zhi only needed three months to master the sword!”

Li Xun’s unabashed envy delighted Shan Zhi. He thought, he was seven years ahead of this kid. Now, he could soar thousands of miles in a flash. Wasn’t he infinitely superior to this little guy still climbing the clouds?

Thinking back, Shan Zhi stopped talking. He had been preparing for a retreat these days. Perhaps Li Xun’s progress had put too much pressure on him. Regardless

, Li Xun finally found some peace and quiet.

While he was certainly excited about his sword skills, why would he need to let them go for days? He simply used it as a pretext to find a secluded place to cultivate his shameful “ghostly energy.”

On Zhiguan Peak, every move was under scrutiny. Countless masters atop the peak, each with unfathomable levels of cultivation, were he to be discovered, he would be doomed!

Therefore, he didn’t even dare carry the jade tablet containing the “Netherworld Record” on his person, instead burying it somewhere along with the “Biyin Pill.” His cultivation of “Netherworld Qi” over the past few months had been haphazard and sporadic.

But since gaining control of his sword, things have changed dramatically.

Lianxia Mountain stretches for thousands of miles, boasting countless hidden gems. Even the combined total of hidden gems known to the public is probably only a tenth of them. Finding a secluded spot within such a vast expanse is surprisingly easy.

Li Xun’s interest in the “Netherworld Record” rivaled his interest in the “Spiritual Resonance Technique.” This unorthodox method, however, was the easiest to master. He had found an opportunity recently, diligently practicing, and with the solid foundation laid by the “Spiritual Resonance Technique,”

he had made tremendous progress. He had even mastered the art of “Soul Reincarnation” to the highest level.

In a twinkling, the nature of the true energy in his body was able to undergo earth-shaking changes. The true energy condensed by the “Xiu Jue” turned into a rolling “Youming Yin Fire” – this was the advancement of “Youming Qi”.

From then on, he was on the right track in practicing “Youming Record”.

Of course, he was not a martial arts fanatic whose mind was full of ascetic practice. He was also planning to reconnect with Mingji after some time. Even if he could not get any benefits, it would be a pleasure to be in close contact with a beautiful woman.

It was a pity that Mingji’s whereabouts were erratic, even within the sect. Several visits were in vain.

It is said that she went to Zuowang Peak.

Standing thousands of feet high in the sky, using his strength to resist the turbulent strong wind, Li Xun sat cross-legged on the sword, the connection between the true energy and the sword still As stable as before.

He was considering one thing – it had been ** months since he left the current Zuowang Peak. Should he go up to the peak again to reminisce about the past?

At this time, he could already fly his sword straight up and down, and his speed had increased by more than a hundred times. Even if he couldn’t go back and forth in a day and a night, he could still fly to the top of the peak after spending a few days and nights.

Isn’t it the best time to practice flying with a sword? He could also complete his unfinished “feat” by the way, wouldn’t that be great?

And that Qingyin Immortal Master, who made him feel guilty just thinking about it, but was always unforgettable – didn’t he say that he would go to the peak to visit her when he was free? The reasons were also very sufficient!

After thinking of several reasons for himself, he couldn’t help but feel relieved.

He decided immediately to go to Lin Ge today and ask him to agree to let him go to the peak.