The Forbidden Path to Immortality - Chapter 130

Chapter 3: Yin and Yang

A chuckle swirled through the mist, then faded into silence.

Li Xun wasn’t surprised; in fact, both sides had sensed the presence of the figure in the mist throughout their conversation.

In particular, the unfathomable murderous intent that flickered and faded with the mist weighed heavily on Mr. Shuijing.

The fact that the sect leader was so polite to Li Xun was due not only to Li Xun’s own abilities but also to the figure in the mist.

Taoist Yu Lan’s lecture had concluded, and Li Xun found his way back, strolling leisurely.

No matter how calm he appeared before Mr. Shuijing, the shock and pressure of the revelation of his greatest secret was enough to break down any barriers.

Even more devastating, it wasn’t a momentary collapse; it was a bloodless, soft-knife killing move.

No matter how humble Mr. Shuijing acted, it was this seemingly smooth and sophisticated individual who ultimately took the initiative.

“Tsk, Mr. Shuijing… you didn’t even give me a chance to kill and silence me!”

“Who said that? If you’re brave enough, I’ll be back with both of their heads in my hands within half an hour! Of course, only God knows what will happen next.”

Li Xun rolled his eyes. “Rather than letting the world fall apart right now, it’s better to let him cut me with a soft knife. At least I’ll have some time to recover…

” “Don’t worry, I think I’ll make a decision soon.”

Before he finished speaking, the two people inside and outside the mist felt a sense of connection.

The voice suddenly stopped, and Li Xun turned his head. A few dozen feet away, in the gauzy mist, a red light gradually became clearer, finally transforming into a faint figure before Li Xun’s eyes. The surrounding air temperature rose slightly, merging with the moisture to gently seal his mouth and nose.

If the other party so desired, this humid air could transform into fiery magma and burn anyone within it to charcoal.

Li Xun paused, frowning, and asked, “Qixia Yuanjun?”

As soon as he finished speaking, the water vapor covering a radius of several feet vanished, and the demon phoenix’s elegant form emerged, her expression surprisingly calm and serene.

Li Xun then remembered that the demon phoenix had officially taken up residence in Shuijing Cave Heaven the day before, so encountering her now wasn’t unacceptable.

Their gazes met, and neither of them expressed any warmth, but rather a sense of hasty awkwardness. It seemed like a chance encounter. Li Xun breathed a sigh of relief, but then felt a dull headache.

The demon phoenix also looked a little annoyed, frowning slightly as she asked, “Why are you here…”

“Mother, guess who I just saw?”

The sudden, clear voice of a young woman broke the stagnant atmosphere. They both turned to see Lin Wuyou, beaming, sprinting across the water.

Lin Wuyou’s pink embroidered jacket, paired with matching gauze pants and a skirt, was refreshingly cute, like a ray of sunlight filtering down the humid surface of the lake.

Yao Feng’s graceful face revealed an undisguised smile of fondness. She reached out, dispelling the force and half-embracing the girl in her arms: “Dear girl, who did you see?”

“That old sly fellow Shui Jing! I saw him just walking away from the south… Junior Brother Xun, it was you? What a coincidence!”

Li Xun’s brows twitched, and he returned a smile: “Senior Sister Wuyou, what a coincidence!”

“The south…” Yao Feng seemed to have thought of something, and her eyes suddenly became as sharp as frosty blades as they swept over Li Xun.

Li Xun instinctively tensed himself. Yao Feng’s cold question reached his ears: “Did you just see Shui Jing?”

Li Xun knew she had determined it from the direction. He made no excuses and frankly admitted: “We just happened to talk for a while.”

“Coincidence?”

The sharp gleam in Yao Feng’s bright eyes was like a needle, making Li Xun’s face heat up. “If it was anywhere else, it would be fine, but in this land of Langya Shui Jing, where have I ever heard the word ‘coincidence’?” Li

Xun calmed down a bit, but was still stunned by Yao Feng and Shui Jing’s unanimous response. He shrugged with amusement, “Is there any other explanation for this?”

Yao Feng replied calmly, “It’s not like the Shui Jing Sect claims to be all-knowing and always acting in accordance with the will of Heaven.

Over tens of thousands of years, they’ve perfected the art of tact and avoidance. It would be strange for Shui Jing, the leader of a sect, not to be cautious.”

She didn’t want to dwell on the topic, pausing briefly before adding, “I’m just reminding you that the Shui Jing Sect’s physiognomy and divination methods are incredibly unpredictable. Most of your skills lie in the Mingxin Sword Sect. If you break away from this foundation, Gu Yin might not be interested in you! Do you understand?”

Was this considered concern?

Li Xun was momentarily puzzled by Yao Feng’s irrational attitude, so he didn’t respond immediately.

Yao Feng, on the other hand, seemed perplexed, his brows unflinching from the start, his hand unconsciously stroking his daughter’s bun.

Lin Wuyou was truly well-behaved at this moment, silent, her bright eyes flickering between the two of them.

The silence lasted for a moment, as the image of Taoist Yu Lan in the air gradually faded. Information about Xuanhai Youming City had been completely disseminated through this medium. Li Xun, however, hadn’t paid the slightest attention to it from the beginning.

However, without Taoist Yu Lan’s shielding, the three of them together were quite an eyesore.

The demon phoenix’s eyes flickered, a hint of sarcasm on her lips: “Never mind, it’s your business, and I don’t care to intervene… Let me ask you, do you know the location of the Yin-Yang Sect on the lake?”

“Yin-Yang Sect?”

Li Xun was startled. Before he could say anything, the demon phoenix’s expression shifted, as if she had received some message. Without a word, she hugged Lin Wuyou tightly and vanished. However, Li Xun’s perception, now several times more sensitive than before, still captured her movements.

True to the demon phoenix’s nature, her flight and movement were measured and majestic, like the cascading wings of a soaring brood. The groaning of air squeezed by the intense wind pressure was the best indicator of its location.

But sensing it was one thing, capturing it was another, and dealing with it afterward was the most challenging part.

In contrast, the other person was completely turned upside down.

“Hey, you and your master’s wife are truly in love,”

Shui Dielan’s voice suddenly rang out, less than seven feet away from Li Xun.

Li Xun felt a tingling sensation on the back of his head, not knowing if it was the demon woman’s elusiveness or her venomous tongue.

He shook his head, sighed, and turned, smiling, “Thank you so much for that. Only you could control that old sly Shui Jing.”

“Go!” Shui Dielan snorted disdainfully, her gaze turning back to the direction the demon phoenix had disappeared. Despite her appearance as “Hundred Ghosts,” she wore a mischievous smile. “Do you want to know what Qixia was doing?”

“You know?”

“Of course I found out last night.”

With that, she disappeared into the lingering mist, quietly activating the “heart knot” within her body to guide her direction.

Li Xun thought about it and decided to follow.

After running for more than ten miles, there was a sudden commotion on Jianhu Lake, followed by a rolling turbulent flow of vital energy coming from afar, as if it was transmitted all the way from outside the Shuijing Cave Heaven to the Jianhu area.

Li Xun frowned, carefully absorbing the message carried by the turbulent current. Before he could decipher its meaning, someone shouted, “Li Douliang and Yao Feng are fighting a desperate battle with the Northern Alliance, heading south!”

The shrill voice soared into the air, reaching an unknown distance before stirring up another storm on Jian Lake.

The number of cultivators from various sects on the lake wasn’t large, only about three or four hundred, but they were all elite warriors from each sect. Stimulated by the words, they almost simultaneously raised their Qi, interacting and influencing each other, instantly slicing the vital energy around Jian Lake and dispersing much of the mist.

Amidst this chaotic situation, the Shuijing Sect’s master’s tact was evident.

It was unknown how they had managed to gather the cultivators from various sects in such a short time, then, in time, lure the restless cultivators out. Furthermore, their divergent routes of retreat minimized any potential friction between the sects.

In this situation, Li Xun, traveling alone, was a real eyesore. Along the way, he passed cultivators from at least five sects. He ignored the gazes of others, intently monitoring the Gu insect’s reactions as he continued his swift and furious advance.

Just as he was about to escape the Water Mirror Cave Heaven, the “Water Bloom Curtain” of containment suddenly rippled with shockwaves. Li Xun looked up, just in time to see a crisscross of green and red shadows in mid-air, creating a faint, multicolored line.

Then, a thin, multicolored line expanded, showering down with dazzling light, sending ripples through the “Water Bloom Curtain.” The force channeled into the vast land, reverberating for hundreds of miles.

“The Eight Sea-Suppressing Techniques emphasizes boldness, and Qixia is known for its usual grandeur. A fight between the two of them would be truly spectacular. Hey, that Li guy always likes to meddle in other people’s business without even considering whether they’re willing to accept his favor!”

Shui Dielan was clearly nearby, yet she managed to conceal herself with the thin mist and the shadows of the surrounding sandbar vegetation. So many experts passed by, yet no one noticed. This method was countless times more powerful than Li Xun’s half-baked Shadow Devouring Technique.

But why couldn’t Li Xun understand her meaning?

Confused, Li Xun rushed out of the Water Mirror Cave Heaven. The cool breeze outside dried the dampness from his body, clearing his mind.

Looking up again, he saw two groups of people engaged in a fierce battle beneath the turbulent air in the sky. While the momentum wasn’t as intense as the one at the center, it was still more intense.

“That’s… Sect Master Yunniang Qin Wanru?”

Li Xun suddenly understood the crux of the matter.

He suddenly swerved, finding a secluded spot deep in the woods to the side, and whispered, “Did you give the ‘Black Silk Clam Treasure’ away last night?”

No one was around him, but a voice echoed through the air: “Of course. But your cheap senior sister was so impatient, she leaked the news—she deserves it!”

Li Xun responded, but his mind was still thinking about the strangeness of Yao Feng’s personal participation in the Water Mirror Conference. Now it seemed that she had condescended to come here not only to discuss the Water Mirror Conference and Razor Peak, but also to mention Madam Yu… Hadn’t she just asked directly about the Yin-Yang Sect’s location?

That must be the case. To those with ulterior motives, Madam Yu’s whereabouts were undeniable.

Qin Wanru’s risky move to bring Madam Yu with her certainly bought her time, but it also left her with no room for maneuver. She was lucky to have survived the Yao Feng’s thundering attack until this moment.

Li Xun was about to turn back when he heard Shui Dielan snort, “Let me warn you, don’t even think about getting involved. I’m still injured and don’t want to die!”

Having Shui Dielan’s words reveal his true feelings, Li Xun didn’t seem embarrassed. He simply shrugged, but he didn’t give up on his thoughts.

The more he interacted with Gu Yin and the others, the more he realized the importance of Madam Yu. The information Madam Yu possessed was invaluable to him, a crucial factor in his struggle against Gu Yin and the others.

“This is the only… the only way to turn the tide!”

With his resolve still lingering, a powerful tremor erupted from the airspace beneath the Yin-Yang Sect, rivaling the roar of the fierce battle high above.

The dozen or so cultivators who had previously besieged the Sect Master’s Cloud Chariot simultaneously retreated amidst the tremors, peering into the gap. Clouds, like lotus-like streams, stretched outward, swirling and shimmering. The shifting of its “lotus petals” clearly indicated a highly sophisticated sealing formation.

Li Xun nodded. “Oh, the forbidden technique itself isn’t anything to worry about. But if the cultivators on the Cloud Chariot were to manipulate the situation with the ‘Extreme Transformation Yin-Yang Technique,’ it would be a completely different story. It’s not enough to attack the enemy, but more than enough to defend itself—it’s a perfectly satisfactory plan, but…”

“Qingluan’s been hiding for most of the day, so why hasn’t she made a move?”

“Huh? Is that Qingluan?”

“Of course, I can’t see anyone else, but with her mysophobia, it would be a wonder

she could hide so well.” This time it was Li Xun’s turn to be surprised. He could see that the Demon Phoenix still had some reservations, but he hadn’t expected them to be so generous!

Were they still wary of the inter-sect alliance?

Li Xun couldn’t see how the various sects, so fragmented, could possibly unite. Li Douliang’s eagerness to help, besides his own personality, might also be a gesture of gratitude, or perhaps a way of demonstrating the Northern Alliance’s pressure to achieve its goal.

However, the Yin-Yang Sect is too weak compared to the Northern Alliance, and now without the backing of Yin Sanren, if they continue to insist on a strategy of self-preservation, their journey back to the sect will likely be a grave.

Qingluan hasn’t emerged yet, could it be because she’s worried about Yin Sanren? Come to think of it, Yaofeng and the others don’t know Yin Sanren’s current situation.

In their eyes, Yin Sanren is always elusive

and could strike at any moment. Keeping Qingluan around is a form of preparedness…

“But if this situation continues, even if Li Douliang stops Yaofeng, the Yin-Yang Sect will find it difficult to escape. Over time, even a fool knows that without Yin Sanren nearby, the Yin-Yang Sect will be in danger. Well, if someone who can disrupt this situation appears now…”

“That person from your sect, right?”

“Huh?”

Their conversation was cut short by a flash of sword light streaking across the sky. The clear sword chant that followed was particularly melodious amid the thunder.

However, when Li Xun saw the cultivator’s figure surrounded by the sword light, he felt no pleasure at all.

“Mingji?”

Li Xun had never imagined that the first person brave enough to intervene would be Mingji.

There were at least five elders here who outranked Mingji, held greater power, and held greater influence. How could Mingji have stepped forward?

But at this moment, thinking was pointless. He watched, eyes wide open, as Mingji, his body and sword fused together, charged from the side and below. The Northern Alliance cultivators besieging the Yin-Yang Sect also sent two mid-air to intercept. The whistling sword energy instantly engulfed the three figures.

Watching the lightning flash in the sky, Li Xun suddenly stood upright beside Shui Dielan, startled by him. “What are you doing?”

“Who knows… But at this moment, not knowing is the right thing to do!”

The last syllable snapped like a thin thread. Li Xun had already soared upwards on his sword, swooping down towards the battle group in the sky.

Just as he soared about a hundred feet, four more sword beams rose up from in front of Shuijing Cave Heaven, chasing him.

Li Xun did not look back but he knew that the four people behind him must be his fellow disciples such as Minghuo and Lingji. The fact that he was half a step ahead of his fellow disciples proved that his choice was correct.

These distracting thoughts flashed through his mind before vanishing without a trace. He gently vibrated the “Bitter Bamboo” in his hand, resonating with his energy channels. His sword control increased in speed, imbued with unstoppable momentum.

However, just as he anticipated, just as he was about to engage the battle circle, several terrifying auras erupted from the area surrounding Shuijing Cave Heaven. Someone shouted, “Everyone, stop!”

No one was foolish. Almost as soon as the words were spoken, both combatants abruptly retreated to a safe distance. Even the two fighting in the sky, with a single word, the raging storm in the void ceased.

Li Xun, unconcerned with the speaker, took advantage of the pause to slowly fly over to Mingji. Mingji glanced back. The two met eyes, but they smiled without a word.

Meanwhile, Minghuo, leading three disciples, followed. At Mingji’s slight signal, the group gradually moved closer to the Yin-Yang Sect, encountering no resistance.

They were about to approach the Sect Master’s Yunchariot, but the lingering “lotus petals” around them seemed to have no intention of opening their gates to welcome them.

If this were true, the Mingxin Sword Sect would be in a state of great embarrassment.

At this moment, Mingji winked at Li Xun, his sword-wielding pinky finger gently twitching toward the Yin-Yang Sect’s cloud chariot.

Li Xun paused for a moment, then Mingji shouted, “Sixty years ago, at the North Pole, Sect Master Qin saved me from death. Although I am humble, I will repay you today with my life!”

His voice echoed across dozens of miles, clearly heard from heaven and earth. While Mingji spoke with such pomp and circumstance, he added, “Sect Master Qin has done a favor for our disciples, so naturally, our sect has no right to stand by and watch!”

If the spiritual bamboo’s weight seemed insufficient, then even Li Xun, the person involved, couldn’t tell the difference between sincerity and pretense in Mingji’s words, let alone the onlookers.

A brief silence followed within the Sect Master’s cloud chariot, before a response was finally received. It was Qin Wanru who spoke: “Good deeds bring good results, and I have personally experienced

this.” “Fairy Mingji, I haven’t seen you in years, and your chivalrous spirit is even stronger than before. This must be Ming Xinlingzhu

, right? Since we parted in the Never-Sleeping City, I never expected you to have such a promising future, truly remarkable.” Hearing this soft and gentle voice, Li Xun breathed a sigh of relief.

Now both the facade and the substance were in place. Mingji’s seemingly reckless actions had bound the Yin-Yang Sect in a bond of friendship. Not only had they

broken free from their current predicament, but they also had room to change their stance. If Qin Wanru wasn’t truly foolish, she would likely choose to side with the Nine Righteous Sects for the time being. Ultimately, the Nine Righteous Sects would still benefit.

“What a brilliant tactic, killing several birds with one stone!”

Li Xun secretly praised. But then he saw a figure rise into the air outside the Shuijing Cave Heaven, his sleeves fluttering, a bronze mirror adorning his waist. It was Master Shuijing.

His cultivation was naturally far inferior to that of Yaofeng and Li Douliang, but as the host, it was only natural for him to mediate.

“Master Li, Master Qin, and Qixia Yuanjun, you are all guests of the Shuijing Sect. Any harm here is something our sect would not want to see. Shuijing, a humble figure, is willing to mediate and ask everyone to temporarily cease fighting.”

Hearing Shuijing’s words like “here” and “temporarily,” Li Xun couldn’t help but want to laugh, but his laughter quickly faltered.

A gaze from the sky struck Li Xun, sending a wave of heat through his body. This was clearly from the demonic phoenix. Almost simultaneously, a gaze from the Sect Master’s cloud chariot behind him darted down, also resting on him.

This jolt suddenly reminded Li Xun of the incredibly complex relationships present. Just thinking about it gave him a headache. He glanced at Lingji, the weakest of the brothers, not far away. While Lingji was clearly a bit nervous, the innocence reflected on his face made him envious.

Both parties’ gazes shifted almost simultaneously, and Qin Wanru, speaking from the cloud chariot, spoke

first, “Thank you, Mr. Shuijing, for your kindness. However, I, your father, will swear to vengeance against my mother’s kidnapper. There’s no room for negotiation!” With the exception of Li Xun, who understood the situation intimately, the cultivators present were completely bewildered.

Unfortunately, neither Qin Wanru nor Yaofeng bothered to explain.

As soon as she finished speaking, Yaofeng sneered from high above, “It’s only natural for the Gu family to pursue escaped slaves. I won’t bother you, Shuijing.”

Hearing her claim of being from the “Gu family,” not only Li Xun, but also Mingji, Minghuo, and the others, blushed.

This kind of thing, somewhere between the expressible and the inexpressible, relies on a certain feeling, and Yaofeng’s words were like a strange spice, not choking but making it difficult to feel good.

However, only a few people were affected by this disturbance. Li Douliang, for example, was completely unaffected. He laughed heartily and said, “Why would Yuanjun deceive me? I know something about the old story between Gu Zhixuan and Yin Chonghua. Let’s not

talk about the entanglements for now, just consider the seniority…” “With all due disrespect to Sect Leader Qin, even if Yuanjun wanted to intervene, he should have gone to Yin Chonghua. There’s a generation gap between them, so it’s not right to overstep one’s bounds, right?”

Perhaps it was Li Xun’s imagination, but he vaguely sensed a subtle shift in the atmosphere when Li Douliang brought up the issue of “generation.” For a moment, he felt the silence around him was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.

But then Yao Feng’s laughter shattered this strange feeling: “Nonsense! I, a mere demon, don’t understand your twists and turns. Why should there be so many rules for capturing a runaway slave?”

As the words fell, someone in the distance responded coldly, “It doesn’t matter whether you have rules or not, just remember our rules.”

Of course, Master Tianzhi was the only one who could speak so clearly before Yao Feng’s eyes.

As these sharp words uttered, Li Xun saw the long-missed Tianzhi ascend into the sky. After months of “not seeing,” she was still as graceful in her silver-gray robe, but the determined coldness in her expression had only grown more pronounced.

It looked as if she wouldn’t mind joining forces with Li Douliang in a fight.

Tianzhi’s presence practically signaled the Nine Righteous Sects’ resolve to aid them, and with Mingji and Li Xun acting as mediators, unafraid of the Yin-Yang Sect’s reversals, the situation had been completely reversed.

Yao Feng’s eyes, like frost and snow, swiftly flickered across Tianzhi’s face before returning to the Sect Master, Yun Nian.

Perhaps it was an illusion, but Li Xun felt her gaze lingered on him longer.

Then she sneered, “Is Yu Shi awake?”

This single sentence completely dispelled the murderous aura she had just built. Everyone was stunned, but only Qin Wanru responded in time, “My mother, under the care of Yuanjun, is still asleep.”

This statement was incredibly polite, yet also incredibly sinister, clearly underscoring the deep and sworn hatred between Qin Wanru and the Gu family.

Yao Feng dismissed it as a gentle breeze and said, “Still awake? That’s a shame. I’ve always known Yu Shi to be kind, but I wonder if that applies to her daughter?”

After these suggestive and cryptic words, she paused briefly and sighed softly, “We’re both daughters, how can we be so different? Wuyou, let’s go!”

“Mother, how can you speak ill of your own daughter in front of so many people?”

As the girl’s soft, unyielding words lingered, a pink figure descended from the sky, caressed by the wind. Those with sharp eyes like Li Xun could even see the newly retracted metal wings behind her. The young girl ignored the thousands of cultivators around her and

dived into Yao Feng’s arms, unleashing her affection. Yao Feng’s expression remained cold and indifferent, but the kindness in her eyes could not be hidden from anyone with a discerning eye. She gently stroked the girl’s loose bun and then flicked her forehead with a finger. “Did I say anything about you?

“Small-minded!”

The mother and daughter simply ignored the bystanders. If you could say they were oblivious, they were truly exceptional. But why was there such a strange tone in Yao Feng’s words?

Perhaps it was because Li Xun was overly sensitive, but he clearly felt an indescribable force reaching the depths of his heart with each word, echoing through all mediums.

Behind him, Qin Wanru, aboard the Sect Master’s cloud chariot, was strangely silent.

The conflict outside Shuijing Cave Heaven had ended abruptly, leaving most onlookers perplexed, their doubts gradually fading.

The Shuijing Sect was probably the happiest at this moment.

Through the Shuijing Conference, the Shuijing Sect had successfully relieved the pressure and become a competent “bystander” once again.

Perhaps because of this, Mr. Shuijing was in such a good mood, proactively arranging for the Yin-Yang Sect’s troops to enter Shuijing Cave Heaven for a short break, while also creating an opportunity for the Nine Righteous Sects to win over.

Li Xun didn’t consider the implications for the moment. His earlier, impulsive gesture of flying over to “share weal and woe” with Ming Ji had unsurprisingly drawn considerable praise.

In contrast, Mingji simply said, “You’re messing around!” But the gentle tap of the scabbard against his shoulder was more significant than any praise.

This gesture made Li Xun breathe a sigh of relief. Judging from Mingji’s behavior, Mr. Shuijing had indeed taken his “disregard for fame, fortune, or reputation” approach to its extreme. His secret had been preserved.

Meanwhile, the Nine Righteous Sects, represented by Li Douliang, were gathered to discuss changes in their relationship with the Yin-Yang Sect.

Overall, their attitude was quite cautious, and they weren’t eager to discuss matters with Qin Wanru, avoiding the impression of seeking repayment.

Qin Wanru, likewise, was somewhat reserved. Beyond verbal thanks, she didn’t initiate discussions about cooperation with the Nine Righteous Sects.

The feigned reserve on both sides no longer concerned Li Xun. Looking at Mingji, he inquired about the details of last night’s battle against the “Blood Demon.”

Before he could open his mouth, someone called out, “Fairy Mingji and fellow Daoist Lingzhu, it’s been ages since we last met. Would you mind joining us on the Cloud Chariot to reminisce?”

“Sect Master Qin?”

Mingji was surprised to see Qin Wanru, who had just been arguing with Li Douliang and the others, suddenly offer a visit.

Li Douliang, Tianzhi, and Shi Wuya, the three most powerful sect masters, simultaneously turned and exchanged glances with Mingji, their eyes meeting with a tacit understanding.

Li Xun rolled his eyes. If even a brief encounter sixty or seventy years ago held reminiscence, there wouldn’t be any need for such a heated exchange. Qin Wanru’s actions were clearly a pretense of reminiscing about the past, a way to save face.