The Forbidden Path to Immortality - Chapter 153

Chapter 5 Death

Li Xun’s eyelids twitched as he maintained his blood-shadow demon form. Naturally, the external pressure within the sealed realm intensified, but his sensitivity to the pulse of life also heightened significantly.

Almost as soon as the two elders’ heads exploded, he sensed their previously sluggish vitality. It suddenly surged to an astonishing intensity, and then, swept away by a strange force, they were swept along two long ropes into the thick darkness below.

Li Xun didn’t need to see them in person to determine that the remains of the two unfortunate souls had been transformed into two corpses, all their essence, blood, and vital energy swept away, becoming a delicious meal for some demonic creature.

The demon?

The Ghost-Eating Shadow Sect had, for tens of thousands of years, used the essence, blood, and resentful energy of its disciples to nourish the remaining resentful spirit of its founder, the Nine Netherworld Patriarch—the Patriarch’s cursed spirit.

According to Hellfire Yama’s description, on the day of the sect’s ritual, the Nine Netherworld realm and this world were brought incredibly close together due to the rise of the Huayin Pond. The Patriarch’s cursed spirit, trapped around the altar and suppressed by the Nine Netherworld’s earthly energy, remained hidden deep beneath the Nine Netherworld.

This was, logically speaking, the case.

However, No one could have predicted how the Nine Netherworlds would react when the ancestral curse spirit, the sole reason for its existence and the direct cause of the Nine Netherworlds’ tribulation failure, arrived.

Now the answer was clear.

Two demons clashed fiercely in mid-air. Moruohou’s powerful aura pierced the void, detected by the ancestral curse spirit. It was like spilling a bucket of blood on the sea. The fish hidden deep within the ocean immediately swarmed, baring their sharp white teeth.

“So that was the sect’s curse at work just now? What was Old Nine Netherworld thinking? Since he couldn’t defeat Moruohou, he took it out on his own disciples?”

Li Xun muttered inwardly, but he couldn’t deny that after forcibly draining the two elders’ vital energy, the restraining force of the two long ropes had significantly increased. Moruohou was forcibly pulled down more than two meters. The dark wave below coincided with its crest, swirling upward, instantly engulfing Moruohou’s upper limbs.

Moruohou had crouched down to tear at the ropes, but with a low roar, he suddenly sprang upright. A strange, creaking sound echoed through the air. Mo Luo Hou had barely risen a foot when her body plummeted again, nearly drowning.

No one knew what was happening in the darkness, but they could see a fissure in the void at its center expanding at an almost invisible speed, reaching a diameter of nearly ten feet. It looked like it could easily swallow everyone present.

Mo Luo Hou clearly didn’t want to approach the fissure. She let out a sharp scream, mobilizing every muscle and stimulating the powerful energy accumulated over tens of thousands of years as she struggled upward.

All the pulling forces disappeared completely at this moment. Caught off guard, Mo Luo Hou’s strength shot through his body and soared into the sky, while also raising a “tail”.

The long rope at her ankle first tightened and then contracted forcefully like a rubber band. Li Xun only saw a vague shadow and then heard Mo Luo Hou’s long roar in the air. The dark body was wrapped in a layer of gray-white “coat”.

Is this the ancestor’s curse spirit?

Although Li Xun had seen the true face of the ancestor’s curse spirit with his own eyes, he didn’t dare to recognize it at this moment.

A long “wei” sound rang out in the void. The long spikes on Mo Luo Hou’s shoulders sprayed out a stream of air several feet long. The bloodstains and lines all over his body became brighter and brighter. He roared continuously, clutched his chest with both hands, and struggled hard to tear off the “coat” that was covering him.

Li Xun glanced at Gu Yin. He could clearly feel it at such a close distance. The hidden energy radiating from Gu Yin could not be identified for a while.

“Corpse Puppetry?” It’s a bit like that, but…”

He didn’t dare to jump to conclusions. In his heart, he agreed with Madam Yan that Gu Yin “could not practice” the art of driving away the soul, refining the spirit, and opening the mind.

This not only involved the use and changes of the Qi channels and acupoints, but also involved more basic things. Madam Yan withheld the method of “reincarnation of the soul”, which meant that Gu Yin could not change the nature of the true breath. Even if he wanted to practice from the beginning, he would probably have no idea where to start.

Then how did Gu Yin refine and even control the puppet? Is there a second Tianming Huayin Pearl in the world? Li Xun was calculating in his mind while continuing to observe. In his sleeves, on his chest , head… He searched nearly every energy storage area on Gu Yin’s body, but found nothing.

Read the full-text novel for faster updates at Support Literature! Li Xun’s expression changed slightly. The aura remained strong, but it certainly wasn’t emanating from Gu Yin’s body. Had she successfully cultivated through some special technique, or had she integrated the controlled treasure within her body, like her own Tianming Huayin Pearl?

His undisguised gaze couldn’t be hidden. Gu Yin turned and gave Bai Gui a deep look. Suddenly, he smiled and said, “I’ve suddenly come up with a good idea. Please take a look, sir.” Gu

Yin’s attitude was strange, as if she was actively trying to find something to say. Li Xun, secretly wary, sneered and shot back, “Master Gu always plans before taking action. How can you say ‘suddenly’?” “

Oh, Master Bai Guisheng, you know me very well. Have we met before?”

Seeing Gu Yin’s half-smile, Li Xun regretted his words and his attitude became even more ruthless. He chuckled, “Why do I need to see it in person? Master Gu’s methods are well-known to every cultivator in this world

… If I wait until I meet the Master to understand, I might not even have any bone aid left.”

He deliberately used a self-proclaimed name he had never used before, but he wondered if Gu Yin was disturbed. The woman still had a smile on her face, a stark contrast to her usual calm and composed demeanor that day outside the galaxy.

This attitude inexplicably made Li Xun feel guilty.

As they spoke, the changes in Gu Yin’s aura became more noticeable, and Li Xun’s prolonged exploration finally yielded results.

Li Xun focused his attention and further confirmed his judgment. Unlike the Qi radiating from Gu Yin’s body, unlike the one she cultivated in Cheng Ran, the Qi didn’t affect her own meridians, instead operating almost independently.

Li Xun couldn’t think of any other explanation besides absorption.

So perhaps he could do something… just like how Shui Dielan’s illusion had ended when she’d deceived Xue Sanren.

With this thought in mind, Li Xun naturally gathered his Qi and used the most stealthy method to lock onto the nearby female cultivator. Gu Yin seemed oblivious, instead gazing skyward, continuing to communicate with Ri Biao.

Li Xun observed her sharp profile, his eyes gleaming coldly. It suddenly occurred to him that at such close range, without the constraints of Mo Luo Hou, Yu Sanren, Yao Feng, Qing Ying, and the like, this was his best chance yet to kill Gu Yin, a hundred times easier than any previous opportunity.

“Qixia is truly lucky to have someone to help them even in such a situation. The night is long and full of dreams, what can we do?”

Just then, a long voice reached Li Xun’s ears. His heart trembled slightly, and

then he saw the cat on Gu Yin’s shoulder turn its head with a gleaming look, and the round bead embedded in its forehead shone faintly. Although Zhan Yin remained in the same posture, Li Xun’s 100% confidence had dropped to 50% in an instant… Then he realized that Gu Yin’s words were more pointed.

Without Gu Yin’s restraint, his revenge on Yao Feng would have been much easier. But which was more difficult to deal with, Yao Feng or Gu Yin? Between the two evils… which should he choose?

A pause. Li Xun suppressed his murderous intent, looked up at the sky, and casually said, “Where is the ‘good idea’ that Sect Master Gu mentioned?”

Gu Yin’s whisper reached his ear: “Are you familiar with Wu You?”

“I’m not familiar with him because I’ve met him rarely,” Li Xun replied coldly.

Gu Yin smiled and said, “Lin Wuyou, my cheap cousin was born by Qixia using the “creation of demon baby” method to forcibly combine the yang energy of a human and the yin energy of a demon.

The aptitude of a natural body is no less than that of a “Primordial Dao Body.” Qixia suffered greatly for this back then… Sensei must be aware of this.”

Li Xun remained silent. Gu Yin, ignoring him, sighed softly and continued, “It’s a pity that the creation of a demonic infant isn’t meant for fertility. Even though Qixia spared no effort to preserve the fetus’s form, it was still born with deficiencies. The child’s intelligence has progressed slowly, and for over a hundred years, it has remained about eleven or twelve.”

Li Xun’s dilated pupils spoke volumes. He couldn’t help but turn his head to look. From this angle, he could only see the girl’s hair drooping in the crook of Qingyou’s arm.

“How could it be! She…”

Fortunately, Li Xun had woken up and forced himself to swallow back his own experiences. His heart was shaking, unable to stop.

He didn’t think Gu Yin had to fabricate a lie. But even though Lin Wuyou always appeared innocent, her words and actions seemed to hold deeper meaning. Upon closer inspection, she seemed profound. How could she possibly be an eleven or twelve-year-old girl?

“Why don’t you think so?”

Gu Yin’s smile widened, as if reminiscing with a friend. “She often speaks in surprising ways, seemingly unintentionally, yet with a hidden agenda. It’s a shame it’s not that she truly understands, but rather that her innate perception is so astonishing. Using Wuxin to represent Tianxin is a natural connection to her father.”

Li Xun’s mind was in turmoil, and he could only manage to maintain a cold expression. Gu Yin’s smile remained undimmed, her gaze lingering on his face, as if she found immense amusement in it. Finally, Fang said leisurely, “Congenital deficiencies allow for the invasion of evil spirits. Although Qixia protected her well in this regard, unfortunately, she still missed a point…”

Before the words had finished, another sharp note rang out in mid-air. It was followed by Qingying’s suppressed cry.

Li Xun looked up abruptly, just in time to see Qingying’s arms withdraw, Lin Wuyou launching himself at an unusually high altitude. Her eyes fluttered open mid-air. “How could she still be unconscious?”

“Wuyou!”

Qingying was weakened by her injuries, and most of her attention had been focused on Moruohou. Caught off guard, she only remembered to chase after him a fraction of a second later.

The incident here also affected the demonic wind on the other side. Seizing her moment of distraction, Yu Sanren wielded his five strings, sending clanging sounds through the air as he continued his battle, unleashing his sonic killing technique.

As the strings resonated, two metallic wings rang out from behind Lin Wuyou, who was tumbling in midair. Their silvery wings sliced through the surging tide of Yin energy, and with a hissing cry, the young girl’s form suddenly transformed into a streak of light. She flew away horizontally. Qingying’s outstretched finger was only a fraction away from touching the edge of her clothes.

“Wuyou!”

This time it was the demonic phoenix’s turn to cry out, its shock and anger unmistakable.

“Night Demon Shadowless” was so swift that the demonic wind had barely uttered its cry when Wuyou slashed across the area where she and the puppet were battling, seemingly heading straight for a widening rift in the void.

With a fierce howl, the demonic wind, ignoring the formidable enemy before it, turned and gave chase. But Qingying, a step ahead, had already transformed into a rainbow, catching up quickly.

The two demons, exerting all their might, sprinted at a speed unmatched by Night Demon Wuying.

Read the full text novel for faster updates on the literature website: Just as Wuyou brushed past the struggling Demon Luo’s throat, Qingying finally reached her from behind, severing the girl’s left wing like a hook. The silver-white wing, twisted almost into a knot, detached and tumbled. Only a few feet away, it was ripped apart by a powerful force, pulled away from the fissure, and instantly swallowed.

Wuyou’s momentum slowed, and Qingying pounced on her, hugging her tightly. Her breath was still, and her internal injuries were triggered. A mouthful of blood rushed to her throat, but she was afraid to contaminate Wuyou, so she swallowed it forcefully. Her entire body trembled, the weakness even stronger than that time outside Gaojing City.

But saving Wuyou was worth it.

The familiar presence of the demon phoenix overhead was rapidly approaching, and just then, Wuyou in her arms stirred again. The little girl was no longer her usual docile self. Her punches and kicks rained down on Qingying, each one more powerful than the last. Though they might not injure her, they shook her energy channels, rendering her unable to regulate her breathing and energy. Her body continued to drift involuntarily toward the center of the darkness. Qingying

could only attempt to knock Wuyou unconscious again. However, this time, the girl’s inner energy was so violent that she, severely injured, lost her aim. She tried once, but the girl continued to struggle. They were now only a dozen feet away from the void rift.

Beyond the rift lay another world, vast and yet utterly silent.

Qingying could feel it. The rift breathed in and out as if alive, expanding its scope with each blow, drawing the Nine Netherworlds beyond it ever closer, slowly assimilating it.

Even with Qingying’s experience, even at this close distance, her heart palpitated with fear. Fortunately, the demonic wind had already reached the sky. Yaoyao asked, “Is Qingying alright?”

Qingying sighed and was about to turn back when she heard the demon phoenix’s distorted cry: “Behind…”

Qingying’s mind was filled with Wuyou’s abnormality. Her movements were already more than a beat slower when she heard the sound, and then she reacted the worst. She turned her head again, but saw nothing. Suddenly, a heavy collision struck her from beyond her sight.

The violent collision finally made her cough up blood. At the same time, she felt a chill on the back of her neck. A few droplets of cold liquid splashed up, and more sprayed over her shoulder. The

flickering firelight revealed its eerie silver-gray color.

“Jade Wanderer… not a puppet!”

Only after the complete understanding formed, she realized that the familiar human figure behind her was exactly the same as she remembered, except for the lack of a fresh breath.

At this moment, the immense suction from the Nine Netherworld also acted on her.

The puppet’s inner arm clamped around Qingying and Wuyou in her arms, dragging them into the dark waves.

Qingyou gritted his teeth, turned around, and elbowed the man away. Yet the puppet didn’t even dodge, allowing the elbow to strike the side of its neck.

Qingying’s blow was so powerful that a cracking sound instantly snapped the puppet’s spine, yet its movement remained unaffected.

Instead, the circulating force increased by twenty percent. At this moment, the demon phoenix flew to the side and, without stopping, punched the puppet in the side. A tremendous burst of force erupted, its goal not to injure the enemy but to deflect the three people stuck together, avoiding the terrifying rift.

The fist struck the body. The demon phoenix’s face suddenly changed color. The accumulated shockwaves were uncontrollable. The puppet’s body suddenly turned into a ball of mud, sinking into her fist. Then, it regained its former strength, generating a corresponding elasticity that dissipated most of the demon phoenix’s punch.

Of course, the demon phoenix’s punch wasn’t so easy to resist. A piece of the puppet’s ribs had already sunk, and its muscles and internal organs had been severely damaged. Even so, its forward momentum showed no sign of slowing.

The demon phoenix was shocked, finally understanding Gu Yin’s intentions.

Her graceful, elegant face twisted in an instant, a shriek erupting as a golden-red hue suddenly erupted from within. Her back and ribs flared, and long, golden-red wings stretched out into the air. With a simple tap, the surrounding atmosphere trembled, a swirling current.

Demonic Wind thrust his arm forward again, his slender white fingers breaking through the air’s obstruction. Halfway through, he bent like a hook, a layer of crimson emanating from beneath his skin. Countless points of light floated above, resembling tiny specks of light.

At this moment, Demonic Wind had regained his form as the Celestial Demon Phoenix, unleashing all his might without reservation.

Qing Jia saw clearly that this was his last chance, and with all his might, he struggled fiercely, finally gaining a sliver of space. He reached out, grasping the Demon Phoenix’s outstretched arm.

Their fingertips touched, their true energy mingling. Both of them felt a surge of joy. Demonic Wind’s swift power extended his forearm a few more inches, his fingertips folding inward, about to seize Qing Ying’s wrist. At that moment, a sharp scream filled their ears.

Wuyou screamed, struggling once more to break free from Qingying’s grasp. The puppet behind her twisted its arm, seizing the opportunity to slip through Qingying’s open armpit and snaking it around her upper arm, lashing it out

with a powerful force.

Two sudden changes occurred simultaneously. Qingying, distracted by Wuyou’s distraction and then tugged by the puppet, was finally lifted an inch.

An inch might not seem like much in ordinary times, but at this crucial moment, it meant life and death!

Yaofeng’s movements continued, but as her fingers closed, her sharp nails scraped across Qingying’s wrist, leaving a deep, bloody mark. A soft “click” sound followed. Beyond the trace of blood, the object she grasped contained only the stagnant air surrounding the rift.

Gray, cyan, and pink merged into a single mass, plunging directly into the dark tide, instantly submerging her.

Yaofeng’s mind went blank for a moment, but then a familiar whistling sound, deafening her ears, jolted her out of her trance.

With some effort, she shifted her eyes, only to see the pale, scorching, turbid darkness in the void suddenly parted to reveal a figure within. Even waves of light penetrated the rift, casting the most dazzling light in aeons upon the Nine Netherworld.

The light pierced the demon phoenix’s pupils, instantly turning them blood red. She screamed, flapping her wings, and desperately swooped down.

The light also stung the slumbering beast. It opened its maw and spewed a darkness a hundred times thicker, instantly washing away the azure light stream. The hue of darkness once again dominated everything, swallowing the entangled three-colored figures whole.

An icy cold current instantly washed over the demon wind. Even the demon phoenix’s supreme cultivation seemed laughable before the might of heaven and earth.

The surging torrent washed past her, creating a violent friction with the protective true energy, and the conflicting, massive recoil force within seemed to swallow her whole, plunging her into the eternally silent space.

“Perhaps… that’s not bad?”

Her eyes pierced the darkness, locked onto the color ahead, a color that in no way blended with the darkness. Even if it was only a shadow etched in her vision, she had no intention of giving up.

The next moment, another pure, pale hue filled her vision. Yao Feng instinctively tried to ward it off, but when the warm pink hue truly returned to her heart, she instantly collapsed.

Yao Feng reached out her arms, vacantly letting her daughter’s lithe body fall into her arms. Wuyou fell asleep again, her brows slightly furrowed, her lips softly pursed, as innocent and pure as the moment she was born.

She reached out her cold fingers and touched her daughter’s cheek, only to see a drop of blood stain her delicate face. At first, she thought she was injured, but she quickly realized it was from her broken nail, where it had pierced Qingying’s wrist.

Bright red blood slid from her nail onto her daughter’s face, slowly flowing out a short streak before congealing. Only the color shimmered in the haze, finally filling the entire world!

“Ah…”

The spreading sound waves had already surpassed the limits of human perception. Li Xun heard only the end of the scream, then felt like a sharp knife piercing his ear. The pain was followed by a numbness that reached the extreme of the shockwave. Then he felt the burning light stream.

Like the setting sun, the final flash before eternal darkness. A golden-red light shone forth, literally transforming the world. In an instant, even the boundless Nine Netherworld was pierced by the intense light. Beyond the rift, the figure that had fallen into it could no longer be seen.

Immediately, the Nine Netherworld launched its full-scale counterattack.

The immense Nine Netherworld energy erupted like a sudden tsunami. However, upon impacting the demon phoenix, it seemed to hit the hardest reef or a bottomless vortex, forcing it to detour despite the turbulent currents.

This process entwined, eventually entwining into a tornado that stretched from heaven to earth. It twisted briefly before the rift, then exploded with a bang.

The storm swept through the sealed world. The jungle where Li Xun was, already largely ablaze, was instantly reduced to rubble. Facing such overwhelming pressure, Li Xun had to exert all his strength to protect his body, even raising his arms and bending to shield himself.

Only then could he catch his breath. He didn’t care about You Li and the others for the moment.

However. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Gu Yin standing nearby, seemingly unfazed by the oncoming Yin Fire Storm, tearing at the edges of her clothes, threatening to rip her pristine white garment into shreds.

She continued to smile as she devoured Qing Ying’s destruction, watched the Demon Phoenix rage, and watched her former uncle, now a puppet, collapse into the bottomless waters of the underworld.

In the infernal hell, Li Xun felt as if he were in the Arctic wilderness, a chill spreading from the depths of his heart. He stared at Gu Yin’s raised arm, slowly reaching into her bosom, fumbling for the Soul-Breaking Shuttle, and silently sheathing it into his sleeve.

“No matter what… this woman cannot be left!”

As he solidified his thought, the strongest wave of impact passed, and the surrounding pressure suddenly decreased. Immediately, Li Xun heard Gu Yin’s laughter. “Sir, what do you think of this?”

Li Xun’s heart surged, but he suppressed his murderous aura, straightening himself and forcing a smile. “If this can be considered a spontaneous creation by Sect Master Gu, I bow down to you.”

Gu Yin glanced back, her eyes surprisingly clear and penetrating, her tone etched with earnestness. “Sir, what you said was entirely spontaneous, just a friendly comment, but… Bingxia, do you still not understand how things have come to this?”

The second half of Gu Yin’s words suddenly shifted, and Li Xun suddenly woke up. He turned and saw that the demon phoenix above the lake island seemed to have regained some composure after its most frantic outburst.

The flames, accompanied by the fluttering of its long golden-red wings, had become rhythmic and rhythmic. She

no longer needed any reason, relying solely on her supreme demonic perception to locate her sworn enemy. She hugged her daughter tightly, slowly turning to face him, slightly raising half her face.

The shadow cast by her figure and her carefree bun obscured her expression, yet her blood-red eyes pierced everything, etched deep into the heart.

Li Xun knew the look wasn’t directed at him, yet his scalp throbbed, and he couldn’t help but lean back, ultimately taking a half step back.