The Forbidden Path to Immortality - Chapter 157

Chapter 1: Standpoint

Li Xun knew he must be feeling like a fool.

He tried to calm himself, but the sudden burst of emotion rendered his efforts meaningless. After trying for a few breaths, he finally gave up.

“Is that Uncle Qingyin?” Li Xun’s voice was so vague that even he couldn’t discern the meaning.

Gu Yin’s smile blossomed again. “Yes, it was Qingyin. Two days after I came south, she severed the black gold chain and escaped from the ice chamber. It happened that Yama Tianxu couldn’t stop her, so she escaped.”

“Escaped…where could she go?”

Li Xun’s gaze darted over, unfocused.

Gu Yin responded with a smile: “I really don’t know.”

“Don’t know?”

Li Xun chewed on these two words for a long time, and his eyes suddenly gathered and sharpened like needles, piercing Gu Yin’s face: “I don’t know what the intention of Master Gu was in saying this.”

Gu Yin smiled calmly: “Have you forgotten, sir? Just now you said that ‘a scholar can be killed but not humiliated’. I don’t agree with that. I cited the examples of Qixia and Linge to prove it. You also said that you and I are not the same kind of people. I will cite the example of Qingyin…”

“Not to mention anything else, just based on her own strength, she has caused Zhong Yin and my uncle to live a life worse than death, and isolated Zhong Yin from the world. According to your standards, she is qualified to be a ‘scholar’.”

“As for the so-called ‘a scholar can be killed but not humiliated’, it’s okay for you to choose Qixia, but I am really ashamed of myself.”

Gu Yin said it so bluntly that even Li Xun, who was very scheming, could not bear it.

Beyond his anger, he found it even more difficult to understand why Gu Yin had unleashed such a fatal threat over a mere debate…

As his thoughts reached this point, Li Xun’s mind suddenly lurched forward, like a bucket of cold water poured over his head. While the chill was bone-chilling, it sobered him up.

Looking at Gu Yin’s calm expression, she seemed to be mocking and scornful, but she showed no intention of relentlessly pursuing him.

Li Xun suddenly realized.

Fatal?

Could Qing Yin’s escape and the exposure of her hidden identity truly cost him his life?

Who would?

Qingming and Mingji couldn’t be the demon phoenix, Ramash and Li Douliang couldn’t be Ramash, and even Gu Yin before him couldn’t be either!

Li Xun possessed a near-immortal “Blood Shadow Demon Body,” a mysterious puppet rivaling any contemporary master, and a life-sharing, ultimately unwavering ally, Shui Dielan…

Add all these factors together, and who in the world could so brazenly declare such bold statements as “One hundred ghosts will die,” or “The Spirit Bamboo will accept my life”?

His gaze fixed on Gu Yin’s face. A figure with such vast resources was before him.

It was this woman who had unleashed a wave of unrest throughout the Tongxuan Realm, threatening to shake the unshaken order of things.

Li Xun was a cautious person, but he wasn’t one to underestimate himself. There was no reason why he could be so much worse than Gu Yin!

Gu Yin continued to smile, unfazed by Li Xun’s futile silence.

In the past, Li Xun would have considered this a sign of her unfathomable depth and become even more cautious. But this time, Li Xun could sense that Gu Yin was also nervous. Bringing up Qing Yin and provoking her with words was simply a test.

Gu Yin was testing Li Xun’s limits, so after her provocative words, the woman fell silent in time to avoid any unmanageable consequences.

Clearly, Gu Yin no longer viewed Li Xun as a pawn to be manipulated, but as an adversary to be battled with.

Li Xun certainly possessed this qualification. When facing old figures like Gu Yin and Yao Feng, he unconsciously slipped into the mindset of his former “Ling Zhu” self, as if he were still a humble, weak creature struggling to survive. He naturally assumed the role of a mentally retarded person.

But was he “Ling Zhu”?

The rising star of the righteous sect, cautious and respectful before his teachers and friends, renowned for his demon-slaying exploits? Or was he “Bai Gui”?

A rising power who rivaled “Ling Zhu” in brilliance, suddenly rising to prominence and shocking the entire Tongxuan world with his Blood Demon form?

The choice between these two identities was so difficult because, after over seventy years of psychological development, both Bai Gui and Ling Zhu represented a complex web of relationships, creating two separate, independent worlds, their illusions shifting between reality and illusion.

This was a surefire way to deceive others, but…

what kind of mindset did he have when Ling Zhu became Bai Gui, and Bai Gui became Ling Zhu?

Were these the only two options he had?

As this realization sunk into his mind, a thick wall crumbled within him, his spirit radiating light like a rising sun.

Li Xun suddenly laughed, “How foolish it is to deceive others by deceiving oneself!”

Gu Yin, not having heard the words clearly, asked, “What?”

Li Xun’s gaze met hers, and he smiled faintly, “I mean to strip off the robe and reveal our true form. Perhaps this kind of communication would align with Sect Master Gu’s wishes.”

At first, Li Xun’s words sounded incredibly vulgar, but Gu Yin heard something else.

Her brows furrowed slightly, but before she could respond, she saw Li Xun’s body language.

Li Xun felt his entire body relax, from toes to tips, every inch of his flesh melting.

Even his mind was immersed in the purest relaxation he had ever experienced. This was the first time in his life that he had experienced such a state.

Carefree and fearless, yet without a trace of illusion or unreality, only a calm and steady inner composure.

This was the magnanimity Li Xun should possess, a fundamental elevation from within.

Gu Yin before him seemed to recede in an instant, and Li Xun realized that this woman was but a tiny speck in the vast universe. Even though they were now so tightly pressed together, their breath audible, he could still advance or retreat, withdraw at any moment, and soar between heaven and earth.

“Great! The blue sky!

” Li Xun leaned back, assuming the most comfortable position within the confined space.

At this moment, he was like a sleepy tiger or an old dragon diving deep.

His current relaxation came from the fact that all restraints had become meaningless; he now possessed the power to break free from them all.

His gaze shifted from the side of the cloud-handled canopy to the sky, and Li Xun suddenly lost interest in tangling with Gu Yin.

However, Gu Yin took the initiative to break the silence, whispering in his ear, “Sir, you’ve played two roles, keeping the world in the dark. I don’t know what to call you now.”

Li Xun continued to gaze at the sky, the purest color of the sky above the clouds, a perfect reflection of his current state of mind. After a moment, he grinned and said, “Master Gu’s witty and charming way of calling you ‘Sir’ is perfectly fine. Why change your words?”

His mood was relaxed, and his frivolous remarks were endless. (Computer reading..net)

Gu Yin smiled indifferently, then sighed softly, “Sir, your two incarnations have both made a great name for themselves in this world. Initially, because of Lingzhu, I was always curious about the Hundred Ghosts, Southeast Forest Sea, and Feather Servant. Since then, I’ve become more interested in them. But I still can’t believe you could portray these two very different identities so beautifully!”

“You’re welcome. No matter how well you pretend, wouldn’t Sect Master Gu expose you? I’d like to ask where exactly did I give myself away?”

Gu Yin replied with a smile, “Sir, you’re so careful that I can’t say you gave yourself away. It’s just that your busy schedule may have caused your identity to change so quickly. Especially when you went into the galaxy to rescue someone, it was Ling Zhu who infiltrated, but it was the Blood Demon who emerged. Regardless of the Blood Demon’s motives, Ming Ji escaped with this opportunity, which was a good move…” At

this point, Gu Yin paused. Li Xun knew she had more to say. He shifted his gaze to her face without saying anything.

At this moment, his heart suddenly moved. The pure mind seemed to reflect something he had forgotten, but when he deliberately searched for it, it disappeared.

Gu Yin, unaware of his feelings, continued, “Then, around the Water Mirror Conference, Lingzhu and Baigui met publicly. This should have been enough to dispel any doubts. But then came the Razor Peak incident. Wuyou invited Lingzhu to kill Baigui, and Baigui arrived in person, transforming into the Blood Demon. Lingzhu disappeared, while the Water Butterfly Orchid suddenly appeared, as if leaping from a stone… Based on the footage of the battle scattered by the Water Mirror Sect, I can guess that the Water Fairy Nishui Gou’s other identity is probably Baihuandie, one of the Seven Demons. With this master of illusion, some disguise techniques wouldn’t be a problem.”

Li Xun listened to her words and pondered for a moment. He felt that Gu Yin’s descriptions did have some clues, but there was no definitive evidence. He raised an eyebrow and said, “Is that it?”

Gu Yin smiled, then pulled a jade slip from her sleeve and handed it to him.

Li Xun reached out to take it, and penetrating it with his mind, he saw that it contained a dense record of almost every known event of Lingzhu and Baigui since their debut. Every event was meticulously detailed, including time, location, background, contacts, and even developments. Some details were so subtle that even Li Xun couldn’t remember them, yet they were all recorded.

Even more astonishing was the way each event was recorded, linking Lingzhu and Baigui through time and place, reflecting each other.

Aside from some false rumors or those attributed to two puppets, the events on both sides were a dynamic of one appearing while the other disappeared, each rising and falling. The meticulous arrangement of the records revealed a flawed relationship between Baigui and Lingzhu. Even a fool could discern the issues between Baigui and Lingzhu from this carefully arranged record.

Even Li Xun, despite his relaxed attitude, still managed a wry smile upon seeing these records.

The Yanxing Sect is a unique sect in the Tongxuan Realm, specializing in intelligence and information. Their disciples are skilled in the art of transforming and disappearing, roaming the world, gathering secrets and events within the realm through various means, compiling them and selling them in exchange for valuable magical weapons, elixirs, and other items. With

tens of thousands of years of experience in documenting and recording, the Yanxing Sect has become an authority on this realm, maintaining both overt and covert ties with various sects.

The bamboo slips in Li Xun’s hands felt weightless, yet the information recorded must have passed through countless hands before it was pieced together, bit by bit.

Gu Yin chuckled beside him, “A small portion of this was collected by the Loose Cultivator Alliance, and the majority was obtained from the Yanxing Sect. Of course, when purchasing these records, they were divided among individuals and batches, and much of the information was mixed up to prevent others from noticing. As for the subsequent arrangement and organization, only a few close associates and I know much about it. Sir, rest assured.”

“Reassured? Why should I be worried?”

Li Xun flicked his finger against the jade slip, producing a crisp sound.

He had imagined scenarios where his identity would be exposed, but not in this way. He himself hadn’t revealed any major flaws, perhaps offering some comfort. However, Gu Yin’s bold assumptions and careful verification were the result of an upright army, like a landslide, leaving no room for escape.

This method wasn’t exclusive to Gu Yin; any cultivator in this world with some resources could replicate it. So how long could he maintain his secrecy?

As Gu Yin had said, Lingzu’s identity changes had been far too frequent in the past two years.

He sounded somewhat annoyed, his tone naturally cold and chilling.

Yet Gu Yin continued to smile: “Actually, none of this has been definitive until today, when I met you and experienced it firsthand. Only then am I 60% to 70% certain. Ultimately, you’ll need your own confirmation…”

It turned out to be a trick!

Li Xun threw his head back with a laugh, the slight regret he’d already felt vanishing as he left the hall. With a laugh, the jade slip in his hand silently crumbled to dust, which he swept out of the carriage with a flick of his sleeve.

Now, he became intrigued by Gu Yin’s previous question: “What did Sect Master Gu experience?”

“If it’s an experience, how can I express it verbally?” Gu Yin pursed her lips and smiled, a hint of cunning on her face.

Seeing this, Li Xun’s earlier sensations resurfaced, becoming clearer and clearer.

Gu Yin indeed possessed something other than her cautiousness. The demeanor she occasionally displayed was as ethereal and unreal as the illusions in a dream, perhaps a manifestation of her emotions, and the object of her attention was, in no way, the person before her.

Gu Yin’s unusual behavior was fleeting, and she quickly shifted the focus back to the original topic: “Sir, you shouldn’t object to me saying we’re of the same kind.”

Li Xun chuckled, suddenly eager to know what Gu Yin was planning, and so he simply acquiesced.

Gu Yin continued leisurely, “Besides that, I remember the unpleasantness between you, Xi Lian, Shui Xianzi, and Ramash over the Wuyinxuan incident. Furthermore, you’ve been a part of the Mingxin Sword Sect for a long time, and if things change, old friends could become enemies. It’s not ideal to offend both good and evil…”

“Wait!”

Li Xun raised a hand to stop Gu Yin from continuing, then raised an eyebrow and said, “Master Gu, you’re not trying to recruit me, are you?”

He suddenly understood Gu Yin’s intentions.

Although Gu Yin still possessed the ability to wield influence in this world, his power was significantly reduced compared to his peak.

The Ten Councilors, represented by the three great demons, Yao Feng, Qing Luan, and Kun Peng, were scattered, and most of the Demonic Luo Hou had been devoured by “Cat.” As a result, the Loose Cultivators Alliance’s top five True One Grandmasters were reduced to only the puppet Jade Wanderer, whose strength was arguably only 30% less than its peak. The

Loose Cultivators Alliance now faced the awkward situation of being enemies of almost every sect, both good and evil, in the Tongxuan Realm. What kind of extraordinary means would Gu Yin need to reverse this situation? He

simply needed to gather a group of troops and plug the gap!