The Forbidden Path to Immortality - Chapter 17

Chapter 8: Heartless

The “Wuxin Sect” is a sect of unorthodox sects, known for its bizarre and strange techniques. They espouse the principle that “the Way of Heaven is to reduce excess and replenish deficiency.

” Their techniques adhere to the principle of “giving before gaining,” meaning that one must first sacrifice a specific organ before gaining the corresponding ability.

By using secret techniques to dissolve certain organs, such as the heart and liver, they extract the purest “innate life energy” within, enhancing their cultivation without affecting the physical body.

These organs aren’t truly dissolved, but rather continue to function, providing a constant supply of “life energy.”

Despite being an elder, Xin Zhizi’s cultivation level is only above average within the Wuxin Sect. After seven or eight hundred years of practice, his internal organs have been completely dissolved, leaving them intangible. However, his mastery of the skin, bones, blood, and flesh remains superficial, not yet fully integrated, and thus offers no absolute advantage in terms of cultivation.

Taoist Minglan was known within the sect only for his good housekeeping, and his cultivation was mediocre. He certainly had a gap to rival Xinzhizi, but behind him stood Lin Ge’s looting formation.

Even though Lin Ge had been in decline for a century, his power declining rather than improving, his profound foundation remained. With the two of them working together, Xinzhizi might not be able to withstand it.

The flames suddenly flared, then faded as Yue Mingfeng’s sword energy pierced the air, shattering the two disciples’ inner wrath. Immediately, he descended before the disciples and shouted, “Form a formation!”

With the exception of Li Xun, who remained motionless, the others, centered around him, scattered in the four directions of the Heavenly Stars, their swords unsheathed, radiating a fierce aura.

This was a small Heavenly Star formation. While seemingly unstructured, it actually operated with a profound mechanism. Anyone who understood the Mingxin Sword Sect’s inner principles could combine them into a unified formation. By applying the principles consistently, it required little effort, making it a practical formation for group attack and defense.

In the Tongxuan Realm, where single combat is common, the Mingxin Sword Sect’s small formation is an excellent secret method for lower-level disciples to withstand the might of masters.

At this point, the Wuxin Sect had at least twenty hidden members in the surrounding area, already outnumbering them. If they didn’t form a formation to resist, what would they do?

Yue Mingfeng entered the center of the formation, occupying the main position of Tianxing. Li Xun stood beside him, directing the formation’s operation and also blocking any difficult enemies.

As expected, shortly after the disciples formed the formation, the sky rang with the shrieking sounds of swordsmen. Over a dozen figures, screaming, swooped down from all directions. Before they even arrived, the sky was already filled with the Wuxin Sect’s unique “Heart-Transforming Fire,” a blazing white aura.

Without waiting for Yue Mingfeng’s order, all the disciples knew what to do. They pressed their swords together and swept across the sky, cutting the “heart fire” into pieces.

At this time, Yue Mingfeng asked Li Xun, “Are you familiar with this formation?”

Li Xun was stunned and answered honestly, “This is the first time I’ve seen it, but…”

Yue Mingfeng nodded before he finished speaking, “I understand. This formation cannot stop. Try your best to follow me. If you can’t, tell me! “

After saying this, he drew out his sword and swung it in the air. Hundreds of layers of green sword energy shot up into the sky, extremely sharp. This sword technique was the “Thousand Peaks” sword technique in the sect, which was similar to Li Xun’s “Green Smoke and Bamboo Shadows”. Of course, the skill of this sword was something Li Xun could never compare to now.

With a single sword move, he dispersed the Wuxin Sect disciples who had already surrounded them. Although he didn’t hurt anyone, he left room for movement for the formation.

Taking this opportunity, Yue Mingfeng shouted, “Get up! “

Sixteen people flew into the air together with their swords, and among them, only Li Xun needed to use the “sword-stepping style” to fly. Because of this, he had almost no ability to fight back in the air.

Yue Mingfeng focused most of his attention on fighting the enemy, but he also glanced at Li Xun’s situation with the corner of his eye. Seeing that Li Xun’s skills were still quite agile, he put his mind at ease.

He was still thinking that Li Xun would be fine under the protection of the formation, and as long as Lin Ge and the other two could knock down the heart-piercing weapon, the situation here would get better…

“Boom! “

With a loud bang, the soil on the ground exploded with a groan, and earth and rocks flew everywhere, trapping all the more than ten people who had just flown up.

Things happened in a hurry, and even Yue Mingfeng had no warning. Even if the flying earth and rocks had no lethality, when the dust was flying, it had covered a large area. When the eyes went dark, people were only concerned with drawing their swords to protect themselves, so how could they keep the formation intact?

Yue Mingfeng’s heart jumped, and the first person he thought of was Li Xun, who had the lowest cultivation among all the disciples.

Those three fatal dragon beads!

“Oh no! “

A figure shot out from the ground flashed by in the corner of his eyes. Without thinking, Yue Mingfeng shot out his sword energy, blocking the man. With his other hand, he reached out to pull Li Xun based on his feeling.

However, he touched nothing!

The protected object was thrown away, and the Tianxing formation collapsed immediately.

The moment the soil burst, Li Xun knew that something was wrong. His first thought was to call for help, but before he could utter a word, his ankle suddenly hurt, as if someone had grabbed it with a huge force, like an iron hoop!

Then a stream of true energy penetrated his body, instantly closing dozens of his acupoints along the way. He immediately became limp and fell down, without even the slightest strength to fight back. No.

The distance between him and the masters was still too big!

At the moment of being restrained, Li Xun’s mind went blank for a moment. After all, it was the first time he encountered such a situation where he had no chance to escape. In the next moment, everything came back to him. A sound rang in his mind – waiting to die was never his character!

At the same time, through various inductions and guesses, the situation around him formed a clear picture in his mind.

Li Xun suddenly realized that the people from the Wuxin Sect around him were actually just the first layer of deception, and the person who broke the soil layer and created a loud noise was the second layer. The real killer move was still in the other layer that had penetrated into the soil. After the first person diverted Yue Mingfeng’s attention, this person broke out of the ground silently and restrained Li Xun.

The current situation is of course very bad, but it is not completely hopeless.

There was a melee in the dust and fog, and everyone was restrained, but Yue Mingfeng seemed to have some advantages in cultivation. Now Li Xun and the person who caught him are also paired alone, and the situation will at least not get worse in the short term. Moreover, Li Xun has a magic weapon! As

soon as this thought was completed, the top of his head felt hot, and the Phoenix Feather Needle that had been inserted in his head as a hairpin poured a stream of heat down, which passed through the Niwan Palace and spread into the hundreds of meridians.

Li Xun was delighted, this was exactly the Phoenix Feather Needle’s protective

This was one of the functions of the Phoenix Feather Needle that Li Xun had discovered in recent days. The

Phoenix Feather Needle could counterattack any alien Qi that invaded the body. It wasn’t quite right to call it a counterattack; the heat emanating from the Phoenix Feather Needle seemed to have the ability to dissolve any alien Qi. Given time, it would gradually devour it. It was especially effective against Qi-locked meridians.

This heat instantly traveled through Li Xun’s body, and wherever it passed, the invading Qi that had locked his meridians was swept away like boiling snow in hot soup.

Without a second thought, Li Xun’s golden elixir in his Huangting pulsed wildly, and the “green jade” that had been falling drew an arc along the ground, sweeping beneath him.

From being completely restrained to launching a sudden counterattack, Li Xun’s movements were so sudden that the man who had grabbed his ankle was completely unprepared.

The sword swung, and a muffled groan was heard. A few drops of warm liquid splashed onto his leg. The man instinctively withdrew his hand, and Li Xun felt a sudden sense of relief.

At this point, he dared not dwell on other matters, nor did he care about the outcome. With a burst of true energy, he forcibly shifted several feet in the air. The “Green Jade” returned to his hand with a low hum. With the power of the sword, he floated upwards a distance.

A low, hoarse roar echoed, and a scorching wind brushed past his feet, breaking him into a cold sweat.

He dared not delay, and with a wave of the “Green Jade” in his hand, several shimmering green sword lights fanned out in front of him, expelling a faint puff of smoke. This was the Green Smoke Barrier, a self-defense technique from the “Green Smoke and Bamboo Shadow” sword technique.

A faint wisp of green smoke was barely perceptible amid the flying dust and dirt, yet the unique aura of the Mingxin Sword Sect emanating from it was more pronounced than any beacon!

Li Xun’s move was a significant risk. Had the enemy arrived before his own men, he might not have been able to withstand a single blow.

Fortunately, his gamble paid off. Yue Mingfeng’s voice echoed from above: “Reach out!”

Li Xun thrust out his left hand with lightning speed, only to be seized instantly. With a powerful swing, he flung it skyward, instantly escaping the dusty area.

From below, the sound of swords hummed, accompanied by a few muffled groans. It was unclear who had suffered the loss.

Li Xun’s upward momentum had faltered, and he, catching his breath, ascended once more on his sword.

His movement roiled the entire situation. The dark, misty smoke and ash below were shattered by successive waves of exploding sword energy and inner fire. Dozens of sword beams shot up into the sky, once again centered around Li Xun.

“Give me the beads!” Yue Mingfeng’s mouth was bleeding, and his appearance was disfigured, but his sword flashed as fast as ever. He understood the crucial point and immediately ordered Li Xun to throw the deadly object—even if he lost the beads, it was worth losing his life!

Li Xun knew the importance of the matter better than he did. He didn’t hesitate, pulling out three dragon beads. With a flash of turquoise light, he tossed them high into the sky.

This showed Li Xun’s brilliance. If he had thrown the dragon beads directly at Yue Mingfeng, regardless of whether he could catch them, even if he did, the subsequent blow would have been severe! It would also have been very likely to draw Li Xun into the fray, where his life would have been in jeopardy.

Throwing them upwards was much better. Yue Mingfeng’s swordsmanship was the fastest, giving him the best chance of catching them. He could also follow the flow of the attack without any hassles. With any luck, the two Wuxin Sect masters below wouldn’t even be able to touch the edge of his clothes!

While the three dragon pearls couldn’t illuminate for miles like the night-shining pearls, comparable to moonlight, they still shimmered faintly, conspicuous in the pitch-black darkness.

With this throw, Li Xun instantly rescued himself from the most perilous situation. Glancing around, he noticed that nearly everyone’s gaze had shifted to the sky.

Still wary of carelessness, he swung his sword diagonally, using almost all his strength to carve a wide arc, passing through several pairs of engaged cultivators and avoiding the center of the battlefield.

With the Heavenly Star Formation disrupted, his decision was undoubtedly the wisest.

High in the sky, the dragon pearls’ brilliance flashed only twice before Yue Mingfeng snatched them up and casually placed them in his arms. The two Wuxin Sect masters who had followed him were still breathing heavily beneath his breath.

Yue Mingfeng silently praised Li Xun’s cleverness, maintaining his high position and spinning rapidly. The sword energy within his body surged, tearing through the air, and he struck back.

Li Xun breathed a sigh of relief. Everyone was engaged in a fierce battle, and experts like Qi Bi had already pinned down three. For the time being, no one would bother him, allowing him to focus on the overall situation.

The chaotic battle over there wasn’t the main point; the truly important battle was between Ming Lan and Xin Zi.

Ming Lan, due to the difference in cultivation, was already at a significant disadvantage, and Lin Ge didn’t seem inclined to offer any assistance.

Xin Zi was indeed more composed against the inferior Ming Lan. In the Wuxin Sect’s “Life Energy Transformed into Seven Bodies” technique, he primarily cultivated the “Heart System,” the center of the body’s inner Qi, formed by the heart. The

heart is of the element of fire, and this generates “Heart Flame” that circulates throughout the body, transforming it into a unique form of Qi with immense power.

Especially devastating, if the “Heart Flame” penetrated the body, it would fully dissolve the enemy’s heart, transforming it into pure “Life Energy” for the user to possess.

Ming Lan was deeply concerned about Xin Qizi’s “Heart Flame,” so he mostly took a defensive stance, maintaining an impenetrable defense. Despite his desperate efforts, Xin Qizi remained unable to bring himself to bear.

Lin Ge, standing nearby, lowered his head, seemingly showing no intention of intervening. But

how could Xin Qizi trust him? Even a century ago, Lin Ge’s reputation had been respectable. Now, with so much time gone by, and the turmoil of “that incident,” who knew what kind of person he was now?

Filled with anxiety, Xin Qizi naturally held back his full strength. In fact, he was still waiting for good news from the other side. However, when the Dragon Pearl flashed in the air, he nearly gritted his teeth.

Knowing that the Dragon Pearl had changed its owner, his chances of recovering it were practically zero, Xin Qizi’s fury intensified, his attacks becoming increasingly fierce.

The distance between him and Ming Lan had widened to dozens of feet, but his offensive only intensified.

Under his control, the Heart Flame blazed white, nearly transparent. He unleashed several waves of relentless attacks.

Its heat was so intense that it ignited everything it touched, even the earth and stone.

Previously, Xin Jizi had held back, preventing the flames from radiating their heat, but now he was no longer afraid. With three distant strikes, the Heart Flame erupted like a will-o’-the-wisp fire, blasting Ming Lan backward and setting the area hundreds of feet in ablaze.

This time, it also engulfed Lin Ge.

Xin Jizi had been watching Lin Ge’s movements, and this explosion was a test. He saw Lin Ge, caught in the flames, move without a single movement. Instead, a whirring of sword energy from his body extinguished all the surrounding sparks, a sight that made Xin Jizi’s eyelids jump.

Lin Ge finally looked him in the eye. After extinguishing the approaching flames, he remained silent, his eyes gleaming with an inscrutable thought.

Xinzhizi’s vigilance soared to a new level, and he dared not neglect his actions. With a strange howl, he formed a seal with his fingers, and the external heart flames spun eight times. With a single sound, he enveloped himself, obscuring his face and head.

From behind this seemingly incandescent blaze, Xinzhizi clasped his hands together, rubbing them briefly. A round bead, the same color as the heart flames, materialized.

The heart flames within him gushed into the bead, and in the blink of an eye, the flames vanished from Xinzhizi’s body. Instead, the bead in his hand shone like a small sun, its radiance swirling and flaming, making it impossible to gaze directly at it.

This “Soul Fire Bead” was also a rare treasure from the Tongxuan Realm, capable of concentrating firepower and making it easier to control.

The moment the Soul Fire Bead appeared, the external heat subsided considerably, but within it, the flames surged, its aura growing ever stronger.

Ming Lan had already recovered his breath and wanted to go up again, but Lin Ge shook his head and said, “Let me do it. You go and keep the other disciples safe.”

Ming Lan also knew that he could not gain any advantage, so he did not insist and flew towards the battle circle on his sword. With such a master joining, it was only a matter of time before the situation was turned around.

Lin Ge turned around, frowned slightly, and said, “Xin Jizi, do you still want to fight?”

Xin Jizi let the “Soul Fire Pearl” circulate around his body, with a sneer on his face: “I know you are going to participate in the Water Mirror Meeting, and I didn’t want to make things difficult for you, but you swallowed the dragon pearl and refused to return it. What can I do?”

Lin Ge also sneered: “Swallowed? My Mingxin Sword Sect killed the evil dragon and accumulated external skills. What does your Wuxin Sect have to do with it? Could it be that you also contributed? Or maybe this evil dragon was raised by your sect? Otherwise, how can you say it was swallowed?”

Without waiting for Xin Jizi to speak, Lin Ge said again: “Just now you said that my disciple destroyed your dragon pearl… But I know that he just put the pearl in his arms and didn’t move it. How can he say it was destroyed? But there is one thing, Xin Jizi, do you want to know?”

Xin Jizi said nothing, and the “Soul Fire Pearl” outside his body moved even faster.

Lin Ge smiled faintly and continued, “My disciple has recently been favored by an elder and received a rare treasure, which he now holds on his chest… You may have heard of it, the top-notch protective magic weapon, the ‘Jade Exorcist,’ said to ‘transform all poisons and ward off all evil’!”

“I’m furious!”

As Lin Ge spoke, Xin Zhizi’s face, already a mixture of pale and blue, became even more radiant. He roared angrily, and the light of the ‘Soul Fire Pearl’ faded, revealing a beam of light as thick as a pinky finger, sharp as a sword, piercing Lin Ge’s chest.

Lin Ge sighed, and his finger radiated a thousand layers of sword energy. He slashed through the air, and a series of explosions echoed in the void. The beam of light was deflected by the sword energy, and it was unknown where it went.

Lin Ge shook his head slightly: “As I expected, when I killed the evil dragon that day, I was surprised. How could an evil dragon with only a few hundred years of cultivation have three dragon beads? It turns out that your sect has some tricks behind it!

“I guess the beads were implanted before the forty-nine heavenly tribulations. The evil spirit is restrained, and I don’t know how many good people he must have killed to reach this level!

“In order to escape the heavenly tribulation, you put the beads into the evil dragon’s body, and used this evil creature to harm the world, continuing to accumulate resentment. As long as the time is right, killing the dragon and taking the beads, not only will you not incur heavenly punishment, you may even gain merit… What a scheming, what a calculation!”

Xin Zi’s face was distorted, but Lin Ge hit the nail on the head.

He also understood that tonight’s goal could not be achieved, but how could he explain to the sect leader if he went back in such a cowardly way?

“Unfortunately, the dragon pearl was obtained by us first, and then given to my disciple to hold on his chest to ward off evil. With daily contact, even after only two days, the hostility within must have dissipated significantly… Xinzhizi, what use is there for you to seize this useless item?”

Lin Ge’s analysis was spot-on. Two of the three dragon pearls were indeed implanted post-natally, precisely to ward off the forty-nine heavenly tribulations. Sect Master Qi Wudao used his supreme magical powers to inject them into the evil dragon’s body.

The original plan was to use them for cultivation after a hundred or two hundred years, when the hostility had accumulated enough. However, the evil dragon acted so arrogantly that it provoked the experts of the Mingxin Sword Sect.

At the time, the evil dragon was being guarded by disciples of the Wuxin Sect, but in front of Lin Ge and the others, even if they emerged, they would be dead. Therefore, they dared not show their faces, but instead sent a hasty message via flying sword, requesting that experts be sent down from the mountain. Xinzhizi was among those sent to rescue it.

They had made thorough preparations beforehand, gathering complete intelligence on Lin Ge’s group and the location of the Dragon Pearl. They had also devised nearly foolproof measures for this situation.

However, as soon as their plan was put into action, they encountered a series of missteps.

First, the Dragon Pearl’s accumulated rage had been largely dissipated. Although Xin Zhizi had sensed something was amiss, he had attributed it to the distance. Only when he approached his target did he realize the Dragon Pearl’s value had plummeted. Even if he could retrieve it, it might not be of much use!

Then, there was the boy holding the Dragon Pearl. Despite his shallow cultivation, he was as slippery as a loach. The two men who had leaped from the ground, both formidable masters among the Wuxin Sect’s third generation, were formidable opponents who had escaped and, taking advantage of the situation, stole the Dragon Pearl from someone else.

Finally, there was Lin Ge. Ever since the “Phoenix Killing” incident a hundred years ago, everyone in the Tongxuan Realm knew that he had been devastated. His cultivation had declined, not improved. The once high-spirited “Heavenly Heart Sword” was now nothing more than a pathetic creature living in the mountains, waiting to die.

It wasn’t until he faced Lin Ge that he realized just how utterly false the rumors were.

A hundred years ago, when Lin Ge clashed with Xin Jizi using his immortal sword “Flowing Water,” he had the upper hand, but every move was profound, profound, and dignified, leaving Xin Jizi speechless.

But the man before him now possessed none of his former charm. Facing him, Xin Jizi felt a chill run through his heart, a chill that was already thick with energy. This feeling was no easier than facing any renowned demon from a cult.

If he hadn’t known the strict rules of the Mingxin Sword Sect, he would have simply assumed that this man had entered the demonic realm, joined some unorthodox sect, and become a “fellow cultist”!

Xinzhizi carefully manipulated the Soul Fire Orb, not daring to use it rashly as before. Instead, he channeled his energy through the bead, aiming it at Lin Ge.

But how could Lin Ge let him have his way? A flash of sword energy cut off Xinzhizi’s probe.

The sword energy within him was both elusive and unfathomable. Xinzhizi frowned, unsure how to respond.

Just as Xinzhizi hesitated, Lin Ge moved. His body creaked, like an arrow released from a bowstring, transforming into a faint shadow that pierced the sky.

Just as Xin Jizi was stunned, he had already arrived more than ten feet above Xin Jizi’s head. He spun his body, and thirty-six layers of sword energy intertwined with each other, rotating like a wheel with a humming sound. Dozens of them crossed in a row, like the big mouth of a beast, biting down.

Xin Jizi never thought that as soon as he made a move, Lin Ge would use such a strange move. In a hurry, he let out a strange cry, and the “Soul Fire Pearl” rolled upwards, and it also separated into more than ten thin strands of fire beams, which quickly intertwined in the void, forming a large net, blocking the sword energy.

The sound of the sword energy and fire beams colliding was like a tough rope. The strange sound when the sword was broken.

Lin Ge’s body was weak and he flew into the air when the sword energy began to rebound, and Xin Zi only felt that the sword energy had a huge swirling force. The energy pulled him to spin on the ground for more than ten circles before he could barely dissipate the remaining force.

Lin Ge didn’t give him a chance to breathe. In the sky, his palm was like stroking the strings of a guitar. With a casual plucking, there were a few “clang” sounds. The originally calm void seemed to be grabbed by a corner, and swung heavily like shaking a blanket. The wave-like vibration spread from Lin Ge’s hand to Xin Zi’s head.

“Follow the waves for thousands of miles! “

Xin Jizi yelled, knowing that this was an amazing sword technique of the Mingxin Sword Sect. If he was hit head-on, he might be torn to pieces on the spot by the high-vibration sword energy.

He gritted his teeth and dared not hold back anymore. The “Soul Fire Pearl” exploded with a light sound, and the surrounding flames suddenly expanded again, becoming the size of a baby’s head. Then they began to spin high, making a buzzing roar.

Circles of fire flowed out from the pearl, like rapidly expanding ripples. In an instant, one hundred and eight layers of them gushed out one after another, drawing a fire flow area just above his head, just in time to meet the high-vibration sword energy wave.

A hissing sound, like fine silk being torn apart, pierced Xinzhizi’s mind. His tall, thin body dove for a moment, darting out from the ground. He’d barely gotten a few feet when the wall of fire was ripped to shreds, scattering flames across the ground. He was so furious he nearly spat blood!

Who the hell said Lin Ge’s martial arts had declined?

Even a hundred years ago, when he and Lin Ge battled, he could hold out for half an hour, and even then, his defeat was a matter of a single move. He wasn’t looking so miserable now! Up to this point,

he hadn’t even had a chance to fight back. This oppressive fighting style showed they weren’t on the same level! With that thought, he lost all desire to fight. Not far away, the situation was also deteriorating. Many disciples, beaten to a pulp, fled, spitting blood, seemingly on the verge of collapse.

Xinzhizi gritted his teeth and screamed, signaling a retreat. The disciples, as if granted amnesty, retreated, fighting and scattering in all directions.