The Forbidden Path to Immortality - Chapter 173

Chapter 9 Plan

Tianzhi remained silent. The shadow of her hood obscured the old demon’s vision, though such obstruction could be shattered with sufficient vision. Anyone who dared to disrespect her would be prepared to fight her to the death.

The old demon, Xia Peng, was very sensible and didn’t pursue the matter further. Turning his gaze back, Li Xun spread his hands and smiled, “Everyone has their own aspirations, and my mind isn’t on that.” He intentionally or unintentionally repeated the word “people.” The old demon frowned slightly, but ultimately said nothing. He knew that he was the least popular person in the winding path. It was okay to be cheeky occasionally, but to continue to fight would be undignified.

Fortunately, he had come here with a prescription that would be very helpful for his injuries. He also learned that the remnants of the Qing Emperor were about to relocate to the East China Sea, thus eliminating one of his most feared targets. He couldn’t say he would return empty-handed.

He had already begun to harbor thoughts of retreat, but a second glance at Li Xun changed his mind.

He was well aware that the Hundred Ghosts Generals, who owned Wuyinxuan, would be a formidable neighbor for the East China Sea Demon Alliance. They would have to rely on him to harvest the rich resources of the Southeast Forest Sea. Even if they couldn’t maintain a good relationship right now, they couldn’t afford to offend him.

Thinking of this, he laughed heartily, his chest shaking. “It’s true that a forced melon isn’t sweet.

” As he spoke, his gaze rested on Ji’s plump face. “Remember Brother Ji once said that if we all wanted to live in peace in the East China Sea, we could only achieve mutual complementarity and symbiosis. I’ll be the local tyrant, Brother Ji will do his business, and you all can enjoy yourselves. Hey, that scenario isn’t bad at all.” The Qing Emperor’s remnant replied calmly, “That’s true.” “At this, Qiu Peng laughed heartily, waved his wide sleeves, and turned away. The old man from the Green Emperor went to open an exit to the outside world for him.

Looking at the colorful portal that was over ten feet high and completely swallowed his majestic figure, Li Xun stroked his chin thoughtfully: “With the prestige of old Qiu Peng, it is not impossible for him to gather people in the East China Sea and dominate it.” “That’s what he did before. Otherwise, how do you think he got the title of Sea Demon King? I remember that for a long time, his influence in the north had expanded to the whole land, and he suppressed the Mingxin Sword Sect. But later, Zhong Yin came down the mountain and defeated him in several battles, forcing him to hide in the deep sea for hundreds of years…” “Oh. Yes. That’s what happened. “Li Xun immediately remembered the hatred between this great demon and the Mingxin Sword Sect, which could not be washed away even by pouring all the water from the five lakes and three rivers. At that time, he was young and just listened to those rumors as stories without understanding them deeply. Now, it seems that the root of this hatred lies in the ambition of the old demon Zong Peng. The collision with the traditional sphere of influence of the Mingxin Sword Sect is obviously not a case of complementary symbiosis.

Speaking of complementary symbiosis, Li Xun couldn’t help but look at Fatty Ji again. He saw that his performance was getting worse and worse. His eyes were bulging and he was “vigorously” looking at the surrounding environment. The greed in his eyes seemed to want to take everything in front of him. Everything was swallowed up with rapt attention.

Treasures, all treasures. Innate spiritual objects, refined through acquired experience, yet still able to fully display their natural abilities, possessing both the visible and the invisible. Here… a whole, massive treasure! This truly is a winding path leading to a secluded place…” Seeing Fatty Ji intent on thoroughly exploring the place, Li Xun joined in the fun. “It’s rare to have guests here, so why not talk to Elder Qing and ask him to invite you to stay for a while?” His words seemed to harbor ill intentions, at least that’s what Ji Bukou heard. His face paled, and he shook his hands. “No, no. That’s not necessary! Just being able to explore this winding path today is a great blessing. I dare not trouble Junior Brother and Elder Qing any further.”

Ji Bukou had just observed the Qing Emperor’s remnant’s manner of speaking, and naturally made the same mistake as Li Xun. He bowed and dismissed all but Li Xun, heading towards the old banyan tree.

“The foundation over there is just being established and there are so many things to do that I really can’t get away. Besides, it’s not a good idea for me to get in between my junior brother and his old friends. It ‘s better for me

to leave and hope to meet again later.” After saying this, he looked at Li Xun with eager eyes, waiting for his decision. Knowing that there was a lot of truth in the fat man’s pitiful appearance, Li Xun still couldn’t help laughing. Ji Bucuo, as the leader of a sect, could act like this, so why not cooperate with him once? But… he turned his head to look at Tianzhi, the female cultivator who was still standing quietly, seemingly not noticing the situation here.

If you are not afraid of your identity being exposed, why bother to be the villain?” Li Xun knew that there was indeed no time to “squeeze oil” today, but it was impossible for him to let Ji Bucuo go. After thinking about it, he smiled and said, “That’s good, so as not to delay my senior brother’s business. But it’s better to leave a contact method for you and me to keep in touch.” “Of course. Fatty Ji, fearing Li Xun might change his mind, agreed without hesitation and pulled out a pair of jade rings from his bosom. They were about the size of a ring worn around the upper arm, their jade green as water, quite charming. “

This treasure is called ‘Biluo Huangquan’. The rings come in male and female varieties. The male ring is ‘Biluo’, the female ‘Huangquan’. When put together, they are identical, but held in separate hands. Even though they are separated by millions of miles, a message can still be transmitted through the air, arriving in an instant. While it’s not as powerful as the Three Emperors Sword Sect’s hanging silk flying ring, which can penetrate the air and manifest without restriction, it’s still a rare treasure.” “As he said this, he handed the Biluo Ring to Li Xun. Li Xun was not polite. He stretched out his hand to

take it, but what he was thinking about was Luo Yuji’s earring. Back then, on Longhuan Mountain, he had seen Luo Qilu use the hanging silk flying ring to call out to the Nether Fire Yama from afar. Now things have changed and people have changed. It’s really a pity. Ji was not bad. He gave the treasure away, but Li Xun didn’t let him go. His heart was pounding. He could only whisper to test: “Junior brother, you are a stone.” Li Xun came back to his senses when he heard the voice. Seeing his appearance, he laughed out loud, patted his shoulder and said “No, I won’t send you off.” The old man of the Qing Emperor threw the fat man out.

As soon as the fat man left. The world immediately became much quieter. Master Tianzhi still said nothing and took off her hood to reveal her stunning face.

Unlike before, her black hair was not tied up in a bun, but simply tied behind her head. The breeze in the forest blew the silk and swayed it lightly. Li Xun Shi got the Chu woman’s silk to disappear. There was a dark red light flowing in her silk, as bright as jade, strange and gorgeous.

Shui Dielan shifted her gaze and met Li Xun’s. Both knew that the demonization of Master Tianzhi’s body had reached a level close to that of a Blood Shadow Demon Body. Such valiant and diligent advancement was rare even among the Supreme Heavenly Demons, rivaling Li Xun’s.

The Qing Emperor’s elders also saw clearly the breeze passing through the treetops, like a sigh. Li Xun possessed the art of connecting the bones and meridians to the heart, so the signs of his demonization were not obvious. However, Tianzhi had engraved every change on her appearance, allowing him to observe the progress of her demonization through these “marks.”

Being born with a demonic body and forcibly transforming into a demonic body are by no means simply equivalent. The impact on the mind and emotions is far more profound than anyone could imagine.

Most cultivators who achieve demonization cannot withstand the mental impact of the process and ultimately destroy themselves in a frenzy.

Li Xun could not see the clues yet, but Master Tianzhi was already teetering on the edge.

The old man of the Qing Emperor suppressed his sigh and said slowly, “I have lived in seclusion here for many years, my heart as calm as water. Today, with the relocation approaching, I feel the urge to invite friends. I just asked Baihuan Weimei to invite me. Please forgive me if I am impolite.” Master Tianzhi bowed slightly upon hearing this. Though his face showed no expression, he remained courteous and respectful, his demeanor extremely humble. “I’ve long heard of the Green Emperor. It’s a blessing for me to be invited by this senior to personally enter this winding path.” The Green Emperor’s elder knew Master Tianzhi’s thoughts weren’t on this matter, so he dispensed with formalities and instructed Shui Dielan to greet the guests on his behalf. He then went off to complete the unfinished relocation work. Tianzhi’s movement vaguely alerted him to his unusual state. The female cultivator glanced at the old banyan tree but ultimately said nothing.

Li Xun, suddenly realizing, whispered to Shui Dielan, “Master Qing invited someone in…” “You only realize now? It was to help you out. Wouldn’t it be embarrassing to be chased by those two guys?” Li Xun laughed, mostly because he found it unusual to hear Mingji described as a “guy.” Shui Dielan glanced at him, indicating that Master Tianzhi was waiting.

Li Xun shook his head slightly, needing her to remind him. He would never have thought the problem before him was more troublesome than he’d imagined. Tianzhi’s request for access to Wuyinxuan was because she had her eyes on this blessed place. This person’s thinking was probably… The Master had just mentioned Wuyinxuan, and he didn’t know what it was about. He was deliberately stalling Tianzhi’s patience, but she wasn’t cooperating directly. “I need access to Wuyinxuan. We can make a deal, anything goes.” Li Xun was a little annoyed, but he could only say such things in his heart. He couldn’t fathom Tianzhi’s thoughts. What if she impulsively agreed? With a sigh, he gave in slightly. “Why?” Tianzhi said. The blood-red in his orifice seemed to deepen. “It’s said that Wuyinxuan is a world unto itself in the southeastern forest sea, and its magical spatial functions permeate every corner of the forest sea, reaching far and wide. Is this true?” Li Xun replied without hesitation, “Yes, that’s exactly what I want.” “That’s what I want.” “Tianzhi stared into his eyes: “I won’t take advantage of you, I just want this method to freely enter and exit the Southeast Forest Sea.” Seeing that she was so ungrateful, Shui Dielan’s eyes were as cold as needles and pierced her.

Li Xun was no longer angry, but put his hands behind his back and said with a smile: “So. I just want to take the throne of the Lord of the City That Never Sleeps from the Master in name only, and everything else remains the same. Tianzhi kept silent, but the sunlight moved elsewhere and did not look at the two of them.

Li Xun’s tone also softened: “I know that the Master has a noble character and will not care about these external things. What he said must have a basis. In this case, please tell me clearly what the method of entering and exiting is for? If the reason is appropriate, I will not hesitate to help…” He felt Shui Dielan’s emotions fluctuate and her eyes turned. He added with a smile, “Actually, this Wuyin Pavilion is a gateway to the inner and outer worlds, all connected by forbidden techniques. If one thing changes, everything changes. The mountain entrance method is like a door lock, which can be changed at will. If you only need it temporarily, I can grant it a few days, but it will be useless after it expires. This way, we can have the best of both worlds.” Shui Dielan gave him a subtle kick, then turned around and smiled as if nothing had happened, continuing the two negotiations.

Li Xun treated it as a speck of dust and continued to look at Tianzhi. She was silent for a moment before finally turning to face him. “The Loose Cultivator Alliance has sent troops to the Southeast Forest. 100,000 loose cultivators are the elite recruited from all four directions. This is Gu Yin’s and cannot be lost. Gu Yin must be in charge…” Before she finished speaking, Li Xun understood her meaning. His expression remained unchanged, but he lowered his head slightly, lost in thought. Tianzhi continued to speak.

“I have heard about the Nine Nether Devouring Realm in Ghost Gate Lake. Now that Yaofeng, Qingyou, and Guyin have fallen out, her protective guards are at their weakest, and she herself remains wounded. Her only concern is the nearby Moruohou.

“With your help, utilizing the methods of Wuyinxuan, I’m confident I can defeat the barrier of the hundred thousand scattered cultivators surrounding them.” Li Xun sighed, “As expected.” He hadn’t expected that the very person he’d been discussing with Shui Dielan the other day would actually appear before his eyes.

What a pity… He let out a wry smile.

Tianzhi’s information clearly came from the Western Alliance. At the time, the Seventh Cultivator Venerable and his companions were frightened off by Yaofeng and Qingying before reaching the Nine Nether Devouring Realm. Since then, they’ve only employed a few spies to gather information from afar. They know nothing about what’s happening within the Nine Nether Devouring Realm.

He and Guyin are fine; they’re solitary, limited to Shui Dielan and others, that they wouldn’t intentionally spread the news. Guyin, having suffered such heavy losses, likely didn’t want to disclose the secret.

Strangely, the Divine Lord of Youli kept the secret so tightly under wraps. Not a single word has leaked in all these days.

Li Xun, his mind racing, had already taken a lot into account. He raised his head, staring directly at Master Tianzhi and saying slowly, “The rumors are unreliable. Master, why didn’t you ask me, the person involved, before making your plans?” Before Tianzhi could react, he continued, “Even if Master could use Wuyinxuan to roam freely in the southeastern forests, he would still return empty-handed like he did at Qianzheguan last time. Master, do you know that Gu Yin is no longer accompanied by the Demon Hou? And even though Yaofeng has turned against her, he is still under her control. Tianzhi was finally shocked and looked at him in surprise.

Li Xun was calm and unhurried, not rushing to explain Tianzhi’s confusion, but slowly sorting out the clues.

“Gu Yin single-handedly manages the Loose Cultivators Alliance. His prestige is immense, but his tenure is still short. Recently, half of the council members have either died or defected, creating numerous factions and unrest. If Gu Yin were still around, he could still suppress a few of them. Otherwise, these hundreds of thousands of people would be routed, and the Loose Cultivators Alliance would collapse. If the Master could truly execute the strategy of Bo Lang and achieve success in one fell swoop, it would truly be a great deed.” Tian Zhi, knowing he intended to dominate the situation, said in a colder tone, “This has nothing to do with me.” “Although it wasn’t the Master’s intention, it was bound to happen this way.” Li Xun casually brushed aside a slanting branch and said leisurely, “To be honest, Master, Gu Yin and I have a grudge. If the Master could achieve success, it would be of great benefit to me. Now that the Master has retreated to the temple and advanced his cultivation, his innate five-colored divine light is unparalleled. If a well-planned attack could be achieved, I would be happy to see it succeed. Unfortunately, things are far from as simple as the Master imagines.” Considering Li Xun’s status and position, this statement was a bit arrogant, but Tian Zhi didn’t find it surprising. She pondered for a moment, then bowed, “Please advise.” Li Xun smiled faintly, dropping the pretense. “This story begins when the Demon Phoenix and Qingying charged into Ghost Gate Lake… Recounting the events of the Nine Netherworld Devouring Realm took quite a while.” By the time Li Xun had finished summarizing the key points, the sky had darkened.

When not distracted by her unwavering desires, Tianzhi’s Qi cultivation skills were remarkable. She could handle the news of the deaths of the two demons, Qingyou and Mo Luohou, with unwavering confidence. The matter of Yu Sanren’s puppet was even easier.

However, after confirming Gu Yin’s limited protection, she grew slightly agitated. “Although the demonic wind is contained, with disunity, the chances are better than we imagined. If I had your cooperation…” “It’s not that easy.” Regardless of whether Gu Yin had any backup plans, others probably didn’t know the limitations and restrictions of Wuyinxuan’s forbidden techniques. Li Xun highlighted several key points: “Although the forbidden spell controls Fan Tian throughout the Southeast Forest, it’s powerless against the sky. The spectroscope can examine every corner, but it’s completely useless against Grandmasters and would instead alert the enemy. The connection between the inner and outer worlds has the advantage of disregarding spatial distance, but it also causes violent fluctuations in vital energy. Developing a surprise attack is also extremely difficult…” While lining up these numerous difficulties, gradually dispelling Tian Zhi’s unrealistic ideas, Li Xun was also sorting out his thoughts.

It’s undeniable that Tian Zhi’s willingness to be the first to intervene had him somewhat tempted, and the benefits he’d mentioned before weren’t discounted in the slightest. If he could leverage this momentum to kill Gu Yin in one fell swoop without any personal harm, why wouldn’t he do it? As he spoke, the various doubts began to clear up. He suddenly pointed to the surrounding wetlands and asked, “Master, do you think this winding path is considered within the Southeast Forest?” Of course, Li Xun nodded and said, “Then, Master, do you know that Wuyinxuan’s spell for entering and exiting the void is no longer effective here?” Before Tianzhi could react, he swung his arm. “Not only is this area beyond Wuyinxuan’s control, but the entire forest stretching east to west from the seashore is beyond its control. In other words, if Guyin were to remain here, Master’s greatest support would be useless.” Seeing Tianzhi’s furrowed brows, Li Xun continued, “Master, you may believe Guyin won’t necessarily stay here. But did you sense the unusual movement yesterday?” The so-called unusual movement referred to the widespread tremor caused by Qingying’s ascension. Considering Tianzhi’s position yesterday, Li Xun suspected she would have sensed it.

As he expected, Tianzhi nodded slightly in deep thought.

“That was Qingying…” He briefly explained the situation. Ignoring Master Tianzhi’s surprised expression, Li Xun struck again with his hammer. “Then, Master, do you know what lies beneath this winding path?” Three consecutive hammer strikes from Master Tianzhi, even with her formidable Qi cultivation skills, were unable to withstand them. She finally realized her plan was riddled with flaws and unworthy of refutation.

At this moment, Li Xun also thought of another key point: “I’m afraid the Master is not the only one in this world with similar ideas. Even if the various Tongxuan sects put aside their past grudges and work together, it would be difficult to directly confront Gu Yin’s loose cultivator alliance, not to mention that they all have their own plans.

” “Even if they cooperate and win, the loss is absolutely unacceptable. In comparison, assassination, while not a very good method, is much more feasible.” Tianzhi slowly shook her head. Does the Master have any news in this regard? She hadn’t contacted the sect in some time. “Master Tianzhi,” the leader of the sect, seemed to have disappeared from the world. The only thing that appeared in the world was the mysterious and murderous blood demon before her.

“That’s very possible. That raises a question. Who knows if there’s any conflict between everyone’s assassination plans? If they’re all hindering each other in this regard, expecting Gu Yin to die of laughter is probably unrealistic.” No one appreciated his clumsy joke. Li Xun, feeling rather annoyed, dismissed it and concluded without a second thought.

“In my opinion, the Master has the ability to flee a thousand miles if a strike misses, but it’s difficult to guarantee a guaranteed hit. Success or failure is of no consequence to the Master. But Gu Yin will never give the Master a second chance, and his revenge will likely be unprecedentedly fierce. The

last sentence is the key to moving Tianzhi.

No matter what, the foundation of the Never-Sleeping City is an obstacle Tianzhi can’t get around. If failure stems from a poorly planned plan, it’s hard to imagine that the Never-Sleeping City can withstand Gu Yin’s wrath.

Tianzhi remained silent for a long time, looking at the calm waters beyond the sandbar, where lotus flowers were blooming.

Just when Li Xun almost thought she had entered a state of meditation, her cold and clear voice rang out: “What are your plans?” “Of course it’s to cooperate with the Master…” Using someone to kill someone? Li Xun didn’t deny what Tianzhi said. And there was no need for him to tell Tianzhi that this was actually just a test with a lot of noise! Outside the Loose Cultivator Alliance, I’m afraid no one would always get some opportunities to be alone with Gu Yin like Li Xun. There were many times when he could almost kill Gu Yin with a wave of his hand, but in the end he missed the opportunity for one reason or another. Once or twice would be fine, but after so many times, Li Xun felt that his fear was very serious. The root cause was that he couldn’t find out the details of Gu Yin.

The former Zhenyi Grandmaster and the weak woman who was now seriously injured, the two contrasting states combined with the other party’s unpredictable scheming made it difficult for the cautious Li Xun to make up his mind to fight to the death.

Today, Tianzhi took the initiative to come to the door, and with her pride and determination, she could only use this situation to serve as a pawn. The opportunity was rare, so how could he let it go? He smiled and no longer entangled in these hidden thoughts, and only said: “Whether to cooperate or not is decided by the Master. “Tianzhi smiled coldly without any hesitation: “I only care about Gu Yin’s life or death.” Shui Dielan, who was leaning against the tree trunk next to them, did not intervene in the discussion at all. She only sneered when she saw Tianzhi volunteering to be the knife in Li Xun’s hand. Of course, this small inconsistency was consciously ignored by the two.

Li Xun succeeded in taking advantage of the situation. He was very happy and simply said generously: “If you don’t mind being presumptuous, I would like to invite you to my Wuyinxuan where there is no one and the vitality is abundant. It is a good place for cultivation.

“I will also give you the three thousand characters I owe you. In the next few days, you can practice diligently to consolidate your Dharma body. If you can make a further improvement in your cultivation, you will no longer need to rely on external objects and the heart-locking cold iron on your chest can be removed. “Tianzhi remained calm and nodded slightly, showing that she didn’t care much about the three thousand words.

Li Xun knew from her attitude that between her own life and Gu Yin’s life, Tianzhi undoubtedly valued the latter more. In this way, Li Xun would be much less restricted when designing the plan. Why should I be a good person when I don’t even care about my own life? He began to think about how to use this sudden help to the best effect.

Silence fell under the banyan tree, but an invisible force slowly expanded. I wonder if the woman who calculated others and was always calculated by others thousands of miles away could sense Li Xun’s thoughts at this moment. Suddenly, she made a big jump and landed on Qing Yin, who was still nowhere to be found.

Who of the two women, Gu Yin and Qing Yin, made him more wary? This was a question.

Hey, people are going to cooperate with you. Have you made a plan?” At this time and place, the only one who could dismantle his stage was Shui Dielan, but he could not say that he was confident. Yet, she had a clear idea in mind. “The most important thing right now is intelligence. Knowing both ourselves and the enemy means we need to determine Gu Yin’s approximate location and the strength of her guards – this is knowing the enemy; we also need to know how much strength we can exert – this is knowing ourselves.

” “The former is easier to handle. The Loose Cultivator Alliance has many members and diverse opinions, making it easier to control intelligence. But knowing oneself requires careful planning.” “Why?” Shui Dielan was genuinely curious.

“Because there are so many people who want to kill Gu Yin.” Li Xun spread his hands and smiled bitterly. “Not to mention the Nine Righteous Sects and the Western Alliance, even that old man Bilpeng just now, doesn’t he want to redeem himself from Gu Yin? Add to that our group, all four of which want to kill her. These are four forces, and I don’t think they can work together.

” Tianzhi pondered and said, “The lesson of ‘Killing Feng’ is not far away. How can we be sure that the Tongxuan Sects won’t launch another ‘Killing Gu Yin’ operation?” “How can bullying orphans and widows be compared to assassinating a powerful lord or a prince? Shui Dielan’s definition was peculiar, yet quite accurate.” Li Xun chuckled and turned to Tianzhi, saying, “I’m afraid this matter will require the Master’s personal involvement. As the Lord of Never-Night City, at least the information from the Nine Sects of Righteousness cannot be wrong. As for the Western Alliance…” Just as he was thinking about it, Tianzhi had already coldly refused, “No.” “Huh?” Li Xun looked up in surprise, but the moment he saw Tianzhi’s appearance, he suddenly realized. Yes, this is absolutely impossible. Tianzhi’s demonization has reached an irreversible level. Although her appearance is still pure and beautiful, the bloody murderous aura in her is obvious to anyone with a discerning eye. She doesn’t have the art of connecting the bones and veins to the heart, and this kind of evil demonic aura cannot be concealed no matter what.

“This is troublesome…” Li Xun frowned and pondered, and suddenly felt something. He looked up and said in surprise, “What do you think of me?” Please continue to look forward to the exciting finale of the Netherworld Immortal Journey.