The Forbidden Path to Immortality - Chapter 175

Chapter 1: Promise (Part 2)

Shui Dielan whispered behind him, “The Qingluan’s innate consciousness might be able to record some fragments and imprint them into the immortal body. Perhaps there are some remnants in the feathers. Well, don’t worry. It must have been the time between your stimulation and the ascension. It can’t be more.”

Silence fell around them. The old Kunpeng demon on the sea also concealed his presence again and again, as if determined to observe from the sidelines, or perhaps waiting for an opportunity to strike.

It seemed that everyone except the demon phoenix was idle, while everyone’s attention was focused on the demon phoenix, ready to react at any moment.

The demon phoenix lowered her face, and no one could see her expression. At first, Li Xun could try to deduce something from the subtle changes in her body movements and the flow of her breath. But later, not only the demon phoenix, but also the surrounding void, fell silent. All movement became still. If one closed his eyes, he could not even sense the demon phoenix’s presence.

This atmosphere of near-absolute stillness spread rapidly outward, but it stopped when it reached Li Xun’s own aura. Their auras collided, and the phoenix demon didn’t raise her head, only softly asking, “Where?”

Such a brief statement was fortunate enough for Li Xun to understand. With a sigh, he replied, “Exactly in the center.”

The phoenix demon seemed to nod, so subtly that Li Xun almost thought it was an illusion. But after he spoke, the phoenix actually began to move. She slowly retreated, retreating to the point where the soaring pillar had exploded, the center of the spatial rift.

That was where the remnants of the Azure Emperor had lived in seclusion for tens of thousands of years. It was the true starting point of “winding paths leading to secluded places,” and naturally, the place where the Azure Luan ascended to its celestial origin.

The phoenix demon sat cross-legged in the air above the center. Her face was still downcast, like a contemplative philosopher, but no philosopher would sit in this empty space. Even a deity wouldn’t express their grief in this way.

Li Xun glanced back at Shui Dielan, who rolled her eyes. Li Xun shrugged and looked back at Tianzhi.

From the moment he met the phoenix, Zhi had been unusually calm. Only when the old demon Kunpeng prodded her did her aura fluctuate. Even when Li Xun glanced over, she remained in her previous state.

Unable to get any hints from his companions, Li Xun felt helpless. Following his wishes, he simply turned away, ignoring the phoenix. However, reason always prevailed in his mind.

He knew that severing contact with the phoenix would be foolish under the current circumstances. After a moment’s hesitation, he slowly flew forward and landed several feet away. Once

again encountering that silent realm, he wanted to say something, but his words remained frozen. He cursed inwardly, but before he could even begin to feel something more profound, the phoenix uttered, “Isn’t this the best possible outcome?”

Li Xun didn’t respond immediately, but frowned. He didn’t have the time to engage in a mystery. Fortunately, the words came across as the phoenix’s unconscious mumbling.

Then, she got to the point, her pace so abrupt that Li Xun was a little uneasy.

“Last time, Gu Yin tried to recruit you, but you refused.”

“Yes, we’re rivals,” Li Xun replied matter-of-factly.

“Rivals, that’s great.”

Yao Feng looked surprised.

Li Xun was genuinely puzzled. It seemed as if Gu Yin hadn’t yet told Yao Feng about his identity. How could this woman be so considerate?

Something was on his mind, and his reaction was slow. It wasn’t until a cyan light flew before him that he reached out to block it.

The moment his palms touched, he knew what it was. His fingers softened, gently grasping a cyan feather. Yao Feng’s words reached her ears: “Thank you for helping Qing Luan. With this, you can ask me for something!”

Yao Feng’s pride remained as strong as ever, but she clearly hadn’t grasped the situation. The cultivator before her wasn’t just Bai Gui, with whom she had little experience, but Li Xun, the man who had once prostrated himself at her feet and endured the most humiliating humiliation a man could endure!

For a moment, Li Xun nearly crushed the cyan feather in his hand.

After a pause, Li Xun didn’t let his sudden emotions overwhelm his rationality. At that moment, he recalled the Phoenix-killing Campaign, when Yu Sanren’s uncle and nephew pressed their favor. Was this Yao Feng’s response?

Her promise was both arrogant and careless, verifiable because it was too arrogant and careless, unworthy of her status. Li Xun couldn’t help but think about it.

He hesitated, but Yao Feng raised her head and glanced at Li Xun. The previously suppressed feeling in his heart returned.

An indescribable power radiated from Yao Feng’s eyes, a power so pure that it struck Li Xun like a hammer, shattering his defenses and piercing his heart.

Li Xun groaned in extreme pain, but the feeling was fleeting. By the time he could retaliate, Yao Feng had already lowered her face, returning to her previous sullen state.

Although everything had returned to normal, Li Xun would never believe it.

In that instant, pure power surged forth like an unstoppable torrent. In his trance, the flaws left by so-called “carelessness” were filled by this force, like a towering wall pressing down, leaving no gaps.

Even during the earth-shattering battle between Yao Feng and You Yi, Li Xun hadn’t felt anything. But now, with a single glance, he felt the unadulterated pressure!

It was at that moment that Li Xun finally understood the absurdity and foolishness of his previous pity for Yao Feng.

The strong are the strong. Even if she’s controlled by her enemies, bent by emotions, crushed by conspiracy, as long as she’s here, she’s still the most powerful demon in this world. Was it the one-of-a-kind Heavenly Demon Phoenix, or the unwavering will amassed over countless millennia, that far surpassed Li Xun’s self-righteous imagination. Given

the circumstances, who would pity him if he showed mercy to others? Moreover, he had no right to show mercy.

This thought, a strange one in his life, made Li Xun feel incredibly happy. Although he still had many unresolved issues and held onto some things, in that instant, he shook off the two days’ daze and regained his perspective. It was like the moment when the Hundred Ghost Bamboos merged in the skies above the Nine Netherworld Devouring Realm.

The enemy is the enemy, and I am myself.

Decades of accumulated grudges, still unrequited, where did all this melancholy, sorrow, and melancholy arise? If there was a mound of dirt ahead, flatten it with one foot; if there was a delicious meal, devour it in one gulp. As for what the future held, was there any need to worry about it now?

Li Xun was truly grateful to Yao Feng. Her true nature had saved him from the most likely pathetic death—tripping over a single mound and choking on his last bite of food!

However, that didn’t mean those thoughts were meaningless. A long-term perspective was always a good idea; the key was to clearly identify one’s position.

Li Xun wasn’t foolish; after only two days of confusion, he finally came to his senses. The shift in his mindset was incredibly subtle.

Regardless, he wasn’t going to be polite right now. Since the demon phoenix had the right to speak freely, he naturally had to pay the price. He hadn’t figured out what to do with the green feather for the time being, so he’d just leave it there for later.

Smiling, he feinted the feather into his arms.

The demon phoenix seemed reluctant to speak again. Li Xun waited a moment, seeing no more sound, and turned to leave. The demon phoenix suddenly asked, “Have you seen Lingzhu recently?”

Li Xun’s heart skipped a beat, but he laughed heartily. “Isn’t he still alive?”

Laughing, he flew away without looking back. The demon phoenix behind him fell into absolute silence once again. No one knew what she was thinking, nor what she would do next.

Li Xun, unwilling to linger, retreated westward with Shui Dielan and Tianzhi. As it neared the edge of their sight, he glanced back. The demon phoenix had shrunk to a tiny dot, as if curled up in a ball of incomparable loneliness. The deep black world seemed to swallow that tiny speck, never to return.

The Lushui River is one of the largest rivers in the Southeast Forest Sea. It collects the abundant waters of the forest, flows through most of the forest, and finally merges into the Source River, the largest river that traverses the Tongxuan Realm.

Its banks are home to numerous rare birds and animals, as well as unique aquatic herbs. At all times, the number of cultivators along the Lushui River is considerable.

A slightly damp summer breeze whipped mist slowly across the river. The thin barrier barely obscured the cultivators’ vision, so at least a dozen people in this densely populated area clearly saw the previously calm river surface bulge with water. A demonic crocodile, native to the Lu River, leaped up, followed by a burst of azure sword energy.

The sword energy circled mid-air, severing the demonic crocodile’s massive body. Blood splattered and spread across the river.

The sword light faded, revealing a cultivator. This cultivator had likely been in the water for too long, looking slightly disheveled, but the disheveled azure robe and the distinctive sword light betrayed their identity.

The figure flashed and sank back into the water, emitting no trace of a single aura. He vanished before everyone’s eyes. Several onlookers were astonished.

“Is that… from the Mingxin Sword Sect?”

A wandering cultivator hummed, unsure. After a moment’s thought, he finally said, “It looks like the authentic Xuanmen sword technique. But aren’t the cultivators of the Tongxuan sects all in the East China Sea? This person looks like he’s being hunted, hiding from the public.”

The Southeast Forest Sea these days is no place to hide information. The two wandering cultivators’ suspicions quickly spread through various channels.

Within half a day, at least half the wandering cultivators downstream of the Lushui River had learned of the news, along with various derivatives based on it. And at some point, the cultivator suspected of being from the Mingxin Sword Sect had been given the familiar identity of Mingxin Xinzhu.

As various rumors spread, Li Xun was already at Wuyin Pavilion. He hadn’t forgotten his goal: to reunite with his fellow disciples and openly join the Nine Righteous Sects’ operations in the Southeast Forest Sea to obtain firsthand intelligence.

That day, a word from the demon phoenix reminded him that Lingzhu’s death had apparently spread in this world. If he flew directly to the East China Sea, suspicion might arise. So, he planned to spread the news of Lingzhu through rumors—perhaps fellow disciples would come looking for him. Of course,

he wouldn’t waste time in the forest. There was something he needed to attend to right now.

He had the jade bottle containing Wu Ji’s remnant soul in his arms. To prevent it from dissipating, he used the Blood Nightmare technique to separate a bit of bloody murderous energy and inject it into it to nourish and solidify it. This thing wouldn’t be a big deal for the ghosts, but in Lingzhu’s arms, if it ran into a sensitive nose, it could be a disaster.

Li Xun appeared in the small pavilion on the lakeside, the core of Wuyin Pavilion. To his surprise, the person he had arranged wasn’t there. He frowned and flew across the lake, following a winding path.

Turning a corner, he suddenly heard a sound. He was startled for a moment, unsure of what expression to put on his face before turning strangely into the woods on the left. Just

a hundred steps upstream, along a clear stream, stood a pavilion perched high on a hill, open to the wind on all sides. Within the pavilion, two beautiful women, half-dressed, were embracing each other.

From their faint laughter, he could tell one was flirting casually, while the other was on the verge of collapse.

“Did I push this whore too hard?”

Li Xun noticed the two women’s expressions, though they weren’t angry at all, and even had the energy to laugh at themselves.

But then he remembered that Yin Zhonghua had always been a man of purpose. After spending so long in Wuyin Pavilion, perhaps he could learn something about the treasure hidden there?

With this thought in mind, he slowly approached. By then, Yin Sanren had already noticed him, but feigned ignorance. He simply pressed the girl against the stone table in the center of the pavilion, entwining their bodies and performing various maneuvers, enjoying the pleasure of her moans and sobs. Seeing this, Li Xun felt a surge of nostalgia, thinking this was the unbridled, unbridled way she’d once been.

It was a shame they hadn’t seen each other for years, never to see it again. As he approached them from behind, closer, he saw even more of the eroticism, feeling like Yin Sanren was treating the poor girl like a figurine. The girl’s bones seemed to have been ripped clean out, her snow-white skin flushed beneath Yin Sanren’s hands, her body practically bent into a bow, trembling with a steady stream of fine, continuous tremors, and she looked as if she were about to lose her soul.

Li Xun’s mouth dried, and he felt something was amiss. Just as he was about to cough, the dazed girl suddenly shuddered and cried out, “Ah!” Her petite body struggled free from the nun’s grasp, blushing, and she frantically gathered her clothes to cover her skin.

However, she had indulged herself too much, losing her footing and stumbling sideways, collapsing. Li Xun, not even watching the girl fall, smiled and reached out to support her arm. As soon as their skin touched, he felt a smooth, warm, and alluring fragrance. His heart fluttered, and his grip tightened. The girl couldn’t stand any longer, and with a low moan, she sank into his arms.

Li Xun was no gentleman; even though he couldn’t take advantage of his “master,” he generously took advantage.

However, he was somewhat surprised—his sensual tactics weren’t purely sensual, at least they had a noticeable effect on Yingning.

Even in her moment of confusion, Yingning had managed to sense the changes behind her and react immediately. Her resolve was much stronger than before.

Yin Sanren then calmly stood up, smoothing his hair and adjusting his slightly revealing robe. Her allure far surpassed that of a young woman, and her fair skin, gradually concealed beneath her long, gauze sleeves, stirred his imagination and inflamed his passion.

“A master and a disciple.” Li Xun sighed and felt that his nominal master was incompetent. He thought so in his heart, but he said something else. “

Have you done what I asked you to do?”