The Forbidden Path to Immortality - Chapter 177

Chapter 2 Reunion (Complete)

The story Yin Sanren recounted was largely similar to what Li Xun had heard, making it difficult for him to find any significant flaws.

Wu Ji herself wasn’t entirely clear on the details; besides the deceased Chanyu, the only true insider was Qin Wanru…

perhaps Gu Yin as well.

As for Yin Sanren, Li Xun couldn’t understand why she had completely forgotten all of her memories from that period. To call it a coincidence was a bit too much.

Or perhaps a conspiracy? That was probably the most logical guess. But Li Xun found it hard to imagine a puppet, deprived of its consciousness for decades, its own consciousness under the most stringent surveillance, and bound to its master’s life and death. How could she orchestrate such a conspiracy?

Even if Yin Sanren could predict catastrophes decades or even centuries in the future, how could she have accurately calculated that a low-ranking cultivator from the Mingxin Sword Sect named Li Xun would use the Tianming Huayin Pearl as capital and the techniques of the Youhun Shiying Sect to transform her into a Youxuan puppet? And then, decades later, he would use the soul-searching technique to exhaust her memories, allowing her to preemptively erase those memories and conceal their existence?

Absurd!

As for Qin Wanru pinning the conspiracy theory on her, it was a good explanation. However, once she escaped Yin Sanren’s protection, even Qin Wanru herself felt no pressure from this side. A thin layer of shadow enveloped his heart, seemingly shattered at the slightest provocation, rendering him powerless. This feeling was quite dissatisfying.

So, Li Xun brought Yin Sanren with him, keeping this unstable factor close to him so he could react quickly if any changes occurred.

Another two days passed in a flash. Near the southeastern forest sea’s border, near the mouth of the Yuan River, which runs east-west through the Tongxuan Realm, Li Xun leaped out of the water with a splash.

He still wore a somewhat disheveled outfit, squinting at the intertwined coastline of seawater and reefs. “If I were to return to the mountain and head north along this route, it’s a must-go. No one would object, right?”

He muttered, then suddenly chuckled to himself, “Why is it sinking so much?”

The change in state of mind was brief, and by the time he shifted his gaze back to the coastline, the overall plan had crystallized in his mind.

“Now I’m a hapless wretch being hunted. Seriously wounded, I dove into the riverbed to heal my wounds with the Turtle Breathing Technique. I also used the Source River to traverse most of the Tongxuan Realm. En route, I received a message from the sect’s flying sword and am on my way back. Of course, due to my poor choice of route, I unfortunately ended up in a massive whirlpool on the coast of the East China Sea… That’s it!”

Yin Sanren, lurking nearby, chuckled softly. She knew these words were largely directed at her, so she responded accordingly.

Li Xun didn’t turn back, but closed his eyes, communicating with the water butterfly orchid, now wandering the East China Sea, in his own unique way.

The heart knot pulsed slightly, relaying distant information. Due to the distance, Li Xun received only the most basic hint, but the news still surprised him.

The loose cultivator alliance had surrounded the void rift?

Could they have discovered the secret within the Tiger’s Den rift? What kind of siege was even?

Li Xun didn’t know what Gu Yin had orchestrated, but seeing it with his own eyes was enough to answer such questions. Without further delay, he determined his direction and flew north. Although his speed was far inferior to that of the Blood Shadow Demon Body, it would take him less than seven hours to reach the area.

Skimming close to the surface of the sea, his control of his spirit made thousands of miles pass in a flash. Yet, along the vast expanse of sea and sky, Li Xun hadn’t spotted a single cultivator. This was clearly beyond his expectations.

Could it be that Gu Yin had indeed made some drastic move, causing the Tongxuan sects to react with alarm and withdraw completely?

Li Xun was perplexed and about to discuss this with Yin Sanren when a sudden chill flashed behind him. The bitter bamboo sword on his shoulder jingled and unsheathed. He grabbed it and spun around, changing direction.

His movements flowed like flowing water, demonstrating his ability to adapt to changing circumstances to the highest level possible for his current position. Unfortunately, no one cheered him on in this sea area, not even a sneer. Even Li Xun felt a little awkward after confirming the newcomer’s identity.

He sheathed his sword, but quickly realized what was happening and his expression darkened. “Why are you here? If someone sees us, I wouldn’t be able to tell even if I had a hundred mouths!”

The newcomer was none other than Venerable Tianzhi, who was supposed to be in seclusion at Wuyin Pavilion. She had just emerged from the sea, now wearing the infamous Blood Demon costume, her hood folded and eerie.

Tianzhi didn’t respond, but simply stared at him coldly.

Li Xun felt a slight irritation, but it was quickly overshadowed by a new confusion: why was his reaction so slow? After being bullied by Tianzhi, he should have come over a few moments ago. If it had been someone more hostile, he would have suffered a great loss.

With this question in mind, Li Xun surveyed Tianzhi.

Sure enough, he noticed a slight change. The ferocious aura lingering around Tianzhi had subsided noticeably. It was only now that they were closer, otherwise it would have been difficult to determine her identity.

The Blood God’s body-building technique was truly effective. Li Xun sighed, realizing that Tianzhi’s body had further adapted to the infusion of the Burning Blood Essence. The demonic mark had seeped into every inch of her flesh. Because of this, the bloody murderous aura within her was becoming more and more freely controlled.

Li Xun seemed to be suddenly realizing something, but a moment later, he glanced over with a puzzled look…

something was wrong with that feeling…

Li Xun finally realized that his previous overreaction wasn’t due to seeing Tianzhi up close, but rather to her proactive hostility. His brow furrowed, and he asked cautiously yet bluntly, “Master, are you dissatisfied with me?”

Tianzhi’s face was hidden beneath her hood, shielding her from view. However, the female cultivator didn’t, nor did she bother to conceal her emotions. Her sharp eyes shone through the shadows, and she held Li Xun in a stalemate.

An awkward silence lingered for a moment, and Li Xun gradually began to grasp the situation.

Hatred? It didn’t seem that strong; disgust? While understandable, it didn’t quite fit the situation; then it was jealousy, perhaps with a darker undertone?

Yes, Tianzhi was jealous. Li Xun roughly understood the female cultivator’s thoughts.

While her mastery of the Blood God’s bodybuilding technique had shielded her from the surging demonic energy, her demonized form could never be transformed back.

In reality, for tens of thousands of years since the emergence of the Blood God’s supreme magic, Li Xun has been the only one who has been able to, at least superficially, shield his body from certain misfortunes.

This, of course, is thanks to the Bone Meridian Heart-Opening Technique, a privilege afforded to Li Xun, and the very source of Venerable Tianzhi’s current jealousy.

If her hood were removed now, a beautiful yet enchanting face would be revealed. While still charming, every inch of her skin was shrouded and saturated with the resentful energy of living beings. Any discerning cultivator would be able to discern her demonic identity, a face unconcealable.

Unlike Li Xun, Tianzhi could probably let go of any worries with a simple grit of teeth, but she harbored a vast, sleepless city within her heart, perhaps her last remaining support.

When Li Xun, under the guise of Lingzhu, openly joined the Mingxin Sword Sect’s fellow disciples, what else could describe her current feelings but jealousy?

In an instant, Li Xun grasped Tianzhi’s true state of mind, and from this he felt a sense of satisfaction at having seen through the peerless master before him.

To avoid any complications, he carefully concealed his thoughts and spoke in a relatively steady tone.

“It is true that our previous contact was not so pleasant, but I hope that Master will think carefully about it. I am the only one in the world who can work with Master to deal with Gu Yin. If Master is really not so happy, we can put an end to it after the matter is accomplished, but we must not drag these old grudges into the main business now.”

His demeanor was quite righteous, but Tianzhi’s words pierced through this mask: “You are the only one who can cooperate, but you cannot be trusted.”

Li Xun was stunned for a moment, then grinned again: “I thought Master knew it a long time ago, but I don’t understand why you said it now.”

Master Tianzhi said nothing, but suddenly the female cultivator’s palm went straight in from the center of the palace. At first, it was as powerful as thunder, but when it reached Li Xun’s chest, all the murderous aura stopped, and it was only contained outside the bra.

Li Xun seemed completely oblivious to the slender hand on his chest, one that could crush him in an instant. He simply continued his previous smile. “Don’t you think it’s too late to speak to Master today?”

“No need for smooth talk.” Perhaps due to her overwhelming advantage, Tianzhi’s tone subtly returned to the calm demeanor of a sect leader. “What is your relationship with Gu Yin?”

“Gu Yin?”

Li Xun felt that at this moment, Tianzhi and Yao Feng overlapped. It was so similar to Yao Feng’s question from the day before!

The only difference was that Yao Feng had made up her mind and merely confirmed it, while Master Tianzhi before him made no secret of her intense doubts.

“Gu Yin and I are enemies. I’ve said this more than once, and I don’t mind saying it again.” Li Xun felt that Tianzhi was going too far, and he began to consider how to give her a lesson.

At that moment, Tianzhi’s palm, pressed against his shirt, moved slightly forward. Their body temperatures mingled, yet theirs was perfectly aligned. Tianzhi lowered her voice and spoke slowly, “Are you still lying to me? Do you think I’m easy to fool?”

“You…”

Li Xun sneered, not retreating a single step!

Tianzhi didn’t exert any more force, but her tone was ten times colder. “You and Gu Yin clearly use the same method to fuse two or three completely different techniques into one. You can deceive others, but not me, who once fought her!”

As soon as she finished speaking, the force on her wrist was suddenly clamped by Li Xun’s tiger palm. The force was so fast that even with her cultivation level, she couldn’t react in time.

A muffled explosion erupted from the sea. The surface of the water within a ten-mile radius, centered on where the two stood, collapsed. A murderous aura of the same substance and origin permeated every corner of the blast, instantly killing all living creatures except the two of them. Then came the more direct and powerful recoil.

Li Xun and Tianzhi tangled their bodies, each exerting their own skill. The immense recoil force not only failed to separate them, but instead brought them closer.

Their upper bodies were now almost touching. This position, seemingly ambiguous to outsiders, held immense danger. Another half-step forward would have been a life-or-death struggle!

The two masters confronted each other, and Li Xun gritted his teeth, “What will she say if you repeat the ancient sound?”

Tianzhi had never expected Li Xun to react this way. In fact, due to their close proximity, she could clearly sense the intense emotions threatening to explode within Li Xun’s chest, a ferocious force that was difficult to control and impossible to disguise.

Reasoning for her own sake, Tianzhi refrained from retaliating more fiercely, instead responding coldly, “Since you heard it, why do I need to repeat it a second time?”

Emotions are contagious, and so is reason. Tianzhi’s words were perfectly timed, and Li Xun’s body trembled slightly, a layer of ice suddenly forming over his overflowing emotions.

He was silent for a moment, then completely regained his composure, only chuckling softly. Even Tianzhi, with her astonishing senses, could not make out the words he muttered.

“What did you say?”

the female cultivator pressed the issue, and Li Xun suddenly burst into laughter. “I’m saying someone is truly amazing, incredibly amazing!” This

was the last bit of emotion he showed in front of Tian Zhi, yet a huge wave surged in his heart. At this moment, he had already thought of the conclusion he had discussed with Shui Dielan and Yin Sanren in Wuyin Pavilion a few days ago.

The art of bone meridians connecting the heart was definitely not designed by Zhong Yin specifically for him, but he had already had a model, so that he could launch a mature cultivation method in such a short time.

Li Xun had always wondered for whom Zhong Yin created this amazing method. He had thought it was Qing Yin, but during the fight, he found that the woman’s Taixu Yuanhua Divine Light was extremely pure, and even in the face of life and death, she did not use other means. It was unlikely.

And today, the answer he had been thinking about so hard suddenly jumped out, like a very clumsy joke from God.

Gu Yin and Zhong Yin? What a wonderful combination.

Li Xun’s thoughts Wei couldn’t help but think back to the night when he first met Gu Yin seventy years ago.

At that time, he didn’t even know what the other party looked like, but he was killed miserably. It was thanks to Qing Yin and Zhong Yin that he escaped. How could he have imagined that the three people who killed him and saved him would have such a weird relationship?

From this, many previously unclear or difficult to solve problems were explained. The most important thing was that he finally understood why Gu Yin could easily perform…

No, that’s not right!

Li Xun’s heart suddenly skipped a beat. There was a knot that could not be circumvented. What he saw in the Nether Devouring Realm was not like this. It can be concluded that the method of Gu Yin’s control of the puppets at that time was definitely not the authentic way. In other words, it could not be the method transformed from the Bone Meridian Heart Opening Technique.

What’s going on?

“Is this really how you felt when you fought with Gu Yin? “Li Xun’s eyes were filled with suspicion again. It’s not that he didn’t trust Tianzhi, but he had to dispel all the doubts before he could be sure that he had made the right conclusion.

Tianzhi was not angry because of Li Xun’s doubts. This was also a good opportunity for them to find out more about Gu Yin. She sorted out her thoughts and spoke calmly.

“You saw me fighting with Gu Yin with your own eyes…”

She paused here and continued after getting Li Xun’s confirmation: “When I tried to kill her with the innate five-color divine light in the end, she took it head-on and even used the flute to penetrate the protection of the five-color divine light and inserted it here…”

Tianzhi’s palm moved to the chest where the Changkong Feixue flute penetrated.

Li Xun’s gaze also moved over. Thinking about it now, it was incredible that with Master Tianzhi’s true cultivation level, he was hit by Gu Yin and almost died with one blow. This sharp counterattack that ignored the gap in realm just shows the terrifying strength hidden in Gu Yin’s weak and sick body.

“At that time, I had completely suppressed her Miaohua Yinsha and destroyed the Qishaqin. It can be said that I had completely controlled her. But there was an evil demon force there that devoured the five-colored divine light and fought back. Although the power was not obvious, it carried that kind of dissolving and devouring magic power, so that my body-protecting divine light was completely ineffective, resulting in that result.”

Li Xun was a little confused and asked: “Evil demon power? Master, of course I trust you, but the feeling is not right. I have never had that feeling since I practiced the bone meridians to open the heart technique. It was Narcissus who said that this method has some of the flavor of the devil.” “

The bone meridians to open the heart technique?” Tianzhi nodded slightly: “So it’s called that. But you, Yang Cha, the evil demon power I was talking about is not the bone meridians to open the heart technique, but another magic skill hidden by this technique, which is the ‘Blood God Son’ between you and me.”

He paused here and his tone gradually turned cold: “Such a demonic aura and hostility can be completely concealed by this technique and break the barriers of practicing all the methods in one fell swoop…”

“I’m quite knowledgeable, and I know there are some similar techniques in this world. However, neither the Flying Hong Claw Mud of the Yanxing Sect, nor the Hidden Void Seal of the Luoyu Sect, nor the Soul-Devouring Reincarnation of the Youhun Shiying Sect, can achieve such an effect. So far, only you and Gu Yin can do it!”

Her suspicions remained, but Li Xun made no further argument. He simply shook his head, his mind clear.

Tianzhi was right. There’s no other technique in the world that can connect bones and veins to the heart. If Heaven insists on pointing out that this is just part of a lame joke, then…

damn Heaven, that bastard!

Li Xun sneered twice, refusing to respond to Tianzhi’s questioning. He simply looked up at the sky, confronting the lingering figure head-on.

Unfortunately, as always, he didn’t respond.

Tianzhi didn’t understand what Li Xun meant, only sensing that beneath the man’s calm exterior, he was in a state of deep distress.

Strangely, after seeing this, she felt the other person’s trustworthiness had increased, and even that face seemed more pleasing to the eye—or perhaps her spirits had finally calmed down?

Unable to explain this subtle shift in attitude, Tianzhi fell silent. A man and a woman stood facing each other in silence, a deeply awkward situation, but neither of them noticed, lost in their own thoughts.

The strange atmosphere didn’t last long. A series of explosions to the north brought the two out of their reverie. Li Xun realized that because of this unexpected incident, he had completely forgotten the main issue, and he couldn’t help but sigh inwardly: “The internal strife is terrible.”

Sometimes, face doesn’t matter that much, especially when you know it’s all a misunderstanding. Not to mention that you’ll have someone working for you in the future. Li Xun simply lowered his posture, hoping to resolve the current rift.

“There is no doubt that the Master and I share the same hatred and enemy. It’s just that there are some twists and turns that cannot be told to outsiders. I can understand and explain if the Master has doubts in his heart…”

Tianzhi raised her hand to interrupt him. Li Xun was stunned, but heard the female cultivator speak coldly: “I’m waiting for you to give me an explanation, but don’t miss this opportunity.”

Since the other party got back on track earlier than him, Li Xun was naturally happy to see it. Tianzhi didn’t pretend to be pretentious and gestured for him to pay attention to the changes behind: “There are some unusual movements in the Tongxuan sects. It is very strange that they took the initiative to provoke and fight with the Loose Cultivator Alliance in many places today.”

“It is indeed strange.”

Li Xun said, but he thought in his heart that this was probably the original purpose of Tianzhi’s coming, but it was delayed because of the accident of the Bone Meridian Opening Heart Technique. He quickly regained his mind and said in surprise, “It is rare to see the Tongxuan sects take the initiative to provoke. The one who is doing the family business should be the Western Alliance.”

“There are too many places of battle that are hard to distinguish. The situation is very chaotic.”

“That means both sides are involved. That’s really strange.”

Li Xun pondered when the explosions in the north had become one.

To the two of them, this wasn’t a large-scale melee, but rather a fierce battle between a few experts. That level of skill was already quite impressive.

“The nearest one, originally over a thousand miles away, has now reached here,” Tianzhi’s words hinted at something else.

Li Xun smiled knowingly, knowing the recent conflict was no longer a problem. He concentrated his attention for a moment, but ultimately, due to the distance, he gave up trying to find out more about the situation. However, he did gain an unexpected insight. “A group of about thirteen or fourteen is arriving, just over a hundred miles from here. A good opportunity…”

Tianzhi said nothing more, then vanished without a word. Li Xun, relieved by her cooperation, exhaled a sigh of relief. He adjusted himself one last time, checked his attire for any flaws, and then charged forward.

Two hundred miles was a blink of an eye for a cultivator. Such an encounter was quite unexpected, so the few short exclamations of surprise from the other side upon seeing Li Xun were to be expected.

Even though Li Xun had already known the newcomers were likely cultivators from the Nine Righteous Sects, he was still stunned when he saw their identities. Surprisingly, quite a few of them were familiar faces.

“Oh my god, it’s Junior Brother Lingzhu!”

The female voice from the other side was sharp, yet tinged with joy. Li Xun was a little confused as to when he and Luo Yuji had become so close. But then, seeing the purple-clad figure beside her, he vaguely understood.

Both sides exclaimed in surprise, and everyone gathered together.

There were fourteen of them, including cultivators from the Tianxingjian Sect, the Three Emperors Sword Sect, the Soul-Calming Sect, and the Xiji Zen Sect. While Li Xun didn’t recognize all of them, he couldn’t help but be drawn to their reputations and the sects’ connections. Everyone greeted them, and the scene was bustling with activity.

“Amitabha, Junior Brother Lingzhu, you are truly blessed by heaven. Those rumors are definitely not true. Junior Sister Pin’er, I’m truly impressed by you!”

Mei Jie, dressed in white, smiled as she clasped her hands together and chanted the Buddha’s name. This gesture made the only legitimate monk on this trip smile. Gu Pin’er, the one Mei Jie was referring to, lowered her head, a faint blush on her face, though she concealed a deeper, subtle blush.

Li Xun used the subtlest gesture to

examine the female cultivator with whom he had the closest relationship. It wasn’t long before Luo Yuji and Lingzhu had only met once, but now she was the most outgoing. She had been severely injured by Tianzhi some time ago and remained quiet for a while, but as her injuries healed, her old ways returned. Gu Pin’er, who had been teasing with Mei Jie before, suddenly became curious when she saw Li Xun looking rather embarrassed: “Junior Brother Lingzhu, you look like someone is really chasing you, right?”

After a pause, she opened her eyes wide and continued: “When this news came in a few days ago, the immortal masters of your sect were extremely worried. Immortal Master Mingji led people to meet them at that time, but I didn’t expect that Junior Brother would come from the sea two days later.

This woman is really cooperative. Even though Li Xun didn’t have a good impression of Luo Yuji, he was still grateful. It was a good time to bring up the topic. Without hesitation, he put forward the reasons he had prepared long ago, and naturally received everyone’s exclamations.

“Hundreds of ghosts are chasing you? “

Luo Yuji didn’t realize what a ridiculous joke she had told. She was just completely absorbed by Li Xun’s description. From the looks of her, it seemed as if they shared a common hatred for the enemy.

Li Xun smiled bitterly and spread his hands: “Before the Hundred Ghosts hid too deep, I could still deal with him. But now he has cultivated into a blood shadow demon body. If I hadn’t had the jade evil-repelling body given by my elders and my good luck to float in the river for nearly a month, I would have been drained of my blood and body by now.”

If it weren’t for anything else, it would have been fine. But when it came to the jade evil-repelling body, at least half of the cultivators had strange expressions on their faces.

Li Xun knew at a glance that the news of Qingyin’s betrayal had spread far and wide. Those whose expressions changed undoubtedly knew the origin of the jade evil-repelling body.

Luo Yuji opened her red lips slightly as if she was about to say something, but Mei Jie gently pulled her from behind and she stopped talking. Fortunately, the gap was filled with words.

“Junior Brother Lingzhu should be proud of being able to escape from the blood demon. “The speaker was Lu Yang, the elite disciple of the Zhenhun Sect, the temporary leader of this small group of cultivators.

In fact, what Lu Yang said was not very pleasant to hear, but Li Xun did not care because he knew that as a direct disciple of Li Douliang, Lu Yang’s character was impeccable, and he was just speaking the truth.

Now Li Xun roughly understood the composition of this small group of cultivators. He knew Gu Pin’er and Mei Jie from the four people of the Tianxingjian Sect; Luo Yuji was an acquaintance among the five people of the Sanhuang Sword Sect, and Lu Yang was the only one Li Xun was familiar with among the four people of the Zhenhun Sect.

As for the Xiji Zen Sect, there was only one monk, Yuanchen, but it was said that he was the most outstanding among the three generations of disciples who practiced with the lay Buddhist Bancheng.

The fourteen cultivators have slightly different levels of cultivation, but they are all outstanding third-generation disciples in their respective sects. What are they doing together?