The Forbidden Path to Immortality - Chapter 64

Chapter 5 Tianzhi

Li Xun grew cautious, his composure growing stronger, yet a faint trace of suspicion, fear, and doubt lingered on his face.

He forced a wry smile, “Senior Sister, don’t keep me in suspense. I’m a lowly person, and I can’t stand being treated with such respect!”

“Nonsense!” Lin Wuyou puffed up her cheeks, looking furious.

“How could my damned father have a disciple like you? You’re his disciple, meaning Old Man Qingming’s direct descendant, and even the most legitimate of the legitimate within the Mingxin Sword Sect! With such great resources, haven’t you ever considered becoming… just the Sect Master for a bit?”

The last sentence revealed Wuyou’s true nature. Seeing her childish, playful attitude, Li Xun knew the profound implications of her words, but he couldn’t help but smile.

“The Sect Master doesn’t want to be killed. I have the immortal masters above me, and so many senior brothers…”

“Nonsense, all nonsense!”

Lin Wuyou glared at him with great dissatisfaction: “Mother is right, you are a person who says one thing and means another. You obviously don’t have the courage, but you have to find these high-sounding excuses!”

Li Xun was a little embarrassed when he heard that.

What he just said was indeed a bunch of excuses. In fact, how could he not have a little spark of anger in his heart?

But if he really said this to Lin Wuyou without

any scruples, wouldn’t it be another handle for him? So he just smiled and said nothing, fooling Lin Wuyou.

Lin Wuyou curled her lips: “I knew you would be like this, forget it, I won’t talk to you anymore!”

She turned around and was about to leave.

Li Xun asked curiously, “Is that all you’re going to say?”

Lin Wuyou whirled around like a whirlwind, opened her mouth, and was about to speak when she suddenly paused and made a face at him, “Beg me! Beg me, and I’ll tell you some ‘inside information’!”

She spoke the last four words with a rhythmic and mysterious tone.

Li Xun had seen this trick before, two years ago. Wasn’t it just a matter of saying something like, “Miss Wuyou, please be magnanimous and lend me a hand?”

With experience, he didn’t find it difficult. He smiled, clasped his hands together, and parted his lips slightly…

Lin Wuyou had a very strange look on his face. He watched Li Xun’s mouth open and close, and whispered, “Are you mute?” “

Li Xun is indeed dumb. If he is still like he was in the past, like a dog, telling people to go east and west, why should he struggle to survive? Just let the two random people eat him!

He thought about it, and finally smiled: “I have grown two years older, and some words are not so easy to say. Senior sister, how about giving me some face?”

Lin Wuyou laughed and clapped his hands: “You are manly!

This is more like my junior brother. Based on your performance, I will tell you two things!”

She put her hands behind her back, nodded twice, and then said: “This one, junior brother, you are very different from those boring righteous disciples. My cousin is very interested in you. She asked me to tell you that she was in a bad mood on Zuowang Peak that day. Don’t mind what she did. She also owes you a favor.

“So, we won’t tell you about your little thing, nor do we want to tell you. If you want to do something in the future and feel alone, you can come to her and she will repay you! “

Li Xun’s heart moved, knowing that this was the main point of the play.

Obviously, Gu Yin was very attentive to the Mingxin Sword Sect behind Zhong Yin! This means that he wanted to use him as an insider.

Even if he was not an insider, leaving a poisonous thorn for the Mingxin Sword Sect would be a good thing.

He touched his nose and said helplessly: “Just now, senior sister, you said that Sect Master Gu was the most powerful liar in the world. Now she promises me such a big benefit. Tell me, should I believe her words or not?”

Lin Wuyou chuckled, ignored him, and continued: “Well, this is what I reminded you. Although the cousin is the head of the family now, mother has to listen to what she says…

“But mother hates you very much. Knowing that you are here, she always wants to find a reason to kill you, and even Aunt Qing is annoyed with you. If you want to find someone for help in the future, you must not find the wrong person!”

What is this?

Li Xun’s eyes widened, but he quickly came to his senses and shrugged, saying, “That’s a problem. Even if Sect Master Gu thinks highly of me, it’s going to be difficult for your mother and Fairy Qingluan. I wonder what’s going on with Mr. Gu?”

“Didn’t I tell you my cousin is in charge? She’s only concerned with fighting and not with anything else!”

Lin Wuyou waved his hand dismissively, saying nothing more than a chuckle, “You’re worried, right? But it’s okay. I’m here!”

It’ll be fine if you don’t cause trouble!

Li Xun muttered inwardly, but before he could figure out what to say, the little goblin said, “These three… what? I’m in a good mood today, so I’m giving you a little treat!”

Go any closer? Go any closer and they’d be face to face! Li Xun hesitated, but still took a step forward, keeping half a body length away from Lin Wuyou.

Before he could say anything, the little goblin gave a sly smile and suddenly leaned forward.

Lin Wuyou was half a head shorter than him, and leaning forward, she struck him squarely on the wounded chest.

From the outside, it looked like childish pranks, but to Li Xun, it was a resounding blow to the head!

He screamed, and the bones in his chest, which had just healed, instantly cracked again. Lin Wuyou used the momentum to fly backward, her silvery laughter echoing from the sea.

“Fool, do you really think I won’t hold a grudge?”

Li Xun clutched his chest, breathless for a moment, and could only watch helplessly as the little devil vanished from the surface of the sea.

The previously obedient Moruohou glared at him coldly, then sank into the water, never to reappear.

Li Xun, feeling a mixture of anger and amusement at this loss, simply crouched on the sand.

At that moment, over a dozen sword lights flew across the sky. Li Xun knew instantly that they were all heading to Yama Heaven to attend some loose cultivators’ gathering.

Across the strait, the expansion of the loose cultivator alliance continues unabated. Furthermore, with the breach of the Ten Thousand Miles Aurora Wall, there’s no longer any barrier between the outside world and the Arctic Night Sky. This,

coupled with the ceasefire agreement between the two sides, has greatly emboldened the loose cultivators and demons.

These past few days, hundreds of loose cultivators and demons have flown over the Nightless City alone daily.

A rough estimate suggests over 30,000 individuals have assembled on the ice sheet.

This scale is unmatched in the Tongxuan Realm, save for sects like the One Peck of Rice Sect, boasting “a million followers and 100,000 disciples,” or the Great Thousand Lights City, boasting “80,000 armored men, dominating the vast expanse.

” “It’s quite a display! In sheer numbers, no righteous sect can match it.”

This is truly an intriguing phenomenon in the Tongxuan Realm.

Logically speaking, the thirty-three Tongxuan sects, with over a million people, should each have over thirty thousand disciples. However, in reality, each of the ten righteous sects was relatively small; all ten combined had fewer than a hundred thousand members! Some,

like the Mingxin Sword Sect, had fewer than a thousand.

Normally, this wasn’t a big deal, but in this situation, they were stretched thin and struggling to cope.

“The Loose Cultivator Alliance…” Li Xun muttered the name, lost in thought.

“Yu Sanren and the others have combined such a vast resource; they wouldn’t be just a scapegoat for others, right? Judging from Lin Wuyou’s expression, the Loose Cultivator Alliance must still be under their control. How did Yu Sanren achieve this?”

He sat, lost in thought, when he suddenly felt something behind him. Turning back, he was met with a fluttering silk ribbon. His heart skipped a beat, and he quickly stood up.

This time, the ribbon didn’t strike his eyes, but the beautiful figure he saw made him gasp.

“Master!” The

only person he could address as “Master” here was the only female leader of the ten righteous sects, the Lord of Nevernight City, Master Tianzhi!

This was someone completely unexpected for Li Xun. Before he could even begin to marvel at the sight of such a beauty up close, a thought flashed through his mind:

“Did she see me just now? If she did, what should I do?”

He resisted the urge to glance around, maintaining a clear gaze as his gaze met Master Tianzhi’s, a momentary contact and a break.

Tianzhi’s expression temporarily reassured Li Xun.

A flicker of scrutiny flashed in her phoenix eyes, and then her red lips curved slightly in what amounted to a smile.

“You are… a disciple of the Mingxin Sword Sect, Li Xun, correct?”

Master Tianzhi’s smile had already left a deep impression on Li Xun during their confrontation with Gu Yin in Guangji Hall.

Even when she smiled, it often conveyed a sense of sarcasm and ridicule. Combined with her uniquely fluent and crisp voice, it gave the impression that this exceptional beauty possessed a sharp edge, one that made direct gaze unbearable.

However, Li Xun now understood that if she wanted to, her smile could still make all men intoxicated.

Li Xun felt his eyelids twitch, and he dared not look any further.

He lowered his head and replied, “Disciple Li Xun, greetings to the Master!”

Master Tianzhi didn’t seem to be the kind of person who was too old-fashioned.

She replied, “Since you are not a disciple of the City That Never Sleeps, there is no need to be so polite… But I am a little surprised that you can find such a wonderful place!”

“A wonderful place?”

Li Xun was confused and didn’t understand what she said.

Master Tianzhi smiled again when he saw it, “Yes, you are lucky. Did you know that this is actually a wonder of the polar regions, known as the ‘North Sea Lotus Gathering’, which can only be seen on November 11th of each year, which is today.”

How could Li Xun care about whether it was a lotus gathering or not?

Master Tianzhi seemed easy to talk to, but as the leader of a sect, how could she be easy to deal with?

Li Xun felt uncomfortable around her and wanted to find an excuse to leave early.

Unfortunately, this time, his mind was a little slow to react. Master Tianzhi had already made an invitation he couldn’t refuse.

“Sit!”

Before she could utter these words, Master Tianzhi had already taken her seat.

True, she was a breathtaking beauty, and whatever she did was a delight to behold.

But Li Xun could clearly see that her posture, legs stretched out in front of her, hands folded around her knees, was the most relaxed and unrefined.

Just like her personality, it was straightforward and unpretentious, yet possessed an indescribable quality.

Li Xun hesitated, then finally sat cross-legged three feet away from her, slightly behind her.

Master Tianzhi glanced back and said calmly, “I don’t mind your appearance, so why are you wearing that thing?”

This meant he was being asked to reveal his true face.

Li Xun was deeply reluctant, but he dared not disobey. With a wry smile, he removed the mask and bowed briefly, as if to greet her again.

However, this time, he received no response from Master Tianzhi.

He looked up curiously, and saw that Master Tianzhi’s eyes were shining brightly, staring at his face, and there was clearly a kind of brilliance in them that he was extremely familiar with.

He was shocked and thought of a reason.

Could she also say “it looks like an old friend”? But it didn’t make sense! From experience, Qingyin’s method of changing his appearance that time was quite clever!

In addition, he had grown older in the past two years, and his appearance had changed a lot. He was no longer in the embarrassing state of being recognized as a “Jade Wanderer” at a glance.

But what was Master Tianzhi’s expression?

In the end, Master Tianzhi said nothing.

It was not that Li Xun’s estimate was wrong, but at this moment, seven or eight sword lights flashed above their heads, flying straight towards the land of eternal night overseas. Master Tianzhi

‘s eyes swept across the sky, his expression like water, and it was impossible to tell the depth.

But the subsequent light cough and the slightly pale face reminded Li Xun that she was still seriously injured; and it was obvious that her heart was far from being as calm as her appearance.

As Li Xun was pondering, Master Tianzhi smiled again, but this time, the cold sarcasm on her lips was more than obvious.

She looked at the dark shadow in the distance and said leisurely, “The demons are powerful, and many people are afraid. What do you think?”

“This…” Li Xun didn’t expect her to ask this question.

He calmed down, scratched his head and smiled, “Disciple thinks that this loose cultivator alliance is indeed powerful, but not to the point of being feared, right?” “

I’m optimistic!”

The smile on Master Tianzhi’s lips always made people feel that she was being sarcastic. Li Xun felt that she thought his words were brainless and empty.

No man wants to lose face in front of a beautiful woman, and Li Xun was no exception. In a fit of anger, he blurted out, “Disciple thinks that the loose cultivator alliance will not exceed 10,000 people!”

Tianzhi’s eyebrows lifted slightly.

It was a relatively frivolous, yet deeply charming expression, as she spoke slowly, “But there are already thirty thousand demons in Yemo Heaven!” Li

Xun regretted the words as soon as he said them, but since the arrow had been shot, he could only continue.

“The number of independent cultivators and demons of the evil sects in the Tongxuan Realm is five hundred thousand. While it may seem impressive, how many of these are imaginary figures? The Master should know better than this disciple. I would venture to estimate that if even one-tenth of them are truly able, willing, and qualified to join the alliance, that would be quite a feat.”

This is just a mediocre argument. I think Master Tianzhi would have thought of it, and the information would be more detailed than his. Li Xun took a peek and felt that the curve of her lips seemed to be a little deeper.

The irony was also stronger.

Li Xun was of course uncomfortable after seeing this, and he made up his mind and continued: “The organizational procedures of the Loose Cultivator Alliance seem to be very effective. It can integrate resources to the maximum extent and not be used for personal purposes. However, this is only on the surface.

“It’s like everyone holding a bowl of porridge, which may not be enough to eat, so they pour the porridge into the big pot, thinking that this is enough. In fact, if there is no strict organizational structure, then only those with big mouths and strong fists can drink more porridge.

“If others are dissatisfied, they will fight; the result of the fight may be that the pot will be overturned and the porridge will be spilled…

I think this is more in line with the temperament of those demons, right?

“These people are usually not easy to deal with. They often have hatreds with each other. Now that they are all put together, who knows what kind of trouble will arise?

“Let’s not talk about anything else. Up to now, the other two of the ‘Three Wanderers’ haven’t shown up yet! If Xue Sanren and Yin Sanren also want to join this alliance, it will be a lively scene!”

Li Xun’s use of the two wanderers here can be said to be very appropriate and representative.

Master Tianzhi finally nodded. It was analyzed from their nature, right! Anything else?”

There is a reason. Even if more than 50,000 people could be gathered, they couldn’t afford to support them! In the human world, this is easy, just give them food and clothes.

“But this is in the Tongxuan Realm. 50,000 people, but they are all people who want to practice… Even though this world is vast and rich in resources, a few thousand people from the various righteous sects can keep the immortal masters busy. Even if the evil sects use all means, they can only have a scale of 10,000 or 20,000 people.

“The most special ones are the ‘One Peck of Rice Sect’ that eats offerings from the mortal world, and the Great Thousand Light City that cultivates Taoism by ‘raising soldiers’, but they can’t learn this method!

“The mortal world needs 50,000 people, and they can work to gain wealth, but in the end, the food and clothing will still be in an endless cycle. What will 50,000 people in the Tongxuan Realm get together to do? Plow the fields and graze? Attack cities and seize land?

This, it can’t be necessary!”

Master Tianzhi glanced at him again, and finally wiped away the sarcasm on his lips, and praised: “Indeed, 50,000 people gathered together, let alone what the purpose is, just to practice one thing, elixirs, spiritual veins, magic formulas…

are all problems.”

Li Xun saw her attitude change, and her mood also improved, so she smiled and said: “These independent cultivators and demons usually treat their own magic formulas as treasures, and stare at other people’s magic formulas, wishing to snatch ten or eight of them. Now that they are gathered together, it will be something to watch! “

After a pause, he concluded, “Although I don’t know Yu Sanren’s abilities, according to common sense, if these two problems are not solved well, this loose cultivator alliance will find it difficult to maintain.

“And within the alliance, there are no sect ethics to maintain it, and the relationships between the loose cultivators and demons are also complicated. If we want to solve it, the scale must be strictly controlled. Ten thousand people should be the limit. If there are more, he may not be able to control it!”

“Yes, a little insect with no way to walk, he wouldn’t be so stupid!”

Tianzhi Shangren was talking about Yu Sanren. Somehow, Li Xun felt that Tianzhi’s tone was a little strange.

So, he thought maliciously, “Could she also be having an affair with Yu Sanren?”

Huh? Why did he add a name?

Li Xun accidentally grasped a key point in his subconscious, and his mood suddenly soured.

At this moment, he heard Tianzhi Shangren’s voice: “Has anyone mentioned that you and Gu Zhixuan are somewhat similar!”

How could it be? Even though Li Xun was prepared, he was shocked when he heard it.

Tianzhi saw his expression and immediately understood: “Then it must be true. Who told you? Qingyin?”

Li Xun was shocked again, his heart aching, but he instinctively shook his head.

At the same time, to show his “frankness”, he asked again: “Master, do I really look like that Jade Wanderer?”

“Not very similar, only vaguely a little, at most I just have some of his flavor!”

Master Tianzhi’s words made Li Xun’s head swell even more. How could this answer be completely opposite to what he had heard as a child?

At this moment, Li Xun saw a sharp light flash in her phoenix eyes, as if she had thought of something hateful, but the sharpness quickly faded, and she was extremely contradictory.

This made him more confident in his judgment, but even if he killed him, he would not have the courage to ask for the details.

He lowered his head, pretending to be oblivious. Then, in his ear, he heard Tianzhi sigh, “The flowers are blooming!”

Li Xun looked up and saw that, seemingly out of nowhere, countless phantom points of light had flickered on the surface of the sea. Each point slowly expanded and cracked, unfolding like a lotus blossom, its five indistinguishable “petals” unfolding.

Under the sunlight, the sea seemed to be filled with holy white lotuses, stretching as far as the eye could see. Light and shadow intertwined, creating a dreamlike scene.

Even though Li Xun was in no mood to admire it, he had to admit that the scene was beautiful.

“It’s finally quieter here today!”

Master Tianzhi smiled. “Usually, it’s always packed at this time, and I don’t know if they’re here to see the flowers or the people. Back then, the Hundred Illusion Butterfly, one of the Seven Demons, also came here, hearing its fame. Unable to smell the flowers, it flew into a rage and caused a lot of trouble. It’s quite amusing now that I think about it!”

Li Xun didn’t know what to say, so he could only smile.

Venerable Tianzhi seemed to be in the mood for conversation: “The ‘Sea Lotus Gathering’ stretches for thousands of miles, visible not only here but also in Yama Heaven. Admiring this sight beneath the shimmering starlight is a whole other experience.”

Li Xun glanced at her curiously. Could it be that Tianzhi, a master of her own sect, had even visited Yama Heaven to admire the scenery?

Tianzhi’s eyes met his, and a sudden smile spread across her face.

In that instant, the boundless white lotuses of the North Sea seemed to dim their brilliance before her breathtaking smile, leaving Li Xun transfixed.

Tianzhi’s faint, clear voice reached his ears:

“The so-called ‘North Sea Lotus Gathering’ is actually a species of exotic insect called ‘Rainbow Shadow’ in the North Sea. Every November 11th, they reproduce above the North Sea’s Eye. What we see is actually the spectacle of these aliens reproducing their own kind… And at this very moment, something quite precious is found in the sea!” Li

Xun was about to ask what it was when he saw the light and shadow on the sea gradually fade away. This beautiful illusion seemed to have come to an end.

Looking into the distance, he saw large patches of “white lotus” quickly withdrawing their beauty and returning to nothingness. This scene was even more shocking than the millions of lotus flowers in full bloom just now.

At this moment, Tianzhi stood up. Li Xun also hurriedly got up, but saw her slightly lift her skirt and walk straight into the sea. Wherever she passed, the waves parted, leaving her without a trace of water.

Li Xun was wondering whether to follow her when he heard her say, “Here, wait for me to come back.”

With her words, Li Xun could only stand by the sea, his mind consumed with speculation about the significance of Master Tianzhi’s unconventional actions.

However, even after she emerged from the water again, he still hadn’t figured it out.

“Take it!”

At Tianzhi’s signal, Li Xun could only reach out. Then, his palm felt cold as a finger-sized bead began to spin in his hand, dark and dull.

At first glance, it looked like a black hole in the void, clearly no ordinary artifact.

“This is the ‘Rainbow Shadow Pearl,’ formed when the remaining individuals of the Rainbow Shadow Worm split apart and were sucked into the North Sea Eye. The pearl itself is a magical artifact capable of producing illusions, and it also resists various illusions and methods of deceiving the mind.”

Li Xun repeatedly declared, “It’s too precious,” daring to accept it. Tianzhi ignored him and simply walked away.

Such a move left Li Xun stunned.

After walking more than ten steps, she suddenly turned back, smiling brightly, “That’s how he teased me back then. I owe you a debt of gratitude for playing him back today!”

As Li Xun watched her disappear, he felt as if a burden had been lifted from her shoulders.

At the same time, her heart seemed to solidify.

However, in such a delicate situation, an overly resolute mindset might not necessarily be a blessing!

When Li Xun once again boarded the Cloud Tower Moon-Grabbing Chariot, it signaled the dismal end of the alliance between the righteous sects.

Zhong Yin’s ascension was a significant factor for them, a reason to save the sects’ reputations.

Perhaps the only consolation was the agreement reached among the sects: each sect would dispatch ten disciples, including an elder and two second-generation disciples, to the Never-Sleeping City, monitoring changes in Yemotian and preparing for any unexpected situation.

However, due to Zhong Yin’s ascension, the Mingxin Sword Sect’s garrison would not be dispatched until a month later.

Li Xun and Lings sat together, talking intermittently about the expressions of the various sect leaders on the ground, and sighing several times.

Li Xun glanced at him and asked in a playful manner: “Why are you sighing?”

“What can the sect leaders say now?” Li Xun turned his gaze and looked at Qingming and Master Tianzhi talking alone.

He couldn’t hear the words over here, but looking at the expressions of the two sect leaders, Qingming had a sincere look on his face, while Master Tianzhi’s pretty face didn’t have much expression.

“So, you want to invite the master to watch the ceremony?”

“Ah?”

“I mean, the sect leader invites Master Tianzhi to go to Lianxia Mountain to watch the ascension ceremony of the sixth uncle.”

Lings felt puzzled: “What does this mean?”

“Because, I can only think of such a reason to make the master leave the city that never sleeps temporarily… That’s it! “

Lings thought for a moment before he understood. He nodded repeatedly, patted Li Xun on the shoulder, and said with a smile: “Junior Brother Xun, your brain is really…”

He didn’t say what “really” meant, but turned to the previous topic: “Then do you think, the master will listen to the sect leader?”

Li Xun did not answer immediately. He just looked at the breathtakingly beautiful face of Master Tianzhi, and shook his head after a long while.

The cloud chariot started to move, and the formation formula used was the “One Stick of Incense” made by Li Xun himself and named by Qingming himself.

With the rumbling sound of the gathering of the vitality of heaven and earth, the Yunlou Moon-Grasping Car gradually rose, and finally sank into the blue sky and white clouds. In the bursting storm, it disappeared in an instant.

However, the chaos in the Arctic did not stop for a moment because of the departure of the Mingxin Sword Sect.