The Forbidden Path to Immortality - Chapter 71

Chapter 3 Chaos

“Realistic yet false? Hey, Song Lao Si is truly a smartass!” A head emerged from beneath the water. Like Xiao Chongzi just now, it hid in the shadows of the sandbar, its cold gaze sweeping across the shadows on the opposite bank.

“Seeing a big fish slip away from my grasp? Humph. But there’s something strange about this ancient temple!”

The figure narrowed his eyes in consideration. “But even stranger is that fellow. How on earth did he kill Yuan Shuo, then force Yuan Zhang to death, and finally, so seamlessly frame him? Too bad he dove too deep, so I didn’t see his face…

“He seems unaware of the connection here, yet he’s so brutally killing the Hades General. And what Ling Zhu mentioned… could it be the Hundred Ghosts? That’s interesting.

” “Even more interesting, who are these ‘they’ Song Lao Si is talking about? A covenant? Who has the Pluto Sect allied with?” The figure felt as if he had grasped a crucial thread, one that held secrets far more important than even the ancient temple itself.

After weighing all the information, he decided to visit the Demon Thunder Temple first. He contacted a fellow disciple through secret methods and passed on the news. Before they could respond, he cautiously slipped ashore and plunged into the dark, boundless jungle. The

Demon Thunder Temple wasn’t large, and even with his agility, a quick tour took only a quarter of an hour.

Memorizing the temple’s layout, he didn’t hesitate. He quickly left the temple and, at the edge of the jungle about fifty steps away, found the crown of a large tree and scurried atop it. His figure blended seamlessly into the dense foliage, so that not even a human eye, or even a bird nestling in the branches, would notice anything unusual. Just

then, a fellow disciple called in, telling him to stake out the area around the temple. They would investigate the information they had just received. It wasn’t a particularly clever plan, but since they didn’t have the detailed intelligence they had on the Pluto Sect, they had no choice but to make do.

After a quick survey of the surroundings, he decided to set up his ambush in the tree.

This place, too close to the temple, wasn’t a good place to stay. However, precisely because it was unsafe, no one came here, saving him a lot of trouble. He was absolutely confident in his ability to remain invisible.

Using the sect’s secret techniques, he adjusted his breathing to a specific frequency, creating a subtle cycle of movement through every pore in his body, allowing him to become one with the tree, his mind entering a state of neither sleep nor wakefulness.

Sun rose and moon set, and time passed minute by minute. During this time, the ancient temple remained eerily quiet, with no one entering or leaving. The figure in the tree remained extremely patient, and a full fifteen hours passed.

In the early hours of the next morning, external stimuli awoke him from this mystical state, but his form and even his breathing remained unchanged. His eyes were completely closed, yet every change within a radius of over ten miles was fully present in his mind, in every detail.

At that moment, at the darkest moment in the universe, the shadows on the temple eaves wavered imperceptibly, then returned to normal.

Such a change was imperceptible to the n*ked eye, yet it couldn’t be hidden from the tree dweller’s mind. He could “see” a shadowy, ethereal figure disappearing into the wall.

“Shadow Devourer!” The tree dweller’s heart leaped, confirming a previous thought.

This gave him a surge of confidence. Figuring they were nearly there, he left the canopy where he had been lurking for a day and a night, using the shadows cast by the trees to reach the eaves of the ancient temple. Like the person who had just entered, he slipped in, his movements smooth and natural, seemingly even more impressive.

He carefully controlled his movements, maintaining a comfortable distance from the person who had entered first.

This way, he could sense the other person’s location while remaining unnoticed.

However, he couldn’t perceive their specific actions.

The main hall, the drum tower, the Buddhist hall… The shadow seemed to wander aimlessly through the ancient temple, but a closer look revealed a mysterious path.

The man in the tree grew increasingly astonished. As the other man’s pace progressed, the vital energy within the vicinity of the ancient temple underwent subtle shifts, something one wouldn’t have been able to detect without being present and focused.

“Could he possibly have unlocked the secrets of the ancient temple? That’s right, Ming Xinling Zhu and Youhun Baigui are both experts!”

Thinking of the “black figure’s” reputation within the Tongxuan realm, the man in the tree felt he might have hit the jackpot. He felt excited, but his mind remained calm.

He began memorizing the other man’s route, assessing his key points, while also being careful not to be detected. It was exhausting, but he felt it was worth it.

Finally, the shadow in front of him stopped, remaining motionless in a side hall in the fourth courtyard for a long time.

But the flow of vital energy within the ancient temple gradually became clearer.

The crucial moment had arrived!

Sensing the shifting energy, he felt he should inform his fellow disciples, but he hesitated and decided to wait.

This was a crucial moment. The energy within the ancient temple was fluctuating subtly. If he notified his fellow disciples now, disturbing the flow, there might be unexpected changes.

He began to approach cautiously.

The flow of heaven and earth’s vital energy had reached a level palpable, yet the range of fluctuations was gradually shrinking.

He unconsciously quickened his pace. He was now only about two hundred steps away from the side hall. Then one hundred, fifty, thirty…

He wielded his sect’s secret concealment technique to its fullest, slipping silently through the shadows of the building’s vegetation. At this distance, he could even sense the man’s slightly heavy breathing.

He waited for the moment when the energy flow stabilized. Once all the traps were broken, he would immediately notify his fellow disciples and then rush in.

To achieve this more effectively, he began to fine-tune his position. He took two silent steps, and suddenly a strange feeling entered his mind. The flow of vital energy in this area seemed to have reached a subtle stagnation at a certain point, and at that point…

A low laugh echoed behind him. Though the voice was low, the abundant energy caused the surrounding air to vibrate and rumble.

He turned abruptly—an instinctive but foolish action. However, the sudden pressure from behind, like a sinister and ferocious beast, made him afraid to face it with his back.

This was the most direct and fatal impact!

The moment he turned over, his pupils were met with a pair of blood-red eyes.

At this moment, the movement of the surrounding energy suddenly stopped, and the continuous changes in vital energy also came to an abrupt end, without further development.

The tree dweller was sensitive to this change, but he soon realized that this was his second stupid move!

His pointless distraction delayed his escape attempt. Although his entire body instantly transformed into a puff of insubstantial air, the fist’s force still struck his right ribs. The iron-like fist ripped through his flesh, sending his blood boiling.

A mouthful of blood spurted out, and his figure flashed from the void, already stumbling.

The blow had twisted and severed countless blood vessels throughout his body, but the message behind it was even more potent. His pupils were filled with fear: “Blood Demon Transformed Heart Technique! It’s Blood Demon Transformed Heart Technique!”

This was no mere “Blood God Tribulation Finger,” as Xiao Zhongzi had half-heartedly called it, but rather a supremely powerful technique that attacked blood and qi, absorbing the soul and eroding its spirit!

This was precisely the Blood Demon Transformed Heart Technique’s most renowned quality. A solid strike could even cause a person’s entire blood to instantly evaporate. His mind was shaken, and his cultivation was even further depleted. The two attacks clashed, and in the blink of an eye, he lost at least a century of cultivation.

Even so, the opponent offered him no chance to breathe. Vast swathes of air groaned under the immense force, and the void seemed to open with countless eerie maws, spewing out thick, bloody smoke, forming a bloody curtain that enveloped him.

The man in the tree screamed, curling up and forcing his way through the bloody curtain. The air resounded with the sharp sound of tearing cloth, and countless blood clouds clung to him, instantly corroding a layer of his exposed skin, revealing bright red flesh.

All his nerves and blood vessels began to twitch violently under the intense attack, making a mockery of his exquisite escape method.

His battered body trembled strangely, losing balance and slamming headfirst into the courtyard wall, which was only two meters high.

A dull crash echoed, and a sharp whistling sound tore him apart.

The man in the tree trembled violently, a hole in his back that penetrated all the way to his chest, but surprisingly, no blood flowed out.

He screamed again, and with strength that came from nowhere, he broke through the courtyard wall and stumbled into the darkness.

However, his mind inevitably began to fade, and the wounds on his chest and back reminded him that he could fall to the ground at any moment.

At that moment, the familiar howling of his fellow disciples echoed from a hundred miles away, approaching at an incredible speed.

Miraculously, the demon hadn’t caught up!

He rubbed the wound on his chest, attempting to call out to his fellow disciples with a howl. However, as the sound lingered in his throat, a slender hand gently pressed against his back, sending a chill that seeped deep into his internal organs, instantly freezing the howl.

With a single strike, the influent energy had no discernible quality, simply severing all the vital energy connections that sustained him. He let out a strange “huh” sound, and his body began its final convulsions.

Just as his body was coming to a halt, at least five figures leaped over the ancient temple wall and rushed in.

A few breaths later, a sharp, long howl soared into the air, startling the entire forest for hundreds of miles. Countless birds took flight, obscuring the sky and the sun.

Amidst this chaos, the vast forest welcomed the dawn of a new day.

Yuan Nan, at the instant the whistling sounded, led the five Hades Generals towards the ancient temple, even though he didn’t even know what was happening. However, within seven or eight miles of the temple, he spotted figures soaring overhead with a sharp whistle.

At that moment, he saw several familiar yet fearful faces, their expressions darkening. “How many of the Zhu Gou Nine Killers have arrived?”

Song Yuanchi, now more aware, spoke with a solemn expression. “Great Honored One, it looks like they’ve suffered a loss. Could it be that there are still powerful individuals within the temple?”

“Xiao Chongzi?” Yuan Nan mentioned the name, but quickly dismissed it. That half-hearted fellow wouldn’t be able to move more than ten steps in front of those killers.

He decided to give chase. But the assassins, who had rarely appeared, seemed to calm down instantly, their whistles fading, and they quickly vanished. Even with Yuan Nan’s cultivation, he couldn’t track their movements.

Just as he was wondering, an abrupt sound echoed. It was the whistling of sword energy from the distant sky. From the rhythmic oscillations of the atmosphere, Yuan Nan sensed a deeply familiar, yet deeply unpleasant, presence.

He tilted his head and saw, against the crimson sky stained by the morning light, a dozen sword beams charging forward.

He instantly spotted the incredibly familiar face at the forefront of all the sword beams.

His eyes widened, and he mumbled a curse. Even from a distance of over ten miles, his gaze met that of the square-faced, imposing cultivator, and they both saw the undisguised murderous intent in each other’s eyes.

“How many people still know this so-called ‘secret’?” Song Yuanchi sighed inwardly, but outwardly, he calmly shouted, “Enemy presence, take position!”

When Li Xun emerged from over twenty miles away from the ancient temple, the reverberations of the sharp roar from the direction of the Demon Thunder Temple had still not faded.

His expression was gloomy and cold, betraying the fact that he had only recently slain a renowned assassin from the Tongxuan Realm.

Perhaps this would make a novice cultivator famous overnight, but to Li Xun, it meant nothing.

In truth, the moment that person infiltrated the temple and targeted him, completely unaware, Li Xun’s two days of hard work had been for naught.

“Even Duntian Ci is here as scouts, how many of those Zhugou Jiusha have come?” Li Xun had already guessed the deceased’s identity. “Xumei Kongdun truly lives up to its reputation. However, after today, how will the moniker ‘Double Blades, Four Blades, and Three Small Hooks’ change?”

He smiled grimly. The true combat power of the two Youxuan puppets, gradually unleashed as their spiritual intelligence deepened, was also gradually unleashed.

Duntian Ci, a member of the “Four Blades” and one of the most elite cultivators in the Tongxuan Realm, was swiftly and swiftly slain by the two puppets’ sudden attack.

If this trend continued, in another decade or two, how many in the Tongxuan Realm could withstand his surprise attack?

This thought eased his gloom, and he prepared to consider a new plan. However, at that moment, the distant whistling of swords startled him. Following the sound, he spotted a line of sword lights in the sky not far away.

Li Xun’s sharp eyes swept across the front of the sword lights, and the face of the figure at the head of them made his eyes widen!

“Ti Wujiu? Tianxing Jianzong?”

Li Xun had reason to be surprised.

For he saw none other than “Master Ganyuan” Ti Wujiu, one of the three great masters of the Tianxing Jianzong, a peerless master whose rank was second only to the sect leader, Master Dayan.

Rumors suggested that his cultivation had even surpassed Master Dayan, making him the foremost of the

Tianxing Jianzong and one of the most likely candidates to ascend to the rank of True One Grandmaster in the past century. Five years ago, as a rising star of the Mingxin Sword Sect, Li Xun had met him. Because of his actions back then, he had taken notice of him and was deeply impressed.

However, the crux of the matter lay elsewhere. Surely the Tianxing Jianzong’s foremost master wasn’t here to gather herbs, admire flowers, or visit friends?

The sword light from the Tianxing Jian Sect flew at an extremely fast speed. In a flash, it was out of Li Xun’s sight and flew south.

And over there was the Demon Thunder Ancient Temple!

Li Xun cursed inwardly, knowing that things were getting complicated again.

Just as he was contemplating how to respond, the atmosphere above the forest shook once more, a series of sharp explosions. Several breaths after the sound, the raging aftermath of the explosions rolled over, rustling the branches and leaves around Li Xun with a startling clamor.

Though merely aftermath, the fragments of information carried on the wind were rich and varied.

At least twenty individuals had participated in the recent series of explosions. The surging impact of their vital energy, the shifting energy flow, and the surging surge of vital energy unleashed a boundless flux across this vast space. Even a glimpse of it

was enough to send one’s blood racing. A faint blush crossed Li Xun’s pale face. With his current level of cultivation and insight, he could discern the most crucial point from this deluge of information: two masters, at least at the True Person level, had engaged in combat.

One of the true energy was immense and powerful, vast and majestic. It was undoubtedly that of Ti Wujiu, who had just passed by. The other’s true energy was narrow and sharp, with a dark and profound twist. It looked very much like “Seven Ghosts Conquering the Sea.” He thought it was Yuan Nan Lingzun of the Pluto Sect.

He looked up at the sky. As expected, the sky seemed to have darkened considerably in the distance. Waves of surging energy, both visible and invisible, surged in all directions, centered on a single point.

“It’s truly the battle between good and evil. They can’t coexist. A single disagreement leads to fighting.”

Such a spectacular duel was rare in the Tongxuan Realm. He involuntarily exerted force on his feet, rushing in that direction.

The distance was less than twenty miles, a distance that could be covered in an instant. However, when Li Xun arrived near the battlefield, the Pluto Sect masters, led by Yuan Nan, had actually retreated!

Ti Wujiu and Yuan Nan faced each other from a distance, holding their ground. The Pluto Sect’s disciples quickly disappeared into the dense forest.

Li Xun was quite convinced that Yuan Nan couldn’t defeat Ti Wu Jiu.

Mr. Gan Yuan possessed a righteous spirit, immense strength, and a natural resistance to all evil magic and sorcery. Yuan Nan, the leader of the evil sect, was formidable, but against Ti Wu Jiu, he was only 10% capable, and would be lucky to retain 70%. Add to that the gap in cultivation, and the two combined forces would be even more disastrous.

However, if he were to lose, he wouldn’t have done it so quickly! If he felt it wasn’t worth fighting Ti Wu Jiu before the secrets of the ancient temple were revealed, then he shouldn’t have started in the first place! The two sects’ techniques often conflicted with each other, so rather than confronting them head-on, it would be more cost-effective to hide in the shadows and wait

for an opportunity to strike. This was Li Xun’s thought, but Yuan Nan seemed to have a telepathic connection, quickly proving his point.

Just as Yuan Nan was slowly retreating, about to disappear into the jungle, a figure suddenly materialized from mid-air, swooping down like thunder and lightning.

The target wasn’t Ti Wujiu, but the group of disciples hundreds of feet away.

This was perhaps what was called a “good deal.”

But the Tianxing Jian Sect wasn’t foolish. A slight jolt sent a cultivator of considerable power to meet them.

Unexpectedly, the figure descending from the sky split in two, evasively skirting the cultivators, its momentum undiminished.

Before anyone could react, one figure split in two, another in three, for a total of five figures, forming an arc and intersecting, instantly disrupting the Tianxing Jian Sect’s previously stable formation.

Li Xun tilted his head to take a look and exclaimed, “Doppelganger?”

This extremely crude escape technique could easily be called an illusion. It was rare for the Pluto Sect to reverse this technique, condensing five figures into one and then abruptly dispersing them. Regardless of the skill involved, the ingenuity alone was worthy of praise.

But…

“As a respected Underworld General, resorting to such tactics truly takes courage!”

The arrivals were none other than the Five Underworld Generals of the Underworld King Sect. All five were at a level between the Nascent Soul and True Person stages, clearly demonstrating their profound cultivation.

Their strategy was clear: to tear open the Tianxing Jian Sect’s defenses and strike at its weakest point. They were preparing to intimidate the Tianxing Jian Sect.

The first half of their plan was a complete success. The Five Underworld Generals’ shifting positions dazzled the cultivators pursuing them, leaving at least three openings for infiltration. A sharp cry from one of the Five Underworld Generals sent three others swooping down.

Some quick-witted cultivators flew back to support them, but the three Underworld Generals seemed to be separated, yet they were actually united. The returning cultivators could fend off one or two, but not the third! The

final Underworld General, with his uncanny agility, weaved through the surging currents from both sides, his target fixed on a delicate and graceful female cultivator draped in purple.

“She’s the only one I don’t recognize. She must be a youngster who’s just come down from the mountains to train!”

This thought crossed his mind as he glanced at the two companions of the female cultivator.

They were renowned in the Tongxuan Realm. They were the Bamboo Gentleman and the Pine Gentleman, two of the “Four Gentlemen” from the third generation of Tianxing Jian Sect disciples. Their men were formidable

. A head-on confrontation would likely be a struggle, but General Ming was confident he could slay the female cultivator before they could form a pincer attack. The thought of this gorgeous beauty being torn to pieces by his hands filled General Ming with excitement.

However, to his surprise, upon seeing him charging, the two gentlemen simultaneously retreated, completely exposing the female cultivator to him.

This unusual display set off alarms within General Ming, but it was too late!

With a resounding clang, the dagger, specially secured to the female cultivator’s chest and ribs, automatically unfurled. Two slender fingers gently grasped the hilt, and a purple aura rose into the air!

The Underworld General watched the foot-long dagger twirling deftly between the female cultivator’s fingers, a mixture of surprise and amusement. Was this still the Tianxing Jian Sect, renowned for its powerful strength?

The next moment, the Underworld General paid the price for his foolish distraction. He saw the female cultivator grasp the hilt with all five fingers. Then, the air around him suddenly stagnated, as if a vast net were suddenly constricting, its tough, fine threads clenching and piercing him with pain.

Then, he saw the sword’s tip pointed directly at his brow. The foot-long blade seemed to flow with purple flames, like a torrent surging beneath a thousand-foot-high gorge, flowing through the clouds and wind, mighty and powerful, yet not a single drop escaped, confined within the narrow blade, rumbling and resonating.

A strong sense of danger seized the Underworld General. He let out a sharp cry, ignoring the pain, twisting his body and dodging to the side.

But his cry was suddenly interrupted by the female cultivator’s melodious low moan.

It sounded pleasant, but the next moment, a thunderclap struck overhead, the intense shockwaves convulsing his heart. Instinctively, he turned his head and saw a tiny purple star streaking through the air.

A crackling sound, like a red-hot iron dropped into ice water, was punctuated by a low, rasping groan.

The Hades General’s centuries of experience came into play. In a moment of crisis, he boldly thrust forward, using his flesh and blood to block the dagger, a weapon unmistakably rare and divine.

The blade pierced through his palm like rotten wood.

The Hades General let out another scream, only to be ignited with frenzy. He clenched his fingers inward, simultaneously using a secret technique to transform the excruciating pain into a stimulus, instantly increasing his power by twenty percent. If the inexperienced female cultivator thought she could defeat him by simply blocking his palm, she would be waiting for the Hades General’s fatal blow.

But could inexperience truly be a problem?

Just as the Hades General was gathering strength, he felt the dagger’s sharp edge leap with activity at the wound in his palm. The hair-splitting blade disregarded surrounding flesh and bone as if it were nothing, dancing in the air, effortlessly tracing a perfect circle!

As the blade swirled, hundreds of Qi Qi were gathered, harnessing their vital energy and twisting it with a fierce force! A cloud of bloody mist instantly exploded in the air, sending countless scraps of flesh and bone scattering before being vaporized by the simultaneous burst of purple flames, leaving no trace.

Anyone who saw their palm and forearm pulverized into dust would find it difficult to maintain composure!

The Hades General was no exception. The moment the bloody mist erupted, he was completely stunned. Therefore, he didn’t notice that, while the mist blocked his view, the purple-robed female cultivator spun and vanished from the air, reappearing behind the Hades General.

Warnings rang out from all sides, above and below, but before he could react, the searing blade had already brushed past the back of his neck.

The extreme heat, at its peak, became a bone-piercing chill, piercing his skin, blood vessels, spine, trachea, and slit his throat, instantly sealing his life.