The Forbidden Path to Immortality - Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Lonely Evil

“Is today truly an auspicious day?” Li Xun mused drowsily.

Just before he passed out, his mind flashed back to the newly acquired “Record of the Netherworld” and the “Biyin Pill.

” “What if the Immortal Master discovers me?” With this worry, his mind gradually quieted. After an unknown amount of time, a white light shone down from an unknown source, illuminating his mind with a clear, luminous glow.

He vaguely sensed something passing through his heart, but upon closer inspection, it was a blank.

It was like finding a row of stone carvings in the dark, struggling to light a fire, only to discover that the carvings had been worn away, leaving only occasional fragments to prove their existence. It would be

better if he didn’t have these fragments. With them, an occasional vague feeling, a face that seemed familiar yet strangely unfamiliar, would stir up a strange feeling in him, yet he couldn’t find a clue. Over time, he felt a tightness in his chest, a suffocating pain.

Suddenly, there was another ringing in his head, and his body shook, and he woke up. Just before waking up, a blood-red figure accompanied by a faint ringing sound flashed through his mind, and then shattered into thousands of pieces, never to be seen again.

He screamed and turned over to sit up, but found that it was already dark, and he was still by the water. Suddenly, he felt something was wrong, and when he looked up, he saw two people looking at him with almost pity.

“Master Qingyin…Master Xu!”

Unexpectedly, when he opened his eyes, he saw the “culprit” who had caused him seven years of pain, the person he had cursed not long ago. After seven years of not seeing him, his demeanor was still the same, and he quickly

merged with the image in his memory. He was so excited that he was stunned for a moment.

Qingyin and Qingxu didn’t care about his appearance. Qingyin was still as calm as usual, but there was a hint of pity in Qingxu’s eyes.

Finally, Qingxu spoke: “Li Xun…”

“Disciple is here!”

“I was the instigator of your seven years of suffering. I never expected you to endure such hardships, climbing a 270,000-mile peak day after day for seven years. I am quite relieved to learn of this.”

Li Xun felt a strange feeling within him. He didn’t dare to answer, but simply listened in a low voice.

Qingxu knew he had many thoughts on his mind, but the recent incident had affected his mood, so he didn’t care much.

Besides, since Li Xun had become a disciple of the sect, he would have plenty of time to mend their relationship in the future, so he didn’t care about such thoughts.

He continued: “Since you have been accepted into the sect, follow me down the mountain today and wait in Qiyuan Hall. It won’t be long before I introduce you to a wise master!”

Li Xun hurriedly kowtowed in gratitude. Regardless of his thoughts, his “kowtow” technique had become so skillful that even he couldn’t tell whether his gratitude was genuine.

However, at this moment, he heard Qingxu sigh again, a faint sigh. Li Xun suddenly remembered the function of Qingyin’s so-called Zuowang Stone, and he couldn’t help but ask, “My disciple is ignorant. Master Qingyin just used that Zuowang Stone on me. I wonder what the result was?”

Qingyin and Qingxu exchanged a look of surprise. Finally, Qingxu said, “Look!”

With a flick of his sleeve, he swept up some water. Using a spell, he transformed it into a water mirror, which landed in Li Xun’s hand.

He cast another spell, illuminating the surroundings, and said, “Look at your forehead.”

Li Xun stared blankly, only to see a white expanse on his forehead, but nothing.

Qingyin laughed, “We forgot you don’t know the art of spiritual vision. First, learn this spell…”

She then proceeded to explain a simple method of qigong, essentially teaching Li Xun how to channel qi into his eyes and open a certain acupoint.

Once Li Xun had mastered it, he observed the difference.

Following the formula taught by Qing Yin, he opened his spiritual eyes and carefully observed the lines on his forehead. After a few breaths, he suddenly felt that some of the lines seemed to have a different color. With just this one distinction, a strange pattern immediately emerged from his forehead.

This was actually a ball of blood-red “cloud” without a fixed shape. It was rolling somewhere on the forehead. It had a fixed range and expanded and contracted randomly within this range. It looked quite strange. “

Is it…” Li Xun was so surprised that he couldn’t speak.

Qingxu shook his head slightly and sighed, “This is the sign of a solitary evil. A hundred years ago, the forty-nine heavenly calamities descended, and countless cultivators in the Tongxuan Realm died. Among them, some were lucky enough to protect their spiritual consciousness and reincarnate in order to seek the great way again.

“For those unfortunate enough, their spirits are never seen again, reduced to ashes. And you, perhaps, are one of those reincarnated spirits.”

Li Xun was stunned, and after a long moment, he said, “So this makes them the Lonely Evil?”

Qingxu continued, “It’s not that simple! Although the spirits of reincarnated spirits may be ignorant, once they achieve success in cultivation and their spiritual orifices are awakened, they will regain all their memories of their past lives, and the path of the Great Dao will be smooth. However, there are also those who are annihilated from all three lives, unable to enter the cycle of reincarnation, and thus inevitably face the fate of being torn apart.

“However, perhaps some rare treasure protects them, allowing their spirits to be ‘cleansed’ and reincarnated, thus severing all ties between the three lives, leaving only this body in this world to rely on. This is considered the Lonely Evil. In this case, they are unique in a million!”

Li Xun was stunned for a long moment, speechless.

Qingxu smiled again, “But you don’t have to worry too much about this matter. Fortunately or unfortunately, it is still ambiguous. If you can face it with a calm heart, it will be a great blessing. You know, the so-called lonely evil spirit, without the shackles of the three lives, can make rapid progress in cultivation.

“However, if you cultivate to the later stage, the path to ascension will be difficult and dangerous, with both advantages and disadvantages, so you must be prepared.”

Li Xun thanked him

and said, “Thank you for the guidance, Master!” Qingxu nodded and said to Qingyin, “Junior sister, I will take him down the mountain now. Do you have anything else to say?”

Qingyin smiled and shook her head. When she looked at Li Xun again, she had regained her distracted look. Under such a gaze, Li Xun felt quite uncomfortable. He began to miss the way Qingyin explained the difficult problems to him not long ago.

At this time, Qingyin seemed to ponder for a moment, and then said, “Senior brother, do you think his talent is somewhat similar to that of Lin Ge and Ming Ji?”

Qingxu was stunned, and looked at Li Xun carefully for a few more times. After a long time, he said, “He is smart and quick-witted, but he is also strong-willed. He is indeed somewhat similar. What I mean is…”

“Our sect has four methods and three secrets, and each method has been passed down for a long time. However, for hundreds of years, only Lin Ge and Ming Ji have been practicing this method. And after that incident… so, having one more person is good.”

Qingxu nodded repeatedly and said with a smile, “I used to think that my junior sister didn’t care about worldly affairs, but now I know that she has always cared about our sect. If the sect leader heard this, he would be very pleased! This is a good suggestion. After I return, I will report it to you. I think it should come to fruition naturally.”

Qingyin smiled faintly and said to Li Xun, “Do you know what we are talking about?”

Li Xun didn’t dare to show off, but answered honestly, “The two immortal masters were discussing which method is most suitable for their disciples.”

Qing Yin’s calm voice lingered in Li Xun’s ears: “That’s good to know. When you go back, remember to study ‘The Great Treatise on Response to the Supreme Being’, ‘The Secret of the Bright Jade’, ‘The Records of the Great Completion of the Blue Sky’…” She listed more than ten books in a row and asked Li Xun to memorize them.

Li Xun was quite intelligent; he remembered everything after Qing Yin repeated them once. He didn’t dare ask any more questions, but simply promised to pay attention.

Qing Xu stroked his beard and smiled. When Qing Yin finished her instructions, he said, “Junior sister, it seems that you have a deep understanding of the ‘Ling Xi Jue’!”

“Ling Xi Jue!”

Li Xun’s mind suddenly exploded, and he felt a surge of joy in his heart. Could it be that what he had been pursuing for so many years was now obtained without any effort?

Li Xun’s heart was filled with excitement, but seven years of hard work was extraordinary after all. He instinctively used his internal energy to stabilize all his body movements in a normal state and listened to the instructions.

“The Lingxi Jue is the most difficult of the four methods and three secrets of the sect. Among the second-generation disciples, only Ge’er and Mingji have been taught it. In recent years, Ge’er’s inner demons have plagued him, and his cultivation has regressed instead of improved. Only Mingji has been dedicated to his practice and has made great progress.

“However, she alone cannot inherit the sect’s legal lineage. If you are destined to use this secret, it will save us a lot of effort!”

Li Xun nodded in agreement, but he was roaring in his heart: “Teach me! Teach me! Teach me quickly…”

However, Qingxu changed the subject and began to shake his head again: “You must remember, we make you understand the sect’s supreme law, but we don’t want you to be ambitious or make rapid progress. Instead, we want you to understand that Lingxi Jue is the slowest to learn, and it requires steady progress.

“Only by tempering your mind in this way can you eliminate scheming and prevent the growth of inner demons. If you can dedicate a hundred years to this practice, you will surely be one of the sect’s heroes!”

Thanks to his words, although Li Xun didn’t fully grasp them, the time spent speaking helped him calm down considerably. He bowed in response, took a deep breath, and then spoke word by word, “Disciple… will live up to the expectations of all the Immortal Masters!”

By the end, his control was at its limit, and he finally choked up at the last sob. Though he quickly recovered, it was difficult to calm down.

Fortunately, Qingxu simply assumed he was losing his composure because of the joy of finally finding happiness after suffering, or because of the grievances he had endured over the past seven years. He never imagined that he was weeping with joy at having escaped death.

The ambiguous smile appeared on Qingyin’s lips again. She said nothing more, turned around and disappeared into the depths of the forest. Li Xun hurriedly said goodbye and said, “If I have time,

I will come to the peak again to repay the immortal master’s guidance!”

It is not known whether Qingyin heard it or not. There was only a faint sound of pendants clashing, which came with the wind. Even though Li Xun was now uneasy because of the Lingxi Jue, he felt lost for a moment when he saw this situation.

Qingxu observed all this but said nothing, simply saying, “Let’s go down the mountain!”

Li Xunfang responded, then immediately changed his tone, saying, “Please wait a moment, Immortal Master. I have something on the lakeshore…”

Qingxu raised an eyebrow slightly. “What is it?”

Li Xun’s mind raced, but he answered truthfully, “It’s a slate I use for notes. I just want to keep it as a souvenir.”

Qingxu seemed curious too. His eyes flicked, and with a single glance at the mist, he said, “There it is!”

Before Li Xun could react, he saw him flick his sleeves, and then his feet went weak, almost stumbling. When he looked up again, he let out a low cry—the scene before him had completely changed. Wasn’t this the place where he had first entered the water?

A few feet away, his package was safely placed there.

His expression, beyond pretense, was filled with amazement. He was hundreds of feet away, carrying someone with him, yet he arrived with a single thought. It seemed Qingxu’s cultivation had reached a pinnacle, and he must be a true master.

He quickly took the package and thanked him. Qingxu simply smiled, then unfurled his sleeves again, performing another technique. Clouds of energy gathered around him, rushing towards his feet. Li Xun felt his body lighten, lifted by the energy and slowly rising.

Qingxu stood shoulder to shoulder with him, a carefree expression on his face. Seeing Li Xun’s naiveté, though aware of some exaggeration, he smiled. “This is the art of riding the clouds. It might be slower than flying with a sword, but it’s more stable and can bear greater weight than a sword. Once you’ve achieved the deification of an infant, you’ll be able to use it!”

Li Xun watched the clouds gradually soar beneath his feet, listened to the words of the “evil man” who had once spurned his hopes, and then saw Taoist Qingxu’s kind smile. Everything seemed illusory, like a dream.

When they reached a certain height, a strong wind blew towards them. Li Xun felt a choking sensation in his mouth and nose, but his internal energy had already begun to flow, helping him block the strong wind. He had automatically transitioned to a state of internal breathing.

Qingxu’s eyes lit up as he spoke, “Qingyin said your self-cultivation is quite in line with the essence of the art. I didn’t believe it at first, but judging by your reaction, I think you’ve already mastered the art of internal breathing!”

Amidst the high, northerly wind, Qingxu spoke as he usually does, without appearing overly loud. But Li Xun, however, was speechless. He could only scratch his head and make an embarrassed expression.

It was strange; I wondered if Qingxu was regretting what happened seven years ago, or if it was because Li Xun had already entered the sect, pitying his “lonely devil” form, that his tone and demeanor were much gentler than they had been seven years ago, and his manners were quite considerate.

He waved his hand, and a barrier materialized outside the clouds, blocking the fierce wind from the high altitude. Only then could Li Xun speak: “Master, please be advised. I still have only a vague understanding of the art of transporting internal energy, but I don’t know what it means to ‘reach the pinnacle’?”

Qingxu stroked his beard and smiled: “The human body is full of energy and overflowing, but empty and not solid. You can talk about prolonging life, but not immortality. This is the first hurdle

in cultivation. “Without the guidance of higher-level techniques, if you continue to maintain this level, your muscles and bones will be weak, your internal energy will be boiling, but there will be no progress. The imbalance of yin and yang will make you like a fire in a bamboo cage, which will eventually burst. This is called ‘the ordinary person’s pinnacle,’ and our sect’s basic internal energy transport technique can only reach this level.

“If your internal energy has not made any progress for a long time, and it is boiling with no way out, you will be blocked here.”

Li Xun blinked and thought to himself that he did not seem to have encountered the “human top”. Could it be because his kung fu was not up to par yet? But he felt that something was wrong. If it was really not up to par, Qingyin would never pass on the next level of mental formula to him, and make him progress so quickly.

Seeing that he could not figure it out, he could only pass the problem to Qingxu again. Qingxu was surprised when he heard it, and suddenly said: “Pay attention! He extended a finger, stabbing at Li Xun’s shoulder.

Li Xun knew he was testing his skills, but he was still startled. He felt the finger thrust forward simply, but the pressure was so great that he couldn’t even lift his hand.

Thanks to his seven years of hard training, he had tempered his mind to be as strong as a rock. He suppressed the pressure in his heart, raised his hand, and drew a line in the air. It was the “cloud pattern” restriction that he had mastered so well, which he had evolved into a technique. With just a few strokes, a sense of emptiness and uncertainty came out.

Qingxu was not paying attention for a moment, and was pulled by the gentle breath. His finger deviated half an inch and pressed on Li Xun’s shoulder, and the force immediately dissipated.

At this moment, the two people, one big and one small, were stunned at the same time.

After a long while, Qingxu clapped his hands and said, “Wonderful! Where did you learn this cloud pattern transformation method?”

Of course, Li Xun didn’t dare claim he was diligently practicing to break into the Buddhist monastery. He simply claimed to have gained inspiration from the “cloud robe” and the restrictions he’d observed in the caves he’d discovered along the way. Nine parts genuine, one part fake; even Qingxu couldn’t tell.

Upon hearing this, Qingxu couldn’t help but applaud. Hearing that the package contained Li Xun’s “homework,” he pulled out one of his most prized creations and examined it closely.

The carvings were free-flowing, unconstrained, yet possessed a solemn aura. Clearly, he’d mastered the “cloud pattern” thoroughly, enabling him to achieve such skill.

“So that’s it, so that’s it!” Qingxu gestured at the patterns on the stone slab and praised repeatedly: “No wonder you didn’t hit the top of the common people’s head, it’s obviously because of the energy of the cloud pattern, which affects the flow of internal energy from the outside to the inside, and adjusts itself, just in line with the Tao, and the scope has gone far beyond the basic transportation technique!

“Qingyin taught you the chapter on Qi transformation, which is really the most appropriate… One stroke is like a solitary cloud emerging from a mountain, unique and ingenious, it is indeed wonderful. It’s just a little unstable, how about this!”

He was very interested for a while, and pulled Li Xun to study the cloud pattern on the stone slab, which was exactly what Li Xun wanted.

The “cloud pattern” technique was Li Xun’s most proud achievement in these years. He was naturally overjoyed to have Qingxu look at him differently.

He knew that this opportunity was rare, so he raised all the questions he had accumulated over the past seven years, and verified the many key points he had understood with what Qingxu said. He felt that the pleasure he had gained was similar to that of Qingyin, and he was completely unaware of the passage of time.

The art of driving the cloud was much slower than flying the sword, so it was already the next morning when he came down from the peak.

Li Xun was immersed in Qingxu’s verification . , and the various insights he was imparting, unaware that his seven years of nightmare had now come to an end. It wasn’t

until the clan bell rang, its lingering echo reaching the heavens, that he was suddenly brought back to reality. Looking down, he saw only the clan buildings, looming among the mountains. Occasionally, one or two figures moved like ants along the undulating slopes, and several piercing sword energies streaked through the air.

This scene, as it entered his ears and eyes, was like a hammer hitting his brain. His legs gave way, and he fell to his knees on the clouds.