The Forbidden Path to Immortality - Chapter 96

Chapter 6 The Handle

“What’s her plan?”

Li Xun was very concerned about the last few questions from Master Tianzhi. After thinking about it carefully, his brows were almost locked into a knot.

This was obviously not a casual remark, but if it wasn’t casual, what did it mean?

Suspect him?

Given Master Tianzhi’s temperament, if he really had doubts, he wouldn’t play such a roundabout way with him. He would probably have tied him up in front of the sect’s immortal master and sentenced him to death. If

things go wrong, it’s possible that she’s meddling in other people’s affairs.

So, is it really meant for something and used for something? For what?

After thinking about it for a while, he finally took out the Astronomical Chart and fiddled with it according to the method taught by the head immortal master. He seemed to be mesmerized by the detailed and complex graphics displayed on it.

After a long time, he sighed.

“What’s wrong with this world? Why does everyone stand behind everyone else? And they’re holding their breath…”

“Hey, how did you find me?”

The female voice behind him sounded familiar, but the tone didn’t match. Li Xun’s expression shifted slightly, and he turned his head abruptly, only to see nothing but empty air.

The voice continued to emanate from behind: “Why, unhappy? Weren’t you quite pleased with what Tianzhi did just now?” “

Which eye of yours saw me as happy? “

Li Xun didn’t say this out loud, for now, the more confused he became by the tone of the woman behind him.

It felt like there was something wrong; this voice, this tone, shouldn’t belong to the same person.

He strained his eyes, catching a glimpse of a skirt, and spun swiftly.

Unfortunately, he still missed his target.

The female cultivator behind him chuckled softly, a hint of mischievous delight.

From her laughter, it was impossible to tell that she could perform such a high-level shadow-following technique with such ease.

But within that laughter, Li Xun understood something.

After a pause, he suddenly called out, “Zhuang Chu!”

A soft “hmm!” echoed from behind, and Li Xun raised an eyebrow, slowly turning around.

This time, the other person didn’t move. He saw none other than the so-called Tianxingjian Sect guest he had just “first” encountered, Zhuang Chu!

This female cultivator, who had previously appeared colder than ice, was surprised, yet a hint of playful smile remained on her face.

Seeing the identical face, yet the different expressions, confirmed his suspicions. He shook his head and sighed, then said, “Shui Dielan!”

This time, genuine surprise was evident on Zhuang Chu’s face. She blurted out, “How did you tell?”

As soon as she said that, the figure in front of him suddenly faded. Li Xun’s vision blurred, and when he looked again, Zhuang Chu had become someone else.

With that slightly masculine, delicate figure, the alluring blue lips, the icy blue eyes, who else could it be but Shui Dielan?

Not only her appearance, but also her clothes, changed into her signature chiffon butterfly dress in the blink of an eye.

The smile on Li Xun’s face froze.

Shui Dielan was skilled and bold, and had no shackles at all. It was natural for her to show up here. But he was a disciple of the righteous path, chatting and laughing with the demon in front of him, so what was going on?

“Change back, change back!”

Li Xun waved his hands repeatedly, and the pride in his heart disappeared.

Shui Dielan became proud again. Not only did she not change back, but she smiled and turned in the air. Her skirt fluttered, her black hair flew, and for a moment she showed a rare charm and elegance.

“Why, you are not as good-looking as Zhuang Chu?”

Li Xun cursed in his heart, but he also knew that if he really couldn’t resist the fear in his heart and looked around, he would probably never be able to raise his head in front of Shui Dielan in this life.

He thought about it, and finally sighed. Under Shui Dielan’s curious gaze, he drew his sword and gestured twice.

“Okay, tell me what you want to say. Hey, why are you standing there? It’s best to talk while fighting!”

Shui Dielan glared at him fiercely at first, but finally chuckled, and her figure flashed again, turning into the appearance of Zhuang Chu again. His appearance and clothes changed in an instant, and his methods were truly magical.

Li Xun frowned, and while sheathing his sword, he said, “This is not a disguise, but an illusion?”

Shui Dielan nodded as a matter of course.

Li Xun sighed and laughed, “You are so brave! You don’t seem to know that the “Rainbow Shadow Pearl” that helped me see through your illusion was given to me by Master Tianzhi. How dare you wander around here using illusions? ” What if…”

“What are you afraid of? I’m just here for fun. I won’t provoke her. I don’t think she would dare to turn against me.”

“Zhuang Chu” had a stern face, and Shui Dielan’s smiling expression was reflected. It felt really weird.

But Shui Dielan then returned to the previous topic: “You haven’t told me yet, how did you find me? Don’t say it, it’s that Rainbow Shadow Pearl again!” “

No, it’s just that the bug on my body was jumping around, so I got suspicious.”

Li Xun based his reasoning on the extremely subtle fluctuations of Qi in his body.

He had never raised a Gu, so naturally he didn’t know what the manifestation of this “heart knot” was in the body. However, after seeing Zhuang Chu, how could he not be suspicious of these extremely targeted changes again and again?

It seems that Shui Dielan happened to meet him as soon as he entered the polar circle, and it might be related to the “heart knot”.

Besides, there are only a handful of masters who possess the ability to follow you everywhere, yet still do these “boring” things. Of these, only Shui Dielan has actually interacted with Li Xun.

Seeing Shui Dielan’s bewildered expression, Li Xun frowned and asked, “Why are you here? How did you get this face and this identity? Why didn’t you tell me the last time we met?”

He asked three questions in a row, and Shui Dielan zeroed in on the last one, snorting coldly, “I noticed you when you were three thousand miles from the Pole. Where’s that person? I couldn’t even recognize him right in front of me, so what’s the point of telling you?”

The tone was truly strange, and Li Xun felt a little embarrassed, but he was able to respond in time, “I’m not like Shui Xianzi, who is proficient in witchcraft. I don’t have any little bugs running around in my stomach, so how could I tell the difference? Besides, your illusion skills are indeed amazing… but is it necessary?”

“I’m just running for my life!” Shui Dielan’s expression changed rapidly, and then she smiled again, but her words were devoid of sincerity.

“I’m being hunted by the Luoyu and Zhugou sects, and I’m in a terrible state. How can I escape without a new identity?” “

You’re taking me for a fool! Can you just get the guest status whenever you want?”

Li Xun glanced at her, his mind racing.

The guest status was quite common in the evil sects.

Independent cultivators are attracted by the sect’s vast and abundant resources and the protection it offers, while the sect values the independent cultivators’ considerable personal strength. The two sides hit it off immediately, their relationship somewhat reminiscent of bodyguards and guards in the mortal realm.

Within righteous sects, however, such matters are treated with extreme caution.

Regardless of one’s cultivation level, one’s reputation must be exceptional.

This kind of reputation isn’t built overnight; it often requires hundreds or even thousands of years of uninterrupted word-of-mouth. How could Shui Die Lan possibly possess such resources?

“You don’t seem to know what highway robbery is!” Shui Die Lan patted Zhuang Chu’s cheek and said with a smile, “Just give her a sweet dream and she’ll tell you anything. So, from now on, I’m Zhuang Chu. Remember that!”

“Tired of being a killer and want to be a gentleman?”

Li Xun laughed, but he doubted Shui Die Lan was acting on impulse.

With Shui Die Lan’s temperament, how could she tolerate the prim and proper morals of the righteous sects? Besides, why didn’t she go somewhere else, instead specifically looking for the Tianxingjian Sect where Gu Pin’er was?

Li Xun chuckled, but didn’t want to explain the matter too clearly. He simply asked, “Gu Pin’er is here too?”

“Ha, you’ll be disappointed this time. She’s staying at the sect to further her studies.” Shui Dielan glanced at him and said with a smile, “Actually, even if she came, this isn’t the Southeast Forest Sea. You two wouldn’t be able to find a place to indulge in broad daylight!”

If they took such words seriously, there would be no end to it. Li Xun was not fooled. He just smiled and suddenly remembered something.

“You were just… right there?”

Seeing Shui Dielan nod, Li Xun grinned, “Master Tianzhi is no pushover either. You’re so…”

“What are you afraid of?” Shui Dielan said proudly, “Let’s not even talk about whether she has the ability to fight me. Even if she does, I have something on her. How could she have the guts to go against me?”

This was the second time she’d said that Master Tianzhi “dared not” fight her, and now there was even one more “handle” to hold against her.

Li Xun shook his head and laughed, but halfway through, his laughter stopped abruptly when something in his head triggered something.

Shui Dielan naturally understood what he was thinking. She giggled and lowered her voice a little: “Pay attention, it’s a very big handle!”

Li Xun glanced at her and suddenly said: “Yu Sanren?”

At the same time, Shui Dielan sighed: “What a pity, I’m afraid it won’t be useful in the future.” After

these words came out, the two were stunned, and then said at the same time: “What do you mean it won’t be useful?”

“No way, is this kind of thing already known to everyone?”

The two looked at each other. Li Xun’s reaction was quicker. He was the first to say with a smile, “That sounds interesting. Do you mind telling me about it?”

Shui Dielan wasn’t so easygoing. She folded her arms and smiled, “Why?”

Li Xun saw that she didn’t look very resolute. A thought flashed through his mind, and he smiled, “Given our relationship, why keep it secret? You know, you know my most crucial secret. What’s this little detail compared to that?”

“You’re quite confident!”

Shui Dielan glanced at him, then paused. “You’ve been looking good lately, much better than I thought. Have you taken some miracle drug?”

“One pill isn’t enough?”

Li Xun smiled wryly. Shui Dielan’s reaction proved that he was indeed different from before, due to his change in mentality.

But he was unwilling to change the subject, especially at this moment, as he was more interested in the information Shui Dielan revealed in another sentence.

So, he took the initiative and said, “It’s not that everyone knows, but I know more. However, this isn’t much evidence, is it? You can’t expect Yu San Ren to admit he’s having an affair with Tian Zhi. Even if he did, no one would… uh, am I wrong?”

Seeing Shui Dielan’s expression turn into surprise and even amusement, Li Xun realized that he might have misjudged her.

However, judging by Master Tian Zhi’s reaction, Yu San Ren was clearly involved.

As far as Li Xun knew, anyone who was involved with Yu San Ren was undoubtedly of that nature.

“You said Tianzhi and Yu Sanren were hooking up?”

Shui Dielan chuckled at first, but soon, like Master Tianzhi just now, she couldn’t help laughing. “Oh my God, what are you thinking about?

Hooking up? Even if Yu Sanren wanted to, Tianzhi would never let him succeed…”

“Oh? Why?”

“Because…” Shui Dielan finally suppressed her laughter and looked at Li Xun and said, “Unless she wants to lose hundreds of years of cultivation in one day!”

This was a very serious statement.

Li Xun’s expression straightened, and his voice unconsciously lowered: “What do you mean?”

“Don’t you think there’s something wrong with Tianzhi’s cultivation progress?”

Progress? In an instant, all the information about Master Tianzhi flowed through Li Xun’s mind like water.

“Problem? It’s normal, isn’t it? Legend has it that she entered the True Person Realm two hundred years ago, and has been cultivating for about four hundred years…”

Li Xun did some mental calculations. Excluding himself, the exception among exceptions, the average age for cultivators in this world to reach the True Person Realm is around seven hundred years. Those with exceptional talent can even slash that time by half or more.

The most typical example was Zhong Yin, who, after less than two hundred years of cultivation, defeated Yu San Ren, forcing him to vomit blood and flee. If Zhong Yin is considered an “exception,” then Ming Ji is also an exception.

“The ‘Spiritual Resonance Technique’ is already extremely difficult to master, yet Ming Ji reached the True Person Realm in less than four hundred years…”

“Don’t judge the Never-Sleeping City by the standards of the Mingxin Sword Sect. You must know that the Spiritual Resonance Technique is, after all, a legitimate Xuanmen sect, emphasizing the subtle and unique path. But the aurora of the Never-Sleeping City is different. What does ‘thousands of changes’ mean? It’s the complexity and repetition, the subtle interactions and restraints. Correspondingly, the cultivation process is incredibly complex.”

Shui Dielan displayed the knowledge of a generation of demons, speaking eloquently.

“The initial effort and energy expended in this cultivation is comparable to any other cultivation technique in the world, where people have practiced for over a hundred years without realizing it. You could ask a cultivator in the City That Never Sleeps how many years it took him to master it, and how many years did Tianzhi take?”

Li Xun pondered for a moment, then estimated, “Tianzhi is naturally faster than others…”

“No, it’s not.” Shui Dielan flicked her finger gently.

“For the first two hundred years of her cultivation, Tianzhi showed no ability to surpass her peers. However, in the next two hundred years, her progress was over three times that of a normal person! Why is that?”

Li Xun unconsciously held his breath.

Shui Dielan didn’t disappoint him. She delicately revealed her trump card: “Tianzhi, while cultivating our sect’s techniques, also cultivated the ‘Inner Demon’.”

“Inner demon?” Li Xun was stunned, then his throat suddenly choked. “Which inner demon?”

“Which other one? Temper obsession into a sharp edge, solidify the seven emotions into a handle, and you’ll gain a blade that can shatter the heavens… You’ve learned the Blood God Son, and you don’t even know this basic entry-level mental method?”

Li Xun’s throat was dry, and he was speechless for a moment. How could he not know?

Inner demons are obsessions. Generally speaking, a rising inner demon is a precursor to demonic possession, and it has no beneficial effects on cultivation. Regardless of good or evil, all need to eliminate or suppress inner demons, the methods differ.

However, within the Tongxuan Realm, there is a school of thought specifically designed to sharpen the inner demon as a means of advancement, forcing one to cultivate arduously amidst the ravages of the inner demon.

While the advancement is undoubtedly remarkable, relying on the inner demon as its foundation, this method is like walking a tightrope. A single misstep can lead to eternal damnation. And there’s no turning back.

“Blood Godson” exemplifies this type of cultivation method.

Li Xun’s previous practice of “Stopping the Evil Heart” was solely focused on the physical body, not specifically on the inner demon. However, there were two excellent examples before him.

Blood Wanderer, in the early stages of his cultivation, was influenced by his inner demon, becoming belligerent and bloodthirsty, becoming the number one killer.

Then there was his first master, Lin Ge.

Over the years, Li Xun’s insights have deepened, and he has gained a new understanding of things he previously didn’t understand.

Back then, Lin Ge’s self-proclaimed “There’s no way to heaven, no door to earth.” While seemingly heading for a dead end, it was actually a method for refining the inner demon.

This method enabled him to achieve strength comparable to that of the demon phoenix in the shortest possible time.

However, Lin Ge ultimately failed to grasp the mysteries of the inner demon refinement method, failing midway through his cultivation and ultimately met a tragic death at the hands of the demon phoenix.

But for a second-generation disciple like him, even if he had the cunning to injure the demon phoenix, he would have been proud of it.

Shui Dielan’s voice drifted into his ears─”She is quite capable. She was just a junior student at the beginning, but somehow she attracted Yu Sanren’s interest in her. However, she tried her best to resist Yu Sanren’s various tactics. She used her own cultivation and reputation to temper her inner demons, and unexpectedly succeeded in the end…Among the ruthless people I have met over the years, she is one of the best!”

Li Xun immediately thought of what Tianzhi had told him about the “Ye Motian Viewing” that year, but still didn’t dare to believe it.

“The method of improving one’s inner demons is not the right path after all. She is a disciple of a famous family, and everything goes smoothly for her. How can she have such a strong obsession? What is she obsessed with?” “

God knows!”

Shui Dielan could not fully understand the situation. She could only pass it over with a single word, and then chuckled, “It’s a rare opportunity to be a whetstone. Gu Zhixuan’s expression was really interesting!”

“Whetstone?”

“That’s what Gu Zhixuan said himself!”

Shui Dielan said with a grin, “When the North Sea Lotus Gathering took place that year, I thought I had made a wasted trip, but I didn’t expect to see Tianzhi and Gu Zhixuan talking on the other side. I was curious for a moment, so I went up to listen for a while. At that time, Gu Zhixuan said this…”

“I use all living beings to temper my character, but I never thought that one day I would be used as a whetstone by others.”

Li Xun murmured to himself, and it was a bit funny at first, but the more he felt it, the colder he felt in his heart.

Especially when the image of the man and woman chatting and laughing softly, their words echoing through his mind, he suddenly sensed the gap between him and those top figures. First, it was in their character.

“But is Yu Sanren willing to be just a whetstone?”

“How could that be? From what I can tell, Gu Zhixuan is probably tempted to do the same, but he’s a very proud person. Tianzhi presents herself as someone who is open and honest, so he’ll only use various means to frustrate her resolve and cause her inner demons to revolt, rather than resorting to force. And that, in turn, fulfills Tianzhi’s wishes.”

Shui Dielan was also one of the world’s top Grandmasters, and her analysis was likely more in line with Yu Sanren’s psychology. Li Xun accepted her as the truth.

However, he needed more details: “When? When?”

“About two hundred years ago. Tianzhi had probably just entered the True Person Realm when Gu Zhixuan discovered her. Haha, the scene was really funny. It’s rare to see Gu Zhixuan with that expression of being both amused and helpless. Tianzhi is quite capable.”

“Then what?”

“Then? Of course they discovered me!”

Shui Dielan said casually, without a trace of embarrassment on her face. “If Gu Zhixuan cared about this, the problem would be more serious. Unfortunately, he doesn’t. Even if Tianzhi cared, she couldn’t do anything to me. Naturally, she left this handle with me.”

Li Xun glanced at her and suddenly felt a sense of pity.

Having Shui Dielan holding a handle on her was indeed a difficult thing. He wondered if there was anyone in the world who could silence Shui Dielan.

As he thought about it, he felt another surge of excitement: “Tianzhi… so amazing!”

Although Li Xun had not yet mastered the method of the inner demon, he knew that the process of advancing the inner demon was extremely dangerous.

Think of Lin Ge. Just because of the demon phoenix’s “oppression,” his centuries of cultivation had reached a dead end, and the demon phoenix’s backlash had also crippled him.

And Master Tianzhi, as the leader of a sect, faced pressures ten times greater than Lin Ge’s.

A “confrontation” with Yu Sanren was already dangerous, but then there was the unpredictable threat of Shui Dielan—the pain of ruin and disgrace was far less painful than the loss of his power.

Under such dual pressure, she’d managed to hold on until today. Remarkable! He

sighed, his mind racing back to Yu Sanren’s plight.

He smiled, but then sighed. He wondered if that woman, so devoted to Gu Zhixuan, had ever made him laugh or cry.

He unconsciously looked up at the borderland of light and darkness, sighing softly, “Those who respect themselves will always be respected by others…”

“What did you say?”

Shui Dielan pricked up her ears, a look of deep concern.

Li Xun couldn’t help but smile when he saw her adopting Zhuang Chu’s expression. At that moment, he remembered something more crucial, so he changed the subject and asked, “By the way, what did you mean by that?”

Shui Dielan’s eyes widened, feigning innocence: “What?”

“It’s the line you said, ‘It’s a shame, I’m afraid it won’t be useful in the future!'”

It was rare for Li Xun to repeat it word for word, even mimicking the tone so perfectly, and Shui Dielan was delighted.

But then, her irritability became apparent. With a wink, she said, “Did I say that? You must be hard of hearing!”

Li Xun glared at her, and she glared back.

“If it’s not you, then what’s wrong with me?”

Li Xun knew Shui Dielan was upset by his change of subject, but this incident was the deepest wound in his heart, so how could he easily show it to others?

Their eyes met, and Shui Dielan knew immediately that she couldn’t expect any “benefits” from Li Xun. She was immediately dissatisfied, raised her eyebrows, snorted, and clapped her sword to her palm, saying, “Giving you a handle is considered fair. As for whether you’re willing to use it to do something, I don’t care. Remember, don’t bother me until you’re dying!

I’m busy!”

Seeing her unruly, girlish demeanor, Li Xun was furious.

Before he could say anything, Shui Dielan snorted again and flew away on her sword. Li Xun couldn’t call her back, so he could only stare at the sword light and stamp his feet.

However, after only a few pauses, he couldn’t help but laugh. He

didn’t know what it was, but when he was with Shui Dielan, he couldn’t help but show some impatience, and Shui Dielan was the same.

This wasn’t really their true nature, but just a helpless attitude they adopted before they were fully accustomed to their relationship.

Moreover, Shui Die Lan revealed far more than was apparent.

Tian Zhi’s characteristic cold, sneering expression flashed through Li Xun’s mind. Deep

down, he couldn’t imagine such a proud female cultivator, so submissive and slender in Yu San Ren’s arms.

Therefore, after learning the hidden truth from Shui Die Lan, he felt a sense of comfort. Furthermore, he even developed a sense of sympathy for Tian Zhi.

Indeed, upon closer inspection, Master Tian Zhi’s experiences were strikingly similar to his own…

However, considering Tian Zhi’s inexplicable attitude sixty years ago, and her unbridled laughter just now, could Shui Die Lan’s information truly explain this situation?

Li Xun remained skeptical for now.

Furthermore, Shui Die Lan’s initial words, “It won’t be used later,” and her recent mention of “quick fix,” all hinted at a single point: this leverage would soon be useless!

In this situation, either Master Tianzhi has found a way to resolve it, or…

Just as he was thinking about it, the Star Plate in his arms trembled, and a new wave of tasks came over.