The Forbidden Path to Immortality - Chapter 97

Chapter 7

For the next seven or eight days, things calmed down considerably. Li Xun, however, was incredibly busy, his days simply as a patrol officer, pacing the city that never sleeps.

It must be said that Li Xun’s mastery of forbidden techniques and his alertness earned him immense praise from the immortal masters of various sects. Whenever he was on duty, the front lines were as solid as an iron barrel, impenetrable and incredibly stable. While

Li Xun accepted the praise, he harbored a vague sense that things might not be quite as simple as they seemed.

He was confident that his abilities surpassed those of the other patrol officers, but this situation of one man holding the fort against ten thousand remained somewhat puzzling.

Perhaps news of his arrival had already reached them…

Over the past sixty years, Li Xun’s diligent investigations had deepened his understanding of the inner workings of Yemotian.

He understood that within the vast organization of the Loose Cultivator Alliance, the Miaohua Sect, the Yaofeng and Qingluan sects, and the numerous independent cultivators and demons who had subsequently joined or collaborated, were far from united in purpose and were deeply divided.

Gu Zhixuan, that mysterious and evasive fellow, can be left aside for now.

While Gu Yin isn’t a member of the Ten Executives, he holds considerable status, enjoying close ties with Yao Feng and Qing Luan. Within the Ten Executives, he enlists the support of Jia Dao Ren and Bing Yao Niang, securing five seats under Gu Zhixuan’s shadow.

Furthermore, the old demon Kunpeng has always been unruly and naturally refuses to be subordinated.

Over the years, with his reputation and strength rivaling those of Gu Zhixuan and Yao Feng, he has consolidated some power, but within the Ten Executives, only the Three-Headed Dragon Monster and Niu Lishi are on good terms with him.

Within Tongyan Hall, he only associates with a few demons, leaving him far less influential.

Li Xun, at this point, is allied with Gu Yin’s faction,

particularly Gu Yin and Lin Wuyou.

However, Li Xun clearly sees that there’s some rift between Gu Yin and Yao Feng, and he himself is a prime example.

Yao Feng and Qing Luan both disliked him—oh, and perhaps Qing Yin should be added to the mix at this point. However, Gu Yin, for some reason, had always sought to win him over, and Lin Wuyou was a significant anomaly.

This seemingly innocent, playful “senior sister” often appeared to side with Gu Yin, doting on her adopted junior brother, constantly providing him with elixirs and beautiful women. But no one overlooked her close blood relationship with Yao Feng.

Therefore, Lin Wuyou served as the perfect lubricant between Gu Yin and Yao Feng, smoothing over many minor rifts.

Yet, these seemingly minor rifts were the very source of much greater unrest.

“What a pity…”

Li Xun sighed softly, taking one last look at the irreversible chess game before resigning.

Across from him, Taoist Mingji’s face was as calm as water, devoid of any joy. He glanced at Li Xun indifferently and said in a deep voice, “Xun’er is still distracted!”

Li Xun smiled bitterly at this. He deserved the scolding—who had asked him to take a break from his busy schedule and cause trouble?

After eight days of intense work, Li Xun and his fellow disciples from the Mingxin Sword Sect finally had a day off. A dozen of them gathered in the courtyard to play chess and drink tea, while away the hours.

However, Li Xun’s mind was restless. After finally concentrating on playing two games with his elders, he finally, during his game with Mingji, a moment of deep thought led to the above thoughts.

Truly asking for trouble!

Li Xun knew that due to Lingji’s relationship, the old Taoist, the sect’s second-most skilled, was relatively friendly to him. He was known for his outspokenness, but it wasn’t that he was truly dissatisfied.

So, after an apologetic smile, he rambled on, “I wonder how long this stifling period will last… Uncle Mingji, what on earth is up with Fourth Uncle that caused him to change his schedule so suddenly?”

He had just remembered that the sect had sent word a few days ago that Mingji had urgent matters to attend to and couldn’t join them at the Pole.

Li Xun had been so busy at the time that he hadn’t inquired further. Now that he had the chance, he decided to ask.

Mingji brushed the chessboard, his expression unchanged, and said calmly, “Family matters!”

“Family matters?”

Li Xun couldn’t help but smile. How could a cultivator have a “family”?

Mingde, chatting casually with Li Minghe, turned aside, stroked his tangled beard, and frowned. “That matter is truly troublesome. The Xingji Sword Sect’s members are all unruly, yet their forces are quite tough, possessing a knack for forbidding magic.

“Third Sister, though alert, would be difficult to handle if she became overwhelmed by hatred… I think we should take Xun’er with us. After all, Xun’er’s formidable in forbidding magic, and we’d have someone to look after her.”

Li Xun was bewildered, but he understood that this involved another great sword sect in the Tongxuan Realm, the Xingji Sword Sect.

This sect is located in the northeast of the Tongxuan Realm, on the “Galaxy,” one of the six forbidden lands, and lies beyond the boundaries of good and evil. The sect derives its sword art from the principles of the celestial stars, earning the reputation of “stars in swords, swords transformed into stars.”

Beyond the art of swordsmanship, they possess profound attainments in celestial deduction and forbidden transformation. Along with the Huixuan Sect and the Buyan Sect, they are considered one of the three major forbidden sects of the Tongxuan realm, demonstrating their immense power.

How did Mingji become embroiled in this sect?

Unlike Mingji, Mingde, remarkably reserved, unleashed a detailed and unbroken account of the entire story.

It all began with a cousin of Mingji’s from his time in the mortal realm. While

Mingji was cultivating in the mountains, this cousin, around the same time, was spotted by a master of the Xingji Sword Sect and granted access to the supreme sword art.

This occurrence was incredibly rare in the Tongxuan realm and became a legendary legend.

Though the siblings belonged to different sects and possessed varying levels of cultivation, they maintained frequent contact and developed a close bond.

However, just a month ago, this cousin had argued with a cultivator from his own sect over a matter and was effectively annihilated by the cultivator.

Such a heinous act would have undoubtedly led to a fateful end for the cultivator who committed the crime. However, unexpectedly, the murderer received only a mild punishment of ten years’ imprisonment. Furthermore, the Xingji Sword Sect had shown no willingness to provide a convincing explanation to the outside world, including Mingji.

Furious, Mingji informed the sect and planned to travel to Xinghe to demand an explanation for his cousin.

However, this matter was an internal one within the Xingji Sword Sect, leaving the Mingxin Sword Sect no room for interference. Only Mingji, through kinship, could intervene.

“So, Fourth Sister can only go alone… Although Old Man Tianyuan of Xingji Sword Sect is relatively upright, the disciples under him are of mixed quality, alas!”

Li Minghe glared at Mingde, then said softly to Li Xun: “You don’t have to worry. Although Old Man Tianyuan is a little protective of his shortcomings, he is always a sensible person and will not start a war rashly. Even if something happens, with Fourth Sister’s cultivation level, if she wants to leave, no one can stop her…

“If something really happens, it will not just be Fourth Sister’s problem!”

In the last sentence, Li Minghe’s pronunciation became softer, but his tone was bleak and cold, worthy of his name “Sad Wind Sword”.

Li Xun frowned, about to ask further questions when Mingsong, who had been resting his eyes, opened them and interjected, “Never mind. These are turbulent times, and this isn’t the place to discuss this. Today is a rare moment of leisure, and we, the elders, have something to discuss with you disciples.”

At these words, the disciples, already listening intently, stood up and looked up.

Mingsong exchanged glances with his fellow disciples and sighed softly, “We will be retreating in the next few days.”

“Retreat?”

Several third-generation disciples murmured, but Mingsong ignored them, focusing his gaze on Li Xun. “Xun’er, you are one of the sect’s most insightful disciples. I want to ask you: do you think we can still take action on the matter of the Pole Earth? Can we?”

Mingsong had a reason to ask Li Xun instead of the others.

With the exception of Li Xun, all the third-generation disciples present were disciples of the Immortal Master, so asking anyone else wouldn’t be appropriate. Only Li Xun, by virtue of his status, was sufficiently objective.

Li Xun naturally understood this. He glanced at the elders’ faces, confirming their already-formed opinions, before speaking frankly.

“The situation is devastating; we can’t hold out for long.”

The elders nodded, and the three generations of disciples present were all knowledgeable. Although Li Xun’s words were harsh, no one objected.

Mingsong then spoke, “Yes, even rotten flesh squeezed together still has some weight. Furthermore, the bones within are as strong as stone… We can’t defend it, after all.

However, we truly lack the ability to attack. Therefore, we can only temporarily avoid the enemy’s attack.”

Finally, he sighed, “We cultivators, of different paths, do not work together. Even if we have conflicts, they are sporadic, fought independently. Who would have thought that we would end up experiencing the same battles as those in the lower realms… It’s rare that Master Tianzhi understands the difficulties faced by the various sects and proposes a temporary relocation of the entire sect. We, the Daoists, should be grateful.”

Master Tianzhi proposed this? With her temperament, how could she?

At this moment, Li Xun naturally understood the true meaning of Mingsong’s words a few days ago, “Something’s happening in Never-Sleeping City.”

He frowned, pondering the key to this, when the door rang and a Never-Sleeping City disciple entered, announcing, “The City Lord requests that the elder immortal masters come to discuss matters…” His gaze shifted, resting on Li Xun, and he added, “Also, Senior Brother Lingzhu, there’s an urgent matter at the Mobile Outpost. Please hurry over.”

Li Xun stood up and looked at Mingsong.

Mingsong nodded, sighing softly, “The day has finally come. You should go. The Mobile Outpost is under considerable pressure these days, so you must be cautious!”

Li Xun nodded silently, bowed to the immortal masters present, inquired about the situation from the Never-Sleeping City disciple, and hurried off.

In the central area of the battle, Li Xun spotted from afar a middle-aged Taoist priest in a purple-gold robe. His complexion was dark and unremarkable, but his eyes were clear and radiant.

He stood in the center, surrounded by a dozen or so cultivators scattered across a ten-mile radius, bustling with activity.

Li Xun was slightly startled.

This unassuming Taoist priest was none other than Xuan Hua Zhenren, the leader of the Hui Xuan Sect of Zhuyin Mountain.

Although his cultivation level was limited to the Zhenren realm, he was a leading Grandmaster in forbidden techniques and elixirs.

Li Xun held such a figure in high esteem.

He hurried forward to greet him. Xuan Hua Zhenren, despite his status as a sect leader, was deeply fascinated by forbidden techniques and was especially friendly to disciples with unique insights into them.

Seeing Li Xun approach, a smile spread across his face. “Ling Zhu, you’ve arrived just in time. Do you know what’s going on over there?”

The “things going on over there” were, of course, the relocation of the entire sect of Never-Sleeping City to the interior.

He spoke lightly, but Li Xun took it lightly. He quickly responded with a solemn expression, but without dwelling on the details, he respectfully asked, “I wonder why Master Xuanhua has summoned me?”

Seeing his expression, Xuanhua sighed and, without further ado, got straight to the point.

He gestured to where he stood, motioning Li Xun over, then extended his hand to map out the surrounding terrain.

“This place is approximately four hundred miles from the Never-Sleeping City, and thirty miles from the Ten Thousand Mile Aurora Wall. If you were asked to connect the Aurora Wall with the city’s “Eternal Night Aurora” formation, creating a seamless whole, what would you do?”

Li Xun immediately understood that this was preparation for the entire Never-Sleeping City clan’s relocation inland.

This buffer zone with the Loose Cultivator Alliance required more than simple sensing and detection restrictions; it required a vast, highly sophisticated, and vastly expanded, restriction system.

This was undoubtedly the Hui Xuan Sect’s forte.

Xuanhua’s question clearly indicated that he viewed him as a promising talent, a testament to his current standing within the righteous sect. While this was a positive development, Li Xun wasn’t carried away. Instead, he gave it careful consideration. Instead of a direct answer, he offered a different insight.

“Disciple, I’ve heard that the forbidden technique of ‘Eternal Night Aurora’ is indeed powerful, but it requires human control…”

He only finished his words, but the unspoken meaning was crystal clear.

Xuanhua nodded in satisfaction, “You’ve considered this, demonstrating your thoroughness. However, you don’t know the method used in this relocation of Never-Sleeping City. The Master’s intention is… not to give away an inch of land!”

“Not an inch of land!”

Li Xun muttered, feeling a chill in his heart.

By this point, his understanding of Master Tianzhi had deepened considerably, and he knew her inner thoughts were unfathomable.

After all, this was a legacy passed down through generations. Her resolute attitude must indicate her ulterior motives…

This thought raced through his mind, and he immediately understood Xuanhua’s intentions.

“Master, what you’re saying is, using the ‘Eternal Night Aurora’ as a sword, the vital energy surrounding Never-Sleeping City as a handle, and the Ten Thousand Miles Aurora Wall as a casket, the sword within the casket will be indiscriminate wherever it

strikes?” Xuanhua flicked his short beard, smiled, and nodded, but then sighed, “This will turn the thousand-mile radius surrounding Never-Sleeping City into a dead zone. This is a desperate move. If we can’t eliminate it quickly, the surrounding vital energy will only flow in and never out. I’m afraid within a hundred years, we’ll have another hopeless zone!”

Li Xun didn’t care.

Once he understood Xuanhua’s thinking, he looked out. The narrow strip of land from Never-Sleeping City to the North Sea was flat, making it absolutely unsuitable for setting up a formation.

However, Hui Xuanzong’s “twists and turns” technique excelled at creating possibilities from the impossible, so he wasn’t worried about that.

The key lies in how the two forbidden techniques can be seamlessly integrated into one…

At this time, Xuanhua said gently: “I have seen many of the restrictions you designed. Although they may not be impeccable, they are very clever in the transitions and connections.

“It seems that you use the Seven Forbidden Patterns of the Heart as a foundation, and perhaps have some side doors, but you can integrate them into one. It is really rare, and this is also the most valuable aspect of your forbidden techniques.”

Xuanhua’s thoughts have been made very clear.

It turned out that the old Taoist priest valued his unique deductive thinking. This method was fine for other purposes, but now, the integration of the two sects’ forbidden techniques required a natural transition. He was summoned so that, even if he couldn’t handle it alone, he could offer some advice on key points.

Unfortunately, the old Taoist priest didn’t know that after the incident at Wuyinxuan, Li Xun had inherited the essence of the forbidden techniques left by the masters of the Buyan Sect. His cultivation had taken another major step forward, and his current level was far superior to what it was before.

Of course, this point didn’t need to be stated. How could he refuse the opportunity to experience the profound forbidden techniques of the Xuan Sect and the Never-Sleeping City up close?

Seeing his statement, Xuanhua nodded in approval, produced a jade slip, and handed it to him.

“This is a charter that my master and I have just drafted over the past few days. It’s still rough, but it’s quite acceptable. Take a look at it first, and let me know if you have any ideas.”

Li Xun said, “I dare not,” and reached out to take it. A glance at it with his mind revealed a complex diagram of restrictions engraved with secret techniques, as well as many interpretations of the mental methods that were usually kept secret.

He secretly admired the Taoist Xuanhua’s broad mind, but knew that it would take more than a short time to review it, so he put it away and listened to Xuanhua’s instructions.

Seeing his expression, Xuanhua nodded and added, “We can’t tolerate any trouble from the other side during this period. You patrol officers will have to work hard. Fortunately, for the next few days, Monk Bancheng will be chanting sutras to liberate the souls of the dead. If any trouble arises, please bear with him!”

Li Xun was initially taken aback by the name “Monk Bancheng,” but then the change in his tone in the second half of the sentence dawned on him. He turned and saw a gray-robed monk approaching slowly from a few feet away. If it wasn’t the Flying Tiger with Wings, who else could it be?

Li Xun was startled. He knew this demonic monk had arrived in the Never-Sleeping City.

However, he had been patrolling outside these days and hadn’t encountered Bancheng. He had, however, dealt with Hu Buli and others from the Three Emperors Sword Sect.

Having witnessed Monk Bancheng’s confrontation with Yin Sanren, Li Xun was not prepared to be careless.

While this demonic monk might have a good temper, his eyes, steeped in worldly affairs for a thousand years, were also venomous.

Li Xun greeted Bancheng Lay Buddhist respectfully. As he lowered his head, he felt his gaze sweep over him, a gentle, reserved, and quite peaceful expression.

Then, a resonant, long-drawn voice rang out. “Ming Xinling Zhu, huh? Such a magnanimous person. I’ve heard that name quite a few times. To have been able to contend with the Hundred Ghosts Taoist for so many years without losing is truly remarkable!”

Li Xun’s heart trembled. He raised his head, a look of perfectly balanced bewilderment

on his face. Bancheng Lay Buddhist’s simple face broke into a smile, and with a slight nod, he turned to Xuanhua Zhenren.

“On the way to the Never-Sleeping City, I was traveling with the Sword Emperor’s beloved daughter and his disciples. Unfortunately, we ran into Yin Sanren. We couldn’t help but break our rules and had a fight. At that time, Yin Sanren was paired with the Taoist of Hundred Ghosts. It felt very strange!”

Xuanhua Zhenren’s face moved, and he asked in surprise, “Yin Sanren has appeared again?”

Bancheng Jushi nodded slightly and said, “Yin Chonghua’s demeanor is calm and reserved, far better than before. I exchanged a few moves with her and felt that her cultivation had improved. That’s all. I didn’t expect that the Taoist of Hundred Ghosts beside her is also amazing. Yu Ji child… Then he said to me…”

He told me about Li Xun being ambushed by a killer from the Luoyu Sect, and at the end he praised: “It is said that this person was just a casual cultivator with mediocre cultivation before. After entering the Ghost Shadow Sect, it has only been sixty or seventy years, and he has achieved such a level of cultivation. His progress is probably only comparable to that of Mr. Ghost back then.”

After a pause, he looked at Li Xun and said: “Although I don’t know the depth of your cultivation, but since you can be known as one of the Hundred Ghosts in the world, you must be no less than them. Well, the road to cultivation is not easy, and having an opponent to sharpen each other is far more effective than working alone.

“Thinking back to the past, Zhong Yin was indeed a unique figure, but if he didn’t serve as a benchmark, how could there be the situation of thousands of peaks competing for beauty in the past thousand years?”

The words were similar to what Ming Ji had said not long ago. Li Xun naturally put on an appearance of being taught, but he was neither humble nor arrogant, and his demeanor was very impressive.

Lay Buddhist Bancheng smiled faintly, his eyes narrowing slightly as he gazed toward the sea’s boundary with the sky

. His expression was unfathomable, his thoughts unfathomable. Xuanhua, knowing his temperament, called Li Xun over, gave him a few key instructions, and led Lay Buddhist Bancheng toward the seashore. Soon, the melodious chanting of Buddhist scriptures echoed between sea and sky.

Lay Buddhist Bancheng had chanted for five consecutive days during this “ritual.”

Perhaps it was the boundless power of the Buddha’s teachings, or perhaps the lingering influence of the Flying Tiger, but in the past five days, not a single person had crossed the border to cause trouble in this area.

The sect on duty had simply transferred to other areas to assist, giving the cultivators of other sects a little more time to rest.

However, Li Xun was not so lucky.

As the vast forbidden techniques in the buffer zone were gradually implemented, almost all the disciples of the nine sects who had any knowledge of them were drafted in as laborers.

Back to Xuanzong, the dozen or so forbidden technique masters, including Master Xuanhua, were undoubtedly the main force, but even a disciple as accomplished as Li Xun was assigned tasks far beyond the ordinary, keeping him busy every day.

Fortunately, these days were coming to an end.

Just yesterday, the first wave of cultivators to retreat from Never-Sleeping City left. This group, almost entirely comprised of young disciples with less advanced cultivation, numbered around three hundred. With such a large number of disciples gone, Never-Sleeping City felt instantly empty.

In about half an hour, the second wave of retreating cultivators would depart.

This wave, in principle, would evacuate all third-generation disciples, and Li Xun would naturally be among them.

Taking advantage of this short break before leaving, he flew to the western battle zone to conduct a final inspection of the forbidden technique deployments under his charge.

Furthermore…

“Just leaving like that?”

Yin Sanren, though still unseen, asked in a subtle tone.

Li Xun hadn’t spoken to her in days, but he understood her thoughts.

He smiled faintly, lowered his head, and pretended to check the arrangements for the forbidden technique. He responded with his mind, “You can always come back after leaving. Yin Sanren has reappeared after sixty years. How can such a major undertaking start well and then end badly?”

Yin Sanren snorted coldly.

Although she had not been stationed outside, she was well aware of the various events that had occurred over the past ten days. There were some things she felt it necessary to share for Li Xun’s consideration.

“Ye Motian must have known you were coming, but they left you aside. This is unusual.”

Li Xun hummed, but he also had some doubts in his heart. The matter in the Southeast Forest Sea had been resolved, but no one from Ye Motian had come to inquire about it. This was indeed unusual.

Considering the current situation in the polar regions, Li Xun felt that there was something worth considering.

“Loose on the outside, tight on the inside… is that a bit like that?”

Yin Sanren replied leisurely, “Let’s go and see, and you’ll know.”

“We always have to be fully prepared. I’ll leave this to you.” Li Xun had already thought of a way to escape and had some plans for Yin Sanren’s subsequent entry into Yemo Heaven.

However, there was one thing that puzzled him.

“I wonder where Shui Dielan has gone these past few days. With her help, I’d feel more at ease there.”

But then he thought, it was truly bizarre. When he’d encountered the Flying Tiger, he’d been thinking about the Seven Demons gathering at the Pole, and now Shui Dielan had actually arrived. This meant that, aside from the “Green Emperor’s Remnant,” said to be a plant spirit, six of the Seven Demons had gathered here.

If you add the so-called Three Wanderers, ten-tenths of the world’s independent cultivators and demons had gathered here—an unprecedented spectacle!

At that moment, Yin Wanderer’s response to the outside world arrived. Li Xun exclaimed softly, set aside his work, and looked up to see a figure streaking across the sky not far away.

Their eyes met, both startled.

“Master Tianzhi?”

Judging from Tianzhi’s direction, she was clearly flying from the sea. What was going on?

Tianzhi had clearly not expected to encounter him here, but after a moment’s hesitation, she nodded slightly and, without pausing, flew straight ahead.

“She just attacked!” Yin Sanren whispered darkly, “The murderous aura has not subsided yet. She must have killed more than one or two people!”

Li Xun laughed, “Could it be that some blind person angered her…” He felt something was wrong halfway through his words.

The migration of the entire clan of the Never-Sleeping City was such a serious matter. As the brain, Master Tianzhi did not coordinate but came to take action. This was absolutely unreasonable.

Moreover, flying to the opposite side…

His eyes gradually became cold, and then he stood up and looked far away at the other side of the sea. At the end of the sky, there was still a gloomy black hole, and nothing unusual was revealed.

When did the Gu family become such cowards that they did not respond even when someone came to their door? Or…

At this moment, the long wind whistle sounded.

But this time it was no longer an attack from foreign enemies, but a signal for the second wave of retreating personnel to gather.

So far, on the surface, Li Xun’s days in the Never-Sleeping City have come to an end, but he will be back soon.

Continue to look forward to the sequel to the second part of the Netherworld Immortal Journey