The Forbidden Path to Immortality - Chapter 99

Chapter 2 Shocking Secret

Li Xun’s body stiffened, and then he felt that the voice was very familiar… The conclusion he came to instantly was unbelievable.

He turned around and saw a face that was unfamiliar, but with a very familiar smile.

“Shui, Zhuang, what’s your name now?”

“Don’t bother with it, this face will soon be useless anyway!”

Shui Dielan stood behind him with a smile. At this moment, her image was that of an ordinary female cultivator, without even any characteristics that could help to remember her. If Li Xun was not familiar with her smile and tone, it would probably be difficult to recognize her.

However, if Li Xun remembered correctly, she should have evacuated the Never-Sleeping City with the Tianxingjian Sect after he evacuated, right?

Of course, if he could come and Master Tianzhi could come, Shui Dielan could come as well. Just dressed like this…

Li Xun’s mind flashed, his eyes sharpening, but he lowered his voice and asked, “You’re here to play tricks on me because of… Master Tianzhi?”

Shui Dielan smiled but didn’t reply, but seeing her expression, Li Xun’s heart grew more certain.

Without a doubt, the most outstanding female assassin in the Tongxuan Realm was targeting Master Tianzhi. This answered some of Li Xun’s earlier questions.

No wonder Shui Dielan had taken the risk of watching him and Master Tianzhi talk that day. At that time, Shui Dielan was probably assessing Tianzhi’s strength and preparing for today’s operation.

Seeing him lost in thought, Shui Dielan glanced at him and said, “Why, are you feeling bad?”

What was he talking about? Li Xun was momentarily amused and embarrassed. Honestly, any man would feel a little uncomfortable watching a beautiful woman like Tianzhi become prey.

However, Li Xun knew the difference between the two and shook his head.

“Looking at the current situation, how can you have a chance to make a move? If the masters of the Loose Cultivator Alliance surround us soon, even Zhong Yin will have a headache, let alone Tian Zhi. By the way, who has the heart to be so ruthless as to bribe a great god like you to assassinate the leader of a sect?”

Shui Dielan pursed her lips, glanced at him, and said with a smile: “I forgot to tell you that Gu Yin has promised me a position in Tongyantang. Of course, this will only be valid after I kill Tian Zhi.”

Li Xun immediately choked on a mouthful of cold wind. He opened his eyes wide and said in surprise: “Gu…”

He stopped talking halfway when he realized that there were ears and eyes everywhere.

Shui Dielan raised his eyebrows and said: “Strange? Is it strange that she recruited a stray dog like me who has some strength?”

Li Xun shook his head slowly. After the initial surprise, he quickly regained his composure.

As Shui Dielan had said, she was now a wandering cultivator without a sect or faction, and was being hunted by the Zhugou and Luoyu Sects. Logically, offering them assistance and a high position at this moment would be the perfect opportunity to recruit talent.

And given the power of the Loose Cultivator Alliance, they weren’t afraid of those two sects.

“Does she know your ‘identity’?”

This was a subtle question. Shui Dielan raised her lips and smiled, “Of course. After all, I’ve made quite a name for myself over the past few hundred years!”

“Oh, I see.”

Li Xun immediately understood that Gu Yin didn’t know Shui Dielan’s secret plan, otherwise she would have offered a position as an Executive Councilor to avoid looking shabby.

But, killing Tianzhi…

“Do you think it’s your turn now?”

“Yeah, I find it strange too.” Shui Dielan’s finger gently traced her smooth chin, clearly weighing the situation.

“Gu Yin simply told me to ambush nearby, wait for Tianzhi to emerge, and then assassinate her. Never let her leave Yama Heaven… I was initially puzzled as to why Tianzhi would come to die, but now I’m confused. How could she even have a chance to escape?”

Indeed, it was indeed strange. How could Gu Yin be so sure that Master Tianzhi would submit to death?

Could it be that, besides her relationship with Gu Zhixuan, Master Tianzhi and Gu Yin also shared some kind of “tacit understanding”?

At that moment, several points of light flashed from the distant darkness of the void. In a flash, they expanded into several figures. After a few flashes, they plunged into Frostwind Valley and stopped before Qianzhe Pass.

Only after they landed did a rumbling sound of breaking through the air sweep over them, carrying icy particles with a hissing whistle, like a passing blizzard.

Such a powerful force startled the cultivators still hovering above Frostwind Valley.

After recognizing the incoming figures, most of the already small number of cultivators had departed. Li Xun looked down from above, his eyelids twitching. “Old Demon Kunpeng?”

Among the several who had stopped at Qianzhe Pass, the first was a middle-aged man, dressed in a loose robe, appearing rather sturdy yet tall. His massive figure, steady as a mountain, his snow-white hair a striking sight.

Li Xun recognized him immediately: the Kunpeng King of the East Sea, the only one of the Seven Demons of the Universe to possess dual Dharmakayas.

Beside him stood a burly man, dressed only in a short-sleeved shirt and a short-sleeved jacket. His exposed muscles were muscular, a tangle of immense strength.

Strikingly, his skin was a bluish-gray hue that shimmered in the darkness, a truly eerie sight.

“Three-headed dragon monster!”

Li Xun knew this man. He was also one of the Ten Councilors and had always been close to the old demon Kunpeng. Together with the deceased Niu Lishi, he was considered the old demon’s right-hand man.

But now that Niu Lishi was dead, the old demon Kunpeng’s faction seemed a little isolated. Just look at the demons behind Kunpeng. Although there are a few with outstanding strength, there is not a single one who can stand alone!

Kunpeng and the dragon monster only paused in front of the pass before flying in one after another. Li Xun and Shui Dielan exchanged a glance and shook their heads.

“Attacked from both sides, and in this special area of Qianzhe Pass, Tianzhi is really finished… If Gu Yin really wants to kill her.”

Before he finished speaking, a sky-blue rainbow shot from the distance above Qianzhe Pass. Although it was a cold color, it was extremely dazzling. Even the vast white fog could not obscure it in the slightest.

“Qingluan is here!”

Shui Dielan’s words had barely left his lips when a deafening, earth-shaking explosion erupted from the direction of Qianzhe Pass. In that instant, the previously calm icy fog began to stir slightly. The cultivators remaining at the pass were all shocked by the astonishing changes in vital energy triggered by the gentle undulations of the sea of fog.

Undoubtedly, this was a battle between Qingluan and Venerable Tianzhi.

Unfortunately, Li Xun could only imagine the intensity of the battle through the tremors of the sea of fog.

As he gazed vainly into the distance, Shui Dielan gently nudged his waist and spoke mysteriously, “Want to go and see?”

Perhaps no one could resist such a temptation, so Li Xun naturally nodded, but then sighed, “What a pity…”

“What a pity!” Shui Dielan grinned, reaching out and grasping his arm, her voice deliberately lowered to a whisper, “Be careful, let’s go!”

The next moment, Li Xun’s head was spinning! The screams that rang in his ears also had a strangely long tone. When he regained his composure, a cold breath penetrated his nostrils, causing him to sneeze, and his mind finally became clearer.

He looked around, and there was only a vast expanse of white.

In just the blink of an eye, Shui Dielan carried him across a distance of a thousand feet, passed through the defenses of the monks in the guardhouse, and rushed into the passage.

The vast icy fog rolled endlessly on both sides, and clouds and smoke lingered in front of their eyes from time to time, but the vast majority of the icy fog still maintained a certain distance from the two of them, accumulating into a thousand-foot-high cliff of clouds and mist, which seemed to be about to collapse at any time, but maintained relative stability in the oscillations.

Li Xun could feel the exquisite balance achieved by the rich vital energy in the convection, seemingly fragile, but actually as solid as a mountain.

Even as now, with two supreme masters clashing within the passage, turbulent currents rippled across the surrounding icy mist, this equilibrium remained unaffected. The winding passage, like a moving snake, only grew ever more twisting with each shift.

This could only be a natural miracle, unachievable by human effort.

“This is the Thousand Folds Pass!”

Li Xun rubbed his forehead. The aftereffects of the high-speed movement had left his mind somewhat stagnant, so much so that he had forgotten to express some anger at this risky undertaking.

This wasn’t the first time he’d been carried by a master of Shui Die Lan’s caliber, but never before, completing nearly a hundred shifts in a fraction of an inch. The fact that such lightning-fast turns hadn’t torn him to shreds was a testament to his immense skill.

And when his gaze fell upon Shui Die Lan, he was stunned again.

Shui Die Lan had somehow regained her “true form”—of course, the so-called “Go against the Current” visage. She even changed into her signature chiffon butterfly dress.

“If we’re going to fight, we’ve got to show our skills!” Seeing Li Xun’s expression, Shui Die Lan curled her lips. “Don’t be so mean, but you’ve really ruined my Shadow Devourer… Hey, give me your Rainbow Shadow Pearl!”

Li Xun was stunned, but he quickly understood what Shui Die Lan meant. He reached into his bosom and pulled out the Rainbow Shadow Pearl. It was at that moment that he suddenly remembered that this precious pearl, which had once saved his life, had been given to him by none other than Master Tian Zhi!

His hand froze for a moment, and Shui Die Lan took it without hesitation, holding it before her eyes and examining it carefully. “It’s truly of excellent quality. Giving it to you would be a waste. Give it to me instead.”

Li Xun glanced at her, thought for a moment, and nodded. “Why not give it to you?”

Such a straightforward response made Shui Die Lan uneasy.

She glanced over, a hint of wariness evident. “I’ve never seen you so generous before. What are you trying to say?”

Li Xun frowned, eyeing the orb between her fingers. He finally spoke with a tone of uncertainty.

“If it’s possible—I mean, if a miracle happens and Tianzhi can escape through this passage—I’ll use this orb to buy her life!”

“Buy her life? You mean, let me spare her… Are you sure?”

Shui Dielan gave him a curious look, opening her palm and letting the Rainbow Shadow Orb slide between them.

“The orb itself isn’t anything special, but your kindness is truly remarkable. You’re not attracted to her, are you? Ha!”

Li Xun wasn’t amused at all. He was also puzzled by his own sudden “kindness,” but he quickly found an excuse: “I’ll do anything to displease Gu Yin and the others. Do you understand?”

“I’ve suspected it for a long time…”

Shui Dielan muttered, then smiled brightly again.

“Okay, if Tianzhi can really escape the passage, I’ll consider your willingness to do so and even ruin my reputation.”

She spoke seriously, but unfortunately, Li Xun knew her inside and out, so he just smiled and bowed as a thank you.

Shui Dielan snorted, and the Rainbow Shadow Pearl in her hand suddenly flashed with a mysterious light, sweeping over the two of them.

“With this thing, using illusions is indeed more energy-saving. Breathe in my rhythm. That’s right, that’s it. Now, just imagine yourself as a ball of air, and let’s go see what fun we can get out of there!”

As she spoke, the illusion of the Hundred Illusions Demon Butterfly Unique in the Universe was already activated, enveloping the two of them. Then, she pulled Li Xun into the sky, following the long passage and flying away.

During the flight, Li Xun communicated with Yin Sanren through his mind, exchanging information with each other and making new arrangements. At the same time, he subtly employed the Corpse Driving Puppetry Technique, positioning Youyi to attack at any moment. Only after everything was complete did he settle down to capture the information revealed by the vibrations of his vital energy.

The rumbling sound of the explosions hadn’t ceased yet. Experts like Li Xun or Shui Dielan could undoubtedly glean a wealth of information from the sounds and fluctuations in the frequency of these vibrations, unimaginable to ordinary people.

In the brief moment they closed in on the group ahead, Li Xun came to a very simple conclusion: “Tianzhi is at a disadvantage, but Qingluan won’t be able to defeat her anytime soon. The Aurora Thousand Transformations Technique truly excels at using the weak to defeat the strong…”

He was applying what he had learned on the spot. Shui Die Lan hummed softly, “Tian Zhi probably just had the advantage of the terrain. While the Seven Divine Strike of Feathered Transformation is magnificent, it’s ultimately inferior to the subtlety and profound power of the Aurora Thousand Transformations in this kind of place.

” “However, the gap between the True Person Realm and the True One Realm is vast. Once Qing Luan gets angry, Tian Zhi won’t be able to withstand it.”

Li Xun hummed. The situation was pretty much as he’d imagined, but there was one thing that was peculiar: “Why was it Qing Luan who attacked?”

“Huh?” Shui Die Lan paused, not understanding.

Li Xun continued in a low voice, “You should know better than me. With Qing Luan’s temperament, once she attacks, who would dare to ‘help’ her?”

Li Xun deliberately emphasized the word “help,” and Shui Die Lan finally understood. Indeed, Qing Luan was proud and conceited, and she was known for her mysophobia. She would never tolerate anyone bullying the weak with her numbers. If Gu Yin truly wanted to kill Tian Zhi today, why would he tie his own hands?

As the two were lost in thought, a shimmering azure light spread out ahead like a wave, hissing.

Wherever the azure light passed, the icy mist cliffs on either side rippled with a thud, then swirled back. The mist, previously separated from each other, suddenly tangled together, emitting another rumbling explosion.

“Changing lanes!”

Even without Li Xun’s warning, Shui Dielan knew the power of the force. The ultimate escape technique that had left Li Xun dizzy was unleashed once again, and the two men pierced through the swirling icy mist, landing squarely in a newly formed passage dozens of feet away.

The mere contact with the external icy mist made Li Xun feel a faint chill in his mouth, nose, and joints, perhaps absorbing a cold poison.

Fortunately, the Yin Fire within him sensed the cold and evaporated the traces. Even so, he broke out in a cold sweat, realizing that the high-altitude cold poison was indeed as good as its reputation. He quickly sealed all his pores and entered a state of internal breathing.

At this moment, the clouds and mist broke apart, and his eyes immediately lit up. He saw several figures standing in the void a thousand feet ahead. They were the old demon Kunpeng and others who had entered earlier than him.

Farther away from Kunpeng, Master Tianzhi, clad in a silver-white robe, its peach blossoms stained with blood, stood erect in the center of the passage, his head slightly raised, gazing at a slender figure that vanished through the icy mist.

For no apparent reason, Li Xun felt a sense of poignancy at the scene before him.

Shui Dielan pursed her lips slightly, guiding Li Xun along as if by air, drifting silently and obliquely above the battlefield. From her perch, they commanded the perfect vantage point.

Her illusions were truly remarkable; even with a single person, they went unnoticed by the numerous nearby masters.

As they came to a stop, a long, high-pitched cry reached Li Xun’s ears, its clear, resonant note resonating with the icy mist for miles.

Amidst this clear cry, Qingluan’s form descended. Initially a blur, it soared only ten feet before transforming into a bolt of light—more precisely, a razor-sharp divine sword—slashing through the air!

Wherever the blade reached, the thick icy fog split with a clang. A sharp crack stretched from Tianzhi’s position, extending into the distance. At first glance, it looked as if this strange passageway had been instantly severed in two!

And a moment earlier, Tianzhi seemed to have…

Before Li Xun could comprehend the situation, the icy fog rolled back, roaring through everyone. Even though Li Xun had been prepared, the biting chill still made him shiver.

Fortunately, the passageway didn’t deviate again this time.

Behind Tianzhi, Qingluan’s form abruptly stopped, and the resulting gust of wind swirled the mist, transforming it into white lotuses that flew around her. Then, she swung her long sleeves back, seamlessly blending in with her previous movements, yet with a fluid, effortless grace, a stark contrast to her previous, fierce attack.

Tianzhi’s figure lurched slightly, taking a half-step to the side before spinning again and swinging out with a similarly powerful sleeve.

Their sleeves intersected, and the strands of air tangled like thousands of steel wires, tangling and grinding, then instantly breaking free.

In that brief moment, countless palms and fingers exchanged blows, finally with a thud, and both retreated.

Qingluan remained composed, retreating only briefly. Tianzhi, on the other hand, was far more utterly shattered. Not only had she slid back several feet, but even her beautifully crafted sleeves were covered in tiny cracks, seemingly ready to crumble into dust.

When she stopped, Li Xun was horrified to see a glaring scar on her flawless face, running from her forehead to her temple. Blood flowed profusely, flowing down her temple into her silk and dripping onto her shoulder.

However, Guan Tianzhi’s expression remained composed, almost apathetic. Looking at her face, no one would doubt that she still possessed sufficient fighting power.

Seeing her like this, Qingluan was actually slightly moved. Her brows furrowed slightly, and a hint of admiration crossed her usually cold and indifferent features. She seemed to want to speak, but just as her lips moved, she suddenly sensed something and turned her head slightly, looking in the direction leading to the Heart Garden.

Not only her, but everyone in the passage turned their gaze in that direction.

At the same time, the faint sound of a zither’s strings pierced the icy mist, echoing in everyone’s ears.

From behind the vast icy fog, Gu Yin, dressed in a white robe as white as snow, cradled a five-stringed guqin, and slowly stepped out. This image hardly resembled the leader of a sect holding the power over the lives of tens of thousands, but rather a lady of noble birth, leisurely playing the zither.

For some reason, Li Xun felt that the atmosphere around them had subtly shifted at that moment.

As if oblivious to the mixed glances, Gu Yin casually brushed the strings of her zither, and amidst the chorus of five notes, she harmoniously said, “Qingluan, please stop for now. Although the Master intends to be a bad guest, we should not be disrespectful.”

With that, her gaze passed over Qingluan and Tianzhi, glancing at the faces of the old demon Kunpeng and the three-headed dragon monster. She smiled and bowed, “I apologize for disturbing your meditation, but I just happened to have some freshly picked Bingfeng fragrant leaves today. How about we go to Xinyuan for a cup of hot tea?”

She seemed a little confused about what was important, or perhaps she was deliberately trying to embarrass Tianzhi. However, Master Tianzhi simply glanced at her and remained silent, watching the undulating ice mist around them.

The old demon Kunpeng laughed, and walked forward a few steps with the Jiao monster and others. Together with Qingluan, they further squeezed Tianzhi’s standing space, and then clapped their hands and said, “It’s a rare opportunity to join in the fun,

so we naturally wouldn’t refuse. It’s just that…” His tone sank, and he said grimly, “Although Sect Master Gu has a good temper, the rules of the alliance are not ordinary. Tianzhi has come all the way here and killed countless fellow Taoists from all sides. She is really unreasonable. Why does Sect Master Gu still invite her to tea?”

Kunpeng is an unparalleled demon with an earth-shaking cultivation. This anger is indeed awe-inspiring.

His eyes fixed on Tianzhi, as if to devour her. “It would be fine if our alliance didn’t provoke the Never-Sleeping City, but she dared to take the initiative. According to this resolution, we should teach these so-called prestigious sects a lesson!”

Without waiting for Gu Yin to speak, he took another step forward, his already massive figure seemingly expanding even further. With a simple breath, the fragile, ever-shifting passageway vibrated slightly, and the surrounding icy mist rumbled with unparalleled power.

As if startled by his statement, Tianzhi finally emerged from her apathy and distance. Instead of looking at him, she gazed at Gu Yin and smiled.

Though she appeared slightly embarrassed, her unfeigned smile instantly made anyone forget all the negativity attributed to her, revealing only the pure joy that emanated from her heart.

“Guyin, you’ve kept this from me for so long!”

“She’s truly gone mad!”

Shui Dielan whispered softly in Li Xun’s ear.

Li Xun disliked this description, but seeing Tianzhi’s dislocation from the surroundings, he felt it was incredibly apt.

In fact, everyone present was stunned by Tianzhi’s smile. However, it was Guyin who reacted the fastest. A complex expression of confusion and contemplation crossed her delicate face. A light finger plucking the guqin produced a clear, melodious sound.

“What do you mean by ‘concealing,’ Master?”

Tianzhi sighed softly, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from her shoulders. Then, she laughed again. This time, her smile made Li Xun breathe a sigh of relief. This smile, sharp and piercing with unwavering confidence, was undoubtedly the smile of a sane Master Tianzhi.

But the next moment, Tianzhi’s words nearly broke him.

“I know, Gu Zhixuan is dead!”

The voice wasn’t loud, but as soon as it uttered, Li Xun felt as if ten thousand thunderclaps had exploded in his ears. The cascading shockwaves instantly blasted his mind into a shattered wasteland. The only thought that remained was “Reason! Reason! Give me a reason!”

By the time Li Xun regained consciousness, he felt his arm nearly snapped in two by the water butterfly orchid! It was precisely because of this that he hadn’t revealed anything during the shockwaves.

Even then, his mind was still sluggish, so he missed Gu Yin’s words. Tian Zhi then said, “Still alive? Okay, ask him to come out. If he shows up, I’ll immediately surrender myself to your mercy!”

Before Li Xun could process Tian Zhi’s resolute words, the old demon Kunpeng burst into laughter.

“Crazy, really crazy. Tianzhi, are you feeling that you have let down your ancestors by being a coward and have gone crazy? I don’t know about other things, but a month ago I saw Gu Zhixuan making love with his concubine. How come he was gone just by turning around?”

Li Xun in the sky was stunned again, while Tianzhi ignored Kunpeng completely, staring at Gu Yin with her eyes, and said, “I still remember it very clearly. Gu Zhixuan said back then that as long as he is alive, I cannot seek revenge on you, but as long as he dies, I will no longer be bound, is that right?” Gu

Yin looked calm, without any uneasiness of having his secret exposed. She nodded slightly and smiled, “You really remember it clearly. You must have suffered a lot over the past hundred years! But I think if Master doesn’t make a breakthrough, he will continue to suffer!”

Tianzhi smiled grimly, “Why bother pretending? Everyone present knows your background. Covering up like this, doesn’t it prove that you are guilty?”

Gu Yin was about to respond when Kunpeng said from the other side, “Master Gu, why are you talking nonsense with this dying guy? She said that she would surrender once Gu Zhixuan shows up. Why don’t you let Old Gu come out? Then you can’t really surrender them. It’s good to embarrass her!”

The three-headed dragon monster and several demons who came with them burst into laughter. Amidst the laughter, Li Xun frowned, “It doesn’t taste right…”

Seeing that he finally returned to normal, Shui Dielan snorted coldly and let go of his hand, “I think you are wrong! Just like that Tianzhi, both are crazy!”

Li Xun glanced at her and continued to focus his attention on the bottom. Master Tianzhi and Gu Yin exchanged glances, both of them glaring coldly. He, in turn, felt a tense ache, seemingly even more nervous than the two men below.

This state of affairs, of course, couldn’t be hidden from Shui Dielan. She hummed softly, leaning forward, whispering in his ear.

“Interesting! I’ve decided. Afterwards, you must tell me the whole story of how you came to be in conflict with Gu Yin and the others. No secrets are allowed. If you don’t, I’ll throw you out of here!”

As Li Xun’s face changed slightly, she added, “If you can explain it well, maybe I can even help you.”