My Journey to Immortality Begins with Hunting-Chapter 050 – Unexpected Discovery

Li Yuan arrived at the little nameless pavilion, leafed through the manual for a while, then set it down, glancing at Senior Li resting in his lounge chair.

It had been quite some time, yet Senior Li’s injuries showed no sign of improvement. His combat power remained 135~145, still a far way off from his peak of 200~210. Li Yuan couldn’t help wondering what kind of wound the old man had suffered.

Senior Li suddenly asked, “Something bothering you?”

Feigning nonchalance, Li Yuan replied, “It’s nothing, Master. I just heard from the menial workers on my way here that a few more Blood Blade Sect members went missing on the island last night—outer sect disciples, apparently. There’s a large ship moored in the southern docks, and it seems the Dark Visage Elder from the sect has arrived.”

“Mhmm...” Senior Li gave a leisurely nod. “They’re here to deal with that situation. It has nothing to do with you. As long as you leave before dusk each day, you’ll be fine,” he said, then added calmly, “All these disappearances happen after nightfall. Doesn’t affect you by day.”

Li Yuan could tell he didn’t want to talk further, so he just answered, “Understood.”

Senior Li went on. “By the way, Xi Yan and the others mentioned you to me. They said you’re perfectly polite but refuse their service.”

Li Yuan froze for a second. “But, Master... they’re all—”

Senior Li waved him off. “They’re not my wives, nor my concubines, let alone madams you have to pay respects to. They’re just maids. Some were given to me, some I bought. I’ve already instructed them to attend to you properly, no need to refuse. Certain herbal applications need a hands-on approach to help the body absorb them. After your training each day, your acupoints are wide open, so that’s the ideal time to let herbal remedies nourish you. This is about helping you break through sooner. Don’t avoid it.

“What’s more, a martial artist’s blood runs hot; you need to vent that energy. Indulge desire, forget emotion—keep nothing bottled up, or it will hamper your cultivation. I won’t pry into your household affairs, but in my home...if one of the maids catches your eye, feel free to enjoy yourself.”

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That day, Li Yuan practiced until nearly finished. Steam rose off his body, sweat soaking his short, tight training clothes and revealing the solid outline of his muscles. Nearby, the seductive and curvaceous Xi Yan was directing a few maids to prepare a bathtub of hot water, though she also kept throwing him suggestive glances.

He was training in the first form of the Spring-Autumn Blade—Spring Thunder—a skill suitable for ninth rank martial artists, learned in tandem with the Spirit-Release Technique.

One slash of the blade mobilized the blood throughout his body, invoking the explosive roar of spring thunder and carrying the fierce, indomitable force that slashed through winter’s chill. Simple in execution, yet brutally powerful.

If performed with a general’s long-handled warblade, the strike would be even more formidable than with a shorter blade. So for now, Li Yuan set aside the standard saber issued by the Blood Blade Sect and reached for a longer blade from the weapon rack.

Slash! The blade cut through the air like tearing silk, the sound keening like a serpent’s hiss. A faint pop echoed at the end of the strike. The falling blade disturbed the dust below, sending up clouds that scattered like startled birds.

Holding his position, Li Yuan kept one hand on the hilt, pondering the essence of the move before slowly withdrawing the blade. After days of focused practice, he felt he was finally starting to grasp something significant.

“Young Master... Young Master...!”

A sultry voice called out from a distance. Glancing back, Li Yuan saw herbs floating in hot, steaming water, releasing a soothing medicinal fragrance. Next to the large wooden tub stood Xi Yan, the alluring woman in red, her pale hands swishing the water as she tilted her head with a playful smile.

“The temperature is just right. Please come bathe.”

This time, Li Yuan didn’t refuse her help. Instead, he simply lifted his arms, letting her unfasten his belt and strip off his clothes. After he stepped into the steaming bath, the curvy maid began to remove her own garments as well—until she was left in little more than thin underclothes.

She carefully descended into the tub, the short hem of her slip swaying like a blade of grass, offering a fleeting glimpse of her legs and hips. Dipping her toes first, she then stepped fully into the water. With both hands, she scooped up herbs floating on the surface and pressed them against Li Yuan’s body, gently rubbing them in.

“Does that feel good?” she asked.

“It’s all right.”

“Oho, why aren’t you calling me Auntie Xi today?” she teased, trying to get a rise out of him.

He didn’t respond.

Instead, he allowed her to attend to him while he gazed at the twilight sky, where faint clouds loomed and new buds sprouted on the branches. Immersed in pleasant warmth, Li Yuan tried to suppress the nameless fear lingering in his heart, letting himself sink into the relaxing fragrance of herbs and the soft scent of a woman.

I have to adapt, he reminded himself. Everyone else is muddied. Why insist on remaining pristine? It’s just the earthly realm of desire. Greed, anger, lust, obsession, love, hate, and craving...nothing but a gaudy carnival in a chaotic world. I’m no monk, no eunuch hidden away in a palace. Why run from the seven emotions and six desires of mortal life?

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That night, Li Yuan slept with Yan Yu in his arms. The two chatted intimately on their pillows, the conversation running long.

“Husband,” she began, “today a few women from the neighbourhood came by our place. They brought gifts, said they live in the same area, so it’s courtesy to visit. One was the proprietress from the Ginger Tavern. She said she’s an old friend of yours and felt bad about not dropping by earlier. She came with the wife of Uncle Wu, the tavern’s manager. They sat for quite a while, left us some tea, wine, pastries, and fruit.

“That shop owner from Brocade & Grace also paid a visit. She brought along a booklet of new dress designs, said she was worried she might have sewn something ugly for me...

“There were some other women too,” Yan Yu continued softly. “I didn’t know any of them... They even invited me to join them for afternoon tea and fruit, but I turned them down. Husband, you really are amazing.”

Her words held both pride and delight. She wasn’t foolish; she knew that all this attention meant her man had achieved some measure of success. Otherwise, people like the proprietress of the Ginger Tavern, once someone utterly out of reach, wouldn’t have come bearing gifts of tea and wine, smiling at her doorstep.

What woman wouldn’t be happy to have a capable husband?

Li Yuan remained silent for a moment, then began explaining the world of martial artists and cultivation to Yan Yu.

She froze. In the dim lamp-light of their small bedroom, there was a long hush. After a while, she spoke softly, “Well, technically...we’ve never had a proper wedding ceremony.”

“We’ll do it tomorrow morning,” Li Yuan said at once. “No need for a crowd, just the two of us, bowing to the heavens here at home.”

Yan Yu couldn’t hold back a smile. She wrapped her arms around him. “Then...we should buy a few pretty maids for ourselves. I used to think I wanted you all to myself, but that just ends up tying you down. This life, being with a man like you... I’m already satisfied.”

“I’m sorry,” Li Yuan murmured.

“There’s no need to apologize. I’m already touched you’re telling me all this...” Her voice was gentle, fingers tracing around his waist as she rested her cheek against his chest. She whispered, “You have to keep cultivating. You have to break through that sixth rank your master never reached. Become someone truly strong...and live a very, very long time.”

“How goes your own cultivation?” Li Yuan asked.

Yan Yu hesitated, then said quietly, “...it’s all right.” She didn’t want to linger on that subject, so instead, she twined herself around Li Yuan’s body.

Night fell again, bright embers of desire rekindling.

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Come dawn, Li Yuan noticed he’d still gained seven stat points—no decrease. Gratitude swelled in his chest. He pulled his wife in for another tender moment before getting out of bed.

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Three days later, as dusk approached...

Fresh out of his medicinal bath, Li Yuan felt his heart give a sudden thump. A curious sense of everything clicking into place washed over him, like the moment you finally understand a long-sought truth. Whether it was his cultivation method or his blade skills, both seemed to take a step forward exactly as he’d been hoping.

Glancing at his status window, he saw a few changes.

That night, he returned home and sat alone in the backyard. He looked over his unallocated stat points.

“All right,” Li Yuan murmured to himself. “According to my master, once a technique reaches the very limit of the ninth rank, it generates shadow blood. This new blood replaces the old one, meaning my Return-Willow Technique should disappear. It’ll probably hurt, but...I can handle it.”

He glanced at the damp towel he’d placed nearby. If the pain got too intense, he’d bite down on it rather than make a scene in front of Yan Yu.

“Let’s do this!” He looked at the Spirit-Release Technique and chose the option to immediately max it out.

Immediately, he felt a flood of memories from dedicated practice—day after day of training the ninth rank stage of the Spirit-Release Technique until an entire year’s worth of progress flashed by, culminating in success.

And then came the effect.

A warm sensation flared in his abdomen, like a small fire had been lit there—but it wasn’t painful. Breathing in deeply, then exhaling slowly, he felt a heated current spread outward from his belly.

It moved through his body like a fiery fish, leaving each part of him feeling relaxed, as if every muscle were being strengthened. There was a brief, exhilarating surge of power wherever it passed, though the rush would fade once the heat flowed on.

Beyond that surge, there was a gentle, nourishing warmth, reinforcing his entire physique. He remembered feeling something like this once before. This was how it felt to fully achieve the ninth rank of a technique.

“Next should be the shadow blood swap,” Li Yuan thought, drawing a steady breath as he waited for the strange changes to follow, new blood expelling old blood. After all, one person could only have one type of blood, one type of bone.

But...nothing happened.

He felt two streams of heated energy coursing through his body, yet no sign of the old blood being replaced. Glancing at his status window, Li Yuan was completely taken aback.

The Return-Willow Technique was still there, right alongside the Spirit-Release Technique!

Then he checked his overall combat power. Previously, without any weapon in hand, the figure had been 9~10, but now it read 9~20.