The Forbidden Path to Immortality-Chapter 237

Just as he expected, Tianzhi’s voice sounded much steadier than before. It was nothing like the weak, dying whisper she’d had moments ago. Clearly, that “The Unmoving Evil Heart” cultivation was starting to work.

Her heart meridian was still fragile, but all six senses were back. If Li Xun had rushed down there like an idiot, she would’ve seen him, and that would’ve been a disaster.

“Ban Cheng's here,” she said calmly, giving no hint that she’d just come back from the brink of death. “The others should be close behind. I have to meet up with them, or needless trouble may follow.”

Li Xun had known she’d say that. He just laughed and didn’t argue.

He already understood that whatever deals lay between them, they were far from over.

He never expected Tianzhi to end up like Yin Wanderer, totally under his thumb, nor did he dream of a bond like the one he had with Shui Die Lan, ready to live and die together. But a delicate game balanced between life and reputation? That was something Tianzhi would surely find fascinating.

After a good laugh, he nodded. “Alright then, let’s get this deal done…”

Suddenly, a sharp whistle cut through the sky, and the familiar ripple of energy made Li Xun’s heart jolt.

A Flying Soul Decree?

No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than a strange tile that was neither metal nor wood dropped from the heavens, landing right in his hand.

Seriously? Why right now?

He didn’t have time to dwell on it. Li Xun slipped the decree into his robe and went on, “In that case, I won’t keep you, Mistress. Of course, before you go…”

He looked at Shui Dielan, who had just caught up, and gave a weird little smile.

A sharp rip of silk sounded. With a pained expression, Shui Die Lan handed over the precious fragment of Blood God Child -- the manuscript compiled by Xiao Zhongzi and woven on celestial silkworm thread. Li Xun checked it, then casually tore out a page and pinned it to the ice with a sharp flick.

“This is the complete method for the Heart Demon Refinement Technique,” he said. “I’ve already explained it to you, Mistress, but some details might’ve been glossed over. Take this manuscript page for reference. Until fate brings us together again.”

With that, he signaled to Shui Die Lan, and the two of them vanished in a flash.

The ice gave way a heartbeat later. Tianzhi’s tall, slender figure stepped out as shards glittered around her. In the swirl of falling ice, her hand shot out unerringly, catching the torn manuscript page. Her gaze swept the area, searching. But it was pointless. With Shui Die Lan’s unmatched escape technique, Li Xun was already long gone.

…

At some point, the booming chant of the “Great Baptism Light Mantra” had stopped. Maybe Ban Cheng had worn himself out reciting it. Or maybe he’d finally decided to just barge in and see what was going on.

Li Xun didn’t care either way. His attention was on Tianzhi’s state of mind. A woman who valued her life so little, yet guarded her reputation so fiercely... how would someone like her play in the conflict between the orthodox sects and the Rogue Cultivators’ Alliance?

He was still mulling over the question when the weight in his hand suddenly vanished. The battered Blood God Child manuscript had already been snatched back by Shui Die Lan with a quick swipe.

Li Xun paused for a second, then let out a helpless laugh. “What do you want with a torn-up fragment like that? If you’re really interested, I can just give you the full version.”

“Seriously?” Shui Die Lan eyed him suspiciously. “You were acting weird when you handed one to Tianzhi too. Since when did you become so generous?”

She was, after all, a top-tier demon grandmaster. She only had to say that much before it suddenly clicked. She flipped through the booklet in her hand from start to finish, then looked up at Li Xun with a half-mocking, half-admiring grin. “You’re really shameless.”

“Tianzhi didn’t complain, did she?” Li Xun said, and he suddenly remember something else.

He pulled out the Flying Soul Decree that had just arrived and glanced through it, casually saying, “Her cultivation’s not much weaker than yours. I’m sure she sensed something too, but when it comes to choosing the lesser of two evils, making these kinds of decisions… she’s the best at it. I doubt anyone would dare to claim otherwise… huh?”

His voice paused as he read the details. “The first day of the twelfth month… rush to Ghost Gate Lake to submit the decree… Underworld Flame Yama?”

Seeing the decree, Li Xun had assumed it came from Madam Yan; she was the only one in the sect who ever “valued” him that much. But this time? That cold, unfathomable, sickly-looking Yama himself had issued it?

For an ordinary disciple, this would basically be a blessing straight from the heavens, possibly even proof the sect leader had his eye on them.

But Li Xun knew better. There’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world. Especially not from someone like the Underworld Flame Yama: a ruthless powerhouse who, even while on the brink of death from illness, still held the sect’s fate firmly in his hands. A man like that wouldn’t offer goodwill for no reason.

So the sickly old demon had finally made his move? That was Li Xun’s first thought.

Still turning it over in his mind, he casually crushed the decree in his hand.

Just then, Shui Die Lan let out a whistle. Li Xun followed her gaze toward the southern sky and saw a dim sword-light wobbling as it plummeted downward.

And that was just the start. In the short span of half a cup of tea, more than ten sword-lights and escape-lights either crashed or fled in that same southern direction. Quite the spectacle.

Judging from the clarity of those sword-lights and escape-lights, and the chaotic surges of primordial energy rolling in, this clearly wasn’t on Tianzhi’s level at all. It looked like a messy brawl involving dozens, maybe even over a hundred cultivators of uneven strength.

And it wasn’t just happening in the south. All four sides were flaring up, and a few streaks of light were even headed in their direction.

Did the righteous sects launch an attack on Yemo Heaven?

The ridiculous thought flashed by and was instantly dismissed.

No… this has to be infighting within the alliance. Kunpeng and that Three-Headed Flood Serpent have already been defeated, but they’re not dead. With the sway they still hold over certain demons inside the alliance, there’s no way Gu Yin and the others can suppress all that turmoil cleanly. So that means, right now, this is… a purge. Straight up internal bloodletting!

Taking full advantage of the moment when Kunpeng and the Three-Headed Flood Serpent escaped, they struck hard and fast. With the opposition suddenly leaderless, the wiped out every unstable element in one sweep. Even if it meant breaking the faction apart, better to keep control of the biggest piece. It was the smartest move. And the most helpless one.

Li Xun found himself feeling incredibly satisfied.

For decades, he’d been looking for a chance to trip up Gu Yin and the others, but never found one. Who would’ve thought that today, by a twist of fate, riding the shockwave left by Kunpeng and Mistress Tianzhi, and only nudging Yin Wanderer into showing her face, he could spark all of this? Four ounces beating a thousand pounds.

From today on, the days when that alliance could easily muster three to five top-tier experts at once… were gone for good.

He laughed to himself, quite pleased with himself. Now everything was painfully clear. No matter how powerful a force is, it’s always easier to break it from the inside than to smash it from the outside. Divide and conquer. Simple as that.

Of course, he’d thought of this before. He just never acted on it because he didn’t have the key to crack that first tiny gap. Or the standing and strength to pull it off.

But now, things were different.

Kunpeng’s retreat, wounded and forced away, didn’t suddenly make the alliance united again.

Look at people like Daoist Jia and the Ice Witch, tyrants in their own domains, yet right now they have to take orders from Gu Yin, an “outsider.” How could resentment not be festering in their hearts?

If Gu Zhixuan were still alive, he’d probably take advantage of the chaos and make that Demon Phoenix his concubine… Honestly, he might not even stop there. Maybe he’d go after Qing Luan too. Two proud, powerful demons like that... could they really go without any resentment?

Even between Gu Yin and the Demon Phoenix, didn't they hold differing opinions because of him?

Thinking about all these “potential opportunities,” Li Xun trembled with excitement. It took him a while to calm down under Shui Die Lan’s “are-you-crazy?” stare.

Meanwhile, several li away, a fierce battle between cultivators was already breaking out in the sky.

He clapped his hands, using the sound to pull himself back to reality. “No point hanging around here,” he said, steadying his voice. “I’ve got business back at the sect anyway. What about you, Fairy Shui?”

“Back to the sect?” she asked, blinking. “Which sect?”

That little jab didn’t even sting. To Li Xun, it just felt like a light scratch. He gave her a half-smile. “The Shadow-Devouring Soul Sect, huh? What, you planning to drop by for a visit too? Honestly, only you could stay this calm and carefree while being hunted by both the Vermilion Hook and Falling Feather sects. Oh, right, there’s something else I remembered.”

At the mention of the Vermilion Hook and Falling Feather sects, he immediately thought of Thunder-Beaked Hawk, who’d passed him that bit of intel... and the Succubus Sect behind it.

They’d been busy stirring up trouble for Mist-Hidden Pavilion lately, and he’d nearly forgotten all about it. Remembering now, he filled Shui Die Lan in. Her reaction was far more explosive than he expected.

“They’re courting death!”

Shui Die Lan, who hadn’t shown her sharp side for quite a while, was like a cat that had just had its tail stepped on. She didn’t actually bare her fangs, but the icy look in her eyes made even Li Xun, who had nothing to do with this, feel a shiver of unease.

“Do you really have to get that worked up? We just got careless, that’s all…”

“We? Speak for yourself, idiot. Don’t drag me into it!” she snapped back, irritated. Then, just like Li Xun earlier, she clapped her hands once and declared, “Alright, I’ve made up my mind.”

Li Xun raised a brow. “About what?”

“For now, I’m sticking with you. You’re heading to the Shadow-Devouring Soul Sect? Then I’m coming too.” She smoothed out her gauzy sleeves, a strange little smile playing at her lips.

“I cannot afford loosing the Mist-Hidden Pavilion. I’m counting on it to get me through my Heavenly Tribulation. Hmph. And who knows, maybe you're already getting played by that old fox Luo Moshi. If I don’t tag along, how could I be at ease?”

Li Xun shot her a sidelong glance, thinking to himself, If it weren’t for that Heart Knot Gu binding us, would you just kill me and be done with it?

Seeing how worked up Shui Die Lan was, Li Xun swallowed the words that almost slipped out. Still, a tiny knot of frustration formed in his mind: Even I, the actual master, isn’t this anxious, so what’s got you so riled up?

But the thought flickered and vanished as quickly as it came. Soon enough, he had bigger things to worry about. Like Shui Die Lan’s sudden “brilliant” idea.

Go back with her?

Sure, she was incredibly powerful and actually cared whether he lived or died. Having her around would make for one hell of a bodyguard. Especially now, while Yin Wanderer was still recovering and Nether One’s presence in the outside world was limited.

The problem was that she also happened to be the most wanted criminal in the entire Tongxuan Realm.

He gave her a wry look. “Might I suggest… a little disguise?”

In the end, Shui Die Lan decided to give Li Xun some face. After using a simple illusion technique to change her looks and outfit, the two of them set off together.

Originally, Li Xun had planned to take a detour through the Northeastern Star River. He meant to use “helping Ming Ji” as an excuse so his real journey wouldn’t seem too abrupt.

But that decree from the Underworld Flame Yama completely threw that plan off course.

It was already the tenth month, just about a month away from the first day of the twelfth month.

Flying all the way from the Arctic to Ghost Gate Lake in the southwest would be just about doable, but any unexpected delay could make the schedule dangerously tight.