A stroke of luck? This is clearly a disaster waiting to happen.
A True Monarch—that's at least a Nascent Soul cultivator. And I, a mere Qi Refining cultivator nearing the end of my lifespan, wouldn't dare covet a Nascent Soul inheritance.
Gongyangzi, like himself, was a high-level Qi Refining cultivator, having reached the Ninth Layer, just a step away from Foundation Establishment. Yet he had been hunted relentlessly for this very inheritance opportunity, forced to flee to this desolate place.
The dangers were obvious.
Moreover, it was only a potential opportunity, not a certainty.
Wei Zhong shifted his attention to the jade slip.
Blood Body Technique... Those who master it can travel to Cloud River Prefecture...
The jade slip described a method for cultivating an external avatar called the Blood Body Technique, part of the same set as the Crimson Sword.
Cloud River Prefecture bordered Wei Zhong's Wild Plains Prefecture, over ten thousand li away.
The journey would be arduous, with towering mountains and vast rivers. Even Foundation Establishment cultivators would struggle with such a journey, let alone Wei Zhong, who was still merely a Qi Refining cultivator.
And since when does an inheritance come with an instruction manual?
It felt like deliberate bait, and Wei Zhong sensed a strong undercurrent of conspiracy.
Of course, Wei Zhong couldn't rule out the possibility that he was overthinking things. Still, this particular cultivation method was ultimately beyond his reach. To practice it, one needed at least a Foundation Establishment cultivation base to withstand the agonizing tearing of the Divine Soul.
Divine Soul tearing? That sounds excruciatingly painful. I'm only at the Eighth Layer of Qi Refining. I'd better bury this away for now.
After a moment of contemplation, Wei Zhong made his decision.
The path of cultivation required unwavering stability. He wouldn't recklessly pursue inheritances that reeked of hidden pitfalls.
Finding a secluded mountainside, Wei Zhong dug a hidden hole and buried the Crimson Sword and jade slip together.
If someone finds it, it simply wasn't meant to be mine. If no one does, I'll reconsider it once I reach Foundation Establishment... no, at least Golden Core.
Wei Zhong was acutely aware of his advantages. With his Kryptonite-level Life-Exchange technique, as long as the cultivation world remained stable, he could steadily level up, use the technique, and exchange lives, granting him an almost endless lifespan.
For this reason, it was best to avoid high-risk ventures.
After thoroughly reassuring himself, Wei Zhong finally put the matter behind him. Returning to his small courtyard to ensure he had cleaned up properly, he retrieved the Body Nourishing Art he had just acquired and began studying it intently.
"Where is he?"
"W-we lost him."
Slap!
The sound of a palm striking flesh echoed as the blood-robed man was sent sprawling to the ground. He dared not show even a flicker of resentment, nor linger on the ground for another breath. Gritting through the pain, he forced himself back onto his knees.
"Useless trash! You let a heavily injured Qi Refining cultivator escape!"
The deep voice rumbled from beneath the wide hood of the Cult Master's thick crimson-and-black Daoist robes, obscuring their form and making it impossible to discern their gender.
"Cult Master, please forgive me!" the blood-robed man pleaded, bowing his head even lower.
The Cult Master remained silent for a moment, their eyes closed.
I can't sense the Yin Blood's location. It's connected to his heart meridian and can only be dispelled by a technique of the same origin. Could he already be dead?
Never mind. Our purpose here has been achieved.
A Crimson Sword and a jade slip appeared in the Cult Master's hand, identical to the ones Wei Zhong had obtained.
If Wei Zhong were present, he would have sighed, "So it really was bait after all."
I never imagined Wang Linpeng, who prides himself on being a righteous cultivator, would possess such a Demonic Path inheritance method. I cultivate the Yin Blood Art, a lower-tier technique derived from the Blood Sea Art, which shares the same origins. Even if this inheritance is a trap, I must contend for it.
The path to immortality is fraught with difficulty, and seekers of the Dao never pass up even the slightest opportunity for advancement.
The two objects vanished in a flash. The Cult Master rose to his feet, flicked his right sleeve, and the man who had been begging for mercy moments before was instantly stripped of his flesh, reduced to a bloody skeleton.
"Issue my command: the cult will mobilize and proceed to Cloud River Prefecture..."
"Your will be done, Cult Master!"
...
Four years later, Wei Zhong frowned slightly as he reviewed his status panel:
Name: Wei Zhong
Cultivation Base: Eighth Layer of Qi Refining (97%)
Techniques: Azure Wave Art - Proficient (79%); Life Preservation Art - Basic (49%)
Lifespan: 136/137
The Life Preservation Art truly lived up to its reputation for difficulty. Despite devoting countless hours to it over the past four years, he had barely reached half of the basic proficiency requirements, and achieving mastery would likely require at least another four years.
Moreover, the basic level of the Life Preservation Art offered no discernible restorative benefits for his injuries.
Is my proficiency simply not high enough? Wei Zhong wondered, a hint of resignation in his voice.
Four years had passed in the blink of an eye, and his lifespan was dwindling once more. Yet he remained a hair's breadth away from reaching the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining.
"Kryptonite-level exchange: ten years of lifespan."
In an instant, Wei Zhong felt the vitality surge back into his aging body.
Name: Wei Zhong
Cultivation Base: Seventh Layer of Qi Refining (97%)
Techniques: Azure Wave Art - Proficient (79%); Life Preservation Art - Beginner (49%)
Lifespan: 126/137
Another ten years and a day to live—now this was what made immortal cultivation worthwhile.
Doing the math, Wei Zhong realized that combining his predecessor's years with his own decade, he had already lived for 147 years.
The average Qi Refining cultivator rarely exceeded 150 years of lifespan, with the longest-lived reaching 180. He was already approaching the common limit.
Staying with the Yan Clan any longer might draw unwanted attention from those with ulterior motives.
"Alas, my time with the Yan Clan is nearing its end," he sighed inwardly.
Wei Zhong resolved to advance his cultivation to the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining before departing. He would then use his dwindling lifespan and longing for his family as his reasons for leaving.
Though most immortal cultivators were detached and callous, many chose to return to the mortal world as their lifespans waned, leaving behind legacies for their descendants. They hoped that one day, a member of their clan would inherit the aptitude for cultivation and embark on the path of immortality once more.
As seasons turned and seven years slipped by, Wei Zhong, now carrying an aura of impending mortality, bid farewell to Yan Wenbo.
"Brother Wei, are you truly leaving?" Yan Wenbo asked.
Wei Zhong nodded. "My lifespan is dwindling, and Foundation Establishment remains beyond my reach. As my end approaches, I find myself longing for my descendants and wishing to leave them a legacy."
Wei Zhong glanced at Yan Wenbo, his peer. Yan Wenbo cultivated wood-attribute techniques, which had some rejuvenating effects, making him appear younger. However, Wei Zhong estimated that Yan Wenbo's remaining lifespan was barely a decade.
"If I leave now, we may never meet again," Wei Zhong said.
Yan Wenbo shook his head. Their decades of friendship had forged a deep bond. "Brother Yan, as someone who has embarked on the path of cultivation, you should know that separations and deaths are commonplace."
After exchanging pleasantries and finalizing the handover of the Spirit Field, Wei Zhong left behind a pouch of Yellow Spirit Buds and departed.
Turning back to gaze at the Yan Clan's mountain peak, Wei Zhong felt a pang of nostalgia. For the past seventeen years since his transmigration, the Yan Clan had provided him with unwavering security. Had he not needed to avoid drawing attention, he could have continued cultivating there until reaching Foundation Establishment.
"What a pity..." Wei Zhong murmured, unable to fully articulate his regret. As he spotted several streaks of escape light rapidly closing in on him from behind, a wave of melancholy washed over him.
"I only wished to leave quietly. Why force this confrontation?"
With a flicker of movement, Wei Zhong vanished into the desolate wilderness.
The pursuers behind him redoubled their speed, their escape lights burning even brighter.