The setting sun, the distant mountains.
A frail young man was running frantically towards a valley.
Behind him, at the valley entrance, several burly men in gray watched the young man's escape with hatred, but they dared not pursue him.
Ahead of them lay a striking red line, as red as freshly spilled blood.
"Zhou Shu, little boy, how dare you trespass into forbidden territory? You're courting death!"
the burly man, standing at the edge of the red line, shouted fiercely with a fierce glare. But the running young man, Zhou Shu, paid no heed, running deeper into the valley with a look of terror on his face.
He didn't dare pause for breath until he was completely exhausted.
Raising his head, his eyes suddenly widened, and he stared blankly at the stone wall ahead.
In front of him stood an old man, his hair disheveled, his clothes shredded to strips, and as thin as a skeleton, staring at him.
What frightened him most was that the old man's limbs, including his collarbone, were pierced with iron chains as thick as his wrists, fastening them to the cliff face.
It was a horrifying sight.
"Old man, who are you?" Zhou Shu asked hesitantly.
The old man stared at Zhou Shu for a moment, and a gleam of light suddenly flashed in his turbid eyes. "Go to hell!"
As the voice came out, the old man opened his mouth and a huge force gushed out.
Zhou Shu flew several feet away and fell to the ground. He didn't even have time to grunt before he completely lost consciousness.
"You want to trick me again? Even if it was a child, I would still spray you to death! Hahahaha!"
The old man laughed wildly for a while, looked at the corpse on the ground with disdain, then sighed and lowered his head.
It was night, windy and rainy.
Several thunderbolts struck, illuminating the valley as bright as day.
In that instant, no one noticed that the stiff corpse suddenly twitched. No one would know that wonderful changes were happening inside the body.
A long, long time passed.
The morning dew turned to frost.
When the sky was about to dawn, the young man who should have died actually slowly crawled up.
The old man's eyes suddenly fluttered open, a look of disbelief on his face. "How is this possible? How can a mortal, struck by the Paiyun Jue, still be standing?"
The young man glanced at the old man warily and took a few steps back.
His thoughts were a bit confused, and he was still trying to sort them out.
A master of calligraphy and painting, he had been killed by a falling computer while passing a high-rise building, only to be unexpectedly reborn here.
Zhou Shu of the past was completely dead, but his memories were merging with his own. This was a strange situation, clearly a legendary time travel experience.
He could fully accept this, and even felt a strange excitement in the face of this new world.
"Boy, speak to me! My Paiyun Jue would absolutely kill you, so why aren't you dead? Why aren't you dead?"
The old man, feeling his perceptions overturned, shouted almost frantically, but Zhou Shu ignored him and focused on sorting out his memories.
He was currently in Dongsheng Prefecture, home to the Black Mountain Gang, a shady underworld gang.
Zhou Shu of the past was once a commoner living in the mountains, abducted by the Black Mountain Gang and forced to work as a servant, where he suffered untold torture. He'd been constantly thinking about escaping, and today, he finally found his chance. But just as he was running out of the mountain gate,
he was spotted by the Black Mountain Gang. Knowing he'd be dead if caught, he fled in a panic, only to stumble into the Black Mountain Gang's forbidden territory, a valley behind the mountain, where he was fatally spewed by the bound old man.
His thoughts gradually cleared up.
Zhou Shu slowly raised his head and looked at the bound old man, his face stern. "Who are you, and why are you trying to kill me?"
He'd felt a modicum of sympathy at the old man's plight, but when the old man attacked him immediately, his sympathy turned to resentment. The
old man waited for over half an hour before finally hearing Zhou Shu speak. His fury flared. "Answer me first! Why aren't you dead? A mortal struck by my Paiyun Jue might appear unharmed, but all life force is instantly extinguished. There's no way they could still be standing."
Zhou Shu, struck by the Paiyun Jue, was effectively dead. But Zhou Shu, who had traveled through time, was completely intact.
Zhou Shu deliberately moved his body, "Not only is he alive, he's living well."
The old man's eyes widened, "This is impossible, come here, let me spray him again!"
"Am I crazy or are you crazy? I'm letting you spray me for no reason?"
Zhou Shu took two steps back, looked around, and picked up a sharp stone.
The old man didn't pay attention to Zhou Shu's actions, lowered his head and muttered to himself, "Isn't he a mortal? No, there is no spiritual energy on him. Could it be a spiritual body that is rarely seen in a hundred years, which automatically decomposed part of the power of the spell? This... how is it possible..."
Spiritual energy? Spirit?
Zhou Shu had no idea what the old man was talking about, but it sounded interesting.
He raised the stone in his hand, aimed it at the old man a few times, and calculated the distance. He could probably throw it at the old man.
After being sprayed to death once, it's time to take revenge.
When the old man saw the stone, a fierce look suddenly flashed in his eyes, and he shouted, "I never thought that a man like me would be bullied by a kid like you!"
Zhou Shu smiled slightly, "Being tied here and tortured like this, what kind of man can you be?"
"Huh, ignorant child."
The old man raised his head high and glanced at Zhou Shu out of the corner of his eye, "I am a god!"
Zhou Shu was startled when he heard the voice, and did not throw the stone in his hand.
Is this a world with gods?
He couldn't help but fall into deep thought - from the memories of Zhou Shu in the past, he knew that there were indeed so-called gods in this world. Gods could fly into the sky and into the earth and do everything. Zhou Shu had seen it with his own eyes when he was a child, and he also dreamed of becoming a god.
He suddenly became excited, but turned to look at the old man -
He was half-naked, skinny, with broken hair and beard, and covered with scars. He looked nothing like the immortal in the legend.
He looked at him for a while and shook his head.
Seeing Zhou Shu's slightly contemptuous expression, the old man shouted angrily, "Boy, why are you shaking your head? Don't you believe it? The magic formula I used on you before was the immortal's, the Cloud-Dispelling Formula!"
Zhou Shu smiled, "Immortal? I have never seen such an immortal tied here with a few rusty chains."
The old man's face turned gray, "That was because I was careless for a moment and fell into the trap of your Black Mountain Gang. A group of treacherous villains, so dirty, and still want to peek into my immortal's magic. I will never tell you even if I die!"
"I am not from the Black Mountain Gang, and your magic doesn't seem to be very useful, otherwise you wouldn't be tied here."
Hearing the words "Black Mountain Gang", Zhou Shu inexplicably felt a surge of hatred in his heart.
In his merged memories, countless shadows filled the void, all of them from the humiliation he endured at the hands of the Black Mountain Gang. Such humiliation was practically inhuman.
Though it had been borne by the past Zhou Shu, the scars still clung to his body, indelible marks. He felt a deep sense of injustice, determined to seek revenge if the opportunity presented itself.
The mention of the Black Mountain Gang, the painful memories brought to the forefront, infuriated the old man even more. He roared, "You mortals, you keep bullying me. In the future, I will tear you to pieces..."
The old man was about to speak again when, from outside the valley, the sound of bamboo tubes tapping against each other, accompanied by a few bursts of arrogant laughter, suddenly rang out.
"Hey, Han Shenxian, I'm coming again. Have you thought about it?"
Seeing someone approaching, Zhou Shu silently thought, "Oh no!" Quickly taking a few steps forward, he collapsed into the mud, lying motionless, feigning death.
The old man glared at him, a look of slight shock on his face, before quickly turning his gaze towards the source of the voice.
His eyes held an indescribable hatred.
Zhou Shu had barely lain down when two men arrived from outside and stood about 20 to 30 feet away from the old man.
Zhou Shu recognized these two men; he had been bullied by them many times during his time as a handyman.
They were Qiu Da and Qiu Er, the two leaders of the Black Mountain Gang, and the only ones with free access to the forbidden area.
"Old Immortal, if you hand over the secret formula, we'll release you immediately! We'll treat you like a master, feasting on fine food and wine, and give you everything you want!"
"If you still refuse to change your ways, you'll suffer here until you die!"
Qiu Da and Qiu Er responded, shouting at the old man, holding thick bamboo tubes like trumpets.
The old man stared at the two men from afar, a cold glint in his eyes. "Get out!"
Qiu Da glared at him, angrily snarling, "Old man, behave yourself! If you keep doing this, I'll kill you right now!"
"Come on, if you dare come over here, I'll spray you to death!" the old man shouted, his chains clanging as he pulled.
"Come on, I'm afraid of you?" Qiu Da pretended to take two steps forward, and Qiu Er behind him hurriedly held him back, "Boss, don't be impulsive, he can really kill us with one spit, he has killed several of us. Look, didn't the servant who escaped in die there?"
He pointed at Zhou Shu lying on the ground.
Qiu Da glanced at Zhou Shu and cursed, "It's a good thing for this kid to die here. If I catch him, I'll cut him into meat patties and feed him to the dogs!"
He stopped and said, "Old man, if you keep going like this, you will starve to death. You'd better hand it over honestly!"
"Get out! Even if I give it to you, you can't become immortals, two pieces of trash!"
The old man turned his head and looked aside, "I can eat wind and drink dew, I won't starve to death, get out of here!"
"Immortal? The immortals were knocked out by our knockout drug, haha... Look at you, you are so skinny, and you still eat wind and drink dew, it makes me laugh to death!" Qiu Er pointed at the old man and fell down with laughter.
Qiu Da waved his hand and glared at the old man fiercely. "Second brother, let's go. Let's starve him for another half a month and see if he surrenders."
"When you come back in half a month, I'll have a bow and arrow. If you still refuse to tell me, then die!"
The two men dropped their bamboo tubes and left, cursing.
Once the footsteps had faded, Zhou Shu sat up and looked at the old man thoughtfully.
The old man, a little unnerved by his gaze, shouted angrily, "What are you looking at? Is it funny? Is it beautiful? Believe it or not, I'll kill you again!"
Zhou Shu considered retaliating, but decided against it. The old man hadn't revealed his survival before, which was a favor.
"Pathetic,"
he said, dropping the stone and turning to leave.
The valley was deep, but it didn't look too difficult to climb. If they could find another exit, they should be able to escape the Black Mountain Gang.
As for what to do next, they could think of it after they escaped. He was tempted by the immortal mantra, but judging by the old man's temperament, he would never give it to him even at death.
The old man was stunned for a while, and suddenly shouted, "Wait!"
"What's the matter?" Zhou Shu stopped and said lightly, "You don't want me to let you down, do you? Even if I want to, I can't do it."
"I know, and it's useless for you to save me."
He smiled bitterly and sighed, "My meridians are all broken, I can't absorb spiritual energy, and I haven't eaten anything. I'm running out of energy and will die soon. You are right, I am really pitiful for having fallen to this point."
Zhou Shu looked at him seriously for a while and agreed deeply, "It's a miracle that you are still alive. I admire you very much."
The old man laughed, "Oh, if the meridians in your hands and feet had not been broken and nailed, even if you had no clothes or food, you could live for another two months! It's not so easy for a cultivator to die!"
"Aren't cultivators immortals?"
the old man sneered. "Don't waste your words, young man. A cultivator who reaches a high level naturally becomes an immortal. If I hadn't fallen for these villains' treacherous schemes, I might have had a chance to become an immortal!"
Though tortured beyond recognition, he remained utterly proud, his words undiminished, a fact Zhou Shu admired.
Rumor has it that immortal cultivators are all ambitious, and it seems this old man is no exception.
Zhou Shu spread his hands. "It's a shame, you still fell into their hands."
"How could I have known these people were so treacherous? They were going to make me an elder, only to have them poison you... Come here, young man." The old man looked at Zhou Shu, his eyes suddenly brightening.
"I won't go over, for fear you'll scold me," Zhou Shu shook his head.
This old man had suffered even more than he had, and held a deep grudge. He didn't look like someone who would have a change of heart and do good deeds. He had to be on guard.
"If I spray you to death now, what good will it do me?"
The old man showed an expectant look on his face. "Come closer to me and let me see your physique. If you are really a spirit, I will teach you all my mental methods and formulas, so that you can become an immortal cultivator! But you must avenge me and kill everyone in the Black Mountain Gang!"
His words were excited, full of hatred for the Black Mountain Gang.
Zhou Shu felt inexplicably excited.
The old man in front of him was indeed extraordinary. Although he was not a god, he was definitely not an ordinary person. If he really learned the Paiyun Jue that could kill with one spray, killing everyone in the Black Mountain Gang would be a piece of cake.
But he knew that he was probably not a spirit, and he didn't know if the old man really wanted to teach him. After all, the old man had already sprayed him to death once, and if he did it again, it would be completely over.
It would be a shame to die right after crossing over. He could not get close to him no matter what.
He forced himself to suppress his excitement. "I appreciate your kindness, old man, but I'll let it go."
The old man's expression became very strange, and he asked in surprise, "You are really strange, kid. Don't you want to become an immortal? This is what everyone wants. The Black Mountain Gang went to great lengths to deal with me, all for this method of cultivating immortality. Now I'm giving it to you for free, and you don't even want it?"
Zhou Shu smiled calmly, "If you really want to, just give it to me directly."
The old man frowned. "If you weren't a spirit, how could you have learned my mental skills in just half a month? If you couldn't, you certainly wouldn't be able to escape the valley. By then, you'd be dead, so how could you help me avenge my death?"
Zhou Shu pondered for a moment. It sounded like the spiritual body was very important. Without it , cultivating immortality would be difficult.
"What is a spiritual body?"
The old man looked at Zhou Shu and explained patiently. "A spiritual body is a rare physical condition. Those with spiritual bodies are naturally able to resonate with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, without the need for spiritual roots. Mortals with spiritual roots face two major obstacles in cultivating immortality: sensing and receiving. However, those with spiritual bodies not only do not have these two obstacles, but they can achieve twice the result with half the effort."
"I see."
Zhou Shu nodded, seemingly understanding, then said seriously, "But having learned from my previous experience, I will definitely not approach you. If you truly desire revenge, then don't worry about whether I'm a spirit or not. Who else here can learn, who else can help you avenge your death?"
Seeing Zhou Shu's determined expression, the old man knew he couldn't let him get close. He thought for a moment, then finally sighed. "Well, being able to block my blast is almost enough, even if you're not a spirit. I'll teach you my secret technique now. Whether you learn it or not, you must help me avenge my death, or I will never forgive you!"
"If what the elder has given me is truly useful, I will certainly serve you."
Zhou Shu, resolute, smiled and nodded, standing still and bowing.
The elder spoke slowly, his voice as soothing as a trickle of water, each word reaching Zhou Shu's ears.
It was gradually getting dark.
The elder had fallen asleep. Seven hours of continuous teaching had weakened his already haggard appearance.
"Thank you for your guidance, old man. I'm deeply grateful."
Zhou Shu slowly stood up and bowed solemnly to the elder.
To cultivate the immortal realm, one transforms the spiritual energy of heaven and earth into spiritual power for their own use, conforming to the natural order of heaven and earth, gradually ascending to a higher realm, breaking through the shackles of heaven and earth, and ultimately becoming an immortal.
It was truly a temptation no one could resist.
"Traveling to this world where one can cultivate immortality is really an interesting challenge. A great opportunity that is hard for mortals to obtain is right in front of me. I have no reason not to cultivate immortality, to be free and unrestrained, and to achieve immortality."
There was yearning in his eyes, and a hint of satisfaction in his smile.