Chapter 172 The Secret to Immortality

The morning sun rose.

Golden sunlight spilled across the revitalized land of the Eastern Continent.

The tide of spiritual energy, one grand enough to be recorded in the history books, had gradually subsided, yet the concentration of spiritual power lingering in the air remained several times higher than before.

In the Barren Sand Sea, outside the Asura Hall.

Twenty-three Martial Venerable experts were now fully assembled and ready to depart.

After a night of frantic cultivation, everyone had undergone a transformation akin to being reborn.

Even Qin Zhan, the ancestor of Great Qin who had been severely injured, was now glowing with health, looking as if he had aged backward by twenty years, and his aura had stabilized at the Eighth Heaven of the Martial Venerable Realm.

"Everyone."

Ye Haocheng stood atop the high platform. He was not wearing his purple-gold battle armor, but a simple black robe.

Even so, the majesty he commanded in the eyes of the crowd was more solemn than that of an emperor in dragon robes.

"Go back."

Ye Haocheng waved his hand dismissively.

There were no impassioned farewell speeches.

"Go back to stabilize your realms and reorganize your troops."

"Although the Eastern Continent has 'opened the sky,' this is only the beginning."

"I think you all understand that the road ahead will only be harder than before."

Hearing this, Qin Zhan's expression turned solemn.

He took a step forward and bowed deeply to Ye Haocheng.

"Rest assured, Hall Master."

"Upon its return, the Great Qin Dynasty will mobilize the strength of the entire nation to train its troops and seek out geniuses."

"As soon as the Asura Command is issued, the Great Qin Iron Cavalry will surely arrive!"

With that, he said no more, turned to step onto the illusory image of a giant black dragon, and transformed into a streak of light, disappearing into the distance.

"The Great Chu Dynasty takes its leave!"

"Ice Snow Valley takes its leave!"

...

One figure after another soared into the sky.

When they arrived, they carried determination and a will to die.

When they left, they were full of hope and ambition.

Watching the departing backs of these experts, Ye Haocheng's gaze remained calm.

He knew this was an alliance.

The firmest kind of alliance, forged by the binding of life, death, and mutual interest.

"Let us go back as well."

Ye Haocheng turned and spoke to Leng Yi and Wu De behind him.

"There are still many things waiting for me to confirm."

...

Asura Hall, Third Level Cultivation Chamber.

This was the most heavily defended place in the entire Asura Hall.

The surrounding walls were cast from ten-thousand-year-old profound iron and inscribed with dense defensive formations.

Even a strike from a Martial Saint expert could hardly shake it in the slightest.

The heavy stone door slowly closed.

It shut out all the clamor of the outside world.

Inside the secret chamber, only a few night-luminescent pearls emitted a soft glow.

Ye Haocheng sat cross-legged on a prayer mat.

He did not begin cultivating immediately.

Instead, he took out a very ancient-looking jade pendant from his storage ring.

The jade pendant was green, carved with some blurred cloud patterns, and showed no spiritual power fluctuations.

It looked like a little trinket one could find anywhere at a street stall in the secular world.

But the origin of this jade pendant was not simple at all.

He had obtained it from the storage ring of Chu Changsheng, the Martial God Realm expert of the Great Chu Dynasty, after killing him.

And more importantly.

Chu Yunxiao had said before he died that this jade pendant was related to a shocking secret.

A secret about "becoming an immortal."

"Becoming an immortal..."

Ye Haocheng rubbed the jade pendant in his hand, his eyes becoming somewhat distant.

In this world where the martial path flourished, the Martial Emperor was the peak.

Legend had it that above the Martial Emperor lay the illusory Immortal Realm.

But that was only a legend.

Since ancient times, no one had ever truly seen an immortal, nor had anyone truly taken that step.

"If it truly were an opportunity to become an immortal, why would the Chu family keep it hidden and tucked away?"

"Why would they even go as far as to start a cross-continent war just to keep this secret tightly guarded?"

Ye Haocheng muttered to himself.

He tried injecting a trace of spiritual power.

Buzz—

The jade pendant vibrated slightly, but that was all.

No strange phenomena occurred.

"Could I be overthinking it?"

Ye Haocheng frowned slightly.

Refusing to believe it was just a trinket, he tried again.

He increased the input of spiritual power.

Still no reaction.

"Since spiritual power doesn't work, then let's try... Divine Soul power!"

Ye Haocheng's eyes narrowed.

Light flared at his brow, and a massive surge of Divine Soul power poured into the jade pendant like a tide.

This time.

There was finally a change.

The originally dull green jade pendant suddenly lit up with a faint, eerie green light.

The light was not dazzling, but it gave off an extremely ancient and weathered feeling.

It was as if it had crossed the barriers of time and space, coming from that distant Primeval Era.

"Success!"

Ye Haocheng was delighted.

He immediately calmed his mind and focused, controlling his Divine Soul power to cautiously probe into the interior of the jade pendant.

The moment his Divine Soul touched the core of the jade pendant.

Boom!

Ye Haocheng felt a roar in his mind.

The scene before him instantly shifted.

The cultivation chamber disappeared.

In its place was a vast, boundless starry sky.

And in the deepest part of that starry sky, a massive palace floated.

The palace was built entirely of white jade, surrounded by immortal qi and emitting a suffocating pressure.

Even though it was just an illusory image, Ye Haocheng could feel a tremor originating from the depths of his soul.

"That is..."

Ye Haocheng's eyes widened, trying to see the plaque of the palace clearly.

But it seemed to be obscured by some kind of power of laws, appearing as a blur.

Just then.

A grand and cold voice suddenly exploded in his mind.

"Tianjue Ruins, the Immortal Path shall open."

"Those who hold this token may enter the Tianduan Mountain Range of the Central Continent..."

There were only two short sentences.

Then, the scene before him shattered like a mirror.

Ye Haocheng felt the world spin, and his consciousness was instantly pulled back to reality.

“Huff... huff...”

Ye Haocheng panted heavily, his forehead covered in fine beads of sweat.

That moment just now, although brief.

Had left him feeling as if his Divine Soul had been hollowed out, extremely weak.

"Central Continent... Tianduan Mountain Range..."

Ye Haocheng tightly gripped the jade pendant, a startling light flashing in his eyes.

"So that's how it is."

"This jade pendant is actually a key."

"A key to open an ancient ruin!"

The Tianjue Ruins.

Ye Haocheng had seen a few words about this name in the ancient records of the Asura Hall.

Rumor had it that it was the place of ascension for an ancient figure named "Immortal Tianjue."

Inside were hidden countless treasures, and even a complete method for becoming an immortal.

But that ruin was extremely mysterious, appearing only once every ten thousand years.

Moreover, its entrance was elusive.

He hadn't expected it to be in the Tianduan Mountain Range of the Central Continent this time.

"No wonder the Chu family was so frantic."

"No wonder the four continents joined forces to blockade the Eastern Continent."

Ye Haocheng stood up and paced back and forth within the secret chamber.

His thoughts raced, connecting everything that had happened before.

"They are afraid!"

"Afraid that someone from the Eastern Continent would rise, afraid that someone would snatch this opportunity to become an immortal!"

"So they set up the Sky-Locking Formation to sever the martial path of the Eastern Continent."

"So they launched purges at regular intervals to stifle the geniuses of the Eastern Continent."

Everything made sense now.

This wasn't some simple resource plundering, nor was it some ancestral grudge.

This was a ten-thousand-year scheme carried out for the chance to become an immortal!

"Chu Yunxiao, oh Chu Yunxiao."

"You certainly sent me a grand gift."

Ye Haocheng looked at the jade pendant in his hand, a cold smile curling on his lips.

"Since this key has fallen into my hands."

"Then I'll have to join this game and play along."

"The Central Continent, is it?"

Ye Haocheng's gaze became deep and sharp.

"Just as well, new grudges and old hatreds—let's settle them all together!"

...

Central Continent, the Chu Family Ancestral Land.

This was one of the paradises with the densest spiritual energy in the Central Continent.

Surrounded by mountains and shrouded in mist.

Magnificent palaces were scattered in an orderly fashion among the mountain ranges.

As one of the top-tier families in the Central Continent, the Chu family possessed a foundation that could look down upon all others.

But today.

Inside the most core discussion hall of the Chu family, the atmosphere was suffocatingly oppressive.

Bang!

A loud crash rang out.

A table made of ten-thousand-year-old agarwood was slapped into powder by a withered palm.

"Useless! A bunch of useless fools!!"

Sitting in the head seat was a purple-robed old man.

His hair and beard were all white, and his face was gaunt, but his eyes were as sharp as a falcon's, emitting a predatory cold light.

He was the current strongest member of the Chu family, the peak Martial God Realm ancestor—Chu Batian.

"Ancestor, please calm your anger!"

Below the hall, several middle-aged men in brocade clothes were kneeling.

They were all high-level members of the Chu family, usually awe-inspiring in the outside world, but now they were trembling with fear, not even daring to lift their heads.

"Calm my anger? How can you expect me to calm my anger!!"

Chu Batian suddenly stood up, pointing at the crowd below, his roar making the entire hall tremble.

"Four Martial Gods! Those were four Martial Gods!!"

"And the Qilin son of my Chu family, Yunxiao!"

"A full hundred thousand elite troops!"

"Just gone like that? Gone without even making a ripple?!"

Chu Batian grew angrier as he spoke, his chest heaving violently.

In this battle, the Chu family could be said to have suffered a major blow to its vitality.

Not only had a Martial God Realm ancestor, Chu Changsheng, died, but they had also lost their future hope, Chu Yunxiao.

This was an unbearable pain for the Chu family.

"Ancestor..."

At this time, a black-robed person sitting on the left side of the hall spoke slowly.

Their voice was raspy and low, making it impossible to tell if they were male or female, and their body was shrouded in a layer of black mist.

"Now is not the time for anger."

"According to the intelligence we've received, the Sky-Locking Formation of the Eastern Continent has been broken."

As soon as these words were spoken.

The temperature inside the hall instantly dropped to the freezing point.

Everyone's faces became extremely unsightly.

The Sky-Locking Formation was broken.

They knew better than anyone what this meant.

It meant that the cage where they had kept them captive for ten thousand years was completely open.

It meant that the once-glorious Eastern Continent, which had even struck fear into their ancestors, was coming back.

"Humph!"

A monk wearing a kasaya sitting on the right side gave a cold snort.

He was the representative of the Western Region's Buddhist Sect, with the dharma name "Ku Hai."

"So what if it's broken?"

Ku Hai turned the Buddhist beads in his hand, a trace of disdain on his face.

"The Eastern Continent has long since declined. Even if there's a bit of spiritual energy recovery, what kind of waves can they possibly stir up?"

"This poor monk suggests that we immediately assemble the forces of the four continents."

"While they haven't yet stabilized their footing, we should launch another general offensive!"

"This time, we must pull them up by the roots, leaving not even a chicken or a dog alive!"

Ku Hai's words carried a thick scent of blood, forming a sharp contrast with his compassionate appearance.

"I agree."

The black-robed person nodded and said sinisterly.

"My Southern Continent's Venomous Gu Sect is willing to dispatch three thousand venomous corpses to assist the Chu family."

"That kid named Ye Haocheng must die."

"His flesh and blood will surely be delicious nutrients."

The last person, a middle-aged beautiful woman who had remained silent, also spoke up.

She was the Palace Master of the Northern Continent's Ice Soul Palace, her temperament as cold as frost.

"Ice Soul Palace can also take action."

"But this time, we want fifty percent of the spoils of war."

The representatives of the three major forces, though each having their own hidden agendas, were surprisingly unanimous in their attitude toward the Eastern Continent.

And that was—extermination!

They were used to being high and mighty, used to controlling everything.

They would never allow those lowly "prisoners" to turn the tables and become the masters.

Hearing the statements from the three, Chu Batian's expression softened slightly.

But he did not immediately agree.

Instead, he sat back in his chair, his finger lightly tapping the armrest.

"We cannot."

After a long time.

Chu Batian slowly uttered those two words.

"What?"

Monk Ku Hai frowned, looking at Chu Batian with some dissatisfaction.

"Benefactor Chu, what is the meaning of this?"

"Is the Chu family afraid?"

"Afraid?"

Chu Batian gave a cold laugh, a trace of disdain flashing in his eyes.

"I have traversed the world all my life and have never been afraid of anyone."

"But have you ever considered..."

"What kind of existence is the Sky-Locking Formation?"

"That is a taboo formation passed down from ancient times, one that even we, joining forces, could not shake in the slightest."

"That Ye Haocheng—on what basis could he break it?"

Chu Batian's gaze swept across the crowd, his tone turning deep.

"This shows that he holds a power in his hands that we do not know about."

"Or... some kind of trump card enough to threaten us."

"More importantly..."

Chu Batian paused, a trace of wariness flashing in his eyes.

"Since the Eastern Continent has 'opened the sky,' the Heavenly Dao Laws will be recast."

"The rules of heaven and earth there no longer reject outsiders, but they also no longer suppress native cultivators."

"That Ye Haocheng was able to cultivate to the Martial Saint realm while under blockade. Now that the formation is broken, to what extent will his strength expand?"

"Who can guarantee anything?"

This series of rhetorical questions left the three people in the hall silent.

It was true.

The reason they had dared to be so unscrupulous before was because the Sky-Locking Formation was suppressing everything.

No matter how strong the people of the Eastern Continent were, there was a limit.

But now it was different.

That was an unknown variable.

If they rushed in and were wiped out again like last time, what would happen to the face of their four major forces?

What would happen to their foundations?

"Then, in Benefactor Chu's opinion, what should be done?"

Although Monk Ku Hai was unwilling, he also knew that what Chu Batian said made sense.

"Are we just going to swallow this grievance?"

"Swallow it?"

A cruel arc curled on the corner of Chu Batian's mouth.

"When did I ever say we would swallow this grievance?"

"Since this is not just a problem for our four families."

"Then let's let everyone get involved."

"What do you mean?"

The Ice Soul Palace Master was somewhat confused.

Chu Batian stood up and walked to a huge map of the Central Continent in the center of the hall.

He reached out and slapped the center of the map heavily.

"The shattering of the Sky-Locking Formation is an earth-shattering event."

"It means the balance has been broken."

"It means... a new era of chaos is coming."

Chu Batian turned around, his eyes flashing with the light of an old fox.

"This is not just the shame of our four families."

"It is a crisis for the entire Central Continent, and even for all the super forces of the Southern, Northern, and Western continents."

"If the Eastern Continent rises, it will inevitably carve up existing resources."

"This is touching everyone's cake!"

Hearing this, the black-robed person seemed to understand a bit, letting out a sinister laugh.

"Jie jie jie..."

"Brother Chu truly has a good plan."

"You want to... kill with a borrowed knife?"