Exploring Immortality Cultivation

Tianling Ridge is the largest mountain range in the southern region of Shenzhou. However, it is not a naturally formed paradise; instead, it was artificially created as a blessed land.

Two thousand years ago, when the Holy Infant Sect was at its zenith, the sect occupied all of the Cave Heaven and Blessed Lands in the world. Other sects were left with only inferior locations. At that time, Tianling Ridge consisted only of Spirit Beast Mountain at the eastern end of the ridge and Wanhua Valley at the western part.

These two ancient sects, one specializing in beast taming and the other in herbal cultivation, were not considered major sects in ancient times. It was only after the Heavenly Selection God Monarch achieved enlightenment that Wanhua Valley came under the protection of Spirit Beast Mountain. It wasn't until the concept of "cells" was proposed that the two merged into one, focusing on the Life Path research and calling themselves "Tianling Ridge." Since then, many offshoots were gradually established along the thousand-mile-long ridge.

To traverse from east to west and take in the entirety of Tianling Ridge in a single day has become a famous scenic route in Shenzhou.

For Wang Qi, this was his first visit to the gates of a Modern Sect's great sect, and he was somewhat excited. After bringing down his Escape Light at the reception platform on Spirit Beast Mountain, he started running into the mountains: "This place... ah!"

Chen Youjia grabbed Wang Qi's hand and pulled him back to his side with a cold voice, "Don't. It's too embarrassing."

"Hey, hey, let's go take a look, it's rare to come to such a nice place." Wang Qi was shaking Chen Youjia's hand, "I heard they have all kinds of rare beasts and Spirit Birds here! I want to go and see the rainbow-colored pony... ah!"

With skillful energy transmission, Chen Youjia lifted Wang Qi and then dropped him to the ground, while the other hand covered his face, "So embarrassing... Too shameful... How can you behave like this?"

Lying on the ground, Wang Qi grinned, "I'm just relaxing a bit. Besides, the scenery of Spirit Beast Mountain is rare in the world. I heard that within three steps, you will definitely catch a Life Being that you can eat."

"It really is a nice place... No, wait." Chen Youjia said irritably, "We are not here to sightsee!"

"I know, I know, we're here to receive an award," Wang Qi got up and shook the dust off himself with energy transmission.

Three days ago, they received the invitation for the Dao Seed Award, and only then did they learn that they had been nominated for the Dao Seed Reward.

"Just a nomination, don't get conceited," Chen Youjia tugged at Wang Qi, "Your deeds have been suppressed by others; you won't be punished, but don't expect anything good!"

The Life Path values practical proof, but many of Wang Qi's proofs were shady and thus unlikely to be appreciated.

"Forget about the setbacks, always look at the positives," Wang Qi looked around, "I'm not even thinking about winning the award. It's always nice to have a little bit of sightseeing and relaxation."

"If it were any other time, it would be nice, right?" Chen Feng shook his head, "But at this moment, I wouldn't recommend you wandering around."

Wang Qi looked around and laughed, "Your popularity in Tianling Ridge seems to be even worse than mine in Wanfa Sect."

In the air, there was a faint hostility, and not even a single low-level disciple who should have come to guide them was to be seen.

"You're not much better, not everyone is free of prejudice against Banished Immortals... Nevermind," Chen Feng shook his head, "Let's avoid conflict with them. I know the way, let's go directly to the 'Fragrant Spirit Sky' in Central Peak of Tianling Ridge."

Wang Qi unfolded a browsing map of the route, "Okay, for Central Peak we'll have to fly over the three peaks of Spirit Beast Mountain and Innate Peak..."

Chen Youjia pulled him along, "Let's go."

The "reception platform" is an architectural style unique to Shenzhou, often built on mountains and somewhat resembling a helipad on Earth. The circular ground made of marble vaguely forms the pattern of "Taiji." Although this is one of the gateways to Tianling Ridge, it is seldom trodden. Only a stone path, weaving through the forest in varying shades of darkness and light with the mountain's terrain, was laid out.

This path was merely for directing visitors and was the shortest route to Innate Peak. The trio walked along this path, and the hostile feeling by the reception platform gradually dissipated.

Suddenly, Chen Feng stopped moving.

He sensed an even stronger hostility in the air. Taking one more step forward would tighten the surrounding hostility, like a bow being drawn to its fullest tension.

As a Yangshen Pavilion Disciple, he was especially sensitive to such spiritual domains as "hostility." After having learnt the Divine Tao, his instinctual sensitivity to this elusive "hostility" increased further.

After all, the animosity and enmity between people also represent a form of "relationship"... "connection".

At this moment, a bright light suddenly surrounded Wang Qi.

Holy Light turned into a radiation field. Negative Entropy Force spread, menacing like a life-form baring its fangs and claws.

To avoid Entropy Increase and Thermal Death, a system must maintain constant energy and mass exchange with the outside world. For living organisms, the method of exchanging mass and energy is "eating."

The field of Holy Light, like an amoeba, enveloped all surrounding Life Beings. The one hiding in the shadows, emitting hostility, was no exception. He was like a bacterium, surrounded by the amoeba, and then "digested". He felt his connection with the Heaven and Earth Breathing shaken, his threads of life force being extracted by the Negative Entropy Force.

This is a form of "eating"! Using the Supreme divine power, Life Flame, to consume the life force of others is a common tactic used by fellow Tianling Ridge members in confrontations. When this method is developed to its peak, it becomes the technique that Ai Qinglan once used to instantly take away all of an opponent's Cultivation.

No living being is born with the concept of "restraint." So-called "ecological balance" is merely the result of external constraints, a compromise when the ability to reproduce, to prey, and to digest are insufficient. No species would refuse the chance to eradicate other species and stand atop the evolutionary tree.

The person harboring hostility felt as though he had been thrown into a whirlpool, with forces pulling at him from all sides. It felt like something was being violently extracted from his body, and under this ghastly situation, his combat power was reduced to a mere fraction!

Spiritual Energy naturally flows towards highly ordered complex systems, just like how Thermal Energy flows from high temperature to low -- it's one of the most fundamental physical principles of the universe. The Life Flame is such a system, which is why it could almost be considered a perpetual motion machine of the second kind, able to provide power endlessly.

If we were to use plants as an analogy, every Tianling Ridge disciple possesses an extensive "root system," while those cultivators with the Life Flame have "root systems" that are a thousand, even a hundred thousand times greater than their peers.

And if we were to compare it to animals, this "strength" is "feeding."

He longed to break free. Just then, Wang Qi casually glanced his way.

He was winking, as if jokingly making a face, but in his open eye blazed a strong White Flame, swirling with endless Holy Light!

"Buzz!" It seemed as though a firecracker had exploded in his head, stealing his senses. By the time he came to, the three people had already walked far away.

"Just as the nature of living beings is to devour everything they can digest, the Life Flame, if used correctly, can directly capture the life force from all surrounding life beings," said Wang Qi, as if discussing someone else, smiling at Chen Feng, "This is what you use against your own sect members, isn't it?"

"The spells of Tianling Ridge are rich with vitality, hence the strong restraining effect," Chen Feng replied. "If it were cultivators from other sects, stealing a portion of their life force and negative entropy wouldn't achieve much. But for someone like me, who has a deeper grasp on the Life Flame, your little tricks are nothing but an offering…"

"It's enough as long as it works."

Suddenly, another voice interjected between the three, "Indeed. The fact that Junior Brother Wang could cultivate to become the top True Inheritor of the Wanfa Sect is already astonishing. But please, could you tone down your aura a bit? This is Tianling Ridge, after all. Your behavior is nearly provocative."

A man in a blue robe swiftly approached from behind. His movement technique was incredibly fast, filled with a barbaric wildness. In a blink, he stood before the three.

Complex emotions surfaced on Chen Feng's face, "Senior Brother Xue."

The man in the blue robe clasped his hands in salute, "Junior Brother Chen, congratulations."

"Congratulations?" Chen Feng was puzzled for a moment, "Does this mean the Dao Seed Award..."

"You haven't been negligent even in the Divine Capital, which is quite heartening," said the man in the blue robe, patting Chen Feng on the shoulder with a familiar air, "Junior Sister Lan hasn't asked in vain."

Chen Feng's brows knotted, "This has nothing to do with her."

The man just smiled and did not directly respond to that comment but instead produced a Spirit Boat magic artifact, "It would save you all a lot of trouble if you come with me to the aromatic Flower Heaven. This way, we spare ourselves the hassle—most disciples don't know who the awardees are."

Wang Qi wondered, "What's this, does Tianling Ridge have a tradition of taking turns to challenge guests?"

"Junior Brother Wang may please himself, but Junior Brother Chen... you know what the situation is. It's not just one Zhang Fengchun waiting for your return."

Chen Feng's expression shifted, and finally, he said, "Are you planning to take us directly to the back hall of Flower Heaven to avoid the other sect members?"

The young man nodded with a smile, "Exactly so."

"I understand," Chen Feng nodded, then turned to Chen Youjia and Wang Qi, "Do you two also..."

"I'm here for the first time; I don't know the way at all."

Chen Youjia also said, "I've only been here a couple of times as a child."

The three of them boarded the Spirit Boat with the young man and flew westward.

Wang Qi had thought that Chen Feng and the blue-robed young man got along quite well, but after boarding the boat, the two had not exchanged a single word. Puzzled, Wang Qi asked Chen Youjia in a low voice, "Who is this guy?"

"Xue Bufan, the True Inheritor of the Ancient Spirit Cliff."

"What's with this awkward atmosphere? What's their relationship?"

"Love rivals," Chen Youjia put it succinctly.

Wang Qi looked at Chen Feng with a different gaze and said, "To think you'd ride on your rival's coattails, where is your pride, Boss—come to think of it, that what's-his-name Feng we dealt with earlier..."

"Also a love rival."

Wang Qi was shocked, "I never would have guessed Senior Sister Ai was so beloved!"

Could this be the manifestation of "how can one amass followers without significant assets"?

"Heh, a graceful and refined lady is a gentleman's ideal. Tianling Ridge values empirical proof most, coupled with philosophic contemplation. Not many women can fathom its profound depths, let alone be as pretty as Junior Sister Lan," Xue Bufan said with a laugh from behind Wang Qi.

Holy crap! Such a gentleman! To boldly speak in front of Chen Feng!

"Especially when compared to her fiancé, who seems quite weaker than her," Chen Feng's voice sounded muffled, with a depth none could guess at. (To be continued. If you like this work, your votes and monthly tickets at Starting Point (qidian.com) are greatly appreciated. Your support is my biggest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to continue reading.)