The Forbidden Path to Immortality

Li Xun took a deep breath, calming himself after the rush of excitement, then jumped straight in. "What exactly is Yin Wanderer suspicious of me for?"

Consort Qin answered immediately, no hesitation at all. "That rogue cultivator who was using NetherYin Qi…"

Before she could even finish, a thunderclap went off in Li Xun's mind. He instantly realized where he'd slipped up.

He smacked his forehead hard, cursing under his breath, "How could I forget something so damn simple?"

In that moment, it all clicked.

Back then, he had pushed all traces of NetherYin Qi on himself onto a fabricated scapegoat. To the phantom rogue cultivator. At the time, Yin Wanderer had been fully focused on He Mulan and the others, so the deception had worked.

But once the people from Heavenly Vigorous Sect were eliminated, things changed. He, the very person involved, had shown no sign of caution or concern over the formidable enemy he'd supposedly encountered. With how meticulous Yin Wanderer was, how could that not raise suspicions?

Though Li Xun was terrified, he also felt deeply relieved. The way things had twisted just in time… it felt almost too perfect. Could it be that some hidden will of Heaven was truly helping him escape this disaster?

Then a new thought struck him. Maybe there was a way to smooth this over after all. Half his worries now set aside, he turned to another puzzle. "What exactly is a Primordial Embryo Dao Body? And why does it matter?"

A breeze drifted in through the window, stirring the sheer curtains. It carried a hint of cold into the room.

Consort Qin didn't even flinch. She answered every question dutifully, her ruby lips parting as she explained slowly and clearly. Li Xun listened closely. And the deeper she went, the more it felt like he was plunging into a nightmare.

The room's warmth was fading fast. The charcoal fire in the brazier crackled as it dimmed, curling thin tendrils of smoke into the air.

"You seem to be enjoying yourself," a voice cut in suddenly.

At some point, unnoticed, Yin Wanderer had appeared beside the bed, smiling as she watched Li Xun toy with Consort Qin. The poor woman had been worked to the brink of death. She was barely breathing, more out than in.

Startled, Li Xun looked up in feigned shock. Seeing it was Yin Wanderer, he gave an awkward smile and quickly stopped what he was doing, scrambling to wrap himself in clothes. He leapt off the bed and greeted her, "Master Aunt…"

"Why stop? You looked like you were having a great time," Yin Wanderer smiled faintly, her eyes gleaming with a beauty that defied words.

With just one glance from her, Li Xun felt a tingling all over his body. His mind involuntarily wandered to a few nights ago; the madness that had taken place on that very bed. The vivid sensations, the heady blur. It all came rushing back. His body reacted before he could stop it.

Now there was no way to pretend. His embarrassment was genuine. Sucking in his breath, he tried to suppress the reaction and bowed clumsily. "Master Aunt, please forgive me. This disciple didn't mean…"

He was about to launch into a carefully rehearsed excuse when Yin Wanderer cut him off. "You're here just in time. I have something I need you to do."

That caught him off guard. But he recovered quickly. "This disciple will obey. What is it, Master Aunt?"

"That's a good attitude for a disciple. Makes things easier for us," said another voice.

It was Blood Wanderer.

He stepped out from the shadows where he had apparently been hiding for who knows how long. Though he was smiling, his face was dark and grim, making Li Xun's heart skip a beat.

Before Li Xun could say anything, a piece of cloth was suddenly held in front of him.

He glanced at it. It was covered in a mess of intricate lines. A map? Taking it carefully with both hands, he leaned in to study it. Sure enough, it depicted a stretch of hilly terrain about ten miles west of Songjing City. But then… what were those thick, mismatched strokes layered on top?

"This is a talisman-pattern formation manual. Take it and set up the formation here. It must be completed within three days, without the slightest mistake!" Blood Wanderer's eyes gleamed coldly. Clearly, this was something important.

Li Xun nodded repeatedly, accepting the task. But inwardly, he was puzzled. With their power, couldn't these two lay the formation themselves with a flick of the wrist? Why send him?

That doubt must've shown on his face, because Blood Wanderer shot him a glare. Yin Wanderer, on the other hand, chuckled and explained, "You don't need to doubt; it's just that it's not convenient for the two of us to go out right now. Qing Luan's perception is razor sharp. If we make a move, she'll notice. That's why we're having you do it. Do you understand?"

Connecting it with what he'd just learned from Consort Qin, everything suddenly clicked for Li Xun. A chill crept through his chest, but outwardly, he kept his expression just right: a mix of confusion and obedient deference, like someone who didn't fully grasp the stakes but knew better than to ask questions.

Studying the formation diagram again, he put on the look of a diligent disciple and asked Blood Wanderer, "Master, what kind of cultivation method is required to activate this formation?

Blood Wanderer clearly appreciated his cleverness. With a glance, he gave Li Xun the incantation directly and without fuss. Li Xun memorized it swiftly and prepared to take his leave.

But after just a few steps, he suddenly stopped, as if something had just occurred to him. He turned back to Yin Wanderer. "Master Aunt," he said carefully, "forgive my boldness, but I have a question…"

She raised an eyebrow at his odd expression and gave a slight nod, inviting him to continue.

He scratched his head and pretended to be a little embarrassed. "Master Aunt… those treasures you collected, have you used them yet?"

He was referring to the ingredients like Peach Blossom Blood. The things that had sparked chaos within the palace. Yin Wanderer, of course, knew what he meant. Her eyes flickered with a sharp glint as she smiled. "Not yet. Why? Interested in using them yourself?"

Li Xun waved his hand frantically. "No, no, not at all. It's just that I suddenly remembered when Gu Pin'er and the others broke in, there was also a master from the Ghost Devouring Shadow Sect. We haven't heard a peep about him since. Could there be something strange going on down there? I'm a little… worried."

He flicked his eyes subtly toward the screen concealing the tunnel entrance. What he meant was clear without saying a word.

For a rare moment, Yin Wanderer's face showed a flicker of something odd. She gave a drawn-out, curious hum.

With the corner of his eye, Li Xun caught a glimpse of Consort Qin behind Yin Wanderer, and saw her freeze for half a second, then give the faintest shake of her head.

Then Yin Wanderer laughed. "Ah, that's right. There was someone like that… I see now. It's rare that you have such consideration!"

Relief hit Li Xun like a wave. The pressure that had been building in his chest for so long began to ease, even if only slightly. But even that brief moment of relief was like a drowning man breaking the surface and gasping a single breath of fresh air. Even if he went under again, he could hang on a little longer.

And right now, that was more than enough.

Without saying another word, Li Xun cupped his hands respectfully to the two Wanderers, then turned and left.

As soon as he stepped out of the palace gates, a flicker of a smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth. But it faded just as quickly, replaced by a deep, stormy gloom.

Primordial Embryo Dao Body... How can I possibly have a Primordial Embryo Dao Body?

Almost without thinking, he mounted his horse and let it roam freely, not caring where it wandered. His mind was swirling with everything Consort Qin Fei told him.

A Primordial Embryo Dao Body, born with exceptional spiritual roots and perfect constitution, a physique that made one's cultivation path smooth and unstoppable. But things were never so simple. Too many variables along the way could twist that destiny. Take Li Xun for example, Yin Wanderer suspected that something had gone awry during one of his tribulations, that perhaps even his three lifetimes had been severed, leaving him with the mark of "Solitary Calamity.

To most cultivators, the essence of a Primordial Embryo Dao Body, pure and tempered by endless tribulations, was a treasure beyond compare. Used as a cauldron, it could refine their own chaotic, impure true breath.

And there was another method. A far more twisted, vile method. One whispered about in the darker corners of the Tongxuan Realm.

Just remembering what Consort Qin had said about it made cold sweat bead across Li Xun's body. His mind snapped sharply into focus. The horse had arrived at a crossroads. He quickly got his bearings, tugged the reins, and galloped westward through the city.

Run… The thought echoed in his head. Run as far as I can.

But as the horse's hooves clattered forward, he let out a bitter laugh.

Run where? Even if he managed to flee a thousand miles overnight, he'd still be dragged back in the blink of an eye.

And where in all this vast world could he escape to? Lianxia Mountain? Heh. All Yin Wanderer and Blood Wanderer would have to do is stand at the gate and call his name a few times. His fate wouldn't be any better than if he'd stayed.

Thousands of thoughts churned through his mind, and none could save him. In the end, all it left him with was a pounding headache. He let out a long breath, forced down the storm inside him, and steadied himself.

The city gates were just ahead. He'd made up his mind.

Finish their task first. Then... whatever comes, comes.

But this task... it felt more like digging his own grave.

… 

West of Songjing was the most rugged terrain for hundreds of li, rolling hills carved apart by seven or eight snaking rivers that eventually converged at Qin Lake, circling the city before feeding into the Taikang River.

The roads here were treacherous and winding. Even with Blood Wanderer's detailed map, by the time Li Xun found the exact location, night had already fallen.

It was a secluded valley, hemmed in by seven or eight hills, sitting right on the edge of Qin Lake. The moment he stepped in, felt something. On a sudden impulse, he switched his cultivation to the Blood God Child technique, and the feeling became clearer. This place had been "prepared" long ago.

Relying on his sensitivity to the restrictive patterns, Li Xun scouted the small valley. In just one circuit, he spotted more than twenty locations with traces of carved symbols. Comparing them to the map, he quickly grasped about seventy to eighty percent of what was going on.

Though his understanding of the Blood God Child's formation system wasn't nearly as deep as his knowledge of the Mingxin Sword Sect's methods, cultivation theory was ultimately interconnected (all techniques return to one). With enough experience and the right approach, even foreign systems could be approached with relative ease.

On a normal day, he might have found this alien formation system fascinating. But today was not the time for research.

Step by step, he followed the diagram instructions, engraving, adjusting, and overlaying existing patterns. There were hundreds of lines to carve, and each one required full concentration and a steady flow of spiritual energy. Despite his recent surge in cultivation, the process was exhausting. After every dozen or so lines, he had to rest and recover his energy.

It was painstaking work. But if Blood Wanderer could've seen his pace, he'd probably have had his eyes pop out in disbelief.

That so-called three-day deadline? It wasn't just arbitrary. Blood Wanderer had calculated it based on Li Xun's known capabilities. But what he didn't realize was that when it came to the path of restrictive formation, Li Xun's comprehension and skill far outstripped his cultivation level.

What he had was nothing short of a young master's level talent and cultivation base; he just lacked the experience to match.

By the time the array was nearly complete, the sky was pitch black. Under the faint starlight, he was drawing the last four symbol lines.

These final strokes were the key to unifying the entire formation. One slip, and the whole thing could collapse.

As he drew, his mind entered a state of razor-sharp focus. Every ounce of effort stirred the Blood God's power within him, bit by bit, pouring into this.

But without intending to, his mind began piecing everything together. Each of the lines he had previously engraved came back to him in vivid detail. It wasn't deliberate; it was as if his subconscious was naturally reviewing them, analyzing their connections, and predicting new variations.

His hands kept working while his thoughts ran separately, as if he had split into two selves. One drawing. One analyzing. It was strangely fascinating.

When the last sigil was about a third done, his hand suddenly froze.

It was as if he'd been shaken awake from a long, deep dream. A chill crept down his spine.

This restrictive pattern…

He tossed aside his carving tool and tore through the valley like a storm, circling around dozens of times, testing and verifying everything against the deductions racing through his head.

The more he saw, the darker his expression became.