Chapter 279: Cultivating Immortality is Actually Tiring

Chapter 279: Cultivating Immortality is Actually Tiring

The atmosphere became lively as they reunited with old friends in a foreign land, a pleasant surprise. With Fat Dragon's witty interjections, the mood remained cheerful.

Zhao Dezhu and Zhao Yishi, long-time friends who hadn't seen each other in years, were engaged in a joyful conversation.

Their reunion after a long absence brought happiness, as they had been very close during their time in Daxia Kingdom.

Meanwhile, Chen Qiu sat quietly by the bonfire, deep in thought. A large shadow enveloped him, and the bonfire, kindled by Zhao Yishi, blazed several zhang high. The shadow cast by Zhao Yishi sitting beside the fire covered Chen Qiu entirely.

"Immortal Cancer."

This was the second time he had heard this name. The first time was from Bai Jia Jiuzhu, who had informed him that his daughter suffered from this celestial illness. Now, he learned that Zhao Yishi's grandfather also had the same affliction.

A celestial illness that only immortals could contract.

How did Bai Jia Jiuzhu's daughter acquire this disease? Was it a problem with the woman or the illness itself? There was an extremely small chance of it afflicting a non-immortal.

During their conversation, Chen Qiu also learned that Zhao Yishi had been brought out from the Tianqiu Land just a few months ago. Prior to that, he had always been in Daxia Kingdom. A few months ago, while sleeping in the rear mountain, a powerful force of attraction enveloped him, and he appeared in the Fourth Rank Continent.

That force of attraction was from Zhao Yishi's grandfather.

It was said that Zhao Yishi's grandfather, having no family background and no offspring, decided to use all his possessions, including his life-bound spirit treasure, to obtain a "Bloodline Attractor." This object was an incredibly expensive treasure of the Heavenly Dao in the Immortal World.

It had little use for most races, except for those with small populations, such as the Barbarian and Dragon Clans.

Its effect was as follows:

After lighting this incense, it would search through millions of Rank Continents to find those who were not within their own race and had been left behind. It would then forcefully pull them to its user's side. Some of the less populous races in the Immortal World often used this method to increase their population.

However, it could only pull one person at a time, so usually, those with the highest bloodline rank and talent were prioritized.

Zhao Yishi's grandfather used this method to bring Zhao Yishi out of the Tianqiu Land. He wanted to pass on his legacy before his death, so at least he wouldn't have lived in vain.

"This person..."

Zhao Yishi's grandfather, sitting by the bonfire, gazed into the distance with a dazed expression and murmured, "After contracting Immortal Cancer, I've come to understand many things. In the past, I always sought fame and wanted everyone to know my name as the Immortal King. But when I fell ill with Immortal Cancer and my cultivation declined, I realized that suddenly, no one was talking about me anymore."

"It's only been a few years, but I feel like I've been forgotten instantly. Occasionally, when someone mentions me, it's as the unlucky Immortal King."

"Later, I wondered if there was a way for my name to be remembered forever, even after death."

"That's where legacy comes in."

"In the past, I used to scoff at the idea of legacy, but now that I'm facing death, I suddenly want to pass on all my life's learnings to Zhao Yishi. If one day he can go to the Immortal World, perhaps he can revive my name as the Immortal King."

"Oh."

Zhao Yishi, sitting beside him, nodded seriously. But only Chen Qiu and Zhao Dezhu knew that Zhao Yishi's grandfather's wish might not come true, as it seemed he was unaware of Zhao Yishi's severe aversion to fighting.

Such a person would never fight for fame, no matter how strong they were.

No matter how powerful one might be.

If they weren't that strong, there would be dangers everywhere.

In short, there was no reason to fight.

"Senior."

Chen Qiu suddenly thought of something and spoke softly, "Tianqiu Land?"

"Hmm."

Zhao Yishi's grandfather nodded and smiled, "After I used the Bloodline Attractor, I carefully selected among the Barbarians who were left behind in various continents. After half a day, I finally chose Zhao Yishi."

"Firstly, because he's an orphan, being without a family makes it easier to adopt him."

"Secondly, his bloodline is very orthodox; he's a pure Barbarian."

"Thirdly, and most importantly, he's the only one who was imprisoned in the Tianqiu Land, which piqued my curiosity."

"The Tianqiu Land is a very special place among all the Rank Continents. As we all know, the First Rank Continent is the lowest among them, and the Tianqiu Land is even lower, considered an attachment to the First Rank Continent."

"Those imprisoned in the Tianqiu Land are often extremely evil, like those who have..."

"Wait a minute?"

Fat Dragon, sitting nearby, looked confused, "Can the Heavenly Dao be killed?"

"Of course."

Zhao Yishi's grandfather shrugged, "The Heavenly Dao isn't invincible, so why can't it be killed? The Heavenly Dao isn't eternal; it's constantly being destroyed. When a continent completely collapses, that's the day its Heavenly Dao perishes."

"Every continent has its own Heavenly Dao."

"But these Heavenly Daos don't have their own emotions; they are products of heaven's will. If you completely destroy a continent, its Heavenly Dao will also perish, and you'll be imprisoned in the Tianqiu Land. There are also many other situations that can lead to imprisonment there."

"The only certain thing is that those imprisoned in the Tianqiu Land are all bad people."

"And they're the kind that can't be killed."

"The Heavenly Dao cannot directly kill a person with its own hands, nor can it send down Heavenly Thunder to strike you. The Heavenly Dao has its own rules of operation, and when dealing with extremely evil cultivators, such as those who have killed the Heavenly Dao, the common method is to issue a wanted order for their capture. Those who succeed in capturing the target will receive a substantial reward."

"But if this wanted order exists for a long time and the cultivator still cannot be killed, then the Heavenly Dao will forcefully send that person to the Heaven Prison."

"It can be said that those in the Heaven Prison are a group of terrifying and lawless existences."

"However..."

Zhao Yishi's grandfather seemed perplexed. "I don't know much about the Heaven Prison either, and there isn't much information about it. After all, very few people can escape from the Heaven Prison. But from what I've learned from Zhao Yishi, I understand the basic situation in your Daxia Kingdom."

"First of all, there are too many people in your Heaven Prison. Normally, the Heaven Prison should only have a dozen or so people, confined in a cramped space, never seeing the light of day. Your Heaven Prison is almost like a small continent in itself."

"Secondly, the cultivation level of those in your Heaven Prison is capped at the Golden Core Apex, and there aren't any extremely cruel or terrifyingly powerful individuals. Moreover, they have even set up a departure checkpoint, and one only needs to defeat a Nascent Soul Apex puppet to leave."

"Although it is indeed the Heaven Prison in name, in reality, it seems more like a modified version of the Heaven Prison."

"But..."

"Can the Heaven Prison, such an existence, be modified by humans?"

"I don't understand, I really don't."

As he spoke, Zhao Yishi's grandfather was clearly tipsy, having generously shared his treasured wine with the many new friends present at the lively gathering.

Chen Qiu nodded and raised his glass, clinking it with Zhao Yishi's grandfather from across the room.

Through their conversation, Chen Qiu also learned the name of this eight-thousand-year-old senior.

His name was Badan!

The surname Ba in the Maan Clan was a slave surname, meaning that those born with this surname were destined to be slaves, serving other Maan Clan members and permanently marked with the brand of slavery.

Badan, too, had relied on his own iron fists to break free from his shackles, step by step, eventually ascending to the position of Immortal King.

The reason his body was covered in moss was to conceal the brand that symbolized his slavery.

Unfortunately, things did not go as planned. Soon after achieving success and fame, he fell ill with Immortal Cancer.

"Zhao Yishi."

After a few rounds of drinks, Chen Qiu turned to Zhao Yishi and asked, "In recent years, has there been any significant change in the Daxia Kingdom?"

"Hmm..."

Zhao Yishi hesitated for a while, his eyes filled with uncertainty, before replying in a hoarse voice, "Brother Qiu, after the Sect Leader left, I've mostly been spending my days eating and sleeping. I'm not too familiar with the outside world. I only know that the Endless Ice Plain in the Daxia Kingdom suddenly experienced a significant drop in temperature."

"Many people from Feizhou in the south have withdrawn."

"Then, many sinister trees grew on the border of Feizhou. Oh, and the Seventh Prince became the second person to break free from the Daxia Kingdom. By the way, there's something important."

"The cultivation limit in the Daxia Kingdom has been lifted, and now the people of Daxia can break through to the Nascent Soul stage?"

"Huh?"

Chen Qiu was slightly taken aback. "Can the people of Daxia break through to the Nascent Soul stage now?"

"Yes, yes." Zhao Yishi confirmed, "The Heavenly Dao Edict also rang out, and the first person to reach the Nascent Soul stage was the old emperor of Daxia."

"Since they can now break through to the Nascent Soul stage, have the people from Daxia tried to leave the kingdom? With Nascent Soul cultivation, a Nascent Soul Sword Cultivator puppet shouldn't be that unbeatable."

"I'm not sure about that. I haven't been paying attention to these matters."

Zhao Yishi spoke with a hint of embarrassment, as if he felt he was coming across as too decadent. He was trying his best to recall the events that had transpired in the Daxia Kingdom over the years, but these were all he could remember; the rest simply wouldn't stick in his mind. He had never been very concerned about such matters anyway.

In his heart, only three things mattered: living, eating, and sleeping.

The night passed quickly.

The next day, as the sun rose, Chen Qiu, accompanied by Fei Long and a few others, came to bid farewell to Zhao Yishi and his grandfather. He didn't plan to stay here for long; he intended to find a suitable place in the Fourth Tier Continent for the Mock Heaven Sect to seclude themselves and cultivate.

This place wasn't ideal.

Although the spiritual energy here had already condensed into a tangible form, it wasn't considered a place with dense spiritual energy in the Fourth Tier Continent. Zhao Yishi's grandfather had chosen this location to avoid causing too much conflict, selecting a remote area with less concentrated spiritual energy.

Naturally, this was far from satisfactory for Chen Qiu.

"Then, until we meet again."

Chen Qiu turned to Zhao Yishi and his grandfather, bowing with a smile, "Thank you for your hospitality last night. Perhaps the next time we meet, I'll bring the Fortune of the Shadow Emperor."

"Haha."

Badan waved his hand dismissively at Chen Qiu's words, "If you can bring the Fortune of the Shadow Emperor, I'll eat it right here. The difficulty of obtaining that is no easier than acquiring a Seven-Color Entry."

"However, since you've escaped from the Heaven Prison, with your strength and talent, you will undoubtedly ascend to the Immortal Realm in the future. I must remind you to avoid revealing that you came from the Heaven Prison at all costs."

"Otherwise, you will experience endless pursuit, not from just one power, but from countless forces.

"This is no exaggeration."

"There was once a similar case. A powerful cultivator who had escaped from the Heaven Prison unintentionally revealed this fact, and from then on, tens of thousands of powerful cultivators from numerous forces attacked him every day. It was like an unending tide, never ceasing."

"It is said..."

Badan hesitated for a moment before continuing, "I'm not sure about the specific reason. With my level, I can't access such information. After all, the Immortal Realm is also divided into tiers, and I'm in the lowest Fifth Tier Immortal Realm. I've only vaguely heard that those who escape from the Heaven Prison seem to undergo a special baptism."

"It's about being completely free from the control of the Heavenly Dao."

"By consuming the flesh and blood of this person, one can also obtain this baptism, but it's just a guess. I'm not sure if it's true or not. After all, the Heavenly Dao can't even directly strike down a person, and it can't control cultivators, so how can one be completely free from its control?"

"The rumors also say that those brought out like Zhao Yishi don't receive this baptism. Only those who actively break out, like you, have this effect in their flesh and blood."

". . ."

Chen Qiu looked at Badan with a strange expression, "Senior, what you're saying is making me feel a sense of crisis."

"Ah ha."

Badan waved his hand, his smile a bit awkward and dry as he said, "Little friend Chen, rest assured. I, Badan, would never betray a friend. I definitely won't reveal this matter."

"Besides, I don't have much time left. The mouth of a dead man is the most reassuring."

"Alright."

Chen Qiu didn't say anything more. He just waved his hand and bid farewell to Badan and the others. He and Fat Dragon transformed into a streak of light and shot towards the horizon. According to Badan, there was a fairly decent Immortal City to the east, and he planned to go and take a look.

After Chen Qiu and the others left, Badan's expression grew complex. He remained silent for a long time before murmuring, "Zhao Yishi, do you know how terrifying your friend is?"

"A little."

Zhao Yishi replied in a deep voice, "With a Body Fusion Cultivation, you defeated a Great Accomplishment Stage cultivator. It's quite terrifying to think about."

"Indeed."

Badan was lost in thought and didn't speak. Although his cultivation realm had fallen to the early Great Accomplishment Stage, he had once been an Immortal King. Although he couldn't use most of the Immortal King's methods and had sold his innate spirit treasure, his strength was still not comparable to an ordinary early Great Accomplishment Stage cultivator.

However, in front of Chen Qiu, he had no power to resist.

Indeed, he hadn't used his full strength, but neither had Chen Qiu. He could sense that Chen Qiu's Body Fusion Killing Technique was at least a 90th-grade or higher. Wow, was this kid exaggerating a bit?

Who had a grade approaching the triple digits?

In all his years of galloping through the Immortal World, he had never seen a Body Fusion cultivator with a killing technique grade close to 100.

Not only had he never seen it, but he had also never even heard of it.

With such young bones, to have such strength and opportunities, he would undoubtedly make a name for himself in the Immortal World in the future. The position of the new Immortal King was almost certainly his, as long as he didn't die prematurely. His future would be bright.

Additionally, he had once learned a technique to sense the Shadow Emperor Fortune or the Soul of Shadows Fortune within a hundred li radius. When Chen Qiu appeared, he immediately sensed this aura from him.

The aura of the Shadow Emperor Fortune and the Soul of Shadows Fortune.

He never expected Chen Qiu to have such a great opportunity.

He didn't ask for it because, firstly, there was no need. He had already made up his mind to face death. He wanted to use the remaining time in his life to write the most perfect ending to his life and give Zhao Yishi the brightest future.

Secondly, he didn't want Zhao Yishi to see his grandfather in such a pitiful state.

He knew that Zhao Yishi had a strong aversion to fighting, so he had been subtly changing everything. If Zhao Yishi found out that his grandfather was begging his friend for something, it would completely extinguish the spark of strength that hadn't even ignited in Zhao Yishi.

At this moment—

Zhao Yishi, standing beside him, suddenly had a thought and whispered, "Grandpa, didn't you say that you would take me to see the Immortal World someday?"

"Hmm."

Badan fell silent for a long time before suddenly laughing, "I want to see it, I want to see it. Why wait for a better day when we can go today?"

He had lied to Chen Qiu.

When he learned that he had Immortal Cancer, he, as an Immortal King, had knelt before the Demon Clan Leader, his once greatest enemy, and begged for forgiveness, even kissing the other's shoes, to beg for a strand of the Shadow Emperor Fortune.

But he was unsuccessful.

This scene was recorded by a Shadow Stone and spread throughout the Fifth Rank Immortal World. It became the most humiliating moment of his life.

So, even though he knew that Chen Qiu had the Shadow Emperor Fortune, he didn't want to ask for it again. He didn't want to experience that humiliation a second time. Even if he lived, he would be too ashamed to return to the Immortal World.

He placed all his hopes on Zhao Yishi, hoping that Zhao Yishi would inherit his Immortal King title and wash away his shame, glorifying the name of Badan!

The next moment—

All the rocks on Badan's body suddenly began to rapidly turn into dust and disperse. A vast amount of spirit qi enveloped the entire world, and Badan's cultivation began to rapidly increase.

Great Accomplishment initial stage, Great Accomplishment late stage, Great Accomplishment peak

Tribulation Crossing initial stage, Tribulation Crossing late stage, Tribulation Crossing peak

Human Immortal, Earth Immortal, Sky Immortal

His cultivation soared like a rocket, and the spirit qi surrounding him even condensed into a substantial seven-colored form. Such a commotion left Zhao Yishi, who was standing beside him, stunned.

But Zhao Yishi quickly reacted, his expression filled with fear as he shouted, "Grandpa, what are you doing? I don't want to go to the Immortal World anymore!"

Although he didn't know what his grandfather was doing, he understood that no matter what method was used, the price for such a massive increase in cultivation in one go would be terrifying.

"I want to see it, I want to see it."

Badan, like a towering giant, hovered in the air, feeling the long-lost power in his body. He looked at the flame symbol in his palm for a long time before raising his head and roaring at the white clouds above.

"I, Badan, will have my final battle today."

"And I'll recognize this friend of mine. Lend me your strength, but remember, it's the kind where you don't get it back."

"A voice reverberated throughout the heavens and earth, loud and deafening.

The next moment—

A massive heavenly halberd, nearly a hundred zhang long, shot through the air towards Badan, landing firmly in his grasp.

"Good, good!"

Badan grinned, gazing at the halberd in his hand, "You're willing to lend me this treasure, and you're really giving me face. I was thinking of using it once and for all, but now I'm a bit hesitant to use it."

"Thanks."

Then, a huge set of armor descended and landed directly on Badan, and countless treasures fell from the sky like hail, instantly arming Badan, who had been naked a moment ago, to the teeth.

"Thanks."

Badan looked up at the sky above, touched by his friends' generosity. The treasures they had given him were mostly unidentifiable, and he understood why they had done so—it was normal, and he didn't mind.

After all, the enemy he was about to face, the Demon Clan Leader, was someone his friends didn't want to provoke.

He was already grateful for the many treasures they had lent him.

True friends don't accompany you to death; they see you off on your journey to it. People often feel disappointment because they hold too many expectations for others.

"Let's go."

Badan turned to Zhao Yishi beside him, "I'll take you to the Immortal World, to see my greatest enemy. I defeated him once, but in the end, because I was afraid of death, I lost to him completely."

"Only blood can wash away this shame."

"I want everyone to know that I, Badan, am not afraid of death. I'm not a coward who clings to life."

"I don't want my friends to hear the name Badan who clings to life again. I don't want my friends, who once took pride in me, to feel uncomfortable hearing my name now."

"Death is my final destination."

"But you, Zhao Yishi, you will inherit my title as the Immortal King. Strive to live, strive to become stronger."

"Grandpa!"

Zhao Yishi, though unaware of what was happening, felt a strong sense of unease. His voice trembled with tears, "I don't want to become the Immortal King, nor do I want the title. Can't we just live here, drawing water from the spring every day? Isn't that enjoyable?"

"It's enjoyable, but..."

"When the night is quiet and I think of the past, I feel like I can't get over this hurdle. I feel like killing someone would be more satisfying."

The next moment—

Badan took a deep breath, holding the heavenly halberd with all his might. Spirit Qi surged forth, and he struck the sky above with all his strength, creating a massive hole. Thick spirit Qi gushed out from the opening, and Badan immediately wrapped Zhao Yishi in spirit Qi and shot towards the hole.

For ordinary people, the Immortal World was a dream, but Badan had effortlessly revealed its true face.

There was no need to ascend.

Passing through this opening would lead directly to the Immortal World.

Ascension was a rule, but with sufficient strength, one could break it.

Chen Qiu, who had been drawn back by the commotion, arrived just in time to witness this scene.

Badan was shooting towards the opening in the sky with Zhao Yishi.

"Damn!"

Fat Dragon stood in shock, his eyes wide, "Is this the power of a Great Accomplishment cultivator? I didn't realize this old man was so powerful yesterday."

"Hmm."

Chen Qiu sighed helplessly. He had checked Badan's entry the day before, and Badan had an entry called "Selfless for Others." Its effect was simple: upon death, he could pass on all his cultivation, entries, insights, and memories to someone of the same race.

It was a complete inheritance.

When Chen Qiu saw this entry, he had a hunch about why Badan had gone to great lengths to find Zhao Yishi. Badan had lost the will to live and only sought death, wanting Zhao Yishi to inherit his legacy and carry their names in the Immortal World. But it was just a guess.

Chen Qiu had planned to give Badan the second Shadow Emperor's Fortune when he obtained it.

However, for some people, living on isn't always the best choice. Though Chen Qiu didn't know Badan's story, it was clear that death was the best option for Badan.

Cultivation is truly exhausting.

One can never rest, for fear of being overtaken by others. There's always the worry of being killed by enemies due to stagnant cultivation, or dying in the next Heavenly Dao Mystic Realm.

Everyone admires the prestige of an immortal's word.

But few know how many can reach this stage and what it takes to get there.

They dare to provoke what others cannot, do what others dare not, and gamble what others dare not.

Even if they reach this stage,

It's not all smooth sailing. They may still die at the hands of enemies, assassinated by rivals, or in the Heavenly Dao Mystic Realm. Only at the pinnacle of the immortal path can they truly relax.

But has anyone ever heard of the immortal path having an end? Perhaps it does, but certainly not in the Third Rank Continent or the Fifth Rank Immortal World.

It's almost a road of no return.

Once you embark on the path of cultivation, it's as if a demon with a whip appears behind you, forcing you to keep going. You can slack off, but your enemies won't.

Unless you have no enemies.

But who can achieve that on this narrow path of cultivation?

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end