Chapter 523: The Immortal's Path and the Heavenly Tribulations (7K) (Part 2)

Chapter 523: The Immortal's Path and the Heavenly Tribulations (7K) (Part 2)

" Li Yuan's consciousness moved, and he began to operate the method.

Whoosh~ Li Yuan's entire body trembled.

Li Yuan's physical strength was already comparable to a Void Deity, and whether it was Source Energy or the 'Spiritual Energy' used by cultivators, they were essentially the same, a manipulation of the universe's origin power, making mutual transformation extremely easy.

Therefore, it was effortless for Li Yuan to refine the Source Energy within his body.

Amidst the vast sea of Source Energy, a 'Magical Space' suddenly emerges, expanding and condensing a Golden Pill, which then explodes, creating a chaotic opening of a new realm, leading to the formation of a Purple Mansion.

The Purple Mansion takes shape, with purple energy columns rising within, permeating Li Yuan's body, limbs, and bones. Inside the mansion, various divine beast shadows appear, such as the Qilin, White Tiger, Divine Dragon, and Black Tortoise. Numerous anomalies continue to manifest.

"Nine Heavens Purple Qi."

"Auspicious Beasts Descend."

"Purple Mansion's Heavenly Gate Opens."

"Immortal Music Echoes." Li Yuan experiences the various anomalies within his Purple Mansion, feeling both amused and perplexed.

If not for his formidable strength, concealing his aura, these anomalies alone would likely shake the entire Anshun Manor City.

As cultivators say, any one of these anomalies signifies a 'Fifth Rank Immortal Foundation'.

What level of foundation would Li Yuan's situation be considered?

The Purple Mansion foundation determines how far a cultivator can go and how strong they can become in their realm.

One by one, the divine beasts manifest within the Purple Mansion, and a Nascent Soul, like a tiny human, absorbs Li Yuan's soul power, gradually growing stronger, its radiance filling the entire mansion.

In just seven days, Li Yuan achieves 'Nascent Soul Perfection'.

With Li Yuan's understanding of the Dao, he can manifest his Nascent Soul at will.

Li Yuan's strength is comparable to a Void Deity, and his understanding of the Dao is akin to that of a True God.

"At this moment, looking at the entire Changyun World, this is probably the highest-level 'Purple Mansion Immortal Foundation'," Li Yuan shakes his head internally, "But this Immortal Spirit System is still too weak."

"Does this Purple Mansion power equate to the power of a Seven-Star Pulse Demigod, yet unable to cultivate various Star Techniques?"

Through his personal cultivation, Li Yuan realizes the strengths and weaknesses of the Immortal Spirit System.

The strengths include a low requirement for Dao understanding, and longevity.

The weaknesses include only cultivating the Nascent Soul without the physical body, resulting in extremely weak condensed power. Normally, one can reach the Fifth Rank Immortal Foundation (Five-Star Pulse), and the Sixth Rank Immortal Foundation (Six-Star Pulse) is already rare. The Seventh Rank Immortal Foundation seems nearly impossible... It is also unable to cultivate Star Techniques, and combat power is extremely weak...

"In the Star Deity System, Demigods have already merged their physical bodies and souls, and Void Deities further refine Divine Fire." Li Yuan thinks to himself, "But in the Immortal Spirit System, Nascent Soul Immortals are detached from their physical bodies. If the Nascent Soul exists independently, it's equivalent to cultivating only one aspect of the material and the void..."

The Star Deity System does not have the concept of a Nascent Soul.

This is a fundamental contradiction between the two systems.

"There's no possibility of cultivating both." Li Yuan thinks, "My highest achievement will probably be the Nascent Soul realm or Demigod."

Regardless of which path Li Yuan chooses, he must completely abandon the other.

But!

"The Chaos Emperor once said, 'The heavens are like a sea of suffering, and all living beings are like ships in this sea. The physical body is the ship, and the soul is the helmsman. To cross the sea of suffering and reach eternal shores, one cannot lack either.'" Li Yuan mutters, "If one abandons the ship and swims in the sea, how can they endure for long?"

"In the Divine Domain, Divine Kings cultivate the Soul True Realm, controlling space, yet they cannot achieve eternity."

"But why are Heaven Immortals in this realm considered to have the same lifespan as the heavens?"

Thinking about the various intelligence gathered, he ponders the difference between Dao Court Immortals and Vagrant Immortals.

"Is it that the Heavenly Dao in this realm is more perfect, protecting the longevity of Immortals?" A thought arises in Li Yuan's mind, "Or is it that... the Heavenly Dao is poisonous?"

...

As Li Yuan cultivates the Immortal Spirit System to Nascent Soul Perfection, his true identity becomes increasingly difficult to detect.

After waiting for some time, Li Yuan flies out of his cave mansion, passing through numerous streets, and finally arriving at a massive army camp.

"The Anshun Marquisate Army Camp." Li Yuan looks at the enormous camp, with many cultivators coming and going.

As the military force of the Anshun Marquisate, it is their sharp blade, only accepting Nascent Soul cultivators, and they prefer to recruit vagrant cultivators.

Today is the day they recruit soldiers once a month.

Outside the camp, numerous Nascent Soul cultivators have gathered.

"Seven-Star Daoist!" A purple-robed, plump old man exclaims as he sees Li Yuan, quickly flying over to his side.

"Lei Kun Daoist." Li Yuan smiles.

Having gathered much information in the city and preparing to join the Anshun Marquisate Army, Li Yuan has gotten to know many Nascent Soul vagrant cultivators, and Lei Kun, a Demigod, is one of the more familiar ones.

"Seven-Star Daoist, you've come as expected." Lei Kun, the Demigod, exclaims, "As a Nascent Soul Perfection cultivator, joining the Anshun Marquisate Army is easy for you, unlike me, who is only at the late Nascent Soul stage... If I can successfully join the Marquisate Army, my family's territory will have its taxes reduced by half."

"If I can't join, it'll be a vicious cycle, and eventually, the entire family will be taken away."

Li Yuan listens attentively.

The Changyun Dynasty's rule is harsh; every piece of land in this vast territory is occupied by forces that must pay heavy taxes in the form of spiritual stones and human lives.

The taxes are in the form of spiritual objects like spiritual stones.

The 'blood food' is the lives of ordinary people...

"We're not like those great families; having a 'Dao Court' is the only way to truly escape a fate of servitude." Lei Kun whispers, "I've lived for two thousand years, and two younger Nascent Soul cultivators in my family have already matured, which is enough for self-preservation. I'm here to take a gamble with the Marquisate Army, not seeking immortality but a better future for my family."

"Lei Kun Daoist, we admire your dedication to your family." Li Yuan whispers in response.

As they become closer, Li Yuan admires Lei Kun and sees a shadow of the East in him.

For his family, he dared not venture out in his youth.

Now that the younger generation has grown, and he is older, he still has to fight for his family's future in the Marquisate Army.

"I've been supported by my family, so I must dedicate myself to them." Lei Kun says, "I admire you even more, Seven-Star Daoist, for achieving such a high level as a vagrant cultivator."

"With your talent, why not join a sect?" Lei Kun asks.

"Joining a sect isn't necessarily better than cultivating alone." Li Yuan says, "I believe Lei Kun Daoist understands the ways of sects better than I do."

Action: A half-immortal, Lei Kun, was speechless.

He, of course, understood the situation.

His family's territory belonged to the upper-tier sect, Beiyue Sect, and among his juniors, there were two elite disciples who were forcibly invited to join Beiyue Sect, only to meet their deaths during cultivation.

Whether it was a death during their wanderings or being refined into a puppet pill, who could tell? Lei Kun, the half-immortal, didn't dare to investigate.

In truth, he was well aware that this was highly likely done by Beiyue Sect to weaken his family.

"The Duke's Army, after all, is the army of the Great World's feudal lords. Even if we become Earth Immortals, we won't pose much of a threat to the Duke's Mansion. The suppression will be much less." Lei Kun, the half-immortal, spoke in a low voice, "Moreover, if we become Earth Immortals, our role in the Duke's Mansion will be even greater."

"Even if we become dogs, we should choose a high-ranking family." Lei Kun, the half-immortal, clenched his teeth.

"Hmm." Li Yuan sighed inwardly.

As the two of them conversed.

Boom!

In the distance, the palace doors opened, and numerous black-armored soldiers flew out, each exuding an extraordinary aura as they overlooked the hundreds of Nascent Soul half-immortals below.

"Everyone, listen up."

"The Duke's Army is recruiting soldiers. Nascent Soul completion will be given priority." The black-armored commander spoke coldly, "Those with a Fifth-rank Immortal Foundation or above can also enter first... The rest will have to undergo a test."

"If you meet either of these two conditions, you can come forward."

"Just input your cultivation into this treasure." The black-armored commander held a crystal ball in his palm, and within the ball, numerous strange lights flickered.

Immediately, many cultivators flew before the black-armed commander, undergoing various tests.

Li Yuan was no exception.

Those who dared to step forward naturally had confidence, and one by one, they passed the test. Soon, it was Li Yuan's turn.

"Chi~" Li Yuan manipulated his Nascent Soul cultivation, causing the light within the ball to surge.

This scene instantly attracted the attention of many present.

"Nascent Soul completion? Fifth-rank Immortal Foundation? Is there such an elite among us?" The black-armored commander's eyes lit up, "Excellent! You can be a Centurion."

The eyes of the Nascent Soul half-immortals flashed with envy.

The Centurion of the Duke's Army was a commander of a hundred 'half-immortals', a position of great prestige.

"What's your name?" The black-armored commander asked.

"Seven Stars." Li Yuan replied.

"Seven Stars." The black-armored commander was surprised, "With a Seventh-rank Immortal Foundation, you're truly a cultivation genius."

Li Yuan wanted to gain higher permissions to access more information, so he slightly revealed his strength.

The Fifth-rank Immortal Foundation was equivalent to a Fifth-star Vein, but it was already a genius in the path of immortality.

Soon.

All the Nascent Soul half-immortals were tested, and in the end, over two hundred were recruited into the Duke's Army, forming two 'hundred-man squads'.

Li Yuan became one of the Centurions, and he quickly added Lei Kun, the half-immortal, to his team.

"Seven Stars, thank you." Lei Kun, the half-immortal, was quite excited, and he hadn't expected Li Yuan to be so powerful.

In the Duke's Army, being a Centurion meant a much better life.

"Let's go!"

"All you new recruits, follow me to receive the 'Battle Armor' and learn the basic incantations of the Duke's Army." The black-armored commander shouted, leading the group of over two hundred into the palace.

...

The Duke's Mansion occupied about a third of Anshun City, and its internal layout was complex, with floating palaces, mountains, and hidden caves. It was home to the top cultivators of the Anshun lineage.

Within one of the grand palaces.

"Eldest Master! Good news!"

"Great news!" A white-robed youth flew into the palace, his face filled with excitement.

"What is it?" A hoarse voice echoed from the depths of the palace.

"Eldest Master, the Duke's Army has just recruited a group of 'Blood Food Cultivators'. Among them is a Nascent Soul completion cultivator, and he's a Fifth-rank Immortal Foundation in the Earth attribute." The white-robed youth exclaimed, "Eldest Master, the 'Spirituality' contained within his Nascent Soul is exactly what we need for the final ingredient of the Longevity and Blessing Immortal Pill."

"Moreover, he's a Blood Food Cultivator without any hidden dangers."

"Is this true?" The voice from the depths of the palace asked, "Is there such a suitable final ingredient?"

"Yes." The white-robed youth affirmed.

"Tell the Duke's Army that I've purchased this ingredient and have them prepare the 'Material Gathering Mission'." The hoarse voice instructed.

...

Entering the Duke's Army.

The palace was filled with dense spiritual energy, and as a new recruit, Li Yuan only needed to quietly cultivate for now. He was also granted various advanced cultivation methods and treasures.

This naturally delighted the Nascent Soul half-immortals, and they all immersed themselves in cultivation.

As for Li Yuan, aside from leading the troops in battle array drills, he also used his higher-level permissions to search for information in the treasure hall of the palace.

There were many soldiers in the Duke's Army like Li Yuan, and Li Yuan's speed of searching through information far surpassed ordinary cultivators, so no one suspected him.

In the blink of an eye, more than ten days had passed.

"If not for my Centurion permissions, I wouldn't have been able to find this." Li Yuan silently pondered, "The Ten Thousand Springs Void is actually outside the Changyun Great World."

The Ten Thousand Springs Void was a gathering place for countless demons, an enemy of the Dao Court. Since the establishment of the Dao Court, they had frequently dispatched Celestial Soldiers and Generals to enter the Ten Thousand Springs Void to suppress demon cultivators, and this had continued to this day...

This was the description of the Ten Thousand Springs Void in the classics.

"A gathering place for countless demons." Li Yuan thought to himself, "But my mission requires me to slaughter strong cultivators of the Dao Court, which means... I should be helping the demon cultivators?"

Demon cultivators? In the language of this world, those with great sins and evil deeds were all referred to as demon cultivators.

Li Yuan believed that there must be a reason for such a trial mission.

"Which means..."

"In the eyes of the Chaos Emperor or whoever issued this mission, the Dao Court in this world is an enemy?" Li Yuan arrived at a conclusion.

He quietly cultivated, pondering how to reach the Ten Thousand Springs Void.

The Dao Court usually dispatched armies of at least Earth Immortal realm cultivators, and Li Yuan didn't know the exact location of the Ten Thousand Springs Void.

One day later.

"Centurion Seven Stars." A voice suddenly echoed in Li Yuan's cave abode, urgent and anxious, "You new recruits, immediately gather your soldiers and prepare for battle. It's time to carry out the mission."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end