The Quest for Immortality

”Gui Tao’s people...”

The Pavilion Elder softly murmured this name, one that was too terrifying to be mentioned by ordinary people.

Almost simultaneously, the figure of a pitch-black Taoist slowly appeared in the Pavilion Elder’s Sea of Consciousness.

He was shrouded in black mist, glanced at the Pavilion Elder, and then slowly bowed.

The Pavilion Elder frowned deeply.

He could feel that this eerie figure’s aura had grown increasingly sinister and powerful.

An ancient aura of the Great Dao was incubating within it, even just a step away from transforming reality into illusion and shattering the Law.

The two locked eyes across the space.

In the next moment, the eerie figure dissipated, leaving no trace behind.

In the pavilion, only a wisp of sandalwood incense, a cup of clear tea, and a chessboard remained, calm as usual.

The Pavilion Elder sat meditatively above the chessboard, lost in thought for a long time before letting out a long sigh.

He turned his head southward, seeing the sky clear with a high sun.

Yet within the daylight, an invisible red light flickered, resembling both blood and fire.

The Pavilion Elder frowned deeply. Moments later, his brow gradually relaxed, showing relief and resignation:

”Enough, I, the Pavilion Elder, am about to retire as well. You can handle these messes yourselves.”

”All I want is to play chess and enjoy my old age...”

He glanced down at the chessboard, unable to banish from his mind the image of a young figure, luminous as wind and fair as the moon, murmuring:

”I wonder when that child will play chess with me again...”

...

As the Pavilion Elder gazed southward, elsewhere within the Taoist Court and across various parts of the Nine State, numerous Heaven Void Ancestors within the cultivation forces also detected something amiss and looked toward the southern horizon of the Nine State with solemn expressions:

”This sky... seems off?”

”The situation in the Southern Wilderness has changed...”

”A calamity of blood light... has a Great Demon begun to transform into the world?”

”Or is it that more significant conflicts and wars will break out in the Southern Wilderness?”

”Send someone to investigate...”

The situation stirred like a gale rising, amid which the secret currents swirled, drawing numerous forces’ gazes to the desolate Southern Wilderness of Li Fire.

On the main road leading to Tongzhou Realm,

Many cultivators in plain clothes, retracted their aura, concealing their identities, traveled from the Qianxue State Boundary towards the Great Wilderness.

And among the crowd were two inconspicuous cultivators.

One was tall and slim, his gaze obsessive and sinister.

The other was shorter, slightly plump, with an oily face.

These two might not be recognizable to others, but if Mo Hua were present, he would immediately identify them as his ”old acquaintances.”

Li San, the elite disciple from the already destroyed Qianxue Demon Sect.

And Elder You, who had dealings with Mo Hua and owed him 1.8 million Spirit Stones verbally.

The two wore old gray cultivator robes, mingling with the crowd, journeying southwards in silence, until half a day later when they reached a barren ridge and rested by the roadside.

Seeing the surroundings empty, Elder You glanced at Li San, frowning before asking:

”How did you escape from the Taoist Prison?”

Li San’s expression was sullen, but his loyalty to Elder You was inexplicably devout, and he answered:

”A blood-red large formation appeared in the sky, Demon Path ran rampant everywhere, and chaos broke out within the Taoist Court. I seized the chance to escape from the prison of the Taoist Court.”

Elder You asked again, ”After escaping, you didn’t join the other Demon Cultivators entering the large formation?”

Li San replied, ”No, I hid away.”

Elder You frowned, ”Why?”

Li San said, ”Because Elder You, you didn’t instruct me to do so.”

Elder You was taken aback. .

Li San earnestly said, ”All my actions follow your instructions. Since you didn’t let me enter the large formation, I naturally wouldn’t go in. Afterwards, you gave me no directive, so I surmised you wanted me to stay quietly dormant and not act rashly.”

”Everything went as you predicted...”

”The large formation was destroyed, every living thing within turned to black ash, completely obliterated. Yet, I survived.”

”Elder You, you truly are prescient, and you haven’t abandoned me...”

Li San gazed at Elder You, his expression somewhat fanatic.

This fanaticism made Elder You slightly uncomfortable, even faintly fearful.

Yet within the fanaticism, there was an absolute loyalty.

This stirred a longing in Elder You’s heart.

Someone like him, who had lived in the shadows, playing all sides and driven solely by profit, lacked the word ”loyalty” the most.

”Fine, you shall accompany me to the Great Wilderness,” Elder You nodded and said.

Li San cupped his hands, ”Yes.”

Elder You nodded and suddenly glanced at Li San, asking in return, ”Aren’t you curious why I am going to the Great Wilderness?”

Li San replied, ”Elder You acts with purpose. Whatever you say is right. If you tell me, it means I should know; if you don’t, it means I shouldn’t know.”

Elder You’s expression was pleased and extremely satisfied.

Having navigated the cultivation world for a hundred years, he had never met someone so genuinely loyal, and he developed a fondness for him, saying to Li San:

”I can’t reveal too much about other matters. I can only tell you our business involves trading Spirit Stones.”

”We secretly supported the Demon Sect’s expansion, bolstered the rise of the Shen Family, aided Mr. Tu’s grand plans...”

”Unfortunately, all these investments failed.”

”But it can’t be helped. Investments are like this; most lose, only a few yield great profits.”

”As long as we make one big profit, it can offset losses and earn vast amounts of Spirit Stones.”

The excitement gleamed in Elder You’s eyes.

Li San was somewhat astonished by this, ”Aren’t you a Demon Sect’s Elder?”

Elder You replied, ”I can be an Elder of the Demon Sect, but I can also not be. I can be an Elder of any Sect, any force, but ultimately, I am no one. Just know that my name is ’Elder You,’ and what we worship is only Spirit Stones.”