Immortalis

Hong Wan 4

Fifteen years ago.

"Palace Master... do you truly believe this method is feasible?"

When Guanri regained his senses, only Baihe, Gu Yun, and Mingshan remained in the icy cave.

This was a critical moment when the Four Seas Alliance was besieging Longevity Palace. Five of the Ten Elders of Longevity had fallen in battle, and Guanri had been injured during the previous struggle with Immeasurable Manor. His internal energy was depleted, and he was so dazed he didn't even know when he had fallen asleep.

Gu Yun approached and fed him a Blood Replenishing Pill, her brow furrowed tightly: "Are we really going to let Wu Jian release her? He's now one of us after all. If he learns in the future that this was all a deception, I'm afraid he..."

"Gu Yun, we both know it must be an outsider who releases her, otherwise it would arouse suspicion and ruin all our previous efforts."

Mingshan interrupted her. Things had reached this point - five of their comrades who had come with them from the Northern Desert had already died at the hands of the Four Seas Alliance. They had no way back.

Since they had chosen to enter this game with their lives, they had to see it through to the end.

That child had already achieved Cicada Molt, so they needed to find a way to send her into the palace. They needed someone to release her from Longevity Palace's cage, then use this to create a "palace coup" and "expel" Guanri from Longevity Palace, allowing him to operate in the shadows from then on, beginning to weave the threads of this grand chess game.

Although Northern Xiang had fallen over a decade ago, they had never forgotten their homeland. They firmly believed that if the Northern Desert people unified the Central Plains again, they would not repeat the same mistakes as last time.

Back then, they had exhausted the entire nation's resources and finally found "Tian Ting" in the Central Plains - the meteorite iron that the Khan had once excavated from Underground Heaven.

But unfortunately, Tian Ting was not some divine artifact to save the nation - one could even say it was a calamity descended upon the world.

However, the Northern Desert people, realizing they were worshipping a "malignant deity," did not reveal Tian Ting's true nature. Instead, they heavily guarded the Meat Well, created the legend of the Longevity Heart Sutra, let it circulate among the people, and left many scrolls in the palace to weave their trap.

Before Emperor Xianghui left the Central Plains, he had secretly summoned Qingzhu Daoist Priest, the first master of Longevity Palace. Qingzhu Daoist Priest had sworn a blood oath to lead the Longevity Palace members to restore Northern Xiang.

This task was truly arduous and the road long.

Although the Longevity Heart Sutra was a lie, to make the Son of Heaven of Datong believe it, the Longevity Palace members had to faithfully practice this deception. They used the Cicada Skill, typically employed only by death warriors, as ordinary internal martial arts, and lived long-term in lightless mines. Within just ten years, two palace masters had died suddenly from Blood Deficiency Syndrome. When Guanri took up this burden, Prince Qi suddenly raised an army and launched a military rebellion.

The opportunity had come.

Guanri knew clearly that to fulfill Longevity Palace's vow to Northern Xiang, the entire palace would have to pay a price.

The first to bear the brunt was facing this siege.

Guanri said softly: "What we've done should already be conspicuous enough. The news that Longevity Palace uses living people to refine elixirs has likely reached the palace. Gu Yun, the time has come."

Thinking of everything Guanri would soon face alone, Gu Yun ultimately fell silent.

She actually knew that the Palace Master had long considered Yang Wujian one of them. Otherwise, he wouldn't have taught him Bone Shrinking and voice changing, nor would he have brought him those Golden Rings.Initially, they had sought out Zhou Jinglei merely to accumulate some wealth. After all, since Zhou Jinglei chose to trade on the black market, even if large sums of silver flowed in from beyond the border, no one would pay it any mind.

At the same time, they could also discern the current cultivation methods practiced by the people of the Central Plains.

However, Guanri brought back those sword manuals and weapons as if they were gifts, distributing them among the few children here.

Yang Wujian, having never seen such fine things since childhood, clung to the Golden Rings for several days, unwilling to take them off.

"Gu Yun... have you ever considered what will become of Wu Jian when this scheme reaches its end?"

Suddenly, Guanri spoke gravely.

To make the martial world witness the terror of the Longevity Heart Sutra, he had been recklessly expending his inner energy these days. Soon, he would be "forced to leave" the Longevity Palace, putting an end to all this slaughter.

Gu Yun was still young. Though she had prepared herself to die for the restoration of Northern Xiang, she could not see so far into the future.

Guanri attempted to stand, but due to his depleted inner energy, he staggered on the spot and would have fallen if not for Baihe supporting him.

He knew that if this continued, he would die of sudden death from qi deficiency and blood depletion within three days.

After all, the so-called first three chapters of the Longevity Heart Sutra were known in the Northern Desert as the Cicada Skill—a secret technique for death warriors that sought rebirth through mortal peril.

With this skill, even as their bodies neared destruction, death warriors could extract all their remaining inner energy and transfer it to others. Thus, the Northern Desert Iron Cavalry became an undying army that could fight in life and in death.

Nearly a century ago, the Northern Desert breached Crimson Gold's gates using this very method. Yet, how could there truly be soldiers who never perish in battle?

The Cicada Skill, as a transfer technique and a self-sacrificing move, allowed one to directly extract inner energy, multiplying its power a hundredfold. However, as its original purpose lay elsewhere, each use consumed one's lifespan.

The story of Zhao Jian was not entirely fabricated. That day, Zhao Jian had merely fallen into a mass grave left by the battle between Crimson Gold and Northern Xiang. He was later rescued by Northern Desert people and, in gratitude, compiled the orally transmitted Cicada Skill into a manual, which became the so-called "Longevity Heart Sutra."

Likely, even Zhao Jian himself never imagined that nearly eighty years later, he would become the immortal sage in the tales passed down by the Longevity Palace.

Gasping for breath, Guanri said, "We are fated to die. That's why I told you long ago that the Ten Elders need no names. To make the Emperor of Datong believe in the Longevity Heart Sutra, in Cicada Molt and Tian Ting, the Longevity Palace must not exist... because every person who knows the Longevity Heart Sutra is a 'threat' to him. Gu Yun, think about it: once we die, even if Wu Jian escapes the imperial pursuit, do you think he would want to live on in this world?"

Gu Yun opened her mouth but found herself unable to speak.Guanri smiled weakly. "He was caught in a dead end from the start. If you hadn't picked him up, he would have died, but even after you brought him back, he was still destined to die... Since that's the case, why not let this child become the variable? He is Elder Guan Shui, and the only one among us who has a name. Let him live more easily under the name Yang Wujian. Even if he dies in the end, he'll have over ten years of good life, which is still better than starving on the streets."

"I understand, Palace Master."

Gu Yun lowered her eyes.

She should have realized it earlier - from the day she picked up Yang Wujian, his death sentence had been sealed. Whether it was practicing the Cicada Skill or being drawn into their scheme, Yang Wujian was never destined for a peaceful end.

But at the very least, she wanted this child to experience some fleeting happiness.

Mingshan said, "After that, we should find a way to get Wujian into the Alchemy Room... He's kind-hearted and bold. When he sees the Flesh Conduits imprisoned, he'll definitely try to rescue them."

Guanri nodded and added, "Since he doesn't know the truth, we must carry through with expelling me from the palace completely. Otherwise, this child will become a disaster. Gu Yun, Mingshan, you know what needs to be done."

The two nodded in agreement. At this moment, Baihe, who had been silent all along, spoke up: "Since we're recovering the Meteor Star anyway, let's cremate those children who failed to achieve Cicada Molt... They're all pitiful children. I want to take them outside for a proper burial."

Although they were all pawns, too many people had indeed died for this game of chess.

The group dispersed in silence to prepare for the upcoming "palace coup." Gu Yun gradually gathered many medicines for Guanri, with Blood Cleansing Pills being the most numerous besides Blood Replenishing Pills.

They had discovered long ago that Blood Cleansing Pills could not only purge accumulated toxins from the blood, but with repeated Blood Washing, they could also preserve one's youthful appearance, even to the extent of "maintaining eternal youth."

To make the emperor believe that there truly existed immortal techniques for eternal youth and life, even though frequent Blood Washing severely damaged his Vital Energy, Guanri knew he had to do it. Later, he even shared the Blood Cleansing Pills with Zui Xiang, just to make her appear ageless as well.

For fifteen years, to maintain this lie, Guanri had staked everything. Now, it was finally coming to an end.

Deep within the palace, the long dream was about to end. Guanri slowly opened his eyes, thinking of all those who had perished in Longevity Palace. He could no longer even feel heartache, only relief.

To fulfill Emperor Xianghui's commission, he had killed countless people over the years - whether it was the young children who died tragically in the Alchemy Room fifteen years ago, or the Four Seas Alliance disciples who fell by his hand during the siege of Longevity Palace. Towards death, Guanri had long grown numb.

Killing was merely a means - it didn't matter who died, as long as it attracted the attention of the palace spies.

Now, Longevity Palace had been eradicated, and the Zhaoming Guard were hunting Shen Qingshi everywhere. With the Cicada Molt and Tian Ting in hand, the emperor was just one step away from achieving "immortality."

And barring any accidents, his own road was nearly at its end.

Guanri stood up. Just then, urgent news arrived from outside the door - bringing him what could be considered the best possible news.

Cao Zhao had brought back both Shen Qingshi and Tian Ting. Emperor Yong Zhao was now waiting for him to explain the specific method for refining the Cicada Molt.

Hearing this, the former master of Longevity Palace silently formed a relieved smile, but in an instant, he resumed his usual mad demeanor and followed the young eunuch to the sedan chair.He had taken a slow-acting poison that dissipated his power, compounded by years of squandering his inner energy and undergoing Blood Washing. Though he appeared ageless on the surface, in reality, his vitality was long exhausted—a hollow shell awaiting death, merely waiting for this play to reach its final act.

But this time, upon entering the grand hall, he unexpectedly encountered someone who should not have been there.

Yang Wujian.

The child he had watched grow up stood there expressionless.

Guanri’s heart skipped a beat. A sudden intuition struck him—that Yang Wujian, as the variable in all this, might not be an outsider to the scheme, but rather a player within it.

In the end, the emperor, clad in bright yellow robes, spoke first with utmost amiability: “Revered Master, all the necessary components are now assembled. As I promised earlier, once the method for refining the Cicada Molt is obtained, I shall select a Guiding Boy, bestow upon him the Cicada Molt, and let him accompany me in ascending to the immortal realm together.”

Having played his role for fifteen years, Guanri was a master of his craft. At the mention of “Cicada Molt,” his eyes gleamed with fervor, and he laughed, “The Zhaoming Division truly has its merits. We are one step closer to immortality.”

He then inquired, “Your Majesty, has the Alchemy Furnace been prepared? And the Flesh Conduit…”

“Naturally.”

Emperor Yongzhao raised his hand, and immediately, attendants carried in a massive Alchemy Furnace and a cage. Yang Wujian, his face deathly pale, looked over, only to find several monkeys inside.

Emperor Yongzhao declared, “We shall trouble the Revered Master to use these monkeys for a demonstration. After all, the Cicada Molt is precious and cannot afford any mishaps, correct?”

“Your Majesty is most wise. I expended nearly a hundred lives in my search for the Cicada Molt… Fortunately, it has been recovered.”

To Yang Wujian, Guanri’s words carried a different meaning. A chill ran down his spine as he watched Guanri deftly seize a monkey from the cage, add several medicinal ingredients, and toss it directly into the Alchemy Furnace.

For a moment, the monkey’s agonized shrieks echoed through the throne hall, causing even the initially enthusiastic Emperor Yongzhao to pale.

Then, Guanri launched into an exhaustive explanation of the methods for nurturing the pill with fire, detailing every minute aspect. The court physicians nearby scribbled furiously. By the time Guanri finally fell silent, several hours had passed.

Guanri stated, “If a human is used as the Flesh Conduit, Pill Completion requires seven days. However, monkeys differ from humans—they lack spiritual intelligence. Even when refined, they yield only a Flesh Pill. We may open the furnace now.”

He summoned two men to open the Alchemy Furnace. As green smoke curled through the hall, Guanri retrieved a pitch-black pill with tongs and added, “A red pill signifies spiritual potency, Your Majesty. On the day the Cicada Molt enters this furnace, a crimson pill shall surely be obtained.”

Placing the black pill on a brocade handkerchief, he recalled the children who had died in the Alchemy Room over the years. Without exception, those who consumed the Meteor Star would eventually have their remains refined together with the cooled Meteor Star into a small, crimson pill.

That pill, vivid red as blood, rivaled cinnabar.

Could it be that the souls of the dead were crying out in resentment?

After fifteen years of feigning madness, there were times when Guanri even wondered if he had truly gone insane. Just then, Emperor Yongzhao, seeing the pill’s smooth, lustrous appearance, beamed with delight and declared, “An emperor’s word is his bond. Today, the Revered Master shall witness the marvel of immortality.”

With that, another attendant reverently presented a lead box.

Having maneuvered in the shadows of the palace for years, Guanri knew well that matters had reached this point—the emperor was undoubtedly impatient. All that remained was for him to “test the pill” and dispel the emperor’s final doubts…

His face still wore that mask of madness as he eagerly reached to open the box. But then, a sudden chill pierced through his back.Guanri lowered his head, only to see the Tiger Head Long Saber piercing through his chest. As he coughed up a mouthful of blood, another pair of blood spikes impaled both his lungs.

From the dragon throne, Emperor Yongzhao's voice was icy: "The Path of Longevity... I shall walk it in your stead. Having seen what needed to be seen today and fulfilled my wishes, the task of guiding the way shall be handled by the child you raised with your own hands. Daoist, you may now rest in peace."