Cultivating To Immortality

Chapter 752: General’s Old Friend

..."Last time, the story ended with the Old Man on the River conjuring an Immortal Pill, its Sword Qi striking directly at the evil Dragon."

"This sword strike, seemingly ordinary, actually caused the heavens and earth to change color."

"The waves parted in two, revealing a chasm at the bottom of the river! The Sword Qi’s aftershocks vibrated, and the clouds in the sky instantly surged outwards!"

"The sword light weaved and darted around the evil Dragon’s body, striking from its crown to its tail. The evil Dragon’s skin tore and flesh split, its demonic blood congealing into red lotuses in the air, floating and drifting, falling back into the river."

"By the time everyone recovered their senses, the small boat and the Old Man were long gone. Only the great demon’s bloody light on the river surface remained, along with the illusory formation in the sky, lingering for dozens of days."

The storyteller closed his folding fan, covering his face, and spoke in a low whisper.

"From that day on, Cultivators from Chu Region flocked to the place, and even many Cultivators from other countries came, drawn by its fame."

"Within the Cultivation World of Chu, there were many different speculations about the Old Man in a Straw Raincoat on the river."

"Some said he was a powerful Loose Cultivator who had traveled west from an Immortal Island in the East Sea, playing in the Mortal World."

"Others speculated he was an Old Ancestor from one of the Six Major Sects, traveling the world, who happened to return to Chu and lent a hand."

"However, the Six Major Sects at that time searched through all their ancient texts and secret records, but found not a single clue."

"Later, more and more Loose Cultivators gathered there, and Cultivators who came for the fame built huts and settled, all hoping to find a remnant of the ’Immortal’ who had left behind a tiny piece of his Legacy, to comprehend the Sword Qi Dao techniques and true illusionary arts."

"Over time, more and more Cultivators opened Immortal Caves and settled there. Among them, many Cultivation Families also emerged, and the development of Descending Immortal Pass grew larger and larger."

"Back then, when Later Chu moved its capital to Ying City, Descending Immortal Pass had already begun to take shape."

"The current layout of Descending Immortal Pass has also undergone many evolutions. The earliest person to establish rules and manage this area, Old Ancestor Nangong, was merely a Foundation Establishment Late Stage Cultivator who stood far away by the river, watching the battle when the Old Man on the River performed his sword ritual."

"Later, his venerable self also broke through to the Golden Core Realm, becoming one of the leaders of the Loose Cultivator world in Chu at that time."

"It is rumored that where the Dragon’s head fell, a remnant Sword Qi is preserved within the Descending Immortal Tower. After Old Ancestor Nangong broke through to Golden Core, he tried to comprehend it but was almost backlashed by the Sword Qi, injuring his Meridians."

"Let me tell you all, this Sword Qi has persisted for a thousand years without dissipating. You say, what kind of heaven-defying means did that Old Man on the River possess?"

Smack.

The folding fan closed, and the gavel struck the table.

"This is precisely..."

"A single sword across the river, a thousand years of achievement, where in the Human World can one find traces of Immortals?"

"Once your sword skills are perfected, go forth and slay the Dragon wherever it may be!"

...Song Yan picked up his cup of Spirit Tea, took a sip, and immediately felt refreshed and invigorated, with a long-lasting aftertaste.

The surrounding Cultivators also rose, chatting among themselves as they prepared to leave.

Descending Immortal Pass truly lives up to its name as a city in the clouds.

The Cultivators living here also have special experiences, just like ordinary mortals.

For example, listening to stories.

"Is that person really that powerful?" Xiao He sat cross-legged on the chair, seemingly dissatisfied that the evil Dragon Senior in the story lost too quickly.

She thought to herself: "It must be made up by people."

Xiao Ju was lost in thought, not knowing what she was thinking.

Song Yan, however, was pondering, with some vague ideas forming in his mind.

The Old Man in a Straw Raincoat... his origin unknown.

Immortal Pill transforming into a sword.

All these descriptions and legends reminded him of the Old Man in a Straw Raincoat in Wu Mountain Valley.

Could it be his venerable self?

That might be the only Senior he had ever encountered who had a connection with the Sword Sect.

If this Senior was already here before the Sect Master of the Sword Sect left, does that mean that he had been here for thousands of years since the disappearance of the Sword Cultivators?

Thousands of years of lifespan... "Nascent Soul?"

No, that’s not enough.

Song Yan took a deep breath.

Soul Transformation Realm... it was too, too far away from him.

The story had ended, and most of the Cultivators listening in the tea house had already left.

Song Yan also got up and left.

Although Xiao He was a demon, firstly, she was only a first-order Late Stage demon, and secondly, there was no difficulty in bringing her into Descending Immortal Pass as a Cultivator’s Spirit Pet.

Stepping out of the tea house, the clamor of voices surged like a tide.

Song Yan walked along the street with Xiao Ju and Xiao He. Shops lined both sides of the street, selling Spiritual Artifacts, Medicinal Pills, Talismans, and even restaurants specializing in Spirit Food for Cultivators.

"First, let’s deal with the things we don’t need," Song Yan mused. Several qiankun bags contained the sorted miscellaneous items he intended to sell.

Song Yan followed the map of Descending Immortal Pass and headed towards the Gathering Treasure Pavilion.

The name Gathering Treasure Pavilion was quite well-known in the Cultivation World of Chu and was relatively trustworthy.

"Fellow Daoist, this Fellow Daoist?"

A low voice came, and Song Yan looked sideways.

He saw a Cultivator standing beneath a pavilion, looking about twenty-eight or twenty-nine years old, extremely proper.

The reason he was described as proper was that he had a distinguished air, a fair, beardless face, and a complex and intricate black and white pattern on his Daoist robe, with a whisk draped over his arm.

He was at the Perfection of Qi Refining Realm, looking at Song Yan with a slight smile.

"What is it?"

Song Yan was expressionless, but a response was basic courtesy.

"Haha, Fellow Daoist, please forgive my abruptness." He stepped forward and bowed slightly.

"It’s embarrassing to say, I am Qin Yicao."

Song Yan nodded but did not reveal his name.

The other party paused slightly but continued.

"I previously informed several Fellow Daoists that I organized an exchange meeting."

"However, one of the Fellow Daoists had something urgent and had to leave Xin’an Prefecture temporarily."

"I observe that your demeanor is unhurried, and your attire does not resemble that of a local Loose Cultivator, so I presume you are new to this place."

"If you are free, why not participate in our small exchange meeting?"

"Of course, if Fellow Daoist is unwilling, it’s no problem, I’m just asking casually."

After listening, Song Yan hesitated for a moment, but ultimately declined.

He always believed that such exchange meetings and auctions were a waste of time unless he knew in advance that there were treasures or Spirit Items he wanted.

For ordinary Spirit Items, clearing them out directly at the Gathering Treasure Pavilion was more convenient and quicker.

Auctions or exchange meetings were usually held to find treasures not available in ordinary general stores.

However, as a Sword Cultivator, many so-called treasures were actually completely useless to him.

This made the efficiency of participating in them relatively low.

It wasn’t that he never participated in these, but his primary goal right now was Foundation Establishment, and the most precious Spirit Items he needed had already been obtained.

As for the Water Element Supreme Spirit, in his opinion, it was merely the icing on the cake; it was great to have it, but it didn’t matter if he didn’t.

There was no need to expend his energy and time on things that were optional.

Hearing Song Yan’s refusal, Qin Yicao laughed awkwardly, then cupped his hands: "I apologize for the disturbance; I will take my leave first."

"Alright."

It was just an insignificant small interlude, and Song Yan continued towards his original destination.

Before long, he found the location of the Gathering Treasure Pavilion here.

The shopkeeper was a middle-aged Cultivator with a goatee. Seeing Song Yan’s extraordinary demeanor, he quickly came forward to greet him.

"Fellow Daoist, do you need to purchase something from our shop, or do you have some items you wish to sell here?"

Song Yan didn’t waste words and directly took out the Spiritual Artifacts and Materials he didn’t need, one by one.

After careful inspection, the shopkeeper offered a fair price.

"Three hundred twenty-five Spirit Stones for the Spiritual Artifacts and Talismans, two hundred three Spirit Stones for the Medicinal Pills and other miscellaneous items, totaling five hundred twenty-eight Spirit Stones. How about we round it up to five hundred thirty Spirit Stones for you?"

Song Yan raised an eyebrow: "Deal."

This price was even better than he had expected.

Perhaps because many things were useless to him, he would naturally estimate their value lower.

After leaving the Gathering Treasure Pavilion, he visited several more Medicinal Pill shops, purchasing the remaining auxiliary ingredients needed to refine Foundation Establishment Pills, as well as some Medicinal Pills for restoring spiritual power.

"Eh?"

Song Yan was settling the bill inside the Medicinal Pill shop when he faintly heard whispers behind him. The discussion was undisguised, carrying a hint of probing.

After paying with Spirit Stones, he turned around and met two familiar faces.

"Wow, Old Song, it really is you!"

Li Qingfeng’s face showed pleasant surprise, and he quickly walked over.

"See, I told you it was Senior Brother Song. Such an ethereal demeanor, how could I be mistaken?" Cen Qinghe beside him smiled: "Senior Brother Song, I never expected to meet you here."

"Oh? Two months unseen, your cultivation has grown significantly."

Song Yan clicked his tongue twice. Li Qingfeng’s cultivation had now reached the Qi Refining Stage Seventh Level Realm, officially becoming a Late Stage Qi Refining Cultivator.

And his spiritual power was abundant; with the aid of Medicinal Pills, breaking through to Level 8 Qi Refining should be a matter of time.

Cen Qinghe had also reached Qi Refining Stage 6, just a step away from Late Stage Qi Refining.

Facing the Cultivators of Cave Abyss Sect, Xiao Ju was still a bit shy, taking a slight step back.

Unexpectedly, Li Qingfeng waved his hand kindly at her, greeting her.

"This Junior Sister looks a bit familiar."

Song Yan nodded: "Ju Luyi, I told you about her; she’s a skillful tailor, and she’s traveling with me this time."

"Oh, oh." Li Qingfeng remembered: "I knew I’d seen her somewhere."

Xiao Ju, feeling a bit guilty, bowed to the two of them.

When going down the mountain for cultivation, few people would travel together.

You have your Dao path, I have my Opportunity, which is also the original intention of traveling.

It was precisely for this reason that Song Yan, after winning the Sect Sword Wipe at that time, did not choose to travel with Li Qingfeng or Gu Qingqing, but set off on his own.

However, it was not uncommon to meet by chance during travels and agree to travel together.

For example, Li Qingfeng and Cen Qinghe were just like that.

In a private room at the restaurant, the three chatted leisurely.

Li Qingfeng said: "Actually, we haven’t been here for long, and we’re preparing to leave now."

"That’s really a coincidence." Song Yan was a little surprised.

"During this journey, Junior Sister Qinghe had a wonderful Opportunity, and her cultivation has now reached Qi Refining Stage 6." Li Qingfeng explained.

"She exchanged for a Breakthrough Pill in Changping earlier, and this time I’m escorting her back to the Sect to go into seclusion for her Breakthrough."

"Coincidentally, I also plan to go back for a trip, so we agreed to travel together."

"Hmm." Song Yan nodded.

He also briefly spoke about his recent situation. When he mentioned that he was now at Level 9 Qi Refining Realm and even preparing to go into seclusion to Cultivate and achieve Foundation Establishment in one go, a hint of surprise and envy flashed in their eyes.

Foundation Establishment.

These two simple words blocked countless Cultivators with mediocre Aptitude and no resources from reaching it.

Preventing them from achieving longevity.

How old was Song Yan now? Barely twenty.

If he truly established his Dao Foundation, even if it was three years from now, he would genuinely enter the ranks of the Sect’s top Geniuses.

Li Qingfeng’s sense of self-satisfaction, which came from breaking through to the Late Stage of Qi Refining, instantly vanished.

He always felt that he had an Opportunity and the so-called Heaven-Devouring Legacy in his hands, and as long as he Cultivated steadily, he would surely make a name for himself in the Cultivation World in the future.

This feeling reached its peak when he broke through to the Late Stage of Qi Refining.

But now, encountering Song Yan again, it served as a wake-up call for him that the Cultivation World was full of hidden Dragons and crouching Tigers, and he had underestimated others.

"During your travels this time, have you heard any news of Senior Brother Li Yi?" Song Yan asked.

When the Sect Sword Wipe took place, Li Yi already possessed the strength of Qi Refining Perfection. Nearly a year had passed since then.

With his Aptitude, he should have been able to break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm after taking the Foundation Establishment Pill issued by the Sect.

"Actually, Senior Brother Li Yi just left Ying City." Li Qingfeng’s expression was strange: "He left just before you arrived."

From Song Yan’s perspective, he merely encountered two acquaintances by chance.

However, from Li Qingfeng and Cen Qinghe’s perspective, the coming and going of two familiar Sect friends was an even greater coincidence.

"General Xiao Ming, Old Master Xiao, the great general of Chu, had a great kindness towards Senior Brother Li."

Li Qingfeng said: "His journey down the mountain this time was to visit this old general. This was a hurdle in his heart, and it was precisely because of this that he had not achieved Foundation Establishment until now."

Song Yan suddenly understood.

In Feng An City, he had heard the legend of General Xiao Ming’s tiger-subduing feat.

He also knew that before Li Yi entered the Dao, he was first a subordinate of this old general.

He also greatly admired this person.

"How has the old general been lately?" he asked casually.

At the mention of this, Li Qingfeng’s face darkened slightly: "Half a month ago, Old General Xiao Ming passed away peacefully at the end of his natural lifespan."

"..."

Song Yan was slightly stunned. Xiao Ming was a famous great general of Chu; when he passed away, by rights, the entire nation should have mourned.

But there seemed to be no news at all of his passing.

Perhaps it was because he had been out of touch with information during this period and had neglected worldly affairs?

Outside the window, the street was still bustling with people, but the atmosphere among those inside the room fell silent for a moment.

Even Xiao He’s gorging mouth slowed down.

"Life and death, separation and reunion, are common in the Human World. The old master lived to be ninety-three, which can be considered a blessed passing." Li Qingfeng waved his hand: "By the way, since you are about to attempt Foundation Establishment, is there anything you need help with?"

Song Yan shook his head: "No need, I’m almost fully prepared."

"That’s good then." Li Qingfeng looked at the sky, "It’s getting late, and we still have to travel. When you return to the Sect, we can catch up properly."

"Definitely."

After a simple farewell, Li Qingfeng and Cen Qinghe’s figures quickly disappeared into the crowd.

Song Yan stood in place, looking in the direction they left, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

Although he was also leaving Descending Immortal Pass, it wasn’t time to return to the Sect yet.

Not to mention that his cultivation Realm wasn’t quite ready for a Breakthrough, he at least had to return to Lanxi Cave first to return the flying Spiritual Artifact, Red Dust Dipper.

"Senior Song..." Xiao Ju called softly.

Song Yan came back to his senses, nodded: "Let’s go too. We’ll buy a few more things, and then we’ll head back to Lanxi Cave."

Hmm?

Beside them, an elderly Cultivator, wearing a straw rain hat and a bamboo hat, passed by.

He held an empty fish basket in his left hand and a long fishing rod in his right, swaying as he hummed a strange-sounding fishing song.

"The waters of Wu River are clear and pure, green crabs and gezi crabs roam freely~"

"The dao fish are long and skilled with blades, acting righteously to fight injustice~"