Chapter Eighty: Hidden Dangers of the Mortal Body

“Senior, could you take a look and see if there’s anything valuable left in this paradise that I can take with me? Now that the world is in the age of declining magic, cultivation resources are extremely scarce. Even the slightest benefit would not be beneath my notice!”

Inside the temple, gazing at the rough-hewn idol before him, Li Yang spoke.

“Hmph! You rascal. Since I’ve agreed to guide you on the path to enlightenment, I naturally won’t keep anything from you!”

With a cold snort, the old Daoist transformed into a beam of clear light and emerged from within Li Yang’s sea of consciousness.

“Don’t bother with that idol. Though it’s been worshipped by my sect for generations, its material is ordinary and of little use to you.”

With a wave of his hand, the old Daoist sent the statue flying, letting it land steadily to the side, revealing beneath it an unusual stone, black and white and the size of a millstone.

“This is the Yin-Yang World Stone—the very foundation of a minor world. You’re in luck, boy. For an Earth Immortal, if you wish for your paradise to truly transform into a minor world, you need such a thing to lay its roots.”

Gazing at the stone beneath the statue, the old Daoist’s expression was tinged with nostalgia.

“Before the great calamity descended, my cultivation had reached the pinnacle of the Earth Immortal realm. To progress further, I needed to find the root of a world, to have my paradise evolve into a self-contained world. To find this World Stone, I journeyed for a thousand years, scouring the ends of the earth and the heavens, searching among sun, moon, and stars, until I finally found it in a shattered space between the Yin and Yang realms.”

“Yet before I could use it, disaster struck. Perhaps it was my fate—maybe finding this wondrous stone had already exhausted all of my luck.”

“Senior, your inheritance is an ancient method. Why did you choose to follow the path of the Earth Immortal?”

Seeing the old Daoist’s wistful expression, Li Yang asked curiously.

“These ancient methods, though boundless in power, were abandoned for good reason. Besides their stringent requirements, the spiritual energy they demand simply isn’t available in today’s world. By the time I met the requirements, I had already forged an immortal body. There was no point in retracing my steps.”

“My sect has deep foundations, and our inherited methods are countless. I chose the Earth Immortal path simply for the freedom to roam between heaven and earth.”

“The Celestial Immortal path may be orthodox, but anyone who succeeds is bound to serve in the Celestial Court, constrained by its laws. The Human Immortal path offers the shortest lifespan—not for me. The Ghost and Spirit paths are even lower; in the divine path, one’s fate is entirely in the hands of the Celestial Court, and as for the ghost path, there’s no hope of attaining the ultimate way.”

“We who seek the Dao and immortality desire freedom above all—to travel unhindered between heaven and earth. If someone else holds your reins, what does longevity matter?”

With that, the old Daoist pointed, and the strange stone instantly shrank, landing in Li Yang’s hand.

“That’s it. There’s nothing else in this space worth your attention. Let’s go!”

As he spoke, the old Daoist turned back into a stream of clear light and slipped into Li Yang’s sea of consciousness, adding, “The aura of the five decays still lingers in my primordial spirit. I cannot expose myself to the world, or the heavens will sense me. Unless it’s urgent, don’t disturb my peace.”

“Rest assured, Senior, I’ll be careful.”

After promising, Li Yang’s form blurred, and in an instant he passed through the subterranean space, returning to the cathedral’s basement.

Gazing at the giant Anger-Faced Chicken egg, still absorbing all manner of malevolent energies, Li Yang’s thoughts stirred, and the golden toad leaped into his hand.

“Boy, you’re lucky indeed to have found a divine beast egg in this era. But I must tell you, hatching such a creature requires far more than just energy.”

Just as Li Yang was watching the now-thinned malevolent mist in the air, considering going out, the old Daoist’s voice sounded in his mind.

“Oh? What do you mean, Senior?”

Hearing the old Daoist mention the Anger-Faced Chicken, Li Yang immediately stopped and asked.

“No need to speak aloud, lest others become suspicious. Just think, and I’ll hear you.”

“The greatest difference between a divine beast and an ancient beast is this: ancient beasts are born of heaven and earth, but divine beasts are descended from the bloodline of Dao-fruit—inheritances of the world itself. Dragonkin, phoenix-kin, and their like are born with fortune upon them, symbols of auspiciousness. To awaken such a bloodline, energy alone is not enough. The key is a spark of divinity to lead the way.”

“This…” As he listened, Li Yang felt a sinking dread.

“By your logic, must I kill a true god from the Celestial Court or a nether god from the Underworld to obtain this divinity?”

“Hmph! Who said you need to kill a Celestial Court god? In your current state, you’re lucky to survive, let alone slay a god. All you need is to find a heretical god, take its divinity as a catalyst, and the egg will hatch smoothly.”

“What do you mean, Senior? Is there something wrong with me?” Li Yang’s voice grew tense at the mention of his condition.

“Hmph! Who taught you those reckless methods? You dared refine an ancient six-winged golden centipede into your body—such folly! Without the Reaper’s origin to sustain you, you’d have exploded long ago. Even so, your body is riddled with wounds and on the brink of collapse.”

“Is it really that bad, Senior?” Though he trusted the old Daoist, Li Yang couldn’t help doubting.

“What, you think I’m exaggerating? Do you know that all ancient cultivation techniques originated from ancient beasts?”

“The Human Immortal path is only a fragment, evolved and simplified by later generations. If you only absorbed ordinary beasts, as long as your blood was strong enough, you’d be fine. But the Human Immortal path focuses on refining essence; ancient beasts cultivated through essence, energy, and spirit together. To devour such a creature with mere mortal flesh is courting death.”

“Right now, do you feel your body is full of divine power, always at its peak, seemingly without depletion, yet when you use it, your strength is hard to wield, and its effects are limited?”

Comparing his own experience to the old Daoist’s words, Li Yang’s expression darkened.

After a long moment, he asked, “Senior, is there any remedy for my situation?”

“For most, there’d be no hope. But with the Reaper’s origin inside you, there’s a way. Otherwise, I’d never have signed a contract with a dying man.”

“Senior, what exactly is this Reaper’s origin that you value it so highly?”

Hearing the old Daoist repeatedly mention Zhao Yuehua’s pure yin, Li Yang’s curiosity was piqued.

“Hmph! That’s not something you need to know now. When you’re qualified, you’ll understand. It’s not my place to say more!”

“For now, show me the cultivation method you practice, and I’ll point out its flaws, so you don’t stray further down the wrong path.”

With that, the old Daoist fell silent.

Li Yang followed his instructions and silently recalled his family’s cultivation method.

...

Suddenly, a streak of light flashed across the sky, racing toward Jiuquan Town.

Putting away the giant Anger-Faced Chicken egg, Li Yang left the cathedral. Where the town had bustled with life the day before, now only broken walls remained.

The streets were littered with charred corpses and drifting skins. From ruined houses came occasional cries and wails; few living souls moved among the devastation.

“Believer Li, thank heaven you’re unharmed!”

At that moment, at a distant crossroad, Father Wu returned with a bald priest in tow.

“Father, how is the town faring?” Li Yang asked, noting Father Wu’s disheveled appearance—his face blackened with ash, eyes red.

“Alas… not many survived, and many of the injured are being treated at Uncle Nine’s dojo. I was just there helping. May the Lord bless them, amen!”

Father Wu’s face was full of sorrow. “I regret listening to Uncle Nine. This church should never have reopened!”

“My condolences, Father.”

Li Yang fell silent as he watched the priest weep bitterly.

Walking along the street toward Uncle Nine’s dojo, he saw crowds of townsfolk supporting each other in and out of the building before he even reached the door.

Cries and wails filled the air. The wounded were everywhere; even those uninjured wore numb expressions.

“What are you doing here?”

“Oh, come to see if I’m still alive? Satisfied with how things turned out?”

Exhausted and busy, Uncle Nine looked up from the doorway and sneered at Li Yang.

“There’s no need for this, Uncle Nine. Everyone has their own path. You chose to save the world; I chose to look after myself. There’s no right or wrong, only different choices.”

Li Yang knew this incident had ended any friendship between them. But as he’d said, their paths diverged—no need to force a bond. They were never truly of the same mind; ending it here was no loss.

“Brother Li!”

As Li Yang turned to leave, Annie suddenly chased after him from the dojo.

“Will we ever meet again?”

Seeing that Li Yang did not answer, Annie forced a smile through her tears and said, “Give my regards to Tingting. I wish you both happiness.”

“Thank you. I will carry your wishes to her.”

With a last glance at Annie’s tear-streaked face, Li Yang turned into a streak of golden light and soared into the sky.