Exit

Exit . . . 

When Qin Wentian finally regained consciousness, his mind was awash with a flood of information, all stemming from the encounter with the undying freak. Despite being unconscious, the old freak's words lingered, etching themselves deeply into his memory. Silent curses for the undying old freak echoed in his thoughts.

"Undying Scripture, Death Scripture? What in the world are these?" Qin Wentian muttered to himself. His thoughts drifted to the zombie-like creatures he had encountered, and a bizarre idea struck him. Could these scriptures have some connection to those zombies? It seemed utterly illogical; after all, the dead should stay dead. It defied reason that they could return to life. Those zombies were lifeless, devoid of any intelligence.

"My soul... that undying old freak actually managed to separate my soul from my body and then return it," Qin Wentian shuddered as he recalled the experience, beads of cold sweat forming on his skin. It was a chilling ordeal, and even though it was over, the lingering fear persisted. If the undying freak had wished for his demise, he could have taken it without effort. The strength of that person had far surpassed Qin Wentian's comprehension.

Given his current level of cultivation, not even immortal emperors could silently end his life; they would need to release their law energy to do so. Even for peak-level immortal emperors, extinguishing immortal kings required employing the laws of the Great Dao. But this undying freak could control his soul with a mere command, allowing it to leave and return at will. It was truly terrifying.

If Qin Wentian were to choose a word to describe the old man, it would undoubtedly be 'unfathomable.'

With closed eyes, he delved into the knowledge of the Undying Scripture. It didn't take long for him to grasp the essence of this extraordinary soul cultivation art. Though he had never encountered soul cultivation techniques before, he recognized that the Undying Scripture was a supreme ultimate-level soul cultivation art of unparalleled potency.

In this world, everything had the potential to die, whether it be body or soul. However, the terror of the Undying Scripture lay precisely in this aspect. By cultivating it to its zenith, one could reach a state where the soul survived even after the body's demise. The scripture boasted other formidable abilities as well, such as allowing the soul to gradually reconstruct the physical body. It was a terrifying concept to contemplate.

Of course, the uses of the Undying Scripture extended beyond this. It could be aptly described as a perfect soul cultivation art.

"Why do I feel that the old undying monster had this plan from the very beginning when he allowed me to enter the ancient city?" Qin Wentian pondered aloud. "Perhaps he couldn't venture out into the world, so he aimed to find a worthy successor and placed all his hopes on me?" He speculated, a hint of shameless self-importance creeping into his voice. The idea that the undying freak admired him for his unparalleled talent swirled in his thoughts. He couldn't help but nod sagely, "That must be it. After all, individuals with talents as extraordinary as mine are exceedingly rare. The old coot probably never encountered anyone like me before."

Qin Wentian couldn't help but muse to himself, "Well, at least he didn't demand that I join his faction or become his disciple. Perhaps he knows he's not qualified to be my master. This way, I won't be violating the rules of the Heavenly Talisman Realm. When I grow stronger, I'll return to settle this debt with him." He shamelessly speculated, unaware of whether the undying freak could read his thoughts. If he could, there was a good chance he'd promptly separate Qin Wentian's soul from his body once more.

Glancing down at the divine rod on the ground, panic gripped Qin Wentian's heart. The earlier experience had been utterly wretched, and he still harbored fear. It seemed that he would have to commit himself fully to mastering the Undying Scripture. Otherwise, he dreaded the day he'd attempt to hold the rod again, uncertain if he could endure the excruciating soul assault.

With that thought, Qin Wentian closed his eyes, silencing his mind, and began the arduous journey of cultivating the Undying Scripture, starting from the very fundamentals to establish a solid foundation.

As someone who had never encountered soul cultivation techniques before, his progress was excruciatingly slow. Before this, he had never even sensed the presence of his soul, nor had he considered the connection between body and soul. It was only when he held the divine rod that he first became aware of his soul's existence.

The soul, a fragile essence within the body, could easily be annihilated once separated from it. Without a soul, the body became an empty vessel, devoid of purpose.

Fortunately, through that harrowing experience, Qin Wentian had managed to become aware of his soul. This initial step was pivotal. With an understanding of the soul's existence, he could commence training it.

Qin Wentian once again entered a state of deep absorption, losing track of time. He never anticipated that after reaching the immortal king realm, he would continue to cultivate, focusing on nurturing his soul after establishing his law domain. His recent experiences had been extraordinarily bizarre.

However, the old monster had promised to release him once he successfully held the divine rod. Finally, that day had arrived. He should soon be able to leave this place.

Over a decade had passed in the blink of an eye. He was oblivious to the world beyond and could only hope that no major events had occurred. Wars between peak powers were protracted affairs. It took a considerable amount of time before an all-out conflict erupted. After the judgment battle, none of the factions dared to act recklessly.

This time, he had devoted more time to cultivation in a single sitting than ever before. Even reaching the immortal king realm hadn't taken as long, as all those attributes shared a common source. However, cultivating the soul was an entirely different challenge, an endeavor of immense complexity. The powers granted by the Undying Scripture could complement the unique ability he'd gained from his seventh astral soul. He needed to comprehend them thoroughly, as they would undoubtedly prove invaluable in the future.

As he delved deeper into his cultivation, Qin Wentian's soul energy grew steadily stronger. He could now willingly separate his soul from his body. His soul could even manifest corporeally, emitting a radiant brilliance. This development was nothing short of astounding. The strength of his soul had multiplied manyfold compared to before he embarked on this path.

Then, one day, after numerous failed attempts, he finally grasped the divine rod firmly, even though his soul still quivered. Nevertheless, he had managed to significantly diminish the impact on his soul.

The figure of the undying freak materialized once more, and he shook his head, voicing his displeasure. "It took you so long; you're truly weak. You're quite a disappointment. If I'd known, I would've set a time limit."

Qin Wentian seethed every time he laid eyes on the undying freak, his heart swelling with resentment.

"What? Unhappy?" The undying freak's tone turned icy, and Qin Wentian felt the trembling in his soul intensify. He quickly responded, "How could I dare to be unhappy, senior?"

The undying freak sighed, "Well, at least you know better than to be unhappy. After cultivating here, you've made decent progress, all thanks to me. I don't require any grand gestures to repay this debt. Just keep me company for eight to ten years, and we can chat every day until you leave this place." His words prompted Qin Wentian to roll his eyes in exasperation, almost causing him to cough up white froth and faint on the spot.

Qin Wentian found himself in a state of despair. Accompanying this old freak for eight to ten years? It felt like a death sentence.

But, in truth, if this old freak was determined to do so, Qin Wentian had no way to refuse.

"You're not keen on keeping me company?" The old undying freak, his hair neatly arranged, revealed his aged visage as he stared at Qin Wentian. He continued, "Do you realize how many people wish to meet me, yet I've turned them all away? In countless years, you and that little doll are the only ones I've encountered. And you're reluctant to interact with me? If you spent another eight to ten years with me, your cultivation would make tremendous strides."

Qin Wentian's eyes flickered with uncertainty. If this could indeed significantly enhance his strength, perhaps he should consider it.

"Stop contemplating. Even if you wanted to now, I wouldn't have you. Just go, just go," the old undying freak waved his hand dismissively, and Qin Wentian felt a surge of energy enveloping him, hurtling him through space at an incredible speed.

"BOOM!" Qin Wentian crashed violently into the ground, creating a massive crater. He cursed under his breath before leaping out. However, a moment later, his entire body froze.

"This..."

Qin Wentian scanned his surroundings and realized he had returned to the entrance of the forbidden ground, at the external boundary of the Darknorth Immortal Mountain.

With a mere wave of his hand, that undying old freak had transported him here. It was nothing short of monstrous.

Without any warning, Qin Wentian found himself back at the entrance of the forbidden ground.

The guards in the vicinity were astonished. Qin Wentian had returned? Wasn't he one of those who had ventured into the forbidden ground ten years ago? And he had come back alive, despite being at the immortal-foundation realm when he entered?

Qin Wentian paid no mind to their bewildered stares. He gazed toward the horizon and breathed a sigh of relief.

After a brief moment, Qin Wentian bowed in the direction of the forbidden ground, whispering, "Old freak, I hope you can wait for me to reach your level. When that time comes, I'll give you an intense battle."

With a swift movement, Qin Wentian sped away, navigating around the law mountains. Eventually, he arrived at an ancient peak and spotted a familiar figure seated upon it.

The silhouette sat in tranquil contemplation, strumming the zither's strings, creating an atmosphere of longing, telling a tale of someone who awaited something. Qin Wentian stood there silently, and as the familiar melody reached his ears, a smile crept across his face.

He couldn't believe that on this journey to the Darknorth Immortal Mountain, both he and Zhiyin had broken through to the immortal king realm. What incredible fortune.

The melody continued, gradually fading away. Zhiyin, with her beautiful eyes, smiled radiantly as she gazed at Qin Wentian. "I knew you'd return, so I've been waiting here for you."

"Why wait for me?" Qin Wentian shook his head, smiling.

"Since we entered together, we should leave together," Zhiyin replied matter-of-factly, her reasoning straightforward and logical.

"Let's go, then," Qin Wentian said with a smile. Zhiyin rose from her seat, and the two of them made their way toward the exit, side by side.

Outside the Darknorth Immortal Mountain, experts who saw Qin Wentian and Zhiyin emerging together were utterly stunned. A guard stepped forward, addressing them, "My lord and madam, please halt. The princess has given orders that if we see the two of you leaving, we are to inform her immediately. She intends to come personally."

"Princess Nongyue is too kind," Qin Wentian remarked with a chuckle. He glanced at Zhiyin and said, "In that case, let's wait here for Beiming Nongyue."

"Of course," Zhiyin agreed with a nod.