I became an immortal in the mountains

Chapter 698 Immortal Fate
Gu Yuanqing and the Underworld King walked through the mansion, observing the scene as if they were bystanders.

He recognized the protagonist in this illusion at a glance as Qiu Weifeng, the master of the Heavenly Demon Sword. Everything around him existed because of his vision and senses.

When the Demon Sword Master's gaze and senses shifted elsewhere, everything became blurred and eventually vanished. When he looked back at it again, it quickly reformed.

Meanwhile, Gu Yuanqing and Hades seemed to be standing outside the timeline of the Heavenly Demon Sword Master's illusion, observing everything the Heavenly Demon Sword Master experienced in a cursory manner.

The Heavenly Demon Sword Master completely ignored the two people who were right beside him.

Gu Yuanqing suddenly turned to look at Hades.

Hades seemed to know what he was thinking and chuckled, "You have indeed lived in a daze within the illusion for over twenty years, just like him, until today, you... yes, after working overtime, you woke up one morning and suddenly saw through the illusion. Actually, I'm a little curious, how did you sense something was wrong and break through the illusion after just taking a nap?"

Gu Yuanqing did not answer directly, but sighed, "This painting is truly magical. I did not enter it, but only glanced at it and I was immediately drawn into the painting."

Hades nodded: "It does indeed possess some wondrous qualities."

"I wonder which immortal being is depicted in that painting?" Gu Yuanqing's gaze lingered on the Underworld King. This being was beyond the comprehension of even Gu Yuanqing, whose cultivation had long surpassed that of a cultivator.

Hades smiled and said, "I forgot about that. I am just a wisp of an avatar left in the painting. How could I remember so many things? Besides, there are some things that cannot be said even if you know them, otherwise you might get involved in karma and cause trouble for yourself."

"That's true." Gu Yuanqing nodded and didn't ask any further questions.

As the two chatted, the surrounding scenery changed rapidly.

Qiu Weifeng, the master of the Heavenly Demon Sword, was born into a wealthy family and possessed exceptional talent. When he was three years old, a highly skilled immortal came to him, saw his extraordinary aptitude, took him as a disciple, and devoted himself to teaching him for three years, laying a solid foundation for his future.

After reaching adulthood, he entered the sect, shone brightly, and was eventually promoted to a true disciple.

Its sect is called Yunquan Sect. Although it is not a top-tier sect, it has cultivators who have reached the Heavenly Transformation stage and dominate one side.

He emerged victorious in the struggle for various opportunities, gained the upper hand in love, hate, and vendettas, became Daoist partners with his beloved senior sister, and achieved the status of a Heavenly Transformation cultivator at the age of six hundred.

He is known as the Yunquan Sect disciple with the best chance of breaking through to the Yin-Yang Realm in three thousand years.

At this moment, he can be described as having a smooth life and being a winner in life.

One day, the sect leader of Yunquan Sect summoned him to his cave and said that he would pass on the true inheritance of the sect, which only the sect leader could cultivate.

And this is precisely the Heavenly Demon Sword Path!
At the time, he was unaware that the Heavenly Demon Sword Dao seemed to be naturally suited to him, and after practicing it, he made rapid progress.

And this was precisely the beginning of his tragic fate.

Once his mind was possessed, the entire sect, his wife, daughters, and grandchildren all perished by his own hand.

Seeing this scene, even though they were enemies, Gu Yuanqing couldn't help but sigh softly.

He learned from Qin Wuyai about the situation when someone controlled his body while he was practicing the Heavenly Demon Sword Path. Although everything was beyond his control, he could still sense everything happening outside.

In other words, he watched helplessly as his own hands slaughtered all his loved ones, and he was powerless to stop it.

After regaining control of his body, Qiu Weifeng was in unbearable pain and then frantically searched for the former Heavenly Demon Sword Master.

However, he was merely a puppet to begin with, so what good would it do even if he were found?
It would simply mean being controlled by them again, staining one's hands with innocent blood once more, and gaining a notorious reputation in the cultivation world.

In these repeated situations, he went completely insane and finally despaired.

At this moment, the Heavenly Demon Sword Master appeared and said, "The Heavenly Demon Sword belongs only to the strong. If your sword cultivation surpasses mine, you are the Heavenly Demon Sword Master, and you can naturally kill me."

Unaware that he was lost in the illusion, Qiu Weifeng's eyes were bloodshot, his expression ferocious, and he asked with hatred in his eyes, "What exactly do you want to do? Why is this happening?"

The previous Heavenly Demon Sword Master calmly said, "Your physical body is quite good; it can be my furnace. You have two choices: become my disciple, or one day you will seize the Heavenly Demon Sword and kill me, or I will completely possess you. Are you willing to give it a try?"
Or perhaps, you are merely a sword slave!

Qiu Weifeng's choice goes without saying.

The outcome was that the previous Heavenly Demon Sword Master's Yin-Yang Cycle Tribulation failed, and his attempt to seize the body was thwarted by Qiu Weifeng's secretly arranged methods.

He thus became the new Heavenly Demon Sword Master, inheriting the resources of the previous Heavenly Demon Sword Master.

Gu Yuanqing also saw the other half of the Heavenly Dao Scripture, but in this illusion, being outside the timeline, it was difficult to see clearly.

Moreover, even if it is clearly distinguishable, it is difficult to capture its essence.

The true essence of the Heavenly Dao Scripture is not merely the meaning of the words themselves, but also the words themselves; only when all the nuances are integrated can it be considered complete.

This is also why the Heavenly Demon Sword Master, who could have obtained the full text from the Void Formless, chose to seek the original version from Gu Yuanqing.

Gu Yuanqing suddenly became curious as to why the Heavenly Demon Sword and half a scroll of the Heavenly Dao Scripture had appeared in the Qian Yuan Realm, which was still a floating realm.

He couldn't help but turn to look at Hades, wondering if all of this was related to him, otherwise why would he have specifically come to him to bestow favors back then?
Gu Yuanqing did not believe that everything was just a coincidence, including the fact that the consciousness of the King of the Underworld just happened to be present in this painting.

Hades also looked at Gu Yuanqing. His face was still difficult to see clearly, but there seemed to be a hint of a smile in his eyes.

Gu Yuanqing did not reveal his suspicions. Even if some things were true, it might not be a good thing to say them out loud.

He turned his gaze back to Qiu Weifeng.

Seeing his hidden cultivation, his cultivation level directly entered the Yin-Yang cycle.

Gu Yuanqing suddenly raised an eyebrow. According to the current timeline, it was not yet time for Qiu Weifeng to come to Qianyuan Island to look for him, yet his cultivation had already reached the Yin-Yang cycle.

However, when I fought him back then, even though it was just an avatar, I could still sense that his true form's cultivation level was not yet at the Yin-Yang Zhou Tian level.

Just as Gu Yuanqing was filled with doubt, he saw Qiu Weifeng use a secret technique as a sword to slash at his soul and body, splitting them in two.

All of the Heavenly Demon Sword Dao's power remained in this weak part of his soul and body, and his realm almost fell from the Yin-Yang level. On the other side, he had most of the power of his body and soul. He drifted away with the Demon-Sealing Sword, not even willing to look at the Heavenly Demon Sword Dao clone.

Gu Yuanqing looked at the departing figure and knew perfectly well that this figure would one day become the Daoist Qingxu.

The original illusion was also split in two.

Three thousand years from now.

His Heavenly Demon Sword Dao clone absorbed the power of thousands of sword slaves to achieve his own power, replenish his origin, and build his foundation. After reaching the Yin-Yang cycle, he used a secret technique to sever his own body again, and then created another clone carrying the Demon-Slaying Sword and most of its power. Before leaving, his eyes were filled with disgust as he looked at the Heavenly Demon Sword Dao clone again.

Without needing to elaborate, it's clear that the other clone is the white-robed young master Chi Jinyu, and the illusion is also divided into three.

Even though it was just an illusion, Gu Yuanqing could tell that these three bodies were completely different from the Yin-Yang Realm's clone technique.

Even at the Chaotic Heaven Realm, Gu Yuanqing's method of creating clones still has a distinction between primary and secondary clones.

However, Qiu Weifeng's three clones seemed to have been severed from each other.

Hades praised, "This person's talent is indeed extraordinary. He can comprehend such profound methods with the Yin-Yang realm and the body of a cultivator."

Gu Yuanqing asked, "Is this method from the lower volume of the Heavenly Dao Scripture in the painting?"

Hades chuckled: "Perhaps. Since Lord Gu has his own judgment, why ask me?" In the blink of an eye, several thousand years passed. Qingxu Daoist and Chi Jinyu both entered prestigious sects, became great cultivators, washed away some of their relationships and traces with the Heavenly Demon Sword Master, and became Huntian cultivators.

The Heavenly Demon Sword Master found a clue and turned his gaze to the Trial Realm. Finally, he sent a wisp of his divine consciousness down, but...

Then, various scenes began to connect completely with some of the things that Gu Yuanqing knew.

……

Gu Yuanqing said, "Qiu Weifeng should be waking up soon; this illusion will soon be unable to hold him any longer."

"Yes, that's about enough. I should go now. If I stay any longer, I'm afraid I'll only cause more trouble." Hades looked up and sighed softly.

Gu Yuanqing also looked up, but could see nothing. As the body of the Underworld King began to blur, he asked, "If I obtain the Myriad Dao Stone, how should I hand it over to you, sir?"

Hades smiled calmly: "If fate allows, you can bring it to me when we meet again!"

As soon as he finished speaking, his clone vanished.

At the same time, Gu Yuanqing also found it difficult to remain in the illusion created by the Heavenly Demon Sword Master.

Even the Heavenly Demon Sword Master seemed to sense something, turning his head to look at where Gu Yuanqing had originally stood, his eyes sharp and filled with killing intent. Then he frowned and looked around in confusion.

He muttered to himself, "An illusion?"

"No, it should be about retracing our steps and examining ourselves, but who was that just now? Who was watching me?"

"But why did it take me so long to wake up?"

……

After leaving the illusion of the Heavenly Demon Sword Master, Gu Yuanqing suddenly felt his mind sink, as if he had fallen into water. When he floated up again, he found that he had become a child of about ten years old.

I am an apprentice at the kendo dojo.

A mysterious force attempted to obscure and seal Gu Yuanqing's soul and consciousness, but it was completely ineffective.

This time was different from before. He could sense the location of his physical body, which meant that as long as he had a thought, he could activate the Heavenly Fishing Technique to return to his physical body.

But Gu Yuanqing did not do that, because he knew that this was the true beginning of the inheritance.

According to the rules of this place, he should have unknowingly possessed the child and followed him from humble beginnings to cultivate the way of the sword, so that he could truly immerse himself in it.

But now, we can only observe his cultivation as bystanders, and it is unknown which is better or worse between the two.

Then Gu Yuanqing noticed something different. Rather than possessing the child, it was more accurate to say that a sword intent left there was merging with his own soul.

When Gu Yuanqing realized this, a flood of information rushed into his soul.

Perhaps by missing the process, it's difficult to gain the most subtle insights, but it also saves a lot of time.

"This may be the legacy left by the Heavenly Sword Elder in the painting, all his insights from the beginning of sword practice to the Undying Chaos."

The Demon-Subduing Sword Path, the Heavenly Demon Sword Path, the Demon-Slaying Sword Path, and the Demon-Sealing Sword Path are all included.

In fact, for the Heavenly Sword Elder who left behind his legacy, there was no need for such detailed divisions; everything was merely a certain aspect of his swordsmanship.

He knew that no cultivation could be accomplished in one fell swoop, which is why the way of the sword was divided into separate paths. Later practitioners could cultivate each path separately and then combine them, thus reducing the difficulty of cultivation.

At the end of the scene, an old man in hemp clothing stands with his hands behind his back and a smile on his face, saying: "The way of the sword is vast, and I am just an apprentice. I have only grasped one or two aspects of it. If future fellow Daoists can gain something from my path, then it will not have been in vain for me to leave this sword mark."

If one could gain access to immortality, perhaps one could even challenge them to a duel in person someday; that would be a great blessing in life.

At the end of his words, the old man in hemp clothing looked up at a certain spot.

Gu Yuanqing followed the gaze and the world changed. He was now at the foot of the mountain. Looking up, he saw a man in blue robes sitting lazily on a blue stone on the mountainside in the distance, reading a book in his hand.

"A predestined connection with immortals?"

Gu Yuanqing's gaze sharpened slightly.

He entered the Qingping Dao Palace only because he felt that the opportunity to break through the Chaotic Undying Dao might lie there, but he never expected to encounter such a situation today.

In fact, for Gu Yuanqing, the Qingping Dao Palace was just something left behind by the Heavenly Sword Elder before he ascended to the heavens and left this world. At this time, Gu Yuanqing was already able to suppress the Hun Tian Undying. With the help of the Beiquan Cave Heaven, even a Void Immortal might not really be afraid.

He entered this place because he sensed that the opportunity to break through to the Undying Realm might lie here.

But the appearance of Hades and the power within the painting drew both his clone and his true self into it, making him more cautious and careful.

Fortunately, he could now sense his physical body and the power of the North Spring Cave Heaven again, which gave him more confidence.

"Since it's a destiny with the immortals, let's go and take a look!"

Gu Yuanqing chuckled and started walking upwards.

There seem to be rules governing this mountain. Gu Yuanqing's cultivation level only allows him to follow the mountain path. If he goes outside the mountain path, he will immediately return to the foot of the mountain.

After traveling several miles uphill, a person appeared in front of Gu Yuanqing.

Gu Yuanqing was slightly taken aback, then bowed and said, "Greetings, Senior."

This person was indeed the Heavenly Sword Elder, but it was clear that what was here was merely a manifestation of his divine essence.

The old man in hemp robes said indifferently, "Draw your sword!"

"Excuse me!" Gu Yuanqing didn't say much. He raised his hand and pointed, pointing at the move on the Sword Dao Stele. The Demon Subduing Sword Dao was all contained in this one finger.

Having undergone various trials and tribulations, and drawing upon the memories of the Heavenly Sword Elder's sword practice, Gu Yuanqing's understanding of this sword strike has surpassed that of before.

The Heavenly Sword Elder smiled slightly upon seeing the sword, but did not engage in battle; instead, he retreated half a step.

With this retreat, Gu Yuanqing felt as if all his strength had fallen into empty space, and he felt that he could not advance any further, as if any change he made would be met with a thunderous counterattack.

But in the blink of an eye, that feeling vanished without a trace. The Heavenly Sword Elder stepped aside to make way for him and said, "Fellow Daoist, please!"

……

As Gu Yuanqing walked up the mountain...

Inside the Qingping Dao Palace, three figures appeared one after another, namely the Heavenly Demon Sword Master, Qingxu Daoist, and others.

The Heavenly Demon Sword Master's expression turned solemn. He scanned his surroundings and hissed, "Where is that guy surnamed Gu?"

"There!" Qingxu Daoist pointed to the mountainside in the painting.

(End of this chapter)