Life span plundered, I became a detective and achieved immortality

Deep within the chaos, a purple-gold figure traversed the void, moving with the speed of a streak of light breaking through the mist, leaving a trail of pale purple afterimages. Wherever it passed, the chaotic energy seemed to be drawn by an invisible force, automatically surging and retreating to both sides, forming a smooth passage. Even the ripples of spacetime were tamed by it, gently undulating along its trajectory, as if the entire world was making way for it, daring not to obstruct it in the slightest.

Suddenly, Su Mo's figure froze, as if he were suddenly taut by invisible threads. A strange sensation arose in his heart—a sharp and burning feeling of being spied on, as if countless eyes hidden in the folds of time and space were staring intently at his whereabouts through layers of void barriers, causing even his soul to feel a slight sting.

His divine sense swept across the surrounding chaos of millions of light-years like lightning, instantly capturing a familiar aura, complex and powerful, mixed with the clear radiance of stars, the Daoist rhythm of Yin and Yang, the scorching heat of flames, and the pure energy of plants and trees... It was the primordial power of the nine immortal beings, including the Purple Origin Golden Immortal.

Immediately afterward, a flash of inspiration struck Su Mo, and a cold, icy smile appeared on his lips, while a knowing glint flashed in his eyes.

Those old fogies lay dormant for three hundred billion years without making a sound, yet ten thousand years after he attained immortality, they went to great lengths to expend their precious primordial power to once again deduce his whereabouts. If it weren't for the shocking event of his attainment of immortality that had thrown him into a panic and made him lose his composure, he couldn't think of any other possibility.

"I'll just use this to my advantage and lure them out of their respective immortal realms!" A cold glint flashed in Su Mo's eyes, and his fingertips unconsciously caressed the void, stirring up imperceptible ripples.

He had some reservations before: First-rank Golden Immortals like Xuanzhen Golden Immortal were one thing, but even with the power of their Immortal Realm, their ability to fight a third-rank Golden Immortal was already their limit; however, the power unleashed by second-rank Golden Immortals like Ziyuan Golden Immortal, who drew upon their own Immortal Realm's origin and used the power of the Realm Array, was no less than that of a fourth-rank Golden Immortal. While he was confident he could defeat them, he would inevitably have to pay a price, and might even lose a number of his Spirit Void Illusions. Now that they had come to him of their own accord, it suited his purposes perfectly.

Without the power of the Immortal Realm, even if the nine Immortals joined forces, they would be nothing more than a bunch of chickens and dogs in his eyes. Moreover, he could set up layers of immortal formations and restrictions before they arrived, gaining a geographical advantage, and then he would surely ensure that they would not return.

next second...

Su Mo slightly retracted the primordial Daoist aura flowing around him, like a tide receding inward. The heavenly secrets and causal relationships that he had deliberately concealed with the power of the primordial immortality suddenly spread out like a flood bursting its banks, rippling out clear circles in the chaos. He allowed the deductive power from the Nine Domains Continent to cling to his aura like a bone-deep sore, following him like a shadow, without any further obstruction.

......

The Nine Realms Continent, the Origin Space.

Within the pillar of light, the blurry purple-gold figure suddenly solidified, the primordial Dao aura flowing around him was clearly discernible, and even the runes flowing on his robes could be seen clearly—it was Su Mo!

"Good! Good! Good!" Zi Yuan Jin Xian exclaimed three times, his eyes blazing with wild joy. His clenched fists trembled slightly with excitement. "We've finally found the thief's whereabouts!" The heartache he felt earlier from expending his immortal essence had now transformed into the exhilaration of impending success, emanating from his pores and making his breathing heavy.

The flames around the Burning Heaven Golden Immortal suddenly surged, turning half of the space crimson. His voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement: "It was worth sacrificing our source energy! Quickly, plant the source imprint on him. We absolutely cannot let this scoundrel escape again!" Fearing that this hard-won trace would disappear again, before he finished speaking, he had already activated his divine soul power, transforming it into a line of fire that probed along the pillar of light, like a venomous snake spitting its tongue, carrying the power to burn everything in its path.

The Yin-Yang Taiji diagram in Xuanzhen Golden Immortal's eyes spun rapidly, and the black and white energies transformed into two chains that extended along the pillar of light. His voice was urgent, like the beat of a drum: "The source of immortality is limited. Everyone, act quickly, or things will change!"

The other six Golden Immortals did the same, each activating their immortal origin power to imprint marks containing their own Dao foundations into the pillar of light. These marks, like maggots clinging to a bone, frantically climbed along the outline of the purple-gold figure, shimmering with various colors of light, including stars, grass, and shadows, piercing through endless barriers of space and time, heading towards Su Mo's imprint like arrows released from a bow.

......

Deep in chaos.

Su Mo gazed at the nine beams of primordial light that had traversed time and space, his eyes narrowing like a cold pool. The light carried the foundational imprints of the nine Golden Immortals, possessing an irresistible locking force. Like nine venomous pythons, they snaked their way through, scorching the chaotic air with cracks and emitting a burnt smell.

"The Immortal Origin Imprint? Is this an attempt to completely lock down my whereabouts, leaving me nowhere to hide?" Su Mo's lips curled into a faint smile, a smile that seemed both mocking and playful. "Since that's the case, I'll grant your wish."

Suddenly, Su Mo seemed to realize something, gently shaking his head, a sly glint in his eyes. No, he couldn't let them plant their primal imprint so easily. If there was no resistance, given these old foxes' suspicious nature, it might arouse their suspicion, ruining everything.

"Looks like I'll have to put on an act with them again."

next second...

"boom......"

Su Mo's body suddenly surged with primordial immortal light, like a suddenly blooming purple-gold lotus flower. Layer upon layer of petals unfolded, enveloping his entire being. The immortal runes engraved on the lotus petals shone brightly, radiating the majesty of suppressing chaos. Within the immortal light, countless primordial runes seemed to come alive, flowing endlessly and weaving into an indestructible barrier, like an impregnable fortress, firmly resisting the erosion of the nine primordial divine lights, preventing them from easily approaching.

"Om..."

The moment the primordial divine light collided with the primordial barrier, a deafening roar erupted, the sound waves rippling through the chaos, obliterating vast swathes of immortal energy. The marks of the nine Golden Immortals, like maggots clinging to bones, frantically gnawed at the runes on the barrier, emitting a sizzling, burning sound; while Su Mo channeled his immortal power, causing the primordial barrier to continuously regenerate and repair itself, engaging in a protracted tug-of-war with the marks.

Su Mo deliberately controlled his strength, showing both tenacious resistance and not appearing too relaxed—sometimes he would tear a gap in the barrier, allowing the primordial divine light to sneak in a little, and then instantly fill the gap, as if he were in grave danger; sometimes he would let some runes annihilate into ashes, seemingly making the defense line shaky, but he could always gather strength at the last moment to stabilize the position, showing a kind of tenacity of "holding on".

This "bitter battle" lasted for a whole year.

The primordial light surrounding Su Mo gradually dimmed, like a candle flame about to go out. His aura also became somewhat weak, and his face was as pale as paper, as if he had reached the end of his strength. He was even unsteady on his feet.

Although the nine primordial divine lights had also lost most of their power and dimmed considerably, like candles flickering in the wind, they remained tenacious and persistent, like a relentless drill, chipping away at his defenses bit by bit, with a fierce determination to achieve their goal.

"puff......"

Su Mo opened his mouth wide and suddenly spat out a mouthful of golden immortal blood. The blood droplet exploded in the void, turning into specks of gold. His body swayed slightly, as if he could no longer hold on. Under the continuous impact, a huge crack finally appeared in the Primordial Barrier. The nine primordial divine lights, like a flood that had found a breakthrough, instantly surged in, passing through his sea of ​​consciousness and precisely imprinting themselves on his divine soul, emitting a faint radiance.

In an instant, Su Mo felt a slight stinging pain in his soul, as if nine invisible shackles had been placed on him, weighing him down heavily. He could clearly sense that the auras of the nine Golden Immortals were connected to him through these marks, like nine invisible threads that could easily pinpoint his location no matter where he was.

“Damn it… I’ve still been branded with the Origin Imprint…” Su Mo lowered his eyelids, his voice carrying a deliberate weariness and resentment. The Primordial Immortal Light around him completely subsided, revealing his slightly pale face. He looked disheveled and frustrated, as if he didn’t even have the strength to resist.

But beneath his lowered eyelids, a glint of light flashed in his eyes, swift as a shooting star, revealing a confident and strategic mind.

......

The Nine Realms Continent, the Origin Space.

The moment they sensed the nine primordial imprints firmly imprinted on Su Mo's soul, the nine immortals, including Zi Yuan Jin Xian, all let out a long, heavy sigh, as if a boulder that had been weighing on their hearts for millions of years had been lifted. The taut immortal power around them relaxed a bit, and even the runes on their divine thrones dimmed slightly.

That year-long tug-of-war consumed most of their immortal essence, leaving it almost depleted. If they could hold on for another three months, they would have to sever their immortal essence once again.

At that time, their cultivation level would probably drop immediately, but fortunately, the worst outcome did not occur.

Immediately afterwards, ecstasy overwhelmed their minds like a tsunami, washing away all their fatigue and heartache.

"It's done! It's finally done!" Zi Yuan Jin Xian suddenly stood up from his throne. The star runes on his robes flickered violently with excitement, like a boiling sea of ​​stars. The light in his eyes was more intense than ever before, almost scorching through the void. "This scoundrel has been imprinted with the Origin Mark. Even if he had wings, he couldn't escape!"

The Golden Immortal of Burning Heaven threw his head back and let out a hearty laugh. The flames around him surged even more fiercely, almost setting the entire Origin Space ablaze: "Hahaha! You scoundrel, you've finally met your match! After hiding for three hundred billion years, you can't escape our grasp after all!" He seemed to already see Su Mo kneeling and begging for mercy after being captured. His face was filled with undisguised pleasure and deep-seated resentment.

The Yin-Yang Taiji diagram in Xuanzhen Golden Immortal's eyes slowly calmed down, and the flow of black and white energy gradually slowed down, but he still couldn't hide the excitement in his eyes. He clapped his hands and said, "The Origin Imprint is connected to the Divine Soul. Unless he shatters his own Divine Soul and only takes his Immortal True Spirit to reincarnate and cultivate again, no matter where he escapes to, even if he goes to other Star Abysses, we can clearly sense his location!"

......

Deep in chaos.

"I'll play my part completely. Now it's my turn to 'escape'." Su Mo muttered to himself, his lowered eyelids subtly lifting. The deliberate weariness and frustration vanished instantly, replaced by a flash of sharp light in his eyes, like a sword being drawn from its sheath, carrying a chilling killing intent.

The next second...

Su Mo's figure moved suddenly. Although he no longer emitted the Primordial Immortal Light, an extreme speed suddenly spread out around him.

The full-force attack of a first-grade perfected Golden Immortal was like a purple-gold lightning bolt tearing through the chaos. The surrounding chaotic air currents were forcibly smashed open, forming a long vacuum trajectory. Even spacetime seemed to be slightly distorted by this speed.

At this moment, Su Mo did not choose to conceal his aura. Instead, he deliberately let out a little of the soul fluctuations that had been branded, so that the nine Golden Immortals in the distance could clearly detect the direction of his "hasty escape".

.....