Immortals Step into Heaven

Zhao Linger's fair face was full of confusion. She blinked her big watery eyes and asked doubtfully, "Brother Xiao Yuan, are immortal cultivators gods?"

Zheng Yuan felt a surge of warmth at Ling'er's innocent appearance. He pulled her to sit on a bench in the room and slowly began to recount his experiences over the years. He told how, by chance, he had entered a sect of immortal cultivators, a sect hidden among towering mountains, surrounded by clouds and mist, resembling a fairyland.

When he first joined the sect, he was just an outer disciple of mediocre talent, doing a multitude of chores every day, from chopping wood and fetching water to sweeping the courtyard. However, he never complained. Later, during a sect training, he stumbled upon the ancient ruins of the Yunlong Sect, where he gained an opportunity and greatly increased his power. He was ambushed, but only escaped danger with the help of the Earth Escape Technique. After several retreats and breakthroughs, he finally reached his current level.

Zhao Linger listened with rapt attention, her eyes gleaming with longing, her mind replaying the magical scenes Zheng Yuan had described. When Zheng Yuan finished, she seemed to suddenly remember something important and eagerly asked, "Brother Yuan, does Linger have spiritual roots?"

After hearing this, Zheng Yuan's thoughts were instantly brought back to reality. He looked at Ling'er's expectant eyes, slightly distracted. In the world of immortal cultivation, spiritual roots are the foundation of cultivation. Without them, embarking on the path of immortal cultivation is as difficult as ascending to heaven. After a moment, he shook his head helplessly.

Seeing this, Zhao Linger's bright eyes instantly filled with tears, and crystal tears slid down her cheeks. She gently raised her hand, wiped her tears, and asked with a trembling and unwilling voice, "Brother Xiao Yuan, is it really impossible to cultivate immortality without spiritual roots?"

Zheng Yuan sighed softly, reached out his hand, and gently wiped the tears from Ling'er's eyes. He comforted her, "Ling'er, although it's difficult to cultivate without spiritual roots, there are still many beautiful things in this world waiting for you to experience. The path to immortality is full of hardships and tribulations, and this is not the only way to go."

Ling'er sniffed and said in a crying voice, "But Brother Xiao Yuan, I want to be with you. If I can't cultivate immortality, I can only grow old slowly in this world, while you can have endless years. We will eventually drift apart."

After hearing Ling'er's words, Zheng Yuan was instantly mired in a dilemma, at a loss for words. His gaze subconsciously fell to the palm of his hand, where it felt as if an invisible weight hung. He held a secret technique that could allow Ling'er to attempt immortal cultivation. It was Siqin's magical manual, the "Shura Sha Tian Jue," accessible even to those without spiritual roots. The opening chapter expounded on the difficulty of practicing the "Shura Sha Tian Jue," warning against taking it lightly. This made Zheng Yuan wonder if the Shura Sect was a demonic sect, and with this kindly warning, he read on.

The mere thought of this demonic skill sends shudders down one's spine. Its initial stages of cultivation are extremely bloody, requiring the souls and blood of ten thousand people, forging them into a single form. This isn't simply a matter of numbers; it implies personally stained with endless blood and sin. This requirement alone is enough to deter most people. Furthermore, its difficulty is incredibly difficult, incomparable to ordinary immortal cultivation methods.

The long and dark path of cultivation is littered with deadly traps. Perfectly blending the souls and blood essences of tens of thousands of people is like walking on a tightrope; a single careless move can lead to the backlash of the surging soul force. Once attacked, the cultivator loses all self-awareness, becoming a walking corpse obsessed with killing—the so-called killer.

Looking back at Shura's history, since the Shura Sect's founding, only the first generation leader, through extraordinary perseverance, talent, and perhaps some unexplained coincidence, successfully cultivated this demonic art. In the intervening years, countless sect elders and children without spiritual roots who attempted to tame this powerful technique fell one after another. Most of them, unable to withstand the overwhelming and violent force of the smelting process, burst into pieces and died. Even the rare few who managed to survive the smelting process could not escape the fate of becoming a murderous demon. They completely lost themselves during the Qi training stage, falling into an endless cycle of killing and madness. No one escaped. The situation was similar for those with spiritual roots. Knowing the consequences, those with spiritual roots rarely practiced.

Zheng Yuan's brow furrowed tightly into a deep, almost crisscross pattern. He knew full well the terrifying and dangerous nature of this magic, but as he looked at Ling'er's eyes, filled with hope and a touch of tears, a fierce struggle began within him. On one hand, there was Ling'er's desire to cultivate to immortality, to walk alongside him, and on the other, there was this path of magic cultivation that practically meant death and destruction. How should he choose?

Zheng Yuan's heart was like a raging sea, its waves rising and falling, unable to calm down for a long time. He knew that if he told Ling'er about this evil skill, he would undoubtedly push her into an abyss of no return. But seeing Ling'er's expression of loss and resentment at not being able to cultivate immortality, he simply couldn't bring himself to completely sever her hopes.

He secretly thought to himself, Ling'er is kind and innocent by nature. Asking her to collect the souls and blood of thousands of people is simply a fantasy. She would definitely refuse without hesitation. But what if Ling'er, in a moment of impulse, chose to take a risk in order to maintain his long-term companionship? Zheng Yuan dared not think any further. He could already see Ling'er struggling painfully under the influence of the demonic power, gradually losing herself and becoming a demon with blood on her hands.

However, if she keeps it a secret from Ling'er, her desire to cultivate immortality will never be extinguished, and this regret may take root in her heart and become her lifelong pain. But she can also live an ordinary and safe life, and perhaps she will slowly forget him and find her happiness.

Finally, Zheng Yuan thought about it and decided not to let Ling'er practice magic. He looked at Ling'er and shook his head slightly.

Ling'er witnessed Zheng Yuan's silence and struggle, her bright eyes gradually becoming shrouded in a haze, and a sense of desolation welled up within her. She felt as if an invisible chasm separated her from Zheng Yuan. The distance that had once been so close now seemed unreachable because of this matter of cultivating immortality. Crystal-clear tears, like pearls from a broken string, slowly slid down her cheeks, soaking her clothes.

After a moment, Ling'er seemed to suddenly awaken from her sorrow. She slowly raised her hand and gently wiped the tears from her face with her sleeve. She was a very sensible girl, understanding Zheng Yuan's dilemma and unwilling to plunge him into a more painful decision because of her. So, she forced a smile, a smile tinged with reluctance and bitterness, and whispered, "Brother Yuan, let's go to your house!"

Uncle Zheng would be very happy if he knew you were back. She tried to break the suffocating deadlock in this way, leading the topic to a lighter direction. Even if it was just a temporary escape, it was better than continuing to struggle in this unsolvable dilemma.