Fantasy: Immortality Begins with Absorbing Demons

Chapter 822 The Road (Part 5)

inside the carriage.

The heavy black curtains blocked out all light, leaving the interior pitch black. Faint breathing sounds could be heard, like a heavy, colossal beast hidden in a dark cave, exuding a heavy aura.

Huff... huff...

With each even inhale and exhale, the air in the entire carriage suddenly stagnates with each inhale, only gradually becoming lively again after the exhale.

The aroma of medicinal pills, the pungent smell of blood, and a slightly earthy, fresh herbal scent...

A strange, mixed smell permeated the air inside the carriage.

Two streams of black energy, like two illusory serpents formed from mist, burrowed in and out of the various nourishing resources. Soon, as the carriage moved, the clumps of black ash slowly vibrated and gathered into a larger pile of ash.

"Hmm... the true strength of a Martial Arts Venerable... is indeed beyond imagination..."

In the dark space of the carriage, two eyes, flickering with flames, lit up.

Sizzle...

The thick black fog that filled every inch of the carriage suddenly trembled, rapidly converging like rivers flowing into the sea, and then disappeared.

Han Yi slowly opened his eyes, his expression somewhat wistful.

Two martial arts masters from the three main peaks of the Yuanmiao Sect.

Well-deserved name.

Such a powerful expert, after a fierce battle with him, inflicted him with unprecedentedly severe injuries. Even with his unparalleled physical regenerative abilities...

For a full day and night, the consumption of countless rare and precious materials depleted the resources of the Myriad Beasts Sect by more than half. Even with the resources used for recuperation, he was only able to temporarily recover 60% of his strength.

"If it weren't for their apparent hesitation... this time... it would have really been dangerous..." Han Yi sat up, casually put on his clothes, and sighed.

This was not the last time, when Fan Hongchou's bloodline weapon was not with him and his strength was greatly reduced by Tantai Xunzhen using the Spirit Jade.

Only after a direct confrontation and a real fight did he realize the Venerable One's extraordinary abilities.

Every move he made subtly carried the principles of heaven and earth, conforming to the great Dao.

The seemingly light palm strike felt like several mountains being moved and smashed down on him.

The immense power contained within it far surpasses the formidable physical body formed by the combined development of his dozens of external martial arts techniques.

The key is.

mere physical strength is only one part of the power of a Venerable level cultivator.

Techniques, formations, magical artifacts, spirits... all sorts of special moves combined together.

A martial arts master is like a human arsenal, capable of both close and long-range combat, and skilled in both offense and defense.

Even more terrifying was the colossal giant that appeared when Yunmo and Yunxiao combined their powers...

The primordial energy takes form.

To be fair, even after Han Yi's Asura form changed, he was still no match for the two after their Gang Yuan transformation.

Defense, strength, speed... he is in no way inferior to him, and even far surpasses him in any aspect.

Other factors played a crucial role in temporarily repelling the two.

Firstly, Yuan Miaozong and his companion were somewhat distracted. Unlike Han Yi, who was fearless and reckless, they had to guard against the aftershocks that could affect the earth vein array during their battle breaks.

Secondly...

Thinking of this, Han Yi frowned, a look of doubt flashing in his eyes.

If these two had just hardened their hearts and risked getting injured, at most seriously, they could have succeeded in one fell swoop.

He was a little puzzled.

When the two made their moves, they seemed to be constantly worried about getting hurt, and were somewhat hesitant and timid.

Afraid of getting hurt?

This reason...

In any case, something just feels off.

A genius doesn't necessarily become a strongman, but every strongman is a genius in battle. Which renowned master didn't fight their way out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood?

You can't create a true master just by practicing hard and working in isolation. Yan Xuanji's level is the limit.

The two from the three main peaks of Yuanmiao Sect coordinated perfectly and used skillful moves, clearly having been through countless battles and possessing rich combat experience.

To achieve one's goal, one must exchange injuries for injuries.

It is the most commonly used tactic, and there is no possibility of resistance due to unfamiliarity.

Furthermore, Yunzhou is the main base of the Yuanmiao Sect.

What do they have to be afraid of on their own turf?

No matter how serious the injury, as long as it doesn't result in immediate death, it can be saved.

The time, place and people are favorable.

They have an advantage in all three areas, so why are they afraid of getting injured...?

Unless it is…

Han Yi slowly opened his eyes.

Being injured... is tantamount to death.

Furthermore, to put it another way...

If you get injured, you'll be in trouble that's worse than death.

Now, here comes the important part.

What kind of trouble... could cause two powerful venerable figures to feel fear simultaneously?

Calamity.

Seven tribulations.

Han Yi quickly connected the dots to something.

It is said that the martial arts masters at the Venerable level within the Yuanmiao Sect rarely descend the mountain, mostly hiding in blessed lands to avoid being tainted by karma.

He initially thought it was because these people needed to cultivate diligently for years and couldn't leave their blessed grotto-heavens. Now, upon closer examination…

It's not that they don't want to go down the mountain; more likely, they can't.

I can't, and I don't want to.

They may seem to differ by only one character, but their meanings are vastly different.

If it is said that after leaving this blessed land, a calamity will befall us...

In this way, it makes logical sense.

The so-called cause and effect... becomes easier to understand, and can be equated with calamity.

But this raises another question.

Martial Arts Master... Calamity...

What's so special about the relationship between these two?

Why is it only martial arts masters who encounter this kind of trouble...? Below the master level, I've never heard of it...

Han Yi frowned and began to ponder deeply.

Could it be...?

He recalled his conversation with ** before his departure the previous night.

The so-called method to break through to the Venerable level.

There are only a few types.

It could be due to outstanding potential, intuitive understanding, breaking through the Dao with force, or external compensation.

These are the original words of Bai, the head of the Grandmasters Association.

Although Han Yi had never met this person, he did not know the true level of this person's cultivation.

However, given the immense power of the Grandmasters' Association, it is highly likely that this person, Bai, is also a powerful individual who has already broken through to the Venerable level.

His words naturally carried more weight and credibility.

Of these methods, the one that Yuanmiaozong previously revealed—creating something from nothing, combining his own learning, and forging a path that predecessors could not create—can actually be categorized as the first one, which is too defiant and not very feasible.

Breaking through the Dao with force means using physical strength to forcefully break through, which is equally difficult.

Therefore, the third option is the one that most people can actually use.

External forces compensate.

The demonic cultivation within a person is actually a form of external compensation.

In other words...

Two beams of black light suddenly shot out from Han Yi's eyes, and he suddenly understood.

He seems to have guessed it now.

The true secret of breaking through to the Venerable level, which the Yuanmiao Sect has kept hidden for so long...

Combining the numerous hidden texts sent by Tantai Xunzhen, the internal materials of the Yuanmiao Sect sent by Zero's covert informant, and the research results of the Grandmaster Association as described by **.

The disciples of the Yuanmiao Sect, rather than pursuing simple, highly lethal techniques, seek more profound, abstract, and natural true skills that emphasize the cultivation of the mind.

Moreover, it's not hard to see from some things.

The disciples of the Yuanmiao Sect rarely descend the mountain, believing that the area above and below the mountain is two separate worlds.

The mountain is serene and otherworldly, while the foot of the mountain is bustling with worldly affairs.

Descending the mountain is as terrifying as a raging flood or a ferocious beast in their eyes. They are afraid of getting tainted by karma and only have to go down the mountain to experience the mortal world in order to temper themselves.

"The Martial Arts Venerables of the Yuanmiao Sect... according to the ancient texts, they are facing... the trouble of the 'Seven Tribulations'..."

Han Yi began to analyze the situation using reverse reasoning. "The Seven Tribulations... Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth, Yin and Yang... Seven different tribulations, in essence, are naturally generated, a kind of constraint imposed by Heaven and Earth on the cultivation of Martial Dao Venerables... So what did they do during their cultivation process that would bring about these calamities?"

Han Yi paused, then carefully sorted it out.

"The tribulations encountered after reaching the Venerable level in martial arts are actually a natural means of eliminating them to limit their numbers."

Conversely, it's because the Venerable One defied the heavens, plundering the essence and vitality of heaven and earth to replenish himself, that heaven and earth spontaneously used various methods to prevent the Grandmaster from breaking through.

One ring road connects to the next.

Having figured out a crucial point, Han Yi followed the clues and quickly reached a conclusion.

"So...this also explains why most people in the Yuanmiao Sect broke through from Grandmaster to Venerable by using external forces. Just like the two people from the Yuanmiao Sect who came to kill me, they caused damage to the world during their breakthrough. So once their bodies were injured and their aura was exposed, attracting calamity, their only fate was death and the annihilation of their life force."

It is precisely for this reason that the Yuanmiao Sect is unwilling to interfere in Yunzhou affairs, preferring instead to remain in their blessed lands for quiet cultivation. What they fear is being tainted by karma. Karma, in fact, represents the Seven Tribulations.

"So... that's why those two from Yuanmiao Sect... never dared to fight me to the death from beginning to end, and always retreated after a single contact, for fear of getting hurt!"

Like peeling an onion, peeling off the outer layers one by one.

Han Yi's eyes grew brighter and brighter, as if he had touched the inner core.

Perhaps most of the Venerables within the Yuanmiao Sect achieved their breakthroughs through external forces.

Unlike those who cultivate demonic cultivation by transplanting demonic tissues to strengthen themselves, their approach is more direct and ruthless, like locusts plundering the essence of heaven and earth to make up for their deficiencies.

If Heaven loses something, it takes from the surplus to make up for the deficiency.

As their strength breaks through, a backlash from heaven and earth will also occur.

This resulted in the corresponding Seven Calamities.

It descended upon Venerable Yuanmiaozong in the form of a calamity, allowing him to reclaim his essence and restore the world.

Of course, this final conclusion is Han Yi's conjecture based on reasoning from small details to larger ones.

But he had a vague feeling.

This conclusion is correct.