Immortality and Cultivation: This old man seeks enlightenment through mere survival.

Changli Mountain Range, northern foothills.

This place was once considered a barren wasteland by cultivators. The vast mountains lacked any spiritual energy and instead had a touch of worldly life.

At the foot of the mountain, along the winding streams, are scattered villages of all sizes.

The land to the north is moistened by water and relatively fertile, making it an ideal place for farming. Although no monsters inhabit the mountains, there are plenty of ordinary animals, which have become the hunters' means of livelihood...

As for the legendary Liushi Domain to the south, ordinary people would not venture deep into the mountains, nor would they be able to cross the mountain ridges.

The ordinary people who have lived here for generations follow the path of their ancestors, working at sunrise and resting at sunset, tending their few acres of meager land, living a carefree and peaceful life...

However, this peace was quietly shattered more than a decade ago.

Strange and fantastical rumors gradually began to circulate in the mountains.

In several villages, even the most experienced hunters, having gone too far in their pursuit of prey, returned in a daze, muttering incoherently about things like "being trapped in a maze" and "meeting a god."

Upon further inquiry, it was learned that they had entered the deep mountains and were suddenly blocked by thick fog.

No matter how far you run, you'll always end up back where you started, eventually losing your focus and falling into a deep sleep.

When I woke up again, I was lying at the foot of the mountain...

Even worse, some who entered the thick fog never returned, disappearing into the mountains without a trace, their remains never found.

The villagers discussed it among themselves, some saying that it was dragged away and eaten by mountain spirits, and others saying that it had offended the mountain spirits that guarded the mountain range.

Since then, the saying "deep mountains are full of mysteries" has become a common understanding, and no ordinary person dares to easily set foot in that misty place.

But recently...

The Changli Mountains, which had been quiet for many years, suddenly became "lively".

The villagers often witnessed the real "immortal masters"—those cultivators who could fly on magical artifacts and possessed great supernatural powers—charging into the mountains like madmen, as if searching for something.

Occasionally, a celestial master would descend from the clouds and dispatch a hunter from the village to lead the way.

If you happen to be kind-hearted, you might be rewarded with a few pieces of gold and silver afterward, enough for an ordinary family to live comfortably for most of their lives, making others envious.

But what I fear most is encountering those stern-faced, chilling immortal masters.

They are often impatient with words, and will simply place one hand on the top of a person's head, turning a perfectly healthy person into a vacant, foolish creature in the blink of an eye;

Or perhaps, after a fruitless search, they become enraged and, with a few streaks of light, casually shoot down a person, taking their life to vent their anger.

Ordinary people live in constant fear, yet are powerless to resist, and can only pray that misfortune will not befall them.

"Whoosh whoosh-!"

On this day, the sound of something cutting through the air once again shattered the tranquility of the village.

Several streaks of light rushed in from the north, startling the hunter Li Erhu, who was walking on the dirt road. He immediately prostrated himself on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly, and inwardly groaned:

"Heavens above, another group of immortal masters! Please, please don't let them see me..."

What are you afraid of?

The streaks of light landed not far from him, and when the light faded, four cultivators dressed in uniform Taoist robes were revealed.

The three were relatively young and had an imposing presence, while the other was an old man with a white beard whose eyes gleamed with a sharp light, and whose aura was far more profound than the other three.

"Uncle-Master, there's a hunter here who frequents the mountains year-round. Perhaps we could ask him about the current situation in the mountains?"

A young cultivator with a still somewhat childish face respectfully asked the white-bearded old man for instructions.

The white-bearded old man nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over Li Erhu, who was kneeling on the ground trembling, and said calmly:

"Hmm, Chong'er, go and ask her."

In recent years, the spiritual energy of the Changli Mountains seems to be reviving, and strange events have been frequently reported.

Not only us, but many independent cultivators and small families in the southwest have also been moved by the news, attempting to find spiritual treasures and opportunities here, or to occupy a spiritual vein as a foundation to continue the immortal clan.

"It never hurts to know more about the situation..."

The old man was also pondering this. The sect's power was weak, and if they could seize an opportunity during this upheaval to strengthen themselves.

The disciple, having received the order, walked up to Li Erhu, intending to have the hunter lead the way into the mountains.

He reached into his robes, pulled out a gleaming gold leaf, and handed it over, his tone carrying a hint of a cultivator's superiority:

“Hey, hunter, lead us into the mountains, and this gold leaf will be your reward.”

Li Erhu, with his head down, only caught a glimpse of a fair hand reaching out. He was instantly terrified, thinking the immortal master was about to use the evil spell of "touching the head to make one stupid," and repeatedly kowtowed and begged:

"Please spare me, immortal! Please spare me, immortal!"

The disciple was taken aback, then became somewhat impatient, thinking the other party thought it was too little. He frowned, took out another gold leaf, and threw it on the ground.

"I'm asking you to lead the way, not to kill you! One piece isn't enough? How about two?"

Golden leaves fell into the dust, reflecting a faint light.

Only then did Li Erhu realize that it wasn't a death sentence, but real gold and silver.

He struggled with his thoughts, remembering his sick wife and his dull-witted, unmarried eldest son.

'So be it, the worst that can happen is death!'

"I'd trade my worthless life for these two gold leaves; that'd be enough for them, mother and child, to live comfortably for the rest of their lives!"

He then thought of his youngest son, who was born well-behaved and exceptionally clever from a young age. Everyone in the village praised his intelligence, and he had originally planned to send him to the city to study and change his fate.

Ten years ago, he went into the mountains to collect herbs for his mother who had a persistent cough, but he never returned and was never heard from again. It is suspected that he encountered something "from the spirits," which became an eternal pain in Li Erhu's heart.

Now that it's my turn, it's fate!

The Li family is destined to never leave these mountains...

.........

Yunli Mountain, Xijian Valley Lingtian.

Xu Ming, the clan leader, had just finished the chores on the last acre of spirit field. He was so tired that he could not straighten his back and slumped down on the edge of the field, panting heavily.

"Huh...huh..."

Now his hair and beard are all white, his body is hunched, and his face is etched with the wrinkles of time and the hardships of labor.

In his early years, he worked hard to ensure the survival of his family, which caused him to fall ill. Later, he suffered hidden injuries while fighting against demonic cultivators.

Although Lu Zaian bestowed upon him medicine to save him, he was ultimately just an average Qi Refining cultivator, and his physical body was now inevitably heading towards decay...

His cloudy gaze lovingly swept over the hundred acres of spiritual field before him, painstakingly cultivated by the Xu family, hoe by hoe.

The spirit rice swayed gently in the wind, shimmering with a faint spiritual light, and several newly transplanted second-tier white saplings had already sprouted tender green buds.

Although they were farming for the mountain lord, the Xu family gained a stable income of spirit stones and protection, which was a rare means of survival in the cultivation world.

Three years ago, after the mountain lord once again provided a large quantity of spirit rice and spirit plant seeds, announcing the expansion of the spirit fields, the burden on the Xu family became even heavier.

They worked tirelessly from dawn till dusk, tending to the plants meticulously, never daring to slack off in the slightest.

However, the amount of spirit stones settled each year also increased accordingly, and the lives of the clansmen improved visibly.

Compared to the precarious existence he once lived, Xu Ming was now quite content.

"But... I'm afraid my old body won't live to see this batch of second-tier white spirit fruits ripen... cough cough..."

He covered his mouth and let out a suppressed cough, a trace of sadness flashing across his aged face.

Xu Yan'er successfully established her foundation, and under her influence and the protection of the mountain lord, the Xu family gradually became more stable.

However, deep in Xu Ming's heart, there was always a faint unease, like weeds growing quietly on the edge of a field.

"The Xu family's current peace and stability are entirely due to the Mountain Lord's grace and that girl Yan'er... But the Mountain Lord is all-powerful and his thoughts are unpredictable."

If one day, Yan'er loses favor, or the mountain lord no longer needs the Xu family to manage these fields...

"At that time, how should my Xu family conduct itself?"

He dared not dwell on this thought, yet he could not completely dispel it.

"Nowadays, the clan is mostly composed of close relatives, and many young men are unable to find suitable marriage partners..."

A family that wants to expand and continue its lineage always needs fresh blood.

He thought worriedly,

"But the mountain lord has strictly ordered that the mountain gates be closed, never allowing us to easily step out of the protective formation, and forbidding us from having any private dealings with outside forces or cultivating vassals..."

How can a family or a powerful force truly grow stronger without engaging in foreign trade, exchanging goods, and cultivating its own external influence?

Xu Ming dared not think any further; these thoughts were almost a questioning of the mountain lord's decision.

The fragrance of the spiritual plants wafted in on the wind, seemingly mixed with a faint, almost imperceptible, lingering scent of decay emanating from his aging body.

Gazing at the vibrant spiritual fields, the lingering worry about the family's future still weighed on his mind, and he was lost in thought. Suddenly—

"Boom!!!"

A deafening roar shook the heavens and the earth!

Immediately afterwards, the entire Yunli Mountain trembled violently, as if a sleeping earth dragon was turning over!

Xu Ming stumbled and almost fell off the ridge of the field. He looked up in horror.

The once clear sky suddenly changed color in an instant!

Centered on the cloud-covered peak, the vast spiritual energy of heaven and earth was stirred up as if by an invisible giant hand, transforming into a visible tide of spiritual energy that frantically converged towards the mountaintop.

In the sky, the clouds churned and rolled.

These were not ordinary dark clouds, but rather a swirling pattern of colors, interwoven with azure and emerald green.

At the center of the vortex, a powerful pressure descended, causing Qi Refining cultivators like Xu Ming to feel their breathing become sluggish and their meager internal energy to almost stop circulating!

"This is?!!"

Xu Ming's old eyes widened in shock and disbelief, and the weeds in his hand silently slipped from his grasp.