I have changed my destiny and become an unparalleled immortal.

At the hour of Chou (1-3 AM), the night rain poured down.

There is a mass grave in the back mountain of the Zixu Sect, where the sect discards nameless corpses.

This place is perpetually filled with yin energy. The phosphorescent fire, extinguished by the rain, reignited.

Several figures stood quietly under an old, withered locust tree.

Gu Yun was dressed in a black raincoat and wore a bamboo hat. His body was bent over, and he held a withered wooden stick in his hand.

Rain dripped from the straw hat.

His eyes appeared cloudy and were half-open.

And he would cough from time to time, as if he were about to lose his breath.

Beside him stood three strong men in black.

Their auras were all at the fifth or sixth level of Qi Refining. Each of them had a fierce look in their eyes.

"Damn it, where did this old codger come from?"

A burly man with a face full of scars glanced at Gu Yun.

He let out a sneer, his voice low but full of contempt.

"Is the Dark Hall completely empty-handed? They even recruited an old man who's practically on his deathbed? Are they just there to make up the numbers?"

The other two didn't speak, but their eyes were full of mockery.

In the world of cultivation, if a person gets older and their physical condition deteriorates, they will experience a deficiency of qi and blood.

Gu Yun's state made it really hard to associate him with an assassin.

Gu Yun didn't make a sound, but covered her mouth and coughed, bending her back even lower.

At that very moment, a darker shadow silently appeared on the tombstone in front of everyone.

It's that Foundation Establishment stage cultivator who wears a faceless mask.

"Shut up."

The masked man coldly uttered two words, and the burly man dared not utter another sound.

"Tonight's task is simple."

The masked man casually tossed out four jade slips.

"Deep within the mass grave lies a traitorous outer disciple. His name is Zhao Li, and he has already reached the seventh level of Qi Refining. This Zhao Li stole the sect's spiritual herbs and was severely injured, hiding here to heal. He's here to test you."

"If someone brings back Zhao Li's head, that person will pass the test, officially join the Dark Hall, and will also receive a low-grade magic weapon and fifty spirit stones."

At this point, the masked man's tone carried a hint of something else:

There's only one head.

Before he could finish speaking, the expressions of the three young cultivators immediately changed.

Their eyes not only became extremely greedy when they looked into the depths of the mass grave, but also filled with a sinister murderous intent when they looked at each other.

"start."

At the command, the three men immediately transformed into shadows and rushed one after another into the misty depths of the mass grave.

Only Gu Yun, without panicking or rushing, tightened his raincoat a little more, coughed twice, and then followed along, step by step, into the depths.

……

Inside the mass grave.

The rotting corpses emitted a foul odor, and the rainwater carried an earthy smell; the combination of the two created a nauseating sensation.

Unlike the other three people, Gu Yun did not immediately rush to conduct a search.

He spent his life navigating the power struggles within a secular dynasty, and he understood the principle that "the nail that sticks out gets hammered down."

Even though Zhao Li was seriously injured, his ability to defect meant that he was not someone that could be easily dealt with by a few people with average abilities.

Gu Yun activated the "Heaven and Earth Qi-Nourishing Mysterious Scripture".

This technique cannot be used directly for fighting and killing, but it is extremely sensitive to the perception of qi, reaching the extreme level of sensitivity.

The air carried a putrid stench, along with a faint, almost imperceptible, scent of blood. In addition… there was a frenzied fluctuation of spiritual energy.

over there.

Gu Yun silently moved to the downwind side and then hid himself behind a half-collapsed burial mound.

"ah!!"

Suddenly, a piercing scream rang out from the mist ahead.

Gu Yun peered through the gaps in the withered grass.

He saw that the burly man who had been mocking him just moments before had now been pierced through the chest by a blood-red longsword and was pinned to a tree.

Opposite him stood a young man. The young man's face was pale, and his left arm was empty.

Zhao Li!

One of his arms was broken, and he was breathing very weakly.

"Now that we're here, everyone can stay and die with me."

Zhao Li smiled, then opened his mouth and exhaled a cloud of black mist.

The other two monks who tried to take advantage of the situation didn't have time to dodge.

Upon being sprayed with malevolent energy, he immediately screamed and rolled on the ground, his facial skin rotting at a visible speed.

In the blink of an eye, a triple kill!

After killing three people, Zhao Li suddenly swayed, vomited a mouthful of black blood, then knelt on one knee, supporting himself with his knife, and gasped for breath.

"Damn it... if only my injuries weren't so severe..."

He trembled as he pulled a bottle of pills from his pocket.

Right now.

Gu Yun's eyes turned cold. Instead of launching a sneak attack, he deliberately broke a dead branch.

Click.

"Who?!"

Zhao Li suddenly turned around, and at that moment, the blood-stained blade was held horizontally in front of his chest.

Then I saw an old man wearing a straw raincoat stagger out from behind the grave mound, his face full of fear.

"No...don't kill me..."

Gu Yun raised his hands, and the withered wooden stick fell to the ground.

He spoke with a sob in his voice, "The old man just got lost while passing by... I'm leaving now..."

Zhao Li scanned it with his divine sense.

The body's internal energy and blood are gradually declining, and the spiritual power within the body is becoming extremely weak, with poisonous pills lurking everywhere inside.

An old, useless man who could die at any moment.

Zhao Li's tense nerves relaxed slightly. Then, a cruel glint flashed quickly in his eyes.

He thought to himself, "Now that I'm here, I'll use this old man's life essence to help me heal!"

Before the words had even faded, Zhao Li flicked his wrist, and a blood-red blade of light slashed straight toward Gu Yun's face.

Although the power of this strike was greatly reduced due to the injury, it was still more than enough to kill an ordinary old man.

Gu Yun seemed startled. He stood there motionless. He just unconsciously raised his hand to shield his face, then let out a desperate scream: "Ah!"

But just as the blade was about to touch his body...

Gu Yun suddenly patted his chest. Thick poisonous blood had been accumulating in his throat. Then, he gathered all his spiritual power and spurted the poisonous blood out like a blood arrow.

puff!

This mouthful of blood contained the fire poison and dan sha that had accumulated in his body for half a year.

The two were very close to each other.

Zhao Li had no idea that this old man, who looked like someone who could be dealt with at will, would actually use such a move.

Zizizi!

Poisoned blood splattered on Zhao Li's face, and the poisoned blood went directly into his eyes.

"Ah! My eyes!!"

Zhao Li let out a miserable scream. The blade veered off course, slicing off Gu Yun's bamboo hat and leaving a deep, bone-revealing wound on Gu Yun's shoulder.

Gu Yunlian didn't make a sound. Just as Zhao Li was covering his eyes, she suddenly pounced on him.

He had no magical implements.

His hands reached for Zhao Li's neck and chest!

"Die! Die!"

Zhao Li struggled with all his might. His Qi Refining had reached the seventh level, and at this moment, his spiritual power suddenly burst forth.

The burst of spiritual power caused Gu Yun's internal organs to shift, and Gu Yun's blood gushed out.

Rainwater mixed in.

This is a cold, lifeless mass grave, the boundary between life and death.

Gu Yun hugged Zhao Li tightly, feeling a sharp pain in her back, as if her life was slowly slipping away.

cold.

it's too cold.

At that moment, an image suddenly and uncontrollably appeared in Gu Yun's mind.

Beside the warm campfire in the abandoned alchemy room, a little girl held a candied hawthorn, which tasted sweet, and called out to her grandfather.

hum!

Within Gu Yun's brow, in the Purple Mansion, there exists a pink bead that floats quietly. This bead represents joy.

But at that moment, the bead suddenly began to tremble violently.

Extreme joy can turn to sorrow, and also to reflection.

In such an extremely dark and bloody setting, the initial joy at beauty transformed into an intense longing and concern.

It was a yearning for survival, a steadfast commitment to warmth, the only connection in this world.

This power of longing was extremely strong. In an instant, it condensed in the Purple Palace, forming a wisp of dark blue light like silk, which surrounded the Joy Pearl. It quickly solidified into the initial form of the second pearl, which is the Thought Pearl.

Once the pearl appeared, my mind and soul became clear!

Gu Yun was initially in a state of confusion due to the intense pain, but in the blink of an eye, his consciousness became extremely clear.

He seemed to be able to see the path of the spiritual energy flowing within Zhao Li's body, and also to see where the fear in the other party was gathering.

At this moment, the demonic passive effect of "Thirteen Pearls of the Purple Mansion" was triggered.

At this moment, Zhao Li was filled with extreme fear. And Gu Yun, whose divine soul had been greatly enhanced at this time, regarded Zhao Li's fear as the most delicious nourishment.

suck!

Gu Yun subconsciously activated the magic method.

His hands embedded themselves into Zhao Li's flesh, and then a strange suction force emanated from the location of those hands.

"No... what exactly are you... my spiritual power... my blood...?"

Zhao Li's screams became distorted.

He watched in horror as his life force, vitality, and overwhelming fear flowed continuously into the old man's body through the wound.

Gu Yun felt a surge of scalding heat flow into his meridians, and the bleeding from the wound on his shoulder quickly stopped. His withered body, as if encountering sweet rain after a long drought, desperately absorbed this external life force.

It turns out that the Thirteen Pearls of the Purple Mansion can not only be used for cultivating the mind, but also for plundering the essence, energy and spirit of others.

"Let me go...you're a devil..."

Ten breaths later.

Zhao Li stopped moving completely.

He had become a skeletal, dried-up corpse, with his eye sockets sunken deep, unable to close his eyes, and his face still bearing an expression of extreme terror.

puff.

The two of them fell into the muddy water.

As Gu Yun gasped for breath, he looked at his hands, then at the dried corpse, his eyes filled with shock.

He looked inwards into the Purple Palace.

The pink auspicious bead appeared even brighter, and a bead next to it was slowly rotating.

Joy gives rise to thought.

Sizhu's trip is now complete.

"Hehe...haha..."

Gu Yun wiped the blood off his face and then let out a hoarse laugh.

Gu Yun immediately stood up, cut off the head, and a ball of fire ignited at his fingertips.

Set his body on fire.

……

The edge of a mass grave.

Gu Yun walked out carrying Zhao Li's head. When the masked man saw this scene, his pupils under the mask contracted slightly.

At this moment, Gu Yun was covered in blood.

"I have successfully completed my mission."

Gu Yun threw down the severed head, his voice hoarse.

"very good."

The masked man tossed down a new storage bag.

"From this moment on, you have become an assassin of the Dark Hall's Xuan Division, codenamed Old Ghost. You have completed this task quite efficiently, so you may return now."

……

The next morning, the rain stopped and the sky cleared.

In front of the abandoned alchemy room, Gu Yun changed into a clean servant's robe, sat on a small stool, and stared blankly at the rising sun.

"grandfather!"

A clear shout came from afar.

Luo Ling'er came running over like a cheerful little bird, hopping and skipping.

"Grandpa, this is osmanthus cake I bought at the market down the mountain. It's very delicious."

Gu Yun turned his head and his gaze fell on the exquisitely-looking little figure.

Luo Ling'er ran over, suddenly wrinkled her little nose, then approached Gu Yun and sniffed his scent.

"Grandpa, why do you smell strange?"

She was a little confused, and it felt... it felt like there was a rusty smell.

Gu Yun's heart tightened.

That's blood and qi.

That was the blood essence he hadn't fully refined after devouring Zhao Li last night.

"It's alright, Grandpa's just old and rusty."

Ling'er chuckled.

Gu Yun calmly accepted the osmanthus cake and then took a small bite.

Sweet and sour to the throat.

"Mmm, it's so sweet."

He looked at the innocent little girl in front of him, who had no ulterior motives.

A warmth filled my heart.

In the deepest part of his consciousness, the Book of Changes was updated once again.

[The Purple Mansion Concentration Pearl reveals the nascent power of the demonic path.]

Lifespan: 92 years (9 years remaining)