The Forbidden Path to Immortality
Chapter 80

“The flow of the earth’s qi… it’s been redirected from the city. The original natural course has been forcibly altered. Now the earth's veins were being guided by the Blood God Child Qi. How large a dose does this require? Also, judging by this momentum, the place where the earth qi is the strongest should be..."

He stopped for quite a while, dumbstruck, then suddenly bolted like a madman, bounding over a hillside and speeding toward Qin Lake.

As he ran, the air grew damp, and in just a few seconds, the shimmering lake surface came into view under the starlight.

Without pausing, Li Xun leapt straight into the lake, diving deep with all his strength.

The deeper he went, the stronger the sensation in his heart became.

He extended a finger. A faint trace of Blood God aura flickered at the tip, helping him lock onto the source. With no time to hesitate, he plunged straight toward the lakebed.

There, clear as day, he saw them: terrifying, blood-red marks etched into the earth.

Just as I thought!

Unable to breathe underwater, Li Xun forced the rising pressure in his chest back down. His face turned even grimmer as he accelerated, darting forward like a fish along a single direction.

The further he went, the denser the aura grew. Li Xun moved with extreme caution, carefully tracing the shifting patterns beneath his feet. His pace didn’t slow. But his wariness ramped up to the max.

He continued like this for several li, weaving his way under the lakebed, until the terrain ahead began to blur; it was the rocky wall near the edge of the lake. Guided by instinct, he could feel a churning flow in the water up ahead, like an undercurrent in motion.

Li Xun frowned and took a step forward; then, suddenly, a chill gripped his heart. He stopped in his tracks. In the next instant, his entire body floated backward with the current, completely weightless, until he’d drifted dozens of zhang away. Only then did he activate his Heaven’s Eye technique and cautiously peered back toward that direction.

What the hell is that thing?

His heart sank. Through Heaven’s Eye, he could now see it more clearly: hidden within the depths of that swirling undercurrent was a cave mouth, roughly man-sized. Water from the lake clashed with the currents pouring from the tunnel, creating a silent but violent turbulence. Even without sound, the roiling motion was enough to rattle the soul.

Normally, that alone wouldn’t faze Li Xun. What truly unsettled him was what hovered right outside the cave: a faint red light, flickering like a ghost, darting this way and that. One moment it was in front of the cave, the next it was behind it. Its movements were so erratic, its blurred image so intense, that even with Li Xun’s sharp eyes, he couldn’t make out its true form.

And yet, no matter how fast or wildly the red glow moved, it never strayed more than three zhang from the cave entrance. Whenever it neared the edge of that zone, it would get forcefully bounced back by some invisible force, without fail.

Li Xun instinctively felt it was a living creature. His heart stirred as he scrutinized the rock walls to either side of the cave entrance. And sure enough, he caught a clue; faint shadows etched in precise, deliberate patterns. With his knowledge of talismanic patterns, this was clearly a powerful restrictive formation.

And compared to the “gentle and restrained” formations used by the Mingxin Sword Sect, which always left room for retreat, this one was far more brutal and merciless.

Li Xun had no idea what had happened here, nor who had set all this up. But it didn’t matter. He didn’t need to know the story to recognize how dangerous the situation was.

Without hesitation, he shot upward like an arrow, breaking through the lake’s surface and landing lightly on the shore.

He stomped his foot, feeling frustrated. As expected, those two Wanderers had left no gaps! To place such a restrictive formation at this crucial point; it wasn’t just terrifying, it was relentless. If this formation included any kind of warning or mind-sensing alert mechanism, there was absolutely nothing he could do against it.

But then he reminded himself that, no matter how powerful those two were, feats like moving mountains or filling seas couldn’t be done repeatedly. Though they had managed to temporarily change the course of the earth veins, such changes were one-time only. The course could no longer have major changes, only minor adjustments at best.

With that realization, his mind raced through countless possibilities. After a long moment, he let out a low hum, settled on a direction, and surged forward once more.

By the time dawn was about to break, Li Xun had finally reached his destination. Though he’d been dashing around nearly all night, he was actually no more than a dozen li from Qin Lake.

Over those few hours, he ran through dozens of calculations, circling nearly three times around the outskirts of Songjing City, covering hundreds of li, before finally pinpointing this place.

It was a rare karst cave nestled among low hills. Most likely formed from years of underground river erosion and close proximity to a water source. Whatever was hidden inside didn’t matter for now. What did matter was everything he had seen along the way. Enough to make his face pale and his spirits drained.

Was this still the capital of a human dynasty? The heart of the empire, under the Emperor’s own feet?

Was this still the imperial capital? The heart of the empire, under the Emperor’s very feet? The most prosperous land in all the world?

Around Songjing, within a radius of three hundred miles, regardless of whether it is mountains, fields, or any terrain, all have been engraved with sigils and restrictive formations using heaven-reaching methods. And to fully unleash the power of those formations, the entire region’s spiritual earth veins had been forcibly redirected and reshaped on a massive scale.

Li Xun had only skimmed the surface that night, barely scratching the details. Yet this vast, awe-inspiring masterpiece stretching across hundreds of miles was enough to render him utterly speechless.

Even the infamous Heavenly Execution Formation, laid down by the thirty-three sects of the Tongxuan Alliance to kill Heavenly Demon Phoenix back in the day—even that probably wasn't this extreme!

So then… what exactly was hiding inside this cave?

...

“Boring!” Lin Wuyou muttered, twirling the end of her freshly braided hair. It was a trendy style among noble girls in the capital these days. On her, it only made her look even more charming and adorable, like a picture of innocence.

But her words made Li Xun shudder.

“There's really nothing fun left around here. Maybe I’ll head south. That might be more interesting.”

In the past few days, Lin Wuyou had practically explored every corner of the capital, inside and out. She was the type to dive into things with full enthusiasm, only to lose interest just as quickly. At first, she had been full of excitement, but after just a few days, the novelty wore off. So, deciding to leave now felt entirely normal for her.

If Li Xun were being honest, he’d love nothing more than for this little hellion to take off as soon as possible. But let’s be real, there’s no way those two Wanderers would ever allow it.

The pot’s barely on the fire, and now the duck wants to fly away? No chance. The moment she stepped outside the city gates, the two Wanderers' assassins would probably be waiting. And while they were at it, they’d probably slap him into a bloody pulp for “failing his mission.”

So he could only smile carefully and ask, “Senior Sister, are you really planning to leave the capital?”

“If it’s no fun, of course I’m leaving,” she replied breezily, not caring in the slightest about his situation. “Why, you want to come with me? Eh, probably not a good idea. Aunt Qing wouldn’t be happy.”

Li Xun didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. And what could he even say to that? He fumbled for words, stammered a bit, but never managed to say anything meaningful.

Seeing how hesitant he was, Lin Wuyou pouted. But Li Xun honestly couldn’t figure out what she was thinking.

After spending so much time with her, he was more confused than ever. On one hand, she acted like a naïve, impulsive girl. But on the other, her uncanny intuition could pierce straight through someone’s heart. Was she innocent, or calculating? Sometimes she did things so childish it was hard to believe… and yet, there was not a trace of pretense in her.

It was exactly this contradiction that kept Li Xun on guard around her, always walking on eggshells. Still, he saw an opening and casually asked, “So… when do you think you’ll head out?”

“Hmm… haven’t decided. Maybe I’ll just leave now,” Lin Wuyou said with a sly smile, shooting him a mischievous look. “I know what you’re thinking. You’re probably praying that Aunt Qing and I leave so you can play god here, huh?”

Li Xun gave a sheepish grin but didn’t deny it.

Lin Wuyou snorted and spun on her heel to leave. Li Xun moved to follow, but she waved him off. “Forget it. This young lady wouldn’t want to mess up the esteemed National Preceptor’s future! Do this kind of thing too often, and who knows. Someone might curse me or something.”

With that, she stuck out her tongue at him, making a face that spoke volumes of her disdain. Then, with a quick few steps, she turned the corner of the street and vanished from sight.

Li Xun stood at the bustling street corner, frowning as he watched the crowds flow past. After a while, a few rich young nobles he’d dragged along to serve as his underlings came over to flatter him, trying to chat him up, but he waved them away and casually took the reins of a horse. Without a word, he swung onto its back and galloped off.

Back at Prince Fu's residence, Prince Li Xin was surprised by his eldest son's sudden visit. Li Xun, usually uninterested in the "big picture" matters, had rushed over on horseback just to ask when the rebellion would begin.

“Two days from now,” Li Xin replied after a moment's thought.

Beside him, Li Cong looked visibly excited. “The great affairs of the capital are settled! We will surely succeed in one decisive blow!"

Li Xin gave him a glance, then smiled faintly as he picked up a scroll of bright yellow silk from the table and handed it to Li Xun. “Here, take a look at this edict I’ve drafted. What do you think?”

Li Xun barely skimmed it before passing it over to Li Cong. “Father, you’ll need to be extra cautious over the next few days," he said. "I have a few\... difficult people to deal with, so I won’t be able to accompany you during the move. Cong, take good care of our father.”

Li Xin paused, surprised. “Difficult people? You mean that girl who’s always hanging around you?”

Li Xun gave a slight nod. “Her, and her ‘Aunt Qing’. Their strength is... even my masters would be cautious around them. They’re unpredictable, moody, and act on whims. Just to be safe…”

Li Xin fell into thought at that and nodded slowly.

Having delivered his message, Li Xun saluted and took his leave. As he stepped through the doorway, he glanced back for a moment. Li Xin, lost in thought, didn’t notice. He was still frowning, weighing the risks of various possible disruptions.

Li Cong, on the other hand, was shaking his head, muttering  the words on the "imperial edict" to himself. Li Xun's heart sank slightly, but he forced his emotions down and carried on.

Outside the residence, he mounted his horse again and rode straight for the imperial palace. The soldiers and eunuchs guarding the palace gates had long since grown used to treating the Young National Preceptor as a half-master. Without a word, they stepped aside to let him through, allowing his horse to gallop unimpeded into the inner grounds. This display raised quite a few eyebrows among the officials waiting outside the gates.

Li Xun couldn’t care less what others thought. He rode straight to the Lanxue Pavilion, leaped off the horse, and strode forward without breaking pace. He brushed past the eager eunuchs who came to attend him and asked casually, “Is the National Preceptor in?”

“She's currently meditating inside,” replied the head eunuch Ma Deshun.

Ma Deshun was in his thirties, sharp and efficient. He handled matters with tact and never let gossip slip. Ever since the incident between Li Xun and Consort Qin, he had turned the Lanxue Pavilion into a fortress of silence. Li Xun had always appreciated his discretion.

As Li Xun walked on ahead, Ma Deshun followed behind, filling him in with a quiet stream of updates. “The Lady Consort slept late last night; still hasn’t risen. But Miss Gu, oddly enough, stepped out into the courtyard today…”

Li Xun stopped mid-stride.

Ma Deshun caught the cue instantly, fell silent, and stepped back.

Li Xun stood there for a moment, thinking. Then he turned and walked toward the rear garden.

In truth, over the past half-month, he hadn’t once seen Gu Pin’er outside her bed. So when he did finally lay eyes on her standing, he was briefly stunned.

Was this really Gu Pin’er?

He still remembered their first meeting. Sword in hand, draped in violet robes, her beauty as natural as the sky, full of grace and innocence. But now, she wore a plain long skirt (cheong sam), a fur-lined cloak of matching color draped over her shoulders. She stood among the gnarled plum branches, blending into the snow-mottled courtyard. She looked sad and lost.

He walked up beside her. She didn’t react, simply continued to stare blankly at the nearly withered blossoms. Li Xun hesitated for a moment, then reached out and gently tilted her chin, turning her face toward him.

Their eyes met.

What he saw in her gaze made him feel a little uneasy. There was no hatred, no madness. Just a hollow emptiness and confusion. Her eyes didn’t seem to focus on anything. Even with a living man right in front of her, she looked as though she were watching clouds in a far-off sky.

Has she gone mad? he wondered.

He ran a fingertip along her cheek. Her skin was smooth and cold, utterly devoid of warmth. His hand moved to the pale curve of her neck, stroking gently. That finally drew a response. Gu Pin’er trembled slightly, letting out a barely audible whimper. A blush spread rapidly across her face.

It was a predictable reaction. After being tormented day and night by him and Yin Wanderer, and occasionally subjected to dual cultivation techniques, her body had grown hypersensitive. Of course she couldn’t resist his teasing touch.

But rather than arousing him, it filled him with a dull sense of revulsion.

What difference is there now between this Gu Pin’er and a prostitute whose soul has been annihilated in a brothel?

Only then did he truly realize what he had been doing over the past ten-plus days.

For a moment, he couldn't quite place the feeling stirring within him. He withdrew his hand, ignoring the now-emotionally stirred female cultivator, and turned away without another glance, heading inside the pavilion.

Behind him, Gu Pin’er’s breathing grew shallow and ragged. Her legs buckled, and she collapsed.

Ma Deshun, alarmed, quickly had a few palace maids rush to help her up. The courtyard dissolved into chaos, yet to Li Xun's ears, the noise merely flowed past, fading into silence.