Eternal Life by Daily Divination

Li Chang’an sighed inwardly.

During the era of the Nine Great Sects, there was more than one Tier Five Body Refining Cultivator. Unfortunately, the Cultivation Immortality Realm had become increasingly barren. Even the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Power had thinned significantly, leading each generation to be inferior to the last.

"Fortunately, I am no ordinary Body Refining Cultivator. My actual physique strength far exceeds my current realm," he thought. "If I can cultivate to the Tier Four Sixth Layer, I should be able to rival a Great Cultivator. Never mind. I must secure the Celestial Soul Fruit first; body refinement cannot be rushed."

Gathering his thoughts, Li Chang’an allowed this clone to fall into silence.

Deep within the snow plains of the Northern Domain.

Sitting cross-legged, Li Chang’an placed a yellowed turtle shell in front of him. He half-closed his eyes, capturing the residual aura of the Tier Four Insect Monarch’s Exuvia lingering in the area. Using his Divination Skill, he deduced its current location.

A moment later, he opened his eyes. His gaze was incredibly profound, as if a galaxy of stars swirled within his pupils, radiating an aura of absolute mystery.

"It’s still in the Northern Domain," he murmured to himself. "Not far from here—only a few thousand miles away."

He immediately stood up, put away the turtle shell, and headed straight for the deduced location. Before long, an Immortal City appeared before him.

"Pu’s Immortal City, controlled by the Northern Domain’s Golden Core Pu Family," he thought.

Information regarding this city instantly surfaced in his mind. The Golden Core Pu Family was merely an ordinary Golden Core Influence. They originally boasted five Golden Core Cultivators, but three had already fallen in the Battle of Righteous and Evil. Of the remaining two, the strongest only possessed a Middle Stage Golden Core Cultivation. They posed absolutely no threat to him.

"According to my divination, the Insect Monarch’s Exuvia is located within the Pu Clan Territory."

With a flicker of his figure, Li Chang’an slipped silently into the Tier Three Array of the Pu Clan Territory without drawing anyone’s attention. Even the Golden Core Cultivator controlling the array failed to notice. In the blink of an eye, he arrived deep within the family grounds.

"It is here."

Following his senses, he stepped into a courtyard. Inside sat a Golden Core Cultivator, his eyes closed and legs crossed, actively circulating his Cultivation Technique.

"Come!"

Li Chang’an raised his hand in a grabbing motion, effortlessly snatching the man’s Storage Pouch and casually wiping away its restriction.

The man immediately snapped his eyes open, his gaze filled with shock and wariness as he scrambled to his feet and backed away. "Who are you, sir? What is your purpose here?"

"Don’t be nervous. I am merely looking for a treasure," Li Chang’an said, sending his Divine Sense into the Storage Pouch to rapidly sweep over the various items within.

Perhaps due to the barrenness of the Northern Domain, compounded by years of war, the treasures inside were rather sparse. Soon, however, tucked in a corner of the pouch, Li Chang’an found his goal. He took it out and examined it closely.

It was an insect cocoon containing a bug’s husk of a translucent, jade-white hue. The husk was hollow with a split down its back, indicating that something had crawled out and left.

"So this is the Insect Monarch’s Exuvia," Li Chang’an pondered inwardly.

According to the Ten Thousand Poison Gu, this item was left behind during a Tier Four Insect Monarch’s metamorphosis into a Tier Five Insect God. The residual aura lingering on the exuvia far surpassed that of an ordinary Nascent Soul True Monarch, likely reaching the Tier Four Peak. This perfectly corroborated the Gu’s claim.

Subsequently, Li Chang’an channeled his Nascent Soul Power and attempted to crush the exuvia.

"If it can’t even withstand my power, it has no hope of resisting a Thunder Tribulation," he thought.

He exerted his full strength without holding back, yet the Insect Monarch’s Exuvia remained completely intact. The husk, though as thin as a cicada’s wing, successfully absorbed the entirety of Li Chang’an’s power.

"Not bad. This item is indeed extraordinary." Nodding slightly, Li Chang’an stored it in his own Storage Pouch.

With this, the treasure the Ten Thousand Poison Gu needed for Crossing the Thunder Tribulation was secured. As long as he obtained another treasure for Crossing the Heart Demon Tribulation, he could let the Gu attempt to cross the tribulation and break through to Tier Four.

Once the breakthrough succeeded, Li Chang’an would no longer need to fear the Tier Four Spiritual Poison. He could directly snatch the Ten Thousand Year Cold Jade from the Saintess of the Five Poisons Valley, sparing himself the trouble of searching elsewhere.

With that in mind, he casually tossed the man’s Storage Pouch back to him.

"This insect cocoon is useful to me. I have always believed in fair trades—is there anything you need?" Li Chang’an asked in an even tone.

Catching the Storage Pouch, the man breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that none of his other treasures were missing, save for the insect cocoon. The wariness on his face eased slightly, and he bowed to Li Chang’an with cupped hands.

"Fellow Daoist, to be able to enter my Pu Clan Territory so silently, your strength must be extraordinary. You are likely a Saint Child of some Nascent Soul Major Sect. I ask for nothing else but for you to protect my Pu Family as we relocate and leave the Northern Domain."

"Oh? I see this Immortal City is being managed quite well. Why do you wish to leave?"

"Sigh... if we do not leave, I fear my Pu Family will be entirely wiped out." A trace of bitterness surfaced on the man’s face as he slowly recounted their circumstances.

The location of Pu’s Immortal City was simply too close to the battlefield of the Battle of Righteous and Evil. Over the years, Demon Cultivators would sporadically launch harassing attacks, causing them untold suffering. Initially, they could barely manage. However, as the conflict intensified, three of their Golden Core Cultivators perished, leaving only two behind.

They were truly powerless to defend this foundation. Left with no choice, they could only abandon it and head for a safer region.

"I used to think that as long as I became a Golden Core Cultivator, I could protect everything," the man said melancholically, heaving a deep sigh. "But in this vast Cultivation Immortality Realm, Golden Core Cultivators are nothing more than duckweed on the water. We are often at the mercy of the current, powerless to change the grand scheme of things."

"Indeed." Li Chang’an deeply agreed with his sentiment.

Without reaching the Nascent Soul stage, one was ultimately just an ant!

The man offered a sincere plea. "I am Pu Rongzheng. I implore you, Fellow Daoist, to protect my Pu Family during our departure."

"Where do you plan to relocate?"

"We intend to migrate to the Southern Domain, to an area near the Changqing Mountain region."