Cultivating To Immortality

Fang Hong flew at top speed, and in less than half a day, he had returned from Sand Country to the borders of Qin Country.

However, this time he did not choose to return to Danxian Valley, but instead headed straight for the Taiyi Sect headquarters.

The Taiyi Sect was located in the western part of Qin Country, near the Western Regions, so it was highly likely to become the primary target of the Demon sect's first wave of attacks, making the situation extremely urgent.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

While flying, Fang Hong suddenly sensed intense spiritual energy fluctuations ahead, as if someone was fighting in the air.

He focused his gaze and, sure enough, saw two cultivators, dressed in black and with masked faces, desperately pursuing a White-robed Old Man.

All three were at the Foundation Establishment Stage, and the battle was quite fierce.

At this moment, the White-robed Old Man was already covered in wounds, one of his arms even broken, with bloodstains all over; he seemed to be at the end of his rope and would likely perish on the spot in a few more moments.

"Eh? It's actually him?" Fang Hong's eyes narrowed, and a hint of surprise appeared on his face.

Wasn't that White-robed Old Man one of the Immortal Masters who went to Bamboo Forest Village to recruit disciples back then?

Fang Hong still remembered that the first cultivation technique he cultivated, the Qi Condensation Skill, was obtained from this Immortal Master.

Although that cultivation technique was only the most basic introductory art, it had opened the door to cultivation for him.

Thinking of this, Fang Hong's eyes sharpened, and his figure flickered instantly, appearing beside the White-robed Old Man like a ghost.

His sudden appearance startled the two Black-Clothed Men who were in pursuit, their expressions changing drastically, and even the White-robed Old Man was taken aback.

Fang Hong did not say much; he simply raised his hand and swiftly grabbed the two Black-Clothed Men, one on each side, his movements incredibly fast, giving them almost no time to react.

Fang Hong suspected these two were spies or assassins sent by the Western Regions Demon sect, and he might be able to obtain valuable intelligence from their memories.

"Ahhhh."

However, just as Fang Hong was about to perform his soul-searching secret art, the two Black-Clothed Men let out a series of extremely shrill screams.

Immediately, their bodies were engulfed by a ball of purple demonic flame, and they were incinerated to ashes in their violent struggles, their forms and spirits utterly destroyed, leaving Fang Hong with nothing to search.

Fang Hong frowned slightly; he immediately realized that these two had clearly been subjected to some kind of restriction within their bodies, which would trigger a self-destruct mechanism the moment someone attempted to search their souls, completely erasing all traces.

"Thank you, Senior, for saving me." The White-robed Old Man, seeing the danger averted, quickly bowed in Rei, his voice filled with sincere awe.

Had it not been for the timely appearance of this mysterious powerhouse, he would have likely lost his life here today.

Fang Hong nodded faintly, without saying much, then raised his right palm and performed the "Spirit Return Secret Art"; a gentle, greenish Spiritual Light emanated from his palm, enveloping the White-robed Old Man's entire body.

What was astonishing was that the White-robed Old Man's broken arm rapidly regrew and healed in the blink of an eye.

Even more surprising, all of the White-robed Old Man's external injuries healed completely in an instant, leaving no scars whatsoever.

"This is?" The White-robed Old Man's eyes widened, his face filled with shock, hardly daring to believe what was happening before his eyes.

He had never imagined that such a miraculous healing art existed in the world!

"Thank you, Senior. Thank you, Senior, for your great kindness." The White-robed Old Man repeatedly bowed in gratitude, his voice emotional.

At the same time, countless questions arose in his mind. Who exactly was this mysterious expert? Why did he save him?

"I heard that the Western Regions Demon sect is launching a major offensive to attack Qin Country. Do you know where the battlefield is? And what is the situation like?" Fang Hong asked directly.

The White-robed Old Man was slightly stunned, then quickly reacted and hastily replied, "Yes, Senior, the Western Regions Demon sect has indeed dispatched troops to attack Qin Country, and the main battlefield is currently in Deadwood Grand Canyon."

"Qin Country's three major Sects—Danxian Valley, Taiyi Sect, and Beast Taming Sect—have already united to form the Demon Subduing Alliance, relying on pre-arranged formations to temporarily stabilize the situation, but I'm afraid it won't last much longer."

As the White-robed Old Man answered, he secretly observed Fang Hong, and suddenly, he felt that this Senior's face seemed familiar, as if he had seen it in a distant memory.

After listening to the White-robed Old Man's report, Fang Hong nodded slightly, feeling a little reassured—although the Demon sect was aggressive, at least the battle situation had not completely collapsed yet.

"Here are some Spirit Pills; perhaps they can help you breakthrough to the Core Formation realm. Good luck."

Fang Hong casually took out a storage bag and handed it to the White-robed Old Man.

Then, without further delay, his figure transformed into a golden light and sped towards Deadwood Grand Canyon, disappearing into the distant sky in the blink of an eye.

The White-robed Old Man stood rooted to the spot, lost in thought for a long time.

He lowered his head and opened the storage bag; the sight before him made his pupils constrict violently, and his hands even trembled slightly.

The storage bag contained dozens of spirit pills, neatly arranged, rich in spiritual energy, and shimmering with white light.

The pure Spiritual Power contained within these spirit pills far exceeded anything he had seen before, clearly indicating they were no ordinary medicinal pills.

If properly consumed, they could very likely help him breakthrough his cultivation bottleneck and smoothly enter the Core Formation realm.

The White-robed Old Man was utterly bewildered, his heart filled with surprise and doubt—why was this Senior treating him with such care?

The two had no prior connection, and such kindness was truly too heavy.

As he thought, suddenly, a vague memory from decades ago flashed in the depths of the White-robed Old Man's mind.

It was in a small village called Bamboo Forest Village, where he had been ordered to recruit disciples.

At that time, a slender young boy had just been tested for his spiritual root, his eyes clear and persistent.

Recalling it now, the boy's physique was vastly different from that of the Senior just now, but their appearances bore a striking resemblance.

"Could he be that boy from the village?"

"Impossible. How could this be?" The White-robed Old Man's heart was inexplicably shaken; he could hardly believe his own conjecture.

He remembered that the boy had a mixed spiritual root and, due to his poor talent, was rejected by him and not admitted into Taiyi Sect.

Moreover, he had casually tossed a common Qi Condensation Skill to that boy at the time.

The more the White-robed Old Man thought about it, the more he felt that the boy was the Senior from just now; otherwise, he truly couldn't think of what connection that Senior could possibly have with him.

"This is truly incredible." The White-robed Old Man sighed to the sky, his heart a mix of emotions.

The low-grade cultivation technique casually given out on a whim back then had led to such karma today.

...

Meanwhile, tens of thousands of miles away, Deadwood Grand Canyon, the border between Qin Country and the Western Regions.

The terrain there was complex, with crisscrossing canyons and barren, eerie landscapes filled with withered trees and strange rocks, hence the name "Deadwood Grand Canyon."

Upon learning of the approaching Demon sect army, the three major Sects—Danxian Valley, Taiyi Sect, and Beast Taming Sect—reacted swiftly, decisively forming an Alliance, the "Demon Subduing Alliance," and set up layers of formations in Deadwood Grand Canyon in advance, striving to block the Demon sect's invasion.

A fierce battle had quietly erupted within the canyon.

To protect their sects and territories, the Demon Subduing Alliance almost exerted their full strength, with cultivators from the Nascent Soul Stage Old Ancestors down to the Qi Refinement Stage disciples, all participating in the battle.

Throughout the canyon, there were still several battlefields, for the Qi Refinement Stage, Foundation Establishment Stage, Core Formation Stage, and Nascent Soul Stage.

Each had their respective battle zones, fighting desperately and to the death.