Martial Immortality: Starting with the Spirit Beast Scroll

Defection?

Zhao Lin was startled. The crime was far too severe!

In the Cultivation Realm, a sect was like a country. Defection wasn’t as simple as just leaving the sect; it meant siding with the enemy and handing over important resources and secrets to a rival sect.

Defection was a grave offense in the mortal world, and it was only more so in the Cultivation Realm.

"Elder, what is the cultivation level of the cultivator who defected?"

Zhao Lin didn’t ask for the reason behind the defection. Before deciding whether to accept the mission, it was best not to inquire about such internal matters.

’He probably felt his ambitions to become stronger weren’t being met, or he did something to wrong the sect and feared being exposed, so he decided to go all in, grab what he could, and run for it.’

"Ninth Layer of Body Tempering!"

Elder Wu said, enunciating each word. His gaze held a hint of a test, as if to see if Zhao Lin understood the implications.

’Body Tempering...’

Zhao Lin’s brow twitched. A thought flashed through his mind, and he said, "It’s a Body Cultivator!"

Magic Cultivators practice Qi Refining; Body Cultivators practice Body Tempering.

Magic Cultivators were the mainstream in the Cultivation Realm, but there were many other cultivation paths.

Besides Martial Cultivators, there were also paths like Body Cultivators, Ghost Cultivators, Demon Cultivators, and Monster Cultivators.

As for terms like Alchemy Cultivators, Artifact Cultivators, or Talisman Cultivators, they weren’t entirely accurate. These people were still fundamentally Magic Cultivators, just with a specialization. It couldn’t be considered a separate cultivation path.

You couldn’t say that a Magic Cultivator who knew Alchemy was no longer a Magic Cultivator.

Body Cultivators and Martial Cultivators had some similarities, but they were also very different.

Martial Cultivators entered the path of cultivation through martial arts, forming their own Spiritual Roots. However, once they began cultivating, their methods were not much different from those of Magic Cultivators.

It was just that due to their past martial arts training, their bodies were tougher, they excelled at close-quarters combat, and their Mana was stronger at the same realm. However, because of the constraints of their physical bodies, it was also harder for them to break through to the next realm.

Body Cultivators, in contrast, were purer in their approach.

Body Cultivators absorbed Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, but unlike Magic Cultivators who stored it in their meridians and acupoints, they fused it into their flesh and blood to strengthen their physical bodies. This is why their realms were named after Body Tempering.

For this reason, Body Cultivators were not proficient in Magic. They could only learn a few simple, basic spells, and their skill could at most reach Minor Achievement, never the level of mastery.

But every sacrifice comes with a reward, and their efforts paid off.

A Body Cultivator’s weakness in Magic was exchanged for an incredibly powerful physical body, one that even Martial Cultivators would struggle to match.

A Body Cultivator at the Ninth Layer of Body Tempering had refined their entire body with Spiritual Power, making them comparable to a humanoid magic treasure. Even a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator wouldn’t dare claim a certain victory against them.

Elder Wu nodded slightly. "Correct! You’re right, it is indeed a Body Cultivator."

Zhao Lin asked in confusion, "Elder, Body Cultivators may be strong, but with so many experts at the Foundation Establishment and Purple Mansion Realms in the sect, can’t we deal with a single Body Cultivator?"

"Is it necessary to issue a special mission for it?"

Elder Wu pondered for a moment before speaking. "The situation is a bit special. This person is extremely cunning and had meticulously planned his escape long before his plot was exposed."

"By the time the sect discovered what had happened, he had already fled to the border. After several failed attempts to corner him, he escaped into a small, abandoned world."

"There is absolutely no Spiritual Qi in that small world, which severely restricts Magic Cultivators. It is also very hostile to high-level cultivators; it’s difficult for those in the Foundation Establishment Realm to even enter."

"For certain reasons, the sect cannot send a large number of cultivators in to sweep the area..."

Elder Wu didn’t finish his sentence, but Zhao Lin already understood.

A world without Spiritual Qi was indeed disadvantageous for Magic Cultivators.

To cast a spell, a cultivator actually only needed to expend a portion of their Spiritual Power; the greater part of the effect came from manipulating the five elemental forces of Heaven and Earth.

Without Spiritual Qi, it meant the entire spell had to be powered solely by the cultivator’s own reserves.

Firstly, the spell’s power would be weakened. Secondly, their Spiritual Power could be completely depleted after casting just a few spells.

Although Spirit Stones could be used to replenish Spiritual Power, it still took time. At a critical moment, that delay could mean the difference between life and death.

A Body Cultivator, however, was almost entirely independent of the environment. All their great power was contained within themselves. Even in a place with no Spiritual Qi, their strength would be virtually undiminished.

Coupled with a Body Cultivator’s inherent ability to fight above their level, they were indeed difficult to deal with.

Elder Wu continued, "Before this mission was issued, the sect had already sent several cultivators into that small world. Not only did they fail to capture the Body Cultivator, but they also suffered heavy losses, with cultivators either dead or injured!"

"The sect has posted people to watch the exit of that small world, so the Body Cultivator can’t escape for now. But we can’t let this drag on, which is why we’re recruiting Martial Cultivators to hunt him down."

Zhao Lin suddenly thought of someone and asked, "What about Elder Miao?"

Elder Wu shook his head gently. "In a place with even a little Spiritual Qi, Elder Miao would likely be a cut above that Body Cultivator. But in that small world, it’s not so certain."

"There’s another thing. Elder Miao is a banner for the sect, a benchmark figure. If anything were to happen to him, the loss would far outweigh any gain!"

Zhao Lin nodded, then asked, "The sect can’t have only one Body Cultivator, can it? Can’t the others do it?"

Elder Wu replied, "Our sect has very few Body Cultivators, and he is the only one at the Ninth Layer of Body Tempering. Two other Body Cultivators have already been recruited for this mission, though it wasn’t specifically mentioned."

Hearing this, Zhao Lin came to a firm decision: he would not take this mission.

’I can’t even handle a cultivator at the Late-stage Qi Refining, let alone a powerful one at the Ninth Layer of Body Tempering.’

’Even if I gathered enough Spirit Stones and the Spirit Cultivation Map helped me analyze those two spells to the perfection stage, my cultivation level is too low. I can’t bring out the true power of the Magic.’

’Besides, even Miao Kefa isn’t confident he can defeat that Body Cultivator. So what if I’ve mastered two perfection-stage spells?’

’Sure, I’d have companions, but I know that three first-rate experts can’t necessarily defeat one top-tier master.’

’Being just a cut above in strength means having a massive tactical advantage. You absolutely need someone who can go toe-to-toe with him just to tie him down.’

’From the looks of it, this operation doesn’t have anyone like that.’

’Besides, the Martial Cultivators don’t know each other. How effective could their so-called teamwork really be?’

’If anything goes wrong, I’ll probably lose my life too.’

Although he had no intention of accepting the mission, this was a rare opportunity to learn about the inner workings of the sect. Zhao Lin asked, "Excuse me, Elder, what are the merit points for this mission?"

Elder Wu held up a single index finger and spoke two words: "Ten thousand!"

Zhao Lin sucked in a sharp breath. "A Foundation Establishment Pill!"

Hearing such a huge number, any lingering thought Zhao Lin might have had about the mission was instantly extinguished.

He didn’t see the merit points; he saw the danger behind them.

Exchanging for a Foundation Establishment Pill from the sect required about ten thousand merit points. The exact amount fluctuated slightly each year, but it generally didn’t change much.

An instructional senior brother who taught disciples Magic every day and occasionally handled other duties would only earn a few dozen merit points a month.

But this one mission offered a reward of ten thousand merit points, equivalent to what others might accumulate over ten or twenty years. This could only mean one thing: the mission was extremely dangerous!

"I am just making a routine announcement. Whether you are willing to go is your own decision."

Elder Wu lowered his eyelids and said flatly.

He didn’t actually want Zhao Lin to participate in such a dangerous mission, but his duty prevented him from saying so directly. Thus, he had intentionally dropped a subtle hint.

Zhao Lin took the hint and smiled. "Elder, this disciple has only just joined the sect and my strength is low. I’ll go back and think it over."

Elder Wu breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that this was Zhao Lin’s tactful way of refusing.

"Alright, think it over. By the way, I saw your Rock Armor Skill today. It’s looking quite decent; you should have reached the entry level."

"This shows you have good talent for Magic. You must study diligently. Once you’ve mastered your Magic, you’ll have nothing to fear no matter where you go!"

Zhao Lin replied respectfully, "Yes. In that case, this disciple will take his leave."

It was an unspoken understanding between the two of them that Zhao Lin would definitely not be accepting this mission.