Longevity Chronicles

A sudden whim and that feeling of good fortune indicated that it must be here.

Wow!

A whole set of the Secret Demon Sacrifice Body Sword Technique, plus a segment of his Master's glorious history, it was clear he had made a profit, and it was the right decision to come here.

"This treasure is fated for me... I've learned it."

"No wonder Aunt Yunhua said that the Master has a thick face but a dark heart. It turns out, this is how he got all those treasures."

"Speaking of which, these powerful Cultivators seem to have their own catchphrases. Perhaps, in the future, I will have to come up with one myself."

As Tao Qian muttered, his hand extended instinctively.

Without hesitation, he grasped the Yuan Gong Statue.

In a moment, Tao Qian felt what he was holding was not merely a clay statue, but a sword.

A peerlessly sharp sword that abandoned everything and slew everything.

Tao Qian felt as if his palm was crushed to pieces, followed by his body, and then his soul.

Instantly, a Record flashed in his mind:

[Undergoing the trial of Yuan Gong's will... No exemption allowed!]

Seeing the words "no exemption allowed," Tao Qian was not the least bit panicked.

He was not some failure solely relying on his abnormal soul to muddle through. Tao Qian had long had his own understanding of cultivation.

As the peerlessly sharp Sword Intent approached, Tao Qian did not hesitate to muster his own Sword Intent and fiercely met it head-on.

Although it was destroyed in the blink of an eye, Tao Qian was relentless and countered again.

This repeated many times!

Suddenly, at one moment, that terrifying Sword Intent halted abruptly.

In a daze, right in front of Tao Qian, the vague figure called Yuan Gong appeared, his eyes beneath his red eyebrows seemed to see through everything. He appeared long dead, yet seemed as if he was still alive.

He stared at Tao Qian, reflecting in his eyes the scene of Tao Qian using his sword to wipe out the Fragrant Meat Collection.

It was because of this that he barely nodded and then uttered words that caused great alarm to Tao Qian.

"A disciple of Duobao, also good."

As the voice fell, the vision before him dispersed immediately.

At the same time, the Yuan Gong Statue returned to stillness, as though it had really transformed back into a clay statue, unremarkable and without any abnormalities.

But whether it was Aunt Pan Si's reminder or the Record in Tao Qian's mind, they both stated that it was not so simple.

"Eh? Is it that easy?"

"Actually, over the years, many Spirit Treasure Disciples have attempted to learn this set of the Secret Demon Sacrifice Body Sword Technique; several True Inheritors of your generation have also tried and failed."

"This is quite normal; this Yuan Gong was proud and arrogant. Even among the talents of the day, few could catch his eye. He even mocked Brother Duobao's use of the Heavenly Punishment Sword, publicly suggesting that the Heavenly Punishment Sword should switch to follow him."

"For you to have so easily acquired it, along with your previous achievement in mastering the Selfless, Immortal Slaying, and Demon Cleansing techniques, it seems you truly are fated to possess it."

As Pan Si Immortal said so, it seemed quite reasonable.

But inexplicably, having heard what the specter of Yuan Gong said, Tao Qian couldn't shake the feeling that it wasn't as simple.

"Could this 'Yuan Gong' senior of the Secret Demon Sect be looking to take revenge?"

"Unable to beat my cheap Master, so taking it out on me, his pitiful disciple?"

As Tao Qian was murmuring to himself,

He instinctively looked toward the Record that had just been organized in his mind.

[Record Name: Yuan Gong Statue.]

[Record Type: Alien.]

[Record: Hundreds of years ago, within the Mountain Gate of the Secret Demon Sect, there was a high-ranking Sword Cultivator Elder named Yuan Gong, whose true form was a Red Eyebrow White Ape. He was a natural Sword Cultivator, already capable of using tree branches as swords to fend off tens of thousands of the Mortal Human Race's armies when he was still an Ape. Later, he joined the Secret Demon Sect and focused on perfecting his sword technique, never descending the mountain... until the day the Secret Demon Sect was besieged, he became famous overnight. He first used the Demon Cleansing technique to eliminate many Demon Cultivators who were taking advantage of the chaos within a thousand miles. Later, he fought Duobao True Monarch for a day and a night, was sadly defeated, and died.]

[Note 1: Before his death, to prevent his teachings from being lost, he imbued a wisp of his Divine Soul and will into a clay statue, containing the complete Secret Demon Sacrifice Body Sword Technique.]

[Note 2: Wearing this object for years, using Yuan Gong's will within it to refine swords, one can be exempted from various costs to master the complete Sword Technique. However, this will result in another price to pay; after completion, an unavoidable fondness for the Secret Demon Sect will arise, with a certain chance of voluntarily becoming a Secret Demon Child.]

[Note 3: On the day the Sword Technique is perfected, if the Sword Refiner wishes to become a Secret Demon Child, the clay statue will automatically crumble, revealing a brand of the Secret Demon True Inheritance inside, imprinting itself deep into the Sword Refiner's soul, allowing them to travel to the Outer Realm and receive a portion of Secret Demon Inheritance.]

...

As the hidden information flashed by,

Tao Qian couldn't help but pause in astonishment.

He wasn't surprised by the prowess of the senior "Yuan Gong" of the Secret Demon Sect; being able to battle his cheap Master for an entire day and night showed his tremendous cultivation.

The true cause for Tao Qian's surprise was the imprint of the Secret Demon True Inheritance within the clay figure, as well as the tacit approval of Duobao True Monarch.

Tao Qian naturally didn't believe that with Duobao's abilities, he would be unaware of the trick hidden inside the clay figure.

Almost immediately, Tao Qian recalled what his cheap master was best at.

Killing and fighting power?

Of course not.

Everyone in the Spirit Treasure Sect knew that the Divine Skill Duobao True Monarch considered his best was the Spirit Treasure Sky Displaying Skill.

In other words, he was best at scheming.

"But surely not, right?"

"There are still hundreds of years to go, and he's already included me in his calculations?"

"Is he going to send me to infiltrate the Secret Demon Sect in the future?"

"Isn't that absurd, to really make the Secret Demon True Inheritance a reality within Spirit Treasure?"

Holding the clay figure, Tao Qian's thoughts wildly roamed and churned.

However, he quickly reined in his thoughts and directly placed the clay figure into his bosom.

With weak cultivation, overthinking was pointless.

Even if it really was as he speculated, Tao Qian didn't plan to give up the opportunity and benefits that had come his way.

Having gained the treasure, Tao Qian was about to bid farewell to Aunt Pan Si and leave.

But at this moment, he suddenly saw the Pan Si Immortal Island, filled with spider webs, burst with radiance, opening up a silver light portal.

Behind that portal, a figure emerged wrapped in a ruqun, slender and coldly beautiful.

Clearly, it was Aunt Pan Si.

Her voice, slightly tense at this moment, came through:

"Do you... want to come in and sit for a while?"

"After all, you've called me aunt and visited twice; I should entertain you, so Sister Yunhua doesn't accuse me of not being close to the younger generation."

Upon hearing this, Tao Qian's expression remained unchanged, but deep down he felt troubled.

If it were any other immortal, he would definitely go in for a meal.

But it was Aunt Pan Si, not only had he himself noticed, but he had also heard it from the Nursing Woman Bird Demon.

Within the sect, everyone was aware of Aunt Pan Si's nature.

Cold, unsociable, fond of solitude, living alone.

Even when she was on duty at the Scripture Hall, she would send a spirit spider to carry out tasks.

Seeing her true body was rare even for the likes of Yunhua Immortal; once a century if lucky.

Tao Qian himself hadn't expected Aunt Pan Si to suddenly extend an invitation.

"Hmm? Could it be because of those Immortal Peaches?"

"It seems that my favorability with Aunt Pan Si might actually be much higher than with the others; that does make sense."

In the blink of an eye, Tao Qian figured out the reason and became even more troubled.

He could fully imagine Aunt Pan Si's inner struggle.

She didn't really want to invite Tao Qian inside, but out of politeness and due to the peculiar favorability brought by the Longevity Immortal Peaches, she felt compelled to do so.

If Tao Qian agreed next, she would be very tormented.

Because she was about to entertain a junior disciple in her own Daoist Field where she lived alone, and he was a male cultivator... just thinking about it, Tao Qian felt for her.

But if Tao Qian refused, given her nature, she would again be caught in turmoil.

Additionally, it would make Tao Qian seem very impolite.

After a few quick thoughts, Tao Qian soon made a decision, thinking to himself, "A brief sit and then leave, best of both worlds."

With this thought settled, Tao Qian was seen bowing and saying,

"Since aunt has invited, then as a disciple, I shall take the liberty to impose."

"It happens to be just the right time, as I have just recently finished refining the [Lingmu Holy Embryo Bag] bestowed by my master, but I am not very familiar with its myriad uses. Aunt is familiar with many Magic Skills; perhaps you could teach me."

After saying this, Tao Qian, with a fearless heart,

Stepped forward and passed through the silver light portal, entering the strange Immortal Island enveloped by endless spider webs, layers upon layers, paths intertwining, and even those spider webs were covered with sticky fluids.