Eternal Life Begins with Learning

’There must be some kind of surveillance and warning system...’

Chu Mu sized up the now-dimmed Puppet before him and the small, cramped room, pondering silently.

Though he knew nothing about the so-called Divine Descent Technique, he didn’t have to think hard to guess it was some kind of method for long-range Divine Soul manipulation.

Once disconnected from the remote control, this Puppet was just an inanimate object. Perhaps the Puppet itself had other preset programs, but it would definitely have some kind of surveillance or even a warning system to send remote alerts.

Only then could this stronghold be truly foolproof.

However, Chu Mu’s eyes swept across the entire room, carefully examining every nook and cranny.

This was just the tip of the iceberg. If this stronghold was like this, it meant that all of Blood Killing Pavilion’s strongholds probably operated the same way, using the Divine Descent Technique to control Puppets and allowing the organization to remain hidden behind the scenes.

It also meant that the Blood Killing Pavilion must have an expert in the art of Puppets.

And this Fengming Mountain Black Market was filled with Puppets...

’Could it be connected to the Blood Killing Pavilion in some way?’

Chu Mu pursed his lips, his gaze fixed on the card in his hand.

The dark gray card seemed to be made of some kind of metal, with faint patterns visible on its surface. The three words "Libra Pavilion" were engraved on it.

In the bottom-left corner, there was another line of small text.

A1-16.

From what the Puppet had said earlier, this card recorded the location of the reward for the missions completed by the previous owner of the Blood Killing Order.

For him, this was like receiving an inheritance left behind by the Blood Killing Order’s previous owner.

A... windfall!

’Did that black-robed man know about this too?’

’Or maybe that black-robed man *was* the previous owner of the Blood Killing Order, and the news of his death was just a rumor?’

After a moment of thought, he casually placed the card into his Storage Talisman. Chu Mu didn’t linger; he walked out of the building and headed straight for the Libra Pavilion.

After he presented the card, a Cultivator from the Libra Pavilion verified its authenticity and led Chu Mu to an underground secret chamber.

Using an Array Token to unlock the door to one of the rooms, he stepped into a space that resembled a bank vault from his previous life.

The room was lined with small lockers, each protected by an Array Restriction. The lockers were marked with sequential numbers, and the one indicated on the card, "A1-16," was clearly among them.

"Sir, you can use the identification card to open the corresponding locker."

"Please!"

The man gestured toward locker number sixteen, then stepped aside.

Chu Mu stepped forward and touched the card to locker number sixteen. The Array Restriction covering it immediately opened.

The locker opened, revealing a black cloth pouch to Chu Mu.

A quick probe with his Divine Sense revealed dozens of Spirit Stones and a Jade Bottle inside.

Without a closer look, Chu Mu casually tucked it into his robes and turned to leave.

The locker closed automatically, and the Array Restriction reactivated. Led by the man, Chu Mu exited the underground secret chamber.

Just as before, he left the Libra Pavilion without any hindrance.

The card, however, was taken back. In exchange, he had received a handsome inheritance.

With a fortune on his person and all the necessities for Alchemy prepared, everything was ready but for the final push.

But now, the most critical problem was how to protect his gains—and his own life.

Chu Mu wandered aimlessly through the streets. In less than an hour, just to be safe, he had already changed his appearance and build three times, even switching into three different sets of clothes.

He spent several more hours wandering around the Marketplace until he was certain he wasn’t being followed. Only then did Chu Mu feel a little more at ease.

A few more days passed. The turmoil in the Marketplace gradually subsided, and even the Local Tyrants who had been looking for him quieted down.

Chu Mu remained as steady as a mountain. He laid low for several more days, even spending a few Spirit Stones to secretly extend his stay in the Black Market.

Not until the fourteenth day did Chu Mu finally choose to leave the Fengming Mountain Black Market in the middle of the night.

The pitch-black night offered a natural sense of security. The Illusionary God Mask concealed his Cultivation aura; in other words, as long as someone’s Cultivation wasn’t high enough to see through its disguise, he was practically invisible to their Divine Sense.

And in the dead of night, observation with the naked eye was severely limited.

This was true even for Cultivators, unless they had a special Secret Spiritual Artifact.

’Even if I’m hunted,’ Chu Mu thought, ’with the wonders of the Illusionary God Mask, my chances of escape are pretty high.’

Rushing through the mountains, Chu Mu was extremely cautious. He even subconsciously lightened the Power in his steps to avoid leaving tracks.

At the slightest sound, he would hide in the treetops or behind a tree, instinctively holding his breath. Only after the noise faded, or he confirmed it had nothing to do with him, would he cautiously proceed.

His heart was in his throat the entire way. He traveled by moonlight, never stopping for a moment even after leaving the Fengming Mountain area. He sprinted onward, putting more and more distance between himself and that lawless, chaotic place.

He didn’t slow his pace until dawn, when the first ray of morning sun touched his face.

Looking back, Fengming Mountain was no longer in sight.

"Hooo..."

Chu Mu let out a long breath and looked up at the sky. The late autumn sun carried a comfortable warmth. The gloom that had enveloped him ever since he first stepped into Fengming Mountain finally scattered and vanished in this single ray of light.

Gratitude, the relief of surviving a calamity...

A mix of emotions played across his face.

Based on what he had seen and heard in the Black Market, Chu Mu knew he had been far too reckless this time.

If not for the Illusionary God Mask, he would have lost all one hundred of his lives in Fengming Mountain!

Even with the Illusionary God Mask, he was just a paper tiger who couldn’t stand the light of day or be seen by others. He was dancing on the edge of a knife, constantly facing mortal danger.

"My Cultivation Realm..."

Chu Mu murmured, his gaze lingering for a moment on his Light Curtain Panel, where the Skill Level for his Flame Decision was just over halfway. In the end, he couldn’t help but sigh.

His current situation was exactly the same as when he was practicing Qi and Blood Cultivation in the mortal world.

Without enough resource Support, his Qi and Blood Cultivation had progressed at a snail’s pace.

Now that he was on the Immortal Path, Cultivation without resource Support was just as slow.

Back in the mortal world, he had chosen to study medicine, which gave him access to the system of ’knowing men and medicine.’ He eventually concocted the Dragon and Snake Soup, and his Qi and Blood Cultivation entered the fast lane.

But after entering the Cultivation Immortal Realm, wasting several years, and then experiencing this thrilling and dangerous trip to the Fengming Mountain Black Market, he had finally completed the preparations to transition from his mortal knowledge of ’men and medicine’ to the Cultivation Immortal Realm’s Alchemy Skill.

Next, he would use Spirit Stones to build up his Alchemy experience and turn Grain Avoidance Pills into his source of income.

But... where to go from here?

Chu Mu glanced around, confirmed his approximate location, and silently pondered... his next destination...