Eternal Life Begins with Learning

As his thoughts churned, Chu Mu continued to walk at a leisurely pace.

However, he wasn’t heading toward his empty home. Instead, with a casual air, he made his way toward another of the town’s exits.

As he turned into a small alley and the street crowds vanished, the gazes from the shadows suddenly became crystal clear.

How could a white robe not be conspicuous!

’The Longevity Sect!’

Chu Mu’s expression turned grave, and his previously leisurely pace instantly quickened.

But after only a few steps, Chu Mu came to a halt.

At both ends of the alley stood several figures dressed in white.

The Magic Robes of the Longevity Sect were very conspicuous.

He didn’t recognize the face of the man in the lead, but it still looked somewhat familiar.

’Zhao Tang...’

Chu Mu took a deep breath, a cold glint appearing in the depths of his eyes.

He had never met this person before.

But Wang Mazi had once, through gritted teeth, shown him a portrait of the man.

It was because of this man that Wang Mazi had been captured and forced into servitude.

It was because of this man that he had been targeted for selling Vein Nourishing Pills.

And it was also because of this man that Wang Mazi was put on a wanted list and forced to flee.

He had originally assumed that their paths would likely never cross in this lifetime.

After all, Wang Mazi had already fled.

And he himself had been keeping a low enough profile.

Yet now, this encounter that should never have happened was laid out right before him.

"Fellow Daoist, you’ve certainly made this young master search high and low for you."

Zhao Tang chuckled, his smile as warm as a spring breeze, showing no trace of the sinister viciousness Wang Mazi had described.

"What business might you have with me, Fellow Daoist?"

Chu Mu furrowed his brow, feigning ignorance. Within his Storage Talisman, the Formless Needle was already poised to strike.

"Since you’re an Alchemist, Fellow Daoist, why hide yourself away? Why not join my Hundred Medicines Hall and become a proper, respected Alchemist?"

"Spirit Stones, Elixirs, Pill Recipes, cultivation techniques... whatever you deserve, this young master will not be stingy!"

Chu Mu raised an eyebrow. This time, he didn’t bother with a pointless denial. Instead, he smiled. "Then tell me, what kind of terms can you offer me?"

"Take a look. If you agree, then sign it."

As he spoke, he tossed over a Divine Soul Contract.

Without a doubt, this was a Divine Soul Contract capable of binding even a cultivator in the Foundation Establishment Realm.

Chu Mu glanced at it. The terms were reasonably fair—if you ignored the final clause, that is: a one-hundred-year contract.

For one hundred years, he would be at Zhao Tang’s beck and call.

Of course, fair or not, Chu Mu obviously wouldn’t consider it for a single moment.

’If I really wanted to be tied down, why not just join the Longevity Sect? Or find a powerful Clan to serve as an Honored Guest Elder? Wouldn’t any of those be more reliable than this Zhao Tang before me?’

’He’s just at Qi Cultivation Perfection, and his father is only at the Early Stage of Foundation Establishment.’

’What could he possibly give me?’

’He might not even be as wealthy as I am, yet he has the audacity to think he can control me?’

’What an absolute joke!’

"This bullshit contract... are you dreaming?" 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

"Why don’t you go home and take a nap? Maybe it’ll happen in your dreams."

The smile on Chu Mu’s lips vanished instantly. His cold eyes fixed on Zhao Tang as he mocked him without reservation.

Stung by Chu Mu’s mockery, Zhao Tang’s smile stiffened. "So," he said coldly, "you’re choosing not to do this the easy way?"

"Idiot!"

Chu Mu scoffed, his killing intent flaring. Without the slightest hesitation, he condensed a Fireball and launched it at Zhao Tang. At the same instant, the Formless Needle shot directly toward the two Longevity Sect disciples behind him.

’He desperately wanted to kill Zhao Tang, but he absolutely could not do it here.’

’Yuning Town was only a few miles from Jade Emperor City, where his Foundation Establishment father was stationed. The man likely had some way of sensing his son’s life and death.’

’He had no desire to test whether he could escape the pursuit of a Foundation Establishment Realm expert over a distance of just a few miles!’

BOOM!

The Fireball exploded, but Zhao Tang was unharmed.

Chu Mu fled from the mouth of the alley. The two Longevity Sect disciples who were supposed to block his escape remained stock-still, showing no sign of stopping him.

"After him!"

Zhao Tang roared in fury.

But in the next second, the two motionless Longevity Sect disciples collapsed to the ground like heaps of mud, completely lifeless.

Without a Passive Defense Magical Artifact and no warning, if one couldn’t react in time to the sharpness of the Formless Needle, it meant only one thing... death!

"You’re dead!"

Zhao Tang’s face turned ashen. A sword light shot into the air, circled once, and his gaze instantly locked onto Chu Mu, who was leaping across the rooftops.

"This man has murdered a disciple of our sect! All members of the Law Enforcement Team, pursue and kill him at once!"

Zhao Tang shouted, capturing the lingering Divine Soul Aura Chu Mu had left behind and broadcasting it with the Sound Transmission Token in his hand.

As the message spread, other Longevity Sect disciples in and around Yuning Town seemed to receive it. Looking down from the sky, one could clearly see white-robed figures converging from all directions.

Such a huge commotion naturally did not escape the notice of the other Cultivators living in the town. Some hastily took cover, while others craned their necks to watch.

The few neighbors Chu Mu knew all wore looks of shock and suspicion, chattering amongst themselves in disbelief.

At this moment, Chu Mu’s attention was obviously not on any of that. The Divine Wind Boots on his feet were already operating at full power.

As he leaped forward, aided by the physical strength from his Body Refining Cultivation, his speed was no slower than Zhao Tang’s Sword Flight. In fact, he even seemed to be slowly widening the gap.

A Rejuvenating Pill was already dissolving in his stomach, and he held a Spirit Stone in his hand, splitting his focus to absorb its Spiritual Qi. This two-pronged approach allowed him to replenish his Magical Power.

"He’s over there!"

Ahead, a Longevity Sect disciple shouted.

Immediately, a Long Sword came flying toward him.

The power of a cultivator at the Qi Cultivation Eleventh Layer was terrifying.

As he twisted and dodged, Chu Mu flung two Tier One Upper Grade Wind Blade Talismans directly at the Longevity Sect member.

The Talismans exploded with a roar. Without lingering to fight, Chu Mu leaped up, cleared the bounds of Yuning Town, and headed straight for the mountain forests.

As far as he could see, besides the few figures flying in pursuit behind him, he could also clearly spot other Longevity Sect disciples closing in from the sides.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Chu Mu activated his one and only Tier Two Wind-controlling Talisman.

His speed, already fast enough to leave afterimages, increased by a huge margin the moment the Tier Two Lower Grade Wind-controlling Talisman was activated.

He leaped into the air, running across the treetops as if on flat ground. The distance between him and the pursuing members of the Law Enforcement Team widened visibly.

Chu Mu had plenty of tricks up his sleeve, but the members of the Longevity Sect’s Law Enforcement Team were clearly no slouches either.

Although many of the pursuing team members were shaken off, several of them, led by Zhao Tang, remained latched firmly onto his tail.

The distance between them was growing, but the chase was far from over.

’Five of them...’

As he ran for his life, the number of pursuers behind him came into clear view.

Chu Mu’s expression was calm; he wasn’t overly panicked. As long as he hadn’t alerted any Foundation Establishment Realm experts, there wasn’t too much of a problem.

He had already prepared numerous defensive measures. This time, after traveling between several Black Markets and selling over a dozen Long Rainbow Swords, he had earned several thousand Lower Grade Spirit Stones.

Aside from keeping over two hundred Spirit Stones for emergencies, he had spent the rest in those various Black Markets.

Such a huge sum of Spirit Stones hadn’t been spent for nothing.

Naturally, he had acquired plenty of good things!

Especially now, at a time when prices were rising and valuable items were appearing frequently.

Chu Mu glanced back at the ashen-faced Zhao Tang pursuing him on his sword, his own expression becoming incomparably calm, even indifferent.

Before, when he saw what happened to Wang Mazi, he had merely felt a touch of sorrow, lamenting the darkness of human nature. That was all.

’But now, the same thing was happening to me.’

’They hadn’t succeeded, and I had even killed two of them in return.’

’But in this moment, I feel no joy, only a deep-seated frustration. And beneath that frustration is an almost irrepressible killing intent.’

’Since entering the Cultivation Immortal Realm, I’ve truly kept as low a profile as possible.’

’I’ve done everything I can to avoid trouble!’

’I became an Alchemist and an Artifact Refiner, yet I still hid myself away in the slums of Yuning Town!’

’I’ve been discreet and cautious in everything, trying not to provoke anyone!’

’All I wanted was to lie low and cultivate in peace, without any restraints.’

’And yet, trouble still came knocking at my door.’

’Why does it have to be this way?’

’Is it because this Zhao Tang thinks he can control me, that he can push a Loose Cultivator like me around as he pleases?’

’Otherwise, would he dare to show up at my door?’

’Would he dare to propose such a ridiculous condition as a hundred years of servitude?’

’What gives him the right?’

’Is it his paltry Qi Cultivation Perfection cultivation?’

’No, it’s because he’s relying on his status as a member of Jade Emperor City’s Law Enforcement Team!’

’Relying on that Foundation Establishment father of his!’

’Without that backing, he’s nothing!’

’And he still thinks he can control me?’

’He can go dream about it! Let’s see if he even dares!’

This was the first time. The very first time he had felt such an intense killing intent toward another person.

’I no longer care about the consequences.’

’And I refuse to just flee in silence like Wang Mazi did.’

’The worst-case scenario is merely being put on the Longevity Sect’s wanted list and being targeted by a Foundation Establishment expert.’

’If I don’t kill him, my anger will never be appeased, and my heart will never find peace!’

’Forget that nonsense about "ten years not being too late for a gentleman’s revenge." I want my revenge right here, right now!’

’I’d like to see if all that backing he relies on... can save his worthless life!’

...