Eternal Life Begins with Learning

"Miss Zhao, it’s been a while."

Chu Mu was all smiles, but his gaze toward the woman held a clear hint of scrutiny.

Although the Illusionary God Mask was only an Upper Grade Magical Artifact, it wasn’t something an ordinary Qi Cultivation Realm Cultivator could see through.

’Yet this woman identified me with just a single glance...’

"I’ll never forget that you saved my life, Fellow Daoist Chu."

The woman, Zhao Shuang, seemed injured. She forced a smile onto her pale face, glanced at her surroundings, and then added:

"This isn’t a safe place to linger. Could you allow me to treat my wounds first?"

Chu Mu nodded and gestured with his hand.

Immediately, two streaks of sword light shot off, one in front of the other. A Demon Beast sprinted across the lake’s surface, in close pursuit.

The streaks of light didn’t vanish until they reached the mountain forest by the shore.

Inside a cave, the woman sat cross-legged, her eyes shut tight. Her once-pale face was now flushed an unnatural crimson.

Wangcai, no longer showing any ferocity, sat obediently at the mouth of the cave.

Chu Mu leaned against one side of the cave, a Formless Needle twirling between his fingertips as if he were idly playing with it, but his gaze was fixed on the woman sitting cross-legged within.

Her injuries had caused her concealment abilities to dissipate entirely.

Her cultivation at the Twelfth Layer of Qi Cultivation was now clearly visible.

Her true face was likewise revealed.

While not stunningly beautiful, her face was elegant and lovely. Paired with her cold, aloof air, she was a striking sight.

About an hour later, the woman slowly opened her eyes. Upon seeing Wangcai at the mouth of the cave, she visibly tensed. She only relaxed when she saw Chu Mu to the side, toying with the Formless Needle.

Chu Mu closed his palm, concealing the Formless Needle, then turned to the woman. "Miss Zhao, how are your injuries?"

"I’m fine."

Zhao Shuang’s brow furrowed slightly. After her brief reply, she waved a hand, and a Jade Scroll materialized in her palm.

"This Jade Scroll has information on the East Lake Secret Realm. Take a look, Fellow Daoist."

Chu Mu accepted the Jade Scroll and, without any ceremony, probed it with his Divine Sense. The information within flowed clearly into his mind.

A moment later, he slowly lowered the Jade Scroll, his brow creased. He looked at Zhao Shuang, as if about to ask a question, but ultimately remained silent.

Chu Mu then beckoned. Wangcai, who had been sitting obediently at the mouth of the cave, immediately trotted over, wagging its tail.

Zhao Shuang didn’t leave, however. After a moment of silence, she spoke sparingly, "Can we make another deal?"

"What deal?"

Chu Mu was a little surprised.

Zhao Shuang hesitated, but eventually spoke slowly. "Inside the Secret Realm, there’s an Ancient Cultivator Cave Mansion. The cultivator who lived there was likely an Alchemy Master..."

"I can tell you the location of the Ancient Cultivator Cave Mansion and what’s inside, but if you obtain the inheritance, you must give me a copy."

"Deal."

Chu Mu agreed readily.

From any angle, the deal had no downside for him.

Zhao Shuang remained cautious. "Please make a Dao Heart Oath, Fellow Daoist."

Chu Mu smiled and made the Dao Heart Oath. Only then did Zhao Shuang offer him another Jade Scroll.

"If I succeed, where should I go to find you?"

"Once you’re on Huzhou Island, Fellow Daoist, you can contact me with this Sound Transmission Talisman."

Zhao Shuang handed him a Sound Transmission Talisman, and this time, without lingering any longer, she walked straight out of the cave.

Chu Mu watched her depart before his gaze settled on the Jade Scroll in his hand.

He probed it with his Divine Sense, and the information flooded his mind.

A moment later, Chu Mu put away the Jade Scroll. Not lingering either, he patted Wangcai, and the man and his dog walked out of the cave.

「By the time he returned to Water Heaven Workshop, it was early morning.」

A thick white mist rose from the lake, blanketing the entire Marketplace in a morning shroud.

But it did little to dampen the hustle and bustle of the streets.

Day and night, the place was a picture of prosperity.

Winding through the main streets and back alleys of the Marketplace for a full quarter of an hour, Chu Mu finally arrived back at his small courtyard.

Inside his room, he could look out the window and see the water glistening beneath a thin mist. It was hard to tell where the lake ended and the sky began; both were a vast, hazy white.

Chu Mu’s gaze shifted, and the information from the two Jade Scrolls he’d received from Zhao Shuang slowly resurfaced in his mind.

’I can’t be sure if it’s true or not,’ he thought, ’but with our deal in place, the information should be reliable.’

The information in the Jade Scroll wasn’t much different from what he had already guessed.

After the anomaly of the Secret Realm manifested at East Lake, it drew the attention of the Longevity Sect and numerous other major clans.

And these major powers were far bolder than he had imagined.

’Need a token to enter the Secret Realm?’

’Then we’ll just force it open and build a temporary passage!’

Zhao Shuang clearly didn’t know the details of how they did it.

But the fact remained that over four years ago, when Zhao Shuang and her sister were swept into the Secret Realm by a stroke of luck, it was already filled with a significant number of Cultivators from the major powers.

According to the information Zhao Shuang had gathered, despite the major powers’ audacity in forcing open the Secret Realm and creating a temporary passage, this was clearly the extent of their ability. The internal rules of the Secret Realm itself remained inviolable.

Cultivators could only remain inside for a month, regardless of how they entered.

Anyone who overstayed the one-month limit would be expelled and unable to return.

Moreover, the Secret Realm prohibited entry for any Cultivator whose cultivation was above the Qi Cultivation Realm.

It was rumored that shortly after the major powers created the passage, a Golden Core True Master from the Xie Family had impatiently rushed in. A heavenly thunderbolt had descended, completely annihilating his Divine Soul!

It was also said that the temporary passage itself seemed to have certain limitations, which was why the major powers never stopped secretly collecting tokens like the Jade Scrolls...

’And the Secret Realm itself...’

Chu Mu pondered. According to the Jade Scroll, the Secret Realm had incredibly dense Spiritual Qi and a vast territory. However, it looked as if it had been through a massive war, as ruins were scattered everywhere.

All sorts of Demon Beasts, Resentful Souls, malevolent spirits, and broken Array Prohibitions were seemingly endless, making the place exceedingly dangerous.

’So, there are two ways to enter the Secret Realm.’

’One is to enter the white mist with a token, as long as your cultivation isn’t above the Qi Cultivation Realm.’

’The other is the temporary passage created by the major powers.’

’Then... why didn’t I get in last time?’

Chu Mu was puzzled, but then it dawned on him. If he remembered correctly, back then, he hadn’t even stepped onto the Immortal Path. He had just achieved his Primordial God Appearance...

’So, to enter the Secret Realm, your cultivation has to be in the Qi Cultivation Realm?’

As he processed this, the unease that had been weighing on him finally lifted.

Now that the information about the Secret Realm was confirmed, all he had to do was wait for the mysterious fog to appear again, and everything would be settled.

However... at this thought, Chu Mu willed his Magical Artifacts to appear before him one by one.

One Minghong Saber and one Flying Sword, both Upper Grade Magical Artifacts.

A Shield, taken from Zhao Tang, which was a Top Grade Magical Artifact.

A Magic Robe, which was an Upper Grade Magical Artifact.

A pair of Divine Wind Boots, a Lower Grade Magical Artifact.

A Tier Two Lower Grade Wind-controlling Talisman, a Tier Two Lower Grade Fire Dragon Talisman, and dozens of Tier One Talismans. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

And his most precious possession... a Talisman Treasure!

Added to his own combat power from perfecting both Dharma and Body Cultivation, plus Wangcai, whose strength was comparable to the Late Stage of Qi Cultivation—these were all the tools at his disposal.

The life-or-death battle from the previous night had already proven that his current combat power was enough to overwhelm the vast majority of Qi Cultivation Realm Cultivators.

But... Chu Mu thought back to his fight with Zhao Tang.

’Was Zhao Tang... really that outstanding in the Longevity Sect?’

’From what I know, Zhao Tang only had Three Spirit Roots talent. He was nothing special in the Longevity Sect’s Outer Sect.’

’If not for his father in the Foundation Establishment Realm, he would have been a nobody in the Longevity Sect—just another ordinary Outer Disciple.’

’He’s clearly not on the same level as the Core Disciples of the Longevity Sect or the other major powers.’

’And the temporary passage into the Secret Realm, opened through the combined efforts of the major powers, must have come at an immense cost!’

’So... would the disciples they send in to fight for resources really be mediocre?’

He could glean a few things from the information in Zhao Shuang’s Jade Scroll as well.

’Inside the Secret Realm, the greatest danger comes from other people...’

Gazing at the collection of Magical Artifacts before him, Chu Mu fell into a thoughtful silence.

’The disciples from sects and clans who can enter the Secret Realm are obviously not going to be weak. What’s more, by their very nature, they’re bound to team up once they’re inside.’

’My arsenal might be more than enough for a one-on-one fight, but if a real conflict breaks out...’

’It’s not enough!’

’In a battle of life and death, you can never be too prepared...’

Chu Mu took a deep breath and waved his hand again. This time, the Artifact Refining Formulas and related foundational texts he had gathered from the Black Market appeared before him.

The many Spiritual Materials he had been collecting were also laid out neatly beside him.

The mysterious "Spiritual Radiance Blessing" descended upon him once more.

’I am an Artifact Refiner,’ he thought, ’and one who refuses to just blindly follow the blueprints...’

...