Simulation becomes reality, have I ever looked down upon the eternity?

Chapter 611 You dare to imitate the Immortal Elixir!
The giant centipede suddenly broke free from Danling's "Lesser Fate" spell, letting out a deafening roar and spewing out an even thicker cloud of purple poisonous mist.

It seemed alert; its massive body rapidly crawled backward, attempting to create distance.

A cold smile crept across Li Luosheng's lips as his gaze pierced the top of the centipede's head.

【Right at this moment!】

[You appeared silently, the "Five-Colored Divine Light" in your palm condensing into a sharp spear, piercing straight through the head of the old Taoist priest standing at the centipede's head!]

[With almost no resistance, the old Taoist's head exploded like a watermelon, splattering purplish-black poisonous blood and thick fog everywhere.]

The lower half of the centipede's body, though dead, did not stiffen; its headless corpse continued to writhe and thrash wildly in the open space of the Taoist temple, knocking over the alchemy furnace once more.

You showed no joy, but instead, your eyes shifted, your gaze fixed on the alchemy furnace—from within it came a faint, eerie scratching sound.

[Li Luosheng's voice rang out at the opportune moment, carrying a warning: "Brother Zhou, this is not its true form. The furnace... is..."]

The surrounding poisonous fog grew increasingly thick, almost completely obscuring visibility, making it difficult to distinguish objects.

Fortunately, your eyesight is excellent now, and you vaguely glimpsed a tiny centipede emerging from the alchemy furnace, hurriedly crawling down the bluestone slab, and fleeing in panic towards the depths of the Taoist temple behind the furnace.

[Feng Qingyun was horrified to see you kill the centipede Taoist with a mere wave of your hand. This place was clearly protected by magical barriers; ordinary people would all be trapped by them.]

However, you and Li Luosheng don't seem to be affected much.

You and Li Luosheng set off almost simultaneously, following closely behind the centipede, and entered the inner hall of the Taoist temple.

[Yue Yunqing also led her disciples to quickly follow.]

The main gate of the Taoist temple was wide open, and the centipede slipped through the crack in the door and vanished without a trace.

[You and Li Luosheng stepped into the hall, only to find it empty, with no statues standing, except for an ancient painting hanging in the center.]

The hall was dimly lit, and the furnishings were simple and empty.

Below the painting is an old incense table.

Two gourds, one red and one blue, sat quietly on the table, their colors distinct.

Li Luosheng took the red gourd and uncorked it—instantly, a suction force arose from the gourd, drawing in all the poisonous mist that filled the hall, including the giant centipede's corpse.

Seeing this, Feng Qingyun and the others finally breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed the crisis had been resolved.

Your gaze slowly shifted from the painting, your expression unchanged, but your heart was in turmoil.

The portrait depicts a woman holding a sword.

She was dressed in white, as white as snow. She was extremely tall, yet slender, with wide sleeves that seemed to flutter amidst a vast sea of ​​clouds, as if she were about to ride the wind and depart at any moment.

The woman wielded a long, gleaming sword in one hand.

Surprisingly, the woman's face in the painting is always shrouded in a thin mist, except for her eyes, which are lightly dotted with ink, yet they appear incredibly lifelike.

From afar, it resembles the moon reflected in a cold pool; up close, it's like the glint of a sword at dawn, seemingly capable of piercing through the painting and striking straight to the heart.

"This painting!?...The woman in the painting!"

[The person in the painting is exactly the same as the one you obtained during the White Snake Lady's trial! And right now, that painting is still lying quietly in your storage bag.]

[And then there was the woman in white we met on our way down the mountain...]

The three individuals are strikingly similar in appearance!

You felt a chill run down your spine, and your scalp tingled. If her figure were only occasionally mentioned in ancient legends of Jindu Mountain, it would be understandable…

[But why is her portrait also hanging deep within the Heavenly Emperor's treasury?]

Who exactly is this woman?

Your gaze swept over the painting, then subtly shifted away, as if you hadn't noticed anything at all, and you didn't ask Li Luosheng any further questions.

Instead, Li Luosheng looked at the remaining blue gourd on the incense table and took the red gourd.

Everyone knew this was a treasure, yet they all tacitly refrained from taking it, naturally leaving it for you.

[In the cultivation world, strength reigns supreme. Your actions just now have proven that Yue Yunqing and Feng Qingyun are indeed sensible people.]

You hold the blue gourd in your hand; it's incredibly heavy, as if it contains a thousand pounds of pig iron.

Fortunately, your physical body has been tempered through countless trials, and you have cultivated multiple profound techniques, making you capable of subduing tigers long ago.

[With magical powers restricted and divine sense sealed here, you are unable to open the storage bag; you have no choice but to hold it in your hand for now.]

Li Luosheng explained, "Each of these gourds possesses unique properties. My red gourd is adept at absorbing all poisons and can also neutralize them to attack enemies."

"Brother Zhou, the gourd in your hand is a sword-nurturing gourd, the most precious item for sword cultivators, used to nurture magical swords and elevate the grade of flying swords."

[You can tell just by listening how precious those two gourds are. The poison gas spewed by the centipede was extraordinary; ordinary treasures and spells cannot defend against it.]

[You've only ever seen this sword-nurturing gourd mentioned in the Daoist canon; it seems the spirit deliberately gave it to you.]

Although its quality cannot compare to the supreme magical treasures of the three major sects, it is still a top-grade magical treasure.

"Thank you, Brother Li, for your apologies."

You looked up again at the portrait hanging high above, your brow furrowed slightly, but you remained silent.

[Yue Yunqing spoke softly, "I wonder who the woman in the painting is?"]

Li Luosheng merely smiled faintly, seemingly unwilling to answer.

You asked at the opportune moment, "Could its suspension here be related to the Heavenly Emperor?"

Li Luosheng then replied, "It has nothing to do with the Heavenly Emperor."

"Irrelevant?"

"This is the founding patriarch of Liangjie Mountain. The Taoist priest Huang Hua here is from the Liangjie Mountain lineage."

"Two Realms Mountain!?"

Yue Yunqing and Feng Qingyun exchanged bewildered glances, neither of them having ever heard of such an ancient tradition.

[A sudden thought struck you—Xu Ci, the former head of the Xu family, once said that the lineage of the unorthodox Golden Gourd Mountain was inherited from the ancient Two Realms Mountain.]

However, this matter has always been a closely guarded secret of Jindu Mountain.

"What sects are these Two Realms Mountains? Could they be established specifically for the Heavenly Emperor to refine pills?" you asked with curiosity.

Li Luosheng shook his head: "I've only ever heard of the immortals in the Two Realms Mountains who cultivated divine eyes that could see through the nine heavens and ten earths. They were also skilled in alchemy and kiln firing. However, they had few disciples and were not well-known among the myriad races, so they gradually disappeared into obscurity in later generations."

He paused briefly, then continued, "The Taoist priest here, Huang Hua, claims to be a fire-tending boy from Liangjie Mountain."

After speaking, he looked up and examined the portrait closely. "And the woman in the painting is none other than the founding ancestor of the Two Realms Mountain."

[What Danling said largely coincided with the information Xu Ci had previously revealed—the alchemy techniques of Liangjie Mountain were indeed inherited by the heretical Jindu Mountain, but it was difficult to say exactly how much of it had been inherited.]

The secret method of firing porcelain was the "natal porcelain" technique that the Xu family accidentally obtained.

As for the divine eye inheritance possessed by the mountain immortals, capable of seeing through the nine heavens and ten earths... it is probably the "Jade Emperor's Aura Observation Technique" that you have been practicing.

[You glanced slightly to the side and saw that although Yue Yunqing's expression was calm, a ripple of emotion flickered deep within her beautiful eyes.]

What did she find out? Or... does the Supreme Dharma Sect hold some secrets?

[What exactly was that centipede-like Taoist?] [Suddenly, Li Luosheng opened his mouth and spat out a beam of crimson fire, which shot straight at the portrait hanging in the hall!]

You frowned slightly, but did not intervene.

Before the fire reached the painting, a tiny centipede suddenly appeared, blocking its path.

Seeing the situation escalate, Li Luosheng immediately withdrew his anger.

The black centipede coiled on the painting, silently scrutinizing the crowd. Though its appearance was no different from an ordinary centipede, it possessed an awe-inspiring presence.

Immediately afterwards, a hoarse voice rang out, identical to that of the centipede Taoist who had been killed earlier outside:

"What...do you want?"

A slight unease stirred within you; the centipede spoke in modern and ancient language, not in the language of antiquity.

Both Yue Yunqing and Feng Qingyun looked surprised, but remained silent.

Li Luosheng smiled: "I desire the elixir of immortality; presumably, you have already refined it?"

The centipede let out a low, sneer: "An elixir of immortality? What such a thing exists in this world... It's nothing more than the Heavenly Emperor's delusion as he faces death, desperately trying to defy fate in the face of impending calamity."

"Among all living beings, even the most blessed with extraordinary lifespans and divine favor, cannot escape the three calamities and nine tribulations... Such is fate; who can evade it?"

As you gaze at the tiny centipede, a sudden thought strikes you: could it be Huang Hua Daoist, the true master of this Taoist temple?

[Danling has survived to this day by procreation and possessing another's body, but how could Huanghua have lived for so long?]

Li Luosheng slowly shook his head: "If you hadn't mastered it, how could the Heavenly Emperor have allowed you to live until today? Besides... you destroyed all the treasures in the temple, yet you left only these two gourds."

His gaze suddenly sharpened: "This gourd must have just grown on that vine, right?"

The centipede paused, as if lost in a jumble of memories: "I... I can't remember. Many things are blurred."

"But the gourds...are indeed newly formed, too young to be ripe."

Li Luosheng said in a deep voice, "Since you have no elixir of immortality, then hand over the gourd vine to me."

The centipede flatly refused: "The gourd vine... I can't give it to you."

"You are not the one I've been waiting for!"

[Before arriving, Yue Yunqing and the others already knew that the most precious treasures in the Heavenly Emperor's palace consisted of three items: two elixirs of immortality, one a gourd vine, and the other purple bamboo, as well as a profound cultivation technique personally practiced by the Heavenly Emperor.]

A fierce glint flashed in Li Luosheng's eyes: "Since you refuse to give it to me, then I'll take it myself!"

The centipede suddenly coiled up the portrait and swallowed it whole. Its form abruptly changed, transforming into an old Taoist priest in yellow robes, whose appearance was identical to the upper half of the centipede's body!

Upon seeing this, Yue Yunqing and Feng Qingyun both stepped back, their hearts filled with worry.

Feng Qingyun had the thought of leaving immediately. Such an elixir of immortality, a supreme treasure, and an unparalleled profound technique carried far too great a risk; it was not something he could get involved in. At the very least, he risked his life.

However, he was also secretly puzzled: how could Li Luosheng, a demonic cultivator, be so familiar with the Heavenly Emperor's Treasury and the ancient Daoist scriptures, as if they were his own treasures?

[Li Luosheng did not use any magical power; he merely formed hand seals, and a phantom river appeared behind him, within which countless souls floated and sank, their cries of sorrow never ceasing.]

The ghostly figures struggled out of the illusory river and emerged as several grotesque, eight-armed monsters, standing in the hall.

[Yue Yunqing's expression changed drastically, a deep sense of apprehension appearing in her eyes. She had personally witnessed the terrifying power of Danling, this "Imperial Son."]

The old Taoist in yellow blurted out, "The techniques of the Yellow Springs Clan?!"

He suddenly ripped open his shirt, revealing a lean chest covered in rows of tightly closed eyes!

In an instant, all eyes opened, and beams of golden light shot out like sharp arrows, weaving and crisscrossing within the hall.

The two have already clashed!

[Yue Yunqing acted decisively, leading everyone to quickly evacuate from the main hall.]

Feng Qingyun followed without hesitation.

[Just as everyone withdrew, the doors of the Taoist temple's main hall slammed shut, sealing you, Li Luosheng, and the old Taoist in yellow inside.]

You look up at the empty space where the portrait once hung, your mind racing. Faced with this situation, you decide—

1. Block the lower Danling. (Hint: There may be danger.)
2. Assist Danling. (Hint: You may encounter a perilous situation with a slim chance of survival.)
3. Ignore it. (Warning: This could be dangerous.)
4. Assist the Centipede Taoist. (Hint: This may be beneficial in the future.)
5. Projecting the future. (0/2)

6. Participate personally. (0/3)

The great cauldron resounded, revealing a radiant glow, and the inscription on it slowly froze.

Yu Ke looked at the six options above.

I couldn't help but feel a little puzzled. Judging from the prompt, helping the Centipede Taoist was actually the best option.

He didn't hesitate and made his choice immediately.

4. Assist the Centipede Taoist. (Hint: This may be beneficial in the future.)
Golden light crisscrossed the hall; the light emitted by the centipede-like Taoist priest subtly aligned with the formation's trajectory, weaving into a net that enveloped the entire hall.

[His hundred eyes on his chest never stopped emitting golden light, like a waterfall, endlessly illuminating the entire hall as if it were a furnace.]

The souls summoned by Li Luosheng began to solidify, transforming into divine generals.

~

Heavenly Emperor's Palace.

After crossing the stone bridge and passing through a lush bamboo forest, three paths suddenly appear before you, each winding its way to a place shrouded in mist, where three of the most magnificent Taoist temples stand.

At this moment, a group of ten people stood at this crossroads.

The backs of their clothing were all embroidered with a symbol of an alchemy furnace, a unique mark of the heretical Golden Gourd Mountain sect.

The two leaders were a woman and a man.

Ahead stood a woman in white, her sleeves billowing in the wind, her figure ethereal and graceful.

Half a step behind her was a handsome young man, his eyes filled with extreme respect, quietly following her.

If Zhou Jing were here, he would recognize at a glance that this woman in white is the same woman in white depicted in the portrait inside Huanghua Temple.

This handsome man is none other than Xu Ci from the Xu family.

The woman in white gently raised her eyes, which were indescribable, as clear and cold as autumn water reflecting cold stars, or as plain water in a bowl.

"There were too many things scattered around back then, and it's quite troublesome to find them now."

Xu Ci lowered her head and did not dare to respond, only silently following behind.

Without further hesitation, the woman in white walked straight towards the road on the left.

Her eyes shone with a gentle, jade-like luster, like moonlight, and as her gaze swept across the entire Heavenly Emperor's Palace.

Then she spoke in a tone as calm as still water:
"Heavenly Emperor... though it's just a title."

"But you, do you even deserve to learn from him?"

~

(End of this chapter)