Immortality and cultivation begin with full comprehension.

Chapter 663 A Hot Commodity, Everyone Wants to Win Him Over (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

"boom!"

A terrifying aura of death surged in like a tide, and Li Yunjing felt a sudden heaviness all over his body, as if he were being crushed by a mountain, unable to move!

"It's over!"

He was terrified. The power of the emperor's corpse far exceeded his imagination; it was something he couldn't possibly contend with!
"Om..."

At this critical moment of life and death, the void trembled, and a beam of black light shot out, blasting the emperor's corpse away.

"what?!"

The Heavenly Corpse Grand Preceptor's expression changed drastically.

"People from the Heavenly Demon Sect?"

The white-robed man, Ding Wan, and the others also looked at Ye Wuhen, who had appeared beside Li Yunjing, in shock.

"Night Without a Trace?!"

Even Li Yunjing was quite surprised, looking at the black-robed man who had suddenly appeared beside him.

This person had a cold and stern face, with a sinister demonic aura between his brows and black mist swirling around him. He was none other than Ye Wuhen, the young master of the number one demonic sect, the "Heavenly Demon Sect"!

"Brother Li, it's been a long time."

Ye Wuhen's lips curled up slightly, revealing a cold smile.

"I never expected you to appear here and save me."

Li Yunjing was shocked. He really didn't expect that he was still under the other party's control and that he would be discovered here!
Ye Wuhen clearly showed himself!
What methods are used to track me?
"How dare a junior from the 'Heavenly Demon Sect' interfere in the affairs of my 'Heavenly Corpse Sect'?"

After years of planning, a problem arose. The Heavenly Corpse Grand Master roared, and the emperor's corpse suddenly stood up, its corpse energy surging, and attacked once again!
Even when facing the people of the "Heavenly Demon Sect", he was not prepared to back down!
"Heavenly Corpse, have you thought this through? Do you really want to oppose the 'Heavenly Demon Sect'?"

Ye Wuhen snorted coldly, and with a flick of his sleeve, a streak of dark demonic light swept out like a bolt of lightning, forcing the emperor's corpse back several steps!

"go!"

He grabbed Li Yunjing's shoulder, and the black mist around him suddenly surged, transforming into a shadowy figure that instantly rushed out of the underground palace!

"Stop them!"

The Heavenly Corpse Grand Master roared, and the purple-robed officials, white-robed guests, Ding Wan, Wang family sword cultivators and others all made their moves. However, Ye Wuhen was too fast, and in the blink of an eye, he disappeared into the darkness with Li Yunjing!

"Damn it!"

Years of planning had come to a complete failure. The Heavenly Corpse Grand Tutor's face was gloomy, and the emperor's corpse let out an unwilling roar, but in the end, it was unable to catch up.

……

Outside the capital, in desolate mountains and wilderness.

Ye Wuhen led Li Yunjing to a secluded cave and only let go of his hand after confirming that no one was following them.

"Thank you for saving me, Brother Ye."

Li Yunjing took a deep breath and cupped his hands in greeting.

"No need to be so polite, we're still business partners!"

Ye Wuhen smiled faintly and said, "Besides, my 'Heavenly Demon Sect' and 'Heavenly Corpse Sect' have never gotten along. Today, I'll just ruin their plans, which is quite satisfying."

Why is Brother Ye in the underground palace of the imperial palace?

Li Yunjing's eyes flickered slightly, and he tentatively asked, "Could it be that it's also for..."

"I'm not interested in the key."

Ye Wuhen shook his head and said, "There aren't many of these things, but there aren't a few either. My 'Heavenly Demon Sect' already has enough keys."

He paused, looked at the key in Li Yunjing's hand, and said meaningfully, "But now it seems that Brother Li has become the target of everyone's criticism."

"No way!"

Li Yunjing gave a bitter smile and said, "I've already seen the opportunity. Am I just going to watch the key slip through my fingers and choose to let it go?"

"If Brother Li trusts me, why don't you come with me back to the 'Heavenly Demon Sect's' headquarters to avoid trouble for now?"

Ye Wuhen pondered for a moment, then suddenly spoke.

"The Heavenly Demon Sect's headquarters?"

Li Yunjing paused for a moment, then shook his head. "Never mind, I'll infiltrate the capital and, after some time, continue north..."

"Alright!"

Ye Wuhen nodded: "When the time comes, I will send people to meet you along your route to ensure your safety."

"Alright, then I'll trouble you, Brother Ye."

Li Yunjing remained silent for a moment before finally nodding.

After Ye Wuhen left, Li Yunjing did not set off immediately.

He sat cross-legged deep in the cave, his fingertips gently caressing the bronze key, his eyes gleaming with contemplation.

"The Heavenly Corpse Sect, the Joyful Union Sect, the Wang Family, the Royal Family, the Ouyang Family... even the Heavenly Demon Sect, everyone is eyeing the key, but Ye Wuhen says that the Heavenly Demon Sect already has enough keys?"

He frowned slightly, sensing that things weren't so simple.

"There are quite a few keys? Then why are the various factions still fighting tooth and nail for them? Unless..."

He suddenly opened his eyes and thought of a possibility.

The key is not unique!

However, the true entrance to the "Mysterious Heaven Realm" requires a specific key to open!
"In other words, even if you have the key, you might not be able to enter the real secret realm!"

The thought gave him a shock.

If that's the case, then the blood sacrifice by the royal family and the Heavenly Corpse Sect was probably not just for the key, but for some kind of special "qualification"!
We must find out as soon as possible!

He took a deep breath, took out a concealment talisman and affixed it to his body, then quietly left the cave and stealthily headed towards the capital.

……

In the depths of a dark alley in the capital city.

Li Yunjing changed his appearance, transforming into an ordinary-looking rogue cultivator, and blended into the crowd.

The streets remained bustling, but many more eyes and ears were hidden in the shadows. Spies from various powerful families, royal guards, and even demonic cultivators were all lurking among them, clearly searching for his whereabouts.

"It seems the Heavenly Corpse Grand Preceptor has already spread my word..."

He sneered and calmly turned into the Xiao family's teahouse.

Inside the teahouse, several cultivators were talking in hushed tones, their topic being the strange changes occurring in the underground palace of the imperial palace.

"Have you heard? A fierce battle broke out in the underground palace; many people died!"

"It's said that the 'Heavenly Corpse Sect' and the 'Heavenly Demon Sect' are fighting, and even the Wang family's sword cultivators have gotten involved!"

"Hey, isn't it all for the key to the 'Mysterious Heaven Realm'?"

"The entire capital is now searching for that cultivator named Li Yunjing!"

"Damn it, this is weird! A group of Nascent Soul Realm cultivators, all of them veteran experts, ended up with the key in the hands of a Golden Core Realm cultivator."

"You can't say that!"

"That Li Yunjing is no weakling. I've heard he comes from the 'Chang'an Dynasty' and is a guest elder of the Xiao family of 'Zixiao City,' a grandmaster of array formations!"

"Holy crap! A Grandmaster of Array Formations! That's even rarer than a Nascent Soul Realm expert!"

"This person dared to make a move because he was skilled in using formations!"

"Not only that! This person was rescued by the 'Heavenly Demon Sect,' which clearly means he is cooperating with the 'Heavenly Demon Sect.'"

……

Li Yunjing silently sipped his tea, thinking to himself, "The news spread so quickly; it seems the royal family, the 'Heavenly Corpse Sect,' and various other forces are determined to force me to show myself!"

"Fellow Daoist, may I have a word with you in private?"

Just then, a man in black robes walked in through the teahouse entrance. His gaze swept around the room before finally settling on Li Yunjing.

"Who is your Excellency?"

Li Yunjing's heart skipped a beat, but he remained calm on the surface and said indifferently, "I don't seem to know you."

"Fellow Daoist Li, my master requests your presence; it concerns the truth about the key."

The man in black chuckled softly and transmitted his voice secretly.

Li Yunjing narrowed his eyes, his fingers subtly gripping the "Boundary-Breaking Sword" hidden in his sleeve, and said coldly, "Who is your master?"

The man in black bowed slightly, his voice respectful yet brooking no refusal: "Ouyang family, Ouyang Chongyue."

"hiss……"

Li Yunjing's heart skipped a beat. This was the head of the Ouyang family!

A top-tier Nascent Soul Realm cultivator!

This person's cultivation level is definitely not as high as Xiao Yuntian's, but his combat strength is definitely not low. He is at least a master at the sixth or seventh level of the Nascent Soul realm!

Such a person is definitely not someone Li Yunjing can kill!
On the contrary, Li Yunjing is likely to be no match for him, and may even have difficulty surviving!
"Okay, lead the way."

At this moment, the other party found him and clearly saw through his disguise, so Li Yunjing had no choice but to bite the bullet and agree.

What if they don't agree?
Even without the Ouyang family taking any action, just spreading the word would be enough to finish him off!
……

The two left the teahouse one after the other.

Instead of going to the Ouyang family, they entered a dilapidated house in a commoner's district.

This is the Ouyang family's secret stronghold.

In a dark, secret room, Ouyang Chongyue, his face grim, waited quietly.

"Master Li, I have long admired your name."

Upon seeing Li Yunjing enter, he slowly raised his head, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes.

"Senior Ouyang, you've gone to great lengths to find me. What advice do you have for me?"

Li Yunjing clasped his hands in a fist salute and spoke calmly. As a grandmaster of array formations, Li Yunjing was qualified to communicate on equal terms with a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator; he had already secured his place in the world.

Seeing Li Yunjing's calm and composed demeanor, Ouyang Chongyue nodded.

"Does Fellow Daoist Li know why all the various forces and the 'Heavenly Corpse Sect' are so obsessed with the key?"
Without saying a word, he took out a jade slip and pushed it over.

Li Yunjing took the jade slip, scanned it with his divine sense, and his expression changed drastically!

The jade slip clearly stated: "The Mysterious Heaven Realm is not one place, but nine! Only those who possess the 'True Key' can enter the core realm!"

"Senior Ouyang, what do you mean by that?"

Li Yunjing suddenly looked up, his eyes flashing with cold light: "Since my key is not the only one, there is no need to fight so fiercely, is there?"

"good."

Ouyang Chongyue nodded slowly, his voice icy: "But now, they've set their sights on you! Because your key is one of the 'True Keys'!"

"I see!"

Li Yunjing was shocked and finally understood why he had become the target of everyone's criticism!
"That night, there was no trace..."

He suddenly remembered Ye Wuhen's unusual attitude, and alarm bells went off in his mind!
"The Heavenly Demon Sect is probably also after the True Key!"

Elder Nangong sneered, "Master Li, are you now willing to cooperate with my Ouyang family?"

"cooperate?"

Li Yunjing sneered, "What can I gain? And what price will I have to pay?"

There is no such thing as unconditional help in this world. The fact that the Ouyang family did not report him but instead calmly discussed the matter suggests they had ulterior motives.

He naturally wanted to know the details!

Ouyang Chongyue's gaze was deep as he slowly took out an ancient-looking animal hide map from his sleeve and spread it on the table.

"Master Li, please take a look."

He pointed to the center of the map, "This is a joint calculation by my Ouyang family and several other families! A map showing the distribution of the nine possible entrances to the 'Mysterious Heaven Realm'."

Li Yunjing stared at the map, where dozens of coordinates were marked!

These coordinates are distributed across various continents and oceans of "Tianlan Star," and even the location of the "Shenxiao Mountain Range" is marked here.

Upon seeing his home, Li Yunjing was momentarily dazed.

"Senior Ouyang, your analysis is too unreliable."

After a long silence, Li Yunjing said in a deep voice, "With such a sloppy deduction, you have no hope at all."

"That's exactly why we've been looking for you!"

A glint of light flashed in Ouyang Chongyue's eyes. "My Ouyang family will help you escape the pursuit from all sides and provide all the resources needed to explore the secret realm. And you..."

"You are a Grandmaster of Array Formation!"

He slammed his finger on the map. "You need to cooperate, and we'll share everything inside the secret realm!"

"that's it?"

Li Yunjing frowned slightly: "Your strength is insufficient, why should I cooperate with you?"

Without hesitation, Li Yunjing directly stated his thoughts.

In his view, the Ouyang family was too weak.

If possible, he would even be willing to cooperate with the Xiao family!
Xiao Yuntian is a brave and resourceful hero, and Xiao Xuan is also a True Monarch at the Nascent Soul stage, with great strength and boundless magic power. Why would he cooperate with the Ouyang family?

Even if we take a step back and assume the worst, he still has Ye Wuhen of the "Heavenly Demon Sect" as an ally!
Although the demonic cultivators are unreliable, Ye Wuhen has sworn a solemn oath, making him more reliable than the Ouyang family, with whom he has no kinship or prior cooperation!
"Does Master Li recognize this item?"

Upon hearing this, Ouyang Chongyue laughed instead of getting angry, and suddenly took out a blood-red jade pendant from his bosom and slammed it on the table.

A glint of light flashed in Li Yunjing's eyes.

This is good stuff!
This is clearly a "substitute death charm"!

Such talismans have broken free from the constraints of rank and are highly valued by cultivators of any level!
Having a "substitute death charm" is like having an extra life!

Such a wonderful item requires a comprehensive understanding of the laws of life and death, puppetry, talismanic arts, and other aspects to be crafted.

Despite being a grandmaster of talismanic arts, puppetry, and formations, Li Yunjing was unable to refine anything due to his mediocre understanding of the laws of life and death.

"It seems that Master Li recognizes this item!"

Ouyang Chongyue smiled and said, "If you agree to the alliance, I'll give you a second life!"

"Does your Ouyang family have an expert of this caliber?"

Li Yunjing suddenly stood up. "Able to refine a 'substitute death talisman'?"

"hey-hey!"

Ouyang Chongyue said coldly, "Grandmaster Li, you are at the height of your power in the art of array formations, but don't think that everyone else is a good-for-nothing. My Ouyang family also has Grandmaster-level experts!"

The sealed room fell into a deathly silence.

"The Ouyang family is indeed remarkable!"

Li Yunjing stared intently at the "Substitute Death Talisman," then suddenly sneered, "Senior Ouyang, offering this treasure to bribe me is indeed an exorbitant price! But..."

He stood up and said loudly, "But going to the 'Mysterious Heaven Secret Realm' depends on combat strength. Without a True Monarch at the Nascent Soul stage to back you up, you can forget about getting the most precious treasure!"

Ouyang Chongyue's expression changed drastically!

"If you want to cooperate, show sincerity."

Li Yunjing said coldly, "For example... first tell me how your Ouyang family deals with, or even kills, a True Monarch at the Nascent Soul stage!"

"You! Do you even know what you're saying?!"

Ouyang Chongyue slammed his fist on the table in a fit of rage, instantly turning the entire table to dust!

Just as tensions were about to rise, the walls of the secret room suddenly exploded!
"Hmph! Without strength, there is no basis for cooperation!"

Even when facing the enraged Ouyang Chongyue, Li Yunjing showed no intention of backing down. The strongest array plate in his sleeve was ready to be activated.

"Hahaha!"

Suddenly, Ouyang Chongyue burst into laughter, and the murderous aura emanating from his body vanished completely.

If the table between the two hadn't been reduced to dust, one would have thought nothing had happened.

"Good! Good! Good!"

Ouyang Chongyue exclaimed "Good!" three times in succession, his eyes gleaming brightly. "Master Li is indeed no ordinary person!"

"Is this enough?"

He suddenly took out an ancient bronze token from his bosom. The token was engraved with the words "Slay the Gods" and emitted a chilling aura.

"Ancient God-Slaying Decree?!"

Li Yunjing's pupils constricted sharply, and he exclaimed, "A legendary forbidden weapon capable of killing a Nascent Soul True Monarch!"

"good."

Ouyang Chongyue said proudly, "Although my Ouyang family has no Nascent Soul cultivators, our ancestors once obtained this item. When fully activated, it is enough to severely injure a high-level Nascent Soul True Monarch! It can destroy his entire life's cultivation in an instant!"

"Great!"

Li Yunjing took a deep breath and suddenly changed the subject: "But that's not enough! What about your allies? We can't expect a single forbidden artifact to compete with a group of True Monarchs."

"Master Li, you are indeed a wise man!"

Ouyang Chongyue smiled mysteriously and suddenly transmitted his voice secretly: "There are three other families like my Ouyang family. If our four families join forces, we are enough to kill two or three True Monarchs at the Nascent Soul stage!"

"hiss……"

This shocking secret sent a shiver down Li Yunjing's spine!
"No force dares to turn against our four great families!"

Ouyang Chongyue sneered, "Unless they've had enough of living!"

“Give me the ‘Substitute Death Talisman’ first, and I will cooperate with the Ouyang family after I swear an oath to Heaven.”

Li Yunjing's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he suddenly reached out.

"readily!"

Without hesitation, Ouyang Chongyue pushed the blood-red jade pendant forward, simultaneously biting his finger and drawing blood-red runes in the air: "I, Ouyang Chongyue, swear by my Dao heart."

"Very well! I, Li Yunjing, also swear by my Dao heart..."

Li Yunjing accepted the "substitute death talisman" without hesitation, and without Ouyang Chongyue's prompting, he immediately made a vow.

At the very last moment, he made a vow to join forces with Ye Wuhen. If this conflicted with the alliance with the Ouyang family, they would not help each other!
"This……"

Li Yunjing was two-timing, which greatly displeased Ouyang Chongyue.

However, Grandmasters of Array Formation are rare talents, and are hard to come by.

The "Mysterious Heaven Realm" is fraught with danger, and Master Li will definitely be of use there, which is more beneficial than harmful.

He thought about it for a moment, then swallowed back the dissatisfaction that was on the tip of his tongue.

Just as the two made their vow, the entire secret chamber suddenly shook violently!
"what happened?"

Li Yunjing was startled and asked.

"Oh no! We have to go!"

Ouyang Chongyue scanned the outside world with his divine sense, his expression changed, and he gestured for Li Yunjing to leave with him.

"Boom!"

Just as the two were about to move, they saw a fight breaking out outside.

Li Yunjing's divine sense swept across the area and saw that the white-robed man who had appeared in the palace was engaged in a fierce battle with two Nascent Soul Realm cultivators in the sky above the courtyard!
"Would you like to help?"

Li Yunjing tentatively asked.

"No need! Ouyang Pengyu can handle them."

Ouyang Chongyue waved his hand, signaling Li Yunjing to follow behind.

(End of this chapter)