Immortality and Cultivation: Starting with Improving Spiritual Root Aptitude

Seven days later.

Wu Fan steered the Wind Chaser at breakneck speed across the sky, its hull cutting through the clouds and leaving a faint trail in its wake.

After the auction ended that day, he did not rush to leave, but returned to his rented detached house and stayed for two more days.

For the past two days, he has been pretending to wander among the various shops in Zhongtianxu City, inquiring about all kinds of jobs, and acting as if he intends to stay here for a long time.

On the third day, before dawn, taking advantage of the darkest night, he quietly left the city, boarded the Wind-Riding Boat, and immediately left Zhongtianxu City far away.

His actions were actually to prevent someone from secretly watching him.

Although with his current cultivation level, it wouldn't be difficult for ordinary Qi Refining cultivators to detect his tracking, the real fear is that the other party might have superb concealment skills and silently follow behind him.

Rather than hastily leaving that very night and being attacked and killed in the middle of the night, it would be better to feign staying in the city for a few days and then find an opportunity to escape.

Although it appears cumbersome, it adds a sense of security.

Although I was pretending to inquire about the job these past two days, I unexpectedly gained something.

He overheard that the Qi Refining cultivator who won the top-quality Foundation Establishment Pill at the auction had actually rented a quiet room located on a second-tier spiritual vein in the inner city. It seemed that he intended to focus on breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage there and would not be leaving seclusion for some time.

This move can only be described as clever.

Zhongtianxu City has always had the rule of "entering my city gates means receiving my protection". Moreover, that secret room is a spiritual vein treasure land that the city lord, Tianxu Zhenren, rents out to the public. It is also one of the important sources of spiritual stones for Zhongtianxu City and is said to be absolutely safe.

Those cultivators who secretly coveted the Foundation Establishment Pill, even if they were unwilling, would never dare to make a move in the city.

If this rule is broken, not only will it alarm True Man Tianxu, but even his personal disciples will immediately make an example of him to deter others.

This was also Wu Fan's real purpose in specifically inquiring about the jobs in the city.

At this moment, the Wind-Riding Boat was already thousands of miles away from Zhongtianxu City, and the journey was calm and peaceful, without any unusual activity.

Wu Fan's anxiety eased slightly.

He knew that he was probably overthinking it and that no one was following him.

However, he dared not slack off in the slightest. As long as he had not returned to Falling Star Valley and stepped into the sect's protected area, he was not truly safe.

After flying day and night for another half month, Wu Fan's mana in his dantian was finally depleted. Zhao Fu beside him was also drooping and disheveled, clearly exhausted.

Seeing this, Wu Fan maneuvered the Wind-Riding Boat to land and found a very secluded cave in a desolate, uninhabited deep mountain forest.

He swiftly set up several layers of restrictions at the cave entrance, and then laid out the Five Directions Confinement Array and the Bewildering Array. The two arrays intertwined and overlapped, completely concealing the cave entrance. From the outside, all that could be seen was a bare rock wall, completely unremarkable.

After doing all this, Wu Fan finally breathed a sigh of relief. He entered the cave, sat cross-legged, took out a pill to restore his mana, and closed his eyes to regulate his breathing.

Zhao Fu curled up beside him, licked his paws, and gradually fell silent.

Several hours passed in the blink of an eye, and the sky outside the window darkened completely, with the low cries of birds and beasts echoing from the mountains.

Wu Fan slowly opened his eyes. The magical power in his dantian had been fully restored, and the spiritual energy around him had also stabilized.

After eating the meat and spirit beast pills that he fed him, Zhao Fu had already fallen into a deep sleep, his small body curled up in a ball, emitting soft snores.

Wu Fan carefully put Zhao Fu into his spirit beast pouch, pondering what to do.

According to the current itinerary, we should be able to reach Falling Star Valley in about ten days.

We'll rest here tonight, recharge our energy, and continue our journey tomorrow.

He found a dry rock, lay down, closed his eyes, and prepared to sleep, but his spiritual awareness remained vigilant.

Just as his consciousness was about to drift into slumber, a commotion suddenly broke the silence of the mountains outside the area covered by the array, accompanied by the sound of striking.

Wu Fan's eyes snapped open instantly, a sharp glint flashing in them, and his spiritual energy tensed instantly.

He didn't speak rashly, but quietly circulated the magical power in his dantian, and then probed out with his spiritual sense to carefully investigate the movements outside.

Within the reach of my spiritual sense, three Qi Refining stage auras were clearly visible in a clearing in the forest, a dozen feet away from the cave.

Two of the auras were condensed and steady, indicating that the cultivators were not low-level, while the other was weak and chaotic, bearing obvious injuries.

Wu Fan quietly moved to the entrance of the cave. Using the rock wall as cover, he squinted and looked out. When he slowly saw the appearance of the person, his pupils shrank and his face showed surprise.

It was him?!

The man sandwiched between the two had a rugged and handsome face, with an air of arrogance between his brows. Only a vertical scar at the corner of his eye added a touch of ferocity.

At this moment, however, his face was extremely pale, bloodstains still hung at the corners of his mouth, his clothes were tattered, and he was bleeding from many wounds. His breathing was also somewhat weak.

The two men surrounding him were extremely thin, with a sinister face, holding a short blade, and their aura was refined, indicating that they were at the ninth level of Qi Refining.

The other person was short and stout, with a face full of fat and small eyes, but with a fierce look in them. He was also at the eighth level of Qi Refining.

The two men, one on each side, trapped the scarred man tightly.

The lean man took a small step forward, his tone cold yet tinged with a hint of mockery, and said:

"Stop resisting. Surrender obediently and come back with us to report. You might suffer less. Otherwise, don't blame us brothers for showing no mercy and disregarding our years of friendship."

"Pah!"

The scarred man spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva, his eyes fixed on the two men, his tone filled with overwhelming hatred:

"You two traitors! You've followed my second uncle for so many years, living the high life, and now you're betraying him, helping outsiders against me? Have you lost all your conscience?"

"Oh dear, you can't say that."

The lean man waved his hand, his mockery intensifying, the wrinkles around his eyes deepening, making him appear even more sinister.

"Have you forgotten? The one who's arresting you isn't some outsider, it's your second uncle. Our gang leader personally gave the order. How can acting on the gang leader's orders be considered betraying our own people?"

The scarred man shuddered, his face growing even paler, yet he still gritted his teeth and retorted:

"Hmph, I don't believe you can't see that my second uncle is acting strangely right now?"

"Heh, stop stalling for time."

The lean man chuckled, his gaze sweeping over the scarred man's frail body:

"I know you possess a top-grade magic artifact, the Heavenly Net Umbrella, a protective item specially left to you by the sect leader after he achieved Foundation Establishment. But don't forget, you're currently suffering from the 'Spirit-Eating Poison' left behind by that lord. The more you use your magic power, the faster the poison takes effect, and the weaker your body becomes. In your current state, can you still activate that top-grade magic artifact?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the lean man sneered, his tone very confident.

The short, stout man beside him also burst into laughter, patting his belly and mocking:

"That's right! If you know what's good for you, just surrender and stop struggling! You're already ours, a sitting duck, you can't escape even if you grow wings."

The scarred man clenched his fists, his face deathly pale.

He knew the lean man was telling the truth.

Along the way, if it weren't for the protection of the Heavenly Net Umbrella, which withstood their attacks time and time again, he would probably have been captured long ago and brought back to report to that person.

But now, the poison is getting worse and worse, and his magic power is almost exhausted. He can no longer activate the Heavenly Net Umbrella and can only let the two of them do as they please.

The thought of the person behind it all fueled a burning hatred in the scarred man's eyes.

He and his second uncle worked diligently for that man, risking their lives for him for so many years.

But in the end, they ended up like this.

My second uncle was controlled by that man and became a puppet, while he himself was poisoned and hunted down by his former brothers, becoming a homeless dog.

ridiculous!!!

That's absolutely ridiculous!!!

He had longed to reach the Foundation Establishment stage day and night, hoping to become a powerful figure like his second uncle.

But now they realize that the so-called opportunity to establish their foundation was never a blessing, but a trap set by that person for the two of them.

A road of no return, a dead end from which there is no escape.

The scarred man abruptly raised his head, his gaze fixed on the lean man, his voice hoarse yet carrying a warning:

"Don't be too smug! I know you've long noticed my second uncle's strange behavior and know that he's no good. You're greedy for the Foundation Establishment opportunity he promised and willingly let him control you, but I advise you not to follow in my and my second uncle's footsteps. Otherwise, you'll surely end up like us, doomed to eternal damnation."

Upon hearing this, the wiry man's mockery vanished instantly, his expression turned cold, and his aura became sharp. He involuntarily tightened his grip on the short blade.

How could he not know about the gang leader's unusual behavior?

How could they not know that the person behind the scenes was unfathomable, and that following him would most likely lead to a bad end?

But he had no choice.

That person was not only incredibly powerful, but he had also planted a soul-devouring worm inside him. With just one spell, he would suffer unbearable pain and his soul would be scattered.

Moreover, the opportunity to establish one's foundation that person promised was far too tempting.

He watched the gang leader break through from the eighth level of Qi Refining all the way to the Foundation Establishment stage, and watched the gang leader gain the power to turn the world upside down with a flick of his wrist. The envy in his heart was beyond words.

He was unwilling to be stuck in the Qi Refining stage for the rest of his life, unwilling to be subservient to others for the rest of his life. He also wanted to establish his foundation and become a respected ancestor. Even if this opportunity hid enormous dangers and the final price was extremely heavy, he was willing to pay it.

Thinking of this, the hesitation in the lean man's eyes completely disappeared, replaced by a ruthless and resolute look.

He snorted coldly, his tone icy:

"Enough with the nonsense! Since you refuse to surrender, don't blame us for being impolite. Fifth Brother, make your move. Cripple his cultivation, take him back to report, and we can give an account to that lord."

Before he finished speaking, the lean man moved, and the short blade at his waist was instantly drawn, carrying a chilling aura, and stabbed straight at the scarred man's dantian.

He wanted to cripple the scarred man's cultivation, rendering him completely powerless to resist.

The short, stout man beside him was not to be outdone. He formed hand seals, and a fist made of earth-yellow spiritual energy, carrying immense power, slammed into the scarred man's chest.

The scarred man's pupils contracted sharply, and despair filled his heart.

His magical power was already almost depleted, and he was also plagued by poison, so he was powerless to resist the two's combined attack.

He subconsciously raised his hand, wanting to activate the Heavenly Net Umbrella with all his might, but a piercing pain came from his dantian, the poison took effect instantly, and his whole body felt weak and sore.

In desperation, he could only forcefully control the flying sword in his hand to barely block the incoming short blades, while dodging the overwhelming earth-yellow magic.

Without the full support of magic power, the flying sword slowed down considerably, and its light dimmed. Each time it blocked, his arm ached from the impact, and a sweet taste rose in his throat.

This is ultimately a short-sighted solution, like drinking poison to quench thirst; it's not a long-term solution.

In just a few rounds, the scarred man was already at his limit. His flying sword was struck by the short blade and trembled repeatedly before finally crashing to the ground with a "clang," losing all its spiritual power.

He staggered back two steps, his chest grazed by earth magic, a spray of blood flying out. He staggered to his knees, completely powerless to resist.

A fierce glint flashed in the eyes of the man wielding the short blade, and with a step, the blade pierced straight for his dantian.

On the other side, the earthen-yellow magic had already solidified into a giant earthen palm, locking him firmly in place.

The scarred man slowly closed his eyes, his heart filled with resentment and regret.

He was unwilling to accept that all his life's pursuits had ended in such a way.

He regretted his youthful arrogance and stubborn refusal to heed his second uncle's advice, which prevented him from distancing himself from the gang.

Now, not only is he struggling to survive, but he has also wasted his second uncle's years of planning.