A Mortal's Journey to Immortality

"go!"

Xia Qianchuan raised his hand and threw out a magical artifact. Bond, who was fleeing, had no power to resist and was immediately tied up. He lost his balance and fell heavily to the ground.

"The Immortal-Binding Rope!?"

Bond stared in utter horror at the golden ropes binding him, his face ashen.

The Immortal Binding Rope, as its name suggests, is a magical artifact specifically designed to imprison cultivators. It can instantly bind an enemy's body or magical power, making it an extremely powerful technique.

Seeing the surprised looks from Yuan Zhengze and the others, Xia Qianchuan smiled and shook his head, explaining,

"This is not the Immortal Binding Rope; it's just a replica that my Guiyuan Pavilion received."

"The real Immortal Binding Rope is not yet available to me, Xia. Even the senior uncles in the Core Formation stage in the pavilion may not be able to possess it."

Hearing Xia Qianchuan's explanation, the group finally composed themselves. After all, none of them had ever seen a real Immortal Binding Rope, and they had only lost their composure when Bond called it out.

"Even if it's not a real Immortal Binding Rope, its power is still quite astonishing. Senior Brother Xia really has a lot of treasures!"

Gong Yunting said with envy, "The sheer speed at which this technique binds people is already incredibly difficult to defend against."

Even if the opponent manages to break free, it will take considerable effort, which could very well determine life or death in a battle between cultivators.

Caught off guard, Bond was bound and thrown face-first to the ground, spitting out the dirt in his mouth in a fit of rage, cursing...

"Pah... Bah! You hypocrite! I thought you were a respectable gentleman, but I never expected you to be so vicious, actually wanting me to be a mine slave!?"

"I'd rather die than let you have your way! Go to hell, you Guiyuan Pavilion mine slave!"

Bond was tightly bound by the imitation magic artifact, the Immortal Binding Rope. He cursed at Xia Qianchuan while writhing his thin body on the ground like a maggot.

It's no wonder Bond reacted so strongly; these rogue cultivators were especially aware of the fate of mine slaves in the cultivation world.

It can be said that the vast majority of cultivators among the mine slaves are independent cultivators without any background or backing. Once they are pulled into the mine, what awaits them is a desperate situation even more cruel than death and the annihilation of their cultivation.

Cultivators among the miners are driven like donkeys. Once their magical power is exhausted during the mining process, they are given spirit stones to restore it, and then they can continue to work on the next round of mining.

Again and again, endlessly, until all value is completely squeezed out.

The numerous rules and regulations established in the cultivation world, besides overtly regulating the behavior of cultivators, also provide a legitimate pretext for various forces to acquire mining slaves.

Therefore, if a cultivator violates the principles of cultivation, without the support of powerful forces, there is a high probability that they will be punished by numerous powerful organizations and become miserable mine slaves.

No matter how much Bond cursed, Xia Qianchuan and the others didn't even glance at him. The latter simply threw out a talisman, sealing his mouth shut.

When Zhou Ping saw Bond's plight, he secretly felt a surge of anger and showed no sympathy for him whatsoever.

If he hadn't been lucky today, he probably would have already fallen victim to this person's cruelty. If this person hadn't already been punished by that Foundation Establishment cultivator to become a mine slave, he would have wanted to go up and give him a few needles to vent his anger.

Seeing that the group was no longer paying attention to Bond but instead turning their gaze towards him, Zhou Ping hurriedly stepped forward respectfully, bowed, and thanked them again.

"Zhou Ping is grateful for the great kindness of these seniors. Please feel free to give any orders."

Xia Qianchuan saw that he had an ordinary appearance and mediocre cultivation level, with nothing particularly remarkable about him, except that he was quite clever. So he said indifferently,

"Don't rush to thank me. It's not appropriate for us to interfere in your affairs; it's a family matter for Junior Brother Yuan."

Yuan Zhengze had been scrutinizing the young man in front of him, and his conclusion was similar to that of Xia Qianchuan.

It can be summed up in four words: utterly ordinary.

"I am the guide from the Qinglian Xuanzong, stationed at the Guiyuan Pavilion. I have a few questions for you to answer truthfully. If you dare to lie, you will bear the consequences."

Seeing that the other person's expression had become serious, Zhou Ping quickly lowered his head and said,

"Please speak, senior. I will tell you the truth without the slightest deception."

"Tell me truthfully where you learned your Azure Lotus Transformation Technique and Luo Sheng Lotus Shield!"

Yuan Zhengze directly voiced the doubts of everyone present. After all, the Qinglian Xuanzong was one of the five major Xuanzong, and its status in the cultivation world of Liang Kingdom was at its zenith.

Although there are many disciples in the sect, most of them are people whose backgrounds can be traced back to. People like Zhou Ping are undoubtedly a very small minority.

At this moment, in the remote Tianyan Town, the sudden appearance of a strange cultivator possessing the Azure Lotus Secret Technique undoubtedly puzzled Yuan Zhengze, who was stationed here.

Yunnan Province is tens of thousands of miles away from Tianyan Province. Apart from Foundation Establishment cultivators who possess flying artifacts, Qi Refining disciples rarely travel such a long distance from their sect due to their limited mobility.

After a moment's thought, Yuan Zhengze realized that this person was definitely not from the Qinglian Xuanzong sect, but rather a reclusive cultivator with other hidden motives.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Zhou Ping felt somewhat nervous, but the thought of being rescued by these people put his mind at ease.

So he told her all about his experiences and his origins in the Jin clan.

When he answered, he only mentioned what he could talk about, and naturally did not mention the conflict between himself and Jin Jingtian at all.

The two cultivators who knew about this matter have now been executed, and no one knows the cause of Jin Jingtian's death anymore.

Just to be on the safe side, he didn't want this Foundation Establishment cultivator to have a bad impression of him.

After about three incense sticks' worth of time, under Gong Yiyi's curious gaze, Zhou Ping finally recounted the whole story, including the existence of the Jin Clan.

Then he stood quietly in place, waiting for the other party's decision.

"The Five Mysterious Tokens!? Jin Wanxuan of the Jin Clan? A son-in-law?"

This series of messages caused Yuan Zhengze, who was standing to the side, to become slightly moved, his usually indifferent expression softening.

Even Gong Yunting and Gong Yiyi, who were standing to the side, looked surprised.

The two of them came from the Tai Su Xuan Sect, one of the five great Xuan Sects, so they naturally understood what the Five Xuan Tokens represented.

Among the five great sects, very few disciples are able to obtain the Five Profound Tokens, and all of them have made outstanding contributions to their sects.

If Zhou Ping truly possesses the Five Profound Tokens, then Yuan Zhengze can take him back to the Azure Lotus Profound Sect and make him a formal disciple.

This is an incredible opportunity; for a rogue cultivator, it's practically a meteoric rise to power, if not a meteoric one.

Why do independent cultivators struggle so much in the cultivation world? The biggest reason is that they lack a powerful sect to rely on.

Therefore, they are fundamentally unqualified to compete for various opportunities to cultivate immortality.

The appearance of the Five Mysterious Tokens will bring about a world-changing transformation.

Its rarity even surpasses that of the Foundation Establishment Pill, a sacred medicine coveted by Qi Refining cultivators.