A Mortal's Journey to Immortality

"Alright, alright, Zhou Ping, right? From now on, you can just call me Uncle Yun."

Uncle Yun flicked his sleeves and turned to walk into the house.

"Yes, Uncle Yun."

Zhou Ping raised his hand in a salute, paused slightly, and then followed.

"As you just saw, the one who left just delivered the letter from the sect leader. He needs to purchase a few more items than originally planned, so the original deadline for the mission will have to be postponed."

"Junior Nephew Qin has already come here. He was originally scheduled to come here in two days to officially accept the mission. Since the plan has changed, you should also come here in two days. At that time, I will explain the revised mission details to you both."

After returning to his room, Uncle Yun casually tossed the letter onto the table, then pursed his lips, turned to look at Zhou Ping standing in the quiet hall, and explained.

"I will follow your instructions, Uncle-Master. I will go back and prepare now."

Zhou Ping presented the token recording the mission details with both hands. After the other party confirmed it, he took back the token, bowed, and prepared to leave the room.

However, just as he was about to retreat to the doorway, Uncle Yun's words rang in his ears again.

"Your ordeal has damaged your foundation. Unless a miracle occurs, you will have no chance of establishing a foundation in this lifetime. Are you aware of this?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Ping's body trembled violently, and his face turned deathly pale.

"Uncle-Master Yun, I have consulted some ancient texts, and some of the longevity-promoting elixirs mentioned in the books have miraculous effects in strengthening the body's foundation and replenishing vital energy. Can't they also replenish the essence I have lost?"

"No wonder he remained so calm; he was pinning his hopes on those elixirs."

Upon hearing this, Uncle Yun glanced at Zhou Ping a few more times, but his next words sent the latter's heart plummeting.

"Your essence was not lost in an ordinary way, but was deliberately taken away. Based on what you said before, the other party probably wanted to take your life directly. Such a severe loss of essence has already damaged your foundation. Although those pills that strengthen the foundation can prolong your life, it is absolutely impossible to repair your foundation with them."

"After this mission is over, you should decide whether to stay in the sect to continue your cultivation or return to your family to raise some offspring. You'd better make a decision soon."

After finishing speaking, Uncle Yun sighed softly, feeling a mix of emotions. It seemed that a few years ago, there was a disciple who had suffered the same misfortune, but he was just as powerless as he was today.

"Senior Uncle! You are a Foundation Establishment senior, please show Zhou Ping the right path. This disciple does not want to give up cultivation like this!"

Zhou Ping suddenly bowed deeply, prostrating himself in prayer, and pleaded in a trembling voice.

"Ha! Foundation Establishment cultivators? Do you know that in some people's eyes, we Foundation Establishment cultivators aren't much higher in status than you, and there are many things we're powerless to change..."

Hearing the other person's somewhat self-deprecating words, Zhou Ping's eyes suddenly dimmed. He hadn't expected to be so badly injured. He thought that since he had survived, as long as the mysterious sandalwood existed, the lost essence could be made up for.

But only today did he realize that even if he could cultivate those spiritual herbs that strengthen the foundation and nourish the vital energy, his path to cultivation would only be able to stop at the Qi Refining stage. This result was unacceptable to him.

Possessing such a heaven-defying treasure as the mysterious agarwood, yet unable to establish a foundation for his Dao, it was as if the heavens had played a cruel joke on him. At this moment, the hatred he felt for the Three Flowers Gang grew wildly, like a spiritual plant ripened by the agarwood. A trace of malevolence gradually condensed in his heart, making him appear colder and more sinister.

Looking at Zhou Ping, who was ashen-faced and emotionally unstable, Uncle Yun's eyes gradually merged with the image of that disciple from a few years ago, causing ripples to spread across his calm Dao heart.

"Ugh!"

A soft sigh, like a ray of dawn, pulled Zhou Ping's gloomy heart back from the darkness. He looked up at Uncle Yun, looking hesitant, afraid that what the other party was about to say would once again plunge him into despair.

"Get up first."

Uncle Yun gave Zhou Ping a deep look, slowly sat back down on the wooden chair, pondered for a moment, and then spoke leisurely.

"I shouldn't have brought this up, because he's already in dire straits, and whether he can get through this ordeal is entirely up to fate."

"Even if he manages to fight his way out, your cultivation level is too low to replicate it. Since you have both encountered the same calamity, I will take the liberty of doing this once and see if he can bring you a glimmer of hope."

"After this mission is over, you can return to your sect and visit someone. Once you get there, you will understand everything."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Ping's eyes lit up with hope, and he hurriedly asked, his breathing quickening.

"Please enlighten me, Martial Uncle! May I ask which elder in the sect you are referring to?"

"Not your senior uncles or master uncles... it's the person who gave you the disciple token..."

......

Inside another pavilion of the Azure Lotus Profound Sect within the Spirit Mountain Realm, a white-robed man stared at a handsome young man with a gloomy expression. Judging from his appearance, he was Qin Changqing, who had recently traveled to Jiyun City with Zhou Ping.

"Uncle-Master Qin, what are your instructions for summoning me here at this time?"

Qin Changqing stood quietly in the hall, his face like jade and his clothes like brocade, spotless, as elegant and otherworldly as ever, and asked in a clear and cold voice.

"Why save that disciple surnamed Zhou?"

Uncle Qin's voice turned deep as he got straight to the point.

"What do you mean by that, Uncle-Master? Shouldn't you lend a helping hand when you see a fellow disciple in danger?"

Qin Changqing remained calm and said it as a matter of course.

"As a direct descendant of the Qin family, you knew it was the work of Changsheng's servants, so why did you insist on intervening? Aren't you afraid that if your sect finds out, it will put your family in an even more passive position? If the sect investigates this matter, even Changsheng, who is far away in the Crimson Refining Profound Sect, will be implicated because of your actions!"

Seeing that the other party was pretending to be ignorant, Uncle Qin angrily questioned him.

"Uncle, please forgive me. I truly do not know what you are talking about, nor do I wish to know. Rescuing fellow disciples is the duty of every Qinglian disciple. Please be mindful of your words and actions, Uncle. I will not disturb your meditation any longer."

Qin Changqing's expression gradually turned cold when he heard the other party use his family as leverage. He then shook his head dismissively, bowed slightly, and turned to walk outside.

"You! You have absolutely no respect for your elders! Don't think that just because you have the protection of the Ancestor, you can disregard the interests of the family! After I return to the sect, I will definitely go to Tianxing Peak and report this matter to Ancestor Tianxing!"

After leaving the courtyard, Qin Shishu's furious voice came from behind. Qin Changqing paused slightly upon hearing it, then left on his own. However, the expression on his face became even colder because of Qin Shishu's words.