A Mortal's Journey to Immortality: Starting as a Sword-Forging Servant and Ascending to Immorta

Qin Zhaoyun stood calmly at the gate of the courtyard, carrying two dusty wine jars in his hands.

The chilling, deathly aura that had lingered around him for years had completely dissipated.

The way he stood there was like an old sword that had been washed clean of all its rust and blemishes.

Although it was still sheathed, its restrained yet extremely dangerous sharpness could no longer be suppressed.

Zhou Lingxuan stopped what she was doing and glanced at him.

Just a few days ago, this person was in this courtyard, looking like he was terminally ill and could die at any moment. Now, he's wearing a faded blue shirt, and his spirit has completely changed.

Old Qin was sitting on a small stool eating sunflower seeds when he heard the noise and turned around.

Upon seeing Qin Zhaoyun's condition, Old Qin dropped the melon seeds in his hand to the ground.

He quickly stood up, rubbed his hands haphazardly on his clothes, hunched his back slightly, and acted with extreme respect.

"Young Master." Old Qin's voice was somewhat strained.

Qin Zhaoyun nodded, glanced at the two of them, and handed the wine jar in her hand forward.

"Walk."

His tone was calm, yet it carried an air of undeniable authority.

Zhou Lingxuan and Elder Qin exchanged a glance.

Both of them noticed something was amiss. Normally, Qin Zhaoyun would hardly step out of her room except to collect materials, but today she had taken the initiative to bring wine to their door.

Zhou Lingxuan didn't say anything, dusted off his hands, and followed.

Old Qin didn't even bother to grab his small stool, quickly following behind Qin Zhaoyun, half a body length behind.

The three of them followed the dilapidated path of the abandoned hall toward the quiet courtyard where Qin Zhaoyun lived.

No one spoke the entire way.

The only sound was the rustling of feet stepping on the withered yellow leaves.

In the late autumn of the southern region, the wind already carried a distinct chill. It felt grim and desolate against the face.

Push open the courtyard gate.

The courtyard was very clean, with a stone table, stone benches, and a few freshly fallen yellow leaves swirling on the ground.

Qin Zhaoyun walked to the stone table and placed two wine jars on it.

A muffled thud.

Instead of taking the ordinary iron sword that Zhou Lingxuan had given him, he raised his right hand, put his index and middle fingers together, and gently traced a line on the seal of the wine jar.

laugh.

The seal opened immediately.

An extremely rich and even somewhat domineering aroma of wine instantly filled the entire courtyard.

Old Qin's nose twitched, and his expression suddenly changed.

He strode to the stone table, staring intently at the jar of wine, his withered fingers trembling slightly.

"Young Master, what are you doing..." Old Qin's voice trembled violently, and his eyes instantly reddened. "You've brought out your most treasured 'Drunken Dragon's Roar'?"

Zhou Lingxuan stood aside without saying a word.

Old Qin took a deep breath, as if trying to inhale all the aroma of the wine into his lungs.

"This old servant remembers it clearly. Back then, you won second place on the outer sect sword ranking, full of pride. You spent a lot of money to obtain these two jars of 'Drunken Dragon's Roar' from the Pill Hall."

Old Qin wiped his eyes, his voice choked with emotion.

"You said back then that this wine was too strong and that you should wait until you became number one on the Sword Ranking and your name resounded throughout the Heavenly Sword Pavilion before you opened the jar and drank it to your heart's content."

"Later... later that incident happened, your sword heart was shattered, your cultivation level plummeted, and that's why you came to this abandoned hall. These two jars of wine have been buried under the old locust tree in the courtyard ever since, never to see the light of day again."

Old Qin looked at Qin Zhaoyun, his lips trembling.

"Why did you dig it up today?"

Qin Zhaoyun did not respond.

Contrary to his usual dejected state, he turned around and took out three rough porcelain bowls from the house, lining them up on the stone table.

He picked up the wine jar and personally filled it for both of them.

The amber-colored liquor swayed slightly in the rough porcelain bowl, its viscosity so thick it looked like it was being drawn into threads.

Just smelling that aroma made Zhou Lingxuan feel that the Qi Refining Level 1 True Qi in his dantian, which had just stabilized, became more active.

Zhou Lingxuan picked up the wine bowl but didn't drink it.

Looking into Qin Zhaoyun's eyes, which had regained their sparkle, he understood perfectly.

This drink is a farewell dinner.

Qin Zhaoyun, a proud and arrogant sword cultivator, could not possibly remain stuck in the quagmire of the abandoned hall forever now that he had reshaped his sword heart.

Something big is about to happen.

"Drink up." Qin Zhaoyun picked up his bowl and raised it towards the two of them.

Zhou Lingxuan no longer stood on ceremony, picked up the rough porcelain bowl, and took a big gulp.

The liquor went down my throat without the expected spiciness; instead, it felt like a gentle fire, burning down my esophagus and into my lower abdomen.

Immediately afterwards, the ball of fire exploded, transforming into extremely pure spiritual energy that surged wildly into the limbs and bones.

Zhou Lingxuan felt as if every pore on his body had opened up. The slight soreness in his meridians left from forcibly breaking through to the first level of Qi Refining was instantly wiped away by this spiritual energy.

nice one.

The quality of this wine is definitely no worse than the top-grade pills refined by Xue Yi.

Old Qin also picked up his bowl, tilted his head back, and took a big gulp.

The strong liquor choked him, causing him to cough repeatedly, yet he couldn't help but laugh and cry at the same time.

"Excellent wine! Truly excellent wine! In this old servant's lifetime, to be able to drink 'Drunken Dragon's Roar' personally poured by the young master is truly worthwhile!"

Qin Zhaoyun held the bowl, tilted his head back, and drank it all in one gulp.

His Adam's apple bobbed, but not a drop of wine spilled.

He put down the bowl and exhaled a long puff of white mist carrying a strong smell of alcohol.

"My body has almost fully recovered during this time."

Qin Zhaoyun spoke calmly, as if he were talking about something extremely ordinary.

"After the sword heart was reshaped, my cultivation progressed faster than I expected. The meridians that were severed before have been reconnected under the nourishment of sword intent."

Old Qin was moved to tears upon hearing this. He wiped his face with his sleeve and nodded repeatedly.

"This old servant knew it! This old servant knew that young master was a genius, and that as long as he could overcome that hurdle, he would surely return to his peak!"

Qin Zhaoyun looked at the wine jar on the stone table, his voice steady and powerful.

"I've secured enough for self-preservation. Now I have the confidence to even consider fighting for something."

This composure and confidence are completely different from the dejected young man who sat under the eaves in a daze just a few days ago.

Zhou Lingxuan put down his wine bowl and felt the surging spiritual energy within his body.

"Congratulations," Zhou Lingxuan said.

"Congratulations to you too." Qin Zhaoyun glanced at Zhou Lingxuan meaningfully, "Brother Zhou, you've been looking much more energetic these past few days."

Zhou Lingxuan remained expressionless: "I ate two more bowls of rice, so I'm a bit stronger."

Qin Zhaoyun didn't dwell on the topic. He picked up the wine jar again and refilled the three empty bowls.

The amber-colored liquor was poured in and swirled around the rim of the bowl.

The autumn wind swept through the courtyard, swirling up a few fallen leaves that landed beside the stone table.

The aroma of wine mingled with the cool air, creating an atmosphere in the courtyard that was solemn, resolute, and tinged with a faint sense of parting sorrow.

Qin Zhaoyun put down the wine jar but didn't rush to pick up the bowl.

His gaze passed over the courtyard wall and landed on the vast expanse of land beyond the ruined hall.

That was the inner gate of the Heavenly Sword Pavilion, a place of overlapping palaces and sword peaks.

"This abandoned hall is quiet, but it's not a place to stay for long."

Qin Zhaoyun's voice became extremely solemn, his gaze fixed intently on the distance.

"Perhaps the time has come."

Old Master Qin was about to reach for the wine jar to refill his young master's cup.

Upon hearing this, Old Qin's hand froze in mid-air.

"Young Master, what do you mean by that?" Old Qin asked, somewhat puzzled. "What time has come?"

Qin Zhaoyun took a deep breath.

He turned his head, looked at Old Qin, and then at Zhou Lingxuan.

"You all saw the boy in the animal skin coat this morning, didn't you?"

Zhou Lingxuan nodded: "I see. His qi and blood are severely depleted, like someone fleeing a disaster."

A self-deprecating smile curved Qin Zhaoyun's lips.

"Escape? You could call it that."

He looked at the few drops of wine spilled on the table, and, word by word, uttered a shocking secret that instantly froze Old Qin, who was pouring the wine:

"The appearance of that boy suggests that the rumors in the Northern Region are true..."