A Mortal's Journey to Immortality: Starting as a Rogue Cultivator

"Clap clap clap..."

Another round of attack from both sides helped the opponent fully wake up.

who am I?

where am I?

What am I doing?

"Senior, please stop fighting, let's talk this out..."

It seems they've come to their senses.

"Senior, please feel free to make any requests. I'll do my best to fulfill them, even at the cost of my life!"

Damn it, was I dragged out of my seemingly impregnable lair by the person in front of me?

What are those brats good for?

No, it should be this person in front of me, how come they're so agile? They didn't make a sound at all, and yet they lured me here! And how come I was sleeping so soundly?

Wait, could this person be... an immortal?

"Very well, then Chief Jia, tell me the truth, have you ever heard of a fellow called the Golden Light Master?"

While asking questions directly, Wang Li also used hypnosis to exert additional influence.

"That powerful figure from Jinguang Temple?"

In a daze, Jia Laoda almost subconsciously blurted out what he knew.

Great power?

A powerful expert at the third level of Qi Refining?

Don't scare me like that!

Another round of slaps.

"Where is the Golden Light Temple? Have you ever seen Master Golden Light make a move? Do you know the exact strength of that fellow?"

To be on the safe side, Wang Li still felt that the answers given by the person being interrogated when they were of sound mind were more reliable.

He expressed some bewilderment at the powerful cultivator at the third level of Qi Refining.

“Senior, Jin Guang Temple is located in Yandang Mountain, a hundred miles north of Jingzhou Prefecture. I did indeed ask that immortal master for help before, offering three thousand taels of gold as a bargaining chip, to help us eliminate a great enemy.”

By the way, he can control flying swords and take a person's head from a hundred paces away; he's truly formidable.

After shaking his head, Chief Jia showed no resentment, only smiling incessantly, hoping to appease this troublesome figure and get him to let him off the hook.

"As for their specific strength, how could we mortals possibly match the abilities of immortals?"

He really is a good-for-nothing.

Doctor Mo was able to scheme against a disciple of a cultivation family and destroy his physical body in one fell swoop. Why can't you, Chief Jia, who has a group of fierce bandits who live on the edge of life, do the same?

"Boom."

He knocked her unconscious with a chop to the neck, then sent her back the way she came.

This guy is also an important character who drives the plot forward. Letting him live for now might allow him to shine in the future.

"Controlling flying swords? It should be that gray sword talisman treasure that was quite important in the early stages!"

In other words, the other party has everything they need.

"Good, good, good, Gray Sword Talisman, Vajra Talisman, and Ascension Token, tsk tsk tsk, you really are a little treasure trove."

The Ascension Token needs no further explanation; it originates from Yellow Maple Valley and allows one to enter this cultivation sect without taking an exam.

The Vajra Talisman is likely a talisman inscribed with a traditional low- to mid-level Vajra Technique shield, and its defensive effect is quite practical in the early stages.

Talismanic artifacts, on the other hand, are unique items that can only be created by cultivators at the Golden Core stage or above. The principle behind them is to seal part of the power of a magical artifact into specially made talisman paper, allowing other cultivators to temporarily unleash the power of the magical artifact. This special talisman possesses the dual characteristics of both a talisman and a magical artifact.

Those cultivators who are aware of its existence usually refer to it as a pseudo-magical artifact.

Although their power is far inferior to that of true magical artifacts, they are quite popular and sought after by low-level cultivators. Generally, the power of a magical artifact is determined by the amount of magical power infused into it by the user, as well as the characteristics of the artifact itself.

Furthermore, cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage and below can only unleash one-tenth to one-twelfth of the power of a talisman.

Only by reaching the Foundation Establishment stage can the full power of the talisman be unleashed.

Furthermore, although talismans are consumables, each use diminishes their lifespan. However, they are often more powerful than top-tier magical artifacts; and compared to activating top-tier magical artifacts in battle, using talismans consumes significantly less magical power.

Finally, talismans are often crafted by Core Formation cultivators before their death, sacrificing their own natal magic treasures to ensure the continuation of their family line and to provide their descendants with a greater foundation. This explains why it's not uncommon for an ancestor to pass away, leaving behind a magic treasure with greatly diminished spiritual power and a talisman.

Therefore, in the early stages, talismans are truly rare and hard to come by.

"Jin Guang, don't wander off, wait for me!"

He had his eye on all three items.

"By the way, if I remember correctly, when Master Jin Guang was at the eighth level of Qi Refining, Han Laomo forcibly took away his Gray Sword Talisman. Then Han Laomo lied that he was a disciple of a cultivation family and plotted against him, which is why he was easily killed."

With the Vajra Talisman and the Gray Sword Talisman, one for defense and one for offense, even someone at the third level of Qi Refining has the ability to threaten him, who is at the sixth level of Qi Refining.

Therefore, killing the opponent through underhanded means is the right thing to do.

When he first transmigrated to this world, he couldn't bring himself to do it, but he's been integrated into this world for over ten years now!

For this purpose, he even escorted caravans and killed robbers.

Wang Li felt no guilt whatsoever about killing someone to steal their treasure.

That's how the cultivation world works: survival of the fittest, and the strong are respected.

The reasons for keeping Han Laomo are twofold: first, to consider how to face Han Paopao, the Lord of the Samsara Palace, after ascending to the Immortal Realm; and second, if one wants to achieve the position of Dao Ancestor, one must find a way to bring down the Seven Dao Ancestors of the Heavenly Court, and Han Laomo is undoubtedly a rare and reliable combat force.

It should be understood that not everyone has the ability to ascend to the immortal realm, let alone someone at the peak of the Great Luo realm.

Of the many gifted and accomplished people in this world, how many can be like Han Laomo: unwavering in will, never acting without self-interest, keeping a low profile, being flexible and adaptable, not concerned with saving face, not trying to be a hero, meticulous in thought, resilient in mind, decisive and ruthless, knowing when to advance and retreat, loyal and righteous, and keeping their promises?

Wang Li even believed that even without the small bottle, Han Li would eventually have a chance to ascend to the Immortal Realm and reach the Great Luo realm.

Because that's Old Devil Han!

Of course, if the other party cannot ascend, then this person... is naturally not Old Demon Han!

"Hmm, how can we succeed before the opponent uses both of their treasure talismans?"

As he stroked his chin in thought, he spotted Jia Tianlong, the gang leader, lying on the ground with his bedding rolled up, and his eyes immediately lit up:

"Have it!"

Chapter 4 Golden Light Master

It's not that Jin Guang Shangren's side is beyond calculation; Jia Tianlong, the gang leader, is a major breakthrough point.

What do you mean by that?

Since this guy has already successfully invited the other party with three thousand taels of gold before, it's not impossible for him to invite them to do it again with three thousand taels of gold.

As long as a person has something to ask for, then there is a prerequisite for making a fuss about it.

On the contrary, those who are without desires or wants are the most difficult to deal with.

The Venerable Jin Guang, who values ​​gold and white objects, is clearly not the latter.

This Venerable Jin Guang is quite an interesting fellow.

Their ancestors established the Qin family in Qinye Ridge, and were related by marriage to the now-famous Ye family in that area. The Ascension Token is a token passed down through generations of the Qin family.

Because the family has declined with each generation, and there has never been a descendant with the right qualities to be worthy of this token, each generation of family head was unwilling to waste it. Therefore, they chose to pass it down as a last resort.

Over the years, the number of male members in the Qin family has gradually decreased, and the family has become increasingly declining.

On the contrary, the neighboring Ye family is becoming increasingly prosperous, to the point that outside cultivators only know that there is a Ye family in Qinye Ridge, but know nothing about the Qin family.

By the time of Master Jinguang's generation, he was the only male member of the family.

Goodness, one man supporting an entire cultivation family?

Okay, that's fine. If he really had that kind of strength, it wouldn't be impossible. But the problem is that this guy's aptitude is so bad that it makes the whole clan despair. He has no hope of reaching the Foundation Establishment stage... no, he has no hope of reaching the late Qi Refining stage.

This can be seen from the fact that when Han Laomo came online, Jin Guang, who was over forty years old, was only at the third level of Qi Refining.

Given the vast disparity in strength between the Qin and Ye families, and the fact that their marriage ties date back several generations or even more than a dozen, it was only natural for the Ye family to set their sights on their old neighbor.

This also shows that the first two generations of Qin family heads were definitely clueless.

The family is clearly declining, and may even have become a coveted prize in the eyes of others. At this point, instead of thinking about moving and finding a way out, they are stubbornly clinging to their ancestral property in Qinye Ridge.

Fortunately, although Venerable Jin Guang's spiritual root aptitude was not good, he still had some insight and was quite good at reading people's expressions.

Before the Ye family could make a move, they absconded with the Ascension Token and the small sword talisman.

To date, he has been on the run for four years, living a low-key life in the remote barbarian territory of Jin Guang Temple. Yes, I'm talking about Jingzhou, the wasteland with sparse spiritual energy where Han Laomo rose to power.

As for how low-key this person is?

He mingled in the mortal world, using his mediocre magical abilities to swindle food and drink. The only time he actually did something serious was two years ago when Jia Tianlong paid him a large sum to kill a Grandmaster-level expert, allowing Jia's gang of bandits to escape the siege of Jingzhou Prefecture.

Having tasted the sweetness of life, Master Jinguang loved this carefree existence even more.

The thought of using the Ascension Token to try his luck in Yellow Maple Valley gradually faded.

Even if he obtained the Foundation Establishment Pill, he, at only the third level of Qi Refining, would have no hope of achieving Foundation Establishment. Moreover, once he joined Yellow Maple Valley, he would be destined to be someone's servant, suffering hardship and being bossed around.

But to outsiders, he is a living god in the eyes of mortals, a powerful Qi Refining stage expert!

Well, which lifestyle do we really need to say?

"Chief Jia, it seems you don't need to wait until later to shine for me; you can do it now!"

A dozen days later, at the Wild Wolf Gang's headquarters, a dwarf about three feet tall and in his thirties arrived at the invitation of the gang to discuss how to divide up all the accumulated wealth of the Seven Mysteries Sect after its destruction.

This dwarf was skinny and looked every bit the nouveau riche.

He wore a red robe embroidered with gold thread, and countless thick gold necklaces and rings adorned his neck and fingers. Several gold bells hung from his waist, and his mouth gleamed with gold when he spoke. Clearly, his teeth were probably made of gold.

It was none other than the Venerable Jin Guang, who had traveled a great distance.

"Master Zhang, I've been waiting for you to come."

To avoid being hunted down by the Ye family, Master Jin Guang could no longer use the name he had used in the Qin family. Changing his name or even changing it was a basic procedure.