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

His body tensed, his eyes snapped open, a fleeting glint of ferocity flashing in them, and the youthful spirit he exuded was captivating. Then, the next second:

"Ah, help! I'm afraid of heights..."

The so-called heroic spirit lasted for less than half a second.

Thousands of meters above the clouds, Wang Li carried the shivering boy and flew for more than ten miles in one breath, finally landing on the top of another mountain.

What is most awe-inspiring to ordinary people?

Take this guy flying in the sky for a while, especially let him personally experience the earth rapidly receding and his own complete lack of security, then he will know what awe is.

"Kid, stop pretending to be dead."

He kicked Zhang Tie in the butt, making the seemingly simple-minded boy cry out in pain.

"Huh, is this Chaoyang Peak?"

Chishui Peak and Chaoyang Peak are more than ten miles apart!

His eyes, as he turned to look at Wang Li, were filled with awe.

"B-Big brother, no, no, it's an immortal! You...you...are you a legendary...god?"

The boy stared in disbelief for a long time, then stammered as he spoke.

"I wouldn't call myself a god; I'm just a cultivator who pursues the path of immortality, yearns for longevity, and dreams of great freedom and liberation."

"Immortal cultivator?"

"Yes, a cultivator. Kid, how about it? Do you want to soar through the universe and roam freely across this mortal realm like me?"

It has a seductive quality to it all.

"Soaring through the universe, traversing the earth? No, no, no, that's impossible, I definitely can't do that, immortal, please don't belittle me..."

Zhang Tie scratched the back of his head, then lowered his head in disappointment, deeply doubting himself.

Why not?

Huh? Why?

"Can...can I really do it?"

He slowly raised his head, a glimmer of hope for recognition flickering in his eyes. At that moment, Zhang Tie seemed to have grasped something, yet also seemed to have grasped nothing at all.

Wang Li did not answer directly, but instead asked two questions in return, which were quite amusing:

"Before, did you think you were useless? You and another friend practiced the Nameless Mantra for over half a year, and you worked very hard, but you achieved nothing; while the other young man who started at the same time achieved results. Now, the mentor has chosen that young man as his disciple, while you don't even qualify for his attention. Therefore, you concluded that you were a useless person far inferior to others?"

"A guide? Immortal, you mean Master Mo, right? Master Mo is a good person, just a bit too strict."

His face was beaming with sunshine.

"Master Mo? He seems like a nice person."

Wang Li's lips twitched.

"Eh? Immortal, you think so too?"

Zhang Tie's eyes sparkled.

Qu Hun, are you serious? Don't you understand that this is a question?

A sarcastic remark about Mo Juren... no, it was a "praise" of Mo Juren that made the kid so happy: What an innocent child!

Dr. Mo, how could you do this?

"Master Mo is really good. He gave us silver, taught us martial arts, and didn't let us be bullied; it's just that I'm too poor in talent and too stupid."

At this point, my emotions began to fluctuate and then plummet again.

"Hey, yeah, I'm really slow. I can't learn anything. I'm no good at martial arts. I've been practicing the nameless incantation my master gave me for half a year without any progress. Even with the Elephant Armor Technique for tempering the body, my progress still doesn't satisfy Master Mo. Han Li, on the other hand, is very clever. He not only learned the mysterious techniques taught by Master Mo, but he can also read those pharmacological books, and he can even help with planting herbs and managing the herb garden..."

As he spoke, his voice grew softer and softer, and that lack of confidence once again quietly permeated every aspect of his behavior.

Even from a distance, Wang Li could smell the decadent atmosphere permeating the air.

What Wang Li didn't expect was Zhang Tie's next words as he knelt on the ground:

"Immortal, I know I'm no good at anything. I'm stupid and lack talent. I'm not as smart as Han Li, nor do I have his talent. Look, why don't we let Han Li give it a try? He'll definitely be able to do it!"

Qu Hun, your love will never change.

It has not changed over hundreds or thousands of years, or even a whole cycle.

Han Laomo has wronged you!

Wang Li was moved by this and put away her contempt for such an honest person.

“Young man, don’t underestimate yourself. Remember, you are exceptionally talented. Your mentor doesn’t appreciate you simply because he doesn’t understand your worth; he’s blind. As for the others who look down on you, they are completely ignorant and blind. Since they can’t be good mentors and aren’t even willing to offer you the slightest encouragement or support, then let me guide you on your path.”

With a powerful magical hand, Zhang Tie was lifted up and then flown back to Chishui Peak along the same route.

"Your innate talent is excellent. You possess the spiritual roots that only cultivators like myself have, and you even have the three spiritual roots of metal, fire, and earth. In the future, you will be able to move mountains and overturn seas, chase stars and chase the moon, and your future is limitless. If you remain confined to this mortal countryside and miss the best time for cultivation, you will only waste this extraordinary talent and will be punished by heaven or even bring disaster to your family."

This is absolutely not an exaggeration.

How is the Soul of Music forged?

Isn't it just a product of divine retribution?

They had only just landed...

"Disciple pays respects to the Immortal Master, and begs the Immortal Master to accept Zhang Tie as his disciple!"

"Oh."

Who said this guy is stupid? Wang Li hasn't even said he's going to take on a disciple yet, and this guy has already kowtowed several times.

"There's no need for that. I won't be taking on any disciples for the time being, since I haven't even graduated myself yet, and it would be against the rules. However, since you've kowtowed to me, and your heart for the Dao seems quite firm, and your aptitude is also quite good, I'll take you on as a disciple on behalf of a senior brother who is about to form his core."

The reason he only became a senior apprentice instead of a master was largely to secure his future. He and Zhang Tie weren't close enough for him to accept Zhang Tie as a disciple. This kid was just a pawn he had placed aside, a discardable piece that could be easily sacrificed. Whether he could fulfill the long and arduous tasks ahead was still uncertain.

A little training is only a temporary measure.

Furthermore, if one takes on apprentices but fails to teach them, one is unworthy of being a teacher.

If Old Man Wu knew, he would surely be overjoyed.

His students are all over the world.

Don't even mention it, if all the Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment stage cultivators in Tiannan became Wu Laotou's disciples and grand-disciples, who could possibly rebel against their lineage?

"This is the Flame Manipulation Technique, your master's signature skill. It includes six major techniques: Fireball Technique, Concealment Technique, Insight Technique, Object Manipulation Technique, Lightness Technique, and Breath Concealment Technique. This is the Earth Manipulation Technique, one of your master's treasures. It includes seven techniques: Earth Spike Technique, Quicksand Technique, Hardening Technique, and Mighty Strength Technique. This third book is a basic cultivation method for the Metal element..."

"You can practice each one first and see which one you can cultivate the fastest and feel the most." Don't feel pressured, believe in yourself as a gifted genius, and there will be plenty of pills. You'll definitely make some discoveries in a month or two.

With three spiritual roots, the more a cultivation method leans towards the one with the fuller spiritual root, the faster the cultivation speed will be.

The three basic techniques are practiced simultaneously. Whoever progresses the fastest will determine which system is more suitable for them.

This is a clumsy approach.

Disciples of various cultivation families generally go through this process in their early stages.

"Thank you, Immortal Master."

"Don't call me Immortal Master, you should call me Uncle Wu, it sounds much more friendly. By the way, you must never tell anyone else about me teaching you the cultivation technique, not even your former mentor or friends. This is a rule of the sect; if you break it, all the cultivation you have painstakingly gained will be destroyed, and you will be reduced to a mere mortal, with no chance of ever attaining immortality again."

Therefore, after you've developed a sense of Qi, you'll need to spend more time mastering the art of concealing your breath, so that the people around you don't notice anything amiss..."

Old-fashioned cunning, oh no, I mean a cautious and meticulous mindset, which needs to be cultivated from a young age.

Other miscellaneous points to note are only mentioned briefly in thirty or fifty sentences, because there's not much to say about them.

"Uncle-Master, Han Li's talent is probably better than mine. Aren't you going to take him on as a disciple?"

"He has his own opportunities and chances, why are you worrying about it?"

"Oh……"

She lowered her head, looking a little aggrieved.

"Hmph, mind your own business first. Come back to me with this nonsense when you've reached the twelfth level of Qi Refining in the last two years. Keep your mind focused and don't let external things affect your cultivation progress."

Coincidentally, the old cave dwelling that Wang Li opened up here years ago has not been discovered to this day, so it will be a good place to make do for a while.

So, for the next six months, he used several pills such as Qi-Harmony Pill, True Essence Pill, and Essence-Refining Pill to improve his cultivation; at the same time, he used the green liquid in the small bottle to help Zhang Tie generate and refine three more common pills: Yellow Dragon Pill, Golden Marrow Pill, and Nine-Flower Jade Dew Pill, enough for him to use for the next five years.

In order to help him successfully join the Giant Sword Sect, use this kid to trick the barefoot giant, and help him get the "Silver Page," this small investment is still worthwhile.

The kindness of imparting knowledge, the camaraderie of fellow disciples, and the merit of protection are only truly effective for lonely eleven or twelve-year-olds, instilling gratitude in them. But for fifteen or sixteen-year-olds, it would be seen as malicious intent.

For more than half a year, Zhang Tieming outwardly appeared to be diligently practicing the Elephant Armor Technique given to him by Doctor Mo, but in reality, he was actually working hard to master the Flame Manipulation Technique given to him by Wang Li.

That's right, it's that old man Wu's Flame Manipulation Technique again.

Zhang Tie's aptitude for fire is clearly better than his aptitude for metal and earth.

In terms of cultivation: with the help of a large number of pills, he successfully entered the fifth level of Qi Refining. Of course, compared to the more than two years it took this kid to establish his foundation when he transformed into the Soul of Music in the original work, this achievement is naturally not worth mentioning.

Now let's talk about Wang Li.

After shedding all mental burdens and devoting himself wholeheartedly to cultivation, he steadily advanced to the peak of the early Foundation Establishment stage over the past six months. At the current pace, reaching the mid-Foundation Establishment stage is just a matter of the last two months.

The location of the cave dwelling.

"Uncle-Master, is this Foundation Establishment Pill very precious? Why are you dividing one pill into twenty or thirty portions for me to take?"

"What, did you think your uncle would drug you or trick you?"

Wang Li raised an eyebrow.

He feigned anger on the surface.

"No, no... absolutely not."

The boy waved his hand hastily.

Chapter 58 Finding Bait

"Hey, after you eat one, you'll know how good I am."

Wang Li smiled sincerely.

Sure enough, it didn't take long.