Aspiring to the Immortal Path

Shi Meng grabbed Tang Jie and looked him over while muttering, "It's really you… It's really you!"

Tang Jie chuckled. "What? Is someone pretending to be me?"

To his surprise, Shi Meng actually nodded. "Twenty years ago, that rascal Cai Junyang transformed into you and messed around with the young master for a while."

He had grown used to calling Wei Tianchong "young master" and had yet to correct this habit.

Tang Jie teased, "Then how do you know that I'm not Cai Junyang?"

Shi Meng smirked. "Hey, I've cultivated the secret arts of the Five Gods Faith, so while I can't notice every exact detail like you, I can still see through ordinary tricks. Cai Junyang's minor spells are no good against me, or else the young lady wouldn't have given Cold Plum Villa to me to manage. Right, have you gone to see her yet?"

"Not yet. You're the first, as you're the only one I could find the location of."

Shi Meng was elated. He grabbed Tang Jie and said, "Come on; I'll take you to see them."

Throwing aside the villa's affairs, he walked off with Tang Jie. No one knew more than him where Xu Miaoran and the rest of the Basking Moon Sect's 13 Eagles were.

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Mountain Cape.

This was a promontory that jutted out from Great Wind Island into the ocean, surrounded by waves, connected to land by a small path.

This was once a famous scenic spot of Great Wind Island. From here, one could observe the raging waves and experience the furious storms.

But ever since Bei Canghan had decided to practice his sword here, it became a vista that he alone enjoyed.

Every day, he would gaze into the ocean, swinging his Frostbite Sword against the endless waves. Motes of sword light radiating spiritual energy would form walls that would stand against the beating of the waves.

The higher the waves, the higher the walls.

No matter how high the waves crested, they could not break through Bei Canghan's sword light.

Today, Bei Canghan was practicing with his sword here as always.

The freezing winds whipped up by his sword prevented the waves from advancing, sending them higher and higher such that they formed towering walls around Bei Canghan. So long as the sword light persisted, the walls of water would remain standing. Finally, when the energy ran out, they came crashing down in a majestic sight.

Bei Canghan sheathed his sword and breathed out. Despite the howling winds and powerful waves, his body wasn't stained by even a drop of water, and his figure in the wind seemed indescribably dashing and suave.

Suddenly, a wave roared out. Alarmed, Bei Canghan waved his sword, but that wave split up into countless pieces and evaded the sword light as if it was alive. In his surprise, Bei Canghan thrust out his palm, sending out a powerful blast of energy that stopped the wave cold. But the immense pressure coming from the wave made it hard for Bei Canghan to push it back. Bei Canghan realized that he was in trouble and immediately thrust out his Frostbite Sword, and in a flash of frost, the waters were frozen solid.

Panting for breath, Bei Canghan shouted, "Who's messing around over there?"

"Truly, the falling snowflakes reflect a riot of colors. Senior Brother's Snowflake Sword has grown even more incredible."

A voice rang out from behind Bei Canghan.

He turned his head, only to see Shi Meng standing behind him.

"Shi Meng, how is it you?" Bei Canghan said in surprise.

When did Shi Meng get so skilled that he could force him into almost making a fool of himself?

This thought had barely passed his mind when the frozen wave suddenly thawed.

At the same time, Shi Meng stepped to the side, revealing the smiling figure of Tang Jie behind him.

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Iron Mountain Monastery.

The somewhat short Iron Mountain was not a work of nature, but the work of a top-class formation master hired from the Seven Absolutions Sect by Horizon Ocean Pavilion.

The mountain was composed of various kinds of metals and riddled with tunnels like an ant colony. The place was dense with formation lines in which vast amounts of precious material had been invested, all to create a giant spirit-gathering formation so that this place would be an ideal place for cultivation.

This was a place where Horizon Ocean Pavilion received honored guests, but disciples and outside cultivators could also pay a fee to use the place. One day of cultivation here cost up to one thousand spirit coins. This wasn't much for a day or two, but it would become an enormous expense over time.

Most disciples might scrounge up enough money for a few days per year here at best, but the All-Talent Society's members never had to worry about money.

After Sang Hongmei's death, Basking Moon's 13 Eagles had taken up residence in this place, with Lady Xu covering all their expenses. Whether they actually lived in it or not, every one of them had a high-class chamber here ready and waiting for them.

Liu Hongyan was currently meditating in her chamber.

Energy circulated through her body, and with each breath, more energy rushed in, nurturing her from her physical body to her soul.

After completing a single Major Circuit Heaven, Liu Hongyan let out a long breath.

The Iron Mountain Monastery truly lived up to its reputation. While it couldn't compare to the Water Moon Paradise, as a cultivation area open to outsiders, it was truly an excellent place. Cultivating here was twice as fast as normal.

Suddenly, Liu Hongyan heard footsteps outside her chamber.

They were neither too light nor too heavy, but Liu Hongyan was alarmed to hear them.

Iron Mountain Monastery was a place for secluded cultivation, and every chamber had a formation around it that would prevent outsiders from coming in without permission. But these footsteps were clearly coming from the courtyard, yet she had not heard anyone asking to come in.ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ NoᴠᴇFɪre.nᴇt

It was like a ghost had passed through the formation and was walking closer and closer to her chamber.

Liu Hongyan was instantly on her guard, and she immediately pulled out an emergency aid talisman and set it on fire. The talisman turned into a fiery streak and flew off to Wu Xianguang's chamber nearby. She also bit her tongue and spat some blood onto her left hand, which immediately began to form countless hand signs. Meanwhile, her right hand raised up the Law Emblem of Basking Moon.

The footsteps stopped right outside the entrance.

Liu Hongyan pointed a finger at the entrance, and a stream of energy rushed out, transforming into a giant black hook.

The Sky Centipede Hook!

The door opened.

The ethereal centipede hook lashed out at whatever was behind the door, but nothing happened.

Liu Hongyan was startled.

Tang Jie walked in with Shi Meng and Bei Canghan. "What a spicy girl, going straight for the kill without even looking to see who it was."

And then the three backed up in surprise. "Did you throw up blood?"

"Scoundrel, die!" A voice rang out behind them, followed by a boom, and then silence.

They turned their heads in shock and saw Wu Xianguang lying outside the courtyard, burned black by the formation.

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The Beast Park.

This was where Horizon Ocean Pavilion tended to its fiend beasts.

Although Horizon Ocean Pavilion wasn't as skilled in controlling beasts as the Beast Refining Gate, it still had its own ranch to raise beasts. Here, fiend beasts could hunt for food, cultivate, and even fight.

Because of the little fox, Luo Yue, Wei Tianchong liked to come here when he was free.

Today, Wei Tianchong was standing in front of the fiend-sparring ring. The little fox was in the ring, battling with a large black wolf.

This was a fierce beast, moving around the ring like a bolt of lightning, its giant paws sending debris flying whenever they struck the floor.

The fox had to use her Highsurge Step talent to repeatedly evade, her agile body flitting about the sky like a sea swallow.

"Hit him! Beat him! Take him down!" Wei Tianchong clenched his fists and shouted, causing Su Xinyue next to him to repeatedly roll her eyes.

Wei Tianchong had Luo Yue, and Su Xinyue had her black wolf, Ash.

The two were rather competitive, so when they had nothing else to do, they sparred, and such fights had become very routine.

The black wolf swung a paw, leaving sharp claw marks in the air, but the little fox nimbly dodged the attacks again and again. Suddenly, the wolf roared, unleashing a black blast of energy from its mouth at Luo Yue. The fox saw that she couldn't dodge, and her mouth unleashed a flash of cold moonlight. The two energies collided, but the black energy shattered, and the Void Blade flew toward the wolf. The black wolf moved quickly, but the blade still brushed over its belly, leaving a terrifying wound, and it collapsed onto the ring.

"Ash!" Su Xinyue cried out.

The little fox gleefully shouted, "I won!"

But the wolf suddenly leaped up and made a space-shattering swipe that struck the little fox and sent her flying. Luo Yue shrieked as she was blasted out of the ring, upon which the black wolf grunted, "You celebrated too early."

Wei Tianchong rushed over to the little fox and angrily shouted, "You trickster! You took that wound on purpose!"

After all those fights, Wei Tianchong had naturally developed an understanding of the wolf's abilities, so he knew that this black wolf had pretended to be weak so that he could make a sneak attack.

Su Xinyue said in disdain. "What do you know? It's just tactics."

Wei Tianchong angrily said, "You're willing to have both sides injured in order to win? Su Xinyue, do you think there's any meaning in such a victory?"

He picked up the little fox and walked away.

Su Xinyue was so stunned that it took ages for her to finally react. Stomping her feet in anger, she shouted in anger, "Who cares what you think!?"

In their spars, sometimes the little fox won and sometimes the black wolf won, but whichever side won, neither of them had ever thought about being humble, the winner always mocking the loser. The loser could only endure it until they could stage a comeback.

Recently, Luo Yue had beaten the black wolf several times, leaving Su Xinyue feeling very uncomfortable. To help Su Xinyue feel better, Ash had taken on a wound in order to get a win, not expecting Wei Tianchong to so harshly criticize this tactic.

Su Xinyue hugged the wolf, feeling aggrieved. "Ash, I've truly wronged you this time. You got yourself injured just so you could help me get one over that brat."

The black wolf didn't mind. "This wound is nothing. As for you, why do you even need to keep competing with him?"

Su Xinyue glared at Wei Tianchong before muttering, "I just don't want him to win."

"This again. You two are always arguing." A helpless voice rang out behind Su Xinyue.

"Shi Meng, weren't you managing Cold Plum Villa? Why did you suddenly come all the way here?" Su Xinyue answered as she turned her head. She saw Shi Meng, Bei Canghan, Wu Xianguang, and Liu Hongyan. And in the middle of them, a familiar face was grinning at her.

"Tang Jie!" Su Xinyue shouted.

Wei Tianchong, who hadn't gone very far, heard this, and his ears immediately perked up. He instinctively turned around and saw Tang Jie.

Their eyes met, and Tang Jie smiled. "Young Master, it's been a hundred years. Have you been doing well?"

Wei Tianchong started shaking, and then he did something Tang Jie could never have expected.

His hands formed a sign, and a massive fireball appeared. Wei Tianchong roared, "Cai Junyang, trying to trick me again, you bastard!? Die!"

A room-sized fireball was sent flying at Tang Jie's face!