Chapter 1: Stepping into the Immortal Path

  In the cold winter, the wind was biting like a knife. The snow-covered city had already been dressed in silver and white. The plains, high mountains, city walls, and houses were all covered with thick layers of white snow, creating a beautiful snowy landscape.

  However, the city wall under the snow was full of holes and cracks, with some places where the snow had not covered revealing broken walls and residual buildings. There were only a few strands of lonely smoke in the city, without seeing half a person's shadow. The war had just swept through Fengxue Prefecture not long ago.

  Outside the city to the west, a lone peak stood several miles away, a solitary figure stood still at the summit, facing the direction of the Wind and Snow County, as motionless as an ice sculpture.

  This was a young man, only fifteen or sixteen years old, wearing a set of cyan long robes. Although there were several broken holes on the robe, it did not lose its elegance and was actually made of snow silkworm silk, which was a dress that only the Snow Wind County's county lord's mansion could wear. From this, it can be seen that the young man's status in Snow Wind County was noble.

  Apart from this long gown on his body, he only wore a thin shirt inside, it's hard to imagine that in such a cold environment, a young man actually only wore so little.

  At this time, small snowflakes were still falling from the sky, and the nearby snowflakes floated close to the young man but instantly melted into water droplets and fell down, as if the young man's body was emitting a strong heat.

  The young man named Wang Ke was the Young Master of Fengxue County, with a noble status. Not long ago, he was still enjoying his glory in the prosperous Fengxue County, but now he had fallen to such a state. This was because Fengxue County had been attacked by Tiejī County not long ago, and Tiejī County's strength was not something that Fengxue County could withstand. Almost without any effort, Fengxue County was flattened.

  Wang Ke's parents died early, and his grandfather, the county master, was his only relative in this world. However, not long ago, his grandfather was seriously injured while covering Wang Ke's escape and eventually died of his injuries.

  "Xiao Ke, don't avenge me, you should live well and eat the Tongling Dan to cultivate immortality. Grandfather doesn't have a spiritual root, so it's impossible for him to achieve immortality in this life. But you're different, after eating the Tongling Dan, you can embark on the path of immortality and have hope for achieving long life. Grandfather is gone, from now on you must take care of yourself, remember no matter how difficult the road is, don't give up, you must strive for the Dao, achieve immortality... immortality... immortality..." Lin Qi still remembered the intense regret in his grandfather's eyes before he died.

  It wasn't long before the young man on the mountain peak stirred, his eyes regaining their luster. He smoothed out his disheveled hair and muttered to himself, "Grandfather, rest assured, no matter how difficult the road ahead may be, I will attain the Dao of Immortality, seek eternal life, and cherish this hard-won opportunity." The young man's tone was as resolute as a boulder, leaving no room for doubt.

  The Tong Ling Dan that Wang could eat was an enlightened elixir, possessing a spiritual root. Ordinary people who took the Tong Ling Dan would be enlightened and communicate with the heavens and earth, thus embarking on the path of immortality. It was precisely because of this Tong Ling Dan that Feng Xue County would suffer this great calamity.

  Turning around, Wang Ke's body suddenly expanded like a soaring eagle, swooping down and leaving a faint mark on the snowy ground as he rushed towards the direction far away from Fengxue County.

  Wang Ke had been practicing martial arts since he was a child, and now that he had opened his Bright Light, he was much stronger than an ordinary warrior. His movements were faster than before, at least ten times as fast. At this moment, all he wanted to do was quickly leave this sorrowful place behind, but in his mind, there was no specific goal, just a vast emptiness.

  I don't know how long I've been running, nor do I know where I've run to. Everywhere is desolate, and all I can see are white snowflakes. In front of me is a precipice, it seems like there's no road ahead.

  Wang Ke stopped and stared at the precipice in front of him, his eyes dazed. At this moment, he didn't know what to do next. After all, he had grown up in Fengxue County and although he had read some travel notes and miscellaneous writings, he had never been out into the world before.

  However, just as he was feeling bewildered in his heart, he suddenly felt a slight ripple coming from the front left, turned his head and saw that several black dots were rushing towards him from afar. After taking the Tongling Dan, Wang Ke's strength was no longer ordinary, and he could see clearly what was happening several kilometers away. However, those few black shadows soon arrived nearby.

  "Whooshing" sounds filled the air, entering Wang Ke's ears. "Huh? There's actually someone in this place?" A sudden soft exclamation entered Wang Ke's ears.

  Wang Ke looked up and saw four figures landing about ten zhang in front of him. There were three men and one woman, all of whom appeared to be quite old. They wore different clothes and clearly didn't come from the same place. Wang Ke examined them carefully.

  The one who just spoke was a woman in her thirties, with long hair tied up with a blue pin, although it's icy and snowy here, she wore very little, revealing the flat skin of her abdomen, two slender beautiful legs also exposed in the air, barefoot and floating lightly on the snow, paired with a delicate face, the whole person was like an elf in the wind and snow.

  Standing to his left was a yellow-faced Taoist priest in his late thirties, with high nose bridge, high cheekbones, and deep eye sockets, looking somewhat gaunt. He wore a clean Taoist robe, with an iron sword slung over his back, only half of the hilt visible, and held a silver silk duster in his right hand.

  To the right of the woman stood a bare-chested, dark-faced man with a coarse face and a full beard. He had a strip of unknown animal hide wrapped around his waist and held in his right hand a wolf-toothed club covered in reverse spikes. At this moment, he was staring at Wang Ke with eyes as big as bronze bells.

  On the right side of this man stood a white-faced scholar wearing Confucian attire, who looked no more than thirty years old. His long hair was tied back, and his face wore a smile. He held a folding fan in his right hand, which he gently shook as he sized up Wang Ke.

  "Hey, young man, are you just starting out? Are you also going to Qianfeng Ridge to grab treasure?" The beautiful woman looked up and down at Wang Ke before asking, her voice as melodious as pearls falling onto a plate, extremely pleasant to listen to. Her beautiful eyes landed on Wang Ke's body.

  "How did you know I just opened my eyes? By the way, what is Qianfeng Ridge?" Wang Ke saw that the woman who spoke was only about thirty years old, with a pleasant voice and a kind face. He called out to her affectionately as "sister", but his heart was on guard. The books said that the outside world was full of flattery and deceit, full of plots and schemes. As a newcomer to the world, Wang Ke also had to be careful.

  Moreover, the four people in front of them were obviously cultivators, and their strength was all above his own. Wang Ke was not only not stupid but very clever, and he immediately saw something. This woman was clearly the leader among the four.

  "What's difficult about that? You still have a hint of spiritual energy on your head, it's clear that you've just opened your spiritual aperture. It seems like you're alone." When Wang Ke called her "sister", the woman seemed to recall a long-forgotten memory from deep within her heart. She looked at Wang Ke and smiled, her voice becoming even softer.

  "Hmm, I no longer have any relatives in this world. Now I don't know where to go. Although I've luckily entered the immortal path, I'm completely ignorant and penniless. I really don't know what to do." Thinking of his loneliness, with not a single relative left, Wang Ke's expression turned gloomy, he lowered his head, feeling extremely distressed in his heart, and tears welled up in his eyes.

  What Wang Ke said was indeed true, without any falsehood, and the sadness he showed came from his heart, which was very infectious.

  The woman looked at Wang Ke with a sorrowful face and showed a sympathetic expression. After hesitating for a moment, she made up her mind and said bluntly, "Little brother, you are now without relatives or friends, so pitiful. Why don't we do this? Since you have nowhere to go, just follow us to Qianfeng Ridge. Who knows, maybe you'll encounter some good fortune."

  As soon as the woman's words fell, a delighted expression immediately appeared on Wang Ke's face. He himself knew nothing about cultivation and was happy to follow the four of them, and he could ask them for advice if he didn't understand something. He wasn't worried that the four would harm him, as he really had nothing to his name, not even a single valuable item on his person. However, another cultivator beside him seemed somewhat unwilling.

  "It's inconvenient for you to bring this little one who has just opened his eyes, right?" The dark-faced man heard Tong Yan's words and frowned slightly, turning his head around, saying hesitantly.

  The Taoist and the Confucian scholar also furrowed their brows, but didn't say a word. They just looked at the woman, waiting for her response, as if they were relying on her to make the decision.

  "It's okay, Thousand Peaks Ridge isn't that far from here. Besides, the baby hasn't arrived yet, right? Bringing him along won't be a problem and can even boost our morale." The woman said nonchalantly with a wave of her hand.

  "Little brother, how about it? Are you willing to go with us to Qianfeng Ridge?" The woman then looked at Wang Ke and asked again.

  Wang Ke bowed his head in thought, and after a moment, nodded: "Then I'll trouble this sister and everyone." Wang Ke considered it for a moment, but still decided to follow the four.

  "Alright, little brother, just follow us from behind. Although the distance to Qianfeng Ridge is not very far, the road is difficult to walk and it will take some time. You've just opened your eyes, so you must still have many things you don't understand, right? Although we few old things are all low-level cultivators, we still know some common sense." The woman said with a smile

  "What's with the old thing?" Wang Ke was somewhat perplexed, but he felt that this beautiful woman was very considerate, and suddenly had a bit more of a close feeling. Seeing the woman and the other three people open up their stances, Wang Ke also moved his feet to follow them, and the five figures flashed across the snowy ground, disappearing into the distance.

  Along the way, Wang Ke gradually became familiar with the four of them, and they all got along well. As a result, Wang Ke's vigilance was also reduced by more than half.

  After learning about Wang Ke's experience, the four of them all felt a sense of concern for Wang Ke, and Wang Ke also understood why that woman had called them old things. At the same time, he also realized that cultivating immortality was much more difficult than he had imagined.

  It is learned from the woman that the cultivation of immortals is divided into nine major realms: opening the light, absorbing energy, building the foundation, golden elixir, original infant, transforming the spirit, combining the body, crossing the calamity, and great vehicle. The first realm of opening the light has only one boundary, while each subsequent major realm is further divided into four stages, with each stage being a barrier, and the difficulty of advancing to higher realms increases as you progress.

  Each boundary corresponds to a different lifespan for the cultivator. After opening the light, they are basically free from all diseases and can live up to 100 years old. Entering the Naqi period increases their lifespan to 150 years old, reaching the Jigou period increases it to 200 years old, and advancing to the Jindan period allows them to live up to 400 years old. Most cultivators get stuck at the Jiedan period, and many people exhaust their hundreds of years of lifespan without being able to break through to the Yuanying period.

  If one breaks through to the Yuan Ying period, their lifespan will be extended to 800 years. After Yuan Ying, the Hua Shen period has a lifespan of 1,600 years. However, such a long time is nothing for cultivators. A snap of the fingers, sometimes a closed-door meditation can last tens or hundreds of years. If one still hasn't broken through the boundary by the end of their lifespan, they will ultimately turn into a pile of dry bones.

  There are also elixirs that prolong life, but without a certain opportunity and strength, it's basically useless to think about it. Moreover, the increased lifespan of such elixirs is not long, and to truly improve one's lifespan, one must still break through the boundary.

  If they are lucky enough to break through to the integration period, their lifespan will increase to 2,500 years. At that time, they will be a super master of the human world, and almost all of them will be extremely talented individuals. However, it is extremely difficult for these people to break through to the Tribulation Crossing Period, and it is hard to find even one person in a hundred who can do so.

  When they reach the Tribulation Period, cultivators are already at the top of the human world. However, at this time, they will face the greatest crisis since their cultivation began. Although their lifespan has increased to 8,000 years, every 1,000 years, they must suffer a great tribulation. Each disaster is extremely terrifying and its power grows stronger with each passing one. Under these disasters, most cultivators in the Tribulation Period cannot survive the first few great tribulations and will be destroyed, their souls shattered, and their thousands of years of cultivation will be reduced to nothing. Those who can advance to the Great Vehicle Period are legendary figures, and among them, those who can ascend to the Immortal Realm are even fewer.

  Among the four, the woman named Tong Yan had already entered the mid-term of Qi Refining, only a little bit away from breaking through to the late-term Qi Refining realm. She was the highest among the four in terms of cultivation level. Although she looked like she was thirty years old, she was actually seventy years old and the oldest among the four.

  After learning about Tong Yan's age, Wang Ke couldn't help but click his tongue in surprise. If he hadn't entered the immortal path himself, he wouldn't have believed that such a beautiful woman was actually seventy years old.

  The middle-aged Taoist named Fang Qing is also in the mid-term of Naqi, and his age is not small either. He has reached the age of sixty-one. The dark-faced man named Shi Shan is only at the peak of the early stage of Naqi, four years younger than the Taoist. The young Confucian scholar named Zhou Yuan is not very old, just thirty years old, but he is the one with the lowest boundary among the three, and has only recently entered the Naqi period.

  When Tong Yan mentioned the legend, his face was filled with yearning. He talked about the hardships he had faced since he started practicing, and Tong Yan sighed endlessly. The other three people also furrowed their brows, talking about the bitterness they had experienced during their own practice. Each person's experience was filled with heartache. After listening to the four of them, Wang Ke finally truly understood the hardship of the path to immortality. However, he didn't have a hint of fear; instead, his determination to seek the truth and longevity became even more resolute, carrying his grandfather's will.

  "What, Wang Ke, you're not joking, are you? You want to cultivate immortality through Taoism?" In a dry cave, the five of them sat cross-legged together, having run for a while, and decided to rest before continuing on their journey. When they heard that Wang Ke's goal was to attain enlightenment and become an immortal, the four of them looked at him in surprise, their facial expressions speaking volumes.

  "Cough, Xiao Ke isn't someone I can defeat you with. Although you have a spiritual root, it's a relatively poor mixed spiritual root. The five elements are all present, but they're not balanced. Without a heavenly fate, let alone becoming an immortal, I'm afraid you won't even be able to reach the Golden Elixir stage." Fang Qing looked at Wang Ke and shook his head, saying helplessly.

  "Yes, Xiao Ke, the further we cultivate, the more resources we need. Spirit pills, spirit stones, and techniques are all essential. We scattered cultivators without a backing mountain lack cultivation resources, making it hard to improve our realm." Shi Shan also shook his head helplessly.

  Tong Yan also shook her head and said, "Xiao Ke, do you know that in the Xianjin Continent, there hasn't been a single great expert in the Yuan Ying period for ten thousand years? You'd better not have any illusions, just take things one step at a time."

  "No matter how difficult the road ahead, even if it blocks my soul and body, I will attain immortality and seek eternal life." Wang Ke did not receive a blow, but instead raised his fist, let out a loud shout, with determination in his eyes, and a burst of unyielding energy erupted from his body.

  The three people who spoke earlier all shook their heads and sighed, without saying much. Zhou Yuan, however, slapped the folding fan in his hand, his face turned serious as he shouted: "Good! You have spirit! We cultivators are supposed to break through our fate and control our own life and death. If we don't even have the determination to seek the Way, then what's the point of cultivating?" Zhou Yuan also burst forth with a different demeanor.

  "Alright, we've rested enough. We should get going. Thousand Peaks Ridge is not far away now. I'm afraid it's already crowded there." Tong Yan stood up, dusting off her clothes, and said, ignoring Zhou Yuan. A moment later, the five figures turned into a flash of light and rushed out of the cave, aiming in one direction, huddled together and speeding away, soon disappearing at the end of the snowy terrain.