Immortal Travel of Longevity

Chen Changsheng rarely entered this Gate of Death.

This was a land of death, and the Gate of Death naturally served its purpose. Its difference from the Gate of Life lay in the absolute absence of vitality—it was nothing more than a place of eternal slumber for the deceased.

Stepping inside, Chen Changsheng paced back and forth as he observed the courtyard.

He then withdrew the Black Pagoda from his robes.

"Have you sensed anything?"

The Black Pagoda paused. "Sensed what?"

"Demonic qi, evil qi, corpse qi..."

"Not a single trace."

The Black Pagoda blinked. "Haven't we been here before? What could possibly be here?"

"They were probably just messing with you," the Black Pagoda replied. "I haven't detected the slightest aura."

If there was anything to find, it would have found it long ago.

"Is that so..."

Chen Changsheng muttered, falling deep into thought.

"Perhaps there is another Nanyuan."

He voiced the thought aloud. From what Hu Yu had told him of the past, he knew Nanyuan had once stood upon a mountain. It was said to be in the Mortal World, but after so many years, all traces of that Nanyuan were long gone.

He shook his head, quickly dismissing the idea.

The head could only be in the Cultivation World.

The Black Pagoda said, "Take your time looking. That head is definitely quite different from the other pieces. I doubt it will be easy to find."

It paused, then added, "Then again, why exactly are you so obsessed with this demon's corpse? Besides, you don't necessarily have to gather every piece."

Chen Changsheng shook his head. "This Chen just has a feeling that the demon's corpse is somehow connected to me."

"A feeling?"

"Subconscious intuition, I suppose," Chen Changsheng explained.

The Black Pagoda seemed rather speechless. "Relying on feelings is the easiest way to get into trouble. If you ask me, you don't even need to look for that head. Even if what you say is true and the demon really does return, he wouldn't be able to stir up any waves with just a head."

Chen Changsheng rubbed his chin, lost in thought.

Wouldn't be able to stir up any waves?

He didn't think so.

That demon's abilities were absolutely heaven-defying.

Setting everything else aside, the obscuring of the heavenly secrets a few days ago might very well have been the demon's doing.

That was something Chen Changsheng could never achieve.

On second thought, the pagoda's logic seemed sound. He was no match for the demon either way, so stubbornly searching for that head wouldn't serve any real purpose.

Yet Chen Changsheng inexplicably felt a sense of dread in his heart.

He did not know the source of this dread. It felt innate, like a wild beast confronted by the overwhelming might of heaven and earth.

This very intuition kept guiding him, as if deliberately trying to draw him deeper into the mire.

It was extremely bizarre, and particularly difficult to understand.

"Never mind..."

Chen Changsheng sighed softly, then left the courtyard and returned to the Gate of Life.

Manyue was a little taken aback to see him return in the blink of an eye.

"You're back already?"

Chen Changsheng gave a sound of agreement, then found a spot to sit cross-legged and settle into his Cultivation.

Seeing this, Manyue said nothing more, remaining quiet so as not to disturb him.

As for the Evil Phoenix, he would just leave it in the Underworld.

...

Years flew by.

Across the realm, the fires of war had never ceased throughout those years.

Unrest in the Mortal World had become the norm. When one emperor fell, another would simply take his place on the throne.

Fleeting dynasties washed away like flowing water.

The common folk gradually grew numb to the Imperial Court.

As notions of nation and home faded, only gold and silver remained to drive men to the battlefield.

This was the sorrow of the world.

Amidst the mounting tensions of war, the once-peaceful jianghu was also drawn into armed conflict.

Internal strife broke out within the North-South Martial Alliance.

Two opposing factions within the alliance clashed endlessly. One side sought to enter the struggle for the world, hoping to secure the merit of supporting a true dragon and soar to greatness. The other believed the jianghu should not interfere in the affairs of the Mortal World.

Their friction burned ever hotter, eventually culminating in a day of drawn blades.

The glory-seeking faction rallied their supporters to make their move. After several tense standoffs, the two factions were on the verge of an all-out brawl.

A bloody tragedy was averted only when the Pavilion Master appeared and verbally granted them permission to leave.

After that, the North-South Martial Alliance split in two.

Gathering their followers, a total of over ten thousand people splintered off—seventy percent of them martial artists—while the remaining members stayed to run the North-South Martial Alliance.

This splintered faction originally intended to head east and pledge allegiance to Prince Jin.

Yet a new disagreement arose regarding this matter.

"In my view, this course of action is not secure. Though Prince Jin commands great power, given the current circumstances, he is not a wise lord to serve."

"Bullshit! How can we achieve great things if we cower at every shadow? Prince Jin's capabilities are obvious to all. According to the people of White Night, Prince Jin deliberately engineered his current situation. It shows he is fully confident. He is undoubtedly the best choice."

"I have an alternative in mind, though I don't know if I should share it. While the rewards might not rival the merit of supporting a true dragon, it is at least a stable and reliable path."

"Please, speak your mind."

"We should look to the Border Pass!"

"We will not serve under anyone's banner. Instead, we shall march to the Border Pass in the name of the jianghu and stop the North Desert People from breaching the gates. If we succeed, no matter who ascends the throne in the future, we will have established undeniable merit."

"How is that a good plan? No, absolutely not. Without a liege, we will have no silver or provisions. It will be impossible to accomplish anything."

"That is the nature of the jianghu! In this world, reputation matters above all. What harm is there in sacrificing a little comfort?"

"You're speaking nonsense!"

"I actually think this method might work."

"And I still think throwing our lot in with Prince Jin is the smart choice."

Because of this issue, the splintered faction found itself divided once more.

They argued over the matter for a long time, the debate escalating to ever more intense levels.

Both sides possessed the fiery temperament of the jianghu. Stubbornly refusing to concede defeat, neither side was willing to bow their heads in the dispute.

So, they simply split again!!

The conservative camp took away over four thousand people, heading straight for the Border Pass.

The other faction marched off to join Prince Jin, seeking the merit of supporting a true dragon.

The affairs of the world were ever-changing, and the jianghu, which had only recently found peace, was once again thrown into chaos.

Meanwhile, Pavilion Master Wang Ping'an merely sighed calmly as he observed the shifting tides of the world.

Several months later, another three thousand members departed from the North-South Martial Alliance in succession. It was to be expected; once someone started the trend, there would be no end to it.

Then, on a certain day not long after, Wang Ping'an suddenly received a Visiting Card.

It was from the Southern Yan Sect.

Upon seeing this letter, Ping'an furrowed his brow.

A few days later, emissaries from the Southern Yan Sect arrived.

Wang Ping'an saw a young man draped in a fox-fur coat step down from a horse carriage into the snowy night.

As their eyes met, Ping'an was momentarily dazed before a sudden realization washed over him.

"This is the Heir of Prince Yu."

For the past hundred years, the title of 'Prince Yu' had never existed in Great Xiang.

The most recent one only existed at the end of the Jing dynasty.

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