Chapter 1 Reaching the Depths

Lowering his gaze, An Qisheng's heart sank.

After several months of sorting things out, especially after personally sensing the spiritual energy, his gains were immense.

The spiritual energy of the Huang Tian Realm was different from the spiritual Qi of the Wan Yang Realm. It seemed to be Qi, but it was actually spirit.

Spiritual energy contained spirit and Dao.

A wisp of spiritual energy contained not only the spirit and Dao of the source of the spiritual energy, but also the spirit and Dao of all those who had cultivated this type of spiritual energy throughout the ages.

The reason why a mere wisp of spiritual energy could contaminate the will of the Human Realm's Dao was not because the spiritual energy of the Huang Tian Realm was strong or the world's level was high.

Rather, the spirit and Dao contained in that wisp of spiritual energy far exceeded that of the Human Realm.

Therefore, under the influence of the spiritual energy, the original cultivation and Dao of the Human Realm were all covered and replaced.

Assimilated and integrated.

Therefore, the fundamental reason for the great abilities in this world to impart methods and Dao was by no means compassion, but cultivation.

Collective cultivation!

Understanding this made all the methods of teaching and Dao disputes in this world clear.

An Qisheng pondered in his heart, but did not directly tell the Three Hearts Blue Spirit Child.

With a thought, he had already entered the earth's crust.

Whoosh~

Beneath the dark earth's crust, a slight breeze seemed to stir up dust, scattering it within a shocking, enormous abyss.

The abyss was unfathomably deep, stretching endlessly. The Buddha pagoda that should have been there had disappeared without a trace.

Also gone was the arm of the great demon suppressed beneath the pagoda.

There was not even a trace of aura left.

"Hmm?"

Spiritual energy gathered and formed his figure. After just one glance at the underground palace, An Qisheng frowned: "Vanished so cleanly..."

Although he had expected it, An Qisheng still frowned when he saw this scene.

He had expected the underground to be empty, but he had not expected it to disappear so cleanly, as if not even a trace of aura had been left behind.

Whoosh~

With a thought, An Qisheng turned into a stream of light and plunged into the abyss. In the blink of an eye, he had landed at the bottom.

Unsurprisingly, it was empty and devoid of anything.

"Not even a trace left behind?" The Three Hearts Blue Spirit Child, who had been pondering An Qisheng's words, was also shocked at this moment.

The Buddha pagoda was inserted deep underground, for hundreds or thousands of miles. Even if it disappeared, there should have been some movement.

"That Buddha pagoda was already eroding the great demon's demonic Qi. After tens of thousands of years, it might have been close to success..."

Looking around the empty underground, An Qisheng's expression remained unchanged, but he was thinking to himself, "However, a sudden disappearance is not right..."

The Buddha pagoda seemed to have been left behind by a great power, and its master was likely not dead. Therefore, An Qisheng did not touch the pagoda to probe for traces of the great demon.

But he was very clear that after tens of thousands of years without being refined, it would not be such a coincidence that it would leave during this period.

"If only I had come down earlier."

The Three Hearts Blue Spirit Child was very regretful. A demon who had lived for tens of thousands of years was of great value to it.

"It would have been useless to come earlier."

An Qisheng shook his head slightly.

In the past few months, he had indeed been sorting out the cultivation system and deducing the changes in magical powers, but he was not so busy that he did not have time to go underground to explore.

The reason he did not come was naturally because he could not come.

"As expected, something was left behind."

After a slight observation, An Qisheng suddenly stretched out his hand, and his hand formed from spiritual energy suddenly reached into the void.

When he withdrew it and opened it, there was a crooked black hair on it.

"Huh? Did that great demon leave this behind?"

The Three Hearts Blue Spirit Child's heart stirred, and he heard a 'pop' sound.

The crooked hair stretched taut like a bowstring, and then stood up from An Qisheng's palm, with a glimmering light shining on it.

Then, it spoke in human language:

"To be able to discover what I left behind, you are indeed no ordinary cultivator."

Looking at the hair, An Qisheng did not seem too surprised: "It seems that you have something you want to tell me."

The hair stood still, as if examining An Qisheng. After a long time, it finally spoke: "You are very interesting, much calmer than I imagined."

The hair paced back and forth in the void like a person, and then 'looked' at An Qisheng: "It is said that Dao is emotional yet emotionless. You are like a human yet not a human, very much like those true Daoists I saw in the past..."

"What do you want to say?"

An Qisheng did not comment. He was not interested in other people's evaluations of him.

"You have a great secret on you, but I am too lazy to pursue that much. I left behind a backup plan to make a deal with you."

The hair sighed like a person:

"My name is Yuanmou Man. I achieved Dao before even Kong Que and Kong Lao Er. Unfortunately, judging from your attitude, you don't recognize me.

As expected of the methods of a sage. How can we ants struggle? It seems that other than showing our ridiculousness, there is no meaning..."

Yuanmou Man sighed in his heart.

Tens of thousands of years ago, he had also roamed the world, laughing proudly at the heavens and earth as king, and was confident that he was unparalleled in the world.

Unfortunately...

"Your name seems familiar. However, I am more concerned about your deal."

An Qisheng's eyes flashed before he replied, "I rarely make deals with people."

Yuanmou Man, Zeng San's ancient scroll had a record of this demon.

However, there was only one sentence: 'A demon rose in the Northern Continent, its name shook the world. Later, it was dismembered ninety-nine times by the Great Sun Dragon God, and its whereabouts are difficult to find.'

However, a person or demon who could leave a sentence in the Confucian historical records would naturally not be an ordinary person.

"Although I don't know who you are, since you are pursuing the hidden secrets that were covered up in the past, you will encounter some things sooner or later... Whether you make the deal or not is up to you."

The hair's tone was faint, as if it was not used to talking to people like this, and its voice became cold and hard again:

"In that battle, many evil gods fell. It seems that they should return..."

Yuanmou Man's voice was filled with deep hatred.

An Qisheng was not surprised, but nodded, signaling him to continue speaking.

On Zeng San's ancient scroll, there was a considerable amount of text introducing the sins and evils of the gods. Perhaps it contained the compiler's subjective assumptions, but it also showed the deep hatred that people at that time had for the gods and demons.

On the contrary, in today's Great Zhou, there are many who offer sacrifices and worship the gods.

Just like in the past when the human race and the demon race clearly fought against the gods and demons together, now, the former two have become mortal enemies, hating each other deeply.

"You seem to have some Daoist skill. Even if I teach you the 'Divine Ghost Seven Kill Curse', you may not be able to learn it. However, if you do this for me, I will tell you the mysteries of our immortality!"

At this point, as if seeing that An Qisheng was still unmoved, his tone changed again, with temptation:

"Longevity, immortality! This is the ultimate mystery of cultivation. Don't you want to know? This..."

"Longevity and immortality? It's just that those who eat Qi become enlightened and live long, and those who don't eat die and become enlightened."

An Qisheng interrupted him and said lightly:

"Enough nonsense."

Those who eat Qi become enlightened and live long, and those who don't eat die and become enlightened.

In one sentence, he almost revealed the true meaning of cultivation in the Huang Tian Realm. This was also An Qisheng's greatest gain in coming to this world.

Spiritual energy permeates all things, connects everything, is the foundation of heaven and earth, and the source of all things.

It is the vine of longevity and the seed of immortality.

The mortal realm 'Nurturing Qi, Receiving Talismans, Natal, Nourishing, Entering the Dao', the Transcendent 'Golden Core Nine Revolutions', and even the Yuanshen Three Sacrifices 'Heaven, Earth, Human'.

In essence, they are all 'obtaining spiritual energy to seek longevity'.

And further, the fourth step of cultivation above the Yuanshen is 'combining spiritual essence to achieve immortality'!

"Hmm?! You actually know?"

The voice trembled, and the hair suddenly became stiff, as if it did not expect to receive such a response. It was immediately filled with shock and a deep suspicion:

"Whose successor are you? Or is it some old thing that has been reborn through possession?"

Yuanmou Man's heart was shaken. He could not help but suspect.

Since ancient times, there have been many who have achieved longevity, but few who have achieved immortality. Even powerful beings like the gods and demons may have many who understand the secrets of longevity, but few know the mysteries of immortality.

He had only gradually understood the words of the 'Former Sage' during these tens of thousands of years of sealing.

Who exactly is this person?

Could it be that some old monster has lived to this day?

Otherwise, how would he know the words of the 'Former Sage' preaching?!

"If you don't speak, I will leave."

An Qisheng glanced at the hair that seemed to be in disarray and said lightly.

He never liked to follow other people's thoughts when talking to people, and he was even less accustomed to being controlled by others.

"...Alright! Although I don't know who you are, as long as you are not a god, you will eventually face them one day."

As if dazed, as if pondering, after a long time, Yuanmou Man's slightly solemn voice sounded again: "Since you understand the mysteries of longevity and immortality, then you should also know that some things will eventually return..."

An Qisheng nodded, but did not speak.

Cultivation is for longevity and also for immortality.

The deeper the cultivation and the higher the cultivation level, the harder it is to die. Or rather, their death is different from the death that ordinary people know.

The Jiu Fu Realm was like this, the Human Realm was like this, the Wan Yang Realm was like this, and the Huang Tian Realm would naturally not be an exception.

The Huang Tian Realm, with its endless and long history, has already gone very deep on the path of 'immortality'.

It may even touch on the 'immortality' in the Three Hearts Blue Spirit Child's memory.

In Yuanmou Man's faint words, An Qisheng vaguely smelled the aura of a storm coming.

That battle in the past may not have truly ended.

"I may not be able to get rid of 'Udumbara Bhutta' anymore... My strength is inferior to others, what can I do? What can I do?"

At the end of his words, Yuanmou Man sighed deeply, with unwillingness and exhaustion. During the tens of thousands of years of suppression, he had never stopped resisting.

"But I am unwilling! That battle in the past should not have been like this!"

Suddenly, Yuanmou Man's voice became high-pitched, and illusory flames were burning violently in the void, causing the entire earth's crust to heat up.

As the voice echoed, a pair of scarlet eyes seemed to appear on the hair, filled with madness and violence.

As his voice resounded, the earth's crust rumbled, and large pieces of earth and rocks fell down, and the huge underground space began to collapse and shatter.

"Help me, help me catch that traitor! I want him to be utterly destroyed and never be reincarnated!"