In the rainforest, upon the bloody mud, white frigid vapor rose in languid wisps, cloaking the eight ice coffins in haze.
Tang Yushang was shocked. "It's just like you!"
Qin Ming's eyes were clear as he stared ahead.
In this special grand era, Heavenly Immortals had long ceased to be seen, having become complete legends.
Yet right before them, in this bloody mud, someone was actually conducting experiments on a Heavenly Immortal.
The humanoid being in the coffin was wrapped in golden threads that rippled with jade light, resembling the Golden Thread Jade Clothes—strikingly similar to Qin Ming's current state.
Seeing it for the first time, how could Tang Yushang not be astonished?
Qin Ming himself was lost in thought, his brows deeply knit as he stared without a word for a long time.
Could that Heavenly Immortal possess the same extraordinary technique as him? Was there some connection between them?
Qin Ming knew well that the interlaced golden threads and rippling jade light were exceedingly mysterious; even the ancestor of the Parasitic Civilization had suffered a catastrophic loss when encountering someone who had mastered this technique.
"Its background is truly formidable!" Qin Ming reflected. From the dream bugs to the Parasitic Civilization and now to this place, he had indirectly crossed paths with the Golden Thread Jade Clothes technique more than once.
Moreover, the armor worn by the saints of the Rebirth Figurines organization bore a strong resemblance to the Golden Thread Jade Clothes as well.
Tang Yushang spoke: "There is a difference between him and you. The jade light on his body is rigid, and the golden threads are fixed in place, unlike yours, which constantly swim about with life-like spirit."
Qin Ming nodded. He had been observing and scrutinizing it as well; having intensively cultivated this wondrous art himself, he could naturally see through it with far greater clarity and depth.
Even though the subject was a Heavenly Immortal, it had merely captured the outward form—an imitation that failed to touch the essence. It did not appear to be truly mastered.
In fact, Qin Ming suspected that a peerless powerhouse had "sculpted" this onto the corpse using formidable rule power.
The more he looked, the more his brow furrowed. Those golden threads were forces of order—immortal chains solidified there by supreme figures to mimic the longevity qualities of the Golden Thread Jade Clothes.
A heavy weight settled in Qin Ming's chest. Clearly, someone among the three supreme factions had encountered that wondrous technique.
Judging by this, however, they had only grasped its superficial skin, never obtaining the core tenets of the foundational scripture.
Which of them was it—the Godkin Society, the Strange Insect Alliance, or the Rebirth Figurines—that had crossed paths with a practitioner of this art?
Qin Ming scanned the scene. He believed the Rebirth Figurines were the most likely candidate.
For their philosophy of longevity and their armor, which closely resembled the Golden Thread Jade Clothes, all hinted at something.
In the bloody mud, a crowd of masters knelt in worship heedless of the mire. Many trembled violently, unable to lift their heads once their brows touched the ground.
Above all, the wisps of pressure emanating from the being in the eighth ice coffin were terrifying beyond measure, causing even Grandmasters to shudder and feel an irresistible urge to prostrate themselves.
And that was merely with formation runes woven within the coffin, sealing the Heavenly Immortal's aura. Otherwise, those present would likely have been unable to withstand the leaking power; even if they didn't disintegrate into clouds of blood on the spot, their bodies and spirits would have been torn apart, suffering grievous injuries.
Suddenly, many felt the pressure drop sharply.
Some who had been trembling were now able to raise their heads with relative composure.
"This senior..."
The people present were all sharp. They immediately sensed the immortal qi dispersing, replaced by a lingering aura of withered decay and exhaustion, and even a foul stench of rotting flesh began to surface.
Though the twilight aura within the coffin was faint, it was undeniably real, and everyone caught wind of it.
Then they saw the solidified Golden Thread Jade Clothes inside the coffin fade, with a large section vanishing altogether.
The white-robed saint of the Godkin Society spoke with a grave tone: "A senior from the Rebirth Figurine lineage provided longevity qi, and the Old Chairman assisted with the Ten Thousand Apertures Illumination Art to solidify it—is the effect still so inadequate?"
Many saw that the test subject inside the coffin was actually a maimed corpse: half a skull attached to a left arm and a chest section, accounting for less than a third of an entire body.
Now that the golden threads had dimmed and the jade light had dispersed, he was no longer wrapped tightly, revealing the truth beneath.
Over the remaining two-thirds of the body, a crimson outline had sprouted, framing an incomplete chest and abdomen, legs, a right arm, and the other half of the skull.
However, this was only a crimson silhouette, still an immense distance from a true Heavenly Immortal physique.
To reshape a true body and even revive consciousness from what had been a thoroughly dead corpse was already extraordinary.
Yet now, the situation had inverted completely: the Golden Thread Jade Clothes faded, and the crimson contours collapsed, emitting the stench of decay, unable to endure for long.
"The experiment isn't a total failure. It is primarily because the grand environment of heaven and earth has shifted and no longer supports Heavenly Immortals dwelling in the world. Thus, the new flesh is destined to perish and cannot endure."
The saint of the Rebirth Figurines spoke. Clad in jade armor bound with golden wire, his very face concealed beneath armored plates, he resembled a terracotta figurine restored to life.
Many were diligently recording every detail and piece of data, as each was vital.
"Quickly, bury this senior back into the earth! Otherwise, even that remaining maimed body will wither away."
In truth, the profound immortal dao runes on the Heavenly Immortal's remains were already dimming, and the terrifying pressure from before was receding like an ebbing tide.
Scrambling in haste, the crowd swiftly buried the ice coffin back underground.
"The situation isn't promising."
"Once we study it thoroughly, specialists will adjust the arrangements."
From the distance, Qin Ming and Tang Yushang watched silently, deeply chilled by the sheer terror of the three factions. For the sake of longevity, they had even managed to procure the remains of a Heavenly Immortal for their experiments.
The bloody mud was merely one of the vital sites in Longevity Ridge; their testing grounds could not possibly be limited to this one place.
The group set off again and soon arrived at a place of lush vegetation, filled with towering ancient trees that overshadowed several low knolls.
At the core of this area grew an old tree that was not especially thick, standing at most thirty feet high. It twisted like an old dragon, its sparse leaves clinging to branches as it stood alone.
Upon closer inspection, however, the tree was terrifying. Its roots sprawled in all directions, piercing through every single large tree in the entire region.
Even though all the giant trees supplied it with life nutrients, it remained half-dead, appearing sickly and withered.
Qin Ming opened his Eye of the Newborn. Even from afar, he could see faces etched onto the sickly tree—some blurry, others vivid and lifelike.
The man transformed from the Moon Insect spoke: "The Suxu Tree is in rather poor condition. The seniors sent in previously and nourished inside the trunk all underwent excruciating struggles."
The saint of the Godkin Society sighed: "Their Pure Yang consciousnesses fell dormant, their spirits decayed into nothingness, and in the end they still could not escape the fateful tribulation of returning to the ruins."
This was yet another longevity testing ground.
In the distance, Tang Yushang listened to their conversation and pondered deeply, finally recalling the records concerning the Suxu Tree she had read in Taixu.
This was a terrifying, bizarre tree that could be ranked alongside the Reincarnation Black Lotus of the Great Thunder Sound Temple, and perhaps was even more sinister.
Beings who spirit-wandered into the Suxu Tree suffered unimaginable agony and extreme torment, as though traversing purgatory. Yet if one managed to endure and emerge, it was equivalent to piercing through the boundary between life and death, allowing one to prolong their life by an entire era.
Yet those who endured were exceedingly rare.
What the three supreme factions sought was not an individual success, but to thoroughly decipher the Suxu Tree and find a true path to safely cross life and death.
Regrettably, the Suxu Tree was far too frightening and so profoundly sinister that it left everyone helpless.
In any single era, at most three Suxu Trees could coexist. Whether influenced by the destiny inherent to their nature or something else, throughout history no one had ever witnessed four trees coexisting in the world.
For the three supreme factions, possessing even a single tree was already a remarkable feat.
"This time, nearly all of them have failed!" the saint of the Rebirth Figurines sighed.
Had they succeeded, faces would not have appeared on the trunk; instead, a Suxu Fruit would have formed, housing the newly reborn consciousness within.
From start to finish, Qin Ming and Tang Yushang followed from afar, watching one testing site after another alongside them.
In total, the three factions had devised eight distinct longevity experiments.
Tang Yushang's expression turned grave. "The Godkin Society, the Rebirth Figurines, and the Strange Insect Alliance are not just contending for a single lifetime. They hope that even after many grand eras have passed, their figures will remain permanently anchored in this world."
In these testing grounds, they had seen the remains of a Heavenly Immortal, the reviving carcass of a peerless strange insect, and rule-formalized mental fields of ancients...
Every path and every method demonstrated the deep scheming of the three supreme factions, as well as the astronomical amount of rare resources they had consumed.
Ordinary organizations did not even have the right to touch such a realm.
For instance, how could that patch of bloody mud possess such potent vitality capable of nourishing the flesh within the ice coffins? The truth was steeped in slaughter: vigorous life essence never sprang from nothingness; it naturally derived from other living beings.
Looking deeper, even the feathering light rain drifting here was accompanied by slaughter.
Even framed in the most sacred terms, it was extracted from the essence of earth veins and the vitality of the boundless sea of forests in the distance.
"A super-array converting life force..."
They could not bear to trace it any deeper, or both Qin Ming and Tang Yushang would have felt thoroughly sickened.
What chilled Qin Ming and Tang Yushang the most was that this testing ground was merely a crude trial site, built to imitate a longevity sanctum of far greater origin, used to probe for viable paths beforehand.
When Qin Ming and Tang Yushang learned this truth, their hearts shook violently.
Once that other supreme testing ground was activated, the resources required would be astronomical, with all manner of heavenly treasures poured in regardless of cost.
Thus, even the three supreme factions did not dare activate it lightly.
Now, however, the Old Chairman of the Godkin Society and the Insect Emperor of the Strange Insect Alliance were both in deteriorating condition. Only because of this had they accelerated their pace, intending to activate that longevity sanctum.
And that so-called supreme longevity sanctum was situated near the headquarters of the Rebirth Figurines.
Without doubt, much of the longevity technology was supplied by the Rebirth Figurines.
This organization was far too mysterious and bloodstained. Its ultimate source was an ancient terracotta pit buried under the mottled dust of time at their headquarters, originating from an unidentifiable era.
"Even the Longevity Tablets are imitations of ancient relics from that supreme longevity testing ground?"
Qin Ming felt there might be matters that even these core saints were unaware of, shrouded in deep fog.
Tang Yushang said, "The Godkin Society, the Rebirth Figurines, and the Strange Insect Alliance plot on a grand scale. Especially with that Old Chairman and Insect Emperor nearing the end of their lifespans, they might go mad in the end. Heaven knows what they might do. We must never let them succeed in extending their lives."
As for immortality and eternal life? She did not believe anyone could achieve it.
Qin Ming said, "It's not over yet. Could there be a ninth testing ground?"
The two noticed the group heading toward the next area, conversing with grave expressions. It seemed to concern their very own destinies.
"Gentlemen, it is time for us to enter the board ourselves. The ninth testing ground is called a longevity experiment site, but in truth, it prepares fortune for us, ultimately granting each of us a formidable War Body."
"Those nourished here were peerless geniuses already renowned five hundred years ago. Some belonged to rival factions, while others were seniors of our own. After centuries of bodily nourishment, all deathly qi has been cleansed, and their flesh has undergone nirvanic rebirth—yet without consciousness, preserved for us to claim as avatars."
"In fact, when past saints and core disciples faced this opportunity, some directly abandoned their original physical bodies, using secret arts to merge with the flawless divine fetuses here. Ultimately, they achieved extreme might and rose to the very pinnacle of our respective factions."
Listening to their increasingly impassioned discussion from afar, Qin Ming and Tang Yushang were both quite surprised.
Regardless, even if the three supreme factions had not fully cracked the path to immortality, they had achieved many astonishing feats along the way.
Just what they were discussing right now was extraordinary on its own.
Peerless geniuses and worthy predecessors who had died in history had been re-nourished by them; their bodies had severed all deathly tribulations and remained lifelike, ready to serve as flawless dao bodies for future generations.
This domain was truly no small matter.
If this continued, perhaps they really would make an even greater breakthrough.
The ninth testing ground was excavated, revealing a pit of terracotta figurines—touching upon the core secrets of the Rebirth Figurines organization.
There, feathering light rain steamed upward. Once the outer cocoons of some figurines were stripped away, they revealed lifelike, vibrant bodies one after another—ranging from insects to humans, beasts, birds, and more.
Outside Longevity Ridge, several Great Grandmasters gazed into the distance from midair. They saw the ninth testing ground glowing as feathering light rain soared into the sky, filling the heavens.
Some felt envy and melancholy, their emotions conflicted.
Others felt awe and dread, clearly unwilling to get involved.
Still others wore looks of pity, quietly watching the feathering light of Longevity Ridge's ninth testing ground.
One Great Grandmaster remarked, "Each person has their own fate. Who will laugh last is far from certain, so let us simply watch in silence."
Another shook his head. "You and I are old. I fear we will not live to see the outcome; verifying it will take at least several decades, if not a century."
"You are mistaken. The fastest achieved results in merely three years."
"Who?"
A Great Grandmaster of the Godkin Society said, "Our Old Chairman, of course. Did you think his background was simple? In the ancient past, he already succeeded in living a reversed second life."
Without a doubt, they belonged to the innermost core of the direct lineage; some were direct descendants of the Insect Emperor and the Old Chairman. Otherwise, there was no way they could have known such secrets.
Deep within Longevity Ridge, among the group of young core disciples, there were at least nine saints, all carefully selected individuals possessing extraordinary abilities.
"From this day forth, every one of us will take a step further. Even if we enter the chaotic melee of Grandmasters between supreme civilizations, we will be able to carve out a bloody path."
"What lies before us is a type of flawless innate dao body!"
This was the culmination of five hundred years of bodily nourishment, allowing the corpses of past peerless geniuses to undergo nirvanic rebirth in a unique environment, refined further to surpass their original states.
"Even if a body with perfect parameters across the board has been cultivated here, it wouldn't be surprising. It all comes down to our luck during the assimilation."
They exchanged glances, their fighting spirits soaring.
"Before that, let us weed the garden first and purge the entire territory," the Moon Insect said.
The saint of the Rebirth Figurines immediately brought out the Longevity Tablet and activated it. Instantly, blood mist steamed across the whole domain, and a terrifying murderous aura surged into the sky.
In an instant, patterns and runes interlaced across the heavens and earth.
"Ahhh—!"
Down in the abysses, atop the ridges, within the rainforest, shrieks rose one after another as the land transformed into a world of crimson slaughter.
Qin Ming and Tang Yushang were horrified and had no choice but to immediately take out their special weapons.
In a flash, liquid armor enveloped the two of them, shielding them within.
"We're doomed today! Forced to awaken in a place like this, we will face the calamity of becoming lost," the five-colored treasure fragment trembled slightly, suppressed in this realm.
The Jade Mirror said nothing, but its restlessness spoke volumes.
Qin Ming brought out the Yellow Silk Canopy, unfurling it over himself and Tang Yushang.
"Little girl, you're fine?" the five-colored treasure fragment asked in shock.
"Not bad. Barely managing to protect myself!" the Yellow Silk Canopy responded.
"Bad... ass!" the five-colored treasure fragment marveled with a tremulous voice.
"I'll beat you to death!" the Yellow Silk Canopy snapped in displeasure.
Qin Ming and Tang Yushang met each other's eyes. The liquid armor would not hold for long. In tacit agreement, they made the exact same choice—charging straight at those saints.
"What is that?" The group spotted something amiss: two remarkably formidable fish had slipped through the net and survived the purge, and they were so close to them!
"Expand the array's source!" shouted the saint of the Rebirth Figurines who held the Longevity Tablet. Calling on the others to assist, he pushed the jade tablet in his grasp to activate even further.
"Kill!"
Clad in liquid armor, Qin Ming and Tang Yushang had already communicated with their special weapons: no matter what, they had to hold out and knock that jade tablet away!
Chapter 572