Xu Ying gazed toward that ominous land—the immortal realm the Pei clan had attempted to forge by pooling the power of all their Nuo immortals.
As the oldest family of Nuo masters, the Pei clan’s foundations were beyond question, as was their intellect. Yet an immortal realm forged by combining the wisdom of so many eminent figures had turned rotten and decayed, steeped in misfortune.
He keenly sensed a bizarre, foul power within that rotting realm, faintly creeping outward.
When he activated his Heavenly Eye, he could even see space itself rotting under this strange force!
As for the Hidden Scenery latent transformation grounds formed from Dao images, they had long since become riddled with holes.
Suddenly, the giant of white bone lunged forward, slamming with a dull crash against an invisible sealing barrier. It parted its massive jaws and hungrily extended a rotting tongue, licking the barrier as though desperate to swallow them whole.
"Is he a Nuo immortal?" Xu Ying asked.
"He is my grandfather,"
Pei Du replied without concealment. "In his era, the immortal realm project had been fully prepared. Back then, our Pei clan had already begun researching demon arts and knew of the existence of the Realm of Xiyi within the human body. Thus, across ten generations, using the Realms of Xiyi of dozens of Nuo immortals, exhausting the Pei clan's wealth, and accumulating a thousand years of magical treasures, we forged this immortal realm. We named it the Peach Blossom Spring."
Yuan Qi lifted his head and recited, "During the Taiyuan era of Jin, a man of Wuling made his living by fishing. He followed a stream, heedless of how far he had gone."
Pei Du remarked in surprise, "You snake have actually read quite a bit."
Yuan Qi said modestly, "I only read a book or two on occasion. Little by little over a hundred-odd years, it added up to quite a few."
Xu Ying was not as well-read as Yuan Qi, unable to cite articles and allusions off the cuff. Looking at this Peach Blossom Spring, his heart held only profound shock.
Between two and three hundred immortal mountains floated within this realm. Their arrangement followed the order of the five viscera, corresponding to the Five Sacred Peaks immortal mountains within the Realm of Xiyi.
Colossal fragments of magical treasures also drifted through the sky—some like mountains of gold, some like heavenly gates, some battered bronze bells, and others cauldrons corroded until their bottoms had fallen out.
The Pei clan's ambition was immense: gathering the Realms of Xiyi of dozens of Nuo immortals, the Hidden Sceneries formed by Dao images, and all these magical treasures, with Nuo immortals presiding over it all in an attempt to hold this immortal realm and attain longevity.
"At its peak, more than a thousand people dwelled in the Peach Blossom Spring. Beyond Nuo immortals and clan elders, many gifted descendants came here to study under the ancestors. The longest-lived ancestor reached eight hundred years of age. Everyone in the Pei clan believed the Peach Blossom Spring's dominion would endure forever, and that living in this realm meant death would never come."
Pei Du's gaze dimmed, though his expression remained steady as he continued, "During those years, not a single late-year ominous incident befell our Nuo immortals; none were eaten. It was here that my grandfather achieved the rank of Nuo immortal. But good times never last. All of a sudden, the Peach Blossom Spring collapsed."
Xu Ying, Yuan Qi, and the bronze bell were all startled.
Why would a perfectly good Peach Blossom Spring suddenly collapse?
Pei Du said, "The collapse came swiftly. First, the immortal mountains decayed, drained of vitality; even drawing in the heaven-and-earth yuan qi could not revive them. Then the flesh of the Nuo immortals began to fester and rot. Some of their flesh died, while other parts grew wildly out of control. Their divine senses rotted away as well; their minds perished, turning them inhuman and bloodthirsty. Even the younger disciples who had entered the Peach Blossom Spring suffered the same mutations. Longevity turned out to be a curse."
Xu Ying looked toward the giant of white bone. That was Pei Du's grandfather, still alive—alive in another form, having attained longevity.
Yet this form was hardly one he would have desired.
The bone giant roared at them, furiously battering the seal in a desperate bid to tear through the forbidden zone and escape.
Suddenly, masses of flesh wriggled, crawling frantically over its frame until it was submerged entirely.
Pei Du said, "We sealed the Peach Blossom Spring. Later, after pooling our thoughts, everyone came to believe they were spared from being eaten by the ancient evils only because they were tainted by the curse of longevity. Those ancient evils seemed to avoid the longevity curse like the plague."
Xu Ying understood that the ancient evils he spoke of referred to the master of the Mud Pill Palace and his kind.
Pei Du wore a strange expression as he continued, "As my father grew old and his qi and blood waned, he ventured into the forbidden zone of the Peach Blossom Spring, harvested a piece of cursed flesh, and grafted it onto himself. He is three hundred and seventy years old now and has yet to be eaten. However, his mind was infected by the curse as well, leaving him prone to bouts of madness..."
The bronze bell asked in confusion, "How strange. Qi Refiners live longer than Nuo immortals, so why don't they suffer a curse of longevity?"
Xu Ying nodded. Beyond Qi Refiners, many great demons possessed immense lifespans, yet he had never heard of them suffering such a curse either.
Pei Du sighed. "After the Peach Blossom Spring incident, our Pei clan shifted our focus."
They had begun to study demon arts.
Yet around that time, Zhou Qiyun and the Zhou clan rose to power. Zhou Qiyun was a wild man from the countryside, unburdened by the propriety and doctrines of noble houses. He acted with utter abandon, digging up the Hidden Scenery latent transformation grounds of Nuo immortals everywhere and even ransacking the tombs and cave-heavens of ancient Qi Refiners.
The Pei clan naturally could not compete against such a savage.
These past two centuries had been two centuries of suppression under Zhou Qiyun.
Pei Du's father had been pressed so hard by Zhou Qiyun that he dared not die, which was why he had stolen the immortal flesh from the forbidden zone to graft onto himself. He feared that once he died, the Pei clan would be unable to withstand the Zhou clan.
"Yet our Pei clan's two millennia of prosperity was not unearned."
Pei Du led Xu Ying onward, circling past the Peach Blossom Spring to another cave-heaven. This place was dedicated to housing the ancient texts and solitary manuscripts the Pei clan had collected. Countless bookshelves stood in neat rows, laden with books made of paper, silk, damask, sheepskin, cowhide, bamboo, and gold!
There were even bronze cauldrons, bells, and various other magical treasures inscribed with records!
Yuan Qi's jaw dropped. He slid uncontrollably from Xu Ying's shoulder to wander through this vast cave-heaven. The snake demon blew out a breath, and scrolls of ancient texts rustled open, revealing archaic and mysterious characters.
Pei Du picked up a scroll and said, "During the chaotic times of Wang Mang, that man usurped the imperial throne. Harboring ambitions of longevity, he gathered rare books from across the realm, ordering all ancient texts dating back to the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors to be surrendered to the state treasury. Later, when Wang Mang was slain, our Pei ancestors stormed the treasury. They took no treasures, taking only these books. The Pei clan seized a tenth of those ancient records, among which was this bamboo slip. A passage on it states that Mount Song holds an immortal cave-heaven where an Immortal Deng resided. Mount Song lies right beside Shendu."
Xu Ying asked, "Could the Pei clan have found this cave-heaven?"
Pei Du shook his head. "Our Pei clan searched Mount Song for many years without ever finding it. It was only three months ago, when the Nai River shifted course and the Netherworld invaded, that Mount Song underwent a transformation. Countless great mountains emerged from nowhere, and the cave-heaven recorded on this bamboo slip appeared alongside them."
Yuan Qi was flipping rapidly through the ancient books on the shelves, reading scroll after scroll. Suddenly, upon opening one, he froze at the illustration inside and hurriedly closed the text.
Seeing that Pei Du and the others were not paying attention, he opened it again to continue reading.
This chronicle described the tributes presented during Wang Mang's usurpation. Someone had gifted Wang Mang an immortal person, telling him that the man possessed the appearance of a young boy, had lived in the world a thousand years ago, and his countenance had remained unchanged to this day.
Wang Mang was overjoyed and ordered men to cook and eat the immortal person.
The record ended abruptly there, leaving it unknown whether Wang Mang had truly eaten him.
Yuan Qi's heart thumped wildly. He glanced back at Xu Ying; the illustration of the immortal person bore several resemblances to him.
He discreetly licked the portrait, blurring the image with his tongue, thinking to himself, *I can't let the Pei clan find out about this. Otherwise, if Ah Ying isn't eaten, he'll still be studied like a monster. The Pei clan's obsession with immortality is far too deep.*
"Fortunately, you arrived!"
Pei Du's expression turned somewhat fervent once more. "I noticed you opened both the Mud Pill and the Crimson Palace, allowing the power of two secret depositories to run concurrently within you, and you can decipher the arts of Qi Refiners. With your help, our Pei clan will surely break free of the longevity curse and avert the Nuo immortals' late-year calamity!"
Yuan Qi asked in astonishment, "How did you know Ah Ying opened the Mud Pill and the Crimson Palace? He only used both once on the way to Shendu!"
Then he had a sudden realization. "I understand now. You were watching us from the shadows the whole time, weren't you? Two or three hundred people of your Pei clan died horrible deaths because of it, yet you hid in the dark and never showed yourself..."
Pei Du's expression darkened abruptly.
Xu Ying coughed, cutting Yuan Qi off, and said, "Clan Master Pei's invitation is most gracious, and I would not dare refuse. Whatever Clan Master Pei requires of me, simply give the word."
Pei Du took down a thin sheet of golden paper from a bookshelf and handed it to Xu Ying. "I have heard that Little Friend Xu possesses celestial learning. This scripture is a Qi Refiner technique our Pei clan acquired by chance. Our descendants studied it for many years with little gain. I ask Little Friend Xu to decipher this scripture for our Pei clan."
Xu Ying took it, glanced at the text, and let out a soft exclamation of surprise. The scripture recorded a method for tempering the soul and the Primordial Spirit. Written in tadpole script, it was instantly legible to him: the *Primordial Spirit Calamity Deliverance Scripture*!
Pei Du's eyes flickered, fixing his gaze upon him. "Can Little Friend Xu decipher it?"
Xu Ying kept his face impassive. "It will take a few days."
Pei Du let out a sigh of relief and smiled. "If we could wait two thousand years, a few days make no difference. For these next few days, why not stay at our Pei manor, Little Friend Xu?"
Xu Ying chuckled. "If I stay at the Pei manor, I fear your household will find no peace. It is safer for me to stay at the Yuan manor."
Pei Du nodded. "Remaining at our Pei manor is indeed unsafe; others might suspect I intend to keep you all to myself. In that case, I will not insist on detaining you."
Xu Ying said, "Clan Master Pei, I wish to obtain the Pei clan's Jade Pool secret depository."
Pei Du smiled. "Has Little Friend Xu not obtained it already? This forbidden ground is precisely where the descendants of our Pei clan open the Jade Pool secret depository."
Xu Ying's heart jolted slightly. Guided by the peculiar energy in this forbidden area, he had indeed located his own Jade Pool secret depository!
Pei Du continued, "Others treasure their secret depositories as closely guarded secrets, but our Pei clan holds no such notions. The Jade Pool secret depository has long circulated throughout the pugilistic world; many minor clans and martial sects cultivate it. Our Pei clan simply remains the orthodox source."
He personally escorted Xu Ying out of the forbidden grounds and instructed Pei Jingting to accompany him back to the Yuan manor.
A long while later, Pei Jingting returned to the Pei manor and found Pei Du washing his hands, the water in the basin turning pitch-black. A maid nearby replaced it with several fresh basins of clear water, and only after Pei Du washed again and again did the water gradually clear.
"What happened to you, Clan Master?" Pei Jingting asked in shock, noting the deadly venom in the water.
Pei Du replied calmly, "I was poisoned by snake venom while turning pages. The venom is exceptionally potent; even I had to exert some effort to force it out."
Pei Jingting quickly looked to the side and noticed an ancient scroll laid open upon the desk.
On the scroll was an illustration of a boy whose features were blurred, soaked wet for some reason. That damp residue was evidently the snake venom!
*Even someone as cautious as the Clan Master fell for it!* Pei Jingting thought, bewildered.
Pei Du dried his hands and gingerly lifted the scroll. "This book recounts the tale of Wang Mang cooking an immortal person. Absurd, yet fascinating. Jingting, select a hundred disciples to search the cave-heaven archives, locate every book recording tales of immortal persons, and compile them for me!"
Though Pei Jingting did not grasp his intent, he bowed in compliance and left at once to carry out the order.
Pei Du set down the book and murmured softly, "Immortal person... could it be you?"
***
Xu Ying returned to the Yuan manor and slept soundly. The next morning, just as he finished washing up, he heard a sound like a bird pecking at the window lattice.
He pushed open the window and looked out. There stood Yuan Weiyang's younger sister, Yuan Rushi, graceful and charming beneath the sill, her hands tucked behind her back, her posture straight as an arrow. In a soft voice, she asked, "I changed to a new rouge today. Do you want to taste it?"
Xu Ying replied, "I haven't had breakfast yet."
The girl stood on tiptoe and leaned in, her breath sweet as orchids. "After breakfast, it will be rubbed off anyway. Taste it first."
Xu Ying leaned halfway out the window and took a taste.
Right then, a cough sounded. Like a startled bird, Yuan Rushi darted away in a flurry.
A moment later, Uncle Xiao walked over with a somber face, drawling, "Young Master Xu, time for breakfast."
Xu Ying's heart thumped wildly. He gave an acknowledgment, thinking, *That was close. I can't act so recklessly in the Yuan manor. If Brother Yuan finds out what I've been doing with his sister, we won't even be able to remain friends... Right, I still have proper business to attend to—I must decipher the Primordial Spirit Calamity Deliverance Scripture for the Pei clan!*
After breakfast, Xu Ying bathed, burned incense, and changed his robes, preparing to decipher the scripture. Just then, Yuan Rushi called from outside, "Brother Xu, do you want to go out and play? Let's buy some new rouge!"
Xu Ying stuffed the scripture into the mouth of the great snake basking in the sun and called back, "Wait for me!"
That afternoon, Xu Ying returned having tasted plenty of rouge, chiding himself internally, *This won't do. I'm letting Brother Yuan down. I cannot do this tomorrow.*
On the third day, Yuan Rushi took him out to taste rouge again, frolicking until dusk before returning. Lying in bed that night, Xu Ying reflected, *I absolutely must not do this again.*
On the fourth day, he spent another full day tasting rouge. Xu Ying thought ruefully, *I still haven't done my proper work. Chancellor Pei is still waiting for me to decipher the scripture.*
On the fifth day, Xu Ying mused, *Chancellor Pei said the Pei clan waited two thousand years, so a couple more days shouldn't matter, right? I wonder what flavor Sister Rushi's rouge will be tomorrow...*
On the sixth day, Xu Ying declared, "I must pull myself together!"
...
At the Pei manor, Pei Jingting stacked a thick pile of ancient texts, covering the entire desk in the study.
Pei Du looked up in astonishment. Pei Jingting nodded and said, "Clan Master, these are all the records regarding immortal persons from the book cave."
Chapter 96