What Is a Pure Immortal

"What exactly is a Pure Immortal Physique?" Gao Huan's physique seemed truly extraordinary, enough to visibly move two unfathomably powerful figures, Shi Jiuzhai and Cang Li, one after the other. Li Weiyi could not resist asking. Zhao Zhizhuo explained to Cang Li, "They have never formally cultivated Dharma-Martial arts, only fumbling their way forward on their own. As for little brother Gao Huan, it seems he had a rare encounter recently that allowed him to transform into a Pure Immortal Physique." Cang Li harbored no suspicions. What could be amiss with someone who asked about something so elementary? He explained to Li Weiyi, "The world has never been fair; people are divided into ranks and stations. Mortals, the mutant race, and Pure Immortal Physiques are the three mainstream races of humanity. "The mutants number roughly one-tenth of all mortals. Some inherit it through their ancestral bloodlines, while others consumed the blood of ancient immortal behemoths' surviving lineages, sprouting beast-like features across their bodies. For instance, some grow wings, some grow claws, and some grow tails... "Not only do their appearances undergo drastic changes, but due to the influence of ancient immortal behemoth blood, their physical stature often turns extraordinarily colossal. "Therefore, within the same cultivation realm, mutants are often significantly stronger than mortals. "As for Pure Immortal Physiques, they number only about one in ten thousand mortals, perhaps even fewer. If you gathered the entire younger generation of Pure Immortals between the ages of fifteen and thirty across all of Lizhou, they wouldn't even reach a hundred. Every single one has a renown that echoes far and wide, the very embodiment of heaven's favored sons. "A Pure Immortal Physique can be born through ancestral lineage, through consuming precious medicines and exotic herbs, as an alternate consequence of drinking the blood of ancient immortal behemoths, or through nourishment by immortal soil... The causes that forge a Pure Immortal Physique are numerous. Some have even done nothing at all and consumed nothing at all, yet the moment they broke through a realm, they transformed into a Pure Immortal Physique. "Those with a Pure Immortal Physique have skin like fine jade, colored glaze, or silver. The women are as beautiful as celestial maidens, and the men as handsome as holy paragons. They are the darlings of heaven and earth, their bodies completely flawless, their skin like jade, their bones extraordinary, and their cultivation talent inevitably peerless. "Any Pure Immortal Physique will be fiercely fought over by major sects seeking disciples, and will invariably become the target of arranged marriages among powerful houses. This is not only because of their remarkable appearance and cultivation talent, but even more so because their descendants have a certain chance of producing new Pure Immortal Physiques. "Within the same realm... "Cases of Pure Immortal Physiques leaping across realms to slay mortal Dharma-Martial cultivators are countless, practically the norm. If one cannot leap realms to achieve such a feat, they instead become a laughingstock in the Immortal Forest. "The Immortal Forest is a circle that only Pure Immortal Dharma-Martial cultivators or Spirit Divine Mentalists are qualified to enter. "Put it this way! Among the very top powerhouses across the world, the combined number of Pure Immortal Physiques and mutants is only slightly less than that of mortals. "In other words, a mutant's cultivation talent is nearly ten times that of a mortal. As for a Pure Immortal Physique... claiming it to be ten thousand times might be an exaggeration, but the difficulty of reaching the pinnacle of power is indeed thousands, if not ten thousand, times easier for them than for a mortal." In the battle of Immortal Burial Town, the Cangling Tribe had suffered considerable losses, with several promising Dharma-Martial cultivators killed in action. Yet unexpectedly, they had stumbled upon such a windfall right here. Cang Li was genuinely thrilled! Had Gao Huan possessed high cultivation, Cang Li might have harbored doubts, but the fact that the youth bore no trace of cultivation whatsoever was simply too perfect. Cang Li said to Li Weiyi, "The Cangling Tribe still has one final spot remaining. I intend to bring him into the Jiuli Dao Academy to cultivate and prepare for the Mount Mang Grand Sacrifice six months from now. But the prerequisite is that he must first join the Cangling Tribe and become an official member. Could you ask for his thoughts on this?" Li Weiyi understood that Cang Li had intentionally emphasized the 'final spot' for his benefit. He believed Cang Li was not intentionally deceiving them, yet a twinge of disappointment inevitably stirred in his chest. Was the gap between a mortal and a Pure Immortal Physique truly so vast? In an instant, the disappointment in Li Weiyi's heart vanished, replaced once more by the burning fighting spirit to face whatever challenges life threw his way. Cang Li had said that among the supreme powerhouses, mortals still slightly outnumbered mutants and Pure Immortals. The path was merely harder. It did not mean the path was gone. ... The two exchanged words in their "hometown dialect." "Join the Cangling Tribe? Of course, that's more than I could ever ask for!" Gao Huan was thrilled. Then he asked, "What about you? Are we going to cultivate at the Jiuli Dao Academy together? Can cultivation make me as formidable as you?" Li Weiyi chuckled. "What does my meager cultivation amount to? You have a Pure Immortal Physique. In the future, you must at least reach Shi Jiuzhai's heights, if not surpass him." Gao Huan's heart burned with excitement, his soaring emotions impossible to suppress. Li Weiyi said, "I can't go for now! I have to return to the Bronze Ship first to bring over our fellow expedition members. Once everything settles down, I'll bring the first mate and the others to Jiuli City to see you." "Then I'll go with you! We'll pick up the expedition members and go to the Jiuli Dao Academy together," Gao Huan said. Li Weiyi shook his head. "First, Young Clan Leader Cang Li and his party are setting out at noon today. They can't wait. "Second, to conceal the existence of the Bronze Ship and our true identities, you must go with them first. Otherwise, I suspect they might dispatch experts to protect you in secret, which would mean trailing us as well. "Third, for so many of us to gain a firm foothold in an unfamiliar land is no easy feat. Once you make a name for yourself at the Jiuli Dao Academy, won't our backs be straightened within the Cangling Tribe as well? We each have our duties; let's work hard together." Gao Huan felt that Li Weiyi made total sense, and the words 'make a name for yourself' struck his most sensitive nerve. He shoved all the coin pouches he had looted from the corpses into Li Weiyi's hands. "Since I'm following the young clan leader, I definitely won't need these. You take them all! How did that saying go again? No longer beasts of burden, no longer sheep and swine for slaughter—we'll meet at the very pinnacle!" ... When they departed, Li Weiyi and Zhao Zhizhuo sat on either side of the carriage box outside. "For us to become people of standing, we must cultivate bitterly for decades just for a chance. But a Pure Immortal Physique is born above others." Zhao Zhizhuo cracked the whip over the horse, cast a sidelong glance at Li Weiyi, and asked, "Disappointed, aren't you?" "At first, yes. But now, it's only fueled my drive!" Li Weiyi smiled. Regardless of whether Li Weiyi spoke the truth or put on a brave face, Zhao Zhizhuo offered an explanation on Cang Li's behalf: "The criteria for entering the Jiuli Dao Academy are exceptionally harsh. The quotas for the Nine Great Tribes were determined long ago. "Because it involves the Mount Mang Grand Sacrifice on the ninth day of the ninth month half a year from now, everyone entering the academy right now was selected by their respective tribes to make a final sprint. "During these six months in the academy, the benefits are immense! Guidance from master instructors, unrestricted access to ancient texts—those are all secondary. Most importantly, cultivation resources are provided to total saturation, with no upper limit. "You could say everyone within the Cangling Tribe was eyeing those spots greedily; every position was fiercely contested. "In the battle of Immortal Burial Town, one of the candidates was slain, leaving this single opening. "Of course, the most crucial part is that as long as one is a Pure Immortal Physique, they are guaranteed to secure a result during the Mount Mang Grand Sacrifice and win benefits for the Cangling Tribe. Where else could one come across such a stroke of fortune?" "Elder Zhao, you understand the Jiuli Dao Academy so deeply?" Li Weiyi felt that Zhao Zhizhuo had only opened two springs; with such cultivation, it did not seem like he would have had access to matters concerning the Jiuli Dao Academy. Zhao Zhizhuo gave a bitter smile, as if reminiscing, with a touch of proud self-satisfaction. "In my youth, this old man was also selected to enter the Jiuli Dao Academy to cultivate. In the Mount Mang Grand Sacrifice of that year, I even secured a stellar result for the Cangling Tribe, earning honor for our people. It's just that later... Forget it, why bring up painful memories? *Heh... wheeze...*" Clutching his chest, he wheezed for several breaths before continuing, "Otherwise, why do you think this old man can speak directly with the young clan leader and Lady Ling?" Li Weiyi came to an understanding; it matched his suspicions. Zhao Zhizhuo had indeed suffered a tremendous setback and grievous ordeal in the past, which was why he had turned so dejected, devoid of ambition, timid and hesitant, magnifying every hardship. After weighing his words carefully, Li Weiyi said, "Elder Zhao, life is difficult, but as long as one keeps moving forward, one can always overcome every hurdle. Cultivation isn't actually that difficult... at least, not as difficult as you think. Why can't you start over from the beginning?" Zhao Zhizhuo took Li Weiyi's words to heart, yet merely smiled and nodded. If not for his formidable willpower that drove him to walk the path of cultivation anew, how could he have opened two springs within his body? Seeing Zhao Zhizhuo's lonely, pained expression, Li Weiyi realized his words had been somewhat presumptuous, and it was too late to smooth them over. He quickly changed the subject and asked, "Elder Zhao, have you ever heard the names Chanhai Guanwu and Yu Tuonan?" A look of contemplation appeared on Zhao Zhizhuo's face. Li Weiyi added, "They should be two ancient figures, not from this era." "If you speak of ancients, that does line up!" Zhao Zhizhuo said, "A thousand years ago, there was indeed a supreme expert named Chanhai Guanwu. She was the palace master of Lingxiao Palace, the foremost powerhouse of this realm of ours. Her disciple, Yu Yaozi... Forget it, it's best not to mention that name. It's deeply taboo; the decade of great turmoil we face today was all ignited by her." Li Weiyi was visibly moved. He had never imagined that Chanhai Guanwu possessed such a terrifying background. He immediately pressed on, "What about Yu Tuonan?" Zhao Zhizhuo pondered carefully, then shook his head, indicating he had never heard of him. *That shouldn't be!* Judging by Yu Tuonan's tone aboard the Bronze Ship, in life he did not seem any weaker than Chanhai Guanwu. After purchasing a batch of provisions in Yaoguan City and loading them onto a carriage, Li Weiyi and Zhao Zhizhuo parted ways on the banks of the Sui River. Zhao Zhizhuo asked, "Do you truly not need this old man to accompany you to fetch your people?" "You have both old ailments and new wounds, Elder. It is better for you to stay in Yaoguan and rest well. Once I retrieve my companions and return to meet you, we can head to the Cangling Tribe together." Li Weiyi had requested two favors from Cang Li. The first was official status as Li commoners for his dozens of refugee companions. The second was cultivation manuals. The first was merely a matter of a single word from Cang Li, which he entrusted to Zhao Zhizhuo to handle. The second had already been handed over to Li Weiyi back at Zaomei Manor.