Chapter 51: The Pinnacle of Foundation Establishment! (Earnestly Awaiting Tomorrow’s Continued Reading!)

Li Wu quietly put on his clothes and, taking advantage of the deep sleep of everyone in the household, slipped stealthily out of the courtyard.

Over the past few days, his family had repeatedly warned him never to go out after dark. Ordinarily, he would have heeded their advice.

However, ever since his repeated failures at practicing the *Mending Heaven Art*, his state of mind had begun to shift.

"If I am destined to only farm the fields for the rest of my life, never able to set foot on the immortal path, how is that any different from being dead!"

The burning desire to tread the path of immortality was completely ignited within Li Wu's heart. Gritting his teeth, he dashed out of the courtyard.

He knew well enough that he was being stubborn and unreasonable, but once one has beheld the vast sea, mere rivers pale in comparison. Having already caught a glimpse of the carefree grace belonging to those on the immortal path, how could he possibly turn back now?

At that moment, the voice in his ear rang out once more.

"Very well, I acknowledge your steadfast heart of Dao. Truly, you possess the innate talent for seeking the Dao."

"Yet the disciples of the immortal sects all claim that I have no talent..."

"That is merely out of jealousy, fearing that you will surpass them once you embark upon the immortal path. Pay them no heed!"

Hearing these words, Li Wu paused for a moment, followed by a surge of great joy. So that was how it truly was!

"Good. Go to the peak of the mountain behind your village, and I shall wait for you there."

The overwhelming excitement within Li Wu quickened his pace. He had heard many tales of immortal cultivation told by wandering storytellers, wherein numerous protagonists passed the trials of the Dao heart, won the recognition of mighty experts, and were ultimately taken in as disciples.

Would his fate be the same?

Yet, as he ran along the path, he noticed something rather amiss.

Many people were rushing out of their homes.

Moreover, these were all familiar faces—villagers who had previously attempted to practice the *Mending Heaven Art* but failed to achieve any results.

It was not just the young; anyone who had ever tried to cultivate, old and young, male and female alike, had begun to run wildly.

Their eyes burned with a feverish, almost fanatical intensity, as if merely reaching the summit of the back mountain would instantly grant them enlightenment and ascend them to immortality.

Li Wu sensed that something was amiss, but the voice echoing in his mind told him that embarking upon the immortal path was the only thing of true importance, and everything else was mere illusion.

Urged on by that voice, Li Wu gradually abandoned rational thought. His excitement magnified his greed infinitely: "I understand. The mighty senior is testing our perseverance to see who can reach the summit first!"

"No, I must be faster than them... Only by outpacing them will the senior take me as a disciple!"

Everyone rushed toward the mountain peak as if possessed. A mountain journey that previously took an entire hour was now covered in less than half that time.

Li Wu's excitement grew more and more intense. Running the fastest among them, he was certain to receive the legacy of the mighty senior.

Faintly, the peak of the mountain came into view, and Li Wu spotted the figure of the mighty senior sitting cross-legged at the summit!

"Ha, ha, ha!"

Li Wu's eyes began to shine with fervent light!

"Good children, good children!" Seeing the swarming crowd of villagers, the mighty senior suddenly stood up. "A full hundred and odd people... Hahaha!"

Hearing this, Li Wu looked back and realized that a great multitude of people were indeed trailing in his wake.

***

No, I must go even faster!

"Very well, no need to proceed further. Sit."

With a wave of the mighty senior's hand, a heavy sensation pressed down upon the legs of the hundred-odd people who had reached the summit, causing them to sit down as if their bodies were bowing in involuntary reverence.

"Good, good, good. You are all those within this village who harbor the deepest obsession with immortal cultivation." The mighty senior stroked his beard, projecting an air of transcendent detachment and immortal grace.

Li Wu swallowed hard, gazing at the mighty senior before him, filled with an unquenchable thirst to step onto the immortal path.

"However, the *Mending Heaven Art* I distributed to you previously was merely an incomplete fragment. Its sole purpose was to screen out those among you who would continue to practice it despite countless failures."

Li Wu felt a quiet thrill. It was just as he had expected!

"Then I shall speak without further ado. The reason I summoned you here is to bestow upon you the complete manual of the technique. And here, it is."

With that, a pile of scrolls materialized within the arms of the mighty senior.

Glancing over the crowd, he tossed the scrolls into the hands of each person like a dealer distributing cards.

"Remember, your resolve in seeking the Dao must remain steadfast, and you must selflessly aid others!" The mighty senior waved his grand sleeve. "Should you ever encounter anyone wishing to embark upon the immortal path, you must extend a helping hand and impart the *Mending Heaven Art* unto them, just as I have imparted it unto you!"

"We shall engrave this upon our hearts!"

Li Wu hastily opened the *Mending Heaven Art* scroll, only to discover that the contents were vastly different—even the foundational methods of Qi gathering had completely changed!

This was truly a mighty expert of the immortal path, one who held all living beings in his heart; those disciples of the immortal sects could never compare to him.

Just as the mighty senior let out three hearty laughs and prepared to depart, a sudden flash of cold light pierced the air!

"Do not even think of leaving!"

A figure strode forward wielding a three-foot azure-hued blade, the sword reflecting the radiance of the full moon.

Trailing close behind was a female cultivator. Without a doubt, these were the two individuals from the Penglai Immortal Sect!

Seeing the other party glance her way, Zhao Qing hurriedly seized the opportunity to lift her chin, turning her nostrils toward the so-called "mighty senior."

The Penglai Immortal Sect never looked anyone straight in the eye!

Then, Zhao Qing declared in a haughty voice, "Azure Demon Old Ghost, I have awaited you here for a long time!"

The "mighty senior" instantly stepped back two paces, clicked his tongue, and abruptly dissolved his grand illusion. The immortal grace he had previously worn vanished completely, leaving behind a short, withered old man whose entire body radiated a greenish hue.

Flashing a set of sharp, gleaming teeth, the Azure Demon Old Ghost snarled, "I left not a single trace behind. Exactly how did you discover my identity?"

"I guessed."

"Huh?"

"Hmph, a wild guess. I figured I would casually drop the name of a wanted criminal from the bounty list to boost our morale, and even if I guessed wrong, there wouldn't be any serious consequences... To think you actually turned out to be him." Zhao Qing peered through her flared nostrils, revealing two stray nose hairs, and flashed a "V" sign to display her utmost confidence.

"Actually, if you had maintained your true appearance two seconds later, I would have changed it to someone else's name."

"......"

The Azure Demon Old Ghost clenched his fists, trembling with rage.

***

"How dare you play the fool with this lord? You must be tired of living!"

"Spreading demonic arts far and wide—I see you are the one tired of living!"

Striking the ground with both feet, Zhao Qing lunged forward like an arrow, engaging the Azure Demon Old Ghost in direct combat.

"Azure Demon Old Ghost, since it truly is you, return my senior brother's life!"

Consumed by sudden fury, the female cultivator's face twisted in rage as she followed suit, joining the fray to fight two against one.

Just as the forces of the Penglai Immortal Sect and the Azure Demon Old Ghost clashed fiercely, a rustling sound arose from the woods surrounding the mountaintop.

"I thought we were the only ones setting an ambush here... To think the people from the Penglai Immortal Sect are here as well."

"That is hardly surprising. Anyone witnessing the methods of this so-called mighty senior would realize something was amiss."

"Qin Xi, Qin Xi! They're fighting! Should we make our move?"

"No, those are Core Formation stage cultivators fighting. If we rush in, we'll easily be caught in the crossfire. It's inconvenient to intervene."

"Then what do we do?"

"Evacuate the civilians first, and talk later."

Immediately afterward, the villagers present watched as several clusters of bushes in the forest suddenly stood up.

The bushes sprouted legs and bolted in their direction!

"Tree spirits!!"

"Tree spirits my foot! Hurry down the mountain! Who dares watch Core Formation cultivators fight!" Tearing the camouflage foliage from her head, Qin Xi hoisted several villagers onto her shoulders and began marching them down at a brisk pace.

Moments later, the remaining three bundles of bushes revealed their true forms as Jiang Baiqiu, Bu Weiwei, and A'ling sprang into action to assist with disaster-relief evacuation.

A'ling possessed the greatest physical strength: she carried three on her back, tucked two under her arms, and hoisted two more by the hands.

Having just been afflicted by the paralyzing effects of the Azure Demon Old Ghost's demonic art, the villagers were entirely limp and numb, capable only of sitting cross-legged.

They had previously believed their inability to exert any strength was due to an overwhelming sense of reverence toward the mighty senior, but in truth, it was merely the lingering influence of the demonic technique.

Before the four could finish evacuating the villagers down the mountain, a deafening crash echoed through the air, halting their movements instantly.

The two cultivators from the Penglai Immortal Sect were sent staggering backward under the immense force of the Azure Demon Old Ghost's dual claws, barely managing to keep their footing.

Even Qin Xi and her companions had not expected these two haughty figures to fall into a disadvantageous position in such a short span of time.

"What is happening? How can this old demon's cultivation be so profound? Doesn't the bounty list state he is only at the early Core Formation stage?" Zhao Qing thought in sheer disbelief. As a disciple of a major immortal sect, the solidity of her cultivation far surpassed that of rogue cultivators at the same level—how could she possibly be losing the upper hand?

"You two early Core Formation brats possess merely superficial insight! Take another look and see what realm your grandfather truly occupies!"

The aura of the Azure Demon Old Ghost surged violently, revealing the full, terrifying might of the peak Core Formation stage!