Invincible Starts From Dao Fruit-Chapter 95 - 74 Qizhenzi, Can You See Who I Am?! [Thanks to ’Lee Cookie’ for the generous reward!]
Chapter 95: Chapter 74 Qizhenzi, Can You See Who I Am?! [Thanks to ’Lee Cookie’ for the generous reward!]
That morning.
Chen Jichuan took out the copper mirror, pointed a finger, and rapidly chanted: "By the Heavenly Emperor’s command, enact the True Art of Celestial Day. The nine heavens descend with multicolored auspicious clouds; golden light illuminates the realm, summoning all gods to the Dragon Assembly. Let the ritual stand by the divine utterance, barring all concealment and deceit. By the Heavenly Emperor and the seventy-three sacred words of the immortals and gods, complete the illumination and deliver the decree underground. I petition the Heavenly Emperor to descend his primordial spirit with urgent law and command."
The Circular Light manifested.
Instantly, a landscape of layered mountain ridges appeared, rolling peaks stretching endlessly. The area was sparsely inhabited, with only scattered tribes surviving amidst the untamed wilderness.
In the courtyard of Baozhi Forest.
Sun Sihai and Jin Shenggu stood on either side. Chen Jichuan, holding the copper mirror, asked the two, "Do you recognize this place?"
He wandered the Jianghu, frequenting populated areas teeming with masters.
The location appearing in the mirror, however, was desolate, leaving Chen Jichuan with little frame of reference.
"This area is mountainous and populated with tribal people."
"It should be within the territory governed by the Annan Protectorate. Annan is home to many Li tribes, hidden deep within the mountains, resisting education or influence. Even the court, Daoist sects, Buddhist monks, and the Martial Arts world have difficulty penetrating these enclaves. They are extremely secluded," Sun Sihai contemplated before speaking.
Jin Shenggu, a man of broader experience traveling south and north, immediately followed with, "This is within the jurisdiction of Annan Songping County. That mountain shaped like a dragon-horse is Flying Immortal Mountain. It is said that long ago, an immortal rode a dragon-horse here, attaining perfection and ascending to the Immortal Realm. The dragon-horse lingered and transformed into this mountain, giving it the name ’Flying Immortal Mountain.’"
Name: Jin Shenggu (Eagle).
Age: 94.
Level: 7.
Talents: Human Transformation (Level 7); Wind Manipulation (Level 7).
Skills: Taiyin Refining Body Technique (Seventh Layer); Call Wind Skill (Seventh Layer); Chen’s 72 Skills (Sixth Layer); Sky-reaching Sword Skill (Sixth Layer).
Forty-seven years had passed.
Jin Shenggu still appeared as a cold and stern middle-aged man. All those years ago, he had followed Chen Jichuan to storm Tongshen Temple, where he was severely wounded by Qizhenzi, leaving lingering injuries.
In the years since.
Thanks to Chen Jichuan’s treatment and his own careful recovery, much of his injuries had healed.
However, his external and inner strength had stagnated, remaining at the same level as forty-seven years ago.
Compared to Sun Sihai, he lagged behind in several respects.
Yet, his dedication to practicing the Taiyin Refining Body Technique had borne significant results, allowing him to achieve the Soul Emergence Realm with considerable power. Combining Call Wind Skill with his innate Wind Manipulation talents, he could even face Level 8 opponents in combat, and his flight speed greatly advanced.
"Master, is the demon path Daoist hiding here?"
Sun Sihai looked towards Chen Jichuan and asked.
"Correct."
"In terms of Daoist cultivation, I am no match for Qizhenzi. But he killed me once, and karma links us. The Circular Light Skill does not lie."
Chen Jichuan nodded.
Back then.
Qizhenzi used the Plow Head Curse to kill him, leaving him to seek salvation at White Cloud Temple, pleading for Miao Fa and Hong Yuan’s aid. Time and again, he fainted and cried out in agony, shaming himself thoroughly.
The battle on Mount Qian.
Baozhi Forest disciples suffered casualties; Jin Shenggu was grievously injured and nearly died.
Chen Jichuan fared even worse. His soul was shattered in that battle, wasting ten thousand Source Power, and the painstakingly cultivated Five Ghosts Yin Soldiers Skill was destroyed.
The losses were devastating.
Forty-seven years later, his heart still burned with resentment. Now that he had advanced to the Innate Realm, along with some improvements in the Circular Light Skill, he finally uncovered Qizhenzi’s hiding place.
The saying goes: The good die early, the wicked linger for a thousand years.
How true those words proved.
Qizhenzi had committed countless atrocities. Despite the multi-faction siege, he had escaped from Tongshen Temple. From the time Chen Jichuan first encountered him, this wretched old man could well be nearing two hundred years of age.
Truly an "undying old rat!"
"What are we waiting for then?"
"Let’s go kill him directly!"
Sun Sihai’s eyes burned with rage.
Back in the day, among the disciples who perished in Baozhi Forest, one had been his personal direct transmission and another his eldest son. The pain and grief were unforgettable. In the aftermath, he had leveraged both his reputation and Baozhi Forest’s influence to scour the world for any trace of Qizhenzi.
But no results came of it.
Now, having located him, Sun Sihai could hardly contain himself.
"That’s the plan!"
Chen Jichuan smiled, asking Jin Shenggu, "Can you carry both of us?"
Chen Jichuan and Sun Sihai were masters of external skills, their muscles and bones exceptionally dense. Chen Jichuan, for instance, appeared to weigh about one hundred thirty to forty pounds but actually weighed over two hundred pounds.
Sun Sihai, being stronger than him, naturally weighed even more.
Altogether, their combined weight hovered between four to five hundred pounds, including weapons. Whether Jin Shenggu could carry them remained uncertain.
"Not a problem."
"But the speed will be a bit slower."
Jin Shenggu replied.
With that, he leapt into the air, transforming into his original form—a massive golden eagle that blocked out the sun, its talons as large as millstones.
"Let’s go!"
Chen Jichuan and Sun Sihai both grabbed their weapons. As Jin Shenggu swooped low, they each launched themselves upward, grasping his talons to swing themselves onto his back.
Jin Shenggu shifted direction.
With wings spread wide, he stirred the winds, flying straight toward Flying Immortal Mountain in Annan.
...
Annan.
Flying Immortal Mountain.
Qizhenzi was frail and ancient, his white hair disheveled, his body emaciated to the bone.
From the mountain’s periphery came chants exalting the greatness of immortals and gods.
Within the mountain, inside a Daoist temple.
The Jade-faced God Statue stood once more, identical to the one in Tongshen Temple forty-seven years before.
Back then.
Qizhenzi had fled in disgrace after his defeat, unwilling to rest, continually moving southward, leaving the Central Plains and the Southern Territory behind until he reached the southernmost Flying Immortal Mountain.
Drawn by the dragon-horse and the tales of ascension, he settled here and rebuilt his foundation.
Now, forty-seven years had passed.
Looking north toward the Central Plains.
Qizhenzi still felt stifled, his resentment unresolved, his fury unquenched.
"No hope for immortality."
"Before my death, this old Daoist will make those petty fools pay the price!"
Qizhenzi sat cross-legged.
Abandoning all hope of immortality, he still refused to surrender entirely, methodically experimenting with every secret technique from Tongshen Temple, sparing no effort regardless of how poisonous or vile.
Within and beyond the rugged and tribal lands of Songping County.
Given Qizhenzi’s Daoist cultivation, no one could oppose him.
He was in no rush for revenge.
After all.
Among those who had led the charge against Tongshen Temple, the chief instigator had already perished, his soul scattered. As for the others, whether it was the Mayi Daoist who pursued him or Hui Feng Monk who stole the Jade Dragon Fruit Tree, none mattered as much to him as achieving immortality.
The older one grows, the more one fears death.
The stronger one becomes, the more one fears death.
Being both old and powerful, Qizhenzi’s dread of death was unimaginable.
Throughout the years.
He had attempted countless cruel and sinister secret techniques, barely clinging to life until now. Yet, the flame of his existence had dimmed, and by this point, no method could restore it.
"One last try!"
"One last try!"
"Just one final attempt. If this fails as well, then I’ll go seek revenge!"
Qizhenzi once again uttered words of "one final try" to himself.
He stood shakily.
Like a flickering candle in the wind, he trembled as he moved toward the altar in the Daoist temple courtyard. There, five strikingly handsome young men each pressed one hand on their swords and the other on struggling women, standing in five directions around the altar.
"Sob sob sob~"
The women’s garments were in disarray as they fought desperately, tears streaking down their cheeks.
Their cries were full of anguish and pleading.
"Kill them."
Qizhenzi remained indifferent.
With a wave of his hand, the Five Passes God swung their swords, beheading the terrified women in one ruthless stroke. Their heads rolled to the ground, and fresh blood flowed along the altar’s trenches, pooling into a central blood reservoir.
The old Daoist performed Gang Step, settling into the blood pool cross-legged.
The intoxicating scent of virginal blood enveloped him, rendering Qizhenzi strikingly demonic. Chanting incantations, he petitioned the spirits for extended life.
Time passed unnoticed.
When Qizhenzi opened his eyes, his body felt even weaker, devoid of the slightest increase in vitality.
"Failure."
"Another failure."
A coldness gripped his heart, and his expression flickered with madness.
This was not the first time.
Since seven years ago, no matter what methods he tried, he had failed to acquire even a trace of life force.
But Qizhenzi refused to accept defeat, persisting in repeated attempts.
One failure after another chilled his resolve, yet each time he found a way to spur himself on: There surely must be a method; perhaps success would come next time?
For instance—
"No matter," he assured himself.
"A few more days. I will try again in a few more days."
"Just one last try."
Leaning on his cane, Qizhenzi rose from the blood pool, muttering words of self-comfort.
His expression gradually calmed.
Suddenly.
A fierce wind howled, black clouds closing in to shroud the sun. The gusts whipped violently, nearly toppling Qizhenzi from his precarious balance.
"Who’s there?"
Qizhenzi looked up, squinting into the blazing sun for a clearer view of the intruder. Before he could discern the figure, a thunderous laugh echoed: "Qizhenzi, do you recognize me?!"
...
PS: Tomorrow at noon, the serialized Chapters will officially begin. I’ll write a little note and share my thoughts with everyone later.
