[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-immortal-path-among-the-stars":3,"chapter-the-immortal-path-among-the-stars-the-immortal-path-among-the-stars-chapter-118":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Immortal Path Among the Stars",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2320050,4537,"Chapter 118: Sword Cultivator and Top-Grade Zengyuan Pill","the-immortal-path-among-the-stars-chapter-118",118,"\u003Cp>The black-robed man’s gaze swept the surroundings, pausing briefly on the fallen trees and scattered footprints, before being drawn to the stationary turtle-shell afterimage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He flicked a finger in a hand seal; several bone rings embedded on the bone fork behind his back jingled, and with a shoulder shrug, a white shadow shot out from his back, slamming hard into the turtle-shell afterimage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The white shadow recoiled as the bone fork, its surface now marked with three faint black inscriptions, wreathed in wisps of gray flame.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The turtle-shell afterimage emitted black light, its surface revealing layer upon layer of spiritual inscription afterimages—each more complex, more intricate than the last—but once all the inscriptions curled away, the turtle-shell afterimage restored itself instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Talisman treasure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The black-robed man’s face turned pale; he gestured, and the bone fork flew back to his back, then he leapt into the air, landing directly on the slender bone boat, turning around and fleeing swiftly along the path he came.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, on the white single-wood boat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yu activated the flying boat while emptying the contents of the two newly acquired storage bags, checking each item one by one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, the fat and thin Black Soul Sect disciples were penniless compared to that cold-eyed youth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aside from a dozen or so mid-grade spiritual stones, the two storage bags held nothing but broken bottles and jars, most filled with worthless bone powder, ointments, and similar trash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the magical tools were limited to one unranked Yin Soul Banner and a few crude bone blades—nothing else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bone bow, however, was a seven-inscription ranked magical tool, and the entire quiver of bone arrows bore one or two inscriptions each—combined, they formed a quite decent set.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yu put everything away, then suddenly remembered something, pulling out the Hengjiang Iron Sword and asking behind him:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sister Ximen, this sword is unusual—it looks like ordinary iron refined, yet it’s incredibly tough and sharp, and even has its own name. You’re well-traveled—do you know its origin?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, let me see,” replied the yellow-haired woman seated behind him, opening her eyes with interest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yu tossed the iron sword to her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She caught it, glanced at the characters “Hengjiang” on the hilt, then traced the patterns on the blade with her fingers, her eyes flickering with surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She tapped the blade lightly, held it to her ear for a moment, then her face showed clear astonishment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This isn’t an ordinary sword—it’s a sword cultivator’s life sword.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sword cultivator.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yu froze—he’d never heard that term before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Correct. Sword cultivators are one type among our cultivators, but they cultivate nothing else—only their life sword. They possess the power to shatter ten thousand methods, known as the deadliest among cultivators, and they specifically counter body cultivators and guardian warriors; the latter, upon encountering a sword cultivator, can only cower and flee. Wang brother, our Great Ming Court has no sword cultivator sects—where did you get this sword?” Ximen Mei said slowly, her expression grave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This thing has such a background? I found it by accident—it’s the same one I mentioned to you, when I was ambushed by the Black Soul Sect disciples…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yu rubbed the back of his head and recounted his battle with the middle-aged Daoist of the Black Soul Sect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ximen Mei listened, her expression growing increasingly solemn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More than half a month later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a small valley a thousand li from Jingzhou’s border, hundreds of Yin family members cheered as over twenty mechanical flying boats descended slowly, disgorging the last batch of ordinary Yin clan members.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yin Linglong stood atop a newly built, crude pavilion at the valley’s center, watching the scene, then issued a series of orders to the several Yin clan elders beside her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long while, once everyone else had left, she pulled out a letter delivered by a Four Symbols Sect spirit bird, stroked it for a long while, then finally revealed a trace of worry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seven hundred li south of Jingzhou City stood Tianzhu Mountain—its cliffs steep, its peak straight as a celestial pillar, rising two thousand zhang high, its hundreds of li circumference perpetually shrouded in white mist, teeming with ferocious monstrous beasts, making it utterly inaccessible to ordinary mortals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet now, at the mountain’s base, countless Four Symbols Sect disciples were activating heavy-looking mechanical golems, constructing numerous pavilions and halls around the mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, spiritual boats came and went along the mountain’s mid-slope and peak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the dense forests and grasslands beyond the mountain, massive wooden tower-ships were faintly visible, while numerous strange spirit beasts were driven by Four Symbols Sect stewards toward designated breeding zones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Further out at the periphery, disciples dressed in Array Hall robes, under the guidance of a white-bearded elder, planted thick banners into massive spiritual patterns already drawn on the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within Tianzhu Mountain’s belly, Four Symbols Sect Foundation Establishment elders were digging three thousand chi deep, drawing forth roaring crimson magma and channeling it into pre-built earth-fire pools.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On a vast platform halfway up the mountain, over a hundred broken, dilapidated medium and large flying boats and tower-ships were parked, while a dozen alchemists and apprentices inspected and repaired them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yu and Xiao Wei now followed Master Sun, circling a massive tower-ship nearly six or seven zhang long, directing mortal craftsmen to repair damaged sections; whenever spiritual inscriptions were blurred or broken, they had to personally restore them with inscription tools.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After nearly half a day, the giant tower-ship was nearly repaired.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Sun gestured, then led Wang Yu and Xiao Wei toward another, more severely damaged tower-ship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, Master Sun, we’re alchemists, not shipwrights. This sort of work was always handled by array specialists in the past. They’re the true experts in spiritual patterns and arrays.” Xiao Wei stretched lazily behind him, muttering discontentedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sister Xiao, our Four Symbols Sect currently has no official array specialists—only five or so precious little apprentices left, who wouldn’t be sent out for repairs. Even our sect’s grand array was outsourced to the Thousand Bamboo Sect’s array masters, so repairing flying boats falls to us alchemists now.” Wang Yu turned back with a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“True enough. At least the sect has been generous this time, offering plenty of spiritual stones and merit points as rewards—it’s worth the hard work.” Xiao Wei nodded; mentioning the rewards seemed to erase all her fatigue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This sect relocation is indeed a great calamity, but for you inner sect disciples, it’s also a rare opportunity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The General Affairs Hall has just put up a large stock of mid-grade Zengyuan Pills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as you have enough spiritual stones and merit points, any inner or outer sect disciple can exchange for them—even ten or so top-grade Zengyuan Pills have been listed, though very few disciples qualify to exchange for them.” Master Sun said ahead, without turning around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master Sun, the General Affairs Hall really listed top-grade Zengyuan Pills?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Those are the legendary pills our sect’s alchemists can barely produce one of per year—they say one pill equals years of hard cultivation!” Xiao Wei’s eyes widened in excitement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why would I lie to you? But top-grade Zengyuan Pills can only be exchanged for merit points—not spiritual stones. One top-grade pill requires enough merit points to buy twenty mid-grade pills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So don’t get carried away—focus on repairing these flying boats. Even if you don’t get more, exchanging for one or two mid-grade Zengyuan Pills is no problem.” Master Sun climbed onto the damaged tower-ship and waved to them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sweating for half a month to get two mid-grade Zengyuan Pills? That’s worth it.” Xiao Wei gritted her teeth and followed him up the ship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Top-grade Zengyuan Pills!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yu’s eyes flickered at the words, and he couldn’t help but reach into his robe, touching the newly issued inner sect disciple token.\u003C\u002Fp>",1308,"2026-06-20T15:44:30.991Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","f9ab356e4e730f1f8c3c5ce3050e409cf4a79e3497e4a70926815221934f33b1","the-immortal-path-among-the-stars-chapter-119","the-immortal-path-among-the-stars-chapter-117",530,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-immortal-path-among-the-stars-cover.jpg"]