[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-path-of-immortality":3,"chapter-the-path-of-immortality-the-path-of-immortality-chapter-17":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Path of Immortality",{"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},2271167,4436,"Chapter 17: Chapter Seventeen: Refining the Yuanzhu","the-path-of-immortality-chapter-17",17,"\u003Cp>One hundred thousand taels of silver, eight chests of yellow jade, two boxes of land deeds, twenty-four three-foot coral branches, and additionally, one white jade-like coral standing seven feet four inches tall, its branches full and spreading like a canopy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a hidden vault behind the hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang needed no key—he smashed the sealed door open with a single punch, revealing the accumulated wealth the Yangshan Daoist had hoarded for years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Yangshan disciples trailing far behind him all drew sharp breaths, unable to suppress their murmured exchanges.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just the silver alone amounted to one hundred thousand taels, piled in dozens of large chests, stacked higher than a man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this world, a good acre of paddy field rarely exceeded thirty taels—even in a bountiful year; in a famine year, ten or eight taels, or even less, could buy you an acre easily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those who came to Yangshan to study the Dao were nominally disciples, but in truth, they were no different from servants who fetched tea and emptied chamber pots—sold by their parents and kin due to starvation, already bound by lifetime contracts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing so much wealth, more than they dared dream of, the disciples’ hearts stopped beating; they thought they were haunted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master, since you’ve taken over Yangshan, what shall we do?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, a bold voice cried out:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master, keep a few of us to serve you! I’m skilled in every craft—cooking, horse care, night watch, sweeping—I’m proficient in all! Let me stay and serve you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His cry sparked a chorus; other Yangshan disciples began clamoring, vying to show loyalty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re from the Chen clan, a noble family! If you need servants, there are plenty of clean-born household slaves to serve you—what are these worthless scraps, to dare chatter so incessantly?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An attendant from the Chen clan, who had carried the sedan up the mountain, scowled and snapped: “Get away from here! Are you trying to blind us by standing there?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man shrank back, but the longer he endured it, the angrier he grew—until he finally retorted with a sneering tone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two sides began trading barbs, and the scene descended into chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Enough!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang’s deep voice silenced the clamor: “No need to argue—I don’t need anyone to serve me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Young Master Chen, that won’t do.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Chen clan steward, hearing this, grew anxious: “Yangshan has considerable land, and wild tigers, leopards, and wolves roam it—they’ll disturb your cultivation. Let me leave a few alert servants behind? Even if they can’t protect you, at least they can see to your meals.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who among those who’ve achieved primordial breath would fear tigers and wolves? As for food, dried meat and fruit preserves are perfectly filling.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How can you eat such lowly fare? I—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Chen clan steward still tried to argue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang merely glanced at him—the steward instantly felt as if plunged into ice, his whole body chilled, and he trembled uncontrollably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lowly fare? What did I eat on Xiao Gan Mountain?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang refused to elaborate further: “I understand your intent. Don’t worry—I reward those who serve me. The wealth left by the Yangshan Daoist includes your share.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother, is there anything you like? Take it—today’s success wouldn’t have been possible without you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned to Xu Zhi and said: “These worldly silver and gold mean nothing to you—consider them merely a token, a playful prize.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Zhi shook his head with a smile: “What use do I have for worldly silver? I can’t use such things on Xiao Gan Mountain. But I notice these Yangshan disciples aren’t truly evil—they’re poor by birth. Could you spare some silver for them too?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is that so?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang turned to Xiao Yu: “What are their true natures?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm, yes, they’re poor by birth, only recently arrived… the ones who’d done evil were taken away by Duanbao to your home—all never returned. Weren’t they killed by Young Master Chen?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long silence, Xiao Yu seemed to awaken from a dream.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her pale, gaunt face twisted into wild madness, her voice soft and gentle: “But in this hellhole called Yangshan, even good people grow into ghosts if they stay too long. Kill them all!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She burst into wild, blood-curdling laughter: “Burn this mountain down! Set fire to it all—people and beasts tied together, burn them clean to ashes!!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman’s laughter was sharp as a lone owl shrieking in a frozen winter forest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone present trembled at the sound, their hearts quaking, their feet cold—even Xu Zhi subtly tightened his grip on his broken sword to steel himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Understood. They’ve done no evil.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang remained unmoved, instructing the Chen clan steward:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There are still many women kidnapped by the Yangshan Daoist for his pleasures—give them their share of the silver too. Don’t hide or embezzle anything. Do you understand?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Chen clan steward hurriedly bowed and agreed, his back already drenched in cold sweat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang withdrew his gaze from the vault, indifferent now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Xu Zhi had said, worldly silver and treasure held no value for cultivators.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they wished to indulge in earthly luxury, a simple Five Ghosts Transporting Wealth spell could summon endless silver—more than they could ever spend in a lifetime.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve acquired three talismanic artifacts and the foundation of Yangshan. This journey was worthwhile.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He weighed the qiankun bag taken from the Yangshan Daoist’s corpse, his expression subtly shifting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This qiankun bag was the true prize of this expedition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It possessed the ability to contain the infinite within the infinitesimal—a self-contained space within, used to store and retrieve objects. Strictly speaking, this qiankun bag was itself a talismanic artifact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bag likely held many useful resources for a cultivator, but with so many eyes present, Chen Hang could not yet examine it directly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Chen Hang turned away,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Yu’s expression slowly shifted from madness and resentment to numbness and emptiness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why… why didn’t you come sooner…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She whispered silently within her heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deep in her eyes, a flicker of mad killing intent vanished instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Five days later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the secluded meditation chamber of the cave where the Yangshan Daoist had once cultivated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang sat cross-legged, streams of white qi exuding from his mouth and nose, continuously washing over a red-and-white yuanzhu suspended in his chest and abdomen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After another half incense stick passed, Chen Hang suddenly opened his eyes and reabsorbed the escaping white qi back into his chest and abdomen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Absorb!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He formed a hand seal, bit his tongue, and spat a jet of blood toward the red-and-white yuanzhu in his chest and abdomen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the blood spewed forth, his face turned instantly pale, and his body swayed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The red-and-white yuanzhu, struck by the blood, blazed with sudden radiance, flooding the entire cave with alternating red and white light—beautiful and striking—until the glow gradually faded after dozens of breaths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Finally, I’ve refined this Thunder-and-Fire Yuanzhu. The Yangshan Daoist was indeed at the sixth level of Qi Condensation—his blood imprint was indeed stubborn.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang gestured slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pigeon-egg-sized pearl immediately flew to his palm like a weary bird returning to its nest, obediently darting left and right, up and down at his will, astonishingly agile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Finally, I have a protective artifact.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A faint smile appeared on Chen Hang’s face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>",1215,"2026-06-19T22:29:59.276Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","c91161e4a5debb31c9aa075361fadac0f29abd613233a8318f1351948f6a5e17","the-path-of-immortality-chapter-18","the-path-of-immortality-chapter-16",545,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-path-of-immortality-cover.jpg"]