[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-path-of-immortality":3,"chapter-the-path-of-immortality-the-path-of-immortality-chapter-21":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},2271171,4436,"Chapter 21: Chapter Twenty-One: The Dharma Pact","the-path-of-immortality-chapter-21",21,"\u003Cp>The situation changed in the blink of an eye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The yellow-robed youth who claimed to be Tu Shan Ge dared not lift his head; the red-and-white Yuan Pearl hovering above him erupted with countless lightning bolts, roaring and blazing as if ready to descend at any moment and reduce him to a spray of flesh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For most demons, nothing struck greater terror than heavenly thunder and lightning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To refine the transverse bone invites lightning; to transform the body and shed form invites lightning; even as one’s cultivation advances, one still invites lightning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be battered by thunder all along the path, even an ancient demon would tremble and lose focus for a moment upon hearing the crackle of lightning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing their elder subdued in a single clash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dozens of foxes burst from the pavilion, surrounding Chen Hang and whimpering frantically, trying to rescue Tu Shan Ge—but fearing the radiance of the Thunderfire Lightning Yuan Pearl, they could only scramble in place, their fur bristling in panic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where is this place?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang glanced around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The space was not large—barely ten mu—but the buildings were orderly, the decorations ornate and finely carved, clearly the result of considerable effort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What intrigued Chen Hang most.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was the faint golden glow shimmering at the far end of the space, as if marking its boundary… The golden ring would sometimes slow and stagnate, sometimes leap and dart; as it expanded, the ten-mu space subtly, imperceptibly seemed to grow slightly larger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the change was so minute—mere fractions of an inch—that unless one deliberately observed, it was nearly impossible to detect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This… this…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Chen Hang ask.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tu Shan Ge’s eyes darted, and suddenly a new scheme formed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is the Great Cave Heaven of the Red Dawn Sect! Have you heard of the ‘Nine Emperors’ Eternal Yang Golden Palace Cave Heaven’? This is one of its lands—I am its spirit pet! You have intruded into the Cave Heaven and harmed a spirit pet; you have committed a heinous crime! Release me at once, or when my master returns, he will report you to the Dao Lord, who will cast you into the Nihil Path, for all eternity—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your mouth is sharper than a blade.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang ignored him, lowering the Thunderfire Lightning Yuan Pearl another inch, causing Tu Shan Ge to scream in terror.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where exactly is this place?” he asked again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“N-Nine Emperors’ Eternal Yang Golden Palace Cave Heaven!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang said nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He merely gazed at him calmly, making the fox’s heart grow hollow, his limbs trembling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dao… Dao friend…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tu Shan Ge forced a gentle tone, struggling against his fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dao friend? You follow the Spirit Path; I pursue the Immortal Path. How can we be of the same way?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang swept his sleeve, cutting him off:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Though I am a rustic fool, I know that Cave Heavens are meant to shelter from the Three Calamities—wind, fire, and thunder. Once these calamities pass, one unites with the Dao, nearing transcendence and immortality. Are you telling me that in this barren land of Yang Mountain, a Cave Heaven is hidden—one belonging to the Red Dawn Sect, one of the Eight Profound Sects?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Immortal Path and the Spirit Path are both the Great Dao. We both cultivate the Great Dao—how can we not be Dao friends?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tu Shan Ge chuckled awkwardly, trying to deflect—but soon, Chen Hang’s next words left him stunned, his limbs icy with shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you keep babbling nonsense, I’ll kill you first, then slaughter half your foxes, forcing the rest to reveal the truth. One refuses, I kill one. All refuse, I kill them all. I don’t believe they’re all as stubborn as you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...You’re supposed to be an Immortal Path cultivator! How the hell are you acting like a demon cultist?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tu Shan Ge cried out in anguish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master Yan Xi said: Demon and Immortal are yin and yang; yin and yang together constitute the Dao.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re so handsome, yet your heart is a viper’s! Dao Lord above! What kind of cruel soul do you have?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Thunderfire Lightning Yuan Pearl plunged sharply downward; the searing heat washed over him, and his already unhealed Spirit Path Golden Body began to melt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Forget whether Chen Hang was bluffing—Tu Shan Ge’s courage shattered. He spilled his thoughts like beans from a sack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Spirit Realm! This is a Spirit Realm I forged with my spiritual power! It was where I received incense and vows; my clan and I survived in Yang Mountain only because of it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Spirit Realm?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So this was a Spirit Realm…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang understood, and asked another question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So you’re the white fox spirit who fought Yang Mountain Daoist? After your defeat, you and your clan have lived here ever since? But the Spirit Realm still lies within Yang Mountain—how did Yang Mountain Daoist never notice?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not just him—you didn’t notice either…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tu Shan Ge instinctively retorted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But seeing the red-and-white Yuan Pearl hovering above him, he bit back his words and answered honestly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Spirit Path differs from the Immortal Path. Though it is considered minor and heretical in Xudu Heaven, in other heavens it remains a legitimate cultivation stream, with unique functions—like this Spirit Realm, which is profoundly hidden. Though I am a minor earth deity, any Qi Condensation cultivator with a talisman could kill me—but such cultivators lack the inner transformation ability I possess. Even an Eight Profound Sect’s Qi Condensation cultivator couldn’t achieve this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yang Mountain Daoist is a rogue cultivator, lacking true methods, knowing only one spell. Does he think he can find my Spirit Realm? Foolish dream! While he sleeps, Yang Mountain is mine—I eat when I please, roam when I please, blissful and free!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang smiled faintly. “If your Spirit Realm is as powerful as you claim, how did I enter? Doesn’t it have gates or barriers?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re a damn ghost!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Tu Shan Ge, despite the Yuan Pearl still hovering above, twisted his nose in rage and began cursing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I sent these cowards to deal with you—they nearly died of fright! They ran into the Spirit Realm and forgot to seal the barriers, letting you in! How else could I end up like this? How else?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among the foxes,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>a white fox with an arrow in its rump quietly turned its head, as if ashamed, then covered its ears with its paws and curled into a ball.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why disturb my cultivation? Do you seek to reclaim Yang Mountain from me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tu Shan Ge mumbled, clearly admitting it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“With such limited power? Where did you get the nerve?” Chen Hang asked, puzzled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When my Golden Body was still intact…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tu Shan Ge protested, then slumped, defeated:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Our fox clan possesses a natural talent—we can absorb yang energy upon contact. Tu Shan Zhuang is the best among us at transformation, especially in taking human female form… I thought you were young, naturally lustful, unlike the old dog Yang Mountain Daoist with his deep scheming. So I sent him to seduce you. But he couldn’t even get close to you…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A fox skilled in illusion and transformation had been utterly outshone in appearance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could he argue?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who could he appeal to?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tu Shan Ge felt like crying without tears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yang Mountain Daoist? Deep scheming? You must have been terrified out of your wits.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pointed a finger; the Thunderfire Lightning Yuan Pearl slowly ignited with flame, descending to scorch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tu Shan Ge screamed in agony, his body flickering as if ready to explode on the spot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Want to live?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After several breaths, Chen Hang spoke calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I want to live, I want to live… Please, Dao friend, spare my life!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tu Shan Ge rolled on the ground, yet dared not roll far, fearing the pearl would drop directly on him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sign a Dharma Pact, become my spirit pet, and I’ll spare your life.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tu Shan Ge sneered: “I have a master! My master is a disciple of the Red Dawn Sect! A loyal fox serves only one lord! You want me to submit—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before he finished speaking,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the flames surged higher.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tu Shan Ge screamed in pain, unable to endure it, bowed his head in surrender, and pulled out a Dharma Pact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Chen Hang drafted the terms, signed both their names, and sealed them with their blood, he calmly withdrew the Yuan Pearl into his sleeve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So now I’m a slave for life?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tu Shan Ge clutched the Dharma Pact, his heart bleeding: “These terms are cruel! After this man dies, I might still serve his descendants for generations! Damn it! Am I now a clan guardian spirit beast?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re wrong. First, I pursue the Dao—I have no room for personal attachments. Second, you may not even outlive me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Tu Shan Ge could dwell further, a faint voice echoed in his mind, startling him into silencing his thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Chen Hang nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After signing the Dharma Pact, a mystical bond formed between them—Tu Shan Ge’s life and actions now lay entirely in Chen Hang’s hands; a single thought could crush or reshape him at will.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, I’ve just arrived at your domain—won’t you offer me tea, host?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang smiled slightly, glancing around; the other white foxes dared not meet his gaze, quickly lowering their heads.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nice words! You’re starting to loot my lifetime’s treasures!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tu Shan Ge’s heart ached even more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He lowered his head and led Chen Hang silently toward the main pavilion.\u003C\u002Fp>",1586,"2026-06-19T22:29:59.276Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","41b9aeb4afec6a0b22b15abe7f09384b913a33dec8f9e708ef11b7200d48edb4","the-path-of-immortality-chapter-22","the-path-of-immortality-chapter-20",545,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-path-of-immortality-cover.jpg"]