[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-path-of-immortality":3,"chapter-the-path-of-immortality-the-path-of-immortality-chapter-43":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},2271193,4436,"Chapter 43: Chapter Forty-Three: Sweeping Dragon-Snake Ink in Drunken Ink","the-path-of-immortality-chapter-43",43,"\u003Cp>Rong Jin’s face turned drastically pale, and the table before him trembled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He felt the primordial breath stuck to the bottom of the wine vessel vanish as if swallowed by the sea—snatched away by Chen Hang, gone without a trace, beyond recovery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Could he truly be a disciple of some great sect?! But what rank of Qi-condensation art is this…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no time left to ponder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a flash of lightning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rong Jin saw the wine vessel hurtling straight at his face; he hurriedly summoned his primordial breath and reached out to seize it—but the moment his fingers touched it, the vessel shattered outright before his horrified eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn it?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rong Jin frantically raised his sleeve to shield his face from splashing wine, but the liquid merely swayed slightly, then spiraled and danced midair like a playful silver snake, weaving through the hall, filling it with rich, intoxicating fragrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Rush boldly toward the clouds, heart bold and grand, pluck a single high branch above the mortal world.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang laughed heartily and kicked the table before him onto the floor, sending cups, plates, and bowls clattering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The long stream of silver liquid suddenly split into three, coalescing into slender swords of water, emitting faint glimmers, descending from the air toward the three of them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rong Jin and the others were stunned; they summoned their primordial breath to strike—but before they could close in, the slender swords had already interwoven and darted away, circling nearly half the hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ascend the moon’s ladder…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang lightly brushed his hand through the air; the slender swords grew even lighter, yet their piercing sharpness intensified, becoming like blades exhaling lethal intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dip the brush in rivers and mountains, grasp the stars, laugh as wind and clouds inspire grand verses.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stepped forward three more paces; with each step, the swords whirled faster, until after sixteen interweaving passes, his primordial breath flared—and in an instant, they slashed down!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Disperse!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Rong Jin no longer cared about great sect disciples or State-Protecting Generals; the chilling killing intent pressed upon his heart like a boulder. His hands trembled like spinning wheels, his throat convulsed, and suddenly he blew forth a mighty gale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in an instant, he heard a series of tearing sounds like ripping silk—bone-chilling sharpness made his hair stand on end—and the gale was cleaved apart in one stroke! Three dim, watery glimmers pierced straight into his pupils!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rong Jin’s spirit and mind were shattered; his liver and gallbladder felt ready to split open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had never before experienced mortal combat between cultivators of the same realm; for a moment, his soul seemed to drift away, lost in mist and clouds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He remained frozen like this for an unknown length of time, until a low sigh from Rong Tuo beside him pulled him back to reality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked closely—three slender swords, forged from wine, hung motionless just three inches from his face, their fragrance intoxicating, indescribably rich.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind them, Chen Hang sat with eyes half-closed, as if entranced, utterly still.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He did not move, so Rong Jin dared not move either; they remained silent for a long while, until Rong Jin’s face flushed crimson, convinced Chen Hang was deliberately humiliating him, and he was just about to unleash his primordial breath to vaporize the wine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a faint sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang lifted his head and pointed a finger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Stroke the azure cliff, sweep away drunken dragon-snake ink, dance and linger…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As his words fell, the three wine-formed slender swords instantly lost all strength and tumbled to the ground, spilling in a splash that drenched Rong Jin’s legs halfway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet now, his expression was one of profound respect, utterly indifferent to the wine staining his robes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rong Tuo and Rong Xuantao remained silent, facing each other, filled only with awe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To wield merely a single primordial breath and turn a cup of wine into such a spectacle—then cleave through Rong Jin’s Wind-summoning technique in one blow?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such vast, mighty primordial breath!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such unmatched sharpness!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What rank of Qi-condensation art did he study?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If this man is not a disciple of a great sect, then who else deserves the title?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid the swirling thoughts of the crowd, Chen Hang silently shook his head, unable to suppress his regret.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that instant, he had felt he was only a thin sheet of paper away from “Ten Steps, One Kill”—one poke, and he could have pierced through, elevating his sword cultivation into a new realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that thin sheet of paper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the sudden insight faded, it now felt like a chasm between heaven and earth—his hand reached only toward dark, profound depths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How was it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang gathered his spirit and gazed over, his expression neither proud nor arrogant:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is my wine to your liking?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hall fell utterly silent; no one spoke. After a long while, only Rong Jin sighed and clapped his hands, then bowed deeply to the ground:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master, you are worthy of a kingdom!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After this incident, no further objections arose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two sides quickly reached an agreement: in exchange for a thousand talisman coins, five days of cultivation time in the “Jade Womb Pool,” and the cultivation resources on Tong Gaolu’s person, they signed a magical covenant and swore oaths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When the matter is done, we should drink a great cup—but tonight’s wine spirit is spent. What then?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After stowing the golden magical covenant into his space pouch, Chen Hang clasped Rong Tuo’s shoulder and laughed:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I wonder what geographical and cultural treasures your library holds—may I be allowed a look?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rong Tuo’s face tightened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is he trying to see our Rong family’s Dao arts?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He glared fiercely at the bamboo-and-wood mask, wanting to demand fiercely: Wasn’t it clearly three conditions?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the sheer aura Chen Hang had displayed silenced him; he stammered, unable to speak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master, you are truly a noble gentleman, so generous to me—I am truly unworthy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang sighed deeply:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You know I am thin-skinned, so you hold back, fearing you’ll crush my ambition? No need. I understand your intent to gift me your Dao arts. Don’t worry about me—act freely. Don’t let your kindness go to waste.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rong Tuo let out a cold laugh—but before he could finish, Chen Hang seized him and shot upward in a swift aura of teleportation, piercing straight into the clouds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After several more inquiries, Rong Tuo finally sighed in defeat and pointed to a direction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang smiled faintly, raised his primordial breath, and the aura of teleportation accelerated further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In less than a cup of tea’s time, they landed inside a tower of pure black stone. As Chen Hang prepared to dismount, Rong Tuo grabbed his sleeve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Only half an hour!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He spoke sharply, holding Chen Hang back: “No matter what, you may observe for only half an hour!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang’s expression remained calm; he nodded: “Thank you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching him walk into the tower without a flicker of emotion, Rong Tuo was left bewildered, frozen in place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Half an hour…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What could one possibly see in half an hour?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Chen Hang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After parting the door, he saw two full rows of shelves, each lined with neatly arranged jade slips and bamboo scrolls. In the corner, a dim candle glowed, guarded by an aged-looking boy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang gave the boy a slight nod, then ignored him, casually picking up a bamboo scroll and began reading.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is… ‘The Unyielding Spear and Great Phoenix Combat Method’?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang glanced once and frowned inwardly: “What nonsense.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He connected his spirit with Jin Chan, entered the True Dharma Realm, memorized every character, then withdrew and moved to the next scroll.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To the boy’s eyes, Chen Hang merely stared blankly at each bamboo scroll for a few breaths, then set it down and picked up the next.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This continued until half an hour passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Rong Tuo grew frantic, on the verge of bursting in, Chen Hang walked out of the tower calmly, his expression unchanged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master, how many arts did you memorize?” Rong Tuo studied his face and asked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Though there are few Dao arts here, there are many mortal martial techniques, military manuals, and medical texts—don’t get distracted, don’t pick the wrong one…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve memorized them all—perfectly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rong Tuo could no longer contain himself; he burst into loud laughter, dismissing it as a joke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He then led Chen Hang to a clean three-story pavilion, gave orders to the palace maids, and departed joyfully on a cloud, bidding farewell cheerfully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I wasn’t joking… I truly memorized them all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang watched Rong Tuo’s mirth and shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He declined the maids’ service, climbed to the top floor, locked the door, sat alone on a blackwood armchair, and immersed his spirit into the True Dharma Realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, one day, suddenly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that vast, empty, boundless space, Chen Hang’s body trembled; streams of energy spiraled around him, emitting sounds like temple bells and dragon roars, rolling down like waterfalls and surging tides.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s done!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang smiled, reached out, and gathered the energy, murmuring to himself.\u003C\u002Fp>",1516,"2026-06-19T22:29:59.276Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","f4dbf29263bdbe96a4de990b910cea0b5f721a2de99d97b063cf635c2d59bc78","the-path-of-immortality-chapter-44","the-path-of-immortality-chapter-42",545,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-path-of-immortality-cover.jpg"]