[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-path-of-immortality":3,"chapter-the-path-of-immortality-the-path-of-immortality-chapter-521":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},2271671,4436,"Chapter 521: Blood Rang Divine Needle","the-path-of-immortality-chapter-521",521,"\u003Cp>From the shimmering sword light, a figure emerged, and the first thing Chen Hang saw was a vast, desolate wetland.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The water surged violently, waves never ceasing, like ten thousand horses galloping, roaring as if standing upright—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hidden deep within the mist, the distant and nearby reefs were mostly shattered; a lone islet had been violently shattered, and the corpses of numerous fish, shrimp, and spirit beasts floated and sank with the current.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A fierce, chilling aura hung beneath the clouds, lingering long without fading, even the furious winds and raging waves unable to conceal it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, this place had just endured a fierce battle, resulting in such a scene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Chen Hang scanned the surroundings, Yin Ruohua’s heart beat erratically nearby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her cheeks burned hotter than before, her expression tense, fingers tightly clutching a magic treasure hidden in her sleeve, her eyes filled with deep wariness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just moments ago, she had been speaking of Chen Hang, yet before even a few breaths passed—and before she could even move—she had accidentally encountered the True Person face-to-face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To Yin Ruohua, this was truly an immense misfortune…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Long before entering the Emperor Lao’s State Map, she had heard Yin Wujie carefully evaluate each cultivator present.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when speaking of Chen Hang, Yin Wujie’s expression had unusually turned grave, regarding him as one of the few capable of contending for the Golden Core championship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To Yin Ruohua, such a person was one even Yin Wujie could not afford to underestimate!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Yin Ruohua, confident in her own abilities, believed she could not withstand more than three hundred exchanges against Chen Hang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially since she had just fought a battle with Yue Ji of the Northern Pole Garden; though she had driven him out of the Emperor Lao’s State Map, Yin Ruohua had suffered heavy losses and was far from her peak state.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Truly, what you fear is what comes—this Emperor Lao’s State Map is so vast, why did I have to run into him?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yin Ruohua was helpless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, countless thoughts flashed through her mind, yet she ultimately decided to engage first and see if an opportunity to escape arose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, she carried the small jade token; the worst outcome could only be elimination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But such an ending would be a pity for this fire-bell copper fish, hard-won from Yue Ji’s hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Gu Yi, it’s all your fault! This Chen Lang has ruined me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yin Ruohua bit her silver teeth inward, silently cursing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Chen Hang suddenly turned his body, his gaze fixing upon her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yin Ruohua sighed inwardly; though she held no real hope, she still chose to feign politeness:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What a coincidence—I never expected to meet True Person Chen here!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not coincidence. Had the copper fish not emerged, your whereabouts in this Hua Chuen Mist would have been nearly impossible to find,” Chen Hang shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Seek me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yin Ruohua was startled; she pointed at herself, hesitating:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Which Yin True Person? Are you seeking me, or my elder brother? Wait—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A flicker of suspicion crossed Yin Ruohua’s face:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You don’t mean to use me to pressure my brother and gain the upper hand? Then True Person Chen—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You overthink, Yin True Person.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re really seeking me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yin Ruohua was stunned, her expression bewildered, silent for a long while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She furrowed her delicate brows, studying Chen Hang intently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young man among the clouds stood tall and elegant, his dark, wide sleeves swaying gently in the wind, his thick black hair likewise flowing, framed by the hazy, floating light—calm, dignified, and ethereal, like a celestial immortal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze was clear, steady, like the deep blue of Mount Taihua at night, or a crane soaring over a secluded mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Utterly luminous and transparent, impossible not to notice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In her idle moments, Yin Ruohua had often exchanged private gossip with close friends, ranking the cultivators of the Nine Provinces by appearance and bearing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without exception, Chen Hang always ranked among the highest, unanimously praised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone knew that Chen Yu and his bloodline were famed throughout the Nine Provinces for their beauty, regardless of gender.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet even among them, Chen Hang stood out as peerless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though cultivators, upon achieving Golden Core, could freely alter their appearance, physical form could be reshaped, but spiritual essence could not be easily forged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Changing one’s features was effortless, requiring no effort at all; yet cultivating spiritual grace demanded years of painstaking refinement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially the deep, innate destiny within the bones—this was granted by the mysterious pivot, unalterable by mere creation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, the “Zhu Nang Ming Shu,” a divination technique in Yucheng, famed for “foreseeing fortune or doom before they arise, discerning the depth of one’s Dao foundation,” would not have been ranked among the “Twenty-Five Correct Methods,” deeply revered by many high True Persons and Daoist adepts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elder Luan Shuo of Yucheng was a master of this correct method.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was precisely because of the “Zhu Nang Ming Shu” that, when Chen Hang was brought to Xiao Ming Marsh by Hou Wen, Luan Shuo had risked his life to inform Mi Jingshi, urging him to persuade Junyao to intervene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had subtly sensed an anomaly in Chen Hang’s facial destiny…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, Yin Ruohua remained silent for a long while; finally, her voice hesitantly broke the quiet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Um…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yin Ruohua glanced at Chen Hang, lips parting, then closing again; her expression turned strangely uneasy:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“True Person Chen, this action seems inappropriate—I’ve been close friends with Gu Yi for years, our bond is deep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We’re both within the Emperor Lao’s State Map now, and there’s also Wei Lingjiang of Chiming—True Person Chen, you—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You overthink, Yin True Person.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang repeated, then spoke plainly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I sought you because I require your assistance.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At these words, Yin Ruohua felt inexplicably embarrassed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After lowering her head and covering her mouth with a light cough, she blinked and ventured:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So… True Person Chen does not intend to compete with me for this fire-bell copper fish, nor to eliminate me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang smiled and shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Yin Ruohua visibly relaxed, her demeanor easing, yet she still maintained caution, politely asking:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“With True Person Chen’s divine abilities, you still require my aid? That’s rare—how exactly do you wish me to assist? Please clarify.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why do you humble yourself, Yin True Person? You defeated a host of Blood River Golden Core cultivators to enter Ying Ji River—surely not an ordinary one. And your Blood Rang Divine Needle is of great use to me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment “Blood Rang Divine Needle” left Chen Hang’s lips, Yin Ruohua’s face changed instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She snapped her head up toward him, as if to speak, yet remained silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I suppose my technique is still new—I haven’t fully controlled the ‘Mang Hu’ energy, so you sensed something unusual in Ying Ji River?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yin Ruohua sighed, breaking the silence:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“True Person Chen has keen eyesight—I’m truly impressed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Blood Rang Divine Needle was one of the Blood River Sect’s supreme divine arts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its cultivation process was extremely complex; to study it, one must first fully master the Blood River’s “Zhui Zhi Zhen Xing Gong,” otherwise attempting to learn it would only harm the body, depleting essence and blood with no benefit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After completing the “Zhui Zhi Zhen Xing Gong,” one must gather over a thousand kinds of malevolent, toxic energies, combined with the Blood River Sect’s unique vermilion iron essence, to forge within the body a single “Mang Hu” energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once this “Mang Hu” energy was formed, the Blood Rang Divine Needle was fully entered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Subsequent cultivation focused solely on strengthening this “Mang Hu” energy, refining its form toward truth, until no further progress was possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang had read in Yucheng’s Dao Record Hall that, in terms of killing power, the Blood Rang Divine Needle was inferior to the Blood River’s Six Desires Great Demon True Light and other supreme divine arts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet in terms of malevolence and cruelty, it ranked among the highest in the entire Nine Provinces and Four Seas, with few supreme divine arts matching it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once struck by the Blood Rang Divine Needle and the “Mang Hu” energy took root within the enemy, not only body and spirit, but even the primordial soul would be utterly corrupted, forcing the enemy to watch helplessly as they decayed day by day until death and soul annihilation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No rare elixirs could help—perhaps delaying death by a day or two at most; even immortals could not save them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet though the Blood Rang Divine Needle was powerful and invisible upon release, making detection nearly impossible, it had one critical flaw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the “Mang Hu” energy fully took root, the victim would sense its presence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they swiftly activated a technique to expel the foreign energy, they would suffer only injuries—not an incurable fate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then, the Blood Rang Divine Needle’s function would be rendered useless—its efficacy reduced by seven or eight tenths, no longer worthy of the title “supreme divine art.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Chen Hang clashed palms with Yin Wujie in Ying Ji River, he had also tested Yin Ruohua’s hidden divine needle using a true dharma realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since then, he had quietly begun formulating a plan for dealing with Chen Bai.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, before Chen Hang could explain how he knew of her hidden needle, she herself had already guessed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since Chen Hang had intended this response anyway, he said nothing, merely nodded slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So it really is…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yin Ruohua’s eyelid twitched, helplessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Before setting out for Ying Ji River, several elders in our sect warned me that my outer aura was still untrimmed, likely to reveal my presence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I thought I concealed it well—even during my battle with Yue Ji, I never unleashed this technique.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yin Ruohua shook her head inwardly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before she could ask Chen Hang who he intended to target, his third eye suddenly flared crimson light, circling his body, sensing something—cold, piercing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Half a stick of incense later, a murky yellow mist flew in from the northwest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its roar was immense, like a mountain crashing through the sky, churning the cloud sea, its power so great it seemed to press the water’s waves lower!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang spoke no word, simply struck decisively with his sword—“crack!”—the yellow mist split cleanly in two, head and tail severed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet despite the blow, the mist did not scatter chaotically; it spun once, then began to reform as before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang would not allow it to reassemble—he swept his hand, unleashing another wave of swordlight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, the sky blazed with crimson light; countless sword beams shot skyward at once, dense as shuttle threads, truly startling to behold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under this storm-like assault, the yellow smoke was like fish on a chopping block, utterly at the mercy of its attackers, finding no chance to strike back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet at the very last moment, a stringed melody rose from within the smoke, bright and resonant with song, forcing all the dense sword beams back and scattering them to the four directions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Half of those sword beams even shattered midair, worn away completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Divine Control’s Cuoyu Jinsheng? Is it Ling Shouming who’s come?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yin Ruohua, standing nearby, clearly recognized the melody’s origin; her eyes flickered with surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fine swordplay indeed—but Chen True Person, aren’t you being overly tyrannical? You already have one bronze fish, yet still intervene on Yin Ruohua’s behalf to protect hers.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The yellow smoke slowly dispersed, revealing a hazy figure wearing a fish-tail crown, draped in a black robe, and carrying three magic swords on his back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sighed at Chen Hang and teased:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I never heard you and Yin Ruohua were so close? Such a stroke of luck—truly makes Ling Xian envious!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So it really is Ling Shouming…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yin Ruohua frowned inwardly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among the three True Persons from Divine Control entering this round, Ling Shouming and Sima Xiu were both veteran Golden Core cultivators long famed—far from easy to face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yin Ruohua could barely defeat opponents like Le Zhai and Tian Fang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But facing a veteran Golden Core like Ling Shouming, she had no choice but to avoid his sharp edge and wait for another opportunity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though she had mastered the Blood River’s supreme divine art, the Blood Atonement Needles were ill-suited for direct confrontation, inevitably placing her at a disadvantage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why not appear before me in your true form?” Chen Hang gazed at the hazy figure in the yellow smoke, speaking calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ling Shouming, however, was candid; he spread his hands and admitted:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Chen True Person crushed seven Dan Yuan True Persons at the Sands of Flowing Sand—not only did Xie Tan and Wang Xiu fall to you, but even my sect’s Sima Xiu was defeated. Even if your primordial energy hasn’t recovered, I dare not challenge your magical authority.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After speaking, Ling Shouming cast a meaningful glance at Chen Hang; though Chen Hang concealed it well, he still perceived the depletion of Chen Hang’s primordial essence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was only natural: one man fighting seven Dan Yuan True Persons, three of them veteran Golden Core cultivators—no matter how formidable Chen Hang was, he couldn’t emerge unscathed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Besides, Chen Bai has always intended to assassinate Chen Hang. For the sake of Yuan Shi, if I meet him, I’ll just pass along the message…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ling Shouming shifted his thoughts, yet his expression remained unchanged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He merely murmured a polite farewell, then dissolved the illusion from afar and withdrew without further ado.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Chen Hang turned his gaze away, Yin Ruohua beside him stared in utter disbelief, her eyes on Chen Hang now more astonished than before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After much hesitation, Yin Ruohua couldn’t help but speak:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You really defeated seven men at the Sands of Flowing Sand?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“During the two days I spent recovering after the battle, I sensed someone watching from afar—Ling Shouming had already appeared then. And because of the commotion caused by the fire-bell bronze fish’s emergence, he turned his attention to you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang spoke calmly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If I had left immediately, you wouldn’t have kept this bronze fish.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yin Ruohua’s eyebrows twitched slightly; though Chen Hang’s words were blunt, they were undeniably true.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do you mean, Chen True Person?” she asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You use the Blood Atonement Needles to aid me in attacking Chen Bai. In exchange, I won’t drive you off—I’ll protect the bronze fish in your possession.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yin Ruohua fell silent for a long while, then didn’t answer directly, only asked doubtfully: “With the Hua Chun Mist present, how will Chen True Person locate Chen Bai’s whereabouts?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Once the bronze fish emerges, we will naturally feel a mysterious resonance.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Chen Bai was meticulously trained by Chen Yushu and masters many arts; with his abilities, he surpasses even Sima Xiu and Ling Shouming—he will inevitably seek to seize the fish.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang chuckled, a cold glint flashing in his eyes:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then we simply follow the resonance, one by one.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m certain one of them will be Chen Bai!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though spoken calmly, without rising or falling intonation, the overwhelming, awe-inspiring aura still stunned Yin Ruohua into silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Chen True Person’s boldness is truly unmatched…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After several seconds of silence, Yin Ruohua murmured softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, a day passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That day, within a precious palanquin, Chen Hang—who had been in meditation—suddenly opened his eyes, and Yin Ruohua, who had been guarding him, also sensed something, glancing beyond the pearl curtains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Far off, rolling auspicious light descended from the heavens, shining as bright as the sun, dazzling and radiant!\u003C\u002Fp>",2580,"2026-06-19T22:30:06.574Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","b3965bb0efceba490bac4f0ae7d8fe3e11838940d52d41691acb9ccab5464844","the-path-of-immortality-chapter-522","the-path-of-immortality-chapter-520",545,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-path-of-immortality-cover.jpg"]