[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-path-of-immortality":3,"chapter-the-path-of-immortality-the-path-of-immortality-chapter-54":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},2271204,4436,"Chapter 54: Chapter Fifty-Four: Sword Duel","the-path-of-immortality-chapter-54",54,"\u003Cp>One True Dharma Realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The clashing of metal rang incessantly, cold light gleaming sharply; soon, two figures crossed paths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few breaths later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang raised his right sleeve, his gaze darkening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What met his eyes was a sharp gash nearly severing the entire sleeve; had it not been for his Tai Su Jade Body, his right arm holding the sword would have been severed the moment the sleeve was cut, and when the blade pierced his chest, he would have lost half his life instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only because his Tai Su Jade Body had reached the fifth layer of the Xuan Realm, making it nearly impervious to low-grade talismanic weapons, could he withstand this strike as if nothing had happened and remain standing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ten Steps, One Kill—truly the pinnacle of mortal swordcraft… Brother, thanks to this Tai Su Jade Body, I’ve finally endured fifty rounds against your sword.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang sighed, raised his sword to shoulder height, and assumed a defensive stance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Opposite him, Xu Zhi flicked his long sword into a flourish, stepped forward sharply, his face expressionless as he thrust his arm straight ahead—the blade like a streak of rainbow streaming from the west!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang’s spirit surged, unleashing the first technique of the “Little Crimson Dragon Sword Scripture”—Whirling Wind, Summoning Fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two blades clashed, emitting a piercing tremor that stung the eardrums.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was still because Chen Hang deliberately restrained his strength within the range of an ordinary man; had he not held back, with his current near-limitless power, he need not even use sword techniques—just a casual swing would have reduced Xu Zhi to a bloody pulp, his bones turned to mud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During those days of cultivation in the One True Dharma Realm, he had not yet mastered full control over his strength; Xu Zhi often couldn’t withstand even a single exchange, and this ordinary iron sword in Chen Hang’s hand had accumulated countless cracks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only after summoning Tong Gaolu and killing him repeatedly—while his own bones shattered dozens of times in the process—did he finally gain complete command over his power, able to summon or suppress it at will.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s a pity your mental image is an old imprint, wielding only an ordinary iron sword, no talismanic weapon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang barely dodged the sword tip aimed at his eyeball, stepped back swiftly, stabilized his stance, and thought:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If he had another talismanic sword in hand, and wielded it with his ‘Ten Steps, One Kill’ sword realm, I wouldn’t be able to handle him so easily.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the blades touched, sparks flew in a trail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid the rapid clashing of blades, both figures blurred, fighting faster and faster, growing ever more frenzied!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thrust, stab, tap, lift, slash, chop, parry, press, hook, slice, flick, twist, pierce, press, cloud-dust wipe, block, sweep, draw, pull, intercept, lift, push, rub, twist!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The twenty-eight foundational sword techniques, in Xu Zhi’s hands, had become utterly transcendent—as if alive!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Chen Hang’s sword was a ferocious abyss-dwelling dragon, each horizontal and diagonal strike bristling with fangs and claws, radiating a ruthless, no-retreat aura!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Zhi, who had already attained “Ten Steps, One Kill,” revealed no murderous intent; his swordplay resembled an old farmer swinging his lifelong-used hoe across a field.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each technique was plain and unremarkable, seemingly riddled with flaws, yet always, at the last possible instant, intercepted Chen Hang’s lethal strikes and effortlessly shattered them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The metallic clash halted abruptly; Xu Zhi suddenly thrust upward, transforming his horizontal slash mid-air into a direct stab at Chen Hang’s sword-wielding wrist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The stab was blindingly fast—mere inches from skin—when Chen Hang’s wrist turned lightly, pressing his blade down three inches, catching the strike perfectly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ding—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment the blades met.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Zhi immediately withdrew, refusing to entangle, circling half a turn before slashing down from above once more!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang raised his iron sword to block it, sparks flying wildly, his heart startled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That stab, had it occurred in the past…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Should have…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Been unblockable…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Zhi’s mental image did not slow its momentum due to Chen Hang’s hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After seizing the initiative several times, he launched sword after sword, like overlapping waves crashing against a tide, building an overwhelming, ceaseless torrent—intent on obliterating everything before him!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang retreated step by step under this mountain-sea onslaught, yet his swordplay was no longer bound by convention; the killing intent deepened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each strike came and went unpredictably, narrowly evading death, keeping lethal attacks just beyond his body’s perimeter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he struggled desperately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the harmony and completeness of his sword principles improved with every strike—by the end, beyond mere defense, he could occasionally counter with a lethal thrust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, they had fought over a hundred rounds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Chen Hang had no mind to count; as Xu Zhi’s momentum slightly waned, his eyes flashed with sharpness, his sleeves swelling like wings, the killing intent in his blade condensing into a single point of icy brilliance at the tip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Little Crimson Dragon Sword Scripture, Twelfth Technique—North Star Embracing!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Zhi’s mental image remained expressionless, twisting his arm, the blade utterly still, instantly tracing a long arc of rainbow light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Little Crimson Dragon Sword Scripture, Fourth Technique—Remaining Rainbow, One Guard!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two figures crossed paths at blinding speed, each leaping three zhang apart; cold light slashed back and forth countless times, until both swords shattered simultaneously, iron shards flying, leaving only the hilts still clutched in their palms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence lasted several breaths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang turned silently, releasing his grip as the sword fell to the ground; he pressed his hand to his neck and sighed:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother, you’ve won again…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As these words fell,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Zhi’s mental image collapsed heavily to the ground three zhang away, the broken sword clattering down, blood pooling steadily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A massive sword wound pierced clean through his skull.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From front to back, it glowed a transparent crimson.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Zhi’s sword had still been faster by a fraction…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Chen Hang’s blade pierced his skull, Xu Zhi’s sword had already severed Chen Hang’s neck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had Chen Hang not yet attained the Tai Su Jade Body, this single strike alone would have sliced off half his head, splitting corpse from body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In countless past duels, this had been commonplace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this time, even without the Tai Su Jade Body, his own strike would still have retained enough force to pierce Xu Zhi’s skull.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the first time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang had defeated Xu Zhi purely through sword technique…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Little Crimson Dragon Sword Scripture—each time I study it, its profundities seem more unlike ordinary techniques. I have a feeling: if I perfect it, I too can attain the ‘Ten Steps, One Kill’ pinnacle of mortal swordcraft!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No longer manifesting Xu Zhi’s mental image, Chen Hang closed his eyes and meditated deeply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only after half an hour did he slowly open his eyes and sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ever since he had used wine to shape his sword in Yuanjing City, teasing Rong Jin, he had sensed he was only a thin sheet away from the “Ten Steps, One Kill” realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All he needed was to reach out and pierce it—to elevate his sword cultivation into a new realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that moment of enlightenment had come swiftly and vanished just as fast; before he could grasp even a fragment, it was gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, the abyss of the unreachable lay again before his sword path—when he reached out, only murky complexity met him, the path ahead obscured once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just now, after both had landed a strike on each other, Chen Hang’s spirit trembled—as if a crucial gate had suddenly opened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Flashes of insight surged forth, lifting him higher, elevating his sword realm to a new level—but still, faintly, he lacked that final step to break into the new cosmic law of “Ten Steps, One Kill.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I have the One True Dharma Realm—I’m effectively immortal, free from fatigue or exhaustion, and I have Brother Xu to spar with and feed me techniques.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang felt a pang of despair: “Yet even so, I still cannot attain ‘Ten Steps, One Kill’? Though only a step away, I’ve still not fully succeeded… Is my body’s talent truly this poor?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had long known this body’s talent was mediocre.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he first crossed into the Immortal Path, seeking to achieve Embryonic Breathing, he had died and revived countless times in the One True Dharma Realm, enduring hardship and suffering, barely succeeding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recall: the method Chen Hang chose—“Fear of Life and Death, Spontaneous Divine Attainment”—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While it could lead to the Dao, it was an unorthodox, fringe path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang’s self-mutilation—cutting off feet, stabbing his belly, slicing fingers, gouging eyes—was the fringe of the fringe, bloody and sinister; even demons wouldn’t learn it, for they too had only one life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He died and revived hundreds of times before, in the depths of oblivion, he finally sensed that faint qi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet orthodox Xuan Sect cultivators achieve Embryonic Breathing simply by holding a scripture and burning incense; with a flutter of their robes, the method dawns in their hearts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those with higher talent need not even hold scripture or burn incense—just gazing at pure sky, they spontaneously resonate. Even those with lower talent merely need more time to nurture their primordial roots.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>None of them ever descended to Chen Hang’s level—bloodied, torn, utterly without dignity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for Qi Cultivation, he had practiced it countless times within the One True Dharma Realm before daring to attempt it cautiously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without the One True Dharma Realm, Chen Hang would have needed a thousand lives just to manage the flow and shift of qi; Qi Cultivation would have been impossible for years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If my talent is poor, so be it—I have the One True Dharma Realm. I need not be weaker than ordinary cultivators.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang rallied his spirit, swept away his gloomy thoughts, and laughed aloud:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Tai Shi Yuan Zhen is the supreme true qi of the world; by grounding my Dao in this true qi, my talent must surely improve somewhat! Too bad my original body is already sixteen—even if I attain ‘Ten Steps, One Kill,’ I cannot join the Zhongyi Sword Sect as a sword cultivator.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since arriving in this world, he had studied many Daoist texts, acquiring knowledge of dubious truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One rumor, however, had caught his attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It said: if one attains the “Ten Steps, One Kill” pinnacle before age sixteen, they may enter the Zhongyi Sword Sect and be personally taken as a disciple by an Elder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, in Dong Hunzhou, where the Zhongyi Sword Sect resides, even among mortals, sword duels and martial games flourish—nearly everyone carries a sword, old and young, male and female, all possessing some basic sword techniques.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Chen Hang first read this, his heart had stirred slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then he remembered this body was already sixteen, two years from adulthood, and abandoned the thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, Dong Hunzhou was another vast province among the Nine Provinces and Four Seas, separated from his own Dong Mi Province by countless leagues; even ordinary cultivators rarely left the southern reaches of Dong Mi in their lifetimes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To cross the sea abyss and reach another great province? Even less likely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He only felt pity for Xu Zhi—this man had attained “Ten Steps, One Kill” before sixteen, a gifted sword prodigy, yet now he was trapped in this state, a testament to cruel fate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Too bad ‘Ten Steps, One Kill’ is merely the pinnacle of the mortal realm; above it must lie the Immortal Sword Ranks. Tu Shan Ge, that fox, though he’d seen the world in the Chiming Sect, didn’t pay attention—he only remembered ‘Sword Qi, Thunder Sound’ and ‘Refining Sword into Thread.’ Even if I perfect ‘Ten Steps, One Kill,’ I have no reference for what lies ahead…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang shook his head, reached out, and drew Jin Guang toward himself, transforming it into a page of Mohe Golden Scripture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Mahā Śrīmālā Samādhi】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Name】: Chen Hang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Cultivation Art】: Tai Su Jade Body (Level Five of the Profound Realm), Qi Armor Technique (Mastery), Chen Clan Archery (Mastery), Little Red Dragon Sword Scripture (Intermediate Mastery), Little Summon Wind and Mist Technique (Intermediate Mastery), Golden Man Substitution Form (Intermediate Mastery), Blood Armor Technique (Intermediate Mastery), Qing Nang Herbal Scripture (Initial Mastery), Ultimate Light Great Escape (——).\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Magic Treasures】: Liuxiao Ruler (Mid-grade Talisman Artifact), Qing E Painting Scroll (Mid-grade Talisman Artifact), Canhe Cart (Mid-grade Talisman Artifact), Purple Gold Shatter Demon Hammer (Mid-grade Talisman Artifact), Thunderfire Thunderbolt Pearl (Mid-grade Talisman Artifact), Green Bamboo Spike (Low-grade Talisman Artifact), Remove Obstruction Golden Lamp (Low-grade Talisman Artifact), One-Qi Essence Jade (Low-grade Talisman Artifact), Twelve Qiankun Bags (Low-grade Talisman Artifact), Iron Armor (Low-grade Talisman Artifact), Colorless Silk Net (Low-grade Talisman Artifact), White Bone Mirror (Low-grade Talisman Artifact), Mountain-Carrying Great Club (Low-grade Talisman Artifact), White Bamboo Ring (Low-grade Talisman Artifact), Nourishing Yin Vase (Low-grade Talisman Artifact), Bird-Caging Net (Low-grade Talisman Artifact), Tiger Strength Cloak (Low-grade Talisman Artifact), Rainbow Law Boat (Low-grade Talisman Artifact), Desire-Repelling Mirror (Low-grade Talisman Artifact), Dou Lu (Secret Treasure).\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【True Scripture】: Three Qi Illuminating Spirit Technique, Guiyuanzi’s Essentials of Qi Cultivation, Spirit Crane Breathing and Guiding Method.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Cultivation Base】: Qi Condensation Level Three (as stated in the Tai Shi Yuan Zhen Scripture by Shenwu Shu Hua Daojun).\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang glanced once, then fixed his gaze on the Little Red Dragon Sword Scripture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Mahā Golden Book had become more complex than before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dozen or so low-grade talisman artifacts—such as the Mountain-Carrying Great Club and the Desire-Repelling Mirror—were all acquired during this journey to Yuanjing, mostly from the six or seven Qiankun Bags belonging to Zhou Chuyu; they were of little use to Chen Hang and would eventually be sold at a marketplace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the newly added 【True Scripture】 category.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Three Qi Illuminating Spirit Technique, Guiyuanzi’s Essentials of Qi Cultivation, Spirit Crane Breathing and Guiding Method, and others were all dropped by the primordial spirits of Xu Zhi, Tong Gaolu, and Rong Tuoxin; all were Qi Condensation methods.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Three Qi Illuminating Spirit Technique was the foundational scripture of the Xuanzhen Sect; Chen Hang dared not touch it lightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for Guiyuanzi’s Essentials of Qi Cultivation and Spirit Crane Breathing and Guiding Method, they could be sold for a try; though low in rank, they could still fetch some talisman coins to fund his Qi cultivation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But at this moment, Chen Hang paid no attention to these; seeing the Little Red Dragon Sword Scripture remained at Intermediate Mastery, he shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How difficult it is. Whoever achieves ‘Ten Steps, One Kill’ before sixteen—what kind of heavenly talent must they possess?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang steadied his mind and summoned Xu Zhi’s heart-image again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few moments later, both figures swung their swords downward simultaneously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Kill!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, they battled for another month.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One day, aboard the Moyun Airship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Chen Hang exited the True Law Realm and sat cross-legged within the cabin to cultivate Qi, Tu Shan Ge suddenly knocked on the door and said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master, ahead lies a floating pavilion ship blocking our path. I just saw someone aboard whom you seem to know—she appears to have recognized us too. Shall we approach and greet her?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Know her?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang frowned and stepped out of the cabin to look.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With his current eyesight, he easily spotted a beautiful woman in red robes standing on the brightly lit floating pavilion ahead, gazing toward them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Indeed, I do know her.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang turned back and said coolly: “But meeting her would only bring trouble. Better not to. Veer around the pavilion and keep going.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tu Shan Ge nodded quickly; the Moyun Airship changed course and continued flying—but only half a cup of tea passed before the floating pavilion followed closely behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang reached out and seized the Thunderfire Thunderbolt Pearl in his sleeve, silently on guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This mid-grade talisman artifact had accompanied him the longest and was the one he used most comfortably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother Chen, Brother, why won’t you acknowledge me…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, a shower of falling petals shot forth from the pavilion; the woman within’s voice sounded plaintive:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you not wish to see me?”\u003C\u002Fp>",2695,"2026-06-19T22:29:59.276Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","bf909b63ff1aa6834666121f4adc84fd17c9e6a85b93622b18852bb08db82ffa","the-path-of-immortality-chapter-55","the-path-of-immortality-chapter-53",545,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-path-of-immortality-cover.jpg"]