[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-path-of-immortality":3,"chapter-the-path-of-immortality-the-path-of-immortality-chapter-85":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},2271235,4436,"Chapter 85: Kill First, Then Rest","the-path-of-immortality-chapter-85",85,"\u003Cp>That flying sword came with terrifying speed; in just a few breaths, the Blood Lotus Sect’s Foundation Establishment cultivator felt a sharp stab before his eyes—the Qinglü Sword was mere inches away!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A brilliant, razor-sharp gleam shot forth; though it had not yet touched his body, it cut into his skin, muscles, and bones with searing pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the instant of life and death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cultivator barely steadied his mind, then forced his mysterious art to surge—two streams of three-zhang-long true qi erupted from his shoulders, thick and foul, crimson as blood; merely smelling it made one’s head spin dizzily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The foul true qi exploded with a thunderous crack, defiantly meeting the Qinglü Sword—but it could not hold for more than a few breaths before rending like torn silk, peeled away layer by layer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cultivator had just caught his breath when his true qi was sliced open; he twisted his body with all his strength, barely avoiding the vital points of his head—but still too slow, losing one arm to the sword, blood gushing uncontrollably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He let out a shriek of agony, his vision darkened, and he nearly collapsed to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Yuan Yang also shattered the tortoise shell with a punch, stepping over its shattered fragments, striding like a dragon and tiger, his fist whipping up a chilling wind as he slammed it toward his own face!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Want to kill me? Want to kill Dong Shao? I’m a Foundation Establishment cultivator! You? Do you even have the right to try?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the fist imprint even reached him, a crushing aura pressed down, halting his heartbeat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Blood Lotus Sect cultivator named Dong Shao bit down hard on his tongue, his mind clearing instantly; he forced himself back to awareness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He realized he had already forged true qi—his power was supreme! Yet since encountering these two, he had been crushed from start to finish, unable to land a single counterattack; his eyes burned with rage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hah!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He spat out several mouthfuls of essence blood, chanted a secret incantation, and in an instant, his body was drenched in crimson light, his skin, membranes, tendons, and bones hardening like refined iron.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He staggered a few steps, barely avoiding disaster as he absorbed Yuan Yang’s heavy, thunderous punch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even when the Qinglü Sword slashed at him, it sank only a few inches into his flesh before stopping cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, the blood droplets falling from Dong Shao’s body shimmered like rainbow light, nearly blindingly colorful!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Die!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After forcing back the Qinglü Sword, he unleashed all his true qi, laughing harshly as a massive crimson hand rose from his crown, slamming down like a man crushing a rat to crush Yuan Yang beneath it!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A thunderous boom echoed, deep as rolling thunder!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The expanding shockwave shattered every blade of grass and tree around them, ripples spreading outward like waves on water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the crimson hand did not stop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It pounded down dozens more times, only dissolving when his true qi could no longer sustain its form.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the dust finally cleared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The deep crater before him held no trace of Yuan Yang’s figure…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On a large green rock dozens of zhang away, Yuan Yang grinned at the stunned Dong Shao, then sighed and shook his head, rolling his blood and qi to heal all his wounds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Incredible force! Your true qi is formidable—far stronger than that last one! Impressive! Truly impressive! Had I not used ‘Shrink Earth to Inch’ first, I’d have been in deep trouble!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He smiled at Chen Hang:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But, Brother Chen, this Dong Shao may be strong, but with our combined strength, killing him isn’t impossible… Looks like our bounty this time will be even richer!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang said nothing, merely directing the Qinglü Sword to strike again; after enduring several blows, the crimson aura on Dong Shao’s body finally dimmed, clearly exhausted, on the verge of collapse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, the fury on his face faded back into raw terror.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn it! How can this brat’s fetal breath be stronger than my true qi? What rank of qi cultivation art is this? Is he some demon reborn? And that martial artist…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dong Shao’s eyes flickered wildly; even as his mind raced, the flying sword never paused—its clear, piercing cry cut through the air as it hurtled toward him with the intent to pierce clouds and split stone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cornered, Dong Shao roared, pulling out a large green-faced umbrella that unleashed countless black-and-yellow thunderbolts, blasting toward the Qinglü Sword to halt its assault; in an instant, the sky was filled with flashing lightning, a terrifying spectacle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This umbrella was his prized secret treasure, named the “Three Perils Umbrella”; one spin summoned thunder and lightning, two spins released golden winds and blazing fire, three spins summoned poisonous mists and toxic fumes—and each spin’s effect could be activated at will, not bound by sequence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had obtained this “Three Perils Umbrella” from an ancient ruin; its power was extraordinary, having wiped out countless enemies—it was his ultimate trump card.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike magic treasures, secret treasures required no forging or sealing; they were refined through esoteric methods, and the “Three Perils Umbrella” operated outside conventional norms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It did not require the cultivator’s fetal breath or true qi; its power came from a strange mineral called “Soul-Mother Water Essence,” which had to be absorbed to activate its abilities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Dong Shao had obtained a tray of “Soul-Mother Water Essence” from the ancient ruin, years of battle had depleted most of it—he had little left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this life-or-death moment, he no longer cared about sparing it; he unleashed the “Three Perils Umbrella” to its full extent, summoning not only thunder and lightning but also torrents of golden winds, blazing fire, and choking toxic fumes—dense, overwhelming, terrifyingly loud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But his two opponents:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Yang, relying on his thick hide, absorbed the blows outright; even when a few thunderbolts struck fiercely, he evaded them with “Shrink Earth to Inch,” unharmed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang, meanwhile, wielded the Qinglü Sword to guard every inch of his body, impenetrable, unmoved by any rain or wind from outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether thunder or gale—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All were cleaved in one stroke!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clean. Precise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Worse still, Dong Shao was terrified to notice that amid this grueling battle, Chen Hang’s body was faintly radiating an indescribable, razor-sharp killing aura—as if ready to merge with the flying sword and sever his head in one blow!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After struggling for roughly half a stick of incense, Dong Shao grew increasingly panicked; when his last piece of “Soul-Mother Water Essence” was spent, he finally broke, his spirit shattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wrapped his true qi around himself and leapt skyward, vanishing in a flash into the clouds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Yang’s expression hardened; just as he prepared to use “Shrink Earth to Inch,” Chen Hang’s flying sword became a long green rainbow, slashing after him!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A deafening scream pierced the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instantly, a bloody figure tumbled from the sky, crashing heavily to the ground, bones broken, tendons severed, barely breathing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the Qinglü Sword did not stop—it spun once more, severing Dong Shao’s legs and his last remaining arm, before calmly dissolving into a streak of light, reabsorbed into Chen Hang’s wide sleeve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He’s barely breathing already, and you still cut him into a limbless stump? Tsk! Little Chen, you’re too cruel!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Dong Shao’s pitiful state,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Yang shrank his neck, muttering inwardly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good thing I never provoked him to death—if I had, my fate wouldn’t be much better… These orthodox immortal cultivators are so ruthless. Compared to them, I’m positively kind-hearted—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, though Dong Shao’s limbs had been severed and he writhed in agony, he did not beg for mercy; instead, he mustered a final surge of true qi to stabilize his organs and body, halting the bleeding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you think killing me ends everything? Ridiculous! You can kill me, but can you kill every Foundation Establishment cultivator in the Blood Lotus Sect? Let me tell you plainly—our team leader, Qin Xian, is already at Foundation Establishment Second Layer: ‘Great and Small as One.’ No matter how skilled you are in combat, you cannot defeat him!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Chen Hang approach, Dong Shao’s face flickered with fear, yet he forced himself to speak firmly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I want to ask you: earlier, Sister Liu sent me a message saying she’d found your trail and asked me to assist her… But when I arrived, she was gone. Has Sister Liu already died at your hands?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Chen Hang could answer,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Yang raised an eyebrow and shook his head:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That beautiful female cultivator with purple eyes? Dead. She was a bit mad—just one look at Brother Chen and she screamed ‘I found him! I found him!’ then attacked us. Brother Chen cut off half her skull with one sword—she died on the spot.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Yang added, “Your Sister Liu may not have been strong, but those eyes of hers—where did they come from? Interesting. Can they pierce illusions and reveal truth? What kind of Dao art is that? Do they have a name?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dong Shao heard only the first half of Yuan Yang’s words—he froze, stunned in place; the rest passed unheard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only after Yuan Yang glared at him several times did he slowly come back to himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s a divine eye technique granted by the Flower God Mansion. As you said, it pierces illusions and reveals truth. Legend says if perfected, it holds boundless, supreme power… This time, the Flower God Mansion generously bestowed this divine eye art upon us disciples who volunteered to lead the charge under Brother Qin Xian.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dong Shao gave a bitter laugh:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sister Liu was the only one among us who mastered this divine eye art. Brother Chen, even if you veil your face, how could you hide from her? Too bad—so very, very bad! She had a brilliant future ahead, yet she fell to you! What a tragedy!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A qi cultivator, and a meaningless martial artist… Looks like not only Sister Liu, but I too am doomed…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Yuan Yang snapped: “What do you mean ‘meaningless martial artist’? It’s the Gangsha Martial Dao! You’re a country bumpkin—no sense of discernment!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But his words met no reply; Dong Shao’s face was ashen, only sighing endlessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why are you hunting me? Is it because I killed two of your fellow sect members earlier?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this, Chen Hang stepped forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two days ago,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had casually slain two Blood Lotus Sect cultivators: a very fat female, and a male who had used the “Eyeless Hu Qin” transmission technique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially that “Eyeless Hu Qin” cultivator—he’d hidden a fifth-rank middle-grade Red Demon True Qi, something Chen Hang remembered vividly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You killed my fellow sect members? So you remember the trouble you caused!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dong Shao sneered at this, his dazed spirit briefly sharpening:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The woman doesn’t matter, but the man was Zheng Hua! He was my sect’s senior sister’s favorite concubine! You killed her favorite concubine under our watch—how could we possibly return to the sect unscathed?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang, you have only one path to survive: become my senior sister’s concubine! It’s a blessing no one else could ever hope for—why are you resisting? Ungrateful fool!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Overcome with emotion, Dong Shao spat another mouthful of blood, forcing himself to speak:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you submit to my senior sister, you become Blood Lotus Sect. Our grudges vanish. But if you refuse, even if you escape this Huaiewu Cave, you’ll be hunted down by our sect—no heaven to climb, no earth to hide in!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Concubine?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Senior sister?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Yang, arms crossed beside them, suddenly shivered with intense curiosity, staring at Chen Hang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Dong Shao kept rambling on about the benefits of becoming the senior sister’s concubine—rare treasures, cultivation resources, all manner of luxuries—making Yuan Yang’s heart burn with envy, itching to take his place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was about to urge Chen Hang to just accept it already.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old saying goes well:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A woman three years older brings gold bricks; a woman thirty years older brings a kingdom; a woman three thousand years older…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Landing a senior cultivator through your own merit isn’t a bad thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as he turned his head, he saw the deep, restrained killing aura in Chen Hang’s eyes—like the heaviest frost of early spring; just one glance sent icy dread through his bones!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Yang chuckled awkwardly, shrank his neck again, and turned his face away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Romance and desire—aren’t they natural human urges? Even if you call it ‘concubine,’ the benefits sound no different from marriage… Little Chen, why are you so stubborn? Why not choose me? I’m not bad-looking either!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he muttered inwardly,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dong Shao, seeing Chen Hang hadn’t moved to kill him yet, dared to hope; he forced himself upright and sighed:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Young Brother Chen, since you killed my senior sister’s concubine, you must replace him. And it’s no hardship—she’s admired you for a long time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You didn't know? The man you killed, Zheng Hua, was the one Senior Sister sought out based on your appearance.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dong Shao said: \"He and you actually bear a fair resemblance...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He resembles me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang fell silent for a few breaths, then suddenly laughed and said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If I refused, I’d hardly escape the Blood Lotus Sect’s wrath, would I?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Dong Shao could reply, he went on himself: \"Then please, Senior Brother, go ahead.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A streak of green light shot out from his sleeve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, blood sprayed through the air, and a head tumbled to the ground...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After picking up Dong Shao’s belongings, before he could even examine them, a voice suddenly echoed in his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Young Daoist, it’s been a long time. Seeing you unharmed, this old man can finally rest easy.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang frowned, unconsciously gripping the object in his hand, a faint shock stirring in his heart:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Master Huaiwu?\"\u003C\u002Fp>",2310,"2026-06-19T22:29:59.276Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","771a02d76088d348de537eeb7954225b1dd91ff80502b9bae2f64ffcde49dbb9","the-path-of-immortality-chapter-86","the-path-of-immortality-chapter-84",545,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-path-of-immortality-cover.jpg"]