Immortality: Grinding Experience Starting as a Paper Craftsman

Chapter 150 Time Leaves Marks, the Sword Transforms into Nothingness

Old trees sprout new buds, and the waters of the White Bone River once again ripple with emerald waves.

The wintersweet in Changning County has fallen and bloomed again, and the spring breeze has melted the last piece of ice at the foot of the city wall.

A few swallows, in early spring, slanted across the gray roof tiles and carried mud to build their nests under the eaves of a house in an ordinary alley.

On the bluestone road, the ruts left by carriages and horses were sometimes deep and sometimes shallow.

The wild grass outside the city turned yellow and then green again, and the vines of forsythia climbed all over the mottled blue brick wall outside the county government office.

The invisible hand of time has left its mark on the faces of everyone in Changning County, with varying degrees of depth.

A year has passed in the blink of an eye.

During that year, Changning County became a paradise that even Nascent Soul stage monsters dared not easily sweep through with their divine sense.

All the major sects strictly ordered their disciples to take a detour, for fear of disturbing that eccentric and gluttonous senior master.

Without external exploitation and probing, Changning County, riding the wave of the earth's revival, ushered in an explosive development.

The shops on South Street have expanded outside the city, and the traveling repairmen pay the city entry tax in a proper manner in exchange for an absolutely safe trading environment here.

Everything seemed so orderly and thriving.

However, the deepest underground chamber of the Zhenmosi County Government Office was deathly silent and desolate.

The floor of the sealed room was covered with a thick layer of grayish-white powder.

This is not dust, but the waste residue left after 100,000 low-grade spirit stones have had their spiritual energy drained.

Gu Yan sat cross-legged on the white jade cushion, his black robe remaining perfectly still as if cast in iron.

His eyes were tightly closed, and his chest rose and fell very slowly. With each breath, a faint vortex of spiritual energy swirled in the air.

a long time.

Gu Yan slowly opened his eyes. In his deep pupils, divine light in his left eye and demonic energy in his right eye flickered alternately before finally settling into a calm and serene state.

He lowered his head, looked at the ashes of spirit lime scattered on the ground, and gave a helpless bitter smile.

"For a whole year, we spent 100,000 mid-grade spirit stones, plus the incense offerings from hundreds of thousands of people in Changning County day and night, and yet our cultivation level only moved forward a little bit."

Gu Yan looked inward at the Qi Sea.

The golden pill, the size of a longan, was quietly floating in the very center of the dantian.

Its size is almost unchanged from when it first formed its core a year ago.

The black and white halo on the surface had indeed become more refined, and the dark red Dao trace of the Nascent Soul rule was also more profound. However, his cultivation level was still stuck at the early stage of the Golden Core realm.

The difficulty of spiritual practice is greater than ascending to heaven.

Gu Yan has now come to a profound and heartfelt understanding of this famous saying in the world of cultivation.

When an ordinary cultivator forms their Golden Core, their Dao foundation is pure. They only need to absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth step by step. With persistent effort, they will eventually see their cultivation level increase.

But he was different.

He is walking a path of cultivating both gods and demons, a path unprecedented in history.

Divinity requires pure and virtuous incense offerings and merits, while demonic nature requires yin and darkness, karmic obstacles, and malevolent energy.

These two forces, under the forceful combination of the Nascent Soul rules, formed a Golden Core. Its profound foundation and solid base far surpassed those of other cultivators of the same level.

However, the cost was extremely high.

To advance to a higher realm, he needs a hundred times, or even a thousand times, more spiritual energy and resources than other cultivators of the same level.

After the spiritual energy of the earth veins in Changning County was restored, a small spiritual vein was added, but it was nothing more than a drop in the ocean compared to the bottomless pit of the Divine Demon Golden Core.

"The pond here is too small to hold a fish like me with such a huge appetite. If I want to advance further in the Golden Core stage, I must go outside to find a larger spirit stone mine and a more top-tier blessed land."

Gu Yan dusted off the hem of his clothes and stood up.

Although his cultivation progressed slowly, this year of seclusion was not without its rewards.

With a thought, he saw a semi-transparent panel that only he could see in front of him.

With a ripple-like distortion of the text, the information on the panel became clearly visible.

【Flowing Cloud Myriad Transformations Sword Technique (Grandmaster Level): 0/50000000】

[Characteristic Derivation: Interplay of Reality and Illusion]

[Characteristic Description: The host has perfectly intertwined the authority of the Paper Realm with the Flowing Cloud Sword Intent. Sword energy can adhere to even the smallest dust particles of paper, transforming into formless clouds and mist. When these clouds and mist gather, they form a substantial killing array, capable of slicing through metal and jade. When they disperse, they become ethereal smoke and dust, ignoring conventional five-element defensive techniques. The sword strikes are formless, killing without form, and inherently possess the ability to block divine sense detection.]

Looking at these lines of text, a genuine smile finally appeared on Gu Yan's pale face.

After a year, consuming a massive amount of Qi-restoring pills, and enduring countless tedious and outrageously repetitive sword swings, he finally managed to grind this core inner sect sword technique of the Flowing Cloud Sect to the Grandmaster level.

Gu Yan raised his right hand, bringing his index and middle fingers together.

A soft, slightly damp white cloud suddenly appeared at his fingertips.

This white cloud looks harmless, like the most ordinary morning mist in the mountains and forests.

Gu Yan flicked his finger.

The white cloud drifted lightly forward and crashed into the ancient ice wall at the end of the secret chamber, a wall used to test the power of magic.

There was no explosion, and no tremor.

The white clouds seemed to pass through a phantom, merging seamlessly into the interior of the ice wall, before drifting out from the other side of the wall and dissipating into the air.

Gu Yan stepped forward.

The smooth, flat surface of the ancient ice wall showed no abnormalities.

He reached out and gently touched the wall.

"Splash!"

In an instant, the entire solid, millennia-old wall of ice shattered into countless ice crystals smaller than grains of sand, cascading down like a waterfall and quickly piling up into a small iceberg on the ground.

Gu Yan withdrew his hand, his eyes filled with undisguised amazement.

This is the terrifying aspect of the interplay between reality and illusion.

The moment the white cloud touched the ice wall, it transformed into a phantom without any physical form and directly penetrated into the interior of the wall.

Upon entering the interior, it transformed into a physical paper sword killing array, pulverizing the Xuanbing wall from within.

This method of ignoring external defenses and directly causing physical damage from the inside is simply the nemesis of all protective qi and defensive magic weapons.

Even a body cultivator in the late Golden Core stage, if caught off guard and exposed to this cloud of mist, would have their internal organs instantly turned into mincemeat.

"With this master-level Myriad Transformations Sword Technique, coupled with my deliberately disguised divine aura, even if the Nascent Soul Ancestor of the Flowing Cloud Sect were to my face, he would only think that I am an unparalleled sword cultivator who has comprehended the Great Dao of Clouds, and would never associate me with the strange methods of the paper craftsman."

Gu Yan breathed a long sigh of relief.

The usual methods are ready; now it's time to go outside and deal with the storm.

He turned and walked towards the door of the secret chamber, placing his hand on the cold Dragon-Slaying Stone. Spiritual energy surged forth, and the door swung open with a roar.

The long-awaited sunlight streamed down the stone steps, carrying the warmth unique to early summer.

Gu Yan walked down the stone steps to the ground.

In the courtyard, the old peach tree has already borne unripe fruit.

Under the shade of the tree, two figures, one in red and one in black, stood facing each other.

Song Hong, dressed in fiery red, held a crimson longsword in her hand, its blade wreathed in powerful, fiery true energy.

Opposite her, Xiao Chen, dressed in black, stood like a withered tree, holding the Broken Karma Sword, his breathing almost imperceptible.

"cut."

With a shout, Song Hongjiao moved like lightning, her long sword drawing a dazzling fiery crescent in the air, carrying the power to split mountains and cleave peaks, heading straight for Xiao Chen's face.

The power of this strike has firmly reached the threshold of Foundation Establishment Perfection.

Xiao Chen neither dodged nor evaded, until the blade was only three inches from his nose, at which point the Broken Karma Sword in his arms was suddenly drawn half an inch from its sheath.

It was only half an inch.

A desolate, icy, and extreme sword intent suddenly erupted.

The blazing true energy on Song Hongdao was extinguished instantly by this sword intent, like a candle flame encountering a strong wind.

The blade of the longsword froze in mid-air, unable to advance even an inch further.

With a gentle press of his thumb, Xiao Chen's Sword of Severance returned to its sheath, all its sharpness instantly concealed.

"Junior sister, you flatter me."

Xiao Chen spoke calmly, without a trace of pride, as if stating a fact.

Song Hong sheathed her long sword, wiped the fine sweat from her forehead, and instead of being angry, burst into laughter.

"As expected of a body refined by a hundred years of jade marrow. Senior brother, with your current half-step Golden Core sword intent, you could probably kill a true early Golden Core cultivator with a single strike. With you in charge of Changning County, let's see who dares to cause trouble."

"You two have quite the refined taste."

Gu Yan clapped his hands and walked out of the shadows of the pillars with a smile on his face.

"Junior brother."

"Junior Brother Gu."

Upon hearing the sound, Song Hong and Xiao Chen turned their heads simultaneously and saw Gu Yan emerge from seclusion. Their eyes flashed with undisguised joy.

Gu Yan walked slowly into the courtyard, looked the two of them over, and nodded in satisfaction.

"It seems that neither of you has slacked off this year. Sister Song has reached the Foundation Establishment stage, and Senior Brother Xiao is at the half-step Golden Core stage. With such strength, they can be considered top-tier experts even within the inner sect of the Flowing Cloud Sect."

Song Hong strode over to Gu Yan's side, looked him up and down, and frowned.

"Junior brother, you've been in seclusion for a year, and your aura is even more restrained than it was a year ago? If I didn't see you standing here with my own eyes, I wouldn't have been able to sense your presence at all. Could it be... that you've broken through again?"

Gu Yan smiled and shook his head.

"The path to immortality is never that easy. My cultivation level remains the same. I've just gained a deeper understanding of the techniques and learned to conceal my abilities."

He walked to the stone table, sat down, poured himself a cup of cold tea, and drank it all in one gulp.

"Let me calculate the days; there's less than a month left until the Eastern Continent Grand Competition. Any news from the Flowing Cloud Sect?"

The smile on Song Hong's face vanished when Liuyun Sect was mentioned.

She walked over and sat down opposite Gu Yan, her expression becoming somewhat serious.

"Junior brother, this is exactly what I wanted to tell you. Half a month ago, the Law Enforcement Hall of the Flowing Cloud Sect sent a message by flying sword, urging you to set off as soon as possible and return to the sect to reunite with the other true disciples."

Gu Yan held the teacup, noticing the unusual tone in Song Hong's words.

"The Enforcement Hall is urging me? These matters of disciples returning to their sects to report for duty and participate in the grand competition have always been handled by the Internal Affairs Hall. When did it become the Enforcement Hall's place to interfere?"

Song Hong lowered her voice, a hint of worry flashing in her eyes.

"Because the current acting head of the Enforcement Hall is Zhao Wuji."

Upon hearing this name, Gu Yan lowered his eyelids.

Zhao Wuji, the Grand Elder of the Liuyun Sect.

The spoiled brat in the Sunset Valley underground palace, Zhao Lingfeng's biological father.

"That old bastard Zhao Wuji, relying on his late-stage Golden Core realm, has always acted arrogantly and domineeringly within the sect. His son died in Sunset Valley, and although all the evidence pointed to the Demonic Sect, he refused to believe it and, like a mad dog, investigated everyone who had entered Sunset Valley back then from top to bottom."

Song Hong gritted her teeth and said, "With your fabricated Nascent Soul master protecting Changning County, he wouldn't dare send anyone here to act recklessly. So, he extended his reach to the Internal Affairs Hall, taking over the task of urging you to return to the sect from the Enforcement Hall. This is clearly a case of a weasel paying respects to a chicken—he has no good intentions. He must have laid a trap in the Flowing Cloud Sect, just waiting for you to return."

Xiao Chen gripped his sword, stepped forward, and spoke in an icy voice.

"Junior brother, it's easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to guard against an arrow in the dark. Zhao Wuji is deeply entrenched in the sect, and it would be too dangerous for you to go back alone. Why don't I go with you, so we can look after each other?"

Looking at his two companions, Gu Yan felt a surge of warmth in his heart.

But he still firmly shook his head.

"No need. Changning County is our root, and the incense and the earth's veins here must not be damaged. Senior Brother Xiao must stay here to guard it. With you here, I can confidently unleash my skills outside."

Gu Yan stood up and placed a yellowish-brown jade plaque engraved with the Xuanwu totem on the table.

"This is the core of the Xuanwu Grand Formation. After I leave, Changning County will be completely sealed off, and no new resident cultivators from outside will be accepted. If you encounter a tough opponent, don't fight them head-on; just activate the grand formation and crush them. If anything goes wrong, blame it all on my Nascent Soul master."

Song Hong solemnly put away the jade pendant and nodded.

"Don't worry, nothing will go wrong at home. But what about Zhao Wuji? What are you planning to do?"

Gu Yan walked to the red plum tree in the courtyard and reached out to break off a withered branch.

With a gentle rub of his fingertips, the withered twig turned into dust.

"Zhao Wuji is a cunning old fox. He wouldn't dare to openly kill me in the Liuyun Sect. The sect leader still needs me as a link between Nascent Soul cultivators and other sects to intimidate them."

Gu Yan's gaze became extremely deep, with a chilling killing intent hidden deep within.

"At most, he can only make things difficult for me by using various underhanded methods within the rules, or he can use someone else to do his dirty work on the way to the Dongzhou Grand Competition."

Gu Yan patted the dust off his hands and chuckled softly.

"If he follows the rules, I'll play along and put on a show of respect for his teacher in front of the sect leader. If he tries to play dirty tricks..."

Gu Yan didn't finish his sentence.

If Zhao Wuji is truly tired of living, then he wouldn't mind letting the Blood Swordsman clone, who is hiding in the shadows and is renowned throughout the Demonic Sect, teach this Grand Elder what true cruelty is.

"Alright, don't worry about me. I've been living in peace and tranquility in Changning County for too long; I'm practically rusting. It's time to go out and see what kind of people those so-called prodigies in Dongzhou really are."

Gu Yan stretched and turned to walk towards his bedroom.

"I'll pack my bags and leave tomorrow morning."

……

The next day, as dawn broke.

The morning mist still shrouded the streets and alleys of Changning County.

There was no grand farewell ceremony, nor a procession of officials seeing them off.

Gu Yan changed into a standard blue Taoist robe, typical of inner disciples of the Liuyun Sect, and tied his long hair up with a simple wooden hairpin, looking like an ordinary Taoist who was just starting out and preparing to travel to the mortal world.

A dusty gray storage bag hung from his waist, and he waved his signature tattered folding fan as he walked out of the back door of the Demon Suppression Bureau alone.

Song Hong and Xiao Chen stood on the city wall, quietly watching the figure walking along the bluestone path towards the outside of the city.

The steamed bun shop in the west of the city had just lifted the lid of its steamer, and steaming white vapor rose up.

A vegetable farmer, who had been working from dawn till dusk, carrying a shoulder pole, brushed past Gu Yan and greeted him with a smile: "Lord Gu, you're up so early, taking a stroll."

Gu Yan smiled and nodded: "Yes, I'm going on a long trip to visit relatives."

Ordinary people, unaware of the dangers of the cultivation world, simply assumed that this kind and approachable person was on his way to visit relatives.

Gu Yan walked out of the city gate and onto the official road leading east.

He turned around and took one last look at the city that was gradually awakening in the morning light.

This city represents ten years of his hard work and will be the foundation for his future enlightenment.

Gu Yan withdrew his gaze, turned around and took a step, shrinking the distance to an inch.

In a single step, he covered dozens of feet.

Just a few steps later, his figure disappeared into the distant morning mist.

At this time.

In a side hall of the main hall of the Liuyun Sect, thousands of miles away.

The First Elder, Zhao Wuji, sat cross-legged on a cold jade bed, looking at the jade slip in his hand that had just begun to emit a sound transmission light.

A sinister and terrifying smile appeared on his face, which was covered with age spots.

"We've left the city."

Zhao Wuji exerted force with his five fingers, crushing the jade slip into powder.

"It's been years. Gu Changsheng, you've finally decided to crawl out of that tortoise shell."

He stood up, walked to the window of the side hall, and looked down at the misty peaks of the outer gate, his eyes burning with deep-seated hatred and madness.

"A disciple of a Nascent Soul cultivator? Ridiculous. In the cultivation world, countless geniuses die in accidents every day. As long as you die cleanly and without a trace, even if that cultivator is angry, he will only settle accounts with those scapegoats."

Zhao Wuji turned around and looked at a black-clad assassin who had been kneeling in the shadows.

"Send a message to the Shadow Tower: the target has left Changning County. Tell them I don't care what trump cards that kid has, or how many of them die. As long as they bring me Gu Changsheng's head, I'll give them a medium-sized spirit stone mine!"

The black-clad assassin kowtowed, then turned into a pool of black water and disappeared into the ground.

Zhao Wuji's chilling laughter echoed in the side hall.

A deadly hunt for Gu Yan was launched the moment he stepped out of Changning County.

At this moment, Gu Yan was walking on the scenic official road, looking with great interest at a wild lily that had just bloomed by the roadside.