Aspiring to the Immortal Path
chapter-483

After shaking off the pursuit, Tang Jie heaved a sigh of relief, and he started to think about what to do next.

In his current circumstances, there was no hope of escaping Nadir Hill in the short term. He had to think about surviving first.

Although the sea of people was vast and catching someone wasn't easy, the Rosecloud Domain was home to many kinds of spell arts, and no one could fully enumerate all the abilities they had. For example, the Beast Refining Gate had its hunting dogs that ensured that one could never escape no matter how they changed their appearance. He was sure that it wouldn't be long before those things took the stage.

But just like how Godhead Palace had precautions against Tang Jie, the hunting dogs could be dealt with if one was prepared. Tang Jie knew of a kind of befuddling grass that could be ground up and applied to the body, allowing him to fool the noses of the dogs. But these things were difficult to find, so he needed to think of something else.

Now that he thought about it, this teleportation had just been too hasty. He hadn't been able to prepare anything, with the most problematic omission being the materials to summon his original body.

The Mountain River State Diagram's teleportation formation required materials to activate, but these materials were expensive, and Tang Jie had spent most of his resources on the three formations meant to deal with the fiend army. This took away from the resources he needed for the teleportation formation, but he had thought that this was fine, since he hadn't planned on needing to use it. But now, the teleportation formation became his last resort.

Hiding in the Nine Executions Immortal Formation was actually a pretty good idea, but as a consequence, if both of them were inside the Nine Executions Immortal Formation, there would be nobody to put away the Mountain River State Diagram. This was essentially leaving the door open. Moreover, lacking resources and bereft of anyone to activate the teleportation formation, Tang Jie would find it very hard to get back.

Thus, Tang Jie would rather let the avatar die than choose this path.

Checking his Mustard Seed Bag, Tang Jie discovered that he had a pitiful amount of resources. What he had the most were beans, which he had planned to use to deal with the fiends at the very end. There was very little of anything else.

My first priority is to gather more resources.

Only by gathering enough resources could Tang Jie survive in Nadir Hill.

Tang Jie flew along, and as he left that vast mountainous region, Tang Jie finally saw a town.

The town wasn't big, but because of its location, it was rather thriving. There were probably cultivators here, and also treasure-appraising halls and other stores that serviced cultivators.

Tang Jie landed outside the town before walking.

Tang Jie really did spot an appraisal boutique going by the name of "Bright Mirror Boutique". The sign hanging over its door seemed rather ordinary, but Tang Jie could tell that it was a tool specifically built for identifying fiends.

If a disguised fiend entered the store, the sign would issue a silent alarm. It was rather creative.

Tang Jie entered and passed over a list of the materials he needed to the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper reviewed the list and then said, "Sir, please wait a moment. This lowly one will fetch them now."

Tang Jie slightly frowned as he watched the shopkeeper leave.

While the things he wanted weren't some important treasures of the cultivation world, among mortals, they were considered rather valuable. This shopkeeper was a mere mortal, so even if he had some experience running the store, he shouldn't have remained so composed after seeing the list. Moreover, even though this store was meant for serving cultivators, it was still a small store in a small town. Tang Jie needed a broad variety of materials, and he didn't think that this single store would be enough to satisfy him. So why did that shopkeeper act like he had everything?

Suspicious, he extended his Spirit Will out of the store.

A few moments later, the shopkeeper returned and said to Tang Jie, "Sir, please wait a moment. The value of the materials you want is rather high, and they need to be delivered from the storehouse. I've already sent someone, and he will return in a little while."

Tang Jie indifferently replied, "Along with a big group from Godhead Palace, I presume? I really didn't think that they would be so careful, even notifying the treasure-appraising boutiques."

The shopkeeper froze, shock appearing on his face. "Sir…"

Tang Jie's hand shot out, breaking that shopkeeper's neck, and then he turned to leave.

Suddenly, he stopped and turned his head. The shopkeeper's falling body had brought down a cabinet, and a green leaf was peeking out from it. Upon closer inspection, he realized that it was a hundred-year Magnolia Grass.

This wasn't of the best quality, but it was rather rare for such a small town, so it was probably the prize item of the shop.

Tang Jie decided to take it, and after some thought, he decided to just take everything. Opening the drawers, he plundered all of the store's inventory.

After taking everything, he suddenly froze, and then he threw his head back and laughed. "What an idiot I'm being! Why do I need to buy anything? I can just steal it!"

When a person spent too long in a civilized and peaceful world, they would follow the rules in everything.

Someone like Tang Jie excelled in doing things according to the rules, because there had never been a time where he didn't act by the rules, a time where he needed to use his fists as his argument.

For this reason, even when he was stranded in Nadir Hill, he still acted according to his old habits.

The Magnolia Grass had reminded Tang Jie what his current status was—a status that he would have for some time.

He was a fugitive!

In this land, everyone was his enemy!

It didn't matter if he kept to the rules of this place. The only thing that mattered was survival!

It seemed very simple, but when a person was panicking and running for their life, it was actually quite difficult to make this realization.

Tang Jie counted himself lucky that he had realized this on only his second day as a fugitive. This had saved him from taking many detours and also boosted his survival chances.

Tang Jie's mind crackled with ideas, and many questions that had confused him were now answered.

At this moment, loud voices came from the distance, someone even shouting, "Tang Jie is here! Don't let him run off!"

So fast?

Tang Jie was taken aback.

Walking out of the store, Tang Jie saw that it was a group of ten-some Spirit Masters. From their clothes, it was clear that they didn't belong to Godhead Palace.

Tang Jie immediately understood that this was a local minor sect that had immediately come upon hearing the news that Tang Jie was here. These minor sects had limited strength, and their intelligence networks were awful, so they probably hadn't even known who Tang Jie was before this. Thus, when they heard that Tang Jie had appeared, they immediately headed over.

The fact that the leader was a peak Mortal Shedding Spirit Master was a sign of how weak the foundations of this sect were.

But this minor sect came charging over with great gusto, the leading cultivator shouting, "Yes, that's him! Seize him at once!"

Tang Jie's eyes flashed. "Courting death!"

He threw out the Mountain River State Diagram, and the ghost guard charged out from the waterfall.

Before those cultivators even got close, a ghost claw grabbed a cultivator's head. With a slight exertion of strength, the cultivator's head crumpled, and then the ghost guard moved on to the next target.

A massacre!

An absolute massacre!

The ghost guard's True Person strength was enough to utterly overwhelm a local minor sect.

Amidst ghostly wailing, cultivator after cultivator was felled.

More cultivators were constantly streaming in—probably reinforcements from this minor sect who had been a little too slow. They were so weak that they hadn't even entered the Mortal Shedding Realm, so they did not draw the attacks of the ghost guard and were able to witness the carnage of this battle.

The street had become a slaughterhouse, the ghost guard's figure appearing almost anywhere one could imagine.

None of them could take even one blow from the ghost guard. The ghost guard seemed to be playing with them, each time killing only one person.

Thus, those "ancestors", "elders", "seniors", "masters", and "martial uncles" all died to those ghostly apparitions, a pair of hands instantly taking countless lives.

As for the person they had been targeting, he simply stood there and watched, not once making a move.

The disciples who had come afterward stood in the distance, completely dumbfounded, their legs trembling and their faces pale.

"Run!" An elder of the sect finally realized how wrong they had been to take this mission, crying out with all his strength. And then a sharp ghost claw tore through his chest, the barrier that he had spent decades cultivating being unable to take a casual swipe from the ghost guard.

Those disciples seemed to wake from a dream and finally realized that they had to run. But the ghost guard had already killed the last person of the previous batch.

He raised his head and looked at the fleeing disciples, and then he looked at Tang Jie.

Tang Jie indifferently said, "Keep one alive. Kill the rest."

The ghost guard nodded and blinked away.

In the distance, blood flowed.

A few moments later, the ghost guard brought back the survivor and threw him at Tang Jie's feet.

This person was already scared silly.

Tang Jie stepped on the disciple and said, "What's your name?"

The disciple looked up in shock at Tang Jie.

"Talk if you don't want to die."

"Xu… Xu Bin."

"Where is your sect?"

The disciple froze, and then he shouted, "You've killed the sect master, you've killed my master, you've killed everyone! And now, you want to massacre the sect? I won't tell you! I won't!"

"Even if you don't talk, I already know. That shopkeeper had barely sent out the word, but you guys managed to get here so quickly, so it should be nearby. Based on the direction all of you came from, it should be that mountain outside of town," Tang Jie said, using his chin to gesture at a small mountain in the distance.

The disciple felt like he had been dropped into an ice house.

He shouted, "No…"

Seeing his frantic appearance, Tang Jie nodded in satisfaction. "It seems like I'm right."

Thud!

A punch from Tang Jie pulverized his head.

Seeing this, Yiyi, who had transformed back into a human, couldn't keep watching.

She softly said, "Big Brother, isn't doing this a little cruel?"

"I know," Tang Jie indifferently said. "They are nothing more than lackeys taking Godhead Palace's orders, which doesn't deserve death. Unfortunately, to survive, we have to act like this… We have to let those people know that Tang Jie is not to be lightly provoked. Those who dare to help Godhead Palace… must all die!"

Tang Jie paused for a moment, and then he continued, "Since they plan to kill someone, they need to prepare to be killed. Since we can't leave this place for now, we might as well kill to our heart's content while we're in Nadir Hill!"

The Great Aspiration he had made all those years ago once more boomed in his head. Tang Jie's eyes grew brighter, and his mind became more resolved.

Before this, he had still been thinking about how to escape. But now that his mind was clear, he began to think about things from a whole new perspective.

Perhaps this was the will of the heavens, reminding him of the oath he swore.

Since the heavens had sent him here, he naturally had to make the best use of it.

Now was the time to go on a killing spree in Nadir Hill.

Anyone who stopped him would die!

Tang Jie threw his head back and laughed, and then he flew toward that small mountain.

This sect was very small, and only the weak were left on the mountain.

In the end, Tang Jie didn't start another slaughter. He grabbed someone and interrogated them on the location of the sect's storehouse. He then went over, emptied out the storehouse, and then set the sect aflame.

He left a message on the ground: "Such is the fate of those who aid villains!"

He flew off.

Some time later, several figures appeared in the distance.

Their leader was a black-robed man with a leisurely attitude: Feng Buzhi.

Smoke still rose from the mountain, accompanied by the helpless and despairing cries of the survivors.

Feng Buzhi looked down from the sky, saying nothing.

"Brother Feng!" a cultivator next to him said.

Feng Buzhi silently gazed at the ruins.

After a while, he said, "The savagery and resolve of his methods are unusual. Such actions are indicative of a willingness to die for one's goal. Report back to the palace that Tang Jie won't obediently submit. Dealing with this child requires being prepared to accept utterly crushing and gaining nothing from him."

"Yes!"

"Find some people to take care of the survivors. If this happens again, you should handle them in the same way."

"Brother Feng is magnanimous!"

Feng Buzhi replied, "It is not me being magnanimous. Tang Jie is clearly trying to intimidate the other sects. This Flowing Spring Sect ultimately died because of orders from my Godhead Palace. If we do not properly support the survivors, we won't be able to explain ourselves to the other sects. Only by showing our sincerity can we calm the people."

(TN: Please see the Author's Note in the for why Feng Buzhi says "my Godhead Palace".)

"Brother Feng is wise!" The cultivator used this chance to flatter Feng Buzhi.

Feng Buzhi didn't care, only saying, "Based on the direction Tang Jie came from, he must have failed to break through the border. Now that he's flying back, it is hard to say where he will go. We need someone who specializes in pursuit to catch him. Use a message talisman to request the aid of King Canis."

"'King Canis'?" The cultivator was startled

Godhead Palace had eight kings and nine generals, and He Changan, the illustrious King Canis, was one of them.

He wasn't called "King Canis" because he was skilled in raising dogs, but because he possessed a nose like a dog's. Anyone whose scent he remembered would never be able to escape. It was said that this was some sort of Dao.

King Canis was a peak Celestial Heart cultivator, his status akin to one of the Basking Moon Sect's 19 Celestial Chiefs.

If Feng Buzhi was requesting his help, this matter was truly a rather difficult one.

Godhead Palace truly had sent many of its capable men to deal with Tang Jie, but it couldn't even dispatch people like He Changan. No matter how formidable Tang Jie was, he was only at the peak of Mortal Shedding. The difficulty was in finding him, not dealing with him.

Thus, one of the other cultivators said, "I don't think we need to go that far. The 12 Divine Hawks of the Hawk Hall are also skilled in pursuit. They should be able to find Tang Jie."

Feng Buzhi snorted. "You really think that I suggested inviting King Canis because I didn't trust the tracking ability of the 12 Hawks? No, I just don't want the tracking experts that the Hawk Hall took such great pains to train to die at Tang Jie's hands. Only if King Canis is tracking him do we not have to worry about the hunter falling for Tang Jie's schemes!"

That cultivator gasped. "Brother Feng, while the 12 Hawks lack in cultivation, they are all at peak Mortal Shedding Realm or Spirit Ring, and they have means of attacking together. Are the twelve of them not enough to deal with Tang Jie, who's in the middle of his Three Withering Tribulations?"

"'Three Witherings'?" Feng Buzhi gave his companion a strange look. "After he escaped the ambush at the border and carried out this massacre, you still think he's in the Three Witherings Period?"

The cultivator froze. "Could it be… but how? He's only cultivated for 26 years."

"What's weird about that? There are many geniuses in the world, and some people are always able to exceed your expectations. The Seven Absolutions Sect's Wang Juemie, Horizon Ocean Pavilion's Zang Fengnu, the Beast Refining Gate's Qian Yingchen, the Thousand Passions Sect's Hong Qingnu, and also my Godhead Palace's Fu Yingjie—all of them reached the peak of Mortal Shedding within thirty years, and Tang Jie wasn't even the fastest. The geniuses of the world all show themselves to be extraordinary early on, soaring upward. The Immortal path is long, and if you do not want to be overtaken by your juniors, you must keep pressing forward until the very end. Those who can't take the lead at the start will find it very hard to become a being of great power and influence!"

The cultivator blushed in shame and nodded. "Brother Feng is right. But even so, the palace might not agree to send King Canis. It's really…"

"It's really too shameful for King Canis, right?" Feng Buzhi indifferently said.

The cultivator only bitterly smiled.

Feng Buzhi replied, "Actually, I also know they won't agree."

"Then why…" the cultivator said in surprise.

"It's precisely because they won't agree that I have to recommend it," Feng Buzhi casually said. "If I propose it only after Tang Jie has killed off all the 12 Hawks, won't I be unable to show off my wisdom and foresight?"

"……"

Feng Buzhi patted the cultivator on the shoulder and smiled. "No rush, no rush. Some things are inevitable. It's only a few small hawks that will die, not some big deal."

The cultivator started sweating, but he didn't dare to reply.

Feng Buzhi raised his head and looked up at the sky. "Tang Jie, ah, Tang Jie. Let me see how far you can run. Your ferocity now is only the madness of someone in desperate straits. But no matter how many people you kill, you can't escape your death!"

He waved his sleeve and departed.

Author's Note: The corpse wasn't put in the Mustard Seed Bag not because this is a plot hole, but because the bag has limited space. I haven't forgotten something like that. I had already considered this while writing. But I think that even if the corpse were stowed in a Mustard Seed Bag, Godhead Palace would have still found out the truth. There are spell arts that can reverse time. When there are few people, nobody might know such spell arts, but when there are a lot of people, they can do all sorts of things. The corpse takes up a lot of space, and there's also the blood. The bag is full of beans, so do you want those beans to soak in blood?

This is why he didn't store it away. I didn't write it out because when this thought occurred to me, I didn't think it was right to write it in. But you readers are very sharp, pointing out this potential plot hole, which is why I'm explaining things here.

Of course, there are some problems that can be considered plot holes.

"Chamberlain" is a post held by Heart Demon True Persons, but Xu Hanling is a Spirit Ring True Person. A Heart Demon True Person couldn't have been bullied around by the ghost guard and Yiyi, not unless he was the worst sort. This is a plot hole from me. You can just treat him as a special case who was promoted due to his accumulated merit.