Undying Life

Chapter 41: The Complexity of Human Hearts

Glancing at the black ice around the elder's lower body, Tianling pointed and asked, "What's happening to you?"

The elder shook his head with a sigh.

"What?" Tianling exclaimed in shock.

"It's impossible. My father said that if infected, death is certain. How... how..." Tianling pointed at the elder, looking utterly puzzled.

"Your father hasn't broken through the Yuanying stage yet," the elder said.

"Oh, how do you know?" Tianling asked, looking clueless.

"Haha," the elder laughed heartily.

"What about your hair?" Tianling noticed his lack of response and immediately asked again.

"It's attached to my primordial spirit. I haven't had the ability to force it out yet, so I can only use the fire poison, fighting poison with poison, to barely survive," the elder sighed.

"Fire poison from magma?" Tianling asked in amazement.

As if he hadn't spoken in ages, the elder became very talkative. Tianling asked, and he promptly answered, "Yes, it's the fire poison from magma. However, too much fire poison, if it overwhelms and exceeds, I'll be burnt alive by it. Now, I use my hair to control the absorption speed of the fire poison, slowly neutralizing it."

Seeing the elder in such a pitiful state, Tianling's face suddenly showed a hint of sorrow.

"Have you neutralized it now? How long until you can get rid of it?" Tianling asked.

"Get rid of it? A hundred years ago, the poison ice only spread to my knees," the elder sighed. Obviously, getting rid of it was impossible.

"Really pitiful. Is there anything we can do to help you?" Tianling immediately showed a kind expression on her face.

"Help me? Hehe, actually, it's very simple for you to help me. Help me go out and find someone," the elder suddenly smiled.

"Find someone? Yes, I'll find my father. As long as I find my father, he will definitely save you," Tianling said immediately.

"No, I don't want someone who practices cultivation. Just find an ordinary person," the elder said lightly.

"An ordinary person?" Tianling looked extremely puzzled.

As for Zhongshan, although his expression was filled with confusion, he didn't relax at all in his heart, staying alert at all times.

"Yes, take this crystal. Let numerous ordinary people touch it. As long as someone touches it and makes the crystal glow, no matter what color light it emits, that person is the one. Bring him here, and he can save me," the elder took out a fist-sized transparent crystal from his storage space.

Just as Tianling was about to reach out, Zhongshan snatched it before her, grabbing the round crystal.

Seeing Zhongshan snatch it, the elder's face showed a hint of surprise, while Tianling's attention was drawn to the crystal.

"Then, elder, let's go find someone to save you," Zhongshan immediately pulled Tianling and said.

"No," the elder suddenly frowned.

"Huh?" Tianling looked at the elder strangely.

"What if you two run away? Leave one person to accompany me, and the other one goes out," the elder said very seriously.

"Accompany you?" Zhongshan frowned at the elder.

Tianling suddenly looked indignant. "Why should I accompany you?"

"The outside is a deep valley. I know. You stay, and she goes," the elder suddenly pointed at Zhongshan.

"Hey, we'll definitely come back if we go out. Don't worry," Tianling immediately protested.

The elder shook his head, looked at Zhongshan, then at Tianling, and said softly, "If you're unwilling, then stay with me. It's been a long time since this old man had a conversation with someone."

Seeing the stubborn elder, Zhongshan frowned, knowing that someone who had been repressed for a hundred years could be as twisted as an adult eunuch. If you opposed him, he could easily annihilate you. In his mind, he often became very direct and ruthless.

"Ling'er, you go out. When you're out, go to the previous Bian City. Someone there will definitely receive you and help you find someone. Find the person and bring them here," Zhongshan said solemnly, handing the crystal to Tianling.

Seeing Zhongshan cooperate like this, a hint of satisfaction appeared on the elder's grotesque face, followed by a burst of excitement.

Tianling gently took the crystal, her eyes filled with reluctance.

But, just as Tianling grabbed the transparent crystal, it lit up, emitting a strong red light, so dazzling that it even obscured the light from the magma?

The elder stared blankly at Tianling's hand, while Zhongshan also looked at this scene in amazement, and Tianling looked incredulously at the crystal.

"Away from the Ding's body, away from the Ding's body," the elder trembled. Excitement, intense excitement. Was the girl in front of him away from the Ding's body? She was actually away from the Ding's body?

"Wow, it's bright, it's bright! There's no need to go out. I can save you, but how can I save you?" Tianling's initial excitement suddenly turned into confusion.

Greed. In the elder's eyes, Zhongshan suddenly burst out with a greedy look, and his gaze was fixed on Tianling.

Not good!

"Run!" Zhongshan pulled Tianling, taking large strides towards the original cave, like a sharp arrow shooting away.

Tianling was puzzled, her feet leaving the ground as she was pulled, experiencing immense pain in her wrists.

"Hmph~~~" A cold snort came from behind. Zhongshan and Tianling, who were rushing out rapidly, were once again frozen in mid-air, their bodies twisted, facing the elder.

"What are you going to do?" Tianling exclaimed in horror.

"Weren't you just going to help me?" The elder's originally kind expression flashed into a greedy and sinister one.

"Help you? How can I help you?" Tianling saw the elder's expression and became frightened, realizing that something was wrong.

"It's simple. I want your body. Away from the Ding's body. As long as I possess your body, I will naturally be expelled by your body. Away from the Ding. It's actually away from the Ding. What a pity. If I had seen you before I was poisoned, I would have definitely used you for alchemy. What a good physique," the elder first rejoiced, then his expression turned extremely regretful.

"No, no! You're a big villain, don't!" Tianling exclaimed in fear.

Possess her? Possess herself? At this moment, Tianling, though still naive, could see that the elder in front of her was not a good person. Was he going to obliterate her consciousness?

"Elder," Zhongshan, whose body was frozen, spoke respectfully to the elder.

The elder suddenly looked at Zhongshan, a hint of amusement flickering in his eyes.

"The fourth level of Innate? It's really unexpected. With your aptitude, you actually reached the fourth level of Innate cultivation," the elder sneered.

"Elder, we are from the Kaiyang Sect. This is the Sect Master's daughter. Whatever kind of body you want, I can find it for you. Please don't harm her," Zhongshan spoke up.

"Kaiyang Sect?" The elder's eyes narrowed.

In the end, the elder shook his head. "If she wasn't away from the Ding's body, I could have given face to the Kaiyang Sect. But, being away from the Ding's body, it's a rare occurrence in a thousand years. How could I bear to let her go? Since fate has brought you here, I'm sorry."

With that, Tianling's body gradually flew away from Zhongshan, ascending into the sky.

Tianling watched this scene in horror. Was she going to be possessed? Terrified, tears finally streamed down her face.

"Zhongshan, help me!" Tianling flew away from Zhongshan, crying out in fear.

"Zhongshan, Zhongshan, save me!"

"Save you? Just him?" A sneer appeared on the elder's face.

Zhongshan knew that if Tianling was possessed, it meant his death. The elder seemed wary of the Kaiyang Sect, clearly intending to kill to silence witnesses.

Now, perhaps seeing Tianling's extreme agitation, he didn't kill Zhongshan immediately.

Having figured everything out, Zhongshan made up his mind. His mental power surged frantically from his brow, rushing towards his arms at a crazy speed. Zhongshan needed one successful attempt. Failure was not an option, only success. Thus, the Red Phoenix Heaven Sutra was maximized.

Heavenly Demon Tempering Body!

"Ah~~~~~~~" Zhongshan roared, his body's strength suddenly doubled, fiercely colliding with the restraining force.

"Boom~~~~~~~~~" He broke free.

The elder also looked surprised at Zhongshan's sudden breakthrough. Mental restraint consumed a tremendous amount of energy, and its strength varied according to each person's cultivation level. According to the elder's estimation, Zhongshan's restraint was at the fifth level of Innate, which should have been impossible to break free from.

Seeing Zhongshan break free, Tianling's despairing heart trembled again. Looking at Zhongshan, a very strange emotion arose in her heart. Zhongshan seemed to be her destined savior, always able to rescue her.

As Zhongshan broke free, a large sword suddenly appeared in his hand.

Force Splitting Tian Shan!

From afar, Zhongshan fiercely cleaved towards the elder, carrying with it a huge pink energy, venting towards the elder.

"Hmph," the elder snorted coldly. Although his body moved slightly, invisibly, he once again restrained Zhongshan.

The blade stopped, but the pink energy seemed to not stop, continuing to rush towards the elder.

The elder's eyes narrowed, a hint of surprise flashing in them because his all-powerful mental consciousness surprisingly failed to lock onto the pink energy? How could that be?

"Whoosh," the pink energy directly surged into the elder's body.

Seeing this scene, the elder quickly activated his energy to resist the invasion of the pink energy. However, as the pink energy entered his body, it disappeared in an instant.

Seeing this scene, the elder knew it was bad and quickly began searching inside his body.

Zhongshan, seeing the Red Phoenix Mist enter the elder's body, also felt a sense of relief. He hurriedly activated his energy to drive it.

A large amount of pink energy permeated out of his body, spreading in all directions.

The second level of Red Phoenix Heavenly Shock, with much more mental power, coupled with the Heavenly Demon Tempering Body, it seemed that the true energy also surged greatly. The Red Phoenix Mist, a large amount of it, slowly enveloped the surroundings, invading in all directions.

In just a moment, the entire interior platform, in all directions, was completely filled with the Red Phoenix Mist.