Invincibility Begins with Mastery of Fist Techniques-Chapter 149 - 145: 4 Pillars

What is the true meaning of human life?

If life is merely about survival, about living as long as possible, how is that any different from the beasts in the wild, struggling to exist?

Humanity's heroes are great because they found a meaning that transcends survival.

Unfortunately, even heroes cannot always uphold that meaning to the very end.

The more one achieves, the higher one's station, the harder it is to overcome this trial.

After all, once you've seen the wonders this world has to offer, who would be willing to simply depart?

They hinder good from prevailing, resent the ways of the wise and holy, and create all kinds of turmoil, preventing people from cultivating the virtues needed to transcend this world.

It is precisely because of the fear and desire in the human heart that the Celestial Demon finds an opening. It is why the "Elixir of Immortality" was created.

Eternal life is also a demonic tribulation—one that even those who have attained Great Success of the Spirit can hardly escape.

Because since ancient times, countless Cultivators have considered it their ultimate goal.

For Zhou Yuanjue, eternal life was not the goal. It couldn't even be called a pursuit.

'Humans are mortal. Or rather, everything in this universe is subject to eventual decay. It is the law of all things.'

'And it is the existence of this absolute terror—death—that instills in humanity a true sense of urgency.'

'It is because humans are mortal and imperfect that we can endlessly transcend ourselves. The heroic souls who persevere, knowing the futility—their unwavering resolve and their abandonment of any attachment to life and death is what makes their stories so poignant and worthy of praise. They are a powerful inspiration, allowing the human spirit to touch the infinite.'

'Without knowing death, how can one know life?'

'The Elixir of Immortality is no Immortal Pill. It is a trap, brimming with immense malice.'

At that moment, he found himself in complete agreement with Daoist Bailong.

'This so-called 'Elixir of Immortality' absolutely cannot be allowed to leave these relics.'

With a slight squeeze, the immense force in Zhou Yuanjue's palm crushed the gold-inlaid Jade Bottle to dust. Then, he opened the satchel at his waist and took out a special, reinforced Demon-Catching Bottle made by Daoist Bailong. He stuffed the black shadow, bound by a mass of red light, into the bottle and sealed the cap.

After checking the uncorrupted corpse and the rest of the cave one last time to ensure nothing was out of place, he quickly departed, ready to explore another palace.

He was determined to find out just what this so-called Elixir of Immortality truly was.

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Meanwhile, Yu Guanhai, dressed in a black trench coat, and a short, sturdy man were advancing quickly.

A layer of opalescent moonlight covered them, making their bodies as translucent as jade. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Their Life Magnetic Fields spread out and merged, revealing the true forms of everything in a thirty- to forty-meter radius and protecting them from the illusions.

In this state, they moved with incredible speed. They didn't linger on the first level of the Immortal Palace, but ascended the stairs, continuing toward the upper levels.

"The illusions are abnormally strong. The Seal shouldn't have weakened to this extent yet, right?" the short, sturdy man said, frowning as he scanned their surroundings.

"It must be the work of the Celestial Demon People," Yu Guanhai said, his expression calm. "They've managed to reactivate some of the Immortal Palace's original functions. Looks like those guys came well-prepared. I wonder what price they paid to achieve it."

"This move of theirs seems to be quite advantageous for the foreigners," the short, sturdy man said.

"That's their objective. Foreign research into the Celestial Demon is even more advanced than our own. They naturally know what's most valuable within these partially unsealed relics."

"The Elixir of Immortality. That's the target for most of the foreign Saint Awakenings. And the Celestial Demon People's goal is to ensure they succeed in taking it from this palace."

"The human spirit is fragile. For millennia, humanity has been tormented by the fear of death. Eternal life is the ultimate pursuit, one that transcends power, profit, and prestige. The Elixir of Immortality is like honey on the blade of a knife, like Pandora's box. Everyone knows it's a fatal trap, yet no one can resist its temptation. The deeper one researches it, the more terrifying the Demons that will be unleashed."

"Just think, what would be the consequences if humanity's leaders can't resist the temptation of becoming 'Immortal' and end up using the Elixir of Immortality? That might be exactly what the Celestial Demon People want. I even suspect that the Celestial Demon People were pulling the strings behind the Ya'an Empire's initial research on the Celestial Demon," Yu Guanhai said gravely.

The short, sturdy man's eyes narrowed at his words. If a nation's leaders really couldn't resist the temptation, used that 'thing,' and ultimately transformed into Celestial Demon People...

The consequences would be truly unimaginable.

Then again, who could guarantee that someone like that doesn't already exist among the world's current leaders?

"That's also why we Spirit Guardians must follow our ancestral teachings and not associate with those people," the short, sturdy man said with a sigh.

"This means Elder White Dragon Divides Water and the other Saint Awakenings from Donghua Country are in danger. Their goal is to stop the Elixir of Immortality from leaving, which directly opposes the Celestial Demon People's plan. In their isolated state, they're likely to be targeted. What's more, this Immortal Palace is also home to numerous Ancient Immortals who once consumed the Elixir of Immortality and have now awakened as the Seal weakens."

"We need to move faster and get the Jade Pool Water. I don't want too much contact with the officials, but at least they won't be tempted by the Elixir of Immortality. Their willpower is firm enough. Even if they're just ordinary humans, it would be a real shame for them to die here."