Chapter 291: Chapter 229: Immortal Forbidden Technique: The Unfathomable Might of an Ancient Being (Part 1)

The pair continued toward the Immortal Mountain. Birds flew across the sky, though some were of a kind almost never seen in the outside world—they looked quite mystical and unique.

Fish also swam in the sea below. Occasionally, one would leap from the surface, its body glittering gold as it reflected the sunlight.

"It seems these species can’t be found in the outside world."

Yi Beidou recalled the Sea Flood Dragon he had seen not long ago. If such an exotic species were to appear in the outside world, it would undoubtedly cause a massive sensation.

"They’re unique species, found only in certain ruins from myths and legends. They survive due to the powerful influence of certain Arrays and arrangements. Once they leave the ruins, I’m afraid they can’t survive for long."

Cheng Zhihong explained.

Sightings of these exotic species were occasionally reported in the outside world, giving rise to all sorts of legends. Most stemmed from unique species that had accidentally wandered out of ancient ruins.

However, the unique creatures around the Immortal Mountain didn’t seem to possess much strength or aggression, so Yi Beidou and Cheng Zhihong were able to land on the island without any trouble.

The moment they set foot on the island, the pair felt a peculiar sensation.

A rosy glow enveloped their bodies. Everything around them became incredibly clear and bright, as if seen through a high-resolution filter. The air carried a sweet, refreshing fragrance. Their eardrums vibrated faintly; though there was no actual sound, it felt as if a heavenly melody was echoing in their minds.

They were filled with a sense of peace and serenity. Their very blood and cells seemed to rejoice.

If an ordinary person were to stay in this environment for an extended period, supplementing it with a proper diet, most of their illnesses would likely heal without any treatment.

For a Cultivator to practice Cultivation here, to say it was ’twice the result for half the effort’ would be a massive understatement.

This was a true Immortal Cave Mansion.

Yi Beidou had visited many Grotto Heaven Blessed Lands, such as Dragon Tiger Mountain, but this was the first time he had ever witnessed the power of a cave mansion affect the human body so profoundly.

Furthermore, this effect seemed to do more than simply stabilize one’s mind and body or improve the flow of Qi and blood.

He opened his palm. On it were several puncture wounds left by the Sea Flood Dragon’s sharp teeth. He had already stemmed the bleeding by tensing his muscles.

After setting foot on the island, Yi Beidou keenly felt a tingling sensation at the site of his wounds.

It was the sensation of flesh knitting back together.

His wounds were healing at an accelerated rate.

Normally, a minor injury like this would take two or three days to heal on its own if he didn’t actively treat it. But on this island, that recovery time would likely be shortened by nearly a third.

The Immortal Mountain’s ambient field was affecting his cells on a deep level.

This was simply incredible. If it could have such an effect on a body that had achieved Ascension, then any ordinary person living here—as long as they avoided accidents—could easily live to be a hundred. They might even break the currently accepted record for the human lifespan.

"So this is ’Penglai’?"

Yi Beidou murmured to himself.

Legend has it that Immortals resided on Penglai Immortal Mountain, and that anyone who met them and was given their medicine would become immortal. Now, it seemed that might not be just a rumor.

This place truly possessed an incredible power that could grant Longevity.

Penglai, in the original legends, was the name of a plant said to possess an extremely vigorous Life Force.

As the saying goes, "Not even a wildfire can burn it all away; when the spring winds blow, it grows once more."

The effect of this place’s ambient field matched that description perfectly.

It seemed the legends weren’t just legends after all.

"So this is the wonder of the Earth Immortal Ruins?"

Cheng Zhihong also sensed the mystical nature of this place, his eyes wide with shock.

"Alright, this is no time to get sidetracked. He’s waiting for us."

Yi Beidou’s gaze was like a torch as he looked toward a spot on the peak of the island’s Immortal Mountain, which was veiled by iridescent clouds.

His gaze pierced through the clouds and mist, and it seemed a pair of eyes was looking back at him.

Without hesitation, Yi Beidou broke into a run, heading for the Immortal Mountain.

「Meanwhile, inside Penglai Pavilion.」

The Alchemist met Yi Beidou’s gaze through the glowing screen of his Round Light Technique and sighed softly.

’A tribulation, a tribulation... As expected, it was inescapable. He really didn’t retreat? He actually set foot on Penglai Immortal Mountain?’

’It seems I have no choice but to face him in this physical body.’

The Alchemist shook his head slightly.

’This man is a walking tribulation, utterly relentless. It seems I’ll never know peace unless I kill him.’

’However, I am not like Mr. Ju of the Nine Chrysanthemums Sect.’

’That man was only skilled in Curse Arts; his physical combat abilities were a complete mess. He could only hide in the shadows behind the scenes.’

’But my own physical Cultivation is by no means weak.’

With a wave of his hand, the glowing screen from the Round Light Technique vanished. He stood up, walked out of Penglai Pavilion, and entered a mountain cave behind it.

Incense burned within the cave, where a large, crimson altar stood. The curling fragrance of the incense smoke filled the air.

On the altar, however, was enshrined not a Divine Buddha or an ancestral tablet, but a box forged from pure gold and etched with complex Talismanic patterns.

The Alchemist strode forward, his expression solemn. Forming a Seal Technique with his hands, he began to chant. Streams of light burst from his body and wrapped around the golden box.

The golden box trembled slightly. As the light swirled around it, ethereal chains materialized, binding it shut.

As the Alchemist continued his work, the ethereal chains on the golden box suddenly shattered.

An indescribable fragrance wafted out from the golden box.

The Alchemist reached out and opened the golden box.

The next moment.

WHOOSH!!

The candlelight on either side seemed to be suffused with some strange power, and the flames suddenly erupted, shooting toward the ceiling. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

And inside the golden box, a simple, round, glittering golden Elixir Pill lay quietly.

From its appearance, it was almost impossible to tell whether the thing had been refined from medicinal herbs or forged from pure gold.

"If I don’t consume this life’s Core ahead of schedule, I’m not sure I can survive this tribulation. Old Ancestor, my hand has been forced. You can’t blame me for this, can you?"

The Alchemist murmured to himself, then pinched the Golden Core between two fingers and swallowed it in one gulp.

BOOM!!

In an instant, it was as if fuel had been poured on the fire of his aura. His presence erupted violently, stirring up a gale within the empty chamber that instantly extinguished the candles on the altar.

The Alchemist sat cross-legged on the floor, chanting softly. Blood seeped from his fingertips as he began to paint something on his face and body.

At once monstrous and immortal.

「Meanwhile.」

Yi Beidou and Cheng Zhihong made their way through the mountain forest, climbing higher. Strangely, despite approaching the Alchemist’s inner sanctum, everything seemed remarkably peaceful.

Yi Beidou had expected to encounter more Exotic Beasts like the Sea Flood Dragon, or at least have to navigate a series of dangerous Arrays.

He was quite puzzled by the lack of opposition.

Cheng Zhihong, however, answered his unspoken question.

"That man probably doesn’t have complete control over the Immortal Mountain. This entire mountain is a single, unique Array, with every part intricately interlinked. If you can’t comprehend it completely, it’s impossible to add new Arrays on top of it."

Cheng Zhihong replied.

Yi Beidou nodded slightly.

’The subtleties of Arrays were such that changing even one part could have unforeseen and disastrous consequences. For their opponent to alter the layout of this entire Grotto Heaven, he would have to become its true master.’

’Clearly, he couldn’t do that.’

’Perhaps no one in this era was capable of such a feat.’

’Not unless an Earth Immortal from ages past returned to the world.’

The pair approached the peak region unimpeded. Just then, something suddenly changed.

BOOM!!

The clouds in the Sky suddenly trembled, and the entire Immortal Mountain’s radiant glow seemed to shift and flow.

The auspicious clouds and rosy glow formed a vortex, with its center somewhere on the mountain’s peak.

Yi Beidou and Cheng Zhihong both sensed three immense auras.

One came from a terrifying individual, his aura as vast and unfathomable as the abyssal sea. Another came from the "Field of Penglai’s Longevity" that enveloped the Immortal Mountain. And the final one came from a Great Trend.

It was the Great Trend of Japan, which Yi Beidou had encountered several times recently.

These three auras churned together, causing the ambient field of the entire Immortal Mountain to spin like the eye of a storm.

Eventually, the three auras achieved a state of resonance and fused.

A pillar of seven-colored light descended from the Sky onto the mountaintop. It was as if the Celestial Realm had opened its gates, casting down a beam of guiding light to welcome a newly ascended Immortal into the Upper Realm.

An unprecedentedly vast aura pressed down on Yi Beidou and Cheng Zhihong from afar.

Cheng Zhihong stared at the fantastical phenomenon in the Sky. His mouth fell slightly agape and his pupils constricted as he exclaimed, almost subconsciously,

"Could it be an Immortal Forbidden Technique?!"