Chapter 293: Chapter 230: Immortal Forbidden Technique, The Ancient’s Unfathomable Might (Part 2)

The Alchemist lowered his gaze from the sky and fixed it upon Yi Beidou. His expression was calm, his face held a smile—he looked not at an enemy, but at a dear friend he hadn’t seen in years.

He was dressed in ordinary clothes, but at this moment, he seemed like a true Living True Immortal.

"So this is an Ancient One? Within your body, I seem to see a soul, imprisoned for many years, weeping."

Yi Beidou’s expression was just as calm, as if neither a True Immortal nor a Divine Buddha standing before him could halt his advance.

"Hahahaha! Such youthful vigor. You remind me of myself back in the day."

The Alchemist paused for a moment, then burst into laughter.

Just then, another figure leaped onto the mountaintop. It was Cheng Zhihong, who had followed Yi Beidou.

"Someone from Dark Vine? I sensed your presence the moment you neared Japan. Did you really think you could hold the blood of my past life and block my perception with a mere Sealing Technique?"

"From that moment, I knew you would most likely find your way here, and I’ve been prepared to ensure you never leave. You call us Corpse Dissolvers Evil Demons and Heretics Dao, but how are you any better? The only difference is that we pass down our personalities and memories, while you simply pass down the same power."

The Alchemist’s gaze fell upon Cheng Zhihong, sharp and piercing.

Cheng Zhihong’s face fell. Despite possessing a Fruit Position, he couldn’t stop himself from stumbling back two steps under the sheer pressure of the Alchemist’s gaze.

The power of the Immortal Forbidden Technique was simply terrifying.

"We are fundamentally different from you! We would never interfere with the workings of the Mortal World as you do, let alone commit all sorts of atrocities just to satisfy your own desires!"

Cheng Zhihong said in a grave voice.

"Is there really any distinction between good and evil in this world? Our paths are merely different. Do you think what you do is truly righteous? How much do you really know about the true mysteries of the Fruit Position? You’re nothing more than pawns yourselves."

The Alchemist sneered.

"It seems you know many secrets. I imagine you’re also aware of matters concerning my master."

Yi Beidou said, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Of course I know about your master. He’s no simple man. Throughout history, few could ever hope to surpass his understanding of ’God.’ I refuse to believe a man like that would die so easily."

"The Wandering Immortal raised you, surely for his own purposes. Your departure from Donghua, your journey across the world as a living calamity, inciting global change... it was all within his calculations. This is the outcome he wanted. When all is said and done, you, an Ancient One, are nothing but a pawn. Before a man like that, can you truly be certain that you are still yourself?"

A smile touched the Alchemist’s lips, as if he hoped his words would shake Yi Beidou’s resolve. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Yet Yi Beidou’s expression remained perfectly calm.

He would not be so easily swayed.

’My sense of self depends only on my own will, not on the words of others.’

As he encountered more and more of the world’s secrets, Yi Beidou had come to understand that his master, Hong Datong, was shrouded in countless mysteries. Perhaps everything he was doing was exactly what his master wished to see.

But it didn’t matter. Without Hong Datong’s guidance, he never would have made it this far; he probably would have been consumed by his body’s Demon Nature and died by gunfire long ago. This was an immense "karma."

This "karma" had to be repaid; there was no escaping it. If, on the day his debt was paid, he found his path diverged from Hong Datong’s, then they would simply have to fight. Who lived and who died could be decided after the dust settled.

’Karma is a tangled mess. All I can do is forge ahead bravely and ignore the rest.’

Seeing that Yi Beidou’s expression remained unchanged, the Alchemist knew this man was forging ahead with unshakable resolve and wouldn’t be swayed by words. He abandoned any further attempt at verbal sparring.

"But no matter what plans the Wandering Immortal has laid, he never would have imagined you’d be audacious enough to barge straight into Penglai Immortal Mountain. Even he wouldn’t dare do such a thing."

"Alright, that’s enough small talk. I do know many things. But I have no intention of telling them to a dead man."

The Alchemist’s expression grew serene.

Everything he did had a purpose. He had spoken at length with Yi Beidou only to unsettle his mind with words, building an advantage for the coming battle.

Even though he felt victory was certain, he would not let his guard down in the slightest.

’Unlike the villains in movies who foolishly spill all their secrets to a doomed hero, I’m not that stupid.’

"That’s fine. If you won’t talk, I’ll just find out myself."

Yi Beidou’s expression was calm; he hadn’t expected the Alchemist to give up his secrets easily. His gaze swept over the nearby Penglai Pavilion and the surrounding Immortal Mountain as he continued, "Every path leaves a trail. After I grant you release, I’m sure I’ll find what I’m looking for on this Immortal Mountain. I’ll find the Pioneer Group’s files, use them to gather more intelligence, and follow the trail of clues. After all, I was already planning to travel the world anyway."

"Hahahaha! You, the little one from Dark Vine over there. This young man may be ignorant, but surely you’re not? Didn’t you tell him on the way here what he was truly up against?"

The Alchemist laughed again, looking toward Cheng Zhihong.

Cheng Zhihong’s expression soured. He remained silent.

’I did tell him, but Yi Beidou wouldn’t listen.’

"Fine. Then let me show you what you’re truly facing. Let me show you the power of the Immortal Forbidden Area."

A smile touched the Alchemist’s face. He raised his left hand. A faint light flashed at his wrist, followed by the subtle sound of a popping joint.

The next moment, a sound like tearing fabric echoed through the air. The Alchemist’s right hand, held stiff as a blade, slashed sharply across his left wrist.

Yi Beidou’s eyes narrowed. Far behind him, Cheng Zhihong’s eyes widened in shock.

They watched, stunned, as the Alchemist used a single chop of his hand to sever his own left hand at the wrist, bone and all.

The severed hand fell, only to be snatched out of the air by the Alchemist’s returning right hand.

The flesh and bone of his left stump were clearly visible. The muscles contracted, staunching the flow of blood from the arm. The severed hand, however, no longer under his body’s control, dripped fresh red blood onto the ground.

Demon Flame flickered in Yi Beidou’s eyes, piercing through any illusion and confirming the reality of the scene before him.

This was no illusion; the man had truly chopped off his own hand.

’Has he gone mad?!’

Cheng Zhihong’s jaw hung open, but then a thought struck him, and a look of utter disbelief flashed in his eyes.

’Could it be...?’

Then, both men watched as the Alchemist placed the severed hand back against his wrist.

Yi Beidou’s sharp eyes saw that as the hand neared the wrist, before they even touched, tiny tendrils of flesh stretched out from both sides, intertwining.

The hand was placed upon the wrist, and the wound healed at a rate visible to the naked eye. The gash shrank to a thin line, then vanished completely.

The skin was taut and flawless, as if it had never been harmed.

The Alchemist flexed his wrist casually. The hand’s movements were completely unimpeded.

In an instant, the severed limb was reattached!

It was a miraculous sight!

Cheng Zhihong felt his scalp tingle in sheer terror.

Not even a Saint Expert, not even an Ancient One, could do something like this. A severed arm was a grievous injury that required the best surgical reattachment, followed by at least ten to fifteen days of recovery for any hope of a full return to function.

Yet this man had recovered in an instant. It meant his regenerative abilities had reached a level that surpassed all human limits.

With such an ability, he was virtually immune to injury in battle. He would show no signs of fatigue until his energy was completely depleted. He could employ a strategy of trading blow for blow, wearing down any opponent until they were dead.

Moreover, in this state, he could unleash powerful Secret Techniques while completely ignoring the physical backlash.

He might even be immune to the backlash from Forbidden Secret Techniques, allowing him to use them at will for as long as this state lasted.

’This... this is the terrifying power of the Immortal Forbidden Area?!’