The Secret Way of Immortality

Ren Qing was enveloped by surging heavenly lightning, the light it released plunging the surroundings into a white day, with explosions ringing out incessantly.

Every so often, the lightning acting upon Ren Qing would change, encompassing almost every known type of heavenly tribulation.

The Daoist sect divides lightning into Five Thunders: Eastern Wood Thunder in the liver palace, Southern Fire Thunder in the heart palace, Western Mountain Thunder in the lung palace, Northern Water Thunder in the kidney palace, and Central Earth Thunder in the spleen palace.

Consequently, the heavenly tribulation's tempering of Ren Qing's physical body was completely from the inside out, with the fragile internal organs bearing the brunt.

Ren Qing would occasionally let out a muffled groan. Although the heavenly tribulation originated from the Heavenly Dao Tree within his stomach world, its power would not exceed the limit of a Corpse Dissection Immortal, but that did not mean his body could easily withstand it.

His internal organs were becoming overwhelmed, and fresh blood seeped from his blood vessels.

Ren Qing endured the stinging pain and circulated the Great Circulation of the Three Purities Heaven, allowing his body to undergo as much transformation as possible, laying the foundation for advancing to the Heavenly Dao.

The cultivators in the shelter dared not approach Ren Qing at all. Even at a distance of a thousand meters, their skin felt numb and tingly.

Prolonged contact would lead to signs of their bodies and souls collapsing.

They were shocked by the intensity of Ren Qing's cultivation. The lightning he used to temper his body completely surpassed the heavenly tribulation lightning of a Heavenly Immortal position.

Ordinary cultivators would avoid the heavenly tribulation lightning at all costs, but Ren Qing had maintained it for hundreds or even thousands of years.

Da Meng Zhenren and Song Zongwu occasionally came to check on Ren Qing's condition. After seeing the spine-chilling heavenly tribulation, neither dared to act rashly.

The two couldn't help but feel astonished. Although they had always felt that Ren Qing was confident in stepping into the Heavenly Dao, wasn't the time frame a bit too short?

How long had it been since Ren Qing broke through to the Corpse Dissection Immortal realm? He was already preparing to transcend it.

They had no intention of disturbing Ren Qing, and continued to seclude themselves in the stomach world, striving to deepen their understanding of the Heavenly Dao.

The two had advanced to the Grand Luo True Immortal realm tens of thousands of years ago, but when faced with the Heavenly Dao Tree, they still felt that the Great Dao rules contained within were as vast as the sea.

Da Meng Zhenren always felt that he had grasped only one or two tenths of the Dreamland Great Dao, but as time passed, he found that the Great Dao rules contained within the Heavenly Dao Tree became increasingly obscure and difficult to understand.

The Heavenly Dao Tree at the beginning might have possessed Great Dao rules at the Earth Immortal level, but now it had exceeded the scope of Corpse Dissection Immortals.

What Da Meng Zhenren didn't know was that the Heavenly Dao Tree would absorb the comprehension of billions of cultivators.

As long as the population of the stomach world was rich enough, the growth of the Heavenly Dao Tree would have no limit. Corpse Dissection Immortal was just a starting point.

Song Zongwu gazed at the Heavenly Dao Tree, hundreds of thousands of meters tall, each leaf concealing a small world of the Heavenly Palace, appearing incomparably magnificent.

He couldn't help but sigh, "Da Meng, it's hard to imagine that the Heavenly Dao Tree before us is actually transformed from Ren Qing's consciousness, isn't it?"

Da Meng Zhenren remained silent, touching the semi-real, semi-illusory tree trunk with his palm. Dao patterns related to dreams appeared in his mind.

As long as his consciousness traced along the Dao patterns, he could comprehend the Dreamland Great Dao.

"I wanted him to stop and see the scenery of the world, but the situation doesn't allow it. Ren Qing will sever his seven emotions and six desires sooner or later."

Da Meng Zhenren said faintly, "The world is changing too fast, and Ren Qing is growing too fast."

Song Zongwu nodded, looking at Da Meng Zhenren with a complex expression and saying, "I always have a sense of being in a dream, as if I was still in Sanxiang City in Xiangxiang not long ago."

"Of course it's not a dream."

Da Meng Zhenren replied concisely, then closed his eyes and immersed himself in cultivation.

Song Zongwu wanted to say something, but seeing that Da Meng Zhenren was so uncooperative, he could only smile wryly and touch his nose, closing himself off to cultivate beside him.

They had reached the Grand Luo Golden Immortal realm for tens of thousands of years, so it would be false to say that they had made no progress.

However, they still had a superficial understanding of the Grand Luo Golden Immortal cultivation, so they had to constantly comprehend the Heavenly Dao, trying to find a path.

But at least one thing was certain.

Continuing to advance beyond the Grand Luo Golden Immortal realm was definitely not the Heavenly Dao, because there was only one Heavenly Dao in the stomach world, and that was Ren Qing.

As their thoughts emptied, more and more cultivators unconsciously gathered at the base of the tree.

Among them were old-timers like Li Yaoyang, Mu Yi, Bai Guniang, and Sensheng, as well as several newly advanced Earth Immortals who had just passed their tribulations.

They were like cicadas parasitizing the Heavenly Dao Tree, sucking the sap from it.

The canopy at the top of the Heavenly Dao Tree was where the Heavenly Court was located. Incense Immortals used the Divine Dao Dharma Seals to act with the power of the Heavenly Dao rules.

Several Immortal Dao cultivators were on the trunk, growing by comprehending the Great Dao rules.

The Underworld was stationed at the roots of the tree, shrouded in the dregs of the Heavenly Dao Tree, "Yin energy", as well as Yama Judges who maintained the cycle of life and death.

While Ren Qing cultivated, the Heavenly Dao Tree continued to grow, even breaking through the shackles of realm from the stomach world.

The stomach world had formed a complete chain, in a virtuous cycle.

Ren Qing didn't know how long had passed during his cultivation, but he just felt that time seemed to be on fast forward, and a century passed in the blink of an eye.

His consciousness paid attention to the shelter, but the city-guarding cultivators in his eyes were undergoing a rapid changing of the guard.

It wasn't that time had suddenly sped up, but that Ren Qing had entered a special state.

Some Ghost Envoy realm cultivators had just been appointed to the duty of guarding the city, their expressions still carrying some childishness.

But in Ren Qing's trance, the city-guarding cultivator's eyes had a few more crow's feet, his temples quickly turned gray, and his physique became stronger.

After reaching middle age, he no longer had the impetuosity of his youth, but his respect for Ren Qing did not diminish in the slightest, and he would perform a Daoist salute when passing by.

Ren Qing was in another trance, and the middle-aged city-guarding cultivator gradually became old and frail. After experiencing great storms, he stood on the edge of the city wall, gazing at the unchanging scenery outside.

The old man left the shelter and went to the safer stomach world, waiting for his corpse to fall into the endless Yellow Springs of the Underworld after death.

He didn't have high expectations, and said goodbye to every relative and friend he knew.

The old man's cultivation remained at the second Ghost Other Shore of the Ghost Envoy realm. The higher the cultivation during his lifetime, the greater the possibility of transforming into a zombie.

With his strength, his corpse would have to soak in the Yellow Springs water for a long time to complete the zombification, perhaps for thousands of years, or even longer, before he could wake up one day.

Another young cultivator took the place of the old man as the city-guarding cultivator.

The two seemed to have blood ties, with a slight resemblance in appearance, and then the young cultivator began to repeat the old man's life.

Ren Qing seemed to see countless cultivators living by relying on him.

He couldn't help but have a deeper understanding of the Heavenly Dao, and the efficiency of his cultivation increased slightly. The Three Purities aura flowed through his meridians and blood vessels.

The Heavenly Dao Tree slowly grew branches, and crystal clear fruits were nurtured on the branches.

When the fruit ripened and fell, a new Heavenly Immortal position would be born. It was unknown whose hands this Dao fruit would fall into, but no matter the result, it would promote the progress of the stomach world.

A thousand years passed in an instant.

Ren Qing finally understood why the immortals in the classics were all naturally indifferent.

Few immortals and gods could maintain their original intentions in the long river of time. After all, it only took thousands of years to become an immortal, but the cultivation of an Earth Immortal often took tens of thousands of years, easily erasing the emotions of a mortal.

Ren Qing was slightly complicated, and then his consciousness returned to silence.

He felt that he was gradually coming into contact with the mysterious and abstruse Heavenly Dao. If he could cross it, the disasters brought by the Heavenly Dao would be nothing.

Ren Qing asked Song Zongwu to interrupt his seclusion directly if the shelter encountered danger, and then he turned a deaf ear to what was happening outside.

As time passed, Ren Qing's body, because of its long immobility, actually showed signs of localized petrification, and eventually only a stone statue was left in place.

His face revealed excitement. This time, he had truly touched the bottleneck of the Heavenly Dao.

Ren Qing felt as if he could break through the window paper with just a little force, stepping into an unprecedented realm, and ascending to the throne of the Heavenly Dao.

The Three Purities aura was compressed within the eight extraordinary meridians, and then formed a massive amount of viscous five-colored crystals, as if the Great Dao was contained within.

Ren Qing stared at the Three Purities aura, and couldn't help but frown.

The Three Purities Heaven was at the critical point of transformation, and he himself belatedly realized that it seemed that advancing to the Heavenly Dao was not a delusion?

The Heavenly Dao was clearly within reach, as if he could cross it with a single thought, but he had a very unreal feeling. The process of a Corpse Dissection Immortal advancing to the Heavenly Dao was too smooth.

As if…

As if it was driven by the flow of information?

Before Ren Qing could delve into it, the breakthrough of the Three Purities Heaven had already begun forcefully, the aura gradually covering his body and soul, filling every drop of blood.

His consciousness fell into the Three Purities Heaven, completely isolating his perception of the outside world.

Even when strange murmurs from a Daoist child came from outside the shelter, Ren Qing did not notice it, but his body instinctively restrained its aura.

"No Sect, Supreme."

"And alone able to be the beginning of all things."

"Therefore named Primordial."

"Everything that moves is of the utmost respect."

"And often dwells in the Second Purity."

"Emerging from all the heavens."

"Therefore called Heavenly Venerable."

The Forbidden Corpse Hall shook. The Primordial Heavenly Venerable, the head of the Three Dao Ancestors, had finally descended, representing that the disaster had reached its most intense point.

A large number of high-level cultivators poured into the shelter, mainly to protect Ren Qing, who was in seclusion, and to find out what kind of disaster accompanied the Primordial Heavenly Venerable.

The Thunder Calamity of the Moral Heavenly Venerable caused this world to be razed to the ground, and the drought of the Numinous Treasure Heavenly Venerable foreshadowed the beginning of the world's reorganization.

Then what about the Primordial Heavenly Venerable, what kind of earth-shattering terror does he represent?

No one spoke on the city wall. In the face of the Heavenly Dao, they were as small as ants, and if they were not careful, their bodies and souls might lose control.

The aging and dying Li Tiangang stood in the middle of the crowd, his eyes fixed on the darkness, his hands supported by several disciples.

Li Tiangang had voluntarily fallen into slumber five thousand years ago, just to witness the development of the descent of the Three Dao Ancestors and whether the Forbidden Corpse Hall could survive.

If the situation was safe, Li Tiangang did not plan to transform into a zombie again, and considered being buried deep underground and turning into bones. Living was not as comfortable as dying.

However, after waiting for more than ten days, there was still no movement outside.

Li Tiangang's spirit reached its limit, and Li Yaoyang couldn't help but persuade him, "Old Li, you don't have to stay in the shelter. When the incident is revealed, someone will naturally notify you."

"It's okay, it's okay, I'm still a Heavenly Guile realm even if I'm old, it's not that bad."

Li Tiangang's condition was that he had suffered too serious injuries in his early years, and his body and soul needed to take pills to suppress the deterioration, but he didn't want to continue to live, which led to the trend of his body and soul facing collapse.

Song Zongwu stopped talking, if Li Tiangang had even a trace of desire to survive.

Whether it was transcending the tribulation or taking longevity pills, the Heavenly Guile realm could have almost endless life.

He respected Li Tiangang's choice. Seeking immortality was indeed a road of no return, and sometimes living was far more painful than dying.

The cultivators patiently waited for the arrival of the disaster.

Even if they had something temporary to do, they would immediately rush back to the shelter after a short departure, after all, it involved the next tens of thousands of years.

But what was unexpected was that for decades after the Primordial Heavenly Venerable descended, nothing unusual happened.

On the contrary, Ren Qing's condition was not optimistic.

Since Ren Qing had been in seclusion, although he had been in the Heavenly Tribulation body refinement, his body and soul had been very stable and had never had any violent fluctuations.

The descent of the Primordial Heavenly Venerable, on the contrary, caused Ren Qing to have an abnormality.

First, the Heavenly Tribulation that enveloped Ren Qing's whole body suddenly disappeared, and then a large amount of blood-red viscous liquid was secreted from his pores.

Countless voices could be heard roaring in the liquid, making the liquid boil like boiling water.

If you looked closely, you could find that the liquid was filled with dense bubbles, and on the surface of the bubbles were faces identical to Ren Qing's.

The cultivators were slightly uneasy. They had never seen Ren Qing show signs of alienation and loss of control.

Not to mention alienation, in their memory, Ren Qing had hardly ever had any alienation since he began to cultivate. Even if he had been imprisoned for it, the facts proved that Ren Qing seemed to be immune to alienation.

Even if Ren Qing cultivated more than a dozen spells at the same time, he was not worried about going crazy.

So they found it incredible that Ren Qing's body and soul were alienated and out of control. Was it because of his advancement to the Heavenly Dao?

Soon the cultivators overturned the speculation.

The alienation that Ren Qing showed was very slight, and did not look like what an immortal would show at all, only a little bit of distortion on the surface of his skin and flesh.

You must know that once an immortal loses control, the lightest case is reincarnation.

The alienation of a newly entered Martial Realm cultivator after taking too many pills to increase his cultivation was this kind of superficial distortion.

Ren Qing's slight alienation did not last long, only about fifty years, and the symptoms of alienation disappeared overnight.

Before the cultivators could secretly rejoice, Ren Qing's alienation began to recur.

This time the alienation became serious.

While Ren Qing's body zombified, it also grew dragon-like features. Two deformed and useless dragon claws stretched out from his chest and abdomen, and sharp dragon horns emerged from the Yongquan acupoint on the soles of his feet.

Alienation did not increase him at all, but instead became more and more deformed.

This kind of uncontrolled beastification was usually more common in Half-Corpse realm cultivators, and they could only take pills to suppress it as soon as possible.

The cultivators also tried to feed Ren Qing pills, but they didn't work at all.

Whether it was external application or internal administration, Ren Qing seemed to be immune to pills. Not only did the alienation not subside, but it became more and more serious.

The cultivators had to give up, letting him struggle on the edge of alienation and loss of control.

Later, Ren Qing's eyes, ears, mouth, and nose were blocked by dragon horns, and his skin was covered with a layer of strangely patterned blood-red dragon scales.

They wanted to move Ren Qing away, but his flesh and blood were integrated with the walls of the shelter, as if it were a tumor attached to the flesh and blood.

Ren Qing's subconscious was also fighting against the alienation, and his intelligence was concentrated in his body, without any concept of the passage of time outside.

He could vaguely sense that the number of cultivators in the shelter was gradually decreasing, and even when the alienation reached its peak, the shelter was actually empty.

"Is it a disaster, or something…"