Chapter 00158: The Fall of Earthly Immortals
# The Fall of Earthly Immortals
Chapter 158
Novel: Abandon The Universe
Chapter 158: The Fall of Earthly Immortals
On Jiuzhou Mountain, at Qipa Peak, a piercing scream suddenly sliced through the stillness, waking the young attendant standing outside the peak master's cave.
He hesitated at the entrance, too afraid to step inside.
The chilling cry had clearly come from the peak master.
Just as he was unsure of what to do, a graceful figure descended from the sky, a woman of stunning beauty.
She called out, "Brother Hu, I have urgent matters to discuss with you."
The attendant quickly rushed out and knelt down.
"Aunt Yu, not long ago, the peak master let out a terrible scream, and then there was silence."
The woman named Yu was taken aback for a moment before hurrying toward the location where Hu You was meditating.
She knocked several times on the barrier surrounding the cave, but received no response.
Immediately, she sent out a signal for help.
In just a few breaths, four or five figures shot up to Qipa Peak, appearing beside her.
"What’s happening? Sister Yi?" asked a tall, middle-aged man, his voice calm and soothing, easing the tension around.
This was Mu Yangzhe, the first expert of Jiuzhou Mountain.
There were whispers that he had already reached the peak of Earthly Immortal or perhaps even entered the realm of Heavenly Immortal.
After Mu Yangzhe's question, the other cultivators accompanying him turned their questioning gazes toward Yu Yi.
Yu Yi quickly explained, "I came to Qipa Peak with a crucial matter to discuss with Brother Hu. But when I arrived, the attendant was shaking in fear, saying he heard Brother Hu scream during his practice, and when I knocked on the cave, there was no response."
The attendant, scrutinized by several strong cultivators, trembled as he stammered, "I was waiting outside for the peak master's command when I heard his scream. I was anxious when Aunt Yu came."
Mu Yangzhe frowned slightly, pondering for a moment before saying, "We must forcefully break into Brother Hu’s cave; this is likely serious."
Hu You had been practicing the Seven Souls Slash in secret, not telling anyone about it.
However, being in Jiuzhou Mountain, everyone knew a little about it.
The Seven Souls Slash was not an easy practice; it required separating the primordial spirit from the body.
If one encountered an opponent while doing so, it could be exceptionally dangerous.
The strong cultivators attacked simultaneously, and Hu You's cave was torn open in just a few moments.
The first sight that greeted them was Hu You collapsed at the edge of his meditation mat, his seven orifices bleeding and his complexion pale.
Anyone with even the lowest cultivation level present, at the peak of ethereal spirit, could sense that Hu You's primordial spirit had already perished with just a glance.
Mu Yangzhe maintained a calm expression, though the flames of rage ignited within him.
How could someone dare to harm the primordial spirit of an elder from Jiuzhou Mountain? Such audacity!
"Brother Hu's primordial spirit has been ambushed," Yu Yi quickly realized the gravity of the situation as she recognized the technique Hu You had been cultivating.
"Isn’t Elder Hu cultivating the Seven Souls Slash?" Mu Yangzhe inquired in a low tone, merely speculating while hoping Yu Yi had more insight.
"Yes, Brother Hu was indeed practicing the Seven Souls Slash. I suspect his primordial spirit was seen and then attacked while he was in practice," Yu Yi responded anxiously.
"Hmph, it seems our Jiuzhou Mountain has become too low-key, so much so that someone would dare to plot against the primordial spirit of one of our Earthly Immortal elders," said another Earthly Immortal man, his voice laced with murderous intent.
Mu Yangzhe approached Hu You, noticing the ground before him inscribed with several characters: "Gui Hai Zhao... Zou Zheng..."
Gui Hai Zhao? Mu Yangzhe furrowed his brow and ordered, "Bring me Elder Hu’s soul tablet."
"What do these names mean?" Mu Yangzhe asked, still pondering, "Is Elder Zou still at the Western Kunlun sect?"
"Yes," one elder replied immediately.
In just a short while, Hu You’s soul was brought forth.
"Elder Hu still retains a sliver of soul..."
Yu Yi exclaimed upon seeing the cracked soul tablet, her voice filled with urgency.
Yet before she could finish, the shattered remnants of the soul suddenly crumbled into dust with a snap.
Everyone exchanged glances, taken aback by the turn of events.
For someone like Hu You, an Earthly Immortal, even if he wanted to cultivate the Seven Souls Slash, he would have left a remnant of his primordial spirit behind.
Although doing so would slow his progress and effectiveness, it was a necessary precaution to guard against ambush.
Once Hu You's primordial spirit was destroyed, it was evident he had left a trace of his soul behind.
But before Mu Yangzhe could act to save him, that trace had shattered.
What could have caused this?
"What does everyone think?" Mu Yangzhe surveyed the expressions of those in the room.
Yu Yi hesitated before saying, "Although Elder Hu's primordial spirit was suddenly ambushed, the likely attacker had limited strength, unable to immediately destroy Brother Hu's primordial spirit. Therefore, Elder Hu should know who destroyed his primordial spirit..."
She left her thought hanging, and everyone understood her implication.
Hu You had been ambushed while cultivating; clearly, he had not considered the assailant a significant threat at the time.
It was only as he neared demise that he left behind a faint clue.
Once the primordial spirit departs from the body, even an Earthly Immortal's form struggles to move.
Hu You could jot down a few words because his primordial spirit hadn't been completely obliterated, and his physical form retained a trace of consciousness.
Mu Yangzhe slowly stated, "The one who attacked Elder Hu must possess an exceptionally terrifying profound technique. Only the top-tier profound techniques can affect a trace of soul lingering on a body from miles away. Elder Hu likely realized he had no hope of survival, so he attempted to leave clues. However, it may very well be that he underestimated how that profound technique could shatter the little trace of soul he left behind while trying to communicate with his physical form."
The group fell into silence.
A top-tier profound technique? Since the abandonment of Yuan Continent, how many had mastered such capabilities?
Yet no one doubted Mu Yangzhe's words.
To be able to attack the primordial spirit and destroy a trace of soul remaining on a physical form miles away, only a profound technique could achieve that.
It was truly unfortunate that Hu You had been so careless.
If his primordial spirit had already been severely wounded by the profound technique, he should not have attempted to use it to communicate with his remaining soul.
As long as he remained alive, there would always be chances to leave clues; now, it was too late, and he had lost his life.
"Elder Yu Yi, you must go to the Gui Hai clan and find out if there is a person named Gui Hai Zhao. If he exists, bring him back to Jiuzhou Mountain immediately to clarify the situation. If not, issue a notice to search for Gui Hai Zhao. Elder Feng, you must visit the Western Kunlun sect and inquire about Zou Zheng. Why did Elder Hu write down his name before losing his primordial spirit?" Although Mu Yangzhe spoke slowly, his tone conveyed that this matter must be thoroughly investigated.
Everyone understood that if an Earthly Immortal elder from Jiuzhou Mountain could be killed without cause, others would think that Jiuzhou Mountain was an easy target.
The inquiry about Zou Zheng from the Western Kunlun sect was more to ascertain his recent whereabouts.
...
Without the array of Dao Kuo Manor causing trouble, Lan Xiaobu quickly traversed the mists of the Nightless Sea once more.
This area of mist was merely an illusion array, regardless of whether it was set by Hu You, Lan Xiaobu could not allow such an illusion to persist.
Currently, his strength was insufficient to dismantle this illusion.
The Cosmic Dimension Matrix could construct a pattern to break the illusion, but the area was vast, and using the Cosmic Dimension Matrix to do so would be far too time-consuming—time he simply did not have.
Thus, Lan Xiaobu set up a Level 6 concealment array outside the illusion, completely hiding it away.
Unless someone intentionally searched for Dao Kuo Manor and was well-versed in the path of formation, ordinary practitioners would no longer be able to enter this concealed realm.
Upon completing this, Lan Xiaobu promptly departed from the Nightless Sea.
Regardless of whether there were treasures to be found there, it could not compare to the likelihood of finding the coveted Spirit Fruit.
As for the swamps of the Nightless Sea, they were likely a devious scheme concocted by Hu You.
...
At the foot of Little Longevity Mountain.
Though it bore the name of a mountain, it was technically more of a town.
It had gained this name because the area produced a famous spiritual fruit known as the Spirit Fruit.
Many years ago, untold numbers of Golden Core cultivators had flocked here seeking the Spirit Fruit.
The scene back then was reminiscent of the crowds attending the ginseng fruit gathering at Wanshou Mountain.
Over time, the area earned the moniker Little Longevity Mountain, and the vibrant activity turned it into a buzzing town.
However, no matter how many Spirit Fruits were produced, they could not withstand the rushing tide of people from the whole Yuan Continent.
Over time, Little Longevity Mountain could no longer provide enough Spirit Fruits to satisfy the demand.
One time, when the Spirit Fruits were ripe, countless practitioners rushed to seize them, leading to an ensuing frenzy where blood flowed.
Records in the annals of Yuan Continent documented that during that chaos, over ten thousand cultivators lost their lives.
The ground of Little Longevity Mountain had been stained red with blood.
After that brutal encounter, Little Longevity Mountain fell into decline.
The trees that bore Spirit Fruits were destroyed by magic, and the fruit would never grow again.
At this moment, Lan Xiaobu stood outside Little Longevity Mountain, gazing at what resembled a ruin.
His heart was filled with emotion; the path of cultivation was fraught with peril.
Had he been around during that tumult, he might have joined the fray as well.
A mere Spirit Fruit hardly seemed worth such loss of life.
After all, how could over ten thousand practitioners die over something so trivial?
Lan Xiaobu had not come specifically to Little Longevity Mountain; his destination was Qianhen Immortal City in the southern region of Yuan Continent, rumored to have the highest chances of Spirit Fruits appearing.
He sought to quickly advance to the Core Formation realm and did not want to waste time searching elsewhere.
He possessed far more valuable herbs than Spirit Fruits, but should Qianhen Immortal City have some, he could trade for them.
He appeared outside of Little Longevity Mountain simply because he had read about it in the annals of Yuan Continent, so he decided to stop by for a look at this famous place of Spirit Fruits.
(End of Chapter)