Chapter 1753: Deadly Rivals

"Did Immortal Baopu enlighten you?" The others' expressions towards Jing Teng immediately changed. To be enlightened by an immortal—what an incredible stroke of fortune!

Perhaps she was the only one in the world who had interacted with Immortal Baopu. No wonder so many people wanted to get their hands on her.

"What kind of person is Immortal Baopu?" Zu An couldn't help but ask. Lately, he had vaguely heard legends about the immortal, but many were too fantastical, so he had dismissed them as mere rumors. Now that he was with someone who had met the immortal, he naturally wanted to know the truth.

"The Immortal is a once-in-a-generation talent within the Daoist sect. There are many schools of cultivation in the world, each with its own unique path. Some specialize in dual cultivation of body and spirit, others in talismans and rituals, some in formations and alchemy, and still others in divination and prognostication. Each of these fields is vast and profound; many geniuses might spend a lifetime studying them and still not dare claim mastery. Yet, the Immortal has reached the pinnacle in all these areas."

"All fields?" Everyone was collectively astonished. As prominent figures in the cultivation world, they understood that the further one progressed in cultivation, the exponentially greater the effort required. Often, even a small improvement would take a long time.

For example, despite his astonishing brilliance, Sacrificial Wine was widely recognized as the most learned person in the world, but the most powerful individual was Zhao Hao. Many secretly regretted that if Sacrificial Wine had not diverted his attention to other fields and had focused solely on cultivation, his achievements might have surpassed Zhao Hao's. This clearly showed that breadth and depth in a field were often mutually exclusive.

To now learn that someone had reached the highest level in every field, how could they not be shocked?

"Indeed, in all six arts of cultivation, he was the best in the world in every single one," Jing Teng said, a hint of reverence involuntarily appearing on her face as she spoke of the past. It was clear her admiration for Immortal Baopu came from the heart.

The group remained silent for a long time after hearing this, slowly processing the astonishing fact.

After a while, Qiu Honglei couldn't help but ask, "Did that immortal truly ascend?"

Jing Teng nodded. "Yes, he truly became an immortal. Everyone in the world witnessed it at the time. Unfortunately, after his ascension, I never saw him again."

"But hasn't the path to immortality been severed?" Zu An couldn't help but ask. He had personally witnessed the severance of the path to immortality in the secret realm of the Demon Imperial Tomb. The path to immortality in this world had also been broken since ancient times. So, how could someone still ascend?

"That's something every cultivator in the world wants to know," Jing Teng sighed, a touch of sadness in her expression, as if recalling a painful memory.

"So everyone in the world wants to find you?" Zu An finally understood why they had encountered a continuous stream of ghosts and monsters along the way these past few days. It seemed the woman beside him was even more valuable than a Tang Monk's flesh! No wonder she hadn't dared to leave her territory earlier and had specifically hired him and his companions as bodyguards.

Jing Teng nodded, her voice cold. "Now that you know the truth, you can choose to leave and no longer concern yourselves with me. It wouldn't be a breach of your oath."

Zu An smiled slightly. "We're not the kind of people who abandon our companions."

"Exactly," Qiu Honglei also nodded in agreement. "Although I come from the Demonic Sect, our people value loyalty just as much, unlike those hypocrites who claim to be righteous and noble."

Wei Suo had originally wanted to say something grand and inspiring, but unfortunately, his vocabulary was limited. After a long moment of thought, he finally managed to blurt out, "Me too!"

Looking at their sincere eyes, Jing Teng's cold heart warmed slightly.

At this point, Zu An said, "Since we're exposed and our enemies are hidden, you'd best give us a general overview of your main adversaries, so we aren't caught off guard later."

Given the situation, Jing Teng didn't hide anything. "First and foremost, of course, is the Ghost King. He covets Immortal Baopu's method of ascension, which is why he's putting so much effort into getting me."

Qiu Honglei was startled. "You have Immortal Baopu's method of ascension?"

"Of course not. Back then, I was just a vine. But I happen to be the only living person who ever came into contact with the immortal, so naturally, the Ghost King won't miss any opportunity," Jing Teng explained.

The others considered this and agreed; they would likely have suspected her too if they were in the Ghost King's position.

Zu An suddenly thought, "Was your Nine-Character Mantra also a technique from Immortal Baopu?"

Jing Teng nodded. "When the immortal saw me take human form, he taught me some small tricks for self-defense."

Qiu Honglei and Wei Suo inwardly thought that given her beauty, she certainly needed skills to protect herself.

Zu An, however, pondered silently. The Nine-Character Mantra was certainly no "small trick," but since she was unwilling to elaborate, he didn't press the matter.

"How strong is this Ghost King?" Zu An asked instead.

Jing Teng replied, "Extremely strong. He's stronger than all of us combined. He's widely acknowledged as the closest person to achieving immortality in the world."

The others' spirits sank. Jing Teng had witnessed Zu An's combat prowess throughout their journey and understood his strength far better than before. For her to still make such a judgment indicated just how formidable the Ghost King truly was.

"Ghosts can become immortals?" Wei Suo asked, surprised.

"All beings in the world have a chance to become immortal," Jing Teng replied. "Why not ghosts?"

Zu An then inquired about the Ghost King's powerful abilities, but unfortunately, Jing Teng had never fought him and thus knew little about them.

"The only thing I'm certain of is that a large tomb recently appeared in Zhichuan. It was once Immortal Baopu's cultivation dwelling, so the Ghost King definitely won't pass it up. However, the restrictions left by the immortal were extraordinary, and the Ghost King shouldn't be able to open it in a short time," Jing Teng answered.

"A large tomb?" Qiu Honglei asked, puzzled. "Didn't Immortal Baopu ascend? Why would there be a tomb?"

"I don't know either," Jing Teng sighed. "There's a legend that it's where his immortal shell lies, and another that the tomb was left by an ancient immortal, and Immortal Baopu only achieved immortality because he obtained a legacy from within... I'm just a tree vine, how could I know such things about the immortal?"

"Will you encounter your former lover this time?" Zu An suddenly asked.

Jing Teng's expression suddenly turned cold. "Why do you care about that?"

"For him to have caught your eye back then, he must not have been an ordinary person," Zu An replied seriously. "With the emergence of this large tomb, he might also come. Since he harmed you in the past, if you meet him again, your relationship will likely still be hostile. There will probably be another conflict, so knowing his information beforehand ensures we don't immediately fall into a passive position."

Jing Teng scrutinized him, trying to discern if his words were sincere or if there was some other motive.

After a long pause, she replied, "His name is Zang Ao. Back then, he was a wealthy young master, naturally inclined to wander and disregard worldly affairs. Later, perhaps due to what happened with me, his temperament changed drastically. I heard he spent a lot of time single-handedly creating the Adventurers' Guild."

"The Adventurers' Guild was created by your man?" Wei Suo was surprised. They had been in this world for some time now and naturally knew about the ubiquitous Adventurers' Guild. It gathered experts from all over the world, helping them complete various posted tasks, and many cultivators could also post their own missions there, making its existence extremely popular.

Even some of the world's top powerhouses often had good relations with the Adventurers' Guild, as it was indeed a useful intermediary platform.

The owner of the Adventurers' Guild had always been mysterious. There were many legends about him: some said he was as rich as a nation, others that his power was unfathomable, and some that he was ruthless...

They never expected this legendary figure to be Jing Teng's former lover.

"What 'my man'?" Jing Teng glared at him furiously. "Back then, our feelings were honorable, and nothing ever happened between us!"

Wei Suo shrank his neck, while Qiu Honglei looked somewhat suspicious, wondering if the woman's words were subtly hinting at something to someone.

"How is his cultivation?" Zu An lightly coughed.

"When we knew each other, he couldn't even tie a chicken," Jing Teng replied.

"Back then?" Zu An keenly noted her wording. "What about now?"

"I don't know now," Jing Teng replied. "He obtained my demon core back then. Coupled with the Adventurers' Guild's influence over the years, he must have collected countless rare treasures. His power is incalculable, not to mention the countless experts the Adventurers' Guild can now command."

Zu An couldn't help but exclaim, "I never imagined your ex-boyfriend would become so formidable!"

Jing Teng's face darkened. "I told you, he's not my boyfriend!"

Rage value from Jing Teng +222, +222, +222...

Zu An was startled, wondering why she suddenly got angry.

At this moment, Qiu Honglei spoke up, "I recall you having another arch-nemesis, don't you? Wasn't it that person who instigated the conflict between you and that ex... *cough cough*, that man?"

"Precisely," Jing Teng said, a hint of murderous intent in her eyes. "He is Sun En, the leader of the Divine Firmament Sect."

"The Divine Firmament Sect?" Everyone was equally surprised. They had heard of the Divine Firmament Sect's reputation during their journey these past few days.

Because ghosts and monsters ran rampant in the world, there were also sects dedicated to exorcising demons and dispelling evil, with the Divine Firmament Sect being the most prominent among them.

However, it was said that their previous leader had been missing for many years, leaving the sect in a fragmented state.

They never imagined he was also an enemy of Jing Teng!