Chapter 878: The Method of Ascending to Immortality

Zhao Ruizhi was startled. Being fierce, he bit down hard. With his cultivation, such a bite could easily shatter metal and jade.

Unfortunately, the tentacles were incredibly slimy. The powerful force of his bite was largely dissipated by the surface mucus, making it difficult to truly harm the creature. Instead, it took the opportunity to push further inside, even reaching his throat.

Zhao Ruizhi felt a wave of nausea. He had never endured such humiliation. It wasn't just a threat to his life, but also a complete trampling of his dignity.

He desperately tried to pull the tentacles out with both hands. However, he felt that after the tentacles entered his mouth, a portion of them liquefied and flowed into his stomach. Subsequently, his strength rapidly dwindled.

He could only watch helplessly as the tentacles extended further and further into his mouth.

From a distance, Zu An watched this scene with a shiver of disgust. Dying like this would be worse than death itself.

If I were... Ugh, no, no, no, that's bad luck.

At that moment, Xu Fu's laughter echoed from within the octopus's mouth: "Hahaha, so it's a body snatcher! Perfect, your soul will replenish what I've lost over these long years."

Zhao Ruizhi struggled frantically, but his movements grew weaker and weaker until he finally fell still.

Immediately afterward, a soul resembling Zhao Hao was pulled from his body. His expression was clearly one of extreme agony, but with Xu Fu's tentacles clinging to him, he was powerless to resist. His form steadily faded until, with a pop, he shattered into specks of golden light, all of which were absorbed into the great octopus's mouth and nostrils.

"Ah~" Xu Fu let out a satisfied hum, clearly feeling immensely pleased.

However, someone else was far from pleased. Outside the secret realm, in the imperial palace in the capital, Zhao Hao was meditating in the imperial study when his face suddenly changed. He vomited a mouthful of blood, his complexion turning as pale as gold leaf, and his entire aura instantly weakened considerably.

"Your Majesty, what's wrong?" Two close eunuchs, hearing the commotion, rushed in and were startled by the emperor's appearance.

A cold glint flashed in Zhao Hao's eyes. The two eunuchs seemed to be gripped by invisible hands around their necks. With a snap, they slumped lifelessly to the ground, no longer breathing.

Little did they know that their perceived concern would bring about their own demise.

How could the emperor allow anyone to reveal his current weakened state?

Zhao Hao didn't even glance at the bodies of the two eunuchs. Instead, he hurried to the window, gazing towards the direction of the National Academy's back mountain. His face was extremely grim; his soul clone had been destroyed!

Although separated by a world, he couldn't know exactly what had happened. However, as they shared the same origin, he immediately felt the death of his soul clone.

His heart was filled with apprehension and doubt. Before this, everything had been within his control. Even with the arrangements at Prince Qi's mansion, though he didn't know every detail, his soul clone in the crown prince's body should have been enough to suppress any unexpected developments. Why had it died?

Despite the emergence of a new secret realm, he didn't believe it could threaten his soul clone.

Could Zhao Jing have also entered the secret realm?

He hastily called out, "Someone!"

Soon, Eunuch Wen scurried in. "Your Majesty, what are your orders?"

He appeared to completely ignore the two eunuchs' bodies on the floor. He had been able to remain in the imperial study for so many years precisely because he knew when to ask questions and when not to, when to enter the imperial study and when not to.

Those two young eunuchs were simply too naive.

By this time, Zhao Hao had wiped away the blood from his face, and his aura had returned to normal. He said in a deep voice, "Summon Prince Qi for an audience... No, wait. Never mind. Have our informants find out Prince Qi's exact whereabouts, no matter the cost!"

He worried that if Prince Qi came in person, his current condition might not be concealable at such close proximity, which would only boost Prince Qi's confidence and introduce more variables.

Eunuch Wen hesitated. "That could very likely expose our informant embedded in Prince Qi's mansion."

Ascertaining Prince Qi's whereabouts was beyond the capability of an ordinary informant; only the highest-ranking informant within Prince Qi's mansion would likely know.

However, once activated, given the astuteness of Prince Qi's faction, it could easily lead to that person's identity being exposed.

It had taken considerable effort to place someone in such a position within Prince Qi's mansion, and losing them over this matter would be too great a pity.

Zhao Hao's expression turned cold. "I said, no matter the cost."

"As you command!" Eunuch Wen's heart tightened. Clearly, the emperor was willing to sacrifice that person's life.

Alas, what good is reaching such a high position if you can still be discarded at any moment?

Who knows when I might face such a fate.

He dared not show any emotion, slowly retreated, and as he left, he carried away the bodies of the two young eunuchs on the floor, as if nothing had happened.

Zhao Hao nodded in satisfaction. This servant was perceptive and discreet, always acting in ways that pleased him.

However, his good mood lasted only a second. He then turned his gaze, a frosty expression on his face, towards the direction of the secret realm in the academy's back mountain. What exactly had happened in there? It had ruined his years-long plan for immortality!

Meanwhile, Zu An's mood in the secret realm was equally heavy. He was internally cursing Zhao Hao as a useless individual. Zhao Hao had been so boastful earlier, yet now he had been so easily devoured by that octopus monster?

Not only had there been no mutual destruction, but Zhao Hao had even nourished the opponent? Making Xu Fu even stronger. What was the point of fighting now?

Zu An gave up on attacking and instead moved to guard Mi Li. He didn't try to escape either; with the opponent having just absorbed Zhao Hao's soul clone, he wouldn't be able to outrun them anyway.

The octopus monster twisted and contorted, then resumed a human form. Immediately after, the surrounding bloody liquid seemed to solidify, developing various cracks. Soon, these blood crusts peeled away, revealing the person within.

Compared to the blurry-featured monster he had been before, he now looked much like a normal human. However, his fluctuating form indicated that he still lacked a physical body; it was unclear if he was a soul like Mi Li or something else.

He gazed at Zu An with a fiery look, unable to resist licking his lips. "A Pure Yang body, and top-tier talent! Heaven truly helps me."

Zu An felt a chill of disgust under his gaze. That creepy pervert.

Mi Li then spoke: "Xu Fu, you still haven't answered my question. Why are you here? And didn't you disappear with three thousand boys and girls back then?"

Having just absorbed Zhao Hao's soul clone, Xu Fu was in excellent condition and wasn't in a hurry to fight. After all, not sharing one's proud achievements with an audience was like wearing fine clothes at night—a complete waste, and quite unsatisfying.

"Years ago, Qin Shihuang ordered me to find the elixir of immortality. I ventured deep into the vast ocean numerous times, hoping to find the legendary immortal mountains. But how could immortals truly exist in this world? Each failure made Qin Shihuang grow more impatient with me, and everyone in the world thought I would once again return empty-handed. Yet, surprisingly, I found a potential method for immortality in Dongying."

"What?!" Not just Zu An, but even Mi Li was moved. Could there truly be a method for immortality in this world?

Xu Fu smiled. "It's not truly immortality in the conventional sense, but rather a dark art that merely extends life. This technique requires vast quantities of human vital essence to replenish lifespans, as well as sacrifices with the Five Element constitutions: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. And, of course, most importantly, a Pure Yang body born in a yang year, yang month, yang hour, and yang place, and a Pure Yin body born in a yin year, yin day, yin hour, and yin place. With these, one can attain enlightenment and become immortal."

At this point, Xu Fu paused, giving Mi Li a meaningful look. "Otherwise, why do you think Qin Shihuang, despite being intent on conquering Chu, still chose to marry you, a young princess of Chu, as his empress? Do you truly believe it was merely because you were the former empress's sister?"

Mi Li's expression changed. She hadn't realized there was such a reason.

Xu Fu then asked, "Aren't you curious why Qin Shihuang, after marrying you as his empress for so many years, never touched you? Why he always allowed you to remain a maiden?"