Cultivating To Immortality

Inside the Immortal Cave, a brief silence fell, and the four individuals wore different expressions.

Song Yan pondered for a moment, then spoke: "Senior Yan’s ambition is grand."

"Although I have no experience in Artifact Refining, I know that for anyone below the Golden Core Realm, attempting to refine a Spiritual Treasure is akin to a Foundation Establishment Cultivator forcing their way to the Primordial Spirit Great Dao, which is likely not the right path."

Even standing on the shoulders of that Senior, investing the manpower and resources of over ten generations, the possibility of finding even a glimmer of hope was extremely slim.

Song Yan did not completely deny it; he merely pointed out the difficulties involved.

Such a Heaven-Defying act was even more difficult than a False Core Cultivator seeking a Breakthrough to the True Core path.

Upon hearing this, the lines on Yan Heng’s face seemed to deepen, and complex emotions flickered in his cloudy eyes.

He first nodded, showing agreement with Song Yan’s words, then let out a heavy sigh: "Senior Song... you are right."

"Actually, perhaps the Yan Family’s criticisms of us back then weren’t wrong either."

"This truly is a divergent path, a dead end with almost no hope..."

"However, it wasn’t Ancestral Master Uncle Yan’s last wish that was wrong; it was us, his unworthy descendants, who strayed from the path."

Yan Heng’s voice was low and hoarse, filled with deep weariness: "My lineage, from Ancestral Master Uncle Yan’s generation onward, has passed down and clung to Ancestral Master Uncle Yan’s long-cherished wish."

"To delve into Artifact Refining techniques and procure Materials, generation after generation, we sacrificed too much time for Cultivation."

"When most of our predecessors’ Lifespans ran out, their cultivation often still hovered in the Middle to Late Stage of Qi Refinement, and they never reached Qi Refinement Perfection or established a Dao Foundation throughout their lives..."

As he spoke, his gaze swept over his grandson, Yan Que, beside him, his eyes filled with bitterness and helplessness.

"Generation after generation, exhausting their efforts and Lifespans for an unattainable goal, with dwindling relatives and increasing decline..."

"These years, I’ve actually long understood that Ancestral Master Uncle Yan was a true Artifact Refining Genius. The path he wished to walk is not something ordinary people like us can replicate."

"To truly continue his research, to follow his thoughts and ideas, even if just to explore a little further, would require at least a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivation."

For a Cultivator who had devoted a large amount of energy to the divergent path of Artifact Refining, the Foundation Establishment Realm had become an almost insurmountable chasm.

Yan Heng himself had been stuck at the Qi Refining Stage Seventh Level for decades, wasting time. Now, old and frail, the Great Dao was even more hopeless for him.

"Previously, I, this old man, also wanted to follow the path of my ancestors and continue walking it."

Yan Heng sighed: "However, with this demonic Cultivator calamity, Dragon Pool Mountain was destroyed in a single day, the market overturned, and we had nowhere to go."

"Now, with Mo Xu Cultivators invading, the Cultivation World is in turmoil, and the area north of Chu Kingdom is a battlefield everywhere."

"A chaotic era is approaching, and human lives are as insignificant as grass."

"I, this old Qi Refinement Stage fellow, in this chaotic situation, even surviving is a problem..."

He looked up at Song Yan: "Senior Song, if I, this old man, die, it’s just one worthless life, but my grandson is only ten years old."

"Let Ancestral Master Uncle Yan’s last wish be considered my unfilial conduct. Living is the fundamental thing."

"All I ask now is to be able to take this grandson and find a stable place to safely pass through this demonic tribulation."

"After much thought, I can only shamelessly return to Bei Ya Mountain, beg for the clan’s protection, even if it means being designated a branch family and living under others’ roofs, it’s still better than my grandson and I being left exposed in the wilderness."

"Shopkeeper Yan, you have a clear understanding." Song Yan remained silent, nodding in understanding.

"A large family with deep roots always provides reliance. The Yan Family is also a power in the Chu Kingdom. With your Late Stage Qi Refinement cultivation, finding a position in the main family and Cultivating peacefully shouldn’t be difficult."

"Thank you for your comfort, Senior."

Yan Heng first thanked him, then extended his hand, as if having made a great decision, and solemnly opened the sword box.

It was a sword, a broken sword.

The hilt of this sword was simple, without a guard, and there was no clear division between the hilt and the blade.

It was entirely black, covered with dark blue cracks.

Especially at the point of fracture, the dark blue cracks were more numerous and pronounced.

"Senior Song."

Yan Heng activated his spiritual power, took out the broken sword, and held it suspended in his hands.

"Ancestral Master Uncle Yan was obsessed with Artifact Refining his entire life, leaving behind countless works."

"However, his demands on himself were truly too strict. He believed that these experimental works failed to truly achieve what he pursued, were all failures, and not to his liking."

"Therefore, most of his creations were personally destroyed by him."

"A small portion remained, either because they circulated outside and he didn’t have time to destroy them, or because clan disciples couldn’t bear to and secretly hid some."

He continued, "Some of them were eventually sold to Sects, and some ended up through other channels, and are now probably lost."

"And this Flying Sword in my hand is Ancestral Master Uncle Yan’s last work."

Yan Heng’s gaze fell on the ancient sword in his hand, carrying a complex emotion: "According to the secret passed down orally within the clan, it is said that this sword was made by Ancestral Master Uncle Yan using an extremely precious Spiritual Treasure fragment as a base."

"He incorporated various top-tier spiritual Materials available at the time, and it eventually barely took shape as a Flying Sword... a semi-finished product."

"Unfortunately, on the day the sword was completed, Ancestral Master Uncle Yan scrutinized it for a long time, eventually cast it aside in disappointment, and soon after, passed away in melancholy."

"It is this failed product, which Ancestral Master Uncle Yan looked down upon, that has been cherished as a treasure by the descendants of his lineage, carefully preserved generation after generation."

"Hoping that a future descendant would appear and, building upon this foundation, fulfill Ancestral Master Uncle Yan’s wish."

Yan Heng’s tone shifted from reminiscence to resolve: "Now that I think about it, this was actually putting shackles on ourselves."

"Keeping this sword by our side, seeing it, future generations will inevitably remain unwilling to give up, unable to resist trying, and repeating the same mistakes. The final outcome will only be the exhaustion of their efforts and an inescapable fate of decline."

Yan Heng took a deep breath, his gaze once again firm. He held up the ancient sword with both hands, looking sincerely at Song Yan.

"Senior Song, at Dragon Pool Mountain, I, this old man, offended you greatly, but you, with your magnanimity, did not hold it against me."

"This visit is to apologize. I have no precious items to offer, but I imagine you are a true lover of swords. If you are interested in this ancient sword..."

"Then I will give it to you."

After saying all this, he felt a sense of relief, solemnly handing the ancient sword to Song Yan with a respectful posture.

Song Yan raised an eyebrow, quite surprised.

However, after thinking about it, he felt relieved. Keeping this item in hand was indeed not a good thing.

From Yan Heng’s words, it not only served no purpose but also had a sense of self-imposed restriction for this branch of descendants left by Uncle Yan.

In fact, Yan Heng had a little ulterior motive.

He subtly glanced at his obediently sitting grandson, Yan Que.

The current situation in the Cultivation World was turbulent and fraught with danger.

Song Yan was clearly a Heaven-Defying Genius, with boundless prospects in the Immortal path. If he could use this as a link to connect with him, it wouldn’t be in vain for him to give away this item.

No matter how faint the connection, it was still there.

His Lifespan was nearing its end, with not much time left. To give Yan Que a slightly smoother Dao path, he could only let go of his obsession now and bet all the chips he could.

Only to seek a glimmer of elusive protection for his grandson when the chaotic era was about to arrive.

Song Yan’s gaze lingered on the ancient sword for a moment.

The endless treasury showed no special reaction, so it seemed this sword was not what he was looking for.

However, he was still very interested, because Yan Heng had just said that this item was very likely forged from a Spiritual Treasure fragment.

Even if it truly had no use, it could be placed in the endless treasury’s fire pool as Materials to strengthen other Flying Swords.

"I will accept this sword."

Song Yan’s calm voice broke the silence. He did not decline, nor did he show excessive joy, as if he had just received an ordinary item.

He gently raised his hand, and with a pull of spiritual power, the broken sword floated before him.

"At Dragon Pool Mountain, it was just some idle gossip; I didn’t take it to heart."

"This apology is a bit much."

He slightly turned his gaze, signaling to Xiao Ju.

Xiao Ju turned and walked to the stone table in the corner of the Immortal Cave, retrieved the writing implements, and ground ink for Song Yan to dip his brush.

Song Yan took up the brush and wrote a letter to Yan Xun.

The general meaning was that these grandparents and grandson would return to the main Yan Family of Bei Ya Mountain for refuge, and being of humble status, they might face difficulties.

If Yan Xun had time, and they presented the letter seeking an audience, he should, remembering their old friendship, look after them a little to prevent them from falling into hardship.

He injected a wisp of his own spiritual power as a mark, then sealed the letter’s content into a Jade Slip and handed it to Yan Heng.

He could only do this much. Anything more would be their Yan Family’s own private matter, and it would be inappropriate to ask for too much.

"If you encounter any difficulties, go find Young Master Yan Xun. He is benevolent and an old acquaintance of mine. Seeing my letter, he might be able to help you a little."

Yan Xun’s eyes showed gratitude, and not knowing what to say, he could only bow deeply.

"Senior’s noble righteousness, not holding past grudges and helping us... truly makes this old man feel ashamed!"

Song Yan shook his head, his gaze still on the broken sword before him, and slowly said: "No need."

Yan Heng was also very perceptive. He bowed deeply again, pulled the still somewhat dazed Yan Que, and departed.

Outside the Immortal Cave, Yan Heng looked down at the Jade Slip in his hand, then looked up at the gloomy sky outside the cave. It seemed an invisible mountain that had long weighed on his shoulders was gradually dissipating.

A few drops of cloudy old tears rolled down his cheeks, then were carried away by the cold wind.

"Let’s go, Que’er, home."

His back was still hunched, but his steps seemed a little lighter.

Inside Immortal Cave Earth Character Two One, Xiao Ju didn’t want to disturb Master, so she excused herself early.

Song Yan played with the broken sword, muttering: "Uncle Yan..."

He had an impression of this name, not from hearing it somewhere, but from seeing it in the Sect’s armory.

A few years ago, when he first entered the Late Stage of Qi Refining and officially joined the inner Sect, he had an opportunity to choose a Spiritual Artifact from the Sect’s armory.

It was free, so he took it. At that time, Song Yan casually picked a Flying Sword of good quality as a backup.

He had seen some strangely shaped Spiritual Artifacts in the armory then. Because the appearance and names of the Spiritual Artifacts were extremely peculiar, he remembered the name of the person who refined them.

It was Uncle Yan.

By calculation, from the time Senior Uncle Yan passed away until now, it should have been at least one or two hundred years.

It was quite astonishing that the Sect still kept his old works.

Song Yan pondered for a moment, then tried to infuse a wisp of Sword Qi into it and immerse his Divine Thought within it, attempting to refine it.

The refining speed was neither fast nor slow; it was completed in about two hours.

Although this sword was refined from a Spiritual Treasure fragment, because it was incomplete and only had a general form, calling it a Spiritual Artifact was already quite a stretch.

However, after trying it, Song Yan found that this sword could be taken into the endless treasury.

With a thought, Song Yan’s consciousness entered the Realm.

The broken sword was now standing upright on the illusory image of his Sword Dao lotus, surrounded by several streams of Qi that surged in from all directions, slowly merging into the broken sword’s body.

This was the Tai Xu Sword Nurturing Seal operating automatically, gradually nourishing this broken sword.

Some cracks were slowly healing, and some useless Impurities on the sword’s surface were slowly peeling off.

Perhaps in the eyes of the endless treasury, this Flying Sword was severely wounded and needed "treatment."

Unfortunately, Song Yan knew that this was actually futile.

It was merely a semi-finished product; without a Great Master of Artifact Refining to reforge it, it would forever remain in this state.

However, what surprised him was that from within this broken sword, faint traces of dark blue spiritual energy slowly emerged, gathering beside the Sword Dao lotus.

Immediately, within the Realm of the endless treasury, besides himself, another figure appeared!

The figure initially sat beside the Sword Dao lotus, looking up at the broken sword.

Just as Song Yan was about to go forward to examine him, he suddenly stood up, looked towards the direction of the Burning Volcano, and walked step by step.

Song Yan was somewhat puzzled.

So he followed him, step by step, towards the volcano.

The figure’s lips trembled slightly, as if muttering something to himself, but Song Yan couldn’t hear it clearly.

"I... am..."

However, as he approached the Burning Volcano, his voice gradually grew louder.

Until he climbed to the summit of the volcano, looked at the Burning Fire Pool, and suddenly sat down in despair.

The voice was initially blurry and indistinct, but gradually, from far to near, it echoed in Song Yan’s Divine Thought.

"I am rotten wood, beyond carving!"

He just stared at the fire pool on the mountaintop, repeating this sentence over and over.

No matter how Song Yan tried to push him, he remained motionless.

"..."

Song Yan pondered for a moment, then temporarily stopped bothering him and returned to the center of this world, near the Sword Dao lotus.

With a casual wave, the broken sword flew from the lotus platform, landed before him, and hovered in the air.

"This Flying Sword is not yet complete, so it shouldn’t have a user."

This broken sword had only been in existence for a few hundred years, so it was unlikely that any Sword Cultivator had ever used it, nor had there been any dramatic events like those in the Liangyi Realm before.

"Could it be that the figure is Senior Uncle Yan?"

He re-examined the Flying Sword.

Perhaps the short period of nourishment just now had an effect, for on one side of the broken sword, faintly, two extremely small characters appeared.

"Seeking Benevolence."

Song Yan pondered this name, reflecting on it.

"It seems Senior Uncle Yan indeed had high hopes for this Flying Sword."

"Too bad..."

He looked towards the side of the fire pool on the mountaintop, letting out a soft sigh.

He didn’t know how to deal with this item now. Originally, he had planned to melt it down to see if it could improve the grade of the Unmoored Boat’s sword body.

However, with the current turmoil in the Cultivation World and his imminent departure for the battlefield, melting it down now was not appropriate.

After much consideration, he decided to put it off for now.

Song Yan’s Divine Thought withdrew from the Realm.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he came back to his senses, he sensed a communication talisman outside the Immortal Cave.

He took it down and saw that it was Elder Zhang Guangyuan inviting him to the Elder Council at Dragon Head Mountain for an important discussion.

Song Yan’s heart tightened, and he understood that this day had finally arrived.