Forging Immortality through the Dao Seed

A dim, waning sun suddenly appeared in their sight.

"Ahem, Senior Brother."

Gazing at the rolling mountains and the crisscrossed, ruined paths between them, Qu Junhou slowed down and dutifully followed Zhang Jing, while also saying quite awkwardly:

"Would you mind leading the way, brother? Let's get out of these mountains first. My sense of direction isn't very good actually."

"Understood."

With a faint smile, Zhang Jing took the lead and moved forward.

Neither of them mentioned the use of flight techniques.

Although Qu Junhou had mentioned that the strongest beings in this realm were only at the Dharma Phase Realm, this was a new world after all. Caution was the better part of valor, especially for newcomers.

Especially for Zhang Jing.

He knew that something unusual probably happened in the Nether Night Realm.

Only by staying on the ground.

Would he feel relatively safe.

Moreover, for Zhang Jing, traversing by drawing on the energy of Earth's meridians was actually not much slower than flying.

Of course.

To accommodate Qu Junhou who was following him, he naturally couldn't go full speed ahead.

…

…

Four hours later.

Three hundred miles away.

A village situated at the foot of a mountain suddenly appeared in their sight.

The village was not big, with only a few dozen families. Thin wisps of smoke ascended from their homes, giving a faint indication of life.

Zhang Jing's eyes narrowed slightly.

In the open space at the east end of the village, about seven or eight children were playing around. They were both boys and girls. From their appearances and body shapes, they were unmistakably the purest of the Human Race.

"So there are humans in the Nether Night Realm too? This makes things much easier than expected."

Zhang Jing quietly let out a sigh of relief.

If there were humans here, it meant that he and Qu Junhou could blend in.

And their targets, the Origin Crystal, and the Innate Divine Items, might have records among the high-ranking powers of this world.

As for communication.

For the Golden Core Realm Zhang Jing and his junior brother, it wasn't a problem at all.

…

…

"Gentlemen, our village is small and we don't have any spare rooms for you to rest. It would be better for you to find lodgings elsewhere."

At the village entrance.

An old man leaning on a cane spoke with a smile to Zhang Jing and Qu Junhou.

His words sounded polite, but the cold rejection that they carried was palpable to all but the dimmest wits.

Standing behind the old man.

A group of villagers, young and old alike, held farming tools in their hands. The tension was clear on their faces as they stared at Zhang Jing and Qu Junhou, ready to charge at the slightest provocation.

In front of the crowd.

"You old fool, you--"

Qu Junhou couldn't help but sneer, a furious aura erupting from him.

However, the next moment.

A hand, clear and jade-like, silently stretched out in front of him interrupting his words, suppressing the furious aura surrounding him.

"Junior Brother Qu, calm down."

Zhang Jing gently said, a faint smile still on his face.

Then.

He stepped forward under the nervous gazes of the crowd and approached the old man.

"We only need to stay here for the night, we will leave first thing in the morning. Please, be accommodating."

Zhang Jing said smilingly.

As he finished speaking.

He turned over one hand, and an ingot of bright, white silver instantly appeared in front of all their eyes.

For a moment.

The villagers' expressions froze. Their gazes unconsciously fell on the silver ingot in Zhang Jing's hand, and the heavy breathing of anticipation could be faintly heard.

Seeing the villagers' reactions.

"Indeed, no matter which world it is, gold and silver are always valuable to mortals."

Zhang Jing secretly thought.

"Honorable Sir... What...What do you mean by this?"

The old man couldn't help swallowing, his voice trembling as he asked.

"Whoever can provide us with two rooms to stay in, this ingot of silver will be theirs. How about that?"

The moment Zhang Jing's voice echoed out.

The air became silent for a moment.

But it soon returned to its previous clamor.

The people crowded around Zhang Jing, eagerly trying to get his attention:

"Sirs, our home has a spare room. If you don't mind, please stay with us."

"Sir, our home has space too, and we only need half an ingot of silver."

"My wife is very pretty, sir. You might want to take a look."

"…"

"What are you all doing, causing a mockery!?"

The old man who was shoved aside was furious.

He harshly struck the cobblestones underneath him with his cane, creating a crisp noise.

"Let the two gentleman stay at Little Kuihua's place. Her parents died early and she has a younger brother to look after, so she really needs the money."

At these words.

Most of the villagers didn't dare to argue anymore, and quietly backed away.

Only a scattered few, seemingly blinded by the silver ingot, tried to fight for something more.

However.

Seeing the gloomy face of the old man.

They subconsciously shivered and suddenly sobered up, a barely noticeable trace of fear flashing in their eyes.

"What do you gentlemen think?"

The old man paid no further attention to the others and turned around; a flattering smile on his face as he looked at Zhang Jing, asking carefully.

"We'll follow your arrangement then."

…

…

That night.

In a pitch-black room, Qu Junhou sat on a bamboo chair, his eyes half-closed.

At the moment.

In his sea of consciousness.

An incomplete figure gradually appeared and said with a smile:

"Junior, since you're here, I won't hide the truth from you anymore."

"This Nether Night Realm is the place where I personally buried three divine corpses. Back then, the great war was imminent, so I didn't have time to deal with them completely. I thought of using this broken world to completely wipe them out. Now, after millions of years, one of the divine corpses should have been almost extinguished, probably leaving only the last vestiges of its Origin. This will be key to your metamorphosis into an Innate Dao body."

"But before that, you must hunt enough Demon Heart Cores in the Nether Night Realm to serve as fuel."

"Demon Heart Core?"

Qu Junhou asked, confused.

"Yes. The Demon Heart Core is the basis of the demons in the Nether Night Realm."

The incomplete figure explained:

"These demons are not the demons you know. They are strange things formed from a mixture of the Dao left in the corpse of a god, the resentful and unwilling spirits after a god's death, and the World Energy of the Nether Night Realm."

"Therefore, a great amount of Origin Power is contained in the Demon Heart Core."

"I see!"

Qu Junhou suddenly understood.

Just at this moment.

The outside world abruptly resounded with a flurry of banging drums and cymbals.

Alongside.

A bizarre roar, sounding like countless voices layered together, echoed through the air.

"The Great Sheep Benefactor is on patrol, avoid or be eaten, all will be eaten! Hehe~"

Qu Junhou's eyes shot open, a strange flash in his eyes.

"Demons?!"

Meanwhile, in the neighboring room.

Zhang Jing also slowly opened his eyes.

"Tsk, just as I had suspected. The trouble has emerged now. Good thing I was ready for it." He thought to himself.