Forging Immortality through the Dao Seed

"Zhang Jing, hand over the Opening God Seal, or you will absolutely not walk out of the River of Cosmos Secret Realm,"

a dog-headed shadowy creature ominously called out, its voice filled with a threat that almost seemed to solidify into reality.

"Zhang Jing, right?" Another said, not minding the presence from the Mysterious Pavilion, and directly addressed him with a smile, "I've also heard about your conflict with the Mysterious Pavilion. How about this: you give me the Opening God Seal, and as a condition, we from Heishan will seek revenge on the Mysterious Pavilion for you."

Having said that, the other party suddenly changed their tone:

"Will you become a friend or an enemy? Choose for yourself! But here's a piece of advice – you've already reached an inextricable situation with the Mysterious Pavilion. If you become enemies with Heishan as well... take care of yourself."

At the same time.

Representatives of three other forces who were True Immortals in the Feathering stage also showcased their Divine Skills one by one, trying to persuade Zhang Jing to hand them the Opening God Seal.

As they spoke.

"Damn it, if it weren't for the fact that fighting is forbidden in the Immortal City, we, as dignified True Immortals, wouldn't have to be so frustrated," the five of them simultaneously thought similar thoughts.

At this moment, nobody cared about Wang Zizai anymore. Naturally, he took the opportunity to retreat to his dwelling like a fugitive, and locked his door tight.

Back at the scene.

Zhang Jing couldn't help but glance at the Opening God Seal in his hand, which was a mix of dark and yellow hues, his mind somewhat in a trance.

"The legendary Opening God Seal has come into my possession, just like that? This—"

He smacked his lips, momentarily at a loss for what to say.

Not to mention that Zhang Jing hadn't expected to get the Opening God Seal upon entering the middle reaches of the River of Cosmos. Even in his occasional daydreams, he never dared to imagine that this treasure would fall into his hands in such an unexpected manner.

Reality was indeed stranger than any tale written in the storybooks.

The Opening God Seal, sought after in vain by tens of thousands of beings at the Unity Realm Stage, had been actively shoved into his hands.

The door behind him could attest: Mr. Zhang had not even lifted a finger!

His attention returned to the present.

The voices of the five True Immortals of the Feathering stage opposite him slowly reached his ears, prompting a slight arc of disdain to form on the corners of Zhang Jing's mouth.

What a joke!

If this treasure willingly fell into his palm, it meant it was fated for him. The meat that reached his mouth was not to be spat out!

As for the threats from these guys... Zhang Jing didn't care in the slightest.

After all, what difference did it make to be chased by one or by five? They all just meant running for life.

"Are you done talking?"

He looked at the five figures opposite him, a hint of amusement in his eyes, and casually spoke out two words disdainfully, "Noise!"

"You—"

On hearing this, the dog-headed shadowy being was taken aback for a moment, then fury surged from the depths of his being.

But before he could finish, Zhang Jing took a step forward and suddenly merged with the void, disappearing from sight.

"Heh, good! I want to see where you can run to; if you dare, leave the city. Hiding in the void is a neat trick, but unfortunately, it's not enough to show off in front of me," the dog-headed being sneered with rage.

He raised his head, his eyes shining with a sinister immortal light, within which interwove strange chains of divine laws.

"I've found you!" said the dog-headed being in an eerie tone, transforming into a beam of Escape Light and flying straight in a certain direction.

In just a moment.

The Unity Realm beings from the five great forces had all dispersed, and the quiet gradually returned in front of the door to Wang Zizai's dwelling.

Behind the door, Wang Zizai leaned against the wall, unsettled, his face involuntarily showing a twinge of agony.

Although it was a desperate act to save his life, after all, it was the Opening God Seal, and giving it away so easily truly pained him to the point of spitting blood.

But it was the only choice he had.

Only by doing so could he drag forces like the Mysterious Pavilion and Heishan back into the quagmire of competing for the Opening God Seal, thus securing a slim chance of survival for himself.

Even if it might have doomed Zhang Jing.

Wang Zizai couldn't help but visualize the dreadful scene of the other being chased by those forces, a faint smile flashing across his face.

He muttered to himself:

"Brother Zhang Jing, I had no choice, so I had to wrong you. However, when I think about it, I actually did you a big favor this time. After all, before, you were being chased more in name than in reality, but now it's different – you truly have the Opening God Seal on you."

"If you die, you can't blame me."

Having said that, as if something had occurred to him, Wang Zizai's eyes flickered slightly, and a touch of coldness subtly surfaced on his face.

"It won't do! This is still too risky; what if Zhang Jing can't hold on?"

Furrowing his brow, Wang Zizai's forehead tightened into a '川' character.

The more he thought about it, the more he believed that this scenario could happen. By the time the struggle for the Opening God Seal concluded and the five major powers were free to act, how could he himself still have a way to survive?

"The only plan now is to spread the news of Zhang Jing in Immortal City as far as possible. It would be best to attract all beings at the Unity Realm Stage—the more chaos, the better."

"Plucking chestnuts from the fire, perhaps the Opening God Seal might finally return to me."

Wang Zizai's eyes grew brighter and brighter, until he could no longer contain himself and burst into loud laughter.

...

...

Elsewhere.

Zhang Jing was hastily traversing through the virtual space.

He could distinctly feel that behind him, five elusive gazes were following him persistently, as if clinging to him like festering sores. No matter where he went or how he tried to evade, he couldn't shake them off.

"It must be those five Feathering True Immortals," Zhang Jing guessed, his heart tensing slightly.

Their unwillingness to let him go was expected. What surprised Zhang Jing was that the powers of the virtual cloak he wore, which were supposed to conceal him in the void, had been seen through by these individuals.

If it were one or two, it could be attributed to the other party's innate talent.

But if all five were so capable—there was only one possibility: he had not yet completely refined the virtual cloak and couldn't unleash its true power.

This disparity was imperceptible when facing ordinary beings at the Unity Realm Stage, but now, facing Feathering True Immortals, it was glaringly obvious.

"If they like to follow, then let them follow," Zhang Jing said with a mocking smile, since he had no intention of leaving Immortal City anyway.

Before long.

At the base of a heaven-reaching giant tower, Zhang Jing's figure quietly appeared amidst the bustling crowd, without drawing any undue attention.

The discussions around him, deliberately hushed, filled his ears.

"Hey, brother, have you ever braved the God-Demon Tower? They say the beasts inside are extremely terrifying, but is that really the case?"

"Haha, it certainly is. If you think your strength is just average, you might as well not waste your Copper Coins."

Upon hearing this, a wave of discontent rippled through the crowd.

Some, bristling with bravado, retorted, "Don't just believe whatever you hear. Why take other people's word for it?"

"I'm humble to say I'm ranked seven hundred twenty-nine in the God-Demon Tower, currently stuck on the second floor. And may I ask about you?"

"Sorry to bother you."

"Interesting, the God-Demon Tower even has rankings? What exactly is Immortal City trying to achieve?" Zhang Jing mused quietly to himself.

The God-Demon Tower before him was one of the two ways for creatures within Immortal City to become upper citizens.

As long as one passed the third floor, they would automatically become an upper citizen and gain the right to enter the Inner City.

The other way was the Star-picking Tower. Winning fifty duels inside would also grant automatic upper citizen status.

However, the rules within the Star-picking Tower were more thrilling. Although there was a protective mechanism in place to prevent death, the victor would take all of the loser's Copper Coins. One careless move could lead to a total loss, sending them back to square one.

Because of these rules, very few dared to partake in the duels of the Star-picking Tower, and those who did approached them with extreme caution.

In other words, obtaining the status of an upper citizen from the Star-picking Tower was not something that could be achieved overnight.

It could take as little as several years or as many as decades—anything was possible.

For this reason, Zhang Jing had not gone to the Star-picking Tower but had come directly to the God-Demon Tower. He wanted to see if, with his current strength, he could pass the third floor.

It was to prepare for the future.

His gaze swept lightly across the dense crowd before him, and Zhang Jing smiled faintly. Then, with a thought, he once again silently slipped into the void.

He leaped dozens of yards in a single step and appeared before the great gate of the God-Demon Tower, then walked in as casually as one might stroll in a garden.

He paid no mind to the exclamations that arose behind him.

It wasn't that Zhang Jing was putting on airs, but rather that the space inside the God-Demon Tower and the outer void were separated by a vast chasm. With his current means, he couldn't cross it directly and had to enter through the main gate like anyone else.