Forging Immortality through the Dao Seed

Huang Liang Village, outside the main gate.

Yan Xi stood silently in place, exhaling a breath of turbid air. He couldn't help but wonder in amazement, "Is this the Huang Liang Village as described by Yan Zhan?! One wonders which formidable existence created this place."

In his cloudy eyes, there was clearly the reflection of a terrifying ancient city floating in an endless sea of illusory darkness. Although he felt no threat emanating from it, Yan Xi felt an inexplicable sense of oppression, even fear.

It was as if the ancient city itself was a vast and terrifying world.

In his palm, the Huang Liang Talisman that had brought him here silently turned into ashes and scattered, as if it had never existed at all.

Staring at this scene, Yan Xi pursed his lips and let out a heavy sigh:

"Alas, such a pity."

With that, he began to walk unsteadily towards the interior of the ancient city before him.

Step by step—

The money exchange, from its inception to now, had finally welcomed its third client.

Behind the counter.

As the shopkeeper, Huang Liang's incarnation first glanced at the entering elder and let his gaze rest momentarily on the elder's hand before asking with a beaming smile, "What would the guest like to exchange?"

Yan Xi's expression became puzzled for no apparent reason, seemingly unaccustomed to the upfront manner of this mysterious figure.

He quickly regained composure and, with a show of deference, clasped his hands together and said, "This... Esteemed sir, may I ask if your establishment can exchange for innate purple qi?"

Though the person before him was merely the shopkeeper of a money exchange in this mysterious ancient city's secret realm, Yan Xi still dared not treat him with the slightest disrespect.

On the opposite side.

Innate purple qi? A strange smile appeared on Huang Liang's face.

He did not directly answer the question, but instead asked again, "How much luck movement do you possess?"

"That," Yan Xi hesitated for a moment but then, thinking of the reason for his visit, he honestly replied, "To answer the sir, just over twenty billion. This is already the entirety of my clan's foundation. I wonder if it is possible to exchange for innate purple qi?"

By the end of his speech, there was a pleading tone in Yan Xi's voice.

He knew that this amount of luck movement was simply not enough to purchase the legendary innate purple qi, but the problem was that the Yan clan could offer no more.

Having no other choice, Yan Xi could only hope to try.

What if?

After all, it was about the survival of the Yan clan, about whether he could take one step further and experience the realm of a Harmonized Dao True Immortal—he did not want to abandon hope.

Even if this hope was exceedingly slim.

Of course, if it really wasn't possible, Yan Xi would have to settle for second best and exchange for enough acquired purple qi to break through his cultivation. However, compared to innate purple qi, the acquired purple qi could not guarantee that he would quickly enter the Unity Realm Stage.

If it were usual times, it would still be alright.

But now, the situation was as perilous as a stack of eggs, and with his energy nearly exhausted, whether he could afford to wait was still in question.

While Yan Xi was deep in thought.

The next words from the shopkeeper across the counter caused his heart to plummet.

"A mere twenty billion cannot be exchanged for innate purple qi."

Unable to hide his disappointment, he looked up, only to meet a gaze that seemed to smile yet not smile.

But at this moment.

"However—" Huang Liang drew out his voice.

"Please enlighten me, sir!"

A bright light suddenly burst forth from Yan Xi's eyes, filled with surprise and joy. With his emotions fluctuating wildly, he couldn't control the intense fluctuations of the qi around him.

"There's still a chance, I must seize it!" he roared silently in his mind.

Yan Xi was very clear that this was the only chance for himself and the Yan clan.

"Bring out the contents of your storage space," said Huang Liang indifferently, paying no attention to the complex emotions displayed by Yan Xi across from him.

Or rather, he had noticed, but simply did not care.

After all, not to mention a mere cultivator who hadn't even taken half a step into Combining Dao, what of it if he were a true Harmonized Dao True Immortal? How many Harmonized Dao True Immortals and even Feathering True Immortals, whether directly or indirectly, had died at his hand on Bliss Fairy Island?

...

...

Time trickled away.

"Then, my Lord, I shall take my leave now."

Yan Xi bowed respectfully behind the counter, his voice imbued with an excitement and gratitude that were beyond words.

Clenching the storage magical artifact tightly in his hand, a stinging pain emanated from his palm due to the excessive force, yet Yan Xi was reluctant to loosen his grip in the slightest.

The reason was nothing other than the hope enclosed within for his cultivation breakthrough!

Yan Xi had not expected that he could actually obtain the congenital purple energy on this visit; everything happened so quickly, so unreal, making him feel as if he were in a dream.

"Yan Xi, bring the items I requested as soon as possible, and do not delay."

Shopkeeper Huang Liang spoke calmly, his words devoid of emotion.

As his voice faded.

Yan Xi involuntarily shivered, and his mind returned from elation to reality.

Suddenly thinking of something, he halted his footsteps and asked cautiously, "I dare not deceive you, my Lord, but I currently do not possess any Huang Liang Talismans. Once I have gathered ninety-nine demon insect corpses, how am I to deliver them to you?"

"When the time comes, I will summon you to come in."

"Yes!"

Yan Xi's heart tightened as he bowed and obeyed without uttering another word.

The message revealed in those words was somewhat terrifying.

Before long.

Behind the counter, watching that aged back, a thought-provoking smile unwittingly appeared on Shopkeeper Huang Liang's face.

"Twenty billion units of luck movement amount to two points of merit power, truly a windfall, tsk tsk, the decision I made back then was indeed correct."

...

...

After an unknown amount of time, Huang Liang Village once again fell into silence.

However, deep within the Huang Liang Realm, it was bustling with activity.

At this moment, curious or inquisitive gazes shot out from various Original Realms, converging directly beneath Shopkeeper Huang Liang.

There, a thousand-zhang-long demon insect corpse lay quietly.

"It's quite rare for this thing to stir the Chaotic Origin Immortal Nucleus," a gentle voice remarked with curiosity as Zhang Jing's Divine Sense avatar quietly appeared beside Shopkeeper Huang Liang.

Shopkeeper Huang Liang slowly turned around: "For such a trivial matter, I did not expect to disturb Brother Dao."

"This is no trivial matter. Let us begin quickly, Dao Friend."

Zhang Jing said with a smile, urging him earnestly.

He had a feeling that this bizarre demon insect corpse that had turned up might bring him a huge surprise.

"Yes, Shopkeeper Huang Liang, do not dawdle any longer, please start," another urged.

"Dao Friend, even I have spoken up."

"..."

In an instant, other entities also began to urge him on.

"Understood!"

Shopkeeper Huang Liang nodded, then with a thought, the restless phantom of the Chaotic Origin Immortal Nucleus gradually solidified.

The moment it appeared, it eagerly devoured the demon insect corpse lying on the ground.

The next moment.

Hum! Hum!

The surface of the Chaotic Origin Immortal Nucleus erupted with ten thousand rays of immortal light, becoming like a blazing sun, and issued a deafening roar that echoed through heaven and earth.

Several breaths later.

Threads of supreme, primordial aura rose from within the Chaotic Origin Immortal Nucleus, forming three colorless crystals as small as grains of rice.

"Origin Power!"

Zhang Jing's eyes widened.

After snapping to his senses, he hurriedly connected with the Jade Talisman, and then saw the three crystals, condensed from the rich Origin Power, being seized by an invisible giant hand.

The next moment.

On the Jade Talisman, the numbers in the universal experience column began to skyrocket rapidly.