Longevity: After Six Thousand Years, The Diary Was Exposed - Chapter 41 - Chapter 41 – Ascension is Perilous; Tread Carefully

Cangwu Mountain.

It had been split in two with a single slash, revealing a hidden secret within.

At that moment, everyone was struck with horror.

A heavy silence followed.

Inside Cangwu Mountain was a space that seemed independent of the outside world. Blood-red, flesh-like tendrils hung down from the mountain’s interior.

The tendrils were densely packed, resembling strands of hair.

What horrified everyone most was that at the end of each tendril dangled a corpse.

No one knew how long these individuals had been dead, but without exception, they appeared desiccated—drained dry by some unknown force.

Ye Xi’s gaze turned cold as he looked at the tendrils, his expression contemplative.

Where did these things come from?
And where did they lead?

After a moment of thought, Ye Xi spoke to Yuan Ruoyu and the others by his side:
“Let’s go in and take a closer look!”

The others snapped out of their initial shock, suppressing their fear and anger, and followed him forward.

Of course, those with lower cultivation levels didn’t dare venture too close, waiting to see if Ye Xi and the others encountered danger before inching closer.

The group entered the inner space of Cangwu Mountain one after another.

It was vast inside.

Even with so many people present, it didn’t feel crowded.

As they got a clearer look at the shriveled faces of the corpses, the group erupted in a fresh wave of shock.

“This… This is the ancestor of my Purple Cloud Sect! How is he here?”
“This is Sword Nine from ten thousand years ago!”
“Master, I’ve found the previous sect leader who disappeared!”
“Heavens! Isn’t this the Mad Dragon Emperor who ascended to the Heavenly Realm tens of thousands of years ago?”
“How could these people be here?”

Shocked voices rang out one after another.

Each corpse belonged to a once-renowned cultivator, many of whom were elders from the various sects present.

Some were even emperors who had ascended to the Heavenly Realm, now reduced to drained corpses.

This discovery sent chills down everyone’s spine, making their steps unsteady.

At that moment, Ye Xi looked at one of the corpses and said solemnly:
“Fellow Daoists, do you see this?”

“Why is it that even emperors who ascended to the Heavenly Realm end up dead here without a sound?”

His words left everyone pale and silent.

Pointing upward, Ye Xi spoke firmly:
“Perhaps ascension to the higher realms doesn’t lead to immortality but instead makes one fertilizer!”

The silence grew heavier.

Many stood frozen, their deeply held beliefs suddenly shattered, their Dao hearts on the brink of collapse.

If cultivation wasn’t about ascending to immortality, then what was the point?

Even emperors couldn’t live forever; they still faced death when their lifespans ran out.

Though most cultivators never reached the level of an emperor, the dream of immortality was the faith that drove them forward.

Even Yuan Ruoyu and Ye Qingge wore grave expressions, their hearts weighed down.

After a long silence, Ye Qingge’s eyes gleamed coldly, and she said icily:
“It’s not that we cannot become immortals!”

Her words immediately drew everyone’s attention.

In that moment, it was as if a glimmer of hope had appeared in the darkness.

Ye Qingge swept her gaze around and declared with commanding authority:
“Someone simply doesn’t want us to become immortals!”

“In that case, we’ll find them and destroy them!”
“And then we’ll prove our Dao and ascend to immortality!”

A ripple of admiration flashed in Ye Xi’s eyes. This Shimu was truly formidable—not only commanding but adept at rallying people’s hearts. She truly had the bearing of a future empress.

Yuan Ruoyu echoed firmly:
“Indeed. Whoever blocks our path to immortality is our enemy. They must be annihilated with thunderous force!”

At this, many powerful figures stepped forward, voicing their agreement.

“Exactly!”
“Whoever it is, they must be rooted out and destroyed!”
“For ourselves and for the future of the cultivation world!”
“How many traitors like the An family are still hiding among us? We must find them all!”

The crowd roared with fervor, raising their voices in unison.

Only now did everyone understand the true meaning behind the writings in the Immortal Emperor’s diary.

It was already an incredible stroke of fortune to learn this truth. Otherwise, who knows when they might have been targeted themselves?

And ended up as another corpse drained of its essence?

Not far away, Jiang Youlong, Hua Hongyi, and Zuo Qingtian mingled among the crowd. Their faces were pale, and they looked utterly dejected.

After a moment, Ye Xi finally spoke:
“Destroy these tendrils and let these predecessors rest in peace.”

With that, he waved his fingers, unleashing fierce gusts of energy.

The blood-red tendrils were severed and began to retract. One by one, the corpses fell to the ground.

The others also took action.

Some wrapped up the remains of their ancestors to bring back to their sects for proper burial.

Eventually, all the tendrils retracted toward a single point, vanishing into a void-like portal.

“Where does this portal lead?”

Ye Xi stared at it for a moment but found nothing.

Even his spiritual sense couldn’t extend into it.

After hesitating, he used a sealing formation to temporarily seal the portal’s end.

Without fully understanding it, he dared not enter recklessly.

As they left Cangwu Mountain, everyone wore heavy expressions. Without a word, they dispersed.

The revelation of this secret was simply too overwhelming.

It wouldn’t be long before news of this place spread throughout the cultivation world, causing a massive uproar.

Ascension comes with risks; one must be cautious when striving for immortality!

Some sect leaders hurried back to their bases, needing to respond appropriately to the situation.

Finally, Ye Xi used his immense power to close Cangwu Mountain, burying the corpses within.

After bidding farewell to Ye Xi, Yuan Ruoyu and Ye Qingge also left separately.

Both were leaders of their respective factions and couldn’t stay too long.

On a distant mountaintop, Ye Xi and the Zitong Emperor quietly watched the others depart.

Before long, the ancient mountain range, once filled with activity, returned to silence.

From within the black mist, the Zitong Emperor’s voice echoed:
“Your identity has been exposed. Things will be dangerous for you now.”

Ye Xi shrugged and replied, “With my master in seclusion, I must step up.”

“At the beginning of a startup, someone has to carry the banner and inspire confidence. That person cannot be weak—it has to be me.”

The Zitong Emperor was surprised. “A startup?”

Ye Xi explained, “Gathering a group of like-minded individuals to accomplish a great endeavor that will shake the heavens and earth!”

The Zitong Emperor fell silent.

After a moment, she asked, “What do you plan to do next?”

Ye Xi’s gaze turned distant, a murderous intent radiating from his eyes.
“Find them. One by one.”

“And take them down!”

“Even if I have to scour the highest heavens and the deepest hells, I will not stop!”

He paused before adding,
“Of course, that includes the traitors hiding among us. The An family has been wiped out, but there are certainly more!”

After this incident, the An family of Ning Region was as good as destroyed.

With so many sect elders discovered in Cangwu Mountain, no sect would let the An family’s remaining members escape.

By now, the hunt for them was likely already underway.

The An family had become like rats crossing the street, despised by all.

At this moment, Ye Xi suddenly said,
“Shimu, you must also be careful. You’ve exposed yourself to them as well.”

“They’ll surely target you next. Although the heretical evil eye has been injured and won’t appear again soon…”

From within the black mist, the Zitong Emperor nodded without speaking.

After the incident at Cangwu Mountain, the entire cultivation world would be on high alert.

Everyone now knew that the mysterious forces hiding in the shadows had been forced into the light.

In the coming days, both light and darkness would engage in a battle of wits and strength.

Ye Xi withdrew his gaze and clasped his hands in farewell.
“I have another web to check. It’s time to see the harvest!”

Moments later, his figure transformed into a streak of light, disappearing into the mountains and rivers.

← [Chapter 40] | [Table of Contents] | [Chapter 42 →]