Martial Path Cataclysm

Unexpectedly, Su Jishi, who usually had a bad temper, was unusually silent at this moment.

After a moment of silence, both Su Jishi and Chen Xiaosheng looked at Li Ji'an with a hint of surprise in their eyes.

"Such a firm resolve to seek immortality?"

Their first reaction wasn't that Li Ji'an refused the peerless cultivation method, but rather his willpower.

To have such a resolve to seek immortality at such a young age!

They themselves were considered at the pinnacle of the Martial Path in this world. Being advanced in age, they had experienced and heard too much about the desire to seek immortality. However, most of it was superficial, merely pursuing worldly wealth, honor, fame, and status. Li Ji'an, on the other hand, remained so steadfast even when faced with a peerless cultivation method, which clearly showed his true intentions.

Seeking immortality, seeking immortality, who among them didn't initially dream of becoming an immortal?

After all, it was true transcendence, possibly eternal life, longevity equal to heaven, while all worldly glory and pleasure would turn to dust within a hundred years, vanishing like smoke.

Especially now, with their lifespans dwindling, they felt this more deeply. If they had a choice, and could start over, they would definitely do their utmost to pursue immortality, even for the slimmest chance.

The older people get, the more they fear death, the more they understand the horror of it and the beauty of life!

The more they understand how precious that sliver of hope for immortality is.

Unfortunately... their lives had no "if," no second chances.

They were all failures and had long since given up.

And almost all of them had given up after failing the first Immortal Seed assessment.

They had spent their lives pursuing decades of glory, wealth, and the rise and fall of their families.

In the end... they brought nothing in life and would take nothing in death.

Without becoming an immortal, it was all for naught.

And at this moment, Li Ji'an's steadfastness subconsciously made them feel a sense of shame.

Because when they were Li Ji'an's age, they thought more about glory, wealth, and status. They even held the mindset of not seeking length of life, but height of life, preferring a brilliant but short existence over an obscure eternity.

"Good!" In the end, with a hint of melancholy in their eyes, the two nodded, saying no more.

Instead of blaming Li Ji'an for his audacity, they showed a bit of encouragement.

This caused Ning Haichan, who was prepared to play the "bad cop," to swallow his pre-prepared speech.

"This... then... um, good, good. Nephew Ji'an has this aspiration, it's a good thing, a good thing. Then you two should withdraw first and prepare for the journey..." He was certain that Li Ji'an's chances of becoming an Immortal Seed in ten years were almost zero, and by then, his thoughts would naturally change. There was no rush.

Exiting the military tent, Ning Sujin and Ning Yutan looked at Li Ji'an's carefree retreating figure, a surge of warmth flowing through their hearts.

"I will definitely wait for you in the Immortal Realm! I believe you can do it!" Ning Yutan's heart pounded, mistaking Li Ji'an's rejection of immense wealth as a desire to reunite with her in the Immortal Realm.

"Pah! Who's fond of you? If others knew how glib and frivolous you were before, would they still believe your nonsense?" Ning Sujin scoffed lightly, thinking Li Ji'an's aspiration to seek immortality was for the sake of being with her.

After that, the journey was smooth sailing.

Half a month later, the group arrived at the Imperial City!

Walking through the most prosperous and central part of the Imperial City, Li Ji'an became even more cautious.

There were many troubles under the emperor's feet, and once entangled, one wouldn't even know how they died.

He declined Duke Dingguo's invitation and decisively went to report to the Immortal Palace first.

The moment he saw the Immortal Palace, Li Ji'an's last shred of doubt about immortals in this world vanished.

Compared to his previous world, even though feudal rulers used superstitions like "mandate of heaven" to control the populace, they would never be like the Imperial Family of this world, where the Immortal Palace was the most magnificent building in the entire Imperial City.

Moreover, it was located in the very center of the entire dynasty.

Whether in terms of area, location, or architectural scale, it surpassed the emperor's palace!

This clearly showed the emperor's attitude towards immortals.

In the very center of the Immortal Palace stood a giant golden-lacquered stone sculpture, ten zhang high.

A sculpture of an old man with an immortal demeanor and kind eyes stood in a posture of universal salvation.

"Is this the Immortal Master that the Immortal Bestowed Dynasty's founder encountered?" Li Ji'an, with reverence, performed the proper rites as instructed by the Duke on the way.

Only after entering the Immortal Palace did he see that beneath the Immortal Master sculpture, there were hundreds of densely packed "sculptures" the size of ordinary people, all kneeling on the ground in a posture of apology.

Seeing these "sculptures," Li Ji'an slowly took a breath, suppressing the wisp of negative emotion in his heart.

This was because these "sculptures" were all real people, and most of them were figures from the Grandmaster Ranking of the entire Immortal Bestowed Dynasty fifty years ago. Each one had been cast with molten iron, their exteriors made of iron, but their insides were flesh and blood.

These iron statues stood here to warn all the Martial Path prodigies entering the Immortal Palace not to harbor foolish ambitions or attempt to challenge immortal might!

The upheaval fifty years ago could even be called a great catastrophe for the Martial Path world. Li Ji'an had heard of it in his first life after transmigrating to this world.

At the time, he thought it was just a lie fabricated by the rulers to intimidate and threaten the Martial Artists of this world.

But now, combining what he had seen and heard across his three lives, he was almost certain of its truth.

It was said that sixty to seventy years ago, a portion of people had reached the pinnacle of Martial Path cultivation in this world—Great Perfection of Vital Energy and Blood, their Vital Energy and Blood like a raging furnace.

However, they could not advance further.

And as their lifespans dwindled, death became a certainty.

After enjoying the highest status and glory in this realm, they were even less willing to face death.

Especially since they had truly met Immortal Masters and knew of immortals, they naturally yearned even more to become immortals and live forever.

However, they knew even more clearly that they were the ones who had been screened out, without the qualifications to become immortals.

So gradually, some people began to search for a sliver of hope amidst their despair. Initially, they only hoped to find other ways into the Immortal Realm besides the Immortal Master guiding Immortal Seeds.

This was also the ambition of the Imperial Family, who secretly funded and supported them.

Thus, during those nearly twenty years, almost all the experts of the entire Immortal Bestowed Dynasty were exploring the map.

Finally, after countless attempts and efforts, including the largest recorded expedition with hundreds of thousands of people as a supply and transport team, consuming nearly thirty percent of the nation's grain and fodder, the result was obtained—the Immortal Bestowed Dynasty was surrounded by an endless desert!

The furthest record showed endless yellow sand stretching for ten thousand miles.

This was simply despairing!

They finally believed what the Immortal Masters had said, that the Immortal Realm and this mortal world were not in the same place.

Apart from the Immortal Master guiding Immortal Seeds, they could no longer see any hope of becoming immortals.

And they were precisely the ones who had been excluded.

Some despaired, some went mad, and some rejoiced in secret.

The Imperial Family, amidst their despair, also rejoiced in secret. Because they were the only mortals to have met an Immortal Master, they were the true heads of mortals, controlled Martial Path resources, and also served the Immortal Master. They might receive rewards from the Immortal Master, and afterward, they dedicated themselves to serving the Immortal Master, solely seeking rewards.

But the grand figures on the Grandmaster Ranking who were old and nearing the end of their lifespans were truly unwilling. Finally, in order to seek a chance at immortality, they established a secret organization, and they decided to go all in.

"Obey heaven and perish, defy heaven and become immortal!"

"Since you won't let us become immortals, then we will slay immortals!"

Thus, the catastrophe of fifty years ago descended.

Seventy percent of the experts on the Grandmaster Ranking, along with hundreds of Grandmasters and tens of thousands of Martial Artists from across the land, attacked the Immortal Master who had descended to the mortal world during the Immortal Ceremony that year