Martial Arts? You Dare Try to Match Me in the Great Dao of Immortal Cultivation for Longevity?

Xiao Family Hall.

Xiao Zhan and the three others surrounded Xiao Huohuo in the center, staring fixedly at him.

Under normal circumstances, all four of them would simply assume that Xiao Huohuo was spouting nonsense he had learned from some storybook and would not take it to heart.

Yet today, Xiao Huohuo had actually brought back a master beyond the Grandmaster realm, one whom the entire Lihuo Kingdom could not afford to ignore.

What Xiao Huohuo had just said made it difficult for them to brush it off.

That previous sentence seemed to scratch an itchy spot, echoing in the hearts of all four.

First Elder likewise looked at Xiao Huohuo.

Leaning on his cane with one hand, he furrowed his brow into the shape of the character chuan, and asked in confusion:

"The Clan Leader has a point."

"Huohuo, what on earth are those Nine Spiritual Energies of yours, and what is this immortal cultivation?"

"This old man has lived for decades and traveled all over Jiangnan Province, so why have I never heard of such things?"

First Elder raised his head to look at Chu Feng:

"Could it be some special technique of the Senior, or perhaps a different name for the realms of martial artists?"

Not only First Elder, but the remaining three, including Xiao Zhan, believed precisely this in their hearts.

None of them had ever heard of Spirit Absorption into Body, nor had they ever heard of immortal cultivation.

They had, however, once heard that within certain more ancient martial cultivation sects, there were alternative names for the various realms.

Thinking along those lines, this possibility certainly existed.

Chu Feng did not respond.

He merely watched the few of them quietly.

He understood this disciple's temperament.

With an opportunity like this present, Xiao Huohuo would never let slip a chance to show off.

Sure enough, seeing that the attention of all four was focused on him,

Xiao Huohuo immediately hummed and proudly declared in a ringing tone:

"First Elder."

"Of course this isn't some alternative name for martial artist realms!"

Amidst the gazes of the four, he said with a hint of disdain, even showing utter contempt:

"Martial artists?"

"What are martial artists anyway? Such a minor path—how dare it try to match immortal cultivation?"

"Immortal cultivation is the Way of Longevity passed down to me by Master! That is the Great Dao through which one can cultivate to become an immortal!"

The entire Xiao Family Hall seemed to fall completely silent at Xiao Huohuo's words.

Xiao Zhan and the three others stood stunned for a moment, doubt and astonishment written all over every face.

After a long while, Xiao Zhan seemed rooted to the spot, dizzily blurting out in a daze:

"The Way of Longevity... How is that possible?"

"Longevity..."

As he spoke, he gently shook his head.

It was common knowledge that the stronger a martial artist's strength, the longer they could live.

Yet after thousands of years of exploration, the world had discovered that this was not longevity brought by growing stronger; rather, the stronger a martial artist's strength, the harder it was for their body to be afflicted by illness, naturally allowing them to live somewhat longer than ordinary people.

However, this kind of longevity had its limits.

Although this limit varied from person to person, none of them exceeded the peak of one hundred and fifty years.

Even if you were a Grandmaster capable of wiping out an army single-handedly, you were no exception.

When you reached the limit of your lifespan, to dust you returned, and to dirt you went.

There was not a shred of leeway!

This limit of lifespan was fair to everyone.

Even the imperial families of the five dynasties who ruled this side of the world were no exception.

Historical records frequently documented how the imperial families of various countries invited alchemists to refine pills of longevity, yet not one of them ever succeeded.

And now, Huohuo's master actually taught longevity?

If he had not witnessed the other party's true skill with his own eyes, he would have immediately dismissed the person as a fraud.

Yet because of the unimaginable strength displayed by Huohuo's master, Xiao Zhan gradually came to believe in things he had previously sneered at.

Still in a daze, he muttered:

"The Way of Longevity, immortal cultivation..."

It was as if some inherent cognition had been shattered, or as if he had pierced through a fog to find some truth; his breathing even grew somewhat disordered:

"Immortals?"

"Can immortals... also be attained through cultivation?"

"Once one becomes an immortal, does that mean longevity?"

In a trance, he once again looked at the young man sitting quietly in front, leisurely sipping his tea.

He suddenly realized that the young man's skin possessed an indescribable quality, unlike that of ordinary people.

It was not as smooth as a woman's, yet it held a trace of cleanliness untainted by the mortal world, as if it had been refined by something, carrying a faint sense of detachment from the dust of the world.

It was as if he were surrounded by... immortal Qi?

Could it be that Huohuo's master was not some grand martial arts grandmaster at all, but an immortal master?!

The moment this thought arose, his eyes widened abruptly.

At that moment, Xiao Huohuo's voice pulled him back to reality once more:

"Dad and the Elders asked just now what the Nine Spiritual Energies mean."

"Huohuo can only say that Spirit Absorption into Body is the foundational stage before stepping into immortal cultivation."

"And the Nine Spiritual Energies happen to be the very peak of this foundational stage."

"As for anything more, even if I told you, Dad and the esteemed Elders wouldn't understand."

The youth's lips curled into a smile, his eyes flashing as he turned back to look at Third Elder with an eager-to-try expression.

For some reason, Third Elder felt a bit nervous under Xiao Huohuo's gaze.

Before he could ask, he saw Xiao Huohuo continue:

"Since it can't be explained clearly, I think if we spar, everything will become clear."

"Spar?"

Xiao Zhan exchanged glances with the Three Elders.

Third Elder looked left and right in disbelief, his eyes wide as he said:

"Huohuo, did you say you want to spar?"

"But where are there any other Xiao family disciples here?"

Amidst everyone's gaze, however, Xiao Huohuo shook his head and smiled lightly:

"Although Huohuo hasn't truly stepped onto the path of cultivation yet, the Nine Spiritual Energies within my body are telling me..."

Staring at Third Elder, every fiber of his being radiated a sense of confidence:

"Right now, I'm afraid I can exchange a few blows with Third Elder."

Being targeted by Xiao Huohuo left Third Elder somewhat bewildered.

Lifting a slightly plump index finger and pointing it at his own face, he asked in disbelief:

"Me?"

"Huohuo, you aren't joking, are you?"

Xiao Zhan and the other two were likewise dumbfounded, asking with astonishment:

"Indeed, Huohuo."

"Although Third Elder hasn't truly stepped into the Houtian realm yet, he has lingered at the half-step Houtian level for many years."

"Even among the first-rate martial artists in the entire Dongli City, his combat power is considered top-tier."

"Three months ago, you were still at the third-rate realm."

"Even if you've been cultivating under your master for three months, you couldn't possibly be Third Elder's match, right?"

The remaining two elders also nodded in agreement.

First Elder said:

"Huohuo, you've practiced martial arts since you were a child, so you should know."

"The process of a martial artist practicing martial arts emphasizes step-by-step progress."

"Just like how you lingered at the third-rate martial artist level for years, unable to touch the threshold of the second-rate realm."

"You can't wake up one day and leap from third-rate to first-rate, becoming a fat man in one bite."

"Don't tease Third Elder."

As First Elder spoke, the rest of them chimed in with their agreement.

Only Xiao Huohuo still wore a smile on his face:

"Elder, you said it yourself."

"A martial cultivator cannot become fat in one bite—but that's a martial cultivator, a minor path."

"That is not the Great Dao of my immortal cultivation!"