Undying Blood: The Path of the Ancient God

The scorching sun was ruthlessly grilling the earth.

Oh, it was indeed swelteringly hot.

At the Heng Mountain Sect, exterior gate.

A young lad, bare chested, stood in the middle of a water pond.

Above the pond, a waterfall heavy as a thousand jun dropped like a plummeting giant dragon, smashing onto the youngster.

The boy was not notably handsome, yet he was born with a pair of star-filled eyes, incredibly profound.

Between his eyebrows, even more so, emanated a sense of tenacity!

His muscular body undulated, withstanding just like that.

Allowing the waterfall to churn his body without budging an inch, he clenched his teeth and persevered.

"Three years since joining, day in and day out training his physical body like this, senior brother Mu Qiu really can persist, he's incredibly determined!"

"Hehe, what use is there? His Dantian is shattered, no matter how strong his physical body is, akin to the Dragon Elephant, he's still a waste. The inner gate assessment is imminent, and without a Dantian, I don't believe he can truly enter the inner gate just with his physical strength!"

"But, I heard that senior brother Mu Qiu was the top genius of the exterior gate back then, how come he has now become useless?"

"A genius? Hmm, perhaps he was once! Now, even if it's those rough and ready to cultivate servant boys, our senior brother Mu might not be their match!"

"How pitiful..."

"Speaking of which, our great genius Mu brought it upon himself after all, he doesn't deserve sympathy!"

"Why is that so?"

"Junior brother, you joined late and don't know. Three years ago, our Mu heaven-chosen, he irrationally lost his mind. He not only wanted to assault Senior sister Feng, but he also had an urge to kill anyone he saw."

"But, from what I've seen, Brother Mu is usually quiet. He doesn't seem like someone who would do such a thing?"

"One can only know so much about a person. He was born a uncultured countryman, thinking a little bit of luck would send him soaring to the heavens. But in the end, didn't he fall right back into the dirt?"

On a nearby mountain peak, two young men stood shoulder to shoulder, both corners of their mouths turned up in a careless smile, as they indifferently watched the young boy on the cold lake.

Feather crowns, brocade robes.

Their origins were extraordinary.

They were the noble youths in the eyes of the young female cultivators in the Hengshan Sect now.

Seemingly on purpose, both of them didn't speak loudly, but their conversation relayed back and forth just loud enough for the boy beneath the peak to hear.

"Back then, if it weren't for Senior Brother Zhao Liqing's timely arrival, shattering Mu heaven-chosen's dantian and preventing him from fighting, who knows what kind of severe consequences that would have caused."

"So, it was Brother Zhao who saved the dignity of Sister Feng, no wonder they're so close now..."

"As far as I see, Brother Zhao and Sister Feng being together is a perfect match. Some people, however, are like toads wanting to eat swan meat, but in the end, they're just slapped back into the muddy well!"

He slightly raised his head, and looked at the two people on the peak, remaining silent.

"Toad, huh?"

Mu Qiu clenched his teeth, the corners of his mouth stained with a slow-oozing crimson blood.

Unfazed even when a waterfall crashes over him as if it's nothing.

Then, his veins surge prominently all over his body.

A soft shout echoes out of Mu Qiu's mouth.

Amidst the turmoil, he swings his arm like a sword, chopping at the plunging waterfall.

His arm droops weakly, evidently having suffered significant damage.

Yet still, with blood dripping down, Mu Qiu roars with laughter, looking up at the sky.

The chilling stream hitting his face, yet he does not feel the cold at all.

In this world, what's colder than the human heart!

With a self-mocking smile, Mu Qiu slams his fist into the icy water surface.

Originally, he was a villager from Mu's village and his family was quite well-off.

It was rumored that one of his ancestors was an immortal.

Therefore, five years ago, partly due to luck, he was able to participate in Heng Mountain Sect's entrance selection.

He had not expected to actually pass the examination.

After joining the sect, his cultivation soared and he left his fellow disciples in the dust.

Later on, he even managed to draw an ancient YuanYing mentor out of retirement to personally test his roots and bones.

Among the nine grades of immortal roots, Mu Qiu alone monopolized the fourth grade, an attribute of a mighty thousand men.

Even in the vast world outside, he was considered an extraordinary seedling of immortality.

In just two years, he used martial skills to tread on the path to divinity, aiming directly at transcending the mundane realm.

Once he entered this transcendent state, he was regarded as a celestial being in the eyes of the worldly mortals.

Bearing countless honors, he was hailed as the number one genius of the outer sect.

It was around this time that Feng Rong appeared by his side.

However, this woman whom he thought he'd share a lifetime with, drugged his food three years ago.

Mu Qiu never thought he'd be betrayed by the person he trusted the most.

Even more so when that betrayer turned out to be the woman he loved the most.

That day, he completely lost his sanity, like a man possessed, driven to madness.

Subsequently, events unfolded just as indicated by the two peers from the peak.

Feng Rong maliciously tore her clothes messily and panicked, bolting out of his room.

Her loud screams attracted a crowd of disciples.

Shortly after, Zhao Liqing came in time, and with one punch, he shattered his energy center, the dantian, becoming the hero admired by thousands of disciples.

As for him, he became the greatest laughing stock in the Hengshan Sect.

It was that very punch that shattered all of Mu Qiu's dignity, laying it to dust.

Cultivating the path, the realm of martial arts is the origin.

Next, you transcend mortal life, condense your essence, transform your spirit, achieve enlightenment...

And Dantian, the center of your cultivation!

If Dantian is shattered, Mu Qiu will forever become a useless entity, who has lost his chance to become immortal.

After that, the sect started an investigation.

Feng Rong accused Mu Qiu. According to her, his rapid progress in cultivation was entirely due to practicing a demonic method, called Yin-Yang harvesting.

Secretly, he was often sneaking out of the sect to force innocent young girls from the lay society to sacrifice their Yuan Yin for his cultivation.

Otherwise, how could a mere country bumpkin have cultivated so fast despite his extraordinary spiritual root?

Feng Rong's accusations were sound, and she was Mu Qiu's companion. Moreover, when the elders of the sect examined Mu Qiu, they found traces of demonic energy still on him.

And so, the perceived truth was settled that day.