Chapter 182: The Path to Immortality

Lu Yan’s words exploded through the hall like a thunderclap on a clear day.

Qing Fengyang, who had been moments away from voicing his doubts, instantly swallowed his words, and the grand hall fell into a heavy silence.

Before the ancient clans had even concluded their discussion, Lu Yan had already predicted the outcome in his heart.

The Demon World version contained supernatural power—and at a high energy level at that. The Heavenly Dao of the Demon World wielded far greater authority than that of the Urban World.

Even though the Demon World’s Heavenly Dao had shown no hostility toward Lu Yan, it had still corrected the bug represented by the Li Family and the Underworld following the version update.

That mere subconscious influence was enough to exert immense pressure on Lu Yan. This was the difference between Heavenly Daos of different power tiers.

Even the Urban Heavenly Dao—without any supernatural force—could rewrite the world’s collective understanding and guide a global superpower to drop a nuclear bomb on its own federation.

Could a mere show of force from Lu Yan truly scare off the far mightier Demon World Heavenly Dao?

Knowing this all too well, Lu Yan was certain that these ancient families would make another move.

Rather than be passively dragged into a conflict with them, Lu Yan chose to seize the initiative, carving a new path for himself and taking control of the situation.

“The Great Emperor… could he be referring to the Lord of the Underworld?”

“Bestowing Dharma?”

“What kind of Dharma?”

“Could it be that the Lord of the Underworld is going to pass down a True Dharma?”

The moment Lu Yan’s words fell, the gathered factions were immediately captivated by what he had just revealed, tossing aside their earlier thoughts of uniting against the Underworld.

In their eyes, the Lord of the Underworld was no different from the ancient gods and buddhas of old. If such a being were to pass down a True Dharma, it would undoubtedly be the most supreme cultivation method in existence. Everything else paled in comparison.

Even if it meant elevating the Li Family to the rank of a thousand-year-old clan, the factions present would gladly accept it.

Seeing their reactions, a faint curve tugged at the corner of Lu Yan’s lips.

In truth, the Heavenly Dao’s correction of the Li Family and the Underworld was simply guided interference—using the ancient clans as tools to patch the loophole.

But since it was a guided correction, there had to be a cause—a seed of hostility between the clans and the Underworld. It was just like how the Urban World’s Heavenly Dao once exploited the United Nations’ fear of the Federation to prompt a nuclear strike.

The ancient families feared the Underworld’s power. They worried that the Underworld supporting the Li Family would tip the scales and suppress all other clans.

Yet fighting the Underworld was no easy task. If enough benefits were laid out, the ancient clans would instantly abandon their fear and turn to flattery.

To give up potential gains just to make an enemy of a powerful force—such a choice would be beyond foolish for these families.

Now driven by greed, the representatives were unconsciously suppressing the very correction that the Demon World’s Heavenly Dao had put into motion.

Sitting at the head of the hall, Lu Yan gazed down at the gathered clans.

“Do any of you know what lies beyond the Demon World?”

His words caused all the representatives to look at one another in confusion.

Indeed, the Demon World had its share of rumors about other realms, but most were folklore—difficult to prove or disprove.

The only force known to have definitively crossed realms was the Underworld, which had revealed its might just half a year prior.

Qing Fengyang, the most senior among the clan representatives, hesitated for a moment before finally speaking:

“Information about the realms beyond is beyond the reach of even our Abyss Profound Realm ancestors. Only back when the gods and buddhas first transmitted their Dharmas did a few fragments circulate.”

“It’s said that other worlds exist outside the Demon World—worlds without demons or monsters, where the Dao laws differ greatly.”

“For countless eras, our human ancestors have sought a way to those other realms. Even Misguided Realm powerhouses beyond the Abyss Profound Realm have failed to find a path. Over time, it faded into legend.”

“Only those who’ve achieved the Dao—like the gods and buddhas of lore—are said to be able to traverse realms. Since the transmission of the True Dharma, no such being has appeared again. Only the Lord of the Underworld is suspected to have done so.”

At the head of the hall, Lu Yan maintained a calm expression, but inwardly he was stunned.

He had only thrown out the concept of other worlds to serve as a setup—to bluff the representatives by describing different versions as different realms.

But unexpectedly, Qing Fengyang had revealed genuine intel.

Could it be that the ancient gods and buddhas who transmitted the True Dharma were really from other worlds?

Lu Yan etched this detail deep into his memory. Outwardly, he simply nodded with approval.

“Indeed, other realms beyond the Demon World do have their own unique laws and cultivation systems.”

“In fact, the differences in cultivation across realms can be quite dramatic.”

With that, Lu Yan raised both hands slightly, looking down on everyone present as he asked:

“Do you know what my current lifespan limit is?”

The expressions of the clan representatives shifted slightly. Judging from Lu Yan’s aura, he was only at the early stage of the Soul Burial Realm. In the Demon World, practitioners at that level rarely lived past one hundred years.

And the stronger one’s talent, the shorter the lifespan tended to be.

This was because True Dharma warriors could not cultivate their physical bodies. All their techniques relied on comprehending the Heavenly Dao, which constantly threatened to assimilate them. Even the spatial containers crafted by the clans could barely extend the life of a brain-only Soul Burial Realm cultivator by fifty years.

“One hundred years.”

“Ninety.”

“With such youthful talent, the emissary’s lifespan probably isn’t very long. I’d say seventy.”

Then, Qing Fengyang offered a bold number after a moment of silence.

“One hundred and twenty?”

The moment he spoke, Ye Qi couldn’t help but laugh mockingly.

“Even late-stage Soul Burial practitioners don’t always live to one-twenty. Qing, that flattery’s a bit obvious, don’t you think?”

Just then, Lu Yan finally spoke from the head of the hall.

“My current lifespan limit is three jiazi.”

“One hundred and eighty years?!”

Gasps echoed through the hall.

“A Soul Burial cultivator can’t possibly live that long!”

“Impossible. Few even make it to a hundred!”

“My uncle at the Demon Fiend Realm lived to one-seventy-two and was already considered unusually long-lived. A hundred and eighty? That’s out of the question!”

Only Qing Fengyang calmed slightly and cautiously asked:

“Is the emissary’s lifespan… linked to the Dharma he practices?”

“Of course,” Lu Yan answered firmly.

“Different realms, different systems. And they yield vastly different outcomes.”

“The system I cultivate comes from an immortal cultivation world. Its path to immortality begins at the Foundation Establishment stage, which is equivalent to your Soul Burial Realm—and it grants a lifespan of three jiazi.”

“Above that, the Golden Core Realm parallels the Demon Fiend Realm and bestows an astonishing eight hundred years of life.”

“Then comes the Nascent Soul Realm, with over a thousand years of lifespan—enough to witness seas turn to fields and enjoy true longevity.”

His words sent shockwaves through the hall. Even the Demon Fiend experts couldn’t help but tremble, their faces filled with wild joy.

True Dharma cultivators might be monsters—mutating their flesh, warping their souls, becoming inhuman—but even the insane feared death.

The Demon Fiend Realm offered great power but barely any increase in lifespan. And looming over every one of them was the ever-present threat of assimilation by the Dao.

Only by reaching the Abyss Profound Realm could one gain a lifespan of five hundred years and transcend mortality.

But now Lu Yan spoke of a Golden Core stage—equal to the Demon Fiend Realm—that could live even longer than the Abyss Profound Realm!

Before anyone could ask further, Lu Yan continued:

“Of course, immortal cultivation is just one among many systems outside the Demon World.”

“There’s the Arcane Path, where mortals unravel the secrets of the universe and can rival gods in power.”

“There’s the Psionic Path, where a soul’s transformation lets one become a soul-computer—if successful, achieving soul-based immortality.”

“The Qi Warrior Path. The Scholarly Path. The Yang God Path. The Eternal Life Path…”

Lu Yan spoke fluidly, weaving together genuine systems with those he’d made up on the spot, presenting a dazzling tapestry of possibilities to the clans.

The crowd was entranced, desperate to explore these foreign methods right away.

Taking in their expressions, Lu Yan paused briefly, then chuckled lightly and added:

“Of course, all these methods share one trait—there’s no incompatibility in cultivating them together.”

As soon as his words landed, Qing Fengyang urgently asked:

“May I ask, emissary—are the methods the Lord of the Underworld is passing down among these?”

The rest of the representatives fixed him with hopeful eyes.

In truth, most of them—despite their status—stood far below their clan’s Abyss Profound ancestors.

If the Lord of the Underworld passed down a supreme Dharma, it would go first to those higher up, leaving them with nothing.

But if it was a new method from outside the Demon World—then everything changed.

New systems had no incompatibility rules. That meant they, as the first to make contact, could cultivate them directly.

To them, that was an unimaginable fortune!

They didn’t even dare dream of immortality or godlike power. Even gaining a few more decades of life was a priceless blessing.

Sensing their eager gazes, Lu Yan knew the Heavenly Dao’s correction—its threat to the Underworld and the Li Family—had now been completely nullified.

With a wave of his right hand, the Soul Banner stirred. Black mist gathered in the air, forming a string of glowing characters.

“The Dharma bestowed upon me by the Great Emperor comes from the immortal cultivation world!”

Everyone turned toward the writing.

At the very top were three bold characters:

《Everlasting Spring Art》

(End of Chapter)