After Failing to Find Immortality 3

Chapter 3: The Descent, Danger Emerges

A familiar voice drifted through the haze of unconsciousness.

“Shuya, remember this when you grow up.”

A kind-hearted old man stood beneath the starry sky, his hands clasped behind his back. “The world is unpredictable and full of dangers. Even a renowned martial arts family like ours can’t guarantee its safety. Our current status and fortune are merely a product of luck and circumstance.

If a true calamity were to befall us, our fate would be… Ai!”

The old man sighed deeply.

A young girl with pigtails mumbled, “Can’t even Grandpa protect us? You’re a Grandmaster…”

“Grandmaster?”

The old man chuckled and shook his head. “How insignificant are we compared to the vastness of heaven and earth?”

“Perhaps only those legendary immortals, detached from the mortal world, can truly live a carefree life.”

Seeing her usually imposing grandfather expressing such yearning and resignation, the young girl murmured the word “immortal,” her voice filled with curiosity and longing…

“Ugh?!”

Hua Shuya’s eyes shot open, and she sat up abruptly as if jolted by electricity. She instinctively grabbed her sword, pressing the cold blade against her sweaty forehead, her expression flickering.

“Why am I having childhood memories… Wait! Did I faint?”

Fragments of her memories before losing consciousness still lingered.

She seemed to have played a game of Go.

No, it wasn’t even a proper game. It was more like… she had watched helplessly as the opponent placed their stone, nothing more.

The feeling of insignificance and helplessness, as if she were a tiny speck in a vast galaxy, still lingered, like witnessing a divine miracle.

“Just placing a single stone, yet possessing such terrifying power.

This is the legendary power of immortals, the kind of transcendent master that Grandpa yearns for… truly a world apart from ordinary martial artists!”

“Are you alright, young lady?”

A concerned voice suddenly rang out, bringing Hua Shuya back to reality. She looked up and saw Lin Tianlu sitting opposite her, his expression serious.

Hua Shuya quickly checked her body, but she didn’t feel any pain or discomfort. She stood up from the grass mat, her vision clear.

“Senior, I… how long was I unconscious?”

“Less than a quarter of an hour.” Lin Tianlu estimated the time and chuckled softly. “Don’t worry, young lady, I didn’t do anything inappropriate while you were unconscious.”

“I apologize for making a fool of myself, Senior. I just felt a little unwell. It’s nothing serious.”

Hua Shuya breathed a sigh of relief.

But in the next moment, she froze.

Because she sensed something unusual.

The fatigue from hours of climbing had vanished. Her body felt light and refreshed, as if all the hidden injuries and chronic ailments she had been carrying had been completely eradicated. She felt energized and invigorated, full of life.

Not only that, but as she circulated her internal energy, she realized her cultivation, which had stagnated for years, had greatly improved. Her internal energy was purer, her blood flowed more smoothly, and her limbs felt warm.

This was… the Pure Yang realm of a martial artist!

Just from a brief moment of unconsciousness, her strength had become comparable to her father’s, surpassing years, even decades, of arduous training.

Hua Shuya was overwhelmed with excitement. After a moment of thought, she realized the truth.

It must have been that profound and mysterious game of Go. Not only had it broadened her horizons, but it had also transformed her body and soul!

With that realization, she bowed deeply, her voice filled with gratitude.

“Thank you for your grace, Senior. I will never forget this great kindness!”

Lin Tianlu: “???”

He was confused.

The girl had coughed up blood and fainted, scaring him. He had only managed to gather some grass and make a makeshift bed for her to rest.

And now, she had woken up on her own.

He hadn’t done anything. What grace was she talking about?

Could it be… the grass mat?

Lin Tianlu chuckled awkwardly, waving his hand dismissively. “Don’t worry about it, young lady. It was nothing. I just saw you coughing up blood. Perhaps your constitution is a bit weak. You should see a doctor.”

Weak constitution?

Hua Shuya pursed her lips.

In the eyes of others, she was known for her strength and vitality.

But this senior had seen through her secret with just one glance…

The reason she had learned martial arts from her grandfather since childhood was because her mother had a weak constitution, suffering from tuberculosis. She had inherited her mother’s illness and was plagued by sickness as a child.

Even after years of cultivating her internal energy, the chronic illness that lingered in her body still caused her pain and discomfort from time to time.

“I will heed your advice, Senior.”

Hua Shuya replied seriously.

Seeing her formal and polite demeanor, Lin Tianlu maintained a gentle smile, but he couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

Communicating with ancient people… was truly troublesome.

Especially since this beautiful girl kept calling him “Senior,” making it difficult for him to close the distance. He didn’t even know how to ask her to take him down the mountain with her.

…Although being called “Senior” did sound quite pleasant.

“Senior, about the immortal sect on Mount Taiyi…”

“Sect?” Lin Tianlu quickly snapped back to reality and chuckled, spreading his hands. “I almost forgot, young lady, you fainted before I could finish explaining.

Look around carefully. There’s no immortal sect here. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be stranded on this mountain, playing chess to pass the time.”

“The sect… is gone?”

Hua Shuya was stunned. Only now did she have the presence of mind to notice her surroundings.

She had only glanced around briefly before, assuming they were just ordinary rocks. But now, upon closer inspection, she realized that they were clearly the ruins of collapsed buildings!

“The legendary immortal sect, reduced to this…”

She walked over to a broken stone tablet, her fingers gently tracing the weathered surface. Sand and dust crumbled away. It had clearly been decades since anyone had cared for this place. She could barely make out some faint inscriptions on the tablet, but they were too faded to decipher.

“How things have changed.”

Lin Tianlu followed her, his expression calm. “Even cultivators can’t escape the passage of time. A hundred years, a thousand years, ten thousand years, eventually, calamity will befall them. If immortal sects could truly last forever, why do they only exist in legends now?”

Hua Shuya pondered for a moment, then turned around and bowed. “I’ll remember your words, Senior.”

“Uh?”

Lin Tianlu was stunned, then chuckled awkwardly. “Young lady, since the immortal sect is gone, are you planning to descend the mountain?”

“Having failed to find my immortal destiny, I won’t hold onto any unrealistic hopes.” Hua Shuya smiled faintly. “Besides, meeting a master like you, Senior, is a blessing in itself.

I wonder what your plans are, Senior. If you don’t mind, please allow me to escort you down the mountain and offer you some hospitality. Consider it a small token of gratitude for your guidance and generosity.”

Lin Tianlu’s eyes lit up. “Of course, it would be great if you could give me a ride down. Let’s descend the mountain now.”

He had been wondering how to ask her, but this girl was so understanding, she had offered her help directly.

Seeing his friendly and approachable demeanor, Hua Shuya sighed inwardly with relief.

She had been worried that this master wouldn’t be interested in worldly affairs and wouldn’t want to descend the mountain with her. Now that she could spend more time with him, perhaps she could receive further guidance… even a little would be incredibly beneficial to her.

“Please follow me, Senior.”

“Alright… Wait a moment, let me gather my things.”

Lin Tianlu quickly packed the Go board, the stones, the jade pendant, and other items, stuffing them into his robe.

As for the rusty broken sword he had dug up, he hesitated for a moment before putting it away as well… If anything unexpected happened, he could at least use it for self-defense. It was better than being empty-handed.

Fortunately, he didn’t have many belongings, and he could barely fit them all in his robe. The heaviest item was the Go board.

Hua Shuya waited patiently at the start of the descent path. When Lin Tianlu returned, she immediately took out two iron hooks from her pocket. “Senior, if you don’t mind, please attach these hooks to your belt and connect them to the iron chains. This will prevent you from slipping on the steep and slippery path… Of course, with your abilities, Senior, this small mountain path is nothing—”

“Thank you, thank you.”

Lin Tianlu readily took the hooks, smiling and bowing to her. “I’m truly grateful for your appearance, young lady. Otherwise, I don’t know how long I would have been trapped on this mountain.”

Hua Shuya smiled gently, not taking his words seriously.

After all, this ‘immortal’ had been living alone on this mountain for over half a month. How could he be ‘trapped’ by a mere mountain path? He must be being humble, or perhaps there was another deeper meaning behind his words.

Immortals could joke, but that didn’t mean she, a mere mortal, could speak so casually.

The two of them started descending the steep slope, carefully stepping one foot at a time. Hua Shuya was especially cautious, afraid of making a fool of herself in front of the immortal.

Although she was skilled in martial arts, this towering mountain was still dangerous. One misstep, and she would fall to her death. Even with her light footwork, she couldn’t defy gravity and fly. Those were abilities reserved for legendary immortals.

But…

Hua Shuya discreetly glanced back at Lin Tianlu, who was following behind her.

This immortal kept claiming to be just an ordinary scholar, weak and helpless, trapped on the mountaintop, even suggesting that she might need to help him descend.

But now, as they walked down the path, she noticed his light and agile steps, as if he were walking on clouds. “Such incredible footwork, I’ve never seen anything like it!”

Hua Shuya was secretly shocked, her belief in his extraordinary nature further solidified.

This man was definitely not ordinary!

Even if he wasn’t a legendary immortal with earth-shattering powers, he must be a hidden master.

Meanwhile, even Lin Tianlu, despite his usual obliviousness, noticed something unusual about himself.

His steps… were so light!

He had expected to stumble and struggle on the mountain path, but now, walking down, he felt as if he were on flat ground, perfectly balanced. He didn’t even need the iron chains attached to his waist.

Could it be that this scholar had secretly trained his body?

But as he searched his memories, all he could find were fragments of studying day and night.

“And I haven’t felt hungry at all after living on the mountaintop for half a month. I didn’t think much of it before, but now it seems… could it be that my body has undergone some kind of transformation after transmigrating?”

This… change had happened so inexplicably that Lin Tianlu was confused.

He hadn’t eaten any strange fruits or pills on the mountain, nor had he encountered any immortal masters who bestowed their power upon him. He had just been amusing himself, passing the time, without any sense of becoming stronger.

Or could it be the environment of the mountaintop itself?

“Perhaps there’s something special about the ruins of the immortal sect?”

Lin Tianlu pondered for a moment, then decided to descend the mountain first.

No matter what, he needed to find a town, get some food and clean clothes, and then he could investigate the secrets of Mount Taiyi.

After all, such a massive mountain couldn’t just disappear into thin air, could it?

After walking for a few minutes, the steep path gradually leveled out, and the temperature rose. Hua Shuya, who was leading the way, exhaled and unhooked the iron chains from her belt.

“Senior, we can walk normally from here.”

“Alright.”

Hua Shuya brushed her hair back and looked around, her eyes filled with suspicion.

Where were her companions who were supposed to be stationed here?

Could they have gone down the mountain to warm themselves up, unable to bear the cold?

Although she was confused, Hua Shuya didn’t think too much of it. She was about to continue their journey with Lin Tianlu.

But at that moment, there was a faint rustling sound from the surrounding bushes, followed by approaching footsteps.

Hua Shuya frowned slightly. Seeing figures emerging from the bushes, she was about to question them.

She had brought eight companions with her, and now none of them were present. To abandon their posts after taking her money was unacceptable.

“Why are you—”

“Shh!”

A hand suddenly appeared before her, silencing her.

Hua Shuya was stunned, turning to look at Lin Tianlu in surprise. “Senior?”

“Something’s wrong.”

Lin Tianlu had moved beside her, his expression grave.

As they spoke, a middle-aged man in thick winter clothes stumbled out of the bushes.

Hua Shuya let out a soft exclamation.

This was undoubtedly one of her companions. Why was Senior— “Ugh?!”

But her eyes widened in horror as she took two steps back.

As the man raised his head, the shadows receded, revealing a face covered in gruesome wounds, a terrifying sight!

Lin Tianlu jumped back in shock, his eye twitching.

“Don’t scare me. This ancient world…

Could there be a zombie apocalypse?!”