Chapter 18: Becoming Immortal Cultivation Method

The person who shattered his 'bottles' had been found, but Danyangzi felt no joy. He gazed at Zhengkun's remains with a complex expression, then fiercely kicked them away.

"I practically raised you like a son! And this is how you repay me!"

Silence fell over the entire cave, broken only by Danyangzi's ragged breathing.

This silence lasted for what felt like an eternity. Danyangzi slowly raised a hand and pointed directly at Li Huowang, who stood among the crowd. "You, come here and kowtow to the Ancestral Master."

Li Huowang paused for a moment, then, under everyone's gaze, walked forward. He knelt on the ground and prostrated himself before the three statues on the wall.

After completing the ritual of three bows and nine prostrations, Li Huowang, now holding three incense sticks, understood Danyangzi's intention. "From now on, you are my personal disciple!"

"Yes, Master," Li Huowang replied, his heart practically trembling with excitement. *This moment has finally arrived! Don't worry, Baldy, I will absolutely help you achieve 'immortality'!* he thought to himself.

"Come with me; I have something for you to do," Danyangzi said, carefully cradling the remains of the vase-headed figure in his hands.

Following Danyangzi, Li Huowang returned to his familiar residence.

*Whoosh!* The black threads coiling around the stone slab whipped around like serpents, disappearing into Danyangzi's sleeve. The so-called Heavenly Tome was now fully revealed before them. "Can you understand what's written on it?" Danyangzi asked.

Li Huowang feigned a careful examination, then asked with a hint of confusion, "Master, you previously told me that achieving immortality requires dual cultivation using both internal and external elixirs. But that doesn't seem right; there's no mention of internal elixirs here."

"Hmm? What?!" Danyangzi's expression clouded over as he glanced at the corpse of the vase-headed figure beside them.

"Absolutely true," Li Huowang stated unequivocally.

God knows what lies that vase-headed girl had fed Li Huowang before. If he couldn't keep up the charade, he'd be exposed. Rather than risk exposure, it was better to be frank and start from scratch.

Besides, he wasn't actually lying; the truth was that Danyangzi's so-called method for immortality was entirely concocted by that vase-headed girl and completely fake.

Of course, what he planned to fabricate next wouldn't be true either.

Danyangzi began to ponder, his expression shifting between doubt and certainty. At first, he didn't want to believe Li Huowang, but the more his suspicious mind considered it, the more doubts emerged.

*No wonder I haven't achieved immortality after all this time,* he thought. *No wonder that girl said the Heavenly Tome's content would change and couldn't be memorized. So that's what was going on.*

A guttural *Hmph!* followed by a disgusting glob of green phlegm, which Danyangzi spat directly onto the vase-headed figure's remains. He then turned to Li Huowang. "Then tell me, what *is* written on this Heavenly Tome?"

"Hmm... it's a set of internal cultivation techniques," Li Huowang began, studying the slab with a serious frown, as if carefully deciphering the text. "It says that at the precise moment the old year transitions into the new, one must cultivate while simultaneously consuming several external elixirs. Only then can one intercept the influx of spiritual energy from the immortal realm, which the Heavenly Dao channels into the mortal world, and absorb it into one's body to achieve enlightenment and immortality."

"And there are several kinds of elixirs to consume," he continued. "For example, one prescription calls for two taels and four qian of cinnabar, one qian of white money plant seeds, one tael and two qian of arsenic, and... 'Master You'? Master, what kind of medicinal ingredient is 'Master You'?"

Danyangzi didn't answer, but stared silently at Li Huowang. "My child," he said slowly, "that little lass could deceive me, but you wouldn't deceive me too, would you?"

Li Huowang's reply was unequivocal. "Master, this is the path to immortality! How could I possibly deceive you? I want to achieve immortality too!"

"Good!" Danyangzi clapped his hands loudly and burst into laughter. "Then this time, master and disciple, we shall achieve immortality together!"

Li Huowang's expression froze for a moment, then instantly shifted to one of intense excitement. "Is this true, Master? Is this really possible? Thank you, Master! Thank you, Master!"

Danyangzi carefully observed his expression, and finding no abnormality, he nodded with understanding.

"Hmm, let's not rush the elixirs," Danyangzi said. "First, tell me that cultivation method. Once both master and disciple have mastered it, then we'll refine the external elixirs. There's still some time until the New Year, after all."

"Yes, Master!" Li Huowang replied, then proceeded to recite a set of so-called 'Greater Internal and External Heavenly Circulation' techniques to Danyangzi.

Li Huowang remained in Danyangzi's room for a long time that day, only returning late into the night.

Li Huowang walked through the tunnel, holding a lantern. The plan was proceeding smoothly, filling him with satisfaction; his goal would soon be achieved.

After so much suppression, something good was finally happening.

When he reached the storeroom, he found that the others were, as expected, still awake.

Upon seeing Li Huowang, everyone swarmed him, their eyes gleaming with excitement. They all understood the significance of what had happened today, as Li Huowang had specifically briefed them earlier.

"Don't worry," Li Huowang said. "Wait for my good news, and you'll all be able to go home soon."

As soon as Li Huowang uttered those words, everyone was on the verge of crying out in joy. They could finally go home.

"Senior Brother Li, you are my savior! You are a living Bodhisattva!" exclaimed one of the polio sufferers with crippled limbs, excitedly kneeling to kowtow to Li Huowang.

He seemed to have set an example, and the others quickly followed suit.

After much persuasion from Li Huowang, the commotion finally subsided. "If it weren't for your help this afternoon, I would have been done for," he said. "Does that mean *I* should kowtow to *you*?"

As they got up from the ground, they were all beaming with joy, as happy as if it were New Year's Day.

Li Huowang looked at the smiling faces before him, a warmth spreading through his heart. In this strange world, these peculiarly-formed individuals were his companions.

"Senior Brother Li, didn't I act well?" Gouwa asked, patting his meager chest and grinning impishly as he sought praise from Li Huowang. "That Baldy was completely fooled, spinning around like an idiot because of me."

"Indeed, you acted well," Li Huowang confirmed. "If you hadn't done that, Danyangzi wouldn't have let it go so easily."

While the others barraged Li Huowang with questions, someone else was preoccupied with different concerns.

"Senior Brother Li, are you alright? He really didn't make things difficult for you?" Bailiangmiao asked, walking over with a worried expression.

Hearing this, Li Huowang recalled Danyangzi's words about achieving immortality together. He decided it was best to keep quiet about Danyangzi's intention to use him as a test subject for the elixirs; there was no need to tell her.

"He's even having me translate the contents of the Heavenly Tome for him now," Li Huowang reassured her. "What could possibly happen to me? Don't worry, I'm perfectly fine."

After a brief chat, Li Huowang's expression turned serious. "The New Year's first day is drawing to a close, and those 'Master Yous' will be returning from the market soon. To make a long story short, I still need your help with something. Did your grandfather tell you any other stories before?"

He hadn't fully concocted the elixir formula for immortality from the Heavenly Tome yet.

Simple cinnabar, a mercury ore, was no longer sufficient. He intended to add other ingredients, making it as bizarre and malevolent as possible.

He hadn't forgotten Danyangzi's strength. He needed to ensure Danyangzi was utterly and irrevocably dead.