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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: Immortal Ascension Technique
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The person who had broken his own jar had been found, but Danyangzi felt no joy at all. He stared at Zhengkun's mangled corpse with a complicated expression before kicking it away viciously.
"Laozi practically raised you like a half-son! And this is how you repay me!"
The entire cave fell silent, save for Danyangzi's heavy breathing.
This silence lasted for the time it took to burn two incense sticks. Danyangzi slowly raised his hand and pointed directly at Li Huowang among the crowd. "You, come here. Pay your respects to the Ancestral Master."
Li Huowang paused for a moment before walking over under everyone's gaze. He knelt on the ground and kowtowed to the three statues on the wall.
After completing the full ritual of three bows and nine kowtows while holding three sticks of incense, Li Huowang understood what was happening. "From now on, you are this Daoist's final disciple!"
"Yes, Master." Li Huowang's heart and liver trembled with excitement. "This moment has finally come. Don't worry, baldy, I will absolutely help you achieve your 'immortal ascension'!"
"Follow me. Your master has a task for you." Danyangzi carefully cradled the shattered remains of the jar-headed corpse in his palm.
Following behind Danyangzi, Li Huowang returned to his quarters once more.
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh~!" The black threads wrapped around the stone slab slithered like serpents into Danyangzi's sleeve, fully revealing the so-called Heavenly Book before his eyes. "Can you read what's written on it?"
Li Huowang pretended to scrutinize it carefully before asking in confusion, "Master, didn't you tell me before that the method for immortal ascension involves dual cultivation of inner and outer elixirs? But that's not right—this doesn't mention any inner elixir at all."
"Hm? What?!" Danyangzi's expression flickered uncertainly as he glanced at the jar-headed corpse beside him.
"It's absolutely true." Li Huowang stated firmly.
Who knew what nonsense the jar-head had spouted before? If he couldn't follow her script, he might give himself away right then and there. Better to come clean and start over.
Besides, he wasn't lying—this was the truth. Danyangzi's so-called immortal ascension technique had indeed been fabricated by that jar-head; it was completely fake.
Of course, what he was about to make up wouldn't be real either.
Danyangzi pondered with a cloudy expression. At first, he didn't want to believe Li Huowang, but his suspicious nature led him to find more and more inconsistencies the longer he thought about it.
No wonder he hadn't ascended to immortality after so long. No wonder the girl had said the contents of the Heavenly Book kept changing and couldn't be memorized by rote. So that's how it was.
"Crack~ Ptoo!" Danyangzi spat a glob of disgusting green phlegm onto the jar-head. He turned to Li Huowang. "Then tell me, what does this Heavenly Book say?"
"It describes a set of inner cultivation techniques. It says that at the juncture when the old year has passed but the new year has not yet arrived, one must consume and cultivate several outer elixirs simultaneously to intercept that strand of immortal energy from the heavens infused into the mortal world, drawing it into one's body to achieve immortal ascension." Li Huowang furrowed his brows at the stone slab, speaking with utmost seriousness.
"There are several elixirs to ingest. For example, one recipe requires 2 liang and 4 qian of cinnabar, 1 qian of white money shards, 1 liang and 2 qian of arsenic, and... Wandering Lord? Master, what kind of ingredient is this Wandering Lord?"
Danyangzi didn't answer. He simply stared at Li Huowang. "Kid, that little girl might've fooled me, but you're not trying to fool me too, are you?"
Li Huowang's response was resolute. "Master, this is the path to immortal ascension! How could I deceive you? I want to become an immortal too!"
"Good!" Danyangzi slapped his palm heavily and burst into laughter. "Then this time, master and disciple shall ascend together."
Li Huowang's expression froze for a moment before turning to extreme excitement. "Is this real? Master, can we really do this? Thank you, Master! Thank you!!"
Danyangzi carefully observed his expression and, finding nothing amiss, nodded in understanding.
"Mm, the elixirs can wait. First, tell me that cultivation technique. Once master and disciple have both mastered it, we'll refine the outer elixirs. There's still some time before the new year."
"Yes, Master!" Li Huowang then recited a so-called great cycle of inner and outer heavens technique for Danyangzi.
Li Huowang stayed in Danyangzi's room for a very long time that day, not returning until late into the night.
Carrying a lantern as he walked through the tunnel, Li Huowang was thrilled—his plan was proceeding smoothly, and his goal was within reach.
After being suppressed for so long, something good had finally happened.
When he arrived at the Material Room, he found that the others indeed hadn't slept.
Seeing it was Li Huowang, they all swarmed toward him, their eyes brimming with excitement. Everyone understood what today's events meant—Li Huowang had already given them the heads-up.
"Don't worry. Wait for my good news, and you'll all be able to go home soon."
At these words, everyone nearly burst into tears of joy. They could finally go home.
"Senior Brother Li, you are my reborn parents! You are a living bodhisattva!!" One of the polio-afflicted men with crippled limbs dropped to his knees in agitation, about to kowtow to Li Huowang.
He seemed to set off a chain reaction, as the others followed suit one after another.
Li Huowang spent a good while persuading them before finally stopping the farce. "At noon today, if not for all of you, I would've been done for. Shouldn't I be the one kowtowing to you then?"
As they climbed back to their feet, every face beamed with joy, as happy as if it were New Year's.
Looking at these smiling faces before him, Li Huowang felt a trace of warmth in his heart. In this unfamiliar world, these freakishly appearing folks were his comrades.
"Senior Brother Li, how was my acting? That baldy was like a fool, completely taken for a ride by me." Gouwa slapped his sunken chest, grinning cheekily as he sought credit from Li Huowang.
"It was indeed good. If you hadn't pulled that stunt, Danyangzi wouldn't have let it go so easily."
While the others chattered around Li Huowang, someone else was worried about different matters.
"Senior Brother Li, are you alright? He really didn't make things hard for you?" Bai Lingmiao approached, asking with concern.
Hearing this, Li Huowang recalled Danyangzi's words about ascending together and his intent to use him as a test subject for the drugs. He knew that was best kept to himself.
"He's even having me translate the Heavenly Book's contents for him now. How could anything happen to me? Don't worry, I'm doing great."
After chatting idly for a bit, Li Huowang's expression turned serious. "The first day of the month is almost over. Those Wandering Lords will be back from the market soon. Let's make this quick—there's still something I need your help with. Has your grandfather told you any other stories?"
He hadn't finished fabricating the immortal ascension elixirs on the Heavenly Book yet.
Plain cinnabar—this mercury ore was no longer enough for him. He needed to add other things, the more sinister the better.
He hadn't forgotten Danyangzi's strength. He had to make sure he died thoroughly.
(End of Chapter)