Chapter 406: Immortality?

Chapter 406: Eternal Life?

The object that flew out from the Nielv Elder's chest appeared dark and round at first glance.

Upon closer inspection, it was round but flat.

No blood stained its surface as it tumbled and fell into the freezing pool.

Just as Su Mo reached out to retrieve it, he saw that the moment the object touched the water, the cold pool instantly turned to ice.

"Hmm?"

Su Mo was taken aback and immediately flicked his sleeve, sending a palm strike through the air.

A sharp *crack* rang out as the ice around the object shattered. Then, curling his fingers like a claw, Su Mo yanked it back.

The object hissed through the air as it flew toward him.

But before it could get close, Su Mo abruptly shifted his grip, sending it back toward the elderly swordsman's chest.

It lodged halfway into his heart.

After a careful look, Su Mo confirmed that the elderly swordsman wasn’t frozen by it.

Only then did he reach out to touch it—cold but not freezing.

Baffled, he lifted it. It was heavy, with two distinct sides.

The front was polished to a mirror-smooth surface, while the back bore a fierce dragon’s head carved in relief. At the center of the dragon's brow were three tiny characters: *Dragon King Mirror*!

"A mirror?"

Little Situ was astonished. "How could this thing replace a heart?"

Su Mo, however, drifted into thought as he examined the mirror.

For some reason, looking at it made him think of the White Tiger.

The White Tiger was also lacking organs within its body.

In their place were the White Tiger remnants’ sacred relics.

These artifacts sustained it, halting further decay of the sacred relics.

And the White Tiger did not die because of this.

However, for one, it hadn’t lost its heart, and for another, it had grown up near the sacred artifacts since birth, steeped in their influence for years—only then could it survive.

In the beginning, no other tiger serving as "vessels" had been so lucky.

It was the only tiger in centuries capable of bearing a sacred relic and surviving.

So what was special about this person's body?

Su Mo studied the old man’s body carefully.

He hadn’t paid much attention before, but now, upon closer inspection, he noticed many oddities.

The body was in its prime, with a stark contrast between the upper torso’s skin and where it met the head.

Su Mo crossed his arms, observing the body while listening to the elderly swordsman's head continued to ramble about matters that no longer concerned him much. His brow furrowed gradually:

"The Dragon King Mirror, Extreme Cold Internal Strength, a martial arts master’s body, the head of an elderly swordsman...

"Judging by the words 'Dragon King Mirror,' I have reason to suspect this object originates from the Dragon King Hall.

"This body is proficient in Extreme Cold Internal Strength, likely also from there.

"Suppose that years ago, a martial arts master from the Dragon King Hall came to this island carrying the Dragon King Mirror,

"only to die here—not just losing his life, but also having his head removed and his body given to an old man.

"Do you think this makes sense to you?"

Little Situ Taoist was silent for a long moment:

"That... could make sense..."

She wanted to argue that such a thing was far too unrealistic.

Yet... this impossibility was right in front of her, leaving her no choice but to believe it.

Moreover, how could Su Mo stay so calm in the face of all this, calmly analyzing the truth of what had happened years ago?

Little Situ Taoist felt like her head might be next.

The icy underground felt like it hid a headhunter, ready to sever her head and replace it with another’s.

Just thinking about it gave her chills.

Su Mo then pointed at the body’s chest:

"Little Situ Taoist, this body has two wounds.

"The first is at the neck—probably from a head transplant.

"The second is at the heart, which hid the Dragon King Mirror.

"But here’s the thing...

"The neck wound healed.

"As a doctor, why hasn’t the heart wound healed?"

Hearing this, Little Situ Taoist lightly slapped her cheeks, forcing herself to snap out of it.

Though the situation before her was mind-boggling, now was not the time for shock.

Since Su Mo needed her medical opinion, she had to provide an informed opinion.

And the answer came to her almost instantly:

"Maybe... the body couldn’t heal by then."

"What kind of person would lack the ability to heal?"

"Those suffering from a strange illness, or perhaps..." Little Situ paused briefly before uttering two words: "A corpse."

Su Mo nodded. "Just as I suspected. We’ll leave strange illnesses aside for now. Speaking of the dead...

"Why would someone want to swap heads?"

Little Situ glanced at Su Mo, thinking the question itself was disturbing.

She shook her head. "People have different reasons. That Lanternbearing Elder’s words probably said it all.

"It’s because they believed their own bodies... weren’t adequate!"

"Precisely. So, they needed the hands of a master swordsman, the legs of a master kicker, the fingers of a master of finger techniques."

Su Mo said quietly, "Thus, they created a monster distinct from humans... the Abomination.

"But this clearly wasn’t their real purpose.

"They sought to make themselves stronger.

"The head-swapping method was no different.

"It was meant to give the person an entirely new physique, even enabling the use of frigid inner power.

"Based on the first wound, the head-replacement was clearly a success.

"The wound healed, and they controlled the body as naturally as their own.

"But something must have gone wrong afterward.

"By the time they embedded the Dragon King Mirror into this person’s chest, this person was... already dead."

He paused, then shook his head.

"Perhaps that’s not entirely accurate...

"They weren’t fully dead. At least from what we see now, their head was still alive."

Little Situ increasingly felt that Su Mo’s words sounded less like an exploration of reality or truth—

And more like a bizarre ghost story.

Coupled with the eerie, sinister atmosphere of this place and the oppressive darkness, a strange chill came over her.

She couldn’t tell if the chill came from her heart or the eerie surroundings.

Yet Su Mo continued:

"And after this person died, for some purpose—

"They inserted the Dragon King Mirror into the corpse.

"And locked it here.

"But judging by the setup, they might’ve chained it here before putting in the mirror."

"That's right... Abominations have no rationality. The putrid stench emanating from their bodies reveals that their bodies actually contain both 'life and death' states."

"Their minds have long since shattered completely, reducing them to mindless slaughtering beasts."

"Only their core bodily functions remain active, but surrounding tissues have partially necrotized."

"Their inability to prevent the decay of dead tissue is due to existing at ambient temperatures."

"But here, the body clearly resists decomposition."

"And this unknown individual has remained in this limbo between life and death, lingering here for who knows how long."

"But... why would anyone go through all this trouble for him?"

"What's the point of all this?"

"Who the hell could this be?"

Though Su Mo voiced these questions, he'd already pieced it together.

However, with no definitive clues at present, he kept it to himself.

Little Situ couldn’t help but ask:

"Then, Eldest Brother Su, who's your guess?"

"Perhaps there’s one person who could tell us."

Su Mo gave a knowing smile. "That person also practiced Extreme Cold Internal Strength. Earlier, this Abomination..."

Just as he spoke, the constantly babbling head of the elderly swordsman suddenly fell silent.

Su Mo and Little Situ went still, turning to look—his head had slumped forward.

Black fluid seeped from every orifice.

After a brief examination, Little Situ whispered:

"He’s dead..."

She said it grudgingly, with unease in her voice.

The whole thing was messed up.

This man’s body had clearly been dead long ago, his still-yapping head the only sign he'd been alive.

A person whose body was dead but whose head lived.

It took checking twice to be sure he was really dead.

It made no damn sense.

Su Mo snapped:

"The vial."

Little Situ hurriedly fished out a ceramic vial from her sleeve. Su Mo opened it, scooping up the black goo.

After a moment's hesitation, he pocketed it.

"You're going to be quite busy these next few days."

"Analyze this elixir?"

Little Situ smiled, as this was no trouble at all.

She was deeply curious about it as well. This substance must have been brewed by combining multiple medicinal ingredients into a miraculous elixir.

Before the black liquid emerged, the elderly swordsman had been filled with battle fervor.

Yet once Su Mo expelled the black liquid from his body, he immediately lost all will to fight.

From every angle, it seemed highly likely that this black liquid was the key to the Abomination maintaining its limbo between life and death.

Su Mo nodded slightly, surveying the area once more before checking the elderly swordsman’s body again.

Only after confirming nothing had been overlooked did he hoist Little Situ onto his back and leave the place.

They’d been busy all night, and it was about time they figured an escape.

Beyond the Ghost Vine cavern, there were still many secrets yet to be uncovered bit by bit.

For one thing, they hadn’t even laid eyes on the so-called Celestial Stele yet.

Though this cave appeared cut off from the world, the fact that Dragonwood Island disciples’ corpses hung from the ice formations and that such abundant cold jade lay by the frozen pool hinted at another exit.

Otherwise, those disciples would have died instantly upon falling through the trap, never making it to the pool’s edge.

So Su Mo had no intention of retracing their steps—wrenching open the metal-plate trap from below would only damage it.

As they walked, Little Situ couldn’t stay quiet any longer.

Unable to hold back, she asked,

"Brother Su, what do you think they’re really trying to accomplish?

"If this head-swapping technique succeeds... would it be a blessing or a curse?"

"Well..."

Su Mo pondered, then shook his head.

"I don’t fully grasp their intentions, but from what we’ve seen so far, I’ve put some of it together.

"Those who come to Dragonwood Island generally fit into two groups.

"One is healers, and the other is martial arts masters.

"The Lord of Dragonwood Island likely wasn’t lying when he said that deciphering the medical classic could hone one’s medical skills.

"The Poison Lord mentioned that their so-called medical classic is actually derived from the Celestial Stele.

"There must be more to it than meets the eye."

"However, even if their medical skills improve, they no longer truly belong to themselves.

"Many years ago, the Grand Physician from Longmu Island disappeared..."

He paused here, unable to resist glancing back toward the cold pool before continuing:

"So, even if there truly are exceptional individuals among them...

"They will still become puppets in the hands of the Lord of Longmu Island, compelled to perform a crucial task..."

Little Situ's eyes widened in realization: "You mean the so-called Island Master's selection?"

"Exactly. The Island Master's selection will inevitably choose the one most skilled in martial arts among those present.

"And this person... perhaps..."

He paused again, then said solemnly: "Perhaps will have their head replaced... by the Lord of Longmu Island's."

Little Situ couldn't help but draw a sharp breath:

"This... isn't this another kind of... immortality?"

"Immortality..."

Su Mo sighed: "Those who wield power—who among them doesn't crave immortality?

"Even in this remote place like Longmu Island, such desires fester.

"But the real secret must lie with that Celestial Stele.

"If the Celestial Stele can truly grant immortality...

"It might even heal your damaged Three-Yin and Three-Yang meridians."

Little Situ nodded slightly but took a deep breath:

"Brother Su, there are too many unknowns in this matter.

"The risks are many and uncertain.

"I... I don't know how to say this...

"I want to advise you not to risk your life for me.

"The damage to my Three-Yin and Three-Yang meridians has existed for years—I've learned to live with it.

"If it came down to my legs or your life, I would choose the latter without hesitation.

"But... I also know that your martial arts are unparalleled, unmatched in this world.

"Dangers that would doom others, you'd survive...

"Still, I can't help but worry..."

Hearing this, Su Mo suddenly halted his steps, gave a faint smile, and reached out to ruffle Little Situ's hair:

"Trust me on this."

"I do."

Little Situ nodded vigorously: "But it would be even better if it weren't so dangerous."

"Foolish talk."

Su Mo chuckled: "Anything rare and powerful is bound to attract greedy eyes. The greater the danger, the more it shows... its great use for you."

"Moreover, it might not necessarily be dangerous for me."

"If the time were right, I would truly want to go and take the Island Master's head right now."

As he spoke, his eyes flashed with murderous intent.

How could the head-replacement technique be underestimated?

From the current situation, this technique hasn't even been perfected yet.

Thus, the Lord of Longmu Island still needs more master healers.

What's more, for this purpose, they have conducted trial after trial.

The Abomination most likely originated from this.

Their hands are stained with countless bloody deeds.

Even dying ten thousand times wouldn't be enough to atone for their sins.

Though Su Mo is no saint, seeing this, how could his heart not seethe with killing intent?

However, he carefully concealed this intent.

Instead, he casually chatted with Little Situ about other matters.

Yet as they talked, Little Situ became curious again:

"Brother Su, as the old swordsman told us,"

"the Hermit Medical Sage escaped overseas carrying the Celestial Stele back then."

"So, was the elixir for immortality successfully refined in the end?"

Hearing this, Su Mo fell silent.

Regarding the Xuan Emperor's attempt to refine an elixir for immortality, Su Mo only had the Parting Brew as proof.

The Xuan Emperor sought eternal life and performed countless experiments for this purpose.

The Parting Brew was born from this.

According to what Ding Wugong and others said, something unknown happened to the Great Xuan Dynasty back then.

Overnight, the imperial court collapsed.

The heartland of Da Xuan turned into a land of the dead.

Almost a place where no living soul dared venture.

Before Wusheng Hall had Jun Luo's assistance, every time they ventured there, they suffered heavy casualties.

It wasn't until they had Jun Luo, with the help of the map from the Xuanji Token.

That's when they finally made progress.

However, this also demonstrates that the dangers within the heartland of Da Xuan are extraordinary.

All corners of the world were originally connected with the heartland of Da Xuan as the center.

By all rights, if Su Mo wished to head west, the best route would be through the heartland of Da Xuan, directly reaching Western Province.

Unfortunately, while he himself might give it a try, dragging his entire family into such peril wasn't the smartest move.

Yet from this perspective, it ties right into what the elderly swordsman had just said.

"The ministers dissuaded him, claiming that the completion of the elixir would surely bring divine retribution."

Could the changes in the heartland of Da Xuan have been caused by the divine retribution brought about by the elixir of immortality?

If that were truly the case, wouldn't that mean... the elixir of immortality had indeed been successfully refined?

Could it truly be within the Great Xuan Treasury?

Everyone's fighting over the seven Xuanji Tokens, seeking to enter the Great Xuan Treasury and obtain the treasures and martial arts secrets gathered by the Xuan Emperor during his seven campaigns across the jianghu.

Who would have imagined that something this incredible might be in there too?

If this elixir truly exists...

If word got out, the competition for the Xuanji Tokens would likely sweep the world!

Yet, if the elixir was indeed refined, did the Xuan Emperor ever consume it?

These events, from so long ago, are now impossible to verify.

Still, Su Mo couldn’t shake the feeling that he was hopelessly tangled up with the Xuanji Tokens, their web just kept tightening around him.

Perhaps, in the twists and turns of fate, he would inevitably find himself making his way to the Great Xuan Treasury...

...

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