Cultivating Immortality, Starting from Childhood Sweethearts

Xu Ming and Xu Xue’nuo’s sword energy simultaneously struck the chains binding the old man’s wrists.

Although Xu Ming and Xu Xue’nuo were only mid-level cultivators of the Fifth Realms, facing these immortal-grade binding chains was akin to throwing eggs against a boulder—utterly futile.

However, over the past three thousand years, the old man had been using his sword energy to wear down his shackles, day by day.

Even water, over time, could erode stone.

After three thousand years of relentless effort, his sword energy had carved a deep groove into the chains. While they had not yet broken, the chains were severely weakened—deep fissures marred their surface.

If given just another two hundred years, the old man was confident he could sever the chains entirely. But time was not on his side.

The sect master of the Tianxuan Sect was no ordinary man. His collusion with Abyssal beasts had driven him to the brink of sacrificing half his sect’s disciples for the sake of his own breakthrough.

Two hundred years? The old man didn’t even have one year left.

Thus, he needed external help to deliver the final blow to these near-shattered chains.

Even though Xu Ming and Xu Xue’nuo were merely cultivators at the Sea Observation and Dragon Gate Realms, their sword energy far surpassed that of their peers.

More importantly, if they could execute the old man’s Heaven-Splitting Sword, even a Nascent Soul cultivator would struggle to withstand it.

Their strike wasn’t as insignificant as it seemed.

If the old man’s chains were a camel, Xu Ming and Xu Xue’nuo’s strike wasn’t just the straw that broke its back—it was a solid iron bar!

“Clang!”

With a resounding crash, guided by the old man’s sword energy, the sword strikes from Xu Ming and Xu Xue’nuo landed perfectly on the fissures of the chains.

The grooves deepened further, and the cracks began to spread outward.

The old man unleashed his full reserve of sword energy in one explosive burst.

“Crack!”

With a sharp sound, one of the chains shattered entirely.

The old man rubbed his wrists, the bones creaking audibly.

For over three thousand years, he hadn’t felt such freedom in his movements.

Meanwhile, within the dream consciousness of Xu Ming and Xu Xue’nuo, they witnessed the heavens splitting apart before them.

Beyond the fissures in the sky, a vast void stretched endlessly.

Xu Ming blinked in disbelief.

Behind the heavens, there truly was a palace.

But just as quickly as the vision appeared, the heavens began to mend, and the fissures closed in the blink of an eye.

The old man’s avatar within their dream consciousness also began to fade.

In the real world, Xu Ming and Xu Xue’nuo’s eyes gradually regained focus, no longer empty and dazed. Their consciousness returned to their bodies.

As their souls fully reconnected with their physical forms, they felt disoriented, as if they had been dreaming for an eternity—an experience akin to traversing millennia in a single slumber.

Outside the cave, the sect master of the Tianxuan Sect, Xia He, who had nearly broken through, suddenly felt an overwhelming surge of sword energy.

The sword energy was far stronger than before, piercing through the air with an intensity that far exceeded his expectations.

The formation of sword energy became almost feral, lashing out at Xia He relentlessly and forcing him to retreat step by step.

When Xia He was pushed back a full hundred meters, the sword energy ceased its pursuit.

The countless swords merged, forming an impenetrable wall of sword energy that completely sealed the entrance to the cave.

No matter what spells or techniques Xia He unleashed, he couldn’t break through the barrier in a short amount of time.

Frowning deeply, Xia He realized something was amiss.

“That old wretch must’ve undone a significant portion of his bindings,” he muttered to himself. “Otherwise, the sword energy wouldn’t be this intense. But how… how did he manage to do it?”

Inside the cave, Xu Ming and Xu Xue’nuo, hearing the commotion outside, looked at the old man in confusion.

Xu Cang chuckled and said, “Don’t worry about it. While you two were practicing the techniques I passed down, the sect master arrived. Previously, I would’ve struggled to hold him back. But now that my shackles are broken, there’s no need to worry—he won’t be getting in.”

Hearing the old man’s words, Xu Ming and Xu Xue’nuo were a little surprised. They hadn’t expected to alarm the sect master of the Tianxuan Sect so quickly.

But upon reflection, Xu Ming felt it made sense.

Sanshi (Three Stone) Peak held countless upper-five-realm cultivators and was one of the sect’s highest-level forbidden grounds. There must have been numerous warning formations placed around this area.

Xu Ming glanced at “Jiang Xue.”

In his opinion, it probably wasn’t him who had alerted the sect master. After all, he had entered with the help of a treasure given by Mo Zhu’er, and she definitely wouldn’t harm him—not right now, when it wouldn’t benefit her.

It was far more likely that this girl named Jiang Xue had caused it. By forcefully breaking through the formations on Sanshi Peak, she must have drawn Xia He’s attention.

Noticing Xu Ming’s gaze, Xu Xue’nuo turned her head to meet his eyes. “What are you looking at?”

“Nothing.” Xu Ming quickly averted his gaze.

The old man, Xu Cang, smiled as he looked at Xu Ming and Xu Xue’nuo.

“I told you before,” he began. “To make a deal with us, the prerequisite is learning one of our techniques.

“Now that you’ve learned what we’ve taught, we can have a proper discussion.

“We passed these techniques to you for two reasons.

“First, to test your ability to endure.

“Second, learning our techniques makes your bodies more receptive to our spiritual energy.

“Each technique we’ve imparted serves as a sort of primer.

“I know you probably don’t fully understand yet.

“But remember this—only after mastering the techniques we’ve taught you can we pass our spiritual energy on to you.”

Xu Ming: “…”

He felt like he was starting to understand a little.

Spiritual energy… it was like inner energy in martial arts?

Were they planning to pass their “inner energy” on to him?

“Passing your spiritual energy to us? What does that mean exactly?” Xu Xue’nuo asked.

Xu Cang smiled faintly. “Exactly what it sounds like.”

Without further explanation, Xu Cang began forming sword seals with his fingers.

Thirty swords made of sword energy appeared in mid-air, splitting into two groups of fifteen. Each group of fifteen swords flew straight into Xu Ming and Xu Xue’nuo’s bodies.

But it wasn’t over yet.

Another fifteen swords materialized, this time piercing into Xu Cang himself and the other fourteen prisoners.

Before Xu Ming and Xu Xue’nuo could react, a sharp, excruciating pain overwhelmed them.

It was an agony like their very souls were being torn apart.

Endless streams of spiritual energy flowed through the fifteen swords, pouring violently into their bodies.

Their bodies felt as if they had turned into balloons, on the verge of bursting into a bloody mist at any moment.

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