Chapter 2

"Are you the immortal from Guyue Mountain?" Luochuan asked with great anticipation.

The young people of Baiyujing were all brimming with energy, eagerly awaiting the start of the immortal selection. Luochuan was no exception. However, he was just a distant relative of the Luo family, with no power or influence, and his talent was average. He had only just begun to learn the Luo family's alchemy and martial arts.

Luochuan was very clear that such a good opportunity was almost impossible to fall on his head. Even so, deep in his heart, he still harbored a glimmer of hope.

"No."

Jiulong Jun said with a blank expression.

Upon hearing the word "immortal," the corners of his mouth curled up coldly, but the smile quickly vanished, as if he was too lazy to even show disdain.

Luochuan was slightly disappointed but quickly returned to his usual state. He was long accustomed to the fact that such good opportunities always belonged to the legitimate descendants of the major families. As a secondary branch of a lesser family, his status was only slightly higher than that of the inner guards. Unless he had extraordinary talent, he would not be valued.

"However, what the immortals can give you, I can also give you." Jiulong Jun's voice drifted over.

Luochuan remained silent, his face showing disbelief.

A hint of disdain flashed in Jiulong Jun's eyes, a disdain from a lofty height, like an eagle looking down on an ant. A mere Foundation Establishment Grand Completion cultivator, who could be destroyed with a snap of the fingers, was considered an immortal by these ignorant and foolish mortals, and even compared to him. What a great irony!

In the past, based on his character, this would have been an unforgivable offense!

"I always keep my word. What the immortals can give you is nothing more than power, longevity, and glory. I can give you all of that, and more. When that time comes, whether it's the patriarch of a noble family, the emperor who bears the fate of the nation and its people, or the so-called immortals, they will all bow at your feet."

Jiulong Jun's voice was filled with temptation. Power and authority were incredibly tempting to a young man in dire straits but still holding onto hope.

A long silence ensued.

After a long time, Luochuan's voice rang out steadily.

"Unearned rewards are not to be accepted. Why do you want to help me?"

Jiulong Jun was secretly surprised.

The young man's current situation was extremely dangerous, almost a matter of life and death. Any help would be a lifeline to him. Yet, he could still remain vigilant and resist temptation, showing a resilience far beyond what Jiulong Jun had expected.

He had initially thought the young man was just bold, but now he realized he was also very meticulous.

"I have no qualms about telling you. I was betrayed by a villain, and my physical body has been destroyed. What you see is just a thread of my divine consciousness."

"Currently, I urgently need to nourish my divine consciousness and recondense it into a divine soul. The best place to nourish divine consciousness is the Sea of Thoughts. I have drifted here by chance and have a connection with you. I wish to borrow your Sea of Thoughts."

Luochuan listened quietly. He had never heard of divine consciousness or the Sea of Thoughts before, and while he was curious, he also felt something was amiss.

Jiulong Jun did not give Luochuan time to think deeply and continued, "I will not treat you unfairly. If you are willing to lend me your Sea of Thoughts, I promise, no, I will sign a contract with you, to make you the first in Baiyujing within three years. Of course, overcoming the current crisis will be a piece of cake."

Luochuan fell even deeper into silence.

Seeing the prey lingering at the edge of the trap but not falling in, a hint of anger flashed in Jiulong Jun's eyes, and his tone grew colder, "Hesitation leads to chaos. The opportunity to defy fate is right before you. If you do not seize it, you will surely regret it!"

"If you are willing to sign a contract with me, not only will you easily resolve the current crisis, but you will also become a person above others, an immortal among immortals."

"Youth does not last forever. How many such opportunities will you have?"

"Are you content to live like this for the rest of your life?"

Luochuan's body trembled, clearly moved.

The prey was about to fall into the trap, and a slight smile appeared on Jiulong Jun's lips. He was left with only a thread of divine consciousness, and he was very weak, on the verge of dissipating. His claim of needing to borrow the Sea of Thoughts was just an excuse. In fact, he had only one plan from the beginning: to possess Luochuan's body!

Jiulong Jun had observed for a long time and found that the will of the body he had unexpectedly entered was far stronger than that of other young men. In his current weak state, a forced possession might not succeed. However, if he could deceive Luochuan into opening his Sea of Thoughts and accepting him without defense, he could easily devour Luochuan's soul and take over the body.

"I have been stripped of my Qi Dan. How can I trust you?" Luochuan finally spoke.

Disgust and anger flashed in Jiulong Jun's eyes, and he felt like he was about to vomit blood. He had not expected Luochuan to be so difficult to deal with. At first, he was surprised, but as time went on, he became more composed, and now he was even discussing terms.

"Close your eyes and focus your mind on your brow." Jiulong Jun suppressed his anger. He was a formidable figure in the Nine Heavens, having weathered countless storms. He was not afraid that a mere young man could outsmart him.

Luochuan closed his eyes and followed the instructions, focusing all his thoughts between his eyebrows.

The next moment, Luochuan's brow felt scorching hot, as if a fierce fire was burning. He could not help but cry out.

Something strange happened.

A fine crack appeared on Luochuan's brow, and a white light shot out from the crack, extending far into the distance.

Luochuan saw the two bronze lions at the entrance of the Luo family's secondary residence, the snow-covered Longquan Street in the West Quarter, and the northern suburbs of Baiyujing... His gaze continued to fly, leaving Baiyujing and passing over countless lands, until he saw a magnificent palace. In the palace, he saw a beautiful girl, like a lotus blooming from the water.

The girl was lying in a steaming jade pool, surrounded by four palace maids. The mist was thick, and he could see her swan-like neck, her smooth and lustrous skin, her long and smooth legs, and her full and firm breasts, including the strange pink mark on her chest, all clearly in his vision.

After a moment, the girl was about to sit up, and Luochuan's heart raced. Just as he was about to see her breasts, Jiulong Jun's untimely voice rang in his ear, "Are you satisfied?"

The image disappeared, and Luochuan opened his eyes, feeling a bit regretful.

"This is the method of observing the sky with one eye. When your cultivation reaches a certain level, you can open your Heavenly Eye and see far and wide. Of course, I just let you experience it in advance; I didn't actually open your Heavenly Eye for you."

"Is this skill better than what those so-called immortals can offer?"

"Hmph, there are nine thousand nine hundred paths to enlightenment, and the Qi Dan you cultivate is just the lowest. Losing your Qi Dan is actually a great blessing."

"Young man, what are you still hesitating about? Once you miss this chance, you will never have it again."

Luochuan clenched his fists. The feeling that something was wrong was still there, but he no longer cared. At this point, he had nothing to lose.

"Alright." Luochuan closed his eyes.

A smile spread across Jiulong Jun's lips, gradually covering his face.

"Relax your mind and use your thoughts to guide me from the other side. We will sign a contract." Jiulong Jun pointed to his feet and said to Luochuan.

Luochuan focused and saw that there was a deep, boundless chasm between him and Jiulong Jun, and he was standing on an ocean.

This must be my Sea of Thoughts, Luochuan thought, and his mind reached out to Jiulong Jun.

The chasm split to the sides, forming a water path. Jiulong Jun stepped on the water path, crossed the chasm, and walked toward Luochuan.

Watching Luochuan, Jiulong Jun's face showed ease and confidence. As long as he reached the Sea of Thoughts, he had a hundred percent chance of devouring Luochuan's soul.

A sense of foreboding rose in Luochuan's heart again.

Suddenly, a gentle breeze blew, and the wind carried fragmented and incomplete images, like past memories.

In the images, a white-haired man was walking out of a sea of blood and a mountain of corpses. Behind him were piles of bones and ruined cities. The white-haired man lifted his head, and it was Jiulong Jun, but the sinister and ruthless look on his face was completely different from the one Luochuan had seen before.

In an instant, Luochuan's heart raced to his throat!

He quickly looked up and saw Jiulong Jun with a smile on his face. The smile was cold, and his eyes were indifferent, without the previous warmth.

"Slap!"

With the final step, Jiulong Jun crossed the chasm and stood on the Sea of Thoughts.

Luochuan's face grew even more grim. He was not a fool and knew he had been deceived.

"Ha ha ha... Difficult to deal with, little brat. No matter how strong your will is, you cannot escape my hands!"

"What a pity, what a pity. Your character is indeed suitable for my path, firm and unyielding, the essence of my path. In the past, I might have given you a chance."

"Youth does not last forever, and young men are full of charm. Tsk tsk, I suddenly miss the taste of youth. Your life, I will take it, and everything you have not achieved, I will achieve for you, including your beautiful and charming elder sister-in-law. Since everyone thinks you have disgraced her, I will take advantage of the situation... Ha ha ha!"

"From now on, the name Luochuan will become the envy of all the men in the Tang Kingdom."

A loud, arrogant laugh echoed, followed by a force that made Luochuan's soul tremble, like a volcanic eruption or a bloodthirsty mouth about to swallow him.

Feeling himself being devoured by the strange force and about to disappear from the world, Luochuan realized how much he was unwilling to let go and how much he regretted.

He was unwilling to let go of his youth that had ended before it even began.

He regretted that his life started and ended in mediocrity.

If I die like this, who will know, who will care? No one will know, and no one will care... A hundred years later, people will only know that there was a beast named Luochuan, who was utterly wicked and had disgraced his elder sister-in-law.

No one knew that the real Luochuan had died at the age of fifteen.

"No!"

Luochuan roared.

His consciousness was already blurred, but he somehow found the strength to break free from the strange force's grip.

It was this moment that saved his last bit of consciousness!

A beam of white light descended from the "sky," transforming into a winged giant dragon, roaring and lunging at Jiulong Jun.

"What!"

Jiulong Jun was stunned, then his teeth ground together, and his face showed disbelief, "How is this possible! How does this brat have the Celestial Pattern Amulet! His memories clearly do not have it!"

"The Universal Sage could not kill me! I never thought I would fall to such a secular brat who knows nothing about cultivation!"

"Timing! Fate!"

Although Jiulong Jun was a great villain, he was also a top-notch hero in the world, a unique figure in history. He could face his downfall with composure.

If he were at his peak, ten thousand such Celestial Pattern Amulets would not be enough to stop him, but now he was left with only a thread of divine consciousness, and he had no power to turn the tide.

His gaze fell on Luochuan, who was about to fall into the Sea of Thoughts, and a hint of madness flashed in his eyes.

"It's not over! I have not been defeated! At such a young age, you have a firm and unyielding will, and the fortune to survive great calamities, paired with my three thousand magical techniques... Ha ha ha, as long as you live, one day they will discover you."

With a long laugh, Jiulong Jun embraced the descending white dragon, roared, and leaped into the Sea of Thoughts.

Like a snowflake falling into boiling water, he vanished in an instant.