Chapter 2

At this moment, the sounds of battle rose from the distant village at the foot of the mountain. The fight had entered its most brutal phase, with people constantly falling in pools of blood and amidst the flames. Among them were White Killer's subordinates, but mostly they were the people of the Qing Shui clan. The Qing Shui clan numbered over sixteen hundred, with about three hundred skilled warriors. Although not all were exceptionally brave and strong, at least a thousand could still take up arms and fight to the death.

They had a brief period to prepare, but it was after all a hasty response in the dead of night. The over two hundred subordinates White Killer brought were all elite warriors trained specifically for combat, and their leaders possessed supernatural powers. At the beginning of the battle, both sides were at a stalemate, but as the people from the mountains rushed to the village, the situation gradually turned into a one-sided massacre.

The Qing Shui clan could not resist their fate of annihilation, but even so, White Killer's subordinates suffered heavy losses, including some powerful individuals with supernatural abilities. Ordinary elite warriors could be recruited and trained again, but those who had reached the initial realm and cultivated supernatural powers were rare and hard to come by. For any force, this was a significant loss.

The Qing Shui clan had received a warning from the mountain god, knowing that they would face a great calamity that day. The mountain god told them to muster all their strength to fight back! The clan, which had worshipped and believed in the mountain god for generations, followed the mountain god's guidance without hesitation. This was the only thing Li Qing Shui could do for his people at that moment.

Given the situation, there was little left to say. White Killer should have been aware that no matter how he threatened Li Qing Shui, he would not get what he wanted. He had paid a heavy price, but destroying the Qing Shui clan was meaningless. He could have killed Li Qing Shui and left, but Li Qing Shui was now completely defenseless.

However, White Killer did not intend to do so because he was not willing to give up. The greater the cost, the more unwilling he was. The secret he sought was in Li Qing Shui's heart. Even if the entire Qing Shui clan was wiped out, as long as Li Qing Shui was still alive, there was still hope of obtaining it.

Despite not turning around, White Killer was well aware of the extent of the losses from the distant sounds of battle. His eyes twitched slightly but quickly returned to calm, as if he had forgotten the brutal fighting in the village in an instant. When he spoke again, his tone was like that of two old friends having a heart-to-heart conversation. He had too much to say and ask, and he could hardly contain himself. As long as Li Qing Shui was willing to talk, there was still hope of achieving his goal.

White Killer sighed, almost to himself, "The ignorant worship ghosts and gods, merely offering sacrifices to people like us, or to things they themselves are not sure exist. I have seen many so-called mountain gods in this wilderness, most of which are just spirits and ghosts with a bit of supernatural power, appearing to deceive people for offerings.

"They either take what they need for pleasure or use the offerings' power to cultivate as ghosts, seeking the path to immortality. I have seen many powerful spirits and elves who call themselves mountain gods, each with different witchcraft, walking completely different paths to the heavens. Some may go further, while others can never take another step. What confuses me is that the more powerful beings are not necessarily the ones who go the farthest.

"Their cultivation methods often come from self-realization or innate talent, varied and without a fixed path. People like you and me have our own secret methods. Why bother to cultivate as a ghost or mountain god?"

Li Qing Shui, sitting with his eyes closed, seemed to have seen through White Killer's thoughts. A mocking smile appeared on his lips, and his voice echoed in White Killer's mind, "The path I follow is not ghost cultivation, but the Essence Formula passed down by Emperor Taihao. However, the step to reach the divine land is indeed related to my experience as a mountain god for a hundred years. This is what you want to know, right? I already told you earlier!"

White Killer's eyes glowed with intense light, "What did you tell me?"

Li Qing Shui: "I have lived long enough to witness many births and deaths, and many events. Therefore, I know how many things will unfold. People like me are often called sages, but for me, it is not the result of deep thought but a natural clarity, as if the world is unfolding before my eyes. This is a supernatural ability, yet it is not. It can also be called returning to simplicity, and it is the harvest of my years as a mountain god."

White Killer's gaze grew more intense, and he asked, "It is said that Emperor Taihao was the best at divination, able to see the changes in all things. You cultivate the Essence Formula passed down by Emperor Taihao. Have you also mastered this supernatural ability?"

Li Qing Shui: "I have not. I only glimpsed a hint of the path, but it was interrupted by your disturbance."

White Killer: "Even if I don't kill you, you will become a permanent cripple. But if you tell me the secret of the Essence Formula, everything you know about exploring the path to the heavens, and the harvest of your years as a mountain god, I might be able to restore your cultivation in the future, and you will still have the hope of immortality in this life."

Li Qing Shui sneered, "What do you really want?"

White Killer: "Everything you know!"

Li Qing Shui: "I have a question too. Can you answer it?"

White Killer: "Please ask."

Li Qing Shui: "How did you know I was in seclusion, and that you could arrive so accurately?"

White Killer replied, "It's simple. There were always people in the Qing Shui clan who provided information about you to the merchants who came to the village, in exchange for free goods. But your clan members did not know the merchants' intentions, nor did they realize the merchants were sent by me."

Li Qing Shui: "My clan members did not know I was still alive, let alone that I was the mountain god. How could they provide information about me?"

White Killer: "They didn't need to know. I was aware that you were cultivating in Shude Hill, which is here. I always suspected you were using the name of the mountain god to find a successor for the Essence Formula. When I heard that a priest recently heard the voice of the mountain god, saying the mountain god would sleep for a long time, I knew the time had come. I didn't expect you to really be the mountain god, not just pretending to be one."

Li Qing Shui sighed, "It turns out you used spies. Unfortunately, my clan members probably don't even know what a spy is."

In such a primitive tribal society, ordinary clan members indeed did not know what a spy was, and they might not have even heard of the concept. They lived in a simple and primitive state, where no one would lie, and no one would betray anyone else or break a promise.

Since there was no concept of betrayal, there was no concept of trust. No one would think of spies. Everything about the mountain god was a secret of the clan, and the priests did not need to remind anyone to keep it confidential; people naturally followed the rules.

But today, in this ancient and primitive tribal society, something like this happened. Someone privately told the visiting merchants about the mountain god's movements, just because the merchants wanted to know, and the reward was free goods. The most primitive simplicity is also the easiest to break, and it was broken by the simplest temptation. The clan members who were unintentionally bought probably did not realize what it meant.

Hearing Li Qing Shui's sigh, White Killer said, "The world is changing, and the tribal societies in the wilderness cannot remain primitive forever. Today's events are just the beginning, and once they start, they will not end. The Qing Shui clan will learn to lie and deceive, but I won't give them that chance."

As he spoke, the sounds of battle from the distant village gradually faded, leaving only the cries of women and children. White Killer couldn't help but look back, then stared at Li Qing Shui, "From today's battle, it's clear that the Qing Shui clan has many strong individuals, thanks to you, the mountain god. You taught them how to cultivate.

"If the Qing Shui clan were a weak tribe, I might not have needed to destroy them, as I would neither fear nor worry. It was you who made the clan strong, so I must eliminate the threat today. These past years, you have been looking for a successor for the Essence Formula. Although some clan members have crossed the initial realm and learned cultivation, no one has mastered the Essence Formula, right?"

Li Qing Shui did not answer his question but asked, "When did you start watching me?"

White Killer looked up at the night sky, as if recalling, "A long, long time ago, when the ruler of the ancient Ba Kingdom was still alive, before the kingdom split and the princes fought for the throne. I knew the Ba Kingdom was founded by the descendants of Emperor Taihao, and the Essence Formula was passed down through generations. However, the last ruler did not master it, but the former Li Zheng did, and that was you!

"You first served as Li Zheng, then as the head of the Ba Kingdom's academy. After the old ruler died and the princes fought, the academy was abolished. You then changed your name and wandered in the Ba region, eventually mastering the Essence Formula and earning the name Qing Sha. I knew who you were and where you had retreated to. When I encountered obstacles on the path to the heavens and could not see the way forward, I thought of you."

The Essence Formula that White Killer mentioned was a secret Li Qing Shui had obtained many years ago. At that time, others in the Ba Kingdom also received this secret, but only Li Qing Shui mastered it. Such a secret, even if passed down, could not be taught to others if the recipient had not mastered it, as they would not understand its subtleties or the secrets of the transmission.

Therefore, to obtain the Essence Formula, one had to find someone who had already mastered it. In the vast Ba region and the surrounding wilderness, only Li Qing Shui now possessed it.

Li Qing Shui asked, "White Killer, you have achieved your current status by cultivating the Swallowing Form Formula passed down by Emperor Shaohao, with supernatural powers not inferior to mine. Why do you need the Essence Formula passed down by Emperor Taihao?"

White Killer looked at Li Qing Shui. He had many questions in his heart that he wanted answers to, but he had no one to discuss them with. Now, Qing Sha was one of the few people qualified to converse with him and possibly provide answers. He finally spoke his long-held thoughts, which only Li Qing Shui could hear—

In ancient times, Emperor Taihao established the Heavenly Tree to ascend to the heavens and opened the divine land, earning the title of Heavenly Emperor. The Heavenly Tree was said to be a giant tree growing from the earth to the heavens, and many mortals believed that if they could find the Heavenly Tree and climb to its top, they could reach the divine land and achieve immortality.

Another legend said that Emperor Taihao opened the divine land and became a Heavenly Emperor because he found the elixir of immortality. If later generations could obtain the elixir of immortality granted by Emperor Taihao, they could ascend to the divine land and become immortals.

However, high-level cultivators like White Killer and Li Qing Shui knew that these legends were not necessarily true but were more of a metaphor. The Lánggān fruit was said to be the elixir of immortality obtained by Emperor Taihao, but the Qing Shui clan, who possessed it, did not achieve immortality.

The Lánggān fruit, though extremely rare, was not unattainable for someone like White Killer. He knew it was a magical herb that could aid cultivation but was not an elixir of immortality that could grant immortality upon consumption.

Therefore, the metaphor of the Heavenly Tree and the elixir of immortality likely referred to Emperor Taihao's path to the heavens. Emperor Taihao left the Essence Formula in the world, and if one could master it and cultivate the eight layers, nine turns, and seventy-two steps of the path to the heavens, they could transcend the mortal realm and ascend to the divine land to enjoy eternal life. Thus, the Essence Formula was the true "elixir of immortality" left by Emperor Taihao.

However, obtaining the Essence Formula did not guarantee mastery, and mastering it did not guarantee ascension. Throughout history, few had succeeded. In White Killer's view, Emperor Taihao might have accidentally found the right path, and the guidance he left might not ensure the same success for later generations. Those who succeeded might have been lucky.

White Killer collected and examined ancient legends, but he found no clear pattern between success and failure. More importantly, the Essence Formula was not the only path to the heavens, and Emperor Taihao's divine land was not the only immortal realm.

For example, a thousand years after Emperor Taihao, Emperor Shaohao also opened a divine land. The legends were similar, suggesting that Emperor Shaohao also obtained the elixir of immortality. However, Emperor Shaohao did not ascend to Emperor Taihao's divine land but created his own, earning the title of Emperor Shaohao.

Emperor Shaohao left a different immortal formula, the Swallowing Form Formula, which was entirely different from the Essence Formula. White Killer, who had mastered the Swallowing Form Formula, was already considered a celestial being by ordinary people, but he knew that if he could not take the final step on the path to the heavens, his lifespan would end after a hundred years.

White Killer, though cruel and cold, was a man of great wisdom. He pondered questions that many dared not even think about. Why did cultivating the Essence Formula lead to Emperor Taihao's divine land, while cultivating the Swallowing Form Formula led to Emperor Shaohao's divine land? What were the similarities and differences between these two paths to immortality? What would happen if someone mastered both the Essence Formula and the Swallowing Form Formula?

Emperor Taihao opened the divine land and left the Essence Formula, and the subsequent emperors—Emperor Shennong, Emperor Xuanyuan, Emperor Gaoyang, and Emperor Shaohao—likely received the secrets from their predecessors but did not follow the same path. Instead, they created their own divine lands and left different immortal formulas.

Each emperor had their own path to the heavens, guiding later generations to their respective divine lands, which was what mortals called ascending to immortality. According to White Killer, some beings failed to master one immortal formula but succeeded with another, while others with similar backgrounds had the opposite experience.

Throughout history, many beings had entered the initial realm and cultivated, even if they did not receive the immortal formulas from the emperors. Although they did not succeed in ascending, they had come far. If given enough time and luck, could they also succeed?

If so, was there a constant and profound truth that could guide the fundamental path, with all paths ultimately leading to the same source?

White Killer was younger than Qing Sha by over a hundred years, but his supernatural powers were already stronger. However, he could not take the final step to the divine land. When he learned that Li Qing Shui was about to take that step, he could not resist the final opportunity, leading to today's action, something no one had done before.

Hearing this, Li Qing Shui, with his eyes still closed, showed a hint of emotion, "You have been unable to ascend by cultivating the Swallowing Form Formula, so you want to take a different path and cultivate the Essence Formula. You not only want the guidance of Emperor Taihao but also to understand everything I have discovered. Regardless of whether this will succeed, even if you succeed and ascend to the divine land, what will happen? Don't forget how you got here; Emperor Taihao will not forgive you!"

White Killer shook his head, "You are wrong. My goal is not to enter Emperor Taihao's divine land for immortality. I want to know what lies on the other path to the heavens. After years of contemplation, I may have discovered a secret of the emperors. Do you want to hear it? If you agree to my conditions, I will tell you."

Li Qing Shui said calmly, "If you want to tell me, go ahead. I won't agree to anything."

White Killer pondered for a moment and finally said, "I will tell you anyway. After Emperor Taihao, all subsequent emperors have likely taken the path to the heavens."

Li Qing Shui: "Isn't that obvious? Everyone knows this. Is this the secret you discovered?"

White Killer: "You are wrong. This is not obvious. For example, Emperor Shennong, who came after Emperor Taihao, should have mastered the Essence Formula and taken the final step, but he did not enter Emperor Taihao's divine land to enjoy eternal life. Instead, he stayed in the mortal world and chose a different path, eventually becoming Emperor Shennong.

"Later emperors like Emperor Xuanyuan, Emperor Gaoyang, and Emperor Shaohao likely had similar experiences. They had already taken the final step but did not ascend to the divine lands of their predecessors. Instead, they stayed in the mortal world and created their own paths to the heavens. If I obtain everything you know and take that step, I will not go to Emperor Taihao's divine land but seek a similar path."

Li Qing Shui was moved, "Your ambition is not small! You also want to create an immortal realm and become an emperor?"

White Killer smiled, "This is not ambition. If it is, my ambition is even greater! If mortals are fortunate enough to step on the path to the heavens, no one wants to stop halfway! If I can achieve immortality, I want to know why. Perhaps my ultimate goal is not just to become an emperor but to find the common path among all the paths to the heavens—the eternal and fundamental truth of the universe, to create an immortal realm beyond the divine lands, and guide my White Forehead clan to ascend."

Li Qing Shui was silent for a long time before he slowly said, "White Forehead Clan, the questions you ponder, I have also thought about. In my view, there is indeed a fundamental truth in the universe