The Secret to Immortality

This old man was a middle tier 6th realm cultivator and he was frantically putting on a fight against the 3 cultivators.

His 6th realm opponent was only at the lower tier but he had totally suppressed this old man. 

The old man was not even a match for the 2 other 5th realm cultivators as he used his profound seals to fight them as he was being slashed multiple times by their swords.

It was obvious that this old man was not a good fighter even though he had a higher realm cultivation.

Ye Fan who was watching on the tree with Fairy Xuan Xueqi was astonished to find a cultivator that was capable of using profound seals. 

Usually, cultivators that specialized using the profound seals were only strong when they reached the 7th realm saint level and before that, they could only be in a supporting role. Moreover, it was much harder to cultivate using the profound seals than a normal profound art and it would take 10 times as long.

Usually it would take too long for any cultivators that cultivates with the profound seals art to be a high level cultivator.

Judging from the look of this old man, Ye Fan saw that this old man was almost at the end of his life span as well for he looked extremely ancient.

Although the 3 cultivators had a lower cultivation realm than this old man but they were three and their profound arts were also more powerful than this old man. 

It was no wonder why this old man was at the losing end and he was seriously injured. 

The 3 cultivators were running their swords into his body multiple times, including to his heart.

Ye Fan had wanted to sit by the fence until the Dao Fruit has descended but he could not bear to watch this old man got bullied by the 3 cultivators the minute that he saw them.

So he had flashed down to intercept them without having the time to inform Fairy Xuan Xueqi of his decision.

The 3 cultivators were surprised by Ye Fan's sudden appearance. 

When Ye Fan had appeared, he had immediately displayed the first sword of the Profound Burning Heavens Sword on the 6th realm cultivator.

Actually, the first sword of the Profound Burning Heavens Sword was not more powerful than his Six Auras Swords but it was faster to execute and required less profound strength. 

Although it was less powerful but it was strong enough to knock the 6th realm cultivator backward with a heavy blow that caused him to cough out blood. 

The other 2 cultivators tried to attack Ye Fan at the same time but Ye Fan had mustered another two blue profound swords from his Profound Burning Heavens Sword into their chests as he sent them to fly off until they crashed into the towering trees that were behind.

Startled and seriously wounded, the 3 cultivators quickly turned around to flee from the scene.

Ye Fan caught hold of the old man as he said to him, "Senior, you are safe now. I am not your foe."

Then he took out a profound pill to pop it into the mouth of the old man who was barely alive. 

Fairy Xuan Xueqi quietly landed behind Ye Fan and with a look at the old man, she said, "This old man isn't going to survive. His wounds are too serious even for a golden celestial."

The old man said weakly to Ye Fan, "She is indeed right. My wounds are indeed too serious. To think that I will be killed in this place. I was… thinking of obtaining the Dao Fruit to extend my life. In the end, I am too naïve. I don't have a chance in the first place against the more powerful cultivators…"

Ye Fan said solemnly, "Senior, you shouldn't talk. Maybe if you focus your profound strength to regenerate your wounds, you may yet survive…"

"I know my condition," the old man interrupted Ye Fan. "Young man, before I die, I'd like to tell you… my secrets… can we talk alone?"

This message was actually meant for Fairy Xuan Xueqi. 

Fairy Xuan Xueqi understood it immediately and she had quietly walked away.

When the old man saw that Fairy Xuan Xueqi was gone, he said weakly to Ye Fan. "Young man, you have a good heart. That's why I am telling you my secrets… secrets that I have been keeping for a long time…"

Ye Fan smiled weakly; if this old man had any heaven-defying cultivation secret then he won't be in this state. If he wants to give Ye Fan his profound seal cultivation, it was also meaningless to him. 

The old man sighed heavily as he secretly put a small jade that looked like a key into his hands, "I am an autonomous cultivator… and for many years I have been researching about the mysteries of our world which is the Dragontooth Continent…"

Ye Fan asked curiously, "Mysteries of our world?"

The old man nodded weakly, "This jade key… there are 3 in total… if you can find all 3, you can ascend to be an immortal in the Nine Heavens Immortal Realm… do you want to be an immortal?"

Ye Fan was startled, "I can ascend to be an immortal if I can find all 3 of the jade keys? Of course, I want to become an immortal. It is why I have become a cultivator to defy the heavens in the first place."

The old man smiled weakly, "Good! The name of this jade key is the Ascension Immortal Key… accordingly to my research, the Pinnacle Sword Manor has one as well…"

Ye Fan was startled; he had encountered a sword saint from the Pinnacle Sword Manor earlier. This may be one more reason why he had to go to the Pinnacle Sword Manor.

The old man said with great difficulty, "This isn't all my secrets… this world… the Dragontooth Continent is but a prison created by the immortals… you must find a way to break their shackles and to ascend as an immortal… this world is connected to the 9 abyssal realms… you can also go there if you want to be an immortal but… it is extremely dangerous there… or you can ascend as an immortal here… every 3000 years, the great destinies of the heavens will descend on our world… birthing many great geniuses… this is the best time to ascend as an immortal… the success rate will be much higher…"

Ye Fan muttered, "Every 3000 years?"

He had long heard that there is only a 10% chance that a peaked 7th realm great saint would be able to ascend as an immortal. 

Although the chances are low but the cultivators are constantly trying to make themselves stronger in order to ascend as an immortal.

Even for the great saints and great saintesses, there are huge disparity between all the cultivators due to their different cultivation methods.

The old man said breathlessly, "If you can't find a way to become an immortal… you can try to find a way… to the nine abyssal realms…. but the way there is hidden… so you must find a way yourself…"

He did not finish his words to Ye Fan as he had breath his last.

Ye Fan muttered, "The nine abyssal realms? This world is a prison?"

He was left to grip the jade key tightly in his hands.