Chapter 2781 - 67: Born Into Ku Hai, Crying in the Cage

The Innate Demon Clan, born with Dao Veins, possesses a powerful talent for cultivation, and their long lifespans truly make them a Heavenly Favored race.

However, long lifespans also have their limits, and mortality remains an eternal dilemma that every demon clan faces.

The natural lifespan of the demon clan is five hundred and eighteen years, barring any unexpected injuries, they share the lifespan of deities.

The word "demon," noble from birth. To enjoy such blessings is only right.

But who can truly be indifferent to life and death?

Since ancient times, the quest to overcome mortality has never ceased.

Transcendent cultivation is surely the righteous path, the pursuit of those with aspirations. Yet the road of cultivation is like climbing a peak barefoot, increasingly precarious as one ascends; among a million monsters, scarcely more than one or two reach the summit.

The heavens do not cut off the vitality of all things; aside from the great path, there are also rare routes.

It is said there exists a spring of eternal youth in the world, whose waters never run dry, every three hundred and thirty-three years dropping a single drop. Ten drops make one mouthful; drinking it grants longevity.

Ordinary demon clan members who drink it live as long as a True Monster.

A True Monster who consumes it can even extend its lifespan beyond its natural limit!

This treasured spring is hidden within the world, seen only by those demons fortunate enough.

This tale of the Monster Realm, Jiang Wang is certainly unaware of.

Therefore, the lament of this aging monster stirred little concern in him.

The evolving form of the skeleton grew progressively stronger but still remained within his control — he speculated that this skeleton’s power level might be related to the strength level of Pig Dali.

From this, it can be inferred that the skeleton’s appearance might be some kind of trial from the Land of Shenxiao.

True danger ignores the target’s cultivation. Only specific trials adhere to certain standards.

The Demon Soldier Level of the demon clan is equivalent to the Human Race’s Teng Long Monk, while the Demon General Level equals that of a Human Race Neifu Cultivator.

As Jiang Wang, whose name can be inscribed in the historical stele of cultivation history as the first Inner Mansion, his mastery of power at this level spans ancient and modern times, standing at the pinnacle.

If under his control even Pig Dali cannot pass such a corresponding power level test, then the difficulty of such trials in the Land of Shenxiao might be such that few in the present world or the Monster Realm could pass unscathed...if so, the trial would not be a trial.

What puzzled him was that this skeleton, evolving to its current form of a bizarre elderly appearance, bore an uncanny resemblance to Pig Dali. It is unclear whether it was born from Pig Dali, or gradually formed during the battle by absorbing details.

In any case, its origins are fantastical, rich with possibilities.

To avoid arousing Pig Dali’s suspicion, Jiang Wang refrained from using the Samadhi True Fire but intentionally slowed the pace of killing enemies, allowing himself more time to gather knowledge.

"Dao...Daozhu! Was he just talking about the Eternal Youth Spring!?" Pig Dali asked excitedly in his heart.

Though Pig Dali’s cultivation was lacking, he mingled often in the Dao, encountered all sorts of demons, and had heard something of everything, including the myth of the Eternal Youth Spring.

While members of the Taiping Dao are known for their high moral character, "with peace in their hearts, the world’s affairs are mere worldly struggles," the pursuit of immortality is hardly trivial?

If granted a thousand years of life, what would be unattainable?

If granted a thousand years of life, how could he worry that he wouldn’t see the day his ideals are realized?

"Don’t make a fuss. What is the Eternal Youth Spring?"

Jiang Wang did not know what the Eternal Youth Spring was; as the Taiping Taoist, he should not be ignorant of tales even Pig Dali knew. Yet this did not affect his judgment of its nature — he knew approximately what kind of treasure it was.

"Natural treasures, exotic items, there is nothing the world does not possess, and nothing worldly that can obtain. What you hear or see does not matter. What you grasp, that matters."

With such wisdom, Pig Dali’s restless heart gradually calmed down.

He deeply felt a chasm, indeed, between himself and the Daozhu. Not only in cultivation, strength, and vision, but also in mindset.

Faced with such a world treasure as the Eternal Youth Spring, even esteemed Heavenly Demons find it hard to remain composed. In history, how many bloodbaths and deaths of Heavenly Demons have occurred over the Spring!

Yet even the Eternal Youth Spring cannot move the Daozhu!

How magnificent.

Pig Dali was still deeply touched, as the exquisite sword skill from the Taiping Daozhu once again struck down the opponent.

Regarding this opponent who resembled himself, worn and withered, Pig Dali felt no particular sentiment. Merely as if seeing a fantastical hidden trick.

He was still young, not yet at an age to fear aging.

Feeling the release of sword force, his body silent, a long sword angled against the corpse. Briefly, the decrepit corpse before him flowed like water, seeping into the ground, vanishing without a trace.

"This time it has been completely destroyed?"

Just as such a thought arose in Pig Dali’s heart...

Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle.

The sound of bubbling from a spring emerged again.

Where the decrepit corpse vanished, in the crevices of decaying leaves and branches, bubbled up transparent bubbles, one after another. Life and death intertwined, rising and falling.

In sight, it was densely eerie.

In sound, it evoked disgust and repulsion in the listener.

At a certain moment, all the bubbles disappeared.

Chaos was replaced by tranquility in an instant.

Only one newly-born bubble remained, growing larger, increasingly thinner. It reflected the forest leaves and refracted light from Xu, shadows overlapping...

The overlapping shadows seemed to unfold scenes of stories, depicting the evolution of a life, but the light and shadows were too intricate, too minute to discern what kind of story or protagonist it depicted.