Chapter 52: The Apex of the Mortal World and Terrestrial Immortals

As the saying goes, wherever there are people, there is a jianghu—the martial underworld.
And wherever there is a jianghu, a hierarchy of strength and weakness naturally takes shape.
It is much like the legendary sects of Shaolin and Wudang in wuxia novels. Whenever martial artists speak of them, regardless of whether they hold them in personal esteem, they must outwardly acknowledge that these two are the undisputed pillars of the martial world.
In this era of the Outsider world, Dragon and Tiger Mountain and the Sanyi Sect occupied a similarly exalted position.
The former possessed a profound and ancient history, standing as one of the very sources of Daoism. It commanded the followers of the Orthodox Unity sect. Furthermore, with every generation of the Celestial Master mastering the Five Thunders Righteous Method—the ultimate offensive technique—neither the strength nor the influence of Dragon and Tiger Mountain's current Celestial Master could be questioned by anyone in the Outsider community; their pivotal status remained absolute.
As for the Sanyi Sect...
How should one put it? Although this sect possessed arts that were peerless in the Outsider world—deemed no less formidable than the Celestial Master Mansion's Golden Light Spell and Thunder Method—decades ago, the Sanyi Sect was not particularly renowned.
This was because the technique known as the "Triple-Inverse Mortal-to-Sheng Transition" was extraordinarily difficult to master. Even a person of exceptional talent would find it exceedingly hard to even step onto the threshold if they were unsuited for the method.
To practice it by force posed a mortal danger, and even if one survived, permanent disability was inevitable.
Consequently, over the years, the Sanyi Sect recruited fewer and fewer disciples. Those capable of pushing the "Triple-Inverse Mortal-to-Sheng Transition" to a profound level were scarcer still, leading the sect into a gradual decline where it could only be compared to ordinary second-rate sects.
It was not until a little over thirty years ago that a genius named Zuo Ruotong burst forth. Before the age of thirty, he had advanced the "Triple-Inverse Mortal-to-Sheng Transition" to the realm where severed limbs could be regrown. His combat prowess was utterly astonishing, leaving all his peers far behind.
Coupled with his noble character and celestial demeanor, he won the adoration of numerous newcomers in the community, and the number of those seeking to learn under him grew steadily. During this period, the Sanyi Sect continued to flourish, rising to a point where it could rival Dragon and Tiger Mountain in fame.
Naturally, it was only a matter of fame.
After all, Dragon and Tiger Mountain was formidable because of its own inherent foundations, whereas the Sanyi Sect owed the greater part of its strength to Zuo Ruotong, the Immortal of Great Fulfillment. The two could not be spoken of in the same breath.
...
"Ha, ha! To have the Celestial Master and Sect Leader Zuo grace my humble home in person truly brings immense glory to the Lu family!"
Seeing the two current leaders of the esoteric arts personally arriving to offer birthday felicitations, Elder Lu felt his prestige soar. His aged face was glowing with health and vitality as he heartily stepped forward to welcome Zhang Jingqing and Zuo Ruotong.
"You are too courteous, Elder Lu. How could Dragon and Tiger Mountain possibly be absent for your eightieth birthday? We simply had to come and share in the auspicious joy."
Zhang Jingqing spoke with a booming laugh, a grin breaking across his rugged face. To those unfamiliar with him, however, his expression carried a formidable aura. Combined with his dense, bristling beard, it inevitably brought to mind portraits of Zhong Kui—the kind used to ward off evil spirits.
"The Celestial Master is entirely right, Elder Lu. You are a senior of our generation, and moreover, Jin'er is my disciple; how could there be any reason for me not to come and offer my congratulations?"
Zuo Ruotong offered a gentle smile. His handsome and refined appearance seemed to brighten the entire birthday banquet. Against the backdrop of the cluster of old men around him, his graceful bearing stood out all the more, causing some of the younger generation who did not recognize him to whisper among themselves. Once they learned his identity, their eyes lit up, clearly showing a tendency to become devoted fans.
"Hahaha—splendid, splendid, splendid!! Let us dispense with the polite pleasantries. Later on, the two of you must share several cups with this old man and drink until we are thoroughly intoxicated!"
With that, Elder Lu instructed his eldest grandson, Lu Xuan, to check the guest list. Once it was confirmed that everyone had arrived, he announced the beginning of the banquet. For a time, wine cups were raised, bowls crossed, and the atmosphere became wonderfully lively and cheerful.
How much time passed, one could not tell. As the night grew deeper, the birthday banquet gradually drew toward its conclusion.
Right at that moment, the representative of the Wang family for this occasion—none other than the head of the Wang family—glanced at the younger generation gathered in the distance and suddenly proposed that the children should spar the following day to showcase their skills before the various prominent and orthodox sects, which would also serve as a way to observe the caliber of the new generation.
In particular, he made special mention of Lu Jin, the most promising member of the Lu family's current generation, praising him to the high heavens and suggesting that this was the perfect opportunity to make a name for himself in the community.
Hearing this, the new head of the Lu family, Lu Xuan, initially intended to decline. However, the heads of the Lü and Gao families chimed in with agreement, and the representatives of the other sects present also found their interest piqued, feeling that it was a splendid idea and voicing their approval.
Helpless, Lu Xuan looked toward his own grandfather and his son Lu Jin's master, Zuo Ruotong, leaving the final decision to them.
"Allowing the children to play around is hardly objectionable, provided we keep a watchful eye to prevent any mishaps."
Zuo Ruotong did not refuse. Seemingly struck by a thought, his gaze drifted toward a certain corner of the banquet hall, a faint flash of helplessness crossing his eyes.
"And what about you, Celestial Master?"
Sighing softly, Lu Xuan turned his gaze toward the Celestial Master, Zhang Jingqing.
"I have no objections either. Well..."
Zhang Jingqing first nodded, then fell silent for a few seconds before leaning in to speak in a low voice to Lu Xuan and Zuo Ruotong. "Family Head Lu, Brother Zuo, regarding this sparring session, there is a matter I would like to discuss with both of you."
...
The scene shifted a short distance away, to where the younger generation was gathered.
At that moment, young master Wang Ai of the Wang family was still pestering Guan Shihua, the successor of the Northeast's Ma family immortal-taming lineage, provoking chuckles and teasing from the surrounding boys and girls.
At one of the banquet tables, Wu Xian, clad in white, quietly watched the scene unfold, a slightly peculiar expression on his face.
Wang Ai, Lü Ci, Lu Jin, Guan Shihua... Four of the future Ten Elders of the Outsider world had appeared right before his eyes, yet they were currently nothing more than a bunch of overgrown brats. It felt truly surreal.
Shaking his head, Wu Xian suppressed the strange thoughts in his mind and buried his head back into enjoying his meal.
In this day and age, the most chaotic era was rapidly approaching. Once the Japanese invaders struck, it was unlikely there would be opportunities to eat one's fill at every meal like this, so he had to cherish it.
As a side note, ever since he had received the cultivation knowledge of the "Eight Wonders" within the mysterious space last time, Wu Xian had immersed himself in profound study. The very first technique he had grasped was the [Six Storehouse Thief]—a divine skill that allowed one to grow stronger simply by eating, eventually reaching a state approaching eternal youth and immortality.
Because it was a modified version provided by the Main God, this divine skill seemed much easier to practice, and it lacked the side effect of having one's true nature consumed by intense gluttony. Wu Xian had successfully mastered the threshold after merely three days of comprehension.
Following that came relentless eating. Just as described in the manga, the current Wu Xian was capable of perfectly absorbing the nutrients from his food, converting them into pure Qi to temper his physique and raise the upper limit of his Qi capacity's threshold.
Over a month had passed in this manner. Compared to before, Wu Xian's overall strength had shown noticeable improvement, particularly in his Qi storage capacity and recovery speed, which had increased by at least twenty percent.
"Might this be a bit too fast? Was the original [Six Storehouse Thief] this powerful? Or is it that the Main God's modified version of the Eight Wonders not only discarded the side effects but also boosted the usage efficiency along with it..."
As he pondered this inwardly, Wu Xian suddenly felt a gaze land upon him.
Following the sensation, he looked toward another banquet table seven or eight meters away and saw a young Daoist in gray robes, who was eating peanuts while sizing him up with considerable interest.
Their eyes met. Despite the unending clamor of the surroundings, the space between them felt remarkably tranquil.
And thus marked the very first meeting between the future supreme pinnacle of humanity and the world's sole terrestrial immortal.