Chapter 1431: The Source of Immortality

“How did you obtain this stone?” the old man squinted his eyes and asked.

Originally, Qi Hong, the master of the Five Spirit Chariot, had already put this stone away. He deliberately took it out again just now to let the old man examine it closely and see if he could discern its origins.

“It comes from the Otherworld!” Qi Hong didn’t conceal anything and answered directly.

“I knew it—it’s from that place. They dug it up long ago, and now it’s appearing in this realm.” The old man nodded and muttered to himself, “This is one of the reasons their young supremes can grow so rapidly.”

“What is this?” someone asked eagerly, desperate to know.

“It was originally Primordial Essence, but it has been tainted with Immortal Substance, elevating it to something extraordinary!” the old man explained.

Everyone’s hearts trembled, deeply shocked. Even a small amount of Immortal Substance could be considered a divine elixir or tonic!

“Primordial Essence—you all know of it, right?” the old man inquired.

To everyone’s surprise, this time he didn’t hold back. Instead, he chuckled amiably and patiently engaged in conversation with them.

Primordial Essence was the condensed essence of this world’s origin. In the natural world, it could form into Spirit Jades and the like. Refining it for cultivation could provide a certain boost.

Additionally, some knew that supreme experts could refine such miraculous stones, reverting them to their liquid origin, which could then be used to seal living beings, among other things.

However, the effect was mediocre.

At the very least, for true powerhouses, it held little significance.

Unless a Supreme took action, refining divine liquid infused with various divine substances, it could only seal experts at the Dunyi Realm or below. But even then, it was useless to the Supreme themselves.

Yet this thing before them was also related to Primordial Essence?

But why did it contain Immortal Substance? How was it tainted?

At the same time, people wondered—could it be that the Otherworld could mine large quantities of such stones, all imbued with Immortal Substance?

Now, this thing was entirely different from Primordial Essence. Saturated with dense Immortal Substance, its very composition had changed, as if its properties had transformed.

“This thing is exceedingly rare even in the Otherworld. Don’t forget—in this world, only Immortal Medicines can accumulate large amounts of Immortal Substance!” the old man said.

According to him, for unknown reasons, these stones had gathered significant Immortal Substance, making their value astonishing.

If someone could gather enough, extract, and refine it, they might accumulate the equivalent of an entire Immortal Medicine’s worth of Immortal Substance.

“If the divine liquid refined by Supremes is called Divine Source, then this thing is Immortal Source!” the old man declared.

People were stunned. This thing was entirely different from what Supremes refined, yet its significance was similar—both were solidified forms of liquid infused with extraordinary substances.

But their effects were worlds apart!

“This thing can seal a Supreme for eternity. As long as they remain sealed, they can live on,” the old man said.

Divine Source didn’t have that effect—it couldn’t seal the true, numbered Supremes of the world. It was only useful for Dunyi Realm cultivators.

But this thing, infused with Immortal Dao Substance, could!

“Can this thing seal Immortals? Can it suppress Undying beings?” someone asked.

Because people suddenly realized—this old man, though a servant, knew far too much. His understanding of the Otherworld was profound!

Some even suspected he might have been there before—or perhaps he had even come from there, eventually settling in one of the Forbidden Zones of the Nine Heavens.

“Yes. If it were in liquid form, it could seal Immortals and allow Undying beings to endure for eternity. Its value is staggering, but it’s far too rare,” the old man nodded, his eyes gleaming.

At this moment, everyone was deeply moved.

Suddenly, someone raised a question.

“If we name this Immortal Source, does that mean Immortal Dao experts can refine it?” The question came from one of the young maidens of the Wei Family’s Four Phoenixes.

“No. True Immortals cannot refine this. Neither can Undying beings. It’s said even Immortal Kings can’t. Just as Divine Source requires a Supreme of the Mortal Realm to refine, this thing likely can only be forged by an Immortal Dao Supreme—a being of that nonexistent realm,” the old man said gravely.

The mention of that “nonexistent realm” sent a shock through everyone, as they immediately guessed—it must be the Undying Emperor that Anlan, Yu Tuo, and others sought.

“Not even Yu Tuo and the Undying Kings of the Otherworld can do it?” Tuoba Yulong asked, seeking confirmation.

“No. Just as Divine Source can only be refined by those at the pinnacle of the Mortal Path, Immortal Source can only be forged by an Undying Emperor,” the old man sighed.

But according to him, no beings of that realm existed in this world!

Thus, this thing was naturally occurring, not man-made, making it exceedingly rare and precious. There simply wasn’t much of it.

As such, finding it in liquid form was even harder!

“Undying-level beings can only refine Divine Source, similar to what Mortal Realm Supremes produce. To enhance its effects, one would have to infuse it with substances like Immortal Medicines—but that’s far too extravagant, wasteful, and not worth it,” the old man sighed.

Regarding substances refined in the Mortal Realm, everyone knew a little.

But no one expected something like Immortal Source to exist—and the stone Qi Hong brought fell into this category.

“This is even more precious than the average Life Stone from the Primordial Ancient Mine,” the old man sighed.

He elaborated further: “Of course, the rarest Life Stones surpass even Immortal Source in value. But those have long been exhausted and are no longer found. Even ordinary Life Stones—or even fragments—will likely become priceless treasures in later eras. Good things grow scarcer by the day.”

“Uh, Elder, may I ask what exactly is inside the Primordial Ancient Mine?” Shi Hao scratched his head, putting on a naive and absentminded expression as he asked.

“Don’t play dumb with me. Don’t try to fish for information. Some things cannot be spoken of—it’s not good to gossip about others,” the old man retorted.

Hmm?

This sent a chill down everyone’s spines. Could it be that there were still living beings inside the Primordial Ancient Mine, or even an entire separate world? Was that why he spoke this way?

“Elder, this isn’t a big deal. Please enlighten us,” Shi Hao said, rubbing the Thunder Pond with his fingers as he spoke.

The old man stared at the Thunder Pond, his eyes gleaming with undisguised avarice. He swallowed hard before saying, “About the Primordial Ancient Mine, all I can tell you is this—it’s best not to go there. Once, an entire Forbidden Zone’s worth of beings perished there. Many of the so-called guardians, the Dugu Clan, also died.”

Hearing this, everyone felt their heads spin in shock. These secrets were too staggering.

Dugu Yun, a descendant of the guardians, was also present. His face was expressionless, but his pupils contracted sharply. He stood frozen in place.

“Even beings from Forbidden Zones can die?” Many found it hard to believe. An entire Forbidden Zone’s worth of beings had perished in the Primordial Ancient Mine?

This was too horrifying. Many simply couldn’t accept it.

“Yes. If you provoke what shouldn’t be touched, of course you’ll die. So remember this, youngsters—seek fortune and avoid calamity. Don’t recklessly stick your necks out,” the old man sighed.

This guy—was he really just a servant? He knew far too much. Everyone had the urge to pin him down and force him to reveal all his secrets.

But they could only sigh, knowing it was unrealistic. Even if they summoned an invincible expert from Imperial Pass, it wouldn’t work. If they angered the master of the Forbidden Zone, disaster would surely follow.

“Elder, please tell us more,” a young maiden pleaded.

“Truthfully, I don’t know much about it either. I only overheard my master mention these things in passing during conversations,” the old man shook his head, though it was unclear whether he was refusing or genuinely didn’t know more.

“When the Otherworld arrives, they’ll definitely head there too. They’ve had their eyes on it for a long time,” the old man added.

After a moment’s thought, he actually revealed a bit more: “Back in the previous era, many peerless beings died there. Even the Supreme Hall lost important figures there. There are also rumors that part of the mysterious Ancient Burial Grounds lies within.”

The latter part was shocking, because according to common understanding, the Ancient Burial Grounds were all beyond the Borderlands.

Of course, the Ancient Burial Grounds referred to here were the kind Anlan and Yu Tuo had excavated—far too ancient and shrouded in endless mystery!

“Additionally, that place might also be connected to another location—like a passageway of some sort,” the old man unexpectedly added more before finally shaking his head and sighing. He refused to say anything further.

“I’ve been inside. Not deep, but I came out alive—and I saw an Immortal Medicine!” Shi Hao said, trying to provoke the old man.

“You brat, you really are a freak!” The old man stared at him and gave this assessment. From ancient times to the present, few who entered that place ever came out alive.

“In that place, where part of the Ancient Burial Grounds lies, it’s only natural for an Immortal Medicine to accompany it. I know of it too, but alas—that medicine has long gained sentience. It can’t be caught,” the old man lamented.