What is an immortal?

"It succeeded! I've comprehended the true intent of the Pill Treasure, and I've already touched the threshold of a seventh-level alchemist. With this sliver of true intent, I've even glimpsed the scenery beyond that door. I believe that after some time of deep cultivation and hard work, I will be able to break through the bottleneck and officially step into the realm of a seventh-level alchemist," Dian Xiaosan said excitedly.

"Congratulations, Fellow Daoist, your efforts have finally paid off." Yuan Ming relaxed upon hearing this.

Once things had settled here, Yuan Ming bid farewell to everyone. Xi Hezi and Void stayed behind to continue assisting Dian Xiaosan in perfecting the fusion with the Complete Heaven Exquisite Tripod.

Before long, Yuan Ming's figure appeared above the Flower Garden Wilderness. He arrived under the towering World Tree to meet with the Five Elements Child.

"Can this eight-colored lotus seed also be grafted onto the World Tree?" Yuan Ming took out another treasured eight-colored lotus seed and gently handed it to the Five Elements Child.

"If the Innate Bitter Bamboo can be cultivated, this eight-colored lotus seed is naturally no problem." The Five Elements Child took the lotus seed and said confidently.

Upon hearing this, Yuan Ming was naturally delighted.

At this moment, the void beside him suddenly fluctuated, and Void's figure appeared out of thin air.

He looked at Yuan Ming with a teasing smile in his eyes: "You, always so resourceful, never miss a chance to utilize the World Tree."

"Make the best use of everything, why not?" Yuan Ming replied with a smile.

"Your idea isn't wrong, but the spiritual power contained in this World Tree is ultimately limited. It has become the foundation of the Shura Palace. If overused, the Shura Palace would lose hope in advancement, which would be more than an offsetting loss," Void reminded.

"Did you see through that as well?" Yuan Ming was moved.

"Of course, although this World Tree appears lush and full of life, it is essentially a dead object, completely different from the World Tree in your Dantian," Void said.

"I also wish to reduce the use of this World Tree, but with the imminent disaster, I have to sacrifice it for now," Yuan Ming said rather helplessly.

"It's yours, think it through carefully," Void said.

"Thank you for your guidance, senior. I have another matter to ask. The secret technique you used to help Dian Xiaosan, powered by Desire Power, was quite mysterious. I'm curious, what kind of divine skill was that? It seemed quite similar to the Great Wish of All Living Beings. Could it be that you also know the Great Wish of All Living Beings?" Yuan Ming inquired.

"That is the Fengtian Secret Technique, and it relies on the Stealing Heaven Tripod to be cast. It can enhance one's luck, somewhat similar to the Great Wish of All Living Beings, but also very different," Void explained.

"Enhance luck? There's such a divine skill!" Yuan Ming looked surprised.

"Your mastery of the Stealing Heaven Tripod is not enough. Once you break the restriction near the golden hall inside the tripod, you can uncover its true secrets," Void said slowly.

Hearing this, Yuan Ming grew even more curious.

He began to plan in his mind, preparing to summon the other city lords to White Emperor City to use the power of the Four Mountains Linked Seal to jointly break the seventh-level restriction of the golden hall.

"Kid, are you already plotting how to break the restriction of the golden hall?" Void seemed to see through his thoughts and smiled slightly.

"Senior's insight is indeed sharp. I do have this plan," Yuan Ming admitted with a smile.

"Don't say I didn't warn you, but to break the restriction of the golden hall, the power of the Four Mountains Linked Seal alone is far from enough. Your array formation cultivation needs to reach at least the seventh level to stand a chance," Void's words carried an unfathomable meaning.

Upon hearing this, Yuan Ming's smile gradually froze, and he said bitterly, "What Senior said is absolutely correct. I also wish to elevate my array formation cultivation to the seventh level, but unfortunately, with my potential, it seems it would be impossible in a lifetime."

He had a clear understanding of himself, and the tactic of spirit possession for comprehension was obviously not feasible either.

All these years in the Chuyun Realm, Yuan Ming had never heard of anywhere having a level 7 array master.

As Yuan Ming calmed himself to ponder, a sudden bright idea struck, bringing inexplicable joy to his heart: "Since senior has mentioned it, you must know something. Could it be that senior knows where to find a level 7 array master?"

Void looked at him, a flash of appreciation in his eyes, yet he did not directly answer and remained silent for a long while before slowly saying, "Recently, you've collected a number of Dharma manifestation stage believers, and the amount of Desire Power is quite considerable. Since that's the case, let me point you the right path."

"Please enlighten me, senior!" Yuan Ming became extremely excited and urgently pressed for answers.

Void smiled slightly, but did not explain, only hinting: "You might want to ask Wulu, perhaps he can bring you considerable gains."

As soon as he finished speaking, before Yuan Ming could ask further, Void's figure had already transformed into blue smoke and vanished.

Seeing this, Yuan Ming shook his head with a smile, yet his heart was filled with anticipation.

He turned and left the Shura Palace. Upon returning to the City Lord Mansion, he heard Wang Fulong's voice outside the door:

"City Lord, someone claiming to be an old acquaintance from Dongji Sea has come to see you."

"An old acquaintance from Dongji Sea?" Yuan Ming felt a burst of surprise.

"I have arranged for them to be received in the main hall. Would you like to meet with them?" Wang Fulong continued to inquire.

"Let's go have a look."

After Yuan Ming finished speaking, he stood up and left for the guest hall with Wang Fulong.

...

As he stepped into the guest hall, Yuan Ming immediately saw the woman sitting beside the table.

She was dressed in a deep black robe, as profound as ink, her entire aura cleverly concealed, and her face covered with a thin veil, making her appear mysterious and strange.

Such attire, under ordinary circumstances, would inevitably draw suspicion.

Yuan Ming's cultivation had long surpassed that of ordinary people, and through the faint black mist, he easily captured the fluctuations deep within the woman's divine soul. With a slight smile, he already knew the identity of the other party.

"Wang Fulong, you go ahead and attend to your tasks," Yuan Ming softly instructed. After Wang Fulong left, only he and the woman in the black robe remained in the hall.

The woman slowly rose, her black robe gently swaying in the wind, and she gracefully performed a salutation towards Yuan Ming, her voice soft and slightly trembling: "City Lord Yuan, I am Yu Xi, a friend of your old acquaintance, specifically here to seek refuge."

"Yu Xi? That name is quite distinctive, but I remember you prefer to use the name Yun Luo, don't you?" Upon hearing this, a hint of teasing flashed in Yuan Ming's eyes, and he chuckled lightly.

Upon hearing his words, the woman was slightly taken aback, then gently removed her veil, revealing a lovely face now tinged with a bit of embarrassment and helplessness. It was none other than Yun Luo Fairy, who had not appeared for a long time.

"City Lord Yuan, your insight is indeed exceptional, this little disguise is truly insignificant before you," Yun Luo Fairy sighed, speaking in a low voice.

"Yun Luo Fairy, it has been a long time, how have you been?" Yuan Ming asked with a smile, his tone filled with concern and curiosity.

"Fellow Daoist Yuan, unlike you, who are now the master of the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain Range, enjoying limitless glory, I am in a shabby state. After parting at Dongji Sea, I thought I could peacefully cultivate, but unexpectedly..." Yun Luo Fairy gently shook her head and sighed.

Her words were filled with bitterness and helplessness.

Seeing this, Yuan Ming couldn't help but feel moved, and he asked warmly: "Yun Luo Fairy, I fear your visit this time is not only for reminiscing, is it?"

Yun Luo Fairy looked up at Yuan Ming, a hint of determination and decisiveness flashing in her eyes: "That's right, I've come to seek refuge with Fellow Daoist Yuan. However, I am not alone, but with nearly half of our Su Nu Sect disciples. Just, I wonder if Fellow Daoist Yuan dares to shelter us?"

"Yun Luo Fairy, you have indeed presented me with a challenge. However, since I, Yuan Ming, am the master of this Ten Thousand Demon Mountain Range, I'm certainly not afraid of any challenge. I just want to know, what kind of trouble have you encountered that has caused you to leave your home and come to seek refuge with me?" Yuan Ming laughed heartily upon hearing this.

Upon hearing this, Yun Luo Fairy's smile gradually faded and was replaced by a heavy expression.

She took a deep breath and slowly said: "We have been pursued by Sect Master Si Rong, and the remaining disciples are currently hiding in Beihai City, not daring to show their faces. Only I managed to sneak here with all my effort."

Saying this, her voice was already somewhat choked.

"Yun Luo Fairy, first tell me your experiences in detail, and then I will consider whether to shelter you." Yuan Ming said in a heavy tone, seeing her situation.

Upon hearing this, Yun Luo Fairy sighed again, recalled for a moment, and began to speak:

"Back then, after I broke through to the Dharma manifestation Stage, I returned to the Central Continent, originally not planning to return to the Su Nu Sect, thinking it was just fine to protect my clan and peacefully cultivate. In fact, I did indeed cultivate peacefully for many years afterward, but ultimately could not escape from the pursuit by the Su Nu Sect…"

Later, Sect Master Si Rong of the Su Nu Sect, accompanied by her Dharma manifestation Stage lover, arrived at Yun Luo Fairy's hiding place, shattering her originally peaceful life.

Over the years, Yun Luo Fairy had secretly been selling Dan Recipes from the Pill King Secret Manual, and accumulated a large sum of Spirit Stones.

She used this money to refine a extremely powerful defensive Spiritual Treasure, the Taiyi Five Smoke Luo.

With this treasure, Yun Luo Fairy defended against their attack and managed to escape.

"Did Qin Meiniang from the Su Nu Sect also participate in the pursuit?" Yuan Ming's eyebrows slightly furrowed, his tone carrying some concern.

"I only learned about Qin Meiniang's whereabouts after returning to the Su Nu Sect. She mysteriously disappeared soon after breaking through to the Dharma manifestation Stage, and her whereabouts remain unknown. Si Rong, having lost her support, felt unsupported, which is why she set her sights on me." Yun Luo Fairy gently shook her head and replied.

"Then what's the situation with those Su Nu Sect cultivators you brought along?" Yuan Ming continued to ask.

"I took advantage of Si Rong's opportunity of leaving to search for me, and quietly returned to the Su Nu Sect. I knew the sect was filled with unrest, so I took the chance to gather a group of cultivators who were already dissatisfied with Si Rong's leadership of the sect. We hit it off immediately, and decided to leave the sect and seek a new path together." Yun Luo Fairy laughed, with a bit of self-satisfaction.

"Fellow Daoist Yun Luo, you truly won't take even a slight loss, Si Rong must be going mad after discovering her home was robbed?" Yuan Ming joked upon hearing her words.

"When is that woman not mad? But this time did touch her sore spot, thus the pursuit became more ruthless afterward. Many disciples following me couldn't escape and even after admitting fault and expressing willingness to return to the sect, they were still killed by her." Yun Luo Fairy said.

After speaking, she turned her wrist, and half of the "Pill King Secret Manual" floated in her palm, offered with both hands to Yuan Ming.

"Fellow Daoist Yuan, as long as you are willing to shelter us, this half of the 'Pill King Secret Manual' is yours," Yun Luo Fairy said, her expression somewhat unnatural.

"It seems the trouble you encountered is not small." Yuan Ming frowned slightly, feeling a bit surprised.

He knew very well what this half of the "Pill King Secret Manual" meant to her.