What is an immortal?

The night grew deeper, and the courtyard of the City Lord Mansion was bathed in hazy moonlight.

Yuan Ming dismissed his subordinates, sat alone on a stone bench, and gazed at the bright full moon.

A gentle breeze swept by, and the figure of Swordsman Qing Ping suddenly appeared in the courtyard.

He wore a fluttering blue robe, silhouetted against the moonlight, appearing mysterious and profound.

He walked to the opposite of Yuan Ming, and the two sat facing each other.

Yuan Ming nodded slightly, as if he had expected Swordsman Qing Ping's arrival.

With a gentle flick of his sleeve, two exquisite wine cups appeared on the table, shimmering with a faint light, seemingly containing some kind of mystical power.

"I've long heard that Fellow Daoist Qing Ping's Ming Ding Wine Gourd holds the finest wines under the heavens. I wonder if I could have the fortune to taste some tonight." Yuan Ming's voice floated leisurely.

Swordsman Qing Ping smiled faintly, took down the wine gourd from his waist, and with a light sweep of his sword finger, it opened in response, releasing two streams of fine wine, transforming into rays of light and landing in the cups.

The wine sparkled under the moonlight, emitting a subtle fragrance that was intoxicating and enchanting.

They raised their cups, exchanged a smile, and drank it all in one go.

The wine flowed down their throats, sweet and mellow, seemingly washing away worries and bringing a sense of serenity.

Setting down his cup, Swordsman Qing Ping suddenly spoke, "I lost today, and I have accepted it."

His voice carried a hint of loneliness, but even more so, it carried a sense of acceptance.

"Though your sword moves are sharp, you have no means to counter Soul Cultivators. I won by chance, nothing more," Yuan Ming said modestly.

"You're mistaken. I have fought with the cultivators of Bright Moon Palace; although their Soul Cultivation Divine Power can affect me, they are still no match for my sword, and they cannot withstand my Sword Light. In all the world, there is only one who can beat me with Soul Cultivation Divine Power, and that is Xizhuang Yuan. Now there is you, Fellow Daoist." Swordsman Qing Ping shook his head and said.

When Yuan Ming heard such praise, he remained inwardly clear.

He knew clearly that while he had achieved much in soul cultivation, he could not compare to Xizhuang Yuan of the Bright Moon Palace.

Yet his three elements of Soul Body Technique were cultivated simultaneously, with numerous methods at his disposal. Today's defeat of Swordsman Qing Ping was due mostly to being countered by his Soul Cultivation Divine Power, and his inability to cope with Yuan Ming's endless techniques.

"Fellow Daoist, you sent me a voice transmission after the battle and set up this meeting tonight, not just to flatter me, I presume?" Yuan Ming no longer wished to exchange pleasantries, speaking frankly.

Swordsman Qing Ping remained silent for a moment upon hearing this, then sighed softly.

He lifted his head and looked at the bright moon, a complex emotion flickering in his eyes.

"I acted today because of matters in Beihai City." He slowly began, his voice carrying a trace of helplessness and determination.

Yuan Ming nodded, having anticipated this point for some time.

"Zhong Tuhu is from the Taixuan Sect, and the matter in Beihai City was his fault first. Your handling was reasonable; neither I nor the Taixuan Sect will become your enemy because of it," Swordsman Qing Ping clarified his stance.

"You make it sound easy. Had I not been strong enough, I would have fallen in Beihai City. Such a deep hatred cannot be resolved by simply saying you won't be my enemy." Yuan Ming raised an eyebrow, stubbornly holding his ground.

"I know there is resentment in your heart, but I sincerely hope you can give me face and let this matter rest. Naturally, I am willing to offer some resources and benefits as compensation," Swordsman Qing Ping said.

Yuan Ming furrowed his brow, pondered for a moment, then finally nodded.

"I can agree with you, but if someone from your sect troubles me again, I will not hold back," he coldly said.

"Of course, I will remind them once I return," Swordsman Qing Ping replied immediately.

With the matter settled, Swordsman Qing Ping did not linger and left hurriedly.

Under the moonlight, the courtyard returned to silence, leaving only Yuan Ming sitting alone on the stone bench, gazing at the bright moon with flickering eyes.

...

A few days later, in the early morning.

Yuan Ming had just bid farewell to the representatives of various forces and was preparing to return to his place of seclusion for deep cultivation.

At this moment, Wulu hurried over with a mysterious smile on his face.

"Brother Yuan, look whom I have brought." Wulu said, stepping aside to reveal the person standing behind him.

Yuan Ming looked carefully and was instantly taken aback.

The person's face was unfamiliar, but there was a familiar aura between his brows.

He scrutinized for a moment before realizing, "Yan Jue? No, you're Jie Cha!"

"I heard you were asking Wulu about the Seventh-level Array; are you interested in learning from me?" Jie Cha smiled slightly, nodded at Yuan Ming, and took the initiative to speak.

"Indeed, is Senior Jie Cha the Level 7 Array Master that Wulu knows? What price must I pay to invite you to teach me?" Yuan Ming questioned eagerly upon hearing this.

"The price? How about helping me reclaim the Three Realms Immortal Boat?" A sharp light flickered in Jie Cha's eyes as he spoke in a deep voice.

"This... I fear it might be somewhat difficult. The Three Realms Immortal Boat is likely in the hands of the Demon World now. If I were to go, it might be a journey of no return. Senior, it would be better to choose another request." Yuan Ming smiled wryly and shook his head.

"Naturally, I'm not asking you to go now. The Demon Clan will eventually drive the Three Realms Immortal Boat to attack Chuyun. When that time comes, I will find a way to seize the Immortal Boat. You only need to lend a hand then." Jie Cha smiled faintly and said.

"I see, Senior, rest assured, I will agree to this condition." Hearing this, Yuan Ming agreed without hesitation.

He deeply understood that Jie Cha's strength was unfathomable, and if he could receive his guidance, it would definitely propel him further in the path of arrays.

...

Three years later.

Under the meticulous guidance of Jie Cha, Yuan Ming's proficiency in formations soared, advancing rapidly, and soon he entered the ranks of a Level 7 Array Master.

This achievement left even Jie Cha awestruck, marveling repeatedly at Yuan Ming's incredible talent.

But Yuan Ming knew well that behind this was the aid of the Stealing Heaven Tripod.

Every seven days, he would borrow the magical power of the Stealing Heaven Tripod, possessing Jie Cha's body, learning Jie Cha's array expertise in the most direct way possible.

This marvelous learning method allowed Yuan Ming to progress swiftly in the way of arrays, navigating it with ease.

Becoming a Level 7 Array Master didn't mean Yuan Ming could easily wield any Seven-level Magic Array.

The way of arrays is profound and mysterious; every Seven-level Magic Array contains the life's work and wisdom of a Level 7 Array Master.

Even with Yuan Ming's vast knowledge, he needed to study meticulously to truly grasp the secrets within.

Therefore, after becoming a Level 7 Array Master, Yuan Ming spent another two years, diligently studying, and finally mastered the seven-level array belonging to the Breaking Formation Skill within the Four Mountains Linked Seal — the Supreme Returning Formation.

In the realm of arrays, Four Mountains Wanderer is undoubtedly at the pinnacle, and the breaking array he developed, named the Supreme Returning Formation, can reverse array constructs, forcing them to disassemble and revert to their most original state.

However, this array requires an immense amount of Mana to operate, and Yuan Ming alone cannot sustain it.

So, upon mastering the Supreme Returning Formation, Yuan Ming immediately gathered Wang Fulong and others, sealed their five senses, and led them once again into the Stealing Heaven Tripod.

Standing once more before the canyon, Yuan Ming looked at the golden hall, formed the Four Mountains Linked Seal, and saw countless golden lines flow out from the Breaking Formation Seal, intertwining in mid-air, rapidly forming a massive formation.

Immediately after, Yuan Ming instructed everyone to pour their Mana into the formation.

In an instant, streams of Spiritual Power, carrying different hues and colors, soared and converged into the formation.

The stagnant formation began to operate, with the integrated Spiritual Power spinning rapidly, and eventually transforming into a gigantic Tai Chi Roulette.

Raising his hand, Yuan Ming pointed, and the Tai Chi Roulette slowly pressed toward the golden hall.

The invisible barrier outside the hall lit up with frosty white spirit light, obstructing the Tai Chi Roulette.

Under the rotational pressure of the Tai Chi Roulette, the frosty white spirit light was constantly disintegrated and devoured, merging into the roulette.

However, no matter how much disappeared, more spirit light surged from the void, persistently blocking the roulette.

At this moment, Yuan Ming carefully observed the frosty white spirit light. With his knowledge of the Seven-level Magic Array, he finally discerned the operation logic of this invisible Forbidden and quickly found a way to break it.

Through his continuous manipulation, the Tai Chi Roulette gradually gained the upper hand, with the frosty white spirit light retreating step by step.

After an unknown amount of time, ultimately accompanied by a soft popping sound, the Forbidden outside the golden hall shattered completely, turning into nothingness.

Yuan Ming felt a surge of joy, and cautiously stepped forward, discovering no more obstacles in his way.

He immediately released Wang Fulong and others from the Stealing Heaven Tripod, then quickly returned to the outside of the golden hall, and, with an excited heart, slowly pushed open the door of the hall.

As the door opened, one by one, incense and candles inside the hall lit up; in the flickering candlelight, a gray human-shaped statue was revealed in front of Yuan Ming.

Yuan Ming gazed in astonishment at this statue, discovering that besides it and the incense and candles, there was nothing else inside the hall.

The statue resembled a man, with a face almost identical to Xi Ying's, only differing slightly in physique.

Looking at the statue, an inexplicable emotion surged in Yuan Ming's heart, as if drawn by some mysterious force, he involuntarily moved forward.

At this moment, a soft sound suddenly came beside him.

He turned his head to see that Void had somehow appeared beside him, their gaze also fixed on the statue.

"This statue is actually the corpse of the creator of the Stealing Heaven Tripod," Void stared at the statue, a touch of distant memories in their eyes.

Hearing this, Yuan Ming was swept by a wave of surprise.

"Why does his appearance resemble Xi Ying? Could it be... is he Xi Ying's ancestor?" he asked, puzzled.

"Humph, of course not. He has reached the pinnacle of the Soul Cultivator path, able to change his appearance at will. Anyone who sees him would see the form of their most beloved," Void gently shook their head and sighed.

Yuan Ming realized suddenly, but felt something was off, though it eluded him at the moment.