What is an immortal?

"Is this the Yin Soul Flower?" Yuan Ming's figure moved, flying into the abyss. He carefully picked the small flower and handed it to Xi Ying.

Xi Ying took the small flower, examined it closely, and then nodded, "Yes, this is the Yin Soul Flower we are looking for. The year is sufficient. Next, I will enter seclusion to refine the Nine Yin True Soul Pill. You need to wait for me for a few days."

"Do you need my help?" Yuan Ming asked.

"No need, refining the Nine Yin True Soul Pill requires special techniques that cannot be shared." Xi Ying shook her head.

Yuan Ming understood in his heart. This should also be a restriction set by the Bright Moon Palace, so he did not ask further. He then opened the Shura Palace, letting Xi Ying enter on her own for seclusion.

As for himself, he thought for a moment, and with the power of the Stealing Heaven Tripod, contacted Yun Luo Fairy, who stayed back in White Emperor City.

"Yun Luo, how is the cultivation of the One Qi Transforms Three Purities technique progressing?" he directly asked.

Yun Luo Fairy was cultivating at the time. Hearing Yuan Ming's voice, she quickly gathered her energy and responded, "Reporting to Master, the progress is quite smooth. I can already refine the Yuqing clone."

The One Qi Transforms Three Purities technique has three realms: Yuqing, Shangqing, and Taiching. Each time one cultivates to a realm, a clone can be divided.

"Oh? What about the progress of the others?" Yuan Ming was pleasantly surprised and asked again.

Before he left White Emperor City, he had appointed Yun Luo Fairy as the chief of White Emperor City, responsible for overseeing all affairs.

After imparting the technique of One Qi Transforms Three Purities, he also instructed everyone to report their cultivation progress to Yun Luo Fairy regularly, so he could keep track.

"Reporting to Master, the progress of the other fellow Daoists is not ideal. Currently, only I have the deepest understanding of this technique." Yun Luo Fairy replied, with a hint of commendation in her tone.

Yuan Ming was not surprised, as it hadn't been long since he imparted the cultivation technique. Having someone cultivate the Yuqing clone was already commendable.

"It seems you are quite compatible with this technique. Your future achievements are limitless. For the time being, put other matters aside and focus on cultivating this technique. I have great use for it." Yuan Ming instructed.

"Yes." Yun Luo Fairy nodded in agreement and continued her cultivation.

Yuan Ming ended the communication with Yun Luo Fairy. Immediately, he gently picked up a stick of black incense and carefully inserted it into the Stealing Heaven Tripod.

The next moment, his consciousness flowed like water into Yun Luo Fairy's body.

Time flowed slowly and quietly until Yuan Ming withdrew from Yun Luo Fairy's body, opened his eyes, and immediately performed Inner Observation on his Dantian.

In the depths of his Dantian, a cyan rune floated silently, emitting a mysterious aura. Although the aura felt slightly insufficient and the color somewhat dim, it radiated a unique brilliance.

This was the Jade Clear Seal, a mark that Yuan Ming condensed after cultivating the One Qi Transforms Three Purities to the Yuqing realm through Yun Luo Fairy's body.

Yuan Ming felt a sense of delight in his heart. He withdrew from Inner Observation, and with his hands forming seals, activated the Stealing Heaven Tripod to establish contact with Qiu Nu, who also remained in White Emperor City.

He did not converse with Qiu Nu but secretly operated the One Qi Transforms Three Purities technique, projecting the Yuqing Seal in his Dantian through the void to Qiu Nu's body.

After that, he raised his hand and pointed towards his forehead, muttering a low incantation.

In the next moment, a cyan light shot swiftly from behind his head, landing beside him, gradually condensing into Qiu Nu's form.

Feeling the Dharma manifestation aura emanating from Qiu Nu's clone, Yuan Ming couldn't help but smile.

Bringing along Qiu Nu's clone, Yuan Ming arrived at the location of the World Tree. With a thought, Qiu Nu's clone voluntarily stepped forward, raising her hand towards the Innate Bitter Bamboo growing under the tree.

In the palm of Qiu Nu's clone, a cyan spirit light streaked across the void like a meteor, accurately landing on the Bitter Bamboo.

Under Yuan Ming's gaze, the Innate Bitter Bamboo grew at an astonishing speed, and its age rapidly increased.

Meanwhile, Yuan Ming could clearly feel his own lifespan depleting at an alarming rate.

This was because the lifeforce cost of the divine skills performed by his clone had to be borne entirely by him.

Yuan Ming had anticipated this.

He was already at the peak of Dharma cultivation, and with the World Tree as his lifebound spirit plant, his lifespan was exceptionally long, spanning thirty to forty thousand years, capable of withstanding such consumption.

What surprised him was that the proportion of lifespan exchange had also changed when performing Green Wood Mysterious Light with Dharma cultivation.

Under Yuan Ming's precise control, Qiu Nu's clone ultimately consumed ten thousand years of his lifespan, successfully advancing the age of the Bitter Bamboo to an astonishing eighteen thousand years.

Following this, Yuan Ming performed an incantation to dissolve Qiu Nu's clone, took out the Soul Destroying Sword, and with a light swing, cut down the upper half of the Innate Bitter Bamboo.

Not long after, Yuan Ming found Xi Hezi and handed the Bitter Bamboo to her, saying:

"Xi Hezi, I have found the ten-thousand-year-old Bitter Bamboo you wanted."

Xi Hezi's eyes lit up, and she excitedly took the Bitter Bamboo, saying: "Oh, very impressive. I did not expect you to actually obtain a ten-thousand-year-old Innate Bitter Bamboo. Leave the rest to me. The Clean Vase I create this time will surely amaze you!"

"Then I shall wait and see." Yuan Ming smiled.

Now that all conditions were met, he only had to wait for the completion of the Enlightenment Pill and the Clean Vase to attempt to take that step.

With a mix of anticipation and apprehension, Yuan Ming once again immersed himself in cultivation.

...

Five days later.

Yuan Ming, who was in seclusion cultivating, suddenly had a change in expression, his figure disappearing like an illusion, and reappeared outside the seclusion room the next moment.

The door slowly opened, and Xi Ying gracefully stepped out, a faint smile on her brow, her aura surging around her, clearly having reached the late stage of the Life Witch realm.

Before Yuan Ming could open his mouth to inquire, Xi Ying restrained her excitement and said solemnly, "I have reached sufficient cultivation, barely able to break through the limits of the spell. The following words you must remember firmly."

Seeing her serious expression, Yuan Ming immediately composed himself and said solemnly, "You speak, I am listening."

Xi Ying took a deep breath, her hands quickly forming a sealing gesture, lightly touching her brow.

A flash of gray light appeared in her eyes, her voice slightly hoarse: "Towards the southeast, delve into the mountain range, and seek out the Purple Cloud Heavenly Palace!"

As soon as she finished speaking, a dull gray rune appeared at her brow, trembling slightly and emitting a deafening hum.

Immediately after, Xi Ying rolled her eyes and fell softly to the ground, slipping into unconsciousness.

"Xi Ying! What's wrong?" Yuan Ming hurriedly stepped forward, supporting the fallen Xi Ying, calling out repeatedly.

However, no matter how he called out, Xi Ying remained unresponsive, only the dull gray rune at her brow still hovered, seemingly an invisible seal, locking her consciousness firmly.

Yuan Ming's face darkened, trying to use Soul Power to break the rune on Xi Ying's brow, but no matter how he urged, the rune remained unmoved, and Xi Ying still lay unconscious.

He couldn't help but feel a trace of resentment towards the Bright Moon Palace, but now was not the time to pursue it.

Thus, he placed Xi Ying within the Shura Palace, then flew swiftly towards the southeast direction of the mountain range with Wang Fulong.

It was uncertain how much time passed, but Yuan Ming suddenly noticed that the purple light in the mountain range was becoming increasingly intense.

He extended his Divine Sense, and not far ahead, a cluster of dilapidated palaces stood among the mountains.

These palaces were all tinted with a purple hue, yet were not constructed from the mountain stones, their bricks and tiles a deep shade, distinctly different from the crystalline mountain stones.

Looking around, the palaces were scattered across the mountains, stretching from the peaks to the depths, intertwining and stacking, leaving no rest for the eyes.

One could imagine how magnificent these palaces must have been when they were intact back then.

However, now, most of the palaces were in ruins, with hardly any intact part, the furniture inside also chaotic and disorderly, in disarray.

Yuan Ming searched around the dilapidated palaces but found nothing of value, so he continued moving southeast.

He speculated that this might be a site of a Sect from the Wentian Realm.

Considering the scale of this palace cluster and the mysteriousness of the mountain range, Yuan Ming believed that at least one Ghost Witch patriarch must have presided here in the past.

And the Purple Cloud Heavenly Palace mentioned by Xi Ying might be intricately connected to this Ghost Witch patriarch.

After flying for about two hours, Yuan Ming suddenly saw a grand palace perched atop a distant mountain peak, shrouded in purple clouds.

As he flew closer, he discovered countless murals painted on the outer walls of the palace, but no matter how intensely he focused, he could not make out the content of the murals.

Staring for too long could even induce a sudden attack of dizziness.

He quickly averted his gaze, looking towards the palace's main entrance.

Above the door, a plaque with four large characters was carved — Purple Cloud Heavenly Palace.

Yuan Ming, with Wang Fulong, landed in front of the entrance, tentatively reaching out to push.

The next moment, a burst of purple spirit light erupted from the door, enveloping both him and Wang Fulong.

Their vision blurred, and when they regained clarity, they found themselves within a void filled with purple mist.

Upon entering, Yuan Ming immediately felt severed from all connections to the outside world, as if within another realm. This sensation was even stronger than the isolation felt when crossing realm barriers.

He looked around and saw only ethereal purple smoke all around, with nowhere to rest his feet.

Far in the distance, there was only a wooden door hanging in the air, leading who knows where.

As Yuan Ming closely observed the surroundings, he suddenly reacted, raising his hand to summon the Shura Palace.

Moments later, Xi Ying slowly emerged from it.

At this moment, the rune on her brow had vanished, her eyes clear as water, her expression and behavior no different from usual.

"You're awake?" Yuan Ming exclaimed in joy.

"Yes, thanks to you finding the Purple Cloud Heavenly Palace, it seems my judgment was correct." Xi Ying nodded with a smile, a hint of joy on her face.

"Is this place truly able to isolate the restrictions set by the Bright Moon Palace?" Yuan Ming seemed to realize something and couldn't help but ask quietly.

"Indeed. The Purple Cloud Heavenly Palace is the Innate Spiritual Treasure of a Ghost Witch, a world unto itself, capable of isolating the soul domain. The spell set by the Bright Moon Palace didn't directly act on me, but imposed limitations remotely through some means. As long as I remain here, the spell cannot reach me." Xi Ying nodded in response.

Yuan Ming frowned, pondering for a moment before saying, "But once you leave here, won't you fall back into a state of unconsciousness?"