An incense stick’s time later.
Five figures sat beside Chen Xun, their expressions cold and emotionless, radiating five-colored divine light. Hundreds of talisman blanks floated in the air.
At this moment, a rootless essence flower rose from Chen Xun’s body. He slowly closed his eyes, devoting himself entirely to refining the talismans.
Drops of Deity Transformation stage tainted blood seemed to struggle in their last moments, starting to boil slightly, attempting to corrupt Chen Xun’s lifespan, but it was all in vain.
The yellow-rank talismans in the air kept shattering, unable to withstand the Deity Transformation tainted blood. Chen Xun opened his eyes, a trace of anger flashing—what a waste.
The five primordial spirits turned into faint light and instantly merged back into his body. Chen Xun took out a container made from the millennium Crane Spirit Tree, crafting and storing as he carefully preserved the Deity Transformation tainted blood.
“The Crane Spirit Tree truly is versatile.”
Chen Xun’s hands moved swiftly, forcibly suppressing and sealing the tainted blood within, thinking to himself that he would need to buy some mystic-rank talismans in the future, “With tens of millions of mid-grade spirit stones, it’s impossible to run out.”
A month later.
*Buzz—*The giant ship turned into a shadow and gradually faded into the horizon as they entered a medium-sized teleportation array together. Their eyes turned cold as they vanished instantly.
The moment they disappeared, the surrounding formations activated, hiding and protecting the teleportation array.
In the distance, countless yellow-rank Seated Oblivion Talismans lay in wait. If a corrupted being approached, it would undoubtedly feel the thrill of ascending to immortality.
And this wasn’t the only medium-sized teleportation array—there were three in total!
Brother Ox had broken through to the Deity Transformation stage, and his formation skills had reached a new level. He had already begun researching large-scale teleportation arrays, and the one spanning between Qian Nation and Da Li was nearing completion.
…
Today, sunlight filtered through thin clouds, illuminating the vast land and reflecting a spectrum of colors that dazzled the eyes.
Da Li, Feiyun Prefecture.
An endless mountain range stretched majestically, brimming with spiritual energy. It was the ancestral land of the Yu family, Dangmo Mountain.
Within the mountain range was a forbidden area, the secluded cultivation ground of the Yu family patriarch, Yu Jingxin.
The first sight to greet one’s eyes was a vast, crystal-clear lake, its surface sparkling and surrounded by undulating mountains.
A man stood alone, his eyes deep as he kept company with a solitary tombstone that bore only one name: Ding Lingxiao.
“Since you left, it hasn’t snowed in Da Li. It’s truly desolate.”
Yu Jingxin looked at the lake, a gentle smile on his face, as if murmuring to himself or speaking softly to someone, “Immortal and mortal paths are forever separate, just like life and death. For some reason, I find myself missing you.”
He gazed at the tombstone, his expression calm. Only here could he be his true self, free of the burdens of the world.
In the shadows, two eyes briefly glanced over, both tightening at the memory of the shocking incident in the Yu family—a tale laughed at by other powerful clans.
The Yu family’s prodigy, Yu Jingxin, fell in love with a mortal woman with no spiritual roots during his Foundation Establishment stage. She was of ordinary appearance and equally ordinary background. ṝ𝓪𐌽Օ𝔟Εs̩
Wasn’t this the height of absurdity?!
It was known that Yu Jingxin liked lingering among mortals, but no one expected him to want to marry this woman as his Dao companion. Such a union was preposterous for a prodigy of a great clan.
A distinguished prodigy couldn’t marry a mortal. The Yu family strongly opposed this, as the Foundation Establishment stage was a time to focus on cultivation.
The Yu family even secretly assigned a few Golden Core cultivators to protect the mortal woman, ensuring she wouldn’t come to harm and affect Yu Jingxin’s Dao heart.
Yu Jingxin, unable to go against his family’s wishes, could only visit her occasionally, silently accompanying her for over a century. However, the woman was mortal, with a family of her own—how could she be delayed like that?
Her family had even arranged a marriage for her, but Yu Jingxin wouldn’t allow it. He revealed his identity as a cultivator and forcibly eloped with Ding Lingxiao.
Such actions left everyone speechless—forcefully taking a woman in Da Li?
The Yu family had to intervene to resolve the situation properly, ensuring Yu Jingxin’s Dao heart wasn’t broken.
But as the old saying goes, “Filial piety is the foundation of all virtues.” Ding Lingxiao, a mortal woman, couldn’t be swayed by emotions alone. She was much more mature than the young prodigy.
She understood that Yu Jingxin might simply be seeking a sense of belonging, and she quietly returned. Her family no longer pressured her into marriage, providing her with good food and care.
Yu Jingxin remained silent for a long time, realizing that only Ding Lingxiao could give him that sense of peace and understanding.
They continued to meet and silently accompany each other for a century. Watching her grow old pained him deeply. She never asked for youth-preserving pills or longevity-extending elixirs.
Ding Lingxiao eventually passed away on a snowy night.
She left him with one final message: “Jingxin, we do have a home…”
From that point on, Yu Jingxin’s heart was dead to the world. The vast world offered no sanctuary for his spirit, and he fully immersed himself in cultivation, fulfilling the Yu family’s missions.
Yet he still wandered among mortals, preferring the simplicity free from scheming and conflicts.
More importantly, there was always a slight hope that he might once again encounter that lively, carefree girl who accidentally bumped into him with her vinegar jar.
By the lakeside,
“Sigh.”
Yu Jingxin sighed softly, his gaze turning cold. “Those three from the Forbidden Sea... so many years have passed, have they really forgotten, or are they too afraid to provoke the Yu family?”
“It seems they haven’t cultivated the questionable fourth layer of the Water Spirit Art, as there’s been no divine sense fluctuation—truly cautious.”
He had waited for years, sending people to both the Forbidden Sea and Hanging Heaven's Gate, yet there had been no sign of them. Even he had become lax, setting up formations in vain.
Yu Jingxin shook his head with a self-deprecating smile. The cultivation world was like this—everyone scheming against each other, but outcomes weren’t always guaranteed. It was exhausting.
If there were no further developments, he would proceed step by step, becoming the Yu family’s eldest. For now, the secrets were beyond his reach; his status was still insufficient.
Generations had passed, and he didn’t believe the Yu family could uncover the schemes of the Jiang family. This subtle, long-term approach couldn’t be seen through in just a few generations.
“Maybe I should go drink and drown my sorrows.”
Yu Jingxin smiled faintly, his figure becoming ethereal as he headed towards the mortal city.
Half an hour later.
He observed an interesting scene from above the clouds.
At the outskirts of the mountain range, a gray-clad man was chatting and laughing with an old orange vendor.
The rules here were set by Yu Jingxin himself. Given the vast lands under the Yu family’s control, filled with spiritual energy, it was only fair to give the common people a way to make a living here.
On the road.
“Young man, how are these oranges—sweet enough?”
“Old man, this is a place where cultivators reside, and they still let you grow oranges?”
Chen Xun squatted by the roadside with the old man, eating oranges as they spoke. “But I must say, they’re really sweet!”
“Hahaha...”
The old man laughed, his beard shaking. “Immortals have their own way of life, and we mortals have ours. The immortals here don’t prohibit us from coming.”
Chen Xun ate the juicy fruit, recalling how mortal entry was forbidden in the cultivators’ lands of Qian Nation, let alone in Da Li, home to ancient cultivation clans. It was a bit beyond his expectations.
“I see. It looks like business is good for you, old man.”
Chen Xun smiled brightly and picked another orange from the basket, with the old man not minding at all, as if gifting it to him.
The sunlight was a bit harsh, and the old man wiped his sweat, but his face remained cheerful. “You don’t know, young man, our village relies on selling these oranges. Life gets better every day.”
“Wow!”
Chen Xun believed him—given the quality, it would be hard not to sell them. “Old man, do these oranges have a name? If you take them to the city, they’ll need something special.”
“Ah?” The old man was stunned, realizing the young man was right. He thought about giving them a catchy name so they wouldn’t seem like common fruit.
He fell into deep thought, increasingly convinced of the young man’s logic.
“Old man, I’ll buy all your oranges. I have a few brothers with big appetites; they’ll love them.”
Chen Xun looked at the two baskets of oranges and smiled sincerely. “Just name your price, same as in the city—no need to give me a discount.”
“Young man, you want all of them? That’ll cost quite a few copper coins.”
The old man looked at Chen Xun, unsure if he was wealthy. “How about I just give you a few?”
What?!
Chen Xun’s eyes widened. Did he look like a beggar? Even when he first arrived in Da Li, people tossed him some copper coins.
He quickly pulled out a few silver pieces from his pocket, proving his wealth.
The old man chuckled, realizing his mistake, though he hesitated about how the young man would carry so many oranges.
Not long after, Chen Xun and the old man agreed on a price. With a wave of his hand, the oranges disappeared, leaving the old man astonished—a cultivator?!
Holding an orange, Chen Xun leisurely strolled along the path, waving with his free hand. “Old man, if fate permits, I’ll buy oranges again.”
The old man watched the departing figure in a daze before smiling and waving back. “Sure thing, young man!”
He lifted his now-empty baskets and began humming a mountain song as he walked away, his mood lifted.
The old man pondered, and a voice gradually echoed on the path: “Hehe, let’s call these oranges ‘Immortal Encounter Oranges.’ Haha, not bad. I’ll tell my wife and kids when I get home.”
The sun shone brightly, and a gentle breeze blew.
Chen Xun slowly turned his head, watching the old man’s distant figure with a deep gaze, smiling as he saw him off.
This scene caught Yu Jingxin’s full attention. An unusual light flashed in his eyes; it was the first time he had seen someone from the Yu family behave this way.
He concealed his aura and approached, intrigued to meet this man.
“This fellow Daoist, passing by, I hope I’m not intruding.”
Yu Jingxin smiled warmly, stopping in front of Chen Xun. He had already sensed the other’s cultivation—early Nascent Soul stage. “May I join you?”
A Deity Transformation cultivator!
Chen Xun’s heart trembled. What kind of luck was it to buy oranges and encounter a Deity Transformation cultivator?!
However, he narrowed his eyes, a slight smirk forming as he cupped his hands:
“It would be my pleasure.”
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