Longevity begins with alchemy master

Chapter 1179 First Encounter with Wuyou, The Secret of Returning to the Ruins

"Fellow Daoist is so engrossed in cultivation that you may have forgotten what day it is recently."

Fang Qingxue covered her mouth and laughed at Luo Chen's curiosity.

Luo Chen was taken aback, then suddenly realized.

Before he knew it, a long time had passed since he entered the Ninth Ring of Destruction.

The third ring road takes ten years, the sixth ring road thirty years, and the fourth ring road sixty years.

All in all, it has been nearly a hundred years!

Every hundred years, the Nine-Layer Immortal Tower opens, allowing warriors who have broken through the Nine Rings to go out for rest and relaxation, and also serving as the time for a new generation of warriors to enter the Flawless Realm.

"You seem to have completely forgotten about yourselves." Luo Chen shook his head and sighed, then said, "Judging from your appearances, are the three of you planning to go out together?"

Mu Bugui nodded, then said in a deep voice, "I am preparing to go out, but I may not come back."

Luo Chen was puzzled.

At that moment, all four of them looked up at the same time.

In the vast chaos, a fleeting figure gradually emerged from above.

Fang Qingxue bowed and greeted, "Ancestor!"

Gu Xun and Mu Bugui bowed respectfully in return: "Greetings, Lord of the Worry-Free Realm!"

Luo Chen was no exception. Although he had never expected to meet the Lord of Worry-Free Realm on this occasion, he had long been prepared for this day.

He held his hands in a gesture of respect, speaking with sincerity.

"Luo Chen greets Senior!"

The words conveyed a genuine respect.

Not to mention the groundbreaking achievement of creating a cultivation environment for the Nine Rings of Destruction to provide a large number of martial artists, the Immortal Essence Stones sent by Fang Zhibai back then were enough to make him grateful.

The Lord of Worry-Free Realm slowly descended in front of the four people, wearing a moon-white brocade Taoist robe, a jade belt around his waist, and a pair of plain cloud-patterned shoes.

The face of the middle-aged man was not stunningly beautiful, but the smile on his lips was like an ancient jade that had been tempered by spiritual energy over the years, without a trace of sorrow or entanglement.

He didn't exude any deliberate pressure, yet he possessed a calm and dignified aura, as if his presence was an invisible hub connecting heaven and earth, even slowing down the surging chaotic energy.

He simply waved his hand dismissively in response to the greetings from the crowd.

Then his gaze fell on Luo Chen, and after a quick look, the smile on his lips deepened.

"Very well! Although we had met once before, I found your demeanor and bearing to be even more impressive when we met in person!"

Luo Chen humbly replied, "Senior, you flatter me."

The Lord of Worry-Free Realm waved his hand again, “We are all either trapped in the Ruins of Return or have unfortunately ended up here. We are all fellow sufferers, so why talk about seniors? If you are so inclined, you can call me fellow Daoist, or you can call me Lord of Worry-Free Realm like they do.”

Luo Chen hesitated for a moment, but still addressed him as Lord of the Worry-Free Realm.

Whether in the world of cultivation or the Great Destruction Realm, the principle is that those who achieve the highest level come first.

Facing a powerful figure who was a level above him in both realm and strength, addressing him as a fellow Daoist would make Luo Chen uneasy.

"Master of the Worry-Free Realm" is ultimately a respectful title.

After getting to know each other for the first time, Luo Chen couldn't help but ask the question that had been weighing on his mind.

"Fellow Daoist Mu, what do you mean by going out and not coming back?"

Mu Bugui hesitated and looked at the Lord of Wuyou Realm.

The Lord of the Worry-Free Realm strolled to the front of the Snow Pavilion, looked at the heavy snow falling outside, and first praised it.

"Little Qingxue, your martial arts spirit is becoming more and more powerful, and it can already influence the outside world."

The martial arts divine will is generated by the martial artist's will influencing their innate qi, and can be described as arising from top to bottom.

Upon reaching the Human Immortal Realm, the progress of martial arts will is from the inside out, permeated by qi, capable of altering the surrounding celestial phenomena and initially influencing the external environment. When reaching its limit, this will will further nourish itself, transforming into the will of the inner world at an even higher realm.

Fang Qingxue said modestly, "Ancestor, you flatter me."

The Lord of the Worry-Free Realm sighed, "When the era turns three hundred years from now and the fog of destruction descends, I imagine that this Great Destruction Realm and this Ruins of Return will be just like this, a vast expanse of white, utterly unclean!"

Upon hearing this, even Luo Chen, who possessed excellent self-cultivation skills, a cultivator's Dao heart undisturbed by anything, and a martial artist's will tempered through countless trials, couldn't help but have his expression change drastically.

"Three hundred years later!"

Even though Gu Xun had been given some inside information, he couldn't help but mutter to himself at this moment.

"Was it really that close?"

Suppressing his shock, Luo Chen asked reluctantly, "Lord Wuyou, is this news true?"

The Lord of the Worry-Free Realm remained calm. "It's pretty much accurate. I calculated it based on my observations of the Gate of Annihilation's three-thousand-year operating pattern. In addition, the one from the Myriad Phenomena Star Sect in the Sea of ​​Stars recently observed celestial phenomena and also reached a similar conclusion."

Luo Chen was unaware of the situation on the other side of the Sea of ​​Stars, but he believed that someone who could be ranked alongside the Lord of the Worry-Free Realm would not speak without reason.

Both of them came to similar conclusions: even if the timeframe wasn't precise enough, it was at most a few hundred years ago.

He said with difficulty, "So, Fellow Daoist Mu said that you won't be coming back this time?"

The Lord of the Worry-Free Realm nodded. "He will follow me to find a way out."

Luo Chen subconsciously looked up at the sky, "Isn't it said that the spatial vortex known as the Gate of Annihilation might also be an external passage?"

“That is indeed a passage, but it is not a path that you or I can take.” The Lord of Worry-Free Realm did not shy away from the question, and then asked in return, “Luo Chen, do you know what kind of place the Ruins of Return truly is?”

Luo Chen remained silent.

The Lord of the Worry-Free Realm pursed his lips and said with a sigh, "The so-called 'Return to the Void' originally meant that all rivers flow into it, and it never stops overflowing; the tail end drains it, and it never stops emptying. This is the end point where all things end and time and space perish."

Luo Chen was bewildered.

The Lord of the Worry-Free Realm continued, "It exists in every corner of the endless universe, yet it does not exist in any one place. The concepts of time and space do not exist here. The reason you and I can barely survive is that the Void has not yet awakened."

Luo Chen seemed to be deep in thought.

The Lord of the Worry-Free Realm concluded, “To give an analogy, you can think of the endless universe as a complete person, and the Void is its internal organs, its digestive system. In the universe, whether it is energy, things, or even living souls, they will eventually gather here.”

Luo Chen frowned slightly, recalling the broken blue lamp he had used in his experiments in the southern border of the Mountain and Sea Realm.

The moment the storage bag shattered, the blue lamp disappeared, but eventually reappeared in a shop in a small town in the Great Destruction Realm.

Similar scenes had actually occurred many times during his hundreds of years of cultivation.

When the enemy is fighting, the storage magic item is broken, and some items inside will always mysteriously disappear.

Have they all arrived at the Ruins of Return?
Thinking of the strange and exotic resources in the shops of Worry-Free City, Luo Chen confirmed the existence of the Worry-Free Realm Lord's statement.

Luo Chen asked uncertainly, "If that's the case, why don't we leave this place when the Ruins are digesting and absorbing?"

Lord Wuyou gave Luo Chen an approving look.

"In fact, this is indeed a very correct idea. Previous generations have taken similar actions, though whether they succeeded or not is unknown. But..."

As soon as the word "but" came out, Luo Chen knew that what followed would greatly disappoint him.

The Lord of the Worry-Free Realm said in a heavy tone, "But as the digestive organ of the universe, the Void Return has become weak and aged at some point, almost unable to move. It only keeps devouring and digesting, but it doesn't give anything back to the endless universe. It only swallows and doesn't spit out anything, so how can we take this opportunity to escape?"

Luo Chen's mouth dropped open, and a look of surprise appeared on his face.

The universe has not yet perished, so how could Guixu, as its digestive organ, be weakened and aged?

Suddenly!

Luo Chen recalled what had happened before he ended up here. The Celestial Sovereign of Qixia once said, "The path to immortality is severed, the immortal realm has collapsed!"

If the end point of this universe is the Ruins of Return, then the highest point might be the so-called Immortal Realm.

When the celestial realm collapses, even if the countless stars that make up the body and blood of the universe still remain, its true internal organs will lose their power.

Suddenly, Luo Chen noticed something amiss.

Without hesitation, he asked, "If, as the Lord of the Realm says, the Void has lost its power to expand outwards, then how did the predecessors enter the Gate of Destruction and attempt to escape?"

The Lord of the Worry-Free Realm looked at Luo Chen with admiration once again.

"Fellow Daoist, your quick wit and the speed of your spiritual transformation are truly rare. If I had met you a thousand or eight hundred years earlier, I might have actually been able to work with you to figure out a way to leave the Ruins of Return."

The praise was tinged with regret and sorrow.

Then, the Lord of the Worry-Free Realm explained to Luo Chen the origin of the predecessors' ideas.

"Although Guixu is old, it is not truly dead. Just as a human consciousness dies, external stimulation of its joints will still trigger some physical reactions, so too will Guixu. Legend has it that when certain large stars in the universe collapse, Guixu subconsciously absorbs the power of the star's destruction, and it will instinctively wriggle. That is one of the opportunities to leave!"

"However!"

"The power of star destruction is so vast. Under natural conditions, even powerful beings at the Nascent Soul stage and above can survive. But when this power is concentrated at a single point in the Ruins of Return, it will be multiplied by billions. Let alone you and me, even if an immortal were to stand in front of us, we would not be able to withstand its terrifying power."

Luo Chen could understand the preceding parts.

However, Luo Chen did not believe the latter part.

He once created a supernatural power called Starfire Burning the World.

Although that move couldn't truly destroy a world, it was only limited by Luo Chen's cultivation level.

If one day he can fully master the essence of fire and push his understanding of it to 100%, he is absolutely confident that he can destroy a world with a single move.

That realm is the Mahayana stage in the cultivation world.

A true immortal, even above the Mahayana stage, how could they not withstand the power to destroy a star world?

Today's meeting is our first, and perhaps our last, so he no longer holds back.

Luo Chen bluntly stated, "Isn't that an exaggeration?"

The carefree Lord of the Realm said nonchalantly, "It's no exaggeration. I've guarded the Gate of Destruction for thousands of years, and it's not like I haven't encountered similar opportunities, but in the end, I still failed. Each time, I could only sigh in vain and retreat!"

Faced with absolute facts and corroborating evidence, Luo Chen had no choice but to believe it.

After all, the Lord of Worry-Free Realm is far superior to him in both realm and strength.

But he was still unwilling to give up, "I wonder if the Lord of the Realm could share what it was like when that opportunity arose?"

"You want to try?" Lord Wuyou said with a smile, glancing at his descendant Fang Qingxue as he spoke.

Luo Chen said frankly, "Let's just consider this a backup plan!"

The Lord of the Worry-Free Realm smiled and, without holding back, frankly said, "The specifics are difficult to describe. You will naturally sense it when you see the Gate of Destruction move. Moreover... a similar opportunity will inevitably arise soon!"

Luo Chen was taken aback.

Immediately, he realized what the Lord of the Worry-Free Realm meant by opportunity.

"Three hundred years later?"

"Yes, three hundred years later, the fog of destruction will sweep everything away, and all places in this Ruins will perish. Isn't that a manifestation of the world's demise? However, on that occasion, I will not stand guard before the Gate of Destruction."

Luo Chen nodded and cupped his hands, saying, "Thank you for telling me these inside stories, Realm Lord."

Behind him, Gu Xun and the other two had complicated expressions.

Clearly, they already knew this inside information.

Therefore, during this meeting, Luo Chen was the one asking questions and Wu You was the one talking.

The Lord of Worry-Free Realm waved his hand dismissively, saying, "It's not exactly important news; it's just something you can naturally deduce after seeing it many times."

After he finished speaking, he glanced at the four people and pondered for a long time.

Finally, he asked slowly:
"My departure this time is not without purpose; my destination is a cemetery called the Ancient God's Dojo. There, perhaps, there is a sliver of hope to escape the Ruins of Return. Fellow Daoist Mu has already decided to come with me. What about the three of you?"

Mu Bugui also looked at the three of them, a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

Luo Chen pondered the name "Ancient God's Dojo," completely baffled.

Fang Qingxue smiled and said, "Ancestor, you should have known about my decision long ago."

The Lord of Worry-Free Realm felt helpless. He had seen this situation of being burdened by his family many times in his life, and he had long since passed through that stage himself. But he chose to respect his most outstanding descendant and did not force him.

Gu Xun hesitated, "But is it the legendary ancient god's dojo where countless brilliant martial artists have tragically perished?"

“Yes, that place has existed for tens of thousands of years and has withstood several once-in-ten-thousand-years annihilation fogs. Although we don’t know if it can withstand the great annihilation fog under the cycle of eras, it is still an opportunity,” Lord Wuyou told him frankly.

Gu Xun looked conflicted, but finally said "no".

The Lord of the Worry-Free Realm looked at Luo Chen.

Luo Chen thought for a moment and said, "I have just broken through to the Human Immortal Realm. I not only need to stabilize my realm, but I also still have a martial arts technique that is not yet complete and requires a lot of time to comprehend. Therefore, I regret that I cannot travel with the Realm Master."

The Lord of the Worry-Free Realm nodded.

"Very well, all living beings have their own way out. If you have any ideas in the future, you can come and find me using this map. The Ancient God's Dojo will not be open for some time, so perhaps we will meet again."

A map flew out of the hands of the Lord of Worry-Free Realm and landed on Fang Qingxue's path.

Luo Chen and Gu Xun both looked over instinctively.

If the Gate of Destruction is truly impassable, they might end up like the Lord of the Worry-Free Realm, embarking on that unknown path.

When the conversation ended, the Lord of Worry-Free Realm sighed with regret.

"In this situation, if there were fine wine to accompany you, you would surely forget your worries and find peace of mind."

Fang Qingxue smiled slightly, "Does Ancestor miss Thousand Mountains and Evening Snow?"

The Lord of Worry-Free Realm shook his head. "The Thousand Mountains Snowfall that our clan has produced now is ultimately not even a fraction of the amount I brought in back then."

Mu Bugui hesitated for a moment, but still took out a small gourd, which was an amber gourd he brought from his hometown, but there were very few left.

Dividing the profits among five people is probably not enough.

Luo Chen generously said, "Why don't you try the spirit wine from my hometown!"

As he spoke, he waved his hand, and the ring on his fingertip shimmered with light, and a large wine jar landed in the Wind and Snow Pavilion.

When the cork was opened, a rich aroma of wine wafted out, and an even stronger spiritual aura began to dissipate rapidly.

"What is the name of this wine?" The Lord of Worry-Free Realm's eyes lit up.

"Golden Wind and Jade Dew!" Luo Chen replied. This wine came from the Dieyun Sect in the Eastern Wilderness of the Mountain and Sea Realm. He had already finished the original version. This batch was presented by the Dieyun Sect as a congratulatory gift when he summoned various sects before his ascension.

The Lord of the Worry-Free Realm couldn't help but exclaim, "A single encounter of golden wind and jade dew surpasses countless encounters in the mortal world! Fine wine, fine name!"

The five men immediately shared the wine and enjoyed themselves immensely.

As we prepare to part, a rare moment of warmth has emerged.

As the wine flowed freely and the atmosphere became lively, the Lord of Worry-Free Realm's gaze fell upon the storage ring that Luo Chen had used to retrieve the wine earlier.

"Fellow Daoist Luo, are you also proficient in both weapon forging and formation techniques?"

(End of this chapter)