Cultivation of immortality begins with an eighty-year-old eunuch.

After flying for several days, Chen Fan arrived at a rather prosperous city.

This city is called "Xinjing," not the capital of any former kingdom, but the newly built political center after the unification of Dayuan. The city walls are towering, with spiritual energy from array formations faintly visible. The buildings within the city are well-organized and grand, bustling with traffic and crowds.

Chen Fan landed in a relatively quiet neighborhood in the west of the city and went into a restaurant that looked quite old. The restaurant's lobby was noisy, with all sorts of people from different walks of life.

He ordered a pot of the most ordinary spiritual tea and a few side dishes, and sat down in a corner by the window. His divine sense, like an invisible spider web, quietly covered the entire hall, capturing every word of conversation.

"...I heard that there was another earthquake in the Black Wind Canyon in the north. General Liu, who is in charge of guarding it, sent a message back saying that the fluctuations in the seal were more intense than last month. Emperor Wen has dispatched three Nascent Soul cultivators to reinforce it."

"Alas, when will this ever end? Since Emperor Wu abdicated and Emperor Wen ascended the throne twenty years ago, his mind has been entirely focused on repairing the seal and reorganizing domestic affairs..."

"Isn't that right? Emperor Jianwen and Emperor Wu are both currently stationed at the core of the seal. Several senior figures who contributed to the founding of the dynasty, such as Ling Hengzi and Wu Yuezi, are also permanently stationed there. All of the strongest people in our Great Abyss are currently tied up there."

"What can we do? If the Soul Refining Sect's patriarch breaks the seal, the entire sealed land will be doomed..."

"Outside? You mean Tiannanxing? That's all legendary stuff. Only those who went out with the Ninth Prince back then know the truth..."

"Your Excellency...sigh, it's been so many years since we've heard from you..."

……

Chen Fan held his teacup and listened quietly.

Fragmented information gradually pieced together the changes that had taken place in the sealed land over the past seventy years.

After unifying the Great Abyss, Emperor Wu Xiao Wu passed the throne to Crown Prince Liu Ju after many years on the throne. He and other elders, including Emperor Jianwen Xiao Quan, focused on reinforcing the seal of the Soul Refining Sect's ancestor.

Social order has been rebuilt, and all mortals and cultivators must abide by the laws of the Great Abyss.

A very faint smile appeared at the corner of Chen Fan's mouth.

It is always comforting to know that old friends are well and that one's country is prosperous.

He put down a few low-grade spirit stones, got up, and left the restaurant.

After getting up and leaving, Chen Fan's divine sense quickly spotted an old friend.

With a flicker of his eye, he immediately stepped forward!

Soon, he located a small farmhouse in an area where neatly planned spiritual fields were mixed with residential houses.

The courtyard was clean and tidy, with several vegetable patches growing in the corner. A woman dressed in a simple cloth dress and with her hair in a bun was sitting by the well, vigorously washing clothes in a wooden basin.

Her face was no longer as delicate as when she was a young girl; fine lines appeared at the corners of her eyes, and her hands were slightly rough from working. However, the gentle and quiet temperament between her brows and eyes remained unchanged, and her cultivation level was steadily at the early stage of Foundation Establishment.

It is spring peach season.

Chen Fan did not appear immediately.

He stood in the shade of an old locust tree outside the courtyard and watched quietly for a moment. More than seventy years had passed since he last saw her. The innocent and carefree little palace maid who once adored and depended on him was now a middle-aged woman who could manage her life independently and had achieved considerable success.

Time passes silently, yet leaves clear traces.

Chen Fan removed his disguise, revealing his original pale face and beardless appearance. Dressed in a gray cloth robe, his aura remained as restrained as that of an ordinary person, though the calm demeanor that came with experience could not be completely concealed.

Then, he gently knocked on the courtyard gate.

"Coming!" Chun Tao responded, wiped her hands on her apron, and walked over to open the door.

When she saw who was standing outside the door, she froze instantly.

His eyes were wide open, his lips trembled slightly, and the wooden basin in his hand fell to the ground with a clatter.

"Little Chenzi..." Chun Tao's voice was as soft as a dream, filled with disbelief, and then her eyes quickly reddened, "Is...is it really you? You're back?"

Chen Fan looked at her, a peaceful smile on his face, and nodded:

"Yes, I'm back. Chun Tao, it's been a long time."

"Wow..." Chun Tao could no longer hold back, and tears welled up in her eyes.

She rushed forward, seemingly wanting to pounce on him as she had in the palace, but stopped at the last moment, clutching her clothes tightly, both crying and laughing:

"You're really back! Chun Tao... Chun Tao isn't dreaming, is she? So many years, without a single word, Chun Tao thought..."

"Did you think our family died out there?" Chen Fan replied, his tone slightly teasing, as he stepped into the courtyard and closed the door behind him. "Come in and talk, don't stand at the door crying."

Chun Tao then realized what was happening, hurriedly wiped away her tears with her sleeve, quickly picked up the wooden basin, and awkwardly ushered Chen Fan into the house.

The room was small and simply furnished, but it was kept spotless and bright.

She hurriedly made tea and took out some rough pastries she had made herself. Tears streamed down her face, yet she couldn't stop smiling.

"Sit down, please sit down! Chuntao's place is simple, please don't mind..." Chuntao stammered, her excitement overflowing.

Chen Fan sat down at the table, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and looked at her gently: "You've become distant from our family... Do you look down on us? Slow down, no rush. How have you been these past years?"

These words seemed to open a floodgate, and Chun Tao began to talk non-stop.

She immediately began to talk on and on, recounting how Da Yuan gradually unified the eight kingdoms after Chen Fan left, how Emperor Wu worked diligently to govern the country, and how he later passed the throne to Emperor Wen in order to focus on strengthening the seal.

She said that because she had been someone close to Chen Fan, she received some care and was not involved in the war.

Chun Tao also cultivated, but due to her ordinary talent, she stumbled and fell before breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage, which increased her lifespan considerably. However, knowing that she had no hope of achieving the Great Dao, she settled down to live an ordinary life.

"Senior Ling Hengzi and Senior Wu Yuezi would occasionally come to see me and bring me some pills and spirit stones. His Majesty Emperor Jianwen and His Majesty Emperor Wu also remembered me..." Chun Tao said, her eyes shining with a light that was a remembrance of the past years and the kindness of old friends.

"It's just... we haven't heard from Xiao Chenzi at all. They all say you went to that great world called Tiannanxing, it's so vast, and there are countless powerful immortals there... Chun Tao knew you would be alright, you would definitely come back!"

Chen Fan listened patiently, nodding occasionally.

Chun Tao's narration is simple, yet it realistically depicts the changes that have taken place in the sealed land over the past few decades, as well as the choices and perseverance of those old friends.

Emperor Wu, Emperor Jianwen, Ling Hengzi... they chose to protect this land and shoulder their responsibilities, even if the road ahead was difficult.

After Chun Tao had finished speaking and her emotions had calmed down a bit, Chen Fan slowly began to talk about the outside world.

"Tiannan Star is indeed very large, with four first-level cultivation kingdoms. Above them is the second-level cultivation kingdom Zhao, which has Void Refinement cultivators at its strongest. Further up, there is the third-level cultivation kingdom Da Qin, which controls the entire Tiannan Star..."

Chen Fan omitted the demonic cultivators of the boundless sea, the Gu cultivators of the desert grasslands, and those thrilling pursuits, lurking, and rises.

It only selected some general information about local customs and power dynamics, describing them in the most plain tone.

Even so, those worlds where Nascent Soul cultivators were as common as dogs, Deity Transformation cultivators were called Ancestors, and Void Refinement cultivators were revered, sounded like myths and legends to Chun Tao.

Her mouth dropped open, her eyes sparkling with amazement and longing, but they quickly dimmed, and she whispered:

"That...that must be a place for gods. Little Chen, you must have suffered a lot there, right? You're so amazing, are you the most powerful person there now?"