The Path to Immortality: Starting with an Analysis of Basic Concepts

The underground cave is three hundred feet high, and its length and width are unknown.

If you look down from above, it's not hard to see.

At the center of the cave are four stone towers, ten miles apart, each corresponding to a spacious area, while the center is shrouded in mist and cannot be clearly seen.

The preaching tower corresponds to the area for newly initiated disciples.

The stone tower not far away is the administrative hall, and the area corresponding to it is the disciple market area that Zhu Yu had previously visited.

Zhu Yu stepped onto the starry corridor once again, but unlike before when he was amazed by the scenery, this time his mind was on the strange spiritual energy contained in the starry corridor.

There were not many of them, and they were a pale silver color like moonlight. Compared to the five elements of spiritual energy, they were several times larger. In my perception, they seemed to be spirits wandering in the world, neither close nor distant.

The moment their consciousness made contact, all the distracting thoughts in their minds vanished, leaving only tranquility.

After quietly sensing it for a long time, Zhu Yu opened his eyes and murmured, "Such peculiar spiritual energy, what kind of attribute is this spiritual energy..."

I searched my memory but found no information about such a strange and spiritual aura.

Just then, a voice came from the side.

"Judging from your appearance, you must be a newly recruited Qi Refining disciple?"

Zhu Yu snapped out of his daze and looked in the direction of the sound. Not far away, a handsome young man dressed in a moon-white robe slowly walked towards him. After a moment of doubt, he cupped his hands in greeting and said:

"My name is Zhu Yu. I greet this senior brother."

The young man approached him, stopped with his hands behind his back, and said with a smile, "My name is Mu Ruo. Junior Brother Zhu, are you marveling at the divine radiance gathered by this Starry Sky Wood?"

"Greetings, Pastor."

Zhu Yu bowed again, then looked puzzled. "Shenhua?" It was the first time he had ever heard this term.

Seeing his polite manners, Mu Ruo was even more satisfied and more willing to talk. She smiled and said, "Shenhua, in a way, can be considered a spiritual energy differentiated from Yin and Yang attributes, but it is different from ordinary Yin and Yang spiritual energy. It is slowly formed from the life force dissipated by a second-tier moon spirit."

"Hmm? A moon elf?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yu was immediately taken aback.

Mu Ruo looked up at the treetop, where starlight reflected on his jade-like face, adding a touch of mystery and ethereal beauty.

This senior seems a bit pretentious...

Coming to his senses, Zhu Yu looked at Mu Ruo, who seemed detached from the world, with a strange expression.

His calm voice came from the side.

"The divine light can sweep away people's worries, but one must not be in contact with it for too long, otherwise, if one perceives it for too long, one's thoughts will become as pure and without thought as this divine light."

To put it simply, it means you'll become an idiot!

Zhu Yu immediately understood and bowed, saying, "Thank you for your guidance, Pastor Brother."

Mu Ruo lowered his head slightly, nodded with a look of approval, tossed him a jade token, and then said casually, "Since you seem somewhat pleasing to the eye, you can take my mark to Manager Liu in the Affairs Hall. He will arrange a quiet job for you."

After saying that, he turned around, took a step, and disappeared like a dream or a bubble.

"A quiet job?"

Zhu Yu looked down at the jade pendant in his hand, his eyes unreadable.

Was it a connection at first sight? Or a coincidence?

Zhu Yu didn't believe it. He wasn't born with exceptional talent, nor did he have a aptitude as high as the sixth grade. How could someone possibly give him benefits for no reason?

As you can see, even though Liang Kuan profited from Xiang Sui, it was only after spending some time with him that he gradually began to invest in him and show him goodwill.

Think about it.

Zhu Yu felt that the only thing that could be spied on by others was her teaching. She thought back to how Xiang Sui had been talking about how great the large classes were, but hadn't mentioned it again in the past few days.

Is it related to this pastor...?

Zhu Yu suppressed his thoughts; now was not the time to think about this. He looked around and slowly walked towards the end of the starry corridor.

Not long after he left.

The air distorted and shifted, and Mu Ruo, who had just disappeared, reappeared. Looking at the figure that had turned into a black dot in the distance, a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

"Such a talent deserves to join our organization..."

He then looked up at the twinkling stars, his clear black and white eyes gleaming with a pure, moon-like silvery white. His figure gradually disappeared, leaving only a slightly ethereal murmur that faded away with the wind.

"The starry sky tree is still growing rather slowly..."

Whether in response to the voice or disturbed by the gentle breeze, the ancient trees, shimmering with starlight, swayed slightly, rustling softly...

Not long.

A stone building with the words "Hall of Affairs" inscribed on it came into Zhu Yu's view. He looked at the people coming and going, brushed off his black robe, and stepped inside.

Unlike the lecture hall, which has only one person on duty, the administration hall has multiple windows, where you can see people with different appearances sitting behind them, talking to others with formal smiles.

Walking among them.

Zhu Yu clearly sensed the unintentional auras emanating from various cultivators, some scorching and poisonous, some icy and bone-chilling, and some sharp and bloody, as they invaded him. At the same time, he himself was also emanating a stale and cold aura that was different from the gentle wood element and the heavy earth element.

We walked to a counter.

Zhu Yu bowed to the young man behind the counter and said politely, "Greetings, senior brother. I am a newly promoted disciple who has broken through to the Qi Refining stage and am here to register to join the sect."

The disciple on duty in the administration hall remained expressionless and calmly said, "Name."

"Wishing you well."

The disciple on duty continued, "Which manager did you follow into the Netherworld Cave?"

Zhu Yu thought for a moment and replied, "Hengxi, Manager Heng."

"Um."

The disciple on duty responded softly, then busied himself for a moment, taking out a warm yellow jade token and placing it on the counter, saying, "Drip a drop of your essence blood into it, and from this day forward you will be an initiation disciple of the Yinming Cave."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yu channeled his spiritual power to cut his fingertip. As a drop of crimson blood seeped into the jade pendant, a feeling of connection to his flesh and blood welled up in his heart. Looking at the jade pendant, his eyes widened in surprise.

"A magical artifact or something else?"

The disciple on duty waved his hand and said, "Keep your identity jade token safe, then go to the second floor to find Steward Heng."

Without Zhu Yu needing to inquire about the location, after he had put away his identity jade token, a servant dressed in a gray robe came over and respectfully said, "Please follow me, sir."

Zhu Yu looked him up and down. Compared to the guards in the new disciples' area, the guard in front of him had more and more complex patterns on his exposed skin. He could vaguely sense that his seemingly slender body contained a live volcano.

He nodded slightly and smiled, "Thank you for your help."

"Sir, you're too kind. Please follow me."

The servant bowed again and then stepped forward to lead the way.

soon.

Zhu Yu followed the servant into a room with a plaque bearing the character "衡" (heng).

An old man dressed in a black Taoist robe, with a sinister face, was writing something furiously at a table.

Zhu Yu and the servants dared not disturb them and stood with their hands clasped in respect.

After a short while, a cold, harsh voice came through.

Get up.

The servant knelt down and said, "This servant greets the steward."

Zhu Yu respectfully cupped his hands and said, "New disciple Zhu Yu greets the steward."

Steward Heng dismissed the servants, his eyes, gleaming with a hint of blue, scrutinized Zhu Yu. He clasped his hands in front of his abdomen and said calmly, "Do you have any recommendations?"