Immortality: Starting with the Fruit of Taiyin

After packing his belongings, Wang Xuan left the alchemy room.

On the way down the mountain, he passed through a dense forest, the place where he had once eavesdropped on his two disciples' conversation.

Years have passed, and the weeds on the ground have withered and flourished several times.

To this day, Wang Xuan has never heard any related news elsewhere.

After all, Nascent Soul True Monarchs have long lifespans, and a single period of seclusion can last for decades, so no one dares to casually discuss their life or death.

Therefore, the news of the fall of "Earth Lotus True Lord" has not been confirmed to this day, and the Tianshan Sect has never reported any new Nascent Soul celestial phenomena. It is unknown what will happen next.

As for his opinion on this matter... Wang Xuan's attitude was that he had no opinion.

Because with his current perspective and knowledge, it is difficult for him to make a relatively accurate judgment on such a major event involving the rise and fall of a cultivation kingdom and surrounding forces.

Rather than making a misjudgment, it's better to wait and see... Of course, this is also a helpless move.

Ultimately, as a member of the lowest rung of the cultivation world, Wang Xuan's information was far too outdated.

Many important events often take a long time to become known, and this is because he is within a sect.

Even as an outer disciple, he was unaware of some truly crucial information.

This top-down, layered blockade has existed for a long time, and there are basically no solutions.

"The problem cannot be solved for the time being; the only solution is to cultivate good relationships with others in the future."

"Now... we can only rely on Miss 'Know-It-All'."

After pondering for a moment, Wang Xuan returned directly to his small courtyard.

However, to his surprise, as if on cue, Chen Yao appeared at the entrance of courtyard number 572, which seemed to have been waiting for a long time.

……

"You're back."

At the gate of the courtyard, Chen Yao seemed to hear footsteps behind her, but she did not turn around.

From behind, the girl's slender waist does not appear weak, but rather gives a sharp impression.

But today is different from usual; the sound of this 'sharp sword' carries a hint of unease.

"Yes, I just finished refining pills and was planning to come back and rest for a few days. After all, it's good to balance work and rest... Junior Sister, is there something you need to see me about?"

Surprised, Wang Xuan didn't stand on ceremony and asked directly.

I guess so.

With her back to Wang Xuan, Chen Yao's gaze was somewhat unfocused.

Memories of the future and the present self are mixed together, reason and emotion are intertwined.

In fact, Chen Yao didn't know why she had made this special trip today, or what answer she wanted to get.

Logically speaking, the necessary reminders have already been given. Everyone has their own destiny, and things cannot be forced... But this is a mindset that only the future her can have.

So they remained silent for a long time, until at one point the girl suddenly turned around and spoke:

"I'm preparing to leave...just recently."

"Would you like to come with me?"

"leave?"

Startled, Wang Xuan never expected to hear such an answer.

Are you preparing to leave... leave where? Leave the Nanhua Sect?

But putting aside the fact that a sect is not a charity, it is impossible for a disciple to enjoy all the benefits and then turn around and leave the sect.

Even if Chen Yao had a solution, why would she leave?

"Junior sister... is this because of the omen revealed in the previous 'divination'?"

Wang Xuan asked hesitantly, "This is the only possibility."

However, according to what the other party said at the time, the disaster did not seem to be that dangerous, so why are they suddenly preparing to leave now?

"It wasn't because of that, or rather, it was actually what helped me leave smoothly, not the reason for my decision."

Seemingly noticing Wang Xuan's confusion, the girl smoothed a strand of hair from her forehead and gently shook her head.

"Whether you believed it before or not, in less than three years, the Nanhua Sect's mountain gate will suffer a great calamity, with eight or nine out of ten Core Formation cultivators dying."

"Without the suppression of the top cultivators, coupled with the fear of the unknown killer, certain potential external influences, and changes in the upper echelons of the Chen Kingdom... such a large sect will disintegrate in a very short time."

"However, in contrast, the entity that caused all this did not actually come to destroy Nanhua."

"And this incident happened so suddenly that, apart from the high-level cultivators within the main sect, the disciples of other branches and lower academies will not face much danger..."

"From this point on, they will be transformed from high-ranking sect disciples into powerless rogue cultivators with inherited skills."

"From then on, the road ahead became difficult."

Speaking softly, Chen Yao knew she shouldn't have gone into so much detail.

But since she's about to leave, there's no need to worry about many things anymore.

Even if there are any unforeseen consequences later, she is confident that they will not trace it back to her.

Moreover, after spending several years together, even if she really lacked discernment and failed to see that Wang Xuan was actually a scheming and opportunistic person, Chen Yao didn't think that the other party would be foolish enough to go to the sect's higher-ups to "inform" on her as an outer disciple.

After all, there's a joke among independent cultivators that goes something like this: in the world of cultivation, there are actually only three realms.

The realms are: Ant Realm, Fellow Daoist Realm, Senior Realm, and at most, a Junior Fellow Realm with a senior behind him.

Although this joke is a bit too extreme, and even high-level cultivators wouldn't be that pathetic, it does have some truth to it in a certain sense.

This concerns the lives of all of you. If others don't believe it, fine, but if they do, the informer will be the first to be tortured.

Even if you claim to be loyal, why would you risk coming to warn the sect?

What if you're here to carry out a self-inflicted injury or a counter-espionage plot, but actually have ulterior motives?

A Core Formation cultivator can live for hundreds of years, and some even approach a thousand years. They would never entrust their lives and fortunes to the loyalty of a Qi Refining cultivator.

So Chen Yao's hesitation wasn't about this at all... but rather that she didn't know whether it was right for Wang Xuan or herself to leave or stay.

Going alone versus bringing someone else—even for her, the latter was a considerable risk.

"Wang Xuan... You don't need to worry about the sect's affairs, and there's no great danger to your life in the lower academy."

"But the main reason I'm leaving now is that this place can no longer meet my cultivation needs—and neither can you."

After shaking her head slightly, Chen Yao finally made her decision.

She should be given a choice, as a way of giving an account of her past self.

"You should know that in the cultivation world, the higher the level of resources, the more severe the degree of monopoly."

"Following the established path of cultivation will inevitably lead nowhere... So, Wang Xuan, will you leave with me?"

Taking a deep breath, Chen Yao asked seriously:

"Staying here as an ordinary sect disciple or a rogue cultivator, Foundation Establishment might be the upper limit for a mid-grade spiritual root."

"Two hundred years later, only regret remains."

"But choosing to leave... could also lead to failure along the way."

"On the road to immortality, there are many white bones. Since the Middle Ages, how many people have actually reached the shore?"

"Make a choice... In this matter, no one can make the choice for you."