First achieve immortality, then cultivate immortality.

After a night had passed, the Wang family did not arrange a place for anyone to rest. They only told Xu Mu and the other four to find an open space by the lake to rest, and after they rested, they would have to continue looking.

Even during the day, they still search for the Cold Ghost Fish, which doesn't venture out.

The men were angry but dared not speak out.

Xu Mu sat on the ground, half asleep and half awake, barely managing to stay awake.

Even if they are cultivators, they cannot completely stop sleeping, otherwise it will still affect their energy and spirit.

Only after establishing a foundation can one maintain a full spirit and abundant energy without sleeping.

After resting for about half an hour, the woman came again to chase them away, coldly urging them to catch the Cold Ghost Fish immediately, fearing that her Blue Amber Fish would be lost.

As for the condition of Xu Mu and others, that's not within the scope of this landlord's consideration.

Even the Wang family members were driven to catch fish by her, with only the loss of profit in their eyes.

Xu Mu had no choice but to take it seriously to avoid further mental torment.

He has the "Jade Purity Eyes," which is an advantage.

The first one seemed to have also mastered the art of observing qi with his eyes open. He chuckled at him and then diligently observed the underwater world.

It seems he really is looking for treasure.

Judging from his description, that thing must have been here for a long time, and no one else has discovered it yet? Only he knows?

After much deliberation, Xu Mu remained skeptical.

However, this did not prevent him from observing the spiritual energy and searching for any anomalies in the lake.

Then one night, the old man suddenly transmitted his voice: "I found it!"

Xu Mu looked over, but didn't react much.

Whether he found a fish or a treasure, there was no need for him to get excited.

"Old Xu, look at the water flow over there, the secret lies there." The old man pointed underwater.

Xu Mu looked over and activated the "Jade Purity Qi Observation Technique," but still couldn't discern any mystery.

He remained calm and silent, wanting only to see what this guy was up to.

The elder continued, "Look closely, that's an ancient formation, designed to appear as if it were naturally formed. Only when the moonlight shines down at the third quarter of the hour of Zi (11:45 AM), and you are at the same angle as the moonlight, can you see the clues within."

Xu Mu looked skeptical, but still followed his method and adjusted the angle to take a look.

"what?"

Upon closer inspection, I was surprised to find that I had indeed discovered something intriguing.

"How about that? I didn't lie to you, did I?" the old man said smugly.

Xu Mu became even more suspicious: "You clearly knew this beforehand. How did you get such detailed information?"

He now strongly suspects this is a scam targeting him, designed to lure him in.

But who is he? A salted fish who rolls his eyes at the sight of temptation.

When Master Chen Xuan directly presented him with demonic arts, he didn't even take the bait, let alone something so inexplicable.

The old man smiled and said, "To be honest, I have a gang behind me. Although the gang is not big, everyone in it shares the same ideals and is a person of great ability."

The secret realm of Blue Amber Lake dates back tens of thousands of years, and even the Azure Mist Sect here couldn't possibly know about it. The reason I know is because our group is full of hidden talents, including experts from the 'Central Region'.

"The Central Region?" Xu Mu was surprised.

That's the most prosperous and spiritually abundant region in the cultivation world; the Nascent Soul level sects are located there.

This pig butchering scam seems to be getting bigger and bigger, even involving the Central Region.

"Hey, that's not important. Anyway, I came to verify it, and I didn't expect it to actually exist. But whether it contains the ancient divine cauldron is hard to say... Let's find a chance to go in and take a look first."

"...Then you go in and take a look. I'll keep watch for you," Xu Mu said.

"That's exactly what I was thinking," the old man said with a smile.

These words surprised Xu Mu. Could it be a ploy to lure him in?

Old Xu smiled faintly and said, "Old Xu, I really think we share the same ideals and are trustworthy, which is why I want to cooperate with you. Otherwise, I can't open the secret realm by myself, let alone take the treasure under the Wang family's nose."

Xu Mu remained noncommittal.

This guy is weird; we've only known each other for a short time, but he acts like we're old friends.

He talks about having the same goals and ideals, but his ambition is to develop in a sneaky and opportunistic way, and his path is to survive by doing nothing.

"Old Xu, why do you cultivate immortality?" the old man suddenly asked.

Upon hearing this question, Xu Mu suddenly seemed a little dazed.

In the blink of an eye, it has been 39 years since I last heard this kind of question.

It's been 24 years since I last saw Mu Changfeng. I wonder if he's found a way to establish his foundation, and what price he's paid for his own freedom and unbridled life...

"It's nothing. I just started cultivating immortality because this world allows it," Xu Mu said calmly.

The old man burst out laughing, drawing the attention of those around him.

Ignoring everyone else, he transmitted his voice to Xu Mu, saying, "That's a truly unique and brilliant answer. If my friends heard it, they would definitely applaud it."

Xu Mu raised an eyebrow and said, "Don't you think I'm just giving you the runaround?"

"Perfunctory? Is that something a perfunctory person would say?"

This statement seems to take a stance of equality with the world. It's perfectly natural for this world to allow cultivation of immortality, and you, of course, have cultivated immortality—brilliant!

A person's talent for spiritual practice is innate, but their knowledge and actions are their own.

Your answer clearly shows that you're not pursuing immortality; it's merely a means to an end. Is that right?

Xu Mu paused for a moment, then asked, "Who are you, sir, with your quick wit?"

The old man smiled and said, "It's easy. I am Lu Yiming, the 'Yiming' who makes a name for himself. I am a rogue cultivator, without any sect or faction."

After a moment's thought, Xu Mu replied, "My name is Xu You."

It wasn't that he wanted to deceive the other person, but rather that he didn't want to associate himself with his previous identity, as it would easily reveal his age.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. It's a pity that the current conditions don't allow it, so we can only talk in secret like this. Otherwise, we would have to find a place to have a good drink to do justice to our mutual appreciation," Lu Yiming said with a smile.

Xu Mu hummed in agreement, but he couldn't be as enthusiastic as the other man.

This guy was indeed very outgoing and skilled, and after getting to know each other, they started discussing how to open the secret realm.

Xu Mu was afraid of being tricked by him, but he seemed unafraid of being tricked by himself.

This unfounded trust made Xu Mu feel strange; it was completely different from the atmosphere of the cultivation world.

However, if someone is truly trustworthy, he wouldn't mind becoming friends with them.

……

Night was falling.

Lu Yiming used the excuse of searching for the Cold Nether Fish to enter the water. Judging from his agile movements, he should be quite skilled in water magic.

Xu Mu stood on the water to provide cover for him.

When Lu Yiming took his place, he used his magic to drain the lake water around Lu Yiming, allowing him to break the formation without being disturbed by the lake water.

Others also went into the water, searching for the cold-blooded fish, and did not notice anything unusual about this place.

A moment later, Lu Yiming somehow created a small whirlpool underwater, which sucked in two fish.

After gesturing to Xu Mu, he disappeared into the vortex.

The vortex gradually subsided and disappeared.

Xu Mu examined it carefully, but with his limited knowledge of Qimen formations, he couldn't comprehend the mystery of this formation at all.

Perhaps, as Lu Yiming said, this is an ancient formation, designed to appear as if it were created by nature.

Lu Yiming is only at the Qi Refining stage, so he probably couldn't possibly understand this formation; he only knows how to open the door.

As for how he gets out of there, Xu Mu doesn't need to worry about it.

Anyway, he himself doesn't take any risks. If Lu Yiming really gets some treasure inside and doesn't share it with him, he doesn't care.

His next task was to cover for Lu Yiming and prevent others from suspecting anything before Lu Yiming returned.

Suddenly, his expression changed as he saw a fish swimming towards the spot where the whirlpool had just been.

This is the Cold Ghost Fish, with a round head and flat mouth, and a long barbel on its head. Like the Blue Amber Fish, it is as blue and clear as a gemstone, and it can disguise itself among the Blue Amber Fish to eat fish.