The ancient return was exposed by his sister's live stream.

Those fans online who say "May you never die" all the time, it turns out they mean it literally when they're talking about my brother. As long as the Heavenly Dao doesn't perish, a being who has reached the state of Refining Emptiness and Merging with the Dao will not perish.

Yang Wanqing also realized this, and clasped his hands together in a prayer to the heavens. "Master, what's that saying online again? 'May you never die.' It's actually true for you! You're immortal!"

Chen Hao shook his head.

The movements were subtle, yet precise.

No one can live forever.

Yang Wanqing was stunned. "Huh? But it's mentioned in the documents about Chang'e..."

"Whether it's refining emptiness and merging with the Dao, or the true body of a Dao Venerable, it is indeed possible to be reborn through the Dao." Chen Hao slowly traced a circle on the rim of the cup with his finger.

"But if enough time passes, the combined Dao will also dissipate. Heaven and earth have a lifespan. The heaven and earth that bear the Dao will eventually decay, and the Dao will perish with it. Humans will also perish with it."

Chen Siyao's back stiffened slightly.

"This process," Chen Hao said, "is known as the five signs of decay in the celestial beings."

The five signs of decay in humans and celestial beings.

Upon hearing these four words, Chen Siyao and Yang Wanqing were both stunned.

The concept of the "Five Signs of Decay" has been circulating on Earth for thousands of years. It is mentioned in Buddhist scriptures, Taoist texts, and folk legends.

When a celestial being's lifespan is about to end, five signs of decay will appear, and then they will perish.

So this saying has a source.

And the source is right here.

"The 'Celestial Being' in the Five Signs of Decay of Celestials..." Chen Siyao's voice was somewhat dry, "...does it refer to beings at the Refining Void and Merging with the Dao level?"

"Yes," Chen Hao replied with a single word.

They are not beings from the heavens described in Buddhist scriptures. They are not some fictional concept.

It is true that those who stand at the pinnacle of cultivation and have merged with the Heavenly Dao will also face their end at the end of the river of time.

Yang Wanqing sat on the balcony railing, her legs dangling in the air. She didn't speak, remaining unusually quiet for a while.

"Then..." she swung her leg, "is there a higher realm than Refining Emptiness and Merging with the Dao?"

Chen Hao finished the last half cup of tea and put the cup down.

"Of course there is; the path of cultivation is endless."

"What is it?"

"It's no use you knowing now." Chen Hao stood up, picked up the teapot, and walked into the house. "Let's finish the road ahead first."

One sentence shut Yang Wanqing up, leaving her unable to ask any further questions. She opened her mouth, then closed it again, turning to look at Chen Siyao, who shook her head at her.

Don't ask. They won't tell you anyway.

Yang Wanqing snorted and jumped down from the railing. "Fine, fine."

She followed Chen Hao into the house, and after a couple of steps, she turned back and whispered to Chen Siyao, "Yaoyao, what realm do you think Master is at now? Is he at the Refining Void and Merging with the Dao stage? Or something even higher?"

Chen Siyao watched Chen Hao walk into the house.

Two hundred years. From zero to the Dao Refinement Realm. Such speed is so fast that there isn't even a comparable example in Chang'e's written records.

How long did it take Ziwei Tianzun to reach the realm of Tianzun? Chang'e didn't write it. But what is certain is that it was definitely more than two hundred years.

"I don't know," Chen Siyao said.

She wasn't sure if her brother was still climbing the ranks.

It's also uncertain how far "above" it is.

There's already a lot of information tonight. Chen Siyao returned to the inner room, tidied up the documents scattered on the table, and stacked them in order before putting them into her Qiankun bag.

Yang Wanqing helped tidy up halfway, yawned, climbed onto the stone bed, wrapped himself in a blanket, and fell silent within three minutes.

Chen Siyao sat by the window, not falling asleep immediately.

She was sorting through the information she had received that evening.

Qi Refining System: Qi Refining → Foundation Building → Golden Core → Nascent Soul Refining → Spirit Transformation → Body Integration → Mahayana → Nine Realms of Dao Tribulation → Refining Emptiness and Uniting with the Dao.

Body Refinement System: Body Tempering Realm → Meridian Opening Realm → Golden Body Realm → Divine Treasure Realm → Dharma Body of Heaven and Earth → Chaotic Battle Body → Undying Battle Body → Nirvana Stage → Dao Venerable True Body.

Both paths lead to the same destination at the highest point. Both can lead to a state of oneness with the Tao, and immortality.

But ultimately, the five signs of decay and decline of the divine occurred.

No one can escape it.

Even her brother couldn't escape it.

This realization gave Chen Siyao a feeling she couldn't quite describe. It wasn't fear. It was a sense of urgency.

She shook her head, suppressing these emotions. There was no need to think that far ahead. Her brother was right; they should just focus on finishing the journey ahead.

The moonlight outside the window silently spilled onto the stone brick floor.

Chen Siyao closed her eyes and began to circulate her Qi.

the next day.

Yang Wanqing was woken up by Chen Siyao.

"Get up. We're changing locations today."

Yang Wanqing sat up groggily, rubbing her eyes. "Where should I change to?"

"That area next to the Ziwei Star Palace." Chen Siyao had already packed everything, her Qiankun bag hanging from her waist, and she stood at the door waiting for her. "You've seen it; it's even bigger than the Ziwei Star Palace."

Yang Wanqing rolled off the stone bed, finished washing up in three minutes, and followed.

The three walked northwest along the approach bridge. After walking for about ten minutes, another long, separate bridge appeared at the fork in the road, almost twice as wide as the one leading to the Ziwei Star Palace.

The bridge surface is not paved with white stone, but with a dark gold material. When you walk on it, you can feel a slight buzzing under your feet, as if the bridge itself still retains the lingering charm of some kind of formation.

Yang Wanqing stomped her feet twice. "This bridge makes a sound?"

"A remnant of a magic array," Chen Siyao said. "It might have been a teleportation bridge before. Stepping onto it would take you directly to the other side."

"Not now?"

"We're running out of spiritual energy. Let's go."

At the end of the long bridge stood the main gate of a palace complex. It was more than twice the size of the Ziwei Star Palace. The gate tower was three stories high, with upturned eaves and golden tiles.

Three characters are written on the plaque in the center.

Chen Siyao looked up.

"Golden Palace".

The photo crystal is already activated. The live stream hasn't stopped since I left home.

The comments section erupted again when the words "Golden Palace" appeared.

However, the reaction was not as strong as that of the Ziwei Star Palace incident, since the name "Jinque" is not as well-known as "Ziwei" in the legends of Blue Star.

"Golden Palace? Palace of the Jade Emperor?"

"No way, the Jade Emperor's palace should be called the Lingxiao Palace."

"We'll see. Didn't the Heavenly Venerable Ziwei also surprise us yesterday?"

Chen Siyao pushed open the door.

The layout of the Golden Palace is completely different from that of the Purple Star Palace as soon as you enter.

The Ziwei Star Palace is laid out like a mansion, with a front courtyard, middle courtyard, and back courtyard, primarily for living. The Jinque Palace is not.

The Golden Palace is more like a combination of a military camp and a Taoist temple.

Entering through the main gate, you find yourself in a very spacious plaza. The ground of the plaza is covered with dense markings.

It's not a decorative pattern, it's a sword mark.

The scratches were scattered haphazardly, varying in depth and width; some were three inches deep into the stone slab, while others were just shallow white marks.

The entire square is an open-air sword-fighting arena.

Yang Wanqing squatted down and touched a deep, visible sword mark. "Was this done with a sword? It even cleaved through the stone slab."

"An ancient cultivator's sword." Chen Siyao glanced around the plaza; there were long corridors on both sides, with rows of wooden nameplates hanging beneath them. She walked over to take a look.