On the path to immortality, I can see destiny.

"Yes, Master."

Su Ziyan spoke in a muffled voice, only managing to squeeze out a few words after a long pause.

Just then, Zhao Fan walked into the store.

The old man with the bushy beard swept his sharp gaze over, his brows furrowing.

Su Ziyan also subconsciously looked up, and when he saw that it was Zhao Fan, he was obviously stunned. Then, the color drained from his face, and a deep sense of embarrassment flashed in his eyes.

He moved his lips, glanced at the old man, but didn't dare to make a sound.

"Fellow Daoist, what brings you here?"

The bearded old man suppressed his anger, his tone softened considerably, and he spoke gently, asking Zhao Fan for his opinion.

Su Ziyan hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward, bowed to his master, and spoke.

"Master, this is Fellow Daoist Zhao Fan. He and I are from the Su family of Fuling Mountain. He is... he is my nephew's good friend in the clan."

Upon hearing this, the bearded old man glanced at Zhao Fan's face again, a hint of disdain appearing in his expression, but it quickly disappeared, replaced by a gentle elder's demeanor.

"Oh, so you're Ziyan's friend."

"My surname is Lei. I am the chief instructor of the Hundred Refinements Pavilion and the master of this unworthy disciple. I apologize for disciplining him earlier."

Zhao Fan bowed with his hands clasped in greeting.

"Master Lei, I did not come here to refine weapons. I just happened to be traveling with Fellow Daoist Ziyan and stopped by to see him. I apologize for disturbing you, Master Lei."

"I see."

Master Lei nodded, glanced at Su Ziyan who was standing to the side with her hands down, her face still not looking too good, and nodded slightly.

"Since they're looking for you, then greet your friend first. Don't neglect them."

Having said that, he ignored the two of them, turned and walked into the inner room, his heavy footsteps gradually fading into the distance.

Su Ziyan finally breathed a sigh of relief, her tense shoulders slumped, but her face showed no relief, instead filled with bitterness.

He looked at Zhao Fan, forced a smile, and said in a low voice.

"Brother Zhao, how did you end up here? I'm sorry you had to see that funny earlier."

He led Zhao Fan to a relatively quiet corner on one side of the shop, where two rough wooden stools were placed for customers to rest.

"On the way."

Zhao Fan sat down and gave a brief response. He noticed Su Ziyan's embarrassment and did not ask any further questions about weapon forging.

Su Ziyan didn't sit down, but leaned against the cold wall, head down, and remained silent for a long time.

Seeing that Su Ziyan was not interested, Zhao Fan was about to take his leave when Su Ziyan suddenly spoke up.

"Brother Zhao."

Su Ziyan's voice carried a long-suppressed sense of frustration.

"Do you think people are born with different social classes, high and low? Some people are born on a cloud, with resources and opportunities readily available, while others, like me, seem to be stuck in the mud no matter how hard they try, and even a glance at the sky is an eyesore."

Zhao Fan glanced at him, but didn't reply; he just listened quietly.

"In the Su family, I am a member of a collateral branch. My parents are ordinary people and can't help me at all. My spiritual root aptitude is average, and I already find it difficult to cultivate to the fourth level of Qi Refining."

"The clan's resources are scarce. The best resources are reserved for the disciples with good talent and the elders. I am just an ordinary clansman with some talent in weapon crafting, but I can't be considered outstanding."

Su Ziyan's voice lowered, tinged with self-mockery.

"My third uncle valued my talent and used some connections to send me to this Immortal Destiny City to learn from Master Lei."

"I thought it was an opportunity to learn real skills and maybe get a good job in the family in the future, so that I could at least make my life a little easier."

He paused, his fist clenching unconsciously, then quickly relaxed.

"But when I arrived, I realized that in Master Lei's eyes, in this vast Immortal City, I, Su Ziyan, am nothing more than one of countless poor boys who want to make a living with their skills."

"You pay the tuition, do the hardest chores, and endure the harshest scolding, but all you learn are scraps. The precious weapon-refining techniques and the core Xuanwen inscription are things that only direct disciples can even dream of touching."

He looked up, his eyes slightly red, whether from being scolded earlier or from being emotionally agitated.

"You saw it today too, but I accidentally ruined a piece of floating silver, costing twelve spirit stones! In his eyes, my hard work for a month might not even be worth twelve spirit stones! Deducted allowance, punishment of copying books..."

He gave a bitter laugh, slumped onto the stool, and seemed to have lost all his strength.

"Sometimes I really wonder, what am I working so hard for? I'm an outsider in the clan, a punching bag here, a menial servant. It seems like I'm destined to live a mediocre life, neither here nor there."

Zhao Fan remained silent for a moment, unsure how to comfort him, and could only tell the truth.

"The path of cultivation is inherently difficult. You have spiritual roots, family support, and the opportunity to learn skills, which already puts you much better off than many rogue cultivators struggling to survive."

"Yes, better than rogue cultivators..."

Su Ziyan murmured repeatedly, but a hint of resentment and longing flashed in her eyes.

"But I'm not reconciled, Brother Zhao! I also want to be like my third uncle, able to govern a region and be respected by my clan. I also want to be like those true weapon-forging masters, creating magical treasures with a wave of my hand and being admired by thousands! Instead of being like this now, where anyone can step on me and anyone can ignore me!"

His voice grew softer as he spoke, yet it revealed a suppressed fierceness.

"I often dream that I have received a great opportunity, my cultivation has advanced by leaps and bounds, and my weapon-refining skills are unparalleled among my peers."

"When I returned to the Su family, everyone looked at me with new respect. Those who used to look down on me all came to curry favor with me. Then I led the Su family to become an even more powerful family, no longer having to listen to anyone else."

At this point, he seemed to realize that he had said too much and had lost his composure.

He glanced at Zhao Fan, and seeing that the other party's expression was calm, without any sarcasm or surprise, he breathed a slight sigh of relief and shook his head self-deprecatingly.

"I'm sorry to have made you laugh, Brother Zhao. It's just some nonsense. You can just listen to it without worry."

"It's alright."

Zhao Fan stood up.

"I have to go now. Take care."

Su Ziyan quickly stood up as well.

"Brother Zhao, are you already heading back to Fuling Mountain? Why not stay a couple more days? If I have time, I can invite you to try the famous Zuixianju restaurant here."

"No need, I still have alchemy tasks to complete. I'll treat Fellow Daoist Ziyan to a meal another day when I have the chance."

Zhao Fan gently shook his head, declining Su Ziyan's offer.

"In that case, I wish you a safe journey, fellow Daoist. Once I return to the Su family, we can drink and chat again."

Zhao Fan nodded, said no more, and turned to walk out of the Hundred Refinements Pavilion.

He discerned the direction and walked straight towards the city gate.

They returned the temporary wooden sign at the city gate and successfully left the city.

Zhao Fan did not linger outside the city. He found a secluded spot, took out the Green Leaf Boat, and infused it with spiritual power according to the method described in the jade slip.

The pale blue boat instantly swelled to about eight feet long, hovering about a foot off the ground.

He leaped onto the boat, and with a slight thought, the flying boat trembled gently, transforming into a pale blue streak of light that skimmed along the treetops of the mountains and sped toward Mount Fuling.

As Zhao Fan piloted the flying boat for the first time, he couldn't help but feel a sense of novelty and exhilaration.

The speed of this Green Leaf Boat was indeed much faster than his own wind-riding, and it was easy to control. It used spirit stones instead of spiritual power, and one spirit stone could travel hundreds of miles.

As he familiarized himself with the controls, he also reflected on what he had gained that day, especially the set of restriction memory stones, and his heart was filled with anticipation.

After flying for about half an hour, it was completely dark, with only the faint light of the stars and moon and the blurry outlines of the mountains and forests below.

Zhao Fan was focused on the path ahead and controlling the flying boat, and did not pay much attention to the several people following behind him on their flying boats.

It wasn't until another hour had passed that Zhao Fan realized something was wrong. Although these people were sometimes fast and sometimes slow, they were always following him at a distance.

Could they be following me?

This thought suddenly arose in Zhao Fan's mind.

Zhao Fan instantly became alert, a thin layer of sweat breaking out on his back.