Breaking through the illusion of the mortal world

In the Immortal Abode of Tianque City, Lu Ming sat quietly in his room, practicing breathing exercises.

Suddenly, a familiar presence appeared outside the door. Just as Lu Ming sensed something, a knock sounded at the door.

Lu Ming suddenly opened his eyes, got up and opened the door.

A slight breeze stirred in the courtyard, where two familiar figures stood silently. On the left, Chu Tianyi remained composed and elegant in his blue robe. His gaze fell upon them with a smile of satisfaction.

On the right, Mo Yuan, dressed in black and holding a sword, still had a cold expression, but his eyes held a hint of gentleness.

"Senior Brother Chu! Senior Brother Mo!" Lu Ming's throat tightened slightly, his voice filled with excitement. He quickly stepped forward and reached out to grasp Chu Tianyi's arm.

More than thirty years of wandering and loneliness, and the hardships of escaping death, have all transformed into a warm current surging in my heart.

Chu Tianyi also gripped his hand tightly, patted his shoulder heavily with his other hand, and carefully examined him, from a naive boy to a tall and upright figure, his eyes filled with satisfaction:

"Good, good, good! You're finally back safe and sound! For over thirty years, we've worried about you every single day, and today we've finally found you and brought you home safely!"

Mo Yuan stepped forward, raised his hand and patted his shoulder, his usually cold voice unusually gentle: "It's good that you're back."

Their eyes met, and the separation of more than thirty years, separated by mountains and seas, was completely resolved in that one glance.

The warmth of a long-awaited reunion transcends all the barriers of time.

"Let's go! Today we must have a feast to welcome you back, and we won't leave until we're drunk!" Chu Tian laughed heartily, put his arm around Lu Ming's shoulder, and with Mo Yuan by his side, the three of them left Xianyuan Residence side by side and headed straight for Zuixianlou, the most famous restaurant in Tianque City.

From the private room on the top floor of Zuixianlou, one can see the magnificent panorama of Tianque City just by opening the window.

The delicacies on the table were all made from the finest ingredients, and their aromas filled the air.

Chu Tian poured Lu Ming a full cup of spirit wine. The wine was clear and cool, shimmering with a faint spiritual light. "Come, let's drink to that first, to welcome you!"

Lu Ming raised his glass and clinked it with his two senior brothers. The wine went down his throat, cool yet warm.

Lu Ming said with emotion, "Thank you for your concern over the years, my fellow students."

After a few rounds of drinks, Chu Tian asked earnestly, "Junior brother, what exactly have you been through all these years? We searched for you for a long time after you were swept into the spatial rift, but we couldn't find you anywhere."

Lu Ming put down his wine glass and slowly uttered the words he had already carefully chosen:

"When I was swept into the spatial rift that day, I thought I was going to die for sure. Fortunately, I had a piece of golden fragment with me. That fragment could resist the power of nothingness and the turbulent void. I survived only because of it."

"Later, by a twist of fate, it was forged into the foundation of my Dao, and after drifting in the void for a long time, it finally fell into the northern wilderness."

He briefly mentioned the Immortal Remnant Land without speaking of the Martial Ancestor's legacy, only mentioning the predicament and bitter battles in the Northern Territory.

"When I first arrived in the Northern Territory, I was penniless and had no choice but to hunt demon beasts to obtain their cores in exchange for spirit stones. Along the way, I encountered robbery by rogue cultivators and went through several life-or-death battles, but thankfully I escaped unharmed."

Upon hearing this, Chu Tian sighed with emotion: "It must have been difficult for you. To have wandered alone for over thirty years and yet have such an experience and cultivation level is truly remarkable."

Mo Yuan nodded and poured him another cup of wine. "Elder Lieyang mentioned that the fragment, but even he didn't know its origin, and he couldn't do anything about it."

"Your foundation is condensed in that fragment, so your potential must be extraordinary. In the future, your cultivation will surely progress by leaps and bounds."

Lu Ming smiled and raised his cup in return: "Senior brother, tell me quickly about the changes in Qingzhou and the situation in the sect. I've been thinking about this all the way here, hoping to know news from home and the sect."

The three then drank and talked freely, and Chu Tian recounted in detail the turbulent changes that had taken place in Qingzhou over the years:

The Dayan Dynasty unified Qingzhou and was promoted to a Celestial Dynasty. The Qi-Inducing Technique was popularized among the people, and Taoist disciples descended the mountain to assist in governance and recruit new disciples.

When talking about the dozens of new disciples that Tianyan Peak had taken in, Lu Ming couldn't help but smile, his eyes full of laughter: "In that case, I can be considered a senior brother now."

"Of course," Chu Tian said with a smile. "Before you returned, Master said that you must not have perished. The new disciples in the peak have been looking forward to paying their respects to you, their senior brother who escaped from the void turbulence."

As they were talking, the door to the private room slowly opened on its own, and a faint sword hum trembled, like a dragon's roar echoing across the four seas, before vanishing in an instant.

A figure in white gracefully entered, instantly attracting the attention of the three. The lights and spiritual light in the room seemed to become mere backdrops to his presence.

The newcomer wore a moon-white jade robe, with a long sword slung across his shoulder, gleaming with a faint, clear light.

He stood tall and straight like a pine tree, with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes. A half-smile played at the corners of his mouth, and his eyes sparkled with pride.

Most striking are those eyes, like the moon reflected in a cold pool, inspiring awe with every glance.

With a calm and unrestrained demeanor, he was none other than Li Jingyun, one of the two prodigies of the Dao Academy, the second senior brother of the Tongxuan Peak lineage, and also the second senior brother of the entire Dao Academy.

He leaned casually against the door, his gaze slowly sweeping over the three people before finally settling on Lu Ming. His smile deepened, and his voice was clear and resonant with a touch of magnanimity: "It seems I've arrived just in time for the welcome feast for Junior Brother Lu."

Chu Tianyi and Mo Yuan immediately stood up, their expressions respectful yet friendly, and cupped their hands, saying, "Senior Brother Li."

Lu Mingyi quickly stood up.

As expected of the two most outstanding figures in the Daoist academy, renowned throughout the land, their demeanor is truly unparalleled.

With his sword-like spirit and otherworldly demeanor, exuding confidence and vigor, even a man couldn't help but be impressed by his bearing. Lu Ming bowed respectfully and said, "Greetings, Senior Brother Li."

Li Jingyun strolled over without making a sound. He naturally sat down in the empty seat, picked up the wine pot on the table, and poured himself a cup of wine.

He glanced at the three of them and said loudly, "Junior Brother Chu must have already mentioned this to Junior Brother Lu. Besides looking for Junior Brother Lu, we have another important matter to discuss with you in Shenzhou."

He put down his wine glass and casually waved his hand, and an invisible barrier enveloped the private room, preventing outsiders from probing.

Li Jingyun's voice was not loud, but it carried immense weight: "The Nine Ancient Cauldrons are related to the fortune of the Nine Provinces, but most of them have disappeared without a trace. One of them, the Divine Continent Cauldron, is very likely hidden in the ruins of the Heavenly Pivot Holy Land."

"We will head to the ruins in three days. Now that Junior Brother Lu has returned, he can accompany us. What do you say?"

Lu Ming's heart surged with excitement, infected by Li Jingyun's heroic spirit, his eyes filled with eagerness: "I am willing to go with Senior Brother Li."

"Good!" Li Jingyun laughed loudly, "I observe that Junior Brother Lu's qi and blood are refined and his foundation in the Dao is profound. He will definitely be a great help on this journey."

"With the emergence of the Tian Shu Holy Land ruins this time, various forces have come together, including hidden sects and immortal sects from all continents, all eyeing it covetously."

"The Daoist Academy and the Great Yan Immortal Dynasty aspire to dominate the Nine Provinces; they absolutely cannot afford to lose out here!"

He raised his cup, his gaze fixed intently on Lu Ming: "This cup is for Junior Brother Lu, wishing you a safe return from the Void Chaos, and also wishing the Dao Academy to gain another valiant general!"

Lu Ming was filled with excitement. He raised his glass with Chu Tianyi and Mo Yuan, and the four glasses clinked together loudly.

As the wine went down his throat, Lu Ming felt a surge of heroic spirit. He felt his heart was filled with passion and he wished he could rush to the Heavenly Pivot Holy Land immediately to fight alongside his fellow disciples.

Li Jingyun put down his wine cup, poured wine for Lu Ming, and asked him about his bitter battle in the Northern Border and his insights into the Dao Foundation. His tone was friendly and without any airs of superiority.

Lu Ming answered each question, and Li Jingyun occasionally offered a few insightful comments, each word a gem, the essence of Taoist teachings and cultivation, which enlightened Lu Ming and made him even more respectful.

Chu Tianyi and Mo Yuan occasionally chimed in, discussing the recent situation of the Dao Academy, their experiences of going down the mountain to assist in governance, and their preparations for this trip to the Tian Shu Holy Land.

The four sat around a table, drinking and chatting freely. One glass of spirit wine after another, their words flowing smoothly, and the atmosphere in the private room grew increasingly lively.

Before we knew it, it was already late at night. Outside the window, the Milky Way shone brightly, the lights of Tianque City remained on, and laughter filled the private room.