The Long Journey to Immortality

The seven sects that make up the Seven Mountains Alliance are the four larger sects: Danyang Temple, Wanli Sect, Qingyan Sect, and Lingxiao Sect, as well as the three smaller sects: Duanmen, Danxiang Sect, and Ranshan.

Larger sects typically have four to five Golden Core cultivators, while smaller sects usually have only two or even just one Golden Core cultivator.

Feng Yufei, for example, comes from the Danxiang Sect and is one of only two Golden Core cultivators in the sect.

As for how Feng Yufei, born into the Phoenix Clan, joined the Danxiang Sect and became one of its elders, Han Lu had no idea and no way of knowing.

However, it is certain that, relying on her identity as a True Spirit, her realm equivalent to that of a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator, and her strength surpassing that of the vast majority of mid-stage Golden Core cultivators, Feng Yufei is considered a major figure in both the Danxiang Sect and the entire Seven Mountains Alliance.

No wonder, even though Master Yunmin didn't know which kind of phoenix spirit Feng Yufei was, she still suggested that Han Lu take the initiative to visit Feng Yufei and get closer to her.

After all, there's a saying that goes, "When you're away from home, you rely on your friends."

Clearly, Yunmin Zhenren also hopes that Han Lu will do well and that she can get closer to a "big shot" like Feng Yufei.

Following the rules of the Seven Mountains Alliance, Han Lu rode her flying sword and landed outside the Seven Mountains Alliance's mountain gate.

Relying on her background as a cultivator of the Zhengyi Sect, Han Lu simply stated her identity and purpose. The Seven Mountains Alliance disciple in charge of guarding the mountain gate not only let Han Lu in directly, but also took the initiative to point out the way for her, explaining which mountain the Danxiang Sect was located on.

In less than a quarter of an hour, Han Lu used her lightness technique to travel swiftly and found the Danxiang Sect, which was located in the midst of towering mountains and had only established its sect fifty years ago, expanding its territory to the third mountain peak.

As the name suggests, the Danxiang Sect must have many cultivators skilled in refining elixirs.

In fact, although the Danxiang Sect has a small number of members, it is indeed the largest supplier of elixirs in the Central Plains region, apart from the Zhengyi Sect.

However, a cultivator's lifespan is limited. If they spend too much time refining pills and making money, they will naturally become weary of cultivation.

It's no wonder that the Danxiang Sect would try every means to exchange various benefits to find Feng Yufei to join the sect, so that the number of Golden Core cultivators in the sect would not be reduced to only the sect leader.

Because Feng Yufei had given prior instructions, Han Lu encountered no difficulties and successfully met Feng Yufei at the Danxiang Sect.

Compared to a few years ago, Feng Yufei hasn't changed much.

The only difference was that her originally long hair had become short, and it looked like it had been ironed.

Her bangs, hanging down to the side, were perfectly aligned, completely covering her left eye.

This attire added an air of mystery to Feng Yufei, a master comparable to a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator.

To be honest, this was the first time Han Lu had ever met a cultivator, especially a Golden Core cultivator, who paid so much attention to appearance, dress, and attire as Feng Yufei.

Han Lu took the initiative to visit, and Feng Yufei naturally gave her a warm welcome.

Not only did she prepare hot tea and snacks, and ask Han Lu to call her "Sister Yufei", she even prepared a small gift.

Such enthusiasm was somewhat overwhelming and unexpected for Han Lu.

She still remembered Feng Yufei's general attitude towards her before she sparred with Feng Yufei's sister.

More than a decade has passed, and she can hardly reconcile the kind and friendly Feng Yufei in front of her with the cold and aloof Feng Yufei of that time.

However, the gift was just a hair clip that matched Han Lu's wine-red hair. It was an ordinary, commonplace accessory, so Han Lu didn't stand on ceremony and accepted it without being aloof. She immediately untied her hair tie and put it in her hair.

Seeing that Han Lu accepted the gift, Feng Yufei was very happy. She even took the initiative to help Han Lu fix her long hair and suggested many styling tips.

After being fussed over by Feng Yufei, who was an expert in "beauty and hairdressing," Han Lu in the bronze mirror did indeed look more elegant and beautiful than before.

The series of events that unfolded after she entered the house left Han Lu bewildered; she had no idea what Feng Yufei was up to.

"They must need something from me."

Han Lu wasn't stupid, but she wasn't smart enough to guess where Feng Yufei, a true spirit whose cultivation surpassed hers, needed her help.

After helping Han Lu with her makeup and dressing, Han Lu asked Feng Yufei about the Phoenix Clan's situation in recent years, while Feng Yufei, as an elder, inquired about Han Lu's cultivation progress in the Zhengyi Sect.

Everything was normal, which made Han Lu even more confused.

Finally, Han Lu could only jokingly probe, "Sister Yufei, I'm not used to your sudden enthusiasm. We're all from the same clan, so just say what's on your mind."

Feng Yufei pouted, looking nothing like a Golden Core cultivator.

"What, you won't let me, as your elder, treat you well?"

"No, no." This time it was Han Lu's turn to be speechless.

Fortunately, Feng Yufei eventually confessed to Han Lu.

"Sister Han, I just thought you were pretty, had a good personality, and were a good person, so I wanted to get closer to you. Could it be that you've already made up your mind about the Zhengyi Sect and don't want to give it a try with me?"

After hearing the second half of the sentence, Han Lu finally understood that Feng Yufei didn't have any special purpose; she was simply lusting after her body.

Chapter 605 "Keeping Oneself Pure as Jade"

With her outstanding appearance, exceptional talent, excellent character, kind nature, and considerable fame within the sect, Feng Bailu has never lacked suitors who lust after becoming Han Lu.

But this was the first time Han Lu had ever met a same-sex suitor like Feng Yufei, whom she had only known for a short time before falling in love at first sight.

If we also consider Feng Yufei's identity as a true spirit of the Phoenix Clan and her cultivation level, which is comparable to that of a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator.

The current situation can only be described as a massive event.

Although Han Lu didn't care about the gender or identity of her future spouse, she didn't even care whether her future spouse actually existed.

But when faced with such a situation for the first time, Han Lu's first reaction was not to give a direct response or answer Feng Yufei's questions about whether she could accept Feng Yufei's love.

Her first reaction was to avoid it, which made Feng Yufei give up any thoughts about her.

So how should one avoid it?

While learning storytelling skills, Han Lu read many love stories.

She knew very well that at this point, she needed to settle the matter cleanly and decisively, rather than giving a vague or ambiguous answer.

Doing that would only complicate a simple matter.

So how should one firmly refuse and make Feng Yufei give up the idea of ​​being "intimate" with Han Lu?

Faced with a formidable opponent like Feng Yufei, Han Lu wasn't entirely confident she could directly reject her with a simple "I don't like you."

She had no idea about Feng Yufei's personality, or whether her blunt rejection would make her think, "If I can't conquer the soul, I'll conquer the body."

Therefore, finding a reasonable and well-founded excuse would be a good idea.

In a moment of quick thinking, Han Lu figured out the whole story in just a few breaths and used her imagination to instantly find a non-existent lover for herself in the Zhengyi Sect.

She planned to use the excuse of "having someone else in her heart" as her answer to Feng Yufei's question, hoping that Feng Yufei would have enough respect for love and not do anything that would force someone to do something against their will or steal their love.

Realizing this was the best approach, Han Lu no longer hesitated. Meeting Feng Yufei's gaze, she asked in surprise, "Sister Yufei likes me? Or is it a romantic kind of liking? I'm a little surprised."

“There’s nothing surprising about it…” Feng Yufei explained why she liked Han Lu.

She went on and on about all the good qualities that Feng Yufei saw in Han Lu, but the actual content wasn't complicated.

It basically means that Han Lu is good-looking and a good match for her, her personality suits her taste, and their families are well-matched. No matter how you look at it, they are a perfect match.

Listening to Feng Yufei's words, Han Lu had no idea how so many of her admirable qualities had been discovered in their relatively short interactions.

Although most of these positive qualities were stated truthfully, Han Lu could only explain Feng Yufei's performance as a case of "beauty is in the eye of the beholder."

At the same time, Feng Yufei's explicit words strengthened Han Lu's resolve to end things as soon as possible, using the method she had previously considered.

Similarly, before giving her reasons for refusing, Han Lu also complimented Feng Yufei's appearance, especially praising her clothing and style.

Only when Feng Yufei smiled broadly did Han Lu say, "You're a good person, but I already have a boyfriend."

Upon hearing this, Feng Yufei's expression changed, and she asked coldly, "Who is it? Is it a cultivator from the Zhengyi Sect? What's their name, what do they look like, and what's their cultivation level?"

The key to crafting a story is creating a sense of ambiguity. Feng Yufei's reaction was exactly what Han Lu expected, giving her an opportunity to elaborate and find a reasonable excuse not to reveal the details of her fictional boyfriend.

"Sister Yufei, you're not planning to find out more about him so you can get revenge on him, are you?" Han Lu pretended to be scared.

Feng Yufei realized she had lost her composure, coughed lightly, and said, "How could that be? You call me Sister Yufei, so naturally you're my sister too. I'm just concerned about my sister's marriage, what's wrong with that?"

Just moments ago, she was thinking about having a passionate romance with Han Lu, but in the blink of an eye, it turned into "older sister caring for younger sister." This change in the context and form of address made Han Lu breathe a sigh of relief.

Han Lu was secretly delighted, "It seems that Feng Yufei is not the kind of heartless and infatuated person. This matter can be resolved."

Han Lu continued jokingly, "I'm just afraid my sister might act impulsively."

Feng Yufei's smile was slightly stiff. "How could that be? Would an older sister really kill her brother-in-law?"

With most of her doubts dispelled, Han Lu then began to combine reality and fiction, paraphrasing Yi Qiyan's description of her relationship with her boyfriend and applying it to herself, saying it in front of Feng Yufei.

With her excellent acting skills, Han Lu was beaming with happiness as she told the story, as if it were all real.

The lover Han Lu fabricated was a combination of the qualities that an outstanding male cultivator should possess in her eyes.

Seeing Han Lu's expression, Feng Yufei was already 70% convinced and immediately abandoned the idea of ​​ruining Han Lu's happy love.

She could only silently lament that she was a few years too late.

However, the lover Han Lu mentioned was only of average cultivation level, which gave Feng Yufei a glimmer of hope.

This glimmer of hope prevented Feng Yufei from instantly turning cold and aloof, allowing her to still greet Han Lu with a smile and call her "sister."

During this visit to her friends, Han Lu stayed at the Seven Mountains Alliance for two days before leaving.

It must be said that Feng Yufei's judgment of Han Lu was quite accurate in their brief previous contact.

The two were indeed compatible, and being from the same clan who had worked hard in the Central Plains, even the brief "unpleasantness" did not affect their harmonious relationship afterward.

Especially when it comes to dressing up, Han Lu, who had been to the ancient cultivation secret realm, was particularly open to talking about this topic with Feng Yufei.

Feng Yufei couldn't help but add another layer to her sisterly relationship with Han Lu: "confidante".

After returning to Zhengyi Sect, Han Lu pretended to have gained a lot of experience and insights from Feng Yufei, and then immediately entered a state of seclusion for cultivation.

He practiced meditation for three full days before leaving his home.

Just then, Xianyu Ji finally had the time, and the two, who had long wanted to have a private contest, finally found their opportunity.

Unfortunately, both sides held back and did not achieve the desired intense battle.

The final result was a handshake and reconciliation, which slightly improved their friendship, and that was all.

For cultivators, three months is just a blink of an eye.

The day before the East-West Friendship Match began, the four players who had passed the selection process were gathered together.

Besides Daoist Yunmin, the branch dean of Zhongshan Academy also appeared at the gathering point.

After exchanging a few brief pleasantries, the group split into two groups.

Xianyu Ji and Zhong Kaige, led by Daoist Yunmin, headed to a small island in the East China Sea.

Han Lu and Fu Tianqiao, led by Songbai Daoren, the dean of Zhongshan Academy, headed to the teleportation portal to launch an expedition against the Great Yu Dynasty.