The Long Journey to Immortality

Clearly, the senior who extended the invitation likely resides on this island in the middle of the lake, which is surrounded by a layer of restrictions.

"This should be a small world similar to a Grand Competition Secret Realm or an Ancient Cultivation Secret Realm," Han Lu said, looking around. "It seems that the one looking for me is indeed a Nascent Soul Realm senior from the sect."

With the path clearly laid out before her, Han Lu naturally followed the covered bridge all the way to the island in the middle of the lake, without taking any detours or choosing any disrespectful way to visit.

As Han Lu got closer to the island in the middle of the lake, she gradually became able to see the situation on the island clearly with her eyesight.

The scene of birds singing and flowers blooming in spring perfectly matches people's endless and wonderful fantasies about spring.

Not far from the end of the covered bridge, there stands a simple pavilion.

There was a figure in the pavilion, fishing towards the lake.

The fishing rod held in the figure's hand was just a slender weeping willow branch.

Clearly, as an angler, he wasn't there to catch fish in the lake.

The senior was already waiting in the pavilion, so Han Lu quickly took three steps at a time and went to get closer.

Leaving the covered bridge and walking to the edge of the pavilion, Han Lu finally got a clear look at what this senior looked like.

He was dressed in a white shirt, with long, dark gray hair cascading down his back. He was tall and slender with handsome features.

His appearance would be outstanding among ordinary people, but among cultivators at the Golden Core stage and above, he would definitely not be considered a handsome man.

Han Lu was about to cup her hands in greeting.

This senior, however, happened to have a fish take the bait.

With a tug on the willow branch, a koi carp was pulled out of the lake and landed in his hand.

Han Lu thought he would release the koi fish as she imagined, but the senior happily put the koi fish into the empty bamboo basket at his feet.

His expression changed as if he had obtained an incredible magic weapon.

Seeing this, Han Lu had a vague idea of ​​what kind of person this senior was.

After the senior put the lid of the bamboo basket back on, Han Lu found a suitable opportunity to greet him.

Just as he was about to speak, the senior spoke first.

"Elder Zhenfeng, you've arrived. Please have a seat."

The senior pointed to the seat next to him and gestured for Han Lu to sit down.

"Yes..." Han Lu obediently complied.

Han Lu sat down next to the other person, about two fists apart, facing the pool of water that seemed to have no ripples at all.

"May I ask how you are addressed, senior? And what brings you here?" Han Lu thought the other person was a straightforward person, so she asked the question directly.

"You can call me Senior Shin," Senior Shin introduced himself. "I don't have anything special to ask you for."

"Do you know how to fish?" Senior asked.

Han Lu nodded slightly, "I've been studying it for a few days, but I've never caught a single fish yet."

“That’s great,” Senior Zhen said with a smile. “You can sit here with me and fish together. We can talk while we fish.”

Chapter 748 True Senior

As for fishing, Han Lu really did just what she said she did; she only did some research and never actually tried it herself, going to ponds or rivers and seas to catch even a small fish with a fishing rod.

The reason is not complicated.

Compared to playing musical instruments, chess, calligraphy, and painting, Han Lu wasn't particularly interested in fishing.

However, at this moment, it was probably a true senior in the Nascent Soul Realm who made the arrangements, and Han Lu naturally obeyed.

With no fishing rods around, Han Lu, like a true veteran, used whatever was available.

He reached out and took another willow branch from the weeping willow tree beside the pavilion, which had already been half-plucked bare.

As for the fishhook, she used her Ice Phoenix Divine Power to casually conjure an ice hook and freeze it at the end of the willow branch.

Casting a line and fishing, Han Lu played the trick of "Jiang Taigong" (a legendary Chinese fishmonger).

It must be said that fishing in this world, which is very likely created by a true master, is quite an enjoyable experience.

A gentle breeze caressed my face, and the light emanating from some unknown source felt incredibly warm.

All they could hear were the sounds of the wind, birdsong, and their breathing.

The tranquil environment gave Han Lu an indescribable sense of comfort, as if every bone and muscle in her body was groaning with pleasure.

"It must have been arranged by Senior Zhen to harmonize the mind of Nascent Soul cultivators. Only with my Golden Core cultivation can I have such a clear feeling here." Han Lu guessed that there must be some special arrangement in this world that made her feel so happy while fishing.

Although Senior Zhen said he wanted to fish and chat with Han Lu, he didn't speak again until he had spent another fifteen minutes catching the second koi.

"Elder Zhenfeng, how much do you think you can cultivate to reach the Nascent Soul Realm?"

The question seemed a bit abrupt and unexpected, but Han Lu followed the senior's train of thought and answered the question that she had asked herself countless times in her mind.

"If everything goes smoothly, it will probably take three hundred years..."

"It will probably take another thirty years, or as long as twenty-five if things go smoothly, I will be able to draw my first pill pattern and advance to the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm."

"In my opinion, the middle to late stages will take a hundred years."

"It will take seventy years to further improve to the point where one can transcend tribulations."

"We have another five years to prepare and attempt to transcend the tribulation, which will bring the total to three hundred years."

Although it was their first meeting, their hierarchical relationship within their respective sects and the other's exceptionally high cultivation level made Han Lu more willing to open up and share things she used to only tell her family.

After saying this, Han Lu turned her head slightly to observe the changes in Senior Zhen's expression.

The other party did not make any exaggerated comments, but simply remarked, "You've thought things through. In my opinion, with your talent, hard work, and opportunities, you should be able to survive the tribulation and advance to the Nascent Soul stage 20 or 30 years earlier."

"After all, it took me, a mediocre talent, three hundred years to realize that you can't be slower than me."

Being praised so highly by a Nascent Soul Realm expert, Han Lu was flattered and smiled, saying, "Senior is too kind. If you are mediocre, then there are no cultivators in this world who can be called talented."

Despite the politeness, Han Lu still felt she needed to tell the truth after hearing those words.

"However, after hearing what Senior Zhen said, I breathed a sigh of relief, and my Dao heart became much more stable."

Senior Zhen chuckled and said, "If my words really had such an effect, I would have been showing my face in public every day, speaking out every month like Elder Xuancheng and Elder Yunmin, so that all the disciples of my Zhengyi Sect could have a firm Dao heart and that the Zhengyi lineage could be carried forward and flourish."

Hearing that the senior was so "unappreciative," Han Lu was certain that she had roughly figured out the senior's temperament.

"What you say makes sense, senior. I was just being modest," Han Lu said, shamelessly.

Sure enough, such a shameless remark suited Senior Zhen's taste perfectly.

“That’s right. As cultivators, we shouldn’t look down on the heavens, but we also shouldn’t belittle ourselves.”

"If I hadn't seen your extraordinary talent and proficiency in combat, and if you weren't likely the future hope of the Zhengyi Sect, and wanted to encourage you, I wouldn't have sent a telepathic message to ask you to come here for a meeting."

Casting his line again, Senior Zhen explained the reason for inviting Han Lu to meet him here.

The reason was similar to what Han Lu had guessed.

"Thank you for your concern, Senior Zhen."

Han Lu tilted the fishing rod slightly, silently reminding herself to be more straightforward when she spoke next.

Although Senior Zhen is a Nascent Soul cultivator, he is exceptionally serious when fishing.

He slightly shook his hand, making the willow branch mimic the movement of the bait.

Judging from this one move alone, the master angler has clearly put in a lot of effort in fishing, which explains why he can fish with willow branches without hooks.

Only after the third blackfish took the bait did Senior Zhen speak for the third time.

"Elder Zhenfeng," Senior Zhen tossed the unsightly black fish back into the lake, "when you spar with the Golden Core cultivators of Xuan Yang Valley in a while, don't harbor any illusions that it's just a friendly spar between sects."

"If possible, please make sure to severely injure that Xuan Yang Valley disciple on the arena, destroy his foundation, and make his advancement hopeless."

Senior Zhen's words were so blunt and fierce that they reminded Han Lu of the harsh words "handing over a knife" that Venerable Hudeng had said to her in the Western Desert.

Did Han Lu have this thought when she learned about this? Of course she did.

Based on their previous conversation, Han Lu was certain that Senior Zhen wasn't testing her character, so she happily spoke her mind.

"Replying to Senior Zhen, I have long had this intention."

"That's good, that's good," Senior Zhen said with delight. "Don't feel burdened when you act. Most of the Golden Core cultivators in Xuan Yang Valley share this idea."

"There won't be..." Feeling that this was a good angle, Han Lu took the initiative to talk to Senior Zhen about Venerable Pot Lamp's revenge.

Upon hearing the story from a hundred years ago to three years ago, Senior Zhen clapped his hands and exclaimed, "So it was your father who eliminated the three Nascent Soul elders of Xuan Yang Valley for us. If I have the chance, I must go to the Wilderness to thank your father in person."

Having made a good start, Han Lu became increasingly at ease in front of Senior Zhen, a Nascent Soul cultivator.

"Has Senior Zhen ever been to the wilderness?"

"Of course I've been there, but that was five hundred years ago..."

Even a free-spirited and easygoing person like the senior couldn't help but feel emotional when reminiscing about the past, and had endless things to say.

The true senior's adventure story in the wilderness lasted for about an hour, and even Han Lu caught the first fish she had ever caught in her life during that time.

It was a colorful-skirted fish, and its colors were seven parts similar to Han Lu's when she revealed her true form as a phoenix.

Holding the fish in her hands, Han Lu teased it for a while before releasing it back into the lake.

This scene was witnessed by the true senior.

Upon their first meeting, he naturally "analyzed" her just like Han Lu, trying to understand the character of this currently most sought-after genius in the Zhengyi Sect.

After chatting for two full hours, the senior fisherman felt there was nothing more to say, so he put away his fishing rod and asked the guests to leave.

“Elder Zhenfeng, it’s time to go back,” Senior Zhen said. “I’ll give you twenty years to remember the memories I shared with you today. Don’t let me go to the Spirit Realm and be completely forgotten by the people here in just a few years.”

"So Senior Zhen can stay in the mortal realm for another twenty years?" Han Lu was slightly surprised and couldn't help but worry about her sect. "Does that mean there won't be any Nascent Soul cultivators left in our Zhengyi Sect?"

“There is one more,” Senior Zhen could tell that Han Lu’s words were somewhat of a quid pro quo, but he still revealed the secret, “but he does not reside in the sect.”

"The thing you mentioned about sending down sweet dew to cure the plague, that was done by her."

Han Lu shook the willow branch like a long whip, and a portal back to the human world opened beside her.

The mortal realm outside the portal sensed the aura of the True Senior's Nascent Soul Realm and couldn't help but feel a little unstable.

Seeing this, Senior Zhen sighed and took two steps back.