One person: Lu Jin, do I look like your master?

Wang Xuan hovered in the air, a faint smile playing on his lips, as if he had already anticipated it. He showed no disappointment or discomfort at discovering the "truth."

Because he was already prepared.

After five years of cultivation and reflection, combined with his memories of comics from his previous life, he no longer harbored any unrealistic fantasies about the so-called "ascension to immortality."

"Otherwise, look at Zuo Ruotong in the original novel."

Wang Xuan thought to himself.

"As the head of the Sanyi Sect, his cultivation was unparalleled, and he had mastered the Reverse Life Triple Realm to an unprecedented level (at least on the surface). However, at the age of only sixty or seventy, when he was released from the Reverse Life state, he appeared so old and weak, as if his life force had run out."

That's not normal aging at all; it's clearly the result of maintaining a state of reverse aging for years, excessively depleting one's own vital energy!

Wang Xuan slowly descended from the air, lightly touching the ground with his toes, and stood on the bluestone.

With a thought, the holy white around him quickly faded, his jade-like skin returned to its normal color, and his flowing white hair turned back to black. Only his eyes seemed to be more profound than before.

For him, achieving triple success was not the end, but a new beginning.

He verified the limits of the technique and also saw its drawbacks.

"Next..."

Wang Xuan looked outwards from the mountains, his gaze seemingly piercing through the layers of peaks.

"It's time to go out and explore. The true 'Tao' of this world may lie in the mundane world beyond the mountains, in those truly accomplished masters who cultivate both body and mind."

After five years of dormancy, the hidden dragon is finally about to emerge from the abyss.

Chapter 8 The Immortal Thief of Liuku

Having achieved the third level of reverse rebirth, Wang Xuan, after carefully experiencing his own state, had an extremely clear and urgent realization emerge in his mind.

While the Reverse Rebirth Triple Technique is indeed powerful, granting him an almost "divine" form and numerous mysterious abilities, its foundation still relies on the continuous consumption of his own painstakingly cultivated "acquired Qi."

This kind of consumption may not be obvious under normal circumstances, but once you experience intense battles or maintain a Qi transformation state for a long time, the depletion of your own vital energy will be astonishing.

If this continues, we may follow in the footsteps of our predecessor Zuo Ruotong, appearing outwardly glamorous and powerful, but inwardly withering away prematurely.

"It is now known that the third level of reverse life still consumes one's own Qi."

So, is there any capability that can perfectly fill, or even exceed, this kind of consumption?

Wang Xuan asked himself the question, and the answer came to him almost instantly.

"The Six Treasuries Immortal Thief".

That's right, it's one of the "Eight Extraordinary Skills," created by Nguyen Phuong and later passed on to the foreigner Baron—the Six Treasures Immortal Thief!

The terrifying aspect of this amazing technique is that it can transform the body's six respiratory organs into the most perfect digestive system.

Cultivators can rapidly replenish their depleted Qi and life force by consuming all matter, including organic and inorganic matter, and even the life force of heaven and earth.

Reaching a near-perpetual state can greatly slow down aging and even achieve "immortality" to some extent!

Reverse Life Triple is a powerful "mana-consuming ultimate move", while Six Treasures Immortal Thief is a near-infinite source of "mana potions" and "health potions"!

The combination of the two is simply a match made in heaven!

It is enough to make up for the biggest flaw of the Reverse Life Triple, and may even produce an amazing effect where one plus one is far greater than two!

Once this thought arose, it grew wildly in Wang Xuan's heart like weeds.

"Therefore, Wang Xuan plans to go down the mountain to find Balun and obtain the Six Treasuries Immortal Thief from him."

With clear goals and a well-defined strategy, Wang Xuan has always been someone who knows what he wants and will act on it without hesitation.

Five years of quiet cultivation were for accumulating strength. Now that the strength has been initially established, it is natural to pave the way for even greater goals.

He composed himself and looked around. He knew every blade of grass, every tree, every stone, and every stream in this wooded area behind the mountain all too well.

For five years, he spent countless lonely yet fulfilling days and nights here, breathing in the morning and evening mists and practicing the methods of circulating qi. Every blade of grass and every tree here witnessed his growth and transformation.

However, Wang Xuan did not linger here.

He is a man of unwavering resolve. Once he sets his sights on a goal, he will pursue it single-mindedly and will never waver in his resolve because of the scenery before him or the entanglements of the past.

This mountain forest was the cradle of his growth, but it was by no means his final resting place. His stage was in the wider world beyond the mountains.

Wang Xuan turned around and started walking down the mountain.

His steps were steady and firm, without the slightest hesitation or reluctance. The hem of his white Taoist robe brushed against the forest path, and his figure quickly disappeared behind the lush trees.

Arriving at the foot of the mountain, a familiar yet unfamiliar dilapidated courtyard came into view.

The adobe walls had collapsed in some places, and the paint on the wooden doors had peeled off badly, revealing the grayish-white wood underneath.

This is where he lived for more than 20 years, a place that holds all his memories with Old Man Wang. It was poor but warm, simple and real.

Wang Xuan stood outside the courtyard gate, his gaze sweeping over every corner, and a deep sense of nostalgia and complexity finally flashed through his eyes.

This is where he began in this world, the root of his emotions.

But the roots exist not to bind the tree to the same place forever, but to enable it to grow upwards and extend outwards.

He pushed open the creaking courtyard gate and went inside.

The courtyard was quiet, the stone mill was covered in dust, and the farm tools in the corner were rusty.

He went into his small room and took out a few pieces of clothing from the cabinet on the kang (heated brick bed).

With a thought, the clothes in his hand vanished instantly.

At the same time, a faint glint of light flashed across the surface of an unassuming, antique-looking black iron ring on his right little finger.

This is a "trinket" that Wang Xuan unexpectedly obtained during one of his sign-ins over the past five years—a "space ring" with a huge internal space!

Its interior space is as large as a standard football field, and time is relatively still, so items placed inside will not spoil.

Over the past five years, he has collected a lot of miscellaneous items from daily check-ins, including unused pills and materials of unknown purpose, all of which he has put into this ring, making it extremely convenient.

Over the years, besides the crucial experience orbs, the system has indeed given him many useful gadgets and a lot of money.

Because he spent most of his time in seclusion, rarely venturing out, his biggest expenses were nothing more than buying basic necessities like firewood, rice, oil, and salt, and occasionally asking someone to bring back some books from town; his expenses were minimal.

Over the years, the Huaxia coins he accumulated from daily check-ins on the system amounted to more than ten million, enough to support his expenses for a long time, after deducting his pocket money.

After changing his clothes, Wang Xuan took one last look at the home he had lived in for more than twenty years and gently locked the courtyard gate.

He didn't turn around, but walked straight towards the forest behind the village where Old Man Wang was buried.

We walked along the familiar forest path and arrived at the sunny slope.

Five years have passed, and the old man's grave is now covered with grass, and the surrounding area has been cleaned up by Wang Xuan.

"Dad, I've come to see you."

Wang Xuan's voice was calm and gentle.

He took out three sticks of incense that he had prepared beforehand from his spatial ring, rubbed them together with his fingertips, and a wisp of Qi flowed through them, causing the incense sticks to ignite without fire.

Wisps of smoke rose, carrying a faint sandalwood scent, spreading through the mountains and forests.

He then took out a bottle of high-proof grain liquor he had bought in town, unscrewed the cap, and slowly and evenly poured it onto the ground in front of the grave. The clear liquor seeped into the soil, emitting a rich aroma.

"Dad, my cultivation has achieved some success, reaching a... well, a fairly decent level."

Wang Xuan spoke to the tombstone as if in casual conversation.

"So, I've decided to leave the village and go out to see what the 'jianghu' (江湖, a term referring to the world of martial arts and chivalry) you once lived in is really like."

"I've kept the booklet you left behind. Don't worry, I'll take good care of myself. I'll come back to see you when I've had enough time and have had enough of my life out there."

After saying this, he took two steps back, his expression solemn, and respectfully kowtowed three times to the tomb.

He stood up, brushed the dust off his knees, took one last look at the simple tombstone, turned around, and strode away along the path he had come from.

Sunlight filtered through the branches and leaves, casting a long shadow of him. The mountain breeze ruffled the stray hairs on his forehead, carrying with it the scent of a distant, unfamiliar world.

His steps were steady, his goal clear—to descend the mountain, enter the world, find Balun, and seize the Six Treasuries Immortal Thief!

Chapter 9 Heading to Liupanshui

Wang Xuan stood outside the somewhat dilapidated airport hall of a prefecture-level city in Northeast China, taking a deep breath of the dry, crisp air characteristic of the North.

He was currently in the black soil beyond the Great Wall, but his destination was in Guizhou, thousands of miles away in the southwest.

"The distance is too far. It would take forever to walk or use any other means of transportation. I can only take a plane."

Wang Xuan pondered to himself.

Although as an extraordinary being, his physical abilities far surpass those of ordinary people, and even short-term low-altitude flight using Qi is not difficult, long-distance travel is extremely taxing and simply impossible, far less convenient and efficient than modern transportation.

He stepped into the airport.

A spacious and bright waiting hall, bustling crowds, constantly scrolling flight information on electronic displays, self-service check-in kiosks, security checkpoints...

All of this made Wang Xuan, who had not experienced the outside world's prosperity for five years, feel a sense of novelty, as if he had been in another world.

"The speed of development in this era is truly astonishing."

He couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia. Just five years ago, smartphones were only beginning to become popular, and most people were still using feature phones with physical buttons.

Nowadays, almost every passenger waiting for their flight has a large-screen smartphone, whether they are well-dressed business people or ordinary tourists.

Even many elderly people with gray hair have become "smartphone addicts," their fingers flying across the screen, immersed in the digital world within their small space.

After five years of seclusion in a mountain village, the outside world had undergone tremendous changes.

Wang Xuan walked on the airport's smooth, mirror-like floor. His attire stood out starkly against the surroundings, making him extremely eye-catching.

He wore a spotless, loose-fitting white Taoist robe. The material seemed ordinary, but his extraordinary temperament made him appear exceptional.

His long, jet-black hair wasn't tied up; it simply cascaded naturally over his shoulders, swaying slightly with each step. He had a handsome face.

With fair and radiant skin, calm and deep eyes, she exudes an ethereal and otherworldly aura.

This contrasted sharply with the modernly dressed, hurried travelers around him.

Wherever he went, he attracted almost 100% attention. Surprised, curious, scrutinizing, and even slightly mocking glances were cast his way, but he seemed completely oblivious, continuing to walk with composure and an air of self-assurance.

In the distance, several young girls who appeared to be traveling together were huddled together, chattering quietly in his direction, their faces flushed with excitement and shyness.

"Look at that young man! He's so handsome! Is that outfit... cosplay or a real Taoist priest?"

"Her aura is amazing! She looks like she stepped out of a painting!"

"Should we ask for their WeChat? Be a little bolder!"

"I don't dare... He seems so distant, yet so attractive..."

Wang Xuan's hearing was so sharp that he heard everything clearly.

He merely curled the corners of his mouth up almost imperceptibly, revealing a faint smile, but paid no attention and did not stop walking.

The hustle and bustle of the world and the attention it receives are like fleeting clouds to him, unable to stir much ripple in his calm heart.

He walked to the huge flight information display screen and looked up to find his flight information.

He quickly found it—a flight to Beijing Capital International Airport, where check-in was underway.

Taking out the ticket he had booked online, checking the time and gate, Wang Xuan headed towards the security checkpoint.

The security check went smoothly, although his long hair and Taoist robe caught the attention of the security personnel, but he was allowed to pass through without any problems after the check was completed.

Arriving at the waiting area, he found his boarding gate and chose a relatively quiet corner to sit down, closing his eyes to rest and patiently waiting.

About half an hour later, the boarding announcement came over the loudspeaker.

Wang Xuan opened his eyes, stood up, straightened his Taoist robe (which didn't need straightening), and followed the flow of people in line, slowly passing through the boarding bridge and entering the cabin.

He found his seat, fastened his seatbelt, and gazed out the small porthole.

This time, his target is Guizhou.

The more specific purpose was to find a person—a senior hermit living in seclusion in the Guizhou area, Granny Jinfeng.

According to information from his past life memories, this Granny Jin Feng had a close relationship with Xia Liuqing, a renowned figure in the Quanxing sect.

Xia Liuqing is a promising talent who is very suitable for cultivating Yang Wu Lei. More importantly, he is acquainted with Balun, who is known as the "Six Treasuries Immortal Thief"!

Wang Xuan's plan was clear: first find Granny Jin Feng, then use her as a lead to find Xia Liuqing, and finally, through Xia Liuqing, get in touch with his target—Baron!

This is the most likely path he can think of to find Baron and plot against the Six Treasuries Immortal Thief.