Madam, please ascend.

Chapter 391 Pretend to be sincere
Faced with the abundant spiritual energy of the Longevity Realm, Yun Yi exerted all his strength to give up the urge to refine the Fountain of Youth.

The immortality that is within his grasp is a path of no return. Even though he knows this, he still harbors a sense of luck and wants to give it a try when faced with such a golden opportunity.

"The Longevity Realm appears peaceful on the surface, but it is actually filled with an eerie atmosphere." Yun Yi rubbed his temples and waved to Bai Ze, signaling it to come over.

Then the man and the beast continued to explore, following the spring. Before long, they saw a village with a wooden sign at the entrance that read "Longevity Village".

Clearly, this is where Xu Junfang and those young boys and girls lived. The buildings were constructed using local materials, which is why they have stood for thousands of years. The outer layer is faintly enveloped by spiritual energy, making them immune to the erosion of time.

The village is indeed small; the number of residents can be roughly estimated from the houses, which should be less than one hundred.

Legend has it that Xu Junfang took three thousand boys with him when he went to sea, and it is likely that the rest of them all died in the Ruins of Return.

Yun Yi thought that the rooms in the village would be perfect for resting, and Su Qing and Lan Zhen would probably be cultivating here for a while.

So he didn't rush to explore the area, but continued to fly towards the edge on his sword.

Interestingly, this realm of immortality seemed quite vast, and even after walking for a long time, the end was still in sight.

Apart from the Giant Forest and the Longevity Village, the entire area is a deep, verdant green. Only when the trees are no longer there can one truly appreciate the desolation of the Longevity Realm.

Yun Yi grew increasingly puzzled as he walked, wondering if there was no end to this place at all. Unfortunately, there was only a vast expanse of sky above, with no sun or moon, so he couldn't find a suitable reference point.

After flying forward for a long time, just as Yun Yi was about to turn back, he suddenly noticed a forest not far in front of him.

It is indeed a forest of giant trees!
Yun Yi suddenly realized that the entire Longevity Realm was actually a sphere, with all four ends connected to each other. No wonder he couldn't find the edge.

There are no edges at all here!

Just like those trees that have attained immortality and are born without dying, this realm of immortality has no end.

In Yun Yi's mind, the human world is shaped like a round sky and a square earth, hence the existence of the ends of the earth and the netherworld.

Yun Yi was truly amazed, thinking that perhaps the true form of a Longevity Realm cultivator was like a bead, with the small world attached to the surface of the bead.

Therefore, the shape of Guixu (归墟) is similar, which may be closely related to this.

After wandering around for a while and talking to the trees in the forest, he got bored and went to the top of the tree canopy.

Upon seeing Yun Yi, Xu Junfang said coldly, "Why did you come uninvited?"

Yun Yi said, "Senior, shouldn't we take a break from get out of class occasionally...?"

"Why bother? The spiritual energy here is abundant, so you won't feel tired at all."

"Even if you're not physically tired, your mind will get tired."

As expected of a married couple, even though they are separated by death, they still use the same excuse to avoid having a good time.

Xu Junfang was so angry that he laughed: "You're such a sly one!"

Yun Yi shamelessly said, "You've lived for thousands of years, there's no need to rush."

At this moment, Su Qing looked at the old man pitifully and said softly, "Teacher, I do need time to comprehend it."

Xu Junfang glanced at the "little girl," clearly understanding her meaning, and asked his other apprentice with a hint of annoyance, "What about you? Are you tired of it too?"

Lan Zhenxin wasn't tired at all, but in order not to create any distance between herself and Yun Yi and Su Qing, she nodded and said, "I am indeed a little tired."

Xu Junfang sighed, his expression returning to its indifferent state, revealing no emotion. "Then let's rest for a while. We can stay at Changsheng Village. But there's one thing you must remember: don't absorb too much of the spiritual energy here while cultivating."

Yun Yi smiled and said, "This junior has already found the Fountain of Youth, and when I came into contact with it, I felt an insatiable urge to possess it."

Xu Junfang: "If you don't want to become like me, you absolutely have to resist the temptation of immortality. Actually, this can be considered a kind of 'heart-refining,' although it doesn't benefit your cultivation, it is very helpful to your character."

Su Qing and Lan Zhenxin: "Your disciples will remember this."

"Alright, go and rest." Xu Junfang waved his hand, and a cage made of branches and leaves appeared around him, trapping him inside.

……

Yunyi told the two women what he had seen and heard before, and then led them to the vicinity of the Fountain of Youth.

"The Fountain of Youth?!" Su Qing was overjoyed to see the last medicinal ingredient that could cure her father and immediately rushed to the spring to examine it closely.

She gently scooped up a handful of spring water. "The life force here is extremely tenacious; it must be this."

Yun Yi squatted down to the side and rummaged through his Sumeru Ring to find an empty wine gourd, intending to use it to fill with some spring water.

Unexpectedly, the spring water disappeared without a trace as soon as it entered the gourd.

It didn't evaporate or leak out; it simply vanished into thin air.

Yun Yi shook the gourd. "What's going on?"

Su Qing speculated, "Perhaps this kind of spiritual object needs to be contained in a special container."

She took out a celadon porcelain bottle, a magical artifact she had refined herself, which she used to cultivate spiritual plants.

Unfortunately, the porcelain bottle was also useless, as the spring water seemed to naturally react against these containers.

The two looked at each other, both stumped for a moment.

At this moment, Lan Zhenxin said quietly, "Two idiots, if they can't take the spring water, why don't they just start a furnace here and refine pills?"

These words were truly an eye-opener. Upon hearing this, Su Qing smiled brightly. Over the years, she had been searching for the Fountain of Youth so desperately that she had become obsessed with it, forgetting that what she wanted was the elixir, not the water.

Seeing Su Qing's smiling face, Lan Zhenxin couldn't help but sigh, "Fools are sometimes lucky."

Yun Yi laughed and said, "We are indeed not as smart as Leader Lan."

His smile seemed genuine, no different from the days before, but Lan Zhenxin could sense that his eyes had lost some warmth.

Moreover, he referred to "Master Lan" rather than "True Girl".

They did drift apart as expected.

Lan Zhenxin said with a mournful voice, "You were about to die back then, and I abandoned you to go find a life-saving treasure."

Yun Yi nodded without saying anything.

"You do not trust me?"

"It's not a matter of believing or not believing. I was already very grateful that you didn't kick me when I was down and kill me and Su Qing."

These words came from the heart, and Yun Yi's moral expectations of Lan Zhenxin were quite low.

Expecting this demonic sorceress to risk her life to save you is wishful thinking.

Lan Zhenzhen sensed Yun Yi's deliberate indifference and distance, and felt uneasy.

Even she herself didn't know why she had this inexplicable emotion.

Despite having cultivated for many years and having a heart as firm as a rock, even when she tried to "seduce" Yun Yi time and again, she only intended to tease him.

After all, lust is a man's weakness; when faced with beauty, he is easily blinded and loses his composure.

But now… it seems that it's not Yun Yi who's lost his composure, but himself. Lan Zhenxin stubbornly said, "Without my ancestor's notes, you definitely wouldn't be here. I don't owe you anything."

Yun Yi said, "If you hadn't interfered, Su Qing and I would have found this place on our own. As for the matter of me saving you, you don't need to take it to heart. I don't feel that you owe me anything."

The more he said that, the more irritated and frustrated Lan Zhenxin became. She stomped her foot in anger, turned her head away, and stopped talking.

Yun Yi simply ignored her. This person was too scheming and stubborn, and there was really no need to persuade her.

Before long, Su Qing had already prepared the medicinal materials for refining the pills, among which the most precious were the Crimson Dragon Blood and the Fountain of Immortality.

Now that everything is ready, she has encountered another problem.

Yun Yi asked, "Why do you suddenly look so worried?"

Su Qing replied, "My current level of alchemy is not yet sufficient to refine 'Awakening Dragon Gallbladder'."

As the name suggests, the Awakening Dragon's Gallbladder is a peerless elixir that can remove the deadly poison from Su Chengqian's body and awaken him from the jade coffin.

She thought about many things for a moment, "It's rare to find the Fountain of Youth in the Realm of Longevity. Once we leave here, I don't know if we can find it in other places in the Three Realms."

The problem is that breakthroughs in alchemy are closely related to one's own cultivation level. Su Qing himself has only recently entered the Returning to Emptiness Realm, and unlike Yun Yi, he has not accumulated enough knowledge and skills to achieve a breakthrough. He still has a long way to go before reaching the Dao Integration Realm.

Su Qing looked at Lan Zhenxin with pleading in her eyes. Before she could speak, Lan Zhenxin interrupted her.

"Although we share the same path, I practice the path of poison, so I cannot refine the elixirs you desire."

"What should I do..."

Yun Yi comforted him, "There's no need to be so pessimistic. Why don't we rest for a bit first, and then we can ask Senior Xu again. Maybe he can lend a hand."

Su Qing nodded vigorously, thinking that Xu Junfang was a master of the Ascension Realm and must have a way to refine pills.

……

The three of them found a house in Changsheng Village to rest.

Since there is no sun or moon outside, the longer you stay here, the less you perceive time.

This is also one of the "side effects" of immortality; once life becomes infinite, time becomes infinitely long.

As the saying goes, big problems can be turned into small problems, and small problems can be turned into nothing. Given enough time, anything can become a small matter, and any emotion can become insignificant.

Yun Yi calmed down and carefully comprehended the principles of immortality. Suddenly, he thought of his wife in the celestial realm.

Having ascended to the celestial realm, she also attained immortality. One wonders how she is doing now. Is she living a carefree and joyful life, or is she, like Xu Junfang, trapped in her own web of suffering?

As Yun Yi was thinking, he suddenly heard footsteps approaching from afar and finally stopping at the door.

They neither entered nor made a sound; I have no idea what they meant.

Now that they are the only three "living people" in the Longevity Realm who can move freely, Su Qing is probably still thinking about "Awakening the Dragon's Gallbladder," so there is only one option left.

Yun Yi opened the door and, sure enough, saw Lan Zhenxin standing outside, looking rather awkward.

"Did Master Lan want to see me about something?"

I'd like to talk to you alone.

Lan Zhenxin only had a Seven Poison Bracelet left on her wrist, and her upper garment was somewhat tattered, revealing a large expanse of her snow-white chest. The Longevity Realm could only heal her injuries, but could not repair the fabric.

She stood barefoot, her soles smooth and white as jade, her black hair adorned with silver ornaments, making her look like a young girl of sixteen or seventeen at first glance.

Who would have thought that such a seemingly pitiful woman was actually the current leader of the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect?

He was a ruthless and ruthless killer who traveled thousands of miles with his poison.

Yun Yi had no intention of inviting her inside for a detailed discussion, and instead blocked the doorway, saying, "Please speak your mind."

Lan Zhenxin looked like she was about to cry. "My ancestor was named Qingwu. He once mentioned a girl named Aning in his notes. According to the description in the book, she was as agile as a deer, could identify all kinds of herbs, and was the most intelligent girl."

"But she was born with a weak constitution. If she hadn't been exceptionally talented, she would never have been chosen by Senior Xu as one of the boys and girls to go to sea."

Yun Yi: "And then?"

"Ancestor Qingwu did not record everything in detail. I only know that he liked A-Ning very much and even drew her portrait by hand."

"Later, he and many of his brothers and sisters were ordered to leave the Realm of Immortality and go to the Qin Dynasty to deliver a message. However, when they passed through the Ruins of Return, many more people died, and he was the only one who survived."

"Unexpectedly, when Ancestor Qingwu returned, the Great Qin Dynasty had already been destroyed, and he was not confident that he could pass through the Ruins of Return alive, so he could only stay in the human world."

"Years have passed, but he still has an unfulfilled wish and always misses the girl named Aning."

Yun Yi asked, "You didn't come to me just to tell a story, did you?"

Lan Zhenxin took a deep breath to calm herself down and pleaded, "I want to find Aning among those trees, but they seem to be avoiding me, so I'd like to ask for your help."

After the children transformed into trees, they gradually became dull. They lacked Xu Junfang's cultivation level, were unable to condense into human form, and could not speak.

But this does not mean that they have become completely "blind". On the contrary, after becoming trees, they are more able to feel a person's state of mind.

Lan Zhenxin is too greedy, so naturally she is not well-liked.

In contrast, Yun Yi was much more insightful, which is why the Giant Wood Forest was more friendly towards him.

Seeing that Yun Yi was hesitant to answer, Lan Zhenxin said again, "I'm begging you!"

Yun Yi glanced at her, thinking to himself what was wrong with this woman again. She had said before that they were even and that they would never have anything to do with each other again, but now she was offering to do him a favor.

Perhaps because of her staring at him like that, Yun Yi had no choice but to agree, and the two of them flew back to the Giant Tree Forest.

Yun Yi used the same trick again, placing one hand on the thick tree trunk and carefully feeling the heartbeat-like rhythm within it.

"I'm looking for someone named Aning. Do you know where she is?"

The large tree hesitated for a moment, then suddenly began to move slowly through the forest, making way for the tree.

Yunyi and Lanzhenxin walked to the end of the road and came to face a lush tree.

"A-Ning?" Yun Yi asked softly.

The lapis lazuli veins on the tree trunk shimmered like breathing, as if silently answering, "I am."

Yun Yi gave Lan Zhenxin a look, and she nodded. She then leaned forward and asked, "A Ning, do you still remember Qing Wu?"

The next moment, when the giant tree heard the words "Qingwu", the vines that wrapped around the trunk moved without wind, the leaves trembled as if tears were welling up in their eyes, and clusters of white flowers adorned with dewdrops bloomed on the branches.

Even though thousands of years have passed in the blink of an eye, she still remembers that name that only appeared briefly in her life.

Lan Zhenxin glanced at Yun Yi secretly, feeling inexplicably sad.

She muttered to herself, "If I were to turn into a tree, I wonder if anyone would remember me."

(End of this chapter)