Cultivation of immortality begins with an eighty-year-old eunuch.

Meanwhile, deep within the imperial city of Dayuan, in the underground chamber of Fengtian Hall.

The rising smoke from the incense, like dragons and snakes, swirled and coiled, eventually slowly entering the seven orifices of the figure sitting cross-legged in the center.

Emperor Jianwen, Xiao Quan, slowly opened his eyes, his gaze filled with a sharp light, and his aura was full and harmonious, indicating that he had already reached the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm.

He exhaled a breath of stale air, which contained wisps of golden willpower that seeped into the array patterns engraved on the walls of the secret chamber, making the protective aura of the entire chamber even brighter.

After three years of seclusion, he finally stabilized his Nascent Soul realm.

Emperor Jianwen showed little joy; instead, he frowned slightly.

Just as he emerged from seclusion and his divine sense connected with the outside world, he keenly sensed something amiss.

The spiritual energy between heaven and earth... seems to be thinning.

This thinness is so subtle that ordinary people, even those at the lower levels of Qi Refining or Foundation Establishment, cannot perceive it at all. Only those who have reached the Core Formation stage or above, and whose divine sense is sharp enough, can vaguely detect the trend of a stream quietly drying up.

Emperor Jianwen rose, took a step, and his figure appeared on the white jade square outside the Fengtian Hall.

It was midday, the sun was shining brightly, and people were coming and going inside and outside the imperial city. The bustling city was still as noisy as ever. The guards were full of energy, and the patrolling cultivators flew low on their magical artifacts. Everything seemed to be the same as usual.

However, as he looked up at the sky, his divine sense spread out like an invisible spider web, merging into the surrounding world.

Indeed, it was not an illusion.

The spiritual energy gathered by the Imperial City Formation was still abundant, but outside the formation, the spiritual energy wandering in the world was slowly but continuously dissipating, like an invisible funnel quietly draining away the foundation of this world.

"The spiritual energy is waning..." Emperor Jianwen muttered to himself, a hint of solemnity flashing in his eyes.

His first thought was of the concerns that the two temple staff members who stayed behind at Baicaotang had mentioned.

Before his master left, he told Qingmu and Chiyan that the Soul Refining Sect's seal could only last for another hundred years at most, and entrusted them to take care of Dayuan Yier.

The sudden drop in spiritual energy in the world is most likely related to the patriarch of the Soul Refining Sect!

As his thoughts raced, Emperor Jianwen's figure flickered, transforming into a pale golden streak of light, and in an instant, he arrived at a secluded courtyard in the southeast corner of the imperial city.

This is the branch of Baicaotang in Dayuan Imperial City, and also the place where Qingmu and Chiyan cultivate in seclusion.

Ancient trees towered in the courtyard, and fragrant herbs filled the air. As soon as Emperor Jianwen landed, the door to the side room opened silently, and Qingmu and Chiyan emerged together, their faces equally solemn.

"Your Majesty has also noticed?" Aoki bowed respectfully and got straight to the point.

Emperor Jianwen nodded and said in a deep voice, "I sensed it when I came out of seclusion just now. Although the flow of spiritual energy is slow, the trend is already evident. You two have resided here for a long time; I wonder if there were any signs beforehand?"

Chi Yan shook his head, his voice low: "It probably started in the last year or two. At first, it was very slight, and we just thought it was a normal fluctuation of the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. But in the past few months, the rate of loss seems to have accelerated, especially in the northwest... That is where the former Qingyun Sect's mountain gate was located, and it is also the core entrance to the sealed land."

Aoki picked up the thread, adding, "When Fellow Daoist Chen left, he said that the Soul Refining Sect's patriarch had been sealed for ten thousand years, and although his strength was only a tenth of what it used to be, he was still an old demon at the Integration Stage, with extraordinary abilities. The seal he set up using the entire Soul Refining Sect ruins as its base had been worn down over ten thousand years and was already on the verge of collapse. Fellow Daoist Chen barely managed to repair it with his secret techniques, which only extended his lifespan by a hundred years. Now, fifteen years have passed, and considering the time, that old demon is probably... getting restless."

"Is he rapidly absorbing the spiritual energy of this world in an attempt to restore it?" Emperor Jianwen's pupils constricted slightly.

"Very likely." Aoki sighed. "Even when suppressed by a seal, a Nascent Soul cultivator's instinctive capacity to absorb and release spiritual energy is beyond our comprehension. This sealed area is already sparsely populated with spiritual energy; with him absorbing it like a whale, it probably won't last long. Once the spiritual energy is completely depleted, the sealing power will inevitably weaken greatly, and then..."

Before he could finish speaking, all three understood the consequences.

It should be known that if the patriarch of the Soul Refining Sect were to escape, not to mention the Great Abyss now, even if all the cultivators here were gathered together, they might not be able to withstand his ferocity.

At that time, the billions of living beings in this sealed land will likely become food for the old demon to recover his cultivation.

Emperor Jianwen remained silent for a moment, then asked, "In your opinion, how long can this rate of spiritual energy dissipation be sustained?"

Chi Yan and Qing Mu exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of helplessness in each other's eyes.

Chi Yan pondered, "If the current trend continues, I'm afraid... in at most seventy years, the spiritual energy here will plummet to its lowest point. At that time, not only will it be difficult for high-level cultivators to cultivate, but even maintaining the existing city-protecting array and sect restrictions will probably require a massive amount of spirit stones. And once the spiritual energy is depleted to a certain extent, the maintenance of the seal itself will also be problematic."

Seventy years.

Emperor Jianwen's heart sank.

This time seems to have come even faster than the century that Master predicted.

"Master... has any news come back?" Emperor Jianwen looked at the two of them, a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

Aoki shook his head and said with a wry smile, "As Your Majesty knows, Tiannan Star is isolated from this sealed land, making the transmission of information extremely difficult. Although Baicao Hall has special channels to contact its branches outside, it requires a considerable price and is limited to the exchange of major intelligence. After Fellow Daoist Chen went to Tiannan Star, he disappeared without a trace."

Emperor Jianwen remained silent.

He knew that his master's journey would be fraught with difficulties.

The Southern Star is vast and boundless, teeming with powerful beings. I wonder where my master is now, and whether he is well.

"Master..." Emperor Jianwen murmured to himself, but his face remained expressionless. He simply cupped his hands to Qingmu Chiyan and said, "Thank you both for informing me. This matter concerns the survival of the sealed land, and I need to investigate it personally. I will temporarily leave the affairs of the capital and the nation to you two."

"It's our duty," Aoki and Akane returned the greeting in unison.

After leaving the Baicaotang courtyard, Emperor Jianwen did not return to Fengtian Hall. Instead, he turned and headed towards the familiar stables deep within the palace.

Imperial Horse Stables.

Fifteen years have passed, and time seems to have stood still here. The red walls and gray tiles remain, the stables are neat, and the air is filled with the unique scent of hay and livestock.

A figure dressed in simple eunuch attire, yet showing no signs of age, was slowly adding hay and water to the trough, carrying a wooden bucket.

His movements were practiced and his expression was calm. If it weren't for the faint spiritual pressure of the early Nascent Soul stage circulating around him, anyone would have thought he was just an ordinary old eunuch.

This person is Xiaodengzi.

"His Majesty has arrived." Hearing the footsteps, Xiao Dengzi did not turn around. While feeding the horse, he habitually greeted him in a flat tone.

Emperor Jianwen didn't take it to heart. He walked to the stable railing, looked at the spirited steed burying its head in its trough and chewing its fodder, remained silent for a moment before speaking:

"Master... has any news been sent back?"