I forge immortality with a pagoda.

Seeing that Shen Yu was barely breathing and had a sincere expression, Gu Penghao's doubts dissipated.

He took two steps forward and reached out to help Shen Yu up. He had his own calculations in mind. If what Shen Yu said was true, then it would be fine. But if he was lying to him, he was not afraid that Shen Yu had any tricks up his sleeve, given his Golden Core cultivation.

Most importantly, he had been living alone here for decades and was going crazy with boredom. He desperately wanted someone to come and relieve his boredom, even if that person didn't have any good intentions.

Thinking of this, Gu Penghao took two steps forward and made a gesture with his fingers, and the rope binding Shen Yu fell off in response.

"Young friend, there's no need for this. Although I have lived in the Abyss for a long time, I am not a man who kills indiscriminately. Although I do not know Gu Xuan, Gu Xuan is a descendant of my Gu clan, and we may have a close relationship. Since you are Gu Xuan's friend and you have come with him to this dangerous place to find me, it is enough to show your loyalty and righteousness."

After speaking, Gu Penghao transferred a gentle stream of magic power to slowly reconnect the broken bones in Shen Yu's legs, allowing the muscles to regenerate. In just a moment, the injured legs had fully recovered.

Then, he took out a jade bottle from his sleeve, poured out two crimson pills, and handed them to Shen Yu: "These are the Crimson Yang Rejuvenating Pills, which can help you regulate your Qi and restore your true Qi. After taking them, circulate your Qi three times, and your injuries should be much better."

Shen Yu took the pill and felt its warmth and fragrance permeating his body. He knew it was no ordinary product, so he immediately thanked her and took it. He then sat cross-legged and regulated his breathing as instructed.

The abyss was filled with eerie yin energy, and the surrounding area was shrouded in darkness. Only the residence where Gu Penghao was located was set up with an array, which rippled out a hazy blue light, barely dispelling the darkness.

When Shen Yu circulated his cultivation technique, he could clearly feel the sparse and chaotic spiritual energy around him, and the faint sound of wind like ghosts wailing came from the far distance, which made the place seem even more isolated and mysterious.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Shen Yu's face gradually regained its color, and his breathing became stable.

He opened his eyes and met Gu Penghao's scrutinizing gaze.

"How are you feeling?" Gu Penghao asked.

"Thank you for the medicine, senior. I am much better now."

"Hmm." Gu Penghao looked at Shen Yu with admiration. "Your cultivation of true qi is quite remarkable. Even I, an old man, cannot discern your background. I won't ask you any of those irrelevant questions. Just tell me about your origins."

Shen Yu stood up and bowed respectfully. "This junior is Zhu Jianda. I am a rogue cultivator from the southern region of Dongling Prefecture. I met Fellow Daoist Gu Xuan when I was traveling in my early years. We went through several dangers together and became sworn brothers."

Gu Penghao nodded slightly, his expression softening considerably: "It wasn't easy for you to find this place."

"Not only is your cultivation extraordinary, but you are also a master alchemist."

Shen Yu's heart stirred slightly, but his face revealed a perfectly appropriate look of confusion: "This junior is indeed somewhat puzzled. The Abyss is an extremely yin and cold place, with chaotic spiritual energy and rampant filth, truly not a suitable place for alchemy. With your abilities, why not leave the Abyss and choose another blessed land with abundant spiritual energy to start your furnace? Could it be... that you have some unavoidable difficulty?"

Upon hearing this, Gu Penghao remained silent for a long time.

The fire inside the secret chamber emitted a dim light, and under this light, the face of the Golden Core cultivator appeared somewhat desolate and forlorn.

He spoke slowly: "This matter is a long story, and it concerns a very important secret. Since you are a friend of Gu Xuan and have come here, I may tell you, but you must swear an oath not to tell anyone."

Shen Yu immediately agreed solemnly and swore an oath.

Gu Penghao then began to recount: "Back then, I was hindered by a secret technique of the Gu family called Divine Sense Nourishing Spirit. I needed to find a spiritual herb called Netherworld Soul Essence to use in my medicine. This herb was only occasionally produced in the depths of the Abyss, so I risked venturing here alone. Unexpectedly, during my search, I stumbled into a space with the remnants of this restriction and met a senior."

"Senior?" Shen Yu's heart skipped a beat.

His tone grew serious, and a look of awe appeared in his eyes: "That senior is a True Monarch of the Void Refinement Realm."

Shen Yu's pupils contracted slightly.

The True Lord of Refining Emptiness is an existence far surpassing the Golden Core, Nascent Soul, and Divine Transformation realms. Even within a single realm, he is a pillar of strength.

How could such a person hide in such a desolate place as the Abyss?

Gu Penghao did not notice Shen Yu's reaction and continued, "It seems that the True Lord was fighting a powerful enemy at the time and suffered extremely serious Dao injuries. He had no choice but to escape into the depths of the abyss, using the yin and turbid energy of this place to cover up the secrets of heaven and suppress his injuries."

"Although his cultivation has been temporarily suppressed, his remaining power is still there. He is particularly skilled in puppet making and divine sense attacks, which are quite similar to the divine sense methods passed down by my Gu clan. Seeing that the cultivation method I practice is related to him, the True Lord bestowed a part of his inheritance upon me and entrusted me with a task: I must refine a batch of Nine-Turn Rejuvenating Life Essence Pills for him here to help him stabilize his primordial spirit and slow down the deterioration of his Dao injury."

Upon hearing this, Shen Yu's doubts not only did not dissipate, but instead intensified.

Even if a True Monarch of the Void Refinement Realm is seriously injured, how could the pills he needs be something that a Golden Core cultivator could not possibly obtain?

Let alone refining it, even the many rare and precious ingredients in the pill formula are probably not found in this world.

He couldn't help but ask, "Senior's alchemy skills are indeed profound, but the pills required by the True Lord must be of extremely high grade. I may be so bold as to ask if Senior can truly refine them?"

Gu Penghao shook his head with a wry smile: "Of course not. The True Lord knows that my abilities are insufficient, so the pill formula he bestowed is actually a simplified version of the Lesser Nine-Turn Rejuvenation Pill. Its efficacy is less than one ten-thousandth of the original formula, and it can only provide slight relief. As for the main ingredients needed for refining the pill, the True Lord has already prepared them himself. I only need to prepare them according to the formula and start the furnace on time."

He pointed to the bronze alchemy furnace, which was about ten feet tall, in the secret chamber, "Every time an elixir is made, it is placed on the altar."

"And after it's placed on the altar?" Shen Yu pressed. "Will the True Lord come to retrieve it personally?"

Gu Penghao's expression became somewhat subtle, and he slowly said, "No. After the pills are placed on the altar, they will disappear on their own in a short while. I have never seen the True Lord's true face, nor do I know where he is. Only occasionally do I receive guidance from the True Lord in my divine sense, informing me of the time and subtle adjustments to the heat for the next pill refining."

Shen Yu felt a chill run down his spine. He had never actually shown himself, yet he could persuade a Golden Core cultivator to willingly remain in the Abyss for years to refine pills for him simply by communicating through divine sense? This sounded increasingly bizarre.

Was that "True Lord of Refining Emptiness" truly so badly injured that he couldn't move an inch, or did he have other plans?

His gaze swept over the alchemy room, then looked out into the boundless darkness outside his residence, a chill creeping up his spine.

Taking the opportunity, Shen Yu asked the question that had been bothering him: "Senior, do you know the reason for the turmoil in the Abyss five years ago? And what is the origin of that suspended dojo?"

Gu Penghao pondered for a moment, then said, "I vaguely sensed the turmoil five years ago. My guess is that perhaps the True Lord's injuries recurred, causing him to leak a trace of his aura, which stirred up the Yin Demon Qi of the earth's veins. As for the suspended dojo..."

He shook his head. "I explored those ruins several times in my younger days, and apart from some Dao seeds, I didn't find anything else unusual."

......

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