I forge immortality with a pagoda.

The four people behind them noticed almost simultaneously that their true qi was in chaos.

Jin Xuan Daoist was the first to attack, and Su Xuan Ding Yuan Jade Bowl shot out a beam of white light that swept towards the fruit.

A massive black hand reached forward, and Wanxie Shangren hissed, "Mine!!"

Gan Xiong roared and slapped both of them with his palms.

The old Taoist Kuwu unleashed several invisible wind blades, not to directly seize the fruit, but to distract the other three.

In an instant, white light, black mist, fists, palms, and wind blades collided, intertwined, and tore at each other in the air. The turbulent flow of spiritual energy engulfed the Xuan Jade Fruit, moving it left and right, and for a moment no one could hold onto it securely.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Shen Yu spurred the flying boat, instantly widening the distance considerably.

However, this chaos did not last long.

Wan Xie said hoarsely, "Don't let that kid get away! He still has two Xuan Jade Fruits!"

The other three were taken aback upon hearing this, and they all realized that the key was to pursue Shen Yu, but none of them were willing to give up the fruit in front of them.

A struggle flashed across the eyes of the three, but their hands continued to move.

After fighting for a while longer, Jin Xuan finally let out a cold snort and made up his mind.

He immediately broke free, turned around, and flew off in the direction Shen Yu had fled.

Seeing this, the old Taoist Kuwu threw out a gourd-shaped talisman, sat on it, and followed closely behind, chasing after them.

Taking advantage of the moment when the two were leaving, Master Wanxie snatched the Xuan Yu Fruit into his robes and retreated rapidly.

What followed was Gan Xiong's rain of fists, the shadows of his fists colliding instantly with the thousands of ghostly figures, creating a deafening explosion, and the two immediately began a fierce battle in the air.

Shen Yu looked back and cursed under his breath, but the two Foundation Establishment cultivators behind him were still chasing closely.

Although his true qi was of an exceptionally high grade, it was not inexhaustible. At this moment, he was already feeling somewhat powerless to continue activating the flying talisman.

Although the Foundation Establishment cultivators behind him did not possess as much pure True Qi as he did, they had the advantage of a much larger quantity of True Qi. If left unattended, he would surely be captured by these two.

So he took out the second Xuanyu Fruit and threw it backwards again.

When Jin Xuan Daoist and Ku Wu Lao Daoist saw the second fruit flying towards them, their eyes gleamed with shrewdness. Almost simultaneously, they abandoned their pursuit and instead pounced on the newly appeared Xuan Yu Fruit.

Both of them were intimidated by Shen Yu's ruthless self-destruction of the talisman, and were even more wary of the extremely high-grade true qi.

For a moment, neither of them wanted to provoke Shen Yu anymore, and they let him do as he pleased.

Shen Yu dared not linger for a moment, pushing the speed of the flying boat to its limit. Before long, it completely disappeared from the sight of the Foundation Establishment cultivators.

......

Once all the cultivators had left Qinggang Mountain, Xu Mingtang cautiously revealed himself deep within the shadows of the cave.

He wiped away a cold sweat, let out a long sigh, and muttered to himself, "It's just for a fruit that helps condense true qi, yet they've fought so fiercely."

He looked around furtively and saw that the jade platform in the middle had been completely cleared away, but he didn't seem to mind.

With a leap, he used his Qi to fly to the top of the cave.

He then took out several white jade porcelain bottles from his bosom, carefully collecting the spiritual liquid seeping from the tips of the stalactites, moving gently as if afraid of wasting a single drop.

After collecting all the spiritual liquid, he began digging deep into the ground, uprooting all the spiritual herbs and plants in the cave that were still of decent age.

After finishing these tasks, Xu Mingtang looked around again.

Finally, they didn't even spare the jade platforms, putting them all into the largest storage bag.

After thoroughly cleaning the place, leaving no stone unturned, Xu Mingtang clapped his hands with satisfaction and quietly left the empty cave.

......

Time flies, and several months have passed in the blink of an eye.

Shen Yu sped along, and was now tens of thousands of miles away from Qinggang Mountain, arriving at the border of Yu Kingdom, the very place where he had once joined forces with Daoist Yunhui to exorcise demons.

The green hills remain, but things have changed and people are no longer the same.

The former demon's lair has long been abandoned, blending perfectly with the green mountains, with only faint traces still visible.

The old friend has passed away, leaving only the vast mountains, which evokes deep emotions.

Following his memory, Shen Yu searched the mountains for several days and finally found the hidden place where the remains of Daoist Yunhui were buried.

He landed gracefully, using his talisman sword to slice through the covering vines and boulders, slowly revealing a rough stone cave.

Stepping inside, a blank stone tablet stands silently before the tomb, unchanged from when I left.

Shen Yu knelt down in front of the grave and solemnly kowtowed three times.

"Master, your disciple has now reached the Qi Refining stage, which is enough for you to personally avenge your enemies."

"but...."

He paused.

"After this incident, my future path is set. I fear I will fall into the demonic path and will no longer be able to do the righteous work of slaying demons and eliminating evil as you have hoped."

"May you not blame your disciple for the choice you made in the afterlife."

After speaking, he stood up, took out a flask of sake, uncorked it, and slowly poured the sake onto the ground in front of the grave, filling the air with its rich aroma.

After a moment of silence, he smiled faintly.

Looking back on his own actions, he killed many cultivators and refined them into pills to consume. How was this any different from the actions of the demonic path?

But the cultivation world is a dog-eat-dog world; if you are not skilled enough, you should be devoured.

The Xuanmen and the Modao are, in the end, just different paths of cultivation. If we talk about their origins, they are both on the path of immortality.

Within the Xuanmen (Taoist sect), how few are those who appear virtuous but act ruthlessly?

Without further hesitation, Shen Yu turned around and cast a spell to reseal the cave entrance. In the blink of an eye, a round and plump spiritual fruit, white with a hint of pink, was in his palm.

As soon as the spiritual fruit was taken out, its rich and exotic fragrance filled the air, refreshing the mind and making one's mouth water.

Shen Yu resisted the urge to swallow it whole, and instead brought it closer to his nose. A sense of ethereal lightness immediately rose from the bottom of his heart and spread throughout his body.

Within the dantian, the true qi trembled slightly, as if it wanted to leave the body and merge into the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, vast and mysterious.

Shen Yu focused his mind and concentrated on one thing, allowing his spirit to return to clarity and his mind to be free from distractions.

Only after his energy and spirit had been adjusted to their peak state did he put the Xuan Jade Fruit into his mouth.

The moment he bit into the fruit, a burst of cool, sweet juice exploded in his mouth, making Shen Yu's teeth shine and invigorating him.

"This fruit tastes absolutely wonderful!"

Shen Yu mumbled incoherently, subconsciously repeating something.

He chewed carefully, and soon finished the fist-sized Xuan Yu fruit.

Reluctantly, he swallowed the last bite of fruit.

My body is already full of vitality, feeling cool and comfortable.

In addition, an extraordinary, inexplicable, and endless Daoist charm surged within his chest.

A feeling of hunger immediately arose, not from the stomach, but from the depths of the mind, from the primordial spirit.

Shen Yu only wanted to swallow all the spiritual energy in the mountain in one go.

Without hesitation, Shen Yu took out all the resources he had obtained with a wave of his hand. The talisman coins were piled up like mountains, and the spirit stones shone with light, almost filling the entire temporary cave.

He raised the corners of his mouth slightly, then immediately sat down cross-legged and inhaled deeply according to the method.

In an instant, the rich and pure spiritual energy transformed into a visible torrent, surging into his mouth and nose, and was immediately devoured by the thirsty true qi in his abdomen.

Shen Yu's eyes lit up, and he immediately understood.

So this is where the miraculous effects of the Mysterious Jade Fruit are manifested.

Previously, when he broke through from the first level of Qi Refining to the second level, he clearly felt the fullness of his True Qi after its increase.

Eat at the right time, and your body will be in good condition.

By activating its mechanism, all things will be at peace.

The path of cultivation emphasizes gradual progress. Even with exceptional talent, one cannot make endless, rapid advancements. One must calm the mind and solidify one's newfound abilities to establish a firm foundation before striving for further progress.

But after consuming the Mysterious Jade Fruit, everything was completely different.

During the duration of the medicine's effects, with each wisp of spiritual energy absorbed and refined, the true qi within the body would automatically solidify and become more refined, saving the effort of consolidating one's foundation.

Even after refining spiritual energy in such a near-swallowing manner, the true qi did not feel weak or superficial at all; on the contrary, it became increasingly condensed and substantial.

Having understood this principle, Shen Yu had no more worries. He immediately focused all his attention on circulating his cultivation technique and began frantically refining the resources for cultivation.

After all the talisman coins and spirit stones had turned to dust and the spiritual energy had been completely absorbed, Shen Yu slowly woke up from his meditation.

His aura trembled slightly, then returned to a profound and unfathomable state.

It can be described as a harmonious blend of the five elements, a harmonious union of yin and yang, and a state of perfect harmony.

"As expected of the Mysterious Jade Fruit."

Shen Yu exhaled a breath of stale air and chuckled softly.

His current cultivation level is already at the third level of Qi Refining.

It is not far from the threshold of the fourth level of Qi Refining.

The extraordinary Qi-condensing effect of the Xuan Yu Fruit, combined with his previous substantial accumulation, finally helped him break through to the third level of Qi Refining in one fell swoop, a truly enormous gain.

Looking across the entire Eastern Spirit Continent, those who can make such progress at the Qi Refining stage are extremely rare.

As Shen Yu's gaze swept over the various storage treasures in front of him, he felt somewhat helpless.

While the Primordial Profound Truth he cultivated was indeed wondrous and unparalleled, with power far surpassing his peers, the amount of spiritual energy he needed to devour and refine with each advancement in realm was also enormous, and it would only increase in the future, never decrease.

The Qi Refining Realm is divided into nine levels, which are further divided into early, middle, and late stages.

Levels one to three are the early stage, levels four to six are the middle stage, and levels seven to nine are the late stage.

Each stage of progress presents a significant hurdle.

Not only does it require cultivators to cultivate diligently in places rich in spiritual energy for a long time, but it also places strict requirements on the cultivators' innate qualities and aptitude.

Among Qi Refining cultivators, the largest number are those who are stuck at the third or sixth level for many years without being able to break through. The root cause lies in their limited aptitude or their low efficiency in absorbing and refining spiritual energy, resulting in insufficient accumulation to break through the barriers.

That is why the Xuan Yu Fruit, a spiritual object that can help people gather true qi and make up for their shortcomings, is so precious.

For someone like Shen Yu to consume it when breaking through from the second to the third level would be considered a complete waste by ordinary cultivators.

However, Shen Yu had his own reasons for taking the medicine at this time without hesitation.

He firmly believed that he could overcome the so-called barriers and constraints on his own.

As for the source of inspiration, he had no worries at all.

Not to mention the mysterious attributes of the Primordial Mystery that governs all energies.

The Xuanqiong Pagoda's heaven-defying power to refine all things and nourish itself was enough to replenish his daily needs.

Shen Yu resealed the cave and then cast a spell to restore it to its original state.

Then it transformed into a streak of light and flew towards the capital of the Yu Kingdom.

......

In the Yu Kingdom, within its royal palace, the Taihua Hall stands majestically.

The palace was tall and spacious, with carved beams and painted rafters, and was resplendent in gold and green.

Twelve golden pillars with coiled dragons support the caisson ceiling dome painted with the sun, moon and stars, while the floor is paved with warm white jade that is so smooth it reflects light.

On either side of the hall stood two rows of golden-armored warriors, each wielding a golden spear and clad in heavy armor. They were like clay sculptures, solemn and silent, with only their eyes revealing a chilling aura of killing intent.

Yu Yihu was sitting upright on a carved dragon golden chair on a Sumeru pedestal.

He wore an ochre-yellow dragon-patterned robe and a towering crown. His face was gloomy, and his gaze swept over the kneeling crowd like a hawk, exuding an imposing aura without anger.

The youngest son, Yu Dingguan, stood respectfully to his side, holding his breath and concentrating, not daring to overstep the bounds of propriety.

Your Highness, several Taoist priests lowered their heads and trembled.

He Chen Sanren, steeling himself, said in a hoarse voice, "Your Majesty, I was ordered to go to the Kingdom of Xian to negotiate, but the Prime Minister Xian remains stubborn and refuses to relinquish control of the Spirit Spring!"

Yu Yihu let out a cold snort, his brows furrowed, and the aura of the two rows of golden-armored warriors suddenly changed, with a strong killing intent spreading out, and the temperature in the hall seemed to drop a few degrees.

Originally, after he successfully refined his true qi, it would have been a natural thing for him to annex the Xian Kingdom, and the spiritual spring in the capital of the Xian Kingdom that could help with cultivation should have belonged to him.

Unexpectedly, just as he had purged the Yu Kingdom and was preparing to wage war against the Xian Kingdom, the Xian Kingdom's ruler, Xian Xiangdao, also successfully cultivated true qi.

The wise minister's move undoubtedly surprised Yu Yihu and disrupted all his plans.

What's even more troublesome is that this virtuous minister has somehow become related to someone; one of his nephews has already reached the third level of the Kaiyuan realm at a young age, and has also obtained an opportunity to join a certain sect for cultivation at an early age.

If we were to completely break ties with them and they were to bring in cultivators from their sects to intervene, the foundation of my Yu Kingdom would likely change hands in an instant!

He Chen Sanren's lips trembled, as if he wanted to say something but stopped, seemingly afraid that if he continued, he would completely ignite Yu Yihu's thunderous rage.

Yu Yihu narrowed his eyes. "What else did he say? Tell me all at once."

"He...he said..." He Chen Sanren's scalp tingled, and his voice grew softer and softer, "If King Yu sends anyone to harass the matter of the Spirit Spring again, he will send the Xian Kingdom's iron cavalry to raze my capital and tear King Yu to pieces..."

The last few words were barely audible, as faint as a mosquito's buzz.

"What?!!"

Yu Yihu flew into a rage and slammed his hand on the armrest of the dragon throne.

With a loud "bang," the gold-inlaid and jade-embroidered chair was smashed to pieces by his angry palm, scattering gold dust everywhere.

The audience trembled, bowed their heads deeply, and dared not meet Yu Yihu's gaze on stage.

He Chen Sanren dared not utter a sound, pressing his head to the ground.

The hall fell silent for a moment; you could almost hear a pin drop.

Yu Yihu's chest heaved violently, his face contorted in a ferocious expression.

He took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, and turned to look at another person below the stage, his voice chilling: "Yang Yue, have you found out exactly what kind of true qi that sage-like Daoist is cultivating?"

An elderly Taoist priest with graying hair, upon hearing the voice, struggled to straighten his hunched body. "Your Majesty, I have infiltrated the Kingdom of Xian to investigate in many ways, but despite my best efforts, I have been unable to ascertain the true qi cultivated by the virtuous minister. I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness!"

......

......