I forge immortality with a pagoda.

At the foot of Lanxiu Peak, halfway up the mountain.

In a newly opened cave, Shen Yu and Cui Youxin sat facing each other. Between them floated a page of gold paper. The characters on it were connected by strokes, but they twisted and changed, changing with every breath, making it extremely mysterious.

During this period, Shen Yu stayed almost constantly in his cave, studying the ancient immortal script on the gold paper with Cui Youxin day and night.

Shen Yu mastered nearly 20% of the texts that took Cui Youxin several years to even scratch the surface of.

Such talent far exceeded his imagination, and the last remaining hope of regaining his freedom vanished completely.

Seeing that Shen Yu had finally stopped trying to comprehend the mystery, Cui Youxin also offered a reminder.

"My lord."

"The immortal script is profound and mysterious; deciphering it is already a challenge, but using it is even more perilous."

"Although my lord has already learned a lot, he must not practice it recklessly. The technique is incomplete, and if you are not careful, it may cause the true energy to flow backward and you may suffer from qi deviation."

Shen Yu closed her eyes slightly and rubbed her temples.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. I won't practice it recklessly before I fully understand its true meaning."

After considering for a moment, Cui Youxin hesitated before speaking, "My lord, I've been confined to this cave for days, and it's getting rather stifling. Would you allow me to walk around the sect and get some fresh air?"

Shen Yu looked up at him, lost in thought.

He brought Cui Youxin back to the sect without reporting to the elders in charge.

If we rashly bring him into the public eye, it will inevitably attract criticism and may give those who dislike us a handle to use against us.

However, staying in seclusion here for an extended period is not a long-term solution and would hinder Cui Youxin's cultivation progress.

"The time is not yet ripe."

"There are many eyes and ears within the sect, and your identity is special, so it is not advisable to expose it too early. After some time, when everything is settled, I will personally strive to obtain the qualification for you to cultivate freely within the sect."

Shen Yu shook his head and said this.

Disappointment flashed across Cui Youxin's eyes. He quickly lowered his gaze and respectfully replied, "I understand."

Shen Yu stood up, flicked his sleeve, and put the floating gold paper into his sleeve.

I have written down a lot of ancient immortal texts in the past few days, and I need time to calmly digest their profound meaning.

Right now, I still need to search for Yangquanzhi for my two junior brothers, so I might as well take this opportunity to thoroughly master those ancient immortal texts.

"I need to go out on business. Please keep this courtyard plaque safe." Shen Yu handed a jade plaque to Cui Youxin. "I will not be in the sect these days, so please remember not to cause any trouble."

"You may use the spiritual spring in the courtyard as you wish. If any of your junior brothers ask, just say that you are a distant friend of mine, Shen Yu, and they should not make things difficult for you."

Cui Youxin's face lit up with joy. He rarely saw spiritual springs when he was wandering around, and it was a stroke of luck if he could use one even once.

"Please rest assured, Your Majesty. I understand the implications and will certainly not cause you any trouble."

Choi Yoo-shin carefully took the restriction token from the courtyard with both hands and placed it close to his body.

Shen Yu nodded slightly, then carefully instructed on the rules and taboos of the Lu Jing Sect before turning to leave.

Yangquanzhi is an extremely potent yang medicine, not something that can grow in ordinary places. Shen Yu has been reading through a large number of sect records and making inquiries in recent days, and finally found a clue in a tattered ancient scroll.

Tens of thousands of miles away from Lu Jingzong, on the other side of the Wan Chong Mountain, there is an area called Fire Maple Forest.

The forest was small and located in a remote area, so few people knew about it.

According to ancient records, the forest is perpetually filled with volcanic eruptions and abundant with fiery energy, making it an ideal place to nurture powerful medicinal herbs of the Yang element.

Shen Yu summoned the Flowing Cloud Flying Boat, leaped aboard lightly, and without wasting a moment, sped off toward the Fire Maple Forest.

...

The sky was vast and clear, without a single cloud in the distance.

Shen Yu stood at the bow of the Flowing Cloud Flying Boat, his clothes fluttering in the wind.

He gazed into the distance and saw a vibrant orange-red forest on the horizon, a striking contrast to the surrounding verdant mountains, like cinnabar adorning the lush greenery, dazzling and eye-catching.

"We've finally arrived."

After driving the flying boat for several days, even with his abundant true qi, he felt somewhat tired.

Seeing the destination ahead, I couldn't help but relax.

He urged the flying boat to descend slowly, and only then could he see the entire maple forest.

This maple forest is nestled beside a deep rift valley, where the water veins surge and roar like thunder, and thick water vapor rises up, forming a hazy mist.

However, within the maple forest, fire occasionally bursts forth from the cracks, creating a strange coexistence of water and fire in this place.

Shen Yu pressed down his true qi, put away the flying boat, and gracefully landed in the maple forest.

As soon as I landed, I felt a wave of scorching heat hit me, and the soil beneath my feet was a deep crimson red, feeling slightly hot to the touch.

Flames could be seen leaping everywhere in the forest, scorching the air and making it slightly distorted.

Although it is the height of summer, the Fire Maple Forest already has the scenery of late autumn, with maple leaves as red as fire, layer upon layer, extremely beautiful.

These maple trees are no ordinary species; they have clearly undergone a mutation due to the constant influence of the yang energy within the earth's fire over the years.

After some searching, he did find some herbs, including several yang-type herbs, but he couldn't find any trace of Yangquanzhi.

Among these herbs, some are even more precious than Yangquan Ganoderma.

"That's rather strange. Why can't we find any trace of Yang Quanzhi?"

Shen Yu murmured to himself in a low voice.

Suddenly, he noticed a small pit on the ground in the forest.

This pit has appeared before, and more than once.

Shen Yu immediately bent down and began to observe carefully.

Immediately, he realized that there was a strong yang energy in the pit, which was of the same origin as the Yangquanzhi he had encountered in the Liexingfang Association.

The soil in these small pits is dry and not covered by leaves, indicating that they are newly formed pits.

"It seems this place was originally where a Yangquan mushroom was located, but someone beat me to it and picked it before me."

"How could anyone come to gather herbs in such a remote and hard-to-find place?"

Shen Yu frowned slightly. If that were really the case, his search for Yangquanzhi would not be so easy.

At this moment, he could only hope that the person, or those few people, had not gone far.

After a moment's thought, Shen Yu stopped suppressing his own energy and released his true qi without restraint.

In an instant, a powerful aura soared into the sky, causing the spiritual energy within a hundred miles to tremble. Various exotic birds that lived in the forest were startled and took flight, covering the sky and creating a magnificent spectacle.

Somewhere in the woods, the three of them suddenly stopped and looked at each other in bewilderment.

"There really is someone else in the Fire Maple Forest. Junior Brother Xie, you were right."

Among the three, a tall, spirited woman said jokingly.

Xie Yuxuan did not answer, but turned to an old Taoist priest in white robes and a jade crown beside her and asked in a low voice.

"Master, what should we do?"

The old Taoist stroked his beard, his brows furrowed, unable to make up his mind.

......

......