I forge immortality with a pagoda.

Shen Yu gasped for breath and it took him a long time to calm down.

"Indeed, with my mid-stage Qi Refining cultivation, it's still too much of a stretch for me to fight against a Foundation Establishment cultivator. I suppose you're at the first level of Foundation Establishment, senior."

"Indeed, if I could have taken another step forward and reached the second level of Foundation Establishment, I would not have ended up in such a sorry state when I faced your final move today."

He glanced around. "Feng Yi, Shi Yuan, what are you waiting for? Capture this boy immediately!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Fengyi and Xie Shiyuan stepped forward together, ready to capture the person.

"Wait!"

Shen Yu shouted.

Wang Xuanxiu raised his hand, stopping the two in their tracks.

Wang Xuanxiu frowned and raised his hand to stop his disciple. "Your true qi is exhausted; you are at your last gasp. What can you do?"

Shen Yu's face was deathly pale, and his eyes were icy as he said, "If those two take another step forward, I guarantee that none of you, including myself, will leave this Fiery Maple Forest alive today!"

"Hahaha!!"

Wang Xuanxiu seemed to have heard the most ridiculous joke in the world. He laughed wildly until he aggravated his injuries and coughed up several mouthfuls of foul blood before he could finally stop.

"Ridiculous, truly ridiculous! This is the biggest joke I've ever heard in my two hundred years of cultivation!"

"You don't believe me?" Shen Yu's tone was resolute, containing a hint of madness.

"Bring it on, whatever tricks you have up your sleeve. I want to see how you'll struggle!"

Although Wang Xuanxiu said this, he became wary in his heart.

Shen Yu steeled his resolve, activated the Xuanqiong Pagoda within his spiritual platform, and remotely locked onto Wang Xuanxiu.

At that very moment—

Wang Xuanxiu felt a strange terror rising from his heart, as if he were being stared at by a ferocious beast from the primordial era, or as if a gaze, indifferent, majestic, and far beyond his level of existence, was descending from the infinitely high heavens, firmly fixing him in place.

A bone-chilling cold shot from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head, and in an instant, the back of his clothes was completely soaked with cold sweat.

He looked at Shen Yu with a look of surprise and uncertainty, completely unable to understand why a mere Qi Refiner who had exhausted his True Qi could bring such terrifying pressure. His own hands trembled uncontrollably.

"Wait a moment, young friend!"

He quickly replied, "The ten Yangquan Ganoderma lucidum plants you requested, young friend, are here right away!"

"Shiyuan, what are you waiting for? Quickly! Take out ten of the best-quality Yangquan Ganoderma lucidum and give them to your young friend immediately."

Liu Fengyi and Xie Shiyuan were completely dumbfounded, not understanding why their master's attitude had suddenly changed.

Liu Feng said anxiously, "Master! Absolutely not! These Yangquan mushrooms are the key to saving Master's wife. We went through so much trouble to collect them, and we already don't have enough. How can we give away ten more?"

Xie Shiyuan also spoke up to dissuade them, saying, "Senior Sister is absolutely right. The Yangquanzhi concerns Master's wife's life and safety; it must not be handed over!"

"Shiyuan! Don't you listen to your teacher anymore?!"

Wang Xuanxiu shouted angrily.

Xie Shiyuan struggled for a long time, his brows furrowed, but seeing that his master had made up his mind, he dared not say anything more to dissuade him.

He dutifully selected ten of the largest and oldest Yangquan Ganoderma lucidum plants from his storage bag and handed them to Shen Yu.

"Senior, this item was used to save my master's wife's life. Please reconsider!"

Shen Yu grabbed the ten herbs and intended to turn around and leave.

But seeing Xie Shiyuan's pleading expression, her heart softened, and she finally couldn't help but ask, "What illness does your master's wife have?"

Xie Shiyuan said sadly, "Senior, please forgive me. My master's wife is suffering from Yin Sha cold poison, which cannot be cured without a strong Yang medicine."

"Yin Sha Cold Poison? Yang-type Great Medicine?" Shen Yu pondered for a moment.

"Senior, besides potent yang-tonifying medicine, is there no other way to cure this?"

Shen Yu looked up at Wang Xuanxiu and asked this question.

Wang Xuanxiu, whose eyes had already lost their light and who was in a daze, hurriedly raised his head and regained some of his spirits when Shen Yu asked him a question.

"Young friend, to be honest, besides using the Crimson Spirit Yang Pill to neutralize the cold poison, there is another way that can be effective."

Wang Xuanxiu paused for a moment, then said, "If a Foundation Establishment cultivator could simultaneously master both water and fire techniques, using water to protect the heart meridian and fire to burn away the yin poison, then my wife's illness could be cured."

"However, Foundation Establishment cultivators who are proficient in both the art of nourishing life with water and the art of domineering fire are extremely rare and hard to come by."

Shen Yu also frowned, lost in thought, "If you trust me, I can give it a try."

"You?" Liu Fengyi raised an eyebrow. "Putting aside the fact that you haven't even reached the Foundation Establishment stage yet, even the two superior Dao techniques of water and fire are extremely difficult to master. Don't make fun of us anymore. Now that you've gained the advantage, you should leave quickly!"

Shen Yu's expression remained unchanged upon hearing this. He did not bother to explain further, but simply bowed slightly to Wang Xuanxiu and turned to leave.

"Wait a moment, senior!"

Xie Shiyuan hurriedly stepped forward and grabbed Shen Yu's wrist. "My senior sister is anxious to save lives, please don't mind, senior. If you are really willing to try, we would be more than happy to do so."

Wang Xuanxiu spoke up at the opportune moment, saying, "Young friend, you are too kind. If you can truly cure your wife's illness with your miraculous healing skills, I, Wang Xuanxiu, am willing to serve you for the rest of my life, even at the cost of my life."

Shen Yu stopped in his tracks and slowly turned around. "Senior, your righteousness is admirable. However, there is one thing that requires your permission, otherwise this matter will be difficult to accomplish."

"Please speak freely, young friend," Wang Xuanxiu said, raising his hand slightly.

"I'm sure you've noticed as well, senior. One of the Taoist techniques I used just now was related to wind and fire. I fused the two Taoist techniques to create a new method, and the wind and fire Taoist technique was stimulated by it, and it has already faintly touched the threshold of mastery."

"What?!" Wang Xuanxiu was shocked. "Young friend, you've actually mastered Daoist arts to such a level at the Qi Refining Realm?"

Shen Yu nodded and continued, "However, for this technique to be truly perfected, it still needs a highly yang spiritual substance as a 'guide' to catalyze the fire within. Although Yangquan Zhi is good, it is still lacking in the necessary refinement."

"A supremely yang spiritual object..."

Wang Xuanxiu pondered for a moment, then seemed to have thought of something, and a look of struggle appeared on his face.

Thinking of his beloved wife's pained expression, he was torn between his own conscience and his inner turmoil, and finally let out a long sigh, as if he had aged a few more years.

"Why--"

"In that case, let me give this to you, my fellow Daoist!"

After fumbling around for a while, Wang Xuanxiu took out a spiritual medicine.

It was a strangely shaped Ganoderma lucidum, its entire body a reddish-gold color, about the size of a large bowl.

On the cap of the sesame seed, nine naturally formed, undulating raised lines, upon closer inspection, resemble nine miniature dragons coiling around it, with their heads converging at the heart of the sesame seed.

The moment this thing appeared, it emitted a faint echo of a dragon's roar.

This spiritual herb is called Nine Dragons Mushroom. Although it is also a major yang-type herb, it is more than one grade higher than Yang Spring Mushroom. It is a major herb used by Foundation Establishment cultivators when forming their core, and it is extremely rare and hard to come by.

"Nine Dragon Mushroom!" Liu Fengyi exclaimed in shock, ignoring Xie Shiyuan's advice and rushing forward two steps. "Master, you absolutely mustn't give him this! This is a crucial medicine for your Core Formation!"

Wang Xuanxiu shook his head with a bitter smile, "I am old and the time for me to form my core is far away. I'm afraid I have no hope in this life. But your master's wife is on the verge of death. Even if there is only a sliver of hope, I will do my best. Fengyi, don't try to persuade me anymore. My mind is made up!"

......

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