Immortality begins with upgrading buildings

Chapter 306 Heart-to-Heart Talk Between Master and Disciple [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

"The ancient continent... is it a dead end?"

Upon hearing this, Ji Yuan's eyes widened in astonishment.

"What does Master mean by this?"

"If it's a dead end, why did Master still bring...why did he take our sect there?"

Perhaps Hua Yaoyue's words were too surprising, so Ji Yuan asked three questions in one go.

Hua Yaoyue listened to the question, her tone remaining calm.

"Because if they stay on this Canglu Continent, they will only face death."

"But if we go to the Desolate Ancient Continent, although it's a dead end, at least we can survive, right?"

Ji Yuan remained silent.

It may sound harsh, but that's the truth.

"Master, could you please explain the 'dead end' thing a little?"

"Yes, but you should just keep it to yourself and not tell anyone else. If this gets out, it will have a big impact."

Hua Yaoyue gave a rare word of advice.

"Yes."

Ji Yuan readily agreed.

At the same time, he became increasingly curious about Hua Yaoyue's background, not only because she knew so many secrets.

What Ji Yuan found even more remarkable was that it seemed there was nothing in the world that could stump her.

"Do you remember what I said when I first told you about this ancient continent?"

Flowers invite the moon to ask questions.

Ji Yuan thought carefully for a while before tentatively saying:

"Master, you said that among the Canglu Continent and the surrounding continents, the Desolate Ancient Continent is the most resource-poor, even inferior to our Canglu Continent."

"But on such a continent, there is a sect that is much more powerful than our Shangdong Six Immortal Sects, called Taiyi Immortal Sect. Within Taiyi Immortal Sect, there is also an ancestor at the Refinement Void Realm."

"right."

Hua Yaoyue nodded.

"So, Master, when you said 'a dead end,' you meant that this desolate continent is extremely resource-scarce, yet it has nurtured such a powerful sect?"

Ji Yuan asked.

Hua Yaoyue explained, "It's because the Ancient Wilderness Continent is a dead end, which is why resources are scarce."

It's not that a road is a dead end because of a lack of resources; you need to understand the cause-and-effect relationship.

"As for the reason for this dead end..."

Hua Yaoyue put her hands behind her back, looked up at the sky, remained silent for a long time, and then said:

"What is the strongest battle you know of between cultivators like?"

"A battle between the strongest cultivators?"

Ji Yuan thought for a moment, "Then it must be what Master and I have said, that a true dragon was once killed on this land of our Water Dragon Sect... This should be the strongest battle between the cultivators that I know of."

"That's not enough. The true dragon we killed wasn't high enough in rank. I heard that the ones who came to kill it were just a few Void Refinement cultivators. In the end, a half-step Integration cultivator even managed to steal the kill."

Hua Yaoyue shook her head, seemingly not taking the matter to heart.

Even so, it still greatly shocked Ji Yuan.

It turns out that those who surrounded and killed this true dragon were actually cultivators at the Void Refinement stage... and there were also cultivators at the Half-Step Integration stage who were reaping the benefits.

This is truly a battle of gods!

"Fine, I'll just tell you the truth."

Hua Yaoyue raised an eyebrow, as if she didn't want to keep him in suspense any longer, and said directly:

"Some people have used the entire ancient continent as a battlefield, fighting for decades."

Ji Yuan: "???"

"In that cataclysmic battle, how many millions of lives were lost?"

"After that battle, the once prosperous ancient continent became the ruins it is today... The continent shattered, and the spiritual energy was depleted. In your terms, it's like..."

"The spiritual energy tax of this ancient continent has been collected for 100,000 years."

Ji Yuan was still staring wide-eyed.

These things were like listening to heavenly scriptures to him, a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Even listening to gibberish wouldn't be this exaggerated.

What does it mean to use the entire continent as a battlefield?

They fought so fiercely that the heavens and earth shattered, and the spiritual energy tax was collected 100,000 years later.

He was so shocked that he couldn't speak.

Hua Yaoyue continued in detail: "But if that's all there is to it, then this ancient continent can at most be considered as a place where spiritual energy is depleted and cultivation is difficult, but it is far from being a dead end."

"The real reason it's called the Dead End... is because that great battle was a war to slay demons."

"Demon slaying?"

Ji Yuan pricked up his ears.

"Yes, the real demon, I heard, came from the demon realm. The real demon, those who fought that demon were all Mahayana cultivators from our human realm."

When Hua Yaoyue said this, she couldn't help but take a deep breath.

As for Ji Yuan, it goes without saying.

It was like opening the door to a new world; it could even be said that it infinitely broadened his horizons and knowledge.

"Master, what's going on in the Demon Realm...?"

Ji Yuan wasn't sure if Hua Yaoyue would tell him, so he only dared to ask in a low voice.

"Our realm is called the human realm. After the Mahayana stage, one ascends to the immortal realm."

The Demon Realm is a great world on par with the Immortal Realm. Immortals and demons are intertwined; demons are beings on par with immortals.

"Did our human cultivators ultimately win that great war back then?"

"We won. If we don't, our entire human realm will have been taken over by demons."

Hua Yaoyue sighed, "But the Ancient Wilderness Continent was tainted with too much demonic energy because of that great war... But there is another theory that the demon placed a curse before he died."

"That curse was originally aimed at our entire human realm, but it was trapped on the ancient continent by a Mahayana cultivator of our human race who sacrificed himself to achieve his Dao."

"Then what exactly is that curse?" Ji Yuan asked.

"I don't know, but anyone who stays on the Desolate Ancient Continent for a long time can only reach the Nascent Soul stage at most. They can't transform their Nascent Soul into a Nascent Soul, and they can't leave their original body when they return to the Void stage. In the end, they can't advance to the Refinement stage. That's why the Desolate Ancient Continent is also known as the Dead End."

Hua Yaoyue finally revealed the truth of the matter in one breath.

Ji Yuan: "...So the dead end means I can't advance to the Void Refinement Realm? Master actually thinks I can reach the Void Refinement Realm?"

Upon hearing this, Hua Yaoyue turned her head and looked at her closed-door disciple with an expression as if he were an idiot.

"What use are you if you can't even reach the Void Refinement stage?"

"No, Master, you really think highly of your disciple..."

"Ah, it's not that I think highly of you, but that I think highly of the opportunity you've received."

One sentence that revealed the truth silenced Ji Yuan instantly.

Opportunity?

My master actually knew I had a great opportunity... Well, anyone who knows me even a little bit can see that, let alone a reincarnated old demon like my master.

But since my master knew I had such a great opportunity, she didn't harm me...

This surprised Ji Yuan quite a bit; he figured this must be his master.

"How can someone who hasn't even reached the Void Refinement stage possibly suppress the Demon God Continent alone?"

Hua Yaoyue said softly, "Of course, if you feel it's okay to stay hidden in the Nascent Soul stage for the rest of your life, I can send you to this desolate ancient continent."

"...Then let's not. This disciple wants to go to the higher peaks to see what they are like."

Ji Yuan said sullenly.

"It's enough to have such a thought."

"If that's the case, then why did the Taiyi Immortal Sect establish a sect on this desolate ancient continent? If they had moved to another continent, even to our Canglu Continent, wouldn't they have grown into an even more powerful sect?"

"Then do you think it's possible that the Taiyi Immortal Sect has achieved its current success precisely because it's located on the Desolate Ancient Continent?"

Hua Yaoyue's rhetorical question left Ji Yuan speechless.

"There are too many intricacies involved here. Even though I have been in this desolate ancient continent for more than ten years, I still haven't been able to figure it out. I can only say that the Taiyi Immortal Sect is a very mysterious sect, and it is most likely related to that great battle back then."

Hua Yaoyue shook her head; she truly didn't know.

Anyone who knew would have told Ji Yuan directly.

"How long do you stay on the ancient continent before you're affected by this curse?"

Ji Yuan glanced at his panel before asking.

He remembered that to upgrade the [Pigpen] to level 5, he needed a Taiyi Xuanyang Talisman.

If nothing unexpected happens, this talisman is something only the Taiyi Immortal Sect possesses.

So, it's possible that Ji Yuan will have to go to this desolate ancient continent again in the future.

Now that we have the opportunity to learn about the situation of this desolate ancient continent in advance, we should naturally make sure to understand it clearly beforehand.

"Three years, you can only stay for a maximum of three years at a time."

The matter was quite serious, so Hua Yaoyue spoke very seriously, "If you go, you can only stay for a maximum of three years."

"After leaving, you will need to recuperate overseas for at least six months, or even a year, before you can return to the Ancient Wilderness Continent."

"You must remember this clearly, otherwise if you make a mistake... it will be utterly disastrous."

"Even if you have already deciphered the secrets of the Nascent Soul stage and advanced to the Void Refinement stage by then, you must still remember this rule."

"Yes."

Ji Yuan clasped his hands in a deep bow, saying, "This disciple will never forget."

"Well, if you have a better path to take, there's no need to go down this dead end."

After Hua Yaoyue finished explaining the matter and saw that Ji Yuan could understand and accept it, she felt somewhat relieved.

"Moreover, if we really go to this desolate ancient continent... although I can make the Water Dragon Sect a subordinate sect of the Taiyi Immortal Sect, their sectarian prejudices have always been extremely serious. Even if the Water Dragon Sect goes there, it won't be easy for them. That's one point."

"Secondly, the entire Desolate Ancient Continent is the backyard of the Taiyi Immortal Sect, so after the Water Dragon Sect goes there, there will basically be no more fighting. Without fighting, their strength will naturally not improve. If they encounter cultivators from other continents in the future, even if they fight at the same level, cultivators from the Desolate Ancient Continent will be at the bottom of their level."

"That's true."

Ji Yuan nodded silently; he agreed with this reasoning.

A cultivator who doesn't experience life-or-death battles or engage in magical combat is just a pretty but useless vase.

Even if one's cultivation level increases, one is destined to become someone else's stepping stone.

Jiang Hong should have something to say about this.

"So when the time comes, I will take Yun Qianzai and Feng Zhitao with me and send them to the Desolate Ancient Continent."

Hua Yaoyue spoke about the arrangements for the other disciples, saying, "Their strength is insufficient, and their temperament is not good enough. They will find it difficult to break through to the Nascent Soul stage in this lifetime."

Sending them to the desolate ancient continent is perhaps the best possible outcome for them.

Ji Yuan couldn't comment on this matter.

It's not good to say we should send it, and it's not good to say we shouldn't send it.

So he simply stopped talking about it.

"What about the eldest brother?"

Ji Yuan then asked the question.

"Do you think he might come with me?" Hua Yaoyue asked in return.

"this……"

"He refuses to return to the sect and continues to fight against the demonic forces outside. Taking him to the Desolate Ancient Continent would be a death sentence for him."

Hua Yaoyue shook her head, looking completely helpless.

Ji Yuan fell silent.

Logically, he should have asked himself the following questions next.

But he couldn't bring himself to ask. He was afraid that if he did, he would feel scared and regret it.

But instead of asking, Hua Yaoyue inquired with great interest, "What, don't you want to ask what your arrangements are?"

"Compared to this disciple, I'd actually like to know what Master's plans are?"

Ji Yuan took a deep breath and finally couldn't help but ask.

He raised his head and looked directly at Hua Yaoyue.

"you……"

Hua Yaoyue was about to speak when Ji Yuan interrupted her, saying:

"Master, please let me speak first. I know you are leaving soon, but I also know that if I don't say or ask now, I may never have the chance to ask again."

Seeing his serious expression, Hua Yaoyue raised her hand, and in an instant, a restriction was erected, enveloping the entire Forget-Worry Island.

"Okay, go ahead and ask."

Ji Yuan nodded, remained silent for a while, and then said, "This disciple knows that Master's background is very high, probably as high as the heavens in our human realm."

"I also know that Master is hiding many secrets, but he never tells us."

"This disciple knows that Master has high hopes for this disciple... But has Master ever thought about how vast the human realm is? Sometimes two people may live in the same small town, yet they may never see each other again in their entire lives."

"Not to mention they're on different continents."

Hua Yaoyue looked at the earnest disciple before her and remained silent for a long time before finally speaking:

"So you want to know my secret?"

"Oh."

Although Ji Yuan tried to reason with her, Hua Yaoyue remained unmoved by his feelings and instead stated bluntly:

"So what if you know now? You can just treat it as a story."

She shook her head, a hint of disappointment in her eyes.

"If you can truly reach that level in the future, you can come to the Qiankun Continent to find me."

"Of course, it's fine if you don't come."

...Qiankun Continent, Ji Yuan silently memorized this place in his heart.

"May I ask what realm Master is referring to? And the Qiankun Continent must be vast; if I go there, where should I go to find Master?"

"If you just want to meet them, you should be at the Integration Stage. But if you want to lend me a hand... you should at least have the confidence to face a Tribulation Transcending cultivator."

Hua Yaoyue remained silent for a long time before giving this answer.

Ji Yuan felt a sinking feeling in his heart upon hearing this.

Transcending Tribulation cultivators... those are cultivators who stand at the pinnacle of the human realm.

Master's background is truly impressive.

But then I thought, if my master's background wasn't impressive enough, how could he know so many secrets?

Merging into one body, transcending tribulation... I wonder if I can reach such a realm with my own efforts and a little help from the panel?

Ji Yuan was pondering this matter.

Hua Yaoyue continued, "As for seeing me... when you arrive at the Qiankun Continent, if I am still alive, you only need to ask around to find out where I am."

"But if you come to the Qiankun Continent and don't hear my name, it means I'm already dead."

"Then there's even less to say."

"No, Master, you..."

Ji Yuan stepped forward.

Before he could finish speaking, Hua Yaoyue scoffed and interrupted him.

"Are you saying, how could I possibly die?"

"Why wouldn't I? There are countless cultivators in the human realm. Even those cultivators without enemies are extremely easy to kill or be injured, let alone an ominous person like me with enemies all over the world."

The more Hua Yaoyue spoke, the more pronounced the sarcasm in her eyes became.

"It would be normal if we didn't hear my name when that time came."

"It would be strange if I, Hua Yaoyue, were still alive by the time you've reached the Qiankun Continent."

The more you ask, the more silent they become.

Ji Yuan feels this way right now.

Indeed, what Hua Yaoyue said makes a lot of sense and is the truth.

Such a statement is the truth. Ji Yuan can accept it if it is said to others, but he cannot accept it if it is said to someone close to him.

Therefore, it is inevitable for any person to have double standards.

Unless one is a saint… Ji Yuan knew he was not a saint, so he asked again:

"Didn't Master consider taking his disciple with him?"

"Take you away?"

Upon hearing this, Hua Yaoyue's mockery vanished instantly, and she couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Why bring you along? Don't I already have enough enemies? Do I need another burden?"

"Your disciple..."

"Alright, I know you're worried about me, but it's alright. Everyone has their own things to do, and everyone has their own path to walk."

Hua Yaoyue gradually stopped smiling.

"It's already very kind of you to have this intention. After all, in all these millennia, everyone else has only wanted to avoid me. You're the first person to say they want to come with me."

As Hua Yaoyue spoke, she turned to look at Ji Yuan again, her eyes... showing a slightly complicated expression.

"It's just that your cultivation level is too low. If you follow me, you'll only die quickly, and you might even drag me down with you."

Hearing this, Ji Yuan calmed down considerably and bowed to Hua Yaoyue once again.

"It was your disciple who was too anxious."

"Please forgive me, Master."

"This is another matter of forgiveness or not." Hua Yaoyue waved her hand. "If you really have this intention, then grow up as soon as possible. When that time comes, your master will try his best to live. Then, the two of us, master and disciple, can roam the Qiankun Continent together again."

Hua Yaoyue spoke lightly, as if she could already see that day, and her eyes were filled with laughter.

Ji Yuan also wanted to laugh.

But he couldn't laugh.

He could tell from Hua Yaoyue's words that his master's journey had not been so smooth.

On the contrary, she also suffered a lot.

Otherwise, there wouldn't be this saying that one has enemies all over the world.

So, looking at his master before him, after much deliberation, he chose to abandon his preconceived notions about the concept of "fate" and softly inquired:

"If one day I truly arrive at the Qiankun Continent, but I never hear Master's name there, then... whom should I seek?"

Upon hearing this question, Hua Yaoyue's smile gradually faded.

Ji Yuan's words were actually quite straightforward.

What he meant was, if Master dies, who should I ask to avenge you?

Admittedly, this is a very unlucky saying.

But it's also very real, just like Hua Yaoyue said... In this world, no one is immune to death.

So after a long, long silence, she finally gave Ji Yuan two names.

She trusted her judgment.

I also believe in fate.

(End of this chapter)