I'm already a Great Luo Golden Immortal, how come you're only Martial Saints?

The crowd pleaded again and again, refusing to leave.

Ge Xuan sighed.

"All things have an end, only the Way endures. Go forth, for today we have no connection!"

The crowd knelt on the ground, pleading incessantly.

Ge Xuan's gaze suddenly swept past everyone and landed on the gray-robed Taoist who was Ning Chen in disguise.

He paused slightly, as if sensing something, but said nothing. He simply closed his eyes again and continued to silently recite the scriptures.

Meanwhile, the group of scholars and the Jin emperor pleaded earnestly in the palace for most of the day, but Ge Xuan closed his eyes and remained silent, like an old monk in meditation.

Helpless, the group could only disperse dejectedly and descend the mountain without further ado.

That night, the moon was bright and the stars were few, the mountain breeze was cool, and the Taoist temple was completely silent.

Suddenly, a soft knock sounded at the door. The sound was not loud, and even carried a hint of caution.

Ge Xuan opened his eyes, as if he had already expected it, and sighed deeply, saying to the young Taoist boy standing beside him.

"Go open the door; what's meant to happen will happen."

The young Taoist boy, holding a lantern, led the way and welcomed the man into the quiet room.

The newcomer had shed his daytime finery, revealing a simple white robe, but his brows betrayed an undisguised anxiety; he was none other than the Emperor of the Jin Dynasty.

Upon seeing Ge Xuan, he disregarded his imperial dignity and knelt down before the prayer mat with a thud, his voice trembling.

"Immortal Elder! I... no, today I, in my humble state, beg you, Immortal Elder, to have your mercy on the common people and descend from the mountain to save the Jin Kingdom!"

Ge Xuan ordered the young Taoist to leave, leaving only the two of them in the quiet room.

The flickering candlelight cast the old Taoist's shadow long and short.

He remained silent for a long time before slowly sighing.

"The world is a sea of ​​suffering, and I am endlessly drowning in it. Even I, a humble Taoist priest, cannot save myself, so how can I possibly save you?"

Sima Ye refused to get up, and instead kowtowed to the ground, his voice choked with sobs.

"Is there truly no hope left for this world?"

As he said this, a gust of wind suddenly blew through the window paper, causing the copper bells on the eaves to ring softly, as if echoing his despair.

Ge Xuan opened his eyes, his gaze falling on the young emperor before him with a hint of pity. His voice was low, but each word was clear.

"Back then, your ancestors Sima Yi and his son seized power from Wei and established Jin. Their accession to the throne was illegitimate, and they lacked the aura of a dragon. Therefore, their rule was destined to be unstable. Moreover, my master repeatedly instructed me not to interfere in the change of dynasties. This is the will of Heaven, not something that can be changed by human power. So please do not bother me any longer."

Upon hearing this, Sima Ye felt as if he had been doused with a bucket of cold water; his face turned deathly pale, yet he still refused to give up.

He kowtowed heavily again, his voice almost pleading.

"Since the immortal is unwilling to make a move, then could you... could you please tell me how many years my Jin Dynasty has left to live?"

Ge Xuan remained silent for a moment, then let out a long sigh and slowly raised three fingers.

Sima Ye was taken aback for a moment, then his eyes lit up with joy, and he blurted out.

"Thirty years? There are still thirty years left. By then, I'll be in my sixties or seventies. It won't be a loss!"

As he spoke, a relieved smile appeared on his face. He bowed twice more, stood up to express his gratitude, and happily left on his own.

The candlelight flickered and bounced.

Ge Xuan watched the emperor's figure disappear into the night, shook his head, and murmured to himself.

"I said three years... You're deceiving yourself, how can you listen to me?"

He was about to close the door when his gaze suddenly froze.

Outside the window, a figure stood quietly in the moonlight.

The figure was dressed in a gray robe, with a handsome face. He seemed to have been standing there for a long time, yet he made no sound.

The moonlight shone on his face, revealing him as the same young man he had been decades ago, with a faint smile in his eyes.

Ge Xuan trembled violently, and the candlestick in his hand almost fell to the ground.

He stared at the figure outside the window, his lips moving, but he couldn't utter a word.

Ge Xuan rubbed his eyes and looked again. Finally, tears streamed down his face. He didn't even bother to put on his shoes and ran barefoot out of the quiet room.

He rushed to Ning Chen, knelt down, and lay prostrate on the cold stone slab, crying.

"Master! Your disciple... Your disciple has waited for you for over sixty years, and today you have finally come. Your disciple senses that your time is near. Has your disciple come to see you one last time?"

Ning Chen looked down at the old man kneeling at his feet. Decades had passed in the world. The boy who was once a child was now an old Taoist priest with white hair, white beard and eyebrows, and a withered appearance.

A complex emotion stirred within him, but he simply shook his head slightly.

He reached out and helped Ge Xuan up, smiling.

"Foolish child, whether you ascend to heaven to become an immortal or pass away peacefully is still unknown. How can you lack such confidence?"

Ge Xuan then stopped crying and secretly looked at Ning Chen's face.

But my mentor looked just as young as he had back then, with a face as handsome as jade, and a faint glow emanating from him. Time had not left a trace on him at all.

He looked at Ning Chen, then at his own wrinkled hands, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

This is truly a divine being. Back when I was learning arts and seeking the Dao at Mangshan, I was younger than my master, but now I am already very old.

The master and disciple returned to the quiet room to talk.

By candlelight, Ge Xuan poured out all the confusion he had felt over decades of cultivation, and finally, he bowed his head and sighed.

"Over the years, I have cultivated diligently day and night, but I still cannot break through that barrier. I fear that I have no hope of becoming an immortal in this lifetime."

Ning Chen asked with a smile.

"What's the big deal? You think you can stop me, the founding disciple?"

Ge Xuan smiled wryly.

"I have already opened up all the meridians in my body and accumulated enough magical power. However, whenever I try to use my spirit to control my qi, break through the Niwan Palace, and reach the state of primordial spirit leaving the body, I feel that my sea of ​​consciousness is clouded and my spiritual platform cannot be clear. It is as if there is an invisible net that firmly covers my primordial spirit, and I cannot escape. Master, is it because my wisdom and comprehension are insufficient, and I can only stop here in this life?"

As he spoke, a look of melancholy flashed in his eyes.

Moonlight streamed through the window, illuminating his wrinkled face and clearly showing every trace of time.

Ning Chen listened quietly, and after a moment, he spoke slowly.

"The path you follow is to use techniques to control the Dao, rather than using the Dao to control techniques. You only know how to accumulate magical power, but you have forgotten to reflect on yourself. The primordial spirit is originally a bright pearl, but after being covered in dust for a long time, its light cannot shine through. Although you recite scriptures and cultivate, your heart is burdened by attachments and you are obsessed with becoming an immortal, which has become an obstacle. Try to let go of these decades of obsessions, turn your heart's light back, and see your true self. In your Niwan Palace, a ray of light will open up."

Upon hearing this, Ge Xuan was struck dumb, as if by lightning.

After a long while, he slowly closed his eyes, sat quietly as instructed, and his wrinkled face gradually relaxed under the candlelight, as if he had been relieved of some heavy burden in an instant.

Seeing that he had grasped the meaning, Ning Chen nodded slightly, stood up, walked to the door of the quiet room, looked at the moonlight in the courtyard, and said without turning his head.

"There are still a few days left. I will stay here to protect you. Just go ahead and brave the insurmountable barrier to immortality!"