Mortal: Li Feiyu, who came from the realm of a supreme being

The kite carried the two of them steadily towards Jinma City.

After a moment of silence, Han Yunshu spoke softly, "Brother Li, you've taken a liking to her talent in array formations?"

"Until the results are in, it's hard to say whether I value her or not." Li Feiyu's gaze drifted to the distant, undulating mountains, his tone calm yet tinged with caution. "If she truly possesses the talent and comprehension to decipher the array diagram I provided, then it's worth investing in; if not..."

He paused, then sighed almost inaudibly: "We'll see."

Han Yunshu keenly sensed that his sigh seemed to contain a faint regret that was somewhat incongruous with the circumstances of their first encounter.

"Brother Li...did you know this person before?" she asked, puzzled.

"No, this is our first meeting today." Li Feiyu shook her head, offering no further explanation.

He was simply reminded of the exceptionally talented yet tragically short-lived woman in the original story, and her poignant relationship with Qi Yunxiao.

Objectively speaking, their meeting did not become a salvation for each other, but rather a shackle, burdening them with even more weight in their limited time together.

It's not to say that they would have a bright future if they hadn't met.

Without a great stroke of luck, Xin Ruyin would have inevitably died young; and with his temperament and aptitude, even if Qi Yunxiao could accumulate resources and build a foundation through weapon crafting skills, it would be difficult for him to go far.

But at least they won't live such an exhausting life, ultimately dying unexpectedly.

However, it seems that Xin Ruyin has not yet met Qi Yunxiao, and their destinies have not yet intertwined.

If her talent in array formations is truly high enough to meet his expectations, Li Feiyu wouldn't mind taking her with him, even if it meant starting from scratch and tailoring a cultivation method specifically for her to solve the chronic problem of the Dragon Roar Body.

Even if her talent didn't meet expectations, he would still teach her a technique that could suppress excess yang energy and slow down injuries, as a way to make up for the regrets of reading novels and watching anime in her previous life.

"Tsk, thinking about it this way, in this mortal cultivation world where everyone schemes and resources are paramount, I'm practically a moral exemplar." Li Feiyu chuckled to himself.

……

As the kite soared through the clouds, Li Feiyu pondered what to do next.

Based on the timeline, Han Li will need approximately three more years to reach the Foundation Establishment stage, and there will still be several years to prepare for the full-scale outbreak of the demonic invasion.

But this period is crucial. He needs to improve his cultivation as soon as possible and make thorough preparations to hunt down demonic cultivators who fit the image of "annihilation".

This matter concerns the future and cannot be taken lightly.

Now that the Six Ding Heavenly Armor Talisman is in hand, although it cannot be used as a regular means at any time, if it is really a matter of life and death, once it is used, it will almost certainly make one invincible.

The problem is that once the opponent realizes that they cannot break through the defense, unless they are stupid, their first reaction will be to run away.

At that time, a formation that can effectively trap... or at least temporarily hinder the escape of Core Formation cultivators will be of utmost importance.

Xin Ruyin was the peerless genius who, even at the Qi Refining stage, could create formations that threatened or even trapped Core Formation cultivators.

Such a person is definitely worth investing in.

Some might wonder, since Li Feiyu had already cultivated to the level of a Celestial Immortal in his previous life, how could he be completely ignorant of formations?

The answer is, of course, yes, but it only reaches the level of "good enough".

He was not proficient in any of the following: formations, alchemy, or other cultivation arts.

If a celestial being dares to claim expertise in everything, then what about those great masters who prove their Dao through array formations and alchemy?

While martial arts are the mainstream in the real world, it also embraces various other arts.

In his previous life, his role in the Six Paths of Reincarnation team was that of a main fighter and a backup strategist.

Besides immersing himself in the study and collection of various cultivation methods, he only dabbled in other skills, at most noting down some rare array diagrams and elixir formulas for future use.

Upon arriving in this world, everything is reset to zero. If one is truly willing to calm down and rely on the knowledge and foundation from one's previous life to study this completely different array system from scratch, one may very well achieve something.

Unfortunately, that was not what he truly desired, and he had little interest in it.

In terms of formations, the conventional ones are sufficient, and having top-notch talents to assist in critical moments is enough.

……

When they were about 300 miles away from Jinma City, the scene below caught their attention.

Along the official road, a long, ragged procession of refugees, each with their own family and gaunt faces, hesitated and made their way in a distant direction. At a rough glance, it appeared to number in the tens of thousands.

"Strange, why are there so many refugees out of the blue?" Han Yunshu frowned slightly as she looked down at the swarm of people below, which moved like ants.

She grew up in a relatively peaceful mountain village in Jingzhou. Although she later entered the world of cultivation, she knew that the mortal dynasties were generally stable.

Logically speaking, there shouldn't be any major natural disasters in this world that could force tens of thousands of people to leave their homes. After all, Foundation Establishment cultivators can usually resolve most natural disasters with their intervention.

"What can cause so many mortals to be displaced is mostly not natural disasters, but 'man-made disasters,' and these 'man-made disasters' are almost certainly related to cultivators," Li Feiyu said calmly, his tone revealing a profound understanding of the world.

The two began to talk quietly about this topic.

In his words, he touched upon one of the cold and cruel truths of the cultivation world: the difference in spiritual roots determines the eternal separation between immortals and mortals.

Those who possess spiritual roots, even the lowest-grade pseudo-spiritual roots, have the opportunity to enter the gate of immortality and master extraordinary power; while mortals without spiritual roots, even with extraordinary talent and immense wealth, are like ants in the face of true immortal methods, their lifespan not exceeding a hundred years, and their strength unable to resist the laws.

This is an ironclad law rooted in the Heavenly Dao rules of this world, cold and unshakeable.

Han Yunshu listened in silence.

She herself was a cowherd peasant girl with no spiritual roots. If Li Feiyu hadn't opened her mind with martial arts and used a secret method to build a bridge between heaven and earth to simulate spiritual roots, she would have had no chance of becoming an immortal in this life.

Therefore, she could empathize most deeply with the refugees struggling to survive below.

She had truly experienced that feeling of helplessness, of being confined by fate and having almost no chance of turning things around.

Although Li Feiyu was also born into the martial arts world as an ordinary person, he was essentially a celestial being who had lived a second life and had once reached the pinnacle of immortality.

Even when he transmigrated and discovered that he had taken the Marrow Extraction Pill, which would extend his lifespan by ten years and give him spiritual roots, he never truly panicked or despaired.

This is ultimately somewhat different from Han Yunshu's emotional resonance stemming from her own personal experience.

However, he still understands and respects her feelings.

After a long silence, Han Yunshu suddenly looked up, her gaze clear and earnest as she looked at Li Feiyu: "Brother Li, can they... walk the path of martial arts?"

Upon hearing this, Li Feiyu was slightly taken aback.

He paused for a moment, then said truthfully, "Martial arts are indeed not limited by spiritual roots; in theory, everyone can learn them."

But... those who can truly persevere on the path of martial arts are even rarer. He recalled the scene in the real world of his previous life. Not counting reincarnators, there were only a little over a thousand experts in the entire vast real world. Dharma Body masters were even rarer. Apart from him, only one person in their team eventually attained the Dharma Body. The rest were all stuck in the outer realm and died in death missions.

In the entire real world, including the Dharma bodies registered in the Samsara space, there are only sixteen in total!

Judging from this ratio, proving one's Dao through martial arts is countless times more difficult than cultivating immortality to become an infant or a deity.

However, if we take a step back and do not pursue the path of martial arts to attain the Dharma body, but instead "transform from martial arts to immortality," that would be a possible path.

After all, aren't those two living examples now?

With the foundation successfully laid, one is poised to enjoy a lifespan of two hundred years, having already taken a solid step forward.

After understanding the difficulties of martial arts, Han Yunshu also thought of this point: "Then... can we pass on this method? Even if not everyone can be as talented as Brother Li, if they can obtain spiritual root aptitude through this and embark on the path of immortality, it would be a life-changing experience for these mortals."

Li Feiyu looked into Han Yunshu's eyes and felt a surge of almost instinctive kindness and expectation, born from her own experiences.

He wasn't against spreading martial arts; in fact, deep down, he didn't entirely agree with the atmosphere where cultivators in this world looked down on ordinary people. It's just…

"Yun Shu, you must understand that the martial arts we cultivate have reached this point because of their unique characteristics." He patiently explained, "From the opening of the mind to building a bridge between heaven and earth and sensing the inside and outside, we are actually considered to be at the half-step outer realm, and even at the lower-middle level of the half-step outer realm. The so-called 'no regrets at the mysterious pass' means that we have the opportunity to benefit from the immortal path because of the special nature of our cultivation method."

"I follow the path of using the eight external methods as materials, devouring and refining them, and forcibly promoting the transformation of my inner world; the Nuwa's Heaven-Mending Technique you cultivate contains the supreme true meaning of creation, and the imagery of mending the heavens is perfectly matched with the technique itself, which is why it is so smooth."

"The most important thing in martial arts is the inheritance of techniques, followed by comprehension, and then resources. As for the fundamental techniques of the two of us, not just anyone can practice them. My 'Myriad Paths of the Forest' is extremely demanding, and your 'Nuwa Mending the Heavens Technique' also requires specific innate talent and temperament."

He paused, his tone tinged with complex emotions: "I know you asked this because you feel sorry for the difference between immortals and mortals. Actually... I also feel that the world of cultivators lacks warmth and human touch, and is too monotonous and desolate. Looking back, I was in the prime of my life, when I was most suited to travel the world with my sword and enjoy life to the fullest, but due to circumstances, I could only choose to cultivate in seclusion to open my mind. I still feel a little resentful."

To be honest, he really missed the time when he first became enlightened in his previous life, even though the damned cycle of reincarnation was still weighing him down back then.

But young and spirited, they roamed the world in fine clothes and on horseback, enjoying the pleasures of life and settling scores with abandon!

On the contrary, as his cultivation level increased, he understood more and more what level the Six Paths were and what his own situation was... He still remembered that he completely lost his smile on the day he attained the Dharma Body.

He looked down at the winding line of refugees below, then at the distant Jinma City, whose outline was faintly visible, and slowly said, "If martial arts could flourish in this world, the world would surely be a different place. At least, it wouldn't be like it is now, with the difference between immortals and mortals as vast as an insurmountable chasm."

However, conquering the world with military might is by no means an easy task.

Cultivation techniques, resources, inheritance systems, and potential conflicts with the existing order of cultivation... all these are problems. Right now, they have more pressing goals.

"Let's discuss this matter later. Let's enter the city first." Li Feiyu withdrew his gaze, manipulated the kite to turn slightly, avoiding the main road where the refugees gathered, and headed towards the side gate of Jinma City.