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

The trip yielded decent results. Although it cost 10,000 spirit stones, the final rewards included thirteen Foundation Establishment Pills, a damaged version of the Inverted Five Elements Array, the Cloud Soaring Heart Technique, various cultivation pills and a thousand-year-old Yellow Essence Mushroom, as well as the important reference template for subsequent cultivation, the True Yang Manual.

They made a fortune; Han Li truly is a treasure trove!

However, given Han Li's personality, he can't keep exploiting them indefinitely. He should first sustainably exploit them a few times until he can't exploit them anymore, then call Han Yunshu over so he can exploit them for a while longer.

His decision to have Han Li choose the "True Yang Technique" was largely a gamble. According to his plan, after perfecting the Path of Life and the Path of Annihilation, the next step would be Yin and Yang. Yin attribute was much easier to find than Annihilation attribute; Wu Chou was a ready-made example.

However, this Yang-attribute cultivation technique made Li Feiyu hesitate for quite some time.

Such techniques are almost extinct in the market, and he couldn't even find a basic introductory template to refer to.

So he began to recall the original characters and eventually remembered that Li Huayuan cultivated the "True Yang Technique" and that he himself was a Three Yang Body.

Although neither the cultivation method nor the physique is explained in detail in the original work, judging from the name and the physique it is suitable for, it is unlikely to be wrong. So, Han Li can only practice it himself!

"The True Yang Technique... is indeed extremely Yang. Even those who don't have the Three Yang Body can burn their meridians when practicing it, tsk... Besides, this trip, in addition to getting some things, I also took the opportunity to bring him the news of a formation master. Once he discovers the ancient teleportation array, he will definitely try to find me..." After sorting things out, Li Feiyu felt that he had done a pretty good job in terms of both gains and groundwork this time.

Moreover, since Wang Chan has already decided to use it as a furnace for alchemy, his grudges and entanglements with Han Li are naturally over.

In this way, the risk of the ancient teleportation array being exposed is greatly reduced.

Halfway there, Li Feiyu encountered two Foundation Establishment disciples from Huadaowu being chased by disciples from Lingshoushan.

"What's going on? How did they end up in the Green Mang Mountains?"

Yunzhou is a truly remote and undeveloped area in Yue Kingdom, a haven for cultivators. Apart from the market town of Xuanhe Valley, there isn't even a single legitimate cultivation family in the Qingmang Mountains. Generally, disciples from the seven major sects would never come to this place.

Li Feiyu was curious, but after confirming that he did not recognize the Huadaowu disciple he was being chased, he thought about it and decided to leave.

Spirit Beast Mountain and the Six Demonic Sects are on the same side, so this situation usually involves a conflict between the righteous and the demonic, and is not very meaningful.

……

Several days later, Li Feiyu returned to Yunzhou territory. Instead of going directly back to his hidden cave, he went to the market town of Xuanhe Valley first.

The market town still looks the same as it did many years ago, built along the mountainside, with buildings and shops scattered about. A clear stream flows through the valley, bringing a touch of elegance.

Li Feiyu strolled into Qingfeng Tower, ordered a pot of local light wine and two small dishes, and poured himself a drink.

Outside the window, the market street scene was slightly busy, and it didn't seem much different from when I first came here many years ago.

The path to immortality is long and arduous. For most cultivators at the bottom, time seems to stand still. Only the graying hair at their temples and the dimming light in their eyes record the passage of time and the erosion of hope.

As he was drinking alone, a somewhat familiar voice, tinged with surprise and unease, sounded beside him: "Senior Li... is that you?"

Li Feiyu turned his head and saw a man with a weathered face and an empty sleeve on his left arm looking at him with excitement and some uncertainty.

After a moment's recollection, he remembered—Jia Ding, the rogue cultivator he rescued when he first arrived near the Hanging River Valley. At that time, he and Han Yunshu were lost in the Green Mang Mountains, and it was thanks to him that they obtained the flying boat and the map.

"Fellow Daoist Jia, it's been a long time." Li Feiyu nodded slightly, gesturing for him to sit down. "Your arm..."

Jia Ding sat down nervously opposite him, a bitter smile on his face: "I'm sorry to have troubled you, senior. A few years ago, unwilling to be confined here, I went out with some friends, hoping to try my luck in the Yuanwu Kingdom. But... alas, on the way, I got into a fight with someone over a spiritual herb. I was outmatched and lost this arm. I was also disheartened and had to slink back. Now, I barely make a living by running errands and doing odd jobs in the market. Cultivation... I no longer dare to dream of it."

His tone was calm, yet it conveyed a deep sense of helplessness and resignation.

Li Feiyu listened quietly, feeling a mix of emotions.

The path to immortality is vast and the great path is hard to find. There are countless lowly cultivators like Jia Ding. In the Hanging River Valley, there are many such figures who are frustrated and unfulfilled, their spirit gradually worn away by the years.

"The path to enlightenment is arduous; just don't forget your original aspirations." Li Feiyu offered words of comfort, then took out a jade bottle and pushed it over. "There are a few Yellow Dragon Pills inside; they might be of some help to your current cultivation level. Take them and use them."

Jia Ding was taken aback, staring at the jade bottle, his eyes slightly reddening. He quickly stood up and solemnly bowed with his only remaining right hand: "Thank you for your generous gift, senior! Jia Ding... will remember it forever!"

He knew that these few pills might not mean much to Li Feiyu now, but to him, they were a godsend.

Leaving the tavern and walking along the streets of the market, Li Feiyu's gaze swept over the cultivators struggling to make a living on both sides, as well as the ordinary people serving the immortal masters among them.

Such petty and despicable behavior is nothing more than this.

The existence of the market town in Xuanhe Valley is entirely due to the maintenance of Chen, the master of the market town who is in the Foundation Establishment stage.

I wonder what will become of this remote town after he passes away.

Perhaps, it will gradually disappear into the desolate mountains and wilderness, as if it had never existed.

Shaking his head to shake off these pointless thoughts, Li Feiyu quietly left the market and returned to his cave dwelling, which he had built below the villa.

When the jade slip containing "The Art of Cloud and Sky" was handed to Han Yunshu, she was clearly stunned.

Her fingertips brushed across the jade slip, and the solid and detailed insights into weapon crafting flooded into her mind. She raised her head, her eyes shimmering with tears, her emotions almost overflowing.

It turned out that Brother Li cared so much about her weapon-forging... This feeling of being valued made her unable to suppress some thoughts that she had suppressed for a long time.

"Brother Li..."

"Hmm?" Li Feiyu noticed her unusual expression. "What's wrong? Is this insight useless to you?"

Han Yunshu gently shook her head, her voice almost inaudible: "Brother Li, you know... I don't have much talent in weapon crafting. Why bother going to all this trouble for me?"

Li Feiyu smiled, his tone calm and natural: "As far as I'm concerned, your talent in martial arts is enough. As for everything else, just do as you please. I saw that you are indeed quite interested in weapon crafting, so I found these. Interests don't necessarily have to achieve anything; as long as they bring you joy, that's the meaning."

"To make oneself...happy?" Han Yunshu pondered the question carefully.

After a moment, as if she had made up her mind, she took a deep breath, raised her eyes and looked directly at him: "Brother Li, you said, 'As for everything else, follow your heart.' But there is one thing that has been in my heart for many years. Although my will is firm, I have never been able to get it to go smoothly."

Li Feiyu was slightly taken aback, not expecting the usually reserved woman to be so proactive.

He remained silent, simply watching her and waiting for her to continue.

Han Yunshu lowered her eyes, her voice soft yet clear: "Looking back on this journey, all the experiences are vivid in my mind. I've repeatedly asked myself, is my feeling for Brother Li merely filial piety, or... something else?" She paused, her clear eyes filled with complex emotions. "Over the years, we've intentionally or unintentionally grown closer to each other. But Brother Li has never responded. I think Brother Li is no clueless person who doesn't understand romance; his silence must have its own reasons."

She paused for a moment, as if gathering her courage, before continuing, "While you were away this time, I thought a lot and gradually came to understand why I always felt that there was a thin line separating me from Brother Li, sometimes close and sometimes distant."

Li Feiyu remained silent, entrusting this small space of time entirely to her.

Han Yunshu's voice was softer, yet more resolute: "I have followed Brother Li since childhood and know that your thoughts and actions are extraordinary, and the future is fraught with peril. Therefore, I should not expect anything from you with the feelings of an ordinary young couple. However... once the word 'love' arises, it is difficult to quell. If it is suppressed in my heart for too long, it may become an obsession, or even breed inner demons. If I were to ruin Brother Li's important affairs because of this in the future, I, Yunshu, would never be able to atone for it even if I died."

"Therefore... I dare to ask Brother Li for an explanation today. Whatever the answer may be, Yun Shu will accept it willingly and without regret."

Looking at the resolute and composed attitude in her eyes, Li Feiyu couldn't help but admire her inwardly.

She was far more intelligent and insightful than he had imagined. She was not unaware of many things, but she was willing to understand and wait.

With a daughter like this, what more could a husband ask for?

His gaze was deep, and after a moment of contemplation, he finally spoke slowly, his voice low and gentle: "Since you have asked me for an answer, I will answer you. You are in my heart, and there is no doubt about that."

He paused, his gaze deep and still: "But... the path of cultivation is long and arduous, the path of devouring the Dao cannot be summarized by the single word 'greed.' I am also someone who is greedy for the worldly pleasures. Although I have many plans for the path of cultivation, I do not have the pure and transcendent heart of a cultivator who yearns for the Dao."

"In that case." Li Feiyu looked at her, his gaze unwavering. "Do you still want this answer?"

As Han Yunshu listened, the tears in her eyes gradually condensed into a clear, starlight-like glow. She didn't answer immediately, but instead took a small half-step forward, closing the invisible distance between them.

"Isn't what Yun Shu seeks also worldly affairs? In truth, we're merely borrowing the path to immortality, not truly aiming to become some detached, ascetic immortal. However…" She then changed the subject, "Since it's about worldly affairs…"

She raised her head, her gaze gentle yet carrying a clear, unyielding intensity.

"Shouldn't we also talk about the rules of this mortal world? I know that my talent and virtue are too shallow, and I dare not presume to have the flower garden all to myself. But no matter how the flowers bloom and wither in front of the garden, someone must always keep the lamps in the main courtyard and someone must always sweep the path in front of the garden. Since Brother Li is so fond of the prosperity of this mortal world, I, Yun Shu, am willing to guard this courtyard for you."

Li Feiyu smiled faintly and embraced the beauty: "That's only natural."

Li Feiyu was very pleased that Han Yunshu was so proactive.

To be honest, he only trusts Han Yunshu in this world. Now that she can accept him and find her own place, it is naturally a good thing.