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

Before leaving the mine, Xin Ruyin cleverly nested a small, short-distance teleportation array with specific spatial coordinates next to the ancient teleportation array that had been concealed by the Inverted Five Elements Array. This array was in a "ready to be activated" state; simply activating the corresponding array plate at the other end would allow for an instant teleportation back, thus providing a convenient return route.

After leaving the mine, before they had even parted ways, Han Li suddenly grabbed Li Feiyu and waved his hand to create a soundproof barrier.

"Feiyu, wait a moment." He lowered his voice, his expression inquisitive. "Just how much do you know about the 'Soul Iron' refined from the 'Crimson Blaze Seal'?"

Li Feiyu raised an eyebrow slightly: "You want to ask about the properties of this item, and... the hidden dangers of refining souls into iron?"

Han Li nodded and took out a wooden puppet in the shape of a lizard from his storage bag.

The puppet was exquisitely crafted and lifelike, but its head was not made of wood. Instead, it was made of a strange material that was dark and iron-like, yet faintly glowed with an eerie light, exuding a contradictory aura of coldness and heat—it was Soul Iron.

"This item is indeed quite interesting." Li Feiyu examined the Soul Iron Lizard head carefully and said frankly, "I am not well-versed in the art of weapon crafting and puppetry, and I do not know its specific uses in the creation of magical treasures or puppets. You will have to explore that yourself. But as for forging weapons..."

He paused for a moment: "This item is of the highest quality. Not only is it exceptionally tough, but it can also withstand repeated reforging and tempering. Its upper limit seems to depend on the strength and characteristics of the living soul used in its forging. What's even more remarkable is that the transmission of true qi, true essence, and even certain special energies within the soul iron is almost completely unimpeded, much like the meridians in a martial artist's body. If it can be forged into a weapon and combined with corresponding martial arts techniques, its power may be multiplied."

Upon hearing this, Han Li's eyes gleamed brightly: "Such a miraculous effect?!"

"However," Li Feiyu changed the subject, his tone slightly somber, "refining souls into iron is ultimately against the natural order, so you'd better be careful."

Han Li nodded solemnly: "I've noted it down. Yue Kingdom has become a place of trouble and is certainly not a place to stay for long. When you decide to activate the teleportation array, be sure to inform me in advance. I... will go too."

He hesitated for a moment, then said, "I have some personal matters to settle, so I'll take my leave first. If anything comes up, please contact me via the Thousand-Mile Talisman."

After the two parted ways, Han Li transformed into a streak of azure light and headed straight for Jiayuan City.

Since the decision has been made to travel far away, the natural course of action is to find Qu Hun.

……

Li Feiyu and Xin Ruyin quietly returned to the underground secret room near the market in Xuanhe Valley via a short-distance teleportation array.

Inside the secret chamber, the massive spirit-gathering array continued to operate silently, with pure spiritual energy swirling like mist.

This formation requires four to five hundred spirit stones daily and incorporates many ancient formation concepts, making its structure complex and ingenious. Relocating the entire formation would be quite troublesome.

"If it weren't for the war between the righteous and the demonic forces, and the turbulent situation, we could have traveled leisurely and made our way to the Xi Kingdom." Li Feiyu looked at the secluded residence he had built over the years and sighed with emotion.

Ultimately, a compromise was decided upon.

Li Feiyu would first travel alone through Yuanwu Kingdom and enter the relatively stable territory of Dongyu Kingdom. He would then find a secluded place to open a temporary cave dwelling and gradually transfer the important resources there, especially the core components of the spirit-gathering array and his collection of many years.

Before setting off, Li Feiyu did not immediately depart. He, Xin Ruyin, and Han Yunshu lingered in the secret chamber for some time. Partly, this was to allow them more time to reminisce before their long separation; partly, Xin Ruyin needed to prepare several sets of "foolproof" array plates and flags for his solo journey. These array plates were pre-programmed with various functions, such as concealment, protection, and short-range teleportation, and could be activated simply by infusing magic power or embedding spirit stones, ensuring that Li Feiyu could handle various situations even when traveling alone.

Two months later, everything was ready.

Li Feiyu quietly left the market town of Xuanhe Valley and embarked on her journey north.

……

Heading north, the landscape is magnificent and ever-changing.

Li Feiyu either flew on his magical artifact or measured the land on foot using his lightness skill, witnessing the wonders of the mineral veins in Yuanwu Kingdom, the vast plains of Dongyu Kingdom, and passing through countless markets and spiritual mountains and rivers where cultivation families reside.

He had witnessed several small sects fighting fiercely over a single centuries-old spiritual herb, with Foundation Establishment cultivators falling like rain; he had also seen rogue cultivators sign indenture contracts and become slaves to their families for a pill that could help them break through their bottlenecks; and he had even seen originally peaceful and unassuming ascetic cultivators fall into the demonic path and become extreme and ruthless after their loved ones suffered misfortune or their resources were taken away...

What exactly is the practice of cultivating immortality?

Is it the power to move mountains and overturn seas, and to grant immortality and longevity?

Is it the freedom of transcending the mundane and living a carefree life away from the world?

Or is it the obsession with struggling to survive and constantly climbing upwards in this world of limited resources and endless struggles?

Li Feiyu gazed at the ever-changing clouds, his mind undecided. He only knew that his path was different from theirs.

He possesses a soul from another world, and what he seeks may not only be immortality in this world, but also to see clearly the boundary between "reality" and "illusion" and to forge his own path.

Along the way, he also heard a lot of news.

On the demonic path, the mysterious disappearance of Wang Chan, the young master of the Ghost Spirit Sect (publicly declared as missing), along with the disappearance of Yan Ruyan, the Heavenly Spirit Root of Yan Family Fortress who was an important marriage partner and future pillar, greatly angered the Ghost Spirit Sect, which intensified its offensive.

Originally, the Seven Factions Alliance could barely hold on with the help of some forces from Yuanwu Kingdom and some support from Zijin Kingdom. However, as the war dragged on, internal divisions emerged in these two countries, and the support was greatly reduced, making the situation of the Seven Factions in Yue Kingdom increasingly difficult.

Li Feiyu spent over a month traversing several countries before finally entering the territory of Dongyu Kingdom.

This place is also not peaceful. Rumors are circulating that the Righteous Alliance intends to expand eastward, and there are frequent frictions on the border.

In a secluded mountain range, far from human habitation, he selected a suitable location, set up the short-range teleportation array terminal made by Xin Ruyin, and established a protective concealment array.

They then returned to the old secret chamber of the Yue Kingdom and began to dismantle and transfer the core of the Spirit Gathering Array and many other collections in batches.

Yan Ruyan silently followed the crowd. Her magical powers had dissipated, making her no different from an ordinary person, and she could only passively drift with the tide.

Over the past six months, from Yue Kingdom to Dongyu Kingdom, she seemed to have truly become an ordinary traveler, following Li Feiyu and his group through mountains and rivers, and even occasionally stopping in ordinary towns to experience the life of ordinary people.

This demeanor was completely different from the "mysterious great power" and "cold-blooded cultivator" she had imagined; it was full of a strange "human touch".

However, these people also possess unimaginable resources; the ancient books and rare materials in the underground chambers are far beyond the reach of ordinary cultivators.

This contradiction filled her with confusion and a vague unease.

Worries about the family often linger in my mind, but I have no choice but to bury all my emotions deep inside.

After transferring their important possessions to a newly opened temporary cave in Dongyu Kingdom, the group disguised themselves as merchants and spent several months before finally entering Xi Kingdom.

Their goal was clear: they headed straight for the Yunmeng Mountains.

Han Yunshu is fond of weapon crafting and is actually more suited to the Hundred Crafts Academy, but the Luoyun Sect has a relatively mild and tolerant atmosphere, which is more suitable for long-term seclusion and cultivation.

At this time, Lu Luo of the Luoyun Sect had not yet formed his Nascent Soul, and Master Muli was still alive in the mortal world.

Han Yunshu and Xin Ruyin did not face any difficulties in entering the sect. However, since they were both at the Foundation Establishment stage, they were not immediately trusted and accepted. It is estimated that there will be a considerable period of observation.

Before parting, Li Feiyu gave most of his top-tier magical artifacts, as well as the [Turtle Shell Shield] and [Flat Heaven Ruler Talisman] he had obtained from Lü Tianmeng, to Han Yunshu and Xin Ruyin for self-defense. Xiao Mei also received several decent magical artifacts.

Regarding the distribution of spirit stones, Li Feiyu only took two million spirit stones with him, leaving the vast majority to Han Yunshu and the others.

Yan Ruyan watched all this with cold indifference, feeling increasingly speechless.

For the past six months, she had been like a real mortal maid, following this group of people "traveling and enjoying the scenery," watching two women join the sect and receive generous gifts, while she herself remained powerless and uncertain about her future.

This bizarre situation and the elusive "master" left her feeling not only worried about her family but also deeply powerless and bewildered.

After Han Yunshu and the others successfully entered the Luoyun Sect, Li Feiyu stayed for another month, guiding them to familiarize themselves with the environment and leaving behind enough spirit stones and pills. Only then did he take the ever-silent Yan Ruyan and return to the temporary cave in Dongyu Kingdom through a short-distance teleportation array, before finally heading to the abandoned mine in Yue Kingdom.

……

At this point, eight months had passed since the agreement made with Han Li and Xuan Le, which stipulated a period of "three months to half a year."

Deep within the mine, beside an ancient teleportation array.

Xuan Le sat cross-legged inside the inverted Five Elements Array set up by Xin Ruyin, gazing at the ancient array platform before him, his mind filled with countless thoughts.

Having cultivated immortality for a hundred years, he was once the hope for the revival of his family and joined the Yan Yue Sect, the number one sect in the Yue Kingdom. Now, in the late stage of Foundation Establishment, he is considered a figure in the Yue Kingdom.

Looking back, all that remains is scheming, competition, forbearance, and the regret of missing opportunities.

If he hadn't encountered someone as unpredictable as Li Feiyu regarding this ancient teleportation array, he wouldn't know how things would have unfolded. Perhaps he would have successfully turned the tables and killed everyone, or perhaps his scheme would have failed and he would have perished here.

The dream of immortality always seems to be out of reach.

In a daze, the array of lights and shadows shifted slightly, and Li Feiyu, carrying Yan Ruyan, quietly appeared.

Xuan Le quickly stood up and bowed, saying, "Master."

Li Feiyu nodded slightly, then took out a Thousand-Mile Talisman to contact Han Li. Unexpectedly, Han Li replied that he was currently in the capital of Yue Kingdom, dealing with a heretical cultivation organization called "Black Fiend Sect".

"The Black Fiend Cult? The timeline is quite peculiar..." Li Feiyu was slightly surprised. According to the original development, Han Li should have dealt with the Black Fiend Cult several years later.

Now, due to his own intervention, Han Li, under the time pressure of fleeing in advance, has unexpectedly run into this matter ahead of time, and it is not yet over.

However, Han Li said that the matter was nearing its end and he would arrive as soon as he received the news.

After confirming Han Li's condition, Li Feiyu did not delay any longer and began to repair the last part of the ancient teleportation array according to the detailed jade slip left by Xin Ruyin.

His technique was precise, and he had a thorough understanding of the properties of various array materials, clearly demonstrating considerable expertise in array formation. In less than half a day, the last broken spirit rune on the array platform was redrawn and reconnected. After being inlaid with specific spatial crystals and several high-grade spirit stones, the entire ancient teleportation array began to emit a hazy silver glow, with subtle spatial fluctuations.

After the repairs were completed, Li Feiyu did not immediately activate the formation. Instead, he sat cross-legged beside the formation platform and gestured for Xuan Le to sit as well.

"According to your original plan, you should have used Lü Tianmeng to deal with the Blood Jade Spider, then seized the opportunity to silence him and keep the secret of the teleportation array for yourself, right?" Li Feiyu said in a calm tone, as if he were talking about something ordinary.

Xuan Le blushed slightly and nodded in acknowledgment: "Yes."

"I've always been curious," Li Feiyu said, his gaze sweeping across the dimly lit cave, "why are you, or rather many cultivators, always so keen on 'zero-sum games'?"

"Zero-sum game?" Xuan Le was puzzled by this unfamiliar term.

"It's a winner-takes-all game, where the loser loses everything, even their life," Li Feiyu explained. "If it were truly a once-in-a-lifetime encounter concerning the path to immortality and the chance to become an immortal, such a life-or-death gamble would be understandable. But I've observed for a long time that many cultivators easily embark on this life-or-death gamble just for a spiritual herb, a magical artifact, or a possible clue to a previous cultivator's cave… With this mentality and way of doing things, can they really go far on this thorny and perilous path to immortality?"

He pointed to the ancient teleportation array in front of him: "Let's take this array as an example. First, very few people can identify and repair this array. Second, the situation at the other end of the teleportation is completely unknown. What if the array at the other end is also damaged, or located in a dangerous place?"

"Furthermore, even if the teleportation is successful, what if the other side is a cultivation region that is even more chaotic and dangerous than Tiannan? Faced with so much uncertainty, and what can hardly be called a clear 'opportunity,' what is the point of risking one's life and scheming to the death?"

Xuan Le was stunned. She opened her mouth, but for a moment she was speechless.

Li Feiyu's words hit the nail on the head regarding the absurdities that are common in the cultivation world but rarely considered.

Upon reflection, that is indeed the case.

Many battles, which seem insignificant in hindsight, have cost countless cultivators their cultivation paths and lives.

If one continues to act with this mindset, it is indeed inefficient and risky, and it certainly does not seem to be the way to longevity.

But... another thought arose in his mind: before an opportunity has arrived, who can be certain of its value? If he misses it, it will be a lifelong regret. This seemed to be an unsolvable paradox.

Seeing the changing expressions on Xuan Le's face, Li Feiyu said nothing more.