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

"Young Master, there is something I don't understand. I deeply agree with what you said about the drawbacks of 'zero-sum games.' However, if aristocratic families, sects, and even individual cultivators do not compete in this way, how can they establish themselves and grow stronger in this world with limited resources? Even if they do not act in this style themselves, are they not afraid of others using the 'zero-sum' approach to compete?"

"This is the ridiculous thing about the cultivation world. It's one thing if cultivators only seek a glorious life, but everyone talks about seeking the path to immortality, yet everyone chooses the least likely way to achieve it. I'm not denying the importance of risking one's life for a great opportunity; if one encounters such an opportunity, not fighting for it would only leave regrets. But risking being killed for something as completely unknown as this ancient teleportation array is truly hard to understand."

Upon hearing this, Xuan Le could only smile wryly and say, "Master is right..."

"But that's how it's always been in the cultivation world. There's constant infighting between superiors and subordinates. These life-or-death battles are usually won by one person alone. If someone wants to fight to the death, can you really stop them?"

"That's why it's so puzzling. They're clearly seeking immortality, yet they all have the mindset of short-lived people, as if not risking their lives for that little bit of life is a grave mistake. Actually..." Li Feiyu's expression suddenly turned serious, "To put it bluntly, it's just that most people don't have a clear plan for themselves. Just like... Xuan Le."

"Ah? Your subordinate is here."

"You have a mutated ice spirit root, right? If you encountered an extremely dangerous ancient cultivator's cave, and this cave was clearly fire-attribute, would you venture in or not?"

"This..." Xuan Le was at a loss for words.

Seeing Xuan Le speechless, Li Feiyu continued calmly, "You will inevitably hesitate because the value and risk of that cave are extremely mismatched for you. As a mutated ice spirit root, what you need are ice-attribute cultivation techniques, treasures, or opportunities that suit you. A fire-attribute cave, no matter how many treasures it contains, may be mostly useless to you, or even become a disaster due to conflicting attributes. But in the end, you will still venture in because... 'what if' there's something you can use inside? Or, what if you can exchange it for the resources you need?"

He paused, then turned his gaze to Yan Ruyan, as if speaking to her as well: "This is the problem. Most cultivators lack a clear understanding of their own 'Dao' and have no long-term plan for their own needs. They blindly pursue anything that is 'potentially useful' or 'highly valuable,' falling into one battle after another where they fight for nothing but risk their lives. This aimless struggle depletes their lifespan, wears down their Dao heart, and ultimately runs counter to the goal of 'immortality.'"

Xuan Le seemed lost in thought, with a slight sheen of sweat on her forehead.

He had never thought about it from that perspective. His obsession with the ancient teleportation array stemmed more from his weariness of the conflicts in Tiannan and his vague yearning for a "wider world," a kind of "escape" rather than "advancement" based on his own path.

Yan Ruyan's cool gaze flickered slightly.

Li Feiyu's words undoubtedly revealed the core blind spot in her past understanding. In Yan Family Fortress, she was taught that "you should strive for whatever the family needs," and she herself was part of the family's plan, a "treasure" used to exchange for benefits.

She was never allowed, nor did she ever think of, planning an independent and clear "path" for herself. Her value lay in obeying the family's arrangements.

After a moment of silence, her voice remained gentle, but she posed a deeper question: "What you say is quite true, young master. However, I am foolish. If everyone knew they needed to plan their own path and avoid unnecessary conflicts, the resources in the cultivation world are ultimately limited, with too many wolves and too little meat. What happens when the needs of those with clear plans conflict with those of others? Wouldn't this still be... a life-or-death struggle?"

"When did I say we shouldn't fight?" Li Feiyu smiled lightly. "If it really comes to this, then you should know what you need to fight for, instead of acting like headless flies, starting a life-or-death gamble at the slightest opportunity or benefit."

At this point, Li Feiyu added, "Even ordinary merchants know how to distinguish between different kinds of interests. They know which ones are short-term windfalls that ruin one's reputation, which ones are steady and sustainable that can support a family and build a business, and which ones are losses that only bring in publicity and long-term connections. They know how to calculate costs and risks, and how to allocate different resources and energy to different goals."

"On the other hand, many cultivators often risk their entire lives for a little bit of resources, without considering the risks and costs at all... I've said a lot today. You may have your own opinions, but just consider this a casual chat."

Li Feiyu stopped there and didn't continue the topic.

Xuan Le frowned, seriously considering Li Feiyu's words. He also vaguely realized that cultivators risked their lives too easily. It wasn't that they shouldn't fight for things, but most of the time, what they fought for was indeed not worth risking their lives for.

After hearing these words, Yan Ruyan also fell into deep thought. She thought a lot, especially about the "survival strategy" implied in Li Feiyu's words, which was completely contrary to her past understanding.

In the following days, Li Feiyu did not speak again, but continued to deduce the cultivation technique.

He has now almost completely modified the True Yang Technique, making it even more intense than the original True Yang power—a super-enhanced version! Now, his main task is to help Yan Ruyan devise a cultivation method, with the core concept being that yang energy generates yin, so that she can also benefit from the process of assisting in cultivation.

Li Feiyu knew that if there was no benefit to be gained and it was purely exploitation, it would definitely introduce a lot of variables.

He had originally given Han Li a month's time limit, after all, it would be a waste not to take such a large-scale breeder to the Chaotic Star Sea. After all, he didn't like to do things like murder and robbery; if he were to kill, it would be for the sake of the entire Dao Path, not for money.

But Yan Ruyan is now a mortal who has lost all her cultivation. She not only needs to eat and drink normally every day, but she also needs to poop, which leaves Li Feiyu speechless.

Although the underground space was large, it was still a semi-enclosed space, and with his heightened senses, the smells were too overpowering.

So he could only change the deadline to half a month. If Han Li really couldn't make it, there was nothing he could do but let him stay in Tiannan.

Anyway, it's all about planting, no matter where it is. Staying in Tiannan to do planting allows Han Yunshu to harvest, and it makes Xin Ruyin's cultivation smoother, which is a good thing. It's useful no matter what.

……

The light from the teleportation array grew increasingly stable and bright, and silvery-white spatial ripples slowly rotated above the array platform, forming a miniature vortex that exuded an aura of mystery and unpredictability.

Yan Ruyan stood quietly to the side, her eyes fixed on the shimmering array platform, her heart pounding involuntarily.

Is this the unknown land she's heading to? Family, the past, Wang Chan… everything is left behind. What awaits her ahead? She subconsciously clenched her fingers in her sleeve, inside which was the storage bag that Li Feiyu had given her, the one that belonged to Wang Chan.

"Let's get ready to go." Li Feiyu's voice pulled her back from her chaotic thoughts.

Yan Ruyan took a deep breath and was about to take a step when Li Feiyu suddenly raised his hand and made a gesture to wait a moment.

"They actually timed it perfectly? That's impressive."

As soon as he finished speaking, a series of sharp whooshing sounds and faint explosions came from inside the passage.

A streak of azure light shot towards them at an astonishing speed, its radiance slightly dimmed, clearly indicating a long and arduous journey. The light abruptly stopped in front of the array platform, revealing Han Li's slightly disheveled figure. Behind him followed a burly man with a blank expression and a deep, imposing aura—the very same "Qu Hun" who had been refined into a corpse.

"We almost missed it!" Han Li gasped for breath, glanced at the increasingly bright teleportation array, then looked at Li Feiyu and said with a wry smile, "Feiyu, you timed it perfectly. There's a crazy woman chasing us closely; it's Lian Feihua from the Demon Flame Sect, she's with quite a few people, she'll probably be here soon."

Almost as if to confirm his words, a loud "boom" suddenly came from above the cave! The entire underground space shook violently, and debris fell like rain, clearly indicating that someone was using force to destroy the cave ceiling.

"Another Earth-Shaking Talisman, and other methods to break the formation!" Xuan Le's expression changed slightly.

Li Feiyu remained expressionless, only nodding to Han Li: "Go in, the formation is activated."

Han Li didn't waste any words. He and Qu Hun flashed into the center of the teleportation array and stood beside Li Feiyu and Yan Ruyan. Xuan Le followed closely behind.

Just as the five people gathered in the center of the formation, the top of the cave exploded completely with an even more violent roar! Blinding sunlight mixed with dust poured down, exposing everything inside the cave.

Above, dozens of demonic cultivators floated in the air, their leader a young female cultivator with a beautiful face but a murderous aura, dressed in a fiery red palace gown. She was none other than Lian Feihua, the daughter of the Demon Flame Sect Master.

Beside her were two elderly men with profound auras, clearly at the Core Formation stage, as well as several elite members of the Demon Flame Sect at the late Foundation Establishment stage.

"An ancient teleportation array!" Lian Feihua's gaze swept across the array and instantly locked onto the ancient array on the platform that was emitting strong spatial fluctuations. Her eyes flashed with unbelievable surprise and greed.

The value of a well-preserved and operational ancient teleportation array is immeasurable for any sect!

She immediately recognized the faces of those in the formation, especially Han Li, which made her eyebrows furrow: "It's you again, you brat from Yellow Maple Valley! You've ruined my plans time and time again. Let's see where you run to today!" She shouted sharply, "Everyone, listen to my command! Break through the restrictions below! We absolutely cannot let the teleportation complete! The ancient teleportation array must be captured!"

Before she finished speaking, she had already made her move first. A flying sword burning with raging flames transformed into a stunning sight and pierced straight down!

Behind him, two elders who had reached the Core Formation stage also launched their attacks simultaneously. One of them summoned a ghostly black banner, from which countless eerie ghostly shadows shot out as the banner trembled. The other threw out a spinning crimson pearl, which seemed to contain flowing magma and emitted terrifyingly high temperatures.

The other demonic cultivators also activated their magical artifacts. In an instant, various colored lights mixed with eerie demonic energy poured down into the cave below like a torrential rain, their target being the teleportation array and the five people inside!

However, all the attacks were steadily blocked by a suddenly lit five-colored light barrier as they approached the cave, which was Xin Ruyin's "Inverted Five Elements Array". The light barrier rippled violently, and under such dense and powerful attacks, it hummed uncontrollably, clearly unable to hold on for long.

Within the formation, Li Feiyu ignored the attacks hurtling towards him from above.

With a flick of his wrist, the "Great Teleportation Token," obtained from an ancient teleportation array, appeared in his palm.

"Everyone, are you ready?" Li Feiyu asked calmly.

Han Li took a deep breath, nodded emphatically, and gestured for Qu Hun to stand still.

Xuan Le and Yan Ruyan also had excitement in their eyes. Although the road ahead was unknown, for some reason, they couldn't help but feel hopeful at this moment.

Li Feiyu said no more, and the formation was activated. The Great Teleportation Token in his hand emitted a soft and steady silver-white light, which complemented the yellow light of the teleportation array below.

The high-grade spirit stones embedded in the array platform were frantically drained of their spiritual power, causing the yellow light to suddenly surge and transform into an extremely thick pillar of light. Ignoring the obstruction of the Inverted Five Elements Array, it broke straight through the cave's dilapidated ceiling and shot into the sky! An astonishing spatial fluctuation swept out, causing Lian Feihua and the others who were attacking with all their might above to freeze in place.

"Not good! They're about to teleport away! Break the formation with all your might! Quickly!" The Heavenly Fiend Sect elder who had summoned the black banner roared, his face ashen. At the same time, he bit his tongue, spitting a mouthful of blood essence onto the black banner. The black banner immediately emitted a deafening howl, its power surging, and it slammed heavily into the five-colored light barrier.

Lian Feihua's pretty face was also frosty. With a series of waving hands, several talismans shot out. In mid-air, they transformed into fire dragons, ice dragons, and golden spears, joining the others in their attack, frantically bombarding the crumbling protective light barrier.

"Crack... Boom!"

Under the relentless attacks of two Core Formation cultivators and the combined efforts of dozens of demonic cultivators, the five-colored light barrier formed by the Reversed Five Elements Array finally let out a mournful cry and shattered completely, turning into countless fireflies and dissipating.

With the final barrier gone, countless incredibly powerful spells and magical artifacts, like a flood bursting its banks, surged toward the five people on the platform with an aura of destruction! The closest attacks were less than ten feet from the edge of the platform!

At this critical moment, Li Feiyu opened his eyes and uttered two extremely cold words.

"Teleport!"

The two words, deep and clear, seemed to carry the power of some kind of law.

Om-!

On the platform, the yellow light instantly intensified to its extreme, completely engulfing the figures of Li Feiyu, Han Li, Qu Hun, Yan Ruyan, and Xuan Le.

The next moment, the yellow light and the figures within it vanished into thin air like bubbles.

Boom! Boom boom boom!

All the attacks launched by the demonic forces landed on the empty array platform and the surrounding ground, shattering rocks and filling the air with dust, but they did not even damage the patterns of the teleportation array itself. In the instant the teleportation was completed, Li Feiyu had quietly removed the maintenance of the Inverted Five Elements Array core by relying on the last bit of control over the array, but the teleportation array itself remained intact.

The smoke and dust slowly dissipated.

Lian Feihua, along with two Core Formation elders and all the demonic cultivators, hovered in mid-air, staring at the empty ancient teleportation array below, which only showed faint spatial ripples. Their faces were extremely ugly, especially Lian Feihua, whose delicate body trembled slightly with anger.

The cooked duck flew away right under our noses! And it was taken away pot and all!

"Mo Juren!" Lian Feihua took a few deep breaths, barely suppressing the anger and frustration surging in her chest.

She knew perfectly well that once the people who had been teleported there destroyed the teleportation array on the other end, even if they obtained the Great Teleportation Token, they would no longer be able to use the ancient teleportation array.