First achieve immortality, then cultivate immortality.

Qinglan Sect.

Inner door.

The Qinglan Mountains remain as majestic and magnificent as ever.

Mo Yao's current job is as the steward of the Welcome Hall, responsible for the sect's recruitment of new members and providing fresh blood for the sect. It is a very important position.

Her master, Elder Yunfu, hoped that she could recruit more disciples to strengthen her faction.

This is one of her strengths, because she is very approachable and was well-liked by her junior brothers and sisters when she was in the Transmission Hall.

However, she personally felt completely exhausted, both physically and mentally.

If she could, she truly wished she could go back to the days when she was in the Hall of Transmission of Skills...

Nowadays, the situation in the sect is becoming increasingly severe. Disciples no longer value camaraderie among themselves, and factionalism is becoming more and more serious.

New disciples must enter a certain mountain stronghold, otherwise they are easily bullied.

People from different mountain strongholds often fought each other, resulting in injuries and deaths.

The Core Formation Elders didn't care, and the members of the Enforcement Hall formed their own faction, losing their authority in enforcing the law.

In this situation, Mo Yao has accomplished his mission quite well, gathering most of the outer disciples.

The problem is that their overall strength is too weak. Most of them are just starting out and only at the low level of Qi Refining. Therefore, they can only unite and help each other, with the aim of protecting themselves and not participating in the fighting.

However, this was enough for Elder Yunfu, because he didn't need combat power, he only needed to exert pressure through sheer numbers.

Mo Yao is currently in a safe position, standing with many outer disciples.

"Sigh, how did the sect become like this? More than fifty years ago, the sect was peaceful and harmonious..." she sighed helplessly.

Since outer disciples stopped receiving Foundation Establishment Pills based on their contributions, more and more problems have arisen.

Conflicts with other sects are increasing, making it a situation of both internal and external troubles.

Just then, a female cultivator rushed over, her expression panicked, and whispered, "Senior Sister, something terrible has happened! Elder Mingjing has been killed!"

"What?!" Mo Yao was immediately stunned.

"What happened? Who killed him?"

"This... I'm not too sure. I heard he was killed outside the sect." Luo Xuan scratched her head, looking unsure.

Mo Yao frowned and said, "Don't talk nonsense, lest rumors spread."

"I heard it during Master's conversation," Luo Xuan quickly explained.

"...Okay, I understand." Mo Yao nodded worriedly.

A Core Formation stage elder died. Was it killed by another sect, or by their own sect? There might even be collusion between insiders and outsiders.

She can't see clearly, she really can't see clearly right now...

She was a Foundation Establishment cultivator of average strength, respectfully addressed as "Sir" by the disciples, but in this struggle, she was merely a peripheral figure.

She neither wanted to nor was capable of getting involved in crucial matters.

"Please let it end soon..." That was all she could pray for.

Regardless of the outcome, she only hoped that the sect could return to peace.

How she longed to return to that harmonious atmosphere where everyone sat down together to discuss the Tao and diligently cultivate themselves.

……

The mortal realm.

A single order from the sect unleashed a bloody storm across the martial world.

The masters in the martial arts world are definitely cultivators. Even if they don't know magic, they can still use their fists and feet to fly over rooftops and walk on walls, which is far beyond what ordinary people can do.

With the Taoist temple keeping them in check, they don't usually cause any trouble in the martial arts world.

However, the Taoist temples themselves are not doing much better now, which has led to disputes among the people.

As Xu Mu said, this turmoil spread from the imperial court to Taoist temples and then to the common people, and it was not something that could be stopped at will.

Even though the Qinglan Sect no longer cares about the mortal realm, this situation still has inertia and won't settle down for at least ten or eight years.

Ordinary people could feel that things were going downhill and life was becoming increasingly difficult.

Fortunately, things haven't really turned out badly yet, and we can still grit our teeth and get through this.

The incense at the Taoist temple became even more abundant, with countless people burning incense and praying to the gods, including the god of medicine.

Xu Mu is indifferent to worldly affairs, but he has already gained a reputation in the martial arts world and can protect the residents around Taoshan County.

Taoshan County is a small place, and ambitious people don't come here, so apart from the price increase, the county is relatively stable.

On one occasion, Master Lingxu timed his visit perfectly, arriving at the exact moment he was going down the mountain to collect manure, to have tea with him, and to inquire about Taoist principles and analyze the situation.

Xu Mu didn't mind chatting with him more, as long as it didn't cause any trouble.

Two years later, he never came back.

Several years later, Zhang Yu'an passed away at the age of seventy-six.

Not long after, Qingsong Daoren also passed away at the age of eighty-three.

That year, Xu Mu broke through to the ninth level of Qi Refining.

Seven years later, Li Zhiyuan passed away at the age of 92.

It was an ordinary afternoon when Li Zhiyuan suddenly felt very tired. After finishing her meal, she went to rest. With Xu Mu and Li Zhihua taking care of her, she closed her eyes with a smile and never woke up again.

Xu Mu buried her on a mountain, in a scenic spot, and personally carved the tombstone.

……

"Young master, you haven't gone out for a long time. Are you worried that I might suddenly leave?" Li Zhihua said with a smile.

Xu Mu nodded gently: "Now that you're all alone, I don't want to be away from you when you leave..."

Li Zhihua smiled and said, "It's alright, young master. Just be yourself as usual. Whether my sister and I are here or not, you must live well and make yourself happy..."

As she spoke, her voice choked with emotion, and tears streamed down her face as she smiled.

"Yes, I will." Xu Mu gently hugged her.

Li Zhihua buried herself in his arms and couldn't help but burst into tears.

After her sister left, she felt increasingly lonely, as she was left to walk alone on the road to death, forced to head towards that unknown end.

She tried to remain calm, but she still couldn't overcome her confusion and fear.

Xu Mu could only accompany her attentively, comfort her, and do his best to dispel her gloom.

"Young Master, does the Netherworld really exist in this world?" she asked, her voice choked with sobs, as she leaned her cheek against Xu Mu's chest.

Xu Mu stroked the back of her head and said softly, "There are such legends in the cultivation world, called the Netherworld, the Ghost Realm, or the Underworld, but they don't seem like places where people go after they die. They are more like cultivation grounds like the cultivation world or the Asura Realm."

"What happens to that person after they die? Do they turn into a star?"

The two sisters have asked this question many times.

Xu Mu smiled and nodded: "Yes, people become stars after they die, enjoying peace and happiness in the sky that they can't experience on earth."

Li Zhihua laughed, wrapped her arms around his waist, and rubbed against his chest.

"My sister and I have always been happy, so we don't need to be happier. I just want to find my sister and watch over you from heaven with her."

"Yes, Zhiyuan is definitely waiting for you, waiting for you to find her, and for you to be happy together forever..."

"If... there really is an afterlife, I'll go find you," he said with a smile, carrying a sense of longing.

"Okay." Li Zhihua nodded with a smile.

Her mood finally improved, so she wrapped her arms around Xu Mu's neck and said earnestly, "Young Master, I want it. I want it every day from now on. I want to become a fool, not wanting anything but you."

Xu Mu was stunned for a moment, then pinched her nose helplessly: "How old are you? Still wanting to indulge in lust?"

Li Zhihua stuck out her tongue: "I'm forever nineteen! The prime of my life!"

"Yes, yes, as long as you like it."

She wanted to die in this way, and Xu Mu had no reason to refuse.

The Youth-Preserving Pill was truly a miraculous elixir. Li Zhiyuan remained young and beautiful until the moment of her death, as if she had died young.

In this situation, Li Zhihua's choice to face death in a youthful and unrestrained manner certainly provided her with ample opportunity.

The sorrow of death was thus diluted.