First achieve immortality, then cultivate immortality.

"The criteria for finding teammates are simple: see if they are clean and uninjured. If they haven't had a single injury along the way, then their strength must be quite good," Xu Mu said.

Upon hearing this, Liu Yan looked at him and was surprised to find that, apart from the geniuses present, he was one of the few who maintained his neat and tidy appearance.

It's a pity he's an old man, otherwise she might have suspected he was a genius.

"I've got it. Let's go over and talk."

Xu Mu quickly identified his target, a young man.

Within a small sect's team, there are bound to be one or two outstanding individuals. Even if they can't compare to Ye Chen, they've at least cultivated to the ninth level of cultivation, so they must have received instruction from a Core Formation Spirit Lord and their strength won't be too bad.

When he approached Liu Yan, she frowned, and his fellow disciples also looked wary.

"Fellow Daoist, do you perhaps wish to stay here?" Xu Mu asked directly, getting straight to the point.

The other person remained silent, their gaze sweeping over the two of them, clearly considering the situation.

Xu Mu smiled faintly and said, "Although you and I are not fellow disciples from the same sect, I think we have one thing in common: we both came here for the purpose of Foundation Establishment. That is what you are, fellow Daoist."

How about it? If you don't want to stop here, give it a try with us.

The other person looked at him and said, "You are from the Hongshan Sect. I just saw that the person named Ye Chen doesn't seem to want to go with you. Does he not recognize your strength?"

You're not young anymore, but you seem... completely unharmed?

As he spoke, he looked puzzled.

Xu Mu smiled and said, "Everyone who has come here has fought their way here. That's why I invited you. Whether you have the strength or not is obvious at a glance."

"Why didn't Ye Chen take you with him?" the man asked.

"Because he's a rogue cultivator who came in with our Hongshan Sect, but Ye Chen looks down on him," Liu Yan said calmly.

Xu Mu smiled upon hearing this, remaining composed.

The man immediately understood. After thinking for a moment, he cupped his hands and said, "My name is Wu Yang. May I ask your esteemed name, fellow Daoist?"

"Xu You".

"Liu Yan".

After exchanging names, Wu Yang nodded and looked at his fellow disciples, saying, "You all stay here, I'll go give it a try."

"Junior brother, this person is a rogue cultivator..."

"It's alright, strength is paramount," Wu Yang said calmly.

His fellow disciples couldn't say anything more, and could only tell him to be careful.

Seeing that he had finished dealing with this matter, Xu Mu turned his attention to the others present.

"Let's go, let's pull one more." With that, he walked toward his next target.

This time it was a young woman, holding a sword in her arms, calmly watching them walk past.

Xu Mu cupped his hands and said, "Fellow Daoist, we have come to invite you to delve into the Thunder Zone together to comprehend the Dao."

The woman looked at the three of them, said nothing, and nodded slightly, saying, "My name is Xia Shixi, nice to meet you."

"Likewise." Xu Mu smiled.

This time it went very smoothly. The four of them introduced themselves to each other, including their names and the Taoist practices they cultivated.

Xu Mu reported on the sword formation technique and the fire-based magic.

Liu Yan is skilled in water-based magic, Wu Yang practices fire-based magic, and Xia Shixi specializes in swordsmanship, her techniques possessing unique wood and wind-attribute spiritual energy.

After getting to know each other, Xu Mu cupped his hands and said, "Thank you all for your trust. Please follow my instructions. We have only one goal: to go to the center of the secret realm to comprehend the Dao."

There might be precious medicinal herbs within the lightning zone; if you wish, I will gladly give them to you.

My heart is set solely on the Great Dao, and I hope that you all will also maintain a steadfast commitment to it. Do not let small temptations along the way shake your resolve, lest you fail at the last hurdle.

Upon hearing his words, the three men were immediately filled with respect.

"Fellow Daoist Xu's heartfelt words truly make me ashamed... I never expected that you are the true seeker of the Dao, not caring about those spiritual herbs along the way, but we..." Liu Yan said softly.

Xu Mu raised his hand and said, "No need for further words. I hope that everyone will stay true to their original aspirations, wholeheartedly pursue the Dao, and not be swayed by external things."

Liu Yan nodded, her gaze growing increasingly resolute.

Wu Yang and Xia Shixi also gained more approval for Xu Mu.

Putting everything else aside, the old man certainly has a dignified air about him, and he's certainly a worthy elder.

At this moment, the rain in the thunderstorm area finally stopped, but the dark clouds did not disperse, and lightning flashed.

But things will be much easier once the rain stops.

"The three of you, let's go."

As Xu Mu spoke, he led the three into the minefield, walking at the very front.

Liu Yan, Wu Yang, and Xia Shixi followed in his footsteps.

……

The shoes felt sticky and uncomfortable as they slid on the muddy ground.

The dark clouds overhead seemed to press down, and the rumbling thunder sounded like the low growl of a ferocious beast.

The lightning crackled and popped ahead, and the closer you got to the center, the denser the lightning strikes became.

Mirage beasts emerged from the ground, including thunder wolves that appeared out of thin air and water snakes made of water and mud. They were all ferocious beasts at the peak of Qi Refining, and none of them should be underestimated.

Xu Mu manipulated six flying swords in battle, calmly directing the three fighters as they fought, and making up for any shortcomings they might have.

The three were initially a little worried because they knew they were not strong enough.

Fortunately, the first battle went very smoothly. As long as they could hold their own, Xu Mu would have an opportunity to reap the rewards.

His sword formation style is very suitable for commanding and coordinating, and he never disrupts teamwork due to individualism.

Liu Yan, Wu Yang, and Xia Shixi felt relieved and began to fight seriously, constantly working together to improve their teamwork.

"Excellent, that's it. When we work together, we can unleash power far exceeding what an individual can achieve." Xu Mu encouraged the team and continued to lead them deeper into the territory.

The three of them became very cooperative and gave it their all.

Because they all recognized their own abilities, they remained humble.

To fulfill our ambitions and delve deeper into our goals, we must work together to have any chance of success.

……

Boom—!

Dark clouds covered the sky, and heavy rain poured down. Large raindrops pounded on the ground, gathering into flash floods that washed away everything.

Faced with the power of nature, the power of a Qi Refining stage cultivator is still too insignificant.

The rain completely obscured my vision, and the raindrops stung my face.

Lightning also strikes people relentlessly.

Xu Mu and his three companions were soaked to the bone, as if they had been drenched in water. They had no choice but to use their defensive magic items to resist the natural disaster and hurriedly ran up the mountain to avoid being swallowed by the mudslide, let alone continuing forward.

"What do we do now! We finally made it this far!" Liu Yan shouted amidst the rain and thunder, her face full of worry.

"Judging from this, the world is very close to its end," Wu Yang said.

Xia Shixi was also looking at Xu Mu.

They had been cooperating quite well and were able to fend off the mirage beasts that appeared along the way. Just when they were about to get close to the center of the secret realm, it started raining again.

Xu Mu stroked his beard, looking at the apocalyptic scene with remarkable composure.

"Since you can't walk any further, let's stop and contemplate the Great Dao."

"Huh?" The three of them didn't expect him to give up like that.

Xu Mu calmly said, "Why just keep looking at the finish line and keep moving forward? Does failing to reach the finish line mean failure? What is success and failure? Why not stop, take a look, and do your best?"

As he spoke, he stood on the hill, quietly watching the natural disaster unfold before him.

After exchanging glances, Liu Yan and the other two seemed to be deep in thought, and none of them said anything more.

We can't go any further now; mirages might emerge from the dark rain, which is extremely dangerous.

If you want to play it safe, then stop. Either wait for the rain to stop or wait for the world to end. As for which one comes first, it doesn't matter. Just do your best.