First achieve immortality, then cultivate immortality.

When the secret realm is destroyed, the restrictions on the [Dao] are loosened.

Xu Mu's successful foundation building was as natural as water flowing into a channel.

After the strange phenomena around him dissipated, he automatically reverted to his youthful appearance.

Because the Foundation Establishment stage increases lifespan by two hundred years, enough to reverse aging, just like Senior Sister Mo Yao.

Only people nearing the end of their lifespan grow old, and their bodily functions decline accordingly, so few people like an aging body.

Although Xu Mu is an immortal, the rules after breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage still apply to him and there is no conflict.

At this moment, Xia Shixi opened her eyes and smiled.

Seeing this, Xu Mu smiled and said, "It seems I should congratulate you, fellow Daoist, on achieving your wish."

Xia Shixi was surprised when she saw his youthful appearance, then smiled and nodded, cupping her hands and saying, "I should thank you, fellow Daoist. As the saying goes, Daoist methods, companions, wealth, and place are the most important things. It is truly a blessing to meet you, fellow Daoist."

"Hehe, there's no need to be so polite. Since we are fellow Daoists, we should naturally join hands and work together towards the Great Dao." Xu Mu smiled and returned the greeting with a cupped hand.

Xia Shixi nodded, her expression filled with genuine gratitude.

If it weren't for Xu Mu leading the way, she probably wouldn't have gotten here. Then, she was inspired by him, and that's the most crucial point.

As the saying goes: "Studying alone without friends leads to ignorance and limited knowledge."

It was thanks to Xu Mu's inspiration at a crucial moment that she was able to successfully establish her foundation.

At this moment, a wave of energy rippled from Wu Yang's body, and he opened his eyes, his face showing joy.

"Congratulations, fellow Daoist." Xu Mu and Xia Shixi congratulated him together.

"Haha, congratulations to you too!" Wu Yang laughed heartily and returned the greeting with a cupped hand.

When Liu Yan opened her eyes, her face showed disappointment, but she quickly regained her composure.

Xu Mu and the other two quieted down and looked at her, not wanting to provoke her directly.

Fortunately, Liu Yan adjusted her mindset and smiled as she cupped her hands in thanks, saying, "Thank you, fellow Daoists. Although I did not succeed in establishing my foundation, I have still gained a great deal. I am confident that I will succeed next time."

"That's excellent."

They all laughed at each other.

Such an atmosphere is the true way to seek knowledge and pursue enlightenment.

"It seems I should head out now. I came in from Chekong City. If the three of you have time to visit my Lingwei Sect, I will certainly treat you to a meal and fulfill my duty as a host," Xia Shixi said, cupping her hands in greeting.

Wu Yang also cupped his hands and said, "Me too, especially Fellow Daoist Xu. You are welcome to visit my Luoyang Sect when you have time to discuss the Dao of Fire."

"Definitely." Xu Mu nodded with a smile and bowed to the two of them.

"Our Hongshan Sect welcomes you all at any time," Liu Yan said earnestly.

Because she hadn't successfully established her foundation, she lacked confidence and had to adopt a more serious attitude.

Xu Mu and the other two nodded.

In the world of cultivation, it is extremely rare to encounter true fellow cultivators.

The four of them went through thick and thin together on this adventure and came to appreciate each other.

Then they looked up at the sky and waited for a while.

The power of Heaven descended, shattering the sky into pieces, creating twisted spatial rifts everywhere, and the entire secret realm burst like a bubble.

Goodbye.

Goodbye.

After saying goodbye to each other, the four disappeared one after another.

When they leave, they return to the position they came in from.

It's like when a bubble is popped, only the bubble breaks, while the contents inside remain intact and fall back to their original position.

……

"They're out!"

A commotion immediately broke out in the Star-Picking Square.

The group, who had just emerged from the secret realm, were stunned when they saw the crowd in front of them.

"Which one of you is Xu You?" a Core Formation Spirit Lord stepped forward and asked.

"Xu You? Who is Xu You?" Everyone looked at each other, their gazes turning to the geniuses, not remembering anyone among them named Xu You.

Xu Mu hid in the crowd, his heart skipped a beat, and he vaguely guessed what was going on.

He had spent over two hundred years building his foundation, and yet a celestial phenomenon occurred, something he had never expected.

When he turned his gaze to the Inquiry Stele beside him, he immediately gasped.

"Oh no, this has blown up..."

Ye Chen, Liu Yan, and the others were also dumbfounded.

More and more people noticed the changes on the Dao Asking Stele, and they were all dumbfounded, especially those few self-proclaimed geniuses who couldn't figure out how the number one spot had appeared.

The bigwigs in the square all wore smiles, giving them time to react.

They were dealing with geniuses, not criminals, so they were very patient and tolerant.

"Alright, which one is Xu You? Step forward." True Lord Danyang spoke personally, his tone quite friendly.

Liu Yan subconsciously looked at Xu Mu beside her. Ye Chen, Yuan Xiangqin and the others also found his position, and the others followed their gaze and focused on Xu Mu.

The expressions on everyone's faces were fascinating: confusion, astonishment, and still no one could understand how this guy, who had gone unnoticed and had no outstanding performance, could be a peerless genius.

Xu Mu could no longer hide it, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and step forward, cupping his hands and saying, "I am Xu You, greetings to all the seniors."

"Come, let me see." True Lord Danyang smiled and beckoned.

"This is True Lord Danyang from the Taixu Immortal Sect. Young friend, don't just stand there, quickly pay your respects," said the Nangong family head, who reacted the fastest.

Xu Mu nodded, stepped forward, and cupped his hands, saying, "Greetings, True Lord."

Danyang Zhenjun smiled and nodded, then reached out and pressed his shoulder to quickly ascertain his cultivation level.

"Excellent, your foundation is solid." The True Lord praised him personally.

Xu Mu breathed a sigh of relief; the ancient divine cauldron in his sea of ​​consciousness had not been discovered.

This is precisely the most fundamental difference between the Foundation Building stage and the Qi Refining stage.

The so-called foundation building means taking oneself as the world and oneself as heaven and earth, and building one's own self-consistent Dao.

The ancient divine cauldron was previously in his mind, somewhere unknown, but now he could clearly sense it in his "sea of ​​consciousness".

His sea of ​​consciousness was his world. Although it couldn't be used as a storage bag, it was a divine artifact like the ancient divine cauldron that could be placed there, making it impossible for outsiders to detect.

Even if the other party is at the Nascent Soul stage, two major realms higher than him, they cannot interfere with his world or his path.

Needless to say, the Dao Fruit of Immortality is something else entirely, because it's not even a thing in the world. Even if the Heavenly King himself came, he wouldn't be able to find it on him.

He is the Dao Fruit, and he is the Dao Fruit.

He can live forever, not bound by the lifespan laws of the Heavenly Dao. This is his own characteristic. The Dao Fruit is just a concept in his mind, something he has had since birth, but there is no such fruit for him to eat.

The Tao is formless, and its fruits cannot be seen by others.

So, after quickly assessing the situation, he felt that the problem wasn't serious and that as long as it was handled properly, it wouldn't be a bad thing.

"Congratulations, True Lord, on gaining such a talented disciple."

"Congratulations, True Lord."

The Core Formation stage experts offered their congratulations, and the Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining stage juniors followed suit, bowing and paying their respects.

Danyang Zhenjun chuckled and said, "Alright, I have important matters to attend to and cannot accept you as a disciple right now. I will take you back to the Immortal Sect and then make a decision."

He was speaking to Xu Mu in a very amiable manner.

"Um... I will obey the True Lord's orders."

Xu Mu respectfully cupped his hands, then quickly said, "However, True Lord, I am actually not a genius. My talent for cultivation is very poor. I only managed to reach the Foundation Establishment stage by sheer luck."

Danyang Zhenjun laughed heartily: "That's called humility. Your character is excellent. No wonder you were able to comprehend the Great Dao. You are a truly formidable young man."

"Truly a peerless genius! Such composure and humility."

Everyone praised him.

Xu Mu opened his mouth, wanting to explain, but his words were drowned out by the cheers.

Thinking about it carefully, being taken to the Taixu Immortal Sect doesn't seem like a bad deal. When the sect elders discover he's a good-for-nothing, they can't blame him for it, since they wouldn't listen to his explanation.

Surely we can't just kick him out then, or what would become of the Immortal Sect's reputation?

And wouldn't it be wonderful for him to be a salted fish in there?

Thinking of this, Xu Mu stopped talking.