This is the true immortal of the Taoist sect.

Under the camphor tree, Zhu Jiu was lying on the ground with his butt sticking out, watching a group of ants move their nest.

Every now and then, he would use the twig in his hand to disrupt the ants' formation, having a great time doing so.

"Little Jiu, come and have some mung bean soup..."

Ye San Niang came out of the kitchen carrying a plate and called out to Zhu Jiu.

Zhu Jiu wiggled his hips and responded.

"oh..."

Then continue watching the ants moving house.

Ye San Niang smiled and didn't shout again. Instead, she put Zhu Jiu's bowl aside and added another spoonful of sugar to it.

Then he picked up another bowl and placed it in front of Mingyue, respectfully saying:

"Master Mingyue, please enjoy your meal."

Mingyue smiled and said softly:

"Third Sister, you can just call me Mingyue, there's no need to be so polite."

Ye San Niang, however, said with a serious expression:

"We are deeply grateful to the two Taoist priests for taking us in; it is an immense favor we cannot refuse."

Mingyue took a sip of mung bean soup, smiled, and said:

"Actually, my Taoist practice doesn't have that many rules."

Ye San Niang was taken aback, then nodded thoughtfully.

She understood the meaning behind Mingyue's words; she was being reminded not to view the Taoist sect through the lens of worldly rules, otherwise the patriarch might not have taken a liking to her.

Under the camphor tree, Zhu Jiu, who was watching the ants, suddenly stood up, turned around, and stared straight at the house.

Mingyue and Ye Sanniang subconsciously looked at Zhujiu. Ye Sanniang waved and smiled:

"Little Jiu, come here..."

Zhu Jiu, however, seemed to ignore him, his gaze fixed on the house.

Mingyue also noticed something amiss at this moment.

"Master..."

After murmuring something, Mingyue got up and walked out of the hall, looking in the direction where Li Daoxuan was in seclusion.

Ye San Niang, not understanding why, also came out.

Just then, an immense pressure suddenly descended from the sky.

It was as if some extremely terrifying being was awakening.

Immediately afterwards, an extremely high-pitched roar of a beast rang out.

The people throughout Anyi County were all shaken to their core, and some timid people even knelt on the ground, trembling with fear.

In the courtyard, upon hearing the beast's roar, Zhu Jiu suddenly understood and subconsciously spoke:

"Dragon's Roar..."

He raised his head, looked at the sky, and his face was full of longing.

Mingyue was emanating a faint fluctuation of magical power, clearly resisting this oppressive force.

Ye San Niang's face was pale, her whole body was trembling, and her legs slowly bent, as if she was about to kneel down at any moment.

But for some reason, she gritted her teeth and persevered, trying her best to stand.

"Aww..."

Another high-pitched dragon roar rang out.

Immediately afterwards, everyone saw a divine dragon radiating golden light soar into the sky.

The sky, which had been bright and sunny, was suddenly covered with dark clouds, and streaks of lightning flickered, as if it were the end of the world.

"Master..."

"Zhu Jiu shouted excitedly."

He saw a person standing on the head of the golden dragon, a young man in a green Taoist robe, who looked like an immortal.

It was none other than Master Li Daoxuan.

Ye San Niang also saw Li Daoxuan, and seeing him riding a dragon through the sky, her mind went completely blank.

"An immortal... an immortal... the founder of the Taoist sect... so he was an immortal..."

Ye San Niang kept shouting in her heart.

She had always thought she had exaggerated the Taoist patriarch's image enough, but when she actually saw Li Daoxuan riding a dragon out of seclusion, she realized that she had seriously underestimated him.

At this moment, not only she, but even Mingyue was deeply shocked.

He couldn't help but murmur to himself:

"Could it be that Master has already formed his core and become an immortal, attaining the status of an Earth Immortal?"

In Taoist cultivation, the formation of the elixir is a crucial branch.

Successfully forming the elixir means shedding one's mortal form and becoming an immortal.

However, this realm still does not grant true immortality; one still needs to rely on blessed lands and grottoes to continue cultivating. Therefore, they are called Earth Immortals. The lifespan of an Earth Immortal is at least five or six hundred years, and at most a thousand years.

Only by repeatedly refining that inner elixir, transforming the five elements, gathering the three flowers, and cultivating the immortal golden elixir, can one completely break free from the shackles of heaven and earth and achieve the status of a celestial immortal.

After achieving the status of a Celestial Immortal, one's primordial spirit can rely on the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth; that is true immortality.

As long as heaven and earth endure, celestial beings will live on forever, free from the worry of lifespan.

After the Celestial Immortal comes the Golden Immortal, the truly immortal one who has attained the ultimate Dao.

The highest level of Golden Immortal has two branches: one is Daluo, and the other is Taiyi.

They are respectively the Great Luo Golden Immortal and the Taiyi Golden Immortal.

There is no difference in quality between the two; they simply belong to different factions.

Above the Three Realms lies the vast and boundless Great Luo Heaven. In Taoism, the highest of the Thirty-Six Heavens is called the Great Luo Heaven. Therefore, the Great Luo Heaven also represents the ultimate cultivation, the attainment of the ultimate Tao, transcending the Three Realms, being outside the Five Elements, being indestructible through countless eons, and uniting with the Tao.

Taiyi emphasizes the origin of the Dao, the primordial Qi, cultivating the Dao of Taiyi, merging the body with the origin, and the method permeating the primordial Dao fruit.

Those who are ranked in the Taiyi category seek the origin of the Dao, without emphasizing Daoist traditions or celestial positions, and without being included in any celestial court factions.

Therefore, in orthodox mythology, those who cultivate Taiyi are also called Taiyi Sanshu, who do not enter the true stream.

But whether it's a Great Luo Golden Immortal or a Taiyi Golden Immortal, they are fundamentally the same in terms of their paths to enlightenment.

They have transcended the Three Realms, are no longer bound by the Five Elements, are indestructible through countless eons, and have merged with the Dao.

There is no difference in quality between the two, nor is there any distinction of rank.

In the traditional Taoist cultivation system, these two realms are considered the ultimate, and high-ranking immortals such as the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) belong to this category.

There is no such realm as that of a sage in the prehistoric fantasy novel system.

Because once one cultivates to the level of Daluo or Taiyi, one has already transcended the Three Realms and Five Elements, and merged with the Dao. One is the Dao itself, and the Dao is oneself. So how can there be any talk of a higher realm?

Getting back to the main point, when Mingyue saw Li Daoxuan riding a dragon out of the pass and soaring upwards, she assumed that he had already become an Earth Immortal and was filled with admiration.

Li Daoxuan rode a dragon and controlled the wind, using the Dragon Leap Technique to roam the heavens and earth, traveling hundreds of miles away in just a few breaths before turning back.

They were truly like immortals, living a carefree life.

"Hahaha..."

"This is what a Taoist immortal should be like."

Li Daoxuan was overjoyed, feeling that the world was so vast that he could go anywhere he wanted.

The dragon returned in the sky, its form vanishing into thin air.

Li Daoxuan descended from the sky and landed steadily in the courtyard.

Mingyue and Qingfeng, who had rushed over from the front yard, quickly stepped forward to offer their congratulations:

"Congratulations, Master, on your great progress in cultivation."

Zhu Jiu also quickly stepped forward and said with a grin:

"Master, dragon, dragon..."

Li Daoxuan laughed heartily and said:

"Hahaha...Good, good, good. I have gained a great deal from this seclusion. I have mastered three magical techniques, all of which possess incredible power."

"Once I have prepared it properly, I will pass it on to you."

The three disciples were overjoyed and repeatedly expressed their gratitude.

At this moment, Li Daoxuan also noticed Ye Sanniang standing awkwardly not far away. Although he was in seclusion, he already knew of Ye Sanniang's existence.

"This must be Miss Ye? Greetings, this humble Taoist."

Li Daoxuan bowed and said.

Ye San Niang was terrified and instinctively tried to kneel down.

"This humble woman pays homage to the immortal..."

Li Daoxuan raised his hand and summoned a wisp of magical power to support her body.

"Miss Ye, there's no need for such formalities. You have been kind to Jing Shu, so you're one of us."

Hearing that they were "one of us," Ye San Niang was overjoyed.

Just as she was about to thank him again, Li Daoxuan stopped her, saying:

"For me, there's no need for too many formalities."

Then he turned to look at Qingfeng and said:

"Qingfeng, it is up to you to teach her the Taoist scriptures and methods, and guide her into the Tao."

Qingfeng was taken aback, but then understood Li Daoxuan's meaning and cupped his hands in greeting:

"Yes, Your disciple obeys."

Li Daoxuan nodded and looked at Ye Sanniang, saying:

"Miss Ye, our Taoist practice emphasizes the importance of mutual understanding and telepathy."

"Forgive my bluntness, but you are not suited to practicing pure Taoist methods."