Forced to become a pure and innocent female pharmacist in order to cultivate immortality.

This made Lin Aoxue somewhat envious of Ye Liuyun's Myriad Flower Eyes.

"Ah! That's enough, that's enough, I'm done practicing." Around midnight, Ye Liuyun stopped practicing his sword and sat down with a thud.

"What's wrong?" Lin Aoxue saw Ye Liuyun stop, immediately sheathed her sword, and walked over.

Ye Liuyun sighed softly, then looked at the bright moon in the sky and asked in confusion.

"Aoxue, do you still remember how we died and came to be in this world?"

Upon hearing this question, Lin Aoxue paused, then sat down next to Ye Liuyun, trying hard to recall the situation at the time. Perhaps more than twenty years had passed, and Lin Aoxue could not quite remember what had happened.

"Now that you ask, I suddenly can't remember either. I think we had an accident when we went out to play, right?" Lin Aoxue said, stroking her chin as she recalled.

Strangely, she couldn't recall for a moment what accident had brought them into this world.

"Hehe, you can't remember either? It seems it's not just me. I've been thinking about this for a long time. Why can't we remember what happened before we were reborn into this world? We only remember that we had an accident while traveling, but what kind of accident was it? Was it a traffic accident or an attack? How did we die? We seem to have no memory of it at all," Ye Liuyun murmured.

Why would she suddenly bring up this question? Well, there's definitely something wrong with it. Most importantly, her experiences in this world feel somewhat unbelievable, or rather, unreal.

She had a hypothesis in her mind: was this world the real world? Ye Liuyun had always had a question about this.

After arriving in this world, everything that happened was too absurd, just like a game.

They are indeed living, breathing people in this world, but as the saying goes, "a leaf can block out Mount Tai," and you can't possibly know the truth when you're in the thick of it.

Listening to Ye Liuyun's hypothesis, Lin Aoxue felt that this question was a bit of a brain teaser.

"Why are you suddenly fixated on this issue? Is it really that important?" Lin Aoxue couldn't figure it out.

"It's not important, but I don't know why, I'm a little concerned about this issue. If the world we live in is just a fake world, then aren't our lives in this world just fake?" Ye Liuyun said earnestly to Lin Aoxue.

Lin Aoxue fell silent; she couldn't answer Ye Liuyun's question.

But one thing is certain: she also felt that there was a mystery surrounding what they had experienced.

"Alright, alright, let's not talk about this anymore. Since we're here, let's just make the best of it. There's no point in thinking about it so much." Lin Aoxue didn't want to continue discussing this issue, because it was a question without an answer.

Seeing that Lin Aoxue didn't want to talk about this anymore, Ye Liuyun had no choice but to let it go.

The night passed just like that.

The second day marked the official start of the finals.

Ye Liuyun and Lin Aoxue also arrived at Lundao Peak early.

"Disciples, the finals are about to begin. The finals and ranking matches will be held simultaneously. To save time and give you time to prepare and adjust, the ranking matches will be held in the Cloud Ladder Secret Realm. That is to say, the disciples who win the finals will immediately go to conquer the Cloud Ladder. The auction will be ranked according to the number of Cloud Ladder levels you have climbed." Elder Qin announced the arrangements for the subsequent competitions.

Upon hearing about the Cloud Ladder Secret Realm, Ye Liuyun immediately turned around and asked Meng Xian'er, Pei Qian, and the others.

"Do you know what the Cloud Ladder Secret Realm is?" Ye Liuyun asked curiously.

Meng Xian'er chuckled and then quickly explained the situation of the Cloud Ladder Secret Realm to Ye Liuyun. The Cloud Ladder Secret Realm was a trial ground. The sect originally had a ranking of the top 100 disciples, and this ranking was revised every three years.

All disciples of the sect can participate, but only one hundred people will be selected. Those selected will receive ranking rewards from the sect, and the first-place winner will become the sect's chief disciple.

This is how Murong Huan became the chief disciple, and he has held that position for a long time; no one has been able to dethrone him.

After listening, Ye Liuyun roughly understood.

"Alright, the competition is about to begin. We will now proceed with the draw." Elder Qin's voice rang out again.

As soon as she finished speaking, 200 jade tokens flew out of her hand and floated in the arena. Ye Liuyun and the others also grabbed the tokens.

After receiving the token, Ye Liuyun glanced at it.

"Number 88, hey! That's a bit late. What about you, Aoxue?" Ye Liuyun glanced at his own number and then quickly looked at Lin Aoxue's number.

"I'm number 12, and I'll be going on stage soon," Lin Aoxue gestured.

Ye Liuyun is estimated to go on stage in the afternoon.

"You've finally gotten ahead of me," Ye Liuyun said with a smile.

But just then, Su Ying suddenly spoke up to Han Yao and the others.

"Disciples, there are some things I need to tell you. There's no need to fight to the death in today's battle. Once you've identified your opponents, if the gap between you is too large, you should give up if you can. This year's Nanling Grand Gathering is different from previous years; it's very important for our Yun Sect," Su Ying said with a serious expression.

Not only Su Ying, but the peak masters of other factions were also giving instructions to their disciples.

Yesterday, Fang Mingyu did some ideological work with them.

Because a desperate, all-out fighting style not only harms oneself but also the victor, and if the injury is too severe—like the damage to the Dao Palace—it would be difficult to recover in less than a few years, and the Southern Ridge Grand Gathering is imminent.

Of course, Yun Zong wasn't asking them to give up completely; he was asking them to admit defeat directly when the strength difference was too great.

For example, if an ordinary early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator encounters Murong Huan, it's pointless for you to try to inflict damage on him. It will only force the Yun Sect disciple to attend the Nanling Grand Gathering while injured.

There was no need for the Yun Sect to hold this conference; they could have simply designated their disciples to participate.

Many people seemed somewhat helpless after being persuaded by the leaders of various factions.

Whether or not we lose depends on the match results.

"Disciples 1 versus 2, please come to the stage," Elder Qin announced.

As soon as these words were spoken, a bolt of lightning shot out from Thundercloud Peak and landed in the center of the arena.

This number 1 is another heavyweight disciple, Senior Sister Ji Chunling of Lei Yunfeng. As soon as Ji Chunling stepped onto the stage, a disciple from the main peak who was in the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm changed his expression. If it were any other time, he would definitely have given it his all.

Unfortunately, they need to prioritize the bigger picture today.

However, the disciple from the main peak still went up on stage, but after going up, he first looked at Ji Chunling with some helplessness.

"Senior Sister Ji, we entrust the honor of our Yun Sect to you," the young man said, cupping his hands in respect.

Ji Chunling seemed to understand what the other person meant, so she nodded solemnly.

"I'm going to the Nanling Grand Event. I will give it my all."

Upon hearing this, the young man smiled slightly and then announced loudly.

"I concede."

On matters of principle, no one blames him for admitting defeat, because this is no longer a matter of personal honor. Those still participating are mostly core disciples who are aware of the problems Yun Sect is facing.

"Number one has won and advanced to the ranking competition. He can now attempt the Cloud Ladder," Elder Qin announced.

However, Ji Chunling shook her head and then said to Elder Qin.

"Elder, I relinquish my qualification for the ranking competition and the Cloud Ladder ranking. Please give it to this junior brother; I don't need it."

Ji Chunling's words surprised everyone. Everyone knew that the rewards for ranking on the Cloud Ladder were very generous, yet Ji Chunling had given them up directly. It seemed that she was doing this to compensate the other party for admitting defeat and allowing him to advance directly.

A smart person would immediately understand what Ji Chunling meant.

The high-ranking members of the Yun Sect exchanged glances and then nodded to Elder Qin.

"Alright, Ji Chunling will naturally hand over her spot in the ranking competition's Cloud Ladder challenge to the other party, so this spot will be inherited by number 2," Elder Qin announced with a smile.

After these words were spoken, Murong Huan stepped forward and offered his suggestion.

"Sect Master, Elders, I have a suggestion. The victors are already fortunate enough to represent the Cloud Sect at the Southern Ridge Gathering. I think it would be better to give the Cloud Ladder rankings to the defeated junior brothers and sisters."

Murong Huan's words immediately garnered the approval of many people; indeed, they no longer needed to compete for this ranking.

Chapter 318 Ascension to Immortality (5000 words)

Murong Huan's suggestion could effectively dispel the resentment of some of the disciples who had conceded defeat, serving as a form of compensation.

After a brief discussion, the top disciples of each peak and the promising disciples of each sect all agreed. As a result, even if the rest disagreed, they had to obey the majority.

Seeing that the disciples of Yun Sect had given up their qualification for the ranking competition, Ye Liuyun's negative feelings towards Yun Sect lessened considerably.

After all, in the eyes of their subordinate sects, the Cloud Sect was a sect that liked to suppress and plunder their outstanding disciples.

But when they arrived at the Cloud Sect, they found that the Cloud Sect was not much different from the Cloud Mist Sect, except that there were more people.

In the first five rounds, the weaker disciples basically ended up admitting defeat. In the sixth round, Lin Aoxue took the stage, but unfortunately, her opponent did not admit defeat because her opponent's realm was higher than Lin Aoxue's, and by a significant margin.

The other side has no reason to admit defeat.

"Qingyun Peak, Number 11, Chen Lin," the other person introduced himself.

This person is probably the strongest opponent Lin Aoxue has ever encountered. He is at the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm. There's no way around it; with only two hundred people in the group, no matter how you match them, you're bound to run into a cultivator of this level.

The higher-ups of the Yun Sect did not force this person to admit defeat, because they wanted to see if Lin Aoxue still had any hidden tricks up her sleeve.

"A battle between a Foundation Establishment cultivator in the early stage and a Nascent Soul cultivator in the early stage is normally a foregone conclusion. I wonder if Senior Sister Lin can create a miracle."

"Senior Sister Lin possesses combat power at the Nascent Soul stage, so there's no need to worry."

As the referee announced the start, Lin Aoxue took a deep breath, and the Dao Palace phenomenon behind her began to revive. With each palace lit up on the Dao Palace phenomenon, Lin Aoxue's aura doubled in strength. Until all the Dao Palaces were lit up, Lin Aoxue's power increased many times over in one breath. That aura was no less than that of the Out-of-Body Realm, only without the Out-of-Body Realm ability of the Dao Palace.

But it seemed that it didn't stop there. After Lin Aoxue's Dao Palace complex was fully lit up, a phantom gradually emerged behind Lin Aoxue. It was a white-clad woman whose face was obscured by mist and whose appearance was unclear. This woman floated behind Lin Aoxue, like an empress standing in the sky, ignoring the earth.

A sacred aura swept over us, and most strangely, a mysterious and profound melody began to resonate throughout the world, its origin unknown.

The Yun Sect disciples couldn't help but focus their gazes on what was behind Lin Aoxue.

Her face, shrouded in mist, clearly revealed a pair of deep eyes as she looked down at Chen Lin.

After the phantom appeared, everyone present except Ye Liuyun felt a terrifying chill and fear.

No one knew what kind of being this phantom was. Even Fang Mingyu and the others felt an urge to kneel down and worship it after seeing it.

The immense and boundless pressure seemed to make her see nothing but ants beneath the sky.

"What is that? A woman? What kind of trick is this?" Fang Mingyu and the others were also seeing Lin Aoxue's trick for the first time.

This is a new ability that Lin Aoxue gained after breaking through to the Dao Palace. As long as she fully activates the Dao Palace, she can summon the Feathered Immortal Shadow. Lin Aoxue is not yet clear about the specific abilities of this illusory shadow, because she is only in the initial stage of understanding her own physique.

Lin Aoxue turned her head and glanced at the phantom behind her, and at the same time Lin Aoxue looked at her, the phantom also looked down at Lin Aoxue.

"What a strange Dao Palace! Others have at most four, but she has a whole group. What is this woman's background? Could she have some kind of special physique?" Chen Lin was shocked by the oppressive aura emanating from the phantom.

The person in front of me felt like an invincible, supreme emperor.

"Come on," Lin Aoxue said to Chen Lin after she was ready.

Chen Lin bit his lip, took a deep breath, and then mustered his courage, forming a sword incantation with his hands, and slashed down at Lin Aoxue with his sword.

"Azure Sky Thunder-Slaying Sword Technique." Chen Lin raised his hand, and a bolt of heavenly lightning descended from the sky, landing on his top-grade spiritual weapon. Then, he waved his hand towards Lin Aoxue's location, and the next moment, a golden bolt of lightning fell towards Lin Aoxue.

But to Chen Lin's surprise, just as the golden lightning was about to strike Lin Aoxue, Lin Aoxue suddenly raised her head, a blue light flowing through her eyes. The phantom behind her also glanced at the golden lightning. The next moment, the golden lightning disappeared into nothingness with a thud.

Chen Lin was so frightened by what he saw that he took a few steps back.

"Impossible! My supreme Dao Palace technique was broken so easily?" Chen Lin was utterly panicked.

The illusory figure behind Lin Aoxue already exerted immense pressure on her, and now the pressure was even greater. As he attacked Lin Aoxue, a feeling of mortal slaying a god, of overestimating his own abilities, filled his heart.

"Wow, this is Ao Xue's new ability as she ascended to immortality! I've never used it before," Ye Liuyun exclaimed in surprise, his eyes wide.

"Ascended to immortality, Lin Aoxue is immune to all magic. In this state, spells are useless against her," Lin Qingyou said in a deep voice.

Ye Liuyun was even more astonished upon hearing this.

"What? Invulnerable to all laws? There's such an incredible and abnormal ability? Why?" Ye Liuyun exclaimed in surprise.

"You may not know this, but the path to immortality did not originally exist. In the primordial era, there was a primordial being known as Yuhua. He created the method to become an immortal, pioneered the path to immortality, and ultimately achieved the position of Heavenly Venerable. The Yuhua Immortal Body is the mark he left in the Great Dao. Let me tell you, there are ten supreme physiques in this world. These ten physiques are unique, and each one possesses heaven-defying power."

"Legend has it that the only way to defeat and break the Feathered Immortal Body is through methods outside of the Immortal Path. Today, it seems that this is indeed true," Lin Qingyou exclaimed in amazement.

Chen Lin didn't believe his magic couldn't harm Lin Aoxue, so he released his spell again. But no matter how he attacked, his spell dissipated the moment it touched Lin Aoxue, and he couldn't exert any power at all.

This scene looked utterly hopeless to everyone else, even Murong Huan and the others were dumbfounded.

"This? Is this an ability that a human cultivator can possess? Is this invulnerability to all laws? Impossible! This is unbelievable! Does that mean she is invincible from the start? Is such a thing even possible?" The powerful disciples of the Cloud Sect were all pondering this question.

However, they soon discovered that things were not as they had imagined. At the moment when the magic attack failed, Chen Lin suddenly attacked Lin Aoxue with his sword. This attack did not disappear, and Lin Aoxue quickly reached out and used her sword to deflect the opponent's flying sword.

"It can only block magical attacks? It seems I was overthinking it." Lin Aoxue frowned.

Chen Lin and Lin Aoxue finally retaliated, and they immediately understood.

"Haha, you scared me! It turns out that magic attacks are useless and cannot defend against all attacks. In that case, I have a solution." Chen Lin retrieved his weapon and then activated it with his own power, fully reviving the top-grade spiritual weapon.

He grasped the fully revived spiritual energy and slashed at Lin Aoxue with his sword. The weapon's power was said to be a branch of the immortal path, but it was not a Daoist technique created by the Feathered Celestial Venerable, but rather by the Spirit Treasure Celestial Venerable.

Lin Aoxue snorted coldly, and the next moment, she raised the sword in her hand.

"Let the spring sunshine scatter."

The weapon in Lin Aoxue's hand seemed to disintegrate, turning into countless blue petals that flew out and intercepted all of Chen Lin's sword light.

Lin Aoxue used the Heavenly Will Four Symbols Technique of the Heavenly Sect, but her mindset seemed different from when she first comprehended it.