Immortality begins with Becoming an Alchemy Grandmaster

At daybreak.

Verdant branches stretched out their leaves, the dewdrops condensed upon them trembling on the verge of falling.

Reflected in those limpid beads of dew, Qing Lan Fairy stood before Chaixi Palace, gazing out over the breathtaking view of Daoist Palaces halfway down the mountainside.

A voice like spring water flowed murmuringly from her lips.

”Zhou Fuqiu, do you know what ’Tianyuan’ is?”

Zhou Fuqiu answered without hesitation: ”On the Go board, the central star point is called Tianyuan.”

”Right, and yet not entirely.” Qing Lan Fairy said leisurely, ”The core of the cosmos, the loftiest position—that too is Tianyuan.”

Zhou Fuqiu was taken aback for a moment, then suddenly saw the light.

The word ”Tianyuan” indeed was not merely a Go term; in astronomy and star-lore it had always held a lofty place.

”Our Daoist Sect takes Tianyuan as its name; for the past several thousand years, we have been worthy of this grand and magnificent name.”

”Ruling a whole continent alone, standing proud as the foremost of the Five Great Sacred Lands of the Mountain Sea Realm. Even after enduring great tribulations, we remain the strongest power in all the world.”

”Yet all of that is still not the entirety of the Tianyuan Daoist Sect!”

Her words, unhurried and measured, flowed on and on; pleasing to the ear, yet drawing one irresistibly in.

Zhou Fuqiu already understood what was happening—his master had come at first light to give him a lesson.

And this first lesson was an introduction to the Sect’s history, its heritage, glory, and all that was related.

Perhaps for many clansmen of Zhongzhou’s Immortal Cultivation Clans such a class would be completely unnecessary, but for Zhou Fuqiu, Qing Lan Fairy felt it was very necessary.

For the Zhou Family in the past had merely been a subordinate power brought in by the Guest Elder of Star Gate, and had never fully integrated into the Tianyuan Daoist Sect.

Under such circumstances, letting the most outstanding youth of the Zhou Family develop a sense of cohesion toward the Sect was undoubtedly the best method.

Zhou Fuqiu, well-versed in the classics and histories, understood this tactic very clearly.

Even so, he was still shaken by what Qing Lan Fairy said next.

”Above this realm, there is yet another realm, called the Mystic Realm. There too is a Tianyuan Daoist Sect. Within it experts are countless, Great Power True Monarchs emerge one after another, and we are but a part of the Xuanjie Taoist Sect.”

Qing Lan Fairy turned around, her gaze falling upon the utterly astonished Zhou Fuqiu, very satisfied with his reaction.

”Master, then how did we come down here?”

Qing Lan Fairy smiled and said: ”According to the records in our Sect’s classics, our Daoist Sect, together with the other four Holy Lands of the Mountain Sea Realm, all descended from the Mystic Realm to Mountain Sea in Ancient Times. Then our forebears braved hardship and toil, hacking through thorns and brambles, and bit by bit opened up this realm into the Human Cultivation World.”

”Descended?”

”Yes, through a Spiritual Treasure!”

Zhou Fuqiu’s heart gave a jump, inspiration flashing forth. ”Could it be that Spiritual Treasure you spoke of yesterday, the one that can summon many Great Powers’ incarnations down to the Lower Realm?”

”Mm, it is precisely the Star Gate.” With one hand clasped behind her back, Qing Lan Fairy paced slowly along Chaixi Palace, explaining her disciple’s doubts as she walked: ”The Star Gate is a Space Spiritual Treasure, yet not merely a Space Spiritual Treasure. It has no power of attack, nor any ability to defend. Its function is to roam the cosmos and traverse the two realms; it is more like the Flying Magical Treasures we commonly use.”

Saying this, she pointed distantly toward a certain direction.

”For tens of millions of years, that gate stood upon Heaven and Earth Peak, connecting the Mountain Sea Realm and the Mystic Realm, allowing us and the main Sect in the Upper Realm to maintain a simple line of contact.”

Zhou Fuqiu halted his steps and looked in that direction as well.

That had once been the core region of Zhongzhou—Heaven and Earth Peak!

But now, Heaven and Earth Peak had already collapsed.

And moreover...

”Where is the Star Gate now?”

A trace of gloom appeared on Qing Lan Fairy’s face. ”I’ve heard it has already been taken. The purpose of that Demon Phoenix’s assault on Zhongzhou was precisely the Star Gate. Some of the senior brothers and sisters in the Sect even believe that when the Tianyuan Daoist Sect sent troops in all directions to attack the other Four Continents, the Demon Phoenix’s shadow lay behind it all. Because our strength was divided into five fronts and our experts scattered, Zhongzhou was left empty at that time; the Demon Phoenix seized the opportunity, slipped in, and took the treasure in one stroke.”

The next moment, Qing Lan Fairy shook her head slightly, shaking off that heaviness.

”But how deep is the heritage of our Daoist Sect? Even without the Star Gate, two of the Sect’s three treasures remain intact; we can still overawe the world!”

At this moment, however, what Zhou Fuqiu was thinking about was not only this.

As he was now, he could hardly speak of any sense of Sect cohesion.

He was merely curious about one thing.

”This disciple knows that in Zhongzhou over the past three thousand years, Great Powers have repeatedly undergone Ascension. Even a hundred years ago, the Alchemy Saint rode the clouds and Ascended under the gaze of countless people. So I am very curious: while the Star Gate still existed, did those seniors of our Daoist Sect Ascend to the legendary Immortal Realm, or to the Mystic Realm where the main Sect resides?”

The question was somewhat abrupt, but Qing Lan Fairy was not flustered in the least; instead she smiled faintly.

”Naturally to the Mystic Realm.”

Zhou Fuqiu furrowed his brows.

The Immortal Realm of myth and legend was the place everyone longed for in their dreams.

The seniors of the Sect, instead of going to the Immortal Realm, Ascended to the Mystic Realm—what was the logic in that?

However, his master did not elaborate too much, merely made a brief remark.

”In time, you will naturally come to know.”

Having spoken, Qing Lan Fairy once more set off, leading Zhou Fuqiu into the main hall of Chaixi Palace.

She sat openly and straightforwardly at the seat of honor.

Facing Zhou Fuqiu, who stood below with head held high, she formed a Daoist Formula with her fingers.

A band of green radiance gently enveloped his body.

Zhou Fuqiu’s face showed a look of surprise; he felt the abundant Spirit Qi around him pour toward him with incomparable intimacy.

This scene was not unfamiliar.

It had been the same several years ago, at the Spirit Testing Ceremony.

Obviously, his master was personally testing his talent.

”As expected, a Water Type Heavenly Spirit Root!”

As she continued to probe, the astonishment on Qing Lan Fairy’s face grew denser and denser, until in the end it turned into delight.