Mysterious mirror hanging high

Li Huaiyou took a deep breath and said:

"The path of cultivation leads to the shedding of the mortal body after the Mahayana stage, and the ascension to immortality... There are three realms of immortality: the celestial immortal's magical power is profound, and the true immortal's transformation from false to true."

"If a True Immortal wishes to advance further and glimpse the wondrous realm of truly living as long as Heaven and Earth, then at the time of True Immortal perfection, he must attempt to condense that unique [Immortal Golden Nature]."

"Once the golden essence is condensed, one can attain the rank of Golden Immortal. At this point, the immortal body is almost perfect and flawless, and the consciousness is integrated with the golden essence. Theoretically, one can live forever and enjoy endless lifespan. As long as one does not encounter a calamity, one can safely pass through an entire era."

Li Huaiyou continued, "However, although Golden Immortals are said to be immortal, they are not truly immortal."

"In the struggle for the Great Dao, when calamity is imminent, or when exploring perilous lands... there is always an unexpected event that could cause a Golden Immortal to perish completely."

"When a Golden Immortal falls, their consciousness and soul may dissipate, but the [Immortal Golden Nature] that is condensed from their life's cultivation path and carries their life's cultivation insights and the imprint of laws can remain because of its 'immortal and indestructible' characteristics, becoming an unclaimed object."

"This kind of lost [Immortal Golden Nature] is an immeasurable treasure for other Golden Immortals."

Li Huaiyou's expression was solemn: "Because each piece of gold represents a unique path that leads directly to the path of immortality."

“Observing and learning from the immortal golden nature of other Golden Immortals can be of unimaginable help to Golden Immortals in perfecting their own path of cultivation, and even in attempting to condense their Dao Fruit and strive for the position of Dao Lord.”

"Even for some beings who have already attained the Dao Lord level, different metal elements may provide inspiration for understanding by analogy."

At this point, he changed the subject and looked at Yuwen Tianfu: "However, such treasures are a stroke of luck even for Golden Immortals and Dao Lords. If they fall into the hands of True Immortals or cultivators below the True Immortal realm, it will be more of a curse than a blessing."

"If a True Immortal is fortunate enough to obtain an unclaimed [Immortal Golden Nature] and forcibly refines and fuses with it, it means that they may directly inherit some of the Dao insights and understanding of the laws of that fallen Golden Immortal!"

"This is equivalent to gaining the Daoist scriptures and experience of a Golden Immortal out of thin air, which is enough to greatly increase the probability of a True Immortal breaking through the bottleneck, and even clear away many fogs on the road to Golden Immortal, making the hope of becoming a Golden Immortal far greater than that of their peers!"

"This sounds like an incredible opportunity... Unfortunately, fortune and misfortune are intertwined. In this world, there is never any power that comes out of thin air without paying a price."

As Yuwen Tianfu's killing intent subsided, Li Huaiyou's courage gradually grew, and he spoke faster: "That [Immortal Golden Nature] is the aggregation of a Golden Immortal's lifelong path, will, and even parts of personality! It not only contains the Golden Immortal's path, but may also retain fragments of the original owner's experiences and emotional memories."

"The higher the refiner's realm, the more steadfast their Dao heart, and the deeper their understanding of their own Great Dao, the better they can suppress, peel away, and digest these [impurities] in the metal element, taking only its pure essence of Dao principles."

"But if the refiner's own cultivation level is insufficient, or if their Dao heart is flawed, or their will is not firm..."

"Then, the residue contained in the metal element may be like the most insidious malignant sore, quietly eroding, infiltrating, and even... taking over the body during the refining process!"

"The refiner will find himself becoming less and less like himself."

"Unfamiliar fragments of memories may inexplicably surface in your mind, and your emotions may become uncontrollably extreme. Your likes, dislikes, and even your behavior may subtly change."

"Initially, it might just be a slight anomaly, but as the refining process deepens and the fusion with the metal element intensifies, this erosion will become increasingly severe. Until one day..."

He took a deep breath and said slowly:

"Until one day, the refiner may no longer be able to distinguish which thoughts are their own and which are remnants of the original owner of the metal element."

"This is not 'body possession,' because even if a Golden Immortal retains only a trace of their original consciousness, they could be resurrected... so their own golden nature would not be easily taken away..."

"Therefore, the original owners of the unclaimed gold that were left behind must have been completely dead."

"Therefore, the consciousness reborn from the metal element cannot be considered the original owner's consciousness, but rather a completely new existence born from the combination with the host."

"The new being that combines with the metal element... could be dominated by the metal element, or it could be dominated by the original personality."

Li Huaiyou asked cautiously, "That's why I asked this question. I wonder if you now identify yourself as [Yuwen Tianfu] or [Immortal Golden Nature]?"

Yuwen Tianfu suddenly laughed: "Boy, are you saying that I've already been corrupted by the so-called 'metal element'?"

Li Huaiyou looked terrified and knelt down abruptly: "This humble cultivator dares not presume to know your greatness! In terms of the steadfastness of your Dao heart, you are naturally unparalleled in the world... It is a pity that if your cultivation level was too low when you obtained this [Immortal Golden Nature]... or even if you had not yet ascended to immortality, it would have been almost impossible for you to resist the erosion of the Golden Nature."

Yuwen Tianfu remained silent for a long time. He planted his natal weapon, the Phoenix Wing Gilded Halberd, into the ground and tapped the weapon's handle repeatedly with his five fingers, scrutinizing Li Huaiyou from head to toe.

"How did you know my secret?"

Li Huaiyou made no attempt to conceal anything, revealing his entire background:

"Xia Xiu is a [Reborn One]! And thousands of years later... in his memories of the future, Xia Xiu unintentionally learned the master's secret."

"Reborn..."

Yuwen Tianfu sneered, "The Immortal Golden Nature is of utmost importance. I have not yet fully integrated with it. Now that you know my secret, do you still expect to leave alive?"

Li Huaiyou said calmly, "The master is still very useful for your future studies, so there's no rush to deal with him."

What use would I have for you?

"If you believe that you are of the [Immortal Gold Nature], I know a method that can completely eliminate Yuwen Tianfu's ego consciousness, so that you can have no worries."

Li Huaiyou then said, "If you believe yourself to be [Yuwen Tianfu], I also know a method to eliminate the negative effects on you after fusing with the Immortal Gold Element."

The young man smiled and said, "No matter what your current situation is, lowering your standards... will be useful to you."

"On the contrary, if Your Excellency were to kill me here today..."

"Tomorrow, the entire Immortal Realm will know that you possess a [Immortal Gold Element]."

Yuwen Tianfu gripped his phoenix-winged gilded halberd tightly, slammed it into the ground, and then laughed loudly, looking up at the sky:

"Hahahaha!"

"Interesting... A mere Nascent Soul cultivator dares to threaten my Yuwen Tianfu like this!"

The next moment, Li Huaiyou felt as if his very soul had been frozen by a murderous intent that seemed to solidify into a tangible form, and a pair of emotionless eyes stared at him:

What exactly do you want?