Immortal Dao is dead, I am the mastermind behind it all.

Shen Moyan suppressed the urge to run away.

He sat down opposite the tea table as instructed, on high alert, and said in a deep voice:

"Master Linglong... no, fellow Daoist of the Heavenly Mystery Sect, what do you mean by this? Could it be that your sect...?"

"Stop! Stop!"

Linglong Zhenren waved her hand and pushed a cup of fragrant spiritual tea in front of him.

"Now is the time for philosophical discussion. Let's not talk about fighting, killing, and scheming. That's so boring."

"By the way, here, my name is Xuanji, not Linglong Zhenren. We only discuss the Dao, not grudges."

"Also, I am not a member of the Heavenly Mystery Divine Sect."

Shen Moyan was completely confused.

If you are not a member of the Heavenly Mystery Divine Sect, then why would you recognize the Celestial Immortal as your junior brother?

"I know what you're thinking. It's just that the celestial phenomena were just right, and he happened to learn my technique. Of course, he's considered my junior brother."

She rested her chin on her hand, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Shen Moyan: "Judging from your aura, it seems you've seen Xiyi?"

Shen Moyan: "??"

The topic jumped around way too quickly.

And how did she know that she had met Xiyi?

Could it have been calculated using celestial powers?

Shen Moyan's eyes were solemn. At this moment, Linglong Zhenren was indeed only radiating a pure desire for exploration, without the slightest hostility or scheming.

Shen Moyan composed himself and decided to go along with her for now to see what she was really up to.

"I gained some insights and, by sheer luck, glimpsed a trace of the true meaning."

Wow! Tell me about it!

Linglong Zhenren immediately moved closer, like a little girl who had just heard a fascinating story.

"What exactly does 'Xi Yi' feel like? Is it emptiness? Or fullness?"

"I've calculated it so many times, and the result is different every time. It's so frustrating! Master said that thinking too much can damage my brain, but I just want to know!"

Shen Moyan looked at the almost abnormally pure light in her eyes.

The feeling that "this person might have something wrong with their brain" grew stronger and stronger.

Why does a great master like you contradict himself and act like a childish girl?

Perhaps this is the difference between geniuses and ordinary people.

The fact that even a True Lord treats someone with such respect indicates that the person possesses extraordinary qualities.

Shen Moyan tried to organize his thoughts to describe the state of emptiness that comes after "detaching from all forms".

Xuanji listened intently, sometimes suddenly realizing something, sometimes frowning in thought, and sometimes interrupting abruptly to ask some seemingly whimsical and strange questions.

"When you 'meet Xi Yi,' is time as sticky as honey, stretching out for a very, very long time?"

"You say that time doesn't exist at all, and that it's just our illusion..."

"Immortality is nothing but a hoax..."

"If there is no self, can 'I' transform into a butterfly? Or a star?"

Shen Moyan was initially cautious in his response, but he gradually discovered that although Xuanji's thinking was unconventional and strange, every time she asked a question, it would hit the nail on the head, just as he had vaguely thought about, and hit the key points that he had never explored in depth.

Discussing philosophy with her is a unique experience, constantly sparking new ideas.

However, her way of expressing herself and her mental state are somewhat like those unconventional students in a secular private school.

The discussion lasted for several hours, with Xuanji occasionally spouting witty remarks and offering profound insights that impressed Shen Moyan.

Sometimes he would suddenly drift off into a daze, staring blankly at a fish in the ocean or a cloud in the sky, muttering to himself things that were hard to understand.

The sounds of the wind and waves were blocked by an invisible barrier, leaving only the faint sound of wisps of smoke rising from the furnace.

Shen Moyan and Linglong Zhenren sat facing each other.

"Oh right, after saying so much, I've almost forgotten why Fellow Daoist Shen has come here today?"

Shen Moyan's expression remained unchanged as he reiterated his purpose.

"So, fellow Daoist, you've come to ascend to the Purple Mansion!"

Upon hearing this, Master Linglong cleared her throat, her gaze becoming serious for the first time, and her aura changed completely.

"Fellow Daoist Shen, you've come to the right person. Not just in Seven Star Prefecture, but throughout this entire Three Thousand Prefectures, no one understands the Purple Mansion better than me!"

"By the way, in the ancient times of the Mountains and Seas, when the Immortal Path existed, what corresponded to the Purple Mansion Realm was..."

"Golden Core Realm?" Shen Moyan blurted out.

"That's right! It's the Golden Core Realm!" Linglong Zhenren exclaimed excitedly.

She coughed lightly, as if imitating someone, and spoke calmly in an extremely serious tone.

"The ancient path of immortality emphasized spiritual objects and fortuitous encounters. Cultivators needed to seek out spiritual objects and rare treasures from heaven and earth, using these external objects as a guide to forge an immortal golden essence within their dantian spiritual root, forming a 'Golden Core'."

"Once the Golden Core is formed, one can absorb and exhale the spiritual energy of heaven and earth on its own, with abundant and long-lasting true essence, and a greatly increased lifespan."

"As long as the Golden Core remains, the cultivator will not perish."

"However, relying too much on external objects and spiritual inspiration will limit the quality of the Golden Core to the grade of the spiritual object and the cultivation method. The path ahead is almost fixed. To become a Nascent Soul, one must break the core to become a Nascent Soul, which is extremely dangerous." Then she changed the subject.

"In this life, the Dao does not cultivate spiritual roots, but opens up spiritual veins. Within the Purple Palace, it opens up the universe and forms its own laws, which originate from the Dao Transmission Stele and emphasize enlightenment and definition."

"Cultivators do not need to seek specific spiritual objects from outside. Instead, they can resonate with the Dao rhythm in their sea of ​​consciousness, condense their own understanding of the Dao, open up a vast space, or expand it into a domain, which is called the Purple Mansion."

"Like creating the world from chaos and establishing its own internal rules."

"It does not rely on external means, but rather emphasizes the cultivator's own comprehension and character."

"The Purple Mansion is one's own domain, which can be continuously expanded and perfected as one's understanding deepens, and its potential is limitless."

"However, this method requires an extremely high level of Dao heart. If one's comprehension is insufficient or one's Dao heart is unstable, there is a risk of the Purple Mansion collapsing."

Comparing the two paths of immortality and morality, Shen Moyan seemed to be deep in thought.

"What about supernatural powers?" he suddenly asked.

"The Purple Mansion is the manifestation of the Dao foundation and the origin of supernatural powers," Linglong Zhenren replied earnestly.

"If the government is not established, the laws will not be firm, and supernatural powers will be like trees without roots. Even if one has extraordinary talent and brilliance, it will be difficult to last, and may even backfire on oneself."

Shen Moyan knew that if he built a Purple Mansion, his innate divine power would not consume his lifespan.

"All things in heaven and earth are subject to the flow of the Dao."

"When a cultivator absorbs Qi to transcend the mortal realm, the resulting magical power is actually a convergence of Daoist principles that resonate with their own."

"The Purple Mansion is an inner universe created from nothingness, based on the Daoist essence of this body."

"Therefore, constructing the Purple Palace is not simply about accumulating magical power, but about using one's own core Daoist essence as the warp and weft to guide and govern the myriad Daoist essences around the body, so that each is in its proper place and performs its proper function, forming an internally harmonious and sustainable cycle."

As she spoke, she waved her hand, and the entire top of the Yixin Pavilion transformed into a vast sea of ​​stars.

"This cycle must be as stable as a mountain to bear the weight of supernatural powers, and as flexible as water to adapt to the changes in supernatural powers."

Linglong Zhenren casually moved a star, and the starry sea above would change due to the change in the star's trajectory, transforming into a star spiral and forming multiple spiral arms to stabilize it.

"And the most important of these is to determine one's destiny based on one's 'natal fate'."

She pointed to the brightest stars on the top of the pavilion; those were seven stars, which were also the destiny of the Linglong Immortal.

"Cultivators must understand their own mind and nature, and thoroughly comprehend the fundamental principles of their own path."

"With this fundamental Daoist essence, one enters the palace, sits in the center, and commands all essences."

With those seven stars guarding it, and all the stars surrounding it, each performing its own duties.

"The rest of the Daoist rhymes, according to their nature and principles, may become mountains and rivers, defining their structure; or rivers and mountains, connecting their energy channels; or stars and celestial bodies, revealing their mysteries."

"Those that generate each other live next to each other and complement each other. Those that restrain each other are not absolutely excluded. They can be harmonized and mediated by a higher level of Daoist principles, turning restraint into advantage and increasing the resilience and potential of the foundation."

"Therefore, apart from one's innate supernatural power, in terms of the depth of one's Daoist aura, other supernatural powers are divided into minor, medium, and major supernatural powers."

"Third-realm sword cultivators can fight across borders because even a single sword intent from them is comparable to a minor divine power."

Shen Moyan suddenly realized that the charm of the Heavenly Demon and the charm of Biyang might be compatible.

My fleeting glimpse, in terms of profound Daoist wisdom, could perhaps be ranked as a minor supernatural power.

"But the more extraordinary one's innate supernatural power is, the more demanding it is on the foundation of one's dantian. If the foundation of the dantian is unstable, the supernatural power is like a magnificent building built on quicksand, which will collapse in an instant."

With a wave of her hand, the seven stars dimmed, and the stars themselves became chaotic.

Shen Moyan memorized the trajectories of these starlight and nodded slowly.

Recalling what Linglong Zhenren had said, and repeatedly comparing the Immortal Path and the Mortal Path in his mind, Shen Moyan's expression became increasingly strange.

"Golden Core, Purple Mansion..."

The elixir of immortality comes from heaven and earth.

The Daoist essence of the Purple Mansion is said to originate from the cultivator himself, and other Daoist essences resonate with it. However, upon closer examination, it is still what the cultivator comprehends by observing the heavens and earth and introspecting on himself.

"So, if the Purple Palaces created by mortals are allowed to circulate within their domains, what Daoist principles can resonate with them?"

Shen Moyan raised this question.

Linglong Zhenren smiled upon hearing this.

"Of course, except for demon seeds, nobody wants to get involved with that stuff."

After receiving an affirmative answer, Shen Moyan's thoughts went to the death-exemption token in the Azure Nether Space.

Want to go all out?

Anyway, that person isn't in Shanhai either.

If one can resonate with the Emperor's Daoist essence, perhaps one can inherit one's own eternal Daoist essence.

If all goes well, he might even comprehend a great supernatural power.