Only three seconds? He's already the Lord of All Realms, so it doesn't matter.

"Could that willow tree truly be a magical willow?"

Chen Hongfang suddenly brought up another rumor about Shuitian Village. The rice shop was always busy with people coming and going, so there were all sorts of rumors circulating.

There are currently two main opinions in the town.

First, as they just believed, the willow tree in Shuitian Village was a man-eating omen, a harbinger of misfortune.

Secondly, there's a rumor circulating that the willow tree in Shuitian Village is a magical tree, and the town's protectors and the officials from the county were actually fighting over a chance encounter in the village, ultimately leaving without ever returning.

"To have grown so towering in just half a month, perhaps the rumors are true!"

Chen Hongfang was somewhat pleased, which at least meant that the adults were killing each other and had nothing to do with the changes in Shuitian Village. His elder brother's family should be safe and sound.

But Wang Bai didn't think so. "What if that Immortal Willow killed you gentlemen?"

His eyes darted around, and of all the rumors circulating in the town, there was one thing that mattered most: the changes in the people of Shuitian Village.

Legend has it that the Immortal Willow possesses a secret technique that can grant a brief moment of lucidity before death, but ultimately leads to a tragic end...

"We don't know if this is true or not yet."

Chen Hongfang nodded silently, but since it was late at night and no one from Shuitian Village was seen on the lake shore, he figured he wouldn't be able to witness this with his own eyes.

They got up to leave, but suddenly a large hand patted Chen Hongfang on the shoulder.

"what!"

Chen Hongfang was so frightened that his face turned pale. He thought it was a wild beast in the mountains or that the immortal willow tree had become powerful.

When he turned his head, he saw his older brother, Chen Hong, staring at him, seemingly confused.

"Little brother? It really is you. What are you doing in this back mountain?"

Chen Hongfang snapped out of his daze and carefully examined his elder brother in front of him. Seeing that he was full of energy, he immediately thought of the rumors he had just heard.

"Brother, have you been bewitched by some evil spell?"

His face was full of worry, but his body unconsciously took two steps back.

Evil magic? This left Chen Hong completely bewildered. He immediately grabbed one of the two men with each hand, wanting to get to the bottom of it.

At this moment, Wang Bai thought that Chen Hong in front of him had gone mad, twisting his body wildly, trying to break free from his restraints.

But with his mortal strength, how could he compare to Chen Hong, who had entered the Qi Refining stage?

Grasped tightly by a large hand, Zhenping's legs were broken, and he couldn't move an inch. This made Wang Bai even more certain of what he thought.

"Brother Chen, Brother Chen! It's me, Wang Bai! Don't kill me..."

Wang Bai begged for mercy in a panic, tears welling up in his eyes, while Chen Hongfang, standing to the side, looked ashen-faced.

Helpless, Chen Hong had no choice but to let go of the two, causing them to trip and fall to the ground.

Looking at the two men, who were covered in dust and dirt, he said:

"What kind of evil magic is this? It's just something people in town have been spreading these past few days."

The two people on the ground were slightly taken aback. Seeing that Chen Hong had no intention of killing them, they told him about the various rumors circulating in the town over the past few days.

"..."

Upon hearing this, Chen Hong, as a resident of Shuitian Village and a worshipper who had received the blessings of Lord Xianliu, found it utterly absurd.

"It is true that the Immortal Willow is real, and it is also true that the people of Shuitian Village have received the Immortal Seed Method."

But these were all choices made voluntarily by everyone; there are gains and losses, so no one can be blamed.

The two listened carefully and learned the whereabouts of the town and county officials in the past few days. Wang Bai exclaimed in surprise:

"Does this willow tree truly possess such supernatural powers?"

He had once witnessed a group of more than ten people causing trouble at the Immortal Temple, but they were easily quelled by the two guardians without any effort.

And those two guardians were only at the Qi Refining stage? Above them was the Foundation Establishment stage county magistrate, but even he could only meet a one-way trip when facing the Immortal Willow.

Although Wang Bai didn't understand the difference in cultivation levels, after hearing it just once, he felt it was all too exaggerated.

"Wouldn't you know if you saw it with your own eyes?"

"Can we also worship the willow tree? No, no, no, it should be the fairy willow..."

Chen Hong nodded, "The master said that if anyone in town wants to become a worshipper, they will be accepted."

After saying that, he led the two down the back mountain to the lakeside.

It wasn't until they stood in front of this thick willow tree, under its shade, that both of them had a strange feeling.

Refreshing!

It seems that just smelling the fragrance of the trees here can make one feel refreshed and invigorated.

They were now completely convinced that the willow tree in front of them was a magical willow.

Wang Bai's face was full of excitement, "Can stepping onto the path of cultivation really bring about such a change?"

He looked at Chen Hong, the eldest brother of the Chen family, who was so different from the one he had seen before. Whether it was his spirit or his physique, he seemed like a completely different person.

Wang Bai yearned to become a worshipper, just like the people of Shuitian Village had back then.

"If one can accept immortal techniques, one must bear the immortal seed within one's body, right?"

If I cannot break through in the future, won't I suffer a terrible fate...?

Compared to Wang Bai, Chen Hongfang was timid and hesitant. After understanding the consequences, he had no intention of becoming a worshipper.

Although as a short-lived species, they can only stay in this world for a maximum of fifty years, and ordinary people will not achieve anything great, living a simple life, tending a few acres of fertile land, working at sunrise and resting at sunset is not a fault.

"Hey, if you ask me, you really have no ambition!"

Didn't you see how energetic and spirited Brother Chen is? It's been so long! He's really changed a lot!

Chen Hongfang didn't care what others said. Even though Wang Bai kept stirring things up, he didn't change his mind.

Wang Baiye's talk had become somewhat uninteresting, so he asked:

"Brother Chen, how should we approach this magic?"

Chen Hong looked at him. Although he did not have the ability to discern the talents of mortals like Xian Liu, if the person in front of him really had talent, he would not be unknown and just a blacksmith.

He was secretly glad that his younger brother had made the right choice, after all, Lord Xianliu had said that Chen Hongfang had no talent for cultivation and would only be sent to his death if he came!

"Oh, I'm afraid we'll have to wait until the adults return..."

Before Chen Hong could finish speaking, a person appeared to be walking on the surface of the lake, quickly approaching them.

"grown ups!"

Chen Hong immediately bowed in salute, leaving the two people beside him stunned, and slowly uttered:

"Is this a human or a ghost?"

Seeing that Ye Xuan could cross a large lake in just a few steps and arrive in front of everyone in the blink of an eye, he looked at Wang Bai and said:

"You wish to make offerings to the Immortal Willow?"

Wang Bai nodded repeatedly, and following Chen Hong's example, immediately bowed and saluted, calling out "Sir" devoutly.

Ye Xuan then turned to look at Chen Hongfang beside him, "You don't want to?"

"Although this method is risky, if one succeeds in breaking through in the future, it will be considered as truly embarking on the path of cultivation, with unlimited potential."

Chen Hongfang, however, always stuck to his own ideas. In this respect, his friends might say he was too cowardly, and others might mock him for being like a gigolo in the past, lacking any manly ambition...

But none of this mattered to Chen Hongfang. "No, thank you for your kind words, sir!"

He also bowed in greeting, then stepped aside and said nothing more.

Ye Xuan naturally wouldn't force the issue, since everyone has their own ambitions. He had already overheard their conversation and thought Chen Hongfang was shrewd.

After Wang Bai stood directly beneath a willow branch, Ye Xuan manipulated his mind to make the willow branch droop and then touched his Huangting (a point on the forehead).

A drop of pure spiritual energy entered the body, opening up the meridians of the newly added worshipper and planting a seed of immortality in the dantian.

"The time limit for going from a mortal to a Qi refiner is two months."

After mastering Qi cultivation, one's lifespan can reach one hundred years; further cultivation is up to the individual.

Wang Bai carefully sensed the changes in his body, then skipped and hopped over to Chen Hong, cheering:

"Look at the recipe! I did it! I did it!"

He had completely forgotten Ye Xuan's instructions and was simply immersed in the joy of feeling refreshed.