Crisis Apparent

The night was dark and the wind was high, and all sounds were silent.

Li Ji'an and his group sat cross-legged on the Flying Boat. Outside the boat, apart from a few scattered stars not blocked by the dark clouds, nothing could be seen. Inside the boat, however, it was as bright as day.

Despite not moving slowly, there was no turbulence, making it very comfortable. The sound of the wind outside could not even be heard.

This made Li Ji'an praise the "Flying Boat" and fill him with anticipation for the real cultivation world they were about to enter.

At the very least, this "Flying Boat" showed Li Ji'an the "technological level" of the real cultivation world, which was better than the fantasy worlds he had read about in novels where Flying Swords needed guardrails.

"Immortal Master, are all Immortal Masters in the Immortal Realm as handsome as you?" Having previously sensed a slight change in the Immortal Master's emotions, a woman among the Immortal Seeds was moved and began to test the waters by offering emotional value.

"Hmm?" The young Immortal Master was slightly stunned.

The smile on the corner of his lips couldn't be suppressed.

"Heh, this... handsome? I've never paid attention to it myself. Appearance is just skin deep; it's all natural. You don't need to care too much."

Compared to his stern demeanor in the Immortal Hall, the young Immortal Master was clearly much more amiable now.

This made the Immortal Seeds, who were already prodigies of the Immortal Bestowed Dynasty, instantly understand and dare to speak up, hoping to obtain more information about the Immortal Realm.

"I see. It was my superficiality. No wonder an Immortal Master with such a magnificent appearance is still so approachable, without any airs of arrogance. I have learned much, thank you, Immortal Master." The female Immortal Seed bowed gracefully.

Li Ji'an raised an eyebrow and looked at the woman with appreciation.

Except for Zhao Shuyao, almost all the Immortal Seeds of this batch had long ago regarded Li Ji'an as their Senior Brother. In the Immortal Palace, they all followed Li Ji'an's lead. In addition to his identity as the top disciple on the Grandmaster Ranking, his strength also convinced them.

Li Ji'an was also very familiar with the woman. She was intelligent and quite cunning. She was originally a concubine's daughter from a collateral branch of a prominent family who had fought her way to the top. Not to mention those of her age, even some old fogeys might not be able to outmaneuver her.

At this moment, she had easily flattered the young Immortal Master, laying a good foundation for the subsequent exchange.

"However, the Immortal Realm is not all filled with peerless beauties as you imagine. Indeed, there are Immortal Methods to alter one's appearance, but it is ultimately illusory. A person's bone structure is naturally formed and cannot be changed. Once the bone structure is altered, the path of cultivation is basically at an end," the young Immortal Master added on his own, seeing that the Immortal Seeds were no longer pursuing this topic.

"Cultivation? May I ask, Immortal Master, how does one cultivate in the Immortal Realm? Is our Vital Energy and Blood the foundation of our cultivation?" another young man quickly picked up the conversation.

The young Immortal Master was slightly displeased, but thinking of the female Immortal Seed's praise just now, he forcibly suppressed it and remained "approachable," saying, "As for cultivation, you will know when you reach the Immortal Realm. As for Vital Energy and Blood... it has no relation."

"Ah?"

"No relation?"

The Immortal Seeds were stunned by this.

"If Vital Energy and Blood have no relation to cultivating Immortal Methods, then why do you select Immortal Seeds based on Vital Energy and Blood cultivation?" Zhao Shuyao, who had been suppressing her anger, asked with some emotion.

"Swish~" The young Immortal Master's expression changed instantly, and he glared fiercely at Zhao Shuyao.

Because he didn't know how to answer this question either.

Moreover, he now realized that he had violated the teachings of his elders and should not have conversed too much with these ants.

Under the young Immortal Master's sharp gaze, Zhao Shuyao's heart tightened, and she regretted her impulsiveness.

"Naturally, it is for the Immortal Master to temper our Temperament, exercise our will, and strengthen our resolve to seek immortality..." At this critical moment, Li Ji'an quickly interjected.

The young Immortal Master's body visibly paused, and then he looked at Li Ji'an with great appreciation: "Indeed, for us cultivators, talent, Temperament, and good fortune are all indispensable, and Temperament is the most crucial!"

With that, he no longer wished to say more, closed his eyes, and stopped looking at the crowd.

But all the Immortal Seeds were in turmoil.

Vital Energy and Blood have no relation to cultivation?

On one hand, they felt that their efforts over the years seemed like a joke.

On the other hand, some were secretly delighted, especially the two with the lowest Martial Path cultivation. They had thought they would be at the bottom among the Immortal Seeds and be looked down upon for their talent in the Immortal Realm, ultimately leading to them being at the bottom of cultivation as well.

But now, their thoughts had changed.

Several people looked at Li Ji'an intentionally or unintentionally, wanting to know his reaction.

Originally, Li Ji'an, as the number one in the Martial Path, was their leader. They thought he would still be extraordinary in the Immortal Realm, but now it seemed... the outcome might be different.

Especially Dong Jiangling, who had always sat behind Zhao Shuyao, his eyes flashed with uncontrollable joy. Looking at Zhao Shuyao's back again, his eyes held a light.

Ever since he first saw the Ninth Princess Zhao Shuyao in the Immortal Palace ten years ago, he had regarded her as a celestial being. For ten years, he had watched her silently, solely because of Li Ji'an, that unparalleled prodigy.

But now, things were different...

"No matter how powerful the Martial Path is, how can it compare to Immortal Methods?"

Disregarding what others thought, Li Ji'an himself was closely observing all the details of the young Immortal Master.

Including his words "Land Abandoned by Heaven" spoken in the Immortal Hall.

Everyone else thought this "Immortal Master" was a true immortal, lofty and unattainable, and they couldn't even think of disrespect.

But Li Ji'an had already confirmed that these were cultivators, and their cultivation was not too high.

Moreover, when the Flying Boat started earlier, he had keenly captured the young cultivator taking out a stone the size of a quail egg, emitting a flowing green light, from that storage bag and accurately inserting it into a small hole in the Flying Boat's helm.

"Spirit Stone..."

"If only Ning Sujin were here, at least she could tell me if it's auspicious or ominous." As time passed, the Flying Boat flew silently. Li Ji'an, who had been fully focused, felt a little tired.

There was no way around it. Ning Sujin had sensed great misfortune when her cousin ascended to the Immortal Realm back then, and she had also sensed great misfortune when Ning Yutan ascended to the Immortal Realm, making Li Ji'an very wary of this Ascension journey.

He didn't know if this ominous sign came from the Immortal Realm they were about to reach, this journey, or this Immortal Master in front of him...

Day rose and set, and five days passed without realizing it.

They sat inside the Flying Boat. Apart from seeing the changes in the sky, they couldn't see the ground, nor did they know where they had arrived.

However, Li Ji'an judged from the night stars and the sun's position that the Flying Boat should have been flying north the entire time.

Five days had passed, and at the Flying Boat's speed, they should have covered at least thirty thousand miles.

"Just as I expected, the so-called Immortal Realm is actually the same continent! Not a celestial domain in the sky..."

"Rumble~"

Suddenly, the Flying Boat, which had been flying steadily, lurched violently.

Several of the Immortal Seeds who hadn't mastered the external force excitation method were flipped over and fell heavily inside the Flying Boat.

Li Ji'an, Zhao Shuyao, and the other four had practiced external force martial arts and were skilled in Vital Energy and Blood excitation. They had keen senses and immediately condensed their Vital Energy and Blood at their feet, managing to stand steadily.

However, this also tightened Li Ji'an's heart: Could this be the ominous sign Ning Sujin foresaw?

But the next moment, "Don't panic, we are about to pass through a sandstorm area. A little tremor is nothing to worry about." The young Immortal Master floated in mid-air, took out another yellow talisman from his storage bag, and instantly activated it. Immediately, a jade-green water curtain enveloped the entire Flying Boat.

The Flying Boat regained its stability.

Seeing the miraculous water curtain, the Immortal Seeds were once again amazed, but this time the young Immortal Master didn't give them a chance to speak.

Li Ji'an keenly noticed a flicker of an unusual expression on his face.

It was as if he himself was surprised by the sudden tremor.

"Rumble~" Before those few Immortal Seeds could regain their footing, an even larger tremor struck again.

"What impudent wretch dares to ambush me from the shadows!" The young Immortal Master finally captured a trace of energy and roared in fury. A stone seal flew out from his storage bag, circling him protectively.

Li Ji'an's heart tightened, his Vital Energy and Blood poised for action: Did the ominous sign truly appear on this journey?