The setting sun cast its light through the window, draping the room in a layer of blood-tinged gauze. The library was populated, yet it maintained its characteristic tranquility. Cultivators, some deep in thought clutching their Jade Slips, others preferring the rustle of turning pages, found the soft sounds more conducive to concentration.

This was the Spirit Sky Pavilion.

Yu Ci stood askew between two rows of bookshelves, picking up a Jade Slip and infusing it with his divine consciousness, only to cast it aside quickly, evidently not finding what he sought. His nearby surroundings bore the slight disorder he had wrought.

"Sister Meng," Yu Ci greeted with a nod, showing a faint smile upon realizing it was her. His subdued demeanor only heightened Meng Wei's concern. She stepped closer and advised, "Cultivation values a tranquil heart; you mustn't be too hard on yourself."

"Thank you for your concern, Sister Meng," Yu Ci replied nonchalantly, "I'm merely searching for a textual reference."

"Oh? Which one?" Meng Wei inquired.

After a moment's thought, Yu Ci asked, "‘The sea of qi churns, and death strikes as swiftly as an arrow'—from which canon does this come?"

Meng Wei was momentarily taken aback, her cheeks flushing, at a loss for words. Then, struck by a sudden realization, any trace of bashfulness was cast aside.

As her expression and complexion shifted, Yu Ci found it amusing but, not wishing to trouble her further, was about to put down the Jade Slip and change the subject when a leisurely voice interjected:

"The Ancestral Master of Niwan's 'Emerald Void Chants' contains the lines, 'Do not speak of encountering immortals amid the flowers; instead, exchange a golden scepter for a tile shard. With the tree's roots rotted and leaves falsely green, the sea of qi churns, and death strikes as swiftly as an arrow.' It is also said, 'As the swift current at the river's bend cannot hold the boat, the sea of qi churns, and death strikes as swiftly as an arrow,' a metaphor for the perilous urgency of male and female Intercourse Cultivation when harvesting 'herbs.'"

At these words, both Yu Ci and Meng Wei turned in unison, exclaiming, "Old Master Zhu."

The elder, who had been standing at the end of the bookshelf, approached slowly, his words flowing as if he were once again lecturing, "This Intercourse Cultivation Method is like planting lotus in fire, transforming poison into wisdom, a perilous feat akin to somersaulting on the tip of a needle. It is not for those without great courage and perseverance. You are young with a promising future; best not to entertain such thoughts."

Yu Ci bowed slightly, "You speak the truth, Master."

Meng Wei's brow was furrowed in concern, about to speak when Old Master Zhu glanced at her and preempted, "While it's proper to study and seek the Way, there is a distinction between men and women. Such a line of questioning is still impolite."

Yu Ci graciously apologized to Meng Wei, who barely managed to say, "No need for such formality, Junior Brother," before Old Master Zhu beckoned to Yu Ci, "Ah Ci, come here, I have a question for you."

Hearing the familiar address, Yu Ci felt a jolt and lowered his head to approach. Meng Wei, astute as she was, understood Old Master Zhu's intention to exclude her and did not follow. Watching the two disappear behind the bookshelves, her troubled thoughts intensified. After a moment's contemplation, she turned and left the pavilion.

Old Master Zhu, hands clasped behind his back, led the way unhurriedly and without further speech. Yu Ci took this opportunity to organize the knowledge he had just acquired, his mind never at rest.

"Here, this is for you." At some unknown moment, the elder had stopped and was holding out a wooden bead bracelet, seemingly meant to be worn on the wrist. There were nineteen beads in total, each the size of a fingertip, all a glossy and smooth purplish-red.

Only when Old Master Zhu spoke did Yu Ci snap out of his jumble of thoughts, unable to keep pace with the elder's line of thinking. He was momentarily perplexed and forgot to reach out to take it, merely asking, "What is this?"

"It was meant for you to use at the Incantation Ceremony, but now there's no need to think about that. I might as well give it to you outright."

"Incantation Ceremony?"

Yu Ci did not understand why Old Master Zhu was so fixated on a mere regional gathering, but he was not inclined to ponder over other matters and accepted the bracelet straightforwardly, slipping it onto his left wrist.

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Seeing him accept it, Old Master Zhu gave a slight smile, "This string of beads has no name; it's more of a token, I suppose. Don't hold any great expectations. Now, there's no harm in telling you that, initially, my intention for having you attend the Incantation Ceremony was not entirely benign..."

At these words, Yu Ci's attention was drawn more fully.

By this time, the two had reached a terrace on one of the floors of the Spirit Sky Pavilion, watching the sunset dip below the horizon.

"In the past, when the Shangqing Sect faced the Demonic Cataclysm, it was destroyed overnight, and most of the Sect Cultivators perished. However, there were still some, like myself, who survived. Recently, I heard that in the stretch of land from the Northern Wastes to the Broken Realm Mountain Range, there were signs of old friends, so I thought to have you use the methods of my Shangqing Sect at the Incantation Ceremony, along with showing this string of beads, in hopes of luring out some old acquaintances. Of course, if it drew out Demon Spawn, your life would have been in jeopardy. I concealed this from you at the time, and for that, I owe you an apology."

He bowed deeply as he spoke.

Yu Ci supported him, a wry smile on his face. These senior experts, each with their deep and inscrutable thoughts, how could one possibly fathom them? Yet even as Old Master Zhu now made a candid confession, it was impossible for Yu Ci to be entirely free of misgivings—as if it would have been better to remain in the dark.

What he heard next was, "A man on the verge of death speaks kindly; a bird on the verge of death cries mournfully..."

Yu Ci's heart trembled at the word "death," a word he truly could not bear to hear now. He looked up to see Old Master Zhu, his expression serene, "When I first sought refuge in the Lichen Sect, it was nothing more than a desperate bid to cling to life. To have lived until now has far exceeded my expectations, and moreover..."

He suddenly laughed, "And I am not like your Taoist Yu, full of untimely sentiments and worries. I am very much a realist. Until the moment when death is unavoidable, I will always struggle. So for the time being, I refuse to die!"

Yu Ci did not find it amusing in the least.

The elder continued with composure, "Feeling a bit sentimental, aren't you? It's quite normal, really. There's something you should remember: for a Daoist Practitioner, the most fearsome thing in this world isn't cosmic tribulations or the tumult of human hearts, but time. All things can be reversed, yet time flows like water, never to return. Cultivators dare to battle against heaven and earth, against formidable foes, but in the face of time, they are inconsequential. Only through Longevity and Sustained Health can one barely muster resistance, but in truth, even those blessed with long life often lament 'time waits for no one.' Is there anything more daunting?"

Yu Ci was still digesting the implications of his words when Old Master Zhu unveiled the mystery:

Having spent so much time here, I've inevitably retained some memories. I recall that Yu Zhou had already reached the Advanced Stage of Golden Elixir Cultivation by then, shining brilliantly during the conflict at Sky Rift Valley. He held some standing within the Sect. As for He Qing, she had just begun Forming the Golden Elixir, and her foundation was not yet stable, relying on the Youth Preserving Pill to maintain the vitality of her flesh body...

"Why has it come to this?" Yu Ci had not heard this part from Uncle Lu De.

Old Master Zhu responded, "It's the constraints of time! They joined the Sect's Mountain Gate too late, after many wasted years, and only then did they achieve their desires, having already missed the prime time for cultivation. Even with their talents, establishing their foundation took them ten times the effort of ordinary people. Time waits for no one! Yu Zhou is still doing well, with his exceptional talent and intelligence, he can afford to be composed. He Qing, however, is a step behind..."

So she "forged her own path"?

Judging by his expression, Old Master Zhu nodded, "It seems you have a rough understanding, but you don't truly comprehend. Otherwise, why would you come to inquire about 'the sea of qi churns, and death strikes as swiftly as an arrow'?

"Fang Hui and He Qing are both of an obsessive nature, but they are also what I call 'people of great perseverance and courage,' quite remarkable. You need not think too poorly of them."

This time, Yu Ci fell silent for a moment, then cracked a smile: "Master, your disciple understands."

Old Master Zhu also watched him for a while before suddenly patting his head, "I'm getting old, I actually forgot to tell you about the mechanism in the string of beads."

The string of beads he had just handed to Yu Ci had nineteen beads, but in fact, there were originally only eighteen. The nineteenth bead was a recent addition. It served the function of a Jade Slip, within which was sealed the cultivation method of the "Constellations Life-Defining Golden Talisman."

Given Yu Ci's current progress, the extraordinary nature of the Primordial Root Qi Method, and now with this bead as a reference, the elder estimated that Yu Ci could achieve the great accomplishment of his personal life-defining golden talisman within thirty to fifty years, which is equivalent to the Upper Level of Golden Elixir.

"To become a Grand Master of Golden Elixir at seventy is also a remarkable achievement," the old man seemed content, "It's rare to have a Dharma Transmitter like you. With you here, I can depart this world without regrets!"

This was a significant compliment. Yu Ci's face twitched, sensing an underlying message in the old man's words. As the sky outside darkened, he took a deep breath and bid farewell to Old Master Zhu.

Stepping out of the Spirit Sky Pavilion, Yu Ci looked back to see the silhouette of Old Master Zhu still present on the high platform. He bowed in that direction and then soared southward, towards the direction of the Star Plucking Tower.

As he approached the Sky-Supporting Mountain Pillar, a Sword Light shot diagonally towards him. Yu Ci turned his head to see the approaching figure, a woman in Daoist robes, strikingly beautiful—it was Meng Wei.

"Junior Brother, where are you headed?"