Cultivation of immortality begins with an eighty-year-old eunuch.

Chapter 475 Tianxiangzi's Worries! He Returns to the Qingyun Sect!

"Successfully." Chen Fan nodded, his tone calm. "Our family has broken through to the mid-Nascent Soul stage."

Tianxiangzi's eyes brightened slightly as she looked him up and down: "I noticed your aura is becoming increasingly deep, just as I suspected. Congratulations."

Chen Fan looked at her and said, "Our family has also grasped the essence of life and death."

"The realm of life and death?" Tianxiangzi was slightly moved.

To truly grasp the profound mysteries of life and death requires extraordinary opportunities and profound understanding, let alone something as fundamental as life and death.

She paused for a moment, then sighed softly, "Your path is becoming increasingly clear."

Chen Fan took out the piece of dark, warm-looking Soul-Nourishing Wood from his pocket and handed it to her: "We've found the Soul-Nourishing Wood."

Tian Xiangzi's gaze fell on the Soul-Nourishing Wood, and the gentle aura that nourished her soul wafted towards her. She didn't immediately take it, but instead looked up at Chen Fan, her eyes swirling with emotions that ultimately softened.

"You..." her voice was slightly hoarse, "You've worked hard."

Chen Fan shook his head: "I will do what I promised you."

Tian Xiangzi reached out and gently touched the Soul-Nourishing Wood with her fingertips, feeling the life force flowing within it. After a long while, she suddenly pushed the Soul-Nourishing Wood back into Chen Fan's hand.

"My injuries have almost fully healed." She looked at Chen Fan earnestly and said, "My father and Senior Long used many rare pills, plus the Spirit Nourishing Elixir you sent earlier, and the cracks in my soul have healed by 70%. The rest just requires quiet rest. This Soul Nourishing Wood... is too precious. You should keep it; it might be useful in the future."

Chen Fan frowned slightly: "Are you really alright?"

"Is it true?" Tian Xiangzi smiled slightly. "If you don't believe me, you can let the Valley Master and the others come and see for themselves."

Chen Fan gazed at her for a moment, noticing her rosy complexion, clear eyes, and much more stable and solid breathing than before—she had indeed improved considerably. He pondered briefly, then put away the Soul-Nourishing Wood: "In that case, we'll keep it for you for now. Come and get it whenever you need it."

"Alright." Tian Xiangzi nodded, her gaze fixed on the cave dwelling. "You rarely come back, would you like to come in and sit for a while?"

Chen Fan glanced at the sky: "Alright."

The cave dwelling was still simply furnished, with a stone bed, a stone table, and stone benches, just as he had left it, only much tidier, clearly indicating that someone cleaned it regularly. A tea set was also placed on the table, the water in the pot still warm.

Tianxiangzi poured two cups of tea and handed one to him: "Try it, it's spiritual tea produced in Caogu."

Chen Fan took the tea and sipped it. The tea was clear and refreshing, with a faint fragrance of herbs and trees. After entering his stomach, it transformed into a gentle spiritual energy that nourished his meridians.

"Good tea," he praised.

The two sat down facing each other at the stone table, and remained silent for a moment.

As dusk deepened outside the window, the cries of returning birds echoed from the valley.

After a long silence, Tian Xiangzi spoke softly, "What are your plans next?"

Chen Fan put down his teacup and looked out the window at the darkening sky: "Our family needs to stay in Caogu for two days to recuperate. After that... there are still some things to take care of."

"What is it?" Tianxiangzi asked.

Chen Fan remained silent for a moment, then slowly said, "The matter of the seal."

Tianxiangzi's expression hardened.

Chen Fan continued, "As far as I know, the eight major families and eight sects are colluding to break the seal of the Soul Refining Sect on the night of the full moon. At that time, the core entrance to the seal will appear at the main array eye beneath the Qingyun Sect's mountain gate."

"The night of the full moon..." Tianxiangzi calculated with her fingers, "is three days from now."

"That's right." Chen Fan nodded. "Once the seal is broken, people from outside the realm will surely flood in. At that time, not only the Great Abyss, but the entire sealed land will likely be devastated."

Tian Xiangzi gripped the teacup tightly, her knuckles turning slightly white: "What do you intend to do?"

"We need to go check out the core of the Qingyun Sect's formation," Chen Fan said calmly, yet with an undeniable determination. "We can't let them succeed so easily."

"I will go with you," Tianxiangzi said without hesitation.

Chen Fan shook his head: "Too dangerous. The Qingyun Sect's array eye will definitely be heavily guarded, with no less than a dozen Nascent Soul cultivators, as well as Daoist Qinglian, Zhou Shan, and others. Your injuries have just healed, so it's not advisable for you to take any risks."

"My injuries are mostly healed!" Tian Xiangzi said urgently. "One more person means one more unit. Besides, I have a keen sense of the spirits of plants and trees, so I might be able to detect the abnormality at the center of the formation..."

"No." Chen Fan interrupted her, his voice deepening. "This matter is of utmost importance. It's more advantageous for our family to act alone. You stay in Caogu and rest well."

Tian Xiangzi wanted to argue, but when she met Chen Fan's deep and calm eyes, she swallowed her words.

She knew his temperament; once he made a decision, he rarely changed it. And what he said made sense. Although her injuries had healed, she was not yet at full strength, and going with him rashly might only be a burden.

She lowered her head and gently bit her lower lip: "Then... please be very careful."

"I know what I'm doing," Chen Fan said, his tone softening. "You just stay here and wait for my news."

……

For the next two days, Chen Fan stayed temporarily in Caogu.

During the day, he would stroll and chat with Tianxiangzi in the valley, occasionally discussing Taoism and drinking tea with Gudaozi and Old Man Long. At night, he would meditate and regulate his breathing alone in his cave, adjusting his state to its peak.

Gu Daozi and Old Man Long were overjoyed to see him return, especially after learning that he had broken through to the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm and comprehended the meaning of life and death, they were deeply moved.

Although the two did not ask much about the seal, they could guess what it was from Chen Fan's occasional solemn expression, and they secretly told him to be careful in everything.

On the third day, at dusk.

Chen Fan stepped out of the cave, where Tian Xiangzi was already waiting. The setting sun cast a long, slender shadow of her, and her plain white dress fluttered gently in the evening breeze.

"Are you leaving?" she asked softly.

"Yes." Chen Fan nodded. "The time is almost up."

Tian Xiangzi stepped forward and placed a jade talisman into his hand: "This is a protective talisman I condensed from the spirits of plants and trees. It might be able to block an attack in a critical moment. You... must return safely."

Chen Fan gripped the jade talisman tightly; it was warm to the touch and he could feel the vibrant life force contained within it.

He looked at her and slowly said, "Okay."

Without saying another word, he turned and took a step forward, his figure transforming into a streak of bluish-gray light that soared into the sky and disappeared into the vast twilight in the blink of an eye.

Tianxiangzi looked up at the direction he had disappeared, remaining motionless for a long time. Until Gu Daozi came up behind her and sighed softly, "Girl, let's go back inside."

"Father," Tianxiangzi said without turning around, her voice as soft as the wind, "He'll be alright, won't he?"

Gu Daozi was silent for a moment, then patted her shoulder: "That old eunuch... he's incredibly resilient."

……

A streak of bluish-gray light pierced the sky, heading westward.

Chen Fan concealed his aura to the extreme, like a drop of water merging into a river, silently moving through the clouds. The mountains and rivers below rushed past, and in less than an hour, the continuous mountain range where the Qingyun Sect was located came into view.

He did not land directly at the mountain gate, but instead landed in a desolate mountain a hundred miles away. The terrain here was high, from which one could see the entire Qingyun Sect in the distance.

As night fell, a crescent moon hung in the sky, its soft light casting a hazy outline of the mountains.