Lu Ren looked around, confirming nothing unusual; indeed, he had arrived at an assembly of numerous cave heavens coalesced spontaneously due to certain reasons.
It was akin to wandering into a desolate wilderness, expecting the area to be deserted, only to find that around the bend, there was a large group of people caravanning for a picnic.
This absurd feeling was similar to his life as a wild man in the primitive forest for over ten or twenty years, only to find that just a few steps forward lay the sense of a civilized world.
Lu Ren did not disturb these temporarily resting Celestial Immortals; they were largely unfamiliar with one another, and this path was strewn with occurrences of murder and robbery. Though Lu Ren felt he was navigating safely, he had been isolated for a hundred lonely years.
Yet during this time, Lu Ren could sense a lurking ominous aura in the darkness, appearing and disappearing. If not for him emanating an aura of the Post-Heaven Immortal Realm, nearly setting foot into the Celestial Immortal Extreme Realm, he might have had to fight another battle to escape.
"These damned Tribulation Cultivators!"
Lu Ren couldn't help but curse quietly. These days, he often regretted prematurely exposing his aura; otherwise, he might have obtained some rich resources from those Tribulation Cultivators.
Murder and arson bring wealth, building bridges and repairing roads leave no corpses.
Dreaming of getting rich overnight, working hard mining all day won't accomplish anything big; only by becoming a Tribulation Cultivator can one replenish oneself on this resource-less Path of Success.
Leaving the safe zone of Xuankong Mountain, the Sea of Clouds sank into an extremely profound Dark Zone, where even Lu Ren's Superdimensional Perception could only explore within a two to three li radius. Moreover, Lu Ren did not dare to linger too long in these profound Dark Zones.
The longer one stays, the more that eerie, terrifying aura begins to uncontrollably seep in; it's unavoidable. His intuition clearly sensed that if his body were infiltrated, unimaginable consequences might ensue.
This made him feel as though he was inside Demon City, his life beyond control.
Beneath the Sea of Clouds, within the Dark Zone, lies great terror.
Hesitating for a moment, Lu Ren chose not to stay in this spontaneously formed temporary rest spot but continued on his journey.
At this moment, he pondered, the Jade Emperor and Tathagata had left first; given the lifespan of these beings, they were likely already dust to dust, ashes to ashes.
Thinking this, Lu Ren felt a pang of regret; had the Jade Emperor and Tathagata sat in extinction on the present Hantu, their Essence, Qi, and Spirit scattering to the heavens and earth might transform an entire region of Hantu into a golden age.
"However, still not living… What the hell?!"
Shortly after leaving the spontaneously formed temporary rest spot, Lu Ren saw three escape lights leisurely traveling ahead together, their familiar auras imparting a sense of homeliness, filling him with excitement.
His True Power surged, transforming himself into a streak of light, swiftly approaching these three rapidly advancing escape lights through several transpositions.
"Oh, it truly is a joy to meet acquaintances in a foreign land!"
These three, unexpectedly, were the Jade Emperor, Tathagata, and the Queen Mother of the West.
Their expressions varied upon seeing the unexpected arrival of Lu Ren; the Queen Mother of the West appeared surprised but said little, merely casting an inexplicable glance toward Lu Ren.
Meanwhile, both the Jade Emperor and Tathagata, initially full of laughter, turned sullen upon hearing his detestable voice, their expressions showing dissatisfaction yet unable to express it as they glared at this uninvited guest.
The Jade Emperor, with a face as calm as water, remarked flatly, "So, it's Fellow Taoist Lu. I wondered why my tea was eager to jump into my mouth this morning; turns out a 'guest' is here!"
Tathagata snorted, remaining silent, but continued fumbling with the prayer beads in his fat hands, displaying clear internal unrest.
Lu Ren remained oblivious, simply smiling: "I thought you two should have been in extinction centuries ago; never imagined you'd find a way to extend your lives, progressing further on this Path of Success. It's quite surprising."
Indeed, Lu Ren was delighted; despite their poor relationship, even desiring to kill one another, encountering a familiar face—even if an enemy—in such a place is gratifying.
After greeting the Queen Mother of the West, who nodded in response, Lu Ren shifted his focus onto Tathagata and the Jade Emperor.
Seeing their cautious hostility, Lu Ren considered engaging in conversation, potentially ambushing the two. But noticing their guarded demeanor and maintaining a reasonable distance, he dismissed the notion.
The Jade Emperor replied coolly, "I'm afraid to disappoint you, Fellow Taoist Lu. Though our lifespans are nearing end, we can stall a bit longer."
Lu Ren sighed, "I really can't compare to you two who've lived for millions of years. Your life forces seem so decayed and precarious, yet you persist such a long time, almost rejuvenating a second life—it's eye-opening."
Even mentioning living a second life casually highlights the extreme challenge involved, surpassing advancing to Celestial Immortal. Though legendary, such feats have never been witnessed firsthand.
After a feigned exchange with the Jade Emperor and Tathagata and a few barbed remarks, a silence fell.
Fortunately, the Queen Mother of the West managed pleasantries, reducing the tension somewhat.
But this wasn't what Lu Ren sought; he approached specifically to uncover what method these two used to extend their lives after their lifespans should have ended.
Lu Ren's eyes slightly narrowed, and he said as if inadvertently, "Seems like you might have obtained Supreme legacies?"
With this, the previously silent atmosphere grew heavier, a faint killing intent subtly spreading in the air.
In just a moment, due to the change in the Celestial Immortals' moods, any anomalous phenomenon vanished without a trace, a clear atmosphere emerging as the Jade Emperor smiled cordially: "Fellow Taoist Lu overthinks. We three are merely Supreme disciples with some Supreme legacies. Even though Enlightenment Land is a place for Celestial Immortal advancement, without this rare divine medicine, extending one's lifespan infinitely is unattainable."
Lu Ren didn't respond, quietly observing the Jade Emperor and Tathagata for a while, and couldn't help but remark softly: "Why not sever the struggle and forge the path ahead?"
Golden Immortal Path Fruits appear only once in tens of millions of years, an indicator of the fierce struggle involved.
His words, like a chill wind, tightened their hearts, as even at the Post-Heaven Immortal Realm, the aura Lu Ren emanated was exceedingly strong.
