Ye Wen felt dizzy and weak, a sudden and profound enervation washing over him from the inside out. Everything before his eyes went black. At that moment, forget about sensing with his "Heart-Eye"; even keeping his eyelids open was impossible.

"What's happening?"

He was still able to think, thanks only to the sudden alarm sounded by the Glazed Fire in his Yintang acupoint. In that split second, Ye Wen's Innate Violet Qi and the Huntian Baojian seemed to act in self-defense, barely preventing him from collapsing outright.

Sensing the various vital energies flowing through his body more carefully, Ye Wen was now certain he had been ambushed. Yet, he could not fathom how the assailant had managed it.

"To be struck without any defense, and with almost no warning—what kind of sorcery is this?" Ye Wen couldn't fathom it for a moment. He gathered the last scrap of strength and urged Xu Xian, "Flee first! I think I've been ambushed!" In truth, Xu Xian had already reacted the moment Ye Wen showed abnormality. First, he pulled Ye Wen back to keep him from falling, then he braced Ye Wen’s body. His right hand summoned the Golden Light Sword, and channeling all his internal power, the sword erupted with a dazzling golden radiance. The original three-foot long blade seemed to magnify countless times in an instant. Then, Xu Xian swung it violently, forcing the swarm of cultivators rushing toward them to halt their advance momentarily. Yet, not a single one dared to test the power of that colossal longsword.

Seeing his maneuver succeed, Xu Xian did not linger. He yanked Ye Wen and shot upward on a beam of sword light. Then, utilizing his formidable burst power, a flash of light illuminated the air, and when the magnificent crimson glow reappeared, the crowd was left looking at only a tiny speck in the distance.

"Damn it! Chase them!" Xu Xian had eaten the Ginseng King they had guarded for so long. That King was extremely rare to begin with, and even rarer to see mature. Since discovering the Ginseng King, the Changbai Sect had guarded it meticulously, even using various medicinal herbs from their own school to concoct juices to nourish and nurture it, lest the harsh environment destroy it.

But unexpectedly, hundreds of burials' worth of effort were ruined in an instant. Seeing the Ginseng King was about to ripen, a brat from who knew where had rushed in and, before anyone could react, devoured it!

It was fate, perhaps. Ye Wen and Xu Xian were searching for the Changbai Immortal Realm, wandering all around the Changbai Mountain area, hoping to find the connection point to that realm.

It so happened that the Changbai disciples guarding the Ginseng King had stepped away briefly. They never expected anyone to venture into their secluded sect, and in the span of less than two minutes—just that brief moment—Xu Xian had gnawed the Ginseng King down like a radish.

Xu Xian had flown a good distance while dragging Ye Wen when a searing heat suddenly flared in his abdomen. Xu Xian immediately exclaimed, "Not good... That radish I ate was rotten!" Ye Wen, who had been drifting into sleep, was instantly jolted awake by those words: "That wasn't a radish at all! You’re from a prominent lineage; how can you be so ignorant!" "People from prominent lineages don't know what radishes look like! Why would I bother recognizing such a thing?" Xu Xian retorted righteously, looking completely entitled, leaving Ye Wen speechless for a moment. "Since Senior Brother says that wasn't a radish... then what was it?"

"Ginseng, perhaps..." Ye Wen pondered for a moment. The most famous product of Changbai Mountain seemed to be ginseng, and he heard the Changbai Sect itself was skilled in cultivating it. If they valued it so highly, it must be some peculiar variety?

"It looked like a white radish?" Xu Xian pouted, unconvinced, but the intensifying heat in his belly was spreading. It was not only churning his insides but also surging through his meridians. Xu Xian discovered his Zhenqi circulation was even being affected. His face contorted in pain: "Senior Brother, I’m afraid I need to find a place to deal with this right now!"

At this point, the Zhenqi within his body was mixing turbulently with the heat flow. Moreover, the essence of the Cold Fruit previously stored in his body suddenly erupted, adding fuel to the fire and causing Xu Xian immense distress.

He could still fly rapidly while carrying Ye Wen, but he was already at his limit. If he didn't find a solution soon, he would likely plummet immediately. Although given their current physical fortitude, they wouldn't die from the fall, neither relished the thought of experiencing that rapid descent followed by a violent, intimate contact with Mother Earth.

"Senior Brother?" Xu Xian was about to ask Ye Wen for his opinion when he noticed Ye Wen was silent, looking even weaker than before. Although his internal energy was still surging, its speed was slowing down, and even his consciousness seemed on the verge of slipping away. If this continued, Ye Wen might be finished before they could even escape back to the Penglai Immortal Realm.

"No, we must find a place to hide quickly, and check on Senior Brother at the same time!" His own situation wasn't good either. Resolving himself, he immediately searched left and right. But from his rapid flight, they had already left the mountainous region, and looking down, he saw nothing but fields—not a suitable place to hide.

Just as he was fretting, a streak of green light appeared before him. Unconsciously, they had flown to the coast. Xu Xian’s eyes darted back, seeing several faint lights on the horizon. It was likely those pursuers hadn't given up. Normally, he wouldn't fear them, but under the current circumstances, not only could he not fight, but even flying was a supreme effort.

Seeing the situation, Xu Xian did not hesitate. As soon as they reached the sea, he dove straight down with Ye Wen. Protected by their sword light, they naturally feared the seawater little. Furthermore, the sword light repelled the water, forming a protective sphere that kept them dry. The light also provided some illumination, so they weren't afraid even when plunging into the ocean.

However, as soon as they entered the water, a faint light suddenly flashed from Ye Wen's chest. This light wasn't strong, but it managed to overpower the sword light surrounding Xu Xian, which greatly surprised him. A moment later, he remembered: this must be one of the Nine Cauldrons that Senior Brother had mentioned. Ye Wen had only disclosed some of the Nine Cauldrons' functions, such as their ability to contact certain immortal realms, but hadn't elaborated that they themselves originated from worlds within the Cauldrons.

Seeing the Nine Cauldrons react, Xu Xian immediately understood they were connecting with an immortal realm. He hastily abandoned the idea of pressing forward and frantically shook Ye Wen's shoulder: "Senior Brother! Wake up!" Then he raised his hand as if to strike, but saw Ye Wen’s eyes open. Seeing his raised hand, Ye Wen quickly pleaded, "I'm awake, I'm awake, don't hit me!" But after saying that, he inevitably felt extremely weak again. However, he was significantly better than before, as if his senses had been gradually recovering since the Nine Cauldrons reacted. It seemed the Cauldron had helped him again.

Noticing the light flashing within the center of the Cauldron, Ye Wen closed his eyes to concentrate. A moment later, a rift suddenly appeared beside them. Seeing this, Xu Xian immediately grabbed Ye Wen and plunged into the rift. As soon as the two entered, the rift vanished instantly. Just then, several figures arrived at the spot, searching around: "Strange. We clearly saw those two rascals hide in the sea, so where have they disappeared to? Could they be sea sprites that transformed and fled?"

Little did Ye Wen and Xu Xian know that they were now regarded as sea sprites by the Changbai Sect members. At that moment, the sight before them had stunned both of them into silence.

A magnificent palace gate stood before them, and compared to it, the two looked incredibly small. Just this single gate suggested the grandeur of the so-called East Sea Immortal Palace.

As Ye Wen gazed, he suddenly noticed that the various abnormalities affecting him seemed to be slowly disappearing. It seemed that upon entering this East Sea Immortal Palace, the strange power affecting him had vanished—implying that the attack couldn't strike across spatial barriers.

"No wonder I was fine for so long in the Penglai Immortal Realm; it was for this very reason!"

Turning to look at Xu Xian, he saw his junior brother’s face growing paler. Ye Wen immediately activated his internal energy, placed a hand on Xu Xian's back, and channeled a stream of Innate Violet Qi to help smooth out the turbulent Zhenqi within Xu Xian's body.

Only then did Ye Wen notice that his junior brother seemed to have stumbled upon a massive stroke of luck again. He couldn't tell what kind of ginseng Xu Xian had eaten, but though it couldn't compare to heavenly treasures like the Crimson Fruit or Cold Fruit, it was still a rare and potent supplement. If Xu Xian could digest the essence of this ginseng first, his cultivation base would increase significantly.

More importantly, the ginseng essence was much gentler. If they hadn't been fleeing for their lives, a short meditation session would have prevented Xu Xian from ending up in this state. Moreover, once he sorted things out, this ginseng essence could gradually help Xu Xian enhance his cultivation over the coming period.

Simultaneously, although the ginseng essence was warm, it didn't clash with the Cold Fruit essence. The current chaotic mixing of these three forces seemed to show a tendency toward fusion, hinting at potential new developments.

The two didn't speak; such matters needed no discussion. A quick check and adjustment were all it took for them to understand everything.

As for Xu Xian's fortune? Ye Wen was long accustomed to it! He fully understood what kind of person his junior brother was—simply put, if this guy randomly pulled a root from the ground and ate it, it would turn out to have the effects of ginseng.

After resting and adjusting their breathing for a while, having roughly recovered, Xu Xian asked, "Shall we go inside to explore, or leave from here?"

He remembered Senior Brother saying before they set out that the East Sea Immortal Palace and the South Sea Immortal Palace might have been residences of the ancient Dragon Clan. He didn't know if any dragons still guarded the place now. Rushing in carelessly might lead to trouble!

Now that they had accidentally intruded, should they proceed?

However, the moment Ye Wen saw the eager look in Xu Xian's eyes, he knew his junior brother had already made up his mind. Ye Wen followed along smoothly: "Since we're here, let's go in and take a look!" More importantly, he still hadn't figured out who was trying to harm him—someone capable of nearly taking his life without revealing their presence. If Xu Xian hadn't stumbled blindly into the sea and entered this East Sea Immortal Palace, he might genuinely have perished this time.

"Could it be the Qingcheng Sect?" He thought it over and the Qingcheng Sect remained the most likely culprit, though he couldn't fathom the method they used! Furthermore, Ye Wen suddenly recalled that the death of the Hermit of North River was equally inexplicable—he had simply collapsed into a coma and never woken up before dying. Could he have been struck by the same technique?

It was impossible to confirm, and Ye Wen could only speculate for now. He shelved the matter for the moment and focused on observing the East Sea Immortal Palace.

The East Sea Immortal Palace, renowned as one of the great immortal realms, was naturally extraordinary. The entire palace seemed built in the water, yet Ye Wen noticed no seawater surrounding it. In the distance, it appeared the entire area was covered in water, but none of it rushed inward—it was as if a massive bubble enveloped the palace, isolating it from the ocean.

But Ye Wen realized that what was outside the bubble wasn't seawater at all. Though it looked similar, the water-like substance was entirely Lingqi—extremely dense spiritual energy. The abundance of Lingqi was even frightening, and it was so overbearing that without the barrier, the East Sea Immortal Palace might be instantly destroyed by that energy, leaving not even dust behind.

As for people? Even the current Ye Wen had no thought of breaking through the bubble to cultivate in that Lingqi, because he could sense that if he truly did so, he would vanish from this world in a millisecond, leaving absolutely nothing behind!

Returning his gaze, Ye Wen looked back at the massive palace. Feeling the intense Lingqi within, he sensed the environment here seemed even better than Penglai Immortal Realm, though the water element was slightly heavier. If Hua Yi were here, she would likely be overjoyed; cultivating in such an environment would surely yield twice the results for her Nine Water Divine Light.

Continuing forward, the two passed through the main gate, crossed a vast plaza, and arrived at the Grand Hall. The hall was opulent and grand. As Xu Xian and Ye Wen entered, even Xu Xian exclaimed: "Even the main hall of the Shang Dynasty's imperial palace pales in comparison to the majesty and grandeur here!" Compared to the palaces of mortal emperors, this Immortal Palace possessed an added layer of transcendent immortal aura. Although Ye Wen found the place a bit too heavy with a "fishy smell" (due to the excessive carvings and decorations of aquatic life), he had to concede this point.

"After all, this is the residence of true Immortals!"

They looked around further, finding that while the Grand Hall was magnificent, there was nothing particularly noteworthy, so they prepared to explore other areas.

Leaving the main hall, they walked for quite some time until they reached the rear. Ye Wen suddenly stopped his junior brother: "Wait, someone is coming!"

He had closed his eyes again, observing the world with his Heart-Eye, so although nothing was visible to his naked eye, he could "see" someone approaching.

Xu Xian knew his Senior Brother’s powers were superior and his senses sharper, so he didn't doubt him, stepping aside to wait quietly.

About half an hour passed without anyone appearing. Ye Wen felt puzzled; the person was close enough to be seen after just one turn. Had they stopped out of caution?

Just as he was about to speak, the approaching figure suddenly called out: "Two youngsters, could you come help an old man? I was moving too fast earlier and strained my back!" "..."

Ye Wen and Xu Xian walked a few steps forward. Turning the corner, they saw a very old man, white-haired and clad in tattered clothes, leaning on a cane, clutching the wall and standing motionless. Even when they arrived, he only offered a stiff smile: "When you get old, your body isn't what it used to be..." He then glanced at Ye Wen and Xu Xian with an expression of envy: "Youth is wonderful!"

Ye Wen felt a wave of speechlessness but also sensed that this old man was likely quite easy to deal with. He stepped forward, reaching out to help him up.

Unexpectedly, the old man said, "You yourself are handicapped; don't trouble yourself! Let that other child help me!" He had noticed Ye Wen standing with his eyes closed, assuming he was blind.

Ye Wen managed a wry smile and said nothing. Xu Xian walked over and supported the old man. Listening to the old man's constant groans of pain, he slowly turned, then pointed toward a room in the distance: "That's where I live, little one. You can help me back there!"

"This old man really makes himself at home!"

Listening to the old man's incessant moans all the way, and seeing him shuffle forward only a centimeter at a time (his steps measured in centimeters), what should have been a short distance took a full hour. Neither Xu Xian nor Ye Wen complained. Xu Xian was well-mannered due to his upbringing.

Ye Wen, however, recalled an elderly neighbor from his childhood who walked similarly during his daily stroll, taking half a day just to circle the small courtyard. Thus, he didn't find the old man's pace strange. Moreover, he felt something about this entire situation was slightly off.

After seeing the old man back to his room and helping him sit down, Ye Wen and Xu Xian sat opposite him as signaled. The old man then leaned back against the chair, hooked his legs—which had been quite stiff moments ago—over the table in front of him, tossed his cane aside, and chuckled: "You two children are quite good; very patient! I was tired of walking, but neither of you complained..."

Hearing this, Ye Wen merely thought to himself, "As expected!" and showed an expression of disappointment.

"Oh?" The old man noticed Ye Wen's expression and suddenly asked curiously, "Child, why such a look?"

Ye Wen replied, "Elder, it's fine to test others' character, but can you find a different method? This one is too dated, isn't it? Testing a young person's respect for the elderly to judge their character—that's an old routine! Please, you're clearly an ancient figure, can we try something more creative?"

The old man froze for a moment, then laughed heartily, "You're interesting, child! You suit my temper; why didn't I notice it before?" His smile vanished, and he asked, "You mean you realized early on that I was deliberately testing you?" Ye Wen nearly spat blood—did the old man just catch on?

"In such a vast Immortal Palace, you are the only one here. If your legs were truly infirm, how have you managed to live here for so long?" And there was another unsaid point: how could an Immortal Palace, one of the great immortal realms, be inhabited by just an ordinary old man?

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