Chapter 195

The dream was right before his eyes; how could he let it slip away completely because of such a factor?

Bai Zhu clenched his fists tightly, blood dripping down.

"I beg the Sect Leader for mercy! Although Bai Zhu's talent is poor, my heart for immortality is firm. No matter what, Bai Zhu will do my utmost to cultivate."

"I beg the Sect Leader to give Bai Zhu a chance!"

"Bai Zhu's lifelong pursuit is right before my eyes; if I give up now, I might as well be dead!"

Hearing this, Jiang Yan sighed, feeling somewhat moved.

If one were to ask who in all of Teyvat had the firmest heart for cultivating immortality and attaining longevity,

Bai Zhu would undoubtedly be number one.

But unfortunately...

his talent could not be called poor, but it definitely wasn't good either.

Truly, fate plays tricks on people.

Bai Zhu sought immortality with all his heart but lacked talent, while Qiqi beside him might not even understand cultivation, yet possessed a special constitution that could not be seen through.

Fate is truly fickle.

"I have understood your intentions, but you must know that the Immortal Dao of Shushan is different from the Immortal Dao of Teyvat."

"The Shushan Immortal Dao is indeed cultivated by humans after birth; longevity, living as long as heaven, and being free and unfettered can all be achieved."

"However, cultivation has extremely high requirements for talent."

"Your talent is average; even if you cultivate, your progress will not be fast."

"Cultivators face a hurdle at every step; if you cannot break through within the limits of your lifespan, you can only die with lifelong regrets."

"This feeling of having longevity in sight but missing it by a hair is the most desperate."

"If you only want to cure your illness, considering your persistence in seeking immortality, I can help you restore your health."

"If you want longevity, you can also wait for the Martial Dao from Liyue later."

"The Martial Dao was created by your Liyue's Rex Lapis after he joined Shushan, combining it with the cultivation system."

"When the Martial Dao is mastered, achieving the status of a Celestial Human, one can also live for three hundred years."

Bai Zhu lowered his head, his expression extremely complex. After a long while, he said in a deep voice:

"Sect Leader, may I ask, what is the starting lifespan of a cultivator?"

Jiang Yan was silent for a moment, then said faintly:

"Five hundred years."

Bai Zhu smiled and asked again:

"Sect Leader, after a cultivator becomes an immortal, what is their lifespan?"

"Living as long as heaven, forever young."

Bai Zhu smiled freely, his eyes filled with incomparable persistence.

"If I were to give up on cultivation to practice martial arts, how would that be any different from wasting my time?"

"Bai Zhu has no other requests, only asking the Sect Leader to give Bai Zhu a chance."

"If I cannot attain longevity in the future and fall on the path of seeking it, it will only be because Bai Zhu did not work hard enough."

Longevity—this was what he had craved most when he visited immortals in the past, but it was also what the immortals hated most.

Because of his pursuit of longevity, Bai Zhu was viewed with suspicion by the Liyue upper echelons, but he did not regret it; he did not want to finish his life like a fleeting shadow.

Now, only Shushan openly accepted longevity and could even bestow it.

If he couldn't grasp this opportunity, Bai Zhu felt it would be better to just die.

Jiang Yan stared at Bai Zhu; although he was separated by an infinite distance, the firmness in his eyes did not waver.

Jiang Yan did not answer directly but asked in return:

"Coming here this time, are you the only one who wants to seek immortality?"

Bai Zhu felt a surge of joy in his heart and hurriedly said:

"Qiqi and Changsheng have also come to seek immortality!"

As he spoke, Bai Zhu hurriedly looked at Changsheng and Qiqi.

Changsheng nodded hurriedly; she had just taken a tour of the Shushan Cave Heaven.

She had long been conquered by Shushan's foundation.

If she could join Shushan, her problem would no longer be a problem.

"Qiqi and Changsheng..."

Jiang Yan re-examined their talents, and after confirming he hadn't misjudged, he said faintly:

"Qiqi and Changsheng have excellent talent, especially Qiqi; with her innocent and ignorant heart, if she cultivates, she will surely advance by leaps and bounds."

Hearing Jiang Yan's praise, Bai Zhu looked at Qiqi and Changsheng with some envy.

It seemed that Qiqi and Changsheng would have no problem joining Shushan.

Talent...

Bai Zhu wavered for a moment but quickly became firm again.

Although his talent wasn't high, he believed that man can conquer nature!

"Since that is the case, except for Qiqi, you and Changsheng may enter the preaching square before you."

A purple cloud appeared out of thin air under Qiqi's feet, lifting her up and sending her to the other side.

"This square is inscribed with many Heart-Questioning Arrays."

"If you pass through the array, you can become a Shushan disciple, practice the method of longevity, and pursue the Immortal Dao."

"If you cannot pass through the array, then leave."

Although he said it this way, in reality, Jiang Yan had no doubts about whether Bai Zhu and Changsheng could pass through the array.

Bai Zhu's pursuit of longevity was almost to the point of obsession.

Now that he had grasped this straw, he wouldn't let go even if he died.

As for Changsheng...

With dual top-grade spiritual roots, plus her own identity as an immortal and the long years she had lived,

the Heart-Questioning Array was not very difficult for her.

To be honest, Jiang Yan even felt that Bai Zhu could go very far after cultivating.

Although his talent was average,

his mindset was simply too persistent.

The Dao heart is far more important than talent.

Talent can be changed later, but the Dao heart is truly a matter of personal will.

"Changsheng, this lifelong pursuit is right before our eyes."

Bai Zhu took a deep breath and looked down at Changsheng.

The latter was silent for a moment, then said slowly:

"Your obsession is too deep, Bai Zhu."

"I understand."

Bai Zhu nodded and smiled:

"But this obsession is the greatest motivation for me to live on; I will not give up."

"You are the same... Changsheng, if I can join Shushan today, the contract will be completely terminated."

"If I cannot join Shushan, then Bai Zhu's life ends here."

Having said this, Bai Zhu lifted his foot and stepped into the array.

Changsheng opened her mouth, but in the end, she didn't say anything and followed him into the array.

Soon, Changsheng passed Bai Zhu, looked back, and said softly:

"I will wait for you at Shushan."

Bai Zhu's mouth curled slightly, and he smiled:

"Good."

Taking a step, Bai Zhu stood completely within the array.

Everything went black before his eyes, and it seemed as if some memories in his mind were blurred.

His whole person felt as if he were falling into a bottomless abyss, falling and falling.

He didn't know how much time had passed when Bai Zhu suddenly felt someone pat his shoulder.