Chapter 863

Immortals and mortals are different; this saying isn't just talk, it can be seen in their age.

If Old Lady Bao were truly calculated according to the full lifespan of an immortal, she would only be middle-aged now; not to mention her prime, at the very least, she would still have her charm.

But many immortal families have mostly taken elixirs that consume lifespan to break through bottlenecks, so rarely can anyone truly live past twenty thousand years.

Seriously speaking, although Old Lady Bao is over eight thousand years older than the current Palace Master of the Primordial Palace, ideally, the two could still accompany each other for ten thousand years, which would also be a fine story.

It's just that looking at the Old Lady's appearance, one knows she doesn't have much lifespan left; it's just unclear whether she was injured when she was young or if she took some potent medicine to improve her cultivation.

Immortals care most about face; appearance actually has conventional unwritten rules. First, the image must allow the Dao heart to be clear, and second, the appearance should be as close as possible to the remaining lifespan. An appearance like Old Lady Bao's should mean she doesn't have much lifespan left.

However, Yan Shi was not Xuan Yue; he only asked one question and didn't say a single extra word. He just accompanied the Old Lady into the Azure Void, walking around and looking at various places, taking a tour.

When approaching the medicine garden, the Old Lady suddenly stopped, her gaze falling on the immortal chicken. The immortal chicken let out a 'cluck-cluck-cluck' cry, instantly bristled, and assumed a fighting stance.

The Old Lady's expression was a bit strange, and she said: "There's actually an immortal chicken here; it's very strange. I'm walking with you, yet the immortal chicken seems to have quite a bit of hostility toward us; what is the reason for this? Could it be that it doesn't recognize you, the Palace Master of the Primordial Palace?"

Yan Shi pondered for a moment, weighed his words, and then said: "The immortal chicken doesn't have deep entanglements with my Primordial Palace; strictly speaking, it can be said to be Wei Yuan's friend, and then it treated this place as home. That's roughly it."

"Truly strange." The Old Lady withdrew her gaze, and the bristled feathers of the immortal chicken slowly smoothed out.

After seeing the whole circle, the Old Lady was silent for a long time before saying: "Walking all the way here, what I've seen and heard truly shocks me. I didn't expect that in these years I've been in seclusion, such talent has emerged in the world!

A full twenty thousand Dao foundations; it truly dazzled my old eyes. No wonder the Nine Kingdoms fight the Shaman tribes; one-for-two can be called a famous general, yet Wei Yuan can continuously fight one-to-five, one-to-eight, and even one-to-ten.

Looking back over the past three thousand years, in terms of ferocity and dominance, the Martial Ancestor is naturally first. But when it comes to changing the world, I'm afraid we'll still have to look at Wei Yuan in the future."

Yan Shi didn't expect the Old Lady's evaluation of Wei Yuan to be so high; he wanted to follow up with a few praises, but for a moment, he couldn't find a place to start.

The Old Lady said again: "That girl Yun is disobedient and considered to have eloped from home; we all know this. But she is also the unique, peerless genius of this generation of my Bao family; this is not me bragging. How could such a genius be given to your Primordial Palace out of thin air?"

Yan Shi nodded; there are precedents for past family disciples to study in the Primordial Palace. The top-tier seeds of ascension must definitely return home to inherit the immortal position and sit in the family. Only when the family's immortal ancestor is in their prime, or there are other seeds of ascension, can they choose to stay in the Primordial Palace.

Someone like the fifth-generation Azure Void Immortal Lord Bao Kongqing, who was unconventional, is actually extremely rare.

Yan Shi naturally knew these rules, so he immediately said: "I have no intention of breaking the old rules; Behind Bao Yun is currently considered to be training here, and after the Dharma Form stage, she could have graduated. If she wants to return to take charge of the Bao family in the future, I naturally won't stop her."

This is the tacit understanding and balance formed between the families and the Primordial Palace over thousands of years. Yan Shi is not a short-sighted person and naturally wouldn't break the precedents of many years for temporary self-interest.

In the more than three thousand years since the palace was established, there have been as many as eight immortals who returned home after completing their studies at the Primordial Palace and eventually ascended to immortal positions. When these immortals were in power, each family was basically the Primordial Palace's firmest ally.

On the contrary, during the years when Bao Kongqing served as Palace Master, the relationship between the entire Bao family and the Primordial Palace was almost like fire and water. At that time, that immortal from the Bao family almost stood on the enemy's side.

Therefore, Yan Shi is also quite cautious, letting Behind Bao Yun choose for herself. Now the Bao family has faintly revealed the foundation to stand out, and the grand scene of three generations of immortals in the same world seems to be before his eyes. Even the Xiao family is a notch inferior.

But the Old Lady said: "It's not that girl Yun can't stay in the Primordial Palace. After all, although my great-great-great-grandson is a bit silly, can't distinguish friend from foe, is easily incited, and looks like his mother... but at least his immortal lifespan is still long, he can probably live for another one or two thousand years, and doesn't need girl Yun to take over. However..."

What is the allusion to looking like his mother?... Yan Shi was confused, but in everything, one fears the word 'however'; he could only listen attentively.

"... That day I said that Wei Yuan is Behind Bao Yun's husband, and you agreed at the time. That bracelet of mine is barely considered a priceless treasure; you, this middle-class minor immortal, would probably have to save for most of your life, so it's not shameful to count it as girl Yun's dowry..."

"Wait, Old Lady, please clarify first, what is a 'middle-class minor immortal'?"

"It means not enough on top but more than enough on bottom, unlike Xu Wangu or Lu Changhe who are stingy; you have a little floating wealth in your hands but it's limited, and you still have to calculate your spending. Once a major change occurs, you might be beaten back to your original form; this is a middle-class minor immortal. Recently, there have been many exciting storybooks that take the troubles of middle-class minor immortals as their theme; they are very novel." The Old Lady said with a smile.

Although Yan Shi was considered wealthy when in Master Yu Jing, Master Yu Jing and immortals cannot be mentioned in the same breath after all. Now, in front of Old Lady Bao, being called a middle-class minor immortal, he actually had no temper at all.

"This matter..." Yan Shi pondered silently.

Old Lady Bao said with a smile: "What, you don't want to send a seed of ascension? You can go back on your word if you want; only six families heard it at the time, not many at all. It's just that my bracelet has to be returned, right? Wei Yuan can't pay it back, and you, as Palace Master, are duty-bound."

Ji Liuli's face flashed through Yan Shi's mind, and he could only sigh inwardly, then nodded and said: "What are you saying, Old Lady? What I have said naturally counts."

"Then it's settled. With this matter decided, I can rest easy, go back and recuperate in peace, and strive to live until the day of girl Yun's grand wedding."