Su Qingqing remained in a stupor, while Huo Sining suddenly lifted her head:

"After reaching the Nascent Soul stage, does one extend their lifespan? Mr. Bai, according to your statement, now that Lu Huairu is at the peak of Foundation Establishment, is it true that if he breaks through the bottleneck and reaches the Nascent Soul stage, he can live many more years?"

Bai Buzhi nodded: "That’s not incorrect, but breaking through from the peak of Foundation Establishment to the Nascent Soul stage isn’t just about ascending a realm; it’s not so simple."

"Without a special situation or unique magical artifacts and Immortal Pills for assistance, let alone a year, even ten or twenty years, Lu Huairu still might not break through. After all, Earth’s environment is deteriorating, nature’s spiritual energy is becoming scarcer, and it’s increasingly difficult to cultivate and advance."

Upon hearing this explanation, Huo Sining instinctively nodded, her mind vaguely recalling the scenes in her dreams: an old Taoist imparting teachings to a Taoist child, while that child was both teasing a blue-tailed fish and chanting:

"Beyond Kyushu, above Yellow Springs, below Biluo, vastness to the west, chessboard to the east, constellations to the north, variegation to the south, Cang Hai as chess in the Netherworld, to the far north, gathering nature’s spiritual energy, where ancient sages are buried; thus it’s a place of exceptional beauty, palaces of celestial splendor, countless spiritual springs and deities, truly the best place for cultivating immortality and learning the way..."

While in the dream, Huo Sining only felt like she was that blue-tailed fish, completely oblivious to the Taoist child’s words. After waking from the dream, although she vaguely remembered some things, she remained utterly confused.

Yet, upon hearing Bai Buzhi’s words now, it was as though she suddenly gained a moment of clarity, rapidly connecting that dream and those strange characters, and the more she thought, the clearer it became, and she felt it was indeed so.

Lu Huairu initially wanted to capture her and Qibao, surely to investigate the Canghai Extreme North. Given his single-minded pursuit of immortality, he must have realized his cultivation had reached a bottleneck and, without finding a place of exceptional beauty, he might never break through before dying.

Therefore, he set his sights on Diaoti Country, because for generations, the Jiaoren have guarded this part of the Canghai Extreme North, and Diaoti Country is likely the most suitable place Lu Huairu is searching for to cultivate, leading him to suspect her identity and thus seek answers from her.

But why did he suddenly quiet down after being rejected by Master Miaoshan, never again bothering her and Qibao? Huo Sining glanced at the few volumes of the Classic of Mountains and Seas within her storage ring, resolute in her mind.

Lu Huairu was willing to use the Puppetry Technique, going to great lengths to attend the auction in Philadelphia, all for that Classic of Mountains and Seas.

This indicates one thing—the Classic of Mountains and Seas certainly records information concerning Cang Hai and Diaoti Country, perhaps even specific locations; otherwise, Lu Huairu and Fujiwara Seiho wouldn’t be so anxious.

Because only by obtaining that Classic of Mountains and Seas, could Lu Huairu possibly find Diaoti Country, utilize the spiritual energy of this Extreme North to break through his cultivation, and smoothly enter the Nascent Soul stage.

Upon thinking this through, it might also explain why the Liang Family people were involved in this inexplicable auction, given the connection between Liang Pengzhi and her grandmother Huang Chengxiang. It’s likely the Liang Family people had also sensed something but couldn’t confirm their suspicions yet.

As for Fujiwara Seiho, Huo Sining wasn’t clear on his ultimate goal; if not out of curiosity, his desire to find the Jiaoren’s location likely harbors some unmentionable intentions.

Thinking of this, Huo Sining couldn’t help but furrow her brows, for she suddenly recalled something—the two volumes of the Classic of Mountains and Seas she now possessed should come from the same person, the handwritten characters on them clearly in the same style, but an issue troubling her was that the content in the two volumes differed, inevitably causing Huo Sining confusion and doubt. She vaguely felt there might be more than just two volumes of the Classic of Mountains and Seas, and others might possess them too.

Although Huo Sining hadn’t truly visited Diaoti Country, the vague consciousness and memories from the Jiaoren Wei Yang allowed her to feel that before the Little Jiaoren transformed into a merfolk, it lived in that place, and evidently, this little one, loving and fond of the Extreme North, showed Diaoti Country to be a very beautiful place.

Huo Sining was fully aware that if humans indeed discovered the Jiaoren’s hiding place, it could spell disaster after disaster for these Jiaoren.

Human greed is boundless, especially for someone like Fujiwara Seiho, cruel and ruthless, never stopping until he achieves his goal.

Once they knew that merfolk truly existed in this world, and that their lifespan far exceeded human longevity, the Jiaoren would no longer have anywhere to hide. Humans would go to any lengths to capture them and use them as experimental subjects, dissecting and slicing them like lab mice, leading to a catastrophe for the Jiaoren.

With this realization, Huo Sining trembled, her whole being troubled. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

Though Huo Sining didn’t feel a strong sense of belonging to Diaoti Country like Su Lanyanfeng and others, she absolutely didn’t wish for outsiders to destroy it. And to prevent Lu Huairu and Fujiwara Seiho from seeking Cang Hai and Diaoti Country, she must seize the Classic of Mountains and Seas before them. Without this guide, she didn’t believe these people could uncover Diaoti Country.

When Bai Buzhi left, Su Qingqing remained in her stupor, sitting dazedly on the sofa, unable to recover for a long time. Evidently, the information Bai Buzhi provided was quite impactful, rendering her temporarily unable to process it.

Huo Sining didn’t disturb her either, and after exchanging glances with Yue Shuwen and others, they tactfully avoided disturbing Su Qingqing.

When the girl came to her senses, daylight had broken, and she picked up her phone to call Yin Zeyan, asking whether he knew Lu Huairu was a Taoist, but as the call was about to go through, she suddenly withdrew her hand.

Having seen Bai Buzhi’s Puppetry Technique firsthand, she found it hard to believe it herself, let alone Yin Zeyan. She feared that after hearing her experiences, Yin Zeyan would think her insane.

Thinking of this brought a bitter smile to Su Qingqing’s lips, momentarily feeling as if her mind was a tangled mess.