Monarch of Time

The old man's eyes flashed with a glimmer of surprise before he nodded his head and answered

''That's right. It's because they've already formed their 'Dao seeds' that they can not improve their foundations any further. Creating a weak 'Dao seed' is no different from permanently closing off your path to immortality. Without a sufficiently strong 'Dao seed' and powerful foundations in the Dao Emperor realm, you can never even hope to become an 'Earth Immortal', let alone a true immortal!''

The old man then fiddled with the gourd in his hands for a while, before he continued

''This makes things easier. Since you already know about 'Dao seeds', there is no need for me to continue this conversation any further. In the end, the path you follow is yours, and yours alone. I've already explained what needed to be said. I just hope you will make the correct decision in the future.''

Shun Long looked at the purple-robed elder and cupped his hands once more as he answered

''Thank you for your guidance, senior.'' Since the old man was clearly looking out for him, Shun Long treated him earnestly and nodded in understanding, indicating that he had already given this matter some thought a while ago.

Not dwelling on the topic any further, the old man shook his head and unexpectedly smiled, his expression suddenly turning amiable and easygoing once more as he asked

''Well, since you are here, how about you take on the sixth trial right away? I know you haven't recovered your qi yet, but you won't need it for this trial anyway. What do you think?''

Looking at the mischievous smile on the purple-robed elder's face, Shun Long felt somewhat surprised hearing that he wouldn't need to use his qi during the sixth trial.

Was this trial similar to the second one where one had to endure dozens of soul attacks from early-stage Dao Emperors?

Still, after a brief moment of pondering, Shun Long glanced at the bald elder and nodded once more as he answered

''Alright. Please lead the way, senior.''

Shaking his head, the smile on the old man's face became more and more pronounced as he responded

''No need. Just sit where you are and have fun.'' freēwēbnovel.com

For some reason, the words 'have fun' sounded overly ominous as they left the old man's withered lips. However, Shun Long didn't have any time to ponder their meaning as his vision suddenly darkened, before vanishing from the peak of the mountain.

...

The next time he opened his eyes Shun Long found himself at the heart of an overly familiar courtyard... one that he had not stepped foot on for many years now.

Surprisingly, there were no spatial fluctuations enveloping his body, but Shun Long could clearly feel that everything around him was real... or at least it felt real.

The familiar courtyard, the trees around him, the refreshing aroma of flowers, and even the sounds of the guards grunting as they trained a few meters away from him.

And yet, Shun Long knew that what he saw right now certainly wasn't real. Otherwise, there was no explanation for how he had appeared in the heart of the Shun estate back in 'Blue Forest City'!

After all, the entire 'Sky Fortune Kingdom' had been razed to the ground many years ago.

And yet, mere moments later, a young maidservant ran towards him as she called out gleefully

''Young maaaaaaaster!''

Staring at the running young maid that was coming his way, Shun Long couldn't help but feel a wave of melancholy rise in his heart.

Indeed, he had to admit that he somewhat missed those peaceful days back in the 'Sky Fortune Kingdom'. Ever since arriving in the central continent, he had been fighting battle after battle, taking on mission after mission in the Holy sect, without ever having a real chance to rest, his life always at a knife's edge.

Taking a deep breath, Shun Long suddenly muttered to himself

''No matter what, I'm going to settle down once we leave this tower. I won't keep roaming around the continent like a fool!''

A few moments later, the youthful maidservant stood in front of him, her face just as cute Shun Long remembered it. Her cheeks still had a bit of baby fat on them, showing hints of immaturity, and yet her gleamy eyes that were full of life looked at Shun Long expectantly as she continued

''Young maaaaaasteer!''

*Huff*

*Huff*

''The master has ordered me to fetch you and go to the main hall together. Please come with me!''

The panting young maid grabbed Shun Long by the hem of his robes and pulled him towards the main hall with long strides, not stopping to rest for even a moment. Shun Long didn't resist either and let her drag him away, as he took in the scene of the familiar estate in silence.

Moments later, the 2 of them had already arrived in front of the gates of the main hall, the 3-meter(9ft) tall doors already wide open as if they were waiting for him.

As the young maid pulled him inside, Shun Long finally saw a handsome man in his early 40s and a beautiful woman in her late 30s seated at the long table in the heart of the hall, their doting expressions looking at him full of affection.

''Long'er!'' Shun Fang stood up and pulled his son in a tight bear hug before he berated him playfully

''You little brat! Your father has already returned from the imperial capital and yet you don't even come to say hello? Haiz... how heartless my son has become!''

''Father...'' Shun Long knew that the person in front of him wasn't really Shun Fang, but everything in the hall still felt so real, from the atmosphere around him to his father's familiar hug that he couldn't help but utter those words in the end.

''What's wrong? Go ahead and have a seat. Your father has plenty of stories to tell you from the capital this time.''