Time passed quickly. Bai Zhou had been on the island for a long time. Life here was monotonous, and he had taught them almost everything he knew.

He had also gradually come to understand the structure of the Abyss from the Chali Race, and his rosy-tinted view of the Immortal Realm had vanished completely.

More than seeking immortality, he now just wanted to return to his own world.

’I just have to follow the Abyss straight up, and I can go back.’

This island was not a place for humans, after all. Having been away from his own kind for so long, Bai Zhou often felt lonely.

During a chance conversation with the Chali Race, Bai Zhou noticed that their description of a nearby island sounded very similar to the one humans had previously inhabited.

This solidified Bai Zhou’s resolve to go and see for himself.

Soon, his absentmindedness caught his apprentice’s attention.

"Master, what’s wrong?"

"It’s nothing." Although the Chali Race weren’t human, Bai Zhou had grown deeply fond of them and didn’t know how to explain himself.

However, while the Chali Race’s civilization wasn’t highly advanced, their method of communicating thoughts through tree roots made it easy for them to sense the hidden emotions in others’ minds.

And they were extremely sensitive to these emotions.

"Master, you’re missing your people, aren’t you?" the apprentice asked earnestly.

Bai Zhou was taken aback for a moment, then nodded.

"Are you leaving, Master?"

Bai Zhou nodded again. He didn’t intend to deceive his apprentice.

"Then when will you come back?"

At his apprentice’s question, Bai Zhou fell silent. He knew the secrets of the heavens above and the earth below, but he didn’t know how to say goodbye.

The apprentice just watched him quietly, its branches completely still.

After a long while, the apprentice’s voice came from its branches again. "Master, we will meet again. Do you know why we are called the Chali Race?"

"I don’t," Bai Zhou said, shaking his head.

"To cross and to part, that is Chali," the apprentice explained with a serious expression.

"We cross like roots, then part, heading in different directions. Soon after, we cross again, and then part again. All members of the Chali Race are the same."

"When we connect to someone with our roots, we know the number of times our paths will cross. If the number is large, it means we still have a lot of time together. If not, it means our fated connection has ended."

"Master, our paths will cross many more times. We will meet again."

The apprentice looked at Bai Zhou and said this with great earnestness.

Gazing at the roots wrapped around his body, Bai Zhou stood frozen in place for a long time.

He suddenly realized that the Chali Race’s ability was like divination—it could predict the future.

’If used to its full potential, it could be incredibly useful.’

Many uses for it flashed through Bai Zhou’s mind, but he dismissed them one by one. He didn’t want to focus on that right now.

"How many more times will our paths cross?" Bai Zhou asked, now worried that he might never be able to go back.

"Many. Too many to count," the apprentice replied after a look.

Many?

’Does that mean I’ll be stuck on this island for the rest of my life?’

Now, Bai Zhou was even more confused.

’This ability isn’t like divination, is it? Sometimes accurate, sometimes not?’

Half-believing and half-doubting, Bai Zhou continued, "Is the number accurate?"

"Very accurate."

Hearing his apprentice’s answer, Bai Zhou felt a little dejected.

Still, he wanted to try leaving the island. If he didn’t even try, then he would truly be trapped here.

’I have to tell my people the truth about the Abyss. I can’t let them stay in the dark.’

Thinking of his compatriots still on the island dreaming of seeking immortality, perhaps still waiting desperately for an Immortal, Bai Zhou’s resolve hardened.

"Apprentice, I must go. There can be no crossings without partings. If we truly meet again, I will teach you something new..."

"Okay, Master! What will you teach me?"

His apprentice’s question stunned Bai Zhou. He had just said it offhandedly, not expecting the apprentice to take him so seriously.

’Something new?’

Thinking back, he had taught them almost everything he knew since arriving on the island. He had even taught the Chali Race useless court etiquette for serving an emperor during their idle chats.

He really didn’t have anything new to teach.

Bai Zhou’s mind spun rapidly, and he finally thought of something.

In that moment, he fell back on his old profession.

"When I return, I will teach you eternal life."

"Eternal life?" Hearing Bai Zhou’s words, the apprentice’s eyes lit up. "Master, why don’t you teach me right now?"

The apprentice seemed very interested in eternal life—or rather, it was interested in everything new that Bai Zhou taught.

Now that it knew of something as impressive-sounding as "eternal life," it naturally pestered Bai Zhou, asking all sorts of questions.

Bai Zhou didn’t know how to achieve eternal life himself. He could only put on a profound air, just as he had when hoodwinking the emperor, and spout a bunch of mysterious-sounding nonsense.

"Eternal life is humanity’s ultimate goal. It concerns the development of our entire race and cannot be easily taught to outsiders, let alone another race."

"But, since you are my direct disciple, I will teach you. However, learning this means shouldering a heavy price. Can you bear such a price?"

"I can!" the apprentice answered without a second thought.

Bai Zhou let out a feigned sigh and began his spiel.

"In truth, eternal life has always been hidden within the knowledge I’ve taught you."

"All this time, I have taught your Chali Race many things: Alchemy and Medicine Making, observing celestial phenomena, divination, feng shui... In reality, all this knowledge was preparation for achieving eternal life."

"Alchemy requires ingredients; the better the ingredients, the more precious the pill."

"Celestial phenomena are the same. A long clear spell leads to drought, and a long drought leads to rain."

"Divination has its dualities, creation and destruction. Where there is a positive, there must be a negative."

"When the wind comes, so does the water. When the wind stops, so does the water..."

"It is just like the Abyss. A price exists in everything."

"To steal fate from the heavens, one must pay the price of life. You must use other things to fill the void of that life. Do you understand?"

Bai Zhou looked at his apprentice sternly.

The apprentice had never seen Bai Zhou so serious before and answered weakly, "I don’t understand. Do you mean using the lives of other living beings to fill the void? Like how when we eat medicine, the medicine becomes part of our lifespan?"

Bai Zhou froze. ’How did it just say my line?’ he thought.

He had planned to use the same old spiel he used on the emperor to bring up the theory of the Immortal Pill.

But he never expected his apprentice’s comprehension to be so high that it would say exactly what he was about to.

All the mystique was gone just like that.

The biggest taboo when bluffing is losing the mystery.

So, while Bai Zhou’s face remained impassive, his mind was already concocting a new explanation.

"Apprentice, this is why I was reluctant to teach you now. You have not yet digested the previous knowledge, so naturally, you cannot comprehend the meaning of eternal life. Think about it, what does ’eternal’ represent?"

"If you just use medicine, eating one to extend your life by ten years and two to extend it by twenty—is that what you call ’eternal’?"

"Think again, what is eternal?"

"When we consume medicine, are we truly consuming lifespan?"

"To replenish life with life—does it truly require a life?"

"..."

This barrage of questions made the apprentice freeze up, completely stumped.