Among the thousands of floating islands in the Immortal Palace, one of those island residents was Li Shen.
He arrived 10,000 years ago when he broke through the Immortal Ascension Realm.
There were no sects, pavilions, or auction houses, not even a single tavern for Li Shen to enjoy.
The Immortal Palace is only filled with flying islands brimming with high spiritual energy, a suitable place to gain enlightenment to break through to the Celestial Emperor Realm.
"Fellow Daoist Li Shen," someone greeted, coming to visit Li Shen's floating island.
Li Shen opened his eyes while still sitting lotus on his island, stopping the flow of spiritual energy into his body.
"What's wrong?" asked Li Shen.
"I failed to gain enlightenment," replied the man, Li Shen knew him as Wu Tai.
"You've failed three times already. Failure to get enlightenment leads to a reduced lifespan," Li Shen replied.
He rose from his lotus seat, taking a step with a magic aura under his feet. Now, Li Shen's figure was at the edge of his floating island cliff, looking at thousands of floating islands with thousands of dao cultivators seeking their own path of enlightenment.
Li Shen raised his hand, bringing forth a blue energy symbolizing his concept of dao. He made a fist to trigger his Dao of Dreams to activate.
Instantly, the area around Li Shen's floating island transformed into a magnificent palace with people coming and going, the mortal world.
Wu Tai saw the splendor of Li Shen's dao concept, he never thought Li Shen could reach the enlightenment stage of dao concept quickly, even though both of them came together at the Immortal Palace.
"You can realize this dao so quickly, even though you are younger than me, Fellow Daoist Li Shen," Wu Tai explained.
"The easiest dao concepts to learn are those related to your life. You failed to enlighten because you wanted concepts which are complex and against your heart," Li Shen replied.
From Li Shen's dao dream image, Wu Tai saw himself as a young man, traveling in his sect uniform and meeting his love, even dual cultivating with her.
Wu Tai was shocked, having not expected Li Shen to steal his memories and bring them to life in the dream domain he activated.
"You should go back to your memories, find out what is the most meaningful thing to you," Li Shen replied.
"When you find it, you will have your own dao concept of enlightenment," he countered.
"I don't understand, but I'll try," Wu Tai said.
Li Shen nodded. He deactivated his Dao of Dreams and restored the island to its original form, the grand palace and the crowd disappeared at once.
"You may return, Fellow Dao," Li Shen explained.
"I need your help, Fellow Dao Li Shen," Wu Tai said, Li Shen's steps halted again.
"My lifespan has only 700 years left, it is difficult and even impossible for me to find my dao concept," Wu Tai replied.
"I plan to ask you for an age-extending pill."
"I don't give them away for free," Li Shen explained.
With it, a cultivator could increase their age by 500 years, but the effect was too strong.
Li Shen suggested that the pill be used by cultivators above the Immortal Ascension realm, as their physical and soul resilience had already been proven.
"I will give it to you if you are willing to pay for it with 10,000 highest level of spirit stones," Li Shen explained, and Wu Tai was shocked.
At this moment, Wu Tai was not in the mood to increase his realm, but focused on refining his dao concept. Using high-level spirit stones to form a dao concept was a waste.
"Alright," Wu Tai explained.
The old man took out his 10,000 highest-level spirit stones to the area beside him. Li Shen smiled, he handed the Age Bridge pill to Wu Tai.
"Thank you, Fellow Daoist Li Shen," Wu Tai said, saying goodbye.
Li Shen nodded. He took the spirit stone and returned to the starting position.
Since the Dao of Dreams had been formed, Li Shen's task now was just to try to raise his realm, from the True Immortal realm to the Celestial Emperor realm.
The man returned to serious cultivation to quickly ascend the realm. 1000 years passed, and Wu Tai returned with the same problem.
"Fellow Daoist Li Shen. Help me!" Wu Tai asked, making Li Shen stop his cultivation again in annoyance.
'Geez, is he stupid?' asked Li Shen, grumbling.
"I need another Age Bridge pill," replied Wu Tai.
"It costs 50,000 highest-level spirit stones," explained Li Shen.
"50.000? I thought the price was 10,000."
"The price increases five times every 1000 years," revealed Li Shen.
"Alright, alright," Wu Tai said.
He handed over 50,000 highest spirit stones to Li Shen, seeing such a shiny object amazed Li Shen.
Li Shen took the spirit stone and handed the pill to Wu Tai, Wu Tai accepted it and said goodbye.
"Wait!" Li Shen said.
"I still have about 100 more of those pills in my bag. Tell the other cultivators if they want life extension pills. They can come to me," Li Shen explained.
"I'll let them know."
Right after the information spread, dozens of cultivators came with the intention of trading with Li Shen.
Li Shen's cultivation came to a standstill as he was constantly interrupted by their arrival.
"I bought 10 pills," another cultivator said.
"Give me 5 pills."
"I want 20 pills."
Li Shen smiled widely, it wasn't in vain that he became the greatest alchemist on Planet Azure when the results of his abilities managed to bring him such abundant profits.
"I only accept the highest spirit stones, no technique scrolls, pills, or anything else," Li Shen emphasized.
His total trade at the Immortal Palace reached 10,000,000 highest spirit stones in exchange for about 120 Age Bridge pills.
Li Shen was truly rich and had the opportunity to ascend to the highest realm.
Because of the pill trading that took place, Li Shen earned the nickname Age Savior Master by other cultivators. Li Shen didn't mind the nickname.
Thousands of years passed in his cultivation, Li Shen still couldn't break through to the True Immortal realm.
Li Shen was at a loss, even though he had used some of the spirit stones he had obtained to help him break through.
'What exactly is missing?' asked Li Shen, confused.
A person from the sky appeared right on Li Shen's island. The man saw the person's momentum, he had at least reached the Celestial Emperor realm. Li Shen got up, paying his respects to him.
"Senior," Li Shen greeted.
"Don't feel shy, Junior Li Shen. You've saved my younger sister from a short life span," he emphasized, introducing his younger sister.
Li Shen remembered her. That woman was the cultivator who bought 20 Age Bridge pills from him 1000 years ago. From Li Shen's eyes, her concept of dao had taken shape.
"I want to return the favor to you, Junior Li Shen."
"Tell me. What do you want?" the man asked.
"I'm trying to break through the Celestial Emperor realm," Li Shen explained.
The man fell silent, as did his younger sister. His sister was still in the True Immortal Realm and didn't have any information on how to break through to the higher realms, but his brother did.
"No one knows how to break through to the Celestial Emperor realm for sure, only the heavens decide," the man replied.
"So, there's no point in me cultivating here with all this spiritual energy and spirit stones?" asked Li Shen, the man cleared his throat.
"You should come down," he said, startling Li Shen.
"Come down? You mean to the mortal world?" asked Li Shen.
"That's the only way you can break through to the higher realm. If the Immortal Palace can't do it, then you have to do it in the mortal world," he said.
Li Shen was silent, somewhat hesitant to leave the Immortal Palace. Yet, he realized after thousands of years of cultivation without any problems, he still hadn't gained the enlightenment to break through.
'It's possible that his words are true.It's possible that there's something I don't understand in the mortal world that I'm having trouble breaking through,' Li Shen explained.
"Alright. Junior understands," Li Shen said, bowing his head.
"If you have broken through, you can return to the Immortal Palace and meet me again," he replied.
"My name is Wang Yuan," Hong Li said, introducing himself.
"Yes, Senior Wang Yuan.. Junior remembers it."
In an instant, Wang Yuan and his sister left Li Shen's floating island. Li Shen stepped to the end of the island, then looked down where the galaxy kept spinning on its axis.
"It seems like it's time for me to return home."