Having learned the whereabouts of Immortal Xuanhua, Yuan Ming immediately left the small town and set out for Yue Country.

Yue Country was the largest country in the Southern Border Eastern Domain, bordering the Central Plains. Over a hundred years ago, it had even conquered a small country in the Central Plains, annexing its territory, so it wasn't purely considered a Southern Border country anymore.

And Ning City was a major city in Yue Country, located by the sea, its scenery sprawling and picturesque.

Several days later, Yuan Ming stood on the edge of a cliff outside the city, gazing out over the sea.

Everywhere he looked, there was boundless blue water, with the sea wind stirring up waves that rose and fell, spraying layers of white foam, each breath carrying a hint of salt.

Ships with grey and white sails sailed or anchored on the ocean surface, the sunlight reflecting off the water like countless gold scales, stretching to the horizon, blending into the pale blue sky, making it hard to distinguish where the sea ended and the sky began.

Occasionally, groups of seagulls would freely soar above the surging expanse, lightly touching the crests, emitting several high and clear cries.

Having lived in the Da Jin Capital since childhood, Yuan Ming had never visited the seaside; he had only heard of the sea's majestic expanse and had never seen it with his own eyes. His previous missions to the Southern Border had mainly taken him over land and rivers; now that he had come to the seaside for the first time, he was genuinely stunned.

"Rocks crumble, waves split the shore, rolling up a thousand piles of snow, it is indeed a stunning sight," he murmured to himself, beginning to understand why Wulu was so fascinated by the sea.

Yuan Ming did not linger at the seaside for long and soon turned to enter the city.

Yue Country spanned both the Central Plains and the Southern Border, blending the characteristics of both in its street layouts and city architecture. Under the lush, broad-leaved trees, most of the buildings and towers were constructed of wood or bamboo, offering a refreshing splendor that filled the eyes with exotic charm.

But Yuan Ming had matters on his mind and no time to appreciate the scenery of Ning City. He went directly to a rundown temple in the west of the city, where the gate bore a plaque reading "Xuanhua Temple."

He walked over and knocked on the tightly shut doors.

A moment later, a clean-shaven Daoist disciple of about eleven or twelve years old came out. Seeing Yuan Ming's unfamiliar face, the young boy looked a bit nervous.

"This senior is most courteous. May I ask what brings you to Xuanhua Temple?" The Daoist disciple, though nervous, did not neglect his manners. He bowed to Yuan Ming and asked with a clear voice.

"I am Yuan Ming, and Immortal Xuanhua and I are old friends. I was passing through Ning City and came to visit, please let your Master know," Yuan Ming said, having seen this Daoist disciple several times during the time he was possessed by Immortal Xuanhua. He knew the boy was a disciple of Immortal Xuanhua, and taking out an ancient bronze token, he spoke.

"My master is currently cultivating inside the temple. Please wait a moment, senior," the Daoist disciple said, relieved to learn Yuan Ming's name and see the token. He turned and quickly ran inside.

Yuan Ming raised an eyebrow, noting the Daoist disciple's expression. Xuanhua Temple seemed not to be very peaceful?

A moment later, a hearty laughter came from inside the temple.

"Haha, it turns out to be Fellow Daoist Yuan here, truly a rare guest, a rare guest indeed," laughed Immortal Xuanhua, wearing a pair of wooden clogs as he came out.

"Fellow Daoist Xuanhua, Yuan is here unannounced; I hope I have not disturbed your cultivation," Yuan Ming said with a bow.

"How could it be a disturbance? Please, come in," Immortal Xuanhua said, smiling as he led Yuan Ming inside.

As the two of them chatted casually, the Daoist disciple swiftly set up a table with a feast in a living room, beginning to arrange the dishes and utensils.

"Since Fellow Daoist Xuanhua has prepared a feast, I shall bring out a jar of fine wine," Yuan Ming said with a smile as he took out a vivid red wine jar.

This was a bottle of Spiritual Wine he had whimsically bought from a workshop while en route to Ning City. It was brewed from a hundred-year-old Spirit Fruit, costing him over twenty Spirit Stones.

"Hundred Fragrance Wine? Fellow Daoist Yuan does indeed have good taste in wine!" Immortal Xuanhua exclaimed with a laugh after a pause.

The two old friends caught up on trivial matters, and after having their fill of food and drink, they finally turned to the main topic.

"Fellow Daoist Yuan has come all the way from the North Territory to Ning City; surely, you didn't come just to see me, did you?" Immortal Xuanhua asked.

"Fellow Daoist Xuanhua is straightforward, and so will I be. The Spirit Incenses you sold me last time were very useful, and afterward, I spent quite some effort learning the skill of Incense Making. Today, I came to Ning City to discuss the craft of making Spirit Incense with you and also to buy some more Spirit Incenses from you," Yuan Ming said with a smile.

"Fellow Daoist Yuan is also interested in the Incense Dao? Compared to Alchemy and talisman making, this belongs to a minor path and is not very well regarded, really," Immortal Xuanhua said, sizing up Yuan Ming with some surprise.

"I do not see it that way. Spirit Incense has many marvelous uses. To say nothing else, the Qingxuan Incense in accelerating Cultivation is not as rapid and striking in effect as elixirs, but it excels in a steady and continuous manner and can complement them well. Moreover, making Spirit Incense is much simpler than Alchemy, Artifact Refining, and creating Arrays. I only regret not having come into contact with the Incense Dao earlier," Yuan Ming remarked.

Immortal Xuanhua's gaze became increasingly bright as he looked at Yuan Ming, but then it dimmed again: "Fellow Daoist Yuan has a keen insight to see the unique aspects of Spirit Incense, which is praiseworthy. Unfortunately, today's Cultivation World is eager for quick success and instant benefits, flocking to elixirs and Magic Artifacts; who cares about Spirit Incense anymore? Even in workshop shops, Spirit Incense is usually tucked away in corners for sale."

Saying this, he gulped down a mouthful of wine and shook his head with a bitter smile.

"That is precisely why we, as incense makers, must strive harder, to refine top-quality Spirit Incense and change the public's misconceptions about them," Yuan Ming encouraged, refilling the cup of Xuan Hua Daoist.

"Haha, Fellow Daoist Yuan is right; it was I who was disheartened," Immortal Xuanhua adjusted his breathing, smiled, and then asked, "Fellow Daoist Yuan, since you are interested in discussing this, naturally I would not decline. I wonder, what progress have you made? Do you have any finished Spirit Incense for me to review?"

Yuan Ming knew that his earlier words had moved Immortal Xuanhua, and he felt secretly pleased. He took out a stick of Purple Mysterious Incense and handed it over.

"Purple Mysterious Incense!" Immortal Xuanhua narrowed his eyes, took the incense, and examined it carefully, his expression growing solemn.

He immediately took out an incense burner, inserted the stick of incense, lit it, and closed his eyes to cultivate.

A moment later, Immortal Xuanhua opened his eyes and looked at Yuan Ming with an unusual gaze.

"Is there a problem with this incense?" asked Yuan Ming, seeing this.

"No, this Purple Mysterious Incense is excellently made. Apart from a few minor flaws in detail, it is nearly perfect," said Immortal Xuanhua.

"You flatter me, Fellow Daoist Xuanhua," Yuan Ming smiled.

"However, I am puzzled about one thing. The formula for this Purple Mysterious Incense is held only by me in the entire Yue Country, even in the Southern Border. Where, then, did Fellow Daoist Yuan obtain it?" Immortal Xuanhua stared at Yuan Ming, seeming to seek to discern something in his eyes.

"I don't have the formula for Purple Mysterious Incense. I had previously explored refining Qingxuan Incense on my own, accumulating some insights. A few days ago, I accidentally bought a few sticks of Purple Mysterious Incense in a workshop I passed by, and after identifying them, I tried to replicate them," Yuan Ming said, meeting the other's gaze honestly.

"What!" Immortal Xuanhua's eyes widened in disbelief.

There is a saying among alchemists: "Even immortals struggle to guess the pill by the powder," meaning that deducing the formula from a finished elixir is nearly impossible. Though Spirit Incense is somewhat simpler than elixirs, deducing the formula from the final product is also extremely difficult, requiring vast experience, talent, and skill.

Immortal Xuanhua asked himself if even he could not do such a thing, how could Yuan Ming have managed it?

"Even though I do not know how Fellow Daoist Yuan managed this, I genuinely admire you. Now, I have an impolite request. I wonder if you could make a stick of Purple Mysterious Incense on the spot, so that I might better understand your current level of skill?" he paused, then said.

"Of course, I was just about to ask Fellow Daoist Xuanhua for guidance," Yuan Ming readily agreed.

Immortal Xuanhua led Yuan Ming towards the temple interior and soon reached a secret chamber. There was also a set of tools for incense making there, somewhat more rudimentary than Immortal Xuanhua's set but much better than Yuan Ming's.

Yuan Ming didn't stand on ceremony; he took up the tools, brought out the materials for Purple Mysterious Incense, and began to make the incense.

Over the past month, he had taken possession of Xuanhua on several occasions, intuiting the process of making Purple Mysterious Incense and had practiced it himself many times, becoming thoroughly familiar with its production.

Of course, to avoid arousing suspicion, he made some unimportant adjustments to the incense crafting process, making it a bit longer than the original time required. Even so, it didn't take him long to produce a finished product.

Immortal Xuanhua took the newly made Spirit Incense, inspected it carefully, and sighed deeply, seeming greatly impacted and suddenly appearing much older.

If one did not consider the process, the final product of this Purple Mysterious Incense was perfect. He asked himself, even if he were to act, could he only reduce some steps in the process and not produce a better quality final product than this?

Yuan Ming felt a bit guilty but said nothing to comfort him.

"Fellow Daoist Yuan's talent in incense making is truly unmatched; I am far inferior. Surely you studied the Incense Dao by yourself, without anyone's guidance?" Immortal Xuanhua recovered quickly and asked.

"A few months ago, in order to master incense making, I visited various cities and temples and received some initial guidance on the Incense Dao from a senior. Afterward, it was all my own rough studies, which lacked systematic approach, hence my visit today to seek advice from Fellow Daoist Xuanhua," Yuan Ming said, half-truthfully.

"Just some initial guidance and Fellow Daoist Yuan was able to easily replicate Purple Mysterious Incense. It seems that your senior must be a hidden grandmaster of the Incense Dao. May I be so fortunate as to know his name?" pressured Immortal Xuanhua.

"The senior did not reveal his name to me and strictly forbade me from mentioning his affairs to anyone. Please forgive me, Fellow Daoist Xuanhua," Yuan Ming bowed and said.

"No name given, so no formal apprenticeship attained, that's very good… very good..." mumbled Immortal Xuanhua softly.

"What did Fellow Daoist Xuanhua say?" Yuan Ming inquired.

"Nothing much, your skills in incense making are already very exquisite; I have almost nothing to offer in guidance. It's just that I noticed you handling some materials just now; it seems you are still somewhat lacking in your understanding of the Incense Dao," Immortal Xuanhua composed himself and stated.

"I indeed lack in this area; I humbly request guidance from Fellow Daoist Xuanhua," Yuan Ming straightened up, clasped his hands together in a salute and said.

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