The environment of the Purple Wind Gorge had no adverse effect on Fang Bai and Ye Wumei.

On the contrary, having practiced wind system immortal technique secrets, they were attuned to the Wind Immortal Qi and thus took a liking to the place.

Tang Wenrou, Wu De, and the Lightning Mink closely followed the Yufeng Immortal King, while Fang Bai and Ye Wumei tried to get as close as possible to the Dragon Whirlwind, absorbing the Wind Immortal Qi as much as possible.

They advanced rapidly, passing through barriers formed by the Dragon Whirlwind, and soon a massive mountain gate built from a thousand giant stones appeared before them.

The mountain gate was enormous and elegant, exuding a majestic and grand aura.

This massive gate was the only entrance to the Purple Wind Gorge.

"Brother Yufeng, you’re back?"

Outside the mountain gate of Purple Wind Gorge, four guardian disciples stood on either side. Seeing the Yufeng Immortal King, they joyfully greeted him with surprise.

Among the ten thousand disciples under the Tempest Immortal Emperor, Yufeng Immortal King was humble and modest, always willing to help fellow disciples, thus earning their admiration. He had been away for over a decade, and his return naturally made them happy.

"Four junior brothers, has Master left seclusion in these years?"

The Yufeng Immortal King exchanged greetings with his four junior brothers and then inquired.

When he left the Purple Wind Gorge over a decade ago, his master was already in a state of secluded cultivation. He knew it could last several decades or just over a decade. If Fang Bai and the others were lucky, they might catch the master emerging from seclusion; otherwise, they would have to wait patiently.

"In reply to brother, Master has not yet emerged!"

All four of Yufeng Immortal King’s junior brothers shook their heads in unison.

They also saw the five immortals standing behind the Yufeng Immortal King and were a little bewildered, wondering who these immortals were, to have Brother Yufeng bypass sect rules by bringing them here.

"These are friends I met during my journey. They have important matters to discuss with Master... Since Master has not emerged, let’s wait."

The Yufeng Immortal King didn’t elaborate on the identity of Fang Bai and the others and led them through the mountain gate towards the Great Elder Hall beside the Tempest Hall.

With the Tempest Immortal Emperor in seclusion, all matters in the Purple Wind Gorge were managed by four elders, with the Great Elder being the core among them, so the Yufeng Immortal King had to first take Fang Bai and the others to meet the Great Elder for arrangements.

Upon reaching outside the Great Elder Hall, the Yufeng Immortal King respectfully cupped his fists and bowed, saying, "Great Elder, disciple Yufeng seeks an audience."

Moments later, a light cough was heard from within the Great Elder Hall, followed by a dignified voice: "Yufeng, you’ve returned from your journey? Oh, who are these immortals you’ve brought?"

The Yufeng Immortal King respectfully replied, "In reply to the Great Elder, they have deep connections with the Emperor’s Palace..."

"Oh?"

A silence fell inside the Great Elder Hall, and Fang Bai and the other immortals could clearly feel a divine sense from within the hall, sweeping over them repeatedly.

When this divine sense passed over Fang Bai, there was an audible "Hmm" from within the Great Elder Hall, clearly expressing surprise.

"Four immortals and an immortal beast, each possessing innate spiritual roots... Quite interesting! Yufeng, bring them in!"

A few breaths later, the Great Elder’s voice resounded once more.

The Yufeng Immortal King breathed a sigh of relief, motioned to Fang Bai and the others with his eyes, and led them into the Great Elder Hall.

Inside the vast hall, an elderly figure with white hair and a youthful face sat cross-legged on the ground, his frame gaunt. Before him was an alchemy cauldron emitting wisps of burnt odor that filled the hall’s air, and next to him was a tray with remnants of evidently failed elixirs.

Seeing the gray-robed elder’s soot-covered, disheveled appearance, Fang Bai couldn’t help but find it amusing.

A thousand years ago, when Fang Bai was the Emperor’s Palace Master, he was already acquainted with this Great Elder of the Purple Wind Gorge, known as the Gale Immortal Emperor, a formidable expert with a high-rank Immortal Emperor Realm cultivation.

Fang Bai recalled how back then, the Gale Immortal Emperor had begun his foray into the Alchemy Dao, yet a millennium passed, and it seemed he hadn’t made much progress in alchemy.

The Gale Immortal Emperor possessed both wind and wood innate spiritual roots, and his alchemy cauldron was a treasure capable of generating fire on its own, thus having the basic conditions for creating immortal pills.

However, alchemy requires not only the guidance of a skilled alchemist but also demands high Wuxing, and the Gale Immortal Emperor lacked both. Although deeply passionate about alchemy, he never grasped its intricacies.

Throughout the millennia, aside from cultivating, he poured his heart into the alchemy technique. Though met with repeated failures, he remained persistently determined, unwavering in his resolve to succeed.

In his past life, Fang Bai had intended to advise the Gale Immortal Emperor, but then the incident of being besieged by eight top Immortal Emperors occurred, leading the Gale Immortal Emperor to waste a millennium on alchemy.

Seeing the Gale Immortal Emperor again, with his ashen and ragged state, amused Fang Bai, yet it also evoked a sense of familiarity.

When the Yufeng Immortal King led Fang Bai and the others into the Great Elder Hall, the Gale Immortal Emperor didn’t even glance at them, casually pointing to a row of stone chairs in the hall and said, "You’ve arrived? Have a seat for now. Once this Immortal Emperor figures out a problem, I’ll converse with you."

Despite appearing old and frail, he exuded an air of natural authority that pressured the immortals, including Fang Bai.

Tang Wenrou, Ye Wumei, Wu De, and the Lightning Mink were all too intimidated to even take a breath in front of the gray-robed elder.

They had already learned from the Yufeng Immortal King that the Great Elder possessed a high-rank Immortal Emperor Realm cultivation; eliminating them would be as easy as crushing an ant.

Knowing the Great Elder’s temperament well, the Yufeng Immortal King signaled Fang Bai and the others to find a seat on the stone chairs and patiently wait.

The Great Elder scratched his head, his voice muttering occasionally as he pondered, seemingly having forgotten the presence of Yufeng Immortal King and the other immortals.

"From the remnants of the elixirs you’ve destroyed, the fire might have been too intense, try reducing it by two notches? Also, the Pill Condensation Technique you’ve learned might have issues, causing the final pill condensation to fail..."

After listening to the Great Elder mumble for a while, Fang Bai couldn’t hold back anymore, got up and approached him, offering softly.

The Yufeng Immortal King, seeing Fang Bai approach the Great Elder and start talking, worriedly thought things might go wrong, but it was too late to intervene.

The Great Elder seemed gentle on the surface, but once he lost his temper, it was akin to a storm, frighteningly fierce. Especially when he was thinking, being interrupted by Fang Bai’s sudden talk could disrupt his thoughts, and angering him could lead to trouble.

The rage of a high-rank Immortal Emperor Realm expert—what a scene that would be! The Yufeng Immortal King trembled at the thought, worrying silently for Fang Bai.