He walked around the empty room, but still found nothing, so he simply walked over and plopped down in the boss's chair.

The moment she sat down, the code on the computer monitor paused for a moment, then quickly jumped to a different page.

"Hello, challenger, please tell me, what is cultivation about?"

"I believe that cultivation is about cultivating one's character and virtue, and about having the determination to move forward without fear of difficulties."

Jian Ning didn't know if her answer was right or wrong, but that was what she thought, and she just blurted it out.

What is virtue?

These words reappeared on the computer monitor.

Jian Ning thought for a moment, then paused.

He then began to answer: "I think that the Dao is the essence of the universe, and virtue is the application of the Dao."

This is my guiding principle in life. Everyone has different standards, so it's impossible to generalize. As long as I live with a clear conscience, that's the virtue I've cultivated.

"What is the Way?" This line of text appeared on the monitor again.

"Lao Tzu of the Tao Te Ching said that the Tao is the origin of all things in the universe. So where is the origin?"

It is omnipresent, all-encompassing, and omnipotent—this is the Great Dao. I believe that as long as I diligently study and cultivate myself, one day I will comprehend my own Dao.

Jian Ning was just making things up based on her past experience. Who knows what the Great Dao is? It's something even more mysterious than cultivation, and she couldn't explain it either, so she just rambled on and on.

After asking those three questions, the monitor seemed to freeze, remaining silent for a long time. Unable to leave, Jian Ning simply lay on the table, idly drawing little rabbits.

She didn't know how much time had passed when suddenly a creaking sound came from the wall on the left. Startled, Jian Ning jumped up.

Staring at the wall over there, which had probably not been moved for many years, the tracks were a bit dry and creaked. It took a long time to open a small door that could only allow one person to pass through.

Jian Ning glanced back at the monitor, still stuck on the last question. She simply strode through the small door. What was there to be afraid of? It was just a challenge; if she couldn't pass, she could always try again. She had plenty of time.

Upon entering the room, one is greeted by a wall-to-wall display screen. Jian Ning immediately recognized the map on it as a floor plan of all the levels she had conquered. There was also a long control panel covered with buttons.

So this is the main control room.

A lifelike puppet dressed as a middle-aged man in ancient costume bowed respectfully to her.

"Congratulations, Fifth Glazed Tile has successfully passed the trial. You are the first person in tens of millions of years to reach the final stage."

From now on, you will be the master of this exquisite pavilion, which will also serve as the control room of the Immortal Abode. I am now handing over control of the Immortal Abode to you.

As the puppet was speaking, it suddenly slapped something into Jian Ning's forehead.

It was so fast that she didn't even have time to react. She just felt a chill on her forehead, and then a purple hexagonal crystal appeared in her mind.

"What I'm giving you is the control hub of the Immortal Abode. From now on, you can freely enter and exit all the gates of this Exquisite Pavilion. You can control it with your mind; you don't need to come into this main control room."

"Are you the steward of this exquisite pavilion? What skills do you have? Can you help me manage the cultivation of spiritual herbs in my immortal abode? Do I have any other servants I can use? Someone similar to you?"

Jian Ning had many questions to ask. She rattled off several in one go.

"I am all alone here now. Millions of years have passed. I am utterly lonely and isolated."

Its power is gradually waning; it probably won't last for several hundred years.

From now on, you will be my master. If you can help me find the Yin God Flower, I may support you for a while longer.

"Managing this immortal abode is certainly within my capabilities; I am, after all, its chief steward."

The puppet touched his beard, and Jian Ning could actually see a hint of pride on his expressionless face.

"The Yin God Flower? I don't have it on hand right now, but I'll find a way to get it for you. But what should I call you? I can't just call you Butler, can I?"

Jian Ning did not think of him as a mere puppet; since he had developed his own consciousness, he must be some kind of spirit or something similar.

"Master, you may call me Nalan Rong." The puppet treated Jian Ning with great respect.

“I have a question. Who was your previous owner? You said that no one has been able to pass through this place for millions of years. So where did the electricity, computers, and monitors come from?” Jian Ning was very curious about this.

The reason I'm asking this now is that I hope to get an answer.

"My master is a great being in the world, able to travel between different worlds. This computer monitor was just installed on a whim."

He's incredibly capable; not only can he traverse time and space, but he can also reverse time. If you have the chance in the future, perhaps you'll see him in the upper realm.

Hearing him say that, Jian Ning became even more curious, but no matter how much she asked...

The puppet fell silent. Having no other option, she left the immortal abode, but instead of going outside, she used her will to travel to the treehouse where Xiao Wuyu was.

It's winter here now, and snowflakes are falling gently from the sky, turning the ground into a silvery white expanse.

However, it's only around minus ten degrees Celsius, which is nothing compared to the minus seventy or eighty degrees Celsius of the apocalypse.

Jian Ning stood in front of the treehouse, and soon her head and body were covered in snow.

"Miss Jian, is that you?" Xiao Wuyu's cold voice suddenly came from inside the room.

"It's me. How did you know I was here?" Jian Ning smiled slightly, shook off the snow from her body, and leaped into the treehouse.

A charcoal fire was burning inside. The temperature inside was noticeably warmer than outside. Xiao Wuyu sat on the low table, and when he saw Jian Ning enter, a fleeting look of joy crossed his face.

"Distinguished guest, please have some tea!"

Without stopping, he brewed a cup of tea for Jian Ning and pushed it towards her.

"Thank you. Your room is warm, but have you been eating properly? You've lost a lot of weight."

Jian Ning looked at Xiao Wuyu's face, which was remarkably similar to Xiao Lingfeng's, and saw that both cheeks were somewhat sunken. She couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache.

"I was injured a few days ago, and it hasn't fully healed yet. It damaged my heart and lungs, so I've lost some weight. It's nothing serious," Xiao Wuyu said, before suddenly coughing violently. He didn't recover for a long time.

"You're a pill cultivator, so you should refine some nourishing pills for yourself."

"When will this end?" Jian Ning took out a pile of pills she had refined from her storage bracelet and placed them in front of Xiao Wuyu.

"Let's see which one is the right one, eat some first!"