Treading Cloud Immortal Sectโone of the five Supreme Immortal Sects of the Great Qian Dynasty.
This sect collects a vast array of spatial and temporal spells, and its requirements for accepting disciples are extremely strict. If a disciple does not possess a talent for comprehending these kinds of spells, even a single-spirit-root genius will not be accepted. Truly overbearing.
As one of the outstanding disciples of the younger generation of Treading Cloud Immortal Sect, Ye Qing, aside from being a rare single-spirit-rootโspecifically, a Sword Spirit Rootโalso possessed an extraordinary talent for comprehending temporal spells.
He was only sixteen this year, yet he had already begun practicing the sectโs supreme art, โReverse Flow Method,โ and had even achieved the manifestation of his Dharma Formโthe pair of deep blue eyes were proof enough.
So far, relying on those eyes capable of glimpsing the future, Ye Qing had avoided many calamities that could have threatened his life.
At this very moment, in the small courtyard, faced with a piece of tender tofu that had just melted his chopsticks, Ye Qingโs pupils trembled, and for the first time, he felt the threat of death.
It was an instinctive signal for help, and it even surpassed the fear heโd felt a few days prior when facing the Tiger Demon.
Through those eyes, Ye Qing seemed to have foreseen his own futureโAh! There is no future at all!
“Thisโฆthisโฆis it really edible?” Ye Qing, holding a pair of Earth-grade artifact chopsticks, trembled as he poked at the tender tofu.
The next second, at the instant the chopsticks touched the tofu, the Earth-grade chopsticks let out a long, low โwuuuuung,โ while the tofu remained unmoved, but the chopsticks shuddered violently, making Ye Qingโs hand shake as well.
“Senior Brother Ye, if you donโt eat it soon, the tofu will get cold!” Tong Yao reminded him wickedly.
“No! Is this right?” Ye Qing tried to steady his chopstick-holding hand with the other.
That was the hand he used to wield his sword daily!!!
No matter how tough his cultivation was, Ye Qing had always been able to hold his sword steady, yet now he was shaken by a mere piece of tender tofu.
As a Sword Spirit Root, this was simply a disgrace.
“Brother Ye! Eat it! Donโt tell me youโre scared?” Wang Zhiya sneered.
“Rubbish! Who says Iโm scared!” Ye Qing was so angry his Dao Heart nearly wavered, but in truth, he was a little afraid.
To steady his heart, he asked Lu Zhiyun, “Junior Sister Lu, is this really edible?”
Lu Zhiyunโs face remained expressionless, but inside she was full of disdain.
And this is supposed to be a true disciple of a Supreme Immortal Sect? Such weak temperament and courage?
“Itโs edible! Aunt Lin is a spiritual chef. Everyone in our entire sect has eaten her cooking!” Lu Zhiyun paused, then added, “Erโฆand almost no one has given a bad review!”
You have to know! There are only two kinds of people who dare eat Lin Yingxueโs cookingโthose who do so willingly, and those who are forced.
The willing, like Lin Shu, Lu Zhiyun, and Ye Bufan, had already given up their souls for the sake of cultivation, daring to risk themselves, and still endured ridicule, with others thinking they had some kind of masochistic tendencies.
Lin Shu insisted this was a malicious slander!
The unwilling, these people had long heard of Lin Yingxueโs fame and tried to avoid her, but because they couldnโt beat her, were forced to eat, and afterwards, under psychological torment, forgot the inhuman abuse theyโd suffered, dazedly giving her a good review.
Oh, right! Why is it โalmostโ no bad reviews? Because the only bad review came from Lin Shuโs master, Jiang Cha.
Unlike everyone else, she could actually defeat Lin Yingxue.
Seeing Ye Qing still skeptical, Lu Zhiyun started to explain, “This tofu is made from millennia-old soybeans grown in our Tianque Sectโs medicinal fields, non-toxic, harmless, all natural, you can be at ease!”
It was all-natural when harvested, as for the processingโฆ that was all up to Aunt Lin, she didnโt know about that.
Upon hearing that the raw materials were Divine Transformation Realm soybeans, Ye Qingโs eyes lit up.
You have to know, any produce from such long-lived spirit plants, even if eaten raw, could bring great benefits to cultivation.
Under everyoneโs gaze, Ye Qing ate the piece of tender tofu.
The moment it entered his mouth, an indescribable flavor surged straight to his heart.
“So hot!”
“So scalding!”
Ye Qing closed his eyes, clenched his teeth, and swallowed it.
Instantly, he felt his physical body being ceaselessly scoured by a surging spiritual energy, and his consciousness was shrouded in a force called โDeathโs Fear.โ
Ye Qing struggled to open his eyes, circulating the โReverse Flow Methodโ in resistance.
His deep blue pupils rippled, and in that instant, he seemed to see the vast sky, the boundless earth, and above that, the infinite cosmos filled with countless stars. Looking back, it seemed he alone remained in this world, an inexplicable loneliness flooding his heart.
“Master said, at the end of time is endless emptinessโฆ So thatโs what it means?” Ye Qing murmured to himself.
Then he realized this was a rare opportunity, and began to comprehend, his will dancing as if wielding a swordโฆ
In the courtyard, the other three watched, bewildered, as Ye Qing finished the tofu and started flailing his fists like a turtle on the ground.
“Is Brother Ye alright? Iโve never heard of a Sword Spirit Root comprehending fist techniques.” Wang Zhiya said.
“Maybe this set of punches can help relieve the excess spiritual energy in his body?” Tong Yao frowned.
Lu Zhiyun shook her head, then walked forward and gently patted Ye Qing on the back. With just one tap, Ye Qing, still punching, collapsed with a thud.
After confirming that Ye Qing was breathing and not dead, Lu Zhiyun said reassuringly, “Heโs fine, justโฆsimply poisoned, thatโs allโฆ”
Poisoned? Thatโs all!?
Wang Zhiya and Tong Yao looked at Lu Zhiyun in disbelief.
Did she really think โpoisonedโ was normal? Was Tianque Sectโs cultivation method always this perverse? Or was it just Lu Zhiyun?
“Um, Junior Sister Lu, is this the secret behind your strong triple spirit root?” Tong Yao asked.
Lu Zhiyun naturally picked up a piece of tender tofu, chewing it thoughtfully.
“Strictly speaking, this isnโt a secret, but it is a kind of cultivation method. Senior Brother also does this!”
Mentioning โLin Shu,โ Tong Yao and Wang Zhiya finally relaxed, and looked even more determinedly at their boxed meal.
They were both from Supreme Immortal Sects, both in the late stage of Qi Refining, but the difference in strength was like heaven and earth. It must be due to different cultivation methods.
In the past, Tong Yao and Wang Zhiya had always cultivated according to their sectโs prescribed routines, but in the end, were just paper tigers.
Lu Zhiyun and Lin Shuโs method was, without doubt, a warningโwithout the courage and resolve to face death, how could they be worthy of the path of immortality?
Seeing Ye Qing lying on the ground, twitching in heroic sacrifice, his fate unknown, Wang Zhiya and Tong Yao made up their minds.
“Screw it! I believe in Senior Brother Lin!”
“IโฆI believe too!”
Lu Zhiyun shook her head and sighedโtwo more young lives offering their loyalty to the demon for the sake of cultivationโฆ
On the outskirts of Qingshan Town, Lin Shu kept sneezing.
“Achoo! Achoo! Little Aunt, could you lower the fire a bit, itโs choking me!” Lin Shu rubbed his nose and moved aside.
By the riverside, a bonfire blazed, and a giant Yang Demon was roasting on the spit. Lin Yingxue was fussing over the fire, controlling the heat.
The Yang Demon sizzled and oozed with oil, filling the air with an irresistible aroma.
Lin Shu glanced at Lin Yingxue, who ignored him, and felt a bit gloomy.
He was sure he hadnโt ordered takeout! Why had his Little Aunt come to Qingshan Town?
Chasing a criminal across a thousand miles?!
He was also curious why the classic option ใPoison Resistance +1ใhad popped up just now. So this was what awaited him!
When the fire was just right, Lin Yingxue finally turned around, pouting in displeasure, “No complaining!”
“Yes, yes!” Lin Shu waved his hand.
Seeing Lin Shuโs hands moving up and down, staring intently at the air, Lin Yingxue couldnโt help but come over curiously, “What are you doing?”
“Jiedan!”
Jiedan, as the name suggests, is the most crucial step for a Foundation Establishment cultivator to advance to the Golden Core stage.
If Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment are just the beginning for a cultivator, then the Golden Core stage is the real watershedโthe most obvious sign being a tremendous increase in lifespan.
“Are you planning to give up on the path of a โQi Refinerโ?” Lin Yingxue asked.
“No! Iโm just trying to see if I can create a Fake Golden Core!” Lin Shu replied.
Last night, Lin Shu had racked his brains and finally had a vague guess.
[Disguise +1] was neither disguising cultivation nor appearance, so what else could it disguise?
After thinking carefully, Lin Shu considered a possibilityโdisguising the cultivation systems of other cultivators!
Today, heโd set out alone to test this, but happened to run into Lin Yingxue.
“Whether it works or not, nowโs the time!”
With that, Lin Shu began to imitate the cultivators heโd seen, and attempted Jiedan.
As the vast spiritual energy swirled in Lin Shuโs hands, Lin Yingxue reminded him, “Xiao Shu, you canโt form a core like that. You shouldโ”
Before she finished, as the spiritual energy slowly solidified, a perfectly round, lustrous Golden Core formed in Lin Shuโs hands.
A First Grade Golden Core!!!
Success!
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