Born with immortal seed

Chapter 181 The Elder of the Imperial Kitchen

The hidden characteristic of the Fire Dragon Returning to Origin Scripture is that it can enhance the fire-type spiritual root aptitude of cultivators.

Each advancement in one level brings a slight improvement, but this effect only applies to the Fire Dragon Returning to Origin Scripture itself and has no effect when practicing other techniques.

Only after mastering this cultivation method can one distinguish the true from the false and truly allow one's spiritual root to undergo a qualitative change.

It exceeds the dual spiritual root aptitude, achieving more than half the effect of a fire-type heavenly spiritual root, and can be used in all future fire-type cultivation techniques and spells.

Those who acquire this kind of talent later in life, by cultivating top-level techniques or consuming rare and precious herbs to improve their aptitude and achieve or approach the effect of a Heavenly Spiritual Root, are called Inferior Heavenly Spiritual Roots.

Most importantly, this type of spiritual root possesses the cultivation speed of a celestial spiritual root, but because it is not naturally formed and lacks the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, it does not have the miraculous smooth path before forming the core.

For Bai Zichen, being able to increase his cultivation speed was already a great achievement.

During the Foundation Establishment stage, he could use pills to narrow the gap in cultivation speed with cultivators of Heavenly Spiritual Root and Different Spiritual Root, but later on, it became increasingly difficult to find elixirs that could enhance cultivation.

With only three spiritual roots, it's very likely that it will take a hundred years just to cultivate to the peak of the early Core Formation stage.

This was absolutely intolerable to him.

Outside the White Jade Pavilion, the lush bamboo forest has already surrounded the entire sacred land.

Looking out over the mudflats, several disciples were digging for turtle eggs, trying to find a few to hatch into their own spirit beasts.

It is, after all, a descendant of that thousand-year-old tortoise at the peak of the second tier, with considerable potential, making it an excellent companion spirit beast for Qi Refining disciples.

"It truly evokes a sense of the passage of time and the changing of the world..."

After five years of seclusion, Bai Zichen found that his mindset had changed.

He is not yet forty, and five years is more than one-eighth of his life, so it is normal for him to have such feelings.

"No wonder those Nascent Soul old monsters are all cold and ruthless, and they may not even care much about their bloodline descendants... After a period of seclusion, they may have a new generation of descendants. How much affection can they build up?"

Bai Zichen understood why those predecessors often left their treasures to their direct descendants rather than their blood relatives.

Disciples who live together day and night and can inherit one's own lineage are perhaps more representative of inheritance and continuation than descendants who are only related by blood and may only see each other a few times in their lives.

Of course, if there are exceptionally talented and promising members among the younger generation, then that's a different story.

Bai Zichen patted his storage bag, and a willow leaf slid into his palm. With a sway in the wind, it transformed into a clear sword light and flew out of Jade Moon Lake.

After repairing the Willow Leaf Sword with the Sword Tempering Water, he hastily refined it, as he had been in seclusion cultivating and had not yet used this trophy.

As second-tier flying swords, the Willow Leaf Sword is slightly superior in quality to the Heavenly Xin Sword and the Sound Bamboo Sword.

This can be seen from the fact that Meng Shigui also possessed the Tianxin Sword, but kept it as a backup and always used the Willow Leaf Sword.

This willow-leaf sword, modeled after the third-tier invisible sword, cannot be as silent and invisible as the invisible sword due to its inherent grade. It can appear and disappear according to the intention of the swordsman.

However, it has already acquired some of the essence of the Invisible Sword, and can conceal its traces, making it a first-class assassination sword.

Compared to it, the Tianxin Sword is far inferior.

Even from the normal sword light of a wielder, one can see that it is clear, faint, and very understated; under sunlight, only a faint shadow can be seen.

When fighting Meng Shigui, if he hadn't practiced the Wuzhen Sword Technique and been able to keep his mind clear and absorb the battlefield environment into his heart, he would most likely have fallen victim to the willow leaf sword's sneak attack.

"With this sword in hand, the Tianxin Sword can take a backseat... The Yinzhu Sword also has the advantage of being immune to damage, and the accompanying jade sound can attract the enemy's attention, giving the Liuye Sword more room to maneuver."

In the blink of an eye, Bai Zichen had arrived outside the mountain gate.

Countless independent cultivators flocked to the mountain gate, forming a long queue, creating a lively atmosphere.

"It's that time of year again when the mountain gates are wide open to recruit disciples... Time really flies!"

Bai Zichen had experience with this, so he naturally understood what these rogue cultivators were doing.

Located in the Black Mountain, the path for independent cultivators is limited. Apart from one Wuyue Zhenren who emerged, there are no other famous independent cultivators.

Even the Five Sacred Mountains Immortals only achieved their Golden Elixir by seizing opportunities in other prefectures and counties, and only returned to their hometown in their later years to live out the last years of their lives.

If you join a family of cultivators as a guest disciple, you will never be considered one of their own, and you will certainly not be able to access the truly useful inheritances.

It's just selling your skills in exchange for some cultivation resources.

Establishing a family of independent cultivators is incredibly demanding, requiring a great deal of care and attention in every aspect. They also worry about whether their children or descendants will be born with spiritual roots to carry on the family business.

In comparison, being able to join the Qingfeng Sect, even starting as a menial disciple, is much better than wandering around outside.

In the past, Qingfeng Sect had very strict requirements, and even the lowest-ranking disciples were less than one in ten, let alone outer disciples.

However, in recent years, the requirements have been significantly relaxed, and the number of disciples recruited has increased exponentially.

This gave many independent practitioners a sense of hope, and the number of applicants increased significantly again this time.

"Greetings, Uncle-Master Bai!"

"Greetings, Elder Bai!"

As the clear sword light fell, the guest steward and several outer disciples recognized the person who came out and quickly bowed in respect.

"Which junior brother is on duty today?"

The sect's task of guarding the mountain gate formation is rotated every ten years, and it is usually undertaken by elders who have just established their foundation and have not yet been given a clear role.

If Bai Zichen hadn't been assigned to the Enforcement Hall by Liang Yu so early, he might have also ended up with this boring sect mission.

Guarding the mountain gate formation, besides sitting at the core of the formation, there's nothing much else to do on a daily basis.

But with his feet restricted and unable to leave even for a moment, it was no different from being imprisoned.

"Reporting to Elder Bai, it is Elder Long Qi who is on duty at the mountain gate."

The guest master was extremely respectful, performing all the proper etiquette as if he were facing a temple master or elder.

His position meant he was well-connected and had access to all sorts of information. Of course, he knew that this Elder Bai had killed a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator with his cross-border sword on his way back from Zengguang Immortal City several years ago.

The entire sect has come to believe that while it's uncertain whether Elder Bai can achieve the Core Formation stage, he will undoubtedly be the strongest fighter below the Core Formation Ancestor in a few decades.

"It's Junior Brother Long..."

Bai Zichen nodded slightly. Long Qi was a true disciple who was several generations ahead of him. He had failed to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage before the pioneering war.

Fortunately, he stopped in time, and the aftereffects on his body were not significant.

After several years of recuperation, he regained his Qi Refining Great Perfection and finally succeeded in his second Foundation Establishment.

It's worth mentioning that Long Qi's older sister is Long Long, an elder of the sect.

"Should I inform Elder Long?"

"No need, I have other things to do. Let's meet again next time."

Bai Zichen headed straight for the Law Enforcement Hall, where he happened to run into a group of cultivators coming out of the hall, led by Wei Dao and Liang Yu.

"Senior Brother Wei, Senior Brother Liang."

Bai Zichen hadn't seen the former sect leader for a long time. Wei Dao was dressed in a tall hat and wide belt, with an imposing presence, and looked quite different from when he last saw him.

He could sense that Wei Dao stood there, blending seamlessly with the surrounding world, his every move exuding an aura of authority, somewhat similar to the oppressive presence emanating from Du Jia Shierlang.

'No, he's gone even further than Du Shierlang. Despite showing no fluctuations in magical power, there's a faint pressure emanating from him… Could it be that Wei Daozhen used a third-tier demon beast's inner core and became a pseudo-core cultivator?'

Bai Zichen found it hard to believe that a cultivator with a high chance of reaching the Core Formation stage would make this choice.

The situation of Qingfeng Sect was not so dire that it required the self-sacrifice of the righteous to add a Core Formation fighter.

But this faint, almost imperceptible pressure rose from the bottom of his heart, giving him an extremely dangerous feeling, far surpassing that of Meng Shigui.

Even Du Shierlang was a step behind.

'Du Shierlang is a direct descendant of a Nascent Soul family and is highly regarded among the younger generation of the Du family... His cultivation techniques and personal treasures couldn't possibly be inferior to Wei Dao's. The reason for the difference must either be the inner core of a third-tier demon beast, or Wei Dao possesses another extraordinary treasure.'

"Junior Brother Bai, it's been a long time. You've become even more handsome and radiant... You've reached the mid-Foundation Establishment stage?"

Even the usually composed Wei Dao raised his voice unconsciously, a look of shock flashing in his eyes.

He is currently in a state between the peak of Foundation Establishment and the pseudo-Core Formation cultivator. Although his magical power has not undergone a qualitative change and is still within the scope of Foundation Establishment cultivators, his spiritual sense strength is already close to that of a Core Formation True Person.

At a glance, it was clear that Junior Brother Bai in front of him was surging with magical power, indicating that he had recently advanced in his cultivation.

Although the sect's higher-ups have reached a consensus that Bai Zichen's prospects are highly valued, Wei Dao discovered that they are still underestimating him by too much.

It's only been a few years, and he's already in the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment.

Even with his unique spiritual root aptitude, his cultivation hadn't been this smooth back then, and it had taken him a few years longer.

"On the way back, a great battle drained my life force, and I teetered on the brink of death... After a lucky victory, I was struck by a sudden inspiration and gained some insights. Upon returning to the sect, I immediately went into seclusion, seized this inspiration, and successfully broke through to a higher realm."

Bai Zichen's expression remained unchanged, as if he were recounting something utterly ordinary.

But to the other elders, it sounded like a divine message: how could one find a breakthrough opportunity in a single battle?

We and others have been stuck in a bottleneck for over a decade or even several decades, without having such an opportunity.

Or perhaps the opportunity came but was fleeting and easily lost, and even seclusion and cultivation failed to seize it.

"Okay, okay, okay!"

Liang Yu laughed loudly several times, his expression changing from shock to ecstasy: "A heart brimming with turmoil, yet a face as calm as a still lake... truly worthy of being the number one person in the sect's hundred-year journey of self-discovery, truly a genius of swordsmanship!"

Bai Zichen forced a smile. Senior Brother Liang Yu had put himself on a pedestal, making it difficult for him to respond.

Actually, he didn't take the mid-stage Foundation Establishment stage seriously, knowing that once his cultivation reached that level, breaking through would be a natural thing.

On the surface, he certainly wouldn't react as strongly as other cultivators who couldn't control their emotions after breaking through to a higher realm.

“I originally intended for you to be the Inspector of the Enforcement Hall, but now it seems that this position is too unworthy of you…”

Liang Yu turned his gaze and saw that the other elders were all shocked by Bai Zichen's realm. Some looked astonished, while others put on smiling faces to try to get closer to him. He said loudly.

"The position of Elder Supervisor of the Imperial Dining Hall has been vacant for a long time. Why don't we let Junior Brother Bai take it on? Junior Brother Wei, what do you think?"

The Elder Supervisor of the Abode, the third-in-command of the Enforcement Hall, holds the overall authority over the constitution and is in charge of all prohibitions.

While the nominal second-in-command, the High Priest Elder, is primarily responsible for presiding over the rituals, the Supervising Elder's actual authority is second only to the Temple Master.

(End of this chapter)