Born with immortal seed

Chapter 52 Luxurious Cave
Middle Finger Peak, located on the mountainside.

"How extravagant! It's made entirely of first-grade jade. I estimate that building this cave dwelling would have cost the Bai family several years' worth of income."

Bai Zichen used his inner disciple's token to open his private cave dwelling.

The formation dispersed, the smoke and clouds scattered, and the sun and moon shimmered.

The jade was used to build more than a dozen deep pavilions and towers, and the open spaces between them were planted with rare flowers and herbs.

Two towering old cypress trees, with lush branches and leaves, form two dense, impenetrable canopies.

"With a second-tier high-grade spiritual vein, even if all other conditions remain the same, my cultivation speed here is 30% faster than at home..."

Bai Zichen sensed the concentration of spiritual energy around him and sighed sincerely.

No wonder some menial disciples are desperate to curry favor with inner disciples. Just living together in the cave for five years gives them a chance to improve their cultivation.

If we have a long-term vision, and the selected inner disciples are promoted to true disciples, then the treatment of the menial disciples will also be upgraded.

Throughout the history of Qingfeng Sect, there have been numerous examples of servant disciples who were promoted directly to stewards after their disciples reached the Foundation Establishment stage, a phenomenon akin to a chicken or dog ascending to heaven.

Therefore, this was regarded as a shortcut to Nanshan by the largest number of disciples who were engaged in the most intense competition.

"Even this identity token is a high-grade magic artifact. In addition to verifying identity and recording a disciple's contributions, it also contains a soul-soothing melodious sound. It will activate automatically when subjected to soul-capturing or bewitching spells to keep the mind clear."

This inner disciple's identification badge is made of red copper. The front is engraved with the ancient characters "Qingfeng" and the back is painted with a fierce Heavenly King.

Staring at it for a long time can cause dizziness and nausea.

Bai Zichen spent two or three hours exploring his cave dwelling and figuring out the array formations and restrictions.

At the same time, they also saw the Mud Spirit Puppet that Elder Peng had deliberately mentioned in the training room.

Two lumps of mud lay scattered on the ground, and after a wisp of magic was injected, they transformed into two humanoid puppets in a few breaths.

With a gentle swing of the Ink Bamboo Sword, the mud spirit puppet, whose face was blurred and whose limbs were like mud, was broken into several pieces, splashing mud and water everywhere.

But soon, the mud flowed, and the two puppets stood up again.

At the same time, Bai Zichen sensed that the strength of these two mud spirit puppets could be adjusted by the amount of magic power injected into them.

It can create up to two puppets equivalent to a Qi Refining Great Perfection Body Cultivator.

Moreover, it is not afraid of damage, consumes only a negligible amount of mana, and can regenerate quickly.

"Mud spirit puppets that have reached the Great Perfection of Qi Refining still possess basic intelligence and can perform actions such as blocking and dodging... It's equivalent to having two trial opponents with infinite coordination, and you don't have to worry about hurting them."

"If I learn a new spell or practice flying swords, I can do it in the training room. It's not only convenient, but it also helps with secrecy."

Bai Zichen continuously adjusted his magical power. By the time he had injected nearly half of his own magical power, the mud spirit puppet had grown to a height of nearly ten feet.

The body, which was originally a sticky, muddy mess, has become angular and sharp, with the center of its body showing the color of diamond.

He took a step forward, his body landing heavily, kicking up a cloud of dust. Had the training room not been made of special materials, several bricks would have been shattered.

Bai Zichen flashed his identity token, and the Mud Spirit Puppet, which had brought a great visual shock, had its skeleton pulled out, instantly collapsing and turning back into mud.

"Five years is a critical hurdle for inner disciples; if you don't advance, you fall behind..."

Bai Zichen sat on a jade bed. Now that he was an inner disciple of the Qingfeng Sect, his cultivation resources far surpassed those within the clan, and the corresponding requirements were also much higher.

In the Bai family, he was the most dazzling Foundation Establishment seed, and even Bai Ling couldn't compete with him.

Upon arriving at Qingfeng Sect, it can be said that every inner disciple is a prodigy in their own growth process, admired by all.

Each of them has their own strengths.

Based on Elder Pei Dongyong's introduction and the contents of the jade slip, Qingfeng Sect's intention is clear: to squeeze the potential of its inner disciples as much as possible, so that each true disciple can possess not only outstanding talent but also the passion and perseverance to seek the Dao.

The inner disciples are only given a short period of five years to prevent those talented but lazy disciples from slowly improving their cultivation level.

"As for the matter of the sect leader's personal disciple, although there has been no follow-up, it is estimated that he will not become a true disciple and will not even catch the eye of that person... Time is of the essence, and we cannot slack off in the days to come."

After taking a Qi-boosting pill, Bai Zichen sat cross-legged and began his first cultivation session since arriving at the sect.

……

The next day.

Bai Zichen had just finished his morning lessons when he felt a slight vibration on his inner disciple's waist token, indicating that someone was knocking on the array outside the cave, requesting an audience.

With a wave of his left hand, a water mirror appeared in front of him, reflecting the scene in front of the cave in full detail. Three people were waiting outside the formation.

"Gentlemen, have you come to visit my cave dwelling with some business?"

As soon as Bai Zichen spoke, his voice rang out simultaneously outside the formation.

This is the ingenious use of the cave formation. Although its defensive effect is ordinary, it also has many practical functions such as gathering spirits, water mirroring, and sound transmission.

"You San, the manager of the Weapon Refining Hall, is here to deliver a magic weapon to Junior Brother Bai, and also brought over the two handyman disciples assigned to you."

The burly young man standing in front had a shaved head and was not wearing a Taoist robe, but rather a neat short outfit that revealed his dark and strong arms.

"It's Senior Brother You. Please wait a moment."

Bai Zichen released the restrictions, and the white mist in the cave dissipated, revealing the main gate and courtyard.

As one of the five halls of the sect, the Refining Hall is obviously much more important than the General Affairs Hall.

After presenting a jade box and exchanging a few brief pleasantries, You San mentioned that he still had a weapon-refining task to complete that day and then took his leave.

But before leaving, he deliberately mentioned Peng Jinhu, the handyman disciple standing outside the door, which made Bai Zichen immediately realize where You San's familiar aura came from.

You San and Elder Peng are practically identical in temperament and style.

"An elder from the Weapon Forging Hall and a manager from the Weapon Forging Hall... this person must be Elder Peng's confidant. No wonder he took the initiative to deliver my magic weapon early this morning..."

After seeing You San off, Bai Zichen returned to the reception room and called in two servant disciples.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, these two will be following him for five years, serving him at his side.

If they can be promoted to true disciples and I am satisfied with them, this process will take even longer.

"I believe the General Affairs Hall has already explained my situation to you. The requirements for you are simple: do what I tell you, do not reveal anything about the cave to others, and do not cause trouble within the sect in my name... Any questions?"

Bai Zichen stared at the two of them quietly, his gaze lingering more on Peng Jinhu.

"If you perform well, we might reward you with some cultivation resources."

Peng Jinhu looked rather mature; he was in his early twenties but looked like he was in his thirties. It was unclear whether this was related to his years of service as a weapon-refining apprentice.

Judging from his appearance, he seems honest and simple.

As for Su Lie, just like the image on the list, he was nearly middle-aged, with deep features, graying temples and hair, and had been through many hardships.

"I have remembered Young Master Bai's request and will never repeat it."

Su Lie bowed and agreed, his attitude respectful.

After receiving the notification from the General Affairs Office last night, he was initially shocked, but then felt an overwhelming excitement. This was an excellent opportunity for him to advance his career.

Having built a vast empire from scratch in the mortal realm, Su Lie also harbors his own ambitions in the world of cultivation.

Peng Jinhu was a beat slow, nodding vigorously and repeatedly agreeing only after Su Lie finished speaking.

(End of this chapter)