Chongming Xianzong

Chapter 234 Foundation Building
On the twenty-second day of the eighth month in the four hundred and twenty-ninth year of Qianfeng in the Immortal Dynasty of David, the emperor visited the Jade Hall of the Gods and everything went well and all that he prayed for was accomplished.

Jin Shilun, who had been away from the sect for some time, came back from Chongming Market on a wild ox, smiled and greeted Zhang Le who was on duty at the archway, entered the formation, and quickly headed towards the courtyard of Kang Dabao, the head of the sect.

Jin Shilun was already 22 years old this year, and his aptitude as a person with four spiritual roots could not be said to be good. Therefore, even though the treatment given to him by the Chongming Sect as a trusted disciple was already generous, Jin Shilun's cultivation was still only at the fourth level of Qi training.

Compared to his mediocre aptitude in cultivation, Jin Shilun's talent as a chef is truly outstanding.

Today, the four disciples of Sect Leader Kang have become qualified chefs, which is a precedent for the Chongming Sect since its founding.

Jin Shilun hurried to the headmaster's courtyard, wanting to pay his respects to his master, but he heard Xiao Wu, who was waiting in the outer courtyard, say in a crisp voice: "Brother Jin, the headmaster went out three days ago and hasn't come back yet."

"Ah?" Jin Shilun was a little disappointed. He had encountered some difficulties in his practice and was about to ask his elders for advice.

"Brother Wu, do you know which elders in the sect are free?" Jin Shilun asked.

"Master Yuan Er has been practicing in seclusion for more than a month; Master Jiang San has not shown up since half a year ago;

On Thursday, Master Zhou had just connected the two spiritual places of Qinye Forest and Hengshan, and brought the geomancer to Chongming City, hoping to lead a spiritual spring to the immortal master guarding the city, so that he would not have to rely on the spirit gathering array and spirit stones for cultivation;

Master Chu has been visiting friends in Ji County for a month or two, and he hasn't come back yet; among all the masters in the sect, only Master Ye and Master Pei, who just came out of seclusion in the first half of the month, are free." Little Wu Meng counted with his calloused fingers.

"That's right. It's Uncle Pei's turn to give lectures in the Sutra Hall in the next ten days. I'll go ask them now. Thank you, Brother Wu. This bunch of round-leaf rambutans was bought by Sister Zhou from a Western monk in the market.

In addition to my fellow apprentices, my sister wanted me to bring some to Brother Wu as well, as he was about to start refining his marrow. Although this round-leafed syzygium fruit had not yet entered the rank, it was still somewhat helpful to low-level Qi-refining practitioners.

Therefore, you should not take too much. It is best to take one pill every three days. Do not chew it and swallow it raw with the skin. I think you will be able to refine your marrow successfully in a short time."

Jin Shilun handed Wu Meng a jade box containing round-leafed rambutan, and without even listening to his thanks, he flashed into the scripture room. At this time, the scripture class had not yet begun, and Song Cheng and Liu Ya were studying Taoist scriptures with Zhu Yunsheng, a new immortal seedling.

Among the disciples who entered the sect before and after Jin Shilun, Mo'er is the only one who still needs to come to the scripture hall every day.

Although this girl is getting prettier, her cultivation is still stuck at the level of breaking through from the second level of Qi training to the third level. No one knows how old she will be before she can break through to the fourth level of Qi training. She will leave the Sutra Hall for the time being.

Soon after Jin Shilun entered the room and exchanged a few words with the four people, he heard a familiar voice coming from the door: "Junior Brother Jin."

Kang Rongquan was standing at the door, walking towards Jin Shilun with a big smile: "When did Junior Brother come back to the sect? Why didn't you tell me? It's just right for us to set up a banquet tonight."

"I just came back, and I hurried to see my senior brother." Jin Shilun also smiled. He and Kang Rongquan have always been close, so they were naturally happy to see each other.

"Ha." Kang Rongquan was almost fourteen years old, and his childish temperament had faded a lot. "Come and talk to me after class."

After the changes that happened in the sect, he became more stable, so even though he was happy at the moment, he still suppressed his smile in front of his fellow disciples in the scripture hall.

When the bell for scripture class rang, Kang Rongquan frowned and walked around the hall with a scripture in one hand and a ruler in the other.

Seeing this, Jin Shilun remembered that he had not attended the scriptures for a long time. It was like revisiting an old place, as if his feet were stepping on the intersection of the past and the present. He felt emotional and sat down next to Mo'er, holding the Taoist scriptures and starting to read.

Zhu Yunsheng, the new junior brother, did not live in good times, but now Senior Brother Chongmingzong, no matter whether he is kind or not on weekdays, always behaves in a serious manner when he is on duty for the scripture lessons.

They were all meticulous and impartial, which made the little guys dare not relax at all.

After the class, Mo'er, Jin Shilun and Kang Rongquan gathered under the big locust tree. She had known the latter two since childhood. Not only had she learned cooking from Jin Shilun, she had also taken care of Kang Rongquan when he was a child, so naturally they had a deep friendship.

Unfortunately, it was not the right season to brew tea and enjoy the flowers under the tree. Kang Rongquan had not yet learned Zhou Yixiu's skill of ripening spiritual plants, so the three of them simply took the round-leafed rambutan brought by Jin Shilun as a snack and shared it.

"Oh, Junior Brother, you are here to seek guidance from our master?" Kang Rongquan frowned, "But all the elders went out early this morning, even Senior Uncle Yuan who was practicing weapons in seclusion went out."

"Second Uncle has come out from his retreat?" Jin Shilun was a little surprised, but he heard Mo'er also speak up: "I met Senior Brother Ye earlier, and he said the same thing."

"The elders are not here. What big thing has happened?" Jin Shilun asked softly, but Kang Rongquan waved his hand, telling him not to worry.

"Since the elders are not here, I will go and gather the other brothers. We will have a Taoist meeting tonight and let everyone brainstorm. I think they will be able to provide you with some insights." Kang Rongquan mentioned again.

While expressing his gratitude, Jin Shilun couldn't help but feel emotional.

Even he didn't know when Brother Kang, who hated Taoist associations since childhood, became the person who loved organizing Taoist associations the most in the Chongming Sect.

"But what on earth are the elders doing?"

——Qinye Forest, Biha Cave

Jiang Qing stood beside the Black-Shoe Taoist. Yu Kangdabao and other fellow disciples came to pay their respects one by one. The fellow disciples returned the greetings one by one, and finally they all bowed to the Black-Shoe Taoist.

This time, Taoist Heilu not only helped Jiang Qing build a foundation and protect him, but he also preached to the people in front of him for a whole day.

For those monks who were also preparing to build their foundation, it was like a revelation, a revelation. The Taoist Black Shoes accepted the greeting calmly, without any coyness or falsehood.

The Taoist priest in black shoes glanced at the faces of the people below one by one before he spoke: "In my opinion, Jiang Qing's foundation building is just a matter of time, and it shouldn't require such a big fuss.

But he was afraid that some people would be worried, so he did this to add a wart." At this point, the Taoist Black Shoes glared at Master Kang, and then continued:

"Let's spend some more time talking. We'll see each other again in a month or two. Some people are so fussy and never seem to get along."

Pei Yi, Ye Zhengwen and Jiang Qing went up to talk a few words. Yuan Jinqiang acted carefree and laughed, saying, "Haha, in a month, I will be a senior brother who has established a true foundation! Wonderful!
When I return to Xuanwei City, I will definitely show off to those bastards under Master Qi who rely on their elders who have built their foundation. They are the descendants of the disciples who have truly built their foundation, so what do they count for? I, Yuan Jin, am the senior brother of Chongming Sword Immortal!"

Yuan Jin patted Jiang Qing's shoulder, and Jiang Qing smiled. "When Junior Brother comes out of seclusion, I will go back to Xuanwei City with Second Senior Brother."

After Yuan Jin, it was the turn of the Kangda head. The two brothers looked at each other for a while, neither of them could utter a soft word.

The atmosphere became silent for a moment, and the two were speechless for a moment.

"Big Brother, believe me." Jiang Qing spoke, his eyes were as determined as a pine tree that had been planted in a crack in the rock and had withstood thousands of years of wind and rain. Seeing this, Kang Dabao laughed, "How can I not believe it? My little third son is extremely talented and intelligent. What can't he do? Come out of retreat soon. Big Brother is counting on you to bring back a foundation-building wife as soon as possible to add to the foundation of the sect."

Jiang Qing also looked happy. The resentment he once had towards his senior brother seemed to have disappeared just because of this sentence, as if it had never existed.

"That's enough, Brother Qing, let's go." The Taoist in black shoes waved his hand, and Jiang Qing bowed to the head of the Kang sect again and left in a hurry.

Until the Taoist Hei Lu took Jiang Qing into the retreat room, he turned back and stared at Kang Dabao and Yuan Jin and said, "You two boys look strange. You can hide it from Qing Ge'er, but not from me. Tell me, what happened?"

"But what about the letter that Junior Brother Yuan received this morning?" Pei Yi also asked.

The smile on Kang Dabao's face gradually faded, replaced by a sad look, and he said in a hoarse voice: "Brother He died before he could complete his foundation building in seclusion. Brother Degong sent a message asking Yuanbin to return home to attend the funeral."

Yuan Jin had tears in his eyes and continued, "I told you earlier that we should let the third brother wait a little longer. After all, we have found out why the eldest brother of the He family failed. But the eldest brother just won't let us!"

He Dezong was a man of broad mind, generous and magnanimous, and possessed an admirable charm.

Hearing the news that he died while building his foundation, even Ye Zhengwen, who had just joined the sect and had only a shallow friendship with him, was deeply saddened.

Pei Yi suddenly thought of his own master again. Uncle Li also entered the meditation room with full confidence back then, but when he came out, he was already gone.

Now, after hearing the news from He Dezong, he couldn't help but feel a little uneasy about Jiang Qing's foundation building.

Only the Taoist Heishi cursed after hearing Yuan Jin's words: "What nonsense! Your cowardly senior brother finally did something right. If you tell Qing'er about this now, it might disturb his Dao heart. He might not have the chance to build his foundation in another 10 or 20 years! How can you say that!"

Yuan Jin bowed his head and said nothing, but Kang Dabao tried to smooth things over and said, "Second Brother has lost his mind because of the death of our elder brother, so please don't blame me, uncle."

"Brother Shi is a man of talent that is envied by heaven, but the third brother is just as my uncle said, with a strong heart and a long-lasting good fortune, so he will definitely succeed. Brothers, don't worry, just do your job."

It was unclear whether what Master Kang said was to comfort the people present or to himself, so it had little effect. Except for the Taoist priest in black shoes, everyone present looked worried.

Taoist Heishi said nothing more. He turned around and stood guard outside Jiang Qing's quiet room, sitting cross-legged and regulating his breathing.

To be honest, Hei Lu Dao Ren was also somewhat worried. Although he accepted the invitation brought by Tie Liuyun Ling Kang Dabao, he had been to Hancheng twice in recent years. At the auction, not to mention the Bi Luo Spiritual Root, a treasure that even Jin Dan upper cultivators would covet, even ordinary spiritual objects for repairing the foundation were very rare.

This means that Jiang Qing's probability of successfully building a foundation is one point lower than that of He Dezong who just died.

If it were under normal circumstances, Taoist Heilu would not care, but this news came just before Jiang Qing established his foundation.

"Could it be a warning from God?"

People who practice Taoism always have some faith in mysterious things like fate, so even Hei Lu was somewhat shaken by the news.

Sect Leader Kang could not see the strange look on his uncle's face. After the Taoist Black Shoes left, he turned to Pei Yi and Yuan Jin and said:
"I want to guard the Third Brother for a while longer. Junior Brother Pei, you and Yuan Jin, take Yuan Bing and go back to the He family in Hong County. After you arrive, apologize to the He family's aunt and tell her that the Third Brother and I are still in the medicine pool and can't come out because of our injuries. After we recover, we will go to the spirit of our deceased brother and apologize together!"

After Pei Yi and Yuan Jin received the order in a deep voice, Kang Dabao turned his gaze to Ye Zhengwen and said, "Old Ye, I'll trouble you to guard the gate for me these days and ask the girls to be more careful."

"I understand. Don't worry too much. Qing'er is a beautiful girl, not something that ordinary people like us can compare to. Just because He's eldest son has a shallow connection with Taoism, it doesn't mean that Qing'er will also be injured." Ye Zhengwen thought for a moment and spoke to comfort him.

The three brothers left together, Kang Dabao found a corner, took a deep breath, and began to practice seriously. This Biha Cave is a rare second-level spiritual place in Chongming Sect, and practicing here will achieve twice the result with half the effort.

In this way, it was the twenty-second day of the winter month. It had been exactly three months since the day Jiang Qing went into seclusion.

According to Taoist Hei Lu, generally speaking, it only takes half a month to a month to see the results of taking the elixir to build the foundation. Even if you don't rely on external objects to build the foundation, it will only take another half a month at most.

Master Kang had no intention of practicing at this time. Even Taoist Heilu spent the whole day looking at the meditation room full of restrictions with a frown.

During this period, Yuan Jin and others came to visit several times, but were sent back by Kang Dabao.

Master Kang and Taoist Heilu were still guarding the cave, not leaving for a moment.

Even Deng Baichuan, who brought a letter from Sima Gun, and Tie Xishan, who was sent by Tie Zhihui to visit, were all evaded by Kang Dabao by his disciples who arranged for them to say that they were in seclusion.

If one counts carefully, since Jiang Qing had been in seclusion for a full month, Master Kang has not eaten a single meal and has only been supporting his body with pills.

"It's already March, you're done now." Taoist Hei Lu couldn't bear to see Kang Dabao in such a daze, but he couldn't bear to blame him at this time. In the end, he just sighed and said, "Top-grade foundation-building pills, superior spiritual medicines, and high-level Qi-regulating methods, you, the senior brother, have done enough. Qing Ge'er, ah."

Taoist Hei Lu wanted to open the quiet room, but was stopped by Sect Leader Kang, who said with a hint of sadness in his tone: "Uncle Master, can you wait a little longer?"

"Yes, you can wait for three days, three months, or even three years. But you need to be clear about this."

The Taoist priest in black shoes had just said half of his words when the stone door of the quiet room, which had not been opened for three months, made a slight sound and was gently pushed open by a slender hand, revealing a graceful and handsome young man.

"Brother, Uncle! Qing, I have lived up to your trust!"

There was joy, surprise, shock, and fear in Master Kang's eyes. Hundreds of expressions were mixed together, his lips opened and closed unsteadily, but he could not utter a word.

His whole body seemed to be trembling slightly, until he finally shed tears and uttered the words in a hoarse voice: "All right!"

After this cry, Kang Dabao could no longer hold back his tears. He collapsed to the ground and cried loudly, "Okay! Okay!"

The Chongming Sect had been established and preached for 206 years since its founder Zhang Yuandao. Finally, on November 22, the 429th year of the Qianfeng reign, another true practitioner who had established the foundation emerged.

Kang Dabao, the seventh-generation head of the Chongming Sect, is well-deserved to be called the "Ancestor of the Restoration"!

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(End of this chapter)