Immortality begins with raising apprentices

Chapter 206 Foundation Establishment Spiritual Object; Mysterious Gift

Chen Ye was also secretly alarmed.

He never imagined fighting against someone of a higher level.

This is because there is a world of difference between Foundation Establishment cultivators and Qi Refining cultivators; one cannot win by simply accumulating numbers.

But he didn't expect that,
In this battle of wits, Wei Shu was actually at a disadvantage...

Thinking about it, it seems to make perfect sense.

The Wei family has a shallow foundation, and there are certainly no profound spiritual cultivation techniques passed down within the clan; they only possess rudimentary methods for tempering the spiritual soul.

His Seven Luminaries Soul Nourishing Technique was already considered the number one soul cultivation technique in the Yan Kingdom.

Moreover, his potential is extremely high. If he were to light up all the other stars at the same time, he would probably be the number one not only in the Yan Kingdom, but also in the vast Lingxu Realm!

Now, he has already mastered the Seven Luminaries Soul Nourishing Technique.

In the realm of spiritual cultivation, surpassing a cultivator like Wei Shu, who had exhausted his family's resources to reach the first level of Foundation Establishment, would be effortless.

"Boy, you still say you didn't collude with demonic cultivators! If you hadn't joined the Crossing Love Sect, how would you know the Divine Sense Technique!"

Wei Shu gritted his teeth, his expression fierce, and was about to make another move.

Just then, the cultivator who had spoken up to stop him had already stepped into the room.

She was beautiful and dressed in the attire of a core disciple.

Upon seeing the scene inside, especially the soul whip on the ground and Wei Shu's ferocious expression, a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

"Wei Shu!"

The newcomer was Mao Songli. She nodded slightly to Wei Shu, her tone icy and cold.
"You took away the forbidden artifacts of the Enforcement Hall without permission and used private torture on fellow disciples who had not been tried. I wonder which sect's precepts gave you such power?"

Mao Songli may seem like just a disciple, but he showed no fear when facing Wei Shu, the protector.

This is because in the Lingyin Sect, disciples and stewards have always operated in two separate systems. Only cultivators who have exhausted their potential will take on the role of steward and concern themselves with the affairs of the sect.

Moreover, Mao Songli is a core disciple with a Foundation Establishment Level 2 cultivation, and is a key figure being cultivated by the Lingyin Sect.

He was only one step away from becoming the highest-ranking true disciple of the Lingyin Sect.

Upon seeing her, Wei Shu's expression changed again: "Mao Songli! This is an internal matter of my Enforcement Hall. When did it become your place, a disciple of the Mao family, to interfere?"

"I had no intention of getting involved."

Mao Songli remained expressionless and took out a token engraved with the Xu family's mark.
"However, Steward Chen is a key figure in this trip to Songyang Cave Heaven, carrying the entrustment of the Xu family and Sister Qingzhu. I was ordered to come to ensure his safety. Are you now trying to openly antagonize the Xu and Mao families with your actions?"

From the moment Mao Songli entered the quiet room, every word he spoke was like a dagger to the heart.

Without showing any leniency, point out Wei Shu's violation of the rules.

They also threatened the Xu and Mao families.

Wei Shu's face turned pale and then red. He said angrily, "Don't try to fool me! Would the Xu family help Chen Ye? Do you think I don't know that Xu Qingsong has repeatedly caused trouble for Chen Ye..."

"Hehe, Protector Wei, are you joking? Do you think the entire Xu family only has Xu Qingsong? Deacon Chen's disciple has already returned to the Xu family after recognizing his ancestors, and is highly valued by Old Ancestor Xu... As the saying goes, love me, love my dog. If the little girl says a few good words..."

Mao Songli gave a mocking smile and looked coldly at Wei Shu.

"This this……"

Although Wei Shu didn't believe that a little girl could win Xu Henshan's favor, seeing Mao Songli's confident demeanor, he couldn't help but hesitate.

He wanted revenge.

However, he knew better than to rush things. Since Chen Ye was already heading to Songyang Cave, there was no need for him to increase his own risks.

"Furthermore, Deacon Chen has not yet been convicted, so why did you dare to take away his storage bag and magical artifacts?"

Mao Songli suddenly spoke in a stern voice.

"No... not only is he not convicted, but Deacon Chen is completely innocent! The Second Elder's intention is simply to send Deacon Chen to Songyang Cave Heaven. If he finds clues about True Disciple Bai, then it will be as if the previous events never happened. Furthermore, if I remember correctly... Deacon Chen has not yet been held accountable by the Enforcement Hall!"

Wei Shu was speechless after hearing her words.

As a protector of the Enforcement Hall, how could he not know the sect's rules?
He simply never took Chen Ye, a steward who came from a rogue cultivator background, seriously, thinking he could manipulate him at will.

Not to mention, the capture of Chen Ye was with the tacit approval of the Bai family, and the Spirit-Locking Nail was also a gift from the Bai family!
Therefore, he became reckless and unscrupulous...

But who knows,

This seemingly ordinary Chen Ye actually has the Xu and Mao families backing him up!

How strange and bizarre...

"Well done, what a quick-witted disciple of the Mao family!"

Wei Shu suppressed his worries and pretended to be casual. He took out Chen Ye's storage bag from his bosom and threw it at Chen Ye as if it were trash.

"Since you put it that way, then let him prove his innocence! I can return the storage bag to him!"

Chen Ye calmly reached out and caught it, then scanned it with his divine sense to confirm that the divine sense imprint was still there.

In other words, the storage bag has not been opened yet.

As Mao Songli said, he didn't even go to the law enforcement hall, so what crime did he commit?
It was simply that Wei Shu seized the opportunity to lash out.

Thinking about it this way,

If he were to die within the cave, Wei Cheng would likely not hand over the storage bag to the sect, but would instead keep it secretly.

Before he died, he dared not erase the divine imprint in advance, lest he leave any evidence against him.

"As for these two magic swords, I can return the iron sword to you, but as for the flying light..."

Wei Shu picked up the flying light sword that shimmered with azure light and sneered.

"This sword originally belonged to Ji Yueze, a well-known rogue cultivator from Yunxi Fang! The fact that it has fallen into his hands is highly suspicious! This item must be seized by our Enforcement Hall as evidence!"

Although Ji Yueze was just a rogue cultivator, he had a notorious reputation in the market. Why he died and why his magical artifact fell into Chen Ye's hands are indeed unsolved mysteries.

Mao Songli frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and looked at Chen Ye.

Chen Ye felt a warmth in his heart. This person, as a Foundation Establishment cultivator, came to help him, but did not have a condescending attitude.

On the contrary, they value their own opinions very much.

Seeing Mao Songli's predicament, Chen Ye understood that the origin of the Flying Light Sword was indeed problematic.

of course……

If he finds Bai Susu, this problem will be insignificant.

He nodded: "Alright. However, I hope Protector Wei can keep it safe. Once this matter is settled, I, Chen, will personally come to retrieve it."

"Hmph, then we'll see if you come back alive!"

Wei Shu gave a forced smile, picked up his flying sword, and angrily turned and left.

If he can let Chen Ye return alive on this trip to Songyang Cave, he will no longer bear the surname Wei!

After Wei Shu left, Mao Songli put away the token, turned to look at Chen Ye, and frowned slightly:
"So you are Chen Ye?"

Uh……

Chen Ye was speechless. He spread his hands and said, "If I'm not Chen Ye, then who is the one outside?"

Mao Songli spoke frankly: "No, it's just that Sister Qingzhu asked me to look after you. I originally thought you were some kind of strong and upright man, someone Sister Qingzhu... cough cough, I didn't expect..."

Unexpectedly, he was just an ordinary butler with a decent appearance.

She could hear the anxiety in Qingzhu's tone and wondered which handsome young man had stirred Qingzhu's heart.

Seeing this, how could Chen Ye not understand what Mao Songli was thinking?
He could roughly guess one or two out of ten things; it was probably because Sister Qingzhu was too worried about him, and therefore lost her composure when she was giving him instructions.

This aroused Mao Songli's curiosity and led him to have overly high expectations...

He stood up, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "Thank you for arriving in time, fellow Daoist. But I would like to ask you... about the Xu family patriarch, and Qingjun's recognition of his ancestors..."

"It's just to fool him. Qingjun hasn't acknowledged her ancestors. As for the Xu family, they didn't help you either. The only one who helped you was Sister Qingzhu!"

Mao Songli smiled frankly.
"What I told Wei Shu was half true and half false. The false part was that the Xu family helped you, but the true part was that Qingjun was valued by the Xu family's patriarch. So even if he asked, he wouldn't get any information. After all, you are Qingjun's master, and who knows if the Xu patriarch would extend his favor to you as well?"

Chen Ye sighed, deeply moved: "I never imagined that one day I would have to use the Xu family's name to get ahead. But thank you, fellow Daoist... and Senior Mao."

Mao Songli waved his hand, his expression becoming serious. "No need for thanks. Besides this matter, I have something even more important to tell you today."

Chen Ye's heart skipped a beat: "What is it?"

She set up an even more secure soundproof barrier before speaking:
"Steward Chen, Qingjun... will also be going on this trip to Songyang Cave Heaven."

"What!" Chen Ye exclaimed in shock. "How old is she? Sending her to such a place where death is almost inevitable?"

"Don't be in such a hurry." Mao Songli gestured for him to sit down and said with a wry smile, "This matter was personally decided by Xu Henshan, the patriarch of the Xu family. The patriarch has a high opinion of her and wants to take her by his side and train her personally. This trip to the cave is her first experience."

"I see..." Chen Ye breathed a slight sigh of relief. Although he was still worried, he thought that having a top expert personally protect him might be more beneficial than harmful.

Mao Songli lowered his voice again: "However, Xu Henshan is a fickle man. If you enter the cave, don't go straight to him and acknowledge Qingjun!"

Chen Ye understood this principle. If he were to casually appear in front of Xu Henshan, and Xu Henshan were to think that he, as his master, was in the way... then everything would be over.

"I understand..." Chen Ye felt aggrieved.

He could tolerate everything else.

But Qingjun... is clearly his daughter, why can't they acknowledge each other?
If Xu Henshan is determined to take Qingjun away, can he only silently endure it?
Mao Songli glanced at him, noticing his discomfort, and said solemnly, "You're a grown man, don't act like a girl. If that's the case, you should be even more diligent in your cultivation! Besides... Sister Qingzhu said she was worried that Qingjun was too naive and might reveal her flaws in front of Xu Henshan, so she didn't tell her that you would also be going to the cave heaven."

"Um……"

Chen Ye felt a little disappointed. Sister Qingzhu was truly kind to him from the bottom of her heart, and she considered everything for him.

But he himself had never helped her in any way.

The only help I could offer was to let her spend more time with Qingjun; it was just a small favor.

Of course, at this moment, Chen Ye didn't pretend to be serious and immediately said in a solemn tone:
"Please inform Senior Mao that I urgently need a Foundation Establishment Spiritual Object, which must have different attributes of the Five Elements. I hope Senior Mao can keep an eye out for one for me. I will definitely repay you handsomely in the future!"

Mao Songli's expression immediately changed.

Foundation Establishment Spiritual Object!

The price is exorbitant; a single Foundation Establishment item costs one or two thousand spirit stones, and these five...

That's outrageous!
Unexpectedly, Chen Ye turned out to be a gigolo...

Thinking of this, Mao Songli's voice turned colder: "Well, I will help you convey the message. But it's easy to deal with just Foundation Establishment spiritual items, but you need five items with different attributes of the five elements... For Sister Qingzhu, this is a very difficult task. At most, I can only prepare one or two for you."

"As long as it's there, that's fine. Wait, there's also this storage bag; consider it my deposit."

Chen Ye let out a long breath.

He erased the divine imprint from the storage bag he had just obtained and handed it back to Mao Songli.

Mao Songli, naturally without any qualms, casually accepted it, his words laced with sarcasm: "Fine, even a small amount is good..."

It was clear that Mao Songli was very dissatisfied with him. After finishing his speech, he didn't even say goodbye and immediately turned and left.

"This disciple of the Mao family is truly straightforward..."

Chen Ye rubbed his face and muttered to himself.
"Chen Ye, Chen Ye, are you really going to become a gigolo? It's one thing to have that little girl cook for you every day. But when something happens, you have to rely on her looks and have Sister Qingzhu running around taking care of everything..."

As expected of him!

They said they wanted to latch onto Tuanzi's coattails, and now they've done just that, haven't they?
only……

Ironically, when the day actually came for him to curry favor with someone powerful, Chen Ye couldn't muster any pride.

Well, in the end, he didn't live off his eldest disciple. Not bad, not bad.

……

For the next ten days, Rakurin fell into complete silence.

In the quiet room, Chen Ye sat cross-legged, his face pale, with large beads of sweat constantly sliding down his forehead.

He was forcibly circulating the Evergreen Technique within his dantian.

The Soul-Locking Nail was specifically designed to control him.

If you go into the cave and are still bound by the Spirit-Locking Nails, it's like handing your life over to someone else!
Chen Ye mobilized his spiritual power and felt as if countless red-hot steel needles were frantically stirring in his dantian!
He gritted his teeth and continued to try slowly.

In excruciating pain, his muscles spasmed uncontrollably, and he even tasted a faint sweetness of blood in his mouth.

[Evergreen Skill Profound Understanding: 85/6400]

really……

A surge of joy welled up in Chen Ye's heart!
Even with his dantian controlled and his cultivation technique sluggish, the slightest movement was accompanied by excruciating pain, as if his heart had been ripped out.

The proficiency panel is incredibly powerful; as long as you try something, you can increase your proficiency!

"Then, my proficiency in cultivating the 'Mysterious Light of Withering and Flourishing' scripture should also increase!"

Chen Ye was certain.

As long as there is a sliver of hope, there is a chance to survive!

Chen Ye hardened his heart and continued to repeat that tedious and painful cultivation.

It wasn't until the afternoon of the tenth day that Bu Feifan's voice finally woke him from his almost self-torturing cultivation.

"Fellow Daoist Chen, Fellow Daoist Mao... Fellow Daoist Mao has arrived."

Chen Ye slowly opened his eyes and exhaled a breath of turbid air tinged with blood.

Mao Songli walked straight into the quiet room. When she saw Chen Ye's pale face, she raised an eyebrow but did not ask any questions.

He placed a storage bag on the stone table and said in a calm tone:

"Qingzhu asked me to bring these two items for you. I have important matters to attend to, so I must take my leave now."

Chen Ye's mouth felt slightly dry, and he was extremely grateful.

He never expected that in just ten days, Mao Qingzhu would prepare two Foundation Establishment spiritual items for him.

He watched Mao Songli leave before picking up the storage bag.

The bag wasn't very spacious, and there were two items with pure spiritual energy lying quietly inside, along with a jade slip.

One item was a piece of withered yellow wood, no more than a foot long, a second-tier spirit object of the wood element, called Ghost Wood.

The other item was a fist-sized, dark gold-colored, second-tier gold-elemental spirit object, a phoenix feather essence.

Chen Ye took out the two spiritual items and then picked up the jade slip.

As spiritual energy flowed in, Mao Qingzhu's gentle voice echoed in his mind:

"Brother Ye, it's as if we've met. My cousin has a quick temper, and if she says anything offensive, I hope you won't take it to heart. I've already found the wood and metal elements you need, and I'll do my best to find the remaining three for you."

"Also, I have some good news to share. That girl Qingjun made a stunning debut at the Xu Family Dragon Gate Gathering, winning first place..."

"Finally, I've prepared a surprise for you to cheer you up. Hmm... it'll arrive in a few days."

"A surprise?" Chen Ye smiled slightly.

But having fallen to such a state, there are no more surprises to stir his emotions.

Chen Ye put away the jade slip and the spiritual object, and sat cross-legged again.

[An Introduction to the Classic of Withering and Flourishing: 9/10]

His "Decline and Flourish Mystic Light Scripture" had long reached a bottleneck, but he lacked spiritual materials, which was why he had been unable to make progress.

Although it is said that one needs to collect all five elemental spiritual objects to truly achieve success in cultivation, with the help of these two spiritual objects, reaching a minor level of success in cultivation is not a problem.

Chen Ye took a deep breath, recalling the cultivation technique.

The Scripture of Withering and Flourishing Light requires cultivators to refine second-tier spiritual objects of five different attributes into primordial energy, and then place them into the five directions of the dantian (energy center) to help the cultivator's five elements circulate.

When it's time to establish the foundation, these five primordial energies will be combined into one and integrated into the foundation.

At this point, the cultivator can roughly construct a large cycle of the five elements.

Chen Ye's eyes hardened, and holding the two spiritual objects in his hands, he began to try to circulate the Mysterious Light Scripture of Withering and Flourishing.

The pure essence of wood and metal, like two streams, flowed from his palm into his meridians!
"Depend on……"

The veins on Chen Ye's forehead bulged, this was ten times more painful than simply circulating the Evergreen Technique before!
As soon as he tried, he suddenly let go.

"No, even if I can endure it, pain that exceeds my limit will likely leave hidden injuries, affecting my Foundation Establishment... In that case, I might end up losing more than I gain."

He calmed himself and forced himself to suppress his anxiety.

"Keep calm, keep calm, only then can you last... Hmm?"

A flash of inspiration struck Chen Ye, and he decisively used the techniques of the Profound Realm to skillfully guide the two streams of Five Elements essence.

"That's right. All kinds of methods in the world can be understood by analogy. Before, I was so impetuous that I blindly went straight to cultivation."

Three full days later.

As Chen Ye struggled to complete the first cycle of Qi circulation under the suppression of the Spirit-Locking Nail, his dantian, which was on the verge of collapse, suddenly regained its vitality!
[Minor Completion of the Mysterious Light of Withering and Flourishing: 1/100]

Become!

A profound and mysterious realization welled up in Chen Ye's mind.

Within the dantian, the originally chaotic spiritual energy of the five elements began to circulate in an orderly manner under the guidance of the wood and metal spiritual energy!

With the addition of three more Five Elements spiritual objects, what appears to be a rudimentary operation will become an endless cycle!

At this moment, Bu Feifan's voice also came:

"Deacon Chen! Fellow Daoist Mao came again just now. She brought you a huge wooden box! Strange, she said it was a gift from someone. What kind of gift is so big?"

　Thank you Snow for the 400 coins!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)