The Path to Immortality: Starting with an Analysis of Basic Concepts

Zhu Yu looked in the direction of the sound.

A broad-shouldered, round-faced, chubby boy waving with a grin and a thin, sleazy-looking young man came into view.

"Why is he here again?"

As he approached, before he could speak, Zhu Yu's face lit up with a bright smile, and he preemptively said, "Senior Brother Liang, are you perhaps preparing to give me yesterday's tuition fee?"

Without any hesitation, he extended his hand.

Meditation solution? Is that something humans can eat?

Unexpectedly, Liang Kuan was also shameless. He stepped forward, grabbed Xiang Sui's arm, and, as if they were old friends, enthusiastically introduced him: "Senior Brother Xiang, this is my good brother, Junior Brother Zhu Yu, who has mastered the 'Basic Visualization Diagram' to a minor degree and possesses exceptional comprehension."

"Who's your brother?"

Zhu Yu frowned, and just as he was about to raise his hand to break free, Liang Kuan's voice suddenly rang in his ears, "Junior Brother Zhu, I'll introduce you to a big business opportunity!"

"This is Senior Brother Xiang Sui. He has a wide network of connections. If Senior Brother Xiang helps, even if there aren't a hundred or eighty students when I start teaching, there will be at least a dozen."

"Um?"

Zhu Yu's eyes lit up, and without bothering to shake off Liang Kuan, he politely cupped his hands in greeting to the slightly sleazy-looking young man before him:

"Zhu Yu greets Senior Brother Xiang."

Xiang Sui frowned as she sized up the handsome young man before her, but couldn't discern any extraordinary talent or bearing. Although somewhat disappointed, she still politely said:

"Junior Brother Zhu, please don't stand on ceremony. Let's not waste any more words. Junior Brother Liang said you've achieved minor success in your 'Basic Visualization Method.' Could you explain it to me?"

"it is good."

Knowing that this was to test whether he had any real skills, Zhu Yu didn't waste any words. After a moment's thought, he began to explain in a slow and unhurried manner, just as he had explained to Liang Kuan yesterday.

"Basic visualization diagram..."

His words are profound yet simple, ranging from visualization to deep meditation, and then explaining the difficulties in constructing the three-ring pattern. He also generously shares the little tricks he has learned day after day, explaining them clearly one by one...

At first, Xiang Sui didn't pay much attention. He had already mastered the basic visualization techniques and understood some of the things Zhu Yu was talking about. But as Zhu Yu went deeper and deeper into the subject, some of his words made him realize something and he had an "aha!" feeling.

The story lasted a full half hour.

Zhu Yu spoke until his throat was dry. Then, figures began to appear outside the stone tower. Xiang Sui waved his hand with a big smile and said, "That's enough, that's enough. Junior brother is a truly capable person."

After saying this, he looked around and smiled:

"This isn't the place to talk. Shall we find a quiet place to discuss this?"

"Let's talk, let's talk..."

Before Zhu Yu could speak, Liang Kuan grinned and nodded repeatedly. As if he had thought of something, he quickly added, "I think we should go to the stone house where Junior Brother Zhu lives to discuss it? We can familiarize ourselves with the place, which will be convenient when classes start later, right?"

"Alright, Junior Brother Zhu?"

Xiang Sui didn't think much of it and nodded, looking at Zhu Yu.

"Please, senior brothers."

This was practically offering him spirit stones, so how could Zhu Yu refuse? With a beaming smile, he stepped forward to lead the way.

The journey back.

The three chatted idly while avoiding the cultivators who had completed their Qi cultivation.

I learned this through chatting.

Liang Kuan comes from "Xiangyun Market". His grandfather is in the middle stage of Qi Refining. Although his cultivation level is low, he is a valuable "spiritual plant master" and has some assets.

Xiang Sui is even more formidable. Not only does he come from a Foundation Establishment family, but his family's foundation and heritage also lie in the most valuable art of cultivation: alchemy. Although he is from a collateral branch, his status is still quite impressive.

What surprised him even more was...

The "meditation liquid" that Liang Kuan gave him, which would cause endless trouble, was actually prepared by Xiang Sui, who had not yet entered the Daoist path, according to an ancient family recipe.

He's a genius, but also a ruthless one.

Despite having exhausted all his resources to refine the "meditation liquid" and being unable to sell it, he disregarded the poison and drank most of it himself.

"hiss..."

Upon learning this, Zhu Yu secretly gasped. He then understood why Xiang Sui looked so lewd and indulgent – ​​he had been practicing meditation by taking "meditation liquid."

This made him determined not to take it until the toxins were removed.

Later, although Zhu Yu was interested in finding out the formula for the "Meditation Elixir," he also knew that such a precious inheritance might cause Xiang Sui to feel disgusted if he inquired about it rashly.

Although the elixir failed, Zhu Yu found immense benefit in meeting this person with such a profound family background in scholarship, even from the unintentional information revealed during their conversation.

In particular, it gave him a more direct understanding of the world, the "Heavenly Dao Sect," and the "Netherworld Cave."

This world is divided into the Spirit Desert Region and the Spirit Ruins Region.

The spiritual desert is devoid of spiritual energy, making it suitable for mortals to live and multiply. If cultivators stay there for too long, their entire soul and spiritual power will be transformed into those of mortals.

Therefore, apart from the guiding immortal ships of the major sects, very few cultivators set foot in the spiritual desert region.

The Lingxu region is a place where spirits gather and are born.

The Heavenly Dao Sect is located in a spiritual realm that is ten thousand feet high and stretches for an unknown distance. It is named the Immortal Tomb Realm because its shape resembles a tomb.

Whether it's the pristine white tower from the memories of the previous incarnation, the Yinming Cave, or the market town where the Liang Kuan family resides, they are actually located within a colossal mountain that resembles a tomb.

As for the "Heavenly Path Sect".

Regardless of whether it is an outer or inner gate, the system is constructed using mansions and pagodas.

The mansion is the cave dwelling of a Foundation Establishment True Person, and the pagoda is the cave dwelling of a Golden Elixir True Lord.

The Yinming Palace where Zhu Yu and the others cultivated was the cave dwelling opened by the Foundation Establishment cultivator, the Yinming True Man. According to Xiang Sui, the Yinming Cave belongs to one of the towers, "The Fallen God".

As for how many towers the "Heavenly Dao Sect" actually has, and whether there are even stronger beings on top of those towers, he didn't know.

During a casual conversation.

The three arrived at the stone house where Zhu Yu lived.

Looking around the empty room, there wasn't even a place to sit. Xiang Sui nodded in praise, "No wonder Junior Brother's visualization techniques are so advanced. You are clearly a cultivator of the Xu Dao lineage."

"Yes, yes," Liang Kuan echoed perfunctorily, coughed twice, and asked, "Senior Brother Xiang, when do you think we should organize the lectures? And... Junior Brother Zhu, what's a reasonable fee?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yu also looked over.

Xiang Sui pondered for a moment, then gave a precise figure, "Three days. In three days, I will contact some people to come to my junior brother's place for a trial lesson. If they are all very satisfied, the fee will be covered..."

He paused, then looked at Zhu Yu and said solemnly:

"Let me make this clear from the start: if the course is a success, I want 70% of the profits..."

But before he could finish speaking, Zhu Yu wasn't in a hurry, but Liang Kuan got anxious first, shaking his head repeatedly, "No, no, senior brother, you're just talking. It's junior brother Zhu who's busy teaching. I think 70% should go to junior brother Zhu."

He had his own ulterior motives for saying that.

Xiang Sui took 70%, but what about him? Even if he only wanted 10%, Zhu Yu worked so hard to get 20%? Putting himself in Zhu Yu's shoes, if it were him, he definitely wouldn't agree.

In the end, there's a high probability that he'll be kicked out, and Xiang Sui will symbolically give up 10% or 20% to appease Zhu Yu, so that both of them are happy and a world is created where only he loses everything.

"Huh, Junior Brother Liang isn't stupid..."

Xiang Sui glanced at Liang Kuan in surprise. He had indeed intended to kick him out, but now it seemed that his plan had failed.

Thinking back to how Liang Kuan had said he'd take the lion's share yesterday, and now he'd turned on her so suddenly, she glared at him fiercely and feigned annoyance, saying:

"Just by talking? If you can find someone just by talking, Junior Brother Liang, I won't even take a tenth of your share."

Seeing that Xiang Sui was angry, Liang Kuan quickly stepped forward, took his arm, and said with a smile, "Senior brother, 70% is really too high. How about this, senior brother, you take 30%, junior brother Zhu takes 50%, and I'll take 20%."

"Oh..."

Upon hearing this, Xiang Sui seemed to laugh in anger and turned to leave.

Liang Kuan quickly reached out and grabbed him, shouting, "One-tenth! I only want one-tenth! Junior Brother Zhu, five-tenths!... Senior Brother, you get forty-tenths!"

Xiang Sui paused slightly, frowned, and nodded reluctantly. He turned to Zhu Yu, who was standing to the side, and said amiably, "Junior Brother Zhu, what do you think?"

"Can."

Zhu Yu didn't dwell on it too much and nodded in agreement.

Earning spirit stones by teaching is only a temporary measure. Once you have mastered Qi cultivation and possess the "Eye of True Sight," you will have no shortage of ways to earn spirit stones.

All three were overjoyed.

After a brief chat, Xiang Sui and Liang Kuan took their leave one after the other.

"Finally on the right track..."

Watching the two figures disappear at the end of the path, Zhu Yu breathed a sigh of relief. Looking at the clusters of glowing grass and the coffin-like stone houses outside, he smiled and turned back.

"Um?"

"Why does it smell weird?"