Immortality and Cultivation: Starting with Improving Spiritual Root Aptitude

No sooner had the two finished speaking than a somewhat lazy roar came from inside the room.

Immediately afterward, a plump, white figure, wagging its fluffy tail, slowly walked out of the room with clumsy little steps. It was Zhaofu.

Perhaps it was hungry or had just woken up. As it stepped out of the room, it unconsciously stretched and yawned, its round body swaying back and forth. It looked adorable, showing none of the fierceness of a white tiger. Instead, it resembled a well-bred white dog, round-headed, soft, and endearing.

The moment Jiang Ling saw Zhao Fu, her girlish heart fluttered instantly. A hint of surprise flashed in her eyes. Forgetting the tea on the table, she got up and quickly walked over. She carefully reached out and gently stroked Zhao Fu's fluffy head, her tone extremely gentle, with a slight lisp:

"Oh my, this is Brother Wu's spirit pet? It's so cute! Plump and fluffy, it doesn't look like a white tiger at all, it's clearly a well-behaved puppy!"

At first, Zhao Fu was a little wary. His body stiffened slightly, and his round eyes stared intently at Jiang Ling with a hint of fear, as if he was sizing up the unfamiliar girl in front of him to determine if she had any ill intentions.

It wasn't until it felt the kindness from Jiang Ling and the gentle strength in her hand, without any malice, that it gradually relaxed, making soft "woo-woo" sounds in its throat, slowly closing its eyes, and rubbing against Jiang Ling's palm with a look of enjoyment, letting her stroke its head and body.

Wu Fan stood to the side, watching Jiang Ling's fondness for Zhao Fu, a gentle smile appearing on his face. He was happy to have some peace and quiet, and said with a smile:

"Since you like it, Junior Sister, I'll leave the task of feeding it to you today. This little guy has a big appetite and loves to eat dried monster meat. I have some in my storage bag, so just give it to him."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ling's smile widened, and she gently stroked Zhao Fu as she replied with a smile:

"Great! I'd love to feed such a cute little guy."

After saying that, she took out the spirit grain dried meat as Wu Fan instructed and carefully handed it to Zhao Fu's mouth.

When Zhaofu smelled the aroma of the jerky, its eyes lit up instantly. It came closer and began to nibble on it, wagging its tail even more enthusiastically, looking even more adorable.

Jiang Ling sat to the side, patiently feeding it, occasionally stroking its body gently, and whispering to it with a tender expression.

After Zhaofu had eaten and drunk his fill, he gently called out to Jiang Ling twice, wagging his tail with eyes full of joy, as if inviting her to play together.

Jiang Ling understood immediately and stood up with a smile.

Zhao Fu tugged at her clothes, but couldn't pull her away no matter how hard he tried. So he let go and ran off into the mountains on his own.

Wu Fan had already informed his fellow disciples nearby that although Zhao Fu was his spirit pet, it had not yet awakened its intelligence and transformed into a beast. It was gentle, chubby, and lovable.

Therefore, when Zhaofu was playing in the mountains, some of the fellow disciples who passed by did not drive it away. Instead, they would occasionally take out some spiritual fruits and dried meat to feed it, letting it frolic freely in the mountains.

Watching Jiang Ling and Zhao Fu walk away, Wu Fan smiled and shook his head, then sat back down at the table, poured himself a cup of hot tea, and slowly drank it.

Before long, the two sat down again and started chatting.

They talked about their hardships in the Hundred Pill Hall when they were young, and their cultivation journeys over the years; they talked about the bottlenecks they encountered in cultivation, and their cultivation insights. Then they made an appointment for a small gathering of the four of them in six months. They chatted very congenially.

After chatting for a while, Jiang Ling glanced at the sky, realizing it was getting late, so she stood up, cupped her hands in greeting, and said with a smile:

"Brother Wu, it's getting late, I should head back now, so I won't bother you any longer."

Wu Fan also stood up to return the greeting, his tone calm:

"Alright, junior sister, take care."

Jiang Ling smiled and nodded, then glanced at Zhao Fu, who had already returned and was rolling around in the air not far away, and whispered a word of advice:

"Zhao Fu, you must be a good boy and behave well, and you are not allowed to be naughty."

As if it understood her words, Zhao Fu stopped rolling around, barked softly at her twice, and wagged its tail, looking extremely obedient.

Jiang Ling smiled, said no more, turned around and summoned her flying artifact, then flew towards the horizon.

Wu Fan stood there, quietly watching Jiang Ling's departing figure until it completely disappeared before turning around, closing the stone door of the cave, returning to his bedroom, and continuing to study the formation.

......

Two and a half months later.

Qingxi County.

Wu Family, Mishui Town.

To be precise, this is the residence of Wu Yuanshan's lineage.

Wu Yuanshan's lineage had long since separated from his elder brother's lineage. The courtyard was spacious and luxurious, but it also exuded a sense of desolation due to the dwindling population.

Wu Yuanshan sat upright in the main room, his brows furrowed as he looked at his daughter, Wu Xiaowan, whose demeanor had become much gentler. His tone was earnest and earnest, yet tinged with urgency.

"Xiao Wan, your father has told you before that the worst thing for relatives is to cut off contact. Even cousins ​​will gradually lose their affection if they don't visit each other for a long time."

He leaned forward slightly, his gaze fixed intently on his daughter.

"When your cousin Wu Fan was an apprentice at the Hundred Pill Hall, I asked you to keep an eye on him, but you said you were afraid of bothering him. Later, when he became a retainer in the Bai family, I urged you to contact him, but you said it was too embarrassing due to the difference in status. Now look at him, he's risen to the top and entered Falling Star Valley. That's a major sect for Nascent Soul cultivators; ordinary cultivators would kill to get in. Your cousin's future is limitless! Why are you still so stubborn and unwilling to take the initiative to contact him?"

After saying that, he sighed heavily, slammed his hand on the table, and looked at him with a disappointed expression.

Wu Xiaowan lowered her eyes, her voice tinged with a mixture of grievance and difficulty, and slowly began to speak:

"Father, it's not that I'm being stubborn, it's just that I can't bring myself to say it. As you know, my cousin and I have never been very close since childhood. He's a quiet and reserved person, so we didn't have much interaction as children. Now that he's a disciple of Falling Star Valley, wouldn't it seem deliberate and opportunistic for me to go and contact him so abruptly? It's one thing if others laugh at me, but if it upsets my cousin, it would backfire."

"Not happy? How could your cousin not be happy?"

Wu Yuanshan suddenly raised his voice, but quickly lowered it again, his tone full of helplessness.

"Do you know how difficult it was for your grandfather to start from scratch in Mishui Town and single-handedly support the Wu family? Your cousin Wu Fan's parents died protecting the Wu family! Now your uncle is a heartless and ungrateful man. After the family split up, he not only ignores our branch of the family, but also suppresses us. The Wu family is no longer what it used to be and is becoming increasingly desolate."

As he spoke, his eyes were already slightly red. He paused, then sighed heavily before continuing:

"In our family lineage, you are the only one with a spiritual root. As for your newborn brother, we don't know if he can be tested for spiritual root cultivation or shoulder the burden of our family. Among your generation, your cousin Wu Fan is the most promising. He entered the Nascent Soul Sect at a young age and is now a first-grade high-level alchemist. He will definitely make a name for himself in the future."

"I'm not forcing you to cling to him, I just hope that you can maintain a good relationship with him in the future."