When it comes to cultivating immortality, it naturally starts with upgrading the herb garden.

Song Chen followed the young cultivator to a spacious dojo.

There were many people, but the dojo did not feel crowded. Instead, the appropriate sense of boundaries made it comfortable.

"Just find a seat anywhere. Mr. Qian's sermon will begin soon. Do not stand up, leave, or whisper to each other during the sermon. These actions will be considered impolite, and if discovered, you will be banned from listening to Mr. Qian's sermons for life."

"it is good."

Song Chen nodded, which was considered as accepting this part of the rule.

He knew in his heart that this was very likely related to what a Foundation Establishment cultivator needed.

It's impossible for a Foundation Establishment cultivator to be so kind as to lecture a Qi Refining cultivator, even if it's for a fee.

Song Chen firmly believed that Qian Lao's teachings must be related to the path of cultivation, just like those of Master Meng Xuan.

However, heroes are judged by their deeds, not their intentions. In any case, Elder Qian still managed to secure a good cultivation option for the vast number of cultivators.

The young monk then departed.

Song Chen found a spot against a wall where he wouldn't easily attract attention and sat down.

He was leaning against the wall, with only three people beside him.

Beside her was a female cultivator whose features looked somewhat familiar, but for a moment I couldn't remember who she was.

The two men in front and behind were rough-looking and not very skilled; they were only at the mid-stage of Qi Refining.

"Is this your first time listening to Mr. Qian's sermon?"

As soon as Song Chen sat down, the female cultivator next to him came up to chat.

The female cultivator's eyes sparkled as she stared intently at him, her every move exuding restraint.

Song Chen smiled, shrugged, and said, "Yeah, this is my first time here. Have you been here many times?"

The female cultivator unconsciously relaxed:

"Yes! This is my third time attending a sermon, fellow practitioner. What's your name?"

Song Chen paused for a moment, then replied, "Song Mazi, what about you?"

"Ning Lianyi, why did you choose this name? Your face is so smooth, there aren't any freckles at all!"

Ning Lianyi looked puzzled.

Song Chen was slightly stunned, silently repeating the other person's name several times in his mind.

Ning Lianyi? Ning Lianyi! Ning Lianyi...

Memories flooded back like a tsunami.

The original owner's childhood sweetheart... a genius in array formations... at the fourth level of Qi Refining...

Looking back at that lively and lovely girl, she now has the charm of a woman, her figure is well-developed, her face is more refined, and her cultivation has risen to the seventh level of Qi Refining. No wonder Song Chen didn't recognize her.

"What's wrong?" Ning Lianyi asked with concern when she saw Song Chen standing there in a daze.

Song Chen snapped out of his daze and explained, "No... it's just that your name sounds very nice."

That's the truth; the two know each other, and their names are certainly familiar.

Upon hearing this, Ning Lianyi's cheeks flushed red: "I see..."

Why are you blushing?

Song Chen's lips twitched slightly.

The original owner had many encounters with Ning Lianyi in the past, but never developed feelings for her.

Now, with a different face, a casual, polite remark easily wins her heart, a truly striking contrast.

Ning Lianyi... is still too superficial.

Song Chen remained silent, while Ning Lianyi's cheeks flushed red.

Unconsciously, the atmosphere became somewhat ambiguous.

Ning Lianyi's red lips parted slightly: "You..."

Mr. Qian began his sermon just in time, interrupting Ning Lianyi's lively thoughts.

Ning Lianyi's mood instantly plummeted. The sermons she used to look forward to suddenly lost their appeal, and instead, she even felt a sense of disgust.

......

Song Chen stared at the center of the dojo.

Everyone sat in a circle, with an empty area in the middle, which was probably reserved for Mr. Qian to give his sermons.

Before long, Mr. Qian slowly flew from mid-air to the center.

Song Chen did not recklessly release his divine sense.

It is very impolite to casually scan others with one's divine sense; it's like frequently pulling open someone's clothes, which is extremely indecent.

Moreover, when facing a Foundation Establishment cultivator, it would be even more impossible to scan them with divine sense.

Song Chen still wanted to continue cultivating Taoism to achieve immortality.

Despite having "old" in his name, Mr. Qian did not look old at all; in fact, he had a youthful appearance.

They look middle-aged, at most not exceeding forty.

His eyes weren't big, they were squinting, and he wasn't wearing glasses. His nose wasn't straight, but the bridge was. His lips were thin, and a pink line peeked out from between his medium-length white beard.

At first glance, Song Chen only had one impression of Old Qian.

That is intimacy.

"Thank you all for coming from afar to listen to my sermon. I am deeply honored and would like to express my sincere gratitude to you all!"

Mr. Qian was very approachable; he immediately bowed and thanked everyone around him.

Most people seemed to be used to it, simply bowing in response without saying anything else.

Song Chen followed suit and replied with a cupped hand.

But when Mr. Qian cupped his hands in his direction, I always felt like he glanced at him. Was it just my imagination?

"This time we will talk about the principles of Dharma and the means."

Mr. Qian's gaze was light and unreadable, and he was completely absorbed in his sermon, speaking eloquently.

The audience below was completely silent, everyone absorbed in the principles he was explaining, listening with rapt attention.

Song Chen listened attentively, but unlike the others, he wasn't as engrossed.

Mr. Qian's teachings were indeed easy to understand and deeply moving, making it easy to draw parallels with the magical implements and spells we use in everyday life.

But after thinking about it carefully, Song Chen felt something was wrong.

These principles are not well-matched with magical artifacts and spells; they feel more like something floating in the air, unable to take root.

It's a castle in the air, lacking any practical use.

For example, as Qian Xuesen mentioned, using magical artifacts to activate spells, the integration of artifact and spell can unleash astonishing power far exceeding that of a single spell.

There is a loophole here.

Most magical artifacts come with their own effects. When infused with spiritual energy, the effects of the artifact are released, which can also be considered a kind of spell, a spell stored within the artifact.

When a cultivator uses a magical artifact to unleash a spell, they need to send spiritual energy into the artifact, treating it as part of themselves.

The movement of spiritual energy through a magical artifact almost always triggers the artifact's built-in spells. Releasing two spells simultaneously could lead to unpredictable results.

Moreover, once a magical artifact is activated, the spiritual energy becomes unstable, making it difficult to continue condensing the spells one wishes to use.

In this light, although Qian Xuesen's explanation was very logical, the essential content of his work was seriously flawed.

"How could this kind of sermon content be so popular?"

Song Chen frowned and looked around.

Sure enough, he wasn't the only one who realized this; many others present also looked puzzled and realized the same thing.

Ning Lianyi, standing beside her, also looked puzzled, blinking her eyes as if she were completely confused.

Suddenly, a cultivator with considerable skill, at the tenth level of Qi Refining, raised his hand, interrupting Elder Qian's sermon:

"Master Qian, I believe that the integration of artifact and magic is impossible. Condensing magic will trigger the magic on the artifact, and the two will be mutually entangled. How can they coexist? Furthermore, the fluctuation of aura makes it difficult to condense a magic with suitable power."

Upon hearing this, other observant people also rushed forward.

"Yes! Professor Qian, I think so too. The integration of technique and method is impossible!"

"Mr. Qian, you're mistaken! There's definitely something wrong with that!"

Old Qian's gaze swept over all the cultivators who had made a sound, his expression unreadable, and he simply waved his hand to signal everyone to be quiet.

"Firstly, Mr. Qian once said that what he said was not entirely correct, and it is normal for some of his statements to be wrong."

"Secondly, Mr. Qian also said that many of the things he talked about were things he had researched on his own. They might not work now, but they might work in the future."

Thirdly, Mr. Qian also once said that just because those people are unsuitable does not mean that no one is unsuitable!

That's all.

Mr. Qian took out a flawless white jade bead.

Based on his experience, Song Chen could tell at a glance that it was a top-grade first-tier magic weapon.

A first-tier top-grade magic weapon is nothing special for someone at the Foundation Establishment stage.

A Foundation Establishment True Person corresponds to a second-tier magic weapon, so this item is not of high value to Elder Qian.

Immediately afterwards, to everyone's bewilderment, Mr. Qian made a move that defied the odds.

Activate the Foundation Building Spell!

Moreover, it is activated by a magical artifact!

Seeing this, everyone was terrified and scattered in all directions.

It should be known that Foundation Establishment spells are far more powerful than Qi Refining spells; even the aftershocks can kill a Qi Refining cultivator.

By unleashing his Foundation Establishment spell here, Elder Qian was essentially putting everyone's lives on the edge of a cliff.

Whether the Foundation Establishment spell succeeds or fails, it is not good news for anyone present!

"Run! Old Qian has gone mad! He's about to cast a Foundation Establishment spell!"

"I wish I hadn't come to the sermon. What happened to Professor Qian?"

"I don't want to listen to the sermon anymore! I want to go home!"

The scene was chaotic. The once high and mighty cultivators were crying and complaining, and some were cursing Elder Qian.

Only Song Chen retreated while pulling out all his defensive measures, his eyes fixed on the white bead in Old Qian's hand.

......