A sage master under the pine tree imparted the Dao and taught longevity.

The warm fire in the kitchen had infused the spirit rice and spirit meat with a fragrant aroma. Although Bai Pu was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he showed no arrogance whatsoever. He sat comfortably around the wooden table with Chen Chuan and his disciples.

At the dinner table, Bai Pu was amused by Shu'er and laughed heartily. He pulled Chen Chuan aside and said, "Senior brother, I really envy you for having two such good disciples..."

His expression suddenly turned indifferent as he looked at the wine cup in his hand and murmured, "Unlike me, I'm all alone. My eldest disciple failed to achieve Foundation Establishment three years ago and died. My second disciple found a Daoist partner and went down the mountain to become a rogue cultivator. My third disciple went to the Northern Demon Realm with the sect, and his fate is unknown..."

"well…"

Seeing his junior brother's melancholy, Chen Chuan put two pieces of spiritual meat into his bowl: "The path of cultivation is inherently full of twists and turns, and life and death are common occurrences. We cultivators should accept our fate and relax."

Upon hearing this, Bai Pu realized he had lost his composure, tilted his head back and drank a mouthful of wine, then fell silent.

After the meal, Chen Chuan pulled Bai Pu to the main hall for a casual chat.

He had been stuck in Qi cultivation for many years and thought that Foundation Establishment was hopeless. But now that he had the "Record of Transmission of the Dao," Foundation Establishment was within reach, and he could learn a lot about its essential methods.

Inside the hall, Bai Pu, emboldened by the alcohol, spoke of the essentials of Foundation Establishment, from the selection of one's Dao foundation to the method of refining elixirs. Every word was precious, representing the fundamental methods for breaking through to Foundation Establishment, without holding back a single detail.

Chen Chuan listened intently, and by the time he finished speaking, it was already late at night.

The two walked into the main room together, laughing.

The two brothers, who had not seen each other for twenty years, sat side by side on the couch, reminiscing about their time at Qingyuan Sect. All those days seemed like yesterday.

The two talked on and on, and didn't sleep a wink all night.

……

The next morning, Bai Pu set off.

Chen Chuan escorted him to the outside of the temple alone. Bai Pu stopped and looked at Chen Chuan.

After hesitating for a few moments, he said solemnly, "The Great Wilderness Mountain is under the jurisdiction of the Qingyuan Sect. According to the sect's rules, a rogue cultivator can only take in a maximum of three disciples. Although Shu'er is a mortal, since you have her by your side, she is also considered a disciple. This rule must be taken into consideration."

Upon hearing this, Chen Chuan looked towards the direction where Shu'er was sleeping peacefully inside the temple and said softly, "Shu'er is like my own daughter to me. There is absolutely no reason to drive her away. When she grows up, we can decide whether she stays or goes."

Upon hearing this, Bai Pu remained silent for a moment before saying, "Sects also have flexible methods. If one can make great contributions to the sect, one can establish one's own sect."

I observe that Xiao Jin has excellent physique and extraordinary talent. If he can successfully establish his foundation within twenty years, I will bring him into the Qingyuan Sect.

Once he has established himself in the sect, you can use his achievements to establish your own sect. At that time, you can freely accept disciples and spread your teachings as you wish.

Upon hearing this, Chen Chuan's heart sank. He cupped his hands and said, "I appreciate your kindness, senior brother, but Xiao Jin is still young. This matter concerns his future and our master-disciple relationship. Let's discuss it another day."

Seeing his expression, Bai Pu knew what he meant and nodded slightly: "Very well, twenty years is not a short time, and things are unpredictable. You should consider it carefully."

After speaking, he clasped his hands in a fist salute to Chen Chuan, lightly touched the ground with his toes, mounted the crane, and disappeared into the vast sea of ​​clouds in an instant.

Chen Chuan stood outside the temple, watching his junior brother leave into the distance, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

The Qingyuan Sect is a legitimate Taoist sect with a profound foundation. Its cultivation methods, elixirs, and opportunities far surpass those of this small Songjian Temple.

Xiao Jin was exceptionally talented, but being confined here was like a fine horse stuck in its stall, unable to gallop a thousand miles.

But once you enter the sect, you'll be fighting against demonic cultivators and monsters, your fate beyond your control, your life or death in the hands of others…

Having finally found such a fine disciple, how could I bear to push him into that boundless danger?

Thinking of this, Chen Chuan sighed deeply. This matter was of great importance, concerning Xiao Jin's entire life and destiny, and could not be decided hastily.

He brushed the morning dew off his clothes and secretly resolved that he would explain the pros and cons to Xiao Jin in detail when Xiao Jin broke through to the Qi Refining stage and became more mature, leaving the decision of whether to stay or leave to Xiao Jin himself.

……

The next day at noon, in front of the Bear Demon Cave in Black Wind Valley, Woniu Mountain.

Chen Chuan stood at the cave entrance, his fingertips forming a hand seal.

Eight dark array flags floated out of his storage bag, each one brimming with spiritual energy. These eight array flags were the [Illusionary Tracing Array] that he had bought from the market for ten second-tier spirit stones.

This is a second-tier magic array, best at concealing one's aura and creating illusions, and it is particularly effective against cultivators below the Foundation Establishment stage.

With a tap of his foot, Chen Chuan launched the array flags one by one to eight key locations around the cave. The flags disappeared as soon as they landed, blending into the rocks and vegetation.

After setting up the array flags, he stepped into the cave, walked to the deep pool of water, lit a water-repelling talisman, and jumped into the water.

In the water, he carefully sank a jade pendant to the bottom of the pool. As soon as it touched the bottom, the jade pendant transformed into a complex rune, which was the core of the [Illusionary Illusion Array]!

In an instant, the eight array flags outside the cave activated simultaneously, and the entire cave was shrouded in an illusion. From a distance, there was no cave entrance, only an ordinary mound of earth.

Inside the cave, Chen Chuan passed through the pool of water and arrived at the blessed land where the golden spiritual energy was abundant.

He found a flat spot, sat cross-legged, took out the [Qi Gathering Jade Bottle] from his storage bag, and placed it in front of him.

With eyes slightly closed, fingertips formed a hand seal, guiding the golden spiritual energy around the body to flow slowly.

"lead!"

With a soft shout, the golden spiritual energy within the cave seemed to be summoned, flowing into the Qi-gathering jade bottle like rivers flowing into the sea.

As he inhaled, he also felt something in his heart.

Back when he broke through to the Qi Refining stage, because his spiritual root and his natal element were incompatible, finding the right elemental energy was as difficult as ascending to heaven.

If it weren't for my mentor's dedicated help and painstaking efforts in finding a "Green Soil Nurturing Wood Cave," I wouldn't have been able to find it.

His master then gathered qi for him day and night in that cave, which enabled him to successfully break through to the Qi Refining stage.

Now, just like his mentor back then, he gathers energy for his disciples.

Perhaps this is what inheritance is...

Upon thinking of this, a sense of mission inexplicably arose in his heart, and his Qi-guiding technique became even more steady.

Half a day passed in the blink of an eye. Golden light flowed within the blessed land, and a wisp of extremely pure golden spiritual energy had condensed in the Qi-gathering jade bottle.

Chen Chuan finished his practice and stood up, calculating in his mind.

At the current rate, the bottle can be completely filled in less than two months.

After he finished packing, he followed the original path out of the cave. After confirming that the formation was stable again, he turned around and headed towards Songjian Temple.

Upon returning to the front of the temple, one could see Shu'er riding her gentle blue ox, grazing it on the hillside.

The little girl's eyes immediately lit up with a smile when she saw him return, and she called out, "Master!"

Chen Chuan nodded in agreement, gave her a few words of advice, and then stepped into the temple.

Back in the main room, he took out two jade slips, [Fertile Soil Technique] and [Rain Technique], from the ebony box.

He cleared his mind of distractions, focused his energy at his fingertips, and lightly touched the jade slip. Two warm, spiritual lights suddenly surged into his brow, and the methods, key points, and energy circulation routes contained within were instantly imprinted into his sea of ​​consciousness.

Chen Chuan closed his eyes and concentrated, carefully studying the two techniques. After a moment, he opened his eyes, left the Taoist temple, and first used a small amount of magic power to cast the [Fertile Soil Technique].

The soil in front of him shifted slightly, becoming softer and more fertile.

Then he tried the Rainmaking Technique again, drawing spiritual energy with his fingertips, and a small rain cloud rose in the direction he pointed. Fine raindrops drizzled down, nourishing the soil that had just been nourished by the Fertile Soil Technique.

Both techniques can be adjusted in size according to the amount of magical power one possesses, and Chen Chuan was very pleased that he could master them so easily even as a beginner.

He withdrew the spell, looked in the direction of the spirit field, and thought to himself: Tomorrow I can use these two spells to irrigate the spirit field, and when spring comes next year, I can plant the spirit seeds!