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

Three months passed in the blink of an eye.

The cicadas' chirping echoed through the pine trees—summer had arrived.

A warm breeze brushed against the faces of the two children under the pine tree, their backs soaked with sweat.

Xiao Jin recited a few incantations to conclude his practice, regulated his breathing, and slowly pressed down with both hands from the top of his head.

"Another breakthrough... Master said that ordinary cultivators are considered qualified if they can enter the embryonic breathing stage within three months. I have already broken through to the third stage of embryonic breathing in just three months. I guess that's considered fast?"

He was secretly delighted. He slowly opened his eyes and glanced to the right. He saw that Senior Sister Shu'er still had her eyes closed and was breathing deeply.

"Since March, even though Senior Sister Shu'er hasn't made any progress, she hasn't slacked off in her efforts. I can't be lazy and play around just because of some achievements; I should learn from her."

So he did not bask in joy, but recited the incantation again and regulated his breathing.

……

Since Shu'er started practicing, Chen Chuan has been extremely busy. These two disciples practice like they don't care about their lives, sitting under the pine tree for a whole day.

Chores like boiling water, cooking, and sweeping the courtyard were unexpectedly assigned to his master.

Inside the kitchen, Chen Chuan, with his Taoist robe sleeves rolled up, was preparing to add water to rinse the rice. He turned around and looked into the vat, his brows furrowing slightly.

The spirit rice in the jar was almost gone, barely enough for a few days' worth of food.

Holding a few grains of translucent white spirit rice, Chen Chuan sighed softly to himself.

Since the two disciples began their cultivation, the amount of spirit stones and rare treasures they have consumed has increased day by day.

Shu'er has no spiritual root and does not need spiritual food to nourish her. However, Chen Chuan saw that she was cultivating diligently and did not want to disappoint her, so he let her eat the same food as Xiao Jin.

However, the spirit stones he earned from drawing talismans and refining pills were gradually becoming insufficient to cover his expenses. Even if he saved every penny, he could hardly support the cultivation expenses of the three of them.

"Looks like I'll have to have a good talk with that girl, Shu'er..."

Just as he was pondering this, a wisp of warm and soft spiritual energy suddenly rose from his dantian, gently permeating his limbs and bones.

Chen Chuan's eyes flickered slightly, and a hint of joy appeared on his lips.

It must be that Xiao Jin has broken through again!

He broke through to the third stage of fetal breathing in just three months!

Such speed would place him among the top performers even among the core disciples of the immortal sects!

Chen Chuan thought to himself that Xiao Jin's speed was due to two main reasons. Firstly, his single metal-type spiritual root and his natal weapon, the [Dust-Slaying Sword], complemented each other, making it twice as effective in drawing and gathering qi.

Secondly, his resolve to follow the Dao is firm, making him a promising candidate for cultivation.

What's most remarkable is this child's tenacity. He meditates during the day and studies techniques alone at night. With such diligence, even if his talent is slightly lacking, he can still make progress step by step, not to mention that he is already quite talented.

However, if one wants to break through from the third stage of fetal breathing to the fourth stage, ordinary spiritual energy is no longer sufficient. One needs to nourish the body and spirit before attempting a breakthrough. This is what cultivators refer to as the first hurdle of fetal breathing.

After rinsing the rice, Chen Chuan placed it on the stove.

He turned around and walked to his main room, taking out an ebony box with a talisman attached from under the bed.

After chanting the incantation to remove the talisman, the box was opened. Inside lay a [Sound Transmission Stone], a [Storage Bag] with the word "Yifang" written on it, and several second-tier spirit stones that gleamed faintly.

He counted the spirit stones in a low voice, and after a few breaths, he silently closed the wooden box, looked at the ceiling, and let out a long sigh.

"Poor!"

.....

"Shu'er, Xiao Jin, let's stop practicing for now and have dinner."

Chen Chuan's voice fell on the pine tree, and the two children stopped their spells upon hearing it, stood up and went to greet him.

The food box was opened, revealing two bowls of spirit rice and two dishes of stir-fried spirit vegetables, with a faint spiritual aura.

The three of them sat down in the shade of a tree, picked up their bowls and chopsticks, and began to eat with relish.

Chen Chuan looked at Xiao Jin and said calmly, "Have you broken through to the third level of the Fetal Breathing Realm?"

Xiao Jin nodded upon hearing this, his eyes filled with undisguised joy: "Reporting to Master, this disciple only broke through by sheer luck."

"Very good!" Chen Chuan nodded in satisfaction.

Hearing this conversation, Shu'er lowered her head even further, pursed her lips slightly, and silently picked at the rice in her bowl.

Chen Chuan saw her appearance and couldn't bring himself to say what he wanted to say.

So he could only sigh inwardly and change the subject to Xiao Jin.

"The three stages of embryonic breathing cannot be adequately nourished by ordinary spiritual food; they require the nourishment of spiritual flesh."

"I will be going to the market in the next few days to buy some spiritual meat and spiritual rice. You two need to take turns guarding the affairs of the temple and do not slack off."

The two agreed in unison, but Shu'er's voice was so soft that it was almost inaudible.

After the meal, Xiao Jin continued to meditate in deep meditation, while Shu'er quietly cleared away the dishes and chopsticks. Once everything was in order, she gently walked to Chen Chuan's door.

The little girl hesitated for a moment before raising her hand and knocking on the wooden door.

When Chen Chuan opened the door, he saw Shu'er with red eyes, her face downcast, not daring to look her master in the eye. She twisted the hem of her Taoist robe with both hands and said in a soft voice, "Master, Shu'er has thought it over and will not cultivate anymore."

"What's wrong?" Chen Chuan asked, puzzled. "Did your junior brother say something to you?"

"No!" Shu'er shook her head vigorously.

"Since I have no spiritual root, no matter how much I practice, it will be a waste of effort and a waste of the temple's spirit stones. It would be better to give all the resources to my junior brother so that he can cultivate properly."

"From now on, Shu'er will simply resume boiling water and cooking for Master and Junior Brother, and sweeping the courtyard..."

"Shu'er..."

Chen Chuan didn't know what to say, so he could only squat down and hug Shu'er.

Shu'er sobbed, her tears of grievance soaking half of Chen Chuan's shoulder, and she whimpered:

"Master, please tell me the story of how you found Shu'er again..."

……

After comforting his disciple, Chen Chuan took out the yellow paper and cinnabar for drawing talismans. Although he had not made any breakthroughs in his cultivation realm since he began his practice, he had done a lot of research on talismans and alchemy.

Although his cultivation level only allowed him to obtain Qi-refining talismans and pills, their quality was far superior to that of ordinary Qi-refining cultivators.

He washed his hands, burned incense, and waited until his mind was calm before taking a wolf-hair brush, dipping it in cinnabar, and writing with flowing strokes.

As night deepened outside the window, the wind rustled through the pines in the courtyard, the candlelight flickered on the table, and a thick stack of yellow talismans piled up in front of him.

He then put down his brush and wiped his wrist, gazing at the talismans scattered across the table, a hint of weariness in his eyes.

"Adding the ones I drew a few days ago, I should be able to exchange them for five second-tier spirit stones..."

The next day, Chen Chuan got up as soon as it was light.

He took out his storage bag and put in the talismans and spirit stones he had drawn the night before. After checking them carefully and confirming that everything was alright, he put the storage bag in his pocket.

He straightened his Taoist robe, lightly waved his whisk, and pushed open the door to go out.

Before the morning mist had dissipated, Chen Chuan looked up and saw Shu'er with a cloth wrapped around her neck, holding a bamboo broom, bending over and sweeping fallen leaves.

Seeing Chen Chuan come out, Shu'er's eyes crinkled into a smile, and she called out, "Master! Breakfast is ready, please eat before you go!"

After having breakfast, Chen Chuan gave Shu'er a few instructions and then went out.

As he expected, Xiao Jin was already sitting cross-legged under the ancient pine tree outside the courtyard, intending to use the rising sun and the awakening of all things to temper his foundation.

Chen Chuan secretly admired Xiao Jin. Ever since Xiao Jin entered the temple, the two children had been secretly competing with each other. Shu'er, who usually loved to sleep in late, had been getting up so early every day since her junior brother arrived.

Not wanting to disturb his disciple's cultivation, he moved quietly, took two [Jia Ma Talismans] and affixed them to his legs, then, with his toes touching the ground, he followed the mountain path towards the north side of the Great Wilderness Mountain.

The destination of this trip is Jingxin Lake Market, a place teeming with independent cultivators.

A warm breeze caressed our faces as we traveled along the lake, accompanied by the sound of rustling pines. By the time we reached the shore of Mirror Lake, it was nearly noon.

The lake was as smooth as a mirror, reflecting golden light. Several small boats with black awnings were moored along the shore. The boatmen all recognized the traveling cultivators. Seeing Chen Chuan in his Taoist robe, an old boatman poled out to greet him: "Taoist Master, are you going to that market?"

Chen Chuan nodded: "Thank you for your trouble, sir."

After paying a transfer fee of fifteen Tier 1 spirit stones, Chen Chuan boarded the boat and took a seat. The old boatman pushed off with his bamboo pole, and the small boat broke through the water and headed towards the center of the lake.

After traveling several miles, they reached the center of the lake. The old boatman pointed to the calm water ahead and said, "Taoist priest, we've arrived."

Chen Chuan thanked the boatman and took out a [Water-Repelling Talisman] and lit it.

Then he leaped into the lake. The water-repelling talisman created an invisible barrier, keeping the lake water completely out. The air around him was cool and clear, yet not a drop of water touched him.

He slowly sank down, and the scenery at the bottom of Mirror Lake gradually unfolded before his eyes. Even though Chen Chuan had seen this scenery several times, he couldn't help but feel a stirring in his heart.

A magic array was set up at the bottom of the lake, separating the lake water from the market. Inside the array were staggered stone houses and bamboo buildings, with upturned eaves carved with water and cloud patterns. Several high-grade fluorescent stones stood in the path, illuminating the bottom of the lake as if it were daytime.

This market town at the bottom of Mirror Lake is truly a secret realm for independent cultivators!