I only want immortality.

Upon hearing Li Pinghe's words, Su Jinglong's expression became incredibly interesting.

The atmosphere inside the pear pavilion became somewhat awkward.

Since Xianyu Qiong was the host, he naturally couldn't let the atmosphere fall flat, so he quickly smiled and changed the subject: "The title of Master Pinghe in the arts is by no means an exaggeration. Not only does he widely spread his arts, but he also teaches his own disciples quite well. Master Su, do you have any disciples you find worthy of your attention...?"

Su Jinglong waved his hand, looked at Li Pinghe with a hint of hesitation on his face, and finally spoke:

"As long as his character is not bad, it will be no problem for your disciple to enter my Penglai Pavilion. I think he is not very old. After entering the pavilion, I can guarantee that he will become a disciple of a Grand Master of the Pure Yang Clan, or even a disciple of a Golden Core Saint. As for you..."

He paused, silently considering his words, and then said seriously:

"I aspire to the Golden Elixir Path, and I will not hide it from you. At your age, if you want to establish a foundation for the Dao, even if you use a spiritual cave to become an Earth Immortal, it will not be so easy. No matter where you go, they will not give you this opportunity. That is one reason."

"Secondly, Penglai Pavilion has its own rules. Unless there is a golden elixir saint's decree, no one can give you a spiritual cave for free."

"There are some things I want you to hear today, keep them in your heart, and not spread them around."

Seeing his seriousness, Li Pinghe dared not be negligent and stood up to make the oath.

Su Jinglong nodded solemnly and said:

"Spiritual caves have their own order of importance. In the vast divine continent, the first rank is the lowest, and the fifth rank is the most prestigious."

"A first-grade spiritual cave cannot nurture a foundation for cultivation. Only when a cultivator reaches the second-grade lower level can they borrow the earth's power to ascend to the path of Earth Immortal."

"But there are differences. A weak spiritual cave can only support one or two foundations, while a strong one can support eight or nine."

"Cultivators of the Earth Immortal path share the glory and disgrace of their spiritual caves. Those who share the same cave to establish their Dao foundation are close friends and fellow practitioners who can share life and death. They would never allow others to enter the cave to cultivate unless they are absolutely close or trustworthy."

Do you understand what I'm saying?

"Thank you for your guidance, Master Su."

Li Pinghe's expression darkened slightly, and he slowly nodded.

At that moment, he finally understood why, despite his past reputation and talent, he had been repeatedly rejected by large sums of money, and he even thought of more.

To use an inappropriate analogy, a spiritual cave is like a bed; without someone you absolutely trust, who would put someone else on their bed?

This is even more serious, because it is a matter of life and death.

Therefore, if a cultivator of a major sect wants to establish a Dao Foundation, he needs the consent of other Dao Foundation cultivators, or rather, most Dao Foundation cultivators, in order to have a chance.

Talent is secondary in this regard.

Regardless of how Li Pinghe initially presented himself, making many like-minded people and generously sharing his improved magic techniques, these very things became a destabilizing factor.

Being too talented can put pressure on ordinary people. Dao Foundation cultivators are not necessarily much stronger than ordinary people, so they will naturally have the same concerns.

Although Su Jinglong did not say it directly, Li Pinghe already understood the other party's unspoken meaning. The Dao Foundation cultivators of Penglai Pavilion are also human beings, and naturally they will have the instinct to abhor risks.

Therefore, even if he were to enter Penglai Pavilion, he would still not have the opportunity to establish his Dao foundation.

"Is there no other way to achieve the foundation of the Dao besides the Earthly Immortal Path?"

Xianyu Qiong couldn't help but ask a question, which in turn revealed the knot in Li Pinghe's heart.

"Anything else?"

Su Jinglong pondered for a moment before speaking: "It's not that there aren't any, in fact, there are quite a few. For example, using Gu worms, spiritual plants, demonic creatures, pills, and magic treasures to forge one's Dao foundation can all be called the 'Human Immortal Path.' However, there are too many treacherous tricks involved, making it impossible to guard against them. For instance, the once-popular External Alchemy Path would strip away a cultivator's Dao foundation, refine it into pills, and pass them on to future generations. In reality, it was often an opportunity to seize another's body and live another life."

Upon hearing this, Li Pinghe's heart sank slightly.

"This method of possession has no exceptions?"

Su Jinglong shook his head: "Very few... There may be more cultivators from families, but how many of them could live another life and would willingly become pawns in someone else's game?"

Li Pinghe's expression darkened slightly, and he said no more.

"As for entering the Dao through magical treasures, not to mention that the possibility of success is extremely slim, if the original owner of the magical treasure is still alive, the foundation of the Dao achieved through it will naturally be controlled by him. Outsiders may not know this, but we all do."

Su Jinglong, as expected of someone from a major sect, possessed extraordinary knowledge and revealed secrets that Li Pinghe was unaware of in just a few words.

"Then, what about the Celestial Immortal Path?"

Xianyu Qiong asked curiously.

"The path to becoming a Celestial Immortal... is extremely rare."

Speaking of this, Su Jinglong sighed, "Talent, opportunity, and courage are all indispensable. In my Penglai Pavilion, such people are few and far between. As long as each one does not die prematurely, he will at least be a Great True Person with a perfected Dao Foundation."

Xianyu Qiong, unable to contain his excitement, asked, "We've already made progress on the paths to Human Immortality and Earth Immortality, but how can we possibly achieve the path to Celestial Immortality?"

Li Pinghe couldn't help but listen attentively.

"The celestial immortals seek enlightenment from the heavens."

Su Jinglong didn't hide anything and said frankly:

"The Human Immortal Path and the Earth Immortal Path both rely on external things to support them in order to build the foundation of the Great Dao. Only the Heavenly Immortal Path does not rely on anything and is born by its own strength. Therefore, it can form its own style without relying on all things, and is born rich and noble without being restrained."

"However, everyone's temperament, circumstances, and the path they follow are different, so the corresponding methods of the Celestial Immortal Path will naturally be quite different."

He looked at Li Pinghe and suddenly spoke:

"I do have a document here detailing how a senior achieved the foundation of the Celestial Immortal Dao. Would Mr. Li be interested?"

Li Pinghe naturally understood the other party's meaning and pondered for a moment before saying, "Penglai Pavilion is a major sect in the world. If Jin Guang is fortunate enough to enter it, it would be a great thing. I will certainly advise him."

"good!"

Upon hearing this, Su Jinglong was quite pleased that Li Pinghe was sensible. He immediately took something from his sleeve, handed it to Li Pinghe, and instructed him:

"This is a clan's internal text and cannot be circulated outside, so Mr. Li can only read it here."

For Li Pinghe, this was a trivial matter. After taking it over and reading the whole thing, it was already firmly imprinted in his mind, not a single word changed.

This is not some kind of method; in terms of its profundity, it is not even as profound as the "Tai Su Yan Dao Pian" that Wen Yao bestowed upon Lu Mingchen.

It simply tells the story of how this great master named Zhou Kaizhi achieved the Dao of Celestial Immortality.

He was crippled from childhood, with both knees broken, yet he possessed astonishing talent. By the age of thirty, he had already reached the tenth level of Qi Refining. However, due to his aloof nature and lack of support, he was never recognized by other Dao Foundation cultivators and thus missed out on spiritual acupoints. In his resentment, he sat alone on the mountain for fifty years, observing the sea and sky by day and the stars by night. One day, he suddenly had a great enlightenment. As purple qi came from the east, he shattered his dantian and qi sea, gathered the dragon and tiger primordial energy, and achieved the 'Pure Yang Purple Qi' Dao Foundation.

The process is roughly like this, but there are some subtle sensations along the way, such as the changes that occur after one's dantian and dantian are shattered.

After reading it through, he finally understood why Su Jinglong said that the Heavenly Immortal Path required "talent, opportunity, and courage"—all three were indispensable.

Without sufficient talent, even if one looks for another hundred years, one may not be able to comprehend the Great Dao. Without the timely arrival of auspicious energy, one cannot gather the dragon and tiger, and will most likely fail. And without courage, how can one dare to put oneself in a life-or-death situation and then live?

However, this was Zhou Kaizhi's method, but it might not be applicable to him.

"Every cultivator has a different way of achieving the Path of Celestial Immortality. Mr. Li can use this as a reference, but he should not stick to the old ways. Otherwise, if he misleads you, it will be my fault."

Su Jinglong is a noble gentleman who speaks the truth.

Li Pinghe stood up and bowed:

"If I hear the Dao in the morning, I can die content in the evening. I am eternally grateful to receive the teachings from Master Su."

"There's no need for that, Mr. Li, you're too kind."

Su Jinglong personally got up and lifted it up, secretly feeling regretful.

If it were an ordinary Qi Refining Level 10 cultivator, that would be considered an ordinary Dao Foundation cultivator, and wouldn't be worthy of such courtesy. However, although this Mr. Li is only at the Qi Refining level, his skills are truly those of a first-rate figure capable of establishing a sect. It's just that he was hampered by bad luck and ultimately failed to achieve his ambitions.

Such a person deserves his politeness, and it's not entirely because of his disciple.

Just then, Li Pinghe's expression suddenly froze, but he quickly recovered.

The three chatted for a while longer, and Li Pinghe learned a lot of information from Su Zhenren that was only circulating among Dao Foundation cultivators. It might not be secrets, but it gave him a deeper understanding of the Dao Foundation cultivator level.

"Master Su still needs to continue to locate the auspicious burial site. Let's leave it at that for today. I will come to bother Master Su again when the time comes."

Xianyu Qiong stood up and said with a smile.

Su Jinglong acted as if he were the host, only offering slight politeness upon hearing this, without trying to persuade him to stay. He then specifically instructed Li Pinghe, "Mr. Li, you can bring Jin Guang to see me when you have time."

"must."

Li Pinghe returned the smile.

The two retreated and walked along the mountain path. Suddenly, Xianyu Qiong asked, "Do you really think Penglai Pavilion has no designs on the Jiuyang Sect?"

Li Pinghe paused slightly, frowning as he said:

"I truly do not know that, but what is the purpose of locating the sacred site?"

"It should be about judging whether it's worth it."

Xianyu Qiong gave a wry smile: "According to Master Su, this spiritual cave of the Nine Yang Sect should be the lowest grade among the second-grade ones, only able to accommodate one person. The Penglai Pavilion may not even be interested in such a spiritual cave, but they still need to judge whether there is any hope of improvement in the future."

Li Pinghe nodded, deeply agreeing: "If a second-grade superior spiritual cave could accommodate nine Dao Foundation cultivators, I estimate that Penglai Pavilion wouldn't let it go unchecked."

"Well, fortune and misfortune are unpredictable. At least the Nine Yang Sect originated from Penglai Pavilion, so it won't be too bad."

Xianyu Qiong shook his head, no longer thinking about it, and looked at Li Pinghe, advising, "Junior Nephew Jin Guang... if he really has a chance to visit Penglai Pavilion, you shouldn't stop him."

"How could I possibly stand in his way?"

Li Pinghe frowned slightly, then suddenly asked, "Do you know of anyone else who has achieved the Path of Celestial Immortality?"

"The Celestial Immortal Path? I don't know... Aren't you acquainted with Duan Li? Although the Dragon Abyss Sword Sect is not as powerful as the Penglai Pavilion, it is still a major sect. Duan Li might know something about it... You don't really want to follow the Celestial Immortal Path, do you?"

Xianyu Qiong shook his head blankly, then suddenly realized something and looked at Li Pinghe in surprise.

Li Pinghe looked at him without saying a word.

Xianyu Qiong waved his hand helplessly:

"Alright, alright, I won't ask anymore. But... Master Su also said that your chances of achieving the Dao Foundation are too slim. Why not just enjoy these last few years?"

"That Valley Master Ye has been waiting for you."

Upon hearing this, Li Pinghe remained silent with a smile.

Xianyu Qiong had no choice but to escort Li Pinghe to the guesthouse where he was staying before leaving in a hurry.

Watching Xianyu Qiong leave, and recalling his old friend's heartfelt advice, Li Pinghe was slightly lost in thought. After a long while, he muttered to himself before turning and going inside.

The sound faded into the wind and became inaudible.

"What my heart desires, though I die nine times, I will not regret..."

……

He sat cross-legged in the room arranged for him by the Jiuyang Sect.

Li Pinghe felt a rare surge of joy.

As one's mind sinks into the sea of ​​consciousness, a book appears outside the gourd.

The scroll bears four characters: "Biography of Zhou Kaizhi".

"I never expected that Zhou Kaizhi's notes on achieving immortality would also be included..."

"If it's not a cultivation technique, how can it possibly be improved?"

Li Pinghe felt a rare surge of emotion, a mixture of surprise, joy, and doubt.

He immediately took out the "Shangdong Xuanqing Food Qi Record" from the yellow gourd and put the "Biography of Zhou Kaizhi" into it.

The scroll slowly turned, and large sections of the text peeled away, leaving only a few characters, which were still twisting and breaking apart, but could not be put back together. Not only that, even the name on the scroll was completely distorted.

"Incomplete content?"

"That doesn't seem like it. It's more like the materials provided are too few, making progress impossible..."

As Li Pinghe sensed the changes in the scroll, some conjectures and inspirations about the Celestial Immortal Path also vaguely surfaced in his mind, but they remained as if separated by a veil, and he could not truly see through them.

"I'm afraid we'll need to obtain some other notes on achieving the Heavenly Immortal Path before we can complete this method."

Recalling Xianyu Qiong's words, Li Pinghe thought for a moment, then called over a Jiuyang Sect disciple who was serving outside and asked him to deliver a visiting card.

After tidying up, the sun was already setting behind the mountains.

After the disciples of the Nine Yang Sect returned, he was led by them into the courtyard where Duan Li was.

Upon seeing Li Pinghe, most of Duan Li's disciples and grand-disciples in the courtyard remained expressionless, except for a few disciples who took the initiative to greet him politely.

"My master is already waiting. Mr. Li, please."

Guided by him, Li Pinghe soon saw Duan Li, who was practicing calligraphy in the courtyard. His handwriting was soft and rounded, without any effort, and it was not sharp at all.

Li Pinghe stood behind him, waiting for him to finish writing a piece. When he read the line, "Life is as fleeting as a spring dream, and human relationships are as thin as autumn clouds," he couldn't help but frown.

Although Duan Li had his back to him, he seemed to see his expression and chuckled softly:

"Fellow Daoist Li is as perceptive as ever; nothing can escape your notice."

Li Pinghe simply shook his head: "I only see what I'm allowed to see. If others are unwilling, how can I know?"

Duan Li couldn't help but turn around and chuckle:

"You figured it out after all..."

He put down his pen, raised his hand to invite Li Pinghe to sit down, and his disciple served tea.

She sighed softly:

"After achieving the foundation of the Dao, my old friends have passed away one after another. Now, after many years of wasting time, I know that I have no hope of achieving the Golden Core Dao. I have lost my edge in one breath. Now I only want to give my disciples who follow me a peaceful place to go."

"Fellow Daoist Li, we are old friends. Would you be willing to lend me your assistance, along with the Chun Jun Sect?"

Sword cultivators are often direct and decisive in their actions, but this directness still caught Li Pinghe somewhat off guard. After a moment of contemplation, he spoke:

"If there is a need to improve techniques and methods, I will certainly agree. However, as for the Chun Jun Sect, my words are not valid."

Duan Li wasn't surprised by this, but looking at Li Pinghe, he suddenly asked, "Fellow Daoist Li, you are already quite old, why are you still running around so busily?"

Faced with such a master of swordsmanship, Li Pinghe could no longer conceal his feelings, and thus frankly said:

"I only hope to lay the foundation for the Dao, so I will make this final push."

Duan Li showed no surprise whatsoever, and instead revealed admiration in his eyes:

"Time may wear him down, but his will remains unchanged. If Fellow Daoist Li were a sword cultivator, he would surely be among the best in the mortal realm!"

"I wonder what I can do for you, fellow Daoist?"