I only want immortality.

The Western Palace.

The moon rises above the willow branches, and lights twinkle in the sky.

Jin Guang couldn't get used to sleeping on the soft mats inside the palace, so in the middle of the night he led the black water buffalo into the palace and fell fast asleep leaning against the buffalo's belly.

The black water buffalo is honest and simple-minded. It turns its head and lies coiled up, its eyes slightly squinted.

Li Pinghe held the jade slip in his hand, but finally opened his eyes, a look of realization flashing across them.

"So that's how it is. The Dao-Seeking Mystery Pill is made in this way. No wonder no one in the Song Kingdom has achieved the Dao Foundation in the past hundred years."

The jade slip was left by a rogue cultivator two hundred years ago, whose name was "Jiaohu Daoren".

His situation is quite similar to that of Li Pinghe. He has finally reached the tenth level of Qi Refining, but he still can't find a way to establish a foundation in the Dao. Even though he tries his best to ask the disciples of those major sects for guidance, he is turned away.

Fortunately, fate intervened, and he unexpectedly saved a Foundation Establishment cultivator. To repay the debt of life, the Foundation Establishment cultivator refined a Dao Inquiry Mystery Pill for him and also taught him the corresponding pill-making technique.

The jade slip records this set of alchemy methods, or rather, one of the ways to build a foundation for the Dao.

Yes, there is more than one path to achieving the Dao Foundation. According to that Dao Foundation cultivator, there are many different methods for achieving the Dao Foundation in this world, and each sect and school has its own rules. However, they can be generally classified into three types.

They are called the "Human Immortal Path", the "Earth Immortal Path", and the "Heaven Immortal Path".

Consuming elixirs and refining treasures is a method of true cultivation. It involves refining elixirs into pills or refining spiritual treasures to enter the body and entrust them to the Great Dao. Both methods can build a foundation for the Dao. This method is known as the "Human Immortal Path".

As for the latter two, the Dao Foundation cultivator was evasive and vague, and the Horned Pot Daoist had no clue either, so he did not list them.

Even so, Li Pinghe benefited greatly, because he finally understood why the Song Kingdom, with its vast size, could not support a true Dao Foundation cultivator.

"There are actually only two ways to achieve the Dao of Immortality. One is that a Dao Foundation cultivator must sever their own Dao foundation, take the pills to refine, and have someone else consume and refine them. This will allow another Dao Foundation cultivator to be created. If there are no Dao Foundation cultivators in the previous generation, then the lineage will naturally be broken."

"Firstly, one needs to collect treasures containing the Dao and refine them into one's body. As long as the Dao and the Dao within them are sufficient, one can achieve success. However, the Song Kingdom is poor and its spiritual energy is weak, so it does not have such treasures containing the Dao."

He gradually figured out the key points.

"The number of Dao Foundation cultivators that can sever a Dao is limited. Moreover, a normal Dao Foundation cultivator would not be willing to sacrifice themselves for the benefit of others. In addition, there are unexpected losses. Therefore, the number of people who achieve Dao Foundation through the Human Immortal Path will inevitably decrease..."

"But why do the number of Foundation Establishment cultivators in major sects like the Qinghe Sect of Wuling Kingdom and the Xiaoxiang Sword Sect of Changsha Kingdom in the north remain constant?"

A hint of doubt arose in his mind.

In the past, in order to seek the method of the Dao, he had specifically studied the major sects of several countries surrounding the State of Song.

Unlike the Song Kingdom, although the spiritual energy of the surrounding countries is not much stronger, each sect generally has at least two or three Dao Foundation cultivators in charge.

This number has changed very little over the past century. At least in his memory, there has almost never been a gap. Even if a Foundation Establishment cultivator occasionally falls, a younger disciple will quickly fill the vacancy.

"Could it be that they have mastered a method to reliably cultivate cultivators to the Foundation Establishment stage?"

"But that's not right either. If we could stably produce Foundation Establishment cultivators, then the number of Foundation Establishment cultivators in the major sects would definitely not be so small now."

He tried to put himself in the shoes of a sect leader. If he could stably produce Foundation Establishment cultivators, he would do everything he could to increase the number in order to compete for cultivation resources.

However, this did not happen.

For at least the past century, the situation in the surrounding countries had been so stable that it was almost boring, which puzzled him at the time. The atmosphere in the cultivation world seemed to be much better than he had imagined.

Looking back now, it seems there were some unknown limitations involved.

"It can neither increase the number of Dao Foundation cultivators, but it can replenish them in time after the number of Dao Foundation cultivators decreases."

After careful consideration, Li Pinghe finally came to a conclusion:

"One radish per hole?"

Of course, it is also possible that every Dao Foundation cultivator refined their Dao Foundation into pills before passing away, leaving them for future generations.

However, this possibility is not high.

The method of building a Dao foundation in the Human Immortal Path is almost cheating. Any cultivator who has reached the tenth level of Qi Refining can achieve a Dao foundation as long as they refine a Dao Inquiry Mystery Pill, which can be described as ascending to heaven in one step.

However, there are advantages and disadvantages. Such a foundational cultivation is often limited by the level of the original Daoist master, and it is extremely difficult to make further progress.

Most importantly, the original owner's foundation in Dao will completely replace what he has learned. Since the original owner was skilled in swordsmanship, the newcomer can only cultivate swordsmanship.

However, in reality, according to the information he gathered, the abilities of the people before and after the succession of the foundational cultivators in each sect were completely different.

"Perhaps, this is the method of the Earth Immortal Path or the Heaven Immortal Path."

He stopped dwelling on it and instead focused his attention back on it.

Think carefully:

"I have little hope of obtaining the Mysterious Pill, so for now, I can only try to find treasures containing the Dao."

Murong Xian's precious pill was refined by the Taoist Jiaohu before his death by severing his own Dao foundation. It was something that could only be encountered by chance and was extremely rare. In his heart, the Dao foundation achieved through such a method was the lowest of the low.

Therefore, all he could hope for was to find a treasure containing the Dao and refine it to establish his foundation in the Dao.

"However, although this jade slip also records the method of refining treasures, the Horned Pot Daoist also specifically pointed out that this method is crude and not a true transmission from a major sect. Rather, it was obtained by him through a transaction with others after he achieved the Dao foundation, and it may be incomplete... That's simple."

The method of refining treasures is called "Nine Revolutions of Spiritual Seal". It requires refining the treasure with spiritual seals nine times. After nine revolutions, when combined with the essence, energy and spirit of the cultivator, there is at most a 20% chance of achieving the foundation of the Dao.

He carefully studied it several times, reviewed it one by one with his eyes closed, and soon a scroll appeared in his mind, with the five large characters "Nine Revolutions of Spiritual Transmission" written on it.

With a thought, the "Shangdong Xuanqing Food Qi Record" flew out of the yellow gourd and disappeared into the depths of his consciousness, while the "Nine Revolutions Spirit Transfer Chapter" flew into the gourd and took its place.

The pages slowly turned inside the gourd. If you looked closely, you could see the words on the pages twisting and turning as if they were alive, gradually shifting, disassembling, and piecing themselves back together...

These changes also brought Li Pinghe some new insights. He could clearly feel that the originally crude and incomplete "Nine Revolutions Spirit Transfer Chapter" was gradually becoming more precise and perfect, as if a cultivator who had studied the treasure refining method for many years was helping him to constantly try and make mistakes and gradually complete it.

This process, whether fast or slow, Li Pinghe couldn't be sure how long it would take to complete.

But this doesn't require him to put in any extra effort.

"Next, we need to find a suitable treasure for cultivating the Dao."

The scope of treasures containing the Dao is actually very broad, including birds, beasts, fish, insects, metals, stones, jade, and wood. As long as they contain the Dao, they can become materials for refining. In fact, in the "Nine Revolutions of Spirit Transfer Chapter", even Dao Foundation cultivators are considered as a kind of treasure material.

However, since cultivators have mixed thoughts and attributes, it is extremely difficult to refine them into spiritual treasures for building a foundation for one's Dao. The success rate is too low, and it would also be against the natural order. Therefore, it is considered the lowest grade among many precious materials.

The most suitable materials are metal, stone, jade, and wood that are devoid of thought or intention, or magic treasures of cultivators at the Dao Foundation stage; only then are spiritual objects considered suitable.

"According to the Taoist of the Horned Pot, the Dharma is actually the Yin-Yang and Five Elements structure contained within all things."

"As long as it is similar to the path one is on and its level exceeds the Qi Refining stage, it can be used as a vessel. If it is in conflict or mutual restraint, it will greatly reduce the possibility of success."

"The 'Upper Cave Mysterious Pure Qi-Eating Talisman' that I cultivate gathers the pure Yang Qi of the Five Elements, without favoring any one of them. The required spiritual treasures are not Yin, so it is not difficult. However, it cannot fully reveal the wonders of this method."

The "Shangdong Xuanqing Food Qi Record" was improved by him by combining the strengths of a hundred schools. Not only is there almost no bottleneck during cultivation, but according to his expectations, if one can achieve the foundation of the Dao, it can also generate all kinds of wonderful uses. It can circulate the five elements in an inexhaustible way, and its magical power can surpass that of people of the same realm by several times.

Putting aside everything else, the fact that he is over a hundred years old and still maintains abundant vital energy and magical power is precisely due to the power of this method.

However, if one builds the foundation of the Dao with a single element of the Five Elements, then this cultivation method will lose its ability to circulate, and even half of its full potential will likely not be revealed.

"Well then, let's see if we can find such a treasure!"

Li Pinghe thought about it and felt that his hopes were slim.

He had traveled around Jingchu, and had only seen such treasures once before, in a ghost market that was not often opened, at the border of Jiangxia Kingdom and Runan Kingdom further north. The other time was when he was a guest in a large sect and witnessed a Dao Foundation cultivator using a magic weapon of the corresponding level.

This treasure has only been seen twice in the past century, which shows how rare it is.

Just then, a thought struck him, and his mind fell on the bronze bell nurtured in the green gourd in his sea of ​​consciousness. However, seeing the cracks all over its surface, he could only shake his head after years of nurturing it.

"The level is still too low."

Li Pinghe sighed softly. If he were from a major clan outside of the Song Dynasty...

But when he thought of Jiaozhou, south of Jingzhou, he couldn't help but feel grateful that he was at least born in the Song Dynasty.

This is because the southernmost countries of Jiaozhou are in a worse state. Not to mention Daoji, because the spiritual caves no longer exist, the spiritual energy is almost non-existent. There are only a handful of cultivators in each country. Refining Qi to the fourth or fifth level is enough to make one run rampant in the country. This has attracted some cultivators who have no hope of further advancement and simply want to enjoy themselves.

"However, it's not like there's no chance at all."

Li Pinghe sorted out his thoughts again.

Although the path to the foundation of the Dao is still obscure and unclear, at least a direction has now emerged.

Of these, the "Nine Revolutions Spirit Chapter" is fine to leave aside; what he needs to plan most is how to obtain the treasure containing the Dao.

In the past, he would never have had the chance to acquire such a treasure. But now, even the Song Kingdom, which had been peaceful for over a hundred years on the southern border of Jingzhou, has experienced changes. This is just one example of the bigger picture. Other places may not be much more peaceful either.

Once unrest begins, no one can predict what will happen.

The cave dwellings of previous generations and the legacy of ancestors often give rise to such opportunities, and Murong Xian is a prime example.

Just be patient and wait, and the opportunity will eventually come.

"But my time is running out."

Li Pinghe looked out through the window of the West Pole Hall and murmured softly.

……

Day two.

Zhao Yuanxiao brought breakfast to the Western Palace early in the morning.

"I haven't seen my senior uncle for many years, but he hasn't changed much and is still very healthy."

Zhao Yuanxiao sat opposite Li Pinghe, and took the initiative to pour him tea, hand him a bowl and chopsticks, and then picked up a piece of pastry: "Uncle-Master, please try this. This is your favorite mung bean cake."

"I am truly flattered to be asked to serve someone as an elder of this sect."

Li Pinghe smiled, picked up the mung bean cake, stroked his beard, and took a bite.

It has a smooth and delicate texture, sweet but not cloying, with a hint of osmanthus fragrance. The initial taste is light, but the aroma gradually becomes richer at the back of the tongue, filling the mouth and nose with a subtle fragrance that leaves a lingering aftertaste.

He couldn't help but close his eyes to savor the moment, nodding in approval:

"More than twenty years have passed, and Xu Gan's skills haven't diminished. It's just that he seems to have used a bit more osmanthus, making the fragrance stronger, but it's lost some of its delicate charm, unlike before..."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yuanxiao's eyes widened in surprise, and he couldn't help but exclaim, "My late master once said that my senior uncle had a rustic charm and was a true gourmet, with a keen eye for flavor. I had never understood this before, but after seeing it today, I realize that my senior uncle is indeed a connoisseur of fine taste."

He paused for a moment and then said, "Xu Gan is gone, and now his son has taken over his skills."

Li Pinghe put down his chopsticks, his smile fading slightly, and sighed softly, "Life is like a dream, that's how it is."

"Yes," Zhao Yuanxiao sighed as well.

"Thinking back to when our late master was alive, and all our senior uncles and elders were also present, we younger disciples never had to worry about anything else. We only needed to cultivate diligently. Back then, we would call on our friends and fight fiercely, which often led to our second senior uncle punishing us according to the rules. We were terrified, but our eldest senior uncle would stop us, and we were overjoyed. Now, looking back, those years were the happiest time of my life."

Li Pinghe didn't speak, but simply lowered his eyelids and listened quietly.

"I still remember several of my senior uncles and elder brothers. After my grandmaster passed away, my eldest uncle succeeded him. My eldest uncle was kind and didn't like to meddle in worldly affairs. He was the most easygoing to us juniors. He often stopped my second uncle from beating us. Later, my eldest uncle got annoyed and passed the position to my second uncle."

Zhao Yuanxiao's eyes showed a look of reminiscence as he softly said:

"Second Martial Uncle is the most strict, and we've never seen him smile. We younger generation are all afraid of him and don't like him, but it's also under Second Martial Uncle's leadership that Chun Jun Sect has grown stronger day by day. When we younger generation go out, those rogue cultivators are increasingly in awe of us..."

"My second senior uncle was also the first among my senior uncles to pass away."

He lowered his head, his eyes slightly red.

Li Pinghe remained silent.

Zhao Yuanxiao raised his head, took a deep breath, and forced a smile:

"Third Master Uncle, since you declined the position of sect leader, my late master took you as the standard and therefore also declined the position."

"Later, Uncle Liu served as the sect leader for several years, and then passed the position to Uncle Xiao... until now, when he is the young sect leader."

Li Pinghe remained silent for a moment, then slowly spoke:

"You think your junior uncle did something wrong?"

"This disciple dares not."

"You wouldn't dare, but that's what you really think, right?"

This time, Zhao Yuanxiao remained silent. He then stood up, bowed deeply, and said in a deep voice:

"The Chun Jun Sect's current prosperity is certainly due to the efforts of Junior Uncle, but it is also the result of the hard work and dedication of other senior uncles and elders. It is not solely the Chun Jun Sect's achievement."

"If this continues today, will the practice of passing on knowledge among relatives persist in the future? If this goes on, the Chun Jun Sect may become the Murong Sect, and the disciples of the Chun Jun Sect may become servants of the Murong family!"

Li Pinghe countered with a question:

"so what?"

"You intend to depose Murong Xian from his position as sect leader and take over for yourself?"

Zhao Yuanxiao shook his head and said:

"No, I am of shallow talent and lack virtue, and I have openly disobeyed my superiors in the council hall. If I were to become the sect leader again, wouldn't that be telling the younger generation that the position of sect leader should be held by the strongest?"

"Therefore, this disciple must never become the sect leader."

He paused, then continued:

"This disciple humbly requests that my senior master take over the Chun Jun Sect and grant it a second chance at life!"