Immortality Cultivation: Fellow Daoists, please live for two more episodes!

Water Moon Branch, Mission Hall.

Manager Lü was still the same as always: a mustache, bald head, cold tea, a roster. He didn't even look up when Zhou Youyuan came in.

"Oh? Junior Brother Sun is here again. I heard you went to Shuiyue's prison for a stroll. Got some good stuff again today?"

Zhou Youyuan untied the cloth bag and placed it on the counter. Inside were the miscellaneous goods he had inherited in the past few days, plus the short sword and bronze mirror from Chen Wendao's storage bag.

Shopkeeper Lü put down his pen, glanced at it, picked up the short sword, examined it a couple of times, and hissed, "This thing is of decent quality. Where did you get it?"

"I found it."

"Can you even find this kind of stuff on the ground these days?"

Shopkeeper Lü smiled and set the short sword aside. He then looked at the bronze mirror, turned it over to examine the inscription on the back, and his smile returned.

"Alright, you're a regular customer. I'll give you a good price for this. The Dragon Sword is 1,320 points, the Sea of ​​Consciousness Bronze Mirror is 2,460 points, and the ore is 100 points for you. That's 3,880 points in total."

Zhou Youyuan took away the bamboo tokens and then took out two spirit marrows from his sleeve and placed them on the table.

"Shopkeeper, I'd like to ask you something while I'm at it."

Manager Lü's mustache twitched.

"Oh? You know to come here to ask for information? You're quite well-informed. Well then, I guess I don't need to tell you about my rules anymore. One hundred points for small matters, five hundred for big matters, and over one thousand points."

Manager Lü tapped his mouth with the pen handle:

"I don't know, and don't ask."

"I understand, I just want to know, what is Daoji?"

Manager Lü paused, holding the pen to his lips, and looked it up and down, a moment of surprise in his eyes.

I don't know what level of cultivation this old guy has, but I imagine that although he may not have reached the Foundation Establishment stage, he is definitely at the peak of Qi Refining.

Clearly, Zhou Youyuan's rapid progress from the third level of Qi Refining to the 80th level in just three months could not be kept secret from him.

However, Shuiyue has a rule: never pry into other people's secrets, because if you do, it means you're going to double-cross them.

He doesn't have that plan yet:

"Junior Brother Sun certainly has lofty ambitions!"

"Just to get to know."

Seeing this, Manager Lü didn't ask any more questions. He gathered the spirit stones into a hidden drawer, tore off a piece of yellow paper, wrote a place name on it, and pushed it over:

"In the third row of Section D of the library, there is a book called 'General Treatise on Foundation Building,' which can be borrowed by a disciple for one hour using their token."

He paused, then added, "If you're too lazy to run around, I can also offer twenty coins."

"I'm running."

"Alright, save me the trouble of talking. But out of consideration for our old acquaintance, I still have to give you a piece of advice: as for Dao Foundation, just understand it, that's enough. Don't get hung up on it, or you might just..."

……

The door to the quiet room closed, the restrictions were lifted, and all sounds outside ceased.

This room costs 300 points a day, which he would have been reluctant to spend in the past. However, now he can earn more than 3,000 points just by selling the odds and ends in a few storage bags, so this expense is just a drop in the ocean.

He had already memorized the contents of the book "General Treatise on Foundation Building" on the yellow paper word by word in the library, and was now reciting it silently with his eyes closed.

The so-called foundation building refers to building the foundation of the Tao.

The universe operates according to the twenty-four solar terms: Beginning of Spring, Rain Water, Awakening of Insects, Spring Equinox, Pure Brightness, Grain Rain... Heavy Snow, Winter Solstice, in a continuous cycle.

The cultivation of Foundation Establishment cultivators involves incorporating the Daoist essence corresponding to the solar terms into their bodies and making it their own.

When all the elements are gathered together, one achieves a minor success in foundation building.

Once the two energies are gathered, the foundation for great success can be established.

The Golden Elixir corresponds to the twelve constellations: Xingji, Xuanxiao, Juzi, Jianglou, Daliang, Shishen, Chunshou, Chunhuo, Chunwei, Shouxing, Dahuo, and Ximu.

Each golden elixir requires the fusion of at least four seasonal Dao foundations to be forged.

For example, to obtain the Golden Elixir of Immortality, one needs the seasons of Awakening of Insects, Spring Equinox, White Dew, and Winter Solstice.

spring equinox.

Zhou Youyuan opened his eyes and took out the warm, green jade pendant from his storage bag.

The innate Yin-Yang Dao foundation.

The incomplete Dao Foundation he inherited from Chen Changsheng corresponds to the Spring Equinox.

The General Treatise on Foundation Building clearly states: "The Spring Equinox is when day and night are of equal length, and yin and yang are in harmony. One should be good at distinguishing yin and yang, and good at confusing people's minds."

Fireflies can bewitch people.

That day, the Duwangqing shattered his sea of ​​consciousness once. Although the "Withered Wood Turns into Blood" pulled him back, the shattered sea of ​​consciousness was different from before.

Like a mirror covered in grease that is smashed and then glued back together, it is broken, but the grease is gone too.

How long has he held this Dao Foundation? Nearly two years, from the day Chen Changsheng died until now.

What did he do in those two years?

He took the Dao Foundation, passed it on to Li Xiaoyu, then to Zhao Donglai, and finally to Pei Changgeng.

Despite all the interference of cause and effect, the goal was not achieved.

Given his personality, he should have changed his approach long ago when Zhao Donglai failed.

Since it's difficult to send someone to a higher position, why not go downhill, take it one step at a time, and find a few more scapegoats? It's better than trying in vain all the time.

But the result?

He stepped forward to redeem people, fought with magic, and perished together with Chen Wendao, gradually pushing himself from the shadows into the light.

Something's not right, absolutely not right.

In his previous life, he worked in finance for over ten years, and he believed in only one rule.

Before setting up a scheme, intelligence is always the top priority. The scale of the scheme depends on the amount of intelligence available. Without intelligence, there is no judgment, and without judgment, no action is allowed.

This is an ironclad rule, not a principle; it's a lesson he learned by losing real money.

But before he even made a move, he didn't even understand what Foundation Establishment was. How could someone who didn't even understand the level of his opponent dare to interfere with the cause and effect of a Foundation Establishment cultivator?

His true intention was to send Daoji away; that's for sure.

But this Dao Foundation amplified the thought of "wanting to send it away" to an infinite degree, to the point that he couldn't care about anything else, to the point that a mere mortal at the eighth level of Qi Refining actually felt that he could stir up the chessboard of a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

It wasn't that he wanted to send this Dao Foundation to a higher place.

It is this foundation... that is using his hand to send oneself to a higher place.

The innate Yin-Yang Dao foundation, the first of the Dao foundations at the Spring Equinox, Mars guards the heart.

Mars guards the heart; no wonder it's called that.

"You beast!"

He put the jade pendant back into his storage bag and sat on the stone platform for a long time.

After venting, I need to think about what to do next.

……

Three months have passed in the blink of an eye.

"Junior Brother Sun, congratulations!"

Under the corridor outside the mission hall, a gray-robed deacon stopped him with a roster in hand: "Only three were selected for this batch of outer sect competitions. The other two have already chosen their masters, leaving only you. Have you decided yet?"

Zhou Youyuan cupped his hands in a gesture of respect: "Thank you for the reminder, Senior Brother. Please allow me to think about it some more."

Haha, what a load of crap. Shuiyue's character is such that seeking a master is no different than offering her neck up.

"What are you thinking? With your grades, several senior uncles are fighting over you. If you miss the deadline, you'll have to wait until the next batch, and by then it will be too late."

"understood."

The gray-robed deacon shook his head and walked away.

Zhou Youyuan leaned against the pillar and put away his smile.

He didn't want to go inside.

But Chen Wendao's soul has run away and returned to Yu Miaoxian. It's only a matter of time before someone else comes. With the limited resources of the outer sect, how can they possibly stop a Foundation Establishment cultivator?

We need to think of a way; getting into the inner circle is the bare minimum.

He straightened up and called out to the gray-robed deacon, "Senior Brother."

The gray-robed deacon turned around and calmly accepted the two spirit marrows handed to him by Zhou Youyuan.

"Where is the Yanbaotai? I'd like to ask you for some details."

"Oh, Junior Brother Sun, you also want to get involved in the business of the Ten Thousand Souls Domain?"

The grey-robed deacon took two steps back and said in a low voice:

"You've come at the right time. Master Qi of Luoxia Peak found an ancient mirror a few days ago. It's extraordinary. It has evolved countless cycles of energy on its own. Master Qi waved his hand and said that he would contribute it to the sect's disciples for refining souls, and would only charge for materials."

"You should get one as soon as possible, or you won't be able to get a spot. It's located on the western slope of Luoxia Peak in the inner sect; you can enter by displaying your disciple's token."

Zhou Youyuan stood with his hands in his pockets, watching the gray-robed deacon walk away before taking his own steps.

For three months, he had been thinking about how to find a way to survive before Yu Miaoxian made her next move.

Perhaps it's right here.