To comprehend all laws and attain immortality

"What's up?"

Gu Fan had already vaguely guessed the young man's purpose and asked with a smile.

Lin Chen stepped forward respectfully and said, "Immortal Master, I have no way to repay your kindness. I saw some wild fruits near the valley that tasted delicious, so I specially picked them to offer to you."

"Then let it go," Gu Fan said softly.

Lin Chen stepped forward, put down the wild fruit, and got up to leave, but hesitated to speak.

"Alright, stop pretending, just say what you have to say."

Gu Fan picked up a wild fruit and put it in his mouth; it did indeed taste sweet.

Lin Chen took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "This humble one wishes to ask the immortal master to teach me the method of cultivation."

Gu Fan thought to himself, "Just as I thought."

Seeing cultivators in person is something that naturally inspires longing in young people.

"Cultivating immortality is not that easy; one must possess spiritual roots."

Lin Chen nodded and said, "Reporting to the Immortal Master, I do possess spiritual roots!"

"Oh?" Gu Fan raised an eyebrow. "Come forward."

Lin Chen took two steps forward upon hearing the sound.

Gu Fan placed his hand on Lin Chen's dantian and slowly injected a wisp of magic power into it.

Lin Chen stood frozen in place, his fists clenched, not daring to move.

After a moment, Gu Fan withdrew his hand and nodded slightly.

Lin Chen was not lying; he did indeed possess spiritual roots, but his aptitude was extremely poor, ranking at the bottom even among low-grade spiritual roots.

Humans exist between heaven and earth, possessing all five elements of yin and yang, with the most prominent attribute being spiritual root.

If described numerically, one hundred is considered a celestial spiritual root, while mortals with no spiritual root are below twenty.

Gu Fan has about fifty mid-grade spiritual roots, while Lin Chen has about thirty, so it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them pseudo-spiritual roots.

"How did you find out that you have spiritual roots?" Gu Fan asked.

"Actually... I wasn't born here; I escaped from Duyou City..."

Faced with Gu Fan's question, Lin Chen hesitated for a moment before slowly revealing his background.

......

Lin Chen was born in Duyou City, the capital of the Qin Kingdom, a magnificent city where immortals and mortals lived together, and also the headquarters of the Rebirth Sect.

Ordinary people lived in the lower city, while the monks of the Rebirth Sect lived in the upper city.

The practices of the Rebirth Sect practitioners differ from those of the Wei Kingdom. Instead of secluded retreats in caves, they prefer to travel throughout the Qin Kingdom, using soul-summoning banners to guide the souls of the dead.

According to the teachings of the Rebirth School, this is a virtuous act to accumulate merit and reduce negative karma.

In addition, during their travels, the cultivators of the Rebirth Sect would also test the spiritual roots of children. Those who possessed spiritual roots would be brought back to the sect for nurturing, thus enabling them to enter the immortal realm.

However, the Rebirth Sect does not accept all comers; at least those with a mid-grade spiritual root will be accepted.

This is also the mainstream practice in Qionghua.

Even those with insufficient spiritual roots can become independent cultivators if they have the right opportunity; this is the origin of independent cultivators in various countries.

The Lingxiao Sect doesn't care much about the quality of spiritual roots because of its special cultivation techniques, which can compensate for deficiencies in spiritual roots to a certain extent. Even so, one still needs exceptional comprehension. Lingxi Peak was established for this purpose.

Otherwise, only those with superior spiritual roots are qualified to join the Lingxiao Sect. This is why the Hualing Sect has the largest number of disciples, and among the three sects of Wei Kingdom, the Hualing Sect has the lowest requirements for disciples' qualifications.

Lin Chen's spiritual root was only of the low grade, so naturally he had no chance of becoming an immortal.

Although he felt disappointed, he could accept it. After all, he was born into a wealthy family and had a comfortable life since childhood. Even if he did not cultivate immortality, he could live a stable life.

But a sudden change disrupted his peaceful life.

His father was suddenly imprisoned and questioned, and the family property was confiscated by the government. Only he escaped under the protection of his old servant. To avoid being captured, he hid all the way to the border of Qin.

The old servant stayed with him for a few years before passing away. Fortunately, Lin Chen was adaptable, intelligent, and sensible, and over the years he gained some reputation in the town.

People in the countryside respect learned people and usually call him "Mr. Kobayashi".

Just when Lin Chen thought he would spend his life like this, the turbid air of Luoxian Peak erupted, and a group of people were forced to flee their homes. If it weren't for Gu Fan's appearance, none of them would have survived.

After listening to Lin Chen's explanation, Gu Fan slowly nodded and said, "Your spiritual root aptitude is indeed too poor. It's unlikely you'll achieve much in the path of cultivation. It would be more suitable for you to settle down, get married, and have children."

This statement is a clear rejection.

The disciples of the Lingxiao Sect are mostly selected from the Wei Kingdom, and very few cultivators with unclear backgrounds are accepted.

With Lin Chen's aptitude, it would be difficult enough to reach the mid-stage of Qi Refining in an ordinary sect, let alone Foundation Establishment.

Moreover, Gu Fan's purpose in coming here is to seal the tainted cauldron, and accepting disciples for the Lingxiao Sect within the territory of the Rebirth Sect is somewhat improper.

Unexpectedly, Lin Chen's face turned red upon hearing this, and he said urgently, "I cultivate immortality not for longevity, but I hope the immortal master will have mercy on me."

After saying this, Lin Chen suddenly knelt down, bowed his head, and said, "My father was wronged!"

"Although I am young, I am aware of some family matters. After escaping Duyou City, I inquired about the situation and learned that my father was accused of supplying inferior goods and colluding to cause the competition to suffer losses. However, the Lin family has been in business for generations and has always been honest and fair to both young and old. Someone must have been trying to harm us."

"Young man, you want to cultivate immortality, not for eternal life, but only to seek justice for your father as an immortal cultivator."

Gu Fan was slightly surprised to hear this, but he understood Lin Chen's thoughts.

The status of a cultivator is far superior to that of a fugitive from a criminal's family; it's not impossible to even rescue them by force.

"Are your family members still alive all these years later?" Gu Fan asked.

Lin Chen nodded slightly: "My father was framed for a very serious crime, and according to the law, he should be beheaded. However, I don't know why he has not been sentenced for many years and has been imprisoned."

Lin Chen nodded slightly: "My father was framed for a very serious crime, and according to the law, he should be beheaded. However, I don't know why he has not been sentenced for many years and has been imprisoned."

Gu Fan nodded slightly, and the atmosphere fell silent for a moment.

After a long while, just as Lin Chen's disappointment was growing, Gu Fan spoke up: "It's rare that you have such filial piety. I can help you with this matter. In a few days, the Holy Maiden of the Rebirth Sect will come here. I will tell her then that if your father is truly innocent, he should be able to clear his name."

"Thank you, Immortal Master!" Lin Chen was overjoyed and kowtowed repeatedly.

After raising his head, he tentatively asked, "Regarding the matter of cultivating immortality, I wonder, Immortal Master..."

Gu Fan raised an eyebrow: "What, still not satisfied?"

"Immortal Master, please forgive me. I was a little scared." Lin Chen explained with a smile, "I originally thought being a mortal was not bad, but after this battle, I realized that fate is full of hardships. If I become a cultivator, at least I can protect my family. Otherwise, if there is a next time, I may not be so lucky to meet an immortal master."

Gu Fan nodded, agreeing with his statement.

The reasons why cultivators embark on the path of immortality vary. Most, like him, seek carefree longevity, while others, like Chen Suzhen, seek revenge. Lin Chen's thoughts are not surprising.

After a moment's thought, Gu Fan tossed out a thick picture book. The pages were yellowed and the corners were badly worn, clearly indicating that it had been read countless times.

"If you want to cultivate immortality, you must understand Taoist script. This book contains a comparison between Taoist script and mortal script, as well as an explanation of the meaning of Taoist script. Now, memorize as much as you can. If you satisfy me, I will give you a chance to cultivate immortality."

Lin Chen was overjoyed and took the book with both hands, saying happily, "Immortal Master, rest assured, I will definitely memorize it carefully. To be honest, before I encountered this calamity, I was also known as a child prodigy in Duyou City, and I could remember everything I saw."

"Then let's go." Gu Fan waved his sleeve.

He didn't care about what Lin Chen said.

Who isn't a child prodigy at some point?

Before he entered the Zixiao Temple, he was a well-known child prodigy in the surrounding area, possessing a photographic memory and even holding the title of Xiucai (a scholar who passed the lowest level of the imperial examinations).

Even so, it took him half a year to memorize the true meaning of the Daoist texts in the book.

Because the Taoist script is complex, each character carries profound meaning, and the meaning of two characters combined can be completely different, making it extremely difficult to memorize and record.

As for comprehending cultivation techniques through Daoist texts, the difficulty increases dramatically.

Gu Fan had been studying the "Morning Glow Purple Qi Technique" for nearly two years, but he still couldn't draw the Qi into his body. Without the help of the Myriad Manifestations Dharma Eye, he probably wouldn't even be able to enter the outer sect of the Lingxiao Sect.

And there are countless examples like him in Zixiao Temple.

The disciples on the official list are replaced every three years, and countless people's dreams of becoming immortals are shattered, leading them to descend the mountain in despair.