Cultivation begins with harvest.

"Just make a copy yourself, and I'll have someone deliver it to you."

The Taoist priest had already prepared the documents at some point, detailing the resources to be provided and the conditions to be met, in perfect detail, without any discrepancy from what had been said before.

Chen Guang took the paper and looked at it strangely. The dark green paper looked like condensed smoke, and the incense burner next to it had been emitting wisps of smoke since he took the paper and started copying. He recognized that both of them were spiritual objects, and were unique to the way of divination.

"It's actually a method of divination."

Divination, in its most primitive form, was used to predict the future by divining the future through methods such as burning tortoise shells to observe omens, calculating numbers, consulting spirits, and predicting good and bad fortune. However, in the evolution of spiritual practice, when divination became an independent art, it was characterized by its connection with ancestors and sages. It allowed practitioners to glimpse clues about the future by drawing upon the power of their predecessors and to overcome difficulties when necessary.

It is extremely mysterious and has a long history.

The longer a group has existed and the higher the level of its ancestors, the greater the power of divination that its descendants can wield. Qingheng Sect is an ancient sect, and even though the divination power that can be borrowed from the master-disciple lineage is weaker than that of bloodline, its profound foundation is still extraordinary.

Chen Guang seemed to understand something. This was probably the method by which the Sage Hall protected the sect. The last time the curse was cast, it was an extremely obvious divination technique. The current one was the same. As long as Chen Guang finished copying the documents—one written by the Taoist and one copied by himself—the spirits of the Qingheng Sect's ancestors would be able to perceive them under the influence of the [Pre-Chance Note] and the [Stele Spirit Incense Burner].

Since spirit contracts can be removed, and the binding power of contracts is too strong, many forces don't like to use contracts to guarantee the bottom line when dealing with core members, because using spirit contracts already lowers the bottom line.

One alternative method is divination. The method of divination relies on the strength and number of sages, and there is no binding force. Its constraint lies in the fact that as long as there is a disloyal mind, the spirit of the sage will be able to sense it.

It's like two people are driving together on the same road, and suddenly someone drives in the wrong direction. Divination methods often sense this when such a thought arises. In other words, as long as one has a sect in their heart, the divination methods of the Qingheng Sect will not react. This is its drawback. It cannot distinguish between cultivators who have a sect in their hearts, whether they are superior or inferior, or how much selfishness they have. It can only distinguish whether one has a sect or not, and whether one has a vague attitude towards the sect.

Therefore, divination can never represent spiritual covenant. Spiritual covenant is like a time bomb; once it is "tied" to, there is always a risk of it exploding. As long as the bomb is not defused, its deterrent effect will always exist. Divination, on the other hand, is a watchtower. It has an absolute range, but its direct backlash damage is limited. The further away you are from it, the weaker its effect becomes.

Curses are different. Curses are a rare and ruthless method in divination. They are a real and effective way to plant a deterrent force. Although they will gradually dissipate over time, it will take a full two hundred years for them to dissipate and be removed on their own.

Divination is more like a screening mechanism, which can determine whether there is internal consensus, and those who go against it will not necessarily pay a bloody price immediately.

The Taoist priest's imposition of such restrictions on Chen Guang clearly indicates that he considers Chen Guang one of his own, as this is a form of self-imposed constraint by one's own people.

Within the Qingheng Sect, it possesses unfathomable power akin to the authority of the Heavenly Dao. However, most of the fellow disciples who have even killed Qingheng Sect members circumvent this binding force by hiding deep within the endless wilderness. By hiding far enough and withstanding the destructive power of the curse, they can avoid the most powerful direct backlash effect of divination.

This is the drawback of divination's constraints: geographical factors limit divination, but it's enough. As long as these cultivators return to the Qingheng Sect, they will inevitably have to undergo a divination test.

"You've recognized this as a divination method. The closer you get to the Qingheng Sect, the stronger its binding effect becomes. You're still just an outer disciple and haven't left your spiritual light in the Hall of Virtue. If you break it, they'll know where you are no matter where you are. It's much more practical than other spiritual contracts. Once you become a steward disciple, you won't be cursed anymore, and you'll know how useful divination is," the Taoist explained.

In Chen Guang's view, divination has become increasingly distant from its original purpose of consulting ghosts and spirits and predicting good and bad fortune.

"Disciple understands."

After Chen Guang finished copying, whispers seemed to come from the incense burner of the stele spirit. The two divination slips spontaneously combusted without fire or ashes. In just a moment, visible to the naked eye, the divination slips were completely burned away, leaving no trace. But in that instant, he felt the brief gaze of a majestic being in the darkness, which vanished in an instant, like an illusion.

The Taoist priest didn't give Chen Guang any further opportunity for pleasantries. Chen Guang kept trying to find out the Taoist priest's name, but the Taoist priest was probably worried that Chen Guang would use his name to his advantage. From beginning to end, even though they were having a pleasant conversation, the Taoist priest never revealed his identity, which made Chen Guang quite disappointed.

Having received many favors, Chen Guang was still confused about the identities of others, which made him truly ashamed.

Stepping out of the Scripture Pavilion, I felt much more cheerful. However, the price of not being able to teach others the art of alchemy was the many unexpected benefits I received. It was hard not to be in a good mood. Walking down the street, I even became interested in looking at some of the spiritual items on the stalls.

"Aren't there any other spiritual plants of exceptional quality?"

"Fellow Daoist, it's not that we don't have spiritual plants of exceptional quality, but you specified the type, and I've already found the items. However, you're only willing to pay one hundred stalks of gold per plant. This kind of business is difficult for anyone to do, isn't it?"

"Excuse me……"

Hearing the soft, somewhat hesitant voice, she looked over and saw Ying Xiao, blushing and looking flustered. Ying Xiao, who was about to run away from the stall, immediately noticed Chen Guang. She clearly remembered her first patient, but her voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz: "Master, junior brother."

In fact, the stall owner had stopped looking at Ying Xiao, and the others didn't really pay much attention either. Such scenes were too common in this kind of market, and people often forgot about them after seeing them.

But for Ying Xiao, who was shy, every move he made seemed to be watched. When things went smoothly, it was fine, but once he encountered any obstacles or received different advice, even if the attitude was kind, he would feel as if he had done something wrong, and would become more and more respectful and embarrassed, his mind going blank.

"Senior Sister, you're such a busy person..." Chen Guang was in an exceptionally good mood today. Seeing Ying Xiao's appearance, he couldn't help but tease her. Even though she was a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator—but when he saw the four or five withered, razor-sharp leaves on the stall, which looked like they were about to burn and had a reddish tinge, his brain instinctively sensed a business opportunity. He immediately became serious. "Senior Sister, do you need some exceptional quality Blazing Heart Grass?"

Ying Xiao was clearly not completely out of it yet. Although his instinct was to refuse whatever Chen Guang said, saying he was busy and then running away to make plans later, he couldn't help but feel a little expectant when he heard Chen Guang's question. This junior brother seemed to be a spirit farmer.

"It's not the Fiery Heart Grass, but a spiritual plant with a fiery aura. Exceptional quality is the most basic requirement. If only we had a hundred-year-old spiritual herb. The Fiery Heart Grass is just one option... Junior brother, do you have any to grow?"

Chen Guang gestured for Ying Xiao to follow, leading her to a less crowded corner. Watching Ying Xiao gradually regain the energy and spirit expected of a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator, he asked, "I can't say many. Two plants the first year, three last year, and I'm confident I can get a little more this year. Senior Sister, how many do you want, and how much are you prepared to offer?"

Ying Xiao's face, which had just turned pale, flushed again. He stammered, counting on his fingers, "I have over seven hundred ears of rice, about, about twelve... no, ten plants would be enough!"

Realizing he had gone too far, Ying Xiao quickly added, "I can give you some of the Suiyuan first, and I'll give you the rest when I've saved up enough."

Chen Guang sighed inwardly.

"Everyone says that apprentices in spiritual medicine, because of their genuine skills and the special nature of their profession, don't earn much beyond the sect's stipend. But judging from this, they seem to live a very frugal life. Could it be that they've truly become medical students in the world of cultivation?"