Cultivation: Beginning with the Heart Reflecting Heaven and Earth

"Therefore, it is very difficult for disciples like us who have no background and not good talent to establish a foundation. There are only so many opportunities, and the talent gap is not that big. We can only rely on power, background, and connections."

Seeing that Lu Qian showed no sign of relenting, Wu Ling'er wasn't too bothered. Perhaps Lu Qian's potential wasn't enough for her to put too much effort into recruiting him; if she could, she would, and if not, so be it. "I have another piece of advice for you!"

Lu Qian said solemnly, "Please speak!"

"Even in the Canghai Sect, where Foundation Establishment cultivators are as numerous as clouds, there are still many intrigues and power struggles. Some things you should see but pretend you didn't, and some things you should know but pretend you didn't."

I don't know what Wu Ling'er went through to give her such insights. "Also, the tallest tree in the forest will be felled by the wind. No matter if you are dedicated to cultivation or not, as long as you perform well, someone will come to deal with you. When that time comes, you will know the benefits of having a powerful backer."

Lu Qian smiled slightly, "I shouldn't need to worry about this."

Wu Ling'er laughed too. She felt that Lu Qian probably didn't have much potential, but she also felt that his various actions were unexpected, and he might not stop at Qi Refining in the future. So she said, "When you've succeeded in your cultivation, don't forget me!"

After saying that, she left.

Lu Qian pondered for a moment, "The outer sect competition is held once every ten years, attracting countless talents, yet there are only ten spots available. For these ten spots, people will probably resort to any means necessary."

"It seems that the Canghai Sect is also a place of trouble."

He stopped lamenting and headed towards the Forest of Ten Thousand Trees with his sword.

The night was deep and the dew was heavy, but the forest was still bustling with activity. This time, when Lu Qian came, hardly anyone paid any attention to him.

Those who had come to watch the spectacle earlier either went to chop wood or were busy with other things; very few remained.

"These green bamboos aren't easy to cut!"

Green bamboo is the juvenile form of 100-year-old bamboo. After 100 years, it becomes a second-tier spiritual material, and after 1000 years, it becomes a third-tier spiritual material. It is hard and light in texture and grows quickly. It is an excellent material for shipbuilding, making talismans, or even fixing fish ponds.

However, while green bamboo is good, its consumption is not that large. Whether it is used for shipbuilding or other purposes, it can last a long time. On the other hand, the consumption of talisman paper is not that large, and green bamboo is just one of the materials used, so it is not used much.

"If a disciple at the mid-stage of Qi Refining were to cut down the green bamboo, it would be relatively easy. However, a mid-stage Qi Refining disciple might not value such a contribution, and there are also some restrictions within the sect. It is impossible for disciples to endlessly complete a certain low-level task."

Many tasks are primarily for training disciples; if they don't achieve the desired training effect, then it's putting the cart before the horse.

He hadn't walked far when he came to a cool place and saw thick, green bamboo stalks, some over ten meters tall, scattered around. These were green bamboos.

When the green bamboo turns yellow and develops patterns resembling tortoise shells, it becomes a hundred-year-old bamboo. Subsequently, the bamboo continues to shrink and transforms into a jade-like substance, becoming a thousand-year-old bamboo.

As for the Bamboo of Longevity, it is said to turn into the shape of bamboo shoots, similar to minerals, but it is rarely seen.

Lu Qian approached a green bamboo grove, but instead of immediately taking action, he reached out and touched it, his consciousness already sinking into his inner world.

In his inner world, he stood beside the green bamboo and first chopped it with force!

With a snap, as if a strong bow had been pulled apart, the bamboo stalk trembled violently and then quickly bounced back.

Lu Qian had exhausted his strength and had no time to dodge. He was hit by the bamboo and sent flying, his nose broken.

"This green bamboo is indeed difficult to cut!"

If it were easy to cut, the reward wouldn't be the highest; difficulty and reward are always proportional.

"Try using 'One Breath Across the Sky' again."

Lu Qian swung his sword again, unleashing a sword beam that instantly severed most of the green bamboo, though some parts remained connected.

"It's because my cultivation level is too low, and I've only just entered the realm of Qi Transmission, so the power isn't quite enough."

Swordsmanship is also divided into ranks. The first rank is when sword energy becomes silk, the second rank is when sword light is differentiated, the third rank is when sword intent is divine, and the next rank is when one sword breaks through all laws, the realm of the sword.

However, although swordsmanship is somewhat related to cultivation level, the connection is not that significant. Peerless geniuses in swordsmanship can comprehend sword intent at the Qi Refining stage, but they cannot unleash the power of sword intent; it is merely an empty shell.

Similarly, some Golden Core cultivators' swordsmanship is still at the stage of sword qi forming threads, and they only use flying swords as magic weapons, without any real swordsmanship skills.

If Lu Qian could refine his sword energy into threads, even at the first level of Qi Refining, he could easily cut through green bamboo without much effort.

But learning and understanding are two different things. Even if Lu Qian's inner world allows for infinite trial and error, it can only guarantee that he learns as quickly as possible. As for reaching a certain level of understanding, it has less to do with the number of times he practices and more to do with his comprehension.

Without sufficient comprehension, there's not much difference between practicing swordsmanship for a year and practicing it for a lifetime.

Lu Qian once again unleashed a powerful sword strike, severing the green bamboo completely.

This was definitely not because he wanted to save energy; he simply wanted to hone his swordsmanship.

After cutting down a bamboo stalk the size of a bowl, he still needed to trim it. This time, he didn't use sword energy anymore, but purely relied on physical strength. Although it was a bit strenuous and he was covered in sweat, there was no danger.

"This one bamboo stalk alone weighs two hundred pounds."

This green bamboo is indeed light, but that's compared to spiritual materials like ironwood. Compared to ordinary bamboo, it's much heavier.

Moreover, it's not impossible to make the bamboo lighter; it just requires some special treatment. But that's none of Lu Qian's business. He actually hopes the bamboo will be as heavy as possible.

Lu Qian then used his sword energy to divide the green bamboo into several pieces. He also took a Yellow Sprout Pill to regulate his breathing before carrying the green bamboo on his back to submit the mission.

It was already noon, and everyone stared wide-eyed when they saw him carrying green bamboo down the mountain.

"Is he the new recruit from before?"

"How did they actually manage to cut down the green bamboo?"

"I don't believe it. He must have had someone help him to do it."

Regardless of whether others believed it or not, Lu Qian had already submitted the mission.

"It weighs a total of over 260 jin. Considering it's your first time submitting a task, we'll count it as 300 jin, which is 6 contribution points and 6 spirit stones. You'll need to collect your spirit meal from the canteen yourself."

The man took Lu Qian's outer disciple badge, waved his hand, and six contribution points were added to it.

Spirit stones are small, milky-white, rhomboid stones containing spiritual energy. They can be used for cultivation, setting up formations, and even as fertilizer.

As for the spiritual meals, they come in small red wooden plaques. You can take the plaques to any of the dining halls to collect the corresponding spiritual meals, although there are no dining halls here.

Lu Qian was exhausted and decided not to continue chopping wood. He returned to his residence to rest and recuperate.

No wonder those people were so surprised. Even though he had already mastered the One Breath Across the Sky technique, it took him nearly two days to cut down more than 200 catties of green bamboo, and he was so tired that he didn't even want to move his fingers.

After taking a Yellow Sprout Pill and completing four cycles of cultivation, Lu Qian became somewhat worried. "A bottle of Yellow Sprout Pills costs thirty contribution points, and there are only ten pills. If I consume one every day, that's ninety contribution points a month, which is a bit difficult."