The Long Journey to Immortality

After Han Lu's reminder, Qiu Bin remembered the meal. He looked at Qiu Junyan and asked, "Jun, do you want to eat with your older brothers and sisters, or go home?"

Upon hearing this, Qiu Junyan immediately released Qiu Bin's hand, put his arm around Han Lu's waist, and said, "I want to have dinner with my sister."

Looking at his fickle cousin, Qiu Bin felt a little helpless. "Fine, but I need to call your father..."

Given the magnitude of this event, even if we disregard the meal, it's still necessary to call Qiu Junyan's father to let him know.

The four of them—three adults and one child—walked together out of the school.

The matter has been properly resolved, and Qiu Junyan was not harmed in the slightest. During the phone call, Qiu Junyan's father was only slightly nervous for a moment before he was relieved.

He not only persuaded Qiu Bin to take his children out to eat, but also found out the location of the restaurant where the four of them would be eating. He said he would meet with Han Lu and Wen Erya in person after get off work, not only to thank them in person, but also to pay the bill and make some practical gesture.

Han Lu and Wen Erya did not refuse the offer. They did not believe in the principle of "doing good deeds anonymously." On the contrary, by doing good deeds and earning the heartfelt gratitude of the recipients, they were able to gain more good karma.

After quickly washing the blood off his face in a restroom, Qiu Bin drove the four of them back to the commercial plaza and into the seafood buffet restaurant for dinner.

Perhaps because he realized that his "clumsy brother" was not good enough for Han Lu, who was both powerful and beautiful, Qiu Junyan did not bring up the matter of making Han Lu his sister-in-law again, and the topic shifted from Han Lu's private affairs to the cultivation of cultivators.

After Qiu Junyan learned the details of the various spells that Han Lu and Wen Erya used in the rescue operation, a new idea came to him.

Qiu Junyan brandished a giant crab leg, imagining it as a magical sword, and asked, "Sister Han, Sister Wen, can I become your apprentice and learn from you so that I can fly through the clouds and eliminate bad guys like you?"

“It’s not impossible,” Wen Erya said, having a better way of dealing with children than Han Lu. “However, cultivation is not something you can achieve just by thinking about it. If you want to be as powerful as your sister Han, you need both talent and hard work.”

Qiu Junyan only caught the first half of the sentence. He excitedly asked, "Then, Sister Wen, do you think I have any talent?"

Although she had no intention of taking on a disciple, Wen Erya still took Qiu Junyan's left hand quite seriously, infusing it with a wisp of spiritual power, sensing Qiu Junyan's talent for cultivation.

You don't know until you test it, and Wen Er Ya was really shocked when she did.

Within the resistance organization, Wen Erya had tested the talents of at least twenty teenagers in their early teens, but all of them turned out to be hopeless.

This time, Qiu Junyan not only possesses spiritual roots, but also, judging from the resonance with the spiritual energy in the air, has a considerable talent for sensing energy.

Seeing that Wen Erya had been holding his hand for a long time without speaking, Qiu Junyan asked nervously, "Sister Wen, how is it? Can Xiaojun cultivate?"

Wen Erya looked at Han Lu and said, "Junior sister, why don't you do me the trouble and take on a disciple?"

Upon hearing this, Han Lu nearly dropped the can of cola in her hand.

[Author's Note] Zhongli Li will deliberately conceal his abilities, feigning a stalemate with the sword formation, plotting to kill several of his companions and claim a larger share of the treasures. He will also be opportunistic, abandoning everything to save his own life. He is not a hero, but neither is he a despicable villain.

Chapter 236 Bestowing Immortal Fate

I'm used to being someone's apprentice.

Han Lu, whose cultivation level is currently only at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining, has never imagined what it would be like to be someone else's master.

Because Han Lu had heard Wen Erya mention that she helped the resistance forces test their cultivation talents, she initially thought that Wen Erya was just joking with her.

But when she used the same method on Qiu Junyan as she had on Qiu Bin, she realized that Qiu Junyan, the child she had felt was different from the first time she saw him, did indeed have quite good talent for cultivation.

"It has a spiritual root, and its attribute is fire, but it seems to have a bit of wood mixed in as well."

"The quality of the spiritual root is unknown, but it should be at least a mid-grade spiritual root."

"Your Qi perception is good, but slightly inferior to my senior sister's."

"If Master were here or had that mirror, he could probably measure it more accurately."

Han Lu and Wen Erya, one after the other, concluded on Qiu Junyan's talent.

Qiu Junyan listened to the two older sisters talking in a way he only half understood, but there was no sign of confusion on his face.

He roughly understood that he possessed the talent for cultivation, and that if he made a comeback and worked hard, he could be like Han Lu, who was showing off her supernatural powers in front of him today, punishing evil and upholding justice.

Although only ten years old, Qiu Junyan was much more mature than his peers, but his excitement was still reflected on his face.

"Then, Sister Han," Qiu Junyan looked at Han Lu, who was still holding his hand, and asked, "can you take me as your apprentice?"

Looking at Qiu Junyan's smiling face, Han Lu actually felt a surge of interest in taking him as her apprentice.

However, taking on apprentices is not a trivial matter.

In the ancient cultivation secret realm where spiritual energy is scarce, Han Lu, who can stay in this world for a few days, does not think that she can properly teach Qiu Junyan as his master and lead him onto the path of cultivation.

Therefore, Han Lu simply replied, "It's not quite like accepting a disciple yet. At most, it's just giving you a sliver of immortality. Whether you can open up spiritual meridians within your body and become a Qi Refining cultivator depends on your own destiny."

Qiu Junyan still only understood a little of what was said.

"Does my sister mean she's only willing to teach me cultivation techniques, but not to be my master?"

Children's thoughts are straightforward. Qiu Junyan assumed that he had done something wrong to please Han Lu, the beautiful older sister, and was being disliked. His smile immediately vanished, as if he was about to burst into tears.

Han Lu couldn't bear to hear the child crying, so she quickly explained, "Xiao Jun, taking on a disciple is a big deal. It's about taking responsibility for your future. I can stay here for three or four days, but I wouldn't dare call myself your master..."

After much persuasion, Qiu Junyan's expression finally brightened slightly.

Qiu Bin, standing to the side, looked on with envy and said, "Xiao Jun, you're really lucky. Hurry up and thank your two older sisters."

Always eager for a good show, Qiu Bin, who already had a longing for cultivation, naturally hoped that Han Lu and Wen Erya could leave behind some traces of their teachings in this world, teach his cousin, and help the Qiu family produce a powerful cultivator who could protect them from harm.

Upon hearing his cousin's words, even though he hadn't yet obtained a single word of the "Taoist manual," Qiu Junyan quickly said, "Thank you, Sister Han."

"Don't thank me yet," Han Lu said. "You're only ten years old, still a minor. Making such a huge decision requires the consent of your guardian."

"Qiu Bin doesn't count," Han Lu added.

No sooner had he finished speaking than Qiu Junyan's father, Qiu Kai, walked into the restaurant as if he had timed it perfectly, saw Qiu Bin waving at him, and sat down next to Qiu Junyan.

Qiu Kai's arrival put the matter of taking on apprentices on hold for the time being.

He first gave Qiu Junyan a thorough physical examination, just as Qiu Bin had done before, and then repeatedly thanked Han Lu and Wen Erya.

After these two matters were settled, Qiu Bin, acting as the messenger, informed Qiu Kai about the "acceptance of apprentices" matter.

Han Lu thought Qiu Kai would refuse on the grounds that "the child's studies are the priority," but the result was that the open-minded Qiu Kai was not only quite interested in the matter, but also agreed to it without thinking. He even thought of asking Han Lu and Wen Erya to help test his talent and see if he had any affinity for immortality.

Looking at Qiu Kai reaching out to her, Han Lu was certain that this middle-aged man in his forties was definitely addicted to the cultivation craze, which was why he was so enthusiastic about this matter.

When Han Lu and Wen Erya explained to the enthusiastic middle-aged man that "there is no hope of cultivating immortality after the age of thirty," a deep sense of disappointment was written on his face.

Qiu Junyan, being understanding, comforted his father in a slightly childish voice, saying, "Dad, don't cry. Xiao Jun can cultivate immortality and will be able to protect Mom and Dad in the future."

Qiu Junyan's words reminded Qiu Kai, who quickly patted the child's shoulder, "Xiao Jun is right, hurry up and thank the two older sisters."

"Thank you, sister." Qiu Junyan followed his father's instructions and imitated the actions of the characters in the "cultivation movie" that the school had organized to watch a few days ago, bowing and making obeisance to Han Lu and Wen Erya with utmost sincerity.

Han Lu pursed her lips, turned her head, and exchanged glances with Wen Erya.

Seeing that Wen Erya seemed detached, this cultivator, who was only at the Qi Refining stage, could only bite the bullet and say "No need to thank me" before admitting that she had established a relationship with Qiu Junyan that was not that of a disciple but was better than one.

It is naturally inconvenient to conduct the teaching and instruction at the dining table.

However, Qiu Kai's arrival caused the topic of cultivation to repeatedly come up at the dinner table, which forced Han Lu to eat seafood while teaching Qiu Junyan, a child who knew nothing about cultivation, some basic knowledge.

After explaining the classification of cultivation levels and how Qi Refining cultivators cultivate to improve their realm, the two adults listened with more fascination than Qiu Junyan, Han Lu's nominal disciple.

Qiu Kai, deeply addicted to cultivation, was even more heartbroken, lamenting that he hadn't been born a decade or so later and had missed this opportunity that had come knocking on his door.

After a hearty meal, Qiu Kai took the initiative to pay for the two benefactors' meal, expressing his gratitude with real money.

Upon learning via text message that Nanyang Road Primary School would be closed for five days to allow students and parents affected by the accident to recover, Qiu Kai did not hesitate to take Qiu Junyan to Qiu Bin's car, intending for Qiu Junyan to learn martial arts from Han Lu that very night.

Qiu Junyan was more than happy to accept this and excitedly sat in the back seat of Qiu Bin's car.

Qiu Bin hesitated for a moment, "This matter, Auntie..."

Patting his chest, Qiu Kai declared confidently, "Leave this to me. I'll go and persuade the child's mother."

Since things had come to this point, the group could only tacitly accept that things would continue to develop in this way.

The four of them rode in Qiu Bin's car to the five-star hotel where Han Lu and Wen Erya had been staying for the past few days.

The hotel rooms became temporary classrooms, and Qiu Bin shamelessly listened in, ostensibly to assume the responsibility of a guardian, but in reality, he just wanted to get closer to the mysterious and fascinating subject of "cultivation".

Chapter 237 Cramming-Style Teaching, Introductory Ceremony

Upon arriving at the hotel, while Qiu Junyan used the room's bathroom to shower and wash away the faint smell of blood, Han Lu began to recall the fire-attribute cultivation technique she had practiced on Feng Bailu, intending to pass on this relatively rudimentary technique to Qiu Junyan, who possessed a fire-wood spiritual root.

This Qi cultivation technique was found by Feng Bailu in the Transmission Hall when he entered the Zhengyi Sect.

When a cultivator reaches the tenth level of the cultivation technique, a total of 128 acupoints will be opened throughout their body.

On average, each spiritual vein requires the opening of twelve acupoints to be fully developed, which is not considered very difficult.

In the eyes of Han Lu, a cultivator who was becoming a master for the first time, this cultivation technique was just right for Qiu Junyan to cultivate in the spiritually sparse environment of the ancient cultivation secret realm.

Han Lu didn't expect Qiu Junyan to be a good apprentice who would satisfy his master in such a harsh environment.

Han Lu was content that Qiu Junyan was able to cultivate to the second or third level of Qi Refining in his lifetime and become an ordinary cultivator in the technological world.

As for Qiu Junyan being a prodigy who broke through the limitations under such circumstances and forcibly ascended to the Central Plains World, where he would meet Han Lu as her master and disciple in the future? Han Lu didn't even dare to think about it.

When Qiu Junyan, all cleaned up and wearing the new clothes Qiu Bin had just bought, stood in front of Han Lu, Han Lu, who had just mentally prepared herself to be his mentor, was at a loss for words.

Compared to being a master, Han Lu is more experienced in being an apprentice.

As a result, Qiu Bin, who already had a general understanding of cultivation, took out his phone and suggested, "Han Lu, why don't you just tell us everything that a Qi Refining cultivator needs to learn and use?"

"Don't worry about whether Xiaojun can understand or do it. Just teach him first."

“I recorded it as a video with my phone,” Qiu Bin pointed to his smartphone. “Even if you and Wen Erya leave, Xiao Jun can watch the video, study it repeatedly, and become self-taught.”

If you don't know what to say, then just say anything.

Upon hearing this, Han Lu praised, "That makes sense."

Since there wasn't much time left in the ancient cultivation realm, it would be more appropriate to use the most foolish, cramming-style approach to enlighten Qiu Junyan, a child who was only ten years old, about cultivation.

So, Qiu Junyan finished his first "cultivation class" in a daze. His instructor, Han Lu, spoke into the phone camera for a full hour and a half before stopping, finishing the theoretical teaching and then turning to give Qiu Junyan a practical lesson.

Having no spiritual power within his body, Qiu Junyan is not even a Daoist novice. The only practical lessons he can take now are learning how to "enter meditation" and how to "guide qi into the body" for formal cultivation.

Upon hearing that they were about to start practicing, Qiu Junyan, who had been feeling drowsy, perked up.

However, like ten-year-old children in the Central Plains, Qiu Junyan, who was only slightly more mature than his peers, only had cleverness but no great wisdom. In this world with scarce spiritual energy, even if he sat on Han Lu's throne engraved with a spirit-gathering array, he could only barely sense the presence of spiritual energy in the air. Not to mention, like Han Lu when she cultivated again, he could not enter a meditative state smoothly and easily break through the first acupoint during his first cultivation.

After sitting on the Dharma seat for a full hour without gaining anything, Qiu Junyan's initial excitement about having the talent to cultivate immortality had basically vanished.

Before the clock struck 10, Qiu Junyan, with Han Lu's guidance, tried to enter a meditative state once more.

Unfortunately, ten-year-olds are at an age where they are active and can't sit still.