The Long Journey to Immortality

Having advanced to the Foundation Establishment Realm, Qiu Peng now possesses the ability to fly on a sword.

Although he was only using an ordinary magical implement he had obtained from his father, it saved him a lot of effort while traveling.

Although Qiu Peng was certain that he had indeed arrived in the Central Plains that his father had mentioned, he was not in a hurry to go to the Zhengyi Sect to find Han Lu and Wen Erya.

Flying on his sword, Qiu Peng embarked on a deep journey across the Central Plains, spending a month and a half visiting many interesting places from both the Northern and Southern Dynasties. Only then, relying on the location of Zhengyi Gate that he had inquired about, did he arrive at Zhengyi Gate to visit Han Lu and seek a place to settle down.

The story was over, but Han Lu still had questions.

"Qiu Peng, how was Qiu Bin when you left?" Han Lu still remembered Qiu Bin, the kind person who had received her in the ancient cultivation secret realm, treated her to milk tea, and provided her with a series of conveniences.

In terms of seniority, Qiu Bin is Qiu Peng's grandfather, which isn't too far removed. Han Lu calculated his age and estimated that in the ancient cultivation secret realm, where people could live to be ninety, Qiu Bin should still be alive.

To everyone's surprise, the smile on Qiu Peng's face vanished instantly upon hearing Qiu Bin's name.

With a pained expression, he replied, "Senior Han, Grandpa Qiu Bin passed away when I was three years old."

"What?" Han Lu asked in surprise, "What happened?"

"There was a car accident."

Upon hearing the news of Qiu Bin's death, Han Lu felt a pang of sadness, and a wave of grief washed over her.

"Alas," Han Lu sighed, "It's a pity. If Qiu Bin had the same talent for cultivation as you and your father, I would definitely have taught him cultivation methods. If that were the case, he would not have suffered this calamity."

After a moment of grief, Han Lu looked at Qiu Peng and asked, "Since you've come to the Zhengyi Sect to find me, you must have a plan, right? Tell me about it."

I know the answer, but this is a process I still have to go through.

Qiu Peng quickly stood up, then knelt on one knee and bowed to Han Lu, saying, "I have come here hoping that Senior Han will take pity on me and accept me as her disciple."

Qiu Peng's idea was exactly what Han Lu had anticipated.

"Sure, but I'm not a good master. Cultivating under my tutelage doesn't guarantee instant success in achieving the Golden Core."

"Besides, I have high requirements for my disciples. You can't just rest easy once you become my disciple."

“If you don’t practice diligently, I won’t care what you do, I will expel you.”

She has taught many younger generations, but Han Lu has only truly accepted two people as her "disciples".

One is Qiu Peng's father, and the other is Nian Haoge.

Qiu Peng had seen this line many times in novels and movies, so he naturally expected it.

Even leaving the Zhengyi Sect and seeking "affiliation" with a small sect is a viable option.

However, Qiu Peng, who had already obtained such a great opportunity and come to the Central Plains, still thought of cultivating in a major sect like the Zhengyi Sect in order to achieve great success.

"As long as Senior Han is willing to accept me as his disciple, I will definitely devote myself to cultivation and follow Senior Han's command in everything." As a cultivator in the ancient cultivation secret realm, Qiu Peng's expression and slogans were different from those of cultivators in the Central Plains.

Upon hearing this, Han Lu simply said "okay" and didn't set any strange tests for him, and then secretly accepted Qiu Peng as her apprentice for the time being.

[Author's Note] I suddenly realized that my automatic updates happen right when the stock market opens. Monday saw a big surge; hopefully, it won't fall back down on Tuesday. CNUP, USA down.

Chapter 721 Preaching and Instruction

Having made the promise, Han Lu casually raised her hand and used her spiritual power to lift Qiu Peng up, so that her new disciple would not mistakenly think that she liked such formalities and create obstacles for how to get along as master and disciple.

Qiu Peng couldn't hide his smile after getting up.

He never expected that he would become Han Lu's disciple so easily in just a few words.

He had assumed that a genius cultivator like Han Lu, who was at the Golden Core stage, would set up numerous tests when accepting disciples, torturing them to the point of "dying and coming back to life" before finally agreeing to take them on.

The before-and-after comparison is so striking, it's no wonder people laugh.

Han Lu, however, was unaware of Qiu Peng's thoughts, assuming it was the same simple joy she had felt before—the joy of being able to become a disciple of a Golden Core cultivator and receive guidance from a senior master.

Indeed, she originally wanted to give Qiu Peng a little test to see his background before accepting him.

However, because she was thinking about contributing to the sect and cultivating several promising junior disciples, Han Lu abandoned unnecessary matters and readily agreed to the matter.

Qiu Peng came to the Central Plains alone, so Han Lu naturally wouldn't ask him for any symbolic apprenticeship gifts, so that it would be more legitimate for him, who wasn't a cultivator from the Zhengyi Sect, to become her disciple.

On the contrary, Han Lu generously gifted Qiu Peng some magical treasures, pills, and spirit stones, so that her disciple would not have to worry about resources in the future and waste the time that should have been spent on cultivation.

Most of these materials were leftovers from Han Lu's Foundation Establishment cultivation. Including magical treasures, they were worth about three to four thousand spirit stones.

If you include the two high-grade magic artifacts that Han Lu gave you, then this gift is already equivalent to the entire fortune of many mid-Foundation Establishment cultivators.

A red handkerchief and a slightly damaged bronze bell.

These were all magical treasures that Han Lu occasionally used when she was in the Foundation Establishment stage.

Qiu Peng, who had just arrived in the Central Plains, did not know the specific value of these things, but he was certain that Han Lu would not have given him some "garbage" to get rid of him.

After repeatedly expressing his gratitude, Qiu Peng asked Han Lu for instructions on how to use the two magical treasures and their corresponding techniques.

With each question and answer, the newly formed master-disciple relationship began to resemble that of a master and disciple more and more.

Qiu Peng received modern cultural education in the ancient cultivation secret realm.

Flexible and open-minded thinking.

However, because he only started his cultivation path with his father's help, he took a completely unorthodox and unconventional approach.

Naturally, while learning how to use magic weapons from Han Lu, Qiu Peng was good at practice, but he was slow to grasp the basic techniques and methods.

He needed to consult Han Lu to understand the meaning of many basic spiritual terms that he had never seen before.

This meant that even though it was just two simple methods for using magical artifacts, Han Lu spent nearly an hour teaching Qiu Peng before he could barely understand them and use the artifacts simply by following the methods.

As for unleashing the ingenious ideas he has for using these two magical treasures, he will need some time to practice and become proficient before he has the opportunity to try.

In just one hour, Han Lu had roughly figured out Qiu Peng's cultivation situation by taking advantage of the matter of imparting magical treasures and techniques.

For a Foundation Establishment cultivator, the situation is not optimistic.

But based on Han Lu's judgment, Qiu Peng would definitely have a bright future under her guidance.

However, this is on the premise that she is willing to do her best to teach Qiu Peng and rebuild a solid theoretical foundation for him.

“I have a complete understanding of your situation. For the next ten days, you will stay here with me and receive three to four hours of instruction each day,” Han Lu said without directly mentioning the content of the instruction. “During this time, I will also help you to become a disciple of the Zhengyi Sect and rightfully become my disciple.”

"At that time, you will not only be able to obtain a large number of cultivation resources from the Zhengyi Sect, but you can also participate in the Zhengyi Sect's major and minor competitions as my disciple, compete and fight with fellow disciples of the same cultivation level, and increase your combat experience."

Qiu Peng was overjoyed upon hearing this.

While he was staying with Wen Erya, he heard Wen Erya talk about many good things about the Zhengyi Sect.

Naturally, as an outsider, he was more than willing to join the Zhengyi Sect.

"Since you're willing, then hurry up and pack your things and come with me." Han Lu couldn't wait to train Qiu Peng, her new apprentice, and looked forward to him bringing her glory in the competition a few years later.

Qiu Peng bowed to Han Lu and said goodbye to Wen Erya.

Wen Erya had nothing more to say about Han Lu's arrangements.

She was simply advising Qiu Peng, in her capacity as a "senior," to cherish the opportunity to train under Han Lu and not to waste this great opportunity.

After Qiu Peng left, Han Lu inquired about the sect's general situation over the past three years from Wen Erya.

With her elevated status, although there were many things happening in the sect, very few of them concerned Han Lu.

One of them is that Han Lu's "eldest disciple," Nian Haoge, won fifth place in the Foundation Establishment low-level competition.

Wen Erya offered her advice on this matter.

“Nian Haoge is quite talented, diligent in his cultivation, and has also inherited your mantle, mastering the Seven Kill Sword Technique.”

"She is kind and loyal, and still remembers the kindness you showed her by teaching her. She has not yet become an apprentice of any Golden Core cultivator."

"Teaching one is the same as teaching, and mentoring two is the same as mentoring."

"Why not take this opportunity to take Nian Haoge under your wing? This would be beneficial for both you and her."

Upon hearing this, Han Lu nodded repeatedly, "I had this intention in mind when I came back this time."

Having a deep bond with Nian Haoge and a past relationship as master and disciple, and planning to recruit several "top students" and "potential talents" as her disciples, Han Lu naturally wouldn't forget her.

The second matter concerns an elder within the sect.

"Another elder failed his tribulation. Fortunately, he survived, but he was reduced to the early stage of the Golden Core realm. His already limited lifespan was further reduced by more than half. He probably only has thirty or forty years left to live."

"It is said that when the news reached the sect, Sect Master Xuan Chengzi, who had just returned from a trip to the Northern Dynasty, looked extremely embarrassed."

"After a while, only three and a half cultivators with the late Golden Core stage remained in the sect."

Wen Erya couldn't help but think of Elder Haoge again and sighed, "I'm afraid that in the short term, no elder in the sect will have the ability to attempt to transcend the tribulation."

"The sect leader's ambitious plan will most likely be shelved before it even begins."

"However, my junior sister's good days are probably coming soon."

Wen Erya disliked sect politics, but she knew of Xuan Chengzi's ambitions.

She could imagine how Xuan Chengzi would react after yet another sect elder failed his tribulation.

Naturally, elders like Han Lu and several others with potential will be given more attention, in the hope that some of them will become Nascent Soul cultivators.

After chatting for about ten minutes, Qiu Peng finally finished tidying up the clutter and returned to the courtyard.

After Qiu Peng expressed his gratitude to Wen Erya once again, he was led by Han Lu and left Wen Erya's residence on a cloud.

Chapter 722 Preaching and Instruction (Part 2)

The distance between the rise and fall was only three hundred meters.

When they landed back on the ground, Qiu Peng and Han Lu had already arrived at her residence.

"There are seven guest rooms here, all empty. Please choose any one to stay in."

"If you are missing any daily necessities, tell me and I will ask the Imperial Treasury for them for you."

"As for cultivation, let's start tonight," Han Lu said, taking a book out of her storage bag and handing it to Qiu Peng. "This afternoon, you should familiarize yourself with this book. Tonight, I'll test you on the difficult questions in this book, so don't be unable to answer a single one."

Qiu Peng's foundation was too weak, so Han Lu had already decided to use the method of teaching "Taoist children" to enlighten him again, instill the knowledge of cultivation in the Central Plains, and then build a higher level of cultivation on this basis for further training.

After taking the book, Qiu Peng only glanced at the words "Basic Cultivation" on the cover before understanding Han Lu's intention.

Although he was eager to master powerful techniques as soon as possible and advance to a higher level, he had no complaints about his master's arrangements.

"Yes, Master."