The Long Journey to Immortality

"You've already reached the first level of Qi Refining?"

"Yes, Master, I just broke through yesterday."

"You haven't specialized in any other cultivation methods, or are you still practicing that profound cultivation method passed down in your family?"

“That’s right, Master.”

"When opening acupoints, is the method of breaking through the acupoints by force used?"

"No," Han Lu used her talent to cover up the only thing she couldn't mention, the Mysterious Pearl. "My disciple seems to be quite good at opening acupoints, and she always uses skillful force to break through them."

There are indeed cultivators skilled in breaking through acupoints. The Zhengyi Sect has produced several cultivators who excelled at breaking through acupoints and advanced from mortals to Foundation Establishment stage in just three or four years.

"How many days does it usually take you to break through a single acupoint?" After confirming that Han Lu was not taking shortcuts, Piaomiaozi began to ask more specific questions.

"Usually three days, occasionally four days." Han Lu said this in an extremely ordinary tone, but she was secretly pleased with herself, hoping to get a word or two of praise from Piaomiaozi.

Since she couldn't hide it any longer, Han Lu simply confessed to her mentor, who had treated her quite well.

“Not bad, not bad, but…” Piaomiaozi’s calculations were accurate, “It’s only been three months since you started learning. So, you should only have opened about thirty acupoints by now.”

Han Lu could only explain her trivial matters with the Transmission Hall to Piaomiaozi.

Piaomiaozi knew about this, but waited for Han Lu to finish speaking before continuing, "This is quite a strange thing. Ordinary Daoist disciples can't even enter a meditative state on Hanchan Peak, yet you can gain such benefits and break through so quickly?"

"This disciple doesn't know the reason either," Han Lu said honestly. "I just feel that when I was cultivating on Hanchan Peak, I obtained a lot of spiritual energy. Perhaps it's because the cultivation method is compatible with my body and my sense of energy is good."

“Perhaps,” Piaomiaozi decided to investigate for herself, “stretching out her hand.”

Han Lu subconsciously extended her right hand, palm up.

Before Han Lu could ask, Piaomiaozi replied, "Let me see if those people stationed at the outer sect were just being perfunctory and misjudged your talent."

Piaomiaozi was not a cultivator born from any unorthodox sect, so naturally, he attributed the "strange things" about Han Lu to her talent.

In front of Piaomiaozi, Han Lu had no need to hide anything and could not hide anything. Since the other party had already helped her find the excuse of "error in the file", Han Lu went with the flow and did not put up any resistance, letting Piaomiaozi do as he pleased.

Immediately afterwards, Han Lu felt a powerful force pass through her body.

A Golden Core cultivator's divine sense can be projected outwards, and Piaomiaozi easily detected information about Han Lu's body, including her Qi, spiritual root, and body measurements.

To be honest, Han Lu was quite curious too.

She also wanted to know whether, after being reincarnated and undergoing those few days of recuperation, her spiritual root quality had reached the level of a top-grade spiritual root.

A moment later, Piaomiaozi had the result.

Piaomiaozi shook his head and said, "Sure enough, those disciples who are sent out to do things are not taking things seriously at all these days."

"Master, what's wrong?"

Faced with Han Lu's question, Piaomiaozi changed his expression and suddenly fell silent. After a moment of contemplation, he gave Han Lu an answer: "You are actually just like Wen Erya, with a top-grade spiritual root."

Han Lu noticed Piao Miao Zi's unnatural behavior and subconsciously felt that Piao Miao Zi was hiding something from her, but she didn't point it out. Instead, she joined Piao Miao Zi in "scolding" a few times and immediately asked a few questions.

"Master, when I cultivate on Cold Cicada Peak, a kind of cold energy accumulates in my body. Although it can be cleared afterward, it affects the speed of my cultivation. Is there a way to solve this?" Han Lu didn't expect Piaomiaozi to answer her question; she simply wanted to change the subject.

Piaomiaozi shook his head and said, "Without a dantian and qi sea, cultivating in an environment like Hanchan Peak will naturally result in this."

"It's just that your physique seems special, as you are still able to cultivate and practice on the surface."

“If a cultivator at the Dao Child Realm meditates on Cold Cicada Peak for a quarter of an hour, the spiritual energy channels in their body will probably be completely blocked.”

"As for the solution..."

Piaomiaozi was unusually generous in front of Han Lu.

He took out a crimson jade pendant from his storage bag and said, "I have a piece of warm jade here. It's an ungraded magic tool, but it has the effect of dispelling cold. You can try wearing it; it might work."

"If it doesn't work, you don't need to return it to me. Consider it a belated gift from your teacher."

This jade pendant was probably carved from a piece of red jade about the size of a pigeon's egg. It was originally a piece of warm jade, and someone had engraved some inscriptions and formations on it, which is why it had the effects that Piaomiaozi mentioned.

With the same feeling as when she searched for Si Xing'er in the Transmission Hall, Han Lu tentatively asked, "Master, is there any way for me to cultivate a little longer each month in the meditation room on Cold Cicada Peak?"

“That won’t do,” Piaomiaozi said, without mentioning his not-so-high status among the sect’s Golden Core cultivators. “However, it’s possible for you to stay here for a while a few months before the competition.”

"The spiritual energy here is quite abundant. Although it cannot compare to the summit of Hanchan Peak, it is still a treasure land for cultivation."

As Han Lu had predicted, it was impossible to achieve.

Despite Piaomiaozi's kind offer, Han Lu thought for a moment and declined, saying, "Thank you for your kindness, Master, but I do not wish to disturb your meditation. I will find another way."

Piaomiaozi felt quite helpless about his current situation in the sect, so he stopped mentioning it.

After giving Han Lu a few symbolic instructions, Piaomiaozi gave her some spirit stones and pills before sending her away.

[Author's Note] Third update. I'm too scared to say anything more, let's update!

Chapter Seventy-Three Strange Phenomena

Although he was a powerful cultivator at the Golden Core stage, Piaomiaozi's position in the Zhengyi Sect was rather awkward.

There are both objective and subjective reasons for this.

The Zhengyi Sect is a large and powerful family, and it is not lacking in a Golden Core cultivator like Piaomiaozi.

Piaomiaozi's cultivation level would be among the top in the two major sects, but among the Golden Core cultivators of Zhengyi Sect and Xuanyang Valley, it was nothing special.

Even though Piaomiaozi did a lot of things for the Zhengyi Sect in the twenty years before he advanced to the Golden Core stage, it did not significantly improve his status and influence within the sect.

Although he was a Golden Core cultivator, the Golden Core he formed was only a Grade 6 Golden Core.

Although he is still young, it will be difficult for him to advance to the middle or late stages of the Golden Core realm in the future, let alone touch the Nascent Soul path.

Since Piaomiaozi had no say within the sect or even the mountain academy, it naturally meant that the privileges of disciples like Han Lu within the academy were greatly reduced.

At the very least, if Han Lu's master were the dean of Dongshan Academy or some kind of supreme elder, this trivial matter of wanting to cultivate a little longer on Hanchan Peak would definitely be resolved with just a word.

Perhaps, this situation can only be reversed when a talented and promising cultivator emerges under Piaomiaozi's tutelage, or when Piaomiaozi himself finds an extraordinary opportunity to advance to the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm.

This is the main reason why Piaomiaozi shamelessly insisted on taking Wen Erya under his wing.

Just as a mother's status rises with her son's, a cultivator can also gain wealth and status through the talent of their disciples.

Walking on the path on Cold Cicada Peak, Han Lu took out the spirit stones she had just obtained from Piaomiaozi from her storage bag and counted them again.

Having made a trip to Piaomiaozi's place and earned some spirit stones and pills, Han Lu was in a good mood.

She felt that even luck, something that had always been alien to him, had returned to her after her reincarnation.

With smooth cultivation and an easy life, one need not worry about worldly things like spirit stones and elixirs.

Han Lu, who had just advanced to the first level of Qi Refining, felt that this was the most pleasant and happiest time in his and her lives.

Feeling a sense of peace, Han Lu couldn't help but put her hands behind her back, tilt her head slightly, and sigh softly, "If only life could continue like this."

Before Han Lu could finish speaking, the bright sky suddenly darkened, and the sun hanging high in the sky was obscured by a large patch of dark clouds that appeared out of nowhere.

Soon, not only Hanchan Peak, but the entire Dongshan Academy, Zhengyi Gate, Southern Dynasty, and Central Plains region were plunged into a gloomy and dark world. Only in the remote western region of Qiyue Sect could a faint light give this land a little brightness.

"What's wrong?" Han Lu looked up at the sky and asked curiously, "Is it going to be a thunderstorm? But it's almost winter now."

Just as Han Lu was wondering, her keen sense of energy made her sensitive to the slight changes in the surrounding spiritual energy.

“The spiritual energy seems to be gradually decreasing…” Han Lu’s expression suddenly turned serious as she stood on the path of Han Chan Peak. Her sixth sense told her that something big was about to happen.

Caution is the boat.

Han Lu had read many supernatural tales, and stories of righteous sects being besieged and wiped out by heretical demons using large-scale magic were common. The descriptions in those books were somewhat similar to the current situation, which made her connect the two events.

Standing there alone, Han Lu felt a sense of insecurity. She subconsciously turned around, used her lightness spell, and ran towards Piaomiaozi's residence.

Han Lu, who was in the Zhengyi Sect, had no idea that it wasn't just the situation on Hanchan Peak that had changed, which was why she was being a worrier.

But Han Lu had only been walking for less than half a minute when the world changed again.

The ground beneath Han Lu's feet began to tremble slightly.

"An earthquake?" Han Lu's ominous premonition grew stronger.

The entire Central Plains, along with parts of the Western Regions and the Southern Barbarian territories, seemed to be temporarily separated from the world, forcibly bound together, and tossed about by an unnamed force.

In an instant, the ground shook violently, and many of the slender trees along the path fell down. Han Lu, who was not yet able to fly, could only barely hold onto one large tree to maintain her balance.

The disciples in the various mountain academies were also caught off guard.

However, this strange phenomenon came quickly and went quickly.

The earthquake lasted for less than ten seconds. When Han Lu regained her footing and opened her eyes again, the clouds had dispersed, the sun had reappeared in the sky, and the density of spiritual energy in the air had returned to normal.

"Is it a hallucination?" Han Lu loosened her grip on the tree and looked around.

Apart from the fallen trees around us that proved what had just happened, the world seemed exactly the same as it had been a minute ago.

An earthquake that affects the entire Central Plains region will naturally have an impact on the world that goes far beyond just a few small trees falling down.

The situation inside Zhengyi Gate was alright; none of the buildings were shoddy constructions, and all were reinforced and protected. Apart from a few decorative partition walls collapsing, no major accidents occurred.

The monks were more concerned about the cause of this strange phenomenon than about the financial losses.

But in the eyes of ordinary people, this earthquake, which lasted only ten seconds, was a major disaster that threatened the entire Central Plains region.

Even in a prosperous and developed city like the capital of the Southern Dynasties, many buildings collapsed due to earthquakes.

Of the nearly 500 million people in the Central Plains region, at least tens of millions are homeless, and the number of injured and dead is in the millions.

Just as Han Lu was wondering what had happened, a sharp aura suddenly erupted from the top of Hanchan Peak, and the voice of an unfamiliar young man appeared in her and the other disciples of Zhengyi Sect.

"I am Master Qingshui, the head of the Dongshan Academy of the Zhengyi School."

"Dear disciples of Dongshan Academy, please do not panic."

"The matter has temporarily passed, but now please return to your respective residences and rest for half a day to prevent any further strange phenomena from causing injury or death."

With just a few words, Master Qingshui didn't intend to explain in detail to the ordinary disciples of the Zhengyi Sect. He simply offered a few words of comfort and then disappeared.

Immediately afterwards, several streaks of light flew out from various parts of the East Mountain Academy, heading towards the Five Elements Mountain Academy.

Han Lu noticed that light also flew out from the courtyard where Piaomiaozi lived, and guessed that it was probably a message from one of the sect's elders to the elders of various mountain courtyards, summoning them together to discuss the matter of this mysterious phenomenon.

"That shouldn't be some ignorant evil spirit attacking the mountain gate. Let's calm down and go back to the courtyard for a while."

Although it is still unknown what exactly happened, Shimizu Masato's words did have some effect, at least stopping Han Lu from overthinking.

The disciples of each mountain academy also received messages from their respective academy elders and, in accordance with the elders' arrangements, returned to their respective residences.