The following morning, Yan Mei, feeling refreshed, packed up his tent and approached Ding Huan:
"Brother Ding, I assure you I won’t be a drag today; you can count on my pace."
Ding Huan chuckled, "What level is your cultivation?"
Yan Mei scratched his head, awkwardly admitting:
"I come from the Mortal World. My family has some money, but we couldn’t afford any remarkable Cultivation Techniques. I’ve been practicing a rather mundane one called Zhengyang Scripture. Currently, I’m still at the Qi Cultivation and channel-opening stage."
Upon hearing this, Ding Huan became instantly interested:
"Could you tell me about your cultivation practice?"
"Ah..." Yan Mei hesitated slightly upon hearing Ding Huan’s question.
Ding Huan was far stronger than him and surely knew more about cultivation than he did; why would he ask for his input?
Nevertheless, since Ding Huan had asked, he went on to explain, "It’s about refining essence into Qi. I’m in the process of refining essence into Qi and am just waiting for Foundation Establishment. I joined the Dual Soul Sect primarily to achieve Foundation Establishment.
I’ve heard many say, how far a person can go in the future depends on the success of their Foundation Establishment.
If the foundation cast is weak, then no matter how high one’s talent may be, their achievements will be limited."
An explosion of information seemed to burst in Ding Huan’s mind upon hearing these words, as endless knowledge swarmed in.
Refining essence into Qi, refining essence into Qi...
Indeed, refining essence into Qi refers to the stages of Qi Cultivation and Foundation Establishment, with channel opening being part of Qi Cultivation. There are countless ways to cast a foundation.
Each individual’s comprehension and innate abilities differ, leading to different methods of Foundation Establishment.
The more profound the foundation cast, the greater the potential for future growth.
As Ding Huan pondered more and more, his ideas on casting a foundation multiplied, blending various pieces of knowledge with past life experiences.
Along with the years gone by, it felt as though something was about to burst forth.
Ding Huan took a deep breath, filled with nothing but gratitude.
He was thankful that he hadn’t rushed into Foundation Establishment, that he hadn’t been like Lao Liu, who only thought about Foundation Establishment no matter where he went.
Clearly, Lao Liu had failed at Foundation Establishment again the previous night.
Having not yet established his foundation allowed for endless possibilities.
Once the Foundation Establishment was complete, his future growth would be confined by that very foundation.
With this in mind, why should he seek others’ experiences and methods of Foundation Establishment? Why not search for his own unique way to establish his foundation?
Only what suited him best would bring the highest attainment.
At that moment, Ding Huan unexpectedly found himself in admiration of the Zhan Family member from the Four-direction Star Land, Zhan Changjing.
This person must have understood that only by casting a foundation unique to himself could he reach higher levels, which is why he created the Cloud Pill Realm.
However, this individual did not possess the knowledge contained in the leather scroll he had obtained nor more experiences regarding refining essence into Qi.
Even though he had established the Cloud Pill Realm, his strength had not undergone any qualitative change, similar to a skin-deep facade lacking real substance.
That’s precisely why Zhan Changjing was no match for Ding Qi.
Only when the foundation cast was perfect could one proceed to the next stage, transforming Qi into spirit and nurturing the True Pill way.
Deacon Qiong must have achieved a Perfect Foundation Establishment and craved Condensing Star Bamboo to nurture the True Pill, which is why he was so eager for it.
Lucky for him he hadn’t handed it over to that guy, or else he would have had to search for it himself in the future.
Unaware that Ding Huan had grasped the path he would take in the future, Yan Mei continued his explanation:
"For someone like me from the Mortal World who wants to cast a strong foundation, finding a good Sect is essential..."
Ding Huan clapped Yan Mei on the shoulder:
"We need to pick up the pace on our journey. I won’t pass on any cultivation techniques to you since you have your own.
Besides, you will get new techniques once you join a Sect. I’ll teach you a Divine Skill for swift evasion, called the Extreme Shadow Jutsu…"
Yan Mei was thrilled upon hearing this and hurriedly expressed his gratitude.
"Brother Huan, can I learn some as well?" Lao Liu interjected.
Ding Huan nodded, "Of course, you can learn it together with Yan Mei."
"You, you... can talk?" Yan Mei stammered, staring at Lao Liu.
He had heard of Demon Beasts in the Taoist Realm that could speak, but having one right beside him was genuinely startling.
Lao Liu, swelling with pride inside, breezily replied, "Ignorant fool, I’ve been able to talk all along; I just didn’t want to."
"Yes, yes…" Yan Mei was so taken aback he even forgot Ding Huan was about to teach him an Escape Technique.
...
Purple Mist Valley.
Although its name suggests a valley, it is in fact a mountain range, with its main peak, Purple Mist Peak, renowned as a potent spirit source in the Taoist Realm.
The number of Sects in the Taoist Realm is vast, and the strength of Purple Mist Valley is barely considered average.
This power level hardly matches the expanse of territory it occupies.
Over the years, the lack of outstanding disciples from Purple Mist Valley had led to its gradual decline.
Liu Yinzhu returned with her group, feeling deeply ashamed.
She had departed with one steward and four disciples, but returned with the steward gone and only one disciple remaining.
The ultimate tally of new disciples recruited was a meager five.
"Elder Liu, you’re back." As soon as Liu Yinzhu reached the gate of the Sect, Elder Jia Sha, responsible for the watch, immediately greeted her.
Liu Yinzhu, filled with remorse, said:
"I have let down the Sect. Three of the disciples I took with me have fallen, even the steward, and the recruited disciples have suffered great casualties."
To her surprise, Jia Sha did not react with astonishment; it was as though he had already known about it:
"Elder Liu, the dead are gone. You should hurry and see the Sect Master," Ding Huan said, somewhat dazed, and it took her a while before she looked at Jia Sha and asked, "Elder Jia, why do you seem unsurprised? I didn’t send a message back, did I?"
Jia Sha sighed and said, "In fact, the fact that seven of you could return is already far better than many other sects. Did you know, virtually all sects that went to the Mortal World to recruit disciples this time have been wiped out. Only a handful of sects had anyone return at all, and even they had only a few survivors."
"Ah..." Liu Yinzhu gasped in shock. Although she had guessed that the sects recruiting disciples in the Mortal World might suffer heavy losses—due to the strangeness of the Cold Ghost and the Swallowing Foot Corpse—actually hearing the news still felt shocking.
Jia Sha sighed again, "For Purple Mist Valley, the news of your return is the best we’ve had in this period."
"What happened?" Liu Yinzhu sensed something was amiss.
Jia Sha said, "Recently, the Sect Master was seriously injured, and the sect’s first Guardian Elder, Pu Jun, was ambushed and killed..."
"What?" Liu Yinzhu’s heart trembled. Was this the end for her Purple Mist Valley? The Sect Master gravely injured, the first elder slain?
"You should hurry to see the Sect Master. It’s hard to say if he can hold on," Jia Sha said in a low tone.
No further words from Jia Sha were needed; Liu Yinzhu was already directing the spaceship into the sect, straight toward Purple Mist Peak.
After Liu Yinzhu left, Jia Sha said to Mo Huaping, "Your master has gone to see the Sect Master. Take these newcomers to Elder Qin."
"Yes." Mo Huaping felt extremely uneasy. Her master had previously hinted that the Taoist Realm was not as peaceful as it seemed. Now with two main pillars of the sect about to collapse, did Purple Mist Valley have any future?
...
"Sect Master..." Even before she reached where the Sect Master was healing, Liu Yinzhu called out urgently.
For Liu Yinzhu, Sect Master Gu Mo was the person she trusted the most in Purple Mist Valley. If it hadn’t been for Master Gu taking her to Purple Mist Valley years ago, she couldn’t even be sure she’d be alive today, let alone an elder of a sect.
"Is it Yinzhu who has returned?" came the weary voice of Gu Mo.
After rushing into the room, Liu Yinzhu saw Sect Master Gu Mo lying on the bed, pale-faced with a weak vitality, even carrying a faint scent of death.
Liu Yinzhu’s eyes reddened. She had never imagined the Sect Master would be so grievously injured.
"You go out, Yinzhu stay," Gu Mo said to the woman waiting to one side.
The woman quickly bowed and said, "Yes." After greeting Liu Yinzhu, she left the room.
"I heard that not even one-tenth of the people from the sects that went to the Mortal World to recruit disciples returned; I thought you were gone too. But you managed to come back," Gu Mo said, somewhat moved.
"Sect Master, I have let the sect down. Three disciples I took with me died, and Steward Li too. Only five new disciples were brought back, along with disciple Mo Huaping, who went with me."
"Ah, that is very good," Gu Mo sighed again.
"Sect Master, what happened to you and Elder Pu? How did you get so badly injured? How could Elder Pu have fallen?" Liu Yinzhu’s voice was urgent.
Gu Mo sighed, "The fact that less than one-tenth survived the trip from the Taoist Cultivation World to the Mortal World to recruit disciples has shocked the entire Taoist Realm. The Taoist Cultivation World Sect Alliance immediately invited all the sects to convene in Tao City to discuss how to deal with it..."
Liu Yinzhu suddenly understood; after they encountered the Cold Ghost, it was Ding Huan who resolved the situation. The other sects didn’t have a way to resolve it, but some had elders with secret methods of communication, who managed to send messages back with their own blood sacrifice before dying.
"Several days of discussion brought us no results, and suddenly the Sect Alliance Hierarch received news that an Ascension Realm powerhouse had arrived; he hurried to welcome the Ascension Realm powerhouse. I thought it was pointless to stay in Tao City any longer, so I decided to return to the sect with Elder Pu Jun. It was on our way back that we were ambushed, and almost all those with us were killed. Only I returned with serious injuries."
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Hearing Gu Mo’s words, Liu Yinzhu shuddered. She guessed that things were not as simple as they seemed.
Sure enough, Gu Mo continued, "I fear I may not last much longer, Yinzhu. You are the elder I am most confident in. After I am gone, I hope you can succeed me as Sect Master of Purple Mist Valley. Purple Mist Valley’s location is too advantageous, yet its strength does not match it, which has been my constant worry."
Liu Yinzhu was stunned. Her as Sect Master? How could that be possible?
"No, Sect Master. My cultivation is too weak, and with my capabilities, how could I be Sect Master?" Liu Yinzhu refused urgently.
Gu Mo coughed violently for a while before panting and saying, "Yinzhu, only you take a long-term view of things. Speaking of cultivation, who in our sect is qualified to be Sect Master? That’s why my choice for Sect Master must have insight, as well as some cunning, to cope with the crises facing Purple Mist Valley. This is not an easy matter. Those eyeing Purple Mist Valley, none of them are weak, yet Purple Mist Valley is the weakest, cough cough... You may indeed be lacking in some areas, but there’s no better candidate for Purple Mist Valley now. If we are not careful, the sect could be obliterated from the annals of history, and I cannot bear that."
Upon hearing this, a person suddenly came to Liu Yinzhu’s mind, and she blurted out, "Sect Master, I know someone who can definitely fill the position of Sect Master of our Purple Mist Valley."
(This concludes today’s update, friends. Good night! Habitually asking for monthly tickets!)