The Fish Plate Golden Finger

As Lu Chen stepped into the teleportation portal, he stabilized and, before opening his eyes, heard voices around him: "From the ancient beginning, who passed down the teachings? Above and below were not yet formed, how could they be examined? The dark and obscure, who could fathom it?..."

Lu Chen hurriedly opened his eyes and shouted, "Who is it? Who is speaking there?"

Listening to the voice, Lu Chen felt profoundly shaken, as if something within him was trying to break free and chase after the sound.

Towering paulownia trees surrounded him, with only a single path ahead leading to the unknown. The voice he had just heard was coming from that direction.

This urge to break free from his body compelled Lu Chen to rush towards the source of the sound, and the feeling intensified the further he walked.

Minutes ticked by, and Lu Chen had no idea how far he had traveled. Just as he was about to change direction, he suddenly saw the outline of a city in front of him.

Lu Chen approached the city step by step, observing its silhouette. He realized that this city looked almost identical to the one depicted on the plaque that had opened the teleportation portal, except this one was intact, untouched by collapse or war, and without the flag-waving figure.

The Twin Fish Plate on Lu Chen's chest flew out, beginning to flash with red light at a steady frequency. The further he walked, the more intensely the red light pulsed, and the louder the chanting in his ears became.

Finally, Lu Chen saw the city gates. The flashing frequency of the Twin Fish Plate was now too fast for his eyes to perceive.

Lu Chen stopped, observing the city carefully. The city gates suddenly opened, and a voice drifted out from within, "You've finally arrived."

At this moment, the Twin Fish Plate broke free from Lu Chen's body and flew rapidly forward, hovering in front of a palace. Beside the palace stood an old man, continuously chanting. Lu Chen listened intently; it was the same voice he had heard earlier.

The old man was tall and robust, with a face that seemed weathered by time and etched with worry. He wore a wide sash, a long sword named Lu Li hanging from his waist, inscribed with the characters "Ling Jun." He wore a high hat that seemed to touch the clouds and robes of snow-white silk. He paced back and forth at the entrance of the grand hall, as if wandering by a riverbank, or as if lifting his voice in a mournful song.

"Grandpa, were you calling me?" Lu Chen ventured to ask.

The old man did not turn around, continuing to chant, "From the ancient beginning, who passed down the teachings? Above and below were not yet formed, how could they be examined? The dark and obscure, who could fathom it?..."

As the old man reached the Twin Fish Plate, he suddenly turned to Lu Chen, asking as if speaking to himself, "Do you know what cultivation is? Do you know what heaven and earth are?"

Lu Chen froze. This was exactly what Blind Lu had told him, word for word.

As Lu Chen was about to answer, he saw the old man look up at the sky, "What exactly is cultivation? What exactly are heaven and earth?"

Lu Chen then realized that the old man was merely a phantom. He was likely asking the person who had stood in his place at that time.

Lu Chen looked at the old man, pondering the meaning of these words, when he saw the Twin Fish Plate fly straight into the grand hall.

Lu Chen chased after it, only to find the hall filled with ancient trees and spiritual plants.

In the center of the spiritual plant grove was a massive stone chair. Seated on the chair was a white-haired man, his head bowed, his face obscured. The Twin Fish Plate rested steadily in his hand, its red glow continuously flowing into his body.

"Finally, you're here. I've waited a long time," the man's voice sounded a bit aged but very kind.

Lu Chen looked at the man before him in disbelief, stammering, "Were you waiting for me?"

The man walked up to Lu Chen, appearing as an old man in his seventies or eighties. He gently touched Lu Chen's head and re-hung the Twin Fish Plate around Lu Chen's neck.

"I was waiting for you, but strictly speaking, I was waiting for someone wearing the Twin Fish Plate to arrive here and help them complete their cultivation. This is my mission."

Lu Chen looked down at the Twin Fish Plate and said, "So, anyone can come here, not necessarily those with talent, as long as they wear this jade pendant, anyone can enter, is that right?"

The man nodded, "You could say that."

Lu Chen suddenly felt as if this world was all prearranged. This jade pendant was what he was wearing when he was found, and it was the necessary item to reach this place.

Lu Chen looked up, cautiously at the man, "Are you that Lord? The Heavenly Emperor who emerged from Qingtian Workshop?"

The man shook his head, "I am merely a clone. The main body has nine clones, each independent, with different personalities and abilities. Before he became Emperor, I waited here for my mission. Without the spiritual connection to the main body, I aged rapidly, and my cultivation has dwindled to almost nothing. If you don't mind, you can call me Grandpa Feng."

Lu Chen nodded in agreement, "Yes, Grandpa Feng."

Feng Tiancheng continued, "Since you came from Qingtian Workshop, you should know that entering this place is for cultivation. But I see no signs of any cultivation in you."

Upon hearing this, Lu Chen immediately understood this was his opportunity and said, "Grandpa Feng, I came here to find the purpose of cultivation. I want to step into cultivation, I want to know what cultivation is, what heaven and earth are."

Feng Tiancheng looked at Lu Chen and shook his head, "Heaven and Earth cultivation? I cannot answer that question yet. I am just a clone, but I know the main body was pondering the same question back then. If you merely wish to become a cultivator, then I can help you. Once your cultivation is complete, you can explore it yourself, or ask my main body."

Hearing Feng Tiancheng's words, Lu Chen had no choice but to give up and changed his question, "Grandpa Feng, I underwent the Celestial Pool baptism a few days ago, but I didn't reach the Qi Gathering Realm. If possible, I hope Grandpa Feng can help me find a way to cultivate, because I want to find the truth of heaven and earth cultivation."

Lu Chen recited the few sentences he had heard outside the hall: "From the ancient beginning, who passed down the teachings? Above and below were not yet formed, how could they be examined? The dark and obscure, who could fathom it? I want to find the purpose of my cultivation."

Feng Tiancheng looked at Lu Chen, as if seeing his past self seeking the Dao, and murmured, "He truly resembles himself when seeking the Dao back then. I wonder how the main body is doing."

Feng Tiancheng seemed to have made a decision. He raised his hand and helped Lu Chen up, "I do have a way to let you step into cultivation, but you must promise me one condition: once your cultivation is complete, you must find my main body."

Upon hearing Feng Tiancheng's words, Lu Chen's resolve strengthened, "Grandpa Feng, I promise you. Please help me cultivate."

Hearing Lu Chen's answer, Feng Tiancheng removed the Twin Fish Plate from Lu Chen's neck and explained, "When I was cultivating, I forged a magic treasure called the Yuan Yang Twin Fish Luo Pan. This Twin Fish Plate is its Celestial Pool core. One fish is black, the other white, one yin, one yang, containing infinite possibilities. It can draw in spiritual energy and form a small world of its own. Now, for some reason, only this Twin Fish Plate remains."

With that, Feng Tiancheng placed the Twin Fish Plate into a groove in the stone chair. A pool suddenly appeared within the hall, and spiritual energy from the Twin Fish Plate began to continuously release, becoming denser and gradually transforming from gas to liquid.

Lu Chen looked at the spiritual energy pool, his eyes beginning to tremble. He thought to himself: This pool of spiritual energy could probably allow everyone in Dongshan City to cultivate.

He had heard storytellers say that spiritual energy was the most precious thing. Before the Heavenly Net existed, spiritual energy was limited, and cultivators became fewer and fewer. It was only later, due to the Seven Boys and the Heavenly Emperor Compass, that spiritual energy gradually recovered. However, such a spiritual energy pool was still extremely rare.

Feng Tiancheng watched as the spiritual energy filled the entire pool. He threw the Twin Fish Plate back to Lu Chen and said, "I have examined your body. Your Celestial Pool has been opened, and you can clearly draw spiritual energy into your body. However, I cannot understand your talent test. But with your Celestial Pool opened, as long as there is enough spiritual energy, you should be able to successfully gather Qi; it's only a matter of time."

Feng Tiancheng then grabbed a handful of spiritual plants from the side and continuously added them to the pool. "According to your explanation, the spiritual energy in the outside world has gone through a period of decline. It's quite normal that you cannot draw it into your body. When I was cultivating, the spiritual energy was exceptionally dense, and almost everyone in the world was a cultivator."

"Back then, there were countless prodigies. Some were born in the Qi Gathering Realm, some had extremely powerful Celestial Pools that could continuously accumulate spiritual energy, and some had extremely strong bodies, capable of moving mountains and seas with their physical strength. Your Celestial Pool situation is very similar to a certain bloodline. Legend has it that in ancient times, when the world was first born and spiritual energy was like liquid, five supremely powerful creatures emerged. One of them lived in the extreme east, and their bloodline was called the Azure Emperor Bloodline."

After speaking, Feng Tiancheng entered the spiritual energy pool to replenish his own energy, also beckoning Lu Chen to join him.

Lu Chen looked at Feng Tiancheng, "Grandpa Feng, what should I do?"

Feng Tiancheng exerted a gentle force with his hand, directly pulling Lu Chen down.

As Feng Tiancheng and Lu Chen soaked in the spiritual liquid pool, he continued, "They had already opened their Celestial Pools when they were born. Because their Celestial Pools were exceptionally large, reaching the Qi Gathering Realm often required a tremendous source of power. However, once they reached the Qi Gathering Realm, they could gather Qi on their own and cultivate at an astonishing pace."

"We have this bloodline. Back then, my spiritual energy was abundant, and it still took me three years to reach the Qi Gathering Realm. Now, with the lack of spiritual energy in the outside world, it's perfectly normal that you can't reach the Qi Gathering Realm." As he spoke, Feng Tiancheng showed Lu Chen his Celestial Pool.

Lu Chen looked at Feng Tiancheng's displayed Celestial Pool. The phantom image of the Celestial Pool filled the entire great hall, with spiritual energy constantly flowing into its Qi Sea, yet it seemed impossible to fill.

Lu Chen was stunned and murmured, "Is this the Celestial Pool of the Azure Emperor bloodline? How can it be so enormous?"

Seeing Lu Chen's astonished expression, Feng Tiancheng patted him on the shoulder. "Don't worry. The Twin Fish Plate is enough for you to enter the Qi Gathering Realm. It's just a matter of time now."

In this short period, Feng Tiancheng's cultivation had recovered somewhat, and his demeanor had become a little younger.

"I'll teach you another cultivation technique. Practice it diligently. After circulating the absorbed spiritual energy for 64 great cycles, guide the spiritual energy into your Celestial Pool. Repeat this until the spiritual energy of heaven and earth fills your Celestial Pool, and you will reach the Qi Gathering Realm faster." After speaking, Feng Tiancheng pointed a finger at Lu Chen's forehead, and a cultivation technique was transmitted into Lu Chen's mind.

A passage of cultivation text appeared in Lu Chen's mind: "Tianluo Great Law." There was also a small figure, and at the center of the figure's dantian, a small compass was constantly spinning.

Suddenly, the small figure sat down and began to circulate this cultivation technique in Lu Chen's mind, over and over again.

On the continent, Lu Chen had heard storytellers say that they relied on compasses to gather Qi and cultivate to the Qi Gathering Realm, and that a compass was always needed for cultivation thereafter. This was the first time Lu Chen had encountered a cultivation method other than using a compass, and he felt exceptionally novel. He began to follow the small figure to learn how to circulate spiritual energy.

Once, twice, three times. After countless failures, Lu Chen finally succeeded in circulating one cycle and guiding the spiritual energy into his own Celestial Pool.

Just as Lu Chen was about to happily open his eyes, Feng Tiancheng pressed him down, telling him to calm his mind and continue circulating.

Slowly, Lu Chen felt his consciousness enter a mysterious space. His consciousness floated and sank within this space, and the circulation speed of the Tianluo Heart Technique grew faster and faster. The spiritual energy of heaven and earth within his Celestial Pool also increased.

Seeing Lu Chen enter a state of deep meditation, Feng Tiancheng emerged from the spiritual energy pit. He picked some medicinal herbs from the surrounding spiritual plants and began to make pills, throwing the remaining medicinal materials into the spiritual energy pit.

Unknowingly, four days passed, and the spiritual energy in the pit was already nearing its bottom.

At this moment, a crisp cracking sound came from Lu Chen's body. Lu Chen immediately let out a cold snort, and his body began to convulse. It was as if a command had been given. Following this, Lu Chen's bones from head to toe began to be continuously shattered and reforged, his skin repeatedly tearing and healing, tearing and healing again. Blood continuously flowed from the wounds, slowly filling the entire pit.

Feng Tiancheng quickly stepped forward and fed the pills he had just refined into Lu Chen's mouth, guiding him to refine the pills to alleviate the pain. He then patted Lu Chen's abdomen a few times, performing a mysterious gesture.

Lu Chen's convulsions slowly stopped. At this moment, a beam of red light suddenly shot out from Lu Chen's waist and abdomen, beginning to absorb the remaining spiritual liquid.

Slowly, the red light was no longer satisfied with just the spiritual energy. It split into several tendrils, beginning to absorb the spiritual energy and medicinal properties from the surrounding ancient trees and spiritual plants, integrating them into Lu Chen's body. A Yin Yang Plate began to form at Lu Chen's waist and abdomen.

Seeing this, Feng Tiancheng's waist and abdomen also extended a few greenish tendrils. He said, "Little Green, are you happy to see a new companion? But it seems different from you."

As if understanding the words, the greenish tendril rubbed against Feng Tiancheng's ear in a display of affection.

With the formation of the Yin Yang Plate, Lu Chen's changes gradually slowed and then stopped.

The Yin Yang Plate emitted red light that enveloped Lu Chen's body, beginning to use the remaining medicinal power to repair his body, expelling the shattered fragments from the tearing of his body and some black impurities.

This was a secret technique of Feng Tiancheng's clan, and it could only be adapted by members of this clan. In the initial stages of cultivation, they would be enveloped by spiritual energy liquid. Through continuous cultivation, this would impact the body's meridians, widening them step by step.

Finally, the body would be strengthened. Through constant tearing and stretching, impurities would be expelled from the body, and the body's strength would be reinforced to the level of Grand Perfection in the Qi Gathering Realm. This secret technique allowed cultivators to skip the body strengthening process of the Qi Gathering stage and directly enter cultivation.