The Way of the Salted Fish?

Nuwa's heart churned with stormy waves, but her expression remained calm.

Yet, the ripples in her deep eyes took a long time to subside.

Innate Breathing Soil! Innate Gourd Vine! Buzhou Mountain!

These three phrases were branded into her mind.

Especially the words "create humans," which caused an indescribable tremor deep within her Dao heart, as if she had touched upon a destiny crucial to her very being!

And Qing Xuan's thoughts once again accurately predicted her actions.

She had indeed sensed that treasures fated for her were about to appear in the direction of Buzhou Mountain, which was why she had intended to go into seclusion to adjust her state before heading there.

'He even knows what the specific treasure is... and even its use?'

Nuwa looked at Qing Xuan, who had an expression of "I just woke up, I don't know anything," and found it both absurd and utterly shocking.

[But won't Master going to Buzhou Mountain now be a bit too early?]

[Isn't that Kirin Race territory right now? Although the Kirin Race is being heavily suppressed by the Dragon Race and Phoenix Race, a starved camel is still bigger than a horse. There will definitely be trouble.]

[And that Gourd Vine isn't due to appear yet. I hope Master doesn't make a wasted trip or encounter danger.]

Hearing these thoughts, tinged with a hint of concern, Nuwa's shock subsided slightly, replaced by a faint warmth.

This rebellious disciple actually had some conscience.

Her original plan was indeed to head directly to Buzhou Mountain, but Qing Xuan's thoughts reminded her.

Although the Kirin Race was in decline, their ancestral land, Buzhou Mountain, was still not a place that could be trespassed upon carelessly, let alone the potential conflicts that might arise when treasures appeared.

"Hmm, I have a sense of destiny, and I need to enter seclusion for a period of time to stabilize my state of mind before proceeding," Nuwa said, changing her words on the spot.

"You will remain here alone and do not cause trouble."

"Disciple obeys Master's command!"

Qing Xuan obediently replied.

[Seclusion is good! If Master goes into seclusion, I can finally slack off completely and safely activate my portable Primordial Spirit Gathering Array! Hehe, a custom-made cheat from the System, thinking about it makes me a little excited.]

Nuwa's eyes twitched again. Primordial Spirit Gathering Array? What was that? It sounded much more advanced than her elder brother's Spirit Calming Dao Infusion Pearl? This rebellious disciple was full of secrets.

She gave Qing Xuan a deep look, said no more, and her form turned into streaks of light, disappearing from the spot. She had clearly returned to her core cave abode to enter seclusion.

After confirming Nuwa's departure, Qing Xuan immediately jumped up.

"System, System! Quick! My Primordial Slacker Lying Down... ah no, my Primordial Spirit Gathering Array, where is it? How do I activate it?"

[Ding! Detected that the host possesses an independent safe environment, meeting the 'slacker lying down' condition. The Primordial Spirit Gathering Array (Beginner) has been automatically activated. The host only needs to maintain a relaxed state of body and mind (lying down is recommended) to enjoy the array's blessings.]

"So intelligent? Good review!"

Without a second word, Qing Xuan fell backward and comfortably lay down on the warm bluestone, striking a perfect "slacker pose."

Almost the instant he lay down, a spiritual energy a hundred times more concentrated and pure than before silently gathered. It didn't surge violently but flowed in like a gentle warm current, seeping into his limbs, meridians, and acupoints, even directly nourishing his primordial spirit.

This enhancement wasn't forced infusion but more like a natural evolution of his very being, happening smoothly and without any obstruction.

[Wow! Awesome! Is this the joy of idling? I don't even need to cultivate myself, my cultivation is just increasing on its own!]

[System, is this array reliable? Won't Master or big brother find out?]

[Ding! Please rest assured, host. This system's array is bound to the host's soul, drawing upon the Primordial Origin Qi. It is silent, traceless, and leaves no trace. In the understanding of cultivators in this realm, they will only believe the host's innate talent is extraordinary, that they possess a Primordial Dao Body, and are perfectly attuned to the Great Dao, hence their rapid cultivation.]

"Amazing! The System is awesome!"

Qing Xuan was completely reassured and closed his eyes contentedly, feeling his cultivation slowly increase.

[Since I'm idle anyway, why not take a nap? I heard that powerful beings in the Great Desolation can sleep for several Eons in one go. Will I directly become a Golden Immortal after this nap?]

He had truly fallen asleep, his breathing even, a satisfied smile on his lips.

The bluestone beneath him was warmed by the gentle spiritual energy, surrounded by misty spiritual energy, fragrant flowers, and the tinkling of wind chimes. It was simply an excellent environment for sleep.

In secret, a wisp of Nuwa's divine sense, which she had left to secretly protect Qing Xuan out of worry, was observing the scene and was now dumbfounded.

She had left a wisp of her divine sense to secretly protect him because she was worried about leaving Qing Xuan alone.

And then she witnessed an incredibly bizarre sight.

Her disciple, who claimed he would "cultivate diligently," immediately lay down after she left.

And then... and then he fell asleep?!

Just as she thought this rebellious disciple had succumbed to his laziness and she was about to appear and discipline him, she suddenly sensed something was wrong.

Although Qing Xuan was asleep, the spiritual energy gathering around him had not decreased; instead, it had become extremely concentrated and pure, even forming a faint, almost invisible spiritual mist that enveloped him.

His aura was growing at a stable and astonishing rate!

Heavenly Immortal Mid-stage... Heavenly Immortal Late-stage... Heavenly Immortal Perfected...

In just a few days, his cultivation realm had soared without any bottlenecks!

Nuwa was completely stunned.

She had never seen or even heard of such a cultivation method before!

Just sleeping could make one stronger? What kind of heaven-defying foundation and luck was this?

Could this be the effect of the "Primordial Spirit Gathering Array" he mentioned?

The word "Primordial" represented the chaotic era before the heavens and earth were formed!

What was the background of this unfilial disciple?

She recalled Qing Xuan's inner thoughts about his "Innate Divine Body" and being "in harmony with the Great Dao."

Looking at the scene before her, it seemed... there was indeed some truth to it?

Nuwa withdrew that wisp of divine sense, her heart complex as she continued her seclusion.

She realized she still knew too little about this disciple.

However, this seemed like a good thing.

Time flowed, and the Great Desolation paid no heed to years.

Nuwa's seclusion this time did not last too long; it was mainly to adjust her state and deduce that providence in the netherworld.

Several months later, she emerged from seclusion.

The first thing she did upon exiting seclusion was to sweep her divine sense across the dojo, searching for Qing Xuan's figure.

He was still by the warm spring, still on that bluestone.

That kid was indeed still sleeping...

Huh?!

Nuwa's divine sense suddenly focused, and an expression of disbelief appeared on her exquisite face.

True Immortal! And mid-stage True Immortal at that!

How long had it been? Less than half a year at most!

From a novice Heavenly Immortal to a mid-stage True Immortal cultivator?

This cultivation speed was simply astounding!

It wasn't even this fast to travel from the Chaos to the Flying Shuttle!

Her figure flickered, and she instantly appeared by the warm spring.

Qing Xuan seemed to sense her arrival, groggily opened his eyes, saw it was Nuwa, yawned, and lazily sat up.

"Master, you're out of seclusion?"

[Ahhh~ I slept so well. Why does Master's gaze seem strange? As if she saw something unbelievable?]

[Is there something on my face? Or did I drool?]

Nuwa took a deep breath, suppressing the shock in her heart, and asked in the calmest tone possible.

"Qing Xuan, your cultivation..."

Qing Xuan's heart skipped a beat.

[Bad, I was so focused on lying flat and leveling up that I forgot that my cultivation increasing too quickly would arouse suspicion!]

Qing Xuan steadied himself, a look of confusion and innocence on his face.

"Replying to Master, I don't know why either. I just cultivate step-by-step every day, and occasionally when I fall asleep, I seem to be able to comprehend the principles of heaven and earth better, and my cultivation increases without me realizing it. Perhaps the Spirit Calming Dao Infusion Pearl that Martial Uncle gave me is particularly effective?"

He shifted the blame to Fuxi's gift and his own constitution.

Nuwa was speechless.

While the Spirit Calming Dao Infusion Pearl was good, it absolutely did not have such heaven-defying effects!

As for comprehending the Dao while sleeping? That was unheard of!

But looking at Qing Xuan's sincere yet slightly anxious eyes, and recalling his unfathomable inner thoughts.

She suddenly felt that any strange occurrence involving him seemed understandable.

Perhaps, this was his Dao.

A Salted Fish Dao where one could become stronger just by lying down?

Nuwa suddenly felt a little amused, and a little relieved.

She no longer pressed the issue, merely saying lightly.

"Mm, it seems you indeed have a connection with this treasure, and it is quite compatible with your own constitution. This is your fortune, just continue as you are."

Qing Xuan breathed a sigh of relief.

"Yes, Master!"

[I passed! As expected, Master is so easy to fool... Ah, no, Master is truly understanding!]

Nuwa's lips twitched slightly, and she decided to ignore the phrase "so easy to fool."

Her gaze swept over the warm spring, and with a wave of her sleeve, several rough stones by the spring automatically took shape, transforming into a set of simple stone tables and stools.

She took out another set of white jade teacups and some fragrant spiritual tea leaves.

"Sit down."

Nuwa was the first to sit on the stone bench.

"Advancing your cultivation to True Immortal means you've officially entered the path. You need to consolidate your realm and clarify the path ahead. Today, I will tell you about the key aspects of the True Immortal realm and some crucial points for the Golden Immortal path that follows."

Qing Xuan quickly sat down obediently.

[Master is personally making tea and lecturing?]

[But can't I just lie around and reach Golden Immortal and stuff?]

Nuwa's hand, which was pouring tea, paused slightly, almost spilling the tea.

She forcefully suppressed the urge to knock him on the head and began her explanation.

She explained in a simple and profound manner, elaborating on the connection between the laws of heaven and earth and the condensation of one's own Dao fruit.

Sunlight streamed through the misty vapor, casting a layer of sacred halo on her focused profile.

Qing Xuan was somewhat absent-minded at first, but as he listened, he was involuntarily drawn in.

As an Innate Divine Being, Nuwa's understanding of the Great Dao's laws was far beyond his. Many of her insights made him feel as if a fog had lifted, and he even gained a deeper understanding of the power brought by his own System.

[So that's how it is. True Immortal is the initial condensation of the Dao fruit, resonating with external laws.]

[Master explains so well!]

Hearing his thoughts, a hint of a smile flickered in Nuwa's eyes, and she continued her explanation with even more detail and care.

The aroma of tea wafted, and the sound of the Dao flowed.

Master and disciple sat opposite each other, discussing the Dao (mostly Nuwa speaking, Qing Xuan listening), and the atmosphere was unprecedentedly harmonious and peaceful.

Nuwa looked at her disciple, who was sometimes lost in thought and sometimes enlightened, at the mist surrounding him that even she couldn't see through, and felt his astonishing cultivation speed. The initial intention of using him gradually faded, replaced by a genuine master-disciple affection, tinged with a bit of curiosity and care.

Perhaps, taking him as a disciple was truly the most interesting and correct decision she had made in her long life.

Meanwhile, Qing Xuan, while drinking the Dao-comprehending tea brewed by his Master, listening to a top-tier mighty being's private tutoring, gazing at his Master's stunning beauty, and feeling his cultivation automatically increasing.

[This slacker life is simply perfect!]

[Master is getting more and more beautiful and pleasing to the eye. What should I do?]

Nuwa's hand, holding the teacup, trembled almost imperceptibly. A faint blush crept onto her jade-like earlobes.