Returning to the Sect

The Five Qi Spirit Seed had been successfully planted in the Five Viscera. Once he refined the Twin Spirit Water into the Soul Nurturing Gourd, he could leave Linyuan City.

Fang Xiao picked up the two crystal bottles, one containing azure spirit water and the other white spirit water. His Spiritual Sense entered the bottles, drawing out the two kinds of spirit water like flowing streams. They gathered in the air once more into two spheres of water.

He then raised both hands, palms upward. In an instant, Silver-white True Fire ignited above his palms, and a trace of scorching heat spread through the air.

The two kinds of spirit water slowly descended from the air until they fell into the True Fire. Though one was water and the other fire, they were surprisingly harmonious.

The two spheres of spirit water were not damaged by the True Fire in the slightest. Instead, the spiritual resonance within them grew ever more condensed, until it reached its limit and could be refined no further.

Fang Xiao immediately withdrew the True Fire. With a hook of his Spiritual Sense, the two spheres of spirit water plunged directly into his glabella. Within his sea of consciousness, the Soul Nurturing Gourd had long been shining brilliantly under the circulation of the Upper Elixir Condensing Spirit Refining Method. Countless patterns emerged across the entire gourd, brimming with Dao charm.

The two spheres of spirit water flew straight toward the Soul Nurturing Gourd and instantly enveloped it like a film of water. The patterns on the gourd began to gleam faintly, then, like sponges, slowly absorbed the spirit water surrounding it until it vanished.

Just as before, he did not stop circulating the Upper Elixir Condensing Spirit Refining Method. Not until the hour of Mao the following day did the Soul Nurturing Gourd within his sea of consciousness suddenly tremble. A mass of spirit water began to seep out from its bottom, half azure and half white, clearly divided as though by the waters of the Jing and Wei, like a taiji symbol.

Seeing this change, Fang Xiao narrowed his eyes. He still needed to test it. He extended his Spiritual Sense into it and explored the function of this mass of spirit water.

After probing it with his Spiritual Sense, he found no issues and began to grow bolder. He gradually submerged a portion of his soul into the spirit water, feeling the unusual sensation coming from his soul. It had grown stronger—very noticeably so.

He could now confirm that this mass of spirit water could be used separately or together. When separated, one healed the soul while the other wore it away. When fused together, even if the soul remained immersed within it for a long time, nothing would happen.

The two kinds of spirit water supplied by Linyuan City were both top-grade mid-tier spirit waters, and they were mutually reinforcing spirit waters as well. Once fused, their effect was practically that of high-tier spirit water used only by Golden Core Stage cultivators. Moreover, they were among the rare spirit waters capable of strengthening the soul.

From now on, Fang Xiao's soul would naturally remain within this spirit water for extended periods. If he wished to further enhance the Soul Nurturing Gourd's effects in the future, he would likely have to seek out high-tier spiritual materials.

Everything had been dealt with at last. He could finally set out for the sect. After gathering his belongings from the room, he left and headed to Yan Tingyun's residence.

"Senior Brother Yan, I am fully prepared and can depart for the sect."

"Since Junior Brother is ready, then follow me to the teleportation array."

The two arrived at Linyuan City's Teleportation Hall. Ever since the incident involving the Five Elements Gold Vein, the teleportation array, which had originally been guarded by two Foundation Establishment Cultivators, was now guarded by one Golden Core cultivator and four Foundation Establishment Cultivators, to guard against any eventuality.

"Are the two fellow Daoists from the Tianlan Sect here to use the teleportation array?"

One of the Foundation Establishment Cultivators stepped forward to ask. Fang Xiao and the other did not see the Golden Core cultivator, who was perhaps concealed somewhere.

"Yes, only he will be going, teleporting directly into the Tianlan Sect."

Yan Tingyun pointed at Fang Xiao.

"Has Fellow Daoist contacted your sect?"

"I have already informed them. The teleportation can be activated directly."

To teleport to the Tianlan Sect, one had to send word ahead of time to obtain authorization. Otherwise, the teleportation array could not be activated at all. On the way here, Yan Tingyun had already contacted the sect using his Identity Token.

"Since that is the case, Fellow Daoist, please stand on the teleportation array. The distance is rather great, so take this teleportation talisman."

"Alright."

Fang Xiao curiously accepted the teleportation talisman and inspected it. At the man's instruction, he activated it and pressed it against his chest.

The teleportation array activated. After a humming sound, a pillar of light rose from it. When the pillar vanished, Fang Xiao within it had disappeared without a trace.

At that moment, after seeing a flash of White Light, Fang Xiao felt as though he had been tossed into a tumble dryer, spinning forward one moment and backward the next with no pattern whatsoever.

A moment later, he suddenly felt solid ground beneath his feet. Looking down, he saw another teleportation array. When he raised his head, the world spun around him, and he nearly sat down on the ground.

"It is normal to experience this on your first long-distance teleportation."

Fang Xiao looked up and saw a Foundation Establishment disciple wearing Tianlan Sect robes standing outside the array. Looking around again, he found more than ten teleportation arrays, with four enormous teleportation arrays even farther away.

"You are Junior Brother Fang Xiao, correct? My name is Chen Yang. I am a Steward Disciple of the sect, specifically assigned to help you complete the procedures for becoming an Inner Disciple."

"Thank you for your trouble, Senior Brother Chen. This is my first time entering the inner sect, so I hope Senior Brother will offer me much guidance. This is a small token of my appreciation."

Fang Xiao stepped down from the teleportation array, approached Chen Yang, and discreetly slipped him a Mid-grade Spirit Stone.

"Rest assured, Junior Brother. We must first pay respects to the Patriarchs in the Patriarch Hall. Let us talk as we walk."

Chen Yang accepted it with a beaming smile and led Fang Xiao out of the Teleportation Hall.

Along the way, he briefed Fang Xiao on matters requiring attention within the sect. As for the four enormous teleportation arrays Fang Xiao had just seen, Chen Yang said they were ultra-long-distance teleportation arrays leading respectively to the other four domains. They were activated extremely rarely; at the very least, Chen Yang had never seen them used.

After flying on artifacts for some time, the two arrived above a vast and empty plaza.

"There usually are not many Foundation Establishment Realm disciples within the sect. They are all out traveling and seeking Sha Qi. Recently, the Demon Race of the Southern Wilderness invaded, and the sect offered rewards in Sha Qi. Many people have gone to exterminate demons. You will soon see just how many Foundation Establishment disciples there are in the sect."

Chen Yang noticed Fang Xiao's confusion and explained.

The two came before a grand hall at the end of the plaza. A massive bronze ding stood before the hall. It had upright ears, folded rims, a rectangular belly, and four pillar legs beneath it. Its surface was adorned with cloud-and-thunder patterns, relief fish patterns, relief patterns of twin tigers devouring human heads, taotie patterns, raised-string patterns, and many other decorative motifs.

Three incense sticks burned within the ding. Each was ten meters tall and thick enough to require one person's embrace. Azure smoke curled upward, and merely smelling it left one refreshed and at ease, as though even the soul had improved slightly. It gave the impression that it would burn forever without being exhausted.

Two statues were enshrined within the hall, one male and one female, both carved from white jade. They looked like living people, lifelike in every detail.

"These are the founding Patriarchs of our Tianlan Sect: Patriarch Zhiyang and Patriarch Qiongyue. Once you have paid respects to the Patriarchs, you will officially become an Inner Disciple of the Tianlan Sect."

Fang Xiao respectfully performed the formal disciple's salute before the statues of the two Patriarchs.

Chen Yang then gave a detailed account of the origins of the two Patriarchs and the sect's development.

According to him, the two Patriarchs were Dao Companions and had descended from the upper realm. At first, they had no intention of founding a sect. Yet after staying in the Taichang Realm for a time, they were moved by how difficult cultivation was for cultivators of the lower realm, and thus passed down their lineage.

Outsiders had always believed that the Tianlan Sect was a patchwork sect cobbled together from here and there. In truth, the Tianlan Sect possessed its own core inheritance.

Within the Tianlan Sect, disciples bearing the title of True Inheritor all possessed potential on the level of Heavenly Talents. As for the sect's Top Ten True Inheritors, any one of them taken alone was a monstrous figure capable of roaming unhindered through the Five Domains and Four Seas. Above the Top Ten True Inheritors were even the positions of Holy Son and Holy Maiden.

The Holy Son and Holy Maiden did not attain their positions through strength. Every generation's Holy Son and Holy Maiden possessed a fire-attributed Heavenly Spiritual Root and a water-attributed Heavenly Spiritual Root respectively. The cultivation method they practiced was the Yin-Yang Profound Clarity Path Derivation True Scripture inherited from the two Patriarchs. It was said that even among the cultivation arts of the upper realm, this True Scripture stood among the very best.

It used the principles of water and fire to derive the path of Yin-Yang. Once the two cultivators reached Nascent Soul Late Stage together, their chances of using a Secret Art to break through to the Deity Transformation Stage were at least fifty percent. This was also why the Tianlan Sect had two or even more Spirit Transformation True Lords throughout most eras.

With a True Lord's lifespan of as much as five thousand years, let alone finding two cultivators with water and fire Heavenly Spiritual Roots, even Secret Arts and spiritual medicines could artificially create them. This was why the Tianlan Sect had flourished without decline for so long.

Fang Xiao suddenly recalled that among the disciples of their batch who had entered the sect, that Heavenly Spiritual Root disciple possessed a Heavenly Water Spirit Root. No wonder she had gone directly to the sect while the rest of them had begun as outer sect disciples. The moment she arrived, she had become a Holy Son or Holy Maiden.