Taking a Disciple! Inner Qi! [Seeking Recommendation Tickets!]

Immortal Calendar Year 31, 2nd month.

In Yinlian Village, at the center of the main area.

This spot was flat on all four sides, with a pointed obelisk about a person's height standing in the middle.

Dense text was inscribed upon it.

On this day.

Wang An was brought here by his elder brother, Wang Ping. "This stone tablet was bestowed upon our Yinlian Village by Tianlin Immortal Master. The front is inscribed with the Dragon Mountain Scripture, and the back with the Thunder Illumination Scripture. Everyone in the village, male or female, can touch the stone tablet with their hand after turning sixteen, and then they will receive one of the cultivation methods."

It wasn't just Yinlian Village.

Tianlin Cave governed three hundred villages, and each village had such a stone tablet, allowing three hundred thousand villagers to access cultivation and embark on the path of cultivation.

However, very few managed to persevere in the end.

Either they lacked talent.

Or they lacked patience.

For instance, in Yinlian Village, with two to three thousand people young and old, there were fewer than two hundred at the Inner Qi Stage, and even fewer at the True Qi Stage.

"If you can reach the Inner Qi Stage sooner, whether you go hunting outside the village or serve as a guard for the village's merchant caravans, you can earn quite a lot of money. Life will be wonderful!"

Wang Ping patted Wang An's shoulder.

Their family wasn't wealthy. Wang Ping was actually only seventeen this year and had only been cultivating for one year. But his progress was poor; he was still in the Entering Stillness stage. He had already made peace with his fate: at most one more year of cultivation, then at eighteen, he'd get married and have children, and give up on cultivation. Using the saved money to improve their living standards would be good.

Wang Ping's path was basically set.

Wang An's was not yet certain.

With anticipation, he placed his hand on the stone tablet. Not long after, a coolness traveled from his hand straight to his mind, spreading out with a roar and transforming into a cultivation method, firmly imprinted in his heart.

After he let go.

Wang Ping quickly asked, "Which scripture is it?"

"Thunder Illumination Scripture."

Wang An felt a sense of novelty and excitement on his face.

"Thunder Illumination Scripture."

"That's perfect. Dad and I both cultivate the Thunder Illumination Scripture. We can teach you ourselves, no need to find a master outside."

The cultivation inheritance in Yinlian Village was very casual.

It was generally father teaching son, brother teaching brother.

If the father and brother in a family cultivated different scriptures, they could ask neighbors for guidance.

It leaned towards self-sufficiency, lacking a rigorous master-disciple system.

One could also find masters among those at the Inner Qi Stage or True Qi Stage, but families like Wang Ping and Wang An's didn't have the extra money to pay tuition fees.

And if you had no money, who would be willing to waste their time with you?

Therefore, neither brother had considered that option.

But less than two days later--

"Farewell, Master Meng (Uncle Nan) (Master)."

The entire Wang family saw Meng Nan off for a long distance. When they returned, everyone's face was filled with pleasant surprise.

"Second brother!"

"What good fortune!"

Wang Ping slapped his younger brother Wang An hard, grinning broadly, a hint of envy in his eyes.

Beside them.

The brothers' father was also beaming, unable to close his mouth. He said to Wang An, "Master Meng's craftsmanship is exquisite. He made most of the tables, chairs, benches, and beds in our village. Moreover, both he and his wife reached the Inner Qi Stage early on, so they have plenty of cultivation experience! He has both strength and wealth. It's truly great luck for you, brat, that he's taken a liking to you and accepted you as a disciple!"

"Hehe!"

"I know, Master."

Wang An was also very excited. Being accepted as a disciple by someone at the Inner Qi Stage, and without him having to pay money, was like a pie falling from the sky.

A great event that couldn't even be wished for!

For the entire day that followed, the Wang family was immersed in an atmosphere of joy and surprise.

That evening.

At home.

Zhao Xiaoshuang also found it strange. "Why would he suddenly decide to take on a disciple?"

Taking on a disciple wasn't a particularly profitable venture.

With two to three thousand people in Yinlian Village, accumulated over decades, there are only a little over a hundred at the Inner Qi Stage, less than a tenth of the population.

If one haphazardly takes a few disciples, spending time, energy, and emotion to nurture them, the likelihood of only cultivating a few at the Qi Sensing Realm or Visualization Realm is extremely high.

Qi Sensing Realm.

Visualization Realm.

These are merely the Fetal Breath Stage, just the beginning of cultivation.

What's the use of that?

It's purely a waste of emotion!

To cultivate someone to the Inner Qi Stage or even True Qi Stage, one can only rely on luck.

Normal people are too lazy to take disciples.

"I've seen this Wang An a few times; he has potential. Perhaps his future achievements will surpass yours and mine."

Meng Nan smiled and pretended to predict.

In his memory, Wang An was one of the five people from Yinlian Village who would reach the True Qi Stage in the next eight years. He was also the one with the fastest cultivation progress despite an ordinary family background.

Inner Qi Stage within two years.

True Qi Stage within five years.

He would eventually reach the True Qi Stage at twenty-three and be sent to Tianlin Cave for cultivation.

True Qi Stage before twenty-four – that's the standard for admission into Tianlin Cave.

In the forty to fifty years of Yinlian Village's history, only five people managed to reach the True Qi Stage before the age of twenty-four, averaging one every ten years.

Among these five, two became True Essence Stage cultivators, the only two True Essence Stage cultivators in Yinlian Village over the past decade or so.

One is the Village Chief.

The other is the Deputy Village Chief.

Qian Yu was originally the third, and she achieved the True Essence Stage on her own without ever going to Tianlin Cave for cultivation.

But unfortunately, in this life, there is no more Qian Yu.

Wang An, however, was the sixth person to go to Tianlin Cave. As for his subsequent achievements, Meng Nan returned to reality before he could recall them.

This time.

This life.

With Meng Nan cultivating Wang An in advance, he can likely reach the True Qi Stage earlier. By going there one or two years ahead of schedule, Meng Nan can also learn some information about Tianlin Cave from Wang An when he returns.

In reality, Meng Nan's cultivation speed increased later on, and he might have had a chance to go to Tianlin Cave.

Having more information beforehand will never hurt.

Little by little.

Drop by drop.

Once Meng Nan, with the help of the future timelines of this life and countless others, has smoothed out every corner and crevice within the scope of Tianlin Cave, his advancement to the Qi Refining Stage will face no obstacles!

Two years passed in a flash.

On this day.

Zhao Xiaoshuang was cultivating as usual, but a sense of restlessness persisted in her heart.

She finally opened her eyes.

She picked up the treasure sword beside her. This sword was named 'Cold Light', forged from a mineral with a slight ice attribute. It was the complete opposite of Meng Nan's 'Yang Jiu'. 'Yang Jiu' was scorching hot, while 'Cold Light' was icy cold.

The two swords had cost the couple most of their savings over more than a decade.

However, neither 'Cold Light' nor 'Yang Jiu' had faced an enemy or drawn blood in two years.

"What's wrong with me?"

"I never felt this way when I stayed in the village before. After traveling outside for two years, I can no longer calm down!"

Zhao Xiaoshuang wiped the sword, her gaze falling on Meng Nan beside her. "He should break through in the next few days."

She felt anticipation in her heart.

Once Meng Nan broke through again and returned to the 'Inner Qi Stage', perhaps they could once again roam the outside world, seeking justice and avenging wrongs.

Although it had only been two years, it felt like a long time ago.

"Great Goose Valley hasn't been fully explored yet."

"There are also the three hundred tribal villages beyond, said to be teeming with Yao Beasts and filled with poisonous miasma. I wonder what it's truly like, and what kind of world exists out there."

Perhaps it was the decades of repression within the tribal villages.

Perhaps it was the subtle, pervasive influence of Meng Nan's daily teachings.

It had been accumulating.

accumulated.

It wasn't until four years ago, when Zhao Xiaoshuang left Yinlian Village with Meng Nan, that she realized how vast and wonderful the world was beyond its borders.

A longsword in hand, settling scores with swift action.

Seeing different landscapes and different people, no longer the monotonous faces and objects of Yinlian Village, opened up a new world for Zhao Xiaoshuang.

Lingering, unable to return.

Her long-suppressed nature was completely unleashed, impossible to rein in again.

Zhao Xiaoshuang looked at Meng Nan.

Suddenly.

Her face lit up with joy. She saw Meng Nan's aura change, and shortly after, she saw Meng Nan open his eyes, surprise also gleaming within them.

Two years it took!

Inner energy finally formed!

Thanks to 'Mountain Crane Swoop' for the 1600 reward; thanks to 'Ink Brush Finger Key' for the 1000 reward; thanks to 'Demonic Monk Cao Wuque' for the 500 reward; thanks to 'Bitter Melon So Bitter Phone' for the 100 reward!