The Dao Heart Solidifies in the Time of One Incense Stick

Even Elder Chu couldn't help but feel envious of this speed, let alone the other new disciples. After the three Purple Seed disciples succeeded one after another, the vast majority of people became restless. Guiding spiritual energy into the body was a task that required both boldness and meticulousness, as well as a calm mind. In their restlessness, they only managed to be bold, accelerating the process of spiritual energy entering their bodies to break through their seeds. However, the more restless they became, the less likely they were to succeed. Several disciples even turned pale. If Elder Chu hadn't intervened in time to help them, their souls could have been injured by the spiritual energy, preventing them from achieving anything significant in their lives.

These three top-tier Purple Seed disciples guided spiritual energy into their bodies in succession. After a few hundred breaths, Zhang Yang and Murong Chao, who had Gray Immortal Seeds, also erupted with the aura of having guided spiritual energy into their bodies. The difference between Gray Seeds and Purple Seeds became apparent when comparing the speed of breaking through their Immortal Seeds by guiding spiritual energy into their bodies.

Although aptitude is not the absolute measure of a cultivator's future achievements, it is undeniable that those with good aptitude have a higher starting point.

Over the next period it took for an incense stick to burn, several full colorless Immortal Seed disciples successfully guided spiritual energy into their bodies one after another. Waves of overwhelming auras surged, making it impossible for others to calm down. To avoid going mad, some had already given up.

"There's still a quarter of an hour left," Elder Chu said, glancing at the incense stick that had already burned more than halfway.

Suddenly, quite a few more disciples opened their eyes. Unable to calm their minds, they decided that since there were still three months, they wouldn't rush it for a day or two.

As time passed, more and more people gave up, and the incense stick was nearing its end. The medicinal effect of the Spirit Guiding Pill was about to disappear. In the entire lecture hall, only Qin Haoxuan was still immersed in his cultivation. Unlike others who were concerned about time, Qin Haoxuan had completely forgotten about it, dedicating all his mental energy to sensing.

There was no haste, no anxiety, only a calm, water-like heart seeking the Dao.

Having entered the Little Snake's body multiple times, Qin Haoxuan was different from the others. He had already been exposed to spiritual energy many times. Therefore, despite being a weak seed, he understood spiritual energy better than the disciples with full Immortal Seeds. However, it was much more difficult for a weak seed to absorb spiritual energy, requiring precise control, compared to a full seed.

Even before the full Immortal Seeds could sense the Spiritual Qi, Qin Haoxuan had already sensed it before them.

This was like a person with an injured leg competing in a 100-meter race against a normal person; the injured person was at a significant disadvantage.

But what if this injured person's starting point in the race was only ten meters from the finish line? Even with an injury, they might have a chance to win against a healthy person.

Qin Haoxuan's poor aptitude brought immense comfort to Murong Chao, who had been punched by him and ended up with a black eye. He and Zhang Kuang shared the same thought: to cultivate spiritual techniques, exact revenge, and torment Qin Haoxuan to the point where he wished he were dead.

Many complex gazes fell upon Qin Haoxuan, who was still persisting. There was admiration, and there was contempt. Elder Chu's eyes, however, were filled with appreciation. Although Qin Haoxuan's aptitude was poor, his Dao heart was firm. As an Enlightenment Immortal Master, he knew very well that the longer it took to guide spiritual energy into the body and break through the Immortal Seed, the greater the difficulty. If the Dao heart was unstable and the state of mind was not peaceful, success was impossible. Qin Haoxuan, sitting there until now and still holding onto his original intention, with steady breathing, perseverance, without obsession, delusion, or fear, was one of the newcomers with the most solid Dao heart he had ever seen.

Time was running out, and only a faint red dot remained of the incense stick.

Qin Haoxuan remained seated, unmoved by the great discussions outside.

As Qin Haoxuan's enemies, Li Jing and Zhang Kuang were shocked by his perseverance and endurance, secretly admiring him. At the same time, they warned themselves that if they had the chance to kill Qin Haoxuan with one strike, they would not hesitate to use two. Such a person could not be given a chance to breathe, or he would surely retaliate!

Elder Chu glanced at the incense stick and said, "Ten breaths remaining."

Elder Chu's announcement stirred even more intense discussions and ridicule: "I bet he definitely won't succeed!"

"Nonsense, if he could succeed, he wouldn't be a weak seed!"

"A piece of trash is just trash, a toad trying to eat swan meat!"

"Five breaths!"

"Four breaths!"

"Three breaths!"

"Two breaths!"

Qin Haoxuan had not given up. His expression remained as calm and peaceful as ever, and his breathing was still incredibly steady. This state of mind, like a tranquil ancient well, deeply shocked Elder Chu, who had intentionally announced the time to test the firmness of his Dao heart.

Murong Chao sneered, "As a weak seed disciple, you should learn to face reality. What's the use of a firm Dao heart? You'll still end up failing due to your poor aptitude!"

No one believed Qin Haoxuan would succeed. Even Elder Chu had prepared his words to comfort this newcomer with a firm Dao heart and astonishing perseverance but very poor aptitude, encouraging him to try again tomorrow. However, before the words could be spoken, the aura that suddenly surged from Qin Haoxuan's body stunned them all.

In the last second, Qin Haoxuan finally guided spiritual energy into his body, broke through his Immortal Seed, and successfully formed an Immortal Root. The next step was to root it firmly, and then he could truly embark on the great path of cultivation.

The entire venue erupted in an uproar.

Everyone had been waiting to watch a joke, but Qin Haoxuan's success slapped them hard across the face, leaving them all dumbfounded and speechless.

Elder Chu shouted "Well done!" and looked at Qin Haoxuan with eyes full of admiration and respect. For a weak seed disciple to have such a firm Dao heart and perseverance, and to successfully break through his Immortal Seed on the first day of initial training, was unprecedented! Even Xu Yu, who kept his distance and didn't interact with anyone, cast a warm smile at Qin Haoxuan.

Elder Chu's praise and Xu Yu's smile undoubtedly drew more hatred towards Qin Haoxuan, especially from the new disciples who couldn't persevere. Already driven mad with jealousy by Qin Haoxuan's success, their envy and hatred intensified.

Compared to Li Jing, Zhang Kuang, and others, Qin Haoxuan, as a weak seed, had not lost at the starting line. However, Qin Haoxuan was very dissatisfied. The difference in aptitude was indeed significant, and he might fall behind in cultivation in the early stages! If this continued, Zhang Kuang and the others would not be lenient with him in the future! Did he really need to find time to take the Little Snake to Immortal-Slaying Poison Valley and gamble on luck?

Comparing the aptitude of the Little Snake and his own body, he had to admit that his body was truly terrible. It seemed necessary to visit Immortal-Slaying Poison Valley to find some Spirit Medicine to temper his body and improve his aptitude.

Elder Chu looked at Qin Haoxuan with approval. After counting the number of people who had guided spiritual energy into their bodies, fewer than ten of the two hundred new disciples had succeeded. This was only the first day of initial training, and this number already made Chu Cai ecstatic.

Next was the time for initial cultivation techniques. Elder Chu distributed a basic cultivation manual to each person, containing a fundamental Qi Guiding Technique. Disciples who had already guided spiritual energy into their bodies could cultivate the Qi Guiding Technique to accelerate the absorption of spiritual energy to nourish their Immortal Seedlings and promote their growth. Once the Immortal Seedling broke through the seed, they would enter the second level, the Immortal Seedling Realm.

Disciples who had not reached the stage of guiding spiritual energy into their bodies passively practiced the Qi Guiding Technique while waiting for tomorrow's Spirit Guiding Pill. After all, according to normal guidance techniques, it would take anywhere from half a year to eight years to successfully break through the seed.

The Qi Guiding Technique was naturally not difficult for geniuses like Li Jing and Zhang Kuang. They understood it almost instantly and learned it with ease, beginning to frantically absorb the surrounding spiritual energy of heaven and earth, which made Elder Chu gasp in amazement. If this continued, sprouting would only be a matter of time, and not long at that.

Although Qin Haoxuan had also successfully broken through his seed, he lacked the comprehension and talent of the Purple Seed disciples and could not master the Qi Guiding Technique instantly. Like others, he had to cultivate it step by step.

In the blink of an eye, night was approaching. The handyman disciples in Spirit Field Valley had already arranged accommodation and meals for the new disciples. Elder Chu said, "The path of cultivation cannot be done in isolation. There are many senior disciples in Spirit Field Valley; you can ask them for advice. Tomorrow, I will explain some basic common sense about cultivation and help you identify some medicinal herbs."

After explaining a few key points about circulating spiritual energy, he left, allowing them to cultivate on their own.

Besides being the place for new disciples' initial training, Spirit Field Valley also housed many handyman disciples who had been there for over ten or even decades. Most of them were stuck at the first level of planting Immortal Roots or the early stage of the second level, the Immortal Seedling Realm, and could not advance further. They were assigned to plant Spirit Medicine in Spirit Field Valley for the use of others in the sect. Without a great encounter to break through their realms, they would live out their lives eating and waiting for death, with no hope of advancement.

For these handyman disciples with little hope, the annual initial training for new disciples was an opportunity.

There were once handyman disciples who curried favor with the strong seed disciples undergoing initial training. After that strong seed disciple became successful, he helped the handyman disciple shed his status. Moreover, this year's batch had three Purple Immortal Seeds and two Gray Immortal Seeds, which could be considered the batch with the best aptitude since the founding of Taichu Sect. Even currying favor with just one Gray Seed disciple would bring immense benefits.

Upon arriving at the dormitory, many handyman disciples were already waiting. They eagerly helped the strong seed disciples with their luggage, found their dormitories, and arranged everything perfectly.

There were hundreds of handyman disciples planting Spirit Medicine in Spirit Field Valley, but only five disciples with colored Immortal Seeds. Naturally, there were more monks than rice, and the porridge was scarce. Furthermore, cultivation achievement was not solely determined by the strength of the Immortal Seed. Many handyman disciples who had fallen behind began to consider finding a suitable weak seed disciple among them. Perhaps they could get lucky, as there were instances of weak seed disciples achieving sudden success every year.

Among the weak seed disciples, Qin Haoxuan's demeanor and aura were naturally the most moving. His feat of persisting until the end and successfully breaking through his seed had also spread widely. After observing the crowd, a handyman disciple decided to build a relationship with Qin Haoxuan.

As he stepped forward, Zhang Kuang, accompanied by a few fawning handyman disciples, walked over and pointed at Qin Haoxuan, saying, "This is my fellow townsman and good friend, Qin Haoxuan. When we were in Datian Town, Brother Qin often guided me in martial arts. Last year, when we sparred, I accidentally broke a few ribs and was bedridden for three to four months. What a pity that Qin Haoxuan, with such excellent skills, is actually a colorless weak seed. I'm afraid he has no hope of sprouting. I beg you senior brothers, for my sake, to take good care of him in the future!"

Zhang Kuang's intention was crystal clear. These handyman disciples were seasoned veterans and understood the hidden meaning immediately. They looked at Qin Haoxuan with sly smiles and all promised Zhang Kuang that they would take good care of Qin Haoxuan. The handyman disciple who had intended to approach Qin Haoxuan broke out in a cold sweat and immediately turned to leave. If he really got close to Qin Haoxuan, he wouldn't know how he died in the future.

Zhang Kuang's Purple Seed aptitude had unlimited potential, and his future achievements were boundless. These handyman disciples were already wondering how to curry favor with this genius. Now that Zhang Kuang had taken the initiative to speak, they were all eager to show their loyalty. If not for the strict sect rules prohibiting internal conflict among disciples, they would have wished to immediately decapitate Qin Haoxuan to earn merit.

Although these old hands in Spirit Field Valley had poor aptitude and late sprouting, many of them were senior disciples in the Immortal Seedling Realm, having cultivated for ten, eight, or even decades. Qin Haoxuan knew he was no match for them and a strong sense of crisis arose. This is bad! These people, in order to curry favor with Zhang Kuang, would do anything to me! I am no match for them at all right now! I must find a way to improve my cultivation as quickly as possible to protect myself! It seems I have no choice but to go to Immortal-Slaying Poison Valley tonight and gamble on my luck! I wonder if it's true that there are Spirit Medicines there, as my senior brothers said. If I can find a few heavenly treasures and rare Spirit Medicines, they should be of great help in improving my cultivation!