The Return to the Origin

He had talked with the abbot for quite a while. Although there were still many things he wanted to ask, they were basically only a few things that were directly related to Li Fan. There were also envoys from the Immortal Palace and the Xuanmen outside, and many disciples of Ink Bamboo Mountain were waiting for a grand meeting to decide the future strategic direction of Ink Bamboo Mountain. So Li Fan took his leave and went to the courtyard behind the Daoist temple to meditate and regulate his breathing.

He had been working all night, and not a single drop of his Dao Breath remained in his body. He wanted to rest for a while and take a nap to recover.

Profound Heaven Sword Intent was too lazy to sit and meditate with Li Fan. Hearing that they were going to fight the Divine Sect, he got extremely excited and insisted on sneaking into the venue to eavesdrop and give Xiao Yao advice.

Kun didn't want to go at first; it had stayed up all night, jumping between various barriers, and needed plenty of sleep while it was growing. But Jianyi's words, "Maybe they'll offer tea and snacks at the meeting," lured it away again.

Sigh, you're just going to persecute underage Kun...

Li Fan didn't have the energy to deal with the two of them, so he found a secluded meditation room in the backyard and picked through the pills in the box in front of the alchemy furnace.

In the usual alchemy rooms of sects, five-element spiritual energy pills are placed for disciples to regulate their breathing. If the cultivation Cultivation Method requires pills refined from higher-grade true energy, then they need to purchase them themselves.

However, with a grandmaster of alchemy like the Abbot of Ink Bamboo Mountain, there were quite a few rare spiritual pills in the pill box. Moreover, Li Fan was quite lucky, as he actually managed to pick out a Qiankun Huaqi Pill. Anyway, there was no such thing as a Shaqi Pill in the world, since Moon Worship was enough. Having this one was fine, as the Qiankun Qi was just right for his Wuji Nascent Soul Stage to repair his Dao body.

So Li Fan used a golden silk cage, shaped like a teacup, to hold the black and white pills and placed them in the furnace. He activated the talisman with his Dao power and started steaming the pills. In a short while, pure and clean Dao Breath rose out, and the black and white Qi of Heaven and Earth circulated and rose in the room, like a fairyland.

At this moment, the abundance and purity of the Dao Breath in the alchemy room was almost comparable to that of Grotto-Heaven Blessed Land. Li Fan also took a deep breath and sat down by the furnace to regulate his breathing and recover.

Just as he was half asleep and dozing off, the gatekeeper suddenly creaked open, instantly waking Li Fan. He instinctively drew his sword and nearly struck out with it.

Fortunately, he only realized halfway through his sword swing that this was the stronghold of Lou Dao Temple, and that they were probably fellow disciples. He quickly stopped his sword strike and squinted with his left eye to get a better look.

But standing at the entrance was a female Daoist priestess dressed in white and black robes, wearing a Taiqing fish-tail crown, holding a white yak whisk, with cloud-like hair ornaments, dark eyebrows, a high-piled bun, a beautiful face, and a pair of long, narrow, and beautiful eyes. Her appearance was truly captivating, at least a 90 out of 100. However, she was a disciple of the Emei sect, so five points were deducted, leaving her at 85.

Oh dear, this is bad! The old woman from Emei is hard to talk to!

Li Fan broke out in a cold sweat; if they fought again, he really wouldn't be able to win.

To everyone's surprise, the female Daoist priest glanced at Li Fan, even noticing the Black Sword he had drawn, but unlike the other Nascent Soul Stage elders, she didn't glare at him. Instead, she bowed respectfully, saying, "Fellow Daoist, we meet again."

Li Fan, "?"

The female Daoist priest smiled gently, "You've only been floating on the Hai Chi for a short while, how could you not recognize me? The benevolent and compassionate savior of the Xuan Girl of the Nine Heavens, bestowing blessings and pardoning sins, is Qin Nanxin of Emei."

"Ah, Zhen, what a coincidence..." Li Fan broke out in a cold sweat. So she was from the Emei Sect! No wonder she was so quick to grab people's heads. Are all people from the Emei Sect this scary?

Seeing the other person smiling at him, Li Fan realized what was happening and immediately sheathed his Black Sword and bowed, "Nine Heavens Profound Cough Cough Cough, Qingyue, disciple of Ink Bamboo Mountain, greets Senior Sister Qin."

Qin Nanxin smiled and said, "So it's Junior Brother Li. I've heard of your name before."

Does being targeted by Emei count as...? Ugh, this is giving me a real headache... Oh, right, Nanxin, Nanyi, Nangu...

Li Fan suddenly remembered, "Senior Sister Qin, I once befriended Senior Brother Chen Nanggu. I heard he was injured. I wonder if he's alright?"

Qin Nanxin blinked. "Senior Brother Chen under Uncle Jingxuan? I've long since passed my tribulation, so I've been cultivating with my master and don't know the details of the South Sea. I've only heard that although he's Outer Sect Disciple, he made great contributions during his training. I suppose the sect will at least help him reincarnate and cultivate again, and accept him into the Inner Sect in his next life."

Li Fan sighed, "Is that so? Is it really worth exchanging a flying sword for a lifetime of cultivation? Sigh, I hope he can get better."

Qin Nanxin curiously, "Everyone says that Junior Sister Chu obtained the flying sword, but Junior Brother Li, do you actually know that Senior Brother Chen actually obtained it?"

"Uh..." Li Fan broke out in a cold sweat. "Uh... because... ah! I was worried that Senior Brother Chen would help him predict good or bad fortune, and I also heard about the sword-stealing incident, so I made this deduction!"

By the way, isn't this book, "Thirty-Six Dragons: Lingyunzi's Explanation," also annotated by the Emei senior? This Lingyunzi senior's words are all gems, resolving many of my doubts; he is truly admirable!

Qin Nanxin's eyes lit up as she looked at the physiognomy book Li Fan had taken out to change the subject. "Oh? Junior Brother, you actually highly recommend it. Then I really should tell Master she knows about it. Now that you've read it, Junior Brother, do you have any insights or opinions?"

Holy crap! What's wrong with you?!

Li Fan panicked and instinctively mumbled, "The Thirty-Six Dragons of the Heavenly Jade are arranged according to the Kunlun Lianshan Innate Formation, but... cough cough! Senior Lingyunzi's annotations are based on the Feng Shui layout of the Central Land, modified from the Later Heaven Formation of the I Ching. When calculating, you need to pay attention to changing the hexagrams in advance, otherwise you may have to start over."

Qin Nanxin smiled broadly, "Hehe, it seems you've really studied diligently. I didn't expect you, junior brother, to not only possess superb swordsmanship but also such profound attainments in mathematical deduction. I admire you."

Li Fan felt like he'd been randomly selected by his homeroom teacher to check his homework; he almost broke out in a cold sweat. He quickly changed the subject, "But isn't Senior Sister Qin going to the conference on the mountain?"

Qin Nanxin shook her head and laughed, "I came here with my senior sisters to broaden my horizons. I saw a eunuch in the palace with superb palm techniques, and I got itchy to show off. I arrogantly exchanged a few moves with him. Cough cough, I'm really ashamed... Fortunately, my junior brother helped me, so I wasn't taken advantage of by those villains. That's why I came to the quiet room to adjust my breathing and recover my strength."

Seeing that there was no formation set up in this room, yet the energies of heaven and earth were overflowing, which was perfect for my cultivation of the Limitless Nascent Soul Stage, I entered without thinking. I didn't expect to disturb my junior brother; I'm truly sorry, I'll leave now."

Oh dear, that scared the hell out of me! Turns out I was so exhausted I forgot to activate the "Do Not Disturb" formation before going into seclusion.

Li Fan finally breathed a sigh of relief and comforted her, "That old eunuch had the cultivation of Martial God. Don't worry about losing a move or two, Senior Sister. I've already killed him with one sword and avenged you."

Qin Nanxin was taken aback, staring at Li Fan with a strange expression, "..."

Ugh, the chat just died again.

Li Fan quickly changed the subject again, "Ah, ah! But it turns out that Senior Sister Qin also cultivates the Limitless Nascent Soul Stage, what a coincidence! Oh, I was just making a fuss after fighting all night. I apologize for my lack of manners. Please, Senior Sister, sit down and cultivate."

Qin Nanxin skipped a beat again, and he hesitated for a moment, "Ah, this, is it... inappropriate to disturb you like this..."

Oh dear, you've exhausted your energy too. Just sit down and practice your skills, stop blabbering on and on asking questions.

"No disturbance, no disturbance. I'll activate the magic array to prevent any unauthorized personnel from interrupting. We can just focus on our cultivation." With that, Li Fan casually activated the magic array and erected a flag gate to prevent the primordial energy of heaven and earth from leaking out.

Then he turned his head and saw Qin Nanxin looking at him somewhat awkwardly, her expression a little off. He was startled and asked, "What's wrong now?"

"Ah, no... So the opportunity Master spoke of should be here..." Qin Nanxin pursed her lips, made a calculation with her right hand, suddenly put away her whisk, and said to Li Fan with a flushed face, "I, I also wish to cultivate with you."

Oh, fine, let's fix them all together... Holy crap!

Li Fan suddenly realized, "Uh, Senior Sister Qin! I meant this place is quite big, cough cough, quite spacious..."

"I understand what you mean, junior brother," Qin Nanxin said, blushing as she took off her black Daoist robe and removed her lotus crown. "Emei disciples, apart from their Dao Companion, all cultivate alone in their own rooms. I have never cultivated with anyone before, so I am really a little uneasy."

However, it is rare that you, junior brother, also cultivate the Limitless Nascent Soul Stage using the Qi of Heaven and Earth. You should know that returning to the Limitless through the Taiji, although it is the supreme and righteous path, takes a long time to cultivate and progresses very slowly.

However, I happen to possess a secret Emei manual called "Guicang," a rare and authentic dual cultivation technique. It allows one to refine the Kun and Qian energies separately beforehand, thus first cultivating the Guizang Nascent Soul Stage. Then, the two can cultivate together to achieve the Wuji Nascent Soul Stage, greatly increasing the speed of cultivation.

However, this method also requires a pair of cultivators who each control the Qi of Heaven and Earth. The Primordial Nascent Soul Stage is notoriously difficult to cultivate, and with the Tai Su method flourishing at this opportune time, it is even more difficult to find someone whose aptitude, comprehension, realm, and cultivation are all similar.

"It's a rare opportunity to meet you today. I'm eager to try out the secrets of this method. I wonder if Junior Brother Qingyue could lend me a hand."

Li Fan swallowed hard.

"Uh... well, if Senior Sister Nanxin intends to seriously practice her cultivation, I wouldn't mind..."

"Of course it's proper training, Junior Brother, what nonsense are you talking about!" Qin Nanxin spat lightly, her beautiful eyes sweeping over Li Fan, making him shudder.

However, she really only removed her outer robe and hair ornament, still wearing the same white clothes as before, and sat down in front of Li Fan, and actually took out a jade slip for Li Fan to study.

Damn, is it really just practicing martial arts...? I'm a little disappointed...

Li Fan had no choice but to patiently examine the Cultivation Method with his Divine Sense.

To discuss the Gui Zang (Returning to the Source), we must first start with the Wuji Guidao (Wuji Guidao) secret transmission from Lou Guan. Although we don't know what Cultivation Method Emei used to cultivate the Wuji Nascent Soul Stage (Primordial Nascent Soul Stage is of the same kind, so its purpose is probably no different from the Guidao's principle of "refining essence into qi, merging the three into two; refining qi into Divine Transformation, merging the two into one; refining spirit to return to emptiness, returning to the Dao."

However, based on Li Fan's own experience in cultivation, just as Qin Nanxin said, it's not impossible to succeed this way, but it's just too slow. It takes a long time to integrate the Qi of Heaven and Earth and refine the higher-level Wuji Zhenyuan, not to mention the process of condensing it into Nascent Soul Stage.

However, the Primordial Nascent Soul Stage is indeed a well-known orthodox method, and therefore it has been thoroughly studied by the older generation of experts.

For example, the Emei sect's "Guicang" is based on the principle that "Qian and Kun are one, Yin and Yang depend on each other, Qian is easy to understand, Kun is simple to achieve, and through simplicity, the principles of the world can be obtained." Two cultivators can cultivate Guicang Qianyuan and Guicang Kunyuan respectively, and directly cultivate Guicang Nascent Soul Stage Ying. Then, by combining their efforts in dual cultivation, they can achieve the Wuji realm of Yin and Yang in harmony and return to the Dao.

What's even better is that it doesn't necessarily require two people to be bound together and refine the Gui Cang (Returning to the Source) to the Wuji (Limitless). During dual cultivation, one person can refine the Gui Cang true essence into Wuji Zhenyuan divide it on the spot. In any case, dual cultivation is definitely faster than cultivating alone.

As for the flaws in this Cultivation Method, it's probably because these days, it's extremely difficult to find a cultivator who is still slowly progressing towards the Limitless Nascent Soul Stage...

"So that's why I'm here to refine the Guicang Qianyuan." Li Fan memorized it after reading it twice. "I've got it."

Qin Nanxin had assumed that the wandering cultivator from the mountains would offer some guidance, and was genuinely surprised by Li Fan's comprehension. Nevertheless, she nodded and said, "Alright, the Gui Cang method begins with Kun Yuan. I will take the lead, and you can first sense the power within my body. Let's try it out."

So Li Fan and Qin Nanxin followed the Gui Cang Cultivation Method, interlacing their palms, harmonizing their five centers, merging their vital energy, and tentatively merging their Divine Sense together.

Well, actually, calling it dual cultivation is a bit of a stretch; the posture is really nothing special, just the classic palm strike. And the person's clothes are perfectly intact, barely revealing their curves underwater. Sigh, the Central Plains are still too conservative, not even giving them a hint of fanservice.

But you know what, Zhenzi was incredibly efficient at tearing people's heads apart. Surprisingly, her delicate hands, slender as tender shoots, with skin as smooth as jade, and her breath as sweet as orchids, were actually quite adorable...

Qin Nanxin glanced at him with her beautiful eyes, Li Fan quickly focused his attention, concentrating on using his Divine Sense to examine the condition of Qin Nanxin's body and the meridians and acupoints through which he circulated his energy.

To be honest, during this serious dual cultivation session, Li Fan also noticed that it might be the only method like <Guicang>, but this dual cultivation method really does involve some private matters.

Leaving aside physical intimacy, one could use their Divine Sense to explore every detail of the other's body. If your imagination is rich enough, it's as if nothing was done, yet it feels like everything was done. It's truly only suitable for cultivation between close Dao Companion.

Li Fan's ability to control his Dao Breath is top-notch. Besides, he is a transmigrator, so he wouldn't lose control just because he's holding hands. What kind of big scenes haven't he seen? His Dao heart is very steadfast!

However, when Qin Nanxin finished refining her Kun Yuan and was about to transfer a Dao Breath to Li Fan to cultivate Qian Yuan, the situation became somewhat awkward.

Well, since you have to use your mouth, it's like she exhales, and Li Fan has to inhale it, refine it, and then exhale again, repeating this process until the two energies of Qian and Kun are completely refined into Wuji Zhenyuan, at which point everyone shares a portion...

After just one round, Qin Nanxin was blushing furiously, almost dying of embarrassment. Li Fan was also a little awkward. After all, unless she was a highly accomplished monk or a eunuch from the palace, he would inevitably have to give some kind of reaction to show respect. But what if he actually did something that made his senior sister so embarrassed that she got nervous and twisted his head off?

However, the two continued their cultivation in an awkward silence. Firstly, since they were practicing a dual cultivation technique, it was indeed not advisable to easily let go, lest they get injured. Secondly, this Cultivation Method was incredibly fast to master.

As expected, the combination of man and woman, yin and yang complementing each other, resulted in a progress of more than half a month of cultivation by Li Fan alone! While Li Fan could feel the obvious effectiveness of his cultivation, Qin Nanxin felt it was an incredible leap forward in his cultivation!

She never imagined that the Wuji Zhenyuan, which could only grow slowly through years of solitary cultivation, would progress so rapidly during dual cultivation! Moreover, the speed and quality of Li Fan's Qian Yuan transformation were far faster than hers!

So Qin Nanxin didn't even have the mind to feel embarrassed or shy anymore. She had to focus all her attention on refining the Kun Yuan, otherwise she wouldn't be able to keep up with Li Fan's rapid acceleration. As a result, after cultivating with Li Fan for a while, her body temperature rose significantly, and her meridians and muscles felt tingly and numb. She was suddenly made weak by the gradually surging and strengthening Dao power.

After practicing for a while, even Li Fan noticed that something was wrong with the other person's expression! Smoke was coming out of their head! And their breathing was so hot! Was they about to suffer a qi deviation?

Seeing Qin Nanxin's seductive eyes, rapid breathing, and overflowing Dao Breath as she moved closer and closer to him, leaning forward and pressing against him, Li Fan was starting to panic.

Holy crap! Big sister, hold back! Don't pounce on me and start biting me! Dao Breath around so fast and recklessly will cause you to suffer a qi deviation!

Li Fan quickly finished refining a large amount of Qian Yuan and transferred it to Qin Nanxin.

As a result, this immense Dao Breath energy nearly made her faint and fall backward. Her heart was pounding like thunder, her pupils were rolling wildly, and every meridian and pore in her body began to tremble, bringing her to the brink of losing control!

Seeing that his opponent was about to give up, Li Fan glanced at the dense Qi of Heaven and Earth around him and subconsciously shouted, "Universal use of Qi, single-mindedness of mind, mutual repulsion between Heaven and Earth, harmony of Yin and Yang, boundless and without illusion, seemingly close yet distant!"

Qin Nanxin, as expected of a direct disciple of the inner mountain of Emei, was suddenly shaken. His eyes flashed, and he instantly regained his senses, regaining control of his body and Dao. His Qi also stopped distorting, and he was able to keep up with Li Fan's cultivation speed.

Li Fan was also startled and broke out in a cold sweat. Fortunately, he reacted quickly enough. He realized that Zhang Jiugao was the real expert when it came to manipulating the two energies of Qian and Kun. Moreover, to put it bluntly, Qian Yuan and Kun Yuan were still just tricks and had no essential difference from Qian Qi and Kun Qi. Therefore, the mental technique of the Qiankun Flying Dragon Sword was probably also applicable to the cultivation method of <Guicang>.

Thus, the two were able to cultivate smoothly. After experiencing a slight lapse in concentration, the two highly perceptive cultivators worked together to understand each other's foundation and were able to coordinate their breathing rhythms, achieving a harmonious balance of yin and yang. There were no further instances of qi deviation or demonic possession.

Only when no more primordial energy escaped from the alchemy furnace, and all the true energy in the meditation room had been refined, did the two of them divide the refined Wuji Zhenyuan equally and slowly stop the Gui Cang Dual Cultivation Method.

This cultivation journey was fraught with danger, including the risk of qi deviation. Fortunately, both were direct disciples of the orthodox Xuanmen sect, possessing steadfast Dao hearts and profound skills, enabling them to control their impulses in time. However, both of them were drenched in sweat, just as they had been when they escaped from the Hai Chi together.

However, the two of them did indeed gain a lot from this dual cultivation, and their power increased greatly. Compared with their usual self-study, their cultivation level really skyrocketed, to the point that their Dao bodies manifested.

Qin Nanxin had at least a dozen years of cultivation at this time, much of which she couldn't absorb immediately, spilled into her body. Her originally black hair and arched eyebrows were all dyed white by the overflowing Qian Yuan, her pupils were also flashing white like lightning, and her skin was as lustrous as jade, emitting a burst of fluorescence.

Li Fan, on the other hand, was in relatively good condition. After all, he had already achieved the Qiongqi Dao Body and had been seriously injured before. This dual cultivation session only healed his wounds and restored his physical strength, with no noticeable external changes.

This is also because he has better control over his Wuji Zhenyuan, and instead of wasting excess Dao power, he uses it all to forge the Limitless Nascent Soul Stage. The more he resembles a normal human form, the more it shows that he can control the various powers within his body.

Qin Nanxin was still savoring the insights she had gained from their dual cultivation. Her beautiful eyes were half-closed, her fingers tightly clasped around Li Fan's hand, her lips moving slightly as if she were chewing something. Ahem, it was true essence, pure Wuji Zhenyuan...

It took her quite a while to open her eyes and come to her senses. She said with a hint of regret, "What a pity. Sitting so far away and communicating through the air wasted a lot of my true energy. Next time, I should try to touch my mouth and nose together."

Damn, there's going to be a next time?! And lady, you almost went berserk just now! How did you get addicted?

Li Fan broke out in a cold sweat and tried to pull his hand back, but even with a little force, he couldn't manage to pull it out of Qin Nanxin's grasp.

Li Fan frowned, sensing that things weren't going smoothly, and cautiously said, "Ahem, well... Senior Sister Qin, the Qiankun Huaqi Pill has been finished brewing. Perhaps the elders of Emei are looking for you. Maybe we should call it a day..."

"It's alright! Emei never disturbs their disciples' cultivation, and besides, they have important matters to discuss; this meeting won't be over in three to five days. This Guizang Great Technique is truly powerful; one cycle today is at least equivalent to ten years of my arduous cultivation!"

Qin Nanxin's eyes flashed with a sharp light. He opened his mouth and blew out a breath, causing the pill box on the shelf to fall to the ground, and the Qi Transformation Pills rolled all over the floor with a clatter.

Then she opened and closed her cherry lips, inhaling and exhaling, and miraculously picked up three Qiankun Huaqi Pills from the ground and threw them into the pill furnace from a distance. Finally, she fought Bai Lei with her tongue, and with a 'whoosh', she lit the pill furnace again!

Then she turned to smile at the dumbfounded Li Fan, suddenly puffed out her chest, leaped up, wrapped her legs around Li Fan's waist, and, her cheeks slightly flushed, leaned close to Li Fan, gently rubbing his hands, whispering—it was unclear whether it was a request or a command—...

"I've prepared quite a few Qiankun Huaqi Pill. This opportunity is rare, let's refine three more batches!"

Oh no, I've got a taste for it!

Li Fan Waterfall Sweat!

"Senior sister! I... I've been up all night, I really want to sleep..."

Qin Nanxin blushed and glanced at him, scolding, "I didn't know you wanted that. Cultivation is more important. Hold on a little longer. We can do the rest later..."

Help, help me--!