A Detour

Because most of the residents of Wangshu Residence protested, Li Fan was unable to leave the dog behind.

To be honest, he was a little worried that Fairy Wangshu might suddenly come back with the jellyfish head ready and swallow the dog whole. So Li Fan took the dog with him and went to visit the Lu Family.

"... Brother Li specially sent a dog for my sister?" Lu Qi couldn't help but frown, hesitating to speak.

This kid is indeed destined for great things. Although his strength hasn't reached the Foundation Establishment Perfection yet, his future is promising. Moreover, it seems that his relationship with Lu Xing has indeed improved. He directly calls her "elder sister" and is even staying at the Lu Family to look after her.

Li Fan scratched his head. "Uh, it's been a long time. Why don't I pay a visit? What, Patriarch Lu Family, you've gone to Li Country to lend your support?"

Lu Qi's brows relaxed, and he smiled knowingly. "I see. Brother Li, please take a seat. Yes, my elder sister went to Changsi City to assist her fellow cultivators and has not yet returned."

Actually, she prefers gadgets with mechanisms, and she also likes things like sachets, fragrant pouches, and flowers... But don't worry, the puppy that Brother Li specially gave to my sister is a token of his affection, and I will definitely take good care of it for you."

No, I really think you've misunderstood something...

Whatever, Li Fan doesn't know many people anyway. He's really just here to deliver the dog. He figures the Lu Family shouldn't be short of food. If the Lu Family can't raise it, he'll just stop by the mortuary later and ask Yuan Xuanbao. If they're willing to take it, that would be great.

However, it wouldn't be right to just abandon the dog and leave, so he exchanged a few pleasantries with Lu Qi, asking, "How is the situation in Changsi City lately?"

Lu Qi then revealed an expression that said, "So you really came here to inquire about this." He said, "Unfortunately, I made a mistake and can only stay at home to reflect on my actions. I cannot go to help you. But according to my elder sister's contact, many of the disciples of Bamboo Mountain I know are in good health."

Unfortunately, she still couldn't find Lu Qi's whereabouts... Since Brother Li is one of us, I'll be frank. The whereabouts of my Lu Family's heirlooms are still unknown. Aunt Wang knew nothing about them and went straight back to her parents' home.

Moreover, this incident involving Doctor Wen has caused quite a stir. Although the Wang Family is a military family, they still hold official positions in the court, and it seems they suffered some casualties in this recent battle. Now, they are very dissatisfied with our Lu Family of Bamboo Mountain..."

Lu Qi chatted about some personal matters and gossip, which Li Fan understood.

Lu Wangshi refers to the wife of Lu Yu's senior brother. The Wang Family, who are related by marriage, are military officers in the Li Country's court. Recently, the Li Country and Ink Bamboo Mountain have been at odds. The Lu Family was inherited by Lu Xing, but the eldest son Lu Qi disappeared. As a result, the Wang Family and the Lu Family have become very hostile. It was probably after Lu Wangshi left that Lu Qi returned to live in the Lu Family.

... But why are you talking so much about family matters with Li Fan? Don't you treat him like an outsider?

However, since the topic had come up, and recalling what Real Person Wei had mentioned earlier, Li Fan couldn't help but ask, "Brother Lu, have you ever heard about the north-south expansion of Ink Bamboo Mountain?"

Lu Qi nodded, but then said, "As for the Southern Faction and Northern Faction, I support the Northern Faction."

"Huh? The Northern Faction?" This surprised Li Fan a bit. "Why... do you think we should develop our careers in Li Country? I've heard that many of our disciples are from the Southern Faction?"

Lu Qi thought for a moment, hesitated for a moment, and then frankly explained to Li Fan, "There is a topic that fellow disciples are rather reluctant to discuss, and it is not easy to delve into. That is, whether many of the nominal disciples of the Outer Sect are actually considered disciples of Bamboo Mountain."

Brother Li, if you inquire around Ink Bamboo Mountain, you'll find that many of the core Inner Sect disciples, and even the True Masters, who are diligently cultivating there, do indeed support the Southern Faction. But if you include Outer Sect, the nominal outer disciples, there are actually more people from the Northern Faction."

Li Fan was stunned for a moment, then immediately understood, "The cultivation families support the north?"

Lu Qi nodded. "That's right. The families of the Twelve Countries have a long history. Although they are still mostly connected to the Immortal Palace, in recent years the Immortal Palace has weakened. Many of the powerful clans in Li Country, like the Wang Family of Changsi City, have formed marriage alliances with the Cultivation Family of Ink Bamboo Mountain. Their foundations are all in Li Country, and their connections are all in the north. Although the disciples in their families only come to learn some Cultivation Method at the Foundation Establishment stage, and rely on the secret teachings of their respective families afterward, they always refer to themselves as disciples of Ink Bamboo Mountain outside."

Even for someone like me, born out of wedlock, going north would actually be more beneficial. Although I, Lu Qi, am born out of wedlock, the various families do not differentiate between legitimate and illegitimate children when it comes to enlightened cultivators. In fact, they would love to befriend illegitimate children from other families, because without the burden and restrictions of their own legitimate family business, they are more likely to form alliances through marriage and even inherit the family business of another sect.

It's not that Lu Qi is being arrogant or boastful, but with the Lu Family name and the Daoist talisman of Ink Bamboo Mountain, I will never be turned away when I travel north to the Twelve Countries and visit various sects and factions. With this reputation, I can even arrange marriages with other Cultivation Family and become the head of my own family.

This wasn't because Lu Qi possessed any extraordinary talent or comprehension; it was simply because Ink Bamboo Mountain was renowned throughout the land, ruling over the entire Li Country and controlling one-twelfth of the world. Lu Qi was able to use the sect's name to roam the martial world.

But if Bamboo Mountain abandons his Li Country and moves south, what will we have left?

If we lose our foundation in the Li Country, our sect will once again be seen as a rogue cultivator on the desolate frontier, a heretical sect outside the Three Great Sects! Any further development will require us to fight tooth and nail against the demonic beasts of the south, and we might not even be able to protect our family business and connections in the north."

Li Fan frowned, never expecting that such a simple choice between going south or north would be so complicated, actually splitting the country into two factions.

Moreover, both factions have their own merits and their own self-interests.

Many of the Outer Sect disciples of the Northern Faction coveted the reputation of Ink Bamboo Mountain and also wanted to preserve their ancestral property in Li Country. The Southern Faction consisted of the Inner Sect disciples who cultivated in seclusion, and were penniless. They wanted to compete for the sect's Heavenly Treasure, seize the spiritual materials of Nanshan Mountain, and steal the destiny of the demon beasts.

Those who embark on the path of cultivation all want to continue, and go as far as possible. They all want it to be easier, and it's not a matter of who is right or wrong.

"Whether to develop in the Li Country, imitate or even replace the Nangong Family, and establish a cultivation clan system like the Immortal Palace, or to expand into the Ten-thousand-mountains and follow the path of a traditional sect like the Xuanmen, we must make a firm decision as soon as possible."

"Now that we're being held back from both ends, we can't really control either one," Lu Qi concluded, sipping his tea.

Of course, no one is stupid enough to have such high comprehension that they can cultivate immortality. In fact, even if one doesn't reach the Nascent Soul Stage Divine Transformation realm and can't say anything about the development of the sect, the disciples inside and outside Ink Bamboo Mountain still understand this very well.

The sect's development has reached a bottleneck. Whether it's eradicating the remnants of the Nangong Family to the north or continuing to suppress demons and monsters and expand into new territories to the south, Ink Bamboo Mountain has reached its limit. It must focus wholeheartedly and cannot advance on both fronts while being hampered by one side.

Neither heading south nor north is a problem that can be solved in a short time. The Three Great Sects are incredibly powerful, and the demons of the Ten-thousand-mountains are not weaklings either. The Nangong Family has many Divine Transformation Nascent Soul Stage, and Jade Toad Granny also has many ghosts and monsters to help her.

So wanting it all is just a beautiful wish, but the reality is that we have to make some choices.

Although he heard more detailed information from Lu Qi, to be honest, this kind of major event still had nothing to do with Li Fan. Chatting with Lu Qi for so long was like listening to a wise man's words, but ultimately, he was just there to deliver a dog...

After bidding farewell to Lu Qi, Li Fan left the Lu Family and then went to visit Yuan Xuanbao, though this time he was actually there to see Real Person Liang.

After all, cultivation is fundamental. It's just that Li Fan has amazing talent, his cultivation is progressing rapidly, and his progress is incredibly fast. To cultivate three Nascent Soul Stage Cultivation Method at the same time, the amount of true energy he has is simply a drop in the ocean to support two Nascent Soul Stage and their Dao bodies. Roughly estimated, it would normally take at least a thousand years to complete.

Therefore, Li Fan went to visit Real Person Liang this time, firstly to express his gratitude for the Nascent Soul Stage cultivation Cultivation Method in the "Huashu", and secondly to ask for the secrets of cultivating the Gui Xu Nascent Soul.

Real Person Liang remained unchanged, sitting emaciated on the futon like a living dead. He glanced at Li Fan and remarked, "Kun didn't come?"

Li Fan: "... I asked Fuling to add more salt to the tofu, which annoyed it, and now it's throwing a tantrum at me."

Real Person Liang frowned, seemingly pondering the relationship between the Kun, Fuling, tofu, and salt for a long time. Finally, he hesitated before speaking, "Alright... fine... Hmm, Xuanbao is still in seclusion. Oh, right, I said I had a benefit for you last time..."

"You're too kind, Master. I've already received the <Huashu>, and I've come here specifically to ask for your guidance." Li Fan directly presented the expensive tea and snacks he had bought for one hundred strings of cash, as well as the Nascent Soul cultivators.

It wasn't that Li Fan was particularly generous; it's just that prices in Ink Bamboo Mountain were ridiculously high. He couldn't very well send Nascent Soul Stage cultivator slices of steamed bun...

Real Person Liang waved his hand, "I don't need these. I'm giving you the <Huashu> because I know your Dao heart is steadfast, and you'll definitely be frequently Moon Worship to the Tai Su Realm to cultivate and achieve the Returning to Gui Xu Nascent Soul. Once you reach that stage, you can freely travel within the Tai Su Realm. I just thought this Cultivation Method might be suitable for you. Of course, our sect has many methods for cultivating the Nascent Soul Stage; just choose the one that suits you best."

"Since you appreciate my talent, how could I dare to be picky?" Li Fan seized the opportunity and said, "I have come here specifically to ask you about the key to cultivation. I hope you can enlighten me and give me some pointers."

Real Person Liang wasn't one to hoard his knowledge, and slowly explained, "That's also acceptable. Qingyue, you know the Nascent Soul Stage of the Taiji Xian Dao Path, from the Golden Core to the Nascent Soul stage, right?"

"Yes, this disciple has heard Fairy Wangshu explain it." Of course, not only Wangshu, but also Profound Heaven Sword Intent had explained it.

To put it simply, the theory of Taiji Xian Dao is to regard the inner elixir as an embryo, nurture it into Nascent Soul Stage, and then let the primordial Nascent Soul Stage grow into a primordial spirit. This allows one to transcend the physical body, roam freely in the vast void, and attain an immortal and indestructible true self, thus becoming a 'True Person'.

Incidentally, the state of transforming one's physical body into the image of one's true self and primordial spirit, merging with the physical body and transforming at will, is called the Divine Transformation. At this state, theoretically, the spiritual energy in the world is inexhaustible, and the Divine Transformation Body is also immortal and indestructible, and can even be instantly restored after being destroyed, cough cough.

Therefore, the key is not the Nascent Soul Stage, but the Primordial Spirit. It's just that the Taiji Xian Dao used to generally cultivate the Golden Core, Nascent Soul Stage, and Primordial Spirit in that order, hence the name.

Moreover, from this realm onwards, it Guanyuan the creation of the Divine Transformation into a divine being, and various Cultivation Method begin to show many fundamental differences. It can be said that the real divergence of 'different paths' only begins after the formation of the infant spirit.

In other words, that primordial 'infant' could grow into a 'human,' a 'god,' a 'thing,' a 'Non-Thing,' a 'sword,' or even a Xiangliu, Qiongqi, Taotie, Zhuque, or many other demons and monsters—it could be any of those things. It is a 'path' with endless possibilities, one that can be walked. Especially at this time, with the False Moon in the sky, compared to the immortal path monopolized by the Three Great Sects, the Tai Su Dao is truly wide and expansive.

Therefore, according to the current cultivation world, or at least the calculation method of the Mountain Lord lineage, it is not surprising that one can only truly 'shed the mortal body, embark on the path of cultivation, and begin the journey of seeking the Dao' after the Nascent Soul Realm.

In fact, the initial plan of Profound Heaven Sword Intent was to have Li Fan, at the Golden Core stage, switch to cultivating the superior Cultivation Method of the Beichen Sword Sect, refine a sword embryo and sword infant, and then directly transform into a sword heart and sword god.

However, the Daoist techniques that Lou Guan presented were also quite good, and the process of cultivating from the Golden Core to the Nascent Soul Stage was still in the foundational stage. The key was that the secret methods for nurturing the Golden Core into the Nascent Soul Stage.

For example, the Wuji Nascent Soul Stage requires the use of Qiankun Qi to cultivate Wuji Zhenyuan, and with this True Essence, the Wuji Nascent Soul Stage is forged.

The Gui Xu Nascent Soul and the transformation methods passed down by Fairy Wangshu both require the use of innate evil energy, only the true essence refined from evil energy differs in type. However, evil energy that does not exist in the Taiji Realm has become the easiest resource to obtain, so the cultivation of such skills is naturally rapid.

In comparison, the superior cultivation Cultivation Method of the Beichen Sword Sect in the past, which had complete requirements for Heavenly Treasure and various rare true qi, now seem too numerous and cumbersome. They even have secret techniques and secret formulas for forging one's natal flying sword, which is even more detrimental to cultivation in the Ink Bamboo Mountain.

So Profound Heaven Sword Intent didn't force Li Fan to change his path, but it was also too lazy to teach other schools' methods step by step. Lately, it had been hanging around on Kun's head all day long, and no one knew what the two of them were doing. As a result, Li Fan had to find extra tutoring on his own...

Fortunately, Real Person Liang gave Li Fan some guidance. "You should have read a bit of the 'Huashu,' right? It teaches how to transform form into qi, Divine Transformation, spirit into emptiness, and return to the origin to restore one's destiny. This technique, the Reverse Refining Real Immortal, is about tracing back to the source, returning to the innate state, refining the acquired Golden Core in reverse, and achieving the innate, restored destiny Gui Xu Nascent Soul."

Emptiness means nothingness; it signifies returning to emptiness and ultimate stillness.

There is also a place called Guixu in the world, a bottomless abyss in the North Sea. All the waters of the eight directions and nine fields, and the flow of the Milky Way, flow into it, yet it neither increases nor decreases. It is said that the Dao Ancestor Youquan, who slaughtered the Beichen Sword Sect, hid deep within it. The Void Abyss seen when observing the stars Moon Worship is named after Guixu.

However, it doesn't mean you should actually go to the Void to cultivate. Instead, it means that when you cultivate this skill, you should visualize a world like the Void Abyss, without emptiness or end, without beginning or end, without emptiness or stillness.

Only by comprehending the principles of 'end' and 'nothingness' can one arrive at the true meaning of 'existence' and 'birth.' Only then can one nurture the primordial spirit that returns to its original nature and transcends the Void Abyss. Do you understand?

Li Fan stared, mouth agape, at the long list of messages below the system saying, "Li Fan's mood has dropped significantly." He didn't quite understand. System, do you even know anything...?

' The Gui Xu Nascent Soul its Nascent Soul Stage, can directly absorb the Primordial Evil Qi to repair its own true essence after refinement. The decline in mood caused by the Tai Su Realm Evil Qi's corruption of the primordial spirit will transform into an increase.'

Hey, now I get it! Refine it! You definitely have to refine this! This will make the Tai Su Realm feel like home!

Real Person Liang stroked his chin. "However, I must make this clear to you. The advantage of this Cultivation Method lies in the fact that it uses Tai Su Sha Qi to construct the Nascent Soul Stage. It absorbs Sha Qi to refine the Gui Xu True Yuan, thereby forging the Nascent Soul Stage."

As for the evil energy, with the False Moon in the sky, it can be easily obtained by Moon Worship, without the need to waste time repeatedly refining it. Therefore, compared with other Nascent Soul Stage cultivation methods of this sect, it can be said that it saves the most time-consuming and laborious step of collecting Dao Qi, and directly Moon Worship to condense true essence is indeed a thousand times faster.

However, this method also has significant drawbacks. Firstly, it is extremely difficult to cultivate, and there is a constant risk of qi deviation. Only those with exceptional comprehension, solid foundation, and a steadfast Dao heart can succeed. (Li Fan, "Hey, isn't this a perfect coincidence!") Cough cough! In short, Yuanbao's aptitude is still a notch short. Even if he becomes Golden Core cultivator, he will need to be refined for another hundred years or so before he can attempt it. It's a good opportunity for you to try it out first, and consider it a way to help him explore the Dao.

Moreover, I won't hide it from you, there's a significant hidden danger after this skill is mastered. This is because the True Essence of the Gui Xu Nascent Soul needs to be refined by absorbing an extremely large amount of Innate Fiend Qi daily. Furthermore, the deeper Nascent Soul Stage becomes, resulting in enormous consumption. However, the Taiji Realm doesn't usually generate Innate Fiend Qi. If the Nascent Soul Stage becomes extremely hungry and its True Essence doesn't receive nourishment, it will automatically dismantle its own Dao body to consume it. But the True Essence of Returning Void can only be refined using Fiend Qi, so even if the Taiji Dao body is completely dismantled, it still won't be enough to satisfy its hunger.

So you see how strong I was back then, I almost went into qi deviation just once, and now I'm so skinny..."

Li Fan, chin agape, followed Real Person Liang's pointing, glancing at the Revered Heavenly Demon General behind him, then at the skeletal figure before him. He swallowed hard. "That potbelly really is you..."

Although there are many inconveniences, the benefit of increasing mood points in the Tai Su Realm is simply too great. Losing 1 point per second becomes gaining 1 point per second! He had already experienced how cost-effective it was when he Moon Worship in the South China Sea, and his mood was instantly replenished! Especially for someone like him who is more composed, this is how he will rely on to farm points in the future! What are the side effects of this weight loss? At worst, Moon Worship every night! Cultivate! Cultivate my ass!

Li Fan gritted his teeth, "Don't be afraid! This is it!"

Real Person Liang smiled, glanced at the tea and snacks in front of him, and pointed, "Since that's the case, I'll give you another benefit."

Li Fan followed his finger and looked, only to see a coffin.

"You can have that."

Why didn't you add another hour to complete the set?

However, Real Person Liang didn't seem to be deliberately teasing anyone. "This skill isn't something you can master just by wanting to. The coffin I'm giving you can help you visualize returning to emptiness and cultivate. Try sleeping in it for the next couple of days. If you don't have any mental problems for three to five months, and your skill improves within a year or two, then it means you can cultivate this method."

Also, have you read the Yuan Shi I gave you? I have already cleared out the strange Devil Embryo in that Tai Su Dao Field. It is where I usually cultivate in seclusion and absorb evil energy to practice my skills.

When you have made some progress in this skill, you can come and observe my Revered Heavenly Demon, and go to the Tai Su Dao Field to absorb the evil energy to nurture your Nascent Soul Stage. If everything goes smoothly, and you worship the False Moon once a month, after sixty years of hard work, you will undoubtedly be able to break through to the Nascent Soul Stage.

However, to date, no more than five people in our sect have been able to master it."

Hmm... The secret method to quickly break through to the Nascent Soul Stage by sleeping in a coffin for sixty years has been mastered by no more than five people. It seems it is indeed quite difficult.

Anyway, let's take that coffin back and sleep in it for a couple of days. We'll have to lie in it sooner or later anyway, so let's get used to it first...