Red Dust Heart Tempering

Outside the temple, a chilling wind and bitter rain raged.

The old man spoke in a calm and gentle voice, refined and courteous, with an air of detachment from the world.

That voice is so familiar!

For a fleeting moment, Chen Changming felt a mental lapse, as if time had reversed and he had returned to decades ago, to that dark, rainy night in the dilapidated temple, where he had once again encountered that mysterious grandfather and grandson.

"OK."

Chen Changming looked up and saw a simple Cloth-Clad Elder holding a large black oil-paper umbrella, standing at the entrance of the Ancient Temple. Beside him was a beautiful young woman in white.

It was that same mysterious grandfather and grandson pair again.

However, decades have passed, and that little girl who Qi Refining Realm back then has grown into a beautiful young woman.

Hello, senior.

Chen Changming stood up in a panic, looking completely at a loss.

The White-Clad Woman had already reached the Golden Core stage of cultivation. Unlike the Cloth-Clad Elder, she did not conceal her aura, but released it from time to time.

As Foundation Establishment Level 2 cultivator, Chen Changming's current behavior was very much in line with his status.

The grandfather and grandson walked in.

The Cloth-Clad Elder had a deep gaze. He looked Chen Changming over a few times but found nothing amiss. So he chuckled and said, "Young brother, don't be so formal. My grandson and I have traveled the world and never used our cultivation levels to put others at a disadvantage."

"Senior, I..."

Chen Changming remained at a loss, with beads of sweat the size of soybeans appearing on his forehead, as if he were extremely flustered and helpless.

The White-Clad Woman giggled, "Grandpa, I scared this little cultivator."

"You little brat, quickly put away your meager Golden Core cultivation, and stop scaring people."

The Cloth-Clad Elder glared at him, but his eyes revealed a hint of doting affection.

"Well."

The White-Clad Woman made a face, concealing her cultivation aura and deliberately keeping her cultivation level at the second level of Foundation Establishment. She looked at Chen Changming and, deliberately adopting an elder-like tone, said in a condescending manner, "Young man, I am also at the second level of Foundation Establishment now. How about we become equals?"

"Senior, you can't accept this. You're making me feel so bad."

Chen Changming said in a panic.

"Hey, stop calling her 'senior,' you're making her sound old. From now on, just call her 'sister,' you hear me?"

The White-Clad Woman raised her eyebrows sharply and said menacingly, "Call me 'senior' again, and I'll kill you!"

Chen Changming was so frightened that he took a few steps back, his face turning pale for a few seconds before he slowly uttered two words: "Sister."

Upon hearing this, the White-Clad Woman smiled, her graceful figure resembling a blooming white lotus.

"Grandpa, I've done a good job of Red Dust Heart Tempering, haven't I?"

She looked at the Cloth-Clad Elder, squinted her eyes, and asked with a smile.

Cloth-Clad Elder sat before the campfire, pointing to a piece of roasted wild boar meat, and said slowly, "Only after you eat this piece of meat will you be close to the path of Red Dust Heart Tempering."

"This wild boar meat is filthy, are you really going to let me eat it?"

The White-Clad Woman frowned, glancing at the filthy wild boar covered in blood beside her, her expression clearly displeased.

"Eat."

The Cloth-Clad Elder smiled, picked up a piece of roasted meat, and began to eat it with relish.

The White-Clad Woman squatted sullenly to one side, staring blankly at the wild boar meat on the campfire.

Chen Changming stood still, not daring to move.

He never dreamed that he would encounter this mysterious grandfather and grandson within the territory of the Zhao Kingdom.

The two wandered around like lost souls.

"Does this mean they haven't given up on the Spirit-Devouring Insect?"

A thought popped into Chen Changming's mind.

He remembered that the Spirit-Devouring Insect had said that this Cloth-Clad Elder had been to Martial Spirit City and fought a great battle with the Demon Spirit Tree, but retreated after failing to win.

Recalling the explosions of Spirit Vein in Seven Paths Ridge and Mysterious Yin Mountain, Chen Changming instantly understood.

The news of the repeated explosions of the Spirit Vein reached the ears of the Cloth-Clad Elder. He believed that the Spirit-Devouring Insect were still active in the Chu Kingdom and its surrounding countries, so he brought his granddaughter and came again.

As for the two's Red Dust Heart Tempering, Chen Changming didn't believe it at all.

He was now extremely grateful that the Breath Concealment Technique had been enhanced for the third time, making it even more powerful. Otherwise, with the Cloth-Clad Elder's shrewd eyes, he would surely have been able to discern something from him.

Chen Changming was also relieved that nowadays, when he went out, he would put the Spirit-Devouring Insect and Silver Thread Heart-Devouring Insect into his Beast Taming Bracelet, so he didn't have to worry about anyone being able to scan them with their Divine Sense.

He tore off a small piece of roasted meat and handed it to his granddaughter, not caring whether she ate it or not. The Cloth-Clad Elder stared at Chen Changming, who stood there like a puppet, and chuckled, "Young man, haven't you heard of ' Red Dust Heart Tempering '?"

"No, senior."

Chen Changming said bitterly.

The White-Clad Woman was Golden Core, and the Cloth-Clad Elder was probably Nascent Soul. The content of their conversation was completely different from what he, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, was discussing.

"Upon breaking through to the Nascent Soul, one will experience Heart Demon Tribulation; this hurdle has trapped countless people..."

The Cloth-Clad Elder recalled everything he had gone through when he struggled to break through to the Nascent Soul stage. Even now, he still felt lingering fear when he thought about it. He sighed and said, "If one begins to Red Dust Heart Tempering mortal world from the Golden Core stage, seeing through the complexities of human relationships and the joys and sorrows of life, it will be easier to pass through the Heart Demon Tribulation."

Chen Changming stood there, stunned.

So, this Red Dust Heart Tempering was to prepare for the Heart Demon Tribulation during the breakthrough to the Nascent Soul Realm...

He was only at the Foundation Establishment, not far from the Golden Core stage, let alone the Nascent Soul; he didn't even dare to dream of it.

He also felt a little envious of the White-Clad Woman. Born into a top-tier power, having such a Nascent Soul Realm elder to guide her, she could avoid so many detours in the future.

"Grandpa, this wild boar meat smells delicious."

After eating that small piece of meat, the White-Clad Woman also praised it.

"Okay, then eat more so we can get on our way faster."

The Cloth-Clad Elder smiled kindly.

The White-Clad Woman picked up a piece of wild boar meat and ate it with relish.

Seeing that his granddaughter's State of Mind had improved again, and that she was beginning to blend in with the Harmony with Light and Dust, the Cloth-Clad Elder narrowed his eyes in satisfaction.

Although I discussed a secret about breaking through to the Nascent Soul with this junior cultivator from the Zhao Kingdom who was at the second level of Foundation Establishment, it was of no great importance to him, since it was rare for a Golden Core cultivator to appear in this place for hundreds of years.

After eating half a piece of pork, the White-Clad Woman couldn't eat anymore. She put it into her Storage Ring, then stood up and said, "Grandpa, let's get going."

"Good."

The Cloth-Clad Elder stood up, opened his oil-paper umbrella, and led the White-Clad Woman out of the dilapidated temple.

"Thank you very much, young man."

Just as the two disappeared into the distant rain, a Storage Bag flew over.

Thank you, senior.

After a long while, Chen Changming reached out to take it, and then deliberately bowed respectfully to express his gratitude.

This white-robed old man was very generous; he had already experienced it once before. Last time, he used a little bit of medium-grade Spirit Rice to exchange for a top-grade magic sword and a number of pills.

Nowadays, even an ordinary piece of wild boar meat can probably be exchanged for something good.