Little Dingdang failed to see Ye Fan's true intention and genuinely thought he was going to test her knowledge. Somewhat nervously, she began answering his questions one by one.
Half an hour later, Little Dingdang was already getting anxious, muttering nonstop,
"If I go back too late, there won't be anything to eat."
"Dingdang doesn't want leftovers."
Only then did Ye Fan let her go, agreeing that they would bring them food the next day, and she could come over later after finishing her meal.
He would treat Little Dingdang to grilled fish then.
Little Dingdang immediately agreed and ran off in a flash, as though some terrifying monster were chasing her from behind.
Jiang Yun looked at Ye Fan with a teasing expression, and Ye Fan could tell exactly what Jiang Yun was thinking.
Speechless, he said, "You're so noble, so impressive. If you don't understand, don't ask me!"
Jiang Yun nodded repeatedly. With a little help from the panel, he had already embarked on the path of cultivation.
At the moment, he had nothing left to ask Ye Fan about, so he was not afraid of such threats from him.
Ye Fan quickly finished eating and went straight back to his room, eager to study the "Dao Scripture."
Jiang Yun calmly finished the bland food and returned to his room to cultivate as well.
Guiding the vital essence within his body in circulation was already an extremely familiar experience.
Next, he needed to guide that vital essence to assault the Sea of Bitterness, preparing to open it up and release the source of divine power.
Jiang Yun had consumed the Sacred Fruit of the Desolate Forbidden Land and undergone a rebirth-like transformation after leaving it. His Sea of Bitterness was no longer as difficult to awaken as that of an ordinary person, but without external aid, it would still not be easy to open it in a single day.
Jiang Yun estimated that at this pace, it would take three to five days to successfully open his Sea of Bitterness.
But Jiang Yun did not want to wait those three to five days. He wanted to quickly embark on the path of cultivation.
He opened the Source Space and took out a small cup of Divine Spring Fluid he had borrowed from the Desolate Forbidden Land, around twenty-odd drops, then drank it all in one gulp.
He quickly sat down cross-legged. If the vital essence within his body was insufficient, then he would draw in external vital essence to accelerate the assault on the Sea of Bitterness.
The Divine Spring Fluid was rapidly digested. Back in the Desolate Forbidden Land, he had drunk a great deal of it, but at the time he had only felt full of energy, with no other special sensation.
That was because the Desolate Forbidden Land had constantly been drawing away the life essence of the living beings within it. The Divine Spring Fluid he drank had merely replenished what was consumed.
Everything left over had been absorbed by the Desolate Forbidden Land again, so it had not produced much effect.
The more he thought about it, the more terrifying it became. No wonder the Desolate Forbidden Land possessed Divine Spring Fluid, while those who entered it aged so quickly.
This Divine Spring Fluid had probably absorbed the essence of cultivators and demon beasts that entered the Desolate Forbidden Land, then used it to nourish the Nine Wonders Immortal Medicine.
The Divine Spring Fluid Jiang Yun had drunk in the Desolate Forbidden Land had probably been wasted for nothing.
Drink the Desolate Forbidden Land's Divine Spring Fluid, then have it absorbed back by the Desolate Forbidden Land. Forget taking even a trace of it away—he could not take advantage of it at all.
It was even more ruthless than Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen.
As Jiang Yun pondered, the vital essence within his body had already expanded seven or eightfold, giving him an intense feeling of being swollen to bursting.
Without being guided, this vital essence began dispersing throughout his body, constantly being absorbed by his flesh, bones, and internal organs, nourishing his physical body.
Divine Spring Fluid was mainly used to lay foundations, supplying vital essence. Using it to assault the Sea of Bitterness was merely a secondary function.
The vital essence continued to grow and gradually approached its limit. Jiang Yun began guiding it toward the location of the Sea of Bitterness.
It was as if he heard a thunderous boom from within his body, and his Sea of Bitterness was opened in an instant.
Though it was initially only the size of a sesame seed, it devoured the vital essence in Jiang Yun's body like a black hole.
Gradually, the rate at which the Sea of Bitterness absorbed energy matched the rate at which vital essence was generated within Jiang Yun's body.
The Sea of Bitterness slowly expanded, growing from the size of a sesame seed to that of a millet grain, then to the size of a rice grain, before finally stopping at the size of a soybean. The effects of the Divine Spring Fluid ended there.
The vital essence contained in the Divine Spring Fluid was simply too rich. Once swallowed, it seemed capable of endlessly transforming directly into vital essence, which was why he had opened his Sea of Bitterness so quickly. It truly deserved to be called a Divine Spring capable of nourishing the Immortal Elixir.
Though the opening speed had been astonishing, Jiang Yun's Sea of Bitterness was truly ordinary. It was a deep, dark green, bleak and lifeless.
This Sea of Bitterness had yet to connect with the Wheel of Life. Vital essence only swirled above it, gradually gathering as though something was about to be conceived. The Sea of Bitterness itself was barren and silent, without any fluctuations of life. Only the occasional bolt of lightning tore across the sky above it.
Before opening his Sea of Bitterness, Jiang Yun had worried that Ye Fan might notice some unusual phenomenon. It seemed he had overthought it.
Compared to the countless rays of divine light, rainbow-like brilliance, surging golden waves, flashes of lightning and rolling thunder that Ye Fan would produce when he opened his Sea of Bitterness in the future—not to mention the violent tsunamis, waves soaring into the sky, and even affecting reality—
Jiang Yun simply could not compare. Not the slightest phenomenon appeared. It was utterly ordinary, and Jiang Yun even thought his Sea of Bitterness looked a little ugly.
Cultivating had felt like only a brief while, yet the sky outside had already turned pitch-black. Within Jade Cauldron Paradise, however, there was still a gentle luminous glow falling from above, fantastical and magnificent.
"Open the panel," Jiang Yun silently recited in his heart.
[Panel] Realm: Sea of Bitterness Cultivator Physique: Mortal Physique (Sacred Physique 1.92%) Bloodline: None for now (obtained through dual cultivation with a Dao companion) Cultivation Technique: "Dao Scripture" Reflection Points: None for now (can be obtained with a Dao companion) Source Space: 40*40*40 Dao Companion: None for now (single) Mark: None for now (obtained through dual cultivation with a Dao companion) Descendant Bonus: None for now
Other than his cultivation realm and Source Space, nothing else had changed. Without a Dao companion, he could not experience the other functions.
Jiang Yun felt somewhat vexed. A Dao companion really was not easy to find.
After closing the panel, he began thinking. Finding a high-quality Dao companion was quite difficult. At the very least, their character had to pass muster; Jiang Yun did not want to be stabbed in the back by his Dao companion.
Secondly, Jiang Yun cared greatly about bloodlines. Dual cultivation with a Dao companion apparently allowed one to obtain bloodlines, and there should be ways to purify them as well. Though a Mortal Physique could still defy the heavens in the Shrouding the Heavens World—
If he could possess the bloodline of a Great Emperor and smoothly cultivate all the way to the Quasi-Emperor realm, who would refuse?
As for becoming a Great Emperor and merging with the Heavenly Heart Mark, that was something for a Quasi-Emperor to consider.
It was still far too distant for Jiang Yun. The Road to Immortality would open in two hundred years. He had to survive that calamity before discussing the future.
As for how dense bloodlines could easily be affected by Imperial Dao Laws and prevent one from becoming a Great Emperor, could he solve that by merging many bloodlines together?
The Ruthless Great Emperor devoured the Origins of all kinds of physiques, using herself as a furnace to become a Chaotic Physique. Ye Fan nurtured countless scriptures in his furnace and created a method belonging to himself. Couldn't he, Jiang Yun, nurture countless bloodlines in a furnace as well?
Jiang Yun considered many things before finally deciding to see whether he could find a Dao companion among those with the Jiang surname. He was also surnamed Jiang. If he could obtain the Jiang Family bloodline, then he would truly become a member of the Jiang Family.
Joining the Jiang Family and relying on an Ancient Era aristocratic family would provide plenty of aid in the future. His path would become much broader.
Think you're good at fighting? What the hell is fighting worth? To make it in this world, you needed influence—an Imperial Clan, a sacred land—and backing—an Emperor Weapon. Which faction were you from?
After making up his mind, Jiang Yun continued cultivating. He did not dare keep using Divine Spring Fluid for now; he had drunk too much earlier, and his body still felt bloated.
For the time being, he would slowly cultivate his Sea of Bitterness and experience what cultivation felt like for a low-level cultivator.
And so, three days passed. Other than Little Dingdang, no one else came by.
Over the past few days, Jiang Yun watched Ye Fan "test" Little Dingdang every morning. He also gradually became familiar with her, and she told the two of them many things about Jade Cauldron Paradise.
In return, the two of them grilled fish for Little Dingdang to eat. Of course, Little Dingdang had to provide the seasonings herself.
The two gained some understanding of Jade Cauldron Paradise and were no longer completely lost. They also picked up some basic cultivation knowledge along the way.
After Little Dingdang left, they returned to their rooms to refine Divine Spring Fluid and open their Sea of Bitterness.
With the divine power gained from breaking through to the Sea of Bitterness, Jiang Yun sparred with the future Heavenly Emperor Ye and found him to be nothing much.
He easily beat Ye Fan up a little, letting him experience the strength of an older cousin.
It was just that Ye Fan was currently only thirteen or fourteen years old, so Jiang Yun's sense of achievement was not all that strong.
After being taught a lesson by Jiang Yun, Ye Fan worked even harder. Jiang Yun often saw Ye Fan studying the "Dao Scripture" in the courtyard late at night.
With the Bodhi Seed on him, Ye Fan comprehended cultivation techniques quickly and gradually began to understand what cultivation truly was.
Jiang Yun had no way to help him now. Ye Fan had not even figured out the cultivation technique yet, so providing him with resources would be useless.
He could only occasionally clear up Ye Fan's doubts. Comprehending cultivation techniques could not be rushed. Not everyone was like Jiang Yun, with a panel directly instilling knowledge into him and the Great Dao Heavenly Sound ringing in his ears.
Ye Fan would likely reach the Immortal Platform in ten years. Of those ten years, three or four would be spent studying the "Dao Scripture" and learning how to cultivate the Sea of Reincarnation.
After Ye Fan understood cultivation, he would need only six years to cross the three great realms of the Dao Palace, Four Extremes Realm, and Dragon Transformation, reaching the Immortal Platform.
Apart from Ye Fan's own hard work, all he relied on was a tiny bit of assistance from the Immortal Elixir in the Desolate Forbidden Land.
Jiang Yun had directly skipped the step of comprehending cultivation techniques, saving a little time compared to Ye Fan in the early stages.
That afternoon, an Old Woman of extraordinary bearing came to the small courtyard.
Jiang Yun walked into the courtyard and stood beside Ye Fan.
"You are Jiang Yun and Ye Fan, correct? For the next three months, I will teach you cultivation. You may address me as Elder Jiang."
"Jiang Yun—Ye Fan—greets Elder Jiang!" Jiang Yun and Ye Fan said in unison.
She was an elderly woman who looked kind and amiable. Her hair had been meticulously combed, without a single strand out of place, and not a wrinkle could be seen on her green robe.
Strands of silver-white hair were still clearly visible amid her black hair. Within her slightly sunken eye sockets, a pair of dark brown eyes silently spoke of the hardships of passing years.
Looking at the elderly woman before him, Jiang Yun felt as though even the air had become somewhat restrained.
Years of experience struggling in society told Jiang Yun and Ye Fan that this elderly woman was likely not easy to get along with.
The cultivators and elders they had seen before all possessed immortal bearing, their robes fluttering in the wind, each carrying an unrestrained air.
But this woman's hair was perfectly neat, and her clothes did not have the slightest crease. Someone so strict with herself certainly would not be lenient with her disciples.
Though her appearance and bearing seemed somewhat kind, it was impossible to know what she would be like to get along with.
While Jiang Yun and Ye Fan observed Elder Jiang, Elder Jiang was also observing the two of them.
Elder Jiang felt somewhat puzzled. When she entered earlier, she seemed to have sensed the aura of Jiang Yun cultivating inside his room.
How could that be possible after only a few days?
Before you continue