Yellow Maple Valley

After heading down the mountain, Lin Yun immediately bought a fine horse at the prefectural city below, riding without rest toward Great Yue Mountain in the northeast. It took him nearly half a month to finally arrive at Great Yue Mountain, and then a few more days relying on the Qi-Observing Art to locate where the Yellow Maple Valley was hidden among the rolling mountain ranges.

Led by a Qi Refining Stage disciple of the Yellow Maple Valley, Lin Yun smoothly moved into the Guest Reception Lodge of the Yellow Maple Valley.

"Fellow Daoist Lin, please stay temporarily in the Guest Reception Lodge and wait for the arrangements of the elders. However, because you are not yet a Yellow Maple Valley Disciple, a restriction has been placed upon this room, and you cannot leave it for the time being," this disciple surnamed Huang, who was in charge of guiding new disciples, instructed Lin Yun.

Lin Yun was not surprised by this. Waiting was waiting; as it happened, the Primordial Qi in the area where this Guest Reception Lodge was located was quite abundant, even a notch stronger than the valley of his old home, making it just right for practicing cultivation.

After arranging Lin Yun's lodging, the surnamed-Huang disciple was about to leave. A thought stirred in Lin Yun's heart, and he suddenly asked, "Fellow Daoist Huang, before me, was there anyone else who came to join the Yellow Maple Valley holding an Ascension Token?"

Hearing this, the surnamed-Huang disciple was startled. After thinking for a moment, he said, "As far as I know, the last time someone entered with an Ascension Token was four or five hundred years ago. Over these years, Fellow Daoist Lin is the very first person to enter the valley holding an Ascension Token."

Upon hearing this, Lin Yun immediately knew that Han the Old Devil had not yet entered the Yellow Maple Valley, so he thanked the surnamed-Huang disciple. "Many thanks, Fellow Daoist, for clearing up my confusion."

"It is nothing. However, since Fellow Daoist came holding an Ascension Token, you should have properly received a Foundation Establishment Pill. Unfortunately, the Foundation Establishment Pills within the sect were just distributed five years ago, and the next distribution will have to wait until five years from now. It truly is a pity," the surnamed-Huang disciple said to Lin Yun with a mix of regret and envy.

Lin Yun did not care about any Foundation Establishment Pill. In his view, the cultivation environment of the Yellow Maple Valley was far superior to a Foundation Establishment Pill.

Therefore, he smiled at the surnamed-Huang disciple and said, "I am currently only at the sixth layer of Qi Refining, still far from foundation establishment. Even if I obtained a Foundation Establishment Pill now, it would be of no use, so it is better to wait until five years from now."

The surnamed-Huang disciple first nodded, then shook his head, and sighed, "Fellow Daoist is truly open-minded. I just wonder when I will ever be able to obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill..."

With those words, the surnamed-Huang disciple took his leave with a trace of melancholy.

After the surnamed-Huang disciple left, Lin Yun seized the time to hurry up and cultivate.

A few days passed quickly. During this period, for some unknown reason, no one came to arrange matters for Lin Yun's admission into the sect.

Until noon on this day.

"Fellow Daoist, have you been getting accustomed to things these past few days?" The surnamed-Huang disciple pushed open the door and said to Lin Yun, who had just finished his cultivation session and was resting.

After speaking, he stepped aside to clear the way, revealing a middle-aged man standing behind him, and said to Lin Yun, "Fellow Daoist, come quickly and pay your respects. This is Uncle-Master Wang, who is in charge of guiding new disciples into the sect."

With sharp perception, Lin Yun stood up and bowed to the middle-aged man behind the surnamed-Huang disciple. "Greetings, Immortal Master Wang."

Uncle-Master Wang said with a cheerful smile, "No need for such formalities. Since Little Friend has entered the sect holding an Ascension Token, naturally you are a disciple of our Yellow Maple Valley from this day forth. In the future, you may also address me as Uncle-Master."

"Yes, Uncle-Master Wang," Lin Yun immediately called out.

Uncle-Master Wang then continued, telling Lin Yun, "I will first test your Spiritual Root, and then take you to pay respects to the sect master to complete the initiation procedures."

With that, Uncle-Master Wang began to test Lin Yun's Spiritual Root.

Naturally, Lin Yun knew he possessed a Four-Spirit Root, and there was nothing to hide about this.

Sure enough, after Uncle-Master Wang finished testing Lin Yun's Spiritual Root, his expression was somewhat unsightly, but he still smiled and said, "Although it is the Four Attributes, Lacking Metal, Little Friend need not be discouraged. With diligent cultivation, it is not impossible to establish your foundation. As for the Foundation Establishment Pill the sect ought to grant you, you need not worry either."

With a composed expression, Lin Yun said, "Many thanks, Uncle-Master, for the comfort. This disciple also believes he is capable of Foundation Establishment."

He had never doubted whether he could achieve Foundation Establishment, because cultivation in the Zu Mountain world was different from this realm; it did not rely on a Spiritual Root to sense and absorb spiritual Qi for cultivation, but instead depended entirely on one's own perception of heaven and earth Primordial Qi to inhale and exhale Primordial Qi.

Relying on the Supreme Clarity Mystic-Gate Qi-Discerning Method, if the Primordial Qi was abundant, Lin Yun's cultivation speed was actually no slower than that of a True Spirit Root.

Moreover, the cultivation method of the Zu Mountain world established the foundation first and then practiced Qi Refining. Therefore, Lin Yun, who possessed the White Yang Diagram-the strongest foundation establishment cultivation method in the Zu Mountain world-only needed to cultivate step by step in a place abundant with Primordial Qi. Even without a Foundation Establishment Pill, he could easily forge a superior foundation.

Seeing Lin Yun's calm expression and firm Dao heart, Uncle-Master Wang's face also revealed a look of satisfaction, and he thought to himself, To possess such disposition, a single Foundation Establishment Pill cannot be considered a waste.

"Let's go. First, we will pay respects to the sect master."

Having spoken, Uncle-Master Wang led Lin Yun out of the Guest Reception Lodge, bringing him to step onto a leaf-shaped dharma artifact as they flew up.

When they went to pay respects to the sect master Zhong Lingdao, upon learning of Lin Yun's Spiritual Root, Zhong Lingdao did not say much. He merely offered Lin Yun a few words of encouragement, assured him that he would receive a Foundation Establishment Pill five years later, and then had Uncle-Master Wang take Lin Yun away.

Afterward, Uncle-Master Wang took Lin Yun to collect the personal belongings of a newly initiated disciple and explained many precautions regarding the Yellow Maple Valley along the way.

This allowed Lin Yun to understand a great deal about the Yellow Maple Valley, replacing the hollow knowledge from the books of the past.

After meandering around for the better part of the day, Uncle-Master Wang finally finished all the initiation procedures with Lin Yun.

Returning to the quarters for newly initiated disciples, Lin Yun casually found a room and settled down.

Lying on the bed, Lin Yun's thoughts drifted to the stone house not far away. If he remembered correctly, the Uncle-Master Lin who was in charge of distributing the personal items of the newly initiated disciples, and who shared the same surname as him, was the Young Master of the Thousand Bamboo Sect.

Should I go meddle with the Great Evolution Art? Lin Yun pondered.

But immediately he shook his head and smiled to himself, Forget it. The Great Evolution Art is merely a cultivation technique for spiritual sense, and I am not without one; why bother asking for trouble? I'd better focus on my own cultivation and move to live on Mystic Kun Mountain earlier-that place is far more suited for practicing the White Yang Diagram.

The Zu Mountain world was brimming with primordial vital energy and thriving spiritual essence, to the extent that even immortals could dwell in the mortal world indefinitely; it was far beyond comparison with the mortal realm.

Therefore, the White Yang Diagram, which could be practiced in any tranquil spot in the Zu Mountain world, required one to deliberately search for a place abundant with Primordial Qi in the Heavenly South just to finish practicing all three hundred and sixty-four diagrams.

Fortunately, the White Yang Diagram was only a foundation establishment cultivation method; its cultivation conditions were not overly harsh, and the Primordial Qi required was not substantial. Lin Yun estimated that finishing the three hundred and sixty-four true-form diagrams of the White Yang Diagram in the Yellow Maple Valley to forge a superior foundation should not be difficult.

It's just that the hundred-day foundation establishment of the Zu Mountain world will probably take several years here in the Yellow Maple Valley, Lin Yun calculated the time needed to complete the White Yang Diagram in his heart.

Although it would take several times longer than the hundred-day foundation establishment, Lin Yun was not anxious at all; instead, he chuckled softly.

Fortunately, Foundation Establishment in this realm is already difficult, requiring a Foundation Establishment Pill to succeed. Yet I only need to cultivate step by step, and I can achieve Foundation Establishment in just a few years—that already surpasses countless people. You must know that Han the Old Devil, who shares my Spiritual Root, went through all sorts of hardships for his Foundation Establishment, treating Foundation Establishment Pills like candy just to finally succeed.