Merit

Supreme Mystery Mountain, Ancestral Master Hall.

Li Chengxuan put down the Daoist scripture in his hand, first respectfully offered incense to the patriarch, and then looked up at it.

The figures in the portrait remain blurry, almost invisible from a distance.

A thin, shallow water mark surrounded the figure, with the faint sound of a flowing river.

In the upper right corner of the portrait, slightly to the east, a peach blossom is in full bloom, its subtle fragrance filling the air.

Below the portrait, a black flame has now appeared, leaping and burning like a living thing, and one glance is enough to feel its fierce malice.

Apart from [Yi Wood], Li Chengxuan can also practice [High Shaman] magic.

The Merit of inheriting this [Continue Lost Teachings] accumulates more and more.

As Hua Chunning and Duanmu Ren's cultivation levels rise higher and higher, Li Chengxuan's Merit will continue to increase accordingly.

At that time, not to mention the Late Stage of Qi Refining, even the previously unattainable [Foundation Establishment] stage will be within Li Chengxuan's reach.

"Sigh!" It's all good news, but Li Chengxuan still can't feel happy for some reason.

My disciple Daohui is too talented; even his teacher has a headache about him.

Duanmu Ren and Li Chengxuan briefly recounted their gains from practicing Qi Ingestion.

Drinking blood to Body Refining, burning hatred to strengthen his soul, and having evil fire burn his heart, coupled with the changes in the High Shaman, Duanmu Ren's gains were simply unprecedented.

Li Chengxuan searched through all the Daoist scriptures in the library but found no similar record.

Are rural exam-takers really this terrifying?!

Even in cultivation, one can achieve exceptionally high scores.

It will likely be difficult for him to guide Duanmu Ren in his spiritual practice in the future.

However, there is an old saying that a disciple is not necessarily inferior to his teacher, nor is a teacher necessarily more virtuous than his disciple.

Thinking about it this way, Li Chengxuan immediately felt much better.

I had gotten stuck on a rut before, and almost brought on my inner demons.

I cultivate the [Mortal Dust Human Immortal Dao], why should I compete with a [High Shaman] cultivator in Dao wisdom?!

What's more, that person was his own disciple.

Li Chengxuan finally understood. He stopped struggling with himself and stopped reading Daoist scriptures in an attempt to increase his Daoist wisdom. He simply left the Ancestral Hall to clear his mind.

Autumn is drawing to a close, and everything is desolate.

Li Chengxuan, however, felt a sense of vastness and tranquility, and a sense of open-mindedness.

The situation at Supreme Mystery Mountain was excellent, so Li Chengxuan couldn't possibly feel any melancholy.

Outside the General Affairs Hall, halfway up the mountain.

While dealing with Jiang Xiaoyu's persistent questions, Hua Chunning continued recounting her autumn trip to Rosy Clouds Resting Mountain.

Surprisingly, Liu Zhijian was talking to Hu Yueqiu next to them.

Li Chengxuan was startled when he saw this from afar, thinking that Liu Zhijian had finally come to his senses and was going to find a teacher's wife for Jiang Xiaoyu. But when he got closer and heard what was going on, he was greatly disappointed.

It turned out that Liu Zhijian was utterly baffled and helpless about his repeated failures to catch fish in the lake at Supreme Mystery Sub-Courtyard.

Hearing that Hu Yueqiu grew up by the lake and was the daughter of a fisherman, he was overjoyed and immediately went to her house to ask for her advice.

Hu Yueqiu was somewhat surprised and stammered as she recounted some details of the fishermen's fishing methods.

Unfortunately, most fishermen use nets.

Only certain exceptionally rare fish, hidden beneath rocks and rotten wood where nets are unusable, require specially prepared bait for fishing.

"Special bait!" Liu Zhijian clapped his hands, suddenly realizing what he meant, his face beaming with joy.

It's definitely necessary to consult a professional.

There must be fish in the water.

My skills are definitely not a problem.

If you can't catch any fish, it must be a problem with the bait!

The reason has finally been found!

Seeing Liu Zhijian's delighted expression, Hua Chunning offered, "Senior Brother, how about I make some bait for you?"

"This isn't a good idea..." Liu Zhijian hesitated.

After all, Hua Chunning cultivated [Yi Wood] and knows alchemy, so he might actually be able to make some extraordinary bait.

This is similar to secretly using loach as bait in a fishing competition; it's cheating, which is not only prohibited by law, but also looked down upon by other anglers.

Hua Chunning was unfamiliar with the rules of the fishermen and was somewhat puzzled.

After a moment's thought, Liu Zhijian decided to give it a try and said politely, "Then I'll trouble you, junior sister. Just make a small batch; I'll go test it out first."

Senior Brother doesn't believe in himself!

Hua Chunning smiled and nodded, secretly resolving to do her utmost to impress her senior brother.

"Master." Liu Zhijian noticed Li Chengxuan approaching and quickly got up to greet him, feeling a little uneasy, like when he was a child and was caught daydreaming in class by the teacher.

"Master/Grandmaster/Sect Leader"

Hua Chunning, Jiang Xiaoyu, and Hu Yueqiu also stood up and bowed respectfully.

Li Chengxuan didn't think that relentless hard work was a good thing. He believed that proper relaxation and a balance between work and rest were the right path. He didn't ask about other people's cultivation, but only about Liu Zhijian's fishing results, Hua Chunning's flower-growing tips, and Hu Yueqiu's past chivalrous deeds.

As for Jiang Xiaoyu, Li Chengxuan tried his best to feign the benevolence expected of a grandmaster. "What trouble has Xiao Yu'er gotten into recently?"

"No, I didn't." Xiaoyu shook her head repeatedly, sounding a little unsure, and whispered, "Xiaoyu is a very good girl!"

Hua Chunning smiled and patted Xiao Yu'er's head, without exposing or undermining him.

Hu Yueqiu felt somewhat bitter and frustrated.

All those around him were cultivators from Supreme Mystery Mountain, and even Jiang Xiaoyu was only a Registered Disciple; he was the only outsider.

Especially since he had caused trouble and made a fool of himself a few days ago, almost ruining the crucial cultivation of the sect leader's third disciple.

Hu Yueqiu now vaguely felt that the sect leader's teasing of Xiao Yu'er was a veiled reference to her.

"Don't be nervous, Xiao Hu." Li Chengxuan could vaguely sense Hu Yueqiu's complicated feelings, so he comforted her, "Ignorance is no excuse."

"The [High Shaman] lineage, though appearing sinister and treacherous, is in fact a genuine ancient lineage."

" In High Antiquity times, before the rise of immortality, the Immortal Dao [High Shaman] was inevitably bloody and barbaric, but it was also a helpless choice for the early people struggling to survive under the ravages of demons."

"To survive, one must be ruthless and vicious, resorting to any means necessary."

"Therefore, the [High Shaman] lineage protected our ancestors and ensured the continuation of the human race in High Antiquity times, which is a great merit."

Didn't your family teach you that?

Hu Yueqiu's face grew even more bitter after hearing this, and she shook her head awkwardly, saying, "To be honest, when I first came into contact with cultivation, my family's tradition had been severed for hundreds of years. We only passed down the cultivation deeds of our ancestors orally, and it's hard to tell whether they're true or false."

"I have traveled to many places and have indeed heard many folk tales and anecdotes to corroborate this."

"However, I couldn't find even a single Daoist scripture or Cultivation Method."

Even Rosy Clouds Resting Mountain say they don't have it.

Li Chengxuan nodded slightly, seemingly lost in thought.

[Greater Yin] is indeed extremely hidden and concealed, almost completely hiding all traces.

It's truly strange that, despite the existence of a successor, not a single Daoist scripture or Cultivation Method can be found.

"It's alright," Li Chengxuan reassured softly. "[Greater Yin] is noble; you might as well try [Fu Water]. But you still need to embark on cultivation first; lingering outside the gate is ultimately useless."

Hu Yueqiu went alone with her sword to assassinate the "Evil Cultivator" Duanmu Ren. Although she failed and was captured, her chivalrous heart was genuine.

Li Chengxuan was also willing to lend a helping hand.

Although Hu Yueqiu's Manifestation is strange and he claims to be a descendant of the [Greater Yin] lineage, the [Fu Water] Manifestation within him is constantly diminishing.

However, according to Rosy Clouds Resting Mountain's speculation, the Old Method tradition of the Southern Edge Continent is experiencing a revival, and with some effort, Hu Yueqiu may well be able to Qi Ingestion and enter the Daoist path.

As for bringing Earth's condensed Manifestation, that's a last resort.

Li Chengxuan will not send Hu Yueqiu in yet.

Hu Yueqiu rose and bowed respectfully, almost weeping with joy. "Thank you for your mercy, Sect Leader."

Hua Chunning flickered as she looked at Li Chengxuan.

Li Chengxuan couldn't help but smile, glanced at the sky, and said, "Xiao Hu, go to the library and choose a Meridian Opening Method."

"I see that you originally followed the path of transforming martial arts into immortality, and your Meridian Opening Method was rather crude."

It's already late autumn; it's probably too late this year.

"Let's see what happens next autumn; maybe we can give it a try."

Hu Yueqiu naturally had no objections and nodded repeatedly in agreement.

Hua Chunning understood clearly that the sect leader was still cautious and unwilling to easily bring Hu Yueqiu into the Grotto-Heaven. He wanted to observe for another year and make a decision next autumn.

The situation on the Southern Edge Continent is turbulent.

On Supreme Mystery Mountain, however, there was a scene of harmony and joy.

Li Chengxuan's heart skipped a beat. He connected with the [Two Worlds Pearl] and discovered that Duanmu Ren was rushing back to Supreme Mystery Mountain: "Why are you back so quickly?!"

Since Duanmu Ren began Qi Ingestion and entered the Dao, the [Two Worlds Pearl] has also undergone miraculous changes.