Proposal

He didn't know Qingle. Generally, to answer such detailed questions, one needs to have a deep understanding of the cultivator's entire cultivation experience in order to find the core of the problem and give the most accurate solution. It would be impossible for someone else to answer casually after hearing a few words unless the two parties have a huge difference in realm or are really so knowledgeable that they know almost everything about cultivation.

At least Lin Xiao wouldn't give advice to others based on just a few words from them.

For a moment, the two fell silent.

Seeing that Lin Xiao showed no intention of speaking, Qingle said sadly, "Fellow Daoist, don't you know what I should do?"

He thought that this sudden enlightenment was the beginning of his return to cultivation, and that this fellow Daoist who had shared his enlightenment could give him some advice and solutions. But it all came to nothing.

"You really want me to help you?" Lin Xiao asked, unable to bear seeing his sorrowful appearance.

Qingle looked at him with a puzzled expression and nodded. "I've asked many people, and they all said that everyone's situation is different, and that I shouldn't rush, that my cultivation level will eventually increase. But a very long time has passed, and my cultivation level hasn't moved at all."

"I've observed many people and tried many methods, but none of them worked. The enlightenment I had with you these past two days was the only time in many years that my cultivation has improved. If I can't find a way from you either, I guess I can only wait for death."

Since that's the case, Lin Xiao stopped hesitating and asked, "Alright, then I'll take the liberty of asking about your situation. You don't mind, do you?"

Qingle shook her head. "I don't mind. You can ask me anything. I have nothing to hide."

"How long has this been going on?" Lin Xiao asked. "I mean, since your cultivation stopped increasing."

Qingle lowered her head and thought carefully for a moment before answering, "It seems... it was not long after I arrived here, perhaps several hundred years later... maybe more than three thousand years ago."

If this happened hundreds of years ago, then it must have been around four thousand years ago when we arrived here... Well, well, so it turns out to be an old monster many times older than Senior Liao. My apologies for my overreaction.

Lin Xiao made a few sarcastic remarks to himself, and was already seven or eight parts certain about Qingle's identity.

"You must be Elder Dan Ling, right?"

Upon hearing this, Qingle looked at Lin Xiao with some surprise, seemingly not understanding why he knew when she hadn't mentioned it.

However, he still honestly answered, "Yes."

Although the elders and seniors of the sect had all warned him not to reveal his identity to others, saying that if others knew his identity, it would be detrimental to him and harm him.

But now he can't even cultivate anymore. With his cultivation level stagnant, he has no choice but to wait for death. What's the point of worrying about others harming him?

Qingle thought rather pessimistically.

"So you're a tree spirit," Lin Xiao said.

Qingle nodded.

"How do you usually cultivate?" Lin Xiao asked.

Qingle replied, "My only method of cultivation since awakening my spiritual power has been to root myself in the earth."

Lin Xiao waited for him to continue, but found that he had closed his mouth and did not make a sound.

That's it?

"... That's all." Qingle thought for a moment and then added, "If we don't count the meditation and breathing techniques I learned from other cultivators, I couldn't even cultivate the Wood Element method by trying to learn their meditation and breathing techniques." So the latter shouldn't count, right?

Lin Xiao thought about it and it seemed to make sense. For a tree, the cultivation method of planting itself in the ground was quite reasonable.

So what if a tree spirit plants itself in the ground but can't cultivate?

Lin Xiao, who had never been a tree, didn't know either.

The problem is somewhat tricky.

It was a cultivation field he had never been exposed to before.

For a moment, the only things that came to his mind besides Xiaoluan, Big Peach, and Tuantuan, who were also demons, were the group of down-on-their-luck little tree demons he had encountered before.

Qingle hasn't seen those little tree spirits all these years, and she doesn't know why.

So Lin Xiao tentatively asked, "Have you asked your people?"

"Clan members? You mean relatives?" Qingle understood clan members to be human relatives. He shook his head and said, "I have no relatives. My only relative died more than three thousand years ago."

Upon hearing this, Lin Xiao thought of the group of little tree spirits he had seen outside earlier. Although he was a little puzzled, he didn't say anything more and simply changed the subject, asking him, "Why don't you try going out for some training? Maybe you can find some clues during your training."

"Go out for training?" Qingle's eyes seemed puzzled. "But the elders all say that it's very dangerous outside. A tree spirit with a certain level of cultivation like me is considered excellent material for refining weapons by many bad people. If I go out, I'll be targeted."

After speaking, Qingle and Lin Xiao locked eyes.

There was a sudden, eerie silence between them.

Qingle lowered her head somewhat ashamed. "I'm sorry, Fellow Daoist Lin. I don't suspect you have ulterior motives towards me. It's just that I just remembered the elders' instructions. Actually, for me now, it doesn't matter if I'm watched when I go out."

Seeing that he wanted to continue apologizing, Lin Xiao stopped him and said, "Although what your sect's elders said makes sense, generally speaking, training is essential for cultivators, at least for us human cultivators, because it involves a matter of State of Mind."

"To put it simply, training means not working in isolation, but going out to see the world. The more you see, the more diverse your thoughts will become. We humans have a saying: 'Study extensively, inquire carefully, think prudently, discern clearly, and practice diligently.' That is, to achieve a clear State of Mind, one must learn, inquire, think, discern, and practice. This is the essence of cultivation."

"There are various dangers involved in going out for training, whether it's for human cultivators or for you, Fellow Daoist Qingle. Therefore, we need to be cautious when going out for training, but we can't throw the baby out with the bathwater. Ultimately, we have to take this step."

After hearing what he said, Qingle was momentarily dazed.

Suddenly, the words of earnest advice from the sect elders flashed through his mind every time he expressed a desire to travel over the years.

Thinking that this open space in the middle was a "quiet place" specially reserved for them by the elders.

The elders said that training was not important to him; what he needed more was a quiet place to cultivate his mind and character. Therefore, they specially cleared out this open space in the middle for him to cultivate his mind and character. No shops would be built here, so no cultivators would stay here and disturb him.

Are the elders right?

Why was it that in the past, after listening to the elders' advice, he only felt frustrated and depressed, but today, after listening to Fellow Daoist Lin's words, he felt a sense of enlightenment, smoothness, and joy?

Qingle was very confused about this, so he couldn't help but express his inner conflict.