"All right, all right, you will all join my Lingxu Dongtian. You will never regret the decision you made today," said one of the elders, stroking his beard with a smile.
"No time to waste. We will return to the Dongtian immediately so that we can quickly teach you the cultivation methods, allowing you to restore your youth and vitality as soon as possible." With that, the elders nodded in agreement. They waved their sleeves, and brilliant rainbow light enveloped the group. Each elder took four or five people and flew off toward the distance.
They were really eager!
What a huge gain—what a tremendous gain! Vivi truly deserved to be the spiritual prodigy of Lingxu Dongtian.
What started as a simple exploration had unexpectedly brought back thirty gifted seeds. They would return at the fastest speed to prevent other shameless Dongtian sects from sharing the benefits of these seedlings.
Within the Yan territory, there were six major Dongtian sects, and Lingxu Dongtian was one of them. But in recent decades, Lingxu had fallen behind the other five sects, struggling to cultivate new talent. Among the young disciples, only Vivi stood out, but precisely because she was so outstanding, the sect was unwilling to delay her cultivation and had recommended her to the prestigious Yaoguang Holy Land. It was feared that the Dongtian might face a talent gap soon. Thus, after assessing the group's potential, the elders were eager to have them join Lingxu Dongtian.
During the flight, the elders took the opportunity to boast about their sect's strengths.
"Our Lingxu Dongtian is a subordinate sect under a Holy Land, but our foundational cultivation methods are in no way inferior to those of a major Holy Land sect. When your cultivation advances, the Dongtian can recommend you for further training at the Holy Land itself."
"The Holy Land traces its lineage to ancient sages and even the supreme emperors of the extreme path. To bear the name 'Holy Land' is to hold a legacy that looks down upon all under heaven. Our Lingxu Dongtian inherits this legacy directly from Yaoguang Holy Land."
"If one day among you emerges a prodigy of unparalleled talent, there's a chance to enter the Holy Land, receive true transmission, and advance even further on the cultivation path."
Everyone listened carefully to the elders' introduction, silently taking notes. Upon arriving in a new place, the first thing was to become familiar with the local customs and knowledge.
"Lingxu Dongtian is located within the Yan Kingdom. The Yan territory holds six great Dongtian sects spanning over three thousand miles. The Eastern Wilderness is vast, containing countless kingdoms comparable in size to Yan. Even great cultivators rarely manage to leave the Eastern Wilderness in their lifetime."
"Eastern Wilderness, Southern Ridge, Western Desert, Northern Plains, Central Continent."
"Holy Lands, Supreme Emperors, Demon Clans, Ancient Families, Extreme Path Divine Weapons."
Everyone was shocked by the vast worldview. This was an immense world, thriving with cultivation civilization and countless powerful cultivators like schools of fish crossing a river.
The elders of Lingxu Dongtian had high hopes for the group. With thirty gifted individuals, many could enter the Holy Land. Especially Jiang Xuan—he radiated a unique aura, truly extraordinary. He was likely a top-tier seed candidate in the Holy Land, with potential to compete for the title of Holy Son.
As time passed, the rainbow light gradually slowed, and eventually the group stopped beneath a majestic, ancient mountain shrouded in a faint immortal aura. Nearby stood a giant stone dozens of meters high, engraved with the characters "Lingxu."
Inside the mountain gate, clear springs flowed over rocks, cranes soared into the sky, pavilions and palaces towered, and fields of immortal herbs dotted the landscape—a truly celestial scene.
"Is this really our sect? It's magnificent, far more imposing than the cultivation sects on TV," someone remarked.
"A real paradise on earth," another said.
"Heh heh, we've arrived. This is Lingxu Dongtian," the elders said, visibly more relaxed once at the gate.
Soon, the sect assigned accommodations. Jiang Xuan, Ye Fan, and Pang Bo, who appeared youngest, were given adjacent thatched cottages as the most suitable for cultivation, while the others were arranged elsewhere.
Lingxu Dongtian was worthy of being an immortal sect. Although the cottages were simple thatched houses, the "grass" was not ordinary. It was crafted from spiritual herbs refined through special methods. Living and cultivating inside these cottages enhanced concentration and mental focus. Mortals who stayed long-term would benefit physically and strengthen their bodies.
After settling down, with time on his hands, Jiang Xuan began pondering the road ahead.
"The greatest treasure is the Hongmeng Treasure Mirror. Although currently it can only passively wait for treasures to refresh, and the refreshes are irregular, it has already helped me greatly."
"Being able to record coordinates of the Tianlong world means I may one day capture coordinates of even more powerful worlds. Now that I'm in Lingxu Dongtian, I don't have to worry about cultivation environment or methods."
"The mirror imprints the Dao patterns of countless magical weapons. For now, it's too mysterious, but once I reach the Grandmaster realm, I can barely sense which patterns correspond to which treasures. In the future, I might even be able to forge these weapons." Jiang Xuan's heart burned with passion as he contemplated the devastating weapons marked inside the mirror.
"Then there's the Bagua Furnace. Though the divine radiance was absorbed by the Bronze Giant Coffin, it can still serve as a tool at this stage."
Though he hadn't started cultivating the Zhetian Method yet, Jiang Xuan had long planned the tools he wanted to forge in the future. Especially after sensing the Dao patterns in the treasure mirror, he had coveted a particular type of tool for a long time.
"As for existing cultivation methods, the 'Ten Thousand Prison Furnace Scripture' is a scam—it's impossible to cultivate in this lifetime. Other manuals are plentiful but simply don't rank at the top level in this world. The only decent one is Beiming Divine Skill, which is considered top-tier in the martial world, but it will soon be outdated."
Since attaining the Innate stage, Jiang Xuan had secretly infiltrated the Haishi Water Pavilion and Langhuan Jade Cave, studying many manuals to deepen his foundation. He was familiar with most martial manuals in the Tianlong world, even surpassing the legendary master of manuals, Wang Yuyan.
The morning sun rose, its warmth gentle and bright.
Jiang Xuan and the others sat early before their cottages, filled with anticipation. Today was their second day in Lingxu Dongtian, when they would be taught cultivation methods.
From afar came a streak of rainbow light, and within it was an elder with white hair and a youthful face. In mere breaths, he arrived before them.
"Greetings, senior. May I ask who you are?"
The three of them respectfully bowed and looked at the elderly man with the aura of an immortal.
"I am Elder Wu Qingfeng of Lingxu Dongtian. All disciples who have been here for three years are taught by me."
"Greetings, Elder."
"No need for formalities."
Elder Wu Qingfeng spoke calmly, and soon they all sat down on the ground. The three began to ask various questions about cultivation—they knew nothing about cultivation in this world.
"Do you think the sky is pure?" he asked.
"Not a cloud in ten thousand miles, the blue sky is as clear as washed—of course it's pure," Ye Fan replied first. Though he wasn't sure why the elder asked, seeing the elder look at him, he answered sincerely.
"Wrong. It's infinite dust."
Elder Wu Qingfeng opened his palm. "Even within this small space the size of my palm, there is endless dust."
"What do you think this dust is?"
"Dust is just dust, what else could it be?" Pang Bo said, puzzled.
"It is dust, and yet it is not dust." The elder's expression was serene, as if from another world.
"One flower is a world; one leaf is a Bodhi. It can be a vast universe, or an endless, infinite realm."
Jiang Xuan spoke up.
"Well said. Exactly so. The world contains countless gateways to other worlds, but mortals cannot perceive them. The essence of cultivation is just this."
Elder Wu Qingfeng was quite impressed by Jiang Xuan's insight. Such a young boy with this understanding, nourished by divine fruit—he was very suited to cultivation. As for the robust youth, Pang Bo, he would still need careful refinement.
"Buddhist verses have this kind of meaning too?" Pang Bo felt he needed to improve his cultural knowledge.
"What Jiang Xuan said is right. Between the dust lie countless worlds. Our bodies are no different."
"Our bodies contain infinite gateways, just as countless as the dust in the heavens and earth. Though seemingly insignificant, the body harbors countless doors. Constantly opening these doors and discovering the true self—that is cultivation."
Elder Wu Qingfeng's expression remained calm and steady as he asked, "Now, do you understand what cultivation is?"
Ye Fan furrowed his brows, deep in thought.
"I understand," Jiang Xuan replied.
Pang Bo: ???
ps: read advance chapters support my https://www.patreon.com/c/Seraphim777