Starting Immortal Cultivation from a White Dog

The day after the banquet, at the turn of the hour of Yin and Mao, before dawn.

The Lotus Viewing Pavilion is built by the water, its upturned eaves appearing and disappearing in the thin morning mist.

Wu Tian and Lady Zhurong sat facing each other across a jade table.

He was dressed in a dark blue casual suit, with a leather belt around his waist and black boots on his feet. His long hair was casually tied back with an ebony hairpin.

He looked down at the white jade dragon-shaped teapot on the red clay stove, the white steam spouting from the spout as thin and straight as a thread.

He waited until the spring water in the pot bubbled up with tiny, continuous bubbles like crab eyes before lifting it up. The water flowed in a short, graceful arc through the air, pouring into two plain white porcelain cups. The jade dew tea that had been prepared at the bottom of the cups was agitated by this, and the curled leaves instantly unfurled.

"Madam, please rest assured and retreat into seclusion to rebuild your true form." Wu Tian pushed a cup of tea in front of Madam Zhurong.

Lady Zhurong took the teacup and took a small sip. "I naturally trust you, but didn't you already say you wanted to receive news from Longxiang Temple in ten days?"

"What will you do if they say they won't comply?"

"My reshaping of my true form this time is extremely dangerous and extraordinary. In the first seven days, I need to completely dissipate my barely maintained body of a wandering immortal and my damaged primordial spirit, returning to my origin. My form and spirit are as fragile as an infant that has just left the mother's womb, or even more vulnerable, and I can be said to have no power to protect myself."

"Or should I go into seclusion after you've finished dealing with the matters at Longxiang Temple?"

"Don't worry, Madam," Wu Tian leaned forward slightly and touched her fair and slender fingers. "I don't plan to deal with the matter of Longxiang Temple after ten days. We will go to them after you have reconstructed your true form."

"Exactly ten days from now, when they see that the Lu family has not made any moves, they will inevitably lower their guard."

"Let them be smug for a while!"

Lady Zhurong was silent for a moment, then sighed, “My Zhurong clan… is a large and deeply rooted clan, with many intertwined branches. If I remain in seclusion for too long, news will inevitably leak out. At that time, those factions in the clan that have long coveted power or have old grudges against me will surely be eager to make their move.”

“If anyone from my clan comes, no matter who they are or what their reason is, they will be turned away at the door.”

"If anyone dares to force their way in, or spread rumors and stir up trouble..." Her eyes were icy cold. "There's no need to worry about my reputation, and there's no need to be lenient! Use swift and decisive measures to make an example of them."

"Once I have reconstructed my true form and restored my cultivation, I will personally handle the matter and eliminate all future troubles."

Wu Tian met her gaze and nodded slowly, "Madam, you can rest assured, I will take care of everything. You just need to focus on the reconstruction."

Lady Zhurong gave him a deep look, said nothing more, picked up the warm tea cup, and drank it all in one gulp.

After the discussion concluded, Wu Tian rose and personally led the way. They passed through numerous courtyards and headed towards the back of the mountain.

Before long, they arrived at a three-story pavilion, which was called Jade Warm Pavilion.

The surface of the Jade Warm Pavilion shimmered with light, with fine lightning crackling across its surface and a protective barrier of radiant light containing incantations enveloping the entire building.

“Madam, please.” Wu Tian stepped aside.

Lady Zhurong nodded to Wu Tian without uttering a single unnecessary word, and stepped into the open doorway of the pavilion.

The pavilion door closed silently. The protective barrier of the radiant light fluctuated slightly before settling completely, utterly isolating the pavilion from the outside world.

Wu Tian stood still for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, his Golden Eyes scanning every inch of the Jade Warm Pavilion, inside and out, to confirm that the restrictive spells were functioning perfectly and that the internal and external isolation was seamless. Only then did he slowly withdraw his gaze.

He did not leave immediately, but instead moved swiftly and silently to another secluded courtyard—Tingzhuxuan—separated from Yu Nuan Pavilion by only a bamboo grove.

Tingzhu Pavilion was smaller than Yu Nuan Pavilion, with three rooms hidden by several clumps of Xiangfei bamboo. Wu Tian waved his hand and set up several simple barriers, which, although far inferior to those of Yu Nuan Pavilion, were enough to prevent ordinary prying and disturbance.

After making all the preparations, he stood in the center of the quiet room in the pavilion, and with a thought, he directly switched to the Wind Mother bloodline.

As the blood vessels changed, the bones throughout the body emitted a series of slight, dense crackling sounds, like spring ice shattering or tender bamboo shoots sprouting.

In the hazy, shimmering light, his figure began to undergo a wondrous transformation: his broad shoulders narrowed and became rounded, his chest softened, his waist slenderened, his legs became longer and more graceful, and his Adam's apple disappeared smoothly...

In the blink of an eye, the dashing Grand Commander of the Lu family had vanished, leaving behind only a stunningly beautiful woman with flowing black hair that cascaded down to her waist and an air of ethereal elegance.

Wu Tian let out a soft sigh of relief, went directly to the bed, and sat cross-legged.

He had already made up his mind to take advantage of this time to fully cultivate the "Twenty-Four Phases of the Wind Mother Blade" to the sixteenth level of perfection, condense his Dharma form, and cultivate to the realm of a Loose Immortal.

“Those immortals and gods can cultivate multiple Dharma forms. If I cultivate the bloodline of the Wind Mother to the level of a Loose Immortal, I should be able to make the Wind Mother Dharma form exist separately from my true body, which is equivalent to a second body and a second life.”

"Then there will be no need to switch bloodlines back and forth."

Wu Tian spent so much time cultivating multiple bloodlines not just to make his methods more diverse, but to cultivate various Dharma forms. This would not only greatly increase his strength, but also greatly benefit him in his future attainment of the Golden Immortal realm.

He flipped his left palm and took out a Wind-Fixing Pearl. He had obtained a great many Wind-Fixing Pearls on the battlefield of Qiyun Mountain, which was more than enough for his cultivation.

At this moment, the Wind-Fixing Bead, the size of a pigeon's egg and the color of a deep blue-green jade, was filled with countless extremely fine wind-element incantations that flowed, collided, and evolved endlessly, radiating a pure and vast aura.

"In the days to come, I will devote myself to cultivating the 'Twenty-Four Phases of the Wind Mother Sword' and reach the level of a Loose Immortal."

He swallowed the Wind-Stabilizing Pearl in one gulp, closed his eyes slightly, and completely immersed himself in the deepest level of cultivation.

……

The room was completely silent, except for the soft rustling of bamboo leaves in the wind outside the window. Wu Tian was surrounded by a bluish-green glow that flickered like his breath.

As the eleventh level of the "Wind Mother Twenty-Four Phases Blade" technique circulated fully within his body according to its profound trajectory, the pure blood essence within the Wind-Stabilizing Pearl transformed into wisps of warm, azure-green currents that continuously seeped into his body.

Once these essences entered her body, they flowed like streams into rivers, quickly merging with her own boiling and howling Wind Mother True Blood, making it even hotter and more surging, faintly emitting the sounds of wind and thunder as it surged.

Time passed slowly during the practice, and seven days had passed before we knew it.

Strands of rosy light quietly emanated from Wu Tian's body. These rays of light intertwined, collided, and linked together, faintly forming arrays that were constantly being created and destroyed, and changing. These arrays were mysterious and unpredictable, sometimes like a spring breeze brushing willows, and sometimes like a whirlwind forming a vortex, evolving the mysteries of wind.

In the sea of ​​consciousness between his brows, the illusory image of the bright moon inside the wind god's magic bead became increasingly clear and bright, and the incantations that permeated it became more and more complex.

"Buzz!" Accompanied by a clear and melodious tremor like a dragon's roar or a phoenix's cry, the rosy clouds filling the quiet room and the countless flashing incantations returned to their nests like birds returning to their nests and rivers flowing into the sea.

It swirled back wildly, disappearing completely into Wu Tian's brow.

The next moment, an even more brilliant and pure azure glow, mixed with the pure and bright moonlight, shot up from above his head.

The light, a blend of blue and white, was dazzling and clearly evolved into eleven different wind forms, all sharing the same origin, slowly flowing around the central Wind God Pearl.

Ding! System notification: Your cultivation of the eleventh level of the "Wind Mother Twenty-Four Phases Blade" has been completed. The concentration of the Wind Mother's bloodline has increased, and the power of your divine seed, the Taiyin Wind Phase Blade, has been upgraded to the eighth grade.

All the strange phenomena in the quiet room—the bluish-white glow, the eleven wind phases, and the flowing incantations—froze abruptly at that moment, then returned to Wu Tian's body like the receding tide.

The surging aura around him quickly subsided, and he slowly opened his eyes.

Deep within my eyes, a wisp of rosy clouds and a sliver of moonlight flashed by, then vanished, returning to tranquility, like a deep, cold pool after a storm.

In seven days, the eleventh level of the "Wind Mother Twenty-Four Phases Blade" was completed.

Within the body, the concentration and quality of the Wind Mother's true blood were significantly enhanced once again. Amidst its surging and roaring, it faintly carried the imagery of a rising sun, unbearable sweltering heat, followed by torrential rain, lightning, and thunder.

Within the sea of ​​consciousness, the radiance of the Wind God Pearl became even more harmonious, its entire body resembling a carving of the finest jade. The illusory images of the bright moon and flowing wind sealed within were almost solidified, and as it slowly rotated, faint wind and thunder were generated.

Wu Tian carefully sensed the growing power within his body, a cool smile curving his lips slightly.

Just then, a regular, slight fluctuation came from the barrier surrounding the quiet room. It was a message from Lu Nanxi, her voice ringing directly in his ear.

“My lord, the Bai family envoy has brought a formal jade contract, stating that the Bai family is willing to stand together with the Lu family and join forces to drive out the dragon clan.”

Wu Tian was not surprised by this news. Whether the spendthrift family was willing or not in private, they would certainly not resist it on the surface, after all, they were a powerful family rooted in the Southern Frontier.

With a slight thought, Wu Tian's body was enveloped in light and shadow once more. With a soft cracking of his bones, his figure grew taller and his outline became more resolute. In an instant, he switched back to the Kuafu bloodline, restoring Lu Ding's appearance and aura.

He quietly arrived outside the Jade Warm Pavilion, sensing the surroundings through the thick protective barrier of the rosy light.

Inside the attic, Lady Zhurong's life force had weakened to the extreme, and she was on the verge of collapse like a candle in the wind.

He glanced at her with his Golden Eyes and saw a baby girl on the bed in the quiet room, her mouth and nose exhaling rosy light. She looked exquisitely beautiful and extremely cute.

Wu Tian almost burst out laughing. He hadn't expected that Lady Zhurong's reshaping of her true form would really start from infancy.

Although the baby girl's aura was weak, she contained vitality within and was growing rapidly, indicating that everything was going smoothly.

He had no intention of personally meeting the Bai family envoy. Going there now would only be polite conversation and would have no real meaning. It was perfectly sufficient for Lu Nanxi to handle these trivial matters.

He soon returned to Tingzhu Pavilion to continue refining the Wind-Fixing Pearl, immersing himself in his cultivation.

……

Before we knew it, ten days had passed since the Lu family banquet ended.

Longxiang Temple had no intention of joining forces with the Lu family to annihilate the Dragon Clan. As a branch of the Buddhist lineage, they were well aware of the strength represented by the title of the Third Prince of the Dragon Palace.

They would rather fight to the death with these powerful families in the southern borderlands than provoke the Third Prince of the Dragon Palace.

Therefore, Longxiang Temple has strengthened its security during this period. The array at the mountain gate operates day and night, with golden light appearing and disappearing. Some martial monks who were originally traveling or on missions were urgently recalled.

The entire Longxiang Temple was on high alert, ready to respond to any possible accusations or even attacks from the Lu family. The atmosphere was solemn and tense.

However, ten days have passed, and the Lu family has made no move.

Fifteen days have passed, and the Lu family still shows no unusual activity, let alone any sign of interrogation.

By the eighteenth day, the initial tension, vigilance, and even slight unease that permeated Longxiang Temple began to be replaced by a gradually rising sense of disdain, contempt, and mockery.

Longxiang Temple, the side hall to the west of the main hall, is the abbot's meditation room.

The meditation room was spacious, with smooth, mirror-like ebony planks on the floor. The walls were adorned with Buddhist verses and calligraphy by eminent monks throughout history, and the air was filled with a rich, mellow sandalwood fragrance that seemed to have been aged for hundreds of years, bringing a sense of tranquility.

At this moment, five people were sitting in the meditation room.

On the uppermost prayer cushion sat an elderly monk, wearing a bright red robe with gold thread, a five-Buddha crown, a full moon-shaped face, bronze skin, and a dignified appearance. He was none other than the current abbot of Longxiang Temple—Zen Master Dajue.

His eyes were slightly closed, and he held a string of jade prayer beads the size of longan fruits in his hand, slowly turning them, his aura deep and profound.

To the left and right of the lower seat, four people sat in the highest positions.

The first person on the left was none other than the Zen Master Dawei, whose face was still somewhat pale and whose breath was slightly weak.

Today he changed into a brand new bright yellow monk's robe, with a brocade kasaya over it. Facing the silence in the meditation room, he snorted coldly, a sickly flush rising on his pale face, and his eyes were almost bursting with sarcasm.

"Ten days? I think that brat from the Lu family is all bark and no bite, all bluster and bluff. Now that more than half a month has passed, does he dare to come to the gate of my Longxiang Temple and utter a single word?"

Next to the Great Master of Zen was a monk with a burly and robust physique, resembling a guardian deity in the temple. He was bare-chested with a bronze upper body, his muscles bulging like cast steel, his thick eyebrows like halberds, his leopard-like eyes wide open, and his nose and mouth straight.

It was none other than the Great Courageous Zen Master, who was in charge of the temple's martial monks' hall and was renowned for his strength. He sat there cross-legged, like a volcano that could erupt at any moment, his aura fierce and violent.

Upon hearing this, he grinned and let out a deep, thunderous laugh that shook the roof tiles. "Senior Brother Dawei is absolutely right. That brat only dared to spout nonsense because the Tianhe Sword Sect and that woman from the Zhurong Clan were there to give him some face."

"Now that Lady Zhurong has disappeared without a trace, the Zhurong clan is in complete chaos, and several elders almost came to blows."

"Without Lady Zhurong, this rogue immortal, backing him up, what is Lu Ding? A mere rogue cultivator with some brute strength dares to point fingers at my ancient Longxiang Temple? Bah!"

As he spoke, his muscles bulged, and his aura surged, causing the ground in front of him to tremble slightly. (End of Chapter)