From Celestial Official to Great Celestial Venerable

Chapter 45 Meeting

In the early morning, Qin Chuan, as was his habit, bought a few sandwiches and ate them on his way to Nongling Temple.

As soon as you step into the temple gate, you can feel the atmosphere is particularly lively. The halls and steps seem to have been carefully swept and are as clean as new.

He had heard that the new abbot and deputy abbot were arriving today, and sure enough, as soon as he arrived at the newsstand, he saw that the official gazette had already published the news.

The newly appointed abbot, Xie Qinggu, was originally a spiritual plant expert from the county's agricultural institute and a veteran abbot in the agricultural spiritual industry.

Although both Nongdoin and Nonglingji Temple deal with sacred plants, they each have their own focus:

The Agricultural Academy has a more profound understanding of the relationship between spiritual plants and the natural order.

Nongling Temple was in charge of agricultural affairs throughout the county, and thus had even greater power and responsibility.

Although both are at the same rank of chief priest, the head of Nongling Temple wields far more power, making Xie Qinggu's promotion truly significant.

The deputy abbot was promoted from the deputy township head of Beiwo Township in Jiuchuan County. Entering the county temple from a local position undoubtedly opened up a wider path to immortality.

The official gazette also included information on the two new people who would succeed the person in charge who had been investigated earlier.

Qin Chuan carefully memorized the names and appearances of these people so that he wouldn't be unrecognizable if they met again in the future.

He wasn't naive enough to think he could stage another scene where the firework could bring down the abbot; instead, he secretly thought:
The newly appointed abbot and deputy abbot may have some connection with County God Sun Qinghan.

In his limited opinion, after the incident involving Guo and Liu, the county magistrate would not easily trust outsiders. Even if he did not place all his own people in such a key position, he would at least keep an informant in mind.

"This is not something I should be thinking about."

He shook his head to clear his mind and strolled toward the observation field.

As expected, Elder Huo is here today.

"Another breakthrough?"

Huo Yuanjue took a deep breath. Although he felt he should get used to his disciple's rapid progress, he couldn't help but ask.
"With such rapid cultivation, is there a risk of conflict and agitation between the wood and fire energies?"

"This disciple was just about to ask for your guidance."

Qin Chuan's expression was serious and earnest:

"This disciple has now reached the fifth level of Qi Refining. In the future, I should seek out the techniques for the three elements of water, earth, and metal to cultivate true Qi, so that I can balance the two and gradually achieve the rotation of the five elements. I wonder if the temple has such a method?"

"It has its own."

Huo Yuanjue then changed the subject:
"However, with your talent, you really shouldn't continue practicing these common temple techniques."

He looked at Qin Chuan, his gaze deep:

"Because of your exceptional talent, the level of the cultivation technique you practice directly determines the thickness of your cultivation foundation. For example, the techniques in the temple such as the 'Green Wood Vitality Technique,' 'Burning Wood and Separating Fire Technique,' 'Earthly Earth Technique,' 'Sharp Metal Tearing Iron Technique,' and 'Silent Nourishing Technique' can all cultivate true qi, but only the 'Green Wood Vitality Technique' has been evolved and elevated by me, transforming into 'Yi Wood Azure Sky True Qi.' The others, such as the 'Burning Wood and Separating Fire Technique,' can restrain the Yi Wood Qi, but their grade is ultimately ordinary."

Qin Chuan thought to himself:

He had already further developed the "Burning Wood and Separating Fire Technique," and if he were to add more Dharma essence, it would not be difficult to elevate it to the level of the Yi Wood Azure Heaven Technique.

But he remained silent, listening intently—for he had already grasped the deeper meaning in his teacher's words:

There are clearly better things about the teacher!
With such a superior option available, why bother adding some common techniques?

Wouldn't it be more convenient to directly grasp the profound techniques?
"So, what is the teacher studying now?"

Qin Chuan asked directly, without any hesitation.

"What I am referring to is not myself."

Huo Yuanjue smiled bitterly, "Of my five elements of immortal foundation, only the Yi Wood True Qi transformed from the Yi Wood Azure Heaven Technique has been deduced to a high level. When I was building my foundation, it only increased the probability by 10%. It was thanks to the Foundation Building Pill that I was able to build my foundation. The other four are just ordinary true qi."

Qin Chuan immediately thought of the "Five Elements Immortal Foundation Technique," which seemed to be a standard technique for those in the Foundation Establishment stage.

He pretended not to know and continued to earnestly ask his teacher, "The Five Elements Immortal Foundation seems to be related to Foundation Establishment?" "This is indeed a technique for breaking through to the Foundation Establishment realm."

Huo Yuanjue shook his head, "But due to the restrictions of the Heavenly Laws, it cannot be taught across borders. At least it cannot be taught before you reach the ninth level of Qi Refining."

Qin Chuan was secretly delighted: he had indeed made a profit by secretly refining this technique.

"It cannot be taught, not only because of the rules, but also to prevent disciples of lower cultivation levels from being unable to control themselves and going astray in their cultivation."

Huo Yuanjue, fearing that he might misunderstand, added, "Although the Five Elements are the essential forces of heaven and earth, the more essential they are, the more solid they are. The Dao Seed formed by the Five Elements Immortal Foundation Technique is extremely stable, but cultivating each strand of true energy takes a great deal of time and requires very high-level techniques."

Qin Chuan understood: It's not that the Heavenly Court doesn't pass on the knowledge, but rather that they fear lower-level cultivators might suffer from qi deviation due to insufficient cultivation.

Just like why advanced mathematics was only taught in universities in the past – after all, in the eyes of a true genius, even if someone is stupid, how could they not learn calculus by the age of fourteen?

The mass-energy equivalence equation is right there, why don't you all learn it?
While failing to learn the secret techniques of one's past life might not necessarily lead to death, in this life, if advanced techniques are lightly passed on to those who practice them less diligently, it could truly lead to qi deviation and death.

Therefore, after deduction by the Heavenly Court, it was found that the Five Elements Immortal Foundation Technique could only be granted to those who were about to advance to the position of Deputy Daoist and break through to the Foundation Establishment stage—these people must have all reached the ninth level of Qi Refining and have sufficient spiritual cultivation to be able to grasp such a secret manual.

Immediately, Qin Chuan became even more cautious about the Five Elements Immortal Foundation Technique. If it weren't for the Heavenly Essence Furnace directly refining three levels of cultivation, providing a foundation, it would have been extremely risky to start cultivating it directly.

"If the Five Elements Immortal Foundation Technique is the key to breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Realm, then the Five Elements True Qi is the pure energy that drives this key. Only truly exceptional talents can refine the Five Elements True Qi to its purest and ultimate state during the Qi Refining stage."

Old Huo said:
"But you are definitely a genius like this, so I need to find you the highest quality Five Elements techniques. When you are promoted to the position of Deputy Grandmaster and break through to the Foundation Establishment stage, you will receive the Foundation Establishment Technique, which will be equivalent to being prepared in advance."

Qin Chuan was deeply moved upon hearing this, and he understood his master's profound meaning—this was to pave the best path for him to establish his foundation.

Huo Yuanjue said, "Because this Five Elements Technique is the most basic, as long as a genius is willing to spend time and effort immersing himself in the Five Elements, he may be able to deduce unique insights from it."

Qin Chuan then thought of Liu Shichang's Palm Flame Technique, which was a unique fire-based magic: "That makes sense."

"Then, where else can I find such a high-level Five Elements technique?" Qin Chuan thought for a moment and asked, "Is there another master in the temple, like my teacher, who has cultivated the technique to the Transformation level?"

"Of course there aren't any inside the temple," Huo Yuanjue said, changing the subject. "But there are quite a few outside the temple."

Qin Chuan exclaimed in surprise, "Teacher, you mean... the seniors from other immortal monasteries?"

"Well, I haven't been wasting my time in Jiuchuan all these years. Relying on my title as the number one spiritual plant master in Jiuchuan, I've made quite a few like-minded friends."

Huo Yuanjue said with his hands behind his back:
"As the saying goes, like minds think alike. These people are all similar to me in character, which is why we put our all into doing one thing. For example, there was an old guy in the Earth Vein Bureau back then who was just a miner who practiced the simplest Earth-Breaking Rock-Shattering Fist. However, after immersing himself in this path for sixty or seventy years, he actually created a technique called 'Earth Emperor Mountain-Crushing Cannon.' His Earth Emperor spiritual power is so pure that no one in Jiuchuan can compare to him."

"There's another old guy who works at the River and Canal Management Bureau. He created his own technique called 'Flowing Dragon Walking the River Power.' Every year when they clean up the river and open up new canals, they have to invite him over."

Huo Yuanjue named several people in one breath.

At first, Qin Chuan felt a sense of longing when he heard it.

Especially when he heard: "Those old fogies always talk about how many outstanding young people they have in their yamen, they just like to mock me for having no successors. Now it's time to take you there and dazzle their eyes."

Qin Chuan was somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected that Teacher Huo, at his age, would still have a group of old friends who enjoyed competing in this.

"When the time comes, you must prove me right and try to learn all their techniques within three or four days, so that those old fogies will know what a real genius is!"

Huo Yuanjue patted Qin Chuan's shoulder heavily, as if this matter was very important to him.

"I will certainly not let you down, Master." He was both amused and exasperated, but still solemnly agreed.

"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore." Huo Yuanjue glanced at the large bell in the direction of the temple's main hall and said, "We should go to the meeting."

"A meeting?" Qin Chuan asked curiously. "Is the disciple going too?"

"The Jiuchuan Agricultural Economic Research Institute adheres to the practice of holding 'meetings and meetings' for all specialists within the small group. As one of the specialists appointed by the County God, how could you possibly miss it?"

Huo Yuanjue said, taking a few steps while smoking his pipe:

"Let's go. Some of the fellow Daoists from the other brother's cave heaven who came to support us in Jiuchuan, as well as the scholars and Dao students from the county's Agricultural Dao Academy, have probably already arrived. We, master and disciple, must not be late."

(End of this chapter)