Junior sister, I really need to control you

Although he was shocked, Li Yinsheng still spoke calmly.

He then recounted the story he had fabricated over the past few days: "Since childhood, he had been forced into seclusion by his master to cultivate, and had almost no contact with the outside world. Before his master passed away, he entrusted his junior sister to him, and that's how he brought his junior sister out of the mountain."

Although he knew that this excuse was not very clever, he couldn't think of a better one.

Even if we take a step back and assume the worst, it's still more plausible than saying you have amnesia.

Moreover, there are quite a few eccentric and unruly cultivators in the cultivation world, so it's not surprising that they have some strange and unusual rules when training disciples.

Some unscrupulous demonic masters even take pleasure in tormenting their disciples' minds and bodies.

Therefore, although this explanation was somewhat far-fetched, Qu Yunshu believed it because of his righteous aura, earnest words, sincere gaze, and Xiaoyu's cooperation.

"You hardly ever have any contact with the outside world, yet you've managed to cultivate to your current level. I really wonder what kind of senior master your teacher is, Fellow Daoist Li."

Qu Yunshu sighed, "It's a pity that his temperament is too eccentric."

Mu Xiaoyu's eyes darted around, and she sighed, "Master has a terrible temper. He often forces Senior Brother to cultivate, and he tortures him with body tempering techniques at the drop of a hat. He even burns Senior Brother with fire..."

"And another thing, in order to help Senior Brother temper his divine sense, Master would freeze him up all the time."

"Sister Qu, do you think our master is bad or not?"

Li Yinsheng raised his hand and tapped Mu Xiaoyu's head, making a sound like striking a wooden fish.

Mu Xiaoyu covered her head and blinked her big eyes at Li Yinsheng.

"To torture Fellow Daoist Li like this is truly worse than an animal!" Qu Yunshu's eyebrows shot up. "Even if it's for cultivation, this is going too far!"

Li Yinsheng coughed lightly: "Ahem, it's all in the past, it's all in the past, Fellow Daoist Qu, there's no need to worry about it."

"Let me tell you about the selection of the Holy Maiden. Not only me, but I'm sure my junior sister is also very curious about it."

Mu Xiaoyu nodded and looked over with a face full of curiosity.

"The selection of the Holy Maiden... there's really not much to say about that."

Meeting Li Yinsheng's questioning gaze, Qu Yunshu quickly explained, "Because the selection of saintesses has never had a fixed procedure."

"This is a grand event that only takes place once every thousand years or so, and the process and selection methods are not fixed. So it's not that I'm keeping it a secret, it's that I don't know it either."

"Is there no selection standard?" Li Yinsheng asked. "Then how should those who want to participate in the selection prepare?"

“It’s not that there isn’t any,” Qu Yunshu said. “The only reliable standard should be the progress of the Three Elements and Three Officials Crossing Calamity True Technique.”

"The Three Elements and Three Officials' True Technique for Overcoming Calamities?" Li Yinsheng asked curiously. "Is it a cultivation method? Or some kind of secret technique? Surely not everyone can practice the same cultivation method?"

"Fellow Daoist Li, how come you don't even know the Three Elements True Technique! Just how beastly is your master that he wouldn't even teach you and Junior Sister Mu this most important basic technique!"

Qu Yunshu's expression changed drastically.

"Judging from what Fellow Daoist Qu is saying, this Three Elements True Technique is quite widespread?" Li Yinsheng asked.

"It's more than just widespread!" Qu Yunshu frowned and said, "Isn't the Three Elements and Three Officials True Technique what any cultivator should practice at the beginning of their cultivation journey?"

"These three true techniques are used to enhance a cultivator's talent in the three paths of essence, qi, and spirit."

"Normally, one should start cultivating as soon as they enter the sect..."

Li Yinsheng suddenly reached out and grabbed Qu Yunshu's wrist, so fast that she didn't have time to react.

"Fellow Daoist Qu, what did you say? This technique can really enhance a cultivator's talent in cultivating essence, energy, and spirit?"

Chapter 186 Settling In

Inside the private room of Wanbaolou.

Li Yinsheng held a book in his hand and carefully flipped through it.

The book is made of rather ordinary material; it's just some specially treated high-quality Xuan paper.

Logically speaking, things recorded only on this kind of medium are not particularly valuable.

However, the cover of the book bears a rather grand name: "The True Secret of the Supreme Yuan First Rank Nine Qi Heavenly Official".

Mu Xiaoyu was also staring at a similar book, but the cover read "True Secrets of the Three Grades of the Lower Yuan Five Qi Water Official".

However, while reading, she didn't stop eating. In less than two hours, she had already eaten dozens of plates of pastries.

After sharing the Soul-Devouring Fish's talent of the Soul-Devouring Body, her already strong appetite soared even higher.

Fortunately, with her current cultivation level, she doesn't need to worry about gaining weight.

Especially in physical cultivation, she has reached a level sufficient to attempt to break through to the True Person realm. If she could still gain weight from ordinary food, it would probably be because she ate enough to fill a room in one go.

Beside him, the fellow Daoist Qu who had sent the book over seemed to be trying to fit in, and he was also holding a book in his hand, the cover of which read "The Second Grade Seven Qi Earth Official's Manual of the Middle Yuan".

Unlike Li Yinsheng, who was full of amazement, and Mu Xiaoyu, who kept exclaiming "Wow!", she remained very calm.

After all, she had practiced these three true techniques since she was a child.

Although she was only good at the Water Element True Technique, she had also learned the other two.

After another half hour, Li Yinsheng put down the Heavenly Origin True Technique in his hand, his gaze becoming serious.

He had just read the other two manuals, the Water Element True Manual and the Earth Element True Manual. In his opinion, the principles of these three manuals were the same, and they were more like one manual with three different focuses.

Their core concept is to enhance their talents by absorbing the three types of "primordial energy"—"water element," "earth element," and "heaven element"—that are omnipresent in the universe.

The Qi of Water Element can enhance a cultivator's talent in refining essence and body.

Earthly Qi and Heavenly Qi respectively enhance one's talent in Qi Refining and Spirit Refining.

These three true techniques are all divided into nine levels. The higher the level, the more obvious the improvement to one's talent.

According to this fellow Daoist Qu, she was most compatible with the Water Element True Technique, which is why she chose to become a body cultivator.

Basically, all cultivators will choose one of the Three Elements and Three Officials True Techniques as their main cultivation method, and some special ones will choose two.

Most cultivators choose the Earth Element True Technique to enhance their Qi Refining talent, while those who specialize in the Water Element True Technique like her are few and far between.

Those who cultivate the Heavenly Origin True Technique, which corresponds to "God," are the rarest of all.

"However, although there are indeed differences in the realm division and the selection of saintesses, such as the Heavenly Origin, Earthly Origin and Water Origin, the Three Origins and Three Officials True Techniques are all equal."

"Whether it's difficulty or benefits, there's no difference between the Three Elements and Three Officials True Techniques; it's just a matter of personal compatibility."

Seemingly worried that Li Yinsheng, who was unaware of the situation, would look down on her for focusing on the Water Element True Technique, Qu Yunshu emphasized this point.

"Speaking of which, the Holy Maidens are also divided into Water Element, Earth Element, and Heaven Element. Are three Holy Maidens selected each time?" Li Yinsheng asked.

“Not three, but thirteen,” Qu Yunshu explained, shaking her head. “Each selection will choose nine Water Element Saintesses, three Earth Element Saintesses, and one Heaven Element Saintesse.”

Li Yinsheng nodded: "Miss Qu wants to compete for the position of Holy Maiden. Which level of Holy Maiden is she aiming for?"

“Naturally, the higher the better,” Qu Yunshu paused and said, “However, although I have this ambition, even the lowest position of Water Element Saintess is not something that can be easily obtained.”

"After all, almost all eligible female cultivators in the entire Holy Origin City participate in the selection of the Holy Maiden, making the competition extremely fierce."

Li Yinsheng nodded slightly.

"Speaking of the right age, it seems that Fellow Daoist Qu needs to break through to be considered of the right age, right?"

The requirements for selecting a Holy Maiden are: "Female cultivators under the age of twenty, female cultivators who are True Immortals under the age of forty, and female cultivators who are True Immortals of Water Element under the age of one hundred."

Although he couldn't determine Qu Yunshu's exact age, he was certainly well over forty.

Fortunately, her cultivation has already reached the peak of the True Person realm. As long as she breaks through before the fifteenth day of the first lunar month next year, she will still meet the requirements.

"Fellow Daoist Li need not worry about that. I was planning to break through to the Water Element True Person level this year anyway."

"With the start of this Saintess selection, the family will definitely give my daughter their full support, so her breakthrough will be a sure thing."

"After all, to put it bluntly, no one in the entire Qu family has a better chance of becoming a saintess than I do," Qu Yunshu said with a light laugh, covering her mouth.

In the corner, the shopkeeper's eyes widened.

Young Master! There's no need to discuss such family matters with our distinguished guests!

Li Yinsheng didn't pay attention to these things; his focus was on the changes in the golden characters during the tribulation of cultivation.

[Current cultivation period: Thirty years]

Before this conversation, the time accumulated from the tribulations of cultivation was still zero.

After he and his junior sister listened to these stories about the selection of the Holy Maiden and the True Technique of the Three Elements and Three Officials, his magical cultivation time jumped from zero to thirty years.

This is enough to prove that the selection of the Holy Maiden is closely related to the inheritance of the Earth Immortals.

Simply learning about this matter can significantly advance the progress of one's cultivation tribulation.

Moreover, if you think about it carefully, the Hidden Dragon Valley opens once every hundred years or so, and after every nine openings, one can enter the Earth Immortal's Former Residence. The total time for these nine openings is more than a thousand years.

This selection of a saintess takes place only once every thousand years or so.

It just so happens that they have only been here for a few days when the selection of the Holy Maiden begins simultaneously.

It's highly unlikely that the connection between these two events is merely a coincidence.

"Miss Qu, may I ask how to register for the Holy Maiden selection?" Li Yinsheng asked.

"Register?" Qu Yunshu was taken aback. "This... I don't think we need to register. I'm not really sure."

Her tone was somewhat uncertain, after all, the last selection of the Holy Maiden was more than a thousand years ago, which was also a rather distant legend for her.

Whether or not she needed to register was something she had never considered.

However, she wasn't too worried: "There are still more than half a year until the Lantern Festival next year. I'll send someone to inquire now to find out if I need to register and how to register. I'll find out everything."

She paused for a moment, then looked at Mu Xiaoyu, who was still eating pastries.

"Fellow Daoist Li wants to register his junior sister?"

Mu Xiaoyu did not deliberately conceal her cultivation level, so she had already noticed it.

Before she was even twenty years old, she possessed a level of cultivation sufficient to break through to the True Person realm; in terms of talent, she herself was ashamed to admit her inferiority.

But considering that this Fellow Daoist Li could casually pull out a demon core close to the Water Element Realm to sell, it's not surprising that his junior sister has such cultivation.

“That’s right, I’d like to let my junior sister give it a try.” Li Yinsheng nodded in agreement.

Mu Xiaoyu paused in her chewing of the pastry and blinked.

Becoming a saintess? That sounds kind of interesting...

The Holy Maiden sounds quite powerful; I wonder if there will be any delicacies offered to her?