I'm already a Great Luo Golden Immortal, how come you're only Martial Saints?

The patriarch's voice was not loud, but it rang clearly in the ears of everyone in the lecture hall.

The hall fell silent instantly, and all the disciples, including the monkey, looked at Ning Chen.

"Come forward and sit here."

Bodhi Patriarch casually flicked his whisk, pointing to an empty prayer mat on the edge of the middle area of ​​the lecture hall.

That row was seven or eight columns ahead of the last row. Although it was still not as good as the row in front of Sun Wukong, it was a position that many disciples who had been studying for years had not been able to get.

Ning Chen was taken aback, then a surge of joy welled up within him. He quickly stood up and bowed respectfully.

"Yes, disciple thanks the patriarch."

He did as instructed and sat down properly on the prayer mat.

In an instant, he could feel the gazes of many fellow disciples from all directions, some of them surprised, some curious, and some deeply envious.

Everyone knows that the patriarch personally selecting and adjusting the seating arrangement signifies his attention to and recognition of this disciple who has not yet been formally accepted as an initiator.

Although Ning Chen has not yet been formally accepted into the sect.

But judging from his condition, that day is probably not far off.

Sun Wukong sat in the front row, turned around and winked at Ning Chen, his mouth wide open, his hairy face full of smiles of joy for his brother.

Bodhi Patriarch said no more. After Ning Chen was seated, he slowly opened his mouth, and the profound Daoist sound once again resounded throughout the lecture hall.

"Today, let us speak of the two words 'emptiness' and 'stillness.' Emptiness means being clear and unobstructed, embracing all things without being full; stillness means being silent and unmoved, sensing all phenomena without being disturbed..."

Ning Chen calmed his mind, cleared his mind of distractions, and with a level of comprehension far surpassing his previous abilities, he immersed himself completely in the profound teachings of the Great Dao.

The Bodhi Patriarch sat upright on the high platform, uttering true words, each and every one containing the true meaning of the Great Dao.

His gaze seemed to be fixed on the void, but in reality, he had already taken in the expressions and postures of all the disciples below the stage. The only ones he could truly influence were the previous few, but that monkey's performance after entering the stage had increasingly amazed him.

When the patriarch's gaze swept over Ning Chen, his heart couldn't help but stir slightly.

Ning Chen's eyes were slightly closed, his breath was long and deep, and although he sat still, he was faintly resonating with the spiritual energy of the surrounding world.

Wisps of pure energy entered from the top of his head, and his pores opened up, creating a nascent form of communion between heaven and man, and inner and outer clarity.

This is clearly a state that can only occur when someone with extremely high comprehension, exceptional mental focus, and a solid foundation listens to the voice of the Great Dao.

"This child..."

Bodhi Patriarch nodded slightly, silently praising him in his heart.

"Last time I listened to the lecture, this child was still hesitant at the door. This time, he has actually been able to get a glimpse of the path, touch the wonder of emptiness and stillness, and draw on the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to nourish himself spontaneously."

"This progress is truly remarkable, and what's even more commendable is the calmness of mind and the unwavering determination to pursue the Way!"

In recent days, he has been scanning Fangcun Mountain with his divine sense and has often seen Ning Chen and the monkey diligently practicing in the mountains.

Ning Chen was unaware that the techniques of lifting and leaping, and the methods of killing that he taught the monkey, though belonging to the mortal martial arts, were not the same.

However, these methods can also be helpful in strengthening their physique and coordinating their mind and body.

Ning Chen, in particular, used all his sleep time to cultivate. His perseverance and his willingness to endure the tedium were reminiscent of the spirit of the 100-day foundation-building stage in cultivation, where one must make vigorous and diligent progress.

Thinking of this, Patriarch Bodhi's heart stirred slightly. Although the theory of emptiness and stillness he had spoken about today was already profound enough, perhaps he could add some subtle and profound meanings about moving from movement to stillness and refining the body and strengthening the spirit, as well as some extra guidance for his two disciples.

Then, the patriarch changed the subject slightly, subtly incorporating, while explaining the method of emptiness and stillness, the principle of how to cultivate one's internal energy and blood through external training of muscles, bones, and skin, ultimately nourishing oneself.

As expected, Ning Chen and Sun Wukong listened with great interest.

Sun Wukong scratched his ears and cheeks, his eyes flashing with golden light, clearly moved.

Ning Chen's aura became increasingly deep and concentrated, and the internal energy within his body began to circulate continuously as the patriarch preached.

Ning Chen felt that the hazy parts of his past cultivation had suddenly become clear, as if he had been enlightened.

The sermon ended, its lingering resonance still resonating...

Ning Chen slowly opened his eyes, feeling refreshed, and a light screen appeared in front of him.

[After listening to the teachings of Patriarch Bodhi, I gained some insight; my spiritual practice has increased by 10 years.]

Ten years of practice! The gains far surpass the last time!

Having high comprehension is really a good thing!

Ning Chen was overjoyed and habitually checked his own attributes. After these days of hard work, all three of his basic attributes had exceeded 200.

[Divine Realm Walker: Ning Chen]

[Base Bone: 248]

[Comprehension: 574]

[Physique: 362]

[Internal Strength: 2 years]

[Cultivation Level: 10 years]

Between internal strength and Taoist cultivation, there appears a plus or minus sign.

Ning Chen was taken aback at first, then tried adding a plus sign to his internal energy.

His cultivation level decreased by one year, but his internal energy attribute unexpectedly became 102 years!

Is this what a century's worth of internal energy is like?

With Ning Chen's current level of understanding, he quickly grasped the meaning after a moment's thought.

"I see. Internal strength and cultivation are two different levels of power systems, but once both are cultivated, internal strength and cultivation can be transformed into each other."

Although it sounds amazing, Ning Chen had only cultivated in Fangcun Mountain for half a year and had already obtained the equivalent of a thousand years of hard work in terms of internal energy.

But when you consider that the one who preached the Dharma to him was the Bodhi Patriarch, who was at least at the quasi-saint level, it becomes much more reasonable.

Reaching the Great Perfection of the Innate Realm in martial arts cultivation is merely the starting point for cultivating immortality.

"Ning Chen......."

On the stage, the calm voice of Patriarch Bodhi rang out.

"You stay here, everyone else, disperse."

The disciples all turned to look at Ning Chen, but no one dared to say anything, and they respectfully left the lecture hall one by one.

Sun Wukong winked at Ning Chen, scratched his head, and went out first, but didn't go far.

Soon, only Bodhi Patriarch and Ning Chen remained in the hall, the atmosphere quiet and solemn.

Bodhi Patriarch's gaze fell on Ning Chen, and his eyes slowly opened, radiating a sharp light.

The patriarch spoke slowly, his voice still calm, yet carrying an undeniable majesty.

"Ning Chen, you have been a disciple of my sect for some time now. Observing your words and actions, you are diligent in your pursuit of the Dao, and your temperament is quite calm. Today, I observed that you were listening to the lecture and made rapid progress. However, I have not yet inquired in detail about your origins. Your words and actions are different from ordinary people. Where exactly do you come from?"

The patriarch's gaze was calm and undisturbed, yet Ning Chen felt immense pressure, as if Mount Tai were pressing down on him.

He knew that his origins were unknown, his behavior was different from that of the natives of this world, and there were also the martial arts he had practiced with the monkey. All these unusual things could not be hidden from a great master like Bodhi Patriarch.

The patriarch did not ask before, perhaps because the time was not yet right.

Now that he has shown outstanding performance and we are interested in taking him under our wing, it is time to investigate his background.

How he should answer next is crucial to whether Bodhi Patriarch is willing to accept him as a disciple!

Did they deceive Patriarch Bodhi?

Ning Chen had never imagined it.

That would be an utterly foolish act of cutting off one's own path.

He took a deep breath, raised his head, and met the gaze of the patriarch with clear eyes, his voice steady.

"Reporting to the Ancestral Master, this disciple... is not a person of this world."