A daily divination, from family tortoise shells to immortal clans.

Chen Qingmo turned around and found that it was none other than the Iron Sword Master he had seen in Linyuan County.

He subconsciously reached for the storage bag and moved it inside his clothes.

Master Tiejian shook his head and chuckled:

"I am an old man who has lived for over a hundred years and is a Foundation Establishment cultivator. How could I possibly steal the spiritual medicine from a little kid like you? It's been more than two years since I last saw you. Your cultivation has improved quite rapidly."

When Chen Qingmo last met Master Tiejian, he was only at the fourth level of Qi Refining. For someone with a pseudo-spiritual root like him, his progress was indeed extraordinary.

Seeing that Master Tiejian had no other intentions, he cupped his hands in a salute:

"Please forgive me, sir, I was unaware of the value of this fruit. If you wish, I will gladly offer it to you."

Chen Qingmo deliberately avoided mentioning cultivation level, but also made no move to take out any spiritual fruits.

"Alright, you don't need to test me. Let me ask you something: the information about the demonic cultivators in Lin Yuan County must have come from you, right?"

Don't try to fool me. I saw everything clearly. If you tell me the truth, I won't do anything to you.

Iron Sword Master looked young, but he kept referring to himself as "this old man," which made Chen Qingmo feel a sense of incongruity.

"It was indeed this junior who discovered it, but back then my strength was very weak, so I had to have my uncle speak for me."

Chen Qingmo didn't hide anything, but still offered an explanation.

"Not bad, being cautious was the right thing to do."

Master Tiejian praised him.

"Senior, may I leave now? I have missions to perform for my clan and dare not trouble you any further."

"Hey kid, don't rush me. What's your name?"

Iron Sword Master stopped Chen Qingmo.

Chen Qingmo felt as if he were facing a formidable enemy, wondering what the Iron Sword Master was up to.

"There's no need to be so wary; I mean no harm."

"This junior is Chen Qingmo. May I ask if there is anything else you wish to do, sir?"

Chen Qingmo remained vigilant, even though he couldn't cause much trouble in front of Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Master Iron Sword didn't care, and just continued speaking to himself:

"Young friend Chen, the Three-Aperture Spirit Apricot will only be effective if consumed within three hours of being picked. After that time, the apricot will slowly rot."

"I see your cultivation has reached the sixth level of Qi Refining. Why not take advantage of this opportunity to break through to the late stage of Qi Refining?"

Chen Qingmo was startled; he had no idea that the Three Aperture Spirit Apricot had such a saying.

"This junior is ignorant and unaware of the mysteries of the Spirit Apricot. Moreover, I have only broken through to the sixth level of Qi Refining in just a few days, so it would be difficult for the Spirit Apricot to exert its effects if consumed at this time."

They've taken the bait!

Master Tiejian smiled and slowly said:

"What a coincidence! Your meeting with me is a sign of fate. I just saw you fighting the demon beast; you're also a swordsman."

My self-created Green Mountain Sword Technique can help people hone their foundation and condense spiritual energy, which can solve your immediate problem.

Chen Qingmo lowered his head slightly and did not reply.

Master Iron Sword continued:

"This sword technique is a foundation-building cultivation method, and it is not limited by any spiritual root attribute."

"If a Qi Refining cultivator uses my sword technique in a duel, while not invincible among those of the same level, they will certainly be hard-pressed to find a worthy opponent."

Seeing that Chen Qingmo was still listening quietly, Master Tiejian was somewhat puzzled:

"You brat, you're so clueless, you don't believe me? I've practically told you outright that I'm going to teach you my sword techniques!"

Chen Qingmo then respectfully replied:

"It's not that I don't believe in true people, but I understand the principle of not accepting rewards without merit."

He didn't know what Master Tiejian was planning, so of course he wouldn't accept it easily.

"I won't beat around the bush with you. I just want to find someone to pass on my swordsmanship. Since my family was killed, I've been all alone and used to being a loner."

"I have sought disciples before, but none have met my standards. You have a good temperament, lad; I find you agreeable. I wish to pass on my sword techniques to you—it's that simple."

With his lifespan nearing its end, Master Tiejian began to consider passing on his mantle.

"According to what the master said, he wanted to take me as his disciple, but as a member of the family, I may not be able to serve him at all times."

Iron Sword Master waved his hand:

"Boy, I'm taking in disciples, not servants, so why are you making so many rules?"

"I could easily force you to become my disciple, and your family wouldn't dare say anything. After all this talk, isn't my sincerity enough?"

By the end, his tone had become somewhat indifferent.

As a Foundation Establishment cultivator, the reason he was able to set aside his status and say so much was entirely because he felt that Chen Qingmo was a promising talent.

Chen Qingmo broke out in a cold sweat, noticing the change in Tie Jian Zhenren's tone.

But how could the two of them completely let their guard down after only meeting twice?

With a soft sigh, Chen Qingmo asked the last question:

"Master, I can learn your sword technique. But I cannot master it in a short time, and this spirit apricot would be wasted."

Seeing Chen Qingmo relent, Master Iron Sword laughed:

"You don't need to worry about that, I have a plan. Alright, I've already surveyed the area, and there are no demonic beasts that will bother us. Let's prepare to refine the Spirit Apricot."

After listening, Chen Qingmo no longer declined and sat down cross-legged.

Since there's no way to resist anyway, we might as well just watch what Master Tiejian does.

Seeing that Chen Qingmo had accepted, Master Tiejian condensed a white ball in his palm.

"My good disciple, this white sphere contains a hundred sword threads. It will be inserted into your body later to temper your muscles, bones, and spiritual energy. The process may be a little painful, so please bear with it!"

"Master...Master, I'm ready!"

Having decided to accept the apprenticeship, Chen Qingmo changed his mind.

With a flick of his wrist, Master Tiejian sent the white sphere into Chen Qingmo's body.

In an instant, the white sphere that had entered his body dispersed and indeed transformed into sword threads, beginning to refine Chen Qingmo's foundation.

"Tsk!"

The forging of sword threads was indeed painful. Chen Qingmo couldn't help but click his tongue at first, but then gritted his teeth and persevered.

He looked inward and saw that the sword threads solidified his somewhat weak spiritual power.

Chen Qingmo tried to control the sword threads with his divine sense, but the moment he touched them, his divine sense was directly shattered.

A trickle of blood flowed from the corner of his mouth, and his breath grew weaker.

"You brat, are you out of your mind?! This is a Foundation Establishment cultivator's sword thread. You think you can control it? Stay put."

Iron Sword Master sneered, not expecting Chen Qingmo to be so bold.

He then used his divine sense to observe his new disciple, making sure he wouldn't be harmed.

Chen Qingmo stopped moving and waited patiently for the sword threads to finish polishing his foundation before flying out of his body.

He released a portion of his spiritual power and found that it was indeed much stronger than before, and he could break through to the seventh level of Qi Refining at any time.

"You may now consume the spiritual apricot. I will protect you."

Master Iron Sword retracted the sword threads and then stepped aside.

After this incident, Chen Qingmo was no longer as wary of Tie Jian Zhenren as he had been at the beginning.

Taking out the jade box from his storage bag, Chen Qingmo swallowed the Three-Aperture Spirit Apricot in one gulp.

Lingxing apricots are sweet and sour, and melt into the body as soon as they enter the mouth.

A layer of white mist rose around Chen Qingmo, and the warm energy helped him to impact the Jiuwei acupoint.

Spiritual energy gradually transforms from a gaseous state to a liquid state. To complete the transformation, one must reach the Great Perfection of Qi Refining.

His spiritual sense has also gradually increased, expanding from a range of ten meters to thirty meters.

Although the entire breakthrough process was accompanied by pain, under the nurturing of the Three Aperture Spirit Apricot, it was far less painful than the sword thread refinement just now.

Nearly a day later, the white mist surrounding Chen Qingmo slowly dissipated.

He opened his eyes, a look of joy appearing in them.

This breakthrough to the seventh level of Qi Refining was even faster than the previous breakthrough to the fourth level, and it was successful in just one day.

"The Three-Aperture Spirit Apricot is truly miraculous!"

Chen Qingmo gave a thumbs-up, then stood up.

Qi Refining Stage 7, achieved!

He can now briefly control magical artifacts to fly, and the power of some low-level spells is far greater than before.

If he were free from illness and disaster, he could live to be nearly 130 years old with just this level of cultivation.

And now, he has become the first person of the Qing generation in the clan!