To comprehend all laws and attain immortality

"Junior brother, do you think that compared to the other two peaks, our Lingxi Peak disciples have neither superior spiritual roots nor illustrious family backgrounds, so aren't we inferior?" Chen Suzhen asked seriously.

if not?

Gu Fan blinked, not saying it directly, but cupped his hands and said, "Please enlighten me, Senior Brother."

Chen Suzhen chuckled lightly: "Junior brother, you are mistaken if you think that way! All of us Lingxi Peak disciples cultivate the 'Morning Glow Qi Gathering Technique,' and we can only enter the outer sect after three years of Qi gathering. It is absolutely impossible for anyone without exceptional comprehension."

Those of us who cultivate immortality and seek the Dao must comprehend the true meaning of the Dao. If one's mind lacks wisdom and remains stubborn and unenlightened, even with profound spiritual roots and the ability to consume elixirs and medicines, the results will be half as good as twice the effort.

Our Lingxiao Sect holds a leading position in the Xuanmen (Taoist) arts of the Wei Kingdom, possessing countless profound and wondrous techniques. We place great emphasis on the comprehension of our disciples, and therefore use the "Morning Glow Qi Gathering Technique" as a selection criterion. Its difficulty surpasses that of ordinary cultivation methods. Junior Brother, you have distinguished yourself from the lower academy; you should not underestimate yourself.

Gu Fan suddenly realized: he had passed the imperial examinations at a young age and was not a dull person, but he had been practicing for more than two years and still could not draw qi. So this was the problem!

"Thank you for your guidance, senior brother," Gu Fan said sincerely.

With a satisfied expression, Chen Suzhen nodded slightly, made a hand seal, and the willow leaf boat accelerated, speeding towards Lingxi Peak.

Seeing this, Gu Fan quickly steadied himself, but as soon as he raised his head, he saw a huge cloud whale, tens of feet long, emerge from the clouds and mist swirling in the mountains, slapping its broad fins and crashing head-on into the willow leaf boat.

Gu Fan cried out in alarm, "Senior brother, we're going to crash!"

"There's no escaping it!" Chen Suzhen replied anxiously.

In a flash, Chen Suzhen patted herself, and a light blue membrane enveloped her body. The willow leaf boat also shimmered with a jade-like light. Before she could do anything else, the willow leaf boat collided with the cloud whale.

The cloud whale collided with the willow leaf boat and the light blue membrane, then separated like flowing water. Gu Fan, who had no protective membrane, was swallowed into the cloud whale's belly and lifted into the air. He immediately felt himself trapped in a cloud of mist, being swirled and swayed from side to side by a gale. This continued for several breaths until a protrusion appeared on the cloud whale's back, from which Gu Fan flew out.

The cloud whale flapped its fins and swam away quickly. Gu Fan plummeted through the air, his eyes wide with terror. Suddenly, a flash of jade light appeared before his eyes, and the willow leaf boat appeared beneath him. Chen Suzhen caught him and placed him on the boat.

Gu Fan sat up, still shaken. His hair was flying wildly in the wind. He was panting heavily to calm his racing heart when he heard a burst of wild laughter. He looked up and saw Chen Suzhen slapping her thigh and laughing uncontrollably, tears streaming down her face.

Gu Fan was now fully aware that he had been tricked by Chen Suzhen!

Supporting himself with his hands as he stood up, Gu Fan suppressed his anger. Since they met, this Senior Brother Chen had been very polite and courteous, not at all like a rash person.

"Why did you play tricks on me, senior brother?" Gu Fan asked in a low voice, full of resentment.

Chen Suzhen laughed a few more times, coughed lightly, and said with a smile, "Junior brother, please don't be offended. Most disciples have to go through this when they enter the sect. Many people are so scared that they almost wet their pants, but none are as calm as you, junior brother."

"Why is this?" Hearing that most disciples had this experience, Gu Fan's resentment subsided, and he became even more curious about the reason. Could it be that the Lingxiao Sect has a tradition of playing pranks on new disciples?

Chen Suzhen replied, seemingly unrelated, "Junior brother, why don't you feel the difference in your body?"

Upon hearing this, Gu Fan stretched his arms and legs a few times and immediately noticed the difference—his movements were much lighter than before. If the Qi-inducing process of cleansing the marrow and removing the hair was like unloading a burden, now he felt as light as a feather.

"That cloud whale is no ordinary creature; it is the spirit of our Lingxiao Sect's protective array, formed from the purest spiritual energy. Although my junior brother underwent a cleansing process during his Qi cultivation, some impurities remained in his meridians. After being cleansed by spiritual energy, these impurities were completely removed, greatly benefiting his future cultivation. Each disciple only has this opportunity once upon entering the sect," Chen Suzhen explained.

"Why didn't you say so sooner, senior brother!" Gu Fan said in a low voice.

Chen Suzhen touched her nose and chuckled, "Fun, fun indeed."

Before Gu Fan could reply, the willow-leaf boat under its feet accelerated again, this time heading straight for Lingxi Peak.

......

The willow-leaf boat stopped halfway up Lingxi Peak, and the two disembarked and walked slowly.

Chen Suzhen led the way, saying without turning her head, "I'll introduce a fellow disciple to you later. His residence is right next to yours, so you can look out for each other."

Gu Fan has no objection.

The two walked to a spacious courtyard, and Chen Suzhen stepped forward and knocked on the door.

A sudden, thunderous boom echoed through the courtyard, startling the two of them. Chen Suzhen snapped, annoyed, "Meng Wei, are you trying to tear the house apart?!"

A moment later, the back gate opened, revealing a middle-aged man with a dark complexion, thick eyebrows, and large eyes. He looked rather honest, but his sideburns stood up straight, and his blue robe was casually wrapped around his body, making him look rather unkempt. Only his eyes were frighteningly bright, as if they were flashing with lightning.

"Senior Brother Chen is here!" Meng Wei said with delight, then chuckled, "Senior Brother, please don't be offended. I just came out of seclusion today, and my cultivation has improved a little. I got carried away for a moment."

Chen Suzhen sized up Meng Wei, raised an eyebrow, and exclaimed in delight, "You've broken through to the seventh level of Qi Refining!"

"That's right, Senior Brother has arrived just in time." Meng Wei said with a smug look on his face.

Chen Suzhen laughed and scolded, "Thirty years to only reach the seventh level of Qi Refining, what are you so proud of! I'm here today to introduce you to a newly initiated junior brother, so hurry up and pay your respects."

Meng Wei then noticed Gu Fan, quickly smoothed his messy sideburns, and bowed, saying, "My name is Meng Wei. I greet you, Junior Brother. I'm a bit disheveled today, please don't take offense."

"How dare I? I am Gu Fan. Greetings, Senior Brother Meng." Gu Fan returned the greeting with a cupped hand.

"Junior Brother Gu's residence is in the courtyard near you. We'll go ahead first. Go and freshen up and come find us," Chen Suzhen instructed Meng Wei.

Meng Wei nodded in agreement and turned back into the courtyard.

Chen Suzhen led Gu Fan for a while longer, stopping in front of a courtyard with a vermilion gate. She gently pushed open the gate and went inside.

Gu Fan followed closely behind. Although the courtyard was only one-entrance, the environment was quiet and elegant. A tall peach tree was planted in the courtyard, and the flowers were in full bloom in spring. Under the tree was a gray stone table, and the breeze blew the petals down, making the stone table seem to be covered with a layer of pink gauze.

Stepping into the house, the space was spacious and bright, with no feeling of crampedness. The bed, table, and desk were all complete, and the materials used were all of high quality. In Gu Fan's opinion, even the ordinary wealthy families at the foot of the mountain could not match the luxury of this place.

After Gu Fan finished his inspection, Chen Suzhen asked, "Junior Brother, are you satisfied?"

"Of course I'm satisfied, thank you, senior brother."

Chen Suzhen nodded slightly. At this moment, footsteps came from outside the courtyard. It was Meng Wei, who had washed up and was coming. He had changed his Taoist robe and his hair was neatly tied into a bun, which was held up by a black jade hairpin.

The three sat down by the stone table in the courtyard. Chen Suzhen took out a pot of fine wine and three glass cups from her storage bag, poured the amber-colored spirit wine into them, and raised her cup first.