To comprehend all laws and attain immortality

Liu Qin's closeness made Gu Fan's heart skip a beat.

As the two drew closer, that cool, refreshing fragrance wafted through the air again, seemingly stirring Gu Fan's heartstrings.

Having lived two lives, Gu Fan was not incapable of understanding people. He lowered his eyes slightly and asked with a smile, "What you say is true, fellow Daoist. I do not have a Daoist partner."

"What do you think of me, fellow Daoist?" Liu Qin asked softly as she looked into Gu Fan's eyes.

It must be said that Liu Qin's boldness was beyond Gu Fan's expectations. Although the cultivation world is not like the mortal world, where parents' orders and matchmakers' words are emphasized, it is still very rare for someone to recommend themselves to be someone else's Daoist partner.

Faced with Liu Qin's question, Gu Fan pondered in his heart.

If he had no secrets and was just an ordinary cultivator, Liu Qin would indeed be a good Daoist partner.

Firstly, she was not from a prominent family and would not use her position to bully others.

Secondly, as a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator practicing a mid-grade cultivation technique, he still has the opportunity to establish his foundation in this lifetime, making him a truly valuable assistant.

Moreover, Liu Qin's appearance and figure were outstanding, far surpassing the gaudy and vulgar women in my previous life's memories.

Gu Fan had to admit that he was somewhat attracted to Liu Qin's beauty.

"Why did you choose me, fellow Daoist?" Gu Fan asked softly.

Although he was tempted, Gu Fan did not rush to agree.

Liu Qin seemed to have anticipated Gu Fan's question, and said directly, "Fellow Daoist's talent is exceptional, like a rough gem obscured by dust; how could I not see it?"

Before Gu Fan could ask, Liu Qin continued, "Actually, not long after I entered the outer sect, some disciples from Qingyun Peak wanted to take me as their Daoist partner. If I joined a noble family, I could receive resource support, and if I had children, I could receive a gift."

Gu Fan raised an eyebrow upon hearing this, and then realized what he meant.

When he first showed his talent, powerful families extended olive branches to him, not to mention Liu Qin, a female cultivator with outstanding looks, no background, but with spiritual roots.

"But noble families are nothing but gilded cages; how could I possibly accept that!"

As Liu Qin spoke, a hint of resentment flashed in her eyes: "To be honest, fellow Daoist, there was another sister who entered the outer sect with me and agreed to a marriage proposal from a noble family. For the first few years, things were going well, but then she was required to keep having children. Each childbirth would damage her vital energy, and even with elixirs to repair it, it would delay her cultivation. Now I have reached the seventh level of Qi Refining, but she is only at the sixth level."

"Having learned from past mistakes, I am even less likely to join a powerful family. However, I only have a low-grade spiritual root. Even if I cultivate a mid-grade technique, my chances of establishing my foundation are only 10%. Moreover, it is extremely difficult to compete for a Foundation Establishment Pill in the sect competition."

Gu Fan immediately realized that Liu Qin had taken a liking to his ability to earn spirit stones.

To obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill in the sect competition, one needs to be among the top 32. However, there are other ways to obtain Foundation Establishment Pills outside of sects. For example, Xia Lingfeng obtained a Foundation Establishment Pill from an auction house.

However, obtaining Foundation Establishment Pills from outside the sect requires an enormous amount of spirit stones, enough to cripple a Qi Refining family, and for a rogue cultivator, it might take a lifetime of savings and still not be enough.

After figuring it out, Gu Fan couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle to himself: "I knew there's no such thing as a free lunch."

Liu Qin seemed worried that she wouldn't be able to persuade Gu Fan, so her tone became even gentler: "If you cultivate with me, fellow Daoist, and we combine our strength, we can create a cultivation family in a few decades..."

"I'm sorry, I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you," Gu Fan interrupted in a deep voice.

Liu Qin's eyes widened in surprise, not expecting Gu Fan to refuse.

As a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator, her marriage to Gu Fan, a mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator, was considered a step down in the cultivation world, which highly values ​​cultivation level, if we disregard Gu Fan's cultivation skills.

He actually refused!

Liu Qin's eyes widened, her red lips parted slightly, her gaze filled with disbelief.

Gu Fan ignored Liu Qin's surprise and said earnestly, "Once I entered the immortal sect, my heart was only set on the immortal path. In this life, I only wish to cultivate longevity and freedom. I have no intention of dual cultivation. I'm afraid I will disappoint you, fellow Daoist."

Liu Qin's face was expressionless, but she forced a smile and said, "In that case, I was overthinking it."

The atmosphere in the courtyard fell silent for a moment.

Gu Fan coughed lightly, breaking the silence first, and said, "I hope you won't take today's matter to heart, fellow Daoist. If you ever need help with drawing talismans or refining weapons in the future, feel free to come to me. I promise I won't let you down."

He had no interest in dual cultivation, but he was very interested in earning spirit stones.

Liu Qin nodded stiffly: "It's getting late, so I'll take my leave."

After saying this, Liu Qin turned and walked out of the courtyard.

As she reached the courtyard gate, Liu Qin suddenly stopped and turned her head. The twilight seemed to thin half of her face, and her voice was faint, as if she were sighing:

"Gu Fan...do you know that on the path of cultivation, those who walk alone are most likely to perish?"

After the beautiful figure disappeared, Gu Fan shook his head and sat down under the peach tree. The midday sun shone on the peach tree, casting a shadow on him.

......

The sun and moon race by day and night, and time slips through our fingers like sand.

After obtaining the key to repairing the array, Gu Fan had more time to devote to earning spirit stones.

His business of drawing talismans and refining artifacts resumed, providing him with a steady stream of spirit stones, which he then exchanged for pills, which he refined into magical power.

Six months later, Gu Fan's cultivation finally broke through to the sixth level of Qi Refining.

Unfortunately, such rare flowers, as beautiful as a fleeting bloom, are hard to come by, and he deeply missed the feeling of his cultivation level skyrocketing.

As the number of weapon crafting commissions increased, Gu Fan's name spread throughout Lingxi Peak, making him the top choice for Lingxi Peak disciples to order custom-made magical artifacts.

The array diagram of the Yuan Chen Array has been 70% repaired, and it is expected to be fully repaired in another three months.

Just as Gu Fan was full of confidence, an uninvited guest arrived in the courtyard.

"Is Fellow Daoist Gu Fan here?"

When Gu Fan opened the courtyard gate, he saw a middle-aged Taoist priest with a fair complexion and no beard.

The Taoist's purple robe was carved with intricate patterns. Gu Fan glanced at it and immediately sensed that the robe was a high-grade magic artifact, which made him curious about the Taoist's identity.

He can currently only forge mid-grade magic weapons. Cultivators who can afford high-grade magic weapons would not normally come to him to order them. Moreover, the Daoist's aura is profound. Although it is impossible to determine his specific realm, he is undoubtedly a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator.

"My name is Gu Fan. May I ask who you are?" Gu Fan replied with a cupped hand.

When the middle-aged Taoist saw Gu Fan open the door, he greeted him with a warm smile and said, "My name is Bai Mingxuan. I have come here to discuss a business matter with you, Fellow Daoist Gu."

Gu Fan was slightly surprised to hear this, but since business had come knocking, there was no reason not to do it. So he stepped aside and gestured, "Fellow Daoist Bai, please come in."

Bai Mingxuan nodded and strode into the courtyard. He looked around first, and after taking his seat, while Gu Fan was making tea, he chuckled softly, "I've heard that Fellow Daoist Gu is exceptionally talented, but you don't even have a servant to attend to you. Isn't that a bit too austere?"

Gu Fan paused upon hearing this, and considering the Taoist's surname, he began to make some guesses about his origins.

"I usually focus on cultivation and don't care much about pleasure. No matter how luxurious my residence is, it won't help my cultivation. I hope you won't laugh at me, fellow Daoist," Gu Fan said meaningfully as he poured Bai Mingxuan a cup of tea.

Bai Mingxuan nodded slightly and said, "I only feel sorry for you, fellow Daoist."