To comprehend all laws and attain immortality

"I am Xuanji, the head of Wendao Peak."

Xuanji Zhenren's voice was deep and aged, but his eyes were surprisingly bright, as if a galaxy was spinning within them.

"Disciple Gu Fan greets Elder." Gu Fan bowed again.

Xuanji Zhenren lightly swept her whisk, and Gu Fan immediately felt a stream of air lift him up.

"No need for formalities. Your ability to repair the Yuan Chen Array within a year demonstrates your talent in array formations. I suppose you can guess the test behind repairing the array diagram?"

Gu Fan nodded slightly.

Master Xuanji revealed a hint of appreciation in his smile: "Excellent! Now that you have passed the test, you can become my nominal disciple. If you successfully establish your foundation, you can formally become my disciple. Are you willing?"

"Gu Fan greets Master!" Gu Fan bowed down without hesitation.

Even among the inner disciples of the Lingxiao Sect, not all have a master; only those with exceptional talent are likely to be noticed by the Golden Core elders.

Gu Fan was naturally very willing to be taken in as a disciple by a Golden Core cultivator, especially since Xuanji Zhenren clearly had a deep understanding of array formations, as evidenced by the celestial constellations above her head and the way she had just moved.

"Hehe, you're quite clever," Master Xuanji praised, then changed the subject: "But don't be too happy yet. Let me ask you, how many years will it take you to reach the Foundation Establishment stage?"

Gu Fan paused upon hearing this, his mind racing with thoughts.

The Foundation Establishment threshold has kept countless cultivators out of the door. Even with a mid-grade spiritual root and the cultivation of high-grade techniques, the success rate of Foundation Establishment is only about 30%.

But Master Xuanji's question was as if he was certain that he would be able to establish his foundation.

At his current cultivation speed, even with the help of a small spirit-gathering array, it would take him three years to break through to the late stage of Qi Refining, and it would probably take more than fifteen years to reach the ninth level of perfection.

Gu Fan did not take the auxiliary effect of pills into account. The more outstanding the effect of the pill, the higher its value. If it is aided by a rare treasure like the Fleeting Bloom, it is incomparable.

"Reporting to Master, I am certain that I will be able to establish my foundation within thirty years."

After careful consideration, Gu Fan gave a safe number.

"Thirty years." Master Xuanji nodded ambiguously. "You entered Zixiao Temple at the age of sixteen, and it took you more than two years to reach the Qi Refining stage. You have been in the outer sect for more than five years now. In another thirty years, you will reach the Foundation Establishment stage. Compared to many outer sect disciples, you are quite good."

Although Xuanji Zhenren said it was good, Gu Fan did not hear any satisfaction in her words. What surprised him even more was that Xuanji Zhenren knew everything about his years of cultivation, which made his heart sink.

"However!" Master Xuanji's tone turned serious: "If you are merely good, you are not worthy of becoming my disciple."

Xuanji Zhenren stared at Gu Fan, and the pressure of a Golden Core cultivator surged forth like a tidal wave.

"I'll ask you again, how many years will it take you to reach the Foundation Establishment stage?"

Gu Fan felt as if a thousand pounds were weighing on his shoulders. He stubbornly refused to kneel down, gritted his teeth, thought for a moment, and solemnly replied, "Reporting to Master, this disciple will definitely be able to establish the Foundation within fifteen years!"

With the help of elixirs, he was confident that he could compress the Foundation Establishment time to within fifteen years, but this also meant that he could not afford to make any mistakes during the cultivation process.

"Hmm...that's more like it." Xuanji Zhenren nodded in satisfaction.

The pressure on his shoulders suddenly disappeared, and Gu Fan breathed a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to respond, he heard Master Xuanji continue speaking.

"You were born in Lin'an City of Wei. You were known for your intelligence from a young age, and your family was quite well-off. Your parents had high hopes for you. However, when you were sixteen, a plague broke out in Lin'an City, and both of your parents died. Only then did you enter the Zixia Temple to cultivate yourself."

"Am I right?"

"What Master says is true." Gu Fan nodded in response, memories flooding his mind, his parents' faces as if they were right in front of him.

"So... have you ever thought about how that plague came about?"

Xuanji Zhenren's voice was deep and resonant, seemingly coming from beyond the heavens even though it was right in front of him.

Gu Fan suddenly looked up!

The hint from Master Xuanji was clear enough; a thought exploded like a thunderbolt.

"That plague...wasn't it a natural disaster?" Gu Fan asked, his voice trembling.

Xuanji Zhenren did not answer directly, but spoke slowly and quietly.

"The foundation of spiritual energy in the mortal world is nothing more than the seven elements of Yin and Yang and the Five Elements, which are combined and evolved into myriad kinds of spiritual energy."

"The Lingxiao Sect inherits the lineage of the Dao Ancestor of Creation. Most of the sect's techniques are based on the five elements of spiritual energy, while also taking into account the wind and thunder energies. However, there are countless techniques and secret arts in the world, and some practitioners also collect death energy, turbid energy, and disease energy during their cultivation."

"You should understand this by now, having cultivated yourself to this point."

Gu Fan certainly knew!

On his first day at the Lingxiao Sect, Chen Suzhen explained these things to him. He even collected killing energy when he practiced the "Qianji Zhenjue". However, after many years, he did not connect the plague that changed his life with this.

"So... that plague was deliberately spread to collect qi!" Gu Fan said angrily, his eyes wide and his teeth clenched.

"Not bad!" Master Xuanji seemed quite satisfied with Gu Fan's reaction and said frankly, "After the plague spread, officials reported it to the Wei Kingdom's imperial court, and then the Wei Kingdom reported it to the Lingxiao Sect."

"According to the records in the Hall of Duty, inner disciple Xu Changsheng was ordered to investigate the plague in Lin'an City and discovered that the demonic cultivators deliberately spread the plague to harm the people in the city in order to absorb Qi."

"The demonic cultivator fought fiercely with Xu Changsheng, but escaped after being injured, and the plague in the city was cured."

At this point, Elder Xuanji paused and said with emotion, "You are truly lucky to have survived the plague."

"Xu Changsheng is born with a spiritual root of earth. He built his foundation with the superior cultivation technique 'Qingyang Jade Book' and then cultivated the 'Shenxiao Langhuan Golden Book'. His thunder magic is unparalleled and he has never been defeated. It is safe to say that he will definitely have a place in the competition for the next generation of true disciples."

"That demonic cultivator was already in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage back then. The fact that he was able to escape from Xu Changsheng shows his talent. He gathered the energy of the people in the city as cultivation resources. In fifteen years, he will probably reach the late-Foundation Establishment stage."

Elder Xuanji asked again, "When will you establish your foundation?"

Gu Fan felt a flame burning in his chest, and the old and deep voice of Xuanji echoed in his ears, but his mind seemed to return to Lin'an City in those years.

From the bustling crowds to the somber murmurs of every household draped in white mourning.

From the loving faces of parents to the withered and emaciated body.

From the dream of passing the imperial examination to the paper money falling from the sky.

After a long silence, Gu Fan lowered his head and squeezed out a cold voice through gritted teeth: "Ten years. This disciple will definitely be able to establish my foundation within ten years!"

"Very well! Remember your anger today, and remember your promise today. I will wait for you for ten years!" Xuanji said solemnly.

"This disciple will certainly not disappoint Master!" Gu Fan replied, his eyes red, then looked up and asked, "May I ask, Master, do you know the name and origin of that demonic cultivator?"

"The records in the sect state that the demonic cultivator eventually fled to the Wu Kingdom, but I don't know his name," Elder Xuanji shook his head.

"Wu Kingdom..." Gu Fan muttered in a low, sinister tone, memorizing the information.

Xuanji looked at Gu Fan and said slowly, "Now that you have become my disciple, I should give you some rewards. Is there anything you want? Just tell me!"

Upon hearing this, Gu Fan lowered his head and began to ponder.