A Mortal's Journey to Immortality

"This Luo Sheng Lotus Shield is actually a defensive spell that requires cultivation of the Azure Lotus Transformation Technique to cast!"

Zhou Ping browsed through the ancient book in his hands, muttering to himself.

From this ancient book, he had confirmed that the Qingyuan Gong he was cultivating was the main cultivation method of the Qinglian Xuanzong, the Qinglian Huayuan Gong.

After learning that Jin Wanxuan came from the Qinglian Xuanzong sect, Zhou Ping had already made this speculation. After all, as one of the five major Xuanzong sects, the name of the Qinglian Xuanzong sect was already well-known to him.

The name "Qingyuan Gong" seems to conceal the name of "Qinglian Huayuan Gong," which makes one's imagination run wild.

In addition to recording the Luo Sheng Lotus Shield, one of the three styles of Qinglian, this book also provides a detailed introduction to the Qinglian Xuanzong.

Jin Wanxuan really went to great lengths, making almost all the necessary preparations for future generations to join the Qinglian Xuanzong sect.

But who would have thought that this would be a boon for him, the son-in-law who hadn't even moved in yet.

After obtaining the cultivation method of the Luo Sheng Lotus Shield, with his mid-stage Qi Refining cultivation, he had barely reached the standard to be able to cultivate it.

This defensive spell is not difficult to learn. With the foundation of the Azure Lotus Transformation Technique, he only needs to follow the special circulation path shown in the book to condense the Azure Yuan spiritual power into a petal-shaped shield within his body.

It didn't require a lot of time to comprehend, so Zhou Ping chose without hesitation to master it first before going to find Chen Dafu.

After obtaining the cultivation items from the Chen family, he immediately returned to Yuan Pavilion and met with the guide left behind by the Qinglian Xuanzong sect.

With this plan in mind, Zhou Ping's days became monotonous from then on.

Aside from normal cultivation improvement, all the rest of the time was devoted to refining the lotus shield.

More than ten days passed in the blink of an eye, and a large number of outside cultivators began to appear in Guiyuan Pavilion.

With only three days left until the Guiyuan Auction, it is foreseeable that even more people will flock to Guiyuan Pavilion during these three days.

In the quiet room of Guiyuan Pavilion, Zhou Ping circulated his Azure Yuan spiritual power, and with a thought, a hazy blue petal-shaped shield appeared in front of him.

The shield looked somewhat flimsy. Since it was formed from spiritual energy, it had no physical form and looked like a transparent phantom, giving people a feeling that it was not very reliable.

However, Zhou Ping was well aware of the power of this shield, which he had only managed to condense after constantly consuming pills.

If he were to rely solely on his existing spiritual power, he might not be able to succeed.

This lotus shield not only absorbed all his spiritual power, but also benefited from the support of numerous elixirs, which is why it barely took shape.

In terms of defensive power alone, it is probably far stronger than the spiritual energy protecting a cultivator's body.

Even compared to some low-level defensive magic weapons, it is not inferior.

Most importantly, it is simply condensed from spiritual energy. After use, it can be stored in the dantian for further nourishment, unlike using magical artifacts where there is no need to worry about damage that cannot be repaired.

This alone makes it superior to many defensive magical artifacts, and that's not all.

The Luo Sheng Lotus Shield spell can condense more petals as the cultivator's cultivation level increases; the higher the cultivation level, the more astonishing the defensive power it can unleash.

As expected of the Five Great Mystic Sects, this defensive spell alone is already breathtaking. I wonder how mysterious and unpredictable the other two spells and other techniques must be.

Zhou Ping happily absorbed it into his body. Calculating the time, the Guiyuan Auction was about to be held.

Before leaving, he still wanted to try and see if he could find the Golden Spirit Seed that he had been searching for in vain at the auction.

Before that, he should also take a trip to the Chen family's estate. After all, there is a treasure there that he covets. If he can acquire it before the auction, it will undoubtedly give him more confidence during the auction.

........

For more than ten days in a row, Zhou Ping's figure did not leave Guiyuan Pavilion, which had long since made Tongxin Daoist, who had been guarding this place, furious.

According to the old Taoist priest Mingxin, he knew Zhou Ping's current whereabouts: he was hiding in the quiet room of Guiyuan Pavilion and had not left since returning.

But he waited for more than ten days, and as the Guiyuan Pavilion became more and more lively, when the auction was about to be held, with so many people around, he might really lose track of the other party.

He grew increasingly anxious, and looking at the composed old Taoist priest Mingxin, he couldn't help but ask,

"Senior brother, are you really sure that kid hasn't left since he came back?"

The old Taoist priest Mingxin opened his aged eyes, and was about to reply, but suddenly closed his mouth again.

A kind smile suddenly appeared on his face, and then he looked in a certain direction and squinted his eyes.

Following his gaze, the Copper Heart Daoist saw an ordinary-looking boy. After observing him carefully for a moment, he was overjoyed and chuckled softly.

Upon seeing this, the old Taoist priest Mingxin quickly gave him a wink, then greeted him with a smile and called out loudly,

"It's been a long time. Are you looking to buy some books to take home?"

Hearing the shout, Zhou Ping looked over and saw Master Mingxin greeting him with a smile.

Beside him sat an expressionless, white-haired old man, who was also staring blankly at him.

Upon arriving at Master Mingxin's stall, Zhou Ping, as usual, performed a junior's bow to him and another elderly man before smiling and replying.

"Senior, please don't make fun of this young man. You know perfectly well how much I am worth."

"Besides, I haven't even fully understood the few books I received from you, senior. How could I do something as foolish as trying to bite off more than I can chew?"

"Young friend, you are too modest. At your age, you have already advanced to the mid-stage of Qi Refining. With your master's careful guidance, your future is absolutely limitless."

The old Taoist priest, Mingxin, stroked his beard and praised him greatly.

"The old Taoist's name is Mingxin, and the man next to him is my junior brother, Tongxin Taoist."

"The last transaction was too rushed, and I didn't get to ask your name. I wonder if you would mind telling me your name?"

When Zhou Ping saw that the other party had introduced himself, he naturally had no reason to refuse, so he quickly returned the greeting.

"This humble one is Duan Yu. Please forgive me, seniors."

"Duan Yu?"

The Copper Heart Daoist, standing to the side, frowned slightly, seemingly somewhat surprised, but under the watchful gaze of the Mingxin Elder Daoist, he adjusted his tone and continued,

"Young friend Duan must be a newcomer to the world of cultivation, right? With my experience, I've heard of almost every cultivator within a radius of several hundred miles."

"But young friend Duan's name is quite unfamiliar, which is why I lost my composure. Please don't take offense."

"Senior, you flatter me. How could I dare to harbor any dissatisfaction?"

Zhou Ping bowed and clasped his hands in greeting to Tongxin Daoist. His face, hidden behind his hands, suddenly turned deathly pale, and even his back was covered in a layer of white sweat.

The clothes and voice of the Taoist Master Tongxin finally reminded him of a figure.

The one who appeared in the Golden Garden was another cultivator!