After binding with a genius, I became an immortal by exploiting loopholes.

Chapter 130 Cognition of the Spiritual Path

The next day, Lu Qingchen set off back to his sect.

In the backyard of Lingzhi Hall, under an old locust tree.

Zhou Yuandao was sitting on a stone stool, flipping through an old jade slip, with a pot of coarse tea that had long since gone cold beside him.

He heard footsteps and lifted his eyelids to take a look.

"Why are you back? Has something happened again at Aoki Manor?"

'

"Nothing happened."

Lu Qingchen sat down on the stone stool opposite him and remained silent for a while, seemingly organizing his thoughts.

Zhou Yuandao put down the jade slip and glanced at him.

This apprentice, who is usually calm and collected, suddenly came to our door today with an unusually serious expression, as if nothing was wrong.

"Speak."

Lu Qingchen took a deep breath and slowly recounted the story of consuming the Vermilion Fruit that night.

He didn't mention the Earth Vein Spirit Embryo, the number of times he used spiritual techniques, or the Vermilion Fruit. He only said that during his cultivation, he happened to come across something by chance.

5

It was a kind of intuition.

He carefully chose his words: "The disciple felt as if he could sense the vitality of every spiritual plant in the protective field, as if countless threads were woven into a net."

"The net stretched downwards, penetrating the soil, penetrating the rock, all the way to... a place I cannot describe."

He paused for a moment, then said, "Then the disciple seemed to touch the edge of something, something vast and ancient, like the fundamental law that supports the growth of all plants."

The jade slip in Zhou Yuandao's hand had been placed on his lap at some point.

He didn't interrupt, but his originally lazy posture had changed; his back straightened unconsciously, and his fingers tapped the edge of the stone table without his noticing.

"Then what?

'

"And that's it."

Lu Qingchen truthfully replied, "The feeling disappeared in an instant, but it seems to have left a mark deep in my mind."

He looked at Zhou Yuan and said, "I have been thinking about this for a long time but I can't figure it out. Please ask Master, what is it?"

Zhou Yuandao did not answer immediately.

He picked up the glass of tea, which had gone cold, took a sip, and then put it back.

"Tell me that feeling again, from the beginning."

Lu Qingchen repeated it again: from the emergence of vitality, to the path of consciousness extending downwards, to the moment of touching the law.

After listening, Zhou Yuandao remained silent for an even longer time.

"You little rascal..."

'

His voice carried a meaning that Lu Qingchen had never heard before—a restraint, and something unbelievable.

Do you know what you're saying?

'

"This disciple does not know."

"9

"You have touched the spiritual path."

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"The Spirit Path?"

Lu Qingchen was startled.

Zhou Yuandao's gaze went straight into his eyes: "If I'm not mistaken, you've touched upon the Qinghua Spiritual Path, one of the fourteen fundamental spiritual paths! This is the foundational law of the Wood Element's life force!"

"Even a Qi Refining stage cultivator might not be able to sense the existence of a Spirit Path, yet you directly touched it once!"

He paused, then asked, word by word, "Do you know what it means to directly touch the Spiritual Path during the Qi Refining stage?"

Lu Qingchen shook his head.

"For a Foundation Establishment cultivator to comprehend the first spiritual path, they need to draw spiritual energy into their head and repeatedly meditate to gain insight. Some people may spend several years without even touching the threshold of the spiritual path."

"And you, during the Qi Refining stage, directly encountered the core laws of the Spiritual Path and even left a mark."

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Zhou Yuandao pointed to his forehead.

That "seed" was neither a fragment of opportunity nor a lingering thought.

"It is a trace of the Dao of the Spiritual Path. Although it is so shallow that it is almost invisible, it is already in your sea of ​​consciousness. After you establish your foundation, you will be able to comprehend the Qinghua Spiritual Path by using this trace. Your speed will be several times faster than that of a normal cultivator, or even more."

;

Lu Qingchen was stunned.

He knew that the sensation was not simple, but he didn't expect it to be this complicated.

Zhou Yuandao picked up the teacup, found it was cold, frowned, and put the teacup aside.

"Does anyone else know about this?"

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"I only told you."

5

"That's good."

Zhou Yuandao's expression turned serious. "Never tell a third living person. Refining Qi and touching the Spirit Path is a rare event that would be enough to be dissected and studied in any sect. If someone with ulterior motives finds out, you can decide for yourself how much your life is worth."

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Lu Qingchen was silent for a moment, then looked up at him: "What about Master?"

Zhou Yuandao was taken aback.

"Now that Master knows about this," Lu Qingchen's voice was calm, "should this disciple be worried?"

Zhou Yuandao's serious expression froze for a moment, then transformed into an expression that was hard to tell whether it was anger or laughter.

He stared at Lu Qingchen for several breaths, finally shaking his head: "You're actually worried that your teacher has feelings for you?"

Lu Qingchen didn't speak, she just looked at him.

Zhou Yuandao's tone carried a hint of helplessness: "If I wanted to harm you, I wouldn't have told you so much just now. Handing you over to the Spirit Plant Hall would have been enough; Hall Master Su would have rewarded you handsomely. Why would I bother keeping it from you?"

He paused, his voice softening slightly, "Don't worry, now that you've become my disciple, you are my disciple. I'm not so foolish as to push my own disciple into a fire pit."

Lu Qingchen was silent for a moment, then bowed solemnly: "Thank you, Master."

Zhou Yuandao waved his hand, about to say something, when Lu Qingchen asked again, "Master, what exactly is the Spirit Path?"

'

After a moment's thought, Zhou Yuandao asked in return, "Since you joined the sect, have you ever been to the Sutra Repository?"

"6

"I've been through it, and I've looked through some basic classic texts."

"Then you should have seen the names of realms like Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, and Spiritual Mansion."

6

Zhou Yuandao said slowly, "But have you ever thought about why some people can establish their foundation while others are stuck in the Qi Refining stage their whole lives?"

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"Spiritual root?"

'

"Spiritual roots are just a ticket."

Zhou Yuandao shook his head. "What truly determines whether a cultivator can step into the Foundation Establishment stage is the Spiritual Path."

He paused, considering an explanation that a Qi Refining stage disciple could understand.

"The Spiritual Path can be understood as a fragment of the laws of heaven and earth. The operation of all things in this world has its own rules."

"The growth of plants, the interaction of water and fire, and the support of the earth—each rule is the most fundamental principle of the universe. The first thing a cultivator must do when moving from Qi Refining to Foundation Establishment is to comprehend a spiritual path from these rules."

6

"Everyone can comprehend four spiritual paths during the Foundation Establishment stage: one in the early stage, two in the middle stage, three in the later stage, and four when they are fully established. Only by comprehending all four spiritual paths can one attempt to break through to the Spiritual Mansion stage."

Lu Qingchen listened very attentively.

He had never read these words in the library.

Basic texts like "Instructions for Outer Disciples" only mention the names of realms and their approximate lifespans and powers, never delving into this level.

"The Spirit Path has different ranks."

"6

Zhou Yuandao continued, "Initial comprehension, minor achievement, major achievement, and perfection—the higher the rank, the greater the power of the same technique in your hands."

"In the initial stage of spiritual enlightenment, the enhancement of spells only has the basic power; in the advanced stage, it can increase by 60%; after perfection, the power doubles."