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

Chapter 131 Spiritual Path Cognition 2

He glanced at Lu Qingchen, "Moreover, it's not just about magical enhancements."

"The higher the level of the Spiritual Path, the greater the potential to receive the Golden Elixir when attaining the Golden Core. At the initial stage of the Spiritual Path, one can receive less than 30% of the Golden Core, at the minor stage about 50%, at the major stage about 80%, and at the perfect stage 100%. Do you know what this means?"

Lu Qingchen slowly shook his head.

"This means that between two people who have both reached the peak of their Spiritual Palace, one is at the initial stage of Spiritual Enlightenment, and the other is at the peak of their Spiritual Palace after attaining the Golden Core stage, the latter's Golden Core grade might be a whole major level higher!"

"The further one progresses in cultivation, the greater the difference in the depth of one's foundation will become, and the starting point of this difference is the rank of one's spiritual path."

Lu Qingchen remained silent for a moment.

"Master just said that the Qinghua Spiritual Path is one of the fourteen basic spiritual paths."

"right."

"What are the other thirteen?"

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Zhou Yuandao picked up a dead branch from the ground and started drawing on the muddy ground under the old locust tree.

He first drew ten horizontal lines, and wrote a name on each line: Qinghua, Rouyun, Yanyang, Xuanlu, Canglan, Yuanji, Houyue, Kunyu, Fengdi, and Sujin.

"The five elements are divided into yin and yang—yang represents activity and outward expression, while yin represents stillness and inward expression."

"For example, Qinghua is the Yang of the Wood element, which is responsible for promoting vitality; Rouyun is the Yin of the Wood element, which is responsible for healing and recovery. Yanyang is the Yang of the Fire element, which is responsible for burning and erupting; Xuanlu is the Yin of the Fire element, which is responsible for refining and purifying."

"These ten are the most basic of the basics, covering all directions of the Five Elements and Yin-Yang. There are also four basic spiritual paths that are independent of the Five Elements, but we will not mention them for now."

His withered branch drew a larger circle under the ten horizontal lines.

"Spiritual paths are not isolated from each other. Two or more spiritual paths can merge and advance under certain conditions. This is called a composite spiritual path."

"For example, Qinghua plus Yanyang can be combined to create Jingzhe, Leiting Poxie, and Jisu Baobao; Qinghua plus Canglan can be combined to create Fuyao and Jifeng Zuige."

"After fusion, the original spiritual path disappears, and the released spiritual path position can continue to comprehend new spiritual paths, and the fusion is irreversible."

Lu Qingchen's palms were slightly sweaty.

He had never heard of the term "fusion advancement" before.

But his intuition told him that this was extremely important to him.

"What about further up?"

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Zhou Yuandao paused on the withered branch.

"Above that lies the Great Dao Spiritual Path."

His tone became noticeably more serious. "The Great Dao Spiritual Path cannot be created by simply combining two spiritual paths. It requires a specific combination of perfect spiritual paths, and the conditions for fusion are extremely demanding. There are only a few such combinations in the entire cultivation world."

Lu Qingchen listened intently and couldn't help but ask, "If this disciple has touched the Azure Flower Spiritual Path, what will he do if he wants to merge with it in the future?"

"You're thinking too far ahead."

Zhou Yuandao interrupted him, but his tone was not stern, "You haven't even reached the Foundation Establishment stage yet, and you're already eyeing the Great Dao Spiritual Path? First, focus on the path ahead. We'll talk about the Spiritual Path after you reach the Foundation Establishment stage."

"yes!"

Lu Qingchen nodded, not disappointed, and continued, "Master, you just said that the Qinghua Spiritual Path I touched belongs to the direction of wood element vitality."

"If a spiritual plant cultivator deals with life force for a long time in the process of cultivating spiritual plants, is the spiritual path he is most likely to comprehend first the Qinghua?"

"Without a doubt."

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Zhou Yuandao nodded, "The daily accumulation of spiritual cultivation, dew condensation, and spiritual infusion by spiritual plant cultivators, as well as all techniques related to the vitality of plants, are essentially about contacting the laws of the Qinghua Spiritual Path. The deeper the accumulation, the faster one can comprehend Qinghua during the Foundation Establishment stage."

"And the Kunyu Spiritual Path—the earth element and yin attribute, which governs gestation and nourishment—is something that the spiritual plant master constantly comes into contact with in his daily life. Earth gives birth to wood, and as the Kunyu accumulates more, it also promotes his understanding of Qinghua."

He glanced at Lu Qingchen: "You were able to touch the Azure Path of Spirituality during the Qi Refining stage, which means that your daily accumulation has far exceeded that of other spiritual plant practitioners of the same level. You may not be aware of this accumulation, but the results will not lie."

Lu Qingchen remained silent for a long time.

He has always been farming.

Watering, nurturing, and applying the necessary ingredients every day, day after day.

To outsiders, these actions seem like the tedious, repetitive, and unskilled work of a spiritual plant grower.

But now Zhou Yuandao is telling him that farming itself is a path to the Great Dao and the Spiritual Path.

Each time the Spirit Cultivation Technique is performed, it represents a contact with the Qinghua Spiritual Path.

Each time a spirit initiation is performed, it is a deeper perception of the laws of life.

Day after day, year after year—these scattered, tiny accumulations will eventually converge into a spiritual path.

From this perspective, his work as a spiritual plant grower seems to be quite good.

Zhou Yuandao looked at him for a while longer, and this time his gaze was very different.

"Your knowledge and experience are far more profound than I imagined."

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He didn't ask further about the specifics of how it was accumulated.

In the world of cultivation, everyone has their own destiny, and it is taboo to pry into the details.

"Just keep doing this from now on."

Zhou Yuandao stood up. "You'll continue as usual at Qingmu Manor, but you need to come back every two months to check on your cultivation progress."

He paused, then added, "If there's anything you don't understand, come to me anytime. Don't try to figure it out on your own anymore."

He never said this after accepting Lu Qingchen as his apprentice.

Lu Qingchen stood up and bowed respectfully.

"Disciple understands."

When we came out of the Lingzhi Hall, the sunset was already burning brightly on the horizon.

Lu Qingchen stood outside the palace gate and took a deep breath. The late autumn air was filled with the scent of withered leaves and pine resin.

Zhou Yuandao's words were still echoing in his mind.

This is the first time he has heard the entire cultivation system—Basic Spiritual Path, Rank Enhancement, Fusion Advancement, and Great Dao Spiritual Path—in its entirety today.

Within this system, Zhou Yuandao opened a door for him that best suited his identity as a spiritual plant grower.

Qinghua Spiritual Path, Wood Element Life Force.

The earth element nurtures and gives birth to the spirit of the universe.

Earth nourishes wood, and the two complement each other.

Those who cultivate the land in the spirit field for a long time are most likely to comprehend these two principles first.

If both of them can be elevated to perfection, they may one day be able to merge them to create their own unique path.

Unbeknownst to him, he had already embarked on a unique path to enlightenment, one that belonged only to Lingzhifu.

It doesn't require the sword cultivator's combat and enlightenment, nor the magic cultivator's communion with heaven and earth.

By simply cultivating the land day after day—nurturing the spirit, condensing dew, and infusing the spirit—one is already quietly approaching the path most suitable for a spiritual plant cultivator!

Zhou Yuandao sat alone for a long time under the old locust tree in the backyard of Lingzhi Hall.

Lu Qingchen's words from just now still lingered in his ears, a subtle and imperceptible impression.

A disciple at the third level of Qi Refining, with low-grade five spiritual roots, touched the path of spiritual cultivation in less than a year after entering the sect.

He had spent so many years in the Foundation Establishment stage and had seen countless disciples who claimed to be geniuses, but none of them had ever touched the threshold of the Spiritual Path during the Qi Refining stage.

This must not be spread.

Zhou Yuandao got up and left the Spirit Plant Hall, heading straight for Panlong Peak.

Old Sun was squatting in the herb garden, tending to a newly transplanted medicinal herb. Hearing footsteps, he didn't even look up: "Here to freeload again?"

"Senior brother."

Zhou Yuandao squatted down on the ridge next to him and remained silent for a while. "Your apprentice came to see me earlier."

Old Master Sun paused in his movements: "Which apprentice?"

"Lu Qingchen".

Old Sun put down his small hoe, turned around and looked at him.

Zhou Yuandao rarely spoke in this tone.

"He touched the spiritual path at the third level of Qi Refining."

Zhou Yuandao said, "On the Qinghua Spiritual Path, a Dao trace remains in the sea of ​​consciousness."

Old Sun stood still, silent.

After an unknown amount of time, he slowly stood up, took out a pipe from his waist, lit it, and took a puff.

The smoke slowly dissipated in the twilight, and a glint of light flashed in those cloudy eyes.

"Is it confirmed?"

"He said it himself. He sensed it while cultivating spirit plants in the spirit protection field. At first, he thought it was an illusion, but he came to ask me about it today."

Zhou Yuandao paused for a moment, then said, "I asked about the details repeatedly, and it's definitely not an illusion. The Dao trace is already in my sea of ​​consciousness."

Old Sun remained silent for a long time, his pipe dangling from his lips.

As dusk settled over the mountaintop, it bathed the medicinal herb garden in a dark gold hue.

"I'm starting to regret it."

He suddenly spoke.

Zhou Yuandao just stared at him like that.

"It was my decision to put him in your hands back then."

Old Sun exhaled a puff of smoke, his tone carrying a hint of something indescribable.

"If I had known he could touch the spiritual path during the Qi Refining stage, I would have taken him in myself. Although I don't have many years left to live, I still have time to teach a disciple."

Zhou Yuandao smiled, a rare occurrence for him: "Senior brother, he has already performed the apprenticeship ceremony. Even if you regret it, it's too late."

Old Sun glanced at him, his wrinkled face revealing no emotion.

He put away his pipe, squatted down again, and continued adding soil: "Teach him well, don't let that kid down for calling you master."

Zhou Yuandao nodded and stood up.

As I walked out of the herb garden, I looked back one last time—Old Sun was squatting in the twilight, tapping the soil with his small hoe, smoke slowly escaping from his mouth, obscuring his expression.