This is the true immortal of the Taoist sect.

It must be said that Chen Jing is very meticulous.

Not only had Qingfeng been instructed to boil a large pot of water long ago, but a change of clothes had also been prepared for Li Daoxuan.

After taking a comfortable bath, Li Daoxuan changed into the clothes prepared by Chen Jing, and felt as if he had been reborn.

Looking at himself in the bronze mirror, Li Daoxuan's expression was somewhat strange.

In this life, I am exactly the same as in my previous life, except that I look thinner.

Her messy hair was neatly combed and tied back with a hair ribbon. She wore a sky-blue long robe with flowing ribbons, giving her a somewhat otherworldly and refined air.

Looking at Li Daoxuan after he had washed himself clean, Qingfeng couldn't help but exclaim in admiration:

"Sir, you are so handsome, you have even more bearing than the young masters of wealthy families."

Li Daoxuan smiled but didn't say anything, but a bitter feeling still welled up in his heart.

From then on, I was completely cut off from the past.

I fear I can never repay my parents' kindness in raising me in this lifetime.

Composing himself, Li Daoxuan let Qingfeng push him into the courtyard and looked around.

This is a fairly spacious residential courtyard, facing south, with wing rooms on the east and west sides, and a kitchen, woodshed, and other facilities.

What's remarkable is that the courtyard is very clean, and the ground is even paved with neat bluestone slabs.

It goes without saying that although this courtyard is not large, it will definitely not be cheap.

In the previous life, this would have been a proper detached villa with a garden.

"Gentle Breeze, what year and season is it now?"

Li Daoxuan asked Qingfeng behind him.

Qingfeng looked surprised, clearly not understanding why his master couldn't even remember such an ordinary day.

"Sir, it is now the 9th day of the fourth month of the 17th year of Xiangfu, in the early summer season."

Li Daoxuan noticed a word: Xiangfu.

A sudden surge of anticipation rose in his heart, so he asked:

"Xiangfu? Is it the Dazhong Xiangfu era? Is the current dynasty still ruled by the Zhao family of the Great Song Dynasty?"

Qingfeng was completely bewildered by his question, and scratched the back of his head, saying:

"Sir, I am illiterate and do not know much about these things. I have never heard of the Great Song Dynasty. I only know that our country is called the Great Zhao Kingdom, and the imperial family is not surnamed Zhao, but Jiang."

Li Daoxuan was taken aback.

The Great Zhao Kingdom, ruled by the emperor surnamed Jiang...

There is no era in my mind that corresponds to it.

"Could this be another world?"

Li Daoxuan thought to himself.

So he asked again:

Have you ever heard of the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties? The Qin and Han dynasties? The Tang dynasty?

Qingfeng tilted his head and thought for a moment before replying:

"I'm ignorant and have never heard of these things..."

Li Daoxuan sighed silently, thinking that he had most likely arrived in another world.

However, he quickly came to terms with it. After all, it was all about time travel, so wouldn't it all be a foreign land?

Seeing that Li Daoxuan was no longer speaking, Qingfeng took his leave and went to prepare dinner.

Li Daoxuan sat alone in the courtyard, basking in the sun, slowly closing his eyes and gradually clearing his mind of distractions.

Once he felt his mind had calmed down completely, Li Daoxuan communicated with the system and gave the following instructions:

"System, begin using merit points to assist me in cultivating the Taiyi Danjing."

As soon as he finished speaking, the 120 merit points in the system bar disappeared instantly.

Immediately afterwards, a massive amount of information rushed into Li Daoxuan's mind, sweeping through his consciousness like a storm.

Li Daoxuan remained unmoved, silently accepting this information.

At this moment, no one saw that Li Daoxuan's body seemed to be plated with a layer of golden light, shimmering with a sacred glow.

"To abandon limbs, discard intelligence, separate oneself from form and knowledge, and become one with the Great Void—this is called sitting in oblivion."

"Only the Way gathers in emptiness; emptiness is the fasting of the mind."

In Taoist practice, cultivating the mind is of paramount importance.

Enter a state of complete absorption, neither listening nor thinking.

Listen not with your ears, but with your heart; listen not with your heart, but with your spirit.

Be humble and await things, and quietly guard your inner peace.

Only then can one guide and exhale, building the foundation for the supreme path.

Li Daoxuan was actually quite familiar with this method of cultivation.

But truly reaching this level is beyond the reach of ordinary people.

But it's okay, we have a cheat code.

The power of merit allowed Li Daoxuan to easily enter this state of "Attain utmost emptiness, hold fast to stillness. All things arise together, and I observe their return."

Moreover, this proof is permanent, leaving a deep imprint on Li Daoxuan's consciousness and mind, enabling him to enter any state of mind at will in his future cultivation.

From then on, the spiritual practice began.

For some reason, the moment Li Daoxuan truly entered the realm of Taoist alchemy and began cultivating the scriptures, the setting sun on the horizon seemed to change somewhat.

It seemed as if a layer of purple mist was surrounding it, slowly spreading out.

In a vast expanse, it spread across the entire sky, like purple clouds stretching for 30,000 miles, with rosy clouds filling the sky.

No one thought it meant anything, but when they looked up, they couldn't help but sigh that the sunset seemed particularly magnificent, and that the next few days should be filled with good weather.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Time flies, and the Grain in Ear season has passed in the blink of an eye.

Li Daoxuan practiced his cultivation every day without interruption.

Qingfeng is a good young man. He knows his place, is quick and efficient, and takes good care of Li Daoxuan.

Li Daoxuan stayed at home every day, focusing on his cultivation, and left all his affairs to Qingfeng.

Finally, the half-month period has arrived.

On the morning of April 25th, Li Daoxuan sat in the courtyard cultivating as usual.

Sitting in oblivion, fasting of the mind, guiding the body... step by step.

The so-called Foundation Building is quite different from what is described in ordinary online novels.

The purpose of foundation building is to lay a solid foundation for future spiritual practice, by working on various aspects such as mind, body, and spirit, so as to ensure that one's mind is free from obstacles and one's body is healthy.

Li Daoxuan sat cross-legged in meditation, his mind gradually calming down.

He was like a corpse, his breath so faint it was almost imperceptible.

Conversely, in his lower abdomen, specifically the dantian area, it seemed as if boundless vitality was slowly emerging.

Like the rising sun, it shines upon the world, bringing light and hope.

The Taiyi Danjing (太乙丹经) describes a cultivation process that involves refining essence into qi, refining qi into spirit, and refining spirit into emptiness. The first step, refining essence into qi through the microcosmic orbit, involves opening the dantian (丹田) and storing essence and qi.

The moment the sun fully rose above the horizon, Li Daoxuan suddenly opened his eyes.

A gentle morning breeze brings a sense of tranquility and contentment.

There were no unusual phenomena or shocking occurrences.

Thus, the foundation of his great path was quietly laid.

Taoist cultivation has always been like this: once you've achieved something, you've achieved it. Everything seems natural and spontaneous, without any sense of deliberate effort.

But the differences between them are as vast as clouds and mud.

[Host has successfully established their foundation; 100 merit points awarded.]

[The host has become the first person in this world to cultivate and establish a foundation, rewarding 100 merit points]

[Congratulations, host, on your journey to the Great Dao! Reward: The Daoist book "Five Thousand Words" and the Complete Collection of Daoist Talismans]

Li Daoxuan slowly exhaled, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.

He showed no sign of sadness or joy, remaining calm and composed.

He raised his right hand, and a wisp of invisible energy flowed from his fingertips, as soft and lively as silk.

Li Daoxuan smiled slightly and said:

"Is this magic?"

Magic power, also known as spiritual power, is the foundation of Taoist qi cultivation.

With this magical power by his side, Li Daoxuan was finally able to embark on the path of immortality.