Just as the old patriarch forced me to my death, I achieved the unity of Dao and fruition.

When Gu Changjin returned to Lingdao Peak with the remnant of the Innate Thunder Spirit Wood, the atmosphere of the entire Lingdao Peak was completely different.

Lingdao Peak used to be very quiet.

It could even be described as somewhat deserted.

Everyone knows that Gu Changjin's lifespan is coming to an end.

Once this Golden Core Ancestor passes away, it's uncertain whether Lingdao Peak can be preserved.

But things are different now.

Gu Changjin became a Nascent Soul Supreme.

Lingdao Peak also rose in value.

For the past three months, Xu Heng and his companions have been living a life of great joy and success.

In the past, when they went out, people would at most politely say, "Disciples of Elder Gu."

Now, when they meet, even disciples of the Golden Core elders from various peaks must greet each other with a smile.

"Senior Brother Xu."

"A distinguished disciple of Master Gu."

The moment that cry was uttered, the flavor completely changed.

Many previously inaccessible locations within the sect have been quietly opened to Lingdao Peak.

The Hall of Law Enforcement, the Hall of External Affairs, and the Bureau of Spiritual Mines.

People everywhere offered their kindness.

As Gu Changjin's nominal eldest disciple, Xu Heng was directly assigned to the External Affairs Hall, where he was in charge of resource allocation between several spiritual peaks.

The other two Foundation Establishment disciples also received official positions.

No matter how proud the three of them were, they dared not get carried away.

Every day, it's time to return to Lingdao Peak; you should still obediently return to Lingdao Peak.

Everyone understands that their current dignity is not due to their own strength.

It was because his nominal master was still alive and had become the Nascent Soul Grandmaster of the sect.

After Gu Changjin returned to Lingdao Peak, he quickly sent a telepathic message, asking Xu Heng and the other two, as well as several Qi Refining disciples with decent aptitude within the peak, to come and pay their respects.

After everyone entered the hall, they all knelt down.

"Greetings, Master!"

"Greetings, Ancestor!"

Gu Changjin sat at the head of the table, looking down at the disciples below.

to be frank.

Okay.

When he was about to "die," these people were neither particularly loyal nor particularly disloyal.

They didn't do anything good.

They didn't do anything wrong.

It can be summarized in four words.

Neither merit nor demerit.

For Gu Changjin, this was enough; it was usable.

We can't expect him, a Nascent Soul Grandmaster, to do everything himself.

That would be too degrading.

He always needs someone to run errands, relay messages, and hold onto the Lingdao Peak brand for him.

Gu Changjin slowly spoke: "Although I have now formed my Nascent Soul, the foundation of Lingdao Peak is still shallow, and you will need to work hard to manage it in the future."

Xu Heng immediately kowtowed.

"This disciple will certainly live up to Master's high expectations!"

The other two Foundation Establishment disciples quickly followed.

"We disciples are willing to die for our Master!"

Gu Changjin smiled.

Let's skip the death penalty.

Before deciding to sacrifice oneself, one should consider whether it's worth it.

He waved his sleeve and took out several jade bottles and some magical artifacts, which he then placed in front of the crowd.

Xu Heng and the other two each received a bottle of pills to enhance their Foundation Establishment cultivation.

Those Qi Refining disciples also received spirit stones, talismans, and small bottles of spirit liquid.

The items aren't top-of-the-line.

But for them, it was already an enormous gift.

Several Qi Refining disciples blushed with excitement.

"Thank you, Ancestor!"

Gu Changjin nodded lightly.

"Practice diligently."

"There will be no shortage of positions for you on Lingdao Peak in the future."

This one sentence is more effective than any elixir.

After bowing and thanking them repeatedly, everyone respectfully withdrew.

Once the hall quieted down again, the gentle smile on Gu Changjin's face slowly faded.

He got up and went back to the secret room.

The secret chamber's array was activated layer by layer.

Gu Changjin sat down cross-legged and first took out the remnant root of the Innate Thunder Spirit Wood.

Burnt black and dried out.

It looks like a piece of scrap wood that was casually broken off from a lightning-struck piece of wood.

The fruit's perception of it cannot be faked.

Gu Changjin took out the small pot again.

This is something I got from Lu Huaizhen.

It can absorb spirit stones, transform them into spirit liquid, and accelerate the growth of spirit medicines.

With a flick of his finger, Gu Changjin poured a large number of spirit stones from his storage bag into the spout of the pot.

hum.

The small pot trembled slightly.

Before long, a drop of emerald green liquid dripped from the spout.

The spiritual liquid contained an extremely strong vitality, and as soon as it landed, the secret room was filled with the fragrance of grass and trees.

Gu Changjin dripped the spiritual liquid onto the remnant roots of the Innate Thunder Spirit Wood.

sizzle.

A flash of silver-purple lightning streaked across the sky.

The charred, broken root trembled slightly.

Deep within the crack, a faint hint of green emerged.

Gu Changjin's eyes brightened slightly.

it works.

He continued pouring spirit stones into the small pot.

a drop.

Two drops.

Three drops.

The spiritual liquid continued to drip.

The charred outer shell on the remnant root of the Innate Thunder Spirit Wood peeled off little by little.

The silver-purple thunder pattern inside is becoming increasingly clear.

Even that remaining root section has grown outward by about half an inch.

Half an inch.

That doesn't sound like much.

But this is a naturally occurring spiritual object.

The fact that it can regrow means that it is not completely dead.

Gu Changjin was in a good mood.

Until he looked down at the storage bag.

The smile faded slightly.

More than three thousand top-grade spirit stones are gone.

Clean and tidy.

Gu Changjin smacked his lips.

"This consumption..."

He was silent for a while.

It is expensive, indeed.

It took more than three thousand top-grade spirit stones to restore a little bit of life to the remnant roots of the Thunder Spirit Tree.

It's not expensive, but it really isn't.

Because after the Thunder Spirit Wood regained its vitality, he used the Dao Fruit to refine three strands of Returning to the Dao Yuan from it.

The innate spiritual beings born of heaven and earth can indeed be refined through the Dao Fruit and transformed into the Dao Yuan.

What is Guiyi Daoyuan?

That is the real deal, capable of deduce cultivation techniques, infuse cultivation, cleanse the soul, and replenish the foundation.

Previously, I could only rely on him to slowly accumulate Dao traces as they returned to their original positions.

Too slow.

Now there's another road.

As long as there is an innate spiritual object.

As long as there are enough resources to foster its development.

Once it returns to the original state, it can continue to rise.

Gu Changjin touched his non-existent beard, his eyes gradually becoming deep.

Ultimately, it's not that the smaller pot consumes more energy.

It's because he himself isn't strong enough or has enough resources.

What should we do then?

Very simple.

If I don't have it myself, then I'll steal it... no, I should call you fellow Daoist, this treasure is destined for me!

Moreover, the Xuan Yang Sect and the Chi Xiao Sect are currently at war.

Although the former sect leader Yun Qingli was crippled, she did indeed rashly initiate this war.

The problem is, sect wars are never that simple.

Golden Core cultivators take the stage, Foundation Establishment cultivators take the stage.

The Qi Refining Disciples were being sent to the front lines in droves.

Both sides fought to the death, until the spirit mine was shattered, the spirit fields were burned to ashes, and all the disciples were killed, thus forging a blood feud.

What's this called?

This is called wasting resources.

In Gu Changjin's view, a sect war is a possibility.

But we can't fight like that.

Both Golden Core and Foundation Establishment stages are capable of performing tasks.

Qi-refining disciples are also a resource.

If a large number of people die, who will mine the spirit ore? Who will grow the spirit herbs?

Who will clean up all those miscellaneous businesses of the sect?

The disciples below would symbolically strike each other and shout slogans, and that would be about it.

To truly solve the problem, we need to rely on high-end combat capabilities.

For example, there are newly promoted Nascent Soul Grandmasters like him who have just been promoted, have not yet made any achievements, and urgently need to be loyal to their sect.

The more Gu Changjin thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed.

He has just become a Nascent Soul cultivator.

They obtained the Great Luo Secret Treasure.

He then secured his position as the supreme leader within the sect.

If he does nothing, some people will inevitably think that he only takes the benefits without putting in any effort.

Why not volunteer to go to the front lines and defend them?

On the surface, he is loyal to the sect.

In reality, they were just looking for ways to profit from the war.

If the Crimson Cloud Sect is defeated, its spirit mines, treasure vaults, inheritances, and spirit herb gardens will all be valuable resources.

As a Nascent Soul Supreme Being stationed at the front lines, wouldn't these resources have to pass through his hands?

Wouldn't the resources just come pouring in?

With more resources, the small pot can continue to nurture the innate thunder spirit wood.

Once the Thunder Spirit Wood grows, the Dao Fruit can be refined into the Returning to the Dao Yuan.

Once you return to the Dao, Yuan Yiduo's cultivation level, techniques, soul, and trump cards can all be increased.

This is not a war between sects.

This means making a fortune.

Gu Changjin looked down at the remnant root of the Thunder Spirit Wood in his palm, which had regained a glimmer of life, and a slow smile appeared on his lips.

"The Crimson Cloud Sect, the Crimson Cloud Sect."

"Why did you all provoke the Xuan Yang Sect if you had nothing better to do?"

He gently put away the small pot and the Thunder Spirit Wood, his eyes full of shrewd calculation.

"This old ancestor just happens to be missing something."

"It seems we have no choice but to go to the front lines."