I, who was turned into a woman by the Jade Maiden Master, want to rebel against the Heavenly Gang.

Ru Feng looked up at his master, his eyes filled with confusion, and asked, "Choose what?"

"Fate," Liu Bailian said solemnly, "You have two paths before you. Are you willing to live out your days as a mortal, or risk eternal damnation to continue your cultivation?"

"If you choose to live out your days as a mortal, I will send you back to the Central Plains. It's not that I don't want to keep you, but the environment here is not suitable for mortals."

"Even if you descend to the mortal realm and become a mortal, you will still be my good disciple. I will ensure your happiness and longevity, and I will visit you often. Although you will age after losing your spiritual energy, I have the art of preserving youth and will be able to help you retain your youthful appearance as much as possible."

"No... I don't want to." Before Liu Bailian could finish speaking, Qin Rufeng gave his answer, "I choose the second path."

Liu Bailian: "You haven't heard what the second path is yet."

Qin Rufeng: "Can you cultivate?"

Liu Bailian: "Possibly."

Qin Rufeng: "That's fine then."

Liu Bailian sighed deeply, "You really want to cultivate that much?"

Qin Rufeng didn't answer immediately. She slowly walked to the golden bell tree, picked up a red leaf, and examined it carefully. Then she looked up at the azure sky and the vast sea of ​​clouds...

"With lofty ambitions, how could I be content to live a life of mere stagnation like an ant? You want me to return to the pond after I've risked my life to leap over the Dragon Gate? I've already entered the immortal realm, how could I possibly return to being a mortal and consign myself to the insignificance of a drop in the ocean?"

"Master...you can't bear to part with me." Qin Rufeng smiled. "So, there is actually a third way, isn't there?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Bailian trembled. Her calm expression instantly vanished. She stared at Qin Rufeng in shock. After a moment's hesitation, she cautiously asked, "Then are you willing?"

Qin Rufeng smiled and said, "That path is not what I want. But if Master wishes me to do so... I will do it willingly."

Liu Bailian shook her head. "You rebellious disciple, when did you become so cunning?"

Qin Rufeng: "I really... can."

"But how could I bear it? You wretched child, what kind of person do you take your teacher for?" Liu Bailian frowned as she looked at Qin Rufeng. Although it was a reprimand, her eyes were full of affection.

Qin Rufeng knew that Liu Bailian was reluctant to leave him and become a mortal, but she was also unwilling to risk her life to cultivate.

The so-called third path was to stop cultivating and become a canary, forever kept in a cage by her master. This was precisely her initial goal.

Chapter 62 Foundation Establishment is Possible

Qin Rufeng knew very well that his master had never wanted him to cultivate from the beginning. The reason was simple: his talent was too poor, and trying to cultivate the Great Dao would be a near-certain death.

Ji Xuelan once said that her master had disciples in the past, more than one. But they all died later... and then she stopped taking on disciples.

It's clear that Master truly doesn't want to die, but also doesn't want to force himself. Perhaps a different, more yandere Master would have clipped his wings and kept him as a kept mantle forever.

Fortunately, Qunlin (8) 罒硫拔齐泣 she was not...

Liu Bailian remained silent, and Qin Rufeng did not disturb her, simply staying quietly by her side. They waited until the setting sun dipped below the clouds, casting a crimson glow, and then until the bright moon shone and the stars twinkled in the sky.

Finally, Liu Bailian sighed and said, "In that case, let's take the second path."

"Thank you for your help, Master!" Qin Rufeng knew that he had overcome another hurdle.

Until his master makes a firm decision, this person he trusts most remains the greatest threat to his cultivation. If she were to change her mind even slightly, he would never be able to escape this cage again…

Fortunately, she was genuinely good to me.

"Let's not talk about that now." Liu Bailian turned around, frowned, and looked at Qin Rufeng. She said in a serious tone, "Tell me everything you've been hiding from your teacher."

Qin Rufeng thought to herself, "So Yun Yishui learned that from her. But what does 'explaining everything' mean?"

Liu Bailian continued, "Your disciple is not a servant, so of course you can have your own secrets. But now that things have come to this, I have to devise a unique cultivation plan for you, so I can no longer hide anything from you."

"It seems you've been practicing a technique outside of the Jade Maiden Sect. You don't think your master didn't notice, do you?"

Upon hearing this, Qin Rufeng almost knelt down on the ground...

So Master had already noticed. Yes, how could he not have noticed when his primordial yin was being drained? My previous wishful thinking was nothing but self-deception.

"I told you long ago, the Jade Maiden Sect isn't that pedantic," Liu Bailian comforted Rufeng. "The so-called methods of cultivation are things that those who cultivate the Great Dao flock to. How could they be prohibited just because of differences in sects?"

"Although what you've learned doesn't seem to be a proper martial art... don't worry, your master won't blame you."

"Also, you have a very high concentration of entropy energy within you. According to Nangong Yue and the others, you must have used entropy to control your sword and unleash the Taihua Sword Sect's Myriad Swords Technique."

"This matter has also caused a great deal of controversy within the sect. Although I can still keep it under control, you must tell me the whole story."

Qin Rufeng knew that if he continued to cultivate the Jade Cauldron of Joyful Union Technique, he would be discovered sooner or later.

However, the method of condensing primordial yin to improve cultivation efficiency was her only source of confidence, as she needed to put in five times the effort to rival the prodigies. She couldn't give up.

Qin Rufeng was already worried about how to make a "soft landing" in front of his master, but now that she had asked him, he simply told her everything.

This includes the "Hehuan Jade Cauldron Manual" and the two living weapon refining methods she obtained from Han Ying, whom she had a feud with at the Spirit Appraisal Platform.

There was also her encounter in the secret realm. To save Yan Qingping, she killed Lu Yu of the Fire Cloud Palace and then learned the Myriad Swords Technique.

Then he used the Fiery Ginseng to kill Teng Zijian of the Qingyuan Sect. Later, he found an amber-colored bead and took the sword from the Sword Tomb. There was also his reunion with Han Ying and the whole process of being captured and escaping.

Aside from the fact that she was a time traveler and that she made a mistake towards Yan Qingping while in a daze, Qin Rufeng had no secrets from Liu Bailian.

Logically speaking, as a transmigrator, one should not easily trust anyone, but Qin Rufeng felt that her master was someone she could entrust everything to.

Liu Bailian was shocked upon hearing this, but she still calmly nodded and said, "Don't worry, I will never tell anyone your secrets. Not even the sect leader."

As she spoke, she opened her storage bag and took out a large pile of pills...

Qin Rufeng asked curiously, "What is this?"

Liu Bailian said, "Actually, I knew you would choose the second path. All of this was prepared for you. Listen carefully, if you want to continue cultivating, the first step is to replenish your spiritual energy in large quantities."

Qin Rufeng: "Didn't you say you couldn't stay?"

Liu Bailian: "As long as you repair enough, you can always retain some. The brewing pot also has its limits. The more you repair, the more it leaks. But as long as you repair more than you leak, you can still accumulate some spiritual energy."

"An ordinary person's body can't withstand this kind of torment, but your body has already become a Gu Cauldron. So why not just turn it into a medicine cauldron or an alchemy furnace?"

Qin Rufeng gritted his teeth, "As long as I can cultivate, it doesn't matter..."

"This is only the first step," Liu Bailian continued. "The second step is to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage. As your cultivation level increases, your ability to condense spiritual energy will also improve."

Upon hearing this, Qin Rufeng became excited again, "Foundation Establishment? Can I establish my foundation? How do I do it?"

"Don't rush, it's not that easy." Liu Bailian frowned and said, "Some people may only need one Foundation Establishment Pill. But you can't... no matter how many Foundation Establishment Pills you take, it won't help."

"Even if you don't have the Gu Cauldron Physique, it won't work. This is a manifestation of your poor talent. If you want to establish your foundation, you need rare and precious materials with the five elements to form a core similar to an inner elixir within your body."

"This is somewhat similar to the formation of the Golden Core stage, but the nature is completely different."

"You now have the Ice Soul within you, which can become a water core. Refine the Zhenjin Insect properly, and it can become a gold core. You found that amber-colored bead... consider yourself lucky, that's the Earth Spirit Bead, which can become an earth core."

"The Fire Spirit Orb is easy to obtain; I can go to Ji Xuelan. As for the Wood Spirit Orb... Wood generates fire, and Ji Xuelan should have one too. Let's just take advantage of her."

“With the five elemental cores, you still need corresponding cultivation techniques. You know the water and fire techniques, and you also learned the metal elemental root technique from Yan Qingping. I just need to find you the earth and wood elemental root techniques, which shouldn’t be too difficult.”

"With a spirit core, a corresponding cultivation technique, and a large amount of spiritual energy replenishment, you should be able to establish your foundation."

"That's wonderful!" Qin Rufeng exclaimed with delight. Today had been a rollercoaster of emotions for her.

It was getting late. After giving some more instructions, Liu Bailian left Qin Rufeng's "birdcage".

Qin Rufeng then followed his master's instructions and took the pills on time and in the correct order.

These pills were extremely effective. Qin Rufeng's veins bulged and her dantian swelled. She could feel that if it weren't for the change in her physique, she would have surely died, bleeding from all seven orifices and exploding.

Furthermore, the effects on her physique are quite remarkable... she's gotten even bigger, so big that it's already becoming somewhat of a hindrance. And the jade dew is about to overflow when it's full.

A few days later, Liu Bailian returned to the Golden Bell Tower. This time, she brought the Fire and Wood Spirit Orb for Qin Rufeng's foundation building, along with some other strange items...

A few pieces of clothing, two martial arts manuals, two bells with handles, an ordinary-looking jar, and a chain...

Chapter 63 Feeling Relaxed

Nothing else could attract Qin Rufeng's attention. Even the chain, which looked menacing, didn't bother her. All she saw were two cultivation manuals.

Nothing could make Qin Rufeng happier than learning a new cultivation technique. If there were, it would be two…

However, Liu Bailian picked up the two golden bells first.

This thing does resemble the flower of the golden bell tree quite a bit, and is about the size of a wine vessel. Although it's called a bell, it doesn't have a bell pendant inside and looks more like a clock.

The handle on the bell is a hollow tube that connects to the inside of the bell.

Something about this thing looks off... I have a bad feeling about it.

Liu Bailian looked Qin Rufeng up and down and said, "You can't continue cultivating like a ripe fruit hanging on a branch. No matter how sturdy a cup is, even if you pour molten iron into it and it remains unharmed, it still can't prevent the water from overflowing when it's full."

"You're already full..."

Qin Rufeng now understood what those two bells were for; they weren't bells at all.

"No, this is all spiritual energy that I have painstakingly accumulated." Qin Rufeng crossed his arms and retreated continuously. "With this spiritual energy, I can use the Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix technique to release all the broken swords."

"Have you lost your mind?" Liu Bailian approached step by step, holding two "bells." "No matter how much spiritual energy you have, you can't retain it. The jade dew will only hinder you from accumulating more spiritual energy."

"No, no!" Qin Rufeng looked at the thing with great resistance. "Master, please let me have some time."

"You wretched creature, what are you waiting for!" As she spoke, Liu Bailian summoned the icy chains again, binding Ru Feng's hands. At the same time, she cast a spell to freeze her feet. Then she hung the chains on a tree branch and slid them forward.

Qin Rufeng's body leaned forward, but his feet couldn't move. Then Liu Bailian loosened the chains, and Rufeng's body collapsed, but because he was suspended by the chains, he didn't fall to the ground.

Her hands were suspended above her head by chains, her legs were slightly apart, and her slender waist was bent at a ninety-degree angle.

Liu Bailian, holding the bell, said, "Be a good girl and I'll teach you those two martial arts manuals. Otherwise, I won't give them to you!"

Qin Rufeng couldn't resist anyway, so he could only accept his fate. At least those two cultivation manuals were some consolation.

The cool touch on his chest sent a shiver down Qin Rufeng's spine. His face, however, burned. Then Liu Bailian took the seemingly unremarkable jar from him…

Qin Rufeng felt like biting her tongue and committing suicide, so she could only close her eyes. Then she felt something hit her head with a "bang".

Looking down, I saw that they were the fruits of the golden bell tree.

This fruit, which can fall and hit someone on the head, is called a "mortal fruit" and contains a little spiritual power. Mortals can benefit greatly from eating it, as it can prolong their lives, but it is of little use to cultivators.

The truly useful ones are called "spiritual fruits," which are supplements containing spiritual energy. Spiritual fruits hang high on the treetops and won't fall.

If no one picks them, they won't fall. The longer they bear fruit, the more spiritual energy they accumulate. Qin Rufeng has consumed quite a few spiritual fruits from the Golden Bell Tree during this period.

However, even ordinary fruits that have fallen to the ground don't fall down like this and hit someone on the head.

The flowers, resembling upside-down golden bells, unfold from their stems after the fruit ripens, looking like bamboo dragonflies. When the fruit falls, it's like golden butterflies fluttering down, creating a beautiful scene.

Looking at the ordinary fruit on the ground, it must have grown too fast and too big, and its flower stem broke off and fell down before it was ripe.

Therefore, its fruit is not golden, but milky white. Its round and plump shape looks quite appetizing. The flower stalk at the top of the fruit is still bell-shaped and has not yet unfolded into a "bamboo dragonfly".

It didn't take long. A moment's distraction and then closing my eyes was all it took to finish.

First it plunges down, then it flows gently. Finally, the sound of dripping water is like crystal-clear raindrops sliding off the tender green leaves and pink petals after a summer storm, falling into the lotus pond and creating ripples.

After the sky cleared up completely, Qin Rufeng felt a great sense of relief.

She meditated and regulated her breathing, and indeed felt a high density of spiritual energy gathering in her dantian. It was like a stone at the bottom of a river, its edges smoothed by the flowing water but not washed away.

Qin Rufeng didn't want to look at the two "bells" and only asked his master, "By the way, can I replenish myself?"

“Of course not,” Liu Bailian said. “How can you pour the wine from one glass back into this one? Even if you use another container to pour it, it won’t work.”

"You can drink it, but it won't have any effect. Because alcohol is a product of brewing, it can't be brewed again."

Next came the burning of incense, bathing, and changing of clothes...

The clothes Liu Bailian brought looked like those from the Tang Dynasty on Earth. They were elaborate robes and colorful brocades. Wearing them, one wouldn't look like a cultivator at all.

It's said to resemble Tang Dynasty attire not only because of its splendor but also because it's a strapless dress. Wearing it makes one look like two full moons, with surging, deep ravines. Moreover, it's like wearing a curtain, requiring a sash to be tied around the waist.

Finally, the moment Qin Rufeng had been most eagerly anticipating arrived. Her master, Liu Bailian, bestowed upon her two secret manuals: "Weak Water Sinking Sand" and "Jade Tree Golden Snake."

Liu Bailian first picked up "Weak Water Sinking Sand" and said, "The Jade Maiden Sect has the most scarce earth-elemental cultivation techniques. I obtained this book, 'Weak Water Sinking Sand,' by chance before. My spiritual root cannot cultivate it, so you need to comprehend it yourself."

"As for this book, 'Jade Tree and Golden Serpent,' it's a wood-elemental cultivation technique," Liu Bailian continued. "It can be practiced by using water to nourish wood. But it's meaningless to me. However, I can still teach you."

Qin Rufeng took the manual and immediately began reading it with great eagerness. Liu Bailian, on the other hand, brewed tea and burned incense, which resembled a master serving his disciple. However, neither the master nor the disciple noticed this reversal of the Heavenly Gang principle.

Qin Rufeng carefully examined the two manuals and quickly discovered that they were not of the same type.

"Weak Water Sinking Sand" is a pure earth elemental spell. It creates large areas of quicksand to trap enemies.

Those with low cultivation levels will be directly buried by quicksand, with sand pouring into their seven orifices. If they cannot be rescued, they will be buried alive. Even those with high cultivation levels can be trapped in the quicksand and will be unable to escape without some skill.

This spell's cultivation method was outrageously complex, requiring hand seals and incantations. But Qin Rufeng became increasingly excited as he looked at it. Cultivating this technique would definitely benefit the growth of his earth-elemental root; the only drawback was its excessive consumption of spiritual energy.

As for the other book, "Jade Tree and Golden Snake," something seems off...

Chapter 64 Give Me a Drink