Divine Hand Valley, inside a stone house.
Over a pot of tea, two young men, one large and one small, were conversing. As the young man in white spoke, the ordinary-looking teenager's expression of sudden enlightenment was palpable.
Lu Tiandu was currently explaining the difficulties Han Li encountered in his cultivation of the shamanic arts.
This was his final visit to collect the remaining seventeen bottles of Yellow Dragon Pills and Golden Marrow Pills, three months having passed since his last visit.
Each time he came, Lu Tiandu would spend three days explaining the shamanic arts and the difficulties he encountered in talisman-making, a task for which Han Li was deeply grateful.
With Lu Tiandu's guidance, Han Li had made significant progress in all areas and was no longer a novice in the cultivation of immortality.
Not far from the house, a solitary grave stood quietly in a rather scenic spot.
Doctor Mo had passed away two months earlier, and in his final days, he was accompanied by Han Li, the disciple he had so carefully planned. Who could fathom the complexities of human interaction?
Lu Tiandu waved his hand, accepting the elixir Han Li had offered him.
He smiled faintly,"Fellow Daoist Han, while protective arts like spells and talismans are important, don't forget the fundamentals of cultivation.
Improving your cultivation is paramount..."
"Thank you, Brother Lu, for your guidance. It's a shame my comprehension is limited. If it weren't for your answers and support, I'm afraid I wouldn't even have mastered the path yet."
Han Li said with a mixture of gratitude and solemnity. "Brother Lu, you're going on a long journey this time. I don't know when we'll meet again. I can only seize the opportunity to ask for your guidance..." He let out a wry smile.
Without the guidance of a sect master, it's not easy for ordinary cultivators to quickly master the nuances of cultivation techniques and spells. Spending excessive effort on these techniques inevitably hinders their advancement. This is one reason why independent cultivators often progress slower than their peers from sects or clans.
Although Lu Tiandu's instruction only lasted nine days, it benefited him immensely. Whenever he didn't understand something, a simple hint from Lu Tiandu would suddenly illuminate his understanding.
Unfortunately, the time had finally come to part.
Lu Tiandu nodded, understanding.
Over the past six months, Han Li had devoted considerable time to learning to control the flying sword and small shield Lu Tiandu had gifted him, as well as various lower-level spells and talismans. He had made significant progress in this area.
However, his cultivation remained at around level five. This was due not only to his lack of effort, but also, of course, to the fact that most of the elixirs he refined were used to repay debts, which had slowed his progress considerably.
"There's no need to elaborate further. I've already informed you of the Ascension Conference being held in Lanzhou by the seven major sects of Yue Kingdom in a little over two years. If you're interested, you can go and see it..."
Lu Tiandu smiled faintly. "If you can't secure a spot at the Ascension Conference, I can still find a way for you to join the Yellow Maple Valley. I've already shared the requirements, so if you're interested, please prepare in advance..."
He had no use for the Ascension Token granted by the golden light. It was only for pseudo-spiritual roots like Han Li, who aspired to enter a major sect.
And Han Li possessed a considerable amount of valuable spiritual herbs!
Han Li nodded, understanding.
As a novice entering the world of cultivation, he held strong hopes for a place in the Seven Great Sects.
However, after listening to Lu Tiandu's account of the brutality of the Ascension Conference, he felt a sense of unease.
Furthermore, several months prior, after Doctor Mo's dream of cultivating immortality had been shattered, he had finally come to his senses and passed on all his life's knowledge to him, hoping that, as a token of their relationship, he would return to Jiayuan City in Lanzhou within two years to oversee the Mo Clan.
Even a dying man could offer kind words, and he ultimately agreed.
After years in this small valley, he had already harbored plans to venture forth.
While Brother Lu's offer was easy for him to fulfill, he still feared the secret of his possession of the vial would be discovered by him...
A man innocent of sin is guilty of possessing a treasure!
Human nature cannot withstand the test!
After a silent journey of over an hour, Lu Tiandu rode his flying sword to the cave abode where he had spent six months.
With a flash of his figure, he entered the Stone Bead World and began his cultivation.
In a flash, another three months had passed.
At the foot of Tongtian Peak, beside the Hundred Medicinal Herbs Garden, inside a small wooden cabin,
Lu Tiandu was concentrating, his talisman brush in hand, drawing something on a piece of talisman paper. A moment later, watching the talismans flash with spiritual light, Lu Tiandu smiled.
"As my cultivation level has improved, I can draw more talismans every day, and the success rate of these mid-level talismans has increased significantly..."
"But I'm running low on spirit stones, and I can't continue to improve the quality of my talismans with the Fortune Furnace. I guess I need to go back..."
Mumbling to himself for a few words, Lu Tiandu began to pack up his belongings: a meditation mat woven from spiritual herbs, a small furnace for refining fasting pills, the "Collection of Spiritual Herbs" and "The True Explanation of Lu Family Magic" annotated by his family's Golden Elixir ancestor, talisman brushes, demon beast blood, and various talismans.
By the time everything was packed and sorted, an hour had passed.
A month ago, his cultivation had advanced to the eleventh level. This time, it took just over five months, consuming six bottles of refined medicinal elixirs.
In just over ten months, his cultivation level soared from the ninth level of Qi Refining to the eleventh level, a feat that would astonish others.
However, even in the eyes of some talented cultivators, this speed wasn't the fastest.
Down below in Yellow Maple Valley, as Lu Tiandu was leaving the Chen family, he overheard Chen family disciples discussing a fifteen-year-old girl named Zhong Wei Niang from the Zhong family, a family of comparable strength to the Lu family, who had officially reached the thirteenth level of Qi Refining and was preparing to enter Yellow Maple Valley to begin her foundation-building journey.
Zhong Wei Niang possessed only dual spiritual roots, but her cultivation speed was surprisingly comparable to that of a natural spiritual root. This suggests that even with the same spiritual roots, there can be slight differences in cultivation talent.
After finishing his preparations, Lu Tiandu left the Stone Pearl World, folded his formation flags, found his correct direction, and unleashed his Wind-Following Sword, instantly blasting off into the distance.
With his cultivation now significantly advanced, he was becoming increasingly adept at wielding this top-tier flying sword.
...
On the northeastern edge of the Taiyue Mountains, Lu Tiandu, looking slightly dusty, landed.
Seven or eight days had passed since he left his cave abode in Shenshou Valley. He had traveled leisurely, alternating between using his sword and wind-walking techniques. He encountered no mishaps along the way, arriving safely in Jianzhou.
This was already outside the Huangfeng Valley market. According to the customary practice of the immortal cultivation world, cultivators were forbidden from flying within five miles of the market, so Lu Tiandu had no choice but to land.
After briefly tidying himself, Lu Tiandu headed towards the market. He encountered many hurried passersby along the way, several of whom were dressed in unusual attire. Frequent visitors to the Huangfeng Valley market would have recognized that most of them were cultivators from the Yuanwu Kingdom.
Jianzhou, the Yue Kingdom, where Huangfeng Valley was located, bordered the Yuanwu Kingdom to the north. Since the Yuanwu and Yue Kingdom cultivation communities were not at odds with each other, Yuanwu cultivators were often seen trading goods in the Huangfeng Valley market.
Of course, hundreds of miles further north, the market run by the Tianxing Sect, one of the three righteous sects of Yuanwu State, also saw many Yue cultivators frequenting it for trade.
Lu Tiandu had visited the Huangfeng Valley market many times. The small north-south street, with various shops on the southern end, boasts magnificent buildings, while others are simple wooden or stone huts. While the disparity is significant, the layout is relatively orderly.
These are primarily Huangfeng Valley businesses, but only a small portion is managed by Huangfeng Valley disciples themselves. The rest is leased to cultivator families and independent practitioners who regularly trade there.
A large section of the northern section of the street is completely empty, reserved for cultivators who decide to set up stalls on a whim.
By handing a low-level spirit stone to the Huangfeng Valley disciples who manage the area, outsiders can set up stalls in the open spaces on either side for a full day without interference.
They are even protected by these disciples while they are there, so there's no need to worry about enemies taking advantage of the opportunity to seek revenge.
Lu Tiandu greeted several familiar monks along the way and soon arrived at a rather beautifully built three-story pavilion.
Above the crowds of people coming in and out, a gilded plaque read "Jinyu Pavilion." This was the Lu family's property in the Huangfeng Valley market.
(End of this chapter)