Seeing Chu Xuan slowly open his eyes, with a complex expression, Master Fuyun continued, "It seems you have realized it as well."
"Your previous master, although personally destroyed your cultivation, ultimately did not cut off your path to the great Dao."
"In my view, his intentions are not entirely irretrievable."
"Now you still have a chance to regret. If you truly take me as your master and become a disciple of the Daoist Palace, it may be difficult to return to your original sect in the future."
Without thinking, Chu Xuan shook his head and said, "Once a teacher, a father for life, I have no regrets."
"Alright then." Master Fuyun did not persuade further.
"I have carefully examined your internal injuries; with that trace of immortal energy, returning to Foundation Establishment is only a matter of time."
"If slow, it could take ten years, if fast, just three to five years."
"The cultivation technique you practice is quite unique; in this old Taoist's eyes, it is also a technique directly pointing to the Dao, no less than my Daoist Palace's 'Eternal Green Lotus Technique.'
"Do you know the methods of subsequent cultivation? Have you ever read through the entire scripture?"
Chu Xuan nodded silently. Back then, Ji Mingyu had withheld nothing from him; the entire 'Jade Capital Secrets' was already in his mind.
"So do you plan to continue practicing the original cultivation technique, or switch to the 'Cyan Lotus Technique'?"
"This decision needs to be made early, while your Dao foundation is shattered and not fully restored, it is the perfect time to switch."
"If you wait until the Dao foundation is restored, you will have to endure more suffering, and by the Golden Core Stage, switching will be almost impossible."
"I..." Chu Xuan hesitated, looking up at Master Fuyun, hoping to leave the decision to his master.
But Master Fuyun shook his head, looking at him with trusting eyes.
Chu Xuan closed his eyes, pondering bitterly.
He had no attachment to the 'Jade Capital Secrets.' Logically, since he had joined the Cyan Lotus Daoist Palace, switching should be the right thing to do; in the future, he would have guidance from his masters and plenty of scriptures to refer to.
But the role of that trace of immortal energy was even more incredible than Chu Xuan imagined. Even with his body half-destroyed, it could help him repair it little by little.
Moreover, these days he often fasted for nearly half a month without food or drink yet survived. Presumably, it was also supporting his life, preventing him from dying.
This trace of immortal energy and the original cultivation body complemented each other. If he switched to the 'Cyan Lotus Technique,' it might not have the same effect as before.
In the end, if Chu Xuan decided to sever all ties with Ji Mingyu and never meet again, he could ask the master teacher to extract the immortal energy, store it, and return it to the Langhuan Grotto Heaven, leaving both to walk their own paths.
But Chu Xuan couldn't do it. He still wanted to become stronger, return to Langhuan Grotto Heaven, and confront Ji Mingyu directly, expressing that he shouldn't have been treated this way; it wasn't his fault.
The world says to let go, but how could he let go of all this so easily? If Chu Xuan could let go, he wouldn't have suffered so much pain before.
So in the end, he opened his eyes, looked at the master teacher, and slightly shook his head.
"I'll continue practicing the original cultivation technique, please forgive me, Master.
Master Fuyun leisurely stroked his beard and said, "What is there to forgive? However, this way, I can only guide you on some basic cultivation issues and might not provide detailed guidance."
Chu Xuan nodded, "I chose this for myself, and I will bear all the consequences."
"Alright, next, you should temporarily focus on restoring your cultivation body."
Master Fuyun said, taking a scripture from his robe and handing it to Chu Xuan.
It was a 'Huangting Scripture,' commonly found in mortal Daoist temples, not some secret of immortality.
"Take this scripture, read it regularly, it will help you calm your mind and speed up your recovery."
When Chu Xuan was in Langhuan Grotto Heaven, he had already thoroughly read this scripture, but he still treasured it and accepted it with gratitude.
Afterwards, Master Fuyun cheerfully introduced Qin Mengyao: "This is your senior sister. Originally, I chose her as my successor and closed-door disciple."
"But with your arrival, I broke my promise, and you became the closed-door disciple instead. I wonder if your senior sister might secretly be annoyed with her master?"
Qin Mengyao rarely showed a little feminine side in front of people, saying, "Master, you jest too much. How could I be angry? I'm more than happy to have a junior brother."
"Alright, alright, it's my mistake." Master Fuyun seemed to be fond of this disciple.
"Your junior brother just joined, and he doesn't know much about our sect's circumstances. Please, help relieve Master by taking him around for a few days to familiarize himself with the sect."
"When Master is busy or in seclusion, as the elder sister, older and with higher cultivation, you must help resolve your junior brother's doubts."
Qin Mengyao feigned displeasure, "Oh, so that's why Master is taking in another disciple, wanting me to guide him."
"No rush, no rush," Master Fuyun stroked his beard, "It's mainly for me to guide him, it's just that your grandmaster recently..."
Before finishing, he coughed, and Qin Mengyao understood, smilingly covered her mouth.
She laughed and said, "Alright, since I'm the senior sister, it's only right to take care of the junior brother."
Saying this, she turned her head to Chu Xuan, "But I still have to cultivate and practice my sword. Please forgive me if I'm neglectful."
Chu Xuan, of course, agreed. He couldn't let his senior sister delay her cultivation because of him.
After Master Fuyun gave a few more instructions, Qin Mengyao nodded to the master and took her junior brother away.
As they left the hall, Qin Mengyao felt a little embarrassed since, as the senior sister, she usually presented a very steady and reliable image to her peers.
Only in front of the Master, who was like a father, would she show a more feminine side, and now it was seen by someone unfamiliar.
But she thought about it; it was just a junior brother, nothing too significant. She would treat him as a younger brother.
Actually, in the past few days, the news about the master taking in a new disciple had already spread widely within the sect.
Many people knew that Chu Xuan had once had a master, but for some reason, he was abolished in cultivation and expelled from the sect.
This was not spread by a particular master but by a disciple guarding the mountain gate who overheard bits and pieces from the elders.
He was a thief before joining the sect, full of slang, kindhearted, but couldn't keep secrets.
At first, he mysteriously told a friend, "I'll tell you a secret, don't tell anyone else."
But within three days, the disciples in the palace basically knew about it.
This was normal since Cyan Lotus Daoist Palace always had few people, with a few hundred including servants in this generation.
The disciples were usually bored with their cultivation, so any fresh gossip spread quickly.
However, the sect's long-standing traditions meant that, although many young disciples were curious about what unforgivable things Chu Xuan might have done before, no one dared to bother or question him. Bullying wasn't a thing here either.
Although they were curious, everyone knew it wasn't good to reveal another's scars, so they all pretended not to know. Discussions, if any, were held secretly to avoid being scolded by their masters.