Chapter 18 - Chapter 18: Imparting Cultivation Techniques

" This child seems to have already reached the mid-stage Innate Realm," Zhang Mengyuan said, eyeing Qingchan uncertainly."Seventh Uncle is right—Qingchan reached the Fourth Layer of the Innate Realm a few days ago. She's been intelligent since childhood and learned to read and write years ago, laying a solid foundation. As soon as she arrived here, I began teaching her to cultivate. The foundational technique I chose is the Primordial Unity True Technique," Zhang Zhixuan explained."So she's only been cultivating for less than eight months. The spiritual energy here is thin—though the Innate Realm doesn't require refining spiritual energy, it still needs some immortal cultivation resources. Progress here is slightly slower than on the mountain. Advancing to the Fourth Layer of the Innate Realm in eight months… this little girl is not yet ten years old. At this pace, she must be at least a Three-Spiritual-Root cultivator," Zhang Menglong said, stroking his white beard with delight.Discovering another cultivator with good spiritual roots excited the elderly Zhang Menglong. Little Qingchan had lost her mother at birth; her father had been too busy with official duties to teach her to read or write. Though Liu Hushan wasn't illiterate, he had little education and had never taught Qingchan anything. For the first half-year after arriving here, Qingchan had focused solely on reading and writing—she had actually only been cultivating for less than a month. Moreover, she was still a child with an immature temperament, spending half her time playing."Qingchan is getting older and approaching the age to learn true immortal cultivation techniques. I hope the clan elders will allow me to teach her the clan's cultivation techniques," Zhang Zhixuan said, seizing the opportunity to speak now that three clan elders were present.According to the clan's rules, clan cultivation techniques are not to be taught to outsiders. Every clan cultivator swears a Nether Blood Oath when learning the techniques. Immortal cultivators take such oaths extremely seriously—they rarely break them, lest karmic retribution cause them to die when the oath is fulfilled. Only cultivators who join the clan can access the clan's immortal cultivation resources.Typically, external cultivators join the clan through marriage. After all, the Zhang Clan is an immortal cultivation force bound by blood—assimilating others usually relies on this method. For cultivators who join through marriage, the clan treats them equally, distributing immortal cultivation resources according to strict rules.For example, little Qingchan would be considered an outsider unless she married a clan cultivator—thus, she could not access the clan's core resources. All mortals in Lushan County begin practicing the Primordial Unity True Technique at the age of twelve. Those who progress quickly are usually found to have spiritual roots. Once a mortal with spiritual roots is discovered, Lushan County Magistrate Zhang Menggong notifies the mountain gate. If they are Zhang Clan members, they are brought directly to the mountain. If they are from other surnames, the clan selects a suitable cultivator from the same generation for them to marry—integrating them into the clan. Those who refuse to marry into the Zhang Clan cannot enter the mountain to cultivate and will be secretly monitored by county cultivators until they leave Lushan County."Since you discovered this child, let her be your Dao Companion. Would you be willing?" Law Enforcement Elder Zhang Mengchong asked, glancing at the others.Zhang Zhixuan was over forty in mental age (counting his past life) and well-versed in worldly affairs. He cared little about formalities as long as Qingchan could learn the techniques. Moreover, the clan's rules were not solely about arranging marriages—they aimed to help cultivators integrate into the clan, fostering a sense of identity."Qingchan is still young. As long as we provide her with resources and treat her well, her heart will remain with the clan. Why cling to formalities?" Zhang Mengyuan disagreed."Little girl is a female cultivator—she will most likely marry in the future. If she marries someone else, won't the clan's years of investment in her cultivation be wasted?" Zhang Menglong argued, disagreeing with his seventh brother."Rest assured, Thirteenth Uncle. When Qingchan comes of age, I will take her as my Dao Companion. Please allow me to teach her the clan's cultivation techniques," Zhang Zhixuan interrupted the elders' debate.Teaching clan techniques to outsiders required the approval of at least three elders, followed by a report to Elder Zhang Mengling, who held administrative authority, and registration in the clan genealogy.Immortal cultivation requires four essentials: Resources (not just Spirit Stones, but all immortal cultivation resources—Spiritual Pills, magical artifacts, spiritual talismans, formations, etc.), Companions (not just dual-cultivation partners, but relatives, friends, fellow disciples, and teachers who support each other), Techniques (immortal cultivation manuals—developed through centuries of practice by elder cultivators; rarely shared except with close relatives and friends), and Land (spiritual veins for cultivation—without them, immortal cultivators can barely advance).Lacking any of these four essentials makes the path of immortal cultivation extremely difficult. For new cultivators, who lack the ability to deduce techniques on their own, the absence of cultivation techniques is an insurmountable barrier—unless they are as fortunate as Zhang Tairen, the Zhang Clan's founding ancestor, who discovered a loose cultivator's cave abode and obtained cultivation techniques.Zhang Zhixuan cultivates quickly and has a good chance of Foundation Establishment—his status within the clan is growing increasingly important, surpassing that of some Meng-generation cultivators. Little Qingchan was discovered and taught by Zhang Zhixuan; her father was an official of Lushan County. Such a well-backgrounded cultivator is the best "fresh blood" for the clan. Even if Zhang Zhixuan had not agreed to take her as his Dao Companion, the clan would have found a way to marry her into the clan when she grew up.Unless the clan discovered Qingchan was a Heavenly Spiritual Root cultivator—in which case they would trade her to the Qingxuan Sect for immortal cultivation resources. After all, Qingchan is not of Zhang Clan blood—the clan would not invest heavily in her.For now, unaware that Qingchan might be a Heavenly Spiritual Root cultivator, the three elders readily agreed to Zhang Zhixuan's request, registering Qingchan as his future Dao Companion in the clan genealogy.