Chapter 1: Whose Top-Tier Immortal Technique Is Called the Water Heart Scripture?
Ten Li Slope.
In front of an old mountain temple.
"Master… is this really the mountain gate of the world's number one Immortal Sect?"
A young maiden with long black hair tied by a red ribbon looked up at the dilapidated temple, her expression hesitant and doubtful.
The young man in a worn-out Daoist robe turned back to face the newly deceived disciple he had worked so hard to recruit.
Chu Xingchen's handsome face showed a trace of a lofty demeanor as he said, "A mountain is not famed for its height, but for the immortals who dwell upon it."
"You are still young. Do not be deceived by appearances."
The girl in a pink flowing dress suddenly revealed a look of enlightenment.
"I understand now, Master! There must be a hidden world inside, right?!"
"I read in the Chronicles of Cultivator Qishan that behind a broken door lies a palace of gold and jade!"
Li Yingling, her face full of excitement, ran forward and pushed open the creaking door that let in the wind.
Her eyes gleamed with anticipation of the hidden splendor within.
But what she saw instead was...
A half-destroyed statue, cobwebs still hanging uncleaned from the beams above.
The old offering table had been moved before a cracked wooden board, seemingly repurposed as a desk.
One corner of the table was broken, propped up with a rock.
Nearby, a crude stone stove had been built, with a small iron pot sitting atop it.
Li Yingling felt it was nothing more than an abandoned shrine with a broken statue inside.
It even looked like a beggar's dwelling!
Chu Xingchen also stepped inside the temple, his expression calm and unembarrassed as he said, "Stop reading those stories written by ordinary people. They'll rot your mind."
"Later, I'll take down a wooden plank from the statue's side to make you a bed. The temple's big enough—you can sleep wherever you like."
Li Yingling's vision went dark as she timidly asked, "Master… cultivation isn't supposed to be like this, is it?"
Chu Xingchen declared solemnly, "Cultivation! Is exactly like this!"
Li Yingling whispered, "But aren't other Immortal Sects all resplendent, with palaces suspended atop lofty peaks that reach the clouds?"
"Have you seen them with your own eyes, or merely heard others speak of them?"
"They're written like that… in storybooks."
"You know they're just storybooks. Nowadays, cultivation is not about grandeur—if one can attain immortality, that alone is true cultivation."
Chu Xingchen emphasized, "What do those ordinary folk know of cultivation? Do they understand that the Great Dao is found in simplicity?"
Li Yingling murmured weakly, "But… but this is far too simple…"
"Enough nonsense. Are you cultivating or not?"
"…I am."
Chu Xingchen sat upon the wooden board, coughed lightly, and smiled faintly. "Then hurry up and bow to your master."
Li Yingling hesitated, her steps reluctant.
But there was no turning back now.
If she returned home, her father would marry her off to the foolish second son of Minister Wang's family.
That idiot needed to be fed every meal.
And whenever he saw a woman on the street, he would babble nonsense.
A shabby temple was still better than feeding a fool.
Li Yingling knelt down, striking her head to the ground with a loud thud.
"Master above, your disciple Li Yingling pays her respects!"
[Newbie Task Completed: Recruit One Disciple.]
[Reward Granted: Flawless Golden Core!]
[Scanning Disciple Li Yingling—Innate Root: Single Attribute Water Spiritual Root.]
[Teaching Material Granted.]
[Supreme Lunar True Mystical Water Heart Scripture.]
[Item Delivered to Inventory.]
Chu Xingchen's heart instantly filled with delight.
Three years—three long years—and he had finally succeeded in recruiting one system-approved disciple with sufficient innate aptitude!
The system required that a disciple possess the potential for immortality before they could be recognized as eligible for recruitment.
Isn't that requirement absurd? For a cultivation seedling, the minimum qualification is a second-grade spiritual root.
Not to mention how exceedingly rare such people are—even if one appeared, they would be treasured by the great sects.
And he, a small cultivator only at the Foundation Establishment stage, where could he possibly find such a "blindly blessed" disciple?
For three whole years, he had hidden and wandered across the Xuanwu Kingdom with his Foundation Establishment cultivation.
Only to finally deceive—cough!
To finally recruit his first disciple!
Chu Xingchen glanced at Li Yingling through the system panel.
[First Disciple: Li Yingling]
[Realm: None]
[Golden Trait: Cultivation Genius]
[Purple Trait: Great Fortune]
[Blue Trait: Beauty]
Although this girl was somewhat using him as a shield, and although she had become his disciple only to avoid marriage with the minister's foolish son—just look at those traits! How could he possibly refuse?
The reason he chose to live in this broken temple was to lay low.
Within thirty li of Ten Li Slope, there was no sign of human life. It had taken him great effort to find even this ruined temple.
Otherwise, who would ever choose to live here?
He had planned for three whole days just to bring Li Yingling safely out.
At last, the novice task was complete!
As the completion sound echoed, a surge of heaven and earth spiritual energy poured into his body, and his cultivation rose rapidly.
A golden core slowly condensed within his dantian.
Li Yingling, as a single spiritual root genius, was naturally sensitive to fluctuations in spiritual energy.
Although she had yet to begin cultivation, she could still sense Chu Xingchen's aura abruptly ascending a level.
"Master… what's happening to you?"
Chu Xingchen replied casually, "Your master is simply too overjoyed at accepting such a wonderful disciple. I accidentally let a bit of my suppressed power leak out."
"Alright, no need to kneel anymore. You may rise."
Li Yingling nodded in understanding and stood up, then asked curiously, "Where are the other disciples? Since this is the number one sect in Xuanwu Kingdom, Master must have many disciples, right? Where are they?"
"For now, it's just you."
Li Yingling froze. "Ah? Master, you…"
Chu Xingchen said calmly, "Your master follows the elite path—only accepting fated seedlings, never random trash."
"And this sect can still be called the number one sect in Xuanwu Kingdom?"
"When your master alone can sweep through the entire Xuanwu Kingdom, why shouldn't it be called the number one sect?"
It's over. Mother was right—handsome men are all liars!
If Li Yingling hadn't seen Chu Xingchen genuinely defy the minister's family for her, she would have sworn she'd run into either a conman or a lunatic.
"Master… please don't deceive me."
Chu Xingchen immediately retrieved a book from the system backpack—the Supreme Lunar True Mystical Water Heart Scripture.
An old, yellowed, crumpled book appeared in his hand.
The characters for "Supreme Lunar Mystical" on the cover were completely blurred and illegible.
Fortunately, the remaining three words were still perfectly clear.
He tossed the book toward Li Yingling.
"Cultivate this one. Once you do, you'll know whether your master lied to you."
Hearing her master's confident tone, it must surely be some top-tier cultivation technique!
Li Yingling looked delightedly at the book cover.
Most of the words were unreadable.
Only three remained.
Li Yingling read aloud in disbelief, "Water Heart Scripture?!"
Then she shot her master a look of utter doubt.
What kind of top-tier immortal technique is called Water Heart Scripture?
This is way too plain! The cover's already half illegible—what if the contents are just as messy?
Could it be something her master picked up from a roadside stall?
Wouldn't cultivating it risk going mad or exploding?
In storybooks, every supreme cultivation method exuded a majestic aura, glowing with divine light!
This shabby little book, if thrown onto the street, would probably be used as toilet paper!
Li Yingling stared at the tattered book in her hands and asked softly, "Master… can we maybe change to another one?"