For ten days in a row, Lin Donglai behaved himself, but he grew closer to the Dragon Girl. After all, she was truly capable when needed, had a powerful background, and was a wealthy woman.
During this time, he went to see Jin Geyue once, warned her, and changed the profit-sharing method for the Dragon Yin Gourd to a 253 split, with Jin Geyue receiving 20%, and Lin Donglai receiving 50% and the Dragon Girl 30%.
Jin Geyue knew she was in the wrong, and although she was annoyed, she understood that this business was indeed not one she should dabble in.
Through this incident, Lin Donglai learned that Wanxian City was actually modeled after Donghai City, and that the Donghai Dragon Palace also had properties in Wanxian City. The most prosperous street, [Donghai Street], was one of the Donghai Dragon Palace's properties.
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The East Sea Dragon Girl, considered the "young master" of this street, was somewhat interested in earning spirit stones with the Dragon Blood Gourd, and even in the lotus platform business of the Green Lotus.
However, the Green Lotus had little to do with her, and Lin Donglai had already signed a contract with Jin Geyue. If she wanted to join, she could only buy out her share from Lin Donglai and Jin Geyue by spending spirit stones.
In the end, the East Sea Dragon Girl bought 25% from Jin Geyue and 25% from Lin Donglai, buying 50% of the dragon's share, giving Lin Donglai and Jin Geyue a total of 4000 high-grade spirit stones.
Lin Donglai received 2000 high-grade spirit stones, which is 240,000 mid-grade spirit stones and 28.8 million low-grade spirit stones.
Although the lotus platform business is a long-term endeavor, expanding it requires effort and time. Lin Donglai isn't short-sighted, but the 2000 high-grade spirit stones he received are enough to purchase items like the [Heavenly Gang Purple Jade] and the third-tier [Yin Soul Wood], which are considered Purple Mansion spiritual treasures, with a surplus.
Moreover, Lin Donglai possesses the [Treasure Trove of Gold and Treasures], a Xin Metal divine ability that allows him to earn 1 low-grade spirit stone's worth of interest daily for every 10,000 low-grade spirit stones he deposits.
With this extra 2000 high-grade spirit stones in savings, he can basically be considered financially free in Wanxian City. His money generates more money daily, earning him 24 mid-grade spirit stones, equivalent to 2880 low-grade spirit stones, totaling 86,400 low-grade spirit stones per month and over 1.03 million low-grade spirit stones per year… It's like earning a million-dollar annual salary without doing anything, and without having to pay Wanxian City's taxes.
Lin Donglai had previously used this Xin Metal Divine Power primarily for its escalating applications, such as selling himself into slavery for valuable contracts, or using the "Life-Buying Technique" to sign contracts with others and acquire them as "golden slaves" in a "money-burning pit," who could even become "debt collectors" after death.
As for "Treasury of Myriad Treasures," the part that constructs the "Five Directions Treasury" was hardly ever used. After all, this thing was only useful for controlling the finances of a sect or running a business or market, with a constant flow of wealth. Lin Donglai, a farmer, couldn't possibly not earn any interest from it.
This thing is a Xin Metal Divine Power, not a Jia Wood or Yi Wood Divine Power, so it can't consider the Ganoderma lucidum that Lin Donglai grows as wealth. Only various spiritual metals and ores, pills, precious magical artifacts, and talismans are included, but these are difficult to value. They only assist in cultivating "Treasury of Myriad Treasures," which can be transferred to other people's magical treasures.
To obtain the interest from the Five Directions Treasury, the only currently available resources are spirit stones, specifically low-grade, mid-grade, and high-grade spirit stones.
However, Lin Donglai is a heavy spender of spirit stones, constantly expending them. Since he mastered this divine ability in the late Qi Refining stage, this was the day it was most effective. After all, two thousand high-grade spirit stones are no small sum; even ordinary Purple Mansion True Persons might not have that many readily available high-grade spirit stones.
Fortunately, the Jianmu spirit root could suppress his fortune; otherwise, the wealth and treasures brought by these spirit stones would have caused Lin Donglai trouble in no time.
As for Jin Geyue, upon seeing these high-grade spirit stones, she was immediately greedy. This amount of spirit stones could allow her to set up another fully-owned magic weapon factory, and she immediately became even more obsequious to the East Sea Dragon Girl than to Lin Donglai.
For the Dragon Girl of the East Sea, four thousand high-grade spirit stones was a significant financial blow, considering her monthly allowance was only one hundred thousand mid-grade spirit stones—equivalent to more than two months' worth of spending money. However
, she believed Lin Donglai could cultivate the ancient lotus seed to the third tier. Once it reached the third tier, he could refine it into a third-tier lotus platform. If it could also provide support, allowing peak Foundation Establishment cultivators to experience the Purple Mansion perspective, each lotus platform could likely sell for thousands of high-grade spirit stones.
For the East Sea Dragon Clan, this was an innate sense of wealth, and she didn't feel it was a loss at all. Whether investing in the lotus platform business or in Lin Donglai himself, it was a continuous cycle of wealth.
It could be said that the Dragon Girl was the reincarnation of an ancient water god in her previous life, and her wealth flowed like water. In her previous life, she also held some authority over the God of Wealth, being the so-called Northern Benevolent Wealth Dragon God.
Lin Donglai was unaware of the Dragon Girl's immense wealth; otherwise, he certainly wouldn't have been so easily overwhelmed by 2,000 high-grade spirit stones, losing all sense of direction.
However, having such a large sum of spirit stones on hand, waking up each day to count them was indeed a satisfying feeling. The treasury even calculated interest using compound interest, with daily settlements. With just a slight awareness of his supernatural abilities, he could know how much interest he would earn that day.
Cultivating the so-called [Wealth, Companion, Earth] method, Lin Donglai sighed, regretting that if he had known this supernatural power was so effective, he should have worked harder to earn spirit stones and fill his treasury, attracting wealth from all directions.
This treasury only accepted virtuous wealth; the black market activities Lin Donglai previously engaged in were not considered virtuous wealth, so even a large sum of spirit stones couldn't be added to the treasury. This was why Lin Donglai hadn't experienced this supernatural power earlier.
Of course, with such a large sum of spirit stones generating wealth daily, Lin Donglai didn't become lazy, nor did he forget his mission.
That day, Lin Donglai was discussing the upgrading of the Purple Qi Pill industry with the auspicious and wishful jade maidens of the Purple Qi Pill Shop. Now that the Purple Qi Lower-Level Academy enrolls 500 students annually, their scale of Purple Qi extraction and refinement will certainly be larger than before. In the future, more people will use Purple Qi to build inferior Dao foundations, allowing the Purple Qi Pill Shop to refine even more Purple Qi Pills.
Purple Qi Pills can assist in breaking through bottlenecks, ranging from low-grade to high-grade second-tier pills. They are expensive, but have advantages: they don't deplete one's own resources, don't leave behind pill toxins, and can even prolong life and preserve vitality. They are highly sought after in Wanxian City. The only drawback is the extremely low production volume.
The auspicious and wishful jade maidens only have two goddesses, so production is unlikely to increase. Furthermore, if production increases, will the price drop? Or will they attract more covetous spirit stones? The Green Wood Sect is located far away and cannot reach this area; they rely solely on incense offerings and timely tax payments to operate in Wanxian City.
Therefore, even if more cultivators practice the Purple Qi Technique, the production of Purple Qi Pills will not increase as expected.
This is unless there are new Jade Goddess Generals and new pill furnaces.
Lin Donglai said, "Among those who came to Wanxian City this time is Senior Brother Xu Changchun. Although he can't refine pills all the time and has to work hard to cultivate and reach the Purple Mansion realm as soon as possible, I can work with Senior Brother Xu Changchun to research the method of tree pills at the Natural Academy. Once Senior Brother Xu's pill refining skills reach the second-tier top grade, he can directly obtain the Natural Academy's graduation certificate and enter the research institute."
"I will study spiritual plants, and he will study pill refining. Together, we will research a kind of Purple Qi Pill Tree. As long as we irrigate it with collected purple qi, it can bear pill fruits. In this way, we can assist the two of you in refining pills and save a lot of time." "
The most important thing is to increase the Qi."
"Increase the Qi for Peak Master Jinxia's breakthrough, and increase the Qi for True Person Chanxia's breakthrough."
"The development of the Green Wood Sect is probably already stagnant. The failure of the Azure Dragon Tiancang's breakthrough is already a great loss. Peak Master Jinxia must not fail. It will only be two or three years since the Peak Master went into seclusion, at the latest seven or eight years, before the Peak Master begins to break through to the Purple Mansion realm. We need to accumulate more Qi."
"A secondary academy is one thing, and the Tree Elixir Method is another."
The two jade maidens, Jixiang and Ruyi, both agreed. "But with seven or eight years to go, can you really research the Purple Qi Elixir Tree?"
"Senior Brother Xu possesses the power of creation; it shouldn't be difficult!"
In fact, Lin Donglai also planned to gift Xu Changchun an ancient lotus seed of the Creation Green Lotus. With his [Creation Profound], he could surely refine this ancient lotus seed in his alchemy furnace, just like refining willow branches. It would be a Fire Seed Green Lotus, activating the Creation Profoundness of this ancient lotus seed, truly bringing this Creation Spiritual Plant back to life in reality.
Just then, the token vibrated. Lin Donglai looked and saw that Senior Brother Xu Changchun and the others had arrived outside Wanxian City, where the third-tier flying ship was parked. They dared not wander off and were waiting for Lin Donglai to pick them up.
Immediately, Lin Donglai left and called for Xiao Linzhen to run errands. Outside
Wanxian
City, Diao Douguang's face was gloomy, and Xu Changchun's expression was also somewhat complicated. Their journey hadn't been as carefree as Lin Donglai's and Jinxia Peak Master's; their mindsets were different.
Besides Diao Douguang, among the older generation was Lin Donglai's master, Wu Dexu, and the true disciples included Xiao Linzhi and Han Fangyuan. There were also seven or eight core disciples, all at the Qi Refining stage, with the potential to reach the Upper Foundation Establishment stage.
Although True Person Chanxia had told them that this trip to Wanxian City was for business, not for preserving the flame, they were still somewhat worried about being sent there again after Tiancang Qingjiao's failed breakthrough.
Moreover, True Person Chanxia hadn't given them many spirit stones, so they had been frugal throughout the journey, not daring to sell pills or spiritual plants casually, lest they be discovered as disciples of the Qingmu Sect.
The cost of a single high-grade spirit stone per person for the final third-tier flying ship made them grit their teeth, and even several Qi Refining disciples trembled, feeling it wasn't worth spending so many spirit stones for a single Qi Refining disciple.
Now, outside Wanxian City, seeing the hawkers and brokers everywhere, charging 100 spirit stones for a basic guide, made them even more envious.
Diao Douguang was thinking even more. He knew that Lin Donglai was there to pick him up, but Lin Donglai was his nemesis.
Fortunately, his disciple had a good relationship with Lin Donglai.
As for Wu Dexu, he could only hope: "My disciple is good at business; he probably won't do too badly in Wanxian City… It's just that we're bringing our families along, so many people; will it be too much pressure for him to do it all by himself in the early stages…?"
Lin Dong arrived outside Wanxian City and immediately saw the group from the Qingmu Sect: two elders, three true disciples, and seven core Qi Refining disciples, a total of twelve people.
Although
they possessed extraordinary auras, for some reason, they appeared somewhat downcast. Only Han Fangyuan had a strong sword intent, as if the recent journey had only brought him minor hardships.
He immediately went over.
Wu Dexu and Lin Donglai were master and disciple, and had the strongest karmic connection. They saw Lin Donglai first, but were somewhat hesitant to recognize him. This was because
Lin Donglai was full of vigor, his robes were all of the second-tier top quality, and he exuded the magnanimity of a great immortal, even possessing the air of a superior.
It was like a poor relative or elder from the countryside seeing a young official from the city.
"Master, Elder Diao, Senior Brother Xu, Senior Brother Han, Little Linzhi!"
Lin Donglai greeted them warmly, feeling as if he were meeting old friends in a foreign land. "You've worked hard these past few days."
Lin Donglai actually wanted to ask about the situation within the Qingmu Sect, but this was clearly not the right place.
"Disciple, you've made it big! That robe looks very expensive." Wu Dexu spoke with familiarity and warmth.
"I'm now a mid-level researcher at the Natural Academy Research Institute. This robe was a gift from a familiar fellow Daoist."
He then turned to Xu Changchun and said, "Senior Brother, it's been a long time. How have you been?"
Xu Changchun's cultivation was still at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage. This was the result of Lin Donglai cultivating a mid-grade second-tier Five Elements Fruit Tree, which he used to refine pills and gather Qi, allowing him to break through.
Afterward, he had been studying cultivation realms and refining pills within the sect. Without Lin Donglai, he had lost a compatible fellow Daoist and a partner who could readily provide various spiritual herbs to assist in pill refining.
Seeing Lin Donglai's late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation, she was half envious and half sighing, "Junior Brother, arriving in Wanxian City is like a dragon swimming in the ocean."
"How can I be considered a dragon?" Lin Donglai sighed, "Everyone, come with me to register first. I've already rented a cave dwelling in advance. We'll talk about it in detail later."
Then he took Xiao Linzhi's hand, "Why did the sect send you here too? What will happen to my Ganlu Peak after you leave?"
"Currently, Senior Sister Huang Yue and Senior Brother Xiao Chen are helping to take care of it."
Lin Donglai nodded, then asked, "What about Junior Sister Sang Qiao and Uncle-Master Li Hanshan?" "
Although the Azure Dragon of the Heavenly Azure Flood failed to break through and merged with the Qingjiang River veins, the spiritual energy it created allowed Uncle-Master Li Hanshan to break through to the peak of Foundation Establishment and construct his second foundation [Leaping Dragon Gate]. He is currently managing and building the Qingjiang Water Mansion."
"I see! Not a bit wasted after all..." Lin Donglai, upon hearing that Li Hanshan had broken through to the peak of Foundation Establishment, remembered that Li Hanshan also possessed a superior foundation called [Dragon Transformation Pool], and cultivated the [Mountain-Chasing Dragon-Shaking Scripture], a specialized geomancer technique requiring the aid of earth veins and dragons.
Even Sang Qiao's foundation, [Qiulong Pearl], involved cultivating the path of dragon transformation in a human body.
He had once said that if the Heavenly Azure Dragon reached the third rank, he would gain immense benefits. Now, seeing the Heavenly Azure Dragon die, he too would gain benefits, perhaps even more...
The Qingjiang River area that transformed a Heavenly Azure Dragon was undoubtedly a [Dragon Vein], sufficient to construct a [Dragon Transformation Pool] in the Water Mansion, and establish three hurdles along the way to create [Leaping the Dragon Gate].
In this light, it's like a cicada; the cicada dies, falls to the ground and transforms into seeds, growing into the Cicada Flower.
The Heavenly Azure Dragon died and transformed... but Li Hanshan gained more opportunities to achieve the Purple Mansion realm.
These countless failures were the soil from which success was born and nurtured.
So… was Master Chanxia also considering the failure of Peak Master Jinxia, and thus sent Senior Brother Diao Douguang and Senior Brother Xu Changchun to receive his legacy?
Xiao Linzhen arrived quickly and rented a flying boat for them. Although the flight was slow, it allowed them to leisurely tour Wanxian City.
Lin Donglai gave a brief overview of the situation in Wanxian City, such as prices.
"Isn't it necessary to obtain spirit stones everywhere here? Where do all these spirit stones come from? How many spirit stone mines would we have to mine?"
Lin Donglai didn't know where so many spirit stones came from. Perhaps the blessed land itself could continuously produce spirit stones, or perhaps it was a spiritual root of heaven and earth, like the Jianmu tree, drawing spiritual energy from the void, or some other method.
"Ordinary early-stage Qi Refining cultivators can only find apprenticeship jobs here, earning a few hundred low-grade spirit stones a month."
"Mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators can earn a little over a thousand, less than two thousand." "
Late-stage Qi Refining cultivators can earn around three thousand low-grade spirit stones a month." "
Graduates from advanced academies can make around five thousand spirit stones, only graduates from the eight major academies and the Natural Academy can earn over ten thousand a month."
"Like me, as a mid-level researcher, my basic monthly salary is two high-grade spirit stones and 600 mid-grade spirit stones."
"My good disciple, you've really struck it rich! In the Green Wood Sect, as an elder, my monthly salary is only 40 mid-grade spirit stones! Here, it's practically equivalent to a Qi Refining cultivator."
"There's no way around it. The various academies and institutions here have nerfed their cultivation techniques as a price, allowing most ordinary people a chance at inferior Foundation Establishment, lowering the cost of Foundation Establishment. That's why it's much more competitive than the Green Wood Sect."
"Almost everyone here knows first-tier skills. As for second-tier skills, even low-grade second-tier skills are just barely passing grades for the eight major academies and the Natural Academy."
"The cultivation system here is completely different from that of sects. At least in a sect, you have an entire spiritual vein and herb garden to use, and many resources are free… Here, everything has to be converted into spirit stones… therefore, you can't just arbitrarily use your monthly salary to calculate it."
"Master Lin, after all this time, where is Peak Master Jinxia?" Diao Douguang asked.
"He went into seclusion three years ago, on that Azure Sky Wutong tree!"
Lin Donglai shook his head, pointing to the towering tree in the center of Wanxian City.
Diao Douguang sighed, "It's a pity I can't see him."
He then said, "We've also brought two Six Ding Jade Goddess Generals, crafted by a True Immortal. They're made from the souls of alchemists from the White Sun Sect and can assist in refining Purple Qi Pills. The True Immortal has instructed Elder Lin and Xu Changchun to carefully manage the Purple Qi Pill shop."
"True Disciple Lin, will you take us to see the Purple Qi Pill shop later?"
Lin Donglai, after hearing this, seemed thoughtful. "Alright."
However, he still offered a few reminders: "In Ten Thousand Immortals City, not all alchemists can sell pills. You need to obtain an alchemist's license first. Elder Diao and Senior Brother Xu can take the exam when they have time."
The flying boat quickly arrived at the place where Lin Donglai rented cave dwellings. This place belonged to the Dragon Maiden's family and she gave Lin Donglai a 50% discount, making it more reliable than Jin Geyue's.
However, these were all second-tier cave dwellings; first-tier cave dwellings needed to be found elsewhere, so Lin Donglai was too lazy to bother.
Lin Donglai directly rented five second-tier high-grade cave dwellings and seven second-tier low-grade cave dwellings separately for these core Qi Refining disciples to live in.
With stable cave dwellings, the group immediately relaxed, except for Wu Dexu, who kept nagging, "Those Qi Refining disciples can squeeze into one cave dwelling with two or three people, why did you each open one? You've only been in Wanxian City for a few years, how can you afford such extravagance?"
Lin Donglai certainly wouldn't mention that he had just earned two thousand high-grade spirit stones, and these twelve cave dwellings were only half price.
Lin Donglai rented them for six months at once, second-tier high-grade cave dwellings. Out of respect for the Dragon Girl, the cave dwelling brokers here even gave each of them a set of warning formations as a gift.
The original price of a high-grade cave dwelling was 8,000 low-grade spirit stones per month, while a low-grade cave dwelling only cost 3,000 low-grade spirit stones per month. After the half price, it was 4,000 and 1,500 respectively.
After explaining things to each of them, Lin Donglai said, "Stay here for the next six months, but try to study as much as possible and adapt to the pace of life in Wanxian City."
Among them, the person Lin Donglai was least familiar with was Han Fangyuan. This Han Fangyuan could fight across levels and even into Foundation Establishment during the Qi Refining stage. After reaching Foundation Establishment, he single-handedly took on all the sword cultivators from surrounding forces.
Moreover, Han Fangyuan was a pure combat disciple and a protector disciple; Lin Donglai didn't know how to arrange things for him, or whether he would be willing to go to the Heavenly Sword Academy.
"When I came here to learn my skills, Master Chanxia gave me a token. When my Qingmu Sect signed the Natural Covenant, we could send one student to study here every sixty years, or a cycle of sixty years."
"Now I've used up this quota. If you want to enter the Natural Academy again, you must take the grand examination." "
However, the grand examination here has an age limit, generally for teenagers between fifteen or sixteen and their early twenties."
"Senior Brother Xu, you can only try to get a professional alchemy qualification certificate first. Ideally, you should pass the exam to become a second-tier high-grade alchemist in one go. Then I'll find a way to get you a student status, participate in the graduation exam, and finally join the Natural Academy Research Institute."
"Little Linzhi, you're probably still young enough. You can directly register and take the exam to enter the Natural Academy. Other core disciples can also take the exam if they can and learn what they want."
"As for Master, you can come and help at my research institute."
"Elder Diao will go to the Purple Qi Pill Shop to help."
"Senior Brother Han, what skills have you mastered?"
"Sword forging,"
Han Fangyuan said succinctly.
Sword forging belongs to the weapon crafting profession, but it leans towards sword cultivation.
"While the sword cultivation program at the Natural Academy is quite good, it's more suited to Senior Brother than the Heavenly Sword Academy. The Natural Academy is also more research-oriented, while the Heavenly Sword Academy allows for honing of sword intent,"
Han Fangyuan said. "Cultivation is the same wherever you are, but the Master instructed me to try to stay at the Natural Academy."
Lin Donglai nodded in agreement: "Alright, then let's find a way to get a second-tier weapon-refining qualification certificate. I'll try to get Senior Brother a place in the academy too."
Lin Donglai then went on to talk about the Zixia Lower Academy: "I was quite busy before and couldn't spare the time to manage this matter. Now that Elder Diao has arrived, and he specializes in this type of cultivation, I can finally give them more guidance. This year's Ten Thousand Schools Joint Examination is crucial; the teachers hired from outside are generally of average ability, so I'm afraid it will be difficult to achieve a good ranking."
"If we achieve a good ranking this time, we can be promoted to a mid-level academy. As for a higher-level academy, it must be run by a Purple Mansion True Person. If Peak Master Jinxia achieves Purple Mansion status, then we can essentially establish a Purple Mansion branch sect in Ten Thousand Immortals City, which will also bring good fortune to True Person Chanxia's pursuit of gold."
Lin Donglai had long known that Diao Douguang had burned his own destiny to support Xu Changchun.
But now he had no intention of killing him. The reason was simple: their perspectives had changed.
If he killed him, he would inevitably become estranged from Xu Changchun sooner or later. This old fellow was also old, almost two hundred years old, and had no hope of reaching the Purple Mansion realm in this lifetime.
He was probably here to pave the way for Xu Changchun. Diao Douguang also saw that Lin Donglai was no longer the same as before. This was no longer the Green Wood Sect. People could switch to other sects at any time, but those who still cared about the Green Wood Sect, besides sharing the same destiny, probably truly considered the Green Wood Sect their home. After all, he had come up the mountain to learn martial arts in his teens and had stayed in the sect for more than forty years.
"I will take the matter of Zixia Academy to heart," Diao Douguang said. "This matter is indeed important. We were willing but unable to do so before, but now we really need to manage it properly."
Afterwards, the group spoke privately in the cave: "The Supreme Elder has already verified the fourth Dao Foundation. After the fourth Dao Foundation, only one of the Five Elements is missing."
"Furthermore, if he doesn't seek the Golden Core, the Supreme Elder's lifespan is also nearing its end, and he will soon undergo a tribulation. Although he has fragments of a blessed land, allowing him to cultivate again in his second life, it will take at least thirty years to recover his cultivation." "
Moreover, the opportunities for cultivation in the second life may not be the same as in the first, and much of his experience will be useless. Therefore, the True Person plans to remove obstacles within the next twenty or thirty years."
Upon hearing this, Lin Donglai felt the news was a mix of truth and falsehood. Such secrets were definitely not something he could know, even as a true disciple.
Lin Donglai even suspected that True Person Chanxia might be among these people, secretly having come to Wanxian City to break through to the Golden Core stage.
But no matter what, he couldn't find out.
"Whether Peak Master Jinxia can successfully break through to the Purple Mansion realm directly affects the fate of a True Person."
Diao Douguang looked into Lin Donglai's eyes and said, "True Disciple Lin came here with Peak Master Jinxia. Do you know what the Peak Master's success rate is?"
Lin Donglai didn't know how to answer. If it was as True Person Ziguang said, then there was no chance at all, and he would basically die.
But Lin Donglai always felt that there might be a turning point, so he kept working hard, including setting up a second-tier top-grade feng shui layout for his cave, setting up longevity altars for the ancestors of the Green Wood Sect, praying and wishing them well, and establishing the Purple Cloud Academy.
"That's hard to say. I only know that the Peak Master exchanged for a third-tier Heavenly Gang Purple Jade,
and that cave dwelling is a third-tier mid-grade one. He's rented it for a total of thirty years." "That Purple Mansion True Person who has a past with the Supreme Elder once said that there would be signs of a breakthrough to the Purple Mansion realm within ten years at most. Now, Peak Master Jinxia has been in seclusion for more than four years, so we should see the results in five or six years at most."
"Is that so?" Diao Guangdou roughly understood the situation and sighed, "Then we'll see when the time comes."
Lin Donglai then asked about the situation of True Person Qingqu of Tianxi Sect.
"True Person Qingqu has been engaged in educational activities recently, and is almost openly hostile to Baigu Temple. He advocates upholding righteousness and eliminating evil. Now, under the jurisdiction of Tianxi Sect, there are many academies and Confucian scholars..."
Upon hearing this, Lin Donglai knew that True Person Qingqu was still trying to erode Baigu Temple's fortunes after he left.
He nodded immediately and then asked about True Person Tianchou.
With Master Tianchou stationed at the Qingmu Sect, he has nearly two hundred years left to live if he doesn't leave. This time, they came with a third-tier talisman, hoping he could bring back [Nirvana Fire] from the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
Even if it's not fourth-tier Nirvana Fire, a third-tier talisman with the meaning of Nirvana, or the Nirvana ash left behind after the Phoenix's Nirvana, as long as it carries the true meaning of Nirvana, will suffice.
Lin Donglai's [Feathered Incarnation] is almost complete, but it's best not to reveal his opportunity, and Master Tianchou certainly can't seek gold in this life.
Lin Donglai's long-term plan is to wait for this cultivator to undergo a second reincarnation.
But all of this depends on Master Chanxia successfully achieving his Golden Core.
The situation at the Qingmu Sect isn't great, but it's not as bad as Lin Donglai initially anticipated.
At least there are contingency plans; if the Azure Dragon of the Heavenly Azure Sea dies, there's still Mount Li Han.
Lin Donglai recalled what the Five Elements Demon Sect had said: the Crimson Flame Sect was a branch of the Five Elements Sect's fire vein... If that were true, the Green Wood Sect and the Crimson Flame Sect would be enough to wipe out the Bai family of Taiyuan.
Thinking about it carefully, the Green Wood Sect did seem to have few conflicts with the Crimson Flame Sect.
After talking with Diao Douguang, Lin Donglai then spoke with Xu Changchun.
Their main topic was discussing the [Tree Elixir Method].
"Senior brother, you've come at the right time. I obtained an ancient lotus seed in the academy. After several examinations and tests, it's likely a Creation Green Lotus Seed left over from the ancient divine era."
"Once awakened, this lotus seed will be at least a third-tier spiritual plant, with boundless wonders. Apart from your divine foundation, senior brother, no one else can assist me in nurturing it." "
Moreover, if this lotus seed is truly a third-tier Creation Green Lotus, it should be able to assist you in refining a third-tier Lesser Rejuvenation Pill."
Upon hearing about the Creation Green Lotus Seed, Xu Changchun immediately stood up: "Junior brother, is what you say true?"
"It should be correct."
Lin Donglai was confident about this: "If it is truly a third-tier Creation Green Lotus, both of us are confident in reaching the Purple Mansion realm."
"The power of the Creation Lotus lies in its lotus root, which has the ability to regenerate the physical body and transform the core into a pill. It can enable mortals to transcend into immortals and transform the soul into a Yin spirit. Ordinary people who fail to break through to the Purple
Mansion realm will die. However, if it can be used to refine pills, it has the power to mend the heavens and create a new world, reversing the decline and giving them a second chance." Xu Changchun, who had early exposure to the sect's pill formula inheritance, naturally knew what the Creation Lotus was. Even at only the third rank, it was still a rare and precious natural treasure. If it could reach the fourth rank, it could even suppress the treasures of blessed lands and grotto-heavens, coveted and fought over by Golden Core True Monarchs.
In terms of rarity, it was no less than the Five Elements Fruit Tree, and even Nascent Soul Dao Lords might value it.
"If we can cultivate such a third-rank spiritual plant, then not only will our status as senior researchers in the Natural Academy be secure, but even if we pile up resources, True Monarchs and Dao Lords will help us reach the Purple Mansion realm."
"Showcasing your own value, being noticed by those in power, and then receiving an investment—whether it's spirit stones, resources, or even a stroke of luck—that's the right approach,"
Xu Changchun nodded. "This kind of spiritual plant will only be available to me when I reach the peak of Foundation Establishment and begin cultivating my second foundation." "
However, your business acumen is indeed sound. If we want to establish ourselves in Ten Thousand Immortals City, we need to demonstrate something beyond our own value,"
Lin Donglai echoed. "Exactly. The sect nurtured us in the past, and now it's our turn to give back. We should just do what we can with a clear conscience."
"Before arriving at Wanxian City, Peak Master Jinxia said that the Tree Pill Method was the most suitable pill method for the Qingmu Sect, and that I must study it thoroughly. However, my pill-making skills are only so-so, and I only know a little bit of water-based pill refining. Now that Senior Brother has arrived, in addition to studying the Creation Green Lotus Seed, we can also apply for a Tree Pill Method research project and allocate some funds to the research lab."
Lin Donglai said softly, "As long as we start a project, we will have at least a million low-grade spirit stones in funding!"
Xu Changchun immediately understood. No wonder Lin Donglai was doing so well here. He should also try to get into the Natural Academy Research Institute as soon as possible.
"Senior Brother's cultivation also needs to break through as soon as possible."
"It's been in the next few years. I originally planned to go into seclusion to break through before I set off, but I was summoned by the True Person. Now that I'm here, I have to finish all the certificates you mentioned before I can talk about breaking through. If I want to break through, I'll need to go into seclusion for at least a year or two."
"Alright." Lin Donglai took off the ring in his hand and handed it to Xu Changchun. He then took out about two thousand mid-grade spirit stones from it: "These were given to me by Peak Master Jinxia before, along with some other items. In this storage ring, Peak Master used all the high-grade spirit stones for his breakthrough. I added some mid-grade spirit stones myself. Senior Brother, you can use them. Spirit stones are needed everywhere in Wanxian City, but it's not convenient to ask me all the time. I can't be all-encompassing, so you can only rely on yourselves to figure it out."
Xu Changchun looked at the ring from Peak Master Jinxia and then at the spirit stones. Finally, he sighed: "Then I'll accept them for now. Just one thing, Junior Brother, if you have any problems, just discuss them with me directly. To be honest, I've basically come to rely on you now."
"It's not really about seeking refuge. I only came here to learn because I received a True Person's token, and that's how I got these opportunities and good fortune. Since I started cultivating, the Green Wood Sect has always been my guide. This is a debt of gratitude
for their teachings. What are these compared to that?" Lin Donglai said this half sincerely, and half because he felt that Xu Changchun must have some mark left by True Person Chanxia, or some treasure secretly monitoring him. He wanted to say these things to these True Persons of the Purple Mansion, to reassure them.
To be honest, it was one thing for True Person Chanxia to send Xu Changchun, but sending Diao Douguang as well was clearly a way to keep him in check. Of course, to prevent him from overthinking, sending Wu Dexu and Xiao Linzhi as well was another consideration—hoping to use lineage to bind him.
Lin Donglai was basically certain that True Person Chanxia had a general understanding of his situation. If Zizai Xin hadn't had any problems, then there was probably only one person communicating with True Person Chanxia: True
Person Ziguang.
True Person Ziguang had previously explicitly asked Lin Donglai to join her sect; he wondered if this was a test.
The two cultivate the same technique… there must be something fishy going on. One is Ziyang and Zixia, the other Ziguang and Zixing.
Lin Donglai even considered the absurd idea that Ziguang Zhenren was actually Chanxia Zhenren, but upon closer reflection, it was highly unlikely.
He even considered that Ziguang Zhenren was the true form, and Chanxia Zhenren was merely a transformed guardian marshal of the so-called [Third-Order Golden Cloud Marshal] Purple Mansion level. After all, it was said that this Golden Cloud Marshal would protect the two of them into the City of Ten Thousand Immortals, but he hadn't seen him yet… whether he had been taken away by Ziguang Zhenren, Lin Donglai didn't know.
Of course, Lin Donglai also ruled out this idea.
Having ruled out these possibilities, then they must be either siblings or Daoist partners.
In any case, Lin Donglai felt that these two
definitely had a story. Even if there wasn't a story now, there would definitely be one in the future. (Recommendation: A friend's book, "Rewriting Myths, I
Have Countless Identities," is mentioned.) Awakening from a dream, Zhang Sanyuan finds himself in this bizarre and wondrous world, immediately trapped in a "virtual realm," becoming prey for demons and facing imminent death. Fortunately, he obtains a celestial book, granting him the ability to impersonate all spirits, stealing their causes and taking their consequences. From then on, he embarks on a path drastically different from ordinary cultivators. In *The Calabash Prelude*, he is the most majestic man behind the Golden Snake Lady, the original waterer of the seven-colored gourd. In *The Legend of Baolian*, he replaces the scholar surnamed Liu, marrying the Third Holy Mother. Facing a sky full of heavenly soldiers, he laughs heartily and splits the heavens with a single sword strike. In *The Monkey King's Journey to the West*, he is the Monkey King's most trusted elder brother, the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, joining him on a journey across the eight-hundred-mile Lion Camel Ridge to the sacred mountain, solely to seek justice for the common people. So many more. Along the way, unknowingly, his figure has been deeply etched into mythology. Years later, the mythology is revived, and old friends reunite. Zhang Sanyuan suddenly realizes that everything he experienced in the "Virtual Realm" was not an illusion... — [Mythological Modification] + [Acting]
Having revealed the Purple Mansion Technique to Xu Changchun, Lin Donglai avoided further disputes. He returned the gifts given to him by Peak Master Jinxia without much qualms.
After speaking with Diao Douguang, Lin Donglai pulled Wu Dexu and Xiao Linzhi aside for a private talk.
Although he had just learned about the sect's situation from Diao Douguang and the others, Lin Donglai still wanted to ask them about the sect's current state, as these two were truly connected to his own interests.
[At this point, I hope readers will remember our domain name: Taiwan Novel Network → ᴛᴡᴋᴀɴ.ᴄᴏᴍ]
Wood Xu shook his head directly: "The situation within the sect is not optimistic. Liu Yuanhong from the Taiyuan Bai family is also showing signs of advancing to the third rank and achieving the Purple Mansion Spiritual Cultivation. Moreover, the Taiyuan Bai family is nominally affiliated with the Natural Alliance, but they have pledged allegiance to the Heavenly Sword Sect." "
The Heavenly Sword Sect is counting on the Taiyuan Bai family to counterbalance our Green Wood Sect. Although the Crimson Flame Sect has been very low-key these days, they have taken in some remnants of the White Sun Sect. They are said to have inherited a portion of the Crimson Sun Dao lineage from the original Pure Sun Sect, and they are probably also secretly causing trouble."
"Putting aside other things, recently, our Qingmu Sect disciples who went down the mountain for training have encountered more enemy attacks and been robbed in various markets,"
Wu Dexu said. "Now, many internal affairs disciples have started practicing combat techniques, so they don't have as much energy to focus on internal affairs, which has led to some stagnation in development."
Wu Dexu has learned a lot from Song Tianrui, the Grand Elder of the Outer Sect's Immortal Affairs Hall, and has also truly participated in the governance of the outer sect disciples, so he can sense some subtle changes.
The environment is much worse than when Lin Donglai was there. At least back then, internal affairs disciples like Lin Donglai didn't need to worry about safety, at least within the Qingmu Sect's jurisdiction.
As for the Chiyan Sect causing trouble, Lin Donglai remained skeptical.
"After all, True Person Chanxia possesses a blessed land. That blessed land has been almost completely repaired and is beginning to undergo profound changes under the blessing of True Person Chanxia's golden nature. It is said that it has already begun to nurture a third-tier spiritual object."
"I think True Person Chanxia is still confident in achieving the Golden Core stage."
Lin Donglai thought to himself: "He is still too ignorant. If he had entered the Primordial Blessed Land, he would know that this fifty-mile-wide fragment of the blessed land is only the size of a bullet. Even if it can be barely supported, it would only be with the help of a Purple Mansion True Person. It is said to be of the fourth tier, but without the core of the blessed land and without the suppression of a True Monarch, what kind of blessed land is it?"
The more Lin Donglai cultivated, the more he understood what that blessed land was really like. Those spiritual fields at most reached the third tier.
Moreover, that blessed land is not independent of the void, but is connected to the earth veins. The third-tier low-grade spiritual vein of Misty Mountain is clearly dragging down the blessed land. If it were a third-tier high-grade spiritual vein, it might really have some changes.
However, the essence of this blessed land is still quite good, and its various mysteries are not lacking; it's just that it requires a massive investment of resources to manage.
Currently, the sect seems to be planning to support a cultivator at the Purple Mansion level with the [Qionglin Qingyu Baoshu Miaojue] to oversee the blessed land and manage its operation.
But it's definitely not Chanxia Zhenren merging with the blessed land to cultivate a Golden Core True Monarch Dao Fruit. Firstly, cultivating a Golden Core True Monarch Dao Fruit is not so easy, and secondly, Chanxia Zhenren's ambitions would certainly not be limited to merely merging with this fragment of a blessed land.
Lin Donglai can shamelessly say that if the Tiger Mountain Cauldron is refined to the third level, it might have more uses than that fragment of a blessed land; at least as an external avatar, Lin Hushen could very well become a Yin God avatar, an eighth-grade deity.
The fragments of the blessed land are useful, but not as useful as one might imagine. These things belong to the sect's foundation; they can be used to cultivate spiritual herbs, suppress the sect's destiny, protect disciples during their tribulations, and absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth… but based on current perception, it's difficult to directly achieve the Golden Core stage.
Lin Donglai's guess is that these blessed land fragments can only enhance the rank of True Person Chanxia, assisting him in comprehending the Dao Foundation and condensing his golden nature.
Lin Donglai certainly wouldn't tell Wu Dexu this, but instead asked Xiao Linzhi, "What happened to your natal spiritual plant after you came here? Wasn't it said that it couldn't be too far away?"
Xiao Linzhi replied, "The True Man took a branch from my natal spiritual plant, the Six Pure Bamboos, and refined it into a bamboo branch magic artifact. It's currently kept in a jade bottle and carried with me." "
The True Man instructed me to come here to learn the method for advancing the Six Pure Bamboos to the third level. It would be best to discuss it with you, Uncle, and also to upload the already perfected Purple Mansion Cultivation Method [Qionglin Azure Jade Treasure Tree Wonderful Technique] to the Natural Academy in exchange for Daoist cultivation."
"If the Pure Bamboo advances to the third rank, my chances of reaching the Purple Mansion level will naturally increase by 20%."
Upon hearing this, Lin Donglai nodded in agreement: "This is a far-sighted plan by the True Person, with multiple preparations and well-organized actions. Every move is quite meaningful."
The Six Pure Bamboo was Zhou Huaying's natal spiritual plant in her previous life. Initially, it was only a second-rank high-grade plant. When she died, she comprehended the true meaning of [Humble World] before her passing, thus elevating the Six Pure Bamboo to a second-rank high-grade plant. It was inherited by the reincarnation of Xiao Linzhi, which not only enabled her to cultivate extremely quickly but also gave her an extra foundation, allowing her to cultivate a superior Dao foundation.
However, in Lin Donglai's view, passing this technique on to the Natural Alliance and obtaining the Dao technique was indeed a last resort for True Person Chanxia, as it was one of the Green Wood Sect's most treasured techniques.
However, this kind of wood-element technique, especially when perfected to the Purple Mansion level, was originally part of the [Vast Void World Elixir Scripture], and it is still extremely valuable for research.
Lin Donglai even recalled that a part of his family's long-sealed Foundation Establishment technique, "Like a Gentleman," was part of this alchemical scripture. It had been extracted from the mouth of the Holy Demon and directly attracted the attention of True Person Chanxia. It was likely that this part of the foundation supplemented the True Person's "Qionglin Qingyu Baoshu Miaojue" (Jade Tree Wonderful Technique).
Since it was to be uploaded to the Natural Alliance, Lin Donglai naturally wanted to take a look first.
He saw three foundations: "Qingyu Zhi" (Jade Branch), "Xu Xin Shi" (Humble World), and "Ding Qingshan" (Stabilizing Green Mountain). There was no "Like a Gentleman."
All three foundations possessed the cultivation methods of superior foundations and had various conditions for predicting supernatural powers. However, there was only one requirement: they had to be planted with "Pine, Bamboo, and Cypress." These three friends of winter were his natal spiritual plants, which could be used for cultivation, especially "Bamboo."
In other words, it had not broken free from the constraints of the "Bamboo Sage Alchemical Scripture" of the Bamboo Mountain Sect, and belonged to another type of interpretation similar to the "Ten Thousand Bamboo Sword Scripture" of the Bamboo Mountain Lower Academy.
This wood-based cultivation method is compatible with pine and cypress wood, one of the six types of wood. While the compatibility with Lin Donglai's willow wood isn't particularly high, the wood-elemental cultivation techniques it contains are still beneficial to Lin Donglai.
He had seen the original Qionglin Qingyu Treasure Tree Secret Technique for Foundation Establishment level cultivators when he was an elder transmitting skills, but it was far less refined than this one.
He recorded it and passed it on to the Bodhi Tree and the Wisdom Tree's knowledge and wisdom reserves, then returned it to Xiao Linzhi: "True Master, you are truly talented! This cultivation method is extremely refined, even possessing the potential to cultivate a trace of the metal element."
Lin Donglai was never stingy with praise, and then said to Xiao Linzhi: "From now on, you will study in my research room. I will get you a student status at a mid-level academy. You can use that student status to take the entrance exam for the Natural Academy. The two skills you are currently learning—Tree Elixir Method and Spirit Plant Method—can both be developed within the Natural Alliance."
"Master, I'm afraid it will be difficult for you to pursue further studies, but you can obtain some certificates. I'll hire you to come to my research lab to help some students with their research. You won't lack spirit stones or cave dwellings. Even the Ochre Ape has become an assistant instructor for body refining and monkey wine instructors in the academy, earning more than 10,000 low-grade spirit stones a month, plus plenty of spirit fruits and grains to eat."
Wu Dexu scratched his forehead: "I'm benefiting from your help!"
However, he did not refuse: "I'll listen to you. I have no hope of reaching the Purple Mansion realm in this life, and I will definitely have to undergo a tribulation like Zhou Huaying. Learning more skills now can also serve as a foundation for my next life."
Lin Donglai had just given Xu Changchun 2,000 mid-grade spirit stones, as well as the ring given by Peak Master Jinxia, and the supplies originally purchased for the sect. Now, he would not be stingy with a master and a nephew. He immediately gave each of them 1,000 mid-grade spirit stones, and gave them a total of 120,000 low-grade spirit stones that he could not spend.
Then he gave some of his unwanted items to the two men.
...
Finally, he gave some to Han Fangyuan, whom Lin Donglai didn't know well. However, instead of giving him spirit stones, he gave him some second-tier spirit gold he had collected at the Yuxian Sect. These were all second-tier high-grade and second-tier top-grade materials. Lin Donglai only kept the third-tier spirit gold, the Sun Geng Gold.
Sure enough, when Han Fangyuan saw the spirit gold, his previously indifferent expression changed immediately: "Star Iron! Meteorite Gold!"
He estimated that with some spirit herbs, this spirit gold, used for sword cleansing, would be enough to refine his natal flying sword again, raising its quality by one level.
He followed the path of breaking through all laws with a single sword. He possessed nothing but his natal flying sword and a flying sword he used daily. His natal flying sword was rarely drawn and was constantly nurtured. The higher the grade of his natal flying sword, the more it could help him break through his cultivation. His commonly used flying sword was also excellent. It was a second-grade top-quality flying sword bestowed by a True Person, which could help him hone his sword heart and sword intent.
"Thank you so much, Junior Brother Lin," Han Fangyuan said. "If you ever need my help, just let me know. I can't speak for other things, but I'm unbeatable in a fight."
Lin Donglai replied, "While there are sword cultivators in the Natural Academy, they mostly use magic sword techniques. You'll only be listening to the same old stuff once you enroll. However, the True Immortal has his reasons for not letting you go to the Heavenly Sword Academy. But if you want real combat experience, I do have a recommendation for you." "
In Ten Thousand Immortals City, there's a sword-fighting arena, just like the Heavenly Sword Sect's. It's a place for creating gods. If you can make a name for yourself, you might even get investment from the Flying Sword Factory."
"I think you're quite suitable."
"Also, there's a demon cave in the underground world that I've cleared out. I plan to open a local market there and need someone to keep it in check, someone to deter demonic and evil cultivators. If you're willing, Senior Brother, I can directly support your cultivation." "
Then I'll go to the arena first and make a name for myself. Then I'll help you suppress the market."
"Good, Senior Brother truly possesses the heart of a sword cultivator." Lin Donglai said directly, "If you need any spiritual herbs to cleanse your flying sword, just tell me. If you need any spirit metal materials, contact this person with your token and have them procure them for you."
Lin Donglai deliberately spent time and spirit stones to gather these resources, ensuring they would become his allies. These things were not worth wasting; at least they would be imbued with a layer of [Virtue and Benefit]. Without reaching the Purple Mansion realm, they wouldn't be able to comprehend this karmic connection.
Even after reaching the Purple Mansion realm, they would need to find a way to repay the karmic debt. Furthermore, if Lin Donglai reached the Purple Mansion realm before them, this [Virtue and Benefit] would only snowball.
Next, Lin Donglai spoke with the seven core disciples. They were inner disciples, one each specializing in alchemy, weapon crafting, talisman arrays, spiritual plants, geomancy, and puppetry. They were all around twenty years old, with considerable talent, considered geniuses within the sect. They had basically mastered first-tier top-grade techniques, and their cultivation had all reached the late Qi Refining stage.
These seven were the seven most outstanding disciples produced during the period of greatest fortune for the Qingmu Sect after the destruction of the Baiyang Sect.
Looking at them, Lin Donglai couldn't help but think of his other seven friends from Lingtian Valley. Unfortunately, none of them had the chance to attain the Great Dao; only Nie Caixia had the opportunity to obtain a lower-level Dao Foundation, and now she was suppressing the market in Hengxia Market, also managing the Yin Fu Rice.
The seven were named: Jiang Mingchen (Dan), Liu Yuzhen (Weapon), Fu Tingyue (Talisman), Xu Tangong (Array), Jiang Hanren (Spirit Plant), Zhang Zhenfa (Earth Master), and Ruan Guoping (Puppet).
These seven also needed Lin Donglai's help with their school enrollment, but they were generally older than the middle school students in Wanxian City, comparable to students in higher education institutions or various academies.
The task given to them by the True Person was to pass the entrance exam for the Natural Academy; if they couldn't pass the Natural Academy, they would try for the higher education institutions under the Natural Academy, and complete their Foundation Establishment in Wanxian City.
Lin Donglai had some ideas about these seven people: "The seven of you shouldn't enroll in any other schools. Wait until I upgrade Zixia Academy from a lower-level academy to an intermediate-level academy, then you can take the grand exam as graduates of the intermediate-level academy." "
For the next six months, I'll enroll you in an exam preparation class each, and you can study for half a year."
Lin Donglai remembered that Si Yujie hadn't graduated yet, and the Natural Palace's academy had connections with various tutoring centers outside, allowing for 20% discounts on enrollment. Lin Donglai trusted their professional level.
Previously, Lin Donglai had considered making a living as an exam instructor, but due to a series of coincidences, he gained the foundation of the Lotus Platform business, and also became involved with the Dragon Girl. Moreover, the exam preparation industry was already quite mature, so Lin Donglai gave up on that idea.
Now, with these younger members of the Green Wood Sect, Lin Donglai had many ideas. He planned to have Han Fangyuan suppress the underground market and set up exam preparation institutions there, which could be considered a gray industry.
This place has been thoroughly cleaned by the Dragon Girl, making it very "clean." Lin Donglai can even drag the Dragon Girl into this mess, so he's not afraid of any other Purple Mansion True Persons coming to question him. Anyway, he's already paid his taxes, so it won't affect the core interests of the Immortal City.
Seeing Lin Donglai's generosity and willingness to take on so much, the seven were overjoyed. They had been quite apprehensive arriving in this unfamiliar land of the Immortal Capital. Although they were in their twenties, aside from their cultivation time, their experience was like that of fifteen or sixteen-year-olds, and even their appearances were youthful, their eyes revealing innocence: "We will follow your arrangements, True Disciple!"
Lin Donglai gave them some spirit stones as pocket money, a token of his appreciation for their virtue. He remarked, "Does True Person Chanxia know that I am isolated and helpless in Ten Thousand Immortals City, with no one to rely on? Did he specially send these disciples for me to manage?"
Lin Donglai observed that these seven individuals possessed abundant potential, with no obstacles to Foundation Establishment, at least reaching the intermediate level of Dao Foundation. If they were lucky and had sufficient comprehension, they might even have the potential for the advanced level of Dao Foundation, especially Jiang Mingchen, who, judging from his demeanor, was already a second Senior Brother Xu Changchun.