Spring Return Valley was originally an ancient lineage of the 【Purple Palace Golden Core】, cultivating 【Yimu Wood】.
Later, they lost their 【Qi Gathering Technique】, leaving them unable to harvest the spiritual energy of heaven and earth belonging to the path of 【Yimu Wood】, rendering them incapable of ingesting Qi to enter the Dao.
In merely two or three generations, their Dao lineage died out, reducing them to a sacred land of the mortal martial world that made a living by refining medicine.
Valley Master Hua Mingcheng, at the late stage of Embryonic Breathing, was an Innate Grandmaster famed throughout the mortal martial world as the 【Dual Supreme of Poison and Medicine】.
To nurture a Qi Refining cultivator as quickly as possible, Daoist Wu had drawn upon the spiritual energy of Huang Province regardless of the consequences.
Spring Return Valley, which relied on growing herbs and refining pills for its livelihood, suffered an unwarranted disaster and heavy losses.
Now, Mount Taixuan had shut down its grand formation, and the spiritual energy of Huang Province was reviving.
Furthermore, people had witnessed several immortal masters of Mount Taixuan heading north down the mountain one after another.
Even Little Immortal Master Siyue had appeared.
Only Immortal Master Chengxuan was nowhere to be seen.
Anyone could tell that a great upheaval had occurred on Mount Taixuan.
Many lived in constant fear and anxiety.
Hua Mingcheng was shrewd and calculating, bringing his most outstanding junior up Mount Taixuan at the first opportunity to gain an early advantage.
Looking at the two before him, Li Chengxuan smiled faintly.
Years ago, when Daoist Wu evaluated the various lineages under Mount Taixuan's rule, he had mentioned Spring Return Valley.
"Spring Return Valley cultivates 【Yimu Wood】. Even in ancient times, it was an exceedingly formidable lineage, unmatched in growing herbs, refining pills, treating injuries, and healing illnesses."
"It's just that cultivators of 【Yimu Wood】 are mostly soft-framed, most adept at bowing low and acting humble."
"After all, the most famous imagery of 【Yimu Wood】 is a 【fence-sitter grass】!"
He wondered where Daoist Wu and Little Siyue had reached by now.
Returning to the Central Continent from Nanya required passing through the Chaotic Star Sea, a journey fraught with dangers.
"Rise."
Li Chengxuan turned and walked into the General Affairs Hall, sitting in the main seat, and instructed the anxious duo, "Sit."
Hua Mingcheng had inquired about Li Chengxuan's style of doing things, so he dared not disobey and sat down, saying cautiously, "Today, heavenly and earthly spiritual light shimmered, and three spiritual flowers in our valley actually bloomed out of season."
"This humble one guessed that something marvelous must have happened on the mountain, causing spiritual energy to overflow and bestow blessings upon the five commanderies."
"Therefore, I specifically brought the spiritual flowers to offer my congratulations to the Immortal Master."
Hearing this, Li Chengxuan's smile deepened.
So he had come to offer auspicious omens.
Three flowers, exactly matching his rank among the disciples of Mount Taixuan—he had certainly put thought into this.
Tracing back a few generations, Spring Return Valley had indeed produced Qi Refining cultivators.
Li Chengxuan did not bother to hide anything either, speaking directly: "I already know your intentions."
"My master has returned to his homeland in the Central Continent."
"My senior brother and senior sister have also gone out separately to seek their own opportunities."
"From now on, Mount Taixuan will be under my charge."
Hua Mingcheng's face lit up with surprise and joy. Standing up to bow once more, he said, "Congratulations to Immortal Master Li on taking charge of Mount Taixuan! May your fortune flourish and your Dao remain ever green!"
Li Chengxuan shook his head and laughed softly.
Although Mount Taixuan was destitute in the extreme, with its Dao lineage nearly at risk of ending,
in the eyes of the mortals of Huang Province, Mount Taixuan was the heaven of Huang Province!
Hua Mingcheng said cautiously, "The Immortal Master concentrates on cultivation in pursuit of longevity, but the general affairs on the mountain cannot be left unattended. Although this worthless junior of mine is somewhat slow, she is grounded and hardworking."
"If the Immortal Master does not mind, she may be left on the mountain to serve at your side."
Hua Chunning had received her grandfather's instructions before coming, so she said nothing and simply knelt on the ground.
Li Chengxuan let out a long sigh.
This Hua Chunning had a graceful figure and exceptional beauty, surely worthy of the title of the world's most beautiful woman in the mortal martial world.
She appeared clever, sharp, and full of quick wits.
This old Daoist Hua sending her up the mountain was likely plotting something grand.
Did he want to nurture another cultivator to revive Spring Return Valley's lineage of 【Yimu Wood】?
It was only after so many of the Hua family died that 【Spring Return Valley】 managed to break away from the cultivation world and take root in the mortal world.
Were they truly going to step onto a dead-end road once again?!
The General Affairs Hall was dead silent.
Li Chengxuan swept two fingers across his eyes, looked at Hua Chunning, and shook his head, saying plainly, "She has fine talent, but her air of aura is thin, and she possesses no destiny. She cannot cultivate the 【Purple Palace Golden Core Dao】."
Hua Mingcheng's face turned pale as he muttered, "In the end, it still won't do?"
Hua Chunning's body trembled, her head lowering even further.
Thoughts swirled in Li Chengxuan's mind.
The inheritance of the 【Purple Palace Golden Core Dao】 was ancient.
It was just that it was becoming harder and harder to cultivate nowadays.
Take the three disciples of Mount Taixuan's current generation.
The eldest disciple, Qi Yuntian, was the last successor of the 【Cangming Sect】—a premier immortal sect that had once produced immortals and dominated an entire province.
The second disciple, Luo Qingqing, was a child of destiny bearing ancient noble bloodlines.
Li Chengxuan was an exceedingly rare transmigrator, born 【Beyond Calculation】.
In comparison, the slight air of 【Spreading Green Grass, Wisteria Coiling Trees】 upon Hua Chunning was so shallow it was hardly worth mentioning.
"Forget it."
"Leave the flowers, and leave her as well."
Li Chengxuan shook his head without further explanation and instructed, "Mount Taixuan will seal its gates to cultivate. Let the common people rest and recover."
Overjoyed at these words, Hua Mingcheng bowed down once again to give thanks.
Though his hopes of nurturing his granddaughter's cultivation were shattered,
becoming someone close to the Sect Master Immortal Master of Mount Taixuan was still a wish fulfilled.
A Qi Refining cultivator had a natural lifespan of one hundred and twenty years.
In other words, for the next hundred years, Immortal Master Chengxuan would be the heaven of Huang Province!
...
With Old Daoist Hua taking the lead, the martial sacred lands, prominent figures of the underworld, royal families, and noble clans of Huang Province came one after another to Mount Taixuan to offer gifts and pay their respects.
Having no time to bother with them, Li Chengxuan simply had Hua Chunning handle and dismiss them.
It was not until three days later that a deacon from the Immortal Alliance arrived.
Li Chengxuan was forced to receive him in person.
In the General Affairs Hall.
The Immortal Alliance deacon, Xue Yang, was also a Qi Refining cultivator. Looking at Li Chengxuan, he sighed with feeling, "Most of the lords in the Immortal Alliance favored Qi Yuntian. Who would have thought that Fellow Daoist Li would overtake him from behind to inherit Mount Taixuan's lineage?"
"As expected of a child of destiny who is 【Beyond Calculation】."
Li Chengxuan's expression remained calm as he shook his head. "For ancient-method cultivators of the 【Purple Palace Golden Core Dao】 like us, entering the Dao means stepping onto a dead end. Others might not know, but could Deacon Xue be unaware?"
"It is only because Master raised me, my senior brother and sister cared for me, and cultivation is my lifelong pursuit that I reluctantly accepted Mount Taixuan's lineage."
Xue Yang nodded silently and offered comfort, "Fellow Daoist need not be overly pessimistic."
"The 【Purple Palace Golden Core Dao】 is indeed difficult to cultivate, but it remains a grand and glorious Dao, and a path still exists."
"Two hundred years ago, there were still 【Foundation Establishment】 cultivators on Mount Taixuan."
"Even now, there are still 【Foundation Establishment】 experts presiding over the Immortal Alliance."
Li Chengxuan smiled and nodded. "Deacon Xue speaks truly."
After casual chatter, Xue Yang turned to official business, his expression turning solemn: "Sect Master Li, passing on the 【Purple Palace Golden Core Dao】 is the Immortal Alliance's top priority."
"Within five years, Mount Taixuan must have a disciple at the 【Embryonic Breathing】 realm!"
"Within ten years, there must be a disciple at the 【mid stage】 of 【Embryonic Breathing】!"
"Within twenty years, someone must reach 【great perfection】 in 【Embryonic Breathing】 and be capable of ingesting Qi to enter the Dao!"
"Otherwise, Fellow Daoist will have to take a trip through the Immortal Alliance's 【Innate Wutu Secret Realm】!"
Li Chengxuan nodded silently.
The 【Calamity of Wutu Earth】 was the most famous punishment in the Immortal Alliance.
Daoist Wu hailed from a Dao Child background of an immortal clan in the Central Continent; he had been wild, untamed, and stubbornly unyielding.
Later, after failing to rebel against the Immortal Alliance, his family and kin were slaughtered.
After enduring three months of the 【Calamity of Wutu Earth】 in the Immortal Alliance, Daoist Wu returned thoroughly terrified like a homeless dog, obeying the Immortal Alliance implicitly and not daring to offer the slightest resistance.
He would even frequently wake from nightmares in the dead of night, wailing and groaning ceaselessly.
Later, when the Immortal Alliance laid a grand formation to drain the spiritual energy of Huang Province's five commanderies to supply Mount Taixuan, nearly wiping out the populace and leaving the fields strewn with bones,
Daoist Wu had not dared to ask a single question.
Xue Yang did not press him excessively, chuckling as he said, "Fellow Daoist Li possesses exceptional talent and extraordinary destiny, so your Dao journey will surely be smooth."
"I wonder though, which spiritual energy of heaven and earth did you refine?!"
The lineage of the 【Purple Palace Golden Core】 stemmed from the Dao of Ingesting Qi and Nurturing Nature.
To enter the Dao, one needed to refine a streak of spiritual energy of heaven and earth.
Li Chengxuan fell silent for a moment before slowly answering, "It was 【Mortal Turbid Qi】."
"So that is how it is."
Xue Yang wore a half-smile, his eyes carrying a deep, meaningful look.
Mount Taixuan truly was destitute to the absolute limit.
The current sect master had actually entered the Dao using the worst option, 【Mortal Turbid Qi】.
...
After seeing Xue Yang off, Li Chengxuan returned to the Ancestral Hall to ponder his future path on the Dao.
Entering the Dao with the worst option, 【Mortal Turbid Qi】, was truly a disastrous start.
According to Dao theory, Li Chengxuan would need to accomplish great feats that reshaped heaven and earth and bestowed blessings upon all the people before he could break through his realm.
Huang Province was sparsely populated to begin with, and having just suffered natural and man-made disasters, nine out of ten houses were deserted.
Even if Li Chengxuan wanted to accomplish something, his heart was willing, but his strength was lacking.
To make matters worse, the threat of the 【Calamity of Wutu Earth】 hung over his head.
"Forget it!"
"It will likely be difficult to make any progress in this world; the hope for my cultivation still lies with Earth."
With a thought, Li Chengxuan connected with the Two-World Bead.
After a bout of dizziness, he unexpectedly heard that familiar voice once more.
"Huh, little brother, how come you're back again?!"
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