The Hua family had been reduced to mortals for nearly a century, and the family's spiritual artifacts had either been sold off or seized.
A few others had fallen into mundane objects due to lacking a cultivator's nourishment for a long time.
This 【Azure Element Fate-Weighing Basin】 was one of the few completely preserved pieces; not only was it a crucial heirloom of the family, but it was also the key to the Hua family regaining their ancestors' former glory.
Hua Mingcheng had intentionally disguised it, displaying it before others as an everyday utensil, and with the artifact concealing its own brilliance, it had barely managed to be preserved.
"This artifact has quite an origin. It is said that three hundred years ago, our Hua family's ancestor asked a friendly 【Clear Water】 Perfected One to forge it together with him."
"【Clear Water】 is rain in the sky and springs on the ground, thus embodying the concept of separating the clear from the turbid."
"Not only can this artifact filter seeds, but its true marvelous function is weighing concept-imagery and fate density."
Hua Mingcheng no longer concealed anything before the junior he valued most, speaking in a low voice, "I have quietly weighed both the direct and collateral descendants of the Hua family, and you alone possess the heaviest fate density."
"Regrettably, with the decline of the Old Method, your concept-imagery and fate density are still quite far from entering the Dao to cultivate."
"First, I went to plead with Qixia Mountain."
"An immortal master named Xue came down from the mountain, took a single look, and left."
"Then I went to plead with Mount Taixuan."
"Unfortunately, I was chased away before I could even see anyone."
"It was not until Immortal Chengxuan took charge of Mount Taixuan that I received the news and immediately brought you over."
"At that time, Immortal Chengxuan had no available people, which allowed you to successfully enter Mount Taixuan's gate."
Hua Chunning was deeply moved hearing this.
She had not expected her grandfather to have quietly made so many plans for her sake.
Hua Chunning had already personally witnessed Mount Taixuan's lofty aloofness.
Qixia Mountain was even the leader of the Immortal Alliance, noble beyond words.
How could a septuagenarian mortal old man like her grandfather possess even an ounce of face in the eyes of the immortal masters of Mount Taixuan and Qixia Mountain?!
Over these past decades, who knew how many insults and cold stares he had endured.
"Fortunately, you did us proud—you not only entered Mount Taixuan's gate, but also became a registered disciple." Hua Mingcheng praised Hua Chunning briefly before adding with a touch of regret, "Regrettably, it is only as a registered disciple, not a formal personal disciple of the sect master."
"Otherwise, you could borrow more of Mount Taixuan's concept-imagery and fate density, and you would not need to worry about insufficient concept-imagery."
Hua Chunning was taken aback upon hearing this, only now realizing that her grandfather sending her to Mount Taixuan also carried the intention of borrowing concept-imagery.
"Not much of this spiritual spring water remains." Hua Mingcheng took a glance, pulled out a shriveled seed, and urged, "Squeeze out a drop of blood from your fingertip."
Hua Chunning did not hesitate, cutting her fingertip to drop blood onto the seed.
The blood stained the seed red.
Hua Mingcheng carefully placed the seed into the 【Azure Element Fate-Weighing Basin】.
Stimulated by the spiritual spring water, the seed plumped up at a rate visible to the naked eye, slowly sinking to the bottom.
"May the ancestors protect us! It is enough, it is enough!" Hua Mingcheng stared with wide eyes, his voice trembling with excitement. "After a hundred years, the Hua family is finally going to produce another cultivator!"
Hua Chunning was also somewhat stunned, filled with surprise and joy, her feelings complex.
Could it be that her previous worries had been groundless?
Her concept-imagery and fate density were actually already sufficient to ingest qi and enter the Dao?!
Just as the grandfather and granddaughter were wild with joy, the moment the seed touched the bottom, it rolled a few times, and surprisingly, a tiny bubble floated out from it.
Immediately after, that seed actually began to float upward slowly.
A moment later, it had already floated to the surface; most of it remained underwater, with only a tiny fraction rising above the water.
"How could this be?! How could this be?!" Hua Mingcheng's face turned pale in an instant, and he cried out in panic, "Off by just a thread! Off by just one breath!"
Hua Chunning was likewise struck like a bolt from the blue, yet she did not feel hopeless like her grandfather. Instead, she felt a sense of relief, as if things had indeed turned out as expected.
Perhaps this was the will of Heaven.
Outside the ancestral hall, a member of the Hua family arrived to report that a middle-aged man accompanied by a little girl had arrived at the foot of Mount Taixuan, seemingly preparing to ascend the mountain.
Since the Hua family was currently stationed at the foot of Mount Taixuan, they already bore the duty of guarding and patrolling, so they had stepped forward to question them.
Unexpectedly, that person actually claimed to be a disciple of Mount Taixuan.
Since it involved an immortal master of the parent sect, the Hua family disciple did not dare act on his own authority and hastily reported it upward.
Hua Chunning forced herself to rally her spirits. Thinking of that rumored personal disciple of the sect master, she asked, "Did you ask his name?!"
The reporting Hua family disciple answered, "The middle-aged man claimed his surname is Liu."
"Surname Liu... that should be him!" Hua Chunning had no time to be depressed or heartbroken over her own severed immortal path; she still had to fulfill her duties as an executive of the General Affairs Hall. She ordered, "Lead the way!"
A moment later, beneath the stone tablet of Mount Taixuan.
With just a single glance, Hua Chunning's heart shook, and she no longer held a single trace of doubt regarding his identity.
Though the little girl was naive and innocent, looking bright and clever, she was still a mortal.
The middle-aged man beside the little girl, however, possessed truly terrifying concept-imagery.
Even someone like Hua Chunning, an Embryonic Breathing mortal who had yet to enter the Dao and cultivate, could actually sense it!
Just standing there, that middle-aged man exuded an oppressive presence as if rivers were overflowing and flooding in all directions. Approaching closer, one could even faintly hear the surging sound of rushing water.
Indeed, only such terrifying concept-imagery was worthy of being the sect master's personal disciple and senior disciple of Mount Taixuan!
Amidst her shock, Hua Chunning felt an even greater bitterness in her heart. She bowed and greeted, "Hua Chunning, executive of the General Affairs Hall and registered disciple of Mount Taixuan, pays respects to Senior Brother Liu!"
"Oh?! Is this Master's newly accepted disciple?!" Liu Zhijian had a very good temper. He sized her up in surprise, not quite sure if she was a fellow countryman from Earth, and nodded with a smile, saying, "Junior Sister Hua, there is no need for formality. Please ascend the mountain with me to pay respects to Master."
"Yes." Hua Chunning naturally dared not be remiss and immediately led the way up the mountain.
Inside the Hua family ancestral hall, Hua Mingcheng, realizing his lifelong plans had ended in complete failure, had originally felt his heart turn to ash. As he forced himself to rally his spirits and prepare to pack away the 【Azure Element Fate-Weighing Basin】 to live out his remaining years, he suddenly froze on the spot, not daring to move an inch.
Inside the 【Azure Element Fate-Weighing Basin】, that seed representing Hua Chunning's concept-imagery and fate density had originally floated to the surface.
Yet, due to some unknown change, the spiritual spring water inside the 【Azure Element Fate-Weighing Basin】 actually moved without wind, sloshing and crashing until it barely managed to swirl up and submerge the seed.
Immediately after, the seed seemed to become saturated with water, gaining a bit more weight, and slowly sank to the very bottom, never rising again!
...
Ancestral Hall.
Li Chengxuan, using the 【Two-World Bead】 to sense Liu Zhijian's location, had already been waiting. Seeing Liu Zhijian, Hua Chunning, and Jiang Xiaoyu from afar, his eyes narrowed.
Setting Hua Chunning and Jiang Xiaoyu aside for the moment.
The 【Kan Water】 concept-imagery on Liu Zhijian was so full it was almost overflowing.
Even before he drew near, Li Chengxuan could faintly feel the air growing several degrees more humid.
"Greetings, Master!" Liu Zhijian still held immense respect for Li Chengxuan, who had bestowed upon him the grace of imparting techniques and teaching the Dao, and he performed a formal bow with full solemnity.
Jiang Xiaoyu stole a glance at Li Chengxuan. Having received instructions beforehand, she did not dare act up or play wild, sticking out her rear as she bowed as well.
Li Chengxuan had already guessed part of Jiang Xiaoyu's identity, but now was not the time for detailed questioning. He nodded with a smile and said, "Not bad! It seems your qi gathering and qi ingestion went very smoothly."
Having traveled all the way, they had finally returned to Mount Taixuan.
Liu Zhijian finally breathed a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly coughed violently, and a large surge of clear river water actually gushed from his mouth!
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