Xu Ruoyu remained silent with a smile throughout the journey, and continued walking even after Lin Yi's Starry True Fire was extinguished.
Another fifteen minutes passed, and calculating the distance, they realized they were already deep underground.
By this time, the cave seemed to have turned into an ice cave, with thick frost everywhere, long icicles and pillars of ice, and the cold and chill were as thick as dark clouds, making it hard to breathe.
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Chapter 138 Guest Elder
Lin Yi's Seven Star Robe, worn by the chilling air, was reduced to a thin layer, seemingly on the verge of tearing at any moment.
At this moment, Xu Ruoyu finally stopped. Ahead was a vast space with a bright moon hanging in the sky. Below was a lake, frozen solid for millennia.
The surface of the frozen lake is as smooth as a mirror, and the ice underneath is transparent, allowing one to see for thousands of meters. Further down, it is too dark and light-free to see clearly, with only a faint blue hue that makes one's heart tremble.
On the shore was a small cave. Through the thick, white, cold air, one could see a crystal-clear ice coffin about ten feet in size. Inside the ice coffin, one could vaguely make out a cultivator dressed in a black Taoist robe.
"Disciple Xu Ruoyu pays respects to the Ancestral Master." Xu Ruoyu stopped by the lake, no longer moving forward, and then bowed to the bright moon in the sky.
"Junior Lin Yi greets Senior Ning." Lin Yi bowed in greeting.
The moonlight fell and transformed into a handsome young man in feathered robes and a star-studded crown—Ning Daoque, the Nascent Soul True Immortal of Haoyang Sect.
"No need for formalities." Ning Daoque glanced at Lin Yi, nodded slightly, and said, "Your master is currently in seclusion cultivating a Dao technique. You can go and take a look. Once he comes out of seclusion, there will naturally be a day for us to meet again."
"Thank you, senior." Lin Yi stepped forward. Lin Zhengyang, who was in the ice coffin, looked to be only in his thirties, much younger than his master in his memory.
Lin Yi stood quietly for a while, then knelt down and kowtowed.
"Are you willing to acknowledge your ancestors and return to your clan?" Ning Daoque walked over and asked.
Lin Yi thought about it for a moment, and finally shook his head.
Haoyang Sect was a completely unfamiliar sect to him. He had no emotional connection with it, nor any other needs, so why should he put himself in shackles?
Ning Daoque did not force it. He had seen countless geniuses, but very few of them could live a long and healthy life.
Xu Ruoyu took Lin Yi away. Although the two sides had a deep connection, Lin Yi was unwilling to join Haoyang Sect and was ultimately an outsider. It was not suitable for him to stay in such an important place.
After returning to the Golden Sun Palace, Xu Ruoyu took out a jade token and handed it to Lin Yi, saying, "This is the token of an elder of our sect. Please keep it safe, Fellow Daoist Lin."
Lin Yi nodded and reached out to take the jade token.
With a flash of inspiration, Xu Ruoyu sketched a map with mountains and rivers, marking many locations with white dots. Then he gestured and said, "Fellow Daoist Lin, please choose a place as your cave dwelling."
Lin Yi glanced around, then casually pointed to a high peak in the east and said, "This will do."
Xu Ruoyu smiled and said, "This mountain is located at the easternmost point of the Baiyang Mountain Range, hence it is called the Eastern Pole Peak. What are your requirements for Fellow Daoist Lin's cave dwelling? Please tell us."
Lin Yi shook his head slightly and said, "This junior has no special requirements."
After the two talked for a while, Xu Ruoyu ordered someone to arrange for Lin Yi to stay at Cuiyunping.
The next morning, Lin Yi practiced breathing exercises facing the rising sun, using the power of heaven and earth to cleanse his mind and spirit. Within his dantian, the Limitless Golden Elixir was created from nothing, demonstrating the wonders of the Five Primordial Elements.
After ten years of nurturing in the world of Jade Dynasty, the Five Primordial Formations of the Primordial Chaos, aided by the completion of the elixir, returned to nothingness and then to existence, essentially undergoing a complete overhaul.
Now, the five great formations have been perfectly integrated into one, no longer operating independently as before.
After finishing his morning lessons, Lin Yi silently pondered that his next cultivation task was to integrate all thirty-three other great formations into his inner core and condense the true seal of magical power.
In the world of the Immortal Gourd, this step is also known as laying the foundation for one's Dao. It emphasizes the harmony of Qi and Soul, Dao and Law, and Mind and Spirit.
After a Taoist cultivator completes the elixir, the first step is to accumulate true qi to perfection, until it can grow no further and increase no more. The second step is to refine all the spells and true qi he has learned in his life into one furnace.
From then on, the Dao became the Law; with a single thought, all laws followed. True Qi no longer appeared in the form of refined primordial energy of heaven and earth, but transformed into countless talismans and true characters representing various spells.
This step, though not as crucial as achieving the ultimate goal of immortality, is the first foundation for attaining the primordial spirit. Only techniques cultivated that unite with the true energy of the soul can increase in power as one's cultivation level rises and one breaks through to the primordial spirit.
If you miss this stage, no matter what kind of magic you cultivate in the future, you can only cultivate up to the point of perfecting the Thirty-Six Heavenly Gang Techniques.
Because these later-learned spells lacked the crucial step of connecting with the soul, once missed, there was no longer a chance.
After achieving the elixir of immortality, many Taoist cultivators will draw on the strengths of various schools of thought. Even if they don't need the spells themselves, they will still practice them and condense a true seal of magical power.
With this foundation, one can cultivate the primordial spirit in the future, achieve longevity, and then return to cultivate these spells to reach the primordial spirit level, with the hope of advancing further.
This is also an important reason why many independent Taoist practitioners are willing to join major powers.
With a thought, countless talismans and true characters formed in Lin Yi's dantian, creating one great array after another.
Then, the Nine-Bend Yellow River Formation Diagram and the Nine Heavens Fire Palace General Outline Formation Diagram flew out from the Taiji Diagram. After losing these two formation diagrams, the power of the Taiji Diagram decreased, but it became more pure.
The second step after the elixir is completed, condensing the true seal of magical power, is a process that requires meticulous work.
Lin Yi chose to join Haoyang Sect not only because of his master, but also to obtain a stable cultivation environment.
………………
Time flies, and half a month has passed in the blink of an eye.
Lin Yi's cave dwelling was completed quickly, thanks to the immortal techniques used to create it; it took no more than a few days. The remaining time was mostly spent setting up magic arrays, beautifying the environment, and decorating the interior.
There was no grand ceremony when the Dongji Cave was completed, and many disciples of Haoyang Sect were unaware that their sect had gained a new guest elder.
Lin Yi was like a stream, silently flowing into the great river of Haoyang Sect.
On this day, two young cultivators arrived at the Eastern Peak.
"East" refers to direction, and "extreme" represents altitude. The Easternmost Peak is surrounded by clouds and mist, connecting the sky and the earth.