Mysterious mirror hanging high

East China Sea, Fugui Island, Xuanjing Immortal Gate.

Ye Jinyuan, dressed in a dark blue robe, stood in front of a bamboo hut with his eyes slightly closed, as if he was dozing. With each breath he took, an idea seemed to flicker at his lips, and miniature cyclones appeared around him.

Ye Jinyuan has just turned seventy, which is considered old even among Qigong cultivators. He has white hair on his temples, deep wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, and a few strands of gray beard under his chin. He looks like an old man.

However, his cultivation has also made great progress. He has been practicing diligently for the past ten years. With the help of his fate of "late bloomer", he has already reached the ninth level of Qi training and has built a very solid foundation. In theory, it is enough for him to try to build an immortal foundation.

squeak-

The door of the bamboo hut slowly opened, and a handsome middle-aged male cultivator walked out. This male cultivator looked much younger than Ye Jinyuan, but his cultivation was as deep as the sea, and there was a huge difference between him and Ye Jinyuan.

When the white-haired Ye Jinyuan saw the male cultivator, he bowed respectfully and said:

"Disciple Ye Jinyuan, I pay my respects to the Acting Master."

The man was none other than Yun Ji, the acting headmaster of the Xuanjing Immortal Sect. This Jindan Zhenren gathered his sleeves and smiled when he saw Ye Jinyuan:

"So it's Jin Yuan. What brings you here today?"

"My disciple has encountered some difficulties in his practice, so I came to ask for advice from the real person." Ye Jinyuan said respectfully.

Ever since Jing Yu entered the Liu Yao Xing Palace, Ye Jinyuan often consulted Yun Ji on his cultivation.

This acting headmaster was kindhearted and had a very good temper. He not only gave guidance to Ye Jinyuan, Jing Yu's direct disciple, but also to ordinary disciples in the immortal sect. He did not act like a Jindan Zhenren.

Upon hearing this, Yun Ji's mind scanned the area and he said with a hint of surprise, "Jin Yuan is truly diligent! It's been a while since we last met, and he's already reached the ninth level of Qi training... but is he still having some difficulty with foundation building?"

Ye Jinyuan shook his head and said, "It's about the [Tenth Level of Qi Training]."

Yun Ji frowned slightly but said nothing.

"Before leaving, Master instructed me that once I have perfected the ninth level of Qi training, I shouldn't rush into foundation building, but rather try to break through to the legendary tenth level. However, I've been stuck at this bottleneck for a while, feeling like I've made little progress. That's why I've come to ask for your advice."

Yun Ji frowned and asked, "Did the Master tell you this?"

"To be honest, there's nothing fancy about the tenth level of Qi training. It's simply about accumulating mana... Ordinary cultivators can't advance further after reaching the ninth level. But if they don't build an immortal foundation, and spend years absorbing and exhaling spiritual energy and increasing their mana, they will eventually be able to break through the barrier and enter the tenth level."

"But this is a long and arduous process... You're already old, and in another ten years your Qi and blood will decline, greatly reducing the success rate of building your foundation. Isn't that more trouble than gain?"

"If a cultivator builds his foundation after reaching the tenth level of Qi training, it can strengthen his foundation a little and slightly increase the success rate of building the foundation... But that's something only geniuses need to consider. Jin Yuan, you can just build your foundation step by step."

Yun Ji sighed: "Master, you are also messing around..."

Ye Jinyuan shook his head. "This isn't Master's fault... Master once said that I only have low-grade spiritual roots. My spiritual root aptitude is already much lower than those of the great sects' true disciples. If I can't strengthen my foundation, I'm afraid I won't have the chance to achieve the Great Dao in this lifetime."

Yun Ji laughed and said, "This...it's hard to believe that you have such great ambitions."

Ye Jinyuan's expression changed: "Don't you want to make further progress on the path of Taoism?"

Yun Ji shook his head: "I think the Golden Elixir is also good... Although it is not as carefree and happy as the Yuanying Zhenjun, it still provides eight hundred years of immortality."

"Besides, when I was in Xuan Ce Sect, I was just a Golden Core Seed. My master, Xuan Ce Zhenjun, only expected a Golden Core from me and didn't ask for anything more."

Yun Ji said as a matter of course: "Whether I have the potential to reach the Nascent Soul stage or not is not something that is difficult to discern. My foundation and understanding are clear, so I don't want to hope for it in this life."

"It's actually a good thing for people to have self-awareness. Isn't the reason the world is in such chaos and turmoil due to the insatiable desires of the human heart?"

"A cultivator who originally had no aspirations of building a foundation yet insisted on pursuing the path to that foundation, lacking spiritual resources, had no choice but to fight for them. This was the root of the trouble."

"If all cultivators in the world can abide by the law, the world of immortal cultivation will be peaceful and harmonious."

Ye Jinyuan was silent for a long time, then slowly said, "The Great Dao is all about competition. Jinyuan's talent is mediocre, but he also overestimates his own abilities. He wants to take a look at the scenery above the Great Dao..."

Yun Ji smiled upon hearing this and said, "Everyone has their own ideas. It's a good thing that you have this drive."

"But don't put too much pressure on yourself. After all, you're not a small-time swordsman. You don't have to match the world's top geniuses in everything."

A faint look of worry appeared on Ye Jinyuan's face. "Big Brother has been missing for over five years. There's no news from him at all. I don't know what his current situation is."

Yun Ji comforted him, "Don't worry. The Life Jade that Xiaoguan Jianxian left in Xuan Ce Sect is intact, which means that at least his life is safe. It's common for cultivators like us to be trapped in secret realms for several years or even decades, so there's nothing to be seen now."

While the two were talking, the formation outside Fugui Island flickered. Not long after, a gray-robed monk landed silently beside the bamboo hut, with some faint cracks still remaining on his face.

"Who is it?" Yun Ji was startled, and the magic power in his body automatically circulated, and his true energy surged. After seeing who it was, he relaxed again, and a look of joy appeared on his face:

"Master Master!"

Ye Jinyuan also bowed and said, "Greetings, Master!"

The person who came was Jing Yu's [Starlight Illusion]. He nodded at the two of them and said, "The trip to the Six-Yao Star Palace is over. I'm back."

"Master, the eldest senior brother..." Ye Jinyuan hesitated.

"I already know that Ling Xiao is missing. You can relax. Ling Xiao is destined to achieve great things in the way of the sword. He won't be killed so easily."

Jing Yu said gently, "You, on the other hand, have been diligent in your cultivation over the past ten years. You're only a thin layer away from reaching the tenth level of Qi training... But how come you're so old?"

Ye Jinyuan's face flushed. "My talent is dull. Now I'm over seventy, and I haven't even established my foundation yet. This is a disgrace to Master... As for my appearance, I'm old after all, and I haven't taken any anti-aging elixirs, so I look a bit frail."

Jing Yu shook his head. "You still have to take the Rejuvenating Pill. If that doesn't work, some physical training will be helpful... You look like an old man. If I take you out, and your aura is subdued... I can't tell who is the master and who is the disciple."

"Yun Ji, has anything major happened in the Immortal Sect in the past ten years?"

Yun Ji's expression froze as he gathered his sleeves and said, "I was just about to report to the Sect Master on the situation within the sect over the past ten years..."

Jing Yu's ears twitched at this moment, and he said, "Wait a moment, a guest is coming."