Longevity: Start by practicing the ruthless way

In the following days, life was plain but fulfilling. Gu Chi and Big Black Dog cultivated a medicinal field in the backyard, planted various medicinal herbs picked from the Panlong Mountains, and used the divine essence of the [Root of Tao] to purify them and increase the age of the medicine.

However, ever since they saw the demeanor of the immortal cultivator that day, most of the young people in Suiye City have reached the peak of their desire to cultivate immortals. Many of them have packed their bags and set out on a journey to find immortals, holding three-foot-long swords.

The sects in the mortal world were not willing to be left out either, so they took this opportunity to start spreading rumors and promoting "martial arts". They said that martial arts could make the gods come true, and as long as martial arts reached perfection, one punch could make the immortals kneel!

As a result, many well-known heroic deeds of heroes began to appear in various parts of Qian Country, and the banshees and vicious dogs in the Panlong Mountains were gradually forgotten and faded from memory.

Time flies, and five years have passed in a flash.

Gu Chi and the big black dog waded through the river by feeling the stones, and finally reached the third stage of Qi training.

In the past five years, Gu Chi increased the [Root of Tao] to 4 points, and the remaining 3 points were added to [Body Skills].

The attribute of [Body Movement] is not the most important, but it must not be ignored. It can be used for attacking when advancing and defending when retreating.

For Gu Chi, five years may have passed in the blink of an eye, but the uncles and aunts she once knew are now old and have passed away.

Those familiar smiling faces and voices disappeared one by one, and new faces began to appear.

Gu Chi was not sentimental and seemed to have taken these things lightly, but he would occasionally sigh a few words in the wind.

Late at night that day, Gu Chi and the big black dog left. They were like people who stopped by the long river of time. A quick glance was the passing life of countless living beings.

"Lao Hei, I've been thinking about something for a while, but I can't make up my mind."

A man and a dog were walking on the official road leading to the county town, their figures stretched out in the moonlight.

"What?" The big black dog looked up with a puzzled look. Is there anything else that Sister Gu Chi can't make up her mind about?

Gu Chi was silent for a while before he said, "I'm thinking about whether I should find a sect to become a disciple of."

Big Black Dog was puzzled. Aren't they fine the way they are now? Why did they still need to look for some immortal cultivation sect?

Moreover, Gu Chi once told it the pros and cons of joining a sect of immortal cultivation, and it still remembers those words.

Gu Chi knew what it was thinking and said, "Although we already know how to practice, the content on the blue iron is not a true practice method after all. It is just an introduction and analysis of the various realms. It is too general and vague, and lacks details."

Gu Chi picked up a branch from the roadside, squatted down, and carved a tall building in the sand with simple lines. He explained to the big black dog, "Details determine success or failure. A small oversight might not be a big deal, but if too many details are neglected, then this tall building will become a shoddy construction, collapsing at the slightest touch. And this building is our foundation."

They have a general outline of the Luoshu, and the overall framework of the Qi training period has been basically established, and what is missing is only the supplementation of details.

Gu Chi didn't want to leave any hidden dangers in the first step, so he had the idea of ​​becoming a disciple of an immortal sect.

But just as she said in the past, those sects and schools of the immortal way are like dragon's den and tiger's lair, the water inside is too deep.

What's more, the "Luoshu" is a fairy book that is said to come from the upper realm, and a crucial volume of the book is in her possession. If this matter is exposed, God knows how much disaster it will cause.

"Let's not go to those powerful sects, and they may not necessarily like us. We can find a small sect with fewer people. This way, not only can the risk be reduced a lot, but even if something really happens, we will have a chance to get out of it safely. What do you think, Lao Hei?" Gu Chi asked the big black dog for his opinion.

"I will listen to Sister Gu Chi!" The big black dog said without hesitation.

For the next six months, the man and the dog walked in the vast wilderness, and appeared in the deep mountains and old forests, searching for immortals and seeking the way.

Finally, their hard work paid off and they met an elder who had just finished his wandering and was about to return to the sect.

This person's name is Cang Yun. He has white hair and a youthful face. He holds a whisk in his hand and his Taoist robes flutter in the wind. He looks like an immortal. He comes from an immortal sect called Heming Sect.

"His aptitude is average, neither a genius nor a mediocre person. He can cultivate to the third stage of Qi training by just thinking about it. He is considered a good seedling."

Cang Yun looked at Gu Chi and the big black dog nodding continuously, with a kind smile on his face, and said: "Come with me."

"Okay!" Gu Chi and the big black dog hurried to follow.

Behind Cang Yun were more than a dozen young men and women, all of whom were promising talents he met during his travels. Several of them had already reached the eighth level of Qi training through self-study.

When they arrived at an open place, Cang Yun raised his hand and made a magic seal. With a loud bang, a huge flying boat slowly emerged from the void and stopped in front of everyone.

When they boarded the deck of the flying boat, Gu Chi and the big black dog's hearts were pounding with excitement.

This flying boat is like a small mountain, large enough to accommodate hundreds of people. It has palaces and pavilions standing on it, and can be called a small movable city.

"Let's go."

Cang Yun clashed his palms and fingers, using his magic power to activate the flying boat's formation, and a dull mechanical startup sound was heard.

Gu Chi and the big black dog touched and looked here and there, and kept exclaiming: "This is the method of the immortals!"

The other young men and women who were about to be taken to Heming Sect were also amazed, their eyes full of longing for the future.

"boom"

The flying boat slowly rose into the air, and Gu Chi and the others all swayed, and almost fell to the ground.

After the flying boat moved forward steadily, Gu Chi brought the big black dog to the edge of the flying boat, lay on the fence and looked down.

"Look, Lao Hei! It's so high!"

"Woof woof!!"

A strong airflow blew, and the man and the dog had their mouths filled with wind, and they could not hear what each other was saying.

As the flying boat rose higher and higher, the big black dog found that he was actually a little afraid of heights, so he quickly retracted his neck and moved closer to Gu Chi.

Gu Chi was extremely excited and agitated, shouting against the violent airflow. Until this moment, she finally realized what an open-minded and heroic feeling it was to "stand on the top of the mountain and look down on all the other mountains."

The flying boat moved eastward. Looking at the winding and towering mountains flowing rapidly backward from below, Gu Chi gradually calmed down and his eyes became firm.

Cang Yun's eyes swept over everyone, and when he saw that everyone had almost calmed down, he began to deliver his pre-entry speech.

"After you join the sect, the sect will provide resources for your cultivation. However, I hope you will understand that whether in the mortal world or in the world of immortal cultivation, if you want something, you must give something in return. I hope you will practice diligently, work hard, and make a contribution to the sect."

Everyone bowed and said, "We will follow Elder Cang Yun's instructions."

The corner of Gu Chi's mouth twitched as he understood the hidden meaning behind Elder Cang Yun's words.

The sect only provides you with a place to practice peacefully, and will not give you resources for free, such as elixirs, magic tools, spiritual weapons, talisman paper, etc. You can only get them if you make certain contributions to the sect or show your value.

Of course, if you don't seek to make progress, you can also choose to live a life of idleness and wait for death. After all, the sect will still satisfy your appetite. But if the elders or the sect leader find you annoying one day, they may kick you out of the sect.

Gu Chi originally thought that as long as he joined the sect, he would be able to directly obtain martial arts techniques and elixirs, and then find a secluded place to open a cave, reduce his presence and practice in silence. Now it seems that the plan has to change.

"There's one more thing I want to tell you in advance."

Elder Cang Yun's voice rang out again, saying, "In the world of immortal cultivation, killing and stealing are not uncommon, but in our Heming Sect, we will never tolerate fellow disciples turning on each other! The saying 'If you don't work for yourself, you will be punished by heaven and earth' may be applied to outsiders, but it cannot be used as a justification for you to harm your fellow disciples. Otherwise, you will be severely punished. Do you understand?"

Although Elder Cang Yun looks kind and amiable, he is surprisingly serious when it comes to the bottom line of being a human being.

"We will follow the elder's instructions." Everyone bowed quickly.

Elder Cang Yun nodded, sat cross-legged, closed his eyes and rested, and said no more.

"This fellow Taoist."

A young man in gray cloth walked towards Gu Chi. He had a fair and clean face and was actually at the eighth level of Qi training.

Gu Chi and the big black dog were chewing on dry food. When they heard the voice, they looked up at the person coming with a confused look on their faces.

"My name is Chen Sheng. I hope you don't mind my hasty visit to disturb you."

Chen Sheng bowed and smiled, giving Gu Chi a pretty good first impression.

Gu Chi pondered the name Chen Sheng and thought to himself, "Chen Sheng... maybe you have a brother named Wu Guang?"

She also bowed and smiled, saying, "We are all fellow disciples from now on. There is no need to bother you. Brother Chen, please take a seat."

Gu Chi patted the seat beside him and said, "My last name is Gu Ming..."

Gu Chi choked. She wanted to tell him her name directly, but then she thought it would be safer to use a pseudonym when she was out and about, so she said, "My last name is Gu Mingqing."

After that, he patted the big black dog beside him and said, "This is my big black dog. He is psychic and is at the third level of Qi training like me."

"Ao~" The big black dog wagged its tail, which was considered a greeting.

Chen Sheng didn't know how to rank seniority with these people after entering Heming Sect, but when he heard Gu Chi call him senior brother, he just followed suit and called her junior sister.

He sat down beside her and asked in a low voice, looking mysterious, "Which sect does Junior Sister Gu want to join?"

Gu Chi raised his eyebrows and asked, "Which hall? What do you mean?"

Chen Sheng said, "I heard that the Heming Sect has five main peaks, each of which is divided into five halls."

"Which five halls?"

"They are Suzaku, White Tiger, Black Tortoise, Azure Dragon and Spirit Crane."

After hearing this, Gu Chi couldn't help but look at him twice more and said, "Senior Brother Chen even knew all this in advance. It seems that he has acquaintances in the sect."

Chen Sheng waved his hands and said self-deprecatingly, "Junior Sister Gu, you're joking. How could a lowly cultivator like me be associated with a sect disciple? I just heard people mention it a few times while traveling around the world."

"So which hall do you think is better, Senior Brother Chen?" Gu Chi asked.

Chen Sheng sighed softly and said, "Actually, there aren't many options for us to choose from. The Suzaku and Azure Dragon Halls, one for forging weapons and the other for refining pills, are open to disciples with excellent backgrounds or qualifications. The Linghe Hall is even more challenging; it's responsible for managing all matters within the Sutra Library. Only disciples directly taught by figures like the Sect Master and the Grand Elder are eligible."

Gu Chi noticed that Chen Sheng had overlooked two halls, so he continued, "What about the White Tiger and Black Tortoise Halls? What are they for?"

"The Xuanwu Hall is only responsible for the Spiritual Medicine Garden. The threshold is low, and compared to the other halls, it is also the hall with the easiest work. However, the contribution points it can receive are also the lowest, and basically no one chooses it."

"The White Tiger Hall also has a low entry threshold. Some things that are difficult to do openly require the disciples of the White Tiger Hall to solve in secret. Although they may be sent to carry out some dangerous tasks, they can also gain high contribution points in return. Not only can they exchange them for cultivation resources in a short time, but they can also gain practical experience."

Chen Sheng only briefly mentioned the previous halls, but focused on explaining the White Tiger Hall, probably because he had already chosen to join this hall.

The reason I told her so much was probably because I wanted to get her to join me.

"Is it true that once you join a gang, you can't change it later?" Gu Chi asked.

"It can be replaced, but it also requires contribution points."

Gu Chi curled her lips. She finally understood. Isn't this so-called contribution value just salary? And different halls are different departments.

She felt speechless. She didn't expect that even after traveling to the world of immortal cultivation, she couldn't escape the fate of being a wage earner!

"Thank you, Brother Chen, for telling me this. I will consider it carefully." Gu Chi bowed in thanks.

Although she would know these things after arriving at Heming Sect, knowing them in advance would allow her to make plans in advance and have enough time to think about it slowly.

"Then I won't bother Junior Sister Gu and Junior Brother Gou anymore."

Seeing that Gu Chi did not give a direct answer, Chen Sheng did not say much. He smiled and bowed, then stood up and left, continuing to look for companions on the flying boat who could join him in the White Tiger Hall to keep each other warm.

Seeing the other party walking away, Gu Chi began to seriously consider which hall would be more suitable for him and Big Black Dog to go to.

The flying boat was still speeding through the clouds, and more and more people were falling into deep thought and hesitation like Gu Chi.

Yangpingchuan is located in the eastern part of Qian State, a vast plain. There is only one mountain range in the area, located in the southwest corner. It stretches for thousands of miles and there is no end in sight, forming a natural barrier. Yangpingchuan got its name from this.

The mountain range is full of towering peaks and ridges like jagged teeth, and the lush green mountains are stacked up and down. Countless legends about immortals have spread from here and are talked about by people with relish.

However, because this mountain range is shrouded in clouds and mist all year round, ordinary people would easily get lost once they enter and would be unable to get out, eventually turning into dry bones.