System: After the fortune telling, my cultivation level skyrocketed.

"Spiritual energy, demons, and the eerie resurgence?"

Although Chen Xuan only saw the signs of demons resurfacing amidst the impending doom of the world, this news was still not to be underestimated.

"No wonder I've been encountering these kinds of ghosts and monsters when I do online fortune telling these past few days. Is it because they're reviving?"

Chen Xuan frowned in thought, "But what is the source?"

Just as Chen Xuan was wondering...

suddenly.

A mournful sound suddenly pierced the air from high in the clouds.

It looked as if some huge object was falling rapidly. To an ordinary person, it would probably sound like rocket debris falling from outer space.

But when Chen Xuan looked up, he saw the object that was faintly visible.

"Wow, this time it really can be called a flying stone."

Whoosh—Bang!

A white stone tablet, about ten feet tall, has a blurry human face engraved on the top section, while the lower half of the surface shows signs of age, having been exposed to wind, sun, and rain.

It fell directly from the sky and landed right in front of Chen Xuan.

Chen Xuan smiled and opened his eyes, having already activated his Yin-Yang Eyes.

Upon seeing the stone spirit inside the stone tablet, he smiled and nodded, "If my first impression of Linglong was that she was lively and intelligent, then you are calm and composed with a deep and accumulated knowledge."

Although the stone spirit is not afraid of sunlight and can manifest in illusion, it dares not show itself rashly in front of Chen Xuan.

Because Chen Xuan's aura was too powerful, it only dared to hide its spirit within the stone tablet.

"Alright, you don't need to be so reserved. Your destiny to become an immortal has been destroyed by the Heavenly Dao, and there's no chance for you to achieve it within the next hundred years."

Chen Xuan said, "Now you have two paths to take."

At that moment, a muffled voice, indistinguishable between male and female, rang in Chen Xuan's ears.

"Thank you for your guidance, Master."

"First, I can point you to a place to cultivate, where you can have a chance to become an immortal within 50 years. However, you will have to undergo a heavenly tribulation every three years. If you can withstand it, you will live; if you can't, you will die."

Chen Xuan continued, "For this second path, you can choose to become my mountain-guarding stone tablet. I will teach you cultivation methods and the art of formations. Naturally, if heavenly lightning strikes, I will also protect you."

"I choose the second path, and I hope the Taoist priest will take in the stone spirit."

Chen Xuan smiled, then said, "Your name is Stone Spirit?"

"The little one doesn't have a name; the Stone Spirit is just something that family called him randomly."

Chen Xuan thought for a moment and then suddenly said with a playful tone, "You were originally a piece of white marble from the Ming Dynasty. Later, you were mined and carved into a stone statue guarding a tomb. After hundreds of years of exposure to the wind and sun, you absorbed the essence of the sun and moon, and developed nine orifices that connected to your spirit. That's why you have the consciousness to cultivate..."

"The good thing is that although you are a prodigy, you are free from sin. Although you are not like Linglong who is covered with three inches of golden light of merit, it is still very rare."

"Yes."

"You will emerge from this stone sooner or later. Once you have mastered your cultivation, you will soar through the heavens and plunge into the earth, stirring up wind and rain... your might will shake the world!" Chen Xuan said with a smile. "From now on, I'll call you Shi Hao."

"Shi Hao... Shi Hao?" Shi Jing murmured the name, suddenly feeling a series of palpitations, as if the name contained immense power. "Daoist, I feel that this name is very powerful, giving me a lingering sense of unease."

"That's not an illusion. If you want to bear this name, you must have a Dao heart that can stand alone through the ages!"

Chen Xuan smiled and continued, "Otherwise, you wouldn't be worthy of the character 'Hao,' so we'll have to find a homophone."

"Thank you for bestowing this name upon me, Master. From now on, I will be called Shi Hao."

Chen Xuanming's apparent suppression was actually an attempt to provoke Shi Hao's warlike nature.

"disciple?"

"No, remember your current identity. You are currently just the guardian stone tablet of Feixian Temple. Only when you can truly live up to the name Shi Hao will I take you as my disciple and teach you the Dao."

"Shi Hao has noted it down."

Chen Xuan stopped and pointed his sword-finger at the center of the stone tablet statue's brow.

Instantly, a large amount of information was transmitted through his fingers into Shi Hao's soul.

"These are some basic insights into the true Dharma. Once you fully comprehend them, they will be enough to break the two great formations I set up at the foot of the mountain. After you break the two formations, you will need to refine and master them. Only then will you be qualified to continue with the subsequent tests. Do you understand?"

"Shi Hao will heed your teachings!"

"Alright, after you break through, let me know when your spirit enters the Flying Immortal Temple."

After Chen Xuan finished speaking, he walked away.

“Master, no, Daoist, the pressure from the Dao Ancestor’s Hall is too strong. I’m afraid I dare not step inside.”

Chen Xuan didn't turn around. "Don't worry, I'll let the Dao Ancestor know in advance."

Chen Xuan walked lightly and swiftly into the Dao Ancestor's Hall.

This scene only strengthened Shi Hao's resolve to become an apprentice.

"Having survived this great calamity, I am sure to be blessed with good fortune. This time, I have encountered a divine being. I, Shi Hao, am determined to become his disciple!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a stone tablet about ten feet tall flew into the air and nailed directly to the entrance of the mountain road.

The stone tablet is like a guardian, always overlooking the road leading up the mountain. Shi Hao can immediately detect anyone climbing the mountain.

When Chen Xuan returned to the backyard, he saw a scene of chicken feathers and duck blood.

He looked suspiciously at Zhang Lingyu and Wang Ye, who were covered in blood, and asked, "What happened? Was the Taoist temple robbed?"