Only three seconds? He's already the Lord of All Realms, so it doesn't matter.

He raised a willow branch, drew upon spiritual energy, and channeled it into Chen Hong's Yellow Court, leaving something within it.

At the same time, Ye Xuan used his perception to examine Chen Hong's meridians and noticed that his spiritual root was slightly off-center and his foundation was unstable, so he took the opportunity to reinforce it for him.

Chen Hong immediately felt a warm sensation throughout his body, with a gentle spiritual energy flowing from the navel upwards (upper half) to the navel downwards (lower half).

This method of cultivation is similar to that of a plant, with the upper part being the branches and the lower part being the roots. It was discovered by Ye Xuan through exploration using the form of a fairy willow.

Seeing the radiant glow and refreshed appearance on Chen Hong's face, it seemed the treatment had been very effective.

"what……"

Chen Hong knelt on the ground, and as the willow branch that had been placed on his dantian was withdrawn, tears welled up in his eyes.

"I never expected that I would be able to return to cultivation, and even make considerable progress compared to before."

With his guidance, Ye Xuan estimated that if he could further strengthen his physique, he would be able to enter the Qi Refining Realm.

Although he is not yet able to communicate with the outside world through words with his current level of cultivation, he has a common means of communicating with people who possess spiritual power.

The remaining spiritual energy within Chen Hong's body reached his head, and after a moment of confusion, he indeed grasped the general intention that the immortal willow in front of him wanted to express.

"Rest assured, sir, the Chen family will protect you to the death!"

He immediately moved timber from the yard to reinforce the backyard wall, while explaining the basic situation of the Short-Life Realm to Ye Xuan—

It is said that since ancient times, the world has been shrouded in a kind of heavenly law. When a mortal baby is born, he must offer longevity to the immortals and seek their protection, otherwise he will die young.

It is precisely because people in this short-lived world have all undergone this ritual that most mortals are weak and frail, making it difficult for them to even live past fifty, let alone embark on the path of cultivation.

As for cultivators, Chen Hong didn't know much about them. In fact, there were very few even in the town. During his time working at the county magistrate's mansion, he didn't see any children being born, so he wasn't very clear about it.

……

Time flew by, and a month passed.

The willow sapling in the Chen family's backyard has grown from less than half a meter tall to nearly two meters tall.

The fairy willow grows with lush foliage, its drooping branches resembling a woman's hair, flowing and full of life.

Having been reborn, Ye Xuan's cultivation level returned to its previous peak within a short month, reaching the perfection of Qi Refining.

His perception and precognitive abilities were restored to their original state, giving him the means to communicate directly with the outside world.

When the Chen family members were called to the courtyard, both Chen Qinghe and his brother, as well as Jin Yan, had full of vitality and were no longer as pale and thin as before.

Ye Xuan opened up the meridians for Chen Qinghe and Chen Xunjiang. As for spiritual roots, which are something that are innate, they can only rely on their own fate.

Chen Qinghe is more talented in this area, and his personality is neither arrogant nor impatient. "If he grows steadily, he will surely achieve something in the future."

Today, Ye Xuan communicated with the Chen family again to teach them martial arts techniques, mainly focusing on instructing Chen Hong and his son. The younger Chen Xunjiang could listen if he understood, but it didn't matter if he didn't.

"After gaining a basic understanding of spiritual energy cultivation and circulation, one can then exert some control over it and drive it into form..."

Ye Xuan lifted a willow branch, and a spark suddenly burst forth from the newly sprouted tassels on it.

Then, with the help of the wind, the flames were sent out and landed on a pile of weeds under the courtyard wall, where they ignited into a large fire.

"This method transforms spiritual energy into flames."

For beginners, "True Qi Transformation into Flame" is much simpler than "Lightning Finger" or other martial arts that rely on internal energy.

The two carefully noted it down, and after Ye Xuan demonstrated it again, they began to try it on their own.

During this time, Chen Hong had to go out to do farm work and hunting, so he could only practice in his spare time, while Chen Qinghe was able to concentrate more.

A few days later, he had basically mastered the technique and excitedly showed it to his family.

"Mom, look!"

Chen Qinghe was squatting by the stove, his palms outstretched, and a faint bluish sheen appeared on his skin.

Then, a fleeting spark appeared, but it was not enough to ignite the firewood in the stove piled with dry grass and branches.

When beginners practice "True Qi Transformation into Flame", the flames they condense will only reach a temperature of forty or fifty degrees Celsius at most. They cannot even be called flames; they are merely a kind of light flame.

Chen Qinghe's current cultivation level is similar to Chen Hong's before; he's just one step away from refining his Qi.

He kept Ye Xuan's advice in mind: "Cultivation is something that cannot be rushed."

Furthermore, he warned the Chen family to keep a low profile. Although no one in Shuitian Village was a cultivator, the two guardians of the immortal shrine in that town were no ordinary people.

Chen Hong understood. In the days that followed, he continued to do what he always did, busy with farming and hunting in the mountains. There was no school in the village, so the two children stayed at home to play.

If a baby is born in a nearby household, the town's offering ceremony will have to be arranged by Jin Yan.

To avoid the change in appearance, the Chen family would simply dust their faces with dirt and pretend they had just finished farm work, since no one would stare at a person's face all the time.

Time flies. Chen Hongfang, who lives in the town, heard a few days ago that his elder brother Chen Hong had encountered a wild boar while hunting in the mountains and injured his foot, so he came to visit him today.

"Sister-in-law, is my older brother home?"

Chen Hongfang brought half a chicken from home and personally visited the house, only to find Jin Yan busy in the yard.

Jin Yan had a tattered cloth covering her head and looked disheveled. "I'm here, resting in the inner room."

"Seiwa!"

Chen Qinghe was summoned by his mother, who then invited Chen Hongfang to the house. The child was very sensible and poured him a glass of cold water as soon as he saw him.

Chen Hongfang pinched the little guy's cheek, put the chicken on the table, and then went straight into the inner room.

"Brother, are you alright?"

Chen Hong was half-lying on the bed, and was overjoyed to see his younger brother arrive.

"It's nothing, I can get out of bed and work in the fields now."

Seeing that his elder brother was in good spirits, Chen Hongfang felt a little relieved. He ran a rice shop in town, but it was really just working for the government and his wife's family.

He had a close relationship with his older brother Chen Hong since childhood, but because he married into a family in town, the two brothers rarely saw each other.

So the two of them chatted for a long time about everyday things, until it was almost evening before Chen Hong finally left.

"I won't be eating at home, sister-in-law..."

"Hey? You have a willow tree planted in your yard?"

Before leaving, Chen Hongfang saw the willow tree that had grown in the backyard, and he immediately went to the willow tree.

"Oh, there's a tall and strong willow tree at the east end of the village. When we were little, my older brother and I used to climb up it to catch bugs."

Chen Hongfang gazed at the willow tree in the courtyard for a long time, his honest face suddenly recalling his childhood.

Chen Hong walked out of the courtyard, a hint of guilt on his face. After seeing Chen Hongfang off, he approached Ye Xuan and asked:

"My lord, wouldn't it be better to have as many cultivators as possible?"

Ye Xuan naturally knew what he was thinking. Teaching the Chen family members to cultivate was not entirely due to fate.

There's no such thing as a free lunch, is there? If you really don't expect anything in return, you might as well spend your time cultivating yourself instead of teaching them.

According to the growth habits of the fairy willow, if someone cultivates nearby, they can draw some spiritual energy from it, which can be of some assistance to their own cultivation.

In addition, when Ye Xuan opened up their meridians, he left a seed in the dantian of the Chen father and son.

This is the method of the "Immortal Willow of Immortality". The person whose seed is planted will have their life force continuously integrated into the seed through daily cultivation.

If you don't break through to the next stage within the fixed timeframe, your life force will be drained by the seed and then return to the Immortal Willow...

"Offerings to the Immortal Willow".

Ye Xuan dared not say that the worshipper's life was definitely safe, but in this short-lived world where mortals are as insignificant as ants, it was an immense blessing for an ordinary person to be able to embark on the path of cultivation through the Immortal Willow.

Opportunities and risks coexist, and Chen Hong's earlier statement of "swearing to protect at all costs" is indeed true.

Of course, in normal times, this seed and the life force of the worshipper are mutually supportive, and it will not harm the life or foundation of the plant.

On the contrary, if the worshipper can successfully break through, then the Immortal Willow Seed will also be of great benefit to him.

The most obvious change is the lifespan limit of short-lived species. After breaking through the Qi Refining stage, the worshipper can live to be a hundred years old as long as there are no accidents.

"Cultivation depends on natural talent."

Ye Xuan ignored Chen Hong's question. With his current cultivation level, even if he were to help open up the meridians, he would need a certain framework.

He didn't mind if Chen Hong brought more trustworthy people, since the Chen family already knew about the Immortal Willow Seeds anyway.

"Instead of thinking about this, you should consider the breakthroughs for you and your son. There's only half a month left."

Hearing that there were only half a month left, Chen Hong also became nervous; cultivation is somewhat similar to martial arts training, in addition to talent, nutritional supplementation is also very important.

This nutrition can be food that replenishes qi and blood, or various treasures that contain spiritual energy and can be used for one's own benefit...

"I have observed that there is a treasure hidden in the large lake behind the mountain; you may go and retrieve it."