Chapter 5

In the stone house, Li Muran sat cross-legged, his palms flat on his knees, his eyes slightly closed, his shoulders slightly drawn in, and his chin slightly retracted, focusing on the point between his eyebrows.

This is the "Observing Light" posture, a common method for cultivators to sense the divine light of the ancestral acupoint.

Li Muran had read in ancient texts that after the Light Opening, using the Observing Light posture, one could see the divine light. Generally, the strength and form of the divine light seen directly reflect the effectiveness of the Light Opening.

For example, using a low-grade Light Opening talisman with fire attributes, if successful, one would see a fire light in the ancestral acupoint, usually a small flame or a tiny fire. If a mid-grade fire attribute Light Opening talisman is used, the divine light seen in the ancestral acupoint would be stronger and more obvious, usually a flame that could be as large as an inch. As for using a high-grade fire attribute Light Opening talisman, it is said that the divine light in the ancestral acupoint would take the form of a fire spirit, not only a larger flame but also capable of evolving into various shapes, such as a fire sparrow or a fire python, extremely wondrous.

Li Muran was very eager to know what quality and attribute his Light Opening was, as this was crucial for his future cultivation!

Because only when the cultivation techniques resonate with the divine light of the ancestral acupoint can the best cultivation effect be achieved. Life is short, but cultivation is endless. Only by finding the most suitable cultivation method can one reach higher and farther realms.

After an incense stick's time, Li Muran opened his eyes and frowned.

"What's going on? I've tried several times, but I can only see a faint light, and I can't make out what it is at all!"

"Could it be as Uncle Mo said, that I only barely managed to open the light, and my talent is extremely poor?"

Li Muran couldn't help but feel worried. Light Opening is the first step in cultivation and a crucial one. It is the foundation of cultivation, and whether the foundation is solid directly determines the smoothness of the future path and how far one can go.

"No, I must figure it out. Even if it's faint, I must see whether it's a flame, a drop of water, a sprout, or a golden light. At least I need to know the Five Elements attribute to cultivate the corresponding Five Elements techniques."

Li Muran continued to sit and observe the light, which was quite mentally taxing. After just one or two hours, he felt dazed and had a splitting headache if he tried to observe the light further. He had to stop and rest, and soon fell asleep without realizing it.

When he woke up, all was quiet, and it was already dark. The pale moonlight streamed in through the window, like mercury spilling on the ground.

"It's already late at night, and I've slept for so long!" Li Muran was surprised, and his stomach growled, indicating he was hungry.

Unfortunately, he had missed dinner time. In the past, when Li Muran missed meals due to diligent cultivation, his fellow disciples would always prepare and bring him food. But today, no one did that.

"Probably won't happen again!" Li Muran smiled bitterly and patted his stomach. "No problem, in a few hours, it will be dawn, and I can eat more in the morning."

Feeling quite energetic, Li Muran decided to try observing the light again.

This time, as soon as he closed his eyes, even before his mind was fully focused on the ancestral acupoint, he sensed a very different situation.

"So many lights!" Li Muran was overjoyed. "They flicker like countless stars in the sky! Ah, and there's a round, bright light like a full moon!"

Li Muran opened his eyes, still somewhat disbelieving. "Is this just an illusion?"

He closed his eyes again to observe the light. This time, he saw very clearly that his ancestral acupoint was filled with stars and a bright moon, the light of the stars and moon was very strong, as if it contained the entire night sky, completely different from the situation during the day!

"What kind of divine light phenomenon is this? I've never seen it in the ancient texts!" Li Muran was both surprised and delighted. He repeatedly observed the divine light, completely engrossed, and the hunger in his stomach was long forgotten.

For a while, Li Muran felt as if he was among the brilliant stars, with the stars and the moon hanging beside him, within reach. The shining light of the stars and the moon almost illuminated the entire world.

"Knock, knock, knock!" A few knocks on the door interrupted Li Muran.

"Who is it?" Li Muran put away his Observing Light posture and stood up.

"It's me, Senior Brother Zhao." A young voice replied.

"Junior Brother Mu?" Li Muran opened the door and saw a thin young man holding a basket.

"Senior Brother Zhao, you didn't go to dinner tonight, so I prepared some for you. I just heated it up, so please eat it while it's hot." The young man said, handing the basket to Li Muran.

Li Muran took the basket, feeling somewhat grateful. "Thank you, Junior Brother Mu!"

This Junior Brother Mu usually spoke little and was not particularly warm to him, unlike other fellow disciples who often flattered him. Unexpectedly, at this moment, only Junior Brother Mu remembered to bring him food; this was probably what they called seeing true feelings in adversity.

"Senior Brother Zhao, don't worry too much about the Light Opening. There will be other opportunities in the future..." Mu Li seemed to want to comfort Li Muran, but seeing no sign of dejection on Li Muran's face, he stopped halfway through his words.

Li Muran smiled. "Junior Brother Mu, there's no need to worry. The path of cultivation is rugged and full of obstacles. To become an immortal, one must go through countless difficulties. A little setback is nothing!"

Mu Li also smiled, feeling relieved. "Senior Brother Zhao, to think you have such a broad mind. I was overthinking it! It's getting late, so after you finish eating, please rest early. I'll take my leave!"

"Thank you!" Li Muran bowed and watched Mu Li leave.

As Mu Li walked a few steps away, Li Muran suddenly said, "Junior Brother Mu, I will repay this favor one day!"

"Senior Brother Zhao, you're too polite. It's just a small effort, not worth mentioning!" Mu Li waved his hand and gradually disappeared into the moonlight.

The next morning, Li Muran, who was sitting and observing the light with his eyes closed, suddenly changed his expression.

"What's going on? Why has the divine light in my ancestral acupoint changed back to this state?"

Li Muran said to himself in shock. After waking up and sitting to observe the light again, he found that the divine light in his ancestral acupoint was once again a faint, almost imperceptible light!

However, last night, he clearly observed that the divine light in his ancestral acupoint was like stars and the moon in the sky, shining brightly. How could it have become so lifeless after just a few hours?

Generally, after the divine light is opened, it doesn't change much, at most just minor changes. The dramatic and repeated changes like his were simply incomprehensible.

Li Muran frowned, the strange changes in the divine light left him no choice but to think carefully.

However, the matter was too bizarre, and Li Muran's knowledge of the divine light was limited to a few ancient texts, so he couldn't figure it out for the moment.

"Clang! Clang!" A few bell sounds indicated that the sect was calling the disciples. Li Muran tidied up and headed to the Yuan Kai Peak.

The sect leader, Cang Xia Daoist, had used a Primordial Energy Talisman to fill the Ancestral Talisman with primordial energy overnight, and the Light Opening ceremony continued today.

The Light Opening ceremony went very smoothly today. The primordial energy of the Ancestral Talisman was only used up to a small extent, and it took only half the morning for the remaining disciples to complete their Light Opening.

Among the over a hundred disciples, none used a high-grade Light Opening talisman, and only seven or eight used a mid-grade Light Opening talisman. The rest used low-grade Light Opening talismans, and even four or five failed to open the light—these few lost their qualifications to stay in the Primordial Talisman Sect. Li Muran, who used a "Waste Talisman" to open the light, was a peculiar case, barely making it into the ranks of those who had successfully opened the light.

After the Light Opening ceremony, the various Daoists began to select disciples and accept their disciples' bows. This process made the disciples particularly nervous, as they hoped to be chosen by the Daoists with good reputations and temperaments. Unfortunately, this was a one-sided choice by the Daoists, and the disciples could only passively accept.

A few disciples who used mid-grade Light Opening talismans were quickly chosen by several Daoists in the first round. The remaining disciples had similar qualities. The Daoists chose disciples based on their specialties and whether they looked favorable.

Seeing his fellow disciples being chosen one by one, Li Muran, who had not been chosen, couldn't help but feel anxious.

If no one was willing to take him as a disciple, even though he had opened the light, he would still have to leave the Primordial Talisman Sect, possibly cutting off his path of cultivation.

At this point, Li Muran even considered revealing the abnormality of his ancestral acupoint's divine light, but since his divine light was now faint, even if he revealed it, how many would believe him?

The disciples were gradually chosen by the Daoists and performed the bowing ceremony, continuing until the afternoon. In the end, only a dozen disciples remained unchosen.

These dozen disciples had poor Light Opening results, and Li Muran was one of them.

"Is there any senior brother who wants to take a few more disciples?" Cang Xia Daoist said loudly. "These disciples have some potential, and with proper cultivation, they might become talented!"

Chi Xia Daoist laughed. "Senior Brother, the principle of taking disciples is better to have none than to have poor ones. These disciples either have extremely poor talent or are not hardworking and diligent. Even if they walk the path of immortality, it would just be a waste of effort."

The other Daoists nodded in agreement, clearly sharing the same thoughts as Chi Xia Daoist.

Mo Yunzi added, "Since these dozen disciples have no sect, they can leave the sect from today and seek other opportunities."

"Yes!" Four or five young men bowed and left the hall.

These few did not show much disappointment or dejection on their faces, but rather a sense of relief. Everyone knew that these disciples came from wealthy families and had been pampered since childhood, unable to endure the hardships of cultivation. They had long been thinking of leaving the deep mountains and returning to the secular world to continue being their young masters.

Li Muran was different. Seeing that he was about to be expelled from the sect, he urgently bowed to the sect leader and pleaded, "Disciple is devoted to the Dao and is willing to work twice as hard to make up for my shortcomings. I beg the senior uncles and aunts to give me a chance!"

"Disciple is devoted to the Dao and humbly request the senior uncles and aunts to give me another chance!" The other few disciples who did not want to leave the sect and had no sect also immediately knelt down and bowed together.