Chapter 46

"Thinking about the gift to give the young lady today, I was actually quite troubled. Gold and jewels are not difficult for me to obtain, but they seem too vulgar; as for cultivation techniques and secret manuals, I can't offer anything that would impress someone like you. After much thought, I believe that if I can help with what your father has asked of me, it would be a better gift than anything else." Shen Lian smiled slightly, speaking calmly and composedly.

"Young master is a wise man; don't make it hard for him, Miss Shisiniang." An elderly voice, still carrying a hint of amusement, said.

Shisiniang shot Shen Lian a glance, then patted the old plum branch and walked inside.

Shen Lian followed inside, where the room was brightly lit. The first person he saw was an old man, similar in stature to Shisiniang, but with the air of a learned scholar. His eyes carried the weight of many years, even more ancient and unadorned than those of Old Master Shen.

Those with great wisdom, who have experienced great storms, can focus their minds and stabilize their nature, even without actively cultivating their divine souls.

As the saying goes, they remain unperturbed by sudden misfortune and maintain their composure even when Mount Tai collapses before them.

This is a realm of self-cultivation and self-nurturing, not that of immortals or buddhas, but different from that of cultivators.

This stability is not achieved through a powerful divine soul, but by removing the postnatal illusions and grasping one's true nature, thus achieving such composure.

Although Shen Lian was indifferent, his composure might not match that of Old Master Shen, who had weathered many years.

The old man did not pretend to be profound; he nodded slightly, his demeanor natural, yet it made people bow in respect, overlooking his aged body.

When Shen Lian was studying, he had attended many lectures by great scholars. Some of the old professors, though in their eighties or nineties, still exuded vigor and had a mysterious charm in their every gesture, making even simple principles easy to accept without feeling bored.

Shen Lian slightly clasped his hands and said solemnly, "I hope you are well, sir."

"Your visit in the snowy night, though somewhat neglectful, was indeed to test your courage. You truly have the qualities of jade, both in character and in resolve. I have not chosen wrongly." The old man gestured for him to be seated.

The winter night was cold, but both the old man and Shen Lian were immune to the cold. They sat by the fire and talked.

Shisiniang poured tea with her fair hands. The tea was clear and transparent, but the surface rippled as if it were scalding hot.

Shen Lian did not even glance at it, drinking it in one gulp. To prevent it from being too hot, he had already taken a mouthful of saliva beforehand. However, when the tea entered his mouth, it was just right. Mixed with the saliva, it felt like a clear spring, flowing into his stomach, generating a warm sensation that rose up, making his forehead feel slightly warm, yet incredibly comfortable.

"Is Mr. Shen not afraid that the tea might be poisoned?" Shisiniang asked from the side.

"Given the methods you used on Ye Liuyun, they are truly beyond the reach of gods and spirits. Even if I were to guard against them, what could I do? It's better to be straightforward." Shen Lian laughed softly. That day, he had witnessed the old man's skills and knew that the gap between them was almost immeasurable. No method could bridge this gap, so it was better to accept the situation.

"This is a spirit-awakening soup, taught to me by an old friend in the past. Although you have cultivation techniques to refine your divine soul, your soul power is pure, but it seems to be somewhat out of sync with your physical body. Therefore, even though you have reached the realm of soul separation, you cannot fully experience the true meaning of no mind and no form. If this continues, you will inevitably find yourself in a difficult situation." The old man spoke calmly, seeing through Shen Lian clearly.

Shen Lian knew that his cultivation, which he had developed by feeling his way, would eventually lead to problems. He thought he had been cautious, but it seemed he could not avoid it.

The old man might have exaggerated, but he was not lying to scare him.

When he recited the poem about the snow and ice, his divine soul had momentarily become unblocked, showing signs of breaking through a bottleneck. However, he had suppressed it with his composure, feeling that he could not control his inner self.

Although the poem suited his temperament, it should not have had such a profound impact.

This is the difficulty of cultivation, and refining the divine soul is even more challenging than cultivating qi. The human heart is complex and cannot be described in a few words.

Shen Lian was not a natural talent for cultivation. He had reached his current level partly due to some fortunate coincidences.

Fortunately, his mind was more stable than that of the previous owner of his body, preventing any irreparable mistakes.

"I hope you can guide me, sir." Shen Lian was sincere, believing that those who have achieved something can be teachers, and a willingness to learn and seek solutions is the right attitude for cultivation.

"You can call me by my name. Although I am older than you, we are both on the path of seeking the Dao, so there's no need to be overly formal. My family name is Xin, and my name is based on my rank. Shisiniang is called that because she is my fourteenth daughter. However, I once traveled in the human world and, following local customs, took a name called Xin Qubing, with the courtesy name Shaoan." Xin Qubing spoke gently.

"Then I will call you Mr. Shaoan. Could you explain what you meant by 'no mind and no form'?"

"That was mentioned by someone else. I cannot explain it in detail. You have the potential of a jade, and in the future, you will surely have the opportunity to enter a immortal sect. The orthodox Daoist sects are far superior to my ramblings, and they will certainly have methods to resolve the disharmony between your divine soul and physical body." Xin Qubing smiled.

Shen Lian knew that he was essentially a usurper. The disharmony between his divine soul and physical body was likely due to this.

The old man saw through it at a glance and still called himself a wild fox. Could he be a fox spirit who has cultivated for hundreds or even thousands of years?

"Mr. Shaoan mentioned immortal sects several times. What do you mean by that?" Shen Lian grasped the key point, knowing that this must be the main focus of today's conversation.

"Like martial arts schools in the world, there are immortal sects for cultivation. However, they are outside the mortal world, striving to transcend life and death, and they do not show off their power in the human world like martial artists." Xin Qubing said with a smile.

Shen Lian thought it was indeed true. From the stories Ling Chongxiao told and the old man's words, it seemed that there were indeed immortal sects in this world dedicated to transcending life and death, with many experiences from previous generations.

Only by joining them would there be a greater chance of achieving immortality, rather than being in the dark, unsure of how to achieve longevity, and fearing that one wrong step could lead to a sudden illness and death.

"Mr. Shaoan seems to know how to enter an immortal sect. What do you need from me?" Shen Lian believed that there was no such thing as unconditional kindness. After all, only those who have achieved something can benefit the world. The old man did not seem like a saint who had transcended all troubles, so he would not be so kind without a reason.

This spirit-awakening soup was effective for the divine soul and was hard to find in the human world. If it were given to an outsider like ordinary tea, Shen Lian would not believe it.

He was not afraid of not being able to repay the favor. The old man had found him because he believed he could do what he asked, so he did not feel too much pressure.

To put it simply, he was like a dead pig not afraid of boiling water.

"What I seek can only be done after you enter an immortal sect. There's no need to doubt. First, look at this." The old man pulled out a scroll from his sleeve.

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Thank you to Guangyin Huafumo for the 588 reward, and to Qianxu Zi, Guo Junwu, and Jian Ming Jiu Xiao for their support.

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