Chapter 77

Shen Lian said calmly, "Does the Sect Leader need me to offer this method of refining the spirit?"

Zhang Ruoxu stroked his beard and smiled, saying, "Are you willing to part with it?"

"Of course I am willing," Shen Lian said with ease.

To Shen Lian, no matter how mysterious and unfathomable the origin of the *Shangqing Lingbao Ziran Suoxin Dingxin Zhenjie* was, it was just a cultivation technique, and it might not help him achieve immortality.

However, the immortal techniques of Qingxuan had indeed produced many immortals.

Moreover, Qingxuan was not a charitable institution. No matter how well Zhang Ruoxu treated his disciples, there were limits.

Cultivators who defied heaven to seek immortality had to have the right mindset.

As the saying goes, 'If you give me a peach, I will repay you with a beautiful jade.' Zhang Ruoxu's guidance to Shen Lian was like a peach, and Shen Lian's offering of the spirit-refining technique was like a beautiful jade. It might seem that Shen Lian was at a disadvantage, but it actually demonstrated his sense of belonging to Qingxuan.

There is no love or hate without cause; only mutual effort can strengthen the bond between people.

The principle doesn't need to be explicitly stated, but it needs to be put into practice.

Therefore, Shen Lian was very straightforward, and Zhang Ruoxu was very pleased.

A plain white sheet of paper appeared out of nowhere.

Then a brush, ink, and a square table appeared, and the white paper gently landed in front of Shen Lian.

Shen Lian was surprised and said, "Did you prepare these in advance, taking them out from a storage device, or did you create them on the spot?"

"Of course, they are freshly made. Once you reach the stage of breaking through delusions, you will know that without spiritual essence, it is not difficult to turn the false into the true and the true into the false," Zhang Ruoxu said with a smile, but without much pride.

"Indeed, it is a wondrous technique of the immortals. Can you also turn stones into gold?" Shen Lian asked curiously.

"Jewels and gold are no different from brushes, ink, and paper. It just depends on the amount of spiritual power consumed," Zhang Ruoxu said lightly.

Shen Lian thought to himself: If the old man knew that the wealth he had struggled for most of his life could be created with a wave of the hand, what would he feel?

Of course, Old Man Shen had no idea that his cheap grandson was criticizing him in his heart.

Shen Lian put aside his thoughts, picked up the brush, and the words of the *Shangqing Lingbao Ziran Suoxin Dingxin Zhenjie* flowed slowly from his heart:

"Resting under the splendid dawn, lying in the embrace of the nine essences, restraining the soul and spirit in the north..."

Then he began to write, but before he finished the first stroke of the first character, the ink had already disappeared.

Zhang Ruoxu's expression changed, and Shen Lian tried several times, but the stroke never appeared.

Since he burned the *Shangqing Lingbao Ziran Suoxin Dingxin Zhenjie*, he had never recorded the text again, nor had he revealed it to anyone. This was the first time he encountered such a situation.

Zhang Ruoxu suddenly said, "Just write, don't worry about it."

Shen Lian drew the first stroke and was about to write the second, but he couldn't continue no matter how hard he tried.

"Stop writing. Try to recite the incantations."

Shen Lian was increasingly shocked because the more bizarre the situation, the more it indicated that the *Shangqing Lingbao Ziran Suoxin Dingxin Zhenjie* had an extraordinary origin.

Shen Lian tried to recite it, but suddenly forgot how to speak.

Speechless.

A precious mirror flew out from Zhang Ruoxu, emitting a radiant light that illuminated both of them.

Shen Lian did not feel any prying, but rather a sense of protection.

The Heavenly Mirror was a precious treasure of Qingxuan, not only possessing the power of 'heavenly sight and earthly hearing' but also isolating the inside from the outside.

Zhang Ruoxu sighed, "Fortunately, there is the residual aura of the Dao here. Otherwise, today's events might have been leaked."

Shen Lian's expression changed slightly, and he was puzzled, asking, "What's going on?"

"Can your method of refining the spirit strengthen the spirit and soul even without any cultivation foundation?" Zhang Ruoxu asked softly.

Shen Lian nodded.

Zhang Ruoxu had an expression of 'I knew it,' and he pondered, "If I'm not mistaken, the cultivation technique you learned has been placed under the 'Guiyidaojin' restriction. The only function of this restriction is to ensure the uniqueness of the technique. Once someone learns it, they cannot teach it to others or record it in writing."

"But when I learned it, the paper on which I recorded the technique did not disappear."

Zhang Ruoxu smiled lightly, "That was just because no one else had seen it. Is the paper still there?"

"It was burned by me," Shen Lian said, a bit embarrassed, as this also showed that he wasn't entirely upright.

"Burning it is good. No traces left. Actually, when you achieve immortality in the future, you might be able to describe this method of refining the spirit in another way. At that time, the sect can have another fundamental technique as part of its legacy," Zhang Ruoxu said calmly.

He originally thought that Shen Lian had only a small secret, but he didn't expect it to involve the 'Guiyidaojin' restriction. In over ten thousand years, Qingxuan had never had anyone who could place such a restriction, which could only be used by those who had reached the pinnacle of cultivation in this vast world.

Zhang Ruoxu seemed unwilling to talk more about the 'Guiyidaojin' and instead discussed the basics of cultivation with Shen Lian.

His perspective was broad and unique, and with just a few words, he gave Shen Lian a sense of enlightenment.

Finally, Zhang Ruoxu suggested that Shen Lian should not rush to find the 'Life and Death Acupoint' to break through the Acupoint Activation stage.

For Shen Lian, the stage of nurturing the soul after Acupoint Activation was unnecessary. He had the highest-level method of refining the spirit, so the stage of nurturing the soul was optional.

In fact, the most ancient cultivation methods did not distinguish between refining the spirit and cultivating qi. It was about understanding the natural laws of heaven and earth and the unchanging principles of the world. Even the sages of the various schools and the Buddha could not surpass this.

Zhang Ruoxu advised Shen Lian to go to the Taowei Pavilion to study the knowledge of talismans and practice some Daoist techniques and sword arts.

In the beginning, there were no written words, and talismans were the earliest cultural carriers, narrating the principles of heaven and earth and invoking the natural forces of water, fire, wind, and thunder. They were one of the earliest sources of extraordinary power.

Although the current talisman techniques differ from the ancient ones, with careful contemplation, one can still understand the unchanging principles.

Shen Lian was different from Chen Jianmei. Chen Jianmei was exceptionally talented and advanced rapidly, so he reached the 'Transformation' stage in ten years. However, haste makes waste, so he needed decades of refinement. As the saying goes, 'Half a lifetime of cultivation goes unnoticed, but once the method is attained, the world knows,' which also means 'A sharp sword comes from honing, and the fragrance of plum blossoms comes from enduring the cold.'

Zhang Ruoxu was certain that Chen Jianmei would eventually reach the 'Returning to the Elixir' stage.

From the fact that Shen Lian could endure the suffering of the Dark River, it was clear that what Shen Lian needed was not refinement but accumulation, a correct understanding of cultivation, rather than merely pursuing higher realms.

The nine stages of cultivation are a convenient path opened by the Dao for all cultivators. If one rushes through them, it would be a pity.

Some people live and die in a day, with low aptitude, so they desperately seek rapid progress. Shen Lian, however, had the foundation to take his time and did not need to be in a hurry.

Zhang Ruoxu would not directly explain these principles, but he could offer some guidance.

PS: Thank you to Quxie Xiaoxiao for the 10,000 reward, becoming the eighth leader of the Dao.

Also, thank you to Kuang Aixianfu for the 588 reward, Zu Daozhong for the 588 reward, Cheng Zhu aaa for the 200 reward, and Wufa Wutian Busan Sifeng, Yandongbei, Shunying Mohen, Duarkduark, and Zhaocai for their rewards.

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