Chapter 12 Planning

After exchanging pleasantries, Xu Banshan said leisurely:

“Junior brother’s lecture today was very insightful, but his last words were a bit superfluous.”

His words seemed casual, but the blame was very clear.

"How could it be superfluous to enlighten your disciple about the path ahead? Please teach me, senior brother."

Qin Yan was not surprised that his senior brother could hear his teachings.

There are no magical restrictions separating the inside and outside of the Wendao Hall, and it is located not far from the main hall of the Shuwu Hall.

Although Senior Brother Xu is very old, he is still a Foundation Establishment Level 9 cultivator. As long as you spare some attention over there, you can naturally hear what he says.

Xu Banshan seemed oblivious to the dissatisfaction in the other person's words, and continued to speak slowly and deliberately:

"My junior brother also said that many disciples are not very talented and do not have any external help."

Without profound magical skills, how can one earn elixirs for cultivation or magical artifacts for combat?

The disciple who had no one to rely on, and the junior brother who experienced the hardships at the beginning of his cultivation, understood this best.

Now that you've revealed this ingenious method, what would happen if all the disciples tried to imitate it?

He gave a forced, insincere laugh and sighed twice.

"Improving one's cultivation level may not be much faster, and one's mastery of spells is also limited. Without advancing to a higher realm, the improvement in aptitude brought about by strengthening one's immortal veins through cultivation techniques is negligible. In the end, one will achieve nothing and waste one's time."

His meaning was very straightforward: most people don't have the opportunity to strengthen their immortal veins and expand their branches while cultivating their techniques. Rather than trying to do both, it's better to focus on one aspect.

Cultivation is the foundation of everything; this statement is absolutely true.

However, for most disciples, advancing to the Foundation Establishment stage is extremely difficult, and even if they work hard to improve their cultivation, it is still just a mirage.

In comparison, the practice methods are much more practical.

Even if they leave the sect in the future, they will have a skill to make a living and can earn a decent income.

This way, they can ensure their livelihood and also save up some spirit stones so that their descendants won't have to work so hard to cultivate.

Among the disciples of the sect who are at the Qi Refining stage, the largest number are at the Qi Refining mid-stage and the Qi Refining seventh stage. Why is that?

This is because most disciples will gradually realize that Foundation Establishment is an unattainable dream. Their goal is simply to advance to the late stage of Qi Refining before the age of thirty, so that they can stay in the sect for another thirty years.

Then these people will use these thirty years to frantically accumulate spirit stones, because once they leave the sect and become independent cultivators, the speed of accumulating spirit stones will be much slower.

Their ultimate dream is for their descendants to be able to advance to the Foundation Establishment stage and establish a small family.

This is how small families are born, and this is how sects gradually grow stronger.

In a sense, the younger generation is cultivating themselves by standing on the bones of their predecessors.

Qin Yan remained unmoved. He understood his senior brother's reasoning, and he had no intention of changing anything.

Looking across the swirling smoke, he spoke calmly:

"I know that the method I mentioned for strengthening the immortal veins and improving aptitude is just one of the unspoken methods of powerful clans."

I also know that many disciples do not have the conditions to improve their aptitude using this method.

But I'm sharing this method to give my disciples another option.

They will weigh the pros and cons themselves.

My initial intention was to make it easier for my capable disciples to navigate their future paths.

He recalled that he only learned about methods to improve one's aptitude through regular cultivation after he advanced to the Foundation Establishment stage, and it took him another ten years to catch up on most of the lessons he had missed.

Strengthening the immortal veins with the cultivation of the Foundation Establishment stage is more effective, but many branches miss the best opportunity for expansion and have to spend more time developing them.

Some branches have completely missed their opportunity to expand, and without a major opportunity in the future, these branches will not be able to emerge.

Correspondingly, the acupoints that depend on these branches will not be visible.

The number of branch meridians that open and the number of acupoints that open throughout the body are related to the cultivation of the Chaoyuan stage and beyond, which is something he is very concerned about.

To reach a higher level, every bit of improvement is invaluable.

In his heart, the Golden Core stage was not his final destination.

Qin Yan's hand, tucked into his sleeve, caressed a small, translucent piece of jade, about the size of a thumb. This rare treasure was the key to his rise to power.

"Junior brother seems to harbor resentment, and it's not just because of this matter, is it?"

Qin Yan remained silent for a moment, then slowly said:

"Starting three years ago, the number of tasks assigned by the sect has been increasing, but the disciples' gains have not increased."

We Foundation Establishment cultivators are the same.

Moreover, the amount of merit required to purchase pills that allow one to break through to a higher realm has increased significantly.

What I want to ask is why?

"This is the ancestor's consideration."

Xu Banshan knew that the sect's policies had caused dissatisfaction among many people, and Qin Yan was probably pushed out by his fellow disciples to test the waters.

Qin Yan pursed his lips and chuckled:

"Senior brother, everyone knows it was the ancestor's order, but the ancestor did not explain why it was done."

The fellow disciples wanted to know what the sect was planning. Was something big about to happen in the cultivation world?

The sect's actions seem to indicate that they are preparing for war.

The wars in the cultivation world are extremely brutal. A high-level cultivator can wipe out a small cultivation family on a mountain with a single spell, leaving not even a dog behind.

If such signs appear, everyone should prepare early. The sect should be safe, but many people have clansmen outside making a living behind them.

I also want to know the reason, but since the ancestor won't tell me, I don't dare to ask any more questions.

Xu Banshan shrugged:

"Junior brother, you've put me in a difficult position. I was just following orders from the Ancestor."

Qin Yan's gaze was deep and unfathomable, and it was impossible to tell what he was thinking.

After finishing his sermon, Ji An bid farewell to Chu He and the others and hurried back.

Without the talisman bird for transportation, it would take another two days to travel.

His spiritual field has not yet been sown. If he delays for too long, the spiritual grain will mature a few days later than others.

It may seem like nothing, but if everyone else's spirit grains are harvested, those thieving birds will definitely target him and try to fleece him!

A man walked along a narrow path, determined that when he had extra money in the future, he would prioritize buying a magical bird for transportation.

It's too much of a waste of time if we can't fly.

Two days later, under the moonlight, Ji An dragged his weary body back to his bamboo house.

On the way back, he mastered the basics of the Withering and Flourishing Technique and tried to refine the Xun Spirit. He discovered that the spell could be improved without the need for the Zhen Spirit, and his anxiety subsided.

After resting for a while, he hastily prepared some food, then washed his hands and face, took out a futon, lit an incense burner, and sat cross-legged in the courtyard to begin practicing his cultivation techniques.

As the wisps of spiritual energy from heaven and earth were absorbed into the body, the fatigue gradually disappeared.

An hour later, Ji An finished his cultivation, feeling refreshed.

He focused his mind on the stone tortoise and went all in on all his clever ideas!

[Master: Ji An]

[Taoist Rhyme: 0]

[Spiritual clues: Kan (坎) spirit 0, Kun (坤) spirit 0, Xun (巽) spirit 0]

[Spell: Minor Cloud Rain (Mastery 72% → 99%)]

Thick Earth Technique (Mastery 48% → 71%)

The Art of Withering and Flourishing (Beginner 6% → Expert 8%)

(End of this chapter)