"With innate energy incomplete, one can only first create a grotto-heaven before attempting to build a world."

Lin Zhou understood, but his eyes grew even more determined.

What he wanted to do was not simply refine it, but to use this half-wisp of innate energy as a foundation to create a world of his own.

Only in this way can the power of innate energy be fully utilized, and a truly stable place be found for the Qingyun Sect.

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, a dazzling light suddenly erupted from Lin Zhou's body.

Countless principles of the Dao surrounded him like a galaxy, including the "Principle of Life," which represented vitality and transformed into a ribbon of emerald light.

There is the "Path of Death," representing the end, solidified into jet-black patterns; there are also principles of space, time, and the five elements.

It wove together into a massive net of Dao principles, slowly pouring towards the illusory image of the blessed land!

"boom!"

The moment the Dao entered his body, the illusory image of the blessed land suddenly expanded, growing from the size of a palm to a size of about ten feet in diameter.

The mountains and rivers in the illusory image began to become clear, and amidst the flowing clouds and mist, a real sense of heaven and earth seemed to emerge.

The way of life merges into the earth, making the soil in the phantom fertile; the way of death disappears into the void, becoming the underlying balance of the world.

The Five Elements are scattered everywhere, transforming into the vague elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, laying the material foundation for the world.

Just then, the old locust tree outside the secluded hall suddenly moved. It had long possessed intelligence and sensed the nascent world inside the hall. Its thick branches pierced through the hall wall and slowly reached into the world that was taking shape.

With a gentle shake of the branch, countless tender green specks of light drifted down from the tip, landing on the earth and instantly taking root and sprouting.

Growing into clusters of small locust trees, their branches and leaves intertwined, they not only purify the air but also add a touch of vitality to the world.

Lin Zhou did not stop it; instead, he smiled slightly. The integration of the old locust tree could just make up for the lack of vitality in the early stages of the world, making this world more stable.

Immediately afterwards, he flipped his right hand, and several white "loaches" slid out from his palm.

They were pure white, surrounded by rich spiritual energy; they were the spiritual veins that Lin Zhou had casually collected from the realms he passed through.

Although these spiritual veins are not top-tier, they are sufficient to support the spiritual energy circulation of a small world.

"go."

Lin Zhou spoke softly, and the spiritual veins, as if imbued with consciousness, joyfully swam towards the nascent world. The moment they entered, they emitted deafening dragon roars.

It's not that the spiritual veins themselves make a sound, but rather that the spiritual energy surrounding them merges with the world, causing a resonance between heaven and earth!

The spiritual veins roam freely throughout the world, and wherever they pass, spiritual energy gushes forth from the earth like a fountain, nourishing the land.

As spiritual energy continued to flow in, tender green grass began to sprout from the soil in the world.

Colorful wildflowers bloom in the grass, and clear streams flow down from the mountains, tinkling and melodious.

In a short while, this world transformed from its initial desolation into a vibrant place, just like a real world.

However, looking at this world with only plants and no animals, Lin Zhou frowned slightly.

Without animals, there is no complete food chain, and over time, the world's ecology will inevitably become unbalanced.

He could have captured some animals from outside and released them, but then he thought that the real world should have the ability to nurture life on its own, and human intervention would only disrupt the natural laws of the world.

"Never mind, let it evolve on its own."

Lin Zhou gathered his thoughts and focused his gaze on this world that was beginning to take shape.

Although small, it has all the essential elements, including mountains, rivers, vegetation, and spiritual veins, and is supported by complete Dao principles. Given time, it will surely evolve into a more complex ecosystem.

Finally, a glint flashed in Lin Zhou's eyes, and a thought flickered in his mind.

He intends to relocate the Qingyun Sect to this world, making the sect the core of the world, thus protecting it from external disturbances.

They can also leverage the popularity of the sect to accelerate the evolution of the world.

As his thought settled, the entire Qingyun Sect was suddenly enveloped in a pale golden light shield, which slowly contracted.

The mountain gate, halls, disciples' living quarters, and even the plaza outside the mountain gate all transformed into a stream of light.

He flew into the secluded hall, merged into that newly formed world, and disappeared from the spot.

Inside the secluded meditation hall, Lin Zhou gazed at the world that was already taking shape and floating before him, within which the outline of the Qingyun Sect could be vaguely seen.

The branches and leaves of the old locust tree stretch out in the world, and the spiritual veins still flow joyfully.

He slowly closed his eyes and began to guide his cultivation to connect with this world.

From this day forward, he is the creator of this world.

"The Mortal Realm".

Standing atop the world, Lin Zhou gazed down at the misty mountains and the outline of the Qingyun Sect, and softly uttered the name of this world.

"Ordinary yet refined, the greatest truths are simple."

This is not only his expectation for the world, but also his state of mind in self-cultivation.

Stripped of external strife, we find the fundamental principles of the Tao in the ordinary, just like this world, which, though newly formed, holds boundless vitality.

Once the Qingyun Sect has fully established itself in the mortal realm, its spiritual veins and the laws of the world will be perfectly integrated.

Lin Zhou then completely shed his trivial matters and returned to a life of "lying down".

Every day, he would sit on a bamboo chair in the Qingyun Sect on a main peak in the mortal realm.

Basking in the warm sunshine filtering through the clouds, sipping tea brewed from the tender leaves of an old locust tree; or fishing by a stream in the world, watching the graceful fish swim in the water.

Listening to the sounds of disciples cultivating in the distance, they lived a leisurely and carefree life, no longer needing to concern themselves with the cause and effect conflicts of the outside world.

However, during these two months, the disciples of the Qingyun Sect encountered a strange incident.

About the pillars.

Initially, Xiao Chen, Jiang Li, Su She, and the Shi Tou siblings, seeing that Zhu Zi was still a mortal, thought of helping him lay the foundation for cultivation.

Xiao Chen taught him the method of guiding Qi into his body, Jiang Li passed on the formula for tempering his body, Su She used Confucian and Taoist Qi to help him regulate his meridians, and Shi Tou even pondered how to teach him some basic body-refining techniques.

No matter how patiently they taught him, Zhu Zi seemed to be "unenlightened," his aura remained completely still, and he couldn't even do the most basic aura-inducing exercise.

"Zhu Zi, try again. Repeat the incantation with me and feel the Qi within your body..."

Xiao Chen squatted in front of the pillar, demonstrating again and again, his forehead beaded with sweat, but the pillar just blinked its bewildered eyes and shook its head: "Senior Brother, I can't find the Qi."

Jiang Li sighed helplessly. She had tried to use her spiritual power to open up the pillar's meridians, but as soon as the spiritual power entered the pillar's body, it was like a stone sinking into the sea, without any response.

Su She and Shi Tou had no other choice but to give up for the time being, thinking that things might be better when the pillar got bigger.

However, one morning two months later, when Xiao Chen was inspecting the disciples' cultivation, he witnessed a shocking scene under the old locust tree in the mortal realm.

Zhu Zi was sitting on the roots of the old locust tree, leaning against the trunk, his eyes slightly closed, his small hands casually placed on his knees.

Strands of pale blue spiritual energy, like streams, spontaneously converged into his body, flowing slowly along his meridians.

The path of its circulation was exactly the same as the Qi-guiding method that Xiao Chen had taught him before, and even more smooth and fluid!