I lead my disciples to seek immortality in the sect's cultivation.

Chapter 3 Xiao He

Shen Gui's body plummeted rapidly from the crimson spirit boat, the whistling wind filling his ears, his clothes fluttering wildly in the gale.

A white sachet placed close to his chest suddenly became slightly warm, and a wisp of warm and gentle white light silently spread out, forming a light blue light shield on his body.

It was a mysterious protective artifact, [Wood with Branches], given to me by my master, the Daoist Miaoyin, before his departure.

"Buzz".

The light shield trembled slightly, dissipating seven or eight tenths of the violent impact from the fall.

Below, there is an endless expanse of lush, verdant forest.

Shen Gui's body landed on the topmost branch, breaking several thick branches. The elasticity of the branches cushioned the impact, and he finally crashed heavily onto the decaying leaves.

"Bang!"

A muffled thud, and dust billowed up.

Shen Gui felt a surge of blood rushing to his chest and a slightly sweet taste in his throat, but he managed to suppress the discomfort.

He slowly propped himself up on the ground, looked down at his hands, and then checked his internal condition. A satisfied smile appeared on his lips.

The master's sachet was triggered passively, protecting his meridians and internal organs.

The ancient trees in the forest cushioned the fall, reducing much of the force of the descent.

The talismans secretly given to him by his second junior brother Li Zhirui and the meridian-protecting pills given to him by Chu Lingxuan remained intact on his body, unused.

Aside from a slight shock to his blood and qi, he was completely unharmed.

Shen Gui slowly stood up, patted the dust off his clothes, and looked around.

All I could see were trees.

The air was filled with the scent of grass and trees and the earthy smell of soil. The spiritual energy was incomparable to that of the immortal mountains of the Canglan Immortal Sect, but it was much richer than that of ordinary places.

This is the northern frontier.

Shen Gui took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart.

The most urgent task is not to immediately go into seclusion for cultivation, but to understand the situation in the northern frontier, find a foothold, and gather capable people.

Alone and helpless, he found it impossible to move an inch in the northern frontier, a land teeming with demons, wicked cultivators, and numerous sects.

To establish a sect, cultivation level and fragments of the Mingtian Bell are far from enough; people, disciples, territory, and resources are all indispensable.

He needs intelligence, manpower, and at least a place where he can cultivate.

Shen Gui did not deliberately conceal the blue robe of the Canglan Sect disciple he was wearing. Instead, he deliberately made the robe look somewhat messy and tattered, creating the illusion that the sect disciple had encountered misfortune and escaped by chance.

After walking for a while, a series of chaotic footsteps, panting, children's cries, and old people's coughs faintly reached my ears.

Shen Gui's eyes brightened slightly, and he slowed his pace, quietly approaching the source of the sound.

We walked through a dense thicket of bushes.

In a relatively open woodland, hundreds of ragged, emaciated refugees were gathered.

Men, women, young and old were all there, and everyone's face was etched with exhaustion, their eyes were dull and lifeless, and they sat slumped on the ground like walking corpses.

Their clothes were tattered, and many of them had injuries.

Occasionally, a few young men dressed in coarse cloth and carrying simple weapons would patrol back and forth, their eyes wary.

The leader held the only decent piece of iron.

It appears that this is a group of refugees who have lost their homes and are fleeing from place to place.

This is exactly what Shen Gui needs most.

Shen Gui understood immediately. He then deliberately let his legs give way, his body swayed slightly, and he pretended to be exhausted. He leaned against a tree trunk and let out a low cough.

His movements immediately attracted the attention of the patrolmen.

"Who's there?!"

A low shout rang out, and the leader immediately gripped his broadsword tightly. He and his two subordinates, looking wary, quickly walked toward Shen Gui.

This man had a dark complexion, a lean build, prominent cheekbones, and a cautious look in his eyes.

This man was Xie San, the leader of the group of refugees.

A clan cultivator from a nearby village practiced a rudimentary technique passed down from his ancestors, barely qualifying as a first-grade method. His magical power was mixed and turbid, and after decades of cultivation, he had only just managed to reach the first level of embryonic breathing and condense the Xuanjing Wheel.

Xie San walked up to Shen Gui, and after seeing his clothes and appearance, his pupils shrank slightly, and his tone instantly became much more respectful, even with a hint of fear.

"This...this immortal master, are you...are you alright?"

In the Northern Frontier, anyone wearing the same robes is a formal disciple from a major sect, someone that these rogue cultivators and mortals can't afford to offend.

Even though the immortal in front of him looked extremely weak, he dared not be negligent, for who knew what kind of magical treasure he might be hiding.

Shen Gui slowly opened his eyes, looking calmly at Xie San, his voice soft and weak.

"It's nothing...it's just that your qi and blood are a little turbulent."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the distant crowd of refugees, and asked with feigned confusion, "Where in the northern frontier is this? Why are there so many refugees?"

Seeing that Shen Gui's tone was calm and not at all arrogant, Xie San's heart was relieved and he quickly bowed and answered.

"Reporting to Immortal Master, this is the territory of Fuxing County in Liaozhou, Northern Frontier. Northern Frontier is divided into three prefectures, and Liaozhou, where we are, is the most chaotic. For the past six months, sects of all sizes in Fuxing County have been fighting each other incessantly, and demonic beasts have also taken advantage of the chaos to roam around."

Xie San's voice was low and filled with despair: "Our villages, without any backing or powerful cultivation, are utterly powerless to protect ourselves. In sect battles, we are mere blood and goat's flesh; when demonic beasts attack, we are food. The slightest misstep could mean the destruction of our families and the extermination of our entire clan."

"Moreover, northern Xinjiang has suffered from severe drought for two consecutive years. After many villages ran out of food, they had no choice but to flee as a whole village in search of a glimmer of hope."

Shen Gui listened quietly, taking notes of the situation in the northern frontier.

He remained calm and continued, "I've heard that many sects in the Northern Frontier act ruthlessly, even targeting ordinary people. Is that true?"

Xie San's expression changed, a hint of resentment flashed in his eyes, and his voice became even lower.

"Immortal Master, you are wise... It is true. We dare not approach the territory of a sect whose background we do not know. We can only hide in these deep mountains and forests, relying on wild vegetables and fruits to fill our stomachs, living in constant fear."

"In the entire Fuxing Prefecture, only those major sects with high-level Qi Refining cultivators can protect a territory. But those major sects only protect their own disciples and vassal forces; few of them care about the lives of ordinary people like us."

Shen Gui nodded slightly, already having made a plan in his mind.

He looked at Xie San, his gaze softening slightly: "Are you the leader of this group? Do you possess cultivation? What kind of wondrous technique do you cultivate?"

Xie San had nothing to hide; his cultivation level was only slightly impressive in the eyes of mortals. He quickly bowed and said, "Reporting to the Immortal Master, I am Xie San, a mere clan cultivator who has only managed to reach the first level of the Fetal Breathing stage by chance. The method I cultivate is a technique passed down from my ancestors, which I have been unable to make any progress for many years. I hope you will forgive my lack of progress, Immortal Master."

Shen Gui's heart stirred; he happened to possess the ability to solve these problems.

"Notes on the Cultivation of Fetal Breathing" can resolve almost all the difficult and complicated problems in the fetal breathing realm.

With just a little guidance from him, he could transform these people completely, making them utterly devoted to him.

This is a good opportunity to win people over, since they will probably become my subordinates in the future anyway.

Shen Gui spoke calmly, his tone carrying an undeniable authority: "When you cultivate, do you feel that after spiritual energy enters your body, it becomes stagnant in the Shaoyang Sanjiao Meridian of the Hand, unable to smoothly flow into the Dantian? When you breathe in and out, there is an abundance of turbid qi, which over time leads to stagnation in the meridians?"

Xie San was jolted awake, as if struck by lightning. He stood frozen in place, his eyes filled with disbelief and shock.

"Immortal... Immortal Master... how... how did you know?!"

These were all chronic ailments that had plagued him for over a decade, which he had never told anyone. Yet, this immortal master before him had only glanced at him a few times before revealing the core of his problem!

Such discerning eyes, such cultivation and knowledge—this is definitely the mark of a true master from a major sect!

Shen Gui didn't explain, but slowly said, "Your cultivation method is incomplete and the method is incorrect, not because you are dull-witted. You just need to adjust your breathing rhythm, guide spiritual energy to clear the Triple Burner Meridian, and expel the turbid energy from the Yongquan acupoint. If you persist in this way, you may even have a chance to touch the threshold of the second level of fetal breathing."

He casually uttered a few simple adjustment methods, which were the most basic knowledge points in "Notes on the Cultivation of Fetal Breathing". They were not worth mentioning to him, but in Xie San's eyes, they were like divine music.

Xie San hesitated slightly, but the opportunity was there, and he was afraid he would not have such an opportunity again. Besides, although this immortal master looked injured, he was safe and sound in the forest, and his cultivation was much more profound than his own. If he had any ill intentions, there was no need to go through all this trouble.

He immediately sat down cross-legged and closed his eyes to practice breathing exercises, following Shen Gui's instructions.

Having cultivated for over a decade, he had long since developed fixed habits. At this moment, following Shen Gui's guidance, he adjusted his breathing. Initially, it was somewhat sluggish, but after one major cycle, the spiritual energy that had been stagnant and accumulated within his body for many years began to flow smoothly.

"It works! It really works!"

Xie San suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze bursting with extreme joy and reverence. He knelt down with a thud and kowtowed heavily to Shen Gui, his voice trembling with excitement.

"I will never forget the kindness of the Immortal Master in expounding the Dao! I am willing to serve the Immortal Master faithfully for the rest of my life, even unto death!"

He had practiced diligently for decades, but was stuck at the first level of fetal breathing and could not make any progress. He had long been disheartened.

But this immortal master before him resolved his confusion of more than ten years with just a few words. Such skill was simply divine!

The surrounding refugees and those who witnessed this scene were all stunned. Their gazes toward Shen Gui shifted from initial curiosity to a sense of awe.

Shen Gui raised his hand calmly: "Get up, it was nothing. In these chaotic times, all living beings are suffering, so help if you can."

He feigned indifference and did not boast of his achievements.

Xie San stood up, his respect for Shen Gui running deep in his bones, and asked cautiously, "Immortal Master, you are currently slightly injured and should not travel. If you do not mind, please come with us. We will do our best to take care of your daily needs."

Shen Gui was waiting for these words.

He nodded slightly, feigning weakness, and said, "In that case, I'll be troubling you."

For the rest of the journey, Shen Gui naturally joined the refugee group, feigning weakness as he followed the crowd.

Xie San gave Shen Gui the safest and driest spot in the group, personally delivering food and water to him every day, not daring to neglect him in the slightest.

However, he was unsure of Shen Gui's preferences and was afraid that he might neglect this expert due to his clumsiness. After much thought, he specially selected two people to take care of Shen Gui's daily life.

One was Su Wanniang, who was in her early twenties. She had a pretty and gentle appearance, a kind and virtuous nature, and was a widow in the village. She was quick and efficient, and very considerate.

The other was a little girl named Ahe, who was about thirteen or fourteen years old. She had bright and lovely eyes, and her figure was a little thin because of her age. However, she had a more mature and innocent feel to her, and she was pure and clean.

Xie San thought to himself, "I'm not sure what kind of person the immortal master likes, so I'll just make arrangements like this for now."

These past few days, Su Wanniang and Ahe have stayed by Shen Gui's side every day, bringing him water and food, tidying his clothes, and being very careful not to take anything with them.

While taking advantage of this time, Shen Gui secretly observed the morale of the refugees and selected those who could be used.

While Xie San was on guard, he took out the Qi-nourishing herb given to him by Chu Lingxuan and silently nurtured his dantian and sea of ​​qi according to the method recorded in "Notes on the Cultivation of Fetal Breathing".

He slowly refined the emerald green spiritual herbs with his meager spiritual energy, transforming them into strands of gentle and pure medicinal power that flowed along his meridians into the lower dantian's Qi Sea acupoint.

The congenitally narrow Qi Sea, like a blocked bottle opening, gradually expanded under the continuous nourishment of the Qi-nourishing herbs.

three days later.

The Qi Sea acupoint, which was originally narrow and cramped and unable to support the spiritual wheel, has become spacious and open.

During this process, Shen Gui was pleasantly surprised to discover something that excited him greatly.

His fourteen years of arduous training have never been in vain!

For fourteen years, day and night, he breathed in and out. The spiritual energy that seemed to have dissipated because the dantian was too narrow to condense did not all disappear. Instead, a portion of it remained hidden in the meridians and acupoints, silently settling down.

Fourteen years of accumulation is quite remarkable.

As the Qi Sea acupoint was gradually expanded by the Qi Nourishing Grass until it reached the standard to support the Mysterious View Wheel, the spiritual energy that had been hidden in the body for fourteen years converged entirely towards the Qi Sea acupoint in the lower dantian as Shen Gui circulated the Nourishing Yuan and Wheel-Nourishing Technique.

Shen Gui sat cross-legged, closed his eyes and focused his mind on his dantian.

A crystal-clear, shimmering Xuanjing Wheel slowly condensed and took shape in the center of the Qihai acupoint.

The magic flowed, and I felt completely relaxed.

The shackles that had plagued Shen Gui for fourteen years were broken in an instant!

First level of embryonic breathing, Mysterious Vision Wheel, complete!

Feeling an unprecedented sense of power and security within his body, Shen Gui's heart pounded violently, and a hint of relief and excitement flashed in his eyes.

Fourteen years have passed.

He was no longer that useless person who couldn't cultivate.

He has finally taken the first step on the path of cultivating immortality!

And this is just the beginning.

The spiritual energy within his body remained abundant, continuously flowing into his dantian. The nascent form of the second spiritual wheel, the Chengming Wheel, was slowly condensing above the Xuanjing Wheel. If he wished, he could break through the bottleneck at any time and enter the second level of the embryonic breathing stage.

Shen Gui took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the urge to break through immediately.

He remained calm and was well aware of the drawbacks of having an unstable foundation.

He had been trapped in the fetal breathing state for fourteen years, and now that he has broken through, he must not be impatient for quick results.

"Wait a few more days to solidify your foundation before attempting to break through to the second level of the embryonic breathing stage."

Shen Gui slowly opened his eyes, a flash of mysterious light in them disappearing in an instant, before his usual calm and gentle demeanor returned.

Just then, a soft voice sounded beside me.

"Immortal, Immortal Master, you're awake? It's time for some water."

The little girl, Ahe, carrying a bowl of clear mountain spring water, timidly approached Shen Gui, her thin face showing respect and restraint.

She stretched out her clean, slender hands, intending to hand the bowl of water to Shen Gui, but her fingertips inadvertently brushed against the back of Shen Gui's hand.

At the very moment their skin touched.

In Shen Gui's mind, a surge of information from the Ringing Heaven Bell directly entered his consciousness.

"Find talented individuals and recommend them for inclusion in the imperial clan."

Shen Gui's eyes suddenly narrowed, and he subconsciously looked at the pretty and cute little girl in front of him.

Ah He.

He's actually a cultivation prospect recognized by Mingtian!

It’s not a waste of time to break through the iron shoes.

He was eager to gather disciples and establish his own sect, but he was worried about not having a suitable candidate. Unexpectedly, the first talented person appeared in front of him on his own initiative.

Shen Guiqiang suppressed his excitement, maintaining a gentle and calm expression. He gently reached out and grasped Ahe's smooth, cool little hand, his voice soft, "Would you like to become my disciple?"

Ahe paused for a moment, then nodded blankly, her clear eyes looking at Shen Gui with some confusion.

Uncle Xie had told him that he should agree to whatever the immortal master said, even if there were some things she might not understand at her age.

Shen Gui looked at her, a gentle smile slowly spreading across his lips.

"From this day forward, you will stay by my side. I will teach you cultivation and protect you. From now on, with me here, you will never go hungry."

The little girl, Ahe, blinked, seemingly understanding but not quite, yet she felt a warmth in the eyes of the immortal before her.

She nodded slightly and replied softly, "Yes, Master."

Upon hearing this reply, Shen Gui eagerly focused his attention on the Mingtian Bell, and sure enough, the white Daoist energy reappeared.

Once Xiaohe is registered, we can make another fortune, and then we can hire two more cultivation techniques!