Bright Void Sect.
Before Zhu Ju's Tunneling Light had even landed, Pei Jingque and Shui Qianning had already walked out of the main hall to greet him.
Liuu Huang'er and Zhai Qingfeng had gone to the Void to search for a suitable place to relocate and were not currently in the Sect.
"Junior Brother."
Pei Jingque's voice was laced with concern:
"Was the journey uneventful?"
"It was," Zhu Ju said with a faint smile.
"Although the Demon Dao's influence is great, this is ultimately the territory of the Righteous Immortal Alliance. It's not that dangerous."
"Hee hee..." Shui Qianning pursed her lips and chuckled lightly.
"You may not know this, Martial Uncle, but ever since you left the Sect, Master has been muttering about you several times a day."
"A short while ago, the Sect gate's Array sensed your aura, Martial Uncle. Master was getting ready to greet you before your Tunneling Light was even in sight."
Pei Jingque's face flushed slightly, and she changed the subject, asking:
"What's the story with this child?"
"Thank you for your concern, Senior Sister." Zhu Ju handed over the baby in his arms and said:
"I found him on my way back. This child has an Innate Dao Body; I was drawn over by the sound of his crying."
He then pointed to the woman beside him.
"According to this girl, whose name is Qiu Niang, the child is from a branch of the Sunx Family of the Celestial Yu Sect."
"The Sunx Family?" Pei Jingque frowned.
"They must be a minor family."
'She knew all the famous families of the Celestial Yu Sect. Since this one felt unfamiliar, they must not be very well-known.'
"Internal strife in the family and an invasion by outside enemies led to the death of his parents." Zhu Ju gently stroked the baby's cheek.
"If he hadn't run into me, this child would likely have ended up in the belly of a wolf. His fate has been fraught with hardship."
'With the fall of their Nascent Soul True Man, the sect was about to seal its mountain, and the Celestial Yu Sect is currently in utter chaos.'
'Otherwise, a child with an Innate Dao Body like this would never have been left abandoned.'
"Junior Brother."
Pei Jingque looked at him thoughtfully.
"Are you going to take him as your disciple?"
Hearing this, Qiu Niang, who stood to the side, was overcome with ecstatic joy. She hurriedly looked up, her eyes filled with hope.
Just as Pei Jingque had guessed, the Sunx Family had no outstanding Cultivators in the Celestial Yu Sect.
Furthermore, the branch of the Sunx Family that Qiu Niang belonged to was just a side branch; the person with the highest Cultivation was only at Qi Refining Perfection.
'To be able to study under a Dao Foundation Expert would be the best possible outcome.'
"No."
Zhu Ju shook his head.
"It wouldn't be appropriate for me to take on another disciple. Nephew Shui, do you have any thoughts?"
Among the current second-generation disciples of the Bright Void Sect, aside from the younger Xi Youyue, the others were already in their sixties or seventies.
Even the youngest were in their fifties or sixties.
The few Dao Foundation Cultivators had stopped taking disciples many years ago, and Zhu Ju had no intention of making an exception.
"Me?" Shui Qianning was taken aback, but then she took the child and examined him closely. A moment later, she broke into a radiant smile.
"I've never taken a disciple before, but this little one and I are fated to meet. He can be my first disciple."
"His surname is Sunx..."
"Doesn't he have a name?"
She directed the last question to Qiu Niang.
"No." Qiu Niang shook her head, a flicker of disappointment crossing her eyes, though she quickly concealed it.
"The Master and Madam didn't have time to give the young master a name before they..."
"...were killed!"
"Is that so," Shui Qianning said thoughtfully.
"Though this child's fate has been fraught with hardship, he was also protected by the heavens to survive. From now on, let's call him Tianyou."
"Sunx Tianyou!"
"Hee hee..."
She teased the baby, making him giggle and laugh, before handing him back to Qiu Niang.
"There's one more thing."
Zhu Ju untied the Beast Taming Pouch from his waist and gave it a gentle shake. A massive snake, sixty to seventy feet long, appeared before them.
Even though the Black Water Profound Snake was restraining its aura, its enormous size was still incredibly intimidating.
Qiu Niang's face turned deathly pale, and she stumbled backward, clutching Sunx Tianyou. Even Shui Qianning's expression grew taut.
'So powerful!'
'I'm probably no match for this giant snake!'
"On the way back, I ran into a few Tribulation Cultivators. After dealing with them, I acquired this trophy."
Zhu Ju said:
"I plan to make it our Mountain Guardian Spirit Beast. What do you think, Senior Sister?"
"Didn't you say it wasn't dangerous?" Pei Jingque ignored the giant snake in front of her, her tone carrying a hint of complaint.
"I told you you shouldn't have gone."
"Sigh."
With a sigh, she finally looked at the giant snake, her beautiful eyes shifting slightly.
"A Black Water Profound Snake?"
"Indeed," Zhu Ju nodded.
"I've examined its bloodline. In another five or six hundred years, it should be able to advance to its mature stage."
"At that time, it will be comparable to a Golden Core Grandmaster."
"Junior Brother..." Pei Jingque's eyes showed her astonishment as she sighed.
"You've really brought us a huge surprise."
Five or six hundred years would undoubtedly be a long time for a Loose Cultivator or a smaller Cultivation Clan.
But as long as the Bright Void Sect had a successive line of Dao Foundation cultivators, enduring for several hundred years would not be a problem.
"There's a Poison Dragon Pool on the back mountain that can serve as its habitat. I believe the Pill Room also has a few elixirs for purifying bloodlines."
Pei Jingque mused thoughtfully.
'If we can purify its bloodline, perhaps it won't take that long, and the Sect will gain another Golden Core-level combatant.'
"HISSS..."
The Black Water Profound Snake flicked its tongue, its eyes glowing as it nodded repeatedly at Pei Jingque and Zhu Ju.
"Oh?"
Pei Jingque's eyes widened in surprise.
"It can actually understand our conversation! Such high Spirituality!"
"Yes," Zhu Ju said.
"I've never seen such an intelligent Spirit Beast. It must be related to the Cultivation Technique its former master practiced."
The Celestial Demon Strategy is extremely bizarre. It's not a Righteous Method, nor is it a Demonic Cultivation Technique. Successful cultivation allows a Cultivator to merge with a Demon.
And during this process, Granny Jiu's temperament became eccentric, while the Black Water Profound Snake gained greater Spirituality.
It seemed as if their Primordial Spirits were influencing each other.
Of course, now that Granny Jiu was dead and Zhu Ju had no intention of practicing the Celestial Demon Strategy, there was no way to prove his theory.
*
*
*
Sunx Tianyou became Shui Qianning's disciple, and Qiu Niang continued to be responsible for his care.
The Black Water Profound Snake settled in the Poison Dragon Pool on the back mountain. A Sect imprint was placed on its Primordial Spirit, officially making it the Mountain Guardian Spirit Beast.
With everything settled, Zhu Ju returned to his Cave Mansion.
WHOOSH...
He opened his storage bag, and streams of multicolored light shot out, revealing an array of Treasures that hovered in mid-air.
"Heh..."
Looking at the Magical Treasures and Top-Grade Spiritual Artifacts, Zhu Ju wore a strange expression.
'Those three, Xiong Chu and the others, were truly generous. They not only covered my losses from the trade meet but even gave me a surplus.'
Before he left, Zhu Ju had been carrying several Magical Treasures.
He had used up all his Magical Treasures and Spirit Stones on his return journey, only to end up harvesting a new batch from Xiong Chu and his companions.
'When I do the math, my possessions haven't decreased—they've increased!'
Shaking his head, Zhu Ju closed the secret chamber and walked away.
In the days that followed, besides his Cultivation, Zhu Ju spent his time refining his Flying Sword and inscribing Arrays into The Investiture of the Gods.
With the nourishment of Spirit Pills and the assistance of his Outer Body Incarnation, his Cultivation increased at a speed visible to the naked eye.
The Arrays on The Investiture of the Gods also gradually became more complete.
He also began to gradually comprehend the true depths of the remnant Sword Intent within the Flying Sword.
In the blink of an eye, several years passed.
......
「One day.」
A profound fluctuation emanated from the peak of Bright Void Sect's mountain, causing Zhu Ju, who was in secluded Cultivation, to open his eyes.
'Dao Foundation!'
'Has the Sect produced another Dao Foundation Cultivator?'
SWOOSH!
His figure flickered and vanished from the spot.
「On the mountain peak.」
Pei Jingque and Shui Qianning stood side by side.
A six-year-old Sunx Tianyou tugged on his master Shui Qianning's sleeve, looking ahead with a curious expression.
SWOOSH!
Zhu Ju's figure appeared out of thin air. He asked:
"Did Nephew Jir succeed?"
'There's only one person with a Nine Acupoints Innate body preparing for a breakthrough recently, and that's Jir Mingxi, who possesses an Innate Dao Body.'
"Yes." Pei Jingque's face was flushed with excitement as she nodded emphatically.
"He succeeded!"
"Mingxi has an Innate Dao Body and also took a High Grade Foundation Establishment Pill. He had a seventy percent chance of successfully achieving Foundation Establishment."
"The convergence of Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi just now was the sign of attaining a Dao Foundation!"
"It's a pity," Shui Qianning sighed.
"Senior Brother Ma wasn't able to see this."
Ma Shushuang had witnessed her achieve her Dao Foundation. He had held on for several more years after that before passing away from illness a few years ago.
He had dedicated his entire life to serving the Bright Void Sect, and his greatest wish was to see the Sect rise.
'He would surely be smiling if he knew there was one more Dao Foundation cultivator.'
"That makes six Dao Foundation cultivators."
Zhu Ju looked at Pei Jingque and said:
"Senior Sister, under your leadership, the Bright Void Sect now has six Dao Foundation Cultivators."
"Your contribution is immense!"
"The credit is not mine alone," Pei Jingque said, shaking her head.
"It was a matter of fortune."
'Six Dao Foundation cultivators was already an impressive number for a minor sect, but I've never let my guard down.'
'In fact, in the battle on the front lines years ago, if Zhu Ju hadn't gone to provide support, Liuu Huang'er and Zhai Qingfeng would have perished.'
'If that had happened, the Bright Void Sect would still only have four Dao Foundation cultivators today.'
BUZZ...
The stone door opened, and a wooden-faced Jir Mingxi walked out. He cupped his fist in his hand as he bowed to Pei Jingque.
"Sect Leader!"
"This junior has not failed your trust. I have finally attained the Dao Foundation."
"Good, good!" Pei Jingque was visibly pleased, nodding repeatedly.
"If the seniors of the Celestial Sword Lineage could see you today, they would surely be proud of you. Well done."
SWISH!
She flicked her long sleeve, and a Flying Sword slowly floated out.
"This is called the Feixia Sword. I re-forged it from a Flying Sword left behind by an old friend from the Celestial Sword Lineage. While it's not a Magical Treasure, it possesses a fair amount of Spirituality."
"I hope that in the future, you will carry on the legacy of the Celestial Sword and not disgrace the name of the Bright Void Sect."
"Thank you, Sect Leader, for bestowing this treasure." Jir Mingxi's eyes were resolute.
"This disciple swears to protect the Bright Void Sect to the death!"
Among the current second-generation disciples, Jir Mingxi had the highest Talent, but he was also the least known.
He had a wooden personality and was a dedicated, ascetic cultivator. Many disciples had been in the Sect for years without ever meeting him.
Looking at the somewhat familiar Feixia Sword, Zhu Ju sighed softly and also presented a Magical Artifact.
"This is called the Soul-Stabilizing Bell. It's something I made for practice years ago. It has the wondrous ability to protect one's Primordial Spirit."
"Thank you, Martial Uncle Zhu."
Jir Mingxi expressed his thanks.
"You've just broken through to the Dao Foundation; you need to stabilize your Realm," Pei Jingque said.
"In two months, the Sect will hold a Foundation Establishment Ceremony for you and invite our fellow Daoists from the area to gather."
Jir Mingxi was clearly a little nervous.
He was somewhat introverted and not good at socializing. Upon hearing that a ceremony would be held, he subconsciously tensed up.
"Yes..."
"I will obey the Sect Leader's command."
Watching Jir Mingxi depart, Pei Jingque said with a smile:
"Junior Brother, I'll have to trouble you to help me handle Sect affairs and entertain the guests during this time."
"Of course."
"Qianning, have someone send out the invitations. The Seeking Immortal Sect, the Hundred Flowers Sect..."
"Yes!"
......
「Two years later.」
Zhu Ju stood on the mountain peak with his hands behind his back, looking at a stone chamber not far away.
"Junior Brother, there's no need to be nervous."
Pei Jingque spoke slowly.
"Your disciple has taken a Life-Extending Elixir and has a deep foundation. With your guidance, he's sure to succeed in his breakthrough."
"..." Zhu Ju slowly shook his head.
'Guk Rusong was already seventy years old. Even if he had taken a Life-Extending Elixir, it was not the optimal time for a breakthrough.'
'Moreover, his foundation wasn't particularly good.'
BUZZ...
The Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi stirred restlessly.
A flicker of movement in Zhu Ju's eyes was followed by a soft sigh.
'He failed.'
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