Elder Fu furrowed his brows as he read the report in front of him.
"You did good by reporting everything without embellishments Lu Changsheng. However.." Elder Fu locked eyes with Lu Changsheng who looked nervous.
"Next time be more concise, I understand you have your troubles, but I need not know your struggles with your sister."
Lu Changsheng just nodded and noted it down in his head.
"This is troubling.. our understanding of the Crimson Forest was incorrect and what's the mention of this beast?" Elder Fu sighed and sat the report down.
"You may leave, I will have to go through the information that Fang Wei provides and then have a meeting." Elder Fu said and Lu Changsheng exited the room.
"Furthermore.. there's the problem with what Wujin Ji did with the ring.." Elder Fu grumbled.
—--
Wujin Ji had already turned his report in and was currently in his cave dwelling.
He had realized that his strength was far below what it needed to be if he wanted to be capable of searching out for the knowledge he required.
He felt it was a bit paradoxical when he thought about it initially.
He had to gain strength to gain knowledge to gain strength..
Such was the world of cultivation!
Thankfully, he did have a LOT of ways to improve that didn't exclusively involve him upgrading his body cultivation.
However, before breaking through and truly entering the Qi Refining realm, he felt it best to upgrade his body cultivation.
This was because he had been capable of adding an additional condensed qi strand when he upgraded his body.
If he further improved his body, wouldn't he be able to condense more qi?
Of course he knew that there was a limit to this. He couldn't delay qi refining forever.
So for this purpose he had gained permission from Elder Fu to enter closed door cultivation for a short period of time.
He would use this time to enter the cusp of qi refining!
And as such.. 10 months passed.
"Hmmm.."
Wujin Ji sensed the qi in his dantian and saw 100 condensed qi strands, all with 101 qi wisps contained in each strand.
"It seems that I've gained significant power with this.."
Wujin Ji imagined facing that red haired demonic cultivator again and felt that he alone would be capable of contesting against him, he may even be capable of single handedly killing him!
"I only won before by catching him off guard, using time to charge up qi, and him being defenseless to my attack thanks to Fang Wei. I shouldn't get too cocky.." Wujin Ji shook his head.
"With time I shall return. He was a simple disciple, I should not take the Crimson Forest lightly.."
Wujin Ji sighed and decided that instead of utilizing the Crimson Forest for research, he would further his research independently and break through that way.
This would be slower, but definitely safer.
Knock knock
His cave dwelling was opened.
"Disciple Wujin Ji!" An old voice boomed from the entrance to his cave.
Wujin Ji immediately walked forward and bowed.
"Yes Elder Dong!" Wujin Ji said, remembering the man before him.
"You are required to attend a meeting with us elders and the sect leader!" Elder Dong commanded and Wujin Ji nodded and followed behind him.
Before long they seated themselves amongst the elders and even the elusive sect leader was present..
"Wujin Ji. We have called you here regarding your actions on this mission." Elder Fu said clearly.
"While you did your best on your first mission, the act you did regarding the precious source of information was suitable for punishment." Elder Fu continued.
Elder Dong looked like he had swallowed something sour, and Elder Hang looked defeated.
"Enough. I will lead this meeting from here on." The sect leader suddenly said, her face was hidden by some sort of artifact, but her voice was clear.
It was very soothing to listen to, soft and beautiful. Fragile, but clearly not the case.
Wujin Ji was shocked that this would warrant even the Leader's attention!
"Let me start by apologizing. If we had known that the Crimson Forest wasn't just a newly established base for a few demonic cultivators, but was actually a main base, we would not have sent you to snoop around." She said with sympathy.
Wujin Ji felt complicated. He hadn't expected an apology and from the sect leader at that!
Elder Dong grumbled, feeling as if Wujin Ji did not deserve such an apology but didn't dare to voice his opinion.
"However, what Elder Fu said is true. You should not have destroyed the ring and instead brought it to the sect!" She said, her voice echoing in the meeting room.
"I didn't want to bring an unknown danger into the sect! Furthermore, the enticing deal the figure had promised was too good to be true!" Wujin Ji shouted back, defending himself.
The elders' faces went pale. This young man was reckless to shout and find fault with the sect leader!
"I understand this concern. Please have more trust in the sect." The sect leader said with a hint of sadness in her voice.
"I believe this spirit had a connection to our ancestor, your teacher, Ancestor Goku Yomi." She explained and the Elders swallowed deeply.
Goku Yomi! A figure that had been the one to put the sect on the map, a figure that had defeated even the sword empress!
A connection to someone such as him?
"There was one recorded instance which matches the reports you've made regarding this spirit.." She slowly said.
"The starved sovereign.." she finished.
Gasps erupted throughout the meeting.
A large pressure erupted onto Wujin Ji, he grit his teeth and barely endured it.
"I apologize, some knowledge that you are not powerful enough to know may be harmful to even hear.." the sect leader stood.
"This was just a single fragment of his spirit, should you find any more, do not hesitate to bring it to the sect." She then walked out of the meeting room.
Wujin Ji finally recovered from the weight of the knowledge, sweat was all over his body.
"This must be your first time coming into contact with knowledge you are not ready for.." Elder Fu said and then began to explain.
"If there is a large karmic connection with the individual and the world as well as a large power gap, you may receive backlash from learning of it.. if the one involved in the knowledge permits you or doesn't mind, you may be able to learn it unscathed.."
"This is why you can casually mention Ancestor Goku Yomi.. he is a benevolent one and only holds restrictions on his secrets.."
Wujin Ji nodded and internally decided that his fraudulent misunderstanding regarding Goku Yomi must never be found out!
"As punishment for this instance, you are to mentor an outer disciple for one year!" Elder Fu shouted.
"This punishment is too light! This is ridiculous!" Elder Dong slammed his fist on the table.
"Yeah, this is crazy, he should have to mentor for 10 years!" Elder Hang agreed.
"This is an order from the sect leader! Unless you think you can overturn her decision.." Elder Fu replied, narrowing his eyes.
The two passionate elders backed down immediately.
"You had great results as a temporary instructor.. so we shall have you mentor Liuyan Xue!"
This.. doesn't seem too bad?
Wujin Ji couldn't help but feel the punishment was light..
"I Understand Elders, I will do my utmost best to guide and teach her!" Wujin Ji nodded and Elder Fu looked pleased, but the other two were still unsatisfied.
"Let me be very clear, disciple Wujin Ji. If you are to EVER come into contact with such a spirit again, bring it to the sect immediately! I cannot go into details, but what you did was very dangerous!" Elder Hang said as he scolded Wujin Ji.
Wujin Ji just nodded and promised that he would not do such a thing again and was soon dismissed.
"The starved sovereign.. Sigh.. the world may be thrown into turmoil once more.." Elder Dong knitted his brows and the sect meeting was put to a close.
—---
Elsewhere a young girl in her late teens was currently meditating in a lotus position.
Her hair was long and dark, and were like waves of obsidian cascading from her head.
Her deep blue eyes made the blue robe she was wearing truly shine, her pure white skin that was similar to a blanket of snow accentuated her features.
When she were to become an adult, she would be a true beauty across lands..
Hanging from her robes was a plaque, an official outer disciple. Liuyan Xue.
Liuyan Xue had made swift progress.
She was unable to condense as many qi strands as Wujin Ji did, however it did increase her strength by many times.
She was now at the middle stage of Qi Refining, but she felt that she may even rival the peak of her realm!
The foundation methods that Senior Wujin had taught her were truly revolutionary. While other disciples struggled with conventional cultivation techniques, she found herself naturally understanding the principles behind qi condensation and body tempering.
"Foundation is everything," she murmured to herself, recalling Wujin Ji's words. "Not just a realm, but the foundation of everything we do."
She opened her eyes and looked around her small cultivation chamber. The walls were covered with notes and diagrams she had made while studying Wujin Ji's methods. Each breakthrough had come from understanding the underlying principles rather than blindly following techniques.
A knock at her door interrupted her thoughts.
"Disciple Liuyan Xue!" came Elder Fu's voice from outside. "You are summoned to the elder's hall immediately."
Liuyan Xue quickly gathered her things and made her way to the elder's hall, wondering what could require such urgent attention.
When she arrived, she found Elder Fu waiting for her with a serious expression.
"Liuyan Xue, I have important news for you.." Elder Fu began. "You have been assigned a personal mentor for the next year."
Liuyan Xue's eyes widened. A personal mentor? Such an honor was usually reserved for the most promising disciples.
"Who will be mentoring me, Elder Fu?" she asked eagerly.
"Inner Sect Disciple Wujin Ji," Elder Fu replied, and Liuyan Xue's heart skipped a beat.
Senior Wujin? The one who had taught her the foundation methods that had transformed her cultivation? The one whose cryptic words had led to her breakthrough?
"I... I'm honored, Elder Fu!" she stammered, trying to contain her excitement.
"Don't get too excited!" Elder Fu said with a wry smile. "This is actually a punishment for Wujin Ji. He destroyed a valuable artifact during his mission to the Crimson Forest."
Liuyan Xue's excitement dimmed slightly, but she couldn't help feeling that this was still a great opportunity.
"However.." Elder Fu continued, "given your remarkable progress using his methods, I believe this mentorship will be beneficial for both of you. Wujin Ji has proven himself capable of teaching, and you have proven yourself capable of learning."
"Thank you, Elder Fu," Liuyan Xue said, bowing deeply.
"You may go now. Wujin Ji will contact you when he's ready to begin your training!" Elder Fu said, dismissing her.
As Liuyan Xue walked back to her chamber, her mind raced with possibilities. A full year of personal instruction from Senior Wujin? She could only imagine what she might learn.
Meanwhile, Wujin Ji was back in his cave dwelling, contemplating his new assignment.
"Mentoring Liuyan Xue.." he mused to himself. "This could be interesting."
He remembered how she had responded to his foundation methods during the tournament arc. She had shown natural talent and understanding, even if she hadn't reached the same level of intent as Bu Xuan, or the unique outcome of Su Yan, she had learned something amazing.
"If I can guide her properly.." he thought, "she will truly become a living proof of my methods. And with a year of focused training..."
He smiled to himself. This punishment might turn out to be more of an opportunity than he had initially thought.
The next morning, Wujin Ji sent a message to Liuyan Xue, requesting her presence at his cave dwelling for their first mentoring session.
When she arrived, she found him sitting cross-legged on a meditation mat, surrounded by books and scrolls.
"Welcome, Liuyan Xue!" Wujin Ji said, gesturing for her to sit across from him. "I understand you've been making good progress with the foundation methods."
"Yes, Senior Wujin!" she replied, trying to hide her nervousness. "I've reached the middle stage of Qi Refining, but I feel I could rival peak stage cultivators."
Wujin Ji nodded approvingly. "Good. That's exactly what foundation cultivation should achieve. But tell me, do you understand why?"
Liuyan Xue thought for a moment. "Because... because the foundation determines everything that comes after?"
"Exactly," Wujin Ji said with a smile. "But let me ask you this. What do you think is the most important aspect of foundation cultivation?"
Liuyan Xue considered this carefully. "Is it... the qi condensation?"
"Close, but not quite." Wujin Ji said. "The most important aspect is understanding. Understanding why you're doing what you're doing, understanding how each technique works, understanding the principles behind cultivation itself."
He leaned forward slightly. "Many cultivators rush through their foundation, eager to reach higher realms. They use shortcuts, rely on external resources, and never truly understand what they're doing. But you..."
He looked at her intently. "You've shown that you can understand. That's why you've made such progress. And that's what we're going to focus on this year."
Liuyan Xue felt a thrill of excitement. This was exactly what she had hoped for! Not just learning techniques, but understanding the deeper principles.
"What will we be studying, Senior Wujin?" she asked.
Wujin Ji's eyes gleamed with enthusiasm. "Everything. Qi manipulation theory, formation principles, body cultivation techniques, and most importantly, the philosophy behind foundation cultivation."
He gestured to the books around him. "I've been studying these texts during my closed-door cultivation. There's so much knowledge here that most cultivators ignore because they're too focused on power to understand the principles."
Liuyan Xue looked at the books with interest. "What kind of knowledge?"
"Ancient cultivation theories, formation mathematics, qi flow dynamics.." Wujin Ji said. "Knowledge that most people consider useless because it doesn't directly increase power. But this knowledge is what separates true masters from mere practitioners."
He picked up one of the books. "For example, do you know why most cultivators can't achieve perfect qi control?"
Liuyan Xue shook her head.
"Because they don't understand the mathematical principles behind qi flow!" Wujin Ji explained. "They try to force qi through their meridians without understanding the optimal pathways, the resonance frequencies, the harmonic patterns."
He opened the book to a page filled with complex diagrams. "But if you understand these principles, you can achieve levels of qi control that seem impossible to others."
Liuyan Xue's eyes widened as she looked at the diagrams. They were incredibly complex, showing intricate patterns of energy flow through the body.
"This is... this is amazing," she breathed.
"Isn't it?" Wujin Ji said with a grin. "And this is just the beginning. Over the next year, we're going to explore all of this together. You're going to learn not just how to cultivate, but why cultivation works the way it does."
He closed the book and looked at her seriously. "But I need to warn you.. this won't be easy. Understanding these principles requires deep thinking, complex calculations, and a willingness to question everything you think you know about cultivation."
Liuyan Xue nodded firmly. "I'm ready, Senior Wujin. I want to understand."
"Good!" Wujin Ji said with a smile. "Then let's begin."
For the next several hours, Wujin Ji introduced Liuyan Xue to the theoretical foundations of cultivation utilizing teaching methods from the modern era. He explained the mathematical principles behind qi flow, the geometric patterns that governed formation theory, and the philosophical concepts that underlay all cultivation techniques.
Liuyan Xue found herself completely absorbed in the material. It was like discovering that cultivation was actually a vast, intricate science rather than the simple power-gathering she had always thought it was.
"This is incredible!" she said at one point, looking up from a particularly complex diagram. "I never realized cultivation was so... systematic."
"Most people don't," Wujin Ji replied. "They think cultivation is about gathering power and breaking through realms. But it's actually about understanding the fundamental principles of existence itself."
He gestured to another book. "Qi isn't just energy, it's the building block of reality. Understanding qi means understanding how reality itself works."
Liuyan Xue felt her mind expanding with each new concept. She was beginning to see cultivation in a completely new light.
"Senior Wujin.." she said hesitantly, "may I ask you something?"
"Of course." he replied.
"Why do you know all of this? How did you discover these principles?"
Wujin Ji was silent for a moment, then smiled. "That's a story for another time. For now, let's focus on what you need to learn."
Wujin Ji couldn't exactly explain that a lot of it came from prior to his transmigration, and the rest was built on knowledge gained from books.
As the session came to an end, Liuyan Xue felt like her entire understanding of cultivation had been transformed. She had learned more in a few hours than she had in months of conventional study.
"Thank you, Senior Wujin!" she said as she prepared to leave. "This has been... eye-opening."
"You're welcome!" Wujin Ji replied. "We'll meet again tomorrow. In the meantime, I want you to think about what we discussed today. Try to apply these principles to your own cultivation."
"I will!" Liuyan Xue promised.
As she walked back to her chamber, her mind was buzzing with new ideas and possibilities. She couldn't wait for tomorrow's session.
Meanwhile, Wujin Ji sat alone in his cave, looking at the books around him with satisfaction.
"She's going to be perfect!" he murmured to himself. "With proper guidance, she could become a true master of foundation cultivation."
He picked up one of the books and began reading again, his mind already planning the next day's lessons.
The mentorship had begun, and both teacher and student were eager to see where it would lead.
He may have bought in the other disciples into his foundation focused psychology, but she would truly be following the same path as him.
This alone made him excited. Just how far would the two of them go, and what would each of them discover individually?