The road from Cloudspire City to the Jade Harmony Sect was long and winding, carved through green forests and ancient hills. The air shimmered faintly with spiritual essence, though the dirt beneath the carriage wheels reminded any mortal that Heaven's blessings were not distributed equally.
Inside the carriage, Lin Ming leaned lazily against the window frame, his gaze half-distant as the world rolled by. Every now and then, he caught a glimpse of spirit birds soaring in the distance or a streak of light across the sky — flying swords of the Lin Clan disciples who'd left him far behind.
He smirked faintly.
"So much for family affection," he murmured.
Seated opposite him was one of his cousins — a cheerful young man with a broad smile, bright eyes, and an aura of youthful energy. He was already in the early stage of Foundation Establishment, barely twenty and yet already hailed as a rising talent of the Lin Clan's main branch.
Unlike the others, this cousin hadn't left him behind in the dust. Instead, he had jumped onto the carriage, insisting with a grin that "a little company on the road keeps evil away."
The young Taoist chuckled again as he reached for a pear from the basket beside him. "Cousin Ming, don't take it too hard. They only fly fast because they can. We'll reach the Jade Harmony Sect soon enough."
Lin Ming gave a nonchalant hum. "Mm. I suppose Heaven always favors the impatient."
The cousin laughed, biting into his pear with a crisp sound. "You always speak in riddles, Cousin. But don't worry. Once you marry Fairy Su, even the impatient will stop to bow."
"Fairy Su, hmm…" Lin Ming's lips curved upward, though his eyes glimmered with something more complex than amusement. "You make it sound as though I've already ascended to immortality."
"Marrying a beauty like that is a kind of ascension," his cousin said brightly. "The sect girls all look like they've walked out of paintings. But that one, Su Yueru? She's something else!"
Lin Ming chuckled. "I wouldn't know. I've only seen her once. And she didn't look very special to me."
His cousin nearly choked on his fruit. "You—you didn't just say that?!"
"I did," Lin Ming said blandly. "She's indeed beautiful, but not heaven's jewel."
The young Taoist laughed for the both of them, shaking his head. "You're truly foolish, Cousin Ming. Most men can't even hold her gaze, and you're making jokes about her beauty."
Ignoring his cousin remarks, Lin Ming exhaled slowly, his mind slipping inward. With a faint shimmer of golden light in his consciousness, a translucent screen unfolded before his eyes — unseen by anyone else.
[Heavenly Marriage System]
[Host: Lin Ming]
[Age: 19]
[Spiritual QI: 0]
[Comprehension: 0]
[Realm: None]
[Spiritual Root: None]
[Physique: Utter Mortal Physique (Common Grade)]
[Abilities: None]
[Wife Candidates]
[Wife Log]
[Wives: 0]
[Fiancée: 1]
He frowned slightly, tapping on the final line.
The page shifted.
[Fiancée: Su Yueru]
Curious, he tapped again.
The air in his mind seemed to ripple as a new set of information emerged, more detailed than before.
[Fiancée: Su Yueru]
[Compatibility: 87%]
[Chastity: Intact]
[Spiritual QI: 723,000]
[Comprehension: 120]
[Realm: Late Stage of Foundation Establishment Realm]
[Spiritual Root: Profound Ice Root (Legendary Grade)]
[Physique: Ice Spirit Physique (Epic Grade)]
[Abilities: Glacial Stasis Field (Legendary Grade)]
For a long moment, Lin Ming could only stare.
Even as someone who had spent most of his life detached from the cultivation world, he could tell — those numbers were monstrous.
"Seven hundred thousand spiritual qi?" he muttered quietly to himself. "Is that… normal?"
His cousin glanced up from his snack. "Hm? Did you say something?"
Lin Ming blinked, closing the interface with a thought. "Ah, nothing. Just wondering—" he paused, pretending casual curiosity, "—how does one enter the Foundation Establishment Stage, Cousin?"
The young Taoist froze mid-chew, staring at Lin Ming as though he had just asked something challenging. "Wait… you're asking that?"
For his cousin, the surprise was profound. Throughout his life within the Lin family, Lin Ming had been secluded from everything related to cultivation. Born without spiritual roots, he could only gaze upon the immortals as they performed their feats. They saw him merely as a mortal, a status that didn't bother Lin Ming at all; he didn't give a cent about cultivation, viewing such things as far beyond his reach. But now, he was asking about reaching the Foundation Stage? That question alone was enough to startle anyone who knew Lin Ming.
"Ha! Heaven above, the Lin Ming I know would rather nap under a tree than talk cultivation!" The cousin's laughter filled the carriage, but his excitement soon won over his surprise. "All right, Cousin Ming, listen well then. I'll tell you everything."
Then, his cousin set his pear aside and straightened his posture, voice slipping unconsciously into the tone of a teacher.
"First, every Taoist must start at the Qi Refining Stage. You draw in the world's spiritual energy, refine it within your dantian, and temper your body slowly. Some stop at the seventh layer. But if you want to build a foundation—well, you have to reach at least the eighth layer, preferably the ninth."
He gestured lightly in the air, mimicking the flow of qi through his meridians.
"Then, when your qi is dense enough, you circulate it through every inch of your flesh, bones, and soul. The energy cleanses you, washing away impurities, until your body becomes something more suited for cultivation. That process is called forming your foundation. Once done, you step into the Foundation Establishment Realm."
Lin Ming listened intently, his gaze calm, though his mind quietly measured the impossible distance between where he stood and where others soared.
"So," he said thoughtfully, "it's like laying the first stone of a bridge between mortal and immortal?"
"Exactly! You've got a sharp mind, Cousin," the young Taoist laughed. "But there's another way — one that most sect disciples use. They have an elder, someone at least at the Nascent Soul Realm, help them. The elder uses their own power to assist in opening the channels and solidifying the dantian. That's how Fairy Su reached the Late Stage so young. Her father is a Nascent Soul Taoist, after all."
Lin Ming nodded slowly. "I see… so she was helped."
His cousin's tone shifted slightly, as it became darker, quieter. "There's… another method too, but it's not something righteous sects approve of."
"Oh?" Lin Ming raised a brow. "Do tell."
The cousin smirked nervously. "The third method is what the elders call Stealing the Foundation. It's a demonic art. You forcibly refine another person who's already at the Foundation Stage — their body, qi, and soul — and make it your own."
He lowered his voice even more, his tone turning eerie.
"It guarantees success. You not only break through instantly but also inherit some of the victim's innate talent. But it's a path soaked in karma. Every Taoist who walks it ends up… twisted."
For a moment, only the sound of wheels and hooves filled the air.
Lin Ming leaned back, eyes drifting toward the blue horizon beyond the carriage window. "Don't worry. I have no intention of stealing anyone's foundation. Soon enough, one will be shared with me willingly."
The cousin blinked again, realizing the implication — and promptly coughed into his hand, cheeks pink. "Ah, I see, I see… dual cultivation… ahaha, very profound, Cousin!"
"But cousin, without spiritual roots, dual cultivation won't help you at all! I'm sorry, but even Fairy Su wouldn't be able to help you reach the Foundation Stage... even if she allowed you near her."
....
Hours passed, marked by the persistent clatter of hooves and the turning of wheels. Conversation flowed, rising and falling like waves, a constant backdrop to the journey. When the sun finally tilted westward, the vast, faint shadows of mountains stretched out ahead on the horizon.
Lin Ming pushed open the carriage curtain, the sereny Infront breathtaking.
Far ahead, Spirit Vien peaks rose into the clouds, veiled in translucent barriers of spiritual energy. Waterfalls of light cascaded down their sides. The Jade Harmony Sect — serene, untouchable, divine.
Along a broad stone terrace at the mountain's base, several flying swords descended gracefully from the sky. Figures in robes landed lightly, their sleeves fluttering as they sheathed their swords in one synchronized motion.
The Lin Clan had arrived.
As the elders stepped forward, rows of disciples in white and jade bowed in perfect unison, their voices echoing across the valley like a ritual chant.
"Welcome, Fellow Daoists of the Lin Clan!"
The air hummed with reverence and rivalry alike.
Behind the approaching carriages, Lin Ming leaned forward, eyes narrowing slightly as he stepped down onto the dust-covered road.
The world of immortals stood before him — brilliant, blinding, and vast.
And though his feet were still heavy with mortal soil, his heart felt strangely light.