Li Yan was now completely clear about what had happened to him. And he also remembered that when he woke up again later, the old man had told him not to open his eyes. He now, of course, understood the intention. If he had opened his eyes after waking up then, he would have instinctively sat down cross-legged to continue refining the medicinal power. The fire poison medicinal power that had just been suppressed in his body would have erupted again. How could he have been lucky enough to meet someone with immortal arts and divine abilities like the gray-robed old man to appear immediately? Then, the only thing awaiting him would have been death. Thinking of this, he was also filled with lingering fear.
The old man's voice came again, but it already sounded a little erratic. "Alright, after all this, you must already know why I saved you?"
Li Yan raised his head to look at the illusory figure of the old man and nodded softly. "Of course, this boy understands. I should be the person with the spirit root you are looking for for the 'Gui Water Immortal Sect.'" Li Yan had already guessed this when the gray-robed old man told him about their five great ancient sects looking for people with a special constitution spirit root. For him, this was not difficult to guess. The old man had saved him and also told him his origin and purpose. How could he not guess?
"Yes, you are the person I have been searching for for millions of years. This wisp of my divine will is also about to dissipate. I have already placed my sect's immortal art, the 'True Scripture of Gui Water,' into your Sea of Consciousness. You can sense its existence later. It is a complete set of immortal arts, from the Qi Condensation stage all the way to the Great Ascension stage. But you can only see the content of the immortal art that corresponds to your own magical power realm. As your cultivation realm continues to improve, you will be able to open the corresponding realm's immortal art incantations. Of course, you can only see the Qi Condensation stage's incantations now. If you unfortunately fall, then this set of immortal arts will also immediately dissipate." As he said this, the old man couldn't help but sigh.
"Boy, normally, if I had found you at the right time, even with the magical power of my current divine will, although I can't use great divine abilities, it would be no problem to accompany you for a thousand years. During this period, I could carefully guide your cultivation and let you take fewer detours. Unfortunately, after sorting out your meridians and suppressing the fire poison for you, this is all I can do now. You can only walk the rest of the path on your own. As for how far you can go, it will depend on your own luck."
Li Yan heard this and couldn't help but stammer, "Im... Immortal Elder, I... I don't want to cultivate immortality. I want to go home and reunite with my parents."
The gray-robed old man was stunned to hear this. In his consciousness, cultivating immortality was something that everyone yearned for. Not to mention a legendary great power like him taking a disciple, even if a trashy Qi Condensation stage cultivator said he was taking a disciple in the secular world, countless people would break their heads to beg. This was beyond his expectations. But he didn't care too much. He sneered and said, "Hmph, do you think you have a choice? If you don't cultivate, then the fire poison in your body will probably grow and strengthen in a few years. When it breaks the suppression then, you will still die. Moreover, now that you have gone through the initial stage of cultivation, and with my re-combing of your meridians and the effect of the guided medicinal power today, you are already at the first layer of the Qi Condensation stage. Do you think your current teacher will let you leave when he sees you wake up? He will sooner or later absorb your spiritual power, which is also death. If you cultivate the immortal art I give you, you might have a chance to fight. You say you don't want to cultivate?"
Li Yan was stunned for a moment after hearing this. He thought to himself, he had just been single-mindedly thinking about returning to his parents' side and had really ignored his current situation. As the old man said, he was now in a dilemma. If he didn't cultivate, he would die. If he continued to cultivate, there was still a sliver of a chance of survival.
The old man saw Li Yan's silence and gave a cold smile. "Put away those childish thoughts. You should think more about how to stay alive. With the poison in your body, you should be able to force it out if you cultivate the 'True Scripture of Gui Water' to the peak of the first layer of the Qi Condensation stage. You should be able to understand this after you see the content of the cultivation technique later. Mm, you can cultivate more by the side of this pool. This has a strengthening and auxiliary effect on our water-based spirit root. Strategist Ji did not choose this valley as his residence randomly. This is the only place nearby with some spiritual qi. This spiritual qi comes from the depths of this pool. There should be a very small spirit eye or something similar at the bottom of this pool. After the spiritual qi diffuses, it can basically be maintained within this valley. Otherwise, you would not be able to cultivate. However, this bit of spiritual qi is too little, and the spirit eye is too small. Otherwise, this city of Green Mountain Pass would probably not exist and might have been occupied by a cultivation sect.
There is another point, and I don't know if it is a blessing or a curse. The spiritual power in your body is from entering the dao with poison. Although I have sorted it out, limited by my current condition, I can only help you repair your meridians to keep you alive. This has already exhausted what little magical power I have left. I can no longer change the poisonous nature of the spiritual power in your body. As the spiritual power circulates throughout your body, the toxins hidden in the spiritual power will continue to grow and will continue to seep into your muscles and bones. However, when you switch to cultivating the 'True Scripture of Gui Water,' if you cultivate to the peak of the first layer of the Qi Condensation stage, the poison in these spiritual powers can be refined away. So, what you should be concerned about now is how to cultivate the 'True Scripture of Gui Water' well and how to escape, right? You will only be qualified to plan other things after you escape."
As he said this, a grave tone actually appeared in the gray-robed old man's already ethereal and illusory voice. He was also very worried. If the successor he had found after more than two million years were to die at the hands of a small, trashy Qi Condensation stage cultivator, it would be extremely frustrating. A small character like that, he used to be able to turn him into dust with a single thought. But now, it was completely impossible. This truly frustrated him to the extreme. Now his main body was also nowhere to be found, and this wisp of divine will was about to dissipate. If it wasn't for helping Li Yan repair his body, with his previous divine will power, if he had woken up normally, he would have been able to kill a third-layer Qi Condensation cultivator, and he could have lasted for a few more years. But when he had just woken up, Li Yan's life and death was a matter of a few breaths. How could he have had the time to kill that Strategist Ji first? By the time he had saved Li Yan, his own magical power was almost exhausted.
Li Yan also frowned tightly. Indeed, as the old man said, the main problem now was how to escape from his teacher's hands alive.
The old man's voice drifted into Li Yan's ears again. "You should have about a year left. At that time, regardless of whether you have cultivated to the peak of the first layer of the Qi Condensation stage, that Strategist Ji will make his move. The poison in his body can at most be suppressed for another year or so. However, if you can diligently cultivate the 'True Scripture of Gui Water' to the peak of the first layer of Qi Condensation within this year, then the situation might have a chance to be reversed. Maybe there will be an unexpected... hehe."
At this time, a malicious laugh actually appeared in the old man's ethereal voice, but he did not continue. He then changed the subject and said, "Mm, however, if you want to escape from this place, you might be able to use this Marshal Hong in the city. He is very eager to get his hands on Strategist Ji's so-called 'martial arts.' And I also sense that besides this Hong Linying in the Marshal's Residence, there is another martial arts master who is not weaker than him. Although the two of them together are not this Strategist Ji's match, they can still hold him up for a moment.
In addition, you don't have to worry about the safety of your parents and family for the time being. If you can escape, they can only be your fetters. Strategist Ji will not lose the possibility of using them as bait.
Oh, a reminder for you. This Strategist Ji has already learned some introductory immortal arts, such as the Wood Thorn Art, Fireball Art, and Wind Blade Art. You should be careful. Although these are just insignificant introductory immortal arts, immortal arts are still immortal arts. They are not something that mortals and a rookie like you who has just started can resist." The old man said, emphasizing the words "martial arts," but his voice was already extremely illusory.
Li Yan was a little confused when he heard the first half of his words. He didn't know why the gray-robed old man had suddenly laughed maliciously. But it was obviously not directed at him. Before he had time to think about it, he heard the old man talk about Marshal Hong's intentions, and his eyes lit up. He remembered what had happened at the drill grounds that day. At that time, he did not know Marshal Hong's intentions. The other party had even sent his internal energy to circulate in his body for a round. It turned out that he was after Strategist Ji's cultivation technique. This might be an opportunity that could be used. But he had no clue how to deal with Strategist Ji's immortal arts. That was an immortal art.
"Alright, boy, it's impossible for me to say more to you. I look forward to my main body being able to meet you in the future. However, you should at least call me 'Sect Master.' Remember, I am called 'Venerable Fushui'—Dong Fuyi." As he said this, the old man's voice had already become almost inaudible, and his figure began to turn into specks of water mist and slowly dissipate.
Li Yan looked at the water mist in the air and said anxiously, "Old man, old man, you haven't told me how to get out yet?" But there was no more sound from the water mist. He thought to himself, 'What Sect Master? He didn't even explain things clearly. And I have inexplicably joined another immortal sect, and a rootless one at that. I'm probably the only one in the sect now. So where is the immortal art? And how can I get out of this spiritual space?' As he was thinking, the water mist before him had already dissipated completely. With the dissipation of the water mist, Li Yan's vision blurred, and then he was in a daze, and everything was dark.
Li Yan felt a little cold all over. He suddenly opened his eyes, and a bright white sunlight hit him, making him quickly close his eyes again. At this time, a familiar voice came over. "Disciple, you are finally awake. How are you? Do you feel better?"
Hearing this voice, Li Yan's body couldn't help but stiffen. After a pause, he slowly opened his eyes again. The first thing that came into view was a man in a black robe, leaning slightly to block the sun. A gaunt, loving face was looking at him with concern. It was his master—Strategist Ji. Li Yan couldn't help but force a smile. He looked around and found that he was lying on the ground, soaking wet. He pushed himself up with his hand and found that he was still by the side of the pool. The sun in the sky was still slightly to the east. It seemed to still be morning. After a moment's hesitation, he asked, "Mas... Master, what's happened to me?"
Seeing Li Yan wake up, Strategist Ji couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. He stood up straight and said gently to Li Yan, "Your meridians went astray when you were guiding qi into your body during cultivation, and you fell into the pool. I just saved you. It has been about a quarter of an hour, but you have been in a coma all this time, so I could only keep circulating my energy to heal your injuries. Now you are fine, I... huh?" He was thinking as he spoke at the beginning. As he said the last words, he habitually swept his divine sense over Li Yan and was surprised. With Li Yan's awakening, the aura on Li Yan's body was constantly changing and strengthening. And his originally somewhat distorted and swollen face was also slowly recovering. He had just swept his divine sense over him out of habit, but he found that Li Yan was actually at the initial stage of the first layer of the Qi Condensation stage. His expression became dazed for a moment, and he shook his head gently. Just now, after he had fished Li Yan out of the water, when he first sent out his spiritual power to treat him, Li Yan had had a slight reaction. Then he had sent in a few more wisps of spiritual power, but there was no more reaction. But when he felt Li Yan's breath, it was normal. At that time, when he scanned his body with his divine sense, Li Yan's body seemed to be seriously injured. As for his realm, he was still in the qi-guiding stage and had not successfully broken through to the first layer of Qi Condensation.
This made him greatly disappointed. But as long as the person was alive, there was still hope of breaking through again. So, he circulated his spiritual power into his body again, hoping to alleviate the fire poison in his body. But Li Yan just lay there motionless, with no sign of waking up. He could only stand by and think while observing. After about the time it takes for a cup of tea, Li Yan woke up on his own. Just now, with that habitual sweep of his divine sense, how did he become the first layer of the Qi Condensation stage? Had he been in a daze? He released his divine sense again and swept it towards Li Yan. He didn't think anyone here would know what a divine sense was. A moment later, even with his city-like composure, he couldn't help but show great joy on his face. It was indeed the first layer of the Qi Condensation stage. And he also saw that Li Yan's eyes were much clearer than before, the black and white distinct. But then he was immediately filled with suspicion. He had just scanned him with his divine sense several times and was sure that Li Yan had not reached the first layer of Qi Condensation. How could this be explained now?
But after a moment, he let go of his doubts. Li Yan had been cultivating under his nose for these forty-nine days. What problem could there be? Or perhaps it was the few wisps of spiritual power he had sent into his body that had worked. Or maybe this boy's constitution was a bit special, and he was just being overly suspicious. As for why he hadn't discovered his advancement just now, it was probably because Li Yan's aura was unstable when he was in a coma, and he had just broken through to the first layer of the Qi Condensation stage, so his aura was too weak. Now that Li Yan had woken up, his aura was naturally slowly revealing itself.
Li Yan looked at this teacher of his. He had spoken halfway, made a sound of surprise, and then he suddenly felt an invisible force covering his body, as if someone were prying into his entire body, leaving him with no secrets. "Divine sense!" This word flashed in his mind. After confirming this thought, he could feel even more clearly, as if a pair of eyes were looking at him from top to bottom, inside and out. Although this feeling was so illusory, it was also so real that he couldn't explain it, and it made him very uncomfortable. At the same time, he was also surprised to find that his five senses had become unusually sensitive. Without turning his head, he could even hear the sound of fish swimming in the pool and the low chirping of various autumn insects in the valley. Glancing to the side with the corner of his eye, he was surprised to find that the dewdrops on the grass dozens of zhang away were as clear as if they were right in front of him, so bright and dazzling. And the ants crawling between these blades of grass and dewdrops were diligently carrying things in the sun. He could even see the constantly moving antennae on the heads of these ants. Turning his head to look at the pool, wisps of thread-like qi immediately appeared in his eyes. They intertwined, twisted, and diffused. He guessed that this should be the spiritual qi that Dong Fuyi had said was diffusing from the pool. Li Yan only felt that all these scenes were so incredible.
And hearing what this teacher of his said, he had only been in a coma for about a quarter of an hour. But he had been talking to Dong Fuyi in that space for a long time. If he hadn't misjudged the time, it should have been at least an hour or so. How could this be explained?