Chapter 243: Ten Years Ignored, Now the Dust Clears and Light Emerges

After finishing the arrangements for the clan's affairs.

Xu Chuan departed silently, heading toward Guangling.

He planned to check on his pre-selected, bargain-bin 'Great Emperor' disciple who possessed a Heavenly Spiritual Root.

Back when he first heard that the boy had named himself Ye Fan, he could not help but secretly mock the cliché for quite a while.

Immortal Martial Alliance Headquarters.

Under the Moon Academy.

Ever since the Xu family carved out eleven commanderies from Great Wei, various aristocratic families had joined the Immortal Martial Alliance one after another.

The status of the Under the Moon Academy had risen day by day, practically becoming a holy land of learning.

It was completely beyond anything the Cao clan's academy could compare to.

Moreover, many elders from aristocratic families applied to become instructors at the academy. For example, the Li family of Taiyuan Commandery and the Wang family of Langya Commandery had clansmen at the Qi Condensation Stage serving as formation and talisman instructors in the university's Immortal Dao Institute.

Correspondingly, Foundation Establishment elders also joined the Formation Pavilion and Talisman Pavilion of the alliance headquarters.

Nowadays, the eleven commanderies of Great Wei ruled by the Xu family all implemented the Immortal Alliance system, and every family eagerly joined.

Therefore, the more positions a family occupied in the headquarters, the greater their voice, which naturally made it easier to secure benefits for their own clan.

The Xu family was naturally happy to see this happen.

The very purpose of establishing the Immortal Martial Alliance was to bind the interests of every family together.

Having the ability to seek welfare for their own families was a testament to their own skills.

As long as the alliance rules were not broken, the Xu family turned a blind eye to it.

In any case, the crucial positions within the Immortal Martial Alliance were firmly held in the hands of the Xu family.

The Xu family was the bellwether; wherever they went, the various aristocratic families could only follow.

This was unlike the other half of Great Wei, where the remaining aristocratic families were mostly estranged from the Cao clan, only submitting on the surface.

Xu Chuan flew directly through the formation light barrier of the Immortal Martial Alliance Headquarters. He was one of the few individuals with the authority to bypass these formation restrictions.

Under the Moon Academy.

Xu Chuan likewise ignored the academy's formation barrier and entered directly.

Three years had passed, and Ye Fan was now eleven years old.

He was still in the primary school of the Immortal Dao Institute, making him a very unique individual.

With a sweep of his divine sense, he located Ye Fan.

At this moment, the boy was practicing the Martial Dao in a bamboo forest.

Although Ye Fan was an immortal cultivator at the 1st Layer of Qi Condensation, he was extremely special. There was no mana in his dantian; whenever he cast magical arts, he directly drew in the spiritual qi of heaven and earth to use on the spot.

To improve his strength, he had begun delving into the Martial Dao.

The Seed of Withered Wood refused nothing, equally absorbing and refining the martial true qi that Ye Fan cultivated.

However, the acupoints within his body continued to be opened.

Furthermore, because his foundation and bloodline were incredibly robust, in just three years, he had become an Innate martial artist whose physical strength rivaled that of Peak Innate, despite completely lacking Innate True Qi.

When executing martial arts moves, he also directly converted the spiritual qi of heaven and earth into Innate True Qi.

With abundant practice, he had figured out the intricacies of both paths.

'Interesting. To think the Seed of Withered Wood has such an effect.'

'Walking the Martial Dao to temper the physical body... This is good too. I imagine that once the Seed of Withered Wood is broken, his body will be able to handle that surge of power much more easily.'

Previously, Xu Chuan had instructed Zhou Qingfang to give him some pills for expanding meridians and cleansing marrow, precisely to help him strengthen his physique.

Given the mana and true qi he had accumulated, the power contained within the Seed of Withered Wood should be enough to rival a Late-Stage Qi Condensation immortal cultivator.

Xu Chuan rubbed his chin, a ripple of light in his eyes. 'From the looks of it, there is no need to rush to break it for him. I will wait until his physical body is tempered to Peak Grandmaster.

'Then, by drawing out the power hidden within the Seed of Withered Wood, that stroke of good fortune might allow his physical strength to match Foundation Establishment power.'

'If he could research a path beyond the Grandmaster Martial Dao, that would be even better,' Xu Chuan mused optimistically.

Of course, he also knew that since Ye Fan possessed a Heavenly Spiritual Root, the Immortal Dao was naturally more suitable for him.

But this serendipitous encounter might allow him to walk even further in the future.

Xu Chuan did not reveal himself to interrupt; he watched for a while before leaving.

He went to the branch base, sought out Zhou Qingfang, and also met with Xu Mingxuan and the others.

Zhou Qingfang recounted many things about Ye Fan.

"First Elder, you came here after ending your secluded cultivation. Could it be that you intend to take Ye Fan as your disciple?" he asked, a look of hope in his eyes.

"I did have that intention, but seeing him embark on the Martial Dao, I have decided to wait a little longer."

"First Elder, is there anything inappropriate with Ye Fan acting like this?"

Xu Chuan shook his head and chuckled. "It is an opportunity for him. You do not need to worry."

"From now on, I plan to observe him personally. You should focus entirely on your cultivation. I see you are currently at the early phase of the Sixth-Layer Foundation Establishment..."

"It is all thanks to the master family's resources. Otherwise, I would not have been able to break through two realms in succession over these eight years," Zhou Qingfang said, bowing with cupped fists.

Xu Chuan gave a slight nod. He took out a porcelain bottle and handed it over. "Inside is a Mid Grade Void Rushing Pill. You may take it when you reach the bottleneck for the late stage.

With your spirit root aptitude, I imagine breaking through to Late Foundation Establishment will not be difficult."

Zhou Qingfang grew slightly emotional and bowed deeply. "Thank you, First Elder!"

For a Foundation Establishment elder who was not of the Xu lineage, their resources naturally could not compare to those of Xu Mingwei and the other direct descendants, but it was still comparable to the treatment of some Foundation Establishment elders in second-rank or even first-rank families.

With a quick transformation, Xu Chuan turned into a white-haired old sweeper at the Under the Moon Academy.

He observed Ye Fan in secret while simultaneously pondering and researching his divine ability techniques.

A month later.

The Immortal Martial Alliance suddenly convened a council of elders, requiring all elders to participate.

The person who convened it was First Elder Xu Chuan.

Naturally, none of those elders dared to be negligent.

Every Foundation Establishment aristocratic family from the various commanderies had two members enter the council of elders; one was at Peak Qi Condensation, and the other was at Foundation Establishment.

The former was an elder quota gifted to each family by the Immortal Martial Alliance.

As for Foundation Establishment, Xu Chuan had once stated that any immortal cultivator who reached the Foundation Establishment stage could basically apply to join the council of elders. As long as they had committed no grievous atrocities, they were usually permitted to join.

"The First Elder has emerged from secluded cultivation?!"

"Three years ago, the First Elder was already at the ninth layer of Foundation Establishment. He should be at Foundation Establishment Perfection by now."

"Nine times out of ten, yes. After these three years, the Xu family's previous shortcomings should be thoroughly patched up. The number of Mid Foundation Establishment immortal cultivators will not be small."

"I estimate that besides the First Elder, they are definitely hiding other Late Foundation Establishment immortal cultivators."

"I wonder what prompted the First Elder to suddenly convene the council of elders."

"The Xu family has arrived."

Someone shouted, and the grand hall instantly fell silent.

Over a dozen Xu family Foundation Establishment cultivators walked in.

Everyone stood up in unison, cupping their hands toward Xu Chuan in the center. "Greetings, First Elder!"

"You are too polite, elders. Please, sit." After taking his seat, Xu Chuan waved his hand. "I have an important matter to announce at this council meeting."

Xu Chuan swept his gaze across the crowd. After a moment, he said calmly, "I intend to step down from the position of First Elder of the Immortal Martial Alliance, and I wish to recommend my son, Xu Mingyuan, as the new First Elder.

You are all elders of our alliance and possess the right to vote.

If you have anything to say, feel free to speak your minds."

Almost everyone's pupils shrank as expressions of astonishment appeared on their faces.

The Li family's Foundation Establishment elder spoke up, "First Elder, why so sudden? You are at the absolute peak of your prime, younger than the vast majority of the elders sitting here."

"Indeed, First Elder. Your tenure as the First Elder of the Immortal Martial Alliance is what everyone hopes for!" the Wang family's Foundation Establishment elder added.

Xu Chuan chuckled and cupped his fists. "Thank you all for your profound affection, but I believe my son will not be any worse at fulfilling the duties of First Elder than I am.

If any of you have suitable candidates, you may also propose them for a vote.

Everything will be decided by the outcome of the vote."

Everyone revealed deeply thoughtful expressions.

"As for why I am doing this," Xu Chuan smiled faintly again, "I am sure you all have your guesses. Indeed, after three years of secluded cultivation, I have already reached Foundation Establishment Perfection.

I plan to immerse myself fully in cultivation and assault the Golden Core Stage. Only then can I better uphold the prestige of my Xu family.

My mind is made up on this matter; there is no need to persuade me otherwise.

Within the next thirty minutes, everyone may nominate a candidate for the First Elder position.

After thirty minutes, the formal voting will begin.

As long as the affirmative votes surpass eighty percent, that person shall become the First Elder of the Immortal Martial Alliance."

As soon as his voice faded, discussions erupted within the grand hall. People whispered to one another, and some even communicated via divine sense.

The members of the Xu family all rested with their eyes closed.

Because the outcome was already predetermined.

Even if someone present harbored ulterior motives, the connections and prestige the Xu family had accumulated over the years were simply unmatched.

Furthermore, securing an eighty percent approval rating was something no one besides the Xu family could currently achieve.

At least, it was impossible right now.

Unless another massive aristocratic clan comparable to the Xu family emerged within the Immortal Martial Alliance in the future, it was absolutely impossible for a First Elder to be produced from anywhere else, even if they rivaled a first-rank family.

In the blink of an eye, the thirty minutes passed.

Though some harbored their own little schemes, ultimately, no one nominated any other candidate for First Elder.

"Since there are no other candidates, let the voting commence. Those who agree to my son, Xu Mingyuan, serving as the First Elder, please raise your hands."

Under Xu Chuan's sweeping gaze.

All the elders present raised their hands one after another.

For now, the Xu family's actions were considered fair. If they were replaced by someone else, who knew what would happen?

Moreover, having the Xu family lead the Immortal Martial Alliance was much more in line with the alliance's own interests.

After all, although the Immortal Martial Alliance was a coalition of various aristocratic families, it did not represent the entirety of those families.

The Xu family was still the Xu family!

If there ever came a day when the Xu family no longer wished to continue the Immortal Alliance system, relying on their power, background connections, and factional strength, it would be enough to completely destroy the Immortal Martial Alliance.

Xu Chuan smiled and nodded. "Since all the elders agree, my son shall be the First Elder of the Immortal Martial Alliance from this day forward."

Everyone stood up uniformly, cupping their hands toward Xu Mingyuan. "Greetings, First Elder!"

"Thank you all for your favor. Although my qualifications are still lacking, I will do my absolute best to fulfill the duties of First Elder. Now, I propose that the Immortal Martial Alliance establish the position of Grand Elder.

Any immortal cultivator at Foundation Establishment Perfection may apply for this position. If anyone within the alliance forms a Golden Core, they will automatically become a Grand Elder of the Immortal Martial Alliance.

A Grand Elder holds a status equal to the First Elder. Five times a year, they possess the authority to directly appoint or dismiss personnel below the ranks of Alliance Leader, Vice Alliance Leader, Pavilion Master, and Vice Pavilion Master.

They may inspect all ancient classics collected within the alliance and receive a specific supply of resources annually, though these resources cannot be gifted to disciples outside the Immortal Martial Alliance.

This is an honorary leisure position without the right to vote in councils!"

As the crowd pondered his words, Xu Mingyuan continued, "Furthermore, I propose that my father become the Immortal Martial Alliance's first Grand Elder."

It was obvious that establishing the Grand Elder position was purely meant to highlight a revered status.

The elders of the other families naturally did not reject Xu Mingyuan's very first proposal, unanimously voting to pass it.

Xu Chuan had not anticipated this either, shaking his head with a chuckle.

That very day.

The news of Xu Mingyuan becoming the second First Elder of the Immortal Martial Alliance, along with Xu Chuan's promotion to Grand Elder, was relayed to the branch alliances in every commandery.

It caused quite a stir.

Soon after, word spread that Xu Mingyuan had also taken over as the First Elder of the Xu family.

Clearly, a transition of power within the Xu family had begun.

What took everyone by surprise, however, was that the one succeeding as First Elder was Xu Mingyuan, rather than Xu Chuan's eldest son, Xu Mingwei.

After all, in terms of reputation, prestige, and strength, Xu Mingwei's title as the 'Arrow Demon' was renowned far and wide.

Xu Mingyuan, on the other hand, was much more low-key.

After assuming the role of First Elder, he stepped down as the Pavilion Master of the Talisman Pavilion and recommended the Vice Pavilion Master, the Foundation Establishment elder of the Wang family—a master in talisman crafting—to take his place.

This could be considered a promotion for the Wang family elder.

As for the Vice Pavilion Master position, Li Hongyi took over.

Both Li Yuanhua and his sister possessed the skills of a talisman crafting master, but Li Hongyi's attainments in talisman making were higher.

The rest remained largely unchanged.

Time flew, and three months passed.

Xu Chuan also stayed at the Under the Moon Academy for three months.

He occasionally observed Ye Fan's behavior, daily comprehended the Withered Glory Divine Ability technique, and found time to deduce new pill recipes.

His primary focus was a new Foundation Establishment Pill recipe.

Now, with the Xu family's power expanding further to govern eleven commanderies of Great Wei, they had amassed the spirit grass from all these regions.

In earlier years, he had been too busy with cultivation and set this aside, but now that he had restarted the project, he was making headway.

For pills like the Jade Marrow Pill, they basically relied purely on the medicinal properties of thousand-year-old ingredients to increase the success rate of Foundation Establishment.

However, a true pill recipe relied on the combination of various spirit grasses, using changes in medicinal properties to multiply the efficacy by several times or even tenfold, thus achieving a qualitative transformation.

Xu Chuan gradually increased his investment into researching the new Foundation Establishment Pill.

A spring and summer passed.

Xu Chuan finally deduced the pill recipe.

To his surprise, the efficacy of this pill recipe was actually similar to the Jade Marrow Pill.

A Low Grade pill increased the chance of Foundation Establishment by ten percent, a Mid Grade pill by fifteen percent, and a High Grade Pill by twenty percent.

This pill could be taken multiple times with stacking effects, but the first pill would undoubtedly be the strongest; subsequent pills would suffer diminishing returns.

The value of the materials required for this pill recipe was merely equivalent to that of a True Essence Pill.

Several of the spirit grasses were local specialties from various commanderies.

If this pill recipe were to be introduced to the world, it would be enough to cause earth-shattering changes.

For strategic pills of this nature, Xu Chuan had no current plans to release them to the public.

He would wait until the next era, when the Xu family truly became a Golden Core Aristocratic Family or even the overlord of the three domains, before making it public.

For now, the Xu family would collect the materials and refine the pills, then reward them to members of the Immortal Martial Alliance who had made significant contributions.

Or they would be put up for auction at the events hosted by the Xu family's merchant guild.

Currently, the frequency of the Xu family's auctions had already shifted from once every ten years to once every three years.

Xu Chuan still named this pill the Jade Marrow Pill, and then secretly ordered the Xu family merchant guild to collect the corresponding materials. Naturally, to prevent anyone from catching on, the merchant guild collected a massive variety of spirit grasses in large quantities.

Even an alchemy grandmaster would find it incredibly difficult to pick out the specific materials required for the Jade Marrow Pill from that pile.

Even if they did, the refinement of the medicinal ingredients and the fusion sequence of the medicinal liquids possessed countless variations, including the heat control during each step and the exact timing for pill condensation.

Xu Chuan found some free time and returned to Dongxi.

"Mingqing, come find me at the Jade Cold Pool."

Xu Mingqing was meditating quietly in the Pill Refining Hall when Xu Chuan's voice rang in his ears. He immediately opened his eyes and rushed to the Jade Cold Pool without hesitation.

"Father, why did you summon me?"

Xu Chuan swept a glance over him and smiled faintly. "Not bad, the middle phase of the Sixth-Layer Foundation Establishment. In another year or two, our Xu family will gain another Late Foundation Establishment cultivator."

A moment later, he continued, "I called you here this time to give you a new pill recipe. Take a look."

Xu Chuan handed the pill recipe to Xu Mingqing.

Xu Mingqing glanced at it, furrowing his brows in deep thought. "This is also the Jade Marrow Pill? It is different from the previous Jade Marrow Pill.

The number of spirit grasses alone reaches thirty-two.

Although many of these spirit grasses are common, this refinement process seems quite troublesome. Unless one is a top-tier grandmaster alchemist, I fear it will be extremely difficult to successfully condense the pill."

Pausing for a second, a sharp light suddenly erupted in his eyes as he asked in astonishment, "Father, could this be a new Foundation Establishment Pill recipe that you deduced?!"

Xu Chuan smiled lightly. "Exactly. Most of the original Foundation Establishment Pill recipes were passed down from ancient times. The three main ingredients—Purple Monkey Flower, Jade Marrow Mushroom, and Heavenly Spirit Fruit—are exceedingly rare.

Even across the many regions of the Heavenly South, I imagine they cannot be found just anywhere.

In our region, finding them is even harder.

The Wuhua Secret Realm only opens once every sixty years.

Countless talented Qi Condensation Stage immortal cultivators are trapped at the Qi Condensation Stage, with no hope of ever stepping into Foundation Establishment in their lifetimes.

Now that I have deduced this pill recipe, firstly, my Xu family will no longer be bound by a lack of Foundation Establishment resources. Secondly, it offers an opportunity to the immortal cultivators of this world. Thirdly, it can be considered fulfilling Senior Yun Zhongzi's dying wish."

"Father is truly benevolent!" Xu Mingqing felt unparalleled reverence in his heart, but then a thought struck him. "Are you planning to make this pill recipe public?"

"I will make it public, but not now," Xu Chuan replied. "As a father, I ultimately have my selfish motives. I will wait until the next era, after our Xu family births several Golden Core cultivators and becomes the overlord of the three domains.

That will be the time for this pill recipe to emerge and be taught to the world.

How far they can develop at that point will depend entirely on their own fortunes."

Xu Mingqing nodded slightly. This was the father he knew in his heart—when successful, one should benefit the whole world!

"I still have over a dozen sets of materials on hand. During this period, I will guide your refinement so you can successfully produce this pill as quickly as possible.

As for its name, because its efficacy is similar to the original Jade Marrow Pill, I will continue to call it the Jade Marrow Pill.

Additionally, for now, you are the only one who needs to know this recipe. You may reveal the existence of this pill to your eldest brother, second brother, and the Xu Family Head, but do not disclose the contents of the recipe."

"For the time being, your refinement alone will be enough to meet the demand. You will refine it roughly once every three years; ten pills will be used for auction, five for rewards within the Immortal Martial Alliance, and the rest will be kept within the family."

"Yes, Father."

"Next, I will demonstrate it for you once. Pay close attention."

Xu Chuan immediately fired up the cauldron to refine the pills.

Although the total value of the spirit grass for the Jade Marrow Pill was roughly equal to a True Essence Pill, the difficulty of refinement was elevated by at least two levels, making it significantly harder than the Void Rushing Pill.

Xu Mingqing observed with rapt attention, not daring to miss a single detail.

In his eyes, Xu Chuan's movements flowed like shifting clouds and flowing water, as natural as the world itself.

He had originally thought his alchemy attainments were already close to Xu Chuan's, but looking at it now, the gap seemed to have grown even wider.

Furthermore, Xu Chuan was using alchemy techniques that Xu Mingqing already knew, rather than high-tier alchemy hand seals like the "Nine-Nine True Condensation Art".

Two hours later.

Xu Chuan retrieved the pills.

This furnace successfully yielded nine pills in total: six High Grade and three Mid Grade.

"First, narrate this entire process back to me and explain the reasoning behind it. If you have any questions, you can raise them. Once you thoroughly understand everything, you may begin refining."

"Yes, Father."

The father and son engaged in a Q&A session.

In the blink of an eye, half a day passed.

Xu Mingqing began his actual refinement, but he still ran into problems during the process.

As a result, the first batch failed during pill condensation.

Xu Chuan had him analyze his mistakes on his own before trying again, only providing the answers afterward.

Time and time again.

By the fifth furnace, Xu Mingqing finally succeeded in refining his first batch of Jade Marrow Pills, yielding two Low Grade pills.

By the time all dozen-plus sets of materials had been refined, several days had already gone by.

Xu Mingqing was now able to achieve a thirty percent success rate for Mid Grade pills, but he had not succeeded in creating a single High Grade Pill.

"I have already ordered the merchant guild to continuously collect materials for the Jade Marrow Pill. Whenever they are delivered, you are to study and refine them until you can stably produce High Grade Pills. Only then can you consider this phase complete.

If you truly encounter a bottleneck you cannot break through, you can come find me at the Under the Moon Academy."

"Understood, Father."

Although it would be most cost-effective for Xu Chuan to refine all these spirit grass materials himself, this was the necessary price to pay for cultivating a successor.

This held true across the board, whether it was pills, artifacts, formations, or talismans.

Xu Chuan knew of many aristocratic families that had once produced top-tier alchemists or blacksmiths; their doorways had once been crowded with eager visitors.

But once those masters perished, the crowds dispersed and the tea grew cold.

Without cultivating excellent successors within the clan, each passing generation proved inferior to the last, ultimately fading into obscurity and becoming nothing more than an ordinary immortal cultivation family.

Two days later.

Xu Chuan returned to the Under the Moon Academy and resumed his role as the old sweeper.

Ye Fan had not seen him for a few days, and upon running into him again, he actually came over to ask where the old man had been.

It was evident the boy possessed some conscience.

"This old man had family matters to attend to these past few days, so I took a leave to handle some chores back home," Xu Chuan said, stroking his beard as he looked at Ye Fan. "Does this student need something?"

"No, but seeing someone of your advanced age still sweeping floors made me wonder—could you be one of those legendary hidden experts?"

"Do I look like an expert to you?" Xu Chuan chuckled.

"Without divine consciousness, I cannot tell, but my intuition tells me you might be some big shot in the academy or the Immortal Martial Alliance."

'This clever little brat!'

Xu Chuan smiled and said, "Since you believe I am, how about you help this old man sweep the floors? Perhaps you can even grind some goodwill from me.

When this old man achieves greatness one day, I just might take you in as a disciple."

Ye Fan revealed a look of suspicion at these words. After mulling it over, he said, "Perhaps this junior is just overthinking things. However, you do look quite elderly, so it is only right that I help you.

From now on, just leave all your chores to me."

'He's trying to latch onto me!'

'I want to see exactly how long you can keep this up.'

"Then I thank this student," Xu Chuan said, handing over the broom. "This old man's energy is lacking today. I will go rest on the side."

From then on, Ye Fan came over every day to help Xu Chuan with his chores.

As they interacted back and forth, the two of them became quite familiar with one another.

"Grandpa Wuyan, last time you said you had five sons and one daughter, but how come I have never seen them come visit you?"

"They are all busy."

"Then do you have any grandchildren at the Under the Moon Academy?"

"They lack the qualifications."

"Immortal cultivation requires spirit root aptitude, but the starting point for the Martial Dao is much lower. Why not send one or two here? If they succeed in their studies in the future, it would be good for growing your family."

"Why waste that kind of money unnecessarily? Training casually at home is fine. Besides, they still have to work the fields when they are free."

"Grandpa Wuyan, why do you carry this potted plant around all the time?"

Time flowed like water.

In the blink of an eye, over two more years had passed.

Xu Chuan raised his head to gaze at the sky, speaking softly, "It is about time to prepare to leave."

Sometime ago, Xu Mingxian had sent a message saying that in another two or three months, he would be able to set up an early-stage Tier-3 formation for the clan.

He had been waiting for this very moment.

Only when the clan's safety was completely guaranteed could he leave with peace of mind.

After all, once he departed on this journey...

He would not return unless he formed his Golden Core!

Over the course of nearly three years, Ye Fan's body had gradually matured, growing into the appearance of a handsome youth.

Through his own sheer effort, he had forcibly pushed himself to the Peak Grandmaster realm.

Although his dantian still lacked mana and Innate True Qi, he was already capable of converting spiritual qi into a sliver of mana or Innate True Qi with a mere raise of his hand.

This allowed him to rapidly cast magical arts or Innate martial arts.

Therefore, despite being at the 1st Layer of Qi Condensation, he was not much weaker than the immortal dao or martial dao students who were nearing graduation from the university.

The most outstanding individuals in both institutes were comparable to Mid Grandmaster martial artists or immortal cultivators at the 7th Layer of Qi Condensation.

Relying on his physical strength and this unique conversion trick, Ye Fan could fight them head-on. He was truly a heaven-sent genius.

"Grandpa Wuyan, what are you looking at? What chores are there for today? Just say the word."

Over the past few years, Ye Fan had gotten used to this routine.

At first, he genuinely suspected the old man was some legendary mighty figure of immortal cultivation.

Later on, he simply found him extremely interesting and took pleasure in chatting with him about anything and everything.

He even gradually began to feel a lingering sense of familial bond, like that between a grandfather and grandson.

This was perhaps related to the fact that he had never experienced family affection since childhood.

"I am looking at the sky."

"Checking today's weather?"

"Looking at the sky of this prison cage, to see how it differs from the sky of the outside world."

"Prison cage? Outside world?" Ye Fan was slightly bewildered.

Xu Chuan turned his head and looked at him with a faint smile. "Little Ye, did you not claim I was a mighty immortal cultivator? I am preparing to leave this place. Do you have any wishes?

For the sake of you helping me with chores and keeping me company with idle chatter all these years, I can grant you one wish, Little Ye."

"Grandpa Wuyan, stop joking."

"You only get one chance," Xu Chuan said, still looking at him with a smile.

Ye Fan sighed. "Alright then. If you truly are a mighty immortal cultivator, then I wish to take you as my master and genuinely step onto the path of cultivation."

"That is enough, right? Grandpa Wuyan, if you do not get back to work soon, you really are going to be swept out the door!"

"No problem. I will grant your wish."

Xu Chuan swept his sleeve robe and raised a finger to tap the spot between the youth's eyebrows. Streaks of green light swirled around the two of them like silk ribbons before plunging right between Ye Fan's brows.

A surge of power wrapped around Ye Fan, lifting him into the air and carrying him into the bamboo forest.

Then, Xu Chuan raised his hand and laid down a formation array.

The Power of Withering and Thriving reached Ye Fan's dantian, continuously striking the Seed of Withered Wood in an attempt to break it open.

Withered wood was not truly withered; rather, it nurtured life and fortune.

Relying solely on his own strength, Xu Chuan reversed this magical art, transforming the Seed of Withered Wood into a seed of life.

From this moment forward, it would no longer feed on Ye Fan's mana or true qi; instead, it would return all the power it had previously consumed.

To prevent this power from entirely erupting and causing harm to Ye Fan, Xu Chuan specifically restricted its flow rate.

Ye Fan was horrified in his heart!

'The Seed of Withered Wood has been broken!'

'Did they not say that in all of Great Wei, and even Great Liang and Great Jin, there was likely only one person capable of breaking this magical art?

And it was broken so easily by a sweeping old man at the academy?

Were the others lying, or...?

Wait! Wuyan... Wu-Yan... combining the two characters forms Xu! Could he be—'

Ye Fan's eyes snapped open. Before him stood no white-haired elder; there was only a refined youth looking at him with a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

It was none other than the First Elder of the Xu family he had seen in front of the Great Wei Imperial Palace many years ago—Xu Chuan!

"You..."

"What do you mean, 'you'? Did you not want to take me as your master? Little Ye, what are you waiting for?"

Ye Fan froze for a second before instantly understanding everything.

It had all been Xu Chuan's test for him.

He immediately knelt down. After kowtowing three times, he called out, "Disciple greets Honored Master."

"Rise."

"Thank you, Honored Master."

"We can discuss other matters later. Now that your master has reversed the Seed of Withered Wood, you have serendipitously walked both the Martial Dao and the Immortal Dao.

Right now, you must make a choice: will you walk the Martial Dao, or the Immortal Dao?"

"If you walk the Martial Dao, you might be able to pioneer a realm above Grandmaster in the future."

"Disciple has long since made up my mind. I wish to walk the Immortal Dao!" Ye Fan declared, his eyes full of determination. "I swore an oath before my mother's grave that one day, I will definitely exact justice from the Cao clan!

The future of the Martial Dao is unknown, but only the Immortal Dao holds that possibility!"

Xu Chuan nodded slightly. "Your master respects your choice. Sit cross-legged and accept this love from your mother, as well as the reward for your years of relentless day-and-night effort.

I will act as your protector. No one will be able to disturb you."

"Thank you, Honored Master!"

Ye Fan could already feel the surging power roaming within his body. Even with his tough meridians, he would not be able to sustain it for too long; he needed to guide and refine it for his own use.

The appearance of a formation in the bamboo forest naturally sparked discussions among many people.

Academy Vice Principal Xu Mingxuan suddenly appeared in the air above the formation.

"Mingxuan, it is me. Tell your people not to approach this place. I am acting as Ye Fan's protector here."

"Father, you have finally accepted him as your disciple," Xu Mingxuan said with joy. "Congratulations, Father, on gaining an excellent disciple."

As long as a possessor of a Heavenly Spiritual Root did not perish prematurely, there was a high probability they would become a Golden Core Stage immortal cultivator in the future.

Ye Fan's realm improved every single day.

Seven or eight days later, he was already at the 5th Layer of Qi Condensation.

Ten days after that, he reached Late-Stage Qi Condensation.

A month later, his momentum began to plateau.

His cultivation stabilized at the early phase of the 9th Layer of Qi Condensation.

According to Xu Chuan's observations, he could ultimately reach the late phase of the 9th Layer of Qi Condensation.

Because he had repeatedly suffered cold looks and been despised by others, Ye Fan had never rested for a single day since he first began cultivating, bitterly training without pause.

The sweat and toil he had poured out were more than double that of the True Spiritual Root geniuses from the various aristocratic families.

His talent, perseverance, Dao Heart, and even his comprehension were all top-tier choices.

With such aptitude, Xu Chuan was naturally moved.

The power erupting from the seed of life was not just mana; it also included Innate True Qi. It was a profound power formed by the fusion of the two.

As this power flowed through his limbs and bones, it continuously widened his meridians, cleansing his essence and marrow, all while enhancing his physical strength.

After a month.

His flesh underwent a metamorphosis, practically becoming a treasured body on par with a Foundation Establishment Demonic Beast.

This was an absolutely unique opportunity, something only achievable by those who had practiced body-tempering techniques and reached a certain level.

Even someone like Xu Mingwei was far from capable of matching a Demonic Beast with mere physical strength.

Another half a month passed.

Ye Fan thoroughly refined the power of the seed of life, allowing it to completely dissipate within his dantian.

"Ah!"

Ye Fan felt boundless mana surging through his limbs and bones. Deep within his physical body, a heavy, majestic power continuously pulsed, as if trying to burst free.

He could not help but throw his head back and unleash a resounding howl. The cry was sharp enough to pierce clouds and split stones. Hot tears welled up and rolled down from the corners of his eyes, dampening the hair at his temples.

For ten years, he had been completely ignored, enduring endless cold glares and ridicule.

Today, he shattered the daylight overhead—the dust cleared and his light emerged!

Watching this scene, Xu Chuan felt an odd sense of déjà vu, as though he were reading a hot-blooded 'trash-to-hero' novel. He could not help but softly recite a poem:

I possess a single luminous pearl,

Long locked away by the dust of toil.

Once the dust clears, its brilliant light emerges,

Illuminating mountains and rivers, shattering a myriad of worldly illusions.

A brief moment later.

Ye Fan wiped the corners of his eyes and bowed deeply toward Xu Chuan. "Honored Master, your disciple has made a fool of himself in front of you."

Xu Chuan smiled faintly. With a casual wave of his hand, he lifted the boy to his feet.

"Youths should naturally possess their true temperaments. Unlike me—although I wear the appearance of a young man, my heart has long been ground flat, no longer burning with hot blood!"

Xu Chuan released a Magic Skiff and retrieved his Formation Flags. "Come aboard. Follow me to the Xu family."

"Your path of cultivation has only just begun!"

"Yes, Honored Master."