Chapter 208: The Original Source-Clearing Marvelous Method

Qingfeng Hall, as one of the cultivation forces of the Kanda Dao, has always enjoyed a good reputation.

This faction rarely clashes with others; it guards its own territory, its disciples study Daoist scriptures diligently, and no one has seen Qingfeng Hall's cultivators fight anyone.

At least Yan Buji has never seen any.

Yan Buji doesn't know much about Daoist teachings; he knows a bit about Buddhist scriptures, but he has at least a rudimentary grasp of the basic yin‑yang, five elements, and eight trigrams.

"Boss Yan, that's Qingfeng Hall."

Yan Buji looked up; in the distance the mountain range shimmered through the mist, like a fairyland. The clouds curled around the peaks, drifting like light silk, giving a sense of mystery and tranquility.

In the mountain sky, various spirit birds flew freely. Their graceful bodies and brilliantly colored feathers danced or spread wide, blending with the surrounding scenery. These spirit birds seemed sentient, evoking a feeling of peaceful serenity.

His gaze followed the ridge upward, and the outline of a Daoist temple could be faintly seen atop the summit. The temple's architecture was simple and elegant, harmonizing with the surroundings and exuding an otherworldly aura. Even with his pupil technique, Yan Buji could only get a rough view of the hidden temple.

"Let's go."

Although Qingfeng Hall is a minor faction, the entry requirements are said to be high. Cultivators like them, who join with a skill, must be tested on their understanding of Daoist teachings, and perhaps other trials as well.

Naturally, their arrival differed from that of ordinary aspirants; Yan Buji and his companions went straight through the mountain gate and were led to a spring halfway up the mountain.

Where his eyes fell, the spring was crystal clear to the bottom, its fish swimming aimlessly. The water cascading down from the summit babbled loudly, and a few cultivators in blue Daoist robes stood on either side of the pool; the white‑haired elder at the front sat on the water's surface, rose to greet the newcomers and said:

"I, Elder Ming Zhong of Qingfeng Hall, have seen you, fellow Daoists,"

"We have seen Elder Ming Zhong!"

Yan Buji could tell that Elder Ming Zhong's strength far surpassed theirs; he was probably a Foundation Establishment Cultivator!

Elder Ming Zhong glanced, smiled, and asked, "Are you all planning to join Qingfeng Hall?"

"Yes."

"First, let me say, Qingfeng Hall is a small sect with no grand lineage. Before joining, we need to brief you on various matters of Qingfeng Hall."

Elder Ming Zhong smiled, "Qingfeng Hall has seven mountain peaks, but only the main‑peak hall contains a Ninth‑Grade Spiritual Vein. Whether you can join the main peak depends on your destiny. After joining, you may receive ten Spiritual Stones each month. In addition, Qingfeng Hall houses the Dao Cang Ge, the Spiritual Medicine Garden, the Alchemical Refinement Peak, and a branch of the Eighth‑Grade Fire Vein."

Several unaffiliated cultivators wore strange expressions.

"Is Qingfeng Hall really that poor?"

"It truly is just a minor sect."

Yan Buji didn't care; there are many ways to gauge a faction's strength, and the most direct is how many resources lie within its headquarters.

More resources and enterprises mean a better cultivation environment for disciples and can attract stronger cultivators.

For a place like Qingfeng Hall, unless there is a Sect Master at the Golden Core Stage, it would probably be unable to maintain even these modest enterprises.

"May I ask, Elder Ming Zhong, if we are fortunate enough to join, could you impart the Foundation Establishment method?"

"Foundation Establishment depends on personal affinity, but Qingfeng Hall has no means to assist you in it; however, there are some insights left by predecessors," Elder Ming Zhong said plainly, glancing at the person without anger.

Upon hearing that, a few Lianqi‑phase cultivators comparable to Yan Buji turned pale, bowed, and indicated they would leave.

As they departed, a few mid‑Lianqi cultivators also left, leaving only a handful of early‑Lianqi cultivators and Yan Buji behind.

Yan Buji did not conceal his strength; for him, Foundation Establishment was still far off. He would first find a place to cultivate in seclusion, resolve the issue of aligning his magical power, and then gather resources for a stable breakthrough.

After all, there is no wall that is completely airtight; if people from the Gen Dao side discovered his movements and reported them to Emperor Baocheng and Xuan Gen Dao, what then?

He certainly didn't want to alarm them.

Elder Ming Zhong seemed indifferent to the departing unaffiliated cultivators and instead looked at the remaining few.

"Have you all truly thought this through?"

Yan Buji nodded, "Elder Ming Zhong, I am willing to join Qingfeng Hall."

"Hehe, good, then please come this way."

Elder Ming Zhong waved his hand; the pool vanished, and a portal appeared on the cliff ahead.

Yan Buji was startled, then realized, "Illusion Art?"

This Illusion Art was truly powerful; when he first arrived, he hadn't noticed any abnormality at all— even the fluctuations of magical power were completely concealed, leaving his pupil technique unable to detect anything.

Indeed, Foundation Establishment cultivators are stronger than Lianqi cultivators.

Yan Buji smiled and followed them inside.

After passing through the cavern, Yan Buji saw the light ahead following Ming Zhong and the others; stepping through, he beheld a different scenery.

"Everyone, this is Qingfeng Hall's plaza, used for morning lessons, paired training, and for gathering disciples in emergencies. Ahead is our main hall; that Great Alchemical Furnace is the Sect Founder's Three‑Transform Accumulation Device 'Five‑Refinement Furnace', the most precious treasure of Qingfeng Hall."

Yan Buji looked at it; the towering Great Alchemical Furnace before the main hall, weathered by time, bore a floating diagram of a luminous sea reflecting the bright moon, exuding a serene, timeless harmony.

"Everyone, please sit."

As soon as Yan Buji sat down, he suddenly looked up to the left.

"What's the matter, fellow Daoist?" Elder Ming Zhong asked with a smile, watching Yan Buji's movement.

"Nothing."

"Someone watching?"

Elder Ming Zhong was privately surprised; he hadn't expected the middle‑aged man before him to have such keen spiritual perception, actually noticing Elder Ming Sheng hidden in the shadows.

But Qingfeng Hall isn't a place of demons; the covert observation was merely to gauge what kind of unaffiliated cultivators these were. Though small, Qingfeng Hall doesn't accept just anyone.

Elder Ming Zhong smiled, "Fellow Daoists, on the path to the Dao of cultivation you will encounter many troubles, like a bird trapped in a cage unable to spread its wings. If you meet an insurmountable hardship, how should you conduct yourself?"

Yan Buji replied directly, "Go around it."

"How can you go around something that cannot be crossed?" Elder Ming Zhong retorted.

"There is no impossible task; knowingly doing the impossible is not what I seek," Yan Buji said.

Elder Ming Zhong nodded and smiled, "Good."

The nearby unaffiliated cultivators each offered their own interpretations; perhaps this was already part of the assessment, so everyone answered solemnly.

Elder Ming Zhong posed question after question, and Yan Buji responded fluently; though he couldn't outshine Ming Zhong, it was clear he had his own thoughts and wouldn't be swayed by Ming Zhong's words.

After a while, Ming Zhong smiled and pointed at the two unaffiliated cultivators behind Yan Buji, "You two, fellow Daoists, have no destiny with Qingfeng Hall; please return."

The two unaffiliated cultivators wore sour expressions, but constrained by their strength, they dared not say more and left directly.

The cultivators who remained turned their gaze toward Elder Ming Zhong.

He took a jade tablet from his sleeve and placed it on the ground:

"If you can comprehend this Original Pure Source Method, you may enter the Clear Wind Hall for cultivation."

Yan Buji reached out, drew the jade tablet toward him, and let his spiritual awareness respond.

Nodding, Yan Buji handed the jade tablet to several free cultivators nearby.

The free cultivators took turns sensing it, each closing their eyes to contemplate.

This Original Pure Source Method is neither a technique nor a difficult secret practice; rather, it seems more like a... cultivation insight?

Yan Buji carefully recalled the profoundly cryptic mantra within it, noting that Taoist scriptures are generally like this: the teachings of predecessors matter little unless one can grasp them oneself.

"Su Mi Mountain is the bone of Heaven and Earth; the central pillar of Heaven and Earth is a great object. Like a person's spine and nape, four limbs of a dragon jut out!"

Yan Buji suddenly shivered, instantly closing his eyes and attaining a flash of insight.

The beginning of everything is hard; Yan Buji's momentary epiphany gave him a unique perception of this Original Pure Source Method.

In his perception, the four corners of Heaven and Earth all appeared in dragon shape. Recognizing geography by dragon form, Yan Buji was in a profoundly mysterious realm, suddenly noticing the spiritual qi fluctuations around Heaven and Earth shifting continuously with the movement of the earth veins.

The sensation grew clearer; the earth veins' motion rose and fell with his breath, and following this wondrous rhythm his internal magical power surged and receded, gradually forming a new technique!

"Alright, stop here!"

A sudden roar rang out; Yan Buji snapped out of his reverie, eyes wide as he stared at Elder Ming Zhong before him.

Elder Ming Zhong gave a slight smile and said, "Except for this fellow cultivator, the others may depart."

The other free cultivators felt a bit unwilling, but still dared not speak and left the place.