Chapter 4: From Now On, Beyond the Ordinary [Thanks for the generous support from the Silver League 'Daying Yude'!]_2

Li Ping'an didn't enjoy talking to others and would often just look around for a while before returning to his own small courtyard.

If he didn't take into account the influence his father brought, according to his original plan, he only had three years.

If he couldn't be favored by an Inner Sect Immortal within three years, the only path left was the Outer Sect assessment.

It was quite the motivation.

Every time after taking the Five Grains Pill, Li Ping'an would worry about his father, wondering if he had enough to eat and wear warmly; he could only comfort himself, believing his father's peerless fate wouldn't encounter any trouble.

For five consecutive days, Li Ping'an meditated in his room.

The cultivation techniques and texts he had access to at the moment were just this visualization chart and those few hundred characters of the Mnemonic Chant; he didn't even know about the cultivation realms beyond Qi Cultivation, Spirit-Gathering, and Light Condensing, so he started gathering Qi to cultivate his origin with single-minded focus.

Without the innate origin Qi that one carries out from the mother's womb, this step seemed particularly difficult.

In a daze, Li Ping'an faintly felt the weak Spiritual Energy flowing in the air, relying on his breath to draw this energy into his chest and abdomen. However, the Spiritual Energy would just take a round and float away, leaving only a minuscule trace.

It was always said that adult cultivation without the original Yang Qi would be many times more difficult at the start.

He truly experienced it and knew the hardship involved.

What to do?

What else could he do? He was the one who had a carefree time with his girlfriend in college; having enjoyed himself, now he could only bear the consequences.

One word—Grind!

At noon, Li Ping'an was sitting shirtless in front of the visualization chart, understanding the profundity of the Mnemonic Chant, feeling the flow of Spiritual Energy inside and outside the room, pondering how to improve his efficiency in absorbing Spiritual Energy.

Suddenly, a shout from Daoist Wei Yanzi rang out from outside the door:

"Li Ping'an! Where is Li Ping'an? Hurry up! The Vice Sect Leader wants to see you! He's already in the front courtyard, hurry!"

Li Ping'an's spirits lifted.

The Vice Sect Leader?

Has Father brought news again?

He immediately leaped up, draped on his robe, pulled on his cloth boots, and with disheveled hair rushed out of his dwelling.

Daoist Wei Yanzi reached him in one step, grabbed his arm, leaped into the air with him, soaring like a hawk, as if he were a white crane.

Li Ping'an only felt the ground move far away, then near, and landed steadily in the front courtyard.

The Vice Sect Leader, referred to by Daoist Wei Yanzi, was a Daoist with a youthful face and crane-like hair, wearing a gray-white, wide Daoist robe, holding a horsetail whisk in his hand, with clouds rising and mist falling around his body, truly extraordinary in demeanor.

Next to this Vice Sect Leader, wearing a Daoist robe and with a hair bun, was the pot-bellied middle-aged man, none other than his father Li Dazhi.

"Dad!"

Li Ping'an immediately rushed over, wanting to hug him but feeling slightly embarrassed.

In the world of cultivation as in their old home, their ethnic tradition of expressing father-son emotion was mostly reserved.

Li Dazhi stepped forward, eyes shining as he looked at Li Ping'an and noticed the faint Spiritual Energy swirling around him. He then cracked a smile.

"Don't worry, Dad's fine; it's just that I'll have to wrong you for some time."

Li Dazhi glanced at Wei Yanzi, continuing:

"There are rules within the Sect. I asked my Master for several days, and he wouldn't agree to take you in directly, after all, taking a master is much like finding a godfather; it's not only about the connection of fate but also about destiny and law.

"Rest assured, once your father becomes familiar with the Peak Masters of the various peaks, I'll help you choose a good master!"

Wei Yanzi, standing to one side, looked at Li Dazhi with a frown, doubt in his eyes, and muttered to himself:

'This plump man seems unfamiliar, yet he speaks with such certainty.'

Li Ping'an spoke earnestly: "Dad, from now on, you continue your cultivation, and I'll continue mine. If no master favors me, then I'll just lie flat and wait for you to take me with you. Don't be distracted worrying about me now."

"What nonsense are you spouting! How can you cultivate on your own and I cultivate on mine! Haven't I toiled away my life just to provide for you? Right, take these and use them."

Li Dazhi reached into his sleeve and pulled out two Jade Thumb Rings, slipping one of them directly onto Li Ping'an's thumb.

Li Ping'an asked in a low voice, "What's this?"

"Storage Treasure. You'll be able to open it when you reach the sixth stage of Qi Cultivation. I've put in some Elixir Pills that aid in cultivation and improve your constitution, as well as life-saving pills refined by your Grandmaster and my Master. These are treasures!"

Li Dazhi paused for a moment.

Li Ping'an frowned, "The sixth stage of Qi Cultivation... Dad, have you reached the sixth stage of Qi Cultivation already?"

"Ah, yes."

Li Dazhi blinked:

"It seems to be called something like, 'Initial Dao Insight.' Your great-grandmaster guided me through it."

"The first time I meditated, I did it for three days straight. In the blink of an eye, I had already crossed over the Qi Cultivation Realm, and now I seem to be at the third stage of the Spirit-Gathering Realm?"

Li Ping'an:...

No!

He hasn't even started yet!

He hasn't even begun!

"It was a bit fast, haha," Li Dazhi chuckled twice.

Li Ping'an could only clench his fists and sigh to the heavens, "Alright, I'll work harder."

"Don't feel pressured, you'll definitely be fine too."

Li Dazhi's voice suddenly rose, "What? You're asking who the master your dad paid respects to is?"

Li Ping'an frowned and pursed his lips.

Li Dazhi laughed, "Remember, Ping'an, your great-grandmaster's Daoist name is Daoist Kongming."

Wei Yanzi almost lost his footing on the side.

Daoist Kongming?

Isn't that the founding master, the ancestor of the Sect Leader line, and the foremost among the mere three Daoist Golden Immortals in the sect?

This, this, this!

The Vice Sect Leader, stroking his beard, smiled and said:

"Brother Dazhi, it's time to go back."

"Your grandmaster is still waiting to preach the Dao to you. After this preaching, he will continue his retreat."

"Disciple-Nephew Ping'an will surely find his own fate. If there's a Heavenly Immortal in the sect who wishes to take a disciple later, This Poor Daoist will surely speak a few good words for him."

"Alright, thank you, brother!"

Li Dazhi sighed, grabbed Li Ping'an's arm, his eyes filled with reluctance.

"Ping'an, I might be gone for a few months or half a year for cultivation. Be good here, and don't get into fights with anyone."

"Dad, rest assured," Li Ping'an smiled and said, "Cultivating is an interesting affair; I'm already interested in it."

"That's good. Anyway, you're definitely better than your dad at everything. I'm leaving!"

Li Dazhi suddenly leaned forward and patted Li Ping'an's shoulder forcefully, then turned back three times in one step as he walked back to the Vice Sect Leader's side.

The Vice Sect Leader's cloud rose slowly under his feet, taking Li Dazhi away towards the rear mountain.

Li Ping'an watched as his father disappeared into the edge of the dense fog.

Father is fine, so his heart is at peace!

From now on, he can focus on the affairs of cultivation without a single worry!

Hmm?

Li Ping'an turned his head to look at Daoist Wei Yanzi next to him and saw that the Daoist was staring blankly, cautiously asking:

"Officer, what's the matter with you?"

"This Poor Daoist is fine, fine. Just, I'm fine, ahem!"

Wei Yanzi looked up and suddenly, his face was all smiles.

The wrinkles that gathered on this Daoist's face reminded Li Ping'an of the daisy outside his courtyard.

"Little friend Ping'an, my apologies, my apologies. If there's anything you don't understand about cultivation in the future, just ask. I can still provide guidance on the first few realms."

"How about we move to the front courtyard? That would make it more convenient for me to personally ensure your safety."

"Oh, and what about having a drink first? Come on, I have quite a treasure trove inside my place!"

Li Ping'an:...

Great, after all his effort, he again lived under the shadow of a certain unnamed town entrepreneur.

He had gotten used to it anyway.