Forging Immortality through the Dao Seed

Zhang Jing and Ji Bochang both looked up at the same time, waiting for the others to continue.

"Firstly, Ling Yun would like to congratulate Brother Zhang for obtaining a Grade-B evaluation due purely to your talent. It is truly extraordinary and greatly admired by Ling Yun."

"Fairy Chu, you're too kind."

A slight smile emerged on Zhang Jing's face, but inwardly, his heart was raised.

"May I ask Brother Zhang, have you joined a task squad?"

"No, I haven't."

A glimmer of joy flashed in Chu Lingyun's heart, and she immediately said, "Perhaps Brother Zhang doesn't know, Ling Yun has an older cousin at the mid-stage of the Refining Qi Realm, he's currently in the nineteenth-ranked Lianshan squad of the Outer Academy. Why wouldn't Brother Zhang join the Lianshan squad, just like Ling Yun and Brother Deng?"

"After all, we come from the same state, it would make sense for us to look out for each other. Plus, you'd have my cousin's support, making our cultivation journey much smoother."

When she finished speaking,

Zhang Jing boldly met Chu Lingyun's hopeful gaze.Only when she became uncomfortable did he smile and ask,

"May I ask Fairy Chu, if I were to join the Lianshan squad, would I still need to give up thirty percent of my obtained Tao Merits?"

"Brother Zhang, naturally, it's the same for everyone, nobody can escape this." Chu Lingyun covered her mouth as she chuckled.

After saying that, she mentally added: Of course, except for me!

"Yes, Brother Zhang, giving up thirty percent of your Tao Merits isn't much at all. In the rapid course of cultivation, five years will pass in a flash. The Lianshan squad is ranked nineteenth, if it wasn't for Ling Yun's mediation, we probably wouldn't even have this opportunity."

Deng An across the table stood up and urged,

"In three or five more days, I'll break through into the Refining Qi Realm. Brother Zhang, if you continue to hesitate, you'll be completely left behind in your cultivation progress."

"Thank you both for your kind intentions, but let me think about it some more." Zhang Jing declined.

As his words fell,

Chu Lingyun and the others wanted to continue speaking, but Ji Bochang interrupted them: "I'm sorry, but Zhang and I have some matters to attend to, we shall take our leave first."

He winked at Zhang Jing.

Zhang Jing understood, and likewise stood up to take his leave.

Soon, only the three of them were left in the reception room.

"Brother Zhang is ultimately of mortal origin, with short-sighted vision. He only sees the thirty percent of the Tao Merits that the task squad takes, but he doesn't understand the protection and cultivation that it offers in return. This is far beyond what can be measured by a mere thirty percent of the Tao Merits."

Deng An sighed deeply.

"Nevermind, let him be." Chu Lingyun spoke calmly, "We've already done everything we can."

"Once Brother Zhang enters the Outer Academy and completes a task by himself, he'll understand the advantages of joining a task squad."

...

...

On the way back.

"I didn't expect Chu Lingyun to reach the Refining Qi Realm so soon. By the way, Brother Zhang, you still haven't joined a task squad?" Ji Bochang asked surprisingly.

After all, he had seen several task squads' senior brothers looking for Zhang Jing, so he thought Zhang Jing would choose one of them.

But unexpectedly, Zhang Jing hadn't chosen any of them.

Exhale——

Zhang Jing let out a long breath and said, "Brother Ji, these squads casually want thirty percent of my Tao Merits for the next five years, shouldn't I consider it carefully?"

"By the way, have you joined a task squad? When you joined, did you also agree to give up a portion of your Tao Merits?"

As soon as Zhang Jing finished speaking, he saw Ji Bochang chuckle, and proudly said,

"Brother Zhang, I joined the Five-color Team where my senior sister is. Apart from those top ten giants in the Outer Academy, the Five-color Team is one of the strongest, very powerful."

"As for the deduction of Tao Merits - because of my senior sister's connection, none!"

At this moment, Zhang Jing was truly stunned.

He looked at Ji Bochang again and again, trying to figure out how this person before him was able to climb onto that mysterious senior sister.

As they were parting,

"Brother Zhang, we'll depart for the city early tomorrow morning."

"Okay."

...

That night.

In a certain cave dwelling.

The spiritual energy condensed into a slight mist, making the entire cave dwelling as ethereal as an Immortal Realm.

"Senior sister, does our Five-color Team still lack members?" Ji Bochang suddenly asked.

"Why, does Junior Brother you... uh... have someone to recommend?"

The senior sister lazily returned the question.

"I have a brother, also evaluated as Grade-B, very talented. Can Senior Sister recruit him into our Five-color Team? And can he be exempted from the thirty percent Tao Merits deduction?"

"Junior Brother, letting him join the Five-color Team is indeed not a problem as his talent is already qualified. But the deduction of Tao Merits —"

The senior sister explained with some difficulty, "This rule has been in place for nearly a thousand years and is hard to break again. How about this, Junior Brother, you ask him if he can accept a reduction to twenty percent. So as not to make things too difficult... um~"

...

...

At this moment, inside the cultivation room.

Zhang Jing's eyes were tightly closed, his brows furrowing occasionally as wisps of white mist were steaming off his head.

He had reached the brink of breakthrough.

With success, he would enter the Refining Qi Realm and become a true Immortal Way cultivator, possessing various unimaginable spells; if he failed... nothing would happen.

However.

This step was simply a matter of course, with absolutely no risk involved.

Zhang Jing guarded his mind closely, his Spiritual Sense spreading throughout his body. Not even the slightest change within his body could escape his notice.

Spiritual Energy was rapidly circulating along the route of the "Pure Yuan Absorption Visualization Method", and its speed was increasing. Under the immersion of this Spiritual Energy, the transformation of Zhang Jing's body gradually reached a critical point.

In the end.

Boom—

It seemed as though a roaring sound suddenly echoed in his ears.

Every corner of his body seemed to be cheering, leaping, and celebrating this moment.

Inside the dim cultivation room.

Zhang Jing abruptly snapped open his eyes.

This time he did not need Spiritual Sense. With his naked eyes alone, he could see the Spiritual Energy surrounding him. Every corner of the room, including the dust and ants, was clearly presented in his field of vision.

This feeling was as if he had activated a super low-grade version of the Heart Eye Dharma Seed.

Within his body.

The Spiritual Energy was running adjacent to the Dantian area.

A large amount of Spiritual Energy seemed to lose control, began to gather crazily, squeezed each other, and emitted suppressively extreme fluctuations.

At the same time.

The "Gather Spirit Light" in the center of the Dantian suddenly lit up. Its light shone directly through the Dantian, illuminating the chaotically fluctuating Spiritual Energy.

At this moment, time seemed to stand still.

A strand of pure white suddenly emerged at the center of the chaotic Spiritual Energy.

That was Spiritual Power!

The moment this strand of Spiritual Power appeared, the remaining Spiritual Energy, as though drawn by some force, merged into it one after another.

"Spiritual Power! Refining Qi Realm!" Zhang Jing murmured to himself, "This day, I have waited for so long."

A few breaths later, this strand of spiritual power had neatly absorbed all the spiritual energy inside him.

Suppressing his overwhelming excitement.

Zhang Jing began to recall the lower-grade offensive spell "Ice Transformation Blade Art" recorded in "Five Zang Solution: Water Element Annotation". He'd been practicing this spell for several days using his Spiritual Sense, in preparation for today.

Zhang Jing then could be seen invoking his Spiritual Sense, proficiently sketching out incredibly intricate Dao Patterns.

What was different from before however, was that this time real Spiritual Power was gradually injected into it.

Not long after.

In Zhang Jing's hands, a semi-circular icy sharp blade lit up, releasing a faint cold aura. It caused the temperature in the entire cultivation room to plummet sharply.

"Go!" He shouted in his heart.

This sharp blade then flew out of Zhang Jing's hand, transforming into a light shadow that was elusive to the naked eye. It penetrated the stone wall in front of him that was two feet thick in flash, and then it immediately evaporated into thin air.

Zhang Jing unconsciously looked at the stone wall.

There was now a narrow crack on it, a foot long, with a smooth cut and frost spreading from it.

Hisss——

Seeing this, Zhang Jing couldn't help but gasp in a cold breath.

This stone wall, hard enough to rival steel, seemed as fragile as tofu when faced with an "Ice Transformation Blade Art". If this were to hit a person, wouldn't it slice through them like a hot knife through butter?

Right, what would it look like if I combined the "Silent Sea Dragon Devouring Void Taoism Rhyme" with the "Ice Transformation Blade Art"?

No sooner thought than done.

After thirty breaths, a similarly terrifying blade appeared in Zhang Jing's hand again.

With a thought, the remnants of the Silent Sea Dragon Devouring Void Taoism Rhyme revived once again. In an instant, it spread to the blade formed by the "Ice Transformation Blade Art" in his hand.

Hum, Hum!

A humming sound suddenly rang in his ears.

Zhang Jing felt like the blade in his hand was a living Sea Dragon, incredibly powerful, as if it would break free the next moment.

He turned his head to look at the stone wall, slowly loosening his grip.

In an instant, a beam of light brimming with a violent aura shot out straight away.

The speed this time was simply to the utmost.

In the process of flying, this sharp blade was continuously attracting and devouring the surrounding Spiritual Energy.

——

Thanks to Boss "Magical and Cute" for the reward, love ya~