Forging Immortality through the Dao Seed

"Brother Zhang, have you woken up? We should set off now." Ji Bochang called loudly from outside the door.

"Please wait a moment, I will be there soon."

After a brief check, Zhang Jing headed straight for the door.

...

"Brother Zhang, have you... started absorbing Qi into your body?!"

"It's all luck, all luck!"

"Luck?!" Ji Bochang's voice suddenly became sharp, "You call this luck? Is this what you call damn luck?"

"Isn't it... Brother Zhang, without taking any resources from others' mission teams, without any resources from your family, relying solely on the cultivation in the small courtyard, using just that rubbish condensing spirit pad, in just a few days you... you've broken through to the Refining Qi Realm?"

At this moment, Ji Bochang felt as if his soul had been heavily struck.

"Brother Zhang, tell me honestly, when we were at the Seventh Temporary Institute, did you deliberately hide your Visualization Method's cultivation progress? Weren't you actually the first, not me?"

"You're overthinking it." Zhang Jing replied with a smile.

"Brother Zhang, to be honest, I originally wanted to share good news with you. But after seeing this today, rest assured, I will pester senior sister until she gives in!"

"Brother Ji, where exactly is Longze Market?"

...

...

"Longze Market is adjacent to the sacred Immortal Way site, Dragon Lake Dao Institute. It is said that the market is backed by important figures from the institute, so very few rogue cultivators dare to make trouble here."

"Kid, we are safe now!"

A thin-faced elder in his sixties whispered.

Next to him was a boy about four or five years old, with his head slightly lowered, his expression on his face looked very haggard.

Upon hearing the elder's words, the boy immediately looked up into the elder's eyes and asked cautiously:

"Grandfather, are you lying to me again?"

"Hahaha!" The elder couldn't help laughing, "Why would grandfather lie to you? Look for yourself!"

He pointed to the right front.

The boy looked in the direction pointed by the elder.

What came into view was an enormous gate tower, ten feet high, majestic and imposing, exuding an overwhelming aura of immovability.

Through the gate tower, one could see a sprawling architectural complex spanning dozens of miles, bustling with people coming and going.

And in the center of the gate tower.

The four characters 'Longze Market', danced like a dragon, landing like a unicorn.

Just a few glances from afar made an enormous sword appearing in his line of sight, coming straight down towards him, frightening the boy into hastily lowering his head.

Upon seeing this.

The elder scolded, "You little rascal, don't stare at those four characters for too long. Those characters were written by a sword immortal from the institute, if you look at them for too long it could trigger the Sword Intent within."

"I understand, grandfather." The boy obediently replied.

"Do you want to be as powerful as the sword immortal who wrote these characters one day?"

The elder then touched the boy's head and asked with a smiling face.

"I do!"

"Hahaha!"

The elder burst out laughing again, his hand touching a package stuffed in his chest, his words serious and deliberate:

"Grandfather will definitely get you into the Dao Institute for cultivation!"

"Then, our boy will be really amazing, grandfather could die in peace."

"Grandpa shouldn't die! Without father and mother, all I have left is grandfather." The boy hugged the elder's leg, his voice tinged with a sob.

"Alright, grandfather won't die, grandfather still wants to see you marry a fairy!"

During their conversation.

The elder had already led the boy into the market.

Only then did he gradually let go of the tension in his heart.

Now they were truly safe.

The next step was to find a way to get in touch with a big figure from the Dao Institute, present this ancient legacy to them, and exchange it for an opportunity for his grandson to enter the Dao Institute for cultivation.

As for why he didn't cultivate this legacy himself and then pass it on to his grandson.

The reason, of course, is that although the elder is an early-stage Refining Qi Realm cultivator, the dharma door he practices is crude and incomplete, making it impossible for him to understand the true meaning of this precious legacy in his hands.

Cultivation was even more out of the question.

The elder had thought about seeking the advice of other cultivators.

However, this plan was quickly discarded.

The ones he knows are all loose cultivators, and among them, those who possess a complete set of cultivation legacies are all big shots.

Wealth can stir men's hearts, not to mention a precious cultivation legacy.

So after much consideration, the elder decided to hand this legacy over to a personage from the Dao Institute. He believed this would be enough to give his grandson a chance to change his destiny!

Although his grandson has practiced the Visualization Method, developed his spiritual sense, and thus does not meet the requirements to enter the Dao Institute.

But isn't all of that for the sake of preservation?

Not far behind the old man.

Four icy eyes were fixed on the grandfather and grandson in the market.

"What should we do? They've entered the marketplace. We can't make a move there."

"We must not let go of the legacy!"

"...Let's gamble! Eldest Brother, I will go into the market first. Once I find them, I'll try to force them out, and then seize the legacy. As long as one of the four of us can bring the legacy back to our family, it will be great merit for our clan!"

"Alright, let's do it this way!"

.....

...

Right in front of Longze Market.

Zhang Jing lowered his head, unable to resist rubbing his sore neck where a trace of shock lingered in his eyes.

"Such a high archway, no, it's a gate tower!"

And—

Zhang Jing stealthily glanced at Ji Bochang in front of him, feeling speechless in his heart.

So the Longze Market was beside the Dao Institute.

It only took four hours from his residence to the market. If he had used his spiritual power to hasten his trip, he would have been even faster, not needing an hour for the round trip.

He had originally thought, a trip to the market was a journey calculated in days.

"Brother Zhang, do you know who's behind this marketplace?" a smug voice of Ji Bochang came from the front.

Since he admitted in his heart that Zhang Jing's talent in cultivation far surpassed his own, Ji Bochang had changed. Now, he would show off his knowledge about the cultivation world in front of Zhang Jing at every opportunity, seemingly the only way to regain his sense of balance mentally.

Meanwhile, Zhang Jing was more than happy to let him do so.

After all, who could refuse a free guide?

"Please tell me, Brother Ji!"

"The entity behind Longze Market has been the talk among cultivators. There are even rumors that the market is backed by a certain bigwig from the Dao Institute."

"Isn't it the case?"

Zhang Jing inquired curiously.

Spanning dozens of miles with thousands of cultivators coming and going, the benefits involved are unimaginable. If it weren't for a bigwig, who else could maintain order?

"Um, actually, that's not entirely wrong. Indeed, the backer is a bigwig, only not just one. My senior sister told me that the market is backed by the ten task squads of our Outer Academy."

"You mean—"

"Yes, it's those giant squads in the top ten, along with senior brothers and sisters who have entered the Dao Institute's inner gate from those squads."

"No wonder...."

Zhang Jing suddenly understood.

Just then.

Ta-ta—

Footsteps came from behind, escalating in urgency.

Subsequently, Zhang Jing saw two figures, one big and one small, flashing past him.

His gaze flitted over these two figures.

At first glance, he noticed something wrong.

Unstable foundation, impure spiritual power, either the cultivation method was flawed, or...his cultivation practice faced hurdles. Also, how come this child had awakened his spiritual sense?

What's up with this person?

Zhang Jing was puzzled in his heart but didn't question further, still following Ji Bochang.

Suddenly,

"Brother Zhang, I'm going to take you to the place where they sell magical artifacts first, what do you think?"

Up front, Ji Bochang turned his head to look at Zhang Jing and inquired.

"My thanks, Brother Ji."

"It's just a little effort on my part."

Soon after under Ji Bochang's guidance, the two of them directly plunged into a nearby alley as soon as they entered the market, turning left and right as if walking through a maze.

After a long time.

"Here we are, Brother Zhang." Ji Bochang pointed at a quaint and traditional shop in front, saying, "The artifacts here are fairly cheap with decent quality, enough for you to use in this assessment."

"Anyway, once you formally enter the Outer Academy, you probably won't even glance at the artifacts sold in the market."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Jing looked in the direction indicated by Ji Bochang.

"Magical Artifact Pavilion?"

He murmured to himself, and then couldn't help bursting into laughter.

The shop owner is indeed an interesting person.

——

ps: I am five, the additional four thousand words are still in progress, it's probably going to be posted very late at night, you guys can come back tomorrow morning, crying~