Cui Lan'e and Cao Wenguan had entered the sect in the same year. The latter, due to his decent talent, had been noticed by an Outer Sect Elder and taken in as a disciple. As the days in the sect grew longer, the gap between the two widened.
The young girl's budding romantic feelings were gradually suppressed by this sense of distance. However, just when Cao Wenguan was supposed to establish his Spiritual Foundation, he suddenly suffered a backlash from a Spiritual Object. His cultivation base suffered a great loss.
After an examination by his master, it was discovered that his Dantian had been injured, and his chances of establishing a foundation again were extremely slim. Right at this time, his Junior Brother Lang Zhen successfully established a superior Spiritual Foundation, causing his own status to plummet.
He was not without suspicion that he had been the victim of a malicious act, but he truly could not recall ever having made an enemy with such deep-seated hatred that they would want to destroy his path of cultivation.
Unable to reach Foundation Establishment and thus unable to enter the Inner Sect, Cao Wenguan had no choice but to take on the position of an Outer Sect Deacon. As it happened, he rekindled his old relationship with his former Junior Sister, Cui Lan'e, and over time, a romantic bond blossomed between them.
Although the two had made a vow of love, they could not get married immediately. The reason was that recently, sect disciples had been disappearing frequently, a recurrence of a previous situation. Even Cao Wenguan's former Junior Brother, Lang Zhen, had been gone for a long time after going out for a trial.
As an Outer Sect Deacon, Cao Wenguan was extremely busy with these matters, which delayed their private affairs. Zhao Chun sighed with emotion. She had never known that there was such a history between the two.
Now that their feelings were mutual, it could be considered that they had finally seen the clouds part to reveal the moon. A slight delay was of no consequence. She prepared to set off in a few days for the caves in the Eastern Region to search for those two types of Foundation Establishment spiritual items.
If she could make it back in time for their wedding, that would naturally be for the best. After bidding farewell to Jiang Yun and returning to her residence, on the very day she was about to leave the sect, an Immortal Maiden with fluttering robes descended from a Smoke Boat.
"Zhao Chun, the Sect Master has an urgent summons for you!"
The Sect Master? Zhao Chun was surprised, not knowing if it was a summons for a group of disciples, or if she alone had been called. Not daring to delay, she quickly boarded the Smoke Boat and headed back toward Upper Strict Hall.
Amidst the endless sea of pine trees, an old man sat cross-legged on a meditation mat. It was precisely the Sect Master, Master Tusheng. He seemed to have aged quite a bit more than when Zhao Chun had seen him half a year ago.
"Disciple Zhao Chun greets the Sect Master."
She was the only one here; it turned out that only Zhao Chun had been summoned. Master Tusheng's gaze hovered vaguely above her head for a long time before he spoke, "That day, you requested Sunsky Jade and Earthfire Ganoderma from the sect. The sect truly has none in stock, nor can we give them to you.
What... are your thoughts?"
"Since ancient times, among cultivators, those who establish their Spiritual Foundation with a supreme reward from the sect are but one or two in a hundred, belonging to an extremely fortunate category. However, what one seeks in Foundation Establishment is simply the word 'suitable'. There are many other Metal and Fire attribute spiritual items in the sect, but this disciple did not ask for them. It is truly because my heart has a direction, and I wish to seek a spiritual item that suits this body, so as not to be unworthy of these several years of cultivation."
Zhao Chun's resolve was incomparably firm; she was unwilling to cut her feet to fit the shoes and just make do with something unsuitable.
"Not to be unworthy..."
Master Tusheng gestured for her to rise and offered her a seat.
"To have lofty aspirations is very good. It is not in vain that you are held in high regard, nor is it in vain that this seat has summoned you here today."
"Among cultivators, situations where spiritual roots have equal potential, forcing one to cultivate two attributes concurrently, have not been rare since ancient times. But someone like you, with Metal and Fire spiritual roots that are intertwined and fused, almost as one, this seat has only ever heard of your case. All things in this world are ordained by the Heavenly Dao and have a reason for their existence. The Metal and Fire attributes are inherently violent and destructive, which is why they were paired with a gentle and pure Wood spiritual root to harmonize them."
"However, the matter with Yue Zuan was truly strange and bizarre. To have a spiritual root forcibly extracted from you—if it were anyone else, their Dantian would have long since shattered, their spiritual qi dispersed, and they would have died. Yet you survived, and through a blessing in disguise, you achieved a dual spiritual root body. I know you have questions. Do not be anxious. In the future, someone will come and answer them for you."
Master Tusheng smiled and said, "However, summoning you here today is indeed related to the matter of your spiritual roots." Zhao Chun lowered her eyes, assuming a posture of listening attentively.
"The deeper you cultivate, the more powerful your spiritual roots will become. The Metal and Fire qi must have already begun to shake the foundation of your entry into the Dao. The Lotus Heart Qi Harmonizing Pill that Liu Xuan gave you is exactly what you need. She has no ill intentions; you can ask her for it without worry."
"Sunsky Jade and Earthfire Ganoderma, although they are the top choices for Fire and Metal attribute cultivators to establish their spiritual foundations, are not suitable for you."
"These two items will respectively bolster the Metal and Fire qi. If you were to use them, I'm afraid that before your spiritual foundation is even formed, your own body would explode and you would die!"
Zhao Chun immediately cupped her fists and bowed.
"I implore the Sect Master for guidance!"
"In the Eastern Region's Sea of Flames, there is a fissure on the seabed. You must go to that fissure. Within it is a spiritual item that grows like a plant, with flowers shaped like a bird spreading its wings.
It is called Golden Crow Grass. Its essence is a symbiosis of the Metal and Fire attributes, and it is also nurtured by the properties of Wood, Water, and Earth. The five elements are complete within it.
If you use this item for your Foundation Establishment, you can avoid the suffering of a spiritual root backlash. In the future, you must then find a thirty-six-petaled Pure Wood Lotus, entrust someone to refine it into a spirit pill, and after consuming it, you can simulate a Wood spiritual root within your Dantian.
From then on, you will be able to completely harmonize the spiritual qi in your body, with no more worries for the future."
He took out a shell, as lustrous and smooth as jade, from his sleeve and handed it to Zhao Chun.
"This journey will take you several thousand li under the sea. You are only in the Late Stage of Qi Refining, so you must have a magic tool to protect you."
Zhao Chun accepted the shell-shaped magic tool and listened as he said, "This is a Seacrossing Shell Boat, refined by Elder Wu. It is most suitable for traveling under the sea. I will bestow it upon you.
I hope you obtain the spiritual item soon and achieve Foundation Establishment."
"Many thanks for the Sect Master's great kindness!"
Zhao Chun performed a grand bow. The grace Master Tusheng had shown this time was truly immense and difficult to repay. As if seeing through Zhao Chun's thoughts, he stroked his beard and smiled.
"Do not let this favor trouble you. This seat is merely repaying a favor to another by passing on a message."
"Besides that, there is indeed one matter I need to entrust to you."
Zhao Chun cupped her fists.
"Please speak frankly, Sect Master. This disciple will certainly not fail the trust you place in me."
Master Tusheng raised his eyes to gaze at the pine forest of Upper Strict Hall, which looked like smoke, and said, "After you obtain the Golden Crow Grass, you can immediately establish your spiritual foundation under the sea.
After achieving Foundation Establishment, this seat needs you to go to the old ancestral grounds of the True Spirit Sect, upon Pine Mountain, and retrieve an item to bring back to the sect!"
"This item is the sword once used by Master Duanyi. The sword's name is Return-Kill!"
Zhao Chun naturally agreed. Master Tusheng let out a long sigh as if a heavy burden had been lifted.
"All matters have been fully explained. You may go back now."
After she left, Master Tusheng stood up and walked further inside. Wu Yunzhang was waiting in the hall with his hands clasped. Seeing him enter, he stepped forward and asked, "Has everything been arranged?"
"Among all the disciples, she is young, yet she acts with propriety, even surpassing Chen Qing by a notch. Moreover, she is a sword cultivator. It is most suitable for her to handle this matter."
Wu Yunzhang did not seem to fully agree with this statement and replied, "Among the sword cultivators, it should be the child Jianying who is most proficient in this Way. Senior Brother, why not let her go?"
Master Tusheng picked up the pinewood doll, opened his mouth to speak several times, but only uttered a single sentence: "She is the most unsuitable person."
(End of this chapter)