plumnovel Chapter 37 Daoji
Chapter 37 Daoji
Lin Tan pushed open the heavy wooden door.
The scene before me suddenly opened up. A small bridge spanned a flowing stream, and hundreds of flowers were in full bloom, as if I had stepped into a secluded fairyland. In the distance, the melodious sound of a zither drifted.
A woman in white sat gracefully in the pavilion, playing the zither. Her demeanor was ethereal and serene, and most striking of all were the two antlers resembling small tree branches on her forehead, which were now emitting a soft, bluish light.
Lin Tan quickly approached and bowed respectfully.
"Disciple Lin Tan greets Master." He lowered his head, sensing from the woman's seemingly slender body a vast and profound life force, like that of a primeval forest.
The seemingly beautiful and lifelike flowers, plants and trees around us are actually all made up of complex runes, which hide deadly secrets.
as predicted.
"Zheng".
The woman in white waved her hand and gently plucked the strings of the zither.
The music transformed into tangible ripples of water that swept across the scene. The flowers on both sides bloomed brilliantly in an instant, only to wither and fall swiftly, turning into ashes that filled the sky, presenting a strange spectacle of life and death rapidly cycling through each other.
After a cultivator enters the Foundation Establishment stage, they are able to condense their own Dao Foundation. Once the Dao Foundation is developed, it can influence the surrounding environment and create various celestial phenomena.
The scene before me is the Dao foundation of True Person Qingyan, the Realm of Withering and Flourishing Longevity.
It draws inspiration from the cycle of life and death, and the alternation of prosperity and decline in nature.
At this moment, Master Qingyan, dressed in white, stood amidst a sea of ashes. Gray and white, two distinct colors, were enveloped together, with only his eyes gleaming with a faint blue light.
Her face was expressionless, yet she exuded a suffocating sense of oppression.
"You have only three minutes to report," said Master Qingyan in a cool and indifferent voice.
As she finished speaking, the ashes on the ground moved without wind, condensing into an hourglass in mid-air and beginning a countdown.
Lin Tan quickly composed herself and gave a rapid summary of the article's main points.
"Master, your Realm of Withered and Flourishing Life requires a large number of plants with vigorous vitality for evolutionary deduction. This disciple believes that the new rune structure and the ideas for improving spiritual rice mentioned in this article may be of some use to our research."
Lin Tan picked up the wooden box with both hands and opened it.
The manuscript papers inside the box flew out one by one and hovered in front of Master Qingyan.
Seeing all this, Lin Tan finally breathed a long sigh of relief.
He then realized that his forehead was covered in a fine layer of cold sweat. But he felt mostly relieved, knowing that he had made the right gamble this time.
Master Qingyan's gaze swept quickly across the manuscript.
"Can."
She nodded slightly.
"I wonder where Master intends to publish it in the Evergreen Spiritual Catalogue?" Lin Tan asked immediately afterward.
"Changqing Lingpu" is a relatively influential publication.
Numerous people from all over the country submitted their work.
Therefore, it is divided into a main publication and a sub-publication, both called "Evergreen Spiritual Records," but their significance and underlying meanings are completely different. Especially...
Lin Tan was still pondering when Qingyan Zhenren's voice came.
"Published in the main journal."
Lin Tan suddenly raised her head, her eyes filled with surprise.
Although he had already anticipated the value of the article, he was still deeply shocked to hear the decision.
Aside from the varying amounts of royalties and rewards, articles published in the main journal are specially included in the Daoist Canon by the Daoist court.
This is the most important thing!
In that case, the influence of this article will no longer be limited to the Qingmu Academy, but will spread to the entire cultivation world of the East Sea Region.
For a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator like Lin Tan, if he wants to formally become a disciple of a Foundation Establishment True Person and become their personal disciple, in addition to meeting the cultivation requirements, another hard requirement is that he must have published an article that has been selected for inclusion in the Daoist Canon.
Lin Tan worked diligently under Master Qingyan for over ten years, racking his brains, but only managed to publish three articles in the Daoist Canon.
Zhao Cheng'an, who lived in a barren land far away among the Seven Kingdoms, easily achieved what he had worked so hard for many years with just this one article.
Lin Tan felt a mix of emotions.
"Master, this Zhao Cheng'an is a rare talent. Should we send someone to the Seven Kingdoms to make contact with him beforehand?" Lin Tan suppressed his thoughts and respectfully asked.
The voice of Master Qingyan came from the ashes.
"It is not advisable to force seedlings to grow faster than they should."
"The Imperial Academy has its own rules. If he can successfully pass the Taoist Academy's examination in the future, you can then use the academy's name to make contact with him."
"Disciple understands."
Lin Tan bowed and accepted the order, then quietly left the room.
……
……
Imperial Academy, bamboo building.
Zhao Cheng'an sat cross-legged and exhaled a long breath of white air.
The white mist condensed and did not dissipate; it was more than three feet long, like a sharp sword piercing the air.
He opened his eyes, and a terrifying glint flashed in them.
"After two and a half years of cultivation, I have finally broken through to the second level of Qi Refining."
Zhao Cheng'an sighed softly, feeling the spiritual energy within his body surging like a river, and a refreshing and invigorating sensation permeated his entire being.
He pushed open the door and walked down from the bamboo house.
In the courtyard, Xiao Wu was shirtless, working out his strength.
After being fed spirit rice for so long, Xiao Wu's physique has become much stronger, with muscles bulging. His originally rough skin has become smooth and shiny, and even some old scars have disappeared.
At this moment, Xiao Wu was full of energy and his punches and kicks were powerful and vigorous, and he looked very energetic.
Hearing footsteps, Xiao Wu stopped what he was doing and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"Young master, breakfast is ready. There's also a spirit fish that I caught yesterday from Mirror Lake, which I specially prepared as braised."
Zhao Chengan waved his hand.
"Keep the food warm first. I have other things to take care of. I'll be right back."
"Okay!" Xiao Wu readily agreed.
Zhao Cheng'an left the bamboo house and went straight to Qiansui Valley.
In the study, Shen Yanshan, his back hunched, sat behind his desk, intently flipping through a thick ancient book. Beside him lay his newly completed research notes, and the air was filled with the faint smell of ink.
Hearing the door open, Shen Yanshan looked up and saw Zhao Chengan. A knowing smile appeared on his face.
"Cheng'an, have you come to inquire about the progress of your submission?"
Shen Yanshan put down the ancient book in his hand and spoke words of comfort.
"We haven't heard back yet. Normally, the submission, review, typesetting, and proofreading processes can take one or two years. Besides, the Seven Kingdoms are far from Qingmu Academy, so you need to be patient."
"But don't worry, I have great confidence in the quality of your article. It will definitely pass the review of the editors at Qingmu Academy."
Zhao Chengan smiled and shook his head.
"Master, you misunderstand. The purpose of my visit is not related to this matter."
"Oh? Why is that?"
Shen Yanshan looked surprised.
But when his gaze swept over Zhao Chengan, he quickly noticed something unusual.