The Nature of Spiritual Practice

"What do you want to say?" Qin Ran glanced at Li Shiyin, took a sip from the iced soda on the table, and calmly asked.

"Tian Wenjin has established a foundation," Li Shiyin said.

"So what?"

"What am I doing?" Li Shiyin asked.

"You want to refine pills," Qin Ran gave her the answer. "You joined Dan Peak to learn pill refining, but you have no talent for it. Others know from the beginning that they want to practice swordsmanship."

Li Shiyin fell silent for a moment and then asked, "What I'm doing now, is it for the purpose of refining pills?"

In fact, she knew that refining pills didn't require daily sword practice, body strengthening by digging lakes, or bathing in medicinal baths to enhance physical strength.

"No," Qin Ran truthfully answered her.

The things she was asked to do were not for her to be able to refine pills, but to learn swordsmanship.

"I came to Dan Peak to learn pill refining," Li Shiyin said, "If I want to learn swordsmanship, I should go to Sword Peak."

A foolish disciple will always be a foolish disciple. With her words, Qin Ran could easily send her to Sword Peak without taking any responsibility, and then he could return to his carefree cultivation life.

However... Qin Ran remained silent and didn't speak. He was struggling, examining his own heart. He had finished drinking the water in his cup and was still sucking on the straw.

The air froze for a while, and suddenly he understood. His struggle was futile. A forced melon would never be sweet. How others should walk their path, it was still up to the person themselves to choose.

He took out four books from his Universe Bag and placed them one by one on the table in front of Li Shiyin.

"These are four fundamental cultivation techniques. The first book is a gold attribute pill refining technique..." He tried to keep his tone flat, without any fluctuation. "The second book is called 'Dayan Sword Art,' a very good sword technique, but it's only the first two levels. The third book is called 'Geng Metal Flying Sword Art,' specializing in flying swords. The fourth book is called 'Heavenly Sword.'"

"One pill refining technique and three sword cultivation techniques. You can choose one to keep, or..."

He looked at the mud pit Li Shiyin had dug in front of her and said, "I'll send you to Sword Peak."

Li Shiyin lowered her eyes, reached out and flipped through the pages of the book. The handwriting on the pages was fresh, as if it had just been written...

No, not as if. She suddenly remembered that her master would stay up late every night. Perhaps he had really just written it.

"The gold attribute pill refining technique..." The first technique had no name, and she asked aloud, "What is this book called?"

"It hasn't been named yet."

Her hand flipping through the pages paused, and she looked up at Qin Ran. But Qin Ran was looking at the mud pit, pretending not to know.

"Did Master create a new technique for me?" She looked at Qin Ran, her pupils trembling slightly.

After a while, she closed the pages and said, "I won't go to Sword Peak."

Qin Ran turned around to look at her.

"I am willing to follow Master's arrangements." Qin Ran didn't speak, so she continued, "As for the technique, I still need to consider if I want to refine pills or practice swordsmanship..."

Qin Ran reached out and pressed on the clothes wrapped on the table, looking at Li Shiyin, pondering. After a while, he suddenly asked, "Do you remember what I told you before, the purpose of cultivation?"

"Master said that some people cultivate for immortality, while others cultivate for power."

"Yes." Qin Ran felt a slight sense of satisfaction. Despite being a foolish disciple, he was glad that his words had been taken to heart. He asked again, "Do you know the essence of cultivation?"

"Master hasn't mentioned it."

Indeed, his disciple was still naive. Qin Ran thought for a moment and explained, "The essence of cultivation is to absorb the spiritual energy floating in the heavens and earth for oneself. Spiritual energy is a kind of ephemeral energy. Cultivators use cultivation techniques to seize this energy from the heavens and earth, thus becoming stronger."

Li Shiyin listened quietly.

"If I were to tell you that cultivation is the reversal of entropy, where energy is forced to flow from lower to higher states, but the larger the energy of an object, the more unstable it becomes, you probably wouldn't understand," Qin Ran continued. "However, if I were to tell you that one's state of mind must come before their cultivation realm, you might grasp it."

"Cultivation can transform an ordinary person into someone with boundless power. In other words, an ordinary person can suddenly possess immense strength. What would happen then?"

Li Shiyin began to understand why Tian Wenjin had achieved Foundation Establishment while she hadn't.

"There's a saying in my hometown: 'If one possesses a lethal weapon, murderous intent will arise.' Therefore, in the process of cultivating immortality, cultivating the mind is even more important than cultivating the self. If one's state of mind fails to keep up with their cultivation, excessively great power can easily lead them astray."

Where is my master from? How can his hometown have so many profound words? Li Shiyin wondered.

"From this perspective, the better one's talent, the faster their cultivation progresses, and the easier it is for them to go astray," Qin Ran said, looking at Li Shiyin. "Similarly, using elixirs to enhance cultivation also increases the risk of going astray."

"After saying so much..." Qin Ran concluded, "I just want to tell you that cultivation requires patience."

Li Shiyin understood.

She nodded and asked, "Then how did Tian Wenjin achieve Foundation Establishment so quickly? Didn't her master explain this to her?"

"Their cultivation philosophies differ. Sword cultivators have always believed in forging ahead fearlessly and being confident in mastering power," Qin Ran explained. "Moreover, she consumed elixirs."

At this point, he sighed, "I warned her before not to take elixirs, but she still did."

"Once people can obtain benefits through simpler means, they are no longer willing to pursue harder paths. This is another danger of elixirs, and it is even more detrimental than the previous one. It can be considered poisoning."

Li Shiyin had long since adopted a foolish expression and obediently nodded.

With that, Qin Ran took out two porcelain bottles from his Universe Bag and placed them on the table. He looked at the pills and said, "These two bottles contain Foundation Establishing Pills and Spirit Gathering Pills, both of excellent quality. The Foundation Establishing Pill greatly enhances the success rate of Foundation Establishment, while the Spirit Gathering Pill rapidly increases cultivation. If you want to establish your foundation earlier, you can take the pills now. However..."

He raised his head and looked into Li Shiyin's eyes, fixing his gaze on her. "If you decide to take them, then take these two bottles of pills with you when you leave the mountain."

Li Shiyin lowered her head, thinking to herself, "Master seems to be quite wealthy, being able to create his own cultivation technique. He's talented and wealthy, such a master..."

She bit her lip.

Seeing her expression, Qin Ran took a deep breath and didn't retrieve the two bottles of top-grade pills, leaving them there. Then he suddenly scolded, "What are you waiting for? Why aren't you continuing to dig the lake? Do you intend to take forever?"

"Oh!" Li Shiyin nodded, turned around, and jumped out of the mud pit, making a loud thud.

While Qin Ran and Li Shiyin confronted each other, Huang Feiyu glanced at the contemplative Tian Wenjin and roughly guessed what she was thinking. He asked, "What do you think of Li Shiyin?"

"It's a pity," Tian Wenjin replied.

"Why do you say that?" Huang Feiyu knew Tian Wenjin's thoughts but still asked.

"She's too foolish, wasting her talent," Tian Wenjin shook her head and said, "With her exceptional Golden Spirit Root, she insists on learning alchemy. It not only attracts unwanted attention but also hinders her own progress. She could have been a formidable opponent, but she gave up on herself too early."

"Is that what you think?" Huang Feiyu inquired further.

"That's what I think," Tian Wenjin confirmed.

"But I don't agree," Huang Feiyu said.

Tian Wenjin looked at him, wanting to know his thoughts.

"I believe she will definitely be your strongest opponent," Huang Feiyu said.

"On the path of cultivation, it's a competition of foundations. One step ahead means being ahead at every step. I have already laid the foundation, while she's still far from establishing hers," Tian Wenjin replied. "I don't believe it."

"The foundation is the most important in cultivation," Huang Feiyu said, "How about we make a bet..."

"Top-tier spiritual roots are more important than any foundation!" Tian Wenjin was quite confident, although she clearly didn't understand what Huang Feiyu meant by foundation. She asked, "Tell me, what's the bet?"

"At the Enlightenment Grand Meeting three years from now, Li Shiyin's ranking will definitely be higher than yours," Huang Feiyu said.

"And what's the wager?"

"If you win, I will give you the Qingming Sword," Huang Feiyu said. The Qingming Sword was a treasure he had obtained after countless efforts. The disciples of Sword Peak all knew that it was the lifebound sword of a nascent soul stage cultivator, a top-grade spiritual weapon.

"And if I lose?"

"From then on, you can no longer consume pills that aid in cultivation progress!" Huang Feiyu declared.

Tian Wenjin looked at Huang Feiyu, and the two locked eyes in mid-air. Then she nodded firmly, "Deal!"