Chris's choice was almost a foregone conclusion. As a cultivator, what was the point of living if one had lost all ambition?

In truth, he had always desired to reach higher realms, even though he knew that advancing to Black Dou Qi would bring its own set of problems, and further significant leaps in his cultivation would become exceedingly difficult. Yet, Chris still hoped to achieve the Black Dou Qi cultivation level as quickly as possible.

It wasn't for anything else; it was purely the desire to break through to a higher level.

Now, Ye Wen had given him an opportunity—not only to reach a higher level but also to secure a broader future. Even after reaching Black Dou Qi, he could still strive for greater heights; his cultivation would not be confined. Given this, what reason did he have to refuse?

Although Ye Wen spoke of many dangers, Chris thought it over carefully and realized those risks were negligible. The absolute worst outcome was the complete ruin of his cultivation, but for him, that was nothing!

Furthermore, danger was inherent in cultivation at all times; even steady progress carried the risk of qi deviation. Thus, he could not possibly abandon such a chance for self-improvement for the sake of a mere possibility.

“I am willing to attempt cultivating the Absolute Domain!” Upon hearing Chris’s answer, Ye Wen merely nodded, saying nothing. It seemed Chris’s decision was entirely within his expectations, leaving him completely unsurprised.

“Then, let us begin today. After breakfast, you will accompany me for cultivation!”

“Yes, Master!” Breakfast was usually a casual affair, but this time, Ye Wen specifically instructed all his disciples to eat in the courtyard’s small dining hall.

Looking at the disciples and grandchildren filling two long tables, Ye Wen felt immense joy. In his excitement, he forgot to even pick up his chopsticks. The entire assembly stared at him anxiously, afraid to start eating, while the enticing aroma of the dishes on the tables caused several of them to swallow audibly from time to time.

“Master…”

Seeing Ye Wen still beaming as he scrutinized everyone present, Ning Ruxue had to discreetly pinch him underneath the table. “Everyone is waiting for you to take the first bite!”

“Oh, right, right!” Ye Wen snapped back to reality. This was the Shu Mountain Sect. Although they had been respectful in the Changbai Immortal Realm, certain customs were not strictly observed; people didn't necessarily wait for Ye Wen to eat first upon being seated; they just started once everyone arrived.

But now… “Everyone, please eat!”

Ye Wen picked up a piece of food and put it in his mouth. He chewed slowly, his gaze drifting from Zhou Zhiruo to Guo Jing, then to Wei Hong, continuing until he had swept over everyone. By the time he finished his survey, most people had eaten quite a bit, while Ye Wen had only taken a few bites.

“There are certainly more people now,” Ning Ruxue murmured quietly. Hearing this, a distinct feeling welled up in her heart as well.

She recalled that back then, the Shu Mountain Sect was merely an inconspicuous, struggling small household at the foot of the mountain. Even if someone spotted the Shu Mountain plaque, they wouldn't linger, perhaps glancing once before turning away to seek out seemingly stronger sects.

Later, when they were still called the Book Mountain Sect, they lost their sect plaque and territory to a rival. The anger and suffocation from that time were still vividly remembered, but that was long ago.

Ning Ruxue had witnessed firsthand how the Shu Mountain Sect grew from nothing to its current state and held the utmost admiration for her Senior Brother. Although the sect was currently only at the Sword Immortal Realm, and many issues were causing everyone considerable distress, Ning Ruxue firmly believed that as long as Senior Brother was present, no problem would remain insurmountable.

She gently reached out and squeezed Ye Wen’s hand, then placed a piece of food on his plate. “Eat first. If you don't eat, the disciples won't dare to leave!”

“Mmm.” Ye Wen finished the bowl of congee before him, set down his utensils, and spoke softly, “Mengli, don't leave later!”

“Yes, Grandmaster!” Everyone knew that Liu Mengli was Ye Wen’s grand-disciple, and having been adrift for so long, she had relied on self-exploration for her cultivation. Only recently had Wei Hong, as a Martial Uncle, offered some pointers, and even then, it was only concerning internal arts.

It seemed now that Ye Wen intended to guide her personally. While Zhou Zhiruo’s generation wasn't overly affected, the disciples of Liu Mengli’s peer generation felt a strong sense of envy, wondering when they might have the same fortune to receive Ye Wen’s direct instruction.

After the meal, everyone dispersed. Ye Wen led Liu Mengli and Chris to a secluded spot behind the mountain—the very place Ye Wen used to frequent to enjoy the view. The massive stone was still there, virtually unchanged from the day he left.

However, standing on the giant rock now and looking down, the picturesque scenery was far more beautiful than the landscape of the Pingzhou region had ever been; it was incomparable to those earlier days.

After a moment of reflection, Ye Wen turned to Chris first. “You must already know the cultivation method for the Absolute Domain, so I won't elaborate much. Now, I only need to tell you: use your Purple Dou Qi to catalyze this method. Pay close attention to the quantity of Dou Qi you use; suppress the amount you deploy, not too much. It must be gradual, urging it slowly. Remember, do not be overly rash!”

Chris nodded, then sat cross-legged on the ground, closing his eyes to begin urging the Absolute Domain! Ye Wen watched for a moment. Seeing purple mist gradually emanating from Chris, thickening to the point where it obscured his features, Ye Wen frowned slightly. He walked behind Chris and lightly tapped his lingtai (spiritual platform) with his hand.

The energy of the Huantian Baojian was unleashed, suppressing the Dou Qi within Chris, but not completely eliminating it. It was like setting up a wall in a river channel but leaving a small opening for the water to flow more gently. Consequently, the mist around Chris gradually thinned, leaving only a faint purple haze, not as exaggerated as before.

Ye Wen nodded. This level was just right; it ensured Chris could cultivate the Absolute Domain without the power of the domain surging too rapidly due to an immediate explosion of energy, which might trigger a backlash from his Seven-Colored Dou Qi.

Moreover, this method of cultivation was safer. At least, if any issue arose, it could be controlled with minimal cost, preventing violent conflict caused by a sudden surge of power or the intrusion of another system’s energy.

“It seems Chris’s Seven-Colored Dou Qi had already reached the threshold for advancing to Black Dou Qi, but he has been suppressing it! Now, it’s showing subtle signs of becoming uncontrollable!” Ye Wen had always emphasized mastery over one's own power, stating that uncontrolled strength, no matter how immense, was useless. The measure of a cultivator’s true strength was how much power they could actually wield.

Because of this philosophy, the disciples of the Shu Mountain Sect placed great importance on controlling their own strength. Chris, diligent as he was, had consistently focused on controlling his Dou Qi after the initial phase when his body contained foreign energy allowed for faster advancement.

Unexpectedly, by this stage, Chris was almost unable to contain his Dou Qi, showing how much his strength had increased. If Ye Wen hadn't begun teaching him the Absolute Domain, Chris might have passively advanced to Black Dou Qi in the near future.

As for the present situation… the Absolute Domain required consuming energy to enhance power, and the initial tempering of the body also demanded substantial energy. Chris’s overflowing Purple Dou Qi would very likely be entirely consumed by the Absolute Domain to temper his physique.

Simply put, Chris’s Dou Qi might decrease to some extent, but his physical body would become several tiers stronger. If Chris were ruthless enough, he might even cultivate the Absolute Domain directly to its pinnacle. In that case, more than half of his Purple Dou Qi could be depleted, but with a much stronger body, he could quickly cultivate his Dou Qi back to its original level.

Then, he could effortlessly cross into Black Dou Qi without any adverse side effects—in essence, one had to sacrifice before gaining! Although Ye Wen could foresee this possibility, he would not offer guidance. He wished Chris to choose his own method of cultivation, which would also allow Ye Wen to observe him further.

Seeing that the disciple’s condition had stabilized, Ye Wen turned his gaze to Liu Mengli.

The daughter of Liu Muyan was only around twenty, making her quite an eligible young woman in the Nine Provinces World. Wei Hong had mentioned that if he hadn't brought them all to the Immortal Realm, he would already be discussing with Steward Zhou whether to find a suitable husband for Liu Mengli.

In fact, if it weren't for the generational difference, Steward Zhou’s grandson would have been a good match. Unfortunately, because of that seniority gap, they dared not consider such a thing—if only the generations between Steward Zhou and the Liu family differed, it wouldn't matter. The problem lay with Wei Hong. If Steward Zhou’s grandson married Liu Mengli, how would Wei Hong, who was only an uncle generationally to Liu Mengli, face Steward Zhou after the marriage?

If they were unaware, it would be fine, but Steward Zhou was aware. Therefore, he dared not step into such complicated waters. Finding someone who knew nothing about the situation would be better.

However, there was no need to worry about such matters now. Having reached the Immortal Realm to pursue the immortal path, remaining unmarried for a lifetime was acceptable. Moreover, the Shu Mountain Sect was like Liu Mengli’s ancestral home; living there didn't carry the awkwardness of being in an in-law's house. Ye Wen, being of her grandfather’s generation, looked after her, so Liu Mengli had settled comfortably at Shu Mountain.

But her low cultivation level was a concern; if she made no progress over time, she would naturally feel unhappy. Fortunately, Ye Wen had summoned her today, indicating he planned to instruct her in martial arts.

“Recently, I’ve been out exploring and discovered a flaw in our Shu Mountain Sect’s cultivation methods! There is a way to resolve this issue, but it requires your assistance, Mengli!”

“Grandmaster’s command, this disciple will certainly comply!”

“Mmm.” Ye Wen nodded, then pointed to the ground and sat down himself.

Liu Mengli showed no hesitation. Although this was just bare earth without anything to sit on, if her Grandmaster sat down, how could she refuse?

She sat down directly and then heard Ye Wen say, “Begin circulating your Purple Haze Skill, just as you do during your usual practice.”

Liu Mengli obeyed. Ye Wen saw the purple qi faintly emanating from her face and hands as her Purple Haze Skill began to circulate, confirming she had entered normal flow. He reached out and pointed remotely, sending a wisp of Innate Purple Qi along her zhongting acupoint and into the meridians within her body.

With his level of cultivation, he didn't necessarily need physical contact to transmit True Qi; as long as the other party relaxed their guard, he could manage it even from several meters away.

“Relax your mind. No matter what happens, do not be afraid! Remember to follow the flow, do not forcefully resist!”

Liu Mengli could not reply as she was circulating her energy. She only felt a warm surge of energy entering through her fuzhong acupoint. It circled around her heart and lungs twice before smoothly descending. It circled her Dantian twice as well, finally following her own Purple Haze True Qi to course throughout her entire body.

Initially, this wisp of energy merely followed her own True Qi. Seeing that it caused no agitation and even seemed to nurture her Purple Haze True Qi, significantly enhancing her cultivation effect, Liu Mengli paid it no mind, closing her eyes and focusing solely on her practice.

However, after circulating three times, the Innate Purple Qi suddenly changed direction, taking a small portion of her True Qi with it into different meridians. Liu Mengli felt a slight sharp pain along her meridians and almost cried out.

Just then, she heard Ye Wen’s voice: “Still your heart and focus your spirit. Do not panic! Continue your circulation and concentrate on your practice!”

Liu Mengli endured the pain without daring to utter a sound, following Ye Wen’s instructions to diligently practice the Purple Haze Skill, preparing herself for even greater pain.

But strangely, after traveling through several meridians, the surge of True Qi no longer caused pain. Moreover, the meridians it traversed mostly encircled her internal organs and even extended far to the tips of her limbs—meridians she hadn't yet cultivated. Consequently, she found that the True Qi flowed through them somewhat sluggishly.

When her cycle was complete, Liu Mengli opened her eyes. She saw Ye Wen sitting with his eyes closed, his brow furrowed in thought. She dared not disturb him, sitting idly, glancing around occasionally, checking on Ye Wen or Chris beside her.

After a long while, Ye Wen opened his eyes, and the furrow in his brow smoothed out. He said to Liu Mengli, “I will recite an incantation; try to circulate it.”

Liu Mengli had no idea what Ye Wen was doing, so she respectfully replied, “Yes,” and waited. After Ye Wen recited the incantation, she slowly practiced according to the method he described.

“Hmm?”

After just a short time, Liu Mengli realized that this incantation didn't seem like an internal art; it felt somewhat similar to the Purple Haze Skill. Furthermore, it didn't pass through the Dantian to form a unique True Qi. Instead, it simply mobilized the True Qi already in the meridians to disperse throughout the body.

“It... it feels a bit like a dispersal incantation!” Every time she activated this incantation, Liu Mengli felt a trace of her internal energy dissipate. This unconsciously caused her to activate the Purple Haze Skill simultaneously to restore her True Qi.

As a result, without realizing it, she was employing two sets of incantations at the same time, and miraculously, these two sets did not conflict.

The Purple Haze Skill circulated and strengthened within her meridians as usual. However, unlike before where the enhanced amount was the amount gained, now, as the Purple Haze True Qi grew, a trace of it dissipated within the meridians during circulation, dispersing into various parts of the body from where it could not be recovered. Liu Mengli pondered for a long time, unable to trace where this True Qi went. After circulating several heavenly cycles, she noticed that the True Qi she cultivated was significantly less than usual, similar to the amounts she cultivated back in the Nine Provinces World.

“This…”

“Have you noticed?” Ye Wen smiled as he looked at Liu Mengli, seeming to have anticipated this situation.

“Yes!” Liu Mengli couldn't fathom why this was happening, but she didn't believe her Grandmaster would deliberately harm her. If he truly wanted to harm her, a single palm strike would suffice; why go through such trouble?

Ye Wen knew Liu Mengli was confused, so he decided to explain. “This is actually a newly created technique. It can be used in conjunction with any internal art of our sect, and it has only one function!”

“What is it?”

Liu Mengli was very curious. This technique, which appeared only to continuously consume True Qi with no apparent benefit, served what purpose? Why would her Grandmaster teach it to her with such solemnity? Could this be some rare divine skill?

“Tempering the physical body!”

Ye Wen’s answer only further puzzled Liu Mengli. Helplessly, Ye Wen proceeded to explain the importance of tempering the physical body in the Immortal Realm.

“If in the original world, even martial artists who reached the Void Shattering stage were still fundamentally human, then with this technique, those who reach the Void Shattering realm would truly transcend the human scope, even before they actually shatter the void!”

As if to emphasize his point, Ye Wen casually picked up a few pebbles and held them in his hand. “For masters, the way they crush these stones is typically by circulating internal energy, allowing their physical body, aided by that energy, to instantly reach sufficient strength to crush them!”

“But for masters cultivated with the aid of this technique, they don’t need such complexity; they just need to casually squeeze…” Ye Wen clenched his hand, using absolutely no True Qi, then opened his palm. The pebbles were already reduced to dust: “They can achieve it!”

“What is the benefit of this?”

Liu Mengli understood that this made one stronger, but why emphasize the body so much?

“Because to become an immortal, the physical body must reach a certain level of strength, and our sect’s current methods cannot ensure everyone reaches this standard through normal cultivation alone! If one reached that realm in their youth and prime, they might cross that threshold. But if someone like your Martial Aunt Nangong attempts to shatter the void at her age, the possibility of failure…”

At this point, Liu Mengli understood everything! Ye Wen emphasized body cultivation to enable the Shu Mountain disciples to cross the threshold into the Earth Immortal realm more securely and become true immortals.

“Moreover, a strong physique allows for better utilization of martial arts power. For our sect, which lacks magical artifacts and myriad strange spells, this is a matter critical to our survival!”

Originally, Ye Wen only intended for his disciples’ bodies to reach the general standard of the Sword Immortal Realm, but now he had made up his mind! If you were going to do something, do it the best way possible! Thus, he decisively modified the Qiankun Mian Ti and created a slightly lesser technique: the Yuanling Suiti Jue!