Chapter 1 Tomorrow

The rain has been falling continuously for several days and shows no sign of stopping

Child, after tomorrow you will be a disciple of the Dharma Image Sect. As a newcomer, although you have your great-uncle to protect you, it is always wise to prepare some spirit stones. Even if you do not use them yourself, it is good to offer them to your senior brothers. " Saying this, the old man sighed and said, "If your grandfather were still here, you wouldn't need to look at others' faces. In the sect, you would still be able to walk with your head held high, hum!

"Well, when I was three years old, Grandpa, you told me that this was brought out from the ruins by my great-grandfather," Zhang Fan replied, adding in his heart, "If I weren't afraid you would think I was a monster, I would have asked about this the first time I saw it."

Everything seems to be accumulating strength, waiting for the sunrise to burst forth all at once, resulting in such tranquility between heaven and earth, faintly, as if one can still hear the murmurs of grandfather in his dreams: Tomorrow

The old gentleman's life suddenly plummeted from the heights to the depths, as not only was his father's inheritance completely divided, but his residence was also moved from within the sect to the marketplace at the foot of the mountain

Tomorrow

These jade slips, which are almost piled up like a mountain, were all collected by his grandfather at scrap prices. Ninety-nine percent of them consist of the cultivation insights of some down-and-out loose cultivators. Due to poor preservation, most are either on the verge of falling apart or have missing content. Finding something useful like today is indeed a stroke of good fortune.

"Grandfather." Zhang Fan felt a pang in his heart, nearly shedding tears. After taking a few deep breaths, he gently said, "First, change into some dry clothes. With your old arms and legs, be careful not to hurt yourself."

Haha, Grandpa is in good health; after all, I am also a cultivator, so what is there to fear!" The old man said while changing his clothes, patting his chest.

Unfortunately, what is seen before us is a thirteen-year-old child, who has not yet reached the age of voice change. No matter how deeply he tries to act, it can only elicit laughter.

"Child, Grandpa is back. Come quickly and see what I have brought back!" Before he could reach the door, Grandpa's aged voice had already come through.

What is the relationship between him and your great-grandfather? As long as you can pass the test of the Dharma form at m.hetushu.com, there will be absolutely no problem! Speaking of this grandmaster uncle, his spirit is quite vibrant. The master uncle is a junior disciple of your great-grandfather, and since the day he entered the sect, it has basically been my father who has been passing on the teachings. Their relationship is extremely good. Now, the master uncle has also achieved great perfection in the Foundation Establishment stage, and it is uncertain when he will attain the Golden Core and become a patriarch of the Core Formation stage. If he takes you as his disciple, my child, you will become a core disciple of the Dharma Form sect, and your treatment will be vastly different from that of ordinary disciples.

Thinking of this, Zhang Fan could not help but clench his fists. Tomorrow, he would have the opportunity to become a member of the sect's disciples.

You and my old man are still not of the same blood as our great-grandfather, and yet you are still useless!" Zhang Fan muttered dismissively.

... ...

To attain it is my fortune; not succeeding does not signify that cultivating immortality is hopeless. Zhang Fan shook his head, no longer pursuing this topic. He walked to the center of the room and sat down in front of the bronze cauldron, his hand gently tracing the densely inscribed golden characters as he fell into deep thought

Ancient script? Hehe, Zhang Fan secretly shook his head. Although it can be said that the origins of all writing systems ultimately fall into a few categories, there is indeed a possibility of interpretation through analogy. However, the difficulty, well, hehe, is not much less than understanding Chinese from English!

Zhang Fan was greatly shocked and thought to himself: "So it is indeed like this."

Upon first seeing this bronze tripod, Zhang Fan immediately realized that this seemingly worn and devoid of any spirit object undoubtedly originated from the same place as him. The characters inscribed on it, which had never appeared in any classical texts, were none other than the renowned ancient seal script

The old man reminisced for quite a while about the scenes of the past, and after some time, he finally came to his senses and said to Zhang Fan: "Even if the Dharma Aspect Sect is facing misfortune and cannot take you in, you need not worry. Your grandmaster's uncle has extensive connections, and with your qualifications, it would not be a problem for him to recommend you to a good sect."

What are the best supplementary ingredients to pair with the Qi Gathering Pill? Hmm, this is indeed somewhat useful. Zhang Fan took out a jade slip to record his insights and copied the formula.

The ancient seal script, in itself, merely serves to evoke a slight sense of familiarity with books; it holds no practical significance. However, the content recorded above profoundly moved Zhang Fan, prompting him to ponder it earnestly for the next decade, without daring to show even the slightest negligence

Five low-grade spirit stones are quite a considerable fortune for loose cultivators. However, there was no sign of joy on Zhang Fan's face; instead, he frowned and said, "Grandfather, why did you go down to the mine again? You know how dangerous it is there. What if something..."

Child, I remember you inquired about the origin of this bronze tripod, it seems to have been when you were two or three years old. The old man appeared to be reminiscing, his tone was calm, yet there was a hint of nostalgia.

Thirty-four maintenance methods for low-grade magical tools? Goodness! Can a piece of junk magical tool really be used for a lifetime? With a crack, the jade slip shattered into countless fragments

After tidying up the disordered jade slips and books, Zhang Fan walked to the window, gazing at the rain curtain that reached the sky, remaining silent for a long time, ultimately letting out a long sigh

As soon as he finished speaking, an old man who appeared to be over 80 years old rushed in like a gust of wind. Without even catching his breath, he swept everything off the table to the floor with a wave of his hand. Then, he pulled out a pouch and poured its contents onto the table, revealing five glimmering spirit stones that spun and shone with a white light before Zhang Fan's eyes

A cultivator who is over 80 years old and still remains at the seventh level of the Qi Refining stage? Zhang Fan shook his head and smiled wryly

In this situation, if it were a middle-aged scholar, with graying temples, listening to the rain from a guest boat by a monk's lodge, it would naturally evoke a profound sense of the vicissitudes of life.

"The Great Five Elements Breaking the Forbidden Technique"—this is the method recorded in the ancient seal characters on the bronze cauldron. After more than ten years of contemplation, Zhang Fan is utterly convinced that his greatest reliance for establishing himself in the realm of immortality lies not in the Dharma Realm Sect, one of the three major sects of Qinzhou, nor in his grandmaster who is merely a step away from forming the Golden Core, but in this very technique itself

Your father's qualifications are even worse than mine, but that's beside the point. How could he be foolish enough to believe those rogue cultivators and seek some kind of opportunity? Bah! Does he even know if he's dead or alive now? The old man speaks harshly, yet when it comes to his son, he can't help but shed a few tears.

"Ah, nonsense, children speak without restraint, children speak without restraint." The old man, resembling a worldly elder, feigned seriousness for a while and said: "Keep your heart at ease; the blood flowing in your veins is that of your great-grandfather. How could the Dharma form not be passed down?"

The creaking sound echoed... The night had grown somewhat deep, and the sound of the wooden door opening was strikingly clear and jarring

... ...

After taking a few deep breaths, I barely managed to calm my mind and sat cross-legged back on the bed. I picked up an old, grayish-white jade tablet and pressed it against my forehead, quietly beginning to read the contents within.

Zhang Fan clenched his fists tightly, involuntarily murmuring softly:

If it were another sect, even one of the three major sects alongside the Dharma Aspect Sect, such as the Spirit Control Sect or the Illusion Demon Sect, as my grandfather mentioned, if the relationship between my granduncle and my great-grandfather were truly that good, then taking me in would naturally not be a problem. However, the Dharma Aspect Sect is different; joining requires passing the Dharma Aspect inheritance test, which feels somewhat like leaving it to fate.

There are exotic birds coming to congratulate

After watching his grandfather return to the house, Zhang Fan's attention shifted back to the bronze ding. Even without his grandfather's words today, he would not underestimate this bronze vessel in the slightest, for it concealed his greatest secret.

The room fell silent all of a sudden. The old man had just started a conversation, but his grandson, who had always been quite opinionated since childhood, fell silent, leaving him at a loss for words. After a long pause, he couldn't help but say: "Child, stop looking. You've been watching for ten years since you were three, yet you still haven't managed to identify a flower."

Zhang Fan smiled wryly; the Fa Xiang Sect is one of the three major sects in Qinzhou. What kind of talented individuals have not emerged from it? If the old man did not take him in, it seemed as if he had suffered a tremendous loss. As for his own aptitude, the old man had already personally assessed it long ago. With a mixed spiritual root of both fire and wood, it was simply not comparable to those with heavenly roots, extraordinary roots, or earthly roots; it was merely of average quality.

The parties involved, however, seemed oblivious, wearing a look of deep concern. They paced back and forth with their hands behind their backs in the cramped room, turning in circles for about ten rounds, knocking over countless tables and chairs, until they finally collided with a bronze cauldron, which was about half a person tall, belonging to the library, at which point they grimaced and came to a halt

Grandfather, didn't you promise me that you would no longer go to the mine? At your age, you shouldn't be doing such life-risking work anymore. Seeing Grandfather change his clothes, Zhang Fan couldn't help but say.

Hmm, it's time travel! There are always some heavenly thunder and earthly fire involved, Zhang Fan silently replied to himself

Upon hearing this sound, Zhang Fan let out a sigh of relief, and his tightly furrowed brows relaxed. He hurriedly got out of bed and walked towards the door.

... ...

After a pause, Zhang Fan looked at his grandfather's disheveled appearance and suddenly found himself unable to continue speaking

"Alas, you child," the old man walked over, imitating Zhang Fan's manner, extending his hand to caress the surface of the bronze tripod, particularly the inscriptions on it.

Tomorrow marks the day when the Huayan School opens its doors. What kind of disciples will be rejected, and will someone of my ordinary qualifications be accepted? Zhang Fan expressed deep skepticism

At that time, you were still young, and your grandfather did not tell you everything. The old man withdrew his hand, which had been moving back and forth on the tripod, and said: "This was indeed brought out from the ruins, but it was from the time when your great-grandfather was severely injured."

... ...

Since he was able to view the jade slips, Zhang Fan has seen such things countless times. He understands the hardships of loose cultivators without needing anyone to tell him. Just think about it, to be able to refine low-grade magical tools to such an extent, how desperate must one be!

What are the eighteen methods of arranging the small gathering spirit formation to save spirit stones? Can one save a spirit stone over the course of a year? With a clang, the jade slip was thrown under the bed

... ...

You... sigh! The old man lamented: "How can it be the same? My talent is too poor; not only can I not inherit the Dharma form, but my spiritual root quality is only slightly better than having no spiritual root at all. This level of cultivation was all achieved through the spiritual herbs my father used to pile it up back in the day"

It is said that the old gentleman once enjoyed great glory in his youth, relying on the fact that his father was a fully realized practitioner at the Foundation Establishment stage, equivalent to the False Dan realm. In his younger days, he could be considered a dandy within the Law Manifestation Sect, living a life of comfort and pleasure.

Your great-grandfather, before he passed away, held my hand with one hand and pointed at the bronze tripod with the other. Unfortunately, by that time, he was already unable to speak.

No https://m.hetushu.com. One cannot predict fortune and misfortune. During an exploration of ruins, Zhang Fan's great-grandfather mysteriously returned severely injured, conveyed his last wishes, and then passed away.

Unbeknownst to me, the sky has already begun to brighten, and the rain has conveniently ceased. The remaining raindrops trickle down the eaves, falling drop by drop, shattering into countless sparkling fragments on the stone steps

Zhang Fan covered his painful spot and, with a bitter smile, murmured to himself: "Every time there is a significant matter, one must remain calm. Having lived two lifetimes, why am I still so restless?"

Indeed, children are truly one's own! Zhang Fan shook his head, choosing not to argue with the old man. After a moment of thought, he asked, "Grandfather, will the grandmaster accept me as a disciple when we go up the mountain tomorrow?"

"That's enough, child, no need to look any further. This tripod is made of ordinary materials; it absolutely cannot be a treasure. Otherwise, we wouldn't be able to keep it; it would have been divided among those fellows long ago. If there is any secret, it lies in these inscriptions. Once we enter the Law Image Sect, we can find some ancient texts to study them thoroughly!" The old man said with a lack of enthusiasm, "It's time to sleep; we have to get up early tomorrow!" If there is any secret, it lies in these inscriptions. Once we enter the Law Image Sect, we can find some ancient texts to study them thoroughly!" The old man said with a lack of enthusiasm, "It's time to sleep; we have to get up early tomorrow!"

Uncertain how much time had passed, the sound of "tick-tock" startled Zhang Fan from his reverie. He walked to the window and looked outside

Grandfather, do you have such confidence in me? Aren't you afraid that I..." Zhang Fan said somewhat anxiously

Having spoken, he entered the inner room, thoroughly exhausted from a day's labor.

Zhang Fan chuckled softly, pretending not to hear, and continued to focus intently on the bronze cauldron, as if what lay before him was not an ancient and worn bronze vessel, but rather a captivating beauty with a myriad of charms.

Indeed, that strange bird chased us out from the time-space portal, and I still remember how its saliva flowed!

"You were born with an extraordinary phenomenon," the old man recalled

"But Fan, you are different." The old man grasped Zhang Fan's shoulders and looked into his eyes seriously, saying: "Remember, you are not like us; you are destined to cultivate immortality."

The old gentleman hurried back in the pouring rain, and even though he was drenched, sweat still rose in a mist from his head, while raindrops rolled down along his wet hair and dripped down the deep crevices of his face