11: Let the dust of the world recede for now, and lay the foundation for the Dao first!

The hustle and bustle of the street corner fell into an eerie silence due to Wang Duojin's kneel.

The surrounding common folk watched the young man, who just a few days ago was down and out, but was now rumored to be a “Little Immortal,” performing such a grand bow to another even more mysterious Young Master. They all craned their necks, full of curiosity.

Chu Xuanjin did not pay attention to the gazes of others.

He looked at Wang Duojin, his voice still calm.

"You still have attachments at home. This Dominator will give you seven days to handle your Mortal affairs."

"Seven days later, I will wait for you at the ferry crossing by the river outside the city."

Wang Duojin felt a warm current surge through his heart upon hearing this, and he kowtowed heavily.

"Thank you, Revered Master!"

Chu Xuanjin nodded slightly, said no more, and turned to leave with Ye Chenfeng and Su Linger. Their figures quickly merged into the crowd and disappeared.

Only then did Wang Duojin stand up. He glanced at the abacus on the ground, then looked in the direction his Revered Master had left, took a deep breath, and an unprecedented determination appeared on his face.

He neatly packed his belongings and, under the respectful or curious gazes of the surrounding people, hurried towards his home... Wang Duojin's home was in the most dilapidated alley in Linjiang City.

The courtyard gate consisted of two loose wooden planks, groaning “creak” when pushed open.

A strong, bitter smell of medicine, mixed with a hint of mold, assailed him.

The light inside the house was dim, and the only window was mostly boarded up.

"Cough, cough... Is that Duojin back?"

A weak woman's voice came from the inner room.

Wang Duojin quickly put down his things and walked into the inner room.

On the bed, a middle-aged woman with a haggard face and graying hair was struggling to sit up.

"Mother, lie down, don't move."

Wang Duojin stepped forward quickly, carefully helped her lie down, and tucked in her quilt.

"How do you feel today?" he asked softly.

"The same as usual..." Mother Wang looked at her son, her eyes full of loving concern. "You've been out early and returning late these past few days, don't wear yourself out."

"Mother, don't worry, your son has a great Opportunity."

Wang Duojin took out the heavy money bag from his embrace and placed it by the bedside.

"Here are fifty taels of silver, enough for you to hire the best doctor, take the best medicine, and the rest will be enough for you to live comfortably for several years."

Mother Wang looked at the bag of silver, her cloudy eyes filled with shock.

"Duojin, you... where did you get so much money? You mustn't do anything foolish!"

"Mother, listen to me."

Wang Duojin held his mother's withered hand and recounted the events of the past three days, omitting the cultivation part, only saying that he had met an eccentric traveler who enlightened him and taught him the art of divination.

"That eccentric Senior wants to take me as his Disciple and travel the world with me to learn true skills."

As Wang Duojin spoke, his knees weakened, and he knelt before the bed.

"Your unfilial son can no longer serve by your side."

His eyes were red, and his voice choked.

"But your son promises you, once I Revered Master my skills, I will definitely return to pick you up, let you live the best life, and never suffer from this illness again!"

Mother Wang listened quietly, tears silently streaming down her face.

She reached out, trembling, and stroked her son's head.

"My foolish child... get up quickly."

Her voice was weak, but it carried a sense of relief.

"My greatest wish in this life, Mother's, is to see you succeed."

"Your father left early, and I have been a burden to you... Now that you have such an immortal Opportunity, it is the Wang family's blessing, how can you not go?"

She wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, a smile appearing on her face.

"Go, go with peace of mind. With this silver at home, it's enough. Just remember, no matter where you go, always be an upright person."

Wang Duojin could no longer hold back, he prostrated himself by the bed, tears raining down.

For the next seven days, Wang Duojin did not set up his stall.

He invited the best doctor in the city to treat his mother, and then paid a large sum to hire two reliable maidservants to care for his mother's diet and daily life, and renovated the dilapidated house.

He gave all the remaining silver to his mother.

He stayed by his mother's bedside almost constantly, saying everything he had wanted to say for the past decade or so.

Seven days later, in the early morning.

Wang Duojin changed into a brand new green robe and carried a simple travel bag.

He took one last look at his sleeping mother, kowtowed three times heavily at her bedside, then resolutely turned and walked out of the home where he had lived for over a decade.

The moment he closed the courtyard gate, Mother Wang inside slowly opened her eyes, tears once again soaking her pillow... At Linjiang Ferry, morning mist filled the air.

A black-awning boat was quietly docked by the shore.

Chu Xuanjin, Ye Chenfeng, and Su Linger were already waiting on the boat.

When Wang Duojin's figure appeared at the ferry, Chu Xuanjin's gaze fell upon him.

After seven days, the worldly air and sense of destitution on him had completely vanished, replaced by a washed-clean steadiness and the keenness of someone about to embark on an immortal path.

"Revered Master, Senior Brother, Second Senior Sister."

Wang Duojin leaped onto the bow of the boat and bowed to the three.

"Very good." Chu Xuanjin nodded slightly. "Get on board."

The black-awning boat silently left the shore, drifting downstream with the river current.

Inside the cabin, Chu Xuanjin looked at the three Disciples before him, all with top-tier Foundation and Luck, but his mind was on another matter.

With a thought, he checked the System space.

[Immortal Artifact: heaven and earth array diagram]: Can evolve myriad Formations, trap and kill enemies, forming a realm of its own.

[Divine Ability: Scatter Beans into Soldiers]: Transform spiritual Qi into soldiers; the number and strength of soldiers depend on the Host's cultivation... These were all rewards for accepting Disciples. Each one, if brought out, would be enough to cause a storm of blood and gore on the Azure Cloud Continent.

"An innocent man is guilty for possessing a treasure."

Chu Xuanjin murmured to himself.

Although he was now at the Great Perfection of Soul Transformation, considered a powerful figure in the Eastern Desolate Region, he was still insignificant when looking at the entire Azure Cloud Continent, or even the Profound Heaven Immortal Realm.

Ye Chenfeng was at the Nascent Soul Early Stage, and Su Linger and Wang Duojin had not even officially begun cultivating.

The Sect was still an empty shell.

Rashly taking out these Immortal Artifacts and Divine Grade items would only invite disaster.

The most urgent task was not to continue expanding and taking on more Disciples.

Rather, it was to quickly polish these three unpolished jades in his hands.

The more their strength improved, the more cultivation feedback he would receive.

The Foundation of the Sect would then be more stable.

Thinking of this, Chu Xuanjin made a decision.

He looked at the three Disciples sitting upright and spoke slowly.

"For the next period of time, we will travel through the mountains and rivers of this Eastern Desolate Region."

Chu Xuanjin's voice was very calm.

"This journey is not for seeking immortals, nor for visiting the Dao, but solely for cultivation."

"Your Dao has just begun. If the Foundation is unstable, even a towering edifice will collapse."

"This journey is to establish your Foundation."

Upon hearing this, the three stood up and bowed in unison.

"Disciples, we respectfully obey Revered Master's teachings!"

Chu Xuanjin nodded in satisfaction. He closed his eyes and immersed his mind in the System to check the specific information of his three Disciples.

It was time to make a real plan for their cultivation paths.

[Name: Ye Chenfeng]

[Identity: Myriad Dao Divine Sect Eldest Disciple]

[Foundation: Divine Grade (Chaos Sword Body, Indestructible Sword Bone)]

[Luck: Golden (Future Sword Dao Dominator)]

[Cultivation: Nascent Soul Early Stage]

[Cultivation Technique: "Chaos Sword Scripture" (Beginner)]

[Status: Excessive killing intent, Sword Intent superficial, needs to temper Heart-Nature in the Mortal World.]

...[Name: Su Linger]

[Identity: Myriad Dao Divine Sect Second Disciple]

[Foundation: Divine Grade (Spiritual Frost Dao Body)]

[Luck: Ice Blue (Empress Lingshuang Reincarnation)]

[Cultivation: None (Qi has been drawn into the body, not yet entered Qi Refinement Stage)]

[Cultivation Technique: "Supreme Ice Soul Divine Canon" (Not yet started)]

[Status: Dao Heart sealed, low compatibility with Dao Body, needs to melt the ice with the warmth of human life.]

...[Name: Wang Duojin]

[Identity: Myriad Dao Divine Sect Third Disciple]

[Foundation: Immortal Grade (Innate Formation Body)]

[Luck: Golden (God of Wealth Reincarnation)]

[Cultivation: None (Mortal)]

[Cultivation Technique: None]

[Status: Mortal attachments resolved, Heart-Nature transparent, excellent Comprehension Ability, can immediately begin cultivation.]

...