Gateway of Immortality-Chapter 359: The Daoist Traditions

"From now on, you don't need to place your great grandmaster's memorial tablet anymore..."

Qin Sang shook the memorial tablet of Wandering Man slightly as he spoke.

Li Yufu was initially puzzled, but then, as if realizing something, his face filled with shock. "Could it be that Great Grandmaster is still..."

He had held back from asking before, but he distinctly remembered that his master had mentioned more than once that Senior Uncle Qin was barely two years older than him.

Yet now, Qin Sang was over seventy, but his appearance remained as youthful as a teenager’s.

There was only one possibility.

He had truly become an immortal.

But what Li Yufu had never expected was that his great grandmaster was also an immortal!

Neither his master nor his grandmaster had ever spoken a word about this, and perhaps, they had not known themselves.

Qin Sang smiled and nodded, making light of the situation. "I didn’t expect it either. Senior Wandering Man actually entered the path of immortality even earlier than I did. A few years ago, I happened to encounter him by chance. Fortunately, I had seen his portrait before and recognized him. The old man is living quite well now. If you place a memorial tablet for him, aren’t you cursing him?"

Li Yufu hurriedly put the tablet away, still finding it hard to believe. Qingyang Temple had only ever had six people in its lineage, yet two of them had become immortal cultivators.

"So Great Grandmaster, like you, has also become an immortal..."

Qin Sang shook his head and explained further, "I wouldn’t dare call myself an immortal. At best, we are merely cultivators—people who have gained great power. Senior Wandering Man’s journey was far more arduous than mine. He only embarked on the path at the age of seventy-eight and reached Foundation Building Realm at a hundred years old. Such achievements are almost unheard of in the cultivation world. But it was all due to his unwavering determination. Although Daoist Master Jixin and Ming Yue were mortals, they received the devotion of the people and the incense offerings at the Shrine of Ten Thousand Families. This, too, was influenced by Senior Wandering Man’s teachings. I only hope that you and those who come after will never forget this." ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com

"Yes!"

Li Yufu solemnly bowed deeply. "I will remember Senior Uncle’s teachings."

Jingtian hurriedly followed suit.

Qin Sang observed the two disciples before him and nodded inwardly. Li Yufu was not only intelligent but also of good character.

Although he had been staying in the Grandmaster Hall, his spiritual consciousness had been covering Qingyang Hall the entire time, silently observing the master and disciple’s actions.

Over the course of the day, he felt as if he had returned to the past.

The people who came to Qingyang Hall for treatment were all from the surrounding area. Despite Li Yufu’s young age, no one looked down on him. On the contrary, he was treated with great respect.

Regardless of a patient's wealth or status, Li Yufu and Jingtian treated them all equally.

If a patient could not afford the consultation fee and requested to put it on credit, Li Yufu never showed the slightest impatience. His account book was not as thick as Daoist Master Jixin’s had been, but it had already accumulated a fair amount.

Every action of his was sincere, without pretense.

If it weren’t for the teachings of Daoist Master Jixin and Ming Yue, he would not have been able to conduct himself this way.

If it had all been an act, Qin Sang’s discerning eyes would have seen through it instantly. Even if Li Yufu had a deep mind, a child like Jingtian could never have feigned such behavior so perfectly.

Daoist Master Jixin and Ming Yue had worthy successors!

Qin Sang felt deeply gratified.

At the same time, he also noticed something else—the way Li Yufu and Jingtian looked at him. Beneath their gazes lay a hidden anticipation and nervousness.

He was very familiar with that look.

Before he had encountered the cultivation world, he, too, had gazed at cultivators with the same yearning.

"Stretch out your hands. Let me see your aptitude..." Qin Sang finally said.

Out of gratitude for Daoist Master Jixin and Ming Yue, he was willing to lend these two a hand if they had the talent for cultivation.

However, deep down, Qin Sang knew the chances were slim. Even among the three great families of the imperial capital, not a single descendant had been born with a spiritual root. That was the norm.

Li Yufu’s face lit up with joy as he hastily extended his arm. Jingtian, still somewhat confused, nonetheless understood that this was undoubtedly something good and followed suit.

"Hmm?"

Qin Sang placed his fingers on Li Yufu’s wrist and let out a soft exclamation. His gaze flickered with surprise as he glanced at Li Yufu before placing his hand on Jingtian’s wrist as well. After carefully examining both, he fell into deep thought.

The master and disciple dared not interrupt, watching Qin Sang anxiously.

This discovery was indeed unexpected for Qin Sang. He had not anticipated that Li Yufu possessed a spiritual root, and not just any—a top-grade dual water-wood spiritual root!

It was an innate talent on par with Senior Sister Shi Hong’s!

Unfortunately, Jingtian lacked a spiritual root and was incapable of cultivation.

While assessing their talents, Qin Sang also checked Li Yufu’s bone age—twenty-five years old.

Starting the immortal path at this age seemed a bit late, but with his dual spiritual roots, as long as he cultivated diligently and avoided detours, he still had a fair chance of reaching the Foundation Building Realm.

Qin Sang had the qualifications to arrange for Li Yufu to join Shaohua Mountain, but there were two concerns.

Firstly, Qin Sang himself was still struggling at the Foundation Building Realm, constantly on the move. His ability to provide guidance was limited—at best, he could only ensure that Li Yufu would have a safe and stable environment to cultivate without being bullied.

Secondly, considering the lineage, Li Yufu had a clear master-disciple connection to Wandering Man. If Qin Sang directly introduced him to Shaohua Mountain, it would feel like overstepping his bounds.

Qin Sang then recalled a past moment at Yinshan Stronghold, when Wandering Man had sighed over Tan Hao’s brotherly bond. His tone had carried a peculiar undertone—could it be that he had thought of Daoist Master Jixin and once again developed the idea of accepting a disciple?

If Wandering Man truly wished to take on a disciple, Li Yufu would be the perfect choice!

With that thought, Qin Sang made up his mind.

He first instructed Li Yufu to send Jingtian out to rest before revealing the truth to him.

Li Yufu was, of course, overjoyed upon learning the truth, but there was also a hint of concern in his eyes. Unable to suppress his thoughts, he asked, "Senior Uncle, is Jingtian truly unable to cultivate alongside me?"

Qin Sang let out a soft sigh. "Without a spiritual root, one cannot cultivate immortality. This is the cruel reality of the Heavenly Dao."

For a moment, Li Yufu felt torn between joy and sorrow. But when he realized that Qin Sang was not going to take him as a direct disciple, disappointment surged in his heart.

Qin Sang explained, "I will leave you with a cultivation art and a few defensive artifacts. Stay at Cuiming Mountain and cultivate on your own for now. Once I consult with Senior Wandering Man, if he is willing to guide you personally, he will come to take you into the immortal sect. Senior Wandering Man’s sect, Taiyi Core Sect, is one of the strongest righteous sects in the cultivation world. If you can enter Taiyi Core Sect, it would be an immense blessing."

Until the sixth stage of the Qi Refining Realm, the requirements for absorbing spiritual qi were not too stringent.

Cuiming Mountain, blessed with an abundance of natural energy, was a well-balanced land with excellent fengshui, fully capable of supporting Li Yufu’s early cultivation needs.

"However..."

Qin Sang’s tone suddenly grew serious. "But before that, I have one requirement that you must fulfill."

Li Yufu’s expression tensed, and he immediately responded with a solemn bow, "Please instruct me, Senior Uncle."

Qin Sang was pleased with Li Yufu’s attitude and nodded. "Once you step onto the immortal path, you must sever worldly attachments. However, before you begin your cultivation, you must pass down the legacy of Qingyang Temple. This is a responsibility you cannot shirk. Jingtian has a good heart—you must guide him well and ensure that the Daoist tradition of the mortal world does not fade away."

The Qingyang Temple lineage had started with Wandering Man, but it was Daoist Master Jixin who truly carried forth the ideals of the temple. For so many years, he and Ming Yue had poured their lifelong efforts into it.

To see it perish without successors would be a great loss!