Chapter 22: Direction of Cultivation (Part 2)

  No matter how Lin Qiulü considered the issue, Qin Yifan himself still maintained his own habits, returning to the edge of Quan Yin Lake, sitting down and practicing while thinking about his own path.

  For now, it's indeed impossible to absorb this yin evil energy. Moreover, although I want to step into the threshold of cultivation, to be honest, until now, apart from making some gains in nourishing my qi, other aspects are still unclear.

  Cultivation is not just about talking, no one can lead you to the door, and wanting to find your way in by yourself is not something that can be achieved with just a few words. Even the founders of Buddhism and Taoism spent their entire lives exhausting their minds and hearts to reach their goals. Qin Yifan didn't have any special expectations for achieving enlightenment overnight. Just like the principles of martial arts, wanting to rush will only lead to failure, this is true everywhere.

  Fortunately, for the time being, I can focus on reaching a certain state without distractions. For now, it's best to concentrate on tempering and sharpening my skills with that old fellow in the lake. As for other things, they can be put aside until this matter is settled. A meal should be eaten one mouthful at a time, and tasks should be done one by one.

  Zhang Chong, who pointed at the Dan Ding Gate, was also just a temporary excitement, and in his heart, he still had the idea of observing their school's Taoist methods from the side, not to say that he deliberately wanted to lead them astray. Anyway, they were originally here to verify whether the yin evil energy can be absorbed and refined, this method is not wrong, even if it's a good intention with bad consequences, Qin Yifan won't have any psychological burden.

  But Lin Qiulü was different, first she practiced flying swords and also served as her own guard. Although neither her sect nor herself had a direct relationship with Qin Yifan, the one who sent her was His Majesty the Emperor, so he had to take care of her. Therefore, he did not directly remind her what to do, but let her judge for herself. When Lin Qiulü needed her own reference, she also told her the truth without hesitation.

  Lin Qiulü had her own considerations, and Qin Yifan also began to plan his own goals. Zhang Chong and the others left, but it was unknown whether they would report the true circumstances of what happened here to their sect, or whether their gains might attract the attention of people in their sect. Although they were all cultivators, it wasn't certain that they had completely reached a state of no desires or demands, perhaps they would also conceal things for themselves and monopolize the benefits here.

  But who can make sense of these, Qin Yifan could only make the worst plan. He is not afraid that there are many people coming to practice here, the more the better, he also has more people to observe and learn from. It's just that, too many people come, maybe they will join forces against the old brother in the lake, that would be troublesome.

  Lin Qiulü once said that many cultivators want to capture the soul of a living demon and seal it into a weapon, making it a spirit artifact. If this is true, then after knowing there's a demon in the lake, more and more people will have such thoughts. Although Brother Lake has incredible strength, he can't withstand the appearance of top-level figures, which would be dangerous.

  It had been two days since Lin Qiulü hadn't come over, which was strange. Finally, on a certain evening, he saw her return to the inn from outside, with a look of exhaustion all over her face. Qin Yifan didn't know what she was doing, but still couldn't help asking: "Have you figured it out?"

  "Uh-huh!" Lin Qiulü nodded with great confidence. Qin Yifan only then discovered that the determination in Lin Qiulü's eyes seemed to have confirmed a certain direction. Although her face was not very clear under the disguise, it was obvious that she no longer had the same confusion as the previous few days.

  "Let's take a look." Qin Yifan also became interested.

  "I've decided to learn from you." Lin Qiulü was also frank: "Completely adapt to this place, completely adapt to the aura of cruelty and killing, and then start improving my cultivation or consider other things." Her eyes flashed with an unprecedented sense of ease and determination once again: "I believe that by then, nothing will be able to bother me anymore."

  She nodded slightly, and Qin Yifan didn't say much: "Let's eat!" At least in terms of recognizing direction, he still appreciated Lin Qiulü. This girl could become the best among Feng Wei, not without reason.

  There was something that made him very curious, but Qin Yifan didn't ask. According to Lin Qiulü's words, it seemed that Zhang Chong and Li Song were not much older than them in age, but in fact their ages were at least three times that of Qin Yifan. And now Lin Qiulü was as beautiful as a flower, how old was she actually?

  The hardships of a cultivator on the path of cultivation are not inferior to those of a martial artist. At least from the beginning of contact with the gate of cultivation to a glimpse of the doorway, it is impossible without decades of hard work. Unlike martial arts, even if a martial artist has poor talent, they can still make a name for themselves in the Jianghu after practicing diligently for over a decade. With 20-30 years of true skill, one can truly make a name for oneself in the Jianghu.

  In this regard, the cultivators who start practicing will never catch up with those who practice martial arts. Not to mention others, just tempering one's own flying sword is unknown how much effort it takes, and before the flying sword is formed, it is impossible to use it to harm people. Decades of hard work are not as good as a dozen years of work, which is also the reason why cultivators are far less than martial artists.

  Moreover, it's not that practicing Taoist cultivation will necessarily lead to achievements. Those who can enter the door are extremely rare, and whoever is let out can be considered a one-in-a-million talent. It's precisely because of this difficulty that ordinary people rarely get to see the true appearance of those who practice Taoist cultivation. If it weren't so difficult, then with all the monks and Taoists in the world, they would have become gods and Buddhas flying everywhere long ago.

  But the practitioners of Taoism still have their own advantages. As long as they pass the entrance, the next step is to deepen their cultivation, improve their realm, and their lifespan will also become longer with the deepening of their skills. If nothing unexpected happens, theoretically, it can reach the peak. However, there are too many variables in between, and those who can achieve immortality and enlightenment are still a minority.

  Moreover, one of the benefits of cultivating the Tao is to prolong one's lifespan, especially for women. Although it's not possible to say that they will live forever, maintaining a youthful appearance is not just a myth. Lin Qiulü looks young and beautiful, with a smile as bright as a flower, but Qin Yifan really doesn't know whether her appearance reflects her true age or not. Strangely, no matter who asks this question, it always makes the other person uncomfortable.