I use my future dreams to prove immortality.

Chapter 12 Frost Ghost

Zhou Qiuyuan didn't see the familiar old man on the recliner, so he asked, "Where is Master?"

"My master had a couple of extra drinks with me last night, and with the weather turning cooler, his old ailment has flared up again. He is currently resting in the side room."

"I'll take you to see Master now." Luo Tong led the way, and Zhou Qiuyuan followed him to the back room.

The three courtyards have quite large side rooms, and there are also artificial hills and gardens in the courtyard. It was late autumn, and the flowers and leaves had withered, and the bare branches were devoid of green.

Land prices in the north of the city are much higher than in the west. A three-courtyard house is not cheap, not to mention that the master also has a top-grade lightning spirit tool worth a thousand taels of gold, which shows that his family is very wealthy.

The doors and windows of the central room were tightly closed, and a muffled coughing sound came from inside, as if there was thick phlegm stuck in the throat that could not be coughed up.

Luo Tong stepped forward and pushed open the door, and a strong smell of medicine immediately entered his nostrils.

Inside the room, Wei Jin rested his head on the beautiful woman's lap, drinking the medicinal soup she thoughtfully fed him.

When he saw Zhou Qiuyuan arrive, a smile appeared on his face. "Qiuyuan, you've come!"

"Master, this is the tuition fee for becoming a disciple. Please accept it." Zhou Qiuyuan took out the prepared tuition fee of 20,000 coins, held it with both hands, and respectfully handed it over.

"Thank you for your kindness." Qiu Niang put down the medicine bowl after receiving a signal from Wei Jin.

"Master's wife." Zhou Qiuyuan respectfully handed over the money.

Wei Jin coughed twice before continuing, "After mastering the Thunder Breathing Technique and refining the Yang Thunder Lungs, the next step is body tempering."

"The Body Tempering Realm requires the power of Yang Lightning to cleanse the marrow and transform the body, at which point one is no longer an ordinary person. Once the transformation is complete, even without a Lightning Spirit Tool and unable to unleash the power of the Immortal Path, one will still have the strength to fight a fierce tiger."

"Qiu Yuan, your talent is extremely high, but unfortunately your physical condition is too poor. Once you start Yang Lei tempering your body, your height will stop growing after being stimulated, and your short and weak body will be weaker than other body cultivators of the same level."

"The core of a body cultivator lies in body refinement. One must cultivate an unparalleled physique. The body is of utmost importance. After returning, find a way to nourish yourself through diet and make up for your shortcomings as soon as possible."

Wei Jin was very satisfied with the talent of his newly accepted disciple. Feeling that his days were numbered, he thought this child might be his last disciple, so he gave him extra detailed instructions.

Zhou Qiuyuan's family barely managed to feed themselves. Their staple food consisted of stale grains and bran with a strong rotten smell, which were difficult to swallow. He suffered from long-term malnutrition and was half a head shorter than his two senior brothers.

"I will follow my master's teachings."

With money, it wouldn't be difficult for Zhou Qiuyuan to improve his living conditions; the key was to improve his health so he wouldn't falter at crucial moments.

"I am unwell, so your senior brother will be in charge of teaching and answering my questions during this period."

"Master, please rest assured and focus on your recovery," Luo Tong said solemnly. "I will do my best to guide Junior Brother Zhou through his difficulties."

"Cough, I'm feeling tired, you may all leave!"

"Master, you must take care of your health and rest well." Zhou Qiuyuan bowed to Wei Jin before leaving with Luo Tong.

After leaving the room, Zhou Qiuyuan asked Luo Tong the question that had been bothering him, "Why is Master so ill?"

Those who cultivate their bodies are physically strong, and ordinary colds have little effect on them. My master is over fifty years old and still quite vigorous; how could he be defeated by a cold?

Luo Tong turned his head to look in the direction of the side room, and sighed softly, saying, "My master's family used to run a security escort agency, traveling between Black Swamp Market and other cultivation markets."

"Ten years ago, my master encountered a frost demon while escorting a caravan, and all his companions died... My master escaped by chance, but he has never been able to completely eradicate the evil energy of the frost demon from his lungs. Every winter, his old illness would relapse, and this year it flared up particularly early."

As the eldest disciple, he followed Wei Jin for the longest time and understood the ins and outs of the matter.

"Frost Demon?" Zhou Qiuyuan exclaimed in surprise, having never heard such a name before. "Could this be the monster from the darkness?"

"This is a strange creature that appeared after the cataclysmic changes in the world. Its origin is unknown. The Frost Demon's strength is far beyond that of beasts transformed from animals. It can create frost and freezing air that affects a range of thirty feet. If an ordinary person is in it, he will turn into an ice sculpture in less than three breaths."

"If we were to compare it to cultivators, it would probably be the strength of a cultivator in the mid-to-late stages of Qi Refining."

"My master is a late-stage Vajra Realm expert, whose strength is comparable to a cultivator in the early stage of Qi Refining. His Yang Thunder power is somewhat effective against Frost Demon, and coupled with his speed, he was able to escape successfully."

"This is a long story, I'll tell you the details another time."

Luo Tong spoke briefly, then dropped the matter and began to offer guidance on cultivation.

"In the path of cultivation, a solid foundation is paramount. The Thunder Blade is a fourth-grade thunder spirit tool, far more domineering than low-grade thunder spirit tools, and it brings a heavier burden."

"When you are cultivating, you must not be too hasty. Once you have mastered the Thunder Breathing Technique to the point where you can breathe at will, then supplement your cultivation with the Thunder Blade."

After their conversation, it was time for their meal.

Because of the tuition fee, the sect provided a meal. The strong servants in the kitchen brought a large bowl of lotus root stew with meat, which was quite oily, and unlimited steamed buns made of coarse grains.

The food was delicious, and Zhou Qiuyuan ate six steamed buns the size of an adult's fist in one meal.

It's a pity they only provide one meal. If they provided three meals a day, Zhou Qiuyuan would definitely find a way to get his tuition back...

The use of the Thunder Blade was divided into three periods, with the three people taking turns using it for one hour each, according to their seniority.

Lu Chengping, the second senior brother, entered the sect three years earlier than Zhou Qiuyuan and had already reached the Body Tempering Realm. When he absorbed Qi, a faint rumbling sound rang out within his body, and the power of thunder surging into his body far exceeded that of Luo Tong, who was at the same level.

As the setting sun shifted, it was finally Zhou Qiuyuan's turn to use the Thunder Blade.

He carefully took out a Breath Protection Pill and swallowed it. As the medicine dissolved, a cool sensation came from his slightly uncomfortable breathing passage, which felt very comfortable.

After practicing for more than two hours, Zhou Qiuyuan became more proficient in the Thunder Breathing Technique. He communicated with the patterns on the Thunder Blade through his mind and immediately felt dozens of purple thunder spirit roots connecting to his lungs.

The Thunder Spirit Roots curled up dozens of purple light spots representing Thunder Spirit Power, which surged into the lungs following the suction force generated by the Thunder Breathing Technique.

With the protection of the Breath-Protecting Pill, he experienced no discomfort as a far greater amount of lightning spiritual energy passed through his airways and lungs than before.

As expected of a pill specially prepared for the breathing technique!

Zhou Qiuyuan did his best to connect with the Thunder Blade, trying to communicate more thunder spirit power.

After many attempts, he discovered that the number of Thunder Spirit Roots depends on the combination of Thunder Spirit Tools, consciousness, and the Thunder Breathing Technique.

Each optimization and adjustment improves the efficiency of gas absorption.

Unbeknownst to him, he had ninety-nine lightning spirit roots that he could communicate with. This seemed to be a limit, and Zhou Qiuyuan tried many times but could not cross it for the time being.

Lu Chengping looked at Zhou Qiuyuan, who was sitting cross-legged and breathing, and seemed to sense that the ninety-nine Thunder Spirit Roots were drawing Thunder Spirit Power from heaven and earth.

Such a speed of cultivation is truly astonishing. If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would never have believed that this person had only become a disciple yesterday.

There is a sky outside the sky, and there are people outside the world.

Lu Chengping looked at the Thunder Blade, his fist clenched and then slowly relaxed. Without saying a word, he strode away from the courtyard.