Divine Transcendence

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"Guidance is naturally no issue, but these are the secret teachings of our Xuanhua Sect’s ancestors, not to be lightly shared with others," Xuanhua spoke slowly, his words seemingly pointed.

"Understands. I have some savings and am willing to donate five hundred spirit stones to repair the Xuanhua Sect’s temple. Please accept this gesture," Yuan Ming said as he took out a storage device and handed it over.

"Spirit stones are not necessary. I have another matter to request, which would benefit us both. Should you agree, I am willing to impart the incense-making heritage of the Xuanhua Sect’s ancestors, as well as my life’s knowledge of incense crafting,"Xuanhua did not accept the storage device, instead gazing at Yuan Ming with an eager look.

"What would you have me do?" Yuan Ming, seeing Xuanhua peculiar expression and unsure of what he might ask, spoke with deliberate vagueness.

"Your talent in the art of incense is astonishing, Yuan Ming. Would you be interested in joining the Xuanhua Sect to focus on mastering the art of incense? With your aptitude and our sect’s support, within fifty years, you could become a grandmaster of incense," Xuanhua said solemnly, his sincerity evident at a glance.

"Join the Xuanhua Sect?" Yuan Ming’s brows slowly furrowed, clearly reluctant.

"Do not misunderstand, Yuan Ming. I invite you to join not as a disciple, but as a peer. Although our sect is not large, we have resources, especially in the field of incense research, which is profound. There are few in the Yue Kingdom who can compare. Should you join, everything in our sect, including all types of incense materials and records, will be at your disposal,"Xuanhua urged with a hint of urgency.

Yuan Ming, hearing that he could freely access any text, thought of the beast-skin secret manual and was tempted, but ultimately shook his head, saying, "Thank you for your kind offer, but I prefer my freedom, unencumbered by sect obligations."

"Do not worry, Yuan Ming. If you join our sect, you can ignore all trivial matters and focus solely on the art of incense. I will handle all the daily affairs of the Xuanhua Sect and will not trouble you," Xuanhua persisted, still trying to persuade him.

A talent like Yuan Ming in the art of incense comes once in hundreds of years. If he could be brought under the Xuanhua Sect’s wing, its future would be assured.

"There’s no need to continue, I will not join any sect at this time, please understand," Yuan Ming said with unwavering resolve.

Having just experienced the destruction of the Biluo Cave, he now only wished to cultivate in solitude, with no desire to join a sect at this critical juncture.

Seeing Yuan Ming’s firm stance, Xuanhua knew further persuasion was futile and might even cause annoyance, so he ceased his efforts.

"I am willing to offer an additional three hundred spirit stones to your sect in exchange for some guidance in incense crafting. Would that be possible?" Yuan Ming made one last attempt.

"Our Xuanhua Sect may be small, but we have some spirit stones; there’s no need,"Xuanhua replied.

Yuan Ming felt a tinge of disappointment but didn’t mind too much. With the Heaven-Stealing Cauldron, he could possess Xuanhua at any time to secretly learn the essence of incense crafting. Lacking direct guidance was not a concern.

"Exchanging insights on the incense crafting passed down by our sect’s ancestors is certainly possible. Since you’re interested, we can learn from each other," to Yuan Ming’s surprise,Xuanhua continued.

Yuan Ming was momentarily stunned, forgetting to respond. "The most important aspect of spiritual incense is the ’spirit,’ and then comes the ’incense,’" Xuanhua said, not waiting for a reply.

"What do you mean by that? Could you please clarify?" Yuan Ming, puzzled by the deeper meaning, listened intently and inquired.

"Spiritual incense, like all living beings, is a product of the five elements. Each type of spiritual incense contains materials representing the attributes of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, which form the foundation of a stick of incense. Only then do you add other materials before finally condensing it into spiritual incense," Xuanhua explained.

Yuan Ming nodded repeatedly, gaining some clarity on his previous doubts about incense crafting. "In making spiritual incense, avoid rigidity. Each cultivator’s spiritual root and constitution are different. Even for the same type of incense, you must adjust the ratio of the five materials according to the individual’s condition for the best effect,"Xuanhua continued.

Although Yuan Ming did not agree to join the Xuanhua Sect, Xuanhua did not withhold any secrets, imparting all his knowledge of incense crafting. Time quickly passed, and half a day had gone by.

In just half a day, Yuan Ming’s understanding of spiritual incense had deepened significantly, and combined with his previous experience, his insight into the art of incense grew more profound. "Xuanhua, I’ve heard that there’s a Foundation Establishment spiritual incense within the Xuanhua Sect that can increase the success rate of Foundation Establishment. Is this true?" Yuan Ming inquired.

Xuanhua showed a look of surprise upon hearing this: "Foundation Establishment spiritual incense is not shared with outsiders; it is our sect’s greatest secret. Even our own disciples do not know of it. How did you come to learn about this?"

"A senior who guided me in the art of incense told me to seek it here, to use this incense to break through the Foundation Establishment phase," Yuan Ming fabricated.

"That senior said..."Xuanhua’s expression changed slightly. With Yuan Ming’s astonishing achievements in the art of incense, Xuanhua firmly believed he had guidance from a master. With this preconception, he did not doubt Yuan Ming’s words and speculated whether that master had a connection with the Xuanhua Sect.

"Since that senior has spoken, I will not deceive you. Our sect indeed has the formula for Foundation Establishment spiritual incense. To be honest, I also wish to use this incense to advance to Foundation Establishment. However, this incense requires a combination with Foundation Establishment pills to be effective, and the difficulty of its crafting is quite high, far beyond that of ordinary incense. The materials required are also exceptionally rare, and I have yet to gather them all, let alone produce it," Xuanhua shook his head and sighed.

"What materials are you still lacking?" Yuan Ming pressed, thinking to himself that it was no wonder the Foundation Establishment incense was not as widely circulated as the Foundation Establishment pills; the difficulty of crafting it seemed to rival that of the pills, with many restrictions.

"I have gathered most of the other materials; currently, I am only missing a main water-attributed material," Xuanhua replied.

"I have found out that the White Dragon Commerce on White Dragon Island recently acquired this material, but unfortunately, they are unwilling to sell it," Xuanhua added after a moment’s thought.

"Could you tell me the name of the material? Perhaps I can find a way to persuade them to part with some," Yuan Ming said upon hearing this.

Before Xuanhua could speak, a knocking sound interrupted their conversation. "Come in," Xuanhua said.

The door opened, and a fair-skinned young attendant hurried in, seemingly having run all the way, now gasping for breath.

"Why are you in such a panic?" Xuanhua asked sternly.

"Has someone from White Dragon Island come." the fair-skinned attendant glanced at Yuan Ming before speaking. "Didn’t we already clearly refuse them a few days ago? Why have they come again?" Xuanhua frowned. The attendant bowed his head, remaining silent.

Yuan Ming’s expression shifted; they had just been discussing White Dragon Island, and now someone from there had come knocking, quite the coincidence.

But the visitor likely had ill intentions, which explained why the attendant had been so wary when Yuan Ming had arrived.

"Yuan Ming, there are some matters within the sect that I need to attend to. Please wait here for a moment," Xuanhua said as he turned to Yuan Ming.

"Please, Xuanhua, go ahead," Yuan Ming nodded.

"Stay here and attend to our guest,"Xuanhua instructed the attendant before quickly leaving. Yuan Ming sat down at a table inside the room and asked, "Is there any tea?"

"Please wait a moment, senior; I’ll fetch some right away," the fair-skinned attendant replied before hurrying out.

Yuan Ming took this opportunity to collect a small amount of incense ash from a nearby incense burner and stashed it away, also slipping a few spirit stones into the burner.

The incense ash he had obtained from the Liuxin Sect had already been used up. Although the Xuanhua Sect was not as large as the Liuxin Sect, it was still a sect, and there were many disciples offering incense to the ancestors daily. This incense ash was worth a try.

***

Unnoticed by the bustling attendant, a black soul crow followed closely behind him and flew silently towards the front courtyard of the Xuanhua Sect, quickly landing on a large tree near the front hall.

From here, one could see the guest hall in the front courtyard of the Xuanhua Sect, where a middle-aged man in black sat, with thick eyebrows and sharp eyes, exuding an unapproachable aura. His cultivation was profound and inscrutable; even through the soul crow, Yuan Ming could not see through him, indicating he was likely at the Foundation Establishment stage.

The man’s attire was identical to that of the White Dragon young master who had died in Black Rock City, suggesting he was also an elder of White Dragon Island.

At that moment, the fair-skinned attendant returned with a steaming teapot and cup, pouring a drink for Yuan Ming.

"This is our sect’s Green Dew Tea. Although it’s not a spiritual tea, it has a fine flavor. Please, senior, have a taste," the fair-skinned attendant said dutifully.

Yuan Ming took a sip from the cup, nodded, and asked, "What’s your name?"

"Reporting to senior, my name is Kong Bing," the fair-skinned attendant replied respectfully.

"Kong Bing, a fine name. Tell me, what does White Dragon Island want with the Xuanhua Sect?" Yuan Ming inquired.

"It seems they wish to discuss a business deal with my master. I’m not very clear on the details; my master doesn’t allow us to inquire about such matters," the fair-skinned attendant said, lowering his gaze. Yuan Ming smiled; despite his young age, the attendant was quite astute, effectively blocking any further questioning.

Fortunately, with the soul crow to investigate, Yuan Ming would soon learn the purpose of the black-clothed man.

Xuanhua soon arrived at the front hall and, seeing the black-clothed man, said in a deep voice, "Elder Bai, I have already made it clear to you. The incense crafting scriptures are the foundation of our sect and cannot be sold. Please leave. If you persist, I will have to report this matter to the Tieyun Sect for them to handle."

Tieyun Sect was one of the major sects in the eastern domain, and Ning City was under its protection.

"Hehe, Xuanhua, why get angry? Just nod, and this piece of Tianshui glue, along with two thousand spirit stones, will be yours, I heard you went to the White Dragon Commerce a few days ago seeking Tianshui glue; I have brought it with me." the black-clothed man chuckled, placing a white jade box and a storage bag on the table.

He opened the box, and a faint chill spread out. There’s no deal that can’t be made in this world; it all depends on whether the buyer is willing to pay the price.. Inside the box lay an egg-sized, crystal-clear white gel, and the moisture in the room seemed to thicken. Xuanhua visibly swallowed at the sight.

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