Chen Mu met Bai Shou again half a month later.
Halfway up Mei Mountain, beside the window of a hanging stilt tower, Chen Mu and Bai Shou sat facing each other.
Seeing the other's rosy complexion, Chen Mu cupped his hands and congratulated, "Congratulations, Daoist friend, on your successful cultivation."
"It's all thanks to your good fortune," Bai Shou waved his hand, leaned forward, and personally poured a cup of green tea for Chen Mu.
"This is the Bai Family's unique Green Needle Tea, which takes nine years to produce half a pound. It can nourish the Superior Fetal Spirit, with remarkable effects," he said with a beaming smile.
"Is it truly such a treasure?" Chen Mu expressed surprise.
"The Henglian Mountain Range extends for hundreds of thousands of miles, with demons and ghosts emerging constantly. The Holy Heart Institute's various passes are far apart, lacking Dao Foundation masters like you to guard them."
"This recommendation has indeed brought me many benefits," Bai Shou explained with a smile.
"Then pour me another cup," Chen Mu immediately drank the Green Needle Tea in his cup.
Bai Shou gleefully poured the tea, appearing indifferent.
Feeling the clarity rising in his mind, Chen Mu's eyes lit up.
The effect, even better than the Nourishing Spirit Wine by three parts!
"Why don't you share a bit of your tea leaves with me?"
Bai Shou's eye twitched, thinking of the Heart Nourishing Pill from the Holy Heart Institute, he gritted his teeth and nodded.
That Elixir Pill could greatly advance his cultivation in a short time, a few tea leaves...
"It would be even better if you could break off a few tea branches or dig up some roots," Chen Mu chuckled.
Are you thinking of transplanting the tea tree?
Bai Shou glanced at Chen Mu expressionlessly, as if he hadn't heard anything.
Chen Mu shook his head regretfully.
This extortion can only go so far.
Deep in the Henglian Mountain, a stream flowed with a splash, the stones were smooth and rounded from erosion.
At a certain moment, it seemed a large fish was rapidly swimming underwater, causing a sudden splash of water on the surface.
Three to five meters above the ground, a beautiful Earth Traveling Carriage, as large as two bedrooms, swiftly flew through the air.
The carriage was equipped with forbidden laws on its top cover and surrounding columns. Chen Mu sat inside, feeling serene and stable, completely unaware of the wind facing him.
"I gave up some Bai Family Village resources to shorten your contract term; you only need to serve for fifteen years," Bai Shou, sitting opposite Chen Mu, leisurely spoke, sipping Green Needle Tea.
"But it's ultimately a life-or-death contract. You can change your mind before reaching Thunder Storage Creek. Once signed, you'll have to bear the consequences yourself."
"If any grievances arise one day, don't say the Bai Family tricked you," he said solemnly.
"Fifteen years, huh," Chen Mu pretended to hesitate, "If one doesn't follow the orders..."
"It will surely bring about Luofu Daoist Ancestor's Yin Fire Burning Heart!" Bai Shou's face turned solemn.
Yin Fire Burning Heart?
Can it compare to Five Thunders Bombarding?
With the Nine-Life Tribulation Splitting Technique and his Dao Foundation Perfection, the backlash from the Thousand Mechanisms Sect contract could only make his hair stand slightly at this point.
Yin Fire Burning Heart?
He was unconcerned, but his facial expression changed unpredictably. Sometimes helpless, sometimes worried, sometimes unwilling, and sometimes resolute.
"To live for Dao, to die for Dao, I sign this contract!" Gritting his teeth for a long time, Chen Cai seemed to make a great decision, speaking with a fierce face.
"Our Bai Family ancestors also served as Dao soldiers for the Yellow Springs Sect in Thunder State, and recorded numerous dangerous situations in the handbooks left for descendants."
"But for the sake of advancing the Dao, the contract had to be signed regardless, how can that be solved," Bai Shou sighed in compassion.
Daoist friend, knowing my future is uncertain, how about supporting with one or two sections of Green Needle Tea roots?
Alas, such a shame...
Even my performance couldn't deceive this old man.
Central area of the Henglian Mountain, Thunder Storage Creek.
Mist shrouded the peaks on both sides, while the canyon below twisted and deepened, as if a swimming dragon were lurking within.
Occasional flashes of lightning and rumbling echoes rose and fell throughout the gorge.
This is the gate of the Holy Heart Lower Institute of the Yellow Springs Sect.
Despite Chen Mu and Bai Shou's Daoist Foundation Cultivation, they had to fly for more than ten days to reach this place.
Dragon Head Peak, the highest peak of Thunder Storage Creek, the Holy Heart Hall of the Holy Heart Institute is at its summit.
Chen Mu followed Bai Shou into the spacious great hall.
A portrait hung on the facing wall, depicting an armor-clad deity sitting cross-legged on a white cloud, holding a copper mirror.
Below the portrait at the offering table, a dry, yellow-haired old man sat meditating on a mat.
Upon hearing Chen Mu and Bai Shou enter the hall, he immediately opened his eyes and stood up.
He scrutinized Chen Mu, and his face showed a satisfied smile, "Is it Daoist Friend Chen from the Thousand Mechanisms Sect? I am Luo Ding, temporarily in charge of the Holy Heart Lower Institute of the Yellow Springs Sect."
Meeting his eyes, Chen Mu was startled.
This old man, though seemingly ordinary, caused him to unknowingly tense up, as though facing a terrifying demon.
"Greetings to Sir Luodu Academy!" Chen Mu dared not be negligent, hurriedly following Bai Shou's respectful salute.
No wonder he's been creating artifacts for years, nearly achieving True Form of Heavenly Demon mastery. Even with such a calm appearance, he couldn't hide his fierce core.
"Daoist friend, do you truly wish to join our Holy Heart Institute?" Luo Ding asked with a smile, "The Yellow Springs Sect and Thousand Mechanisms Sect have always been on good terms. If you are unwilling, our Holy Heart Institute can help you return to Thunder State Thousand Mechanisms Sect."
"I won't hide from the academy master, currently Outer Heaven is being invaded by demons, the group of Heavenly Star isn't chaotic. Returning now seems too dangerous," Chen Mu openly admitted, "Staying at the Yizhou Holy Heart Lower Institute is actually safer."
"You are straightforward."
"Your choice is correct. Recently, observing the Heavenly Stars at night, more than half of the Heavenly Star group dimmed, the mess there is feared to be significant."
More than half dimmed?
So many stars have been occupied by Nether Demon Heaven?
Chen Mu was also shocked.
He had previously suspected, not solely the Fire Dao Star suffered, but didn't imagine it involved so many star groups.
"Have you decided?" Luo Ding asked seriously again.
"In the future, I hope the academy will take care," Chen Mu respectfully clasped his fists.
Luo Ding heard this and produced a forearm-sized jade scroll with a flip of his hand.
"Our Holy Heart Institute mainly cultivates the Heavenly Demon Reincarnation Technique, but it belongs to the Qi Refining Orthodox Yellow Springs Sect. There is no shortage of Qi Refinement Secret Techniques in the sect, and there are Spirit Treasure Secret Scrolls that you need."
"Once you sign this contract in front of Luofu Daoist Ancestor, you can choose any magic formulas and scripture scrolls from the Scripture House," Luo Ding said as he handed the jade scroll to Chen Mu.
Chen Mu hesitated not.
Immediately, he channelled mana and left an imprint at the end of the jade scroll.
"Not looking closely?" Luo Ding raised an eyebrow, "Aren't you afraid I'll set traps in the contract?"
With Nine-Life Tribulation Splitting Technique, if you set traps, I'll surely surprise you when the time comes.
"I trust the academy master!" Chen Mu's face was sincerely solemn.
Luo Ding nodded, his expression growing increasingly kind.
Reciting incantations, burning the contract, Luo Ding personally presided, a series of processes were swiftly completed, and Chen Mu smoothly became a member of the Holy Heart Institute.
Early in the morning, Chen Mu went to the back mountain of Dragon Head Peak in Thunder Storage Creek.
After winding through twists and turns, he arrived at a gray small building.
This is the Holy Heart Institute's Scripture House.
"Having high Dao prowess makes all the difference."
"Previously at the Thousand Mechanisms Sect as a Dao soldier, wanting the Dao Foundation Atlas required painstakingly accumulating Daoist Cultivation to exchange."
"Not like now, as long as you arrive, you immediately receive a Spirit Treasure Creation Secret Scroll." Chen Mu gleefully walked into the wooden building.
Upon entering, he instantly found himself in a spacious hall seven to eight meters high, his view filled with rows of bookshelves.
Thousand Miles Household Technique?
Chen Mu thought of the refined appearance of the outside world building and understood.
However, setting such a grand forbidden law within that small wooden building, the craftsmanship and expense must be considerable.
"No wonder it's the Yellow Springs Sect's lower institute, truly imposing." Chen Mu inwardly admired.
With such depth, those Spirit Treasure Secret Scrolls must be extraordinary.
Came to the right place!