"Master, what should I do?" Ji Fuyao turned her delicate, fair face toward Lu Xuan, her eyes swirling with concern.

Lu Xuan, sprawled on the large rock, replied lazily, "No worries. Just pretend this place is Azure Mystery Peak. Cultivate as you normally would."

"Oh," Ji Fuyao murmured.

She looked at his relaxed, sprawling form and felt a sudden flash of enlightenment. Wait a minute. Her Master was guiding her again!

For the past few days, she had been cultivating by the river, but the presence of the Sect Master and two Great Emperor-level Old Ancestors had kept her mind from settling. How could one cultivate with a restless heart?

Her Master’s instruction was simple: maintain a sense of normalcy. If her heart was calm, any place was Azure Mystery Peak. Even the massive rock he was lying on was just his recliner, a symbol of his profound detachment.

She sighed internally, realizing her Master had noticed her distracted state. She had become too reliant on the familiar tranquility of Azure Mystery Peak. Now, she understood the true meaning of the Natural Way: to possess an ordinary mind, just like her Master.

Ji Fuyao’s starry eyes sparkled as she looked at Lu Xuan, realizing why he had been lying on the rock motionless for days. He was pointing the way!

She lowered her delicate, fair face, her eyes like swirling galaxies. A faint fragrance drifted to Lu Xuan’s nose as he slowly opened his eyes.

Ji Fuyao’s lips parted, and she spoke softly, "Thank you for your guidance, Master. I have achieved enlightenment."

Lu Xuan blinked, momentarily dumbfounded. Uh... what just happened? He hadn't said a single word of guidance; he'd just been lying there for days. Clearly, Fuyao was back to her wild misinterpretations.

Not far away, the Sect Master looked on with a completely baffled expression. Wait. I really want to know, what the hell did Lu Xuan guide her on?

At that moment, Ji Fuyao sat cross-legged beside Lu Xuan, her crimson dress pooling around her. She placed two hundred thousand high-grade Spirit Stones before her and began circulating the Grand Dao Scripture, seeking to embody the Natural Way.

Soon, profound energy flowed around her, brilliant Dao patterns flashed, and the aura of the Grand Dao Scripture began to swell. Her heart became utterly clear.

A light breeze swept past, carrying her subtle fragrance to Lu Xuan’s nose, causing a slight ripple in his composure.

Lu Xuan looked at Ji Fuyao. Her profile was exquisite, as if sculpted by the hand of creation itself. Her figure was perfect, the crimson dress unable to hide her flawless curves. Divine radiance flowed over her, making her appear saintly and perfect.

After observing for a moment, Lu Xuan slowly closed his eyes and settled back down. He murmured contentedly, "Perfect. That's my disciple, Lu Xuan."

The System's voice chimed in his ear.

“Ding! Host’s Senior Disciple Ji Fuyao is comprehending the Grand Dao Scripture. Beginning synchronization!”

The sound faded, and a thread of profound insight, light as a breeze and smooth as flowing water, entered Lu Xuan’s mind. He felt a wave of pure comfort. The Natural Way settled upon him like a silk blanket.

Ji Fuyao’s inner world shifted; her deeper comprehension of the Grand Dao Scripture began to draw the hidden celestial mechanisms of the secret realm. A spiritual tree materialized, spirit birds chirped on its branches, and the sky above cleared, revealing a serene, luminous expanse.

The Sect Master was stunned. For Ji Fuyao to trigger such a phenomenon in this heavily restricted secret realm, simply by gaining insight into the Grand Dao Scripture, was terrifying!

The Tianxing Old Ancestor and the Cangxuan Old Ancestor were quickly alerted.

Tianxing Old Ancestor exclaimed, "Fuyao actually achieved enlightenment here?"

Cangxuan Old Ancestor put away Tianxing Old Ancestor's fishing rod. "Stop fishing."

Tianxing Old Ancestor’s face twitched. "I'm done."

The two slowly walked toward Ji Fuyao.

At this time, Ji Fuyao’s internal world was undergoing a massive change. The Grand Dao Scripture emitted the sound of the Great Dao, refining her Dao foundation, blood, bones, and internal secrets. Her hair became crystalline, and the Natural Way manifested as falling petals and fluttering butterflies, bathing her in auspicious light.

Cangxuan Old Ancestor smiled with deep satisfaction. "The Dao follows nature, aligning perfectly with Heaven and Earth. It seems Fuyao has taken another great step forward."

Tianxing Old Ancestor stroked his beard, his expression solemn. "Indeed. It is extremely rare for a cultivator of the Spirit Fire Path—a path of pure offense, capable of burning the heavens and boiling the seas—to grasp the Natural Way."

The Sect Master nodded in agreement.

The next instant, all three men turned their gaze to Lu Xuan, who was still peacefully asleep on the massive rock.

The Sect Master’s face darkened, and he was about to wake him.

Tianxing Old Ancestor chuckled lightly. "Leave Lu Xuan be. I've decided this boy is an interesting character."

An interesting character! The Sect Master was utterly baffled. Lu Xuan, lying there so casually, was receiving such high praise from two Old Ancestors. He was truly unique in the Grand Dao Sect. No! the Sect Master roared internally. I must occasionally discipline Lu Xuan, or he'll become completely incorrigible!

Several hours later, Ji Fuyao slowly opened her eyes, her aura perfectly contained. She looked curiously at the three figures who were intently observing the subtle changes in her divine aura. She glanced at her Master, who was still sleeping.

Ji Fuyao bowed slightly to the Tianxing Old Ancestor. "Thank you, Old Ancestors and Sect Master, for protecting my cultivation."

Cangxuan Old Ancestor smiled. "The harvest was good! Now, wake Lu Xuan."

Ji Fuyao nodded gently, rose, and approached Lu Xuan’s ear. She whispered softly, "Master, Master..."

Lu Xuan opened his eyes, rubbed them, and unhurriedly hopped off the rock. He looked at Ji Fuyao and smiled.

"Fuyao, you gained quite a bit of insight this time." He had, after all, just passively absorbed a wealth of understanding regarding the Grand Dao Scripture.

Ji Fuyao’s face flushed slightly. "Yes..."

The Sect Master cleared his throat. "Ahem... Fuyao, Lu Xuan, follow the Tianxing Old Ancestor. We are ready to proceed with the Great Emperor Dao Pattern Baptism!"

Lu Xuan asked curiously, "Old Ancestor, didn't you say I have a Congenital Cultivation Waste Body? Do I need the baptism too?"

Tianxing Old Ancestor replied, "Let's try. What if it works?"

Soon, Tianxing Old Ancestor led Lu Xuan and Ji Fuyao into the sky, divine rainbows surging beneath their feet. Cangxuan Old Ancestor and the Sect Master followed.

Boom!

The void shattered and space twisted. The group instantly traversed the distance, arriving beneath a magnificent waterfall.

Lu Xuan looked up at the changing sky, slightly surprised. The stars and moon flowed in the void above, but upon closer inspection, they were not true celestial bodies but illusions derived from the profound celestial mechanisms of this secret realm. He couldn't help but marvel. The Grand Dao Sect was far more formidable than its surface appearance suggested; it was merely keeping a low profile.

Tianxing Old Ancestor pointed to the waterfall and smiled. "Lu Xuan, this is where you and Fuyao will undergo the Great Emperor Dao Pattern Baptism. Are you ready?"

Lu Xuan and Ji Fuyao both looked toward the waterfall. It plunged tens of thousands of feet, like a silver river falling from the heavens, splashing countless divine lights. The water below was calm, yet brilliant Dao patterns constantly surged beneath the surface. Lu Xuan realized the water and the waterfall were merely manifestations of a thread of the Great Dao's profound essence.

Ji Fuyao looked at Lu Xuan, her eyes shining.

Lu Xuan smiled faintly. "Fuyao, how about you? I can start anytime."

Ji Fuyao nodded. "Old Ancestor, I am also ready."

Tianxing Old Ancestor chuckled. "Good. The Great Emperor Dao Pattern Baptism is simple. You only need to sit cross-legged beneath the waterfall. I will use a Supreme Secret Art to channel the Great Emperor Dao Patterns into you. The longer you endure, the greater your harvest!"

"Understood, Old Ancestor," Ji Fuyao said.

Tianxing Old Ancestor waved his sleeve, and a gentle force lifted Ji Fuyao, the power of the Supreme Secret Art: Star Shift surging as she was instantly placed cross-legged beneath the waterfall.

Next, Tianxing Old Ancestor repeated the process, but Lu Xuan didn't even have time to react before he was unceremoniously tossed beneath the waterfall, landing with a loud smack on the water’s surface.

Lu Xuan rubbed his backside and looked at Tianxing Old Ancestor. I knew it. That old man definitely has a vendetta.

Ji Fuyao covered her mouth and smiled. With her Master nearby, her heart felt even more peaceful.

Tianxing Old Ancestor waved his sleeve again, his spiritual seals shifting. A terrifying Emperor-tier pressure surged forth like a tidal wave. Brilliant Great Emperor Dao Patterns gathered in the void like an ocean. The power of the Grand Dao Scripture resonated, emitting the sound of the Great Dao like a massive bell ringing through the sky.

Tianxing Old Ancestor slowly spoke, "Dao!"

With that single word, the world surged. The Great Emperor Dao Patterns transformed into endless starlight, falling from the nine heavens and crashing down upon Lu Xuan and Ji Fuyao like a true waterfall!

Ji Fuyao’s crimson dress billowed. Her face was unprecedentedly solemn. Even before the Dao Patterns descended, she felt immense pressure. Her delicate hands shifted through spiritual seals, preparing to receive the baptism.

On the other side, Lu Xuan sat cross-legged, doing absolutely nothing.

Boom!

In the blink of an eye, Lu Xuan was completely drenched.

Tianxing Old Ancestor asked, "Lu Xuan, any feeling?"

"None," Lu Xuan replied.

Tianxing Old Ancestor's face twitched. "Just keep sitting there. Maybe you'll suddenly achieve enlightenment."

A few thousand feet away, Ji Fuyao was radiating brilliant divine light. The power of the Grand Dao Scripture resonated, and the Great Emperor Dao Patterns poured into her, washing over her limbs and bones, refining her blood and opening her hidden meridians. Her comprehension of the Grand Dao Scripture soared, and her cultivation realm began to surge.

Lu Xuan, meanwhile, remained completely unaffected, except for the passive gain. The System chimed in his ear.

“Ding! Host’s Senior Disciple Ji Fuyao is comprehending the Grand Dao Scripture! Beginning synchronization!”