Thus concluded Chuxuan's first session of cultivation. He had now reached a bottleneck, and his overall strength had grown immensely. Not only had he successfully mastered the defensive cultivation method known as the Golden Light Spell, but he had also absorbed a vast amount of $qi$, pushing his personal reservoir of $qi$ to its absolute peak. The next step was consolidation—searching for the opportune moment to achieve a breakthrough.
The Old Celestial Master looked at Chuxuan with a mixture of surprise and profound satisfaction in his heart regarding this newly accepted disciple.
With a smile, the Old Celestial Master said to Chuxuan, "Chuxuan, now that you have reached a bottleneck, your next task is to relentlessly temper your body. This will increase your physical capacity to hold $qi$, which means you must practice external cultivation methods to hone your physique, enhance your physical strength, and thereby break through this initial bottleneck.
"Since you have already mastered the Golden Light Spell, you can now begin practicing the authentic thunder cultivation method of our Celestial Master Mansion. I see that you are still a virgin, which makes you ideally suited to practice the Yang Five Thunder Technique of the Celestial Master Mansion."
Upon hearing the Old Celestial Master's words, Chuxuan nodded earnestly.
The Old Celestial Master began to impart the formulas of the Yang Five Thunder Technique.
"Chuxuan, the thunder cultivation methods of the Celestial Master Mansion are divided into the Yang Five Thunder Technique and the Yin Five Thunders. Neither is inherently superior to the other; those who are no longer virgins practice the Yin Five Thunders, yet when cultivated to a profound level, both are equally formidable. The thunder method is born of the Precelestial, existing within the Yin and Yang and the Five Elements. Thunder represents the righteous force of this world, and the technique represents the righteous laws of this world. Once you successfully master the thunder method and use it in tandem with the Golden Light Spell, you will be able to dispel all darkness and stand in an invincible position. I hope you will practice it diligently."
Bowing deeply in solemn gratitude, Chuxuan said to the Old Celestial Master, "Master, this disciple will certainly not fail your high expectations."
Chuxuan committed every single word of the Old Celestial Master to memory, engraving them in his mind without missing the slightest detail.
Having imparted the Yang Five Thunder Technique formulas to Chuxuan, the Old Celestial Master offered no further explanations.
He merely left Chuxuan with a final instruction: "Chuxuan, go back and cultivate diligently. But remember never to be overly eager for quick success, lest you lose your original intent."
"Understood, this disciple will keep it in mind!" Muling over these words carefully in his mind, Chuxuan respectfully and solemnly saw the Old Celestial Master off.
As Chuxuan stepped out of the Old Celestial Master's private courtyard, Senior Brother Rongshan was already waiting outside.
Walking over with a smile, Rongshan asked, "Junior Brother Chuxuan, how did your cultivation go?"
"Well, Master has passed down both the Golden Light Spell and the Yang Five Thunder Technique to me. I will cultivate them diligently," Chuxuan replied with a slight nod and a confident tone.
Hearing this, Rongshan could not conceal his astonishment. Looking at Chuxuan, he exclaimed, "Junior Brother Chuxuan, I never expected you to be so formidable! To have mastered the Golden Light Spell in such a short span of time is truly impressive!"
Only then did Chuxuan understand that every disciple of the Celestial Master Mansion had to master the Golden Light Spell before they were permitted to begin practicing other cultivation methods.
"Junior Brother Chuxuan, it seems your talent is extraordinary. Since Master has already bestowed upon you the core thunder cultivation method of the Celestial Master Mansion—the Yang Five Thunder Technique—you must not let down his expectations. You must cultivate properly," Rongshan urged earnestly.
Hearing Senior Brother Rongshan's words, Chuxuan realized just how highly the Old Celestial Master regarded and favored him. In his heart, he made a silent vow to cultivate with all his might and never fail his master's great expectations.
With a smile, Rongshan said to Chuxuan, "Junior Brother Chuxuan, since you have now joined the Celestial Master Mansion, let me arrange a residence for you first!"
Gratefully, Chuxuan thanked Rongshan, "Thank you, Senior Brother Rongshan."
With that, Rongshan led Chuxuan toward the back mountain of Longhu Mountain.
Looking somewhat apologetic, Rongshan turned to Chuxuan and said, "Junior Brother Chuxuan, things are rather informal here on Longhu Mountain, so don't be too constrained. The courtyard houses ahead are already all occupied, so for now, I'm afraid you'll have to make do with staying here. Later on, I'll have someone build a nicer courtyard for you."
Chuxuan surveyed the courtyard. Compared to the others, this location was considerably more secluded, with very few visitors passing through. It was precisely because of this that Chuxuan was thoroughly pleased with it. Smiling at Rongshan, he said, "Thank you, Senior Brother Rongshan. The environment here is very nice, and I like it a lot. There's no need to put yourself to any more trouble."
Seeing Chuxuan's genuine satisfaction, Rongshan could only nod and say, "Very well, then you can settle in here! If you need anything, you can come find me—I live in the third courtyard along the path we just took."
Seeing Rongshan off, Chuxuan nodded in gratitude, "Thank you for all your help today, Senior Brother Rongshan."
"Junior Brother Chuxuan, from now on we are family, no need to be so polite." Rongshan patted Chuxuan on the shoulder and departed with a smile.
Although this courtyard was somewhat remote, it was fully equipped with all the essentials for daily life. This brought a sense of home to Chuxuan's heart, and before he knew it, a subtle sense of belonging took root within him.
Having entered the gates of Longhu Mountain, Chuxuan had finally settled down. He had made contact with the path of cultivation and embarked on his initial practice.
Sitting cross-legged, Chuxuan quietly reflected on everything he had experienced over the past two days.
Suddenly, he realized that the events of the last two days felt almost like a dream.
Yet, feeling the abundant $qi$ surging within his body and circulating the Golden Light Spell ever so slightly—causing faint golden light to shimmer around his form—all of this served as proof that everything that had happened over the past two days was entirely real.
Closing his eyes in contemplation, Chuxuan digested what he had seen and heard during this period, gradually calming his restless mind.
As Chuxuan sat with his eyes closed in meditation, he failed to notice that a faint radiance had begun to flicker across his chest, enveloping him in a soft glow.
"Boom!"
Before he knew it, Chuxuan felt as though he had arrived in an entirely different place.
"Where am I?" Chuxuan snapped awake, looking around him. All he could see was a boundless expanse of chaos, with a gigantic clock face suspended before him, its hands spinning at a dizzying speed.
Suddenly, to his astonishment, Chuxuan noticed that the hands on the clock face were turning counterclockwise.
Faster and faster the hands spun, until, after what seemed like an eternity, the counterclockwise rotation finally ground to a halt.
"Clang, clang, clang..."
The striking sounds of the clock echoed out, the hands coming to a complete stop, and everything around them froze in that exact moment.
Yet, before Chuxuan could even react, the moment the hands locked into place, the surrounding chaos abruptly began to shatter into pieces. Chuxuan tumbled out of that chaotic spatial realm, plunging directly into a real, physical space.
Looking around at his familiar surroundings, Chuxuan found himself unable to recall where this place was.
"Where on earth is this? Why did I end up here?"
At this moment, Chuxuan was utterly bewildered, having no idea where he actually was, or whether this was a dream or reality.