After saying this, before Zhang Yan could respond, he bowed once again and said, "Senior Brother Bian and I have some acquaintance. Recently, he acted recklessly and offended you, Brother Zhang. He asked me to offer his repeated apologies and hopes you can be forgiving."
Zhang Yan, hearing the underlying intention, naturally understood Ai Zhongwen's plan. However, since he had accepted a Daoist Book from the other party earlier, it was only proper to reciprocate. He paused for a moment, deliberately sighed, and said, "Such trivial matters are long forgotten. That day, I was merely upset that Bian Qiao had clearly lost but still tried to use Senior Brother Hu to pressure me."
Ai Zhongwen chuckled and said, "With Brother Zhang's status, must you concern yourself with people akin to servants?"
Zhang Yan let out a faint "Hmm" and then took out the scripture page, handing it to Ai Zhongwen.
Now that his objective had been achieved and the evening was growing late, Zhang Yan showed subtle signs of wanting to dismiss his guest. Ai Zhongwen, perceiving this, didn't linger. After exchanging a few more words, he took his leave.
After seeing off Ai Zhongwen, Zhang Yan returned to his cave mansion. He took out the copper token for another look, and even with his composure, he couldn't help revealing a hint of joy.
Little did Ai Zhongwen know, the Xuanwen Conference was Zhang Yan's true aim. It could be said that everything he had done until now was to prepare for this assembly.
However, not just anyone could participate in such a conference. Even if he wished to attend, he would need someone to recommend him.
As a registered disciple without connections or noteworthy cultivation, his previous high-profile behavior had been entirely strategic—hoping his exceptional skill in deciphering Erosion Text could serve as a stepping stone to earn him qualification for the assembly.
If he could make a name for himself at the assembly, the impact would be worlds apart from his current reputation.
Put simply, with his current status, no matter how famous he became, his recognition would remain confined to the realm of registered disciples. Occasionally, someone like Ai Zhongwen might respect him, but entry-level disciples wouldn't truly regard him highly even for a moment.
However, at the assembly, things would be entirely different. That's where the elite disciples of the Sixteen Great Sects gathered. To say it frankly, future elders and sect leaders of these factions might well emerge from this group, and their influence was leagues ahead.
Once he made a name for himself at the gathering, even upper cultivators in the sect would need to consider him for recruitment as an entry-level disciple.
Seeing his long-standing goal nearing fruition, Zhang Yan was elated. He took out the "Lin Yao Inquiry Method" gifted indirectly by Ai Zhongwen and began to read.
But who could have guessed, upon reading it, Zhang Yan would be utterly stunned?
It turned out that this "Lin Yao Inquiry Method" was one of the Ten Chapters of Heart Inquiry, with content specifically covering the final step of Foundation Building, known as Yuan Cheng Ruzhen—each word was precision-crafted wisdom.
Clearly, Ai Zhongwen had noticed his cultivation was already approaching the threshold of Yuan Cheng Ruzhen, so he deliberately gifted such a Daoist Book to demonstrate his goodwill.
Zhang Yan couldn't help but give a bitter smile. Xuanmen noble families truly had profound resources. Such rare Daoist Books were treasures Zhang Yan wouldn't have dared to dream of obtaining previously. Only through extraordinary luck had he stumbled upon one in the past, yet they could casually gift them away. Perhaps, what they regarded as trivial Daoist Books were considered True Record Treasures by disciples of Zhang Yan's level.
Yet, not long after, as he read deeper into the book, his brows furrowed.
The Erosion Text didn't trouble him, but the numerous cryptic Xuanmen terms in the book did. Though Zhang Yan had some basic understanding, as someone not born into a true Xuanmen family, it was challenging to decipher. For example, there was a phrase "Doucan, Rui," where "Doucan" was a Qi movement term referring to three distinct styles of Qi circulation along the primary vein. But what exactly did "Rui" denote? He had no way of knowing.
This wasn't something one could casually experiment with—any mistake would likely result in severe consequences. Therefore, having the book in hand was as good as not having it.
Yet now, he was left with no choice but to cultivate.
He couldn't entirely trust Ai Zhongwen's intentions were so straightforward. If there was any hidden test in this, failing to grasp and comprehend its contents could reveal his inadequacy during even casual interactions—making the disparity obvious regardless of his cultivation level.
And since he planned to attend the assembly, it was inevitable he would encounter Ai Zhongwen again.
Standing up, he paced back and forth a few steps. Divine Light flickered in his eyes, as he sat back down, taking out the Broken Jade from his sleeve.
The avatar within the jade was identical to himself. Previously, he had attempted cultivation with it, but while training the avatar didn't improve his own cultivation, he had since shifted focus to deciphering Erosion Text and set aside further exploration. Now revisiting the matter, a spark of inspiration struck his mind.
Focusing his thoughts into the Broken Jade, his consciousness merged with the avatar. Following the "Lin Yao Inquiry Method" mantra, he began cultivating. Initially, he passed through two checkpoints with ease. However, upon reaching the third, as Qi began circulating through a vein, he suddenly felt stabbing pain in his heart and his body became numb and immobile. He immediately realized he had mistaken the Qi Vein.
Instead of disheartened, he felt invigorated. This proved his earlier idea was feasible!
After all, this was just an avatar—it had no bearing on his true self. Even if he cultivated incorrectly, so what? At worst, he could simply start over! Moreover, since the jade world operated at ten times the pace of the real world, he could perfect his mastery of the technique within the jade and then apply it to his true body.
Zhang Yan steadied his mind and withdrew the misplaced Qi flow, preparing for another attempt.
Having achieved this step easily, he made yet another intriguing discovery.
If the Qi flow could be withdrawn effortlessly, did that mean the avatar's condition was entirely dictated by his will?
With this thought in mind, his curiosity surged, and he experimented by directly manipulating the avatar's cultivation.
Sure enough, as his intent shifted, the avatar instantly lost all cultivation, becoming no different from an ordinary person. In the next moment, its cultivation surged again, bypassing the Dao Foundation stage and entering Foundation Building—finally stabilizing at Zhang Yan's current level.
He tried pushing the avatar one step further but found he couldn't. This indicated the avatar could only evolve to match his current cultivation threshold. Yet to Zhang Yan, this was already an exhilarating discovery—it meant that even without a master's guidance, he could chart his own path towards the Great Dao through experimentation!
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