In the depths of the night, Ji Yuan's divine sense once again condensed into an avatar, appearing in the dilapidated thatched hut.
He exuded a faint, soft white light, quietly drawing spiritual energy from the heavens and earth to nourish the small body before him.
Another day had passed. He had once again observed Chen Yu's day, even scrutinizing her state of mind.
Although there was still a gap compared to his disciple Yue Bai's pure heart, it was still quite good.
The young girl before him, due to the tragic experiences of her childhood, had closed off her heart and become extremely innocent.
If she were to embark on cultivation, such a disposition would bring immense help in the early stages. Once her cultivation deepened and her inner knots were untied, she would undoubtedly advance by leaps and bounds.
Not to mention, after rectifying the deficiencies of her innate Taoist body, her future achievements would be at least a third-realm cultivator, and an outstanding one at that, in no way inferior to the prodigies of the Nine Xuan Sect.
As Ji Yuan was thinking, his expression suddenly froze, his gaze meeting a pair of curious eyes.
"You're not asleep?"
He was taken aback for a moment, then spoke with some awkwardness.
Appearing in a woman's room late at night, especially while she was asleep, was, despite his lack of ill intentions, an awkward situation.
Especially when he was caught red-handed.
"Are you an immortal?"
Chen Yu lay on her side, her small body curled into a ball.
She looked curiously at the figure before her, his handsome features, the faint soft glow he exuded, and an indescribable aura.
It was just like the immortals in legends!
"I am a cultivator."
Ji Yuan pondered for a moment, then said softly, "Will you let me teach you to cultivate?"
As he spoke, he sat cross-legged in the air, smiling at the person before him.
He also understood that when interacting with someone so pure of heart, it was best to avoid unnecessary complexity, lest he fail to gain her trust.
Chen Yu'er asked curiously, "What is cultivation?"
As she spoke, she quickly sat up and pulled the thin blanket over herself.
However, the tattered blanket offered no warmth and could not prevent heat loss.
"Cultivation is about being able to no longer feel hunger or cold, and never being beaten or scolded again."
Ji Yuan did not speak of profound truths but simply articulated what one could gain from cultivation.
Even a first-realm cultivator, with their robust physique, could largely disregard the ordinary winter.
Upon hearing this, Chen Yu's eyes lit up, and she quickly nodded her small head.
About half an hour later, seeing the girl who had already attained enlightenment and begun to inhale spiritual energy.
Ji Yuan fell into deep thought.
How long did it take him to attain enlightenment in the beginning?
He had to secretly pore over countless Taoist scriptures for days before he could successfully achieve enlightenment. Afterward, relying on the profound Xuan Tian Taoist Canon contained within the ancestral sword left behind, he embarked on the path of cultivation.
Yet, Chen Yu'er, after merely hearing him explain the method of enlightenment once, had directly achieved it and, with just one explanation, learned a simple breathing technique.
Witnessing this, Ji Yuan could not help but sigh. Even with a deficient innate Taoist body, it possessed such miraculous abilities.
At the same time, he understood that mere physique was not enough; the girl's comprehension was also of the highest caliber.
As he mused, he waved his hand and drew in the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, making her inhalation smoother.
The night passed quickly. When Chen Yu'er finished her breathing exercises, the figure before her was gone.
She tilted her head in confusion, then discovered that after a night of breathing, she felt much stronger. Although it was early morning, she didn't feel the cold as she usually did.
A single night of breathing could not have such an effect; it was Ji Yuan who had secretly infused a pure stream of spiritual energy to protect her body from the chill.
Chen Yu'er tidied herself up slightly, then left the thatched hut to continue her day's work.
For several days, she toiled diligently during the day, ate half or a whole steamed bun at night, and then followed the person who appeared every night to learn the art of cultivating to become an immortal.
During these days, Ji Yuan truly experienced the marvelous abilities of the innate Taoist body.
It was as if Chen Yu'er could learn any cultivation technique or divine ability with ease. Despite having never encountered them before, she could draw inferences and apply them.
She was like a natural cultivation prodigy, accumulating a nascent essence within her body in just a few days.
Indeed, if not for the fact that the source of her innate Taoist resonance had been greatly depleted over the past decade, the girl might have already fully entered the initial stage of enlightenment.
After a few more days, several booming sounds suddenly erupted in the mansion, followed by a string of angry roars.
When the elite troops led by Wu Tieshan arrived, Ji Yuan immediately ordered his subordinates to act, opening a city gate and simultaneously launching a surprise attack on the rebel forces within the city.
His true form also arrived at the mansion occupied by the sect that had defected to the rebels.
When all was quiet, Chen Yu'er saw a figure descend from the sky. It was the "immortal" who had patiently taught her cultivation every night.
"Are you willing to take me as your master?"
Ji Yuan smiled slightly, looking calmly at the girl before him.
Upon hearing this, Chen Yu'er immediately knelt down and kowtowed three times with great force: "Master!"
A deep smile appeared on his face, and he waved his hand, sending out a surge of mana to lift the girl from the ground.
Then, with a thought, a divine sense emerged from a string of wooden beads on her wrist and returned to his sea of consciousness between his brows.
Chen Yu'er's apprenticeship was simple: three kowtows and a cup of hot tea later in the evening, without much ceremony.
In the following days, Ji Yuan took his newly accepted disciple everywhere he went.
There was a minor incident during this time: Chen Yu'er was slightly older than Zhao Yuebai, but she called him "Senior Brother" naturally, which made the latter feel a bit embarrassed.
As for Ji Yuan's new disciple, the cultivators of Little Yuan Mountain and the disciples of Xuan Tian Peak all showed great affection for her, showering the young girl with various elixirs and spiritual items.
This forced her master to find her a mountain and river pouch, otherwise, she would have to carry a large bundle every day.
Meanwhile, with the assistance of Ji Yuan and others, Wu Tieshan successfully captured three counties occupied by the rebels, including Hengshan County, within a month.
During this period, other counties did not even have the opportunity to provide assistance.