The Elder Priest brought him to a quiet room, where, aside from three meditation cushions, there was nothing else.

“You’re already of advanced age, but fortunately you possess a spiritual root. As your teacher, I’ll give you a helping hand and let you comprehend the flow of qi. As for your future achievements, that will depend on your own fortune.”

He instructed Ethan Cooper to sit cross-legged on one of the cushions, placed his palm on Ethan Cooper’s life gate, and said in a low voice, “Calm your mind and focus.”

A lively, warm current surged through his meridians, countless streams of spiritual energy pouring in from The Elder Priest’s palm, like a great river, endless and unceasing.

There was no need to consciously memorize anything; Ethan Cooper could clearly sense the direction and path the warm current took through his body. Each flow brought a feeling of floating, almost like becoming immortal.

He didn’t know how much time had passed before The Elder Priest withdrew his hand, leaving Ethan Cooper sitting alone.

When he finally emerged from that state—so blissful it rivaled even the pleasures of sex—he glanced at his phone and saw that a whole day had passed.

Looking around, The Elder Priest was already nowhere to be seen.

He leapt up from the cushion, surprised to find his body felt much lighter, and despite so much time having passed, he didn’t feel the slightest hunger. He couldn’t help but marvel at this.

Within his dantian, he could faintly sense a mysterious power. Though not much, it must be the spiritual energy The Elder Priest had mentioned.

Stepping out of the quiet room, he found a middle-aged man in his fifties waiting respectfully outside. As soon as he saw him, the man stepped forward and said respectfully, “Sixth Senior Brother, you’ve come out.”

Ethan Cooper looked at him in surprise. Judging by his age, this man could almost be his father, so why was he calling him Sixth Senior Brother?

Seeing the confusion on Ethan Cooper’s face, the man quickly introduced himself: “Sixth Senior Brother, I am Kevin Wright, the head of the outer sect disciples. Although I was fortunate enough to be recognized by Master and accepted as a registered disciple, due to my limited aptitude, I’ve never been able to advance further and have never been admitted to the inner sect. I haven’t contributed much to the sect—just help Master and the senior brothers run errands and do the chores they don’t care for.”

“Ah, Zhao…” Ethan Cooper hesitated. He simply couldn’t bring himself to call this man “junior brother.”

Kevin Wright smiled slightly. This wasn’t the first time he’d encountered such a situation, and he was long used to it. After spending more time together, it would no longer feel strange.

“Sixth Senior Brother, Master said he had to go meet First Senior Brother, so he won’t be able to return for a while. He left you a Foundation Establishment Pill and instructed you to take it and practice diligently in the inner chamber.”

Taking the jade bottle handed over by Kevin Wright, Ethan Cooper noticed it looked somewhat similar to the one in the safe, but he knew they were definitely not the same.

As he accepted the jade bottle from Kevin Wright, he clearly saw the intense envy in his eyes, as if the bottle contained some rare treasure, making him reluctant to part with it.

Just from his expression, it was obvious how precious the contents were.

“Master said that after you’ve absorbed the effects of the Foundation Establishment Pill, you can go home for a while to settle mundane affairs. Once you return to the mountains for seclusion, it may take several decades.”

“That long?”

“Exactly. Inner sect disciples can only leave the mountains after reaching the Core Formation stage. Those chosen by Master for the inner sect are all prodigies. Generally, barring any accidents, it takes about forty to fifty years to form a core.”

“Forty to fifty years? Hmm… Looks like cultivating immortality is a long-term endeavor.” Ethan Cooper sighed. “Isn’t there any way to make it faster?”

“Well…” Kevin Wright pulled a wry face, not knowing how to answer.

Forty years might seem long to ordinary people—indeed, for some, it’s a lifetime. But for those who devote themselves to the immortal path and live for centuries, it’s just the blink of an eye.

Besides, if cultivation were really that easy, Kevin Wright would have become an inner sect disciple long ago.

“All right, I understand.” Ethan Cooper was just speaking casually anyway.

He turned around and, under Kevin Wright’s gaze, re-entered the quiet room.

Sitting idly on the cushion, he found that, though that state was indeed alluring, even too much of a good thing—like too much sex—could become tiresome.

Taking a break in between was only natural.

He looked around to make sure no one was watching, then focused his mind and activated his ability. A wave of energy appeared again, starting to scan the medicine bottle.

In his mind, the familiar progress bar appeared. This time, things went fairly smoothly, reaching eighty percent before he began to feel drained.

With his previous experience, Ethan Cooper wasn’t worried. He was about to stop when suddenly a surge of spiritual energy rose from his dantian, directly transforming into his ability and completely replenishing his lost energy.

Overjoyed, Ethan Cooper pressed on and, in one go, completed the progress bar to one hundred percent.

So his spiritual energy could actually be converted into his ability. Although he didn’t have much spiritual energy yet, as long as he kept at it, it would surely grow over time.