The Goddess shook her head and said, "This predestined bond is not the same as that causation. The Three Lives Stone is a stone that observes 'causation', seeing the entanglements of cause and effect in the world. Meanwhile, the 'Bond Stone' that I have refined is specifically for marriage between men and women, to forge 'bonds', the roles of both differ, and it is not the same stone."
Xu Qing suddenly understood, the Bond Stone he had acquired through the Sutra of Salvation in his early years was a treasure similar to the Three Lives Stone. While the Bond Stone is still lost in the secular world, undiscovered.
"May I ask, Master, if your disciple desires to seek the divine stone, where should I begin?"
The Goddess contemplated, "The Bond Stone was used by the Tu Shan clan in old times. If you wish to seek it, you could look for the whereabouts of Tu Shan's remaining bloodline, perhaps you might find some clues. However, as far as I know, the mundane Tu Shan lineage is nearly extinct..."
"If in the future, by chance, you really encounter Tu Shan's descendants, you may recall past sentiments and appropriately care for them a bit."
Xu Qing blinked, pondering the Goddess's mention of Tu Shan's remnants, wasn't it precisely Yizhen the Taoist priest!
If that's the case, he's been caring not just a little, but right down to home...
After explaining the incense heritage, the Goddess then produced a golden treasure gourd, bestowing it upon Xu Qing.
"This item is called 'Borrowed Gold Gourd', also known as 'Summoning Demon Gourd', a treasure I used for enhancing cultivation during my practice in the Yin-Yang Celestial Cave. Your Dao practice is still shallow, you can hold this gourd, and cultivate with its golden light."
After speaking, The Goddess further explained, "This gourd still contains a few of my refined Five-Colored Stone Embryos, these stone embryos have yet to take shape and need to be nurtured by the golden light within the gourd, you need not pay them any mind, nor worry that someday the gourd will lack gold light for your cultivation."
"Moreover, this gourd will condense one to two drops of golden dew every three days, consuming it can enhance cultivation, and even if the golden light is insufficient, this golden dew is sufficient for your use."
"Also… never mind, your current practice is low, we shall speak of it in the future."
The Goddess teaching Xu Qing skills and gifting him the gourd also serves another purpose related to the Heaven-Mending Path.
The second Heaven's Collapse Calamity is inevitable, the matter of mending heaven must be done, and when using the Five-Colored Stone to mend heaven, it requires a vast amount of incense fire.
Incense fire wishing power is akin to the tri-soil needed to build a wall, only with enough mortals' wishing power can the Five-Colored Stone perform its heaven-mending function.
Currently, Xu Qing's practice is insufficient, and the authority over bonds is not yet fully mastered, the countless incense fires are not enough for heaven-mending.
The Goddess does not wish to pressure the novice disciple too much, she only tells him accumulating incense will have great utility.
As for when to tell him the truth…
That depends on whether this disciple can truly take on the great responsibility and gather sufficient incense.
Xu Qing took the gourd, his heart stirred with excitement.
He thought about his practice thus far, always relying on himself as the Immortal Hall's disciple, single-handedly sustaining an entire family.
And today he finally feels the comfort of having support behind him.
Xu Qing respectfully thanked the Master for passing on the teachings once again.
The Goddess smiled faintly and spoke, "I see your incense is pure, with a notion of all beings inside, benevolent and kind. Indeed, I have a treasure, this treasure ranks first among the spiritual items of the Three Realms, possessing the power to reverse fortune. However, to wield this treasure, one must have utmost purity and kindness of spirit."
"This treasure, for others, is merely a mundane item. But with your virtue, it should be effortless to wield."
Upon hearing this, Xu Qing's eyes suddenly lit up.
The foremost spiritual treasure in the world, just hearing the name sounds formidable!
Obtaining a treasure with such high appraisal from the Goddess, it would at least be a creation treasure surpassing heavenly grade.
However, just as Xu Qing eagerly wanted to see what the treasure looked like, the Goddess turned and dampened his spirits.
"Unfortunately, that treasure is not currently in my possession."
The Goddess hinted, "But in the future, you may take my name, go to the upper realm to seek the Judicial Heavenly God, he will hand over the treasure to you."
Great, turns out it was an empty check.
Xu Qing rejoiced in vain, he'd have to wait for the heavens to connect before finding the Judicial Heavenly God.
At least, in the short term, he shouldn't expect to get it!
Yet Xu Qing does not worry, he possesses no lifespan, the least he fears is waiting.
For now, let's consider his treasure temporarily deposited with the Judicial Heavenly God!
After the gifting of treasures, the Goddess again inquired about Xu Qing's cultivation technique progress.
Cultivation Technique? What cultivation technique, do zombies even need cultivation techniques?
Aside from Divine Techniques, Xu Qing's biggest cultivation technique is the Fur Corpse, Black Corpse, Fire Corpse 'Three Corpses and Three Cultivations' method he comprehended through evolution.
Beyond that, there's only the guardian divine techniques and various side Daoist skills!
When the Goddess learned Xu Qing lacks any main cultivation technique, she shook her head and said, "It's not right that you have no cultivation technique."
"Unfortunately, you are of clay mortal body, not the celestial person physique, nor are you the robust-bodied sorcerer-demon type, I cannot pass on the Nine Transformations Primordial Skill to you..."
Please, no!
Xu Qing panicked, that's the Nine Transformations Primordial Skill, the Judicial Heavenly God's main cultivation technique.
Faced with divine skill, if he missed it now, he would surely be smacking himself awake in his coffin in the future.
"Begging Master, your disciple pays great attention to physical cultivation, up to now, though not comparable to celestial beings, I imagine it's not far off."
"Disciple earnestly pleads for Master to pass on the Primordial Skill, attempting cultivation, if indeed unsuccessful, the disciple will then change to other techniques, which brings peace of mind."
"Alright."
Just about to teach Xu Qing the 'Five Elements Dao Decision', the Goddess changed her mind and said, "I will teach you the Nine Transformations Primordial cultivation method, and also pass on a Five Elements Qi Refining method. If your aptitude is inadequate, then you may practice the Five Elements method."
"However, you must remember, both the Nine Transformations Primordial Skill and the Five Elements Dao Decision have aptitude-testing techniques at the start of practice, only after passing the test can you officially cultivate."
"If you cannot pass and insist on cultivation, then when your practice stalls in the future, you won't be able to switch to other paths."
To prevent Xu Qing's aptitude from being too mediocre, the Goddess supplemented the teachings with additional methods such as Celestial Maiden Refinement, Grand Ultimate Celestial Decision, Earth Extraction Golden Seals, three or four alternate cultivation methods.
Initially, Xu Qing thought the Primordial Skill was precious, and the Goddess might not change her mind due to his few words.
But when the Goddess nonchalantly passed on the Primordial Skill and also imparted the subsequent supplementary techniques, he realized the meaning of the four words 'ancient sanctity'.
In the eyes of others, the invaluable Primordial Skill, in the view of this transcendent sanctity, is already insignificant.
What they need to consider is only the heart of the learner, once the heart aligns, there will be no withholding.
Such as when Xu Qing learned from the Primordial Ancestor in the White Cloud Cave, the transformations of the Celestial Gang and Earth Fiend were left for him to choose as well.
It's just that the transformations of Celestial Gang and Earth Fiend cannot be compatible, those who learn the Celestial Gang transformation cannot practice the Earth Fiend, those who learn the Earth Fiend likewise cannot practice the Celestial Gang transformation.
The entry threshold of these two transformation methods isn't much different, there's no notion of choosing this path for cultivation because one's talent is insufficient for the other.
Based on this point, the Primordial Ancestor spoke candidly for Xu Qing to choose one for cultivation before imparting the techniques.
Whereas the Nine Transformations Primordial Skill and Five Elements Dao Decision have clearly different threshold levels.
If Xu Qing can practice the Primordial Skill, naturally, he wouldn't consider the Five Elements Dao Decision.
As for the Celestial Maiden Refinement, he certainly won't practice it!
This technique, just hearing it doesn't sound like a proper method.
As for commonplace celestial and divine cultivation methods like Earth Extraction Golden Seals, Xu Qing also wouldn't choose them.
His cultivation of the Kui Ba Great Dao surpasses these clearly limited techniques.
During the Goddess's instruction of techniques, Xu Qing couldn't help but feel curious, asking about the Goddess's cultivation methods.
Nonetheless, the Goddess replied that she does not have a main cultivation technique, she always cultivates her own Dao.
Xu Qing seemed to have an epiphany.
The so-called main cultivation technique is ultimately just a ballast in the journey of cultivation, a fallback method.
When one's own understanding of Dao cannot surpass the master's imparted main cultivation techniques, naturally, it's better to practice the ready-made techniques.
Such as the Goddess, who traverses the heights of the heavens and the depths of the earth, indeed are a rarity.
---------------
During the Goddess's instruction of techniques, Xu Qing couldn't help but feel curious, asking about the Goddess's cultivation methods.
Nonetheless, the Goddess replied that she does not have a main cultivation technique, she always cultivates her own Dao.
Xu Qing seemed to have an epiphany.
The so-called main cultivation technique is ultimately just a ballast in the journey of cultivation, a fallback method.
When one's own understanding of Dao cannot surpass the master's imparted main cultivation techniques, naturally, it's better to practice the ready-made techniques.
Such as the Goddess, who traverses the heights of the heavens and the depths of the earth, indeed are a rarity.