Outside, Han Shixi's voice faintly echoed.
However, Ying Chen remained unmoved.
The reason Ying Chen spared Han Shixi's life was not because he saw any potential value in him, nor did he believe Han Shixi had a promising future.
It was simply a casual act.
Just like when humans walk and see an ant, whether they step on it or not is a matter of a single thought.
To Ying Chen, Han Shixi was like that ant.
Whether Ying Chen crushed him or spared his life, it was insignificant to Ying Chen.
It was not worth a second thought.
Of course, for Han Shixi, the ant himself, it was a monumental event.
That was why Han Shixi had exclaimed words like "serve you for life."
"Who is outside? It sounds like Han Shixi? Is he causing trouble again?"
Min Ziqiong heard the voice and came out to ask.
Ying Chen shook his head. "You misheard, there's no one outside."
Min Ziqiong's eyes flickered. Knowing Ying Chen didn't want to elaborate, she wisely said, "Alright."
"By the way, how is Nannan? She's been cultivating for a whole day!"
Although Min Ziqiong was very worried about Nannan, because Ying Chen had explicitly stated it, she could only suppress her concern and never take a step into the backyard.
"She should be about done." Ying Chen glanced at the sky.
While visualization could be practiced day and night, 24 hours a day.
However, it was Nannan's first day of cultivation, and there was no need to push her to such a high intensity right from the start.
Ying Chen decided to have Nannan pause her visualization and rest for the night before continuing her cultivation.
But when Ying Chen and Min Ziqiong arrived at the backyard, they were stunned by the scene before them.
Nannan was emitting a faint, ethereal glow. Upon closer inspection, these faint lights were all emanating from Nannan's pores.
The light was pale blue, resembling moonlight. It had no temperature and no burning power.
From afar, Nannan looked like a porcelain doll carved from the finest jade, both adorable and imbued with a sense of solemnity and majesty.
"What... what happened to Nannan?" Min Ziqiong asked, stunned.
Ying Chen stared for a long time before slowly uttering four words: "Taiguang Chongming."
Seeing Min Ziqiong's confusion, Ying Chen continued to explain, "The visualization method I taught Nannan is called Taixi Visualization. It imitates the innate method of fetal breathing in the mother's womb. When Taixi Visualization is cultivated to a certain level, it will manifest as Taiguang, which is what we see now."
"However, no one knows exactly how Taiguang appears. Taiguang Chongming is more like an anomaly that can be reflected by someone with extremely high talent, rather than a true cultivation realm."
"Even throughout history, only a handful of people have achieved this. I never expected to see it in Nannan. Her talent is so high that even I am amazed!"
As he spoke, Ying Chen suddenly turned to look at Min Ziqiong.
"Who is her father?"
"Such talent cannot come from nowhere, especially in this era where Taoist magic has declined. Therefore, her father, even if not a cultivator, must have had extraordinary talent. With a little guidance, he could have achieved enlightenment and become a great figure in the Xuanmen sect."
Hearing Ying Chen's question, Min Ziqiong's face showed a hint of embarrassment and disgust.
She seemed very reluctant to discuss the topic.
Her expression was cold and clear, and she evasively replied, "I don't know if her father had such talent. So many years have passed, and I don't want to mention him again. Even if he became an immortal in heaven, I wouldn't envy him, let alone hand Nannan over to him. Therefore, let's not bring this up again in the future."
Facing Min Ziqiong's rare, firm declaration, Ying Chen did not press further.
Instead, he stepped forward and gently tapped the top of Nannan's head. The Taiguang surrounding Nannan immediately retracted into her body.
Nannan also awoke from her visualization.
"Cultivation pauses here for today. We will continue tomorrow."
"Also..."
Ying Chen glanced at Nannan, whose eyes were shining with excitement and anticipation. He hesitated.
Nannan's expression clearly conveyed, "Am I amazing? Praise me quickly."
This was akin to a child returning home from kindergarten with a little red flower, excitedly wanting to be praised by their parents.
Nannan, having achieved this on her first day of cultivation, naturally expected Ying Chen's praise.
However, Ying Chen had always adhered to the principle of "strict teachers produce brilliant disciples" for many years. Even when his disciples performed exceptionally well, he would still offer some criticism. It was difficult for him to drop his facade and praise Nannan immediately.
After half a day, seeing Nannan's little face transition from expectant to disappointed, her eyes dimming from shining to dull, Ying Chen finally couldn't bear it. He sighed and said, "Tomorrow, I will select a gift as a congratulatory present for your initiation, and also as a commendation for your performance today. You must remain humble and not become complacent, remembering the principle that pride leads to downfall and humility brings benefit..."
Nannan's dimmed eyes instantly brightened again.
She grabbed Ying Chen's finger and shook it incessantly.
Clearly, her mind was entirely focused on the word "gift" at this moment, and she hadn't absorbed any of Ying Chen's subsequent teachings.
Ying Chen shook his head helplessly, picked up Nannan, and walked towards the room.
The next day.
Ying Chen sat on the sofa with a troubled expression.
He had promised Nannan a gift yesterday.
However, he was struggling with what exactly to give her. According to modern customs, a toy or some snacks would suffice.
But Ying Chen came from two thousand years ago. In ancient times, accepting a disciple was a significant event that required a precious gift to demonstrate status.
The higher the master's status, the more valuable the gift to the disciple.
Otherwise, it would be embarrassing not only for the disciple but even more so for the master.
"What should I give her?"
Ying Chen murmured.
"According to the old rules, I should give her a magic artifact or a secret manual. Nannan is too young to understand secret manuals at the moment. It seems I can only give her a magic artifact."
"But I only have one magic artifact on me, the Xuanpin Leiyang Sword. This sword is too lethal and too ostentatious. Most importantly, Nannan wouldn't know how to use it, so it's not suitable."
"How about a Mingyue Liusu Pearl?"
"That's not good either. The Mingyue Liusu Pearl, besides its decorative function, offers no benefit to Nannan's cultivation. It's hardly a gift."
"Then what should I do?"
Ying Chen frowned in thought.
Just then, Ying Chen's gaze fell upon the newspaper on the table.
This was subscribed to by Yan Yang when he was at the villa, for a period of ten years.
Elderly people like Yan Yang were not accustomed to getting information from their phones and preferred newspapers.
Especially for policy issues concerning major trends, newspapers could provide more insight.
Thus, newspapers were still delivered to the mansion daily.
"Summer Antique Auction?"
Ying Chen was drawn to a bold, enlarged headline on the newspaper.
The next second, his eyes flashed, and he slammed his hand on the table.
"I'll go to this auction!"
"Perhaps I can find a usable magic artifact there!"