That is Song Yingzhen.
The illegitimate son of the Dingyuan Marquis’s Mansion, and also the current Dingyuan Marquis’s half-brother.
Zhang Jian’s Yang God Divine Sense was exceptionally sharp, and he had long discerned that there was other starlight in Song Yingzhen’s Life Palace.
That is the Po Jun Star among the Three Evil Stars.
It seems the Flying Bird Spreading Wings Acupoint had already taken effect.
Everyone was eating until their faces were flushed, but they were extremely satisfied. Wang Xiao kept exclaiming how pleased he was, clamoring to learn this dish and take it home for himself.
The numerous scholars were all left wanting more.
Zhang Jian had already asked the kitchen to prepare several spice packets for everyone to take home, especially a few lower-class scholars. Zhang Jian also asked Zhang Fu to prepare an extra serving of lamb for them to take back.
In the end, Zhang Jian decided to keep Song Yingzhen behind.
In front of the Great Nong Temple, the cold moon was like a hook.
The master and disciple stood under the eaves watching everyone leave, stepping unevenly through the snow, and Zhang Jian’s gaze fell on Song Yingzhen as he asked.
"Yingzhen, have you recently embarked on the path of cultivation?!"
Hearing this, Song Yingzhen’s expression was somewhat surprised.
"Teacher is also a cultivator?"
Zhang Jian nodded and said, "That’s not strange; there are many distinguished and unusual people in the court!"
Zhang Jian raised a hand, a point of red light swirling in the depths of his palm, and the Celestial Purity Fire appeared, soon transforming into a small firebird that soared into the sky from Zhang Jian’s hand.
Although the firebird was small, it emitted an extremely dangerous glow, with countless layers of Dao Patterns faintly visible within it, which Zhang Jian intentionally exposed to show its essence.
Song Yingzhen only glanced at it, but felt a chill in his heart.
"Teacher’s attainments in the path of cultivation may not be low, possibly no weaker than my master..."
Such a thought flashed through his mind.
After hesitating slightly, Song Yingzhen said, "To be honest, teacher, it was just recently that I had an opportunity to step onto the path of cultivation, and my means of concealment are clumsy, which must have amused you!"
Song Yingzhen did not mention his apprenticeship, not because of mistrust, but because he had promised his master not to reveal his identity.
Zhang Jian’s gaze fell on Song Yingzhen, noting that the various magical powers within Song Yingzhen’s body exuded a sense of richness and perfection, which evidently could not be possessed by ordinary inheritance.
It seemed that, by chance, he had joined a certain Dao Lineage, just like Zhang Jian himself did back then, now likely still in the probationary period.
Zhang Jian did not mind, and casually gave one or two pointers on some key points to pay attention to during the Qi Cultivation Stage and the Nourishing Spirit Stage, which made Song Yingzhen feel deeply grateful.
Zhang Jian then said.
"Do you know about the concept of Life Plate?"
Song Yingzhen nodded and said, "I once encountered a senior who mentioned that during the Nourishing Spirit Stage of cultivation, one must awaken the Divine Thought, map out one’s own Life Palace, and integrate the Life Plate to establish the Foundation and cultivate magical power!"
Zhang Jian was also intrigued, saying.
"Most people’s Life Palaces are blank, but a small portion of people, with great luck, can awaken some special Life Plates before Foundation Establishment!"
"You are very lucky; your Life Plate is special, but if you expose it, it won’t be a good thing for you!"
Upon hearing this, there was a flicker of shock in Song Yingzhen’s eyes.
"Teacher, you mean I have a special Life Plate?"
Zhang Jian nodded slightly.
"Yes, but you don’t need to worry too much now; you have just begun your cultivation, and no one will notice you!"
Song Yingzhen was somewhat uneasy, having grown up in the Dingyuan Marquis’s Mansion, he had tasted the bitterness of being targeted and persecuted, and instinctively had a sense of caution towards such matters.
He quickly said, "Does teacher have a method for concealment?"
Zhang Jian glanced at Song Yingzhen and chuckled, "Concealing a Life Plate is indeed not simple, but for me, it’s not difficult!"
Song Yingzhen immediately cupped his hands respectfully.
"I implore teacher to bestow upon me a mysterious technique to help me avoid calamities!"
Zhang Jian looked at Song Yingzhen and found him quite clever.
If he were foolish, Zhang Jian would have had to wait until after he faced hardships before finding a way to help him.
Zhang Jian raised a hand, and a golden lotus appeared in the depths of his palm, with seven-colored light swirling around it.
The Golden Lotus Hidden Breath Technique.
At this moment, the seven-colored golden lotus instantly transformed into a seven-colored talisman, entering into Song Yingzhen’s Life Palace.
Song Yingzhen closed his eyes, sensing the connection between that seven-colored talisman and himself, feeling as if he could control it to open and close its petals with a mere thought.
It was very simple and practical.
"Thank you, teacher!"
Song Yingzhen bowed respectfully.
Zhang Jian nodded, and after giving a couple more pointers, he had him leave.
After Song Yingzhen left, he tossed and turned, unable to sleep. The next morning, he left Haojing City early and headed to a dilapidated temple in the nearby outskirts.
Meanwhile, Zhang Jian was also outside the city, following Song Yingzhen all the way there.
Song Yingzhen was smart, diligent, and had a stroke of luck; naturally, Zhang Jian did not want this clever disciple to go astray, so he watched to see who had intercepted his disciple.
In his vast Yang God Divine Sense, he saw that within the collapsed Judge Temple, there was another female cultivator dressed in snow-white, sitting cross-legged, healing her injuries.
After Song Yingzhen entered, he immediately called out, "Master," and began to narrate, like pouring beans, about everything that transpired at the Great Nong Temple with Zhang Jian the previous night.
Zhang Jian, observing this scene with his divine sense, couldn’t help but sigh.
Indeed, female cultivators have an advantage in taking disciples.
It’s as if they inherently possess a harmless aura, making it easy to gain trust with slight gestures.
Between him and this woman, it was clear that Song Yingzhen trusted this female cultivator more, already selling out Zhang Jian near completely with his babbling.
"Life Plate?"
Upon hearing this, the white-clad female cultivator, her jade-like face as delicate as a lotus, raised her willow brows slightly. She slowly lifted a slender, fair hand, signaling for Song Yingzhen to come forward, and casually touched the center of his brow where his Life Palace was.
A sharp Sword Qi swirled around her, turning into magical power that merged into Song Yingzhen’s Life Palace, but in the blink of an eye, her eyes opened wide with a hint of doubt.
"Nothing!"
"Master, is there really nothing?"
Song Yingzhen’s expression changed, but the white-clad female cultivator, after pondering for a moment, said again.
"Try using your mind to communicate with that talisman inside your body, and try to reveal your Life Plate!"
Song Yingzhen promptly followed suit, and under the female cultivator’s mysterious technique, a blazing starlight burst forth from the depths of Song Yingzhen’s brow, corresponding to the Star Formation, as a fierce and terrifying Star Fiend condensed, with a special mark appearing at the center of Song Yingzhen’s brow.
"Po Jun Star!"
Upon seeing this constellation, the white-clad female cultivator’s face also changed.
She gazed, astonished, at the disciple she had unwittingly taken in.
The other party had accidentally stumbled upon her location and diverted an old enemy of hers, and out of a sense of fate, she temporarily imparted a Foundation Establishment Technique to Song Yingzhen. Little did she expect to encounter someone with the Po Jun Star within them.
At this moment, the expression on the white-clad female cultivator’s face underwent a change, and she said again.
"It seems your teacher’s Dao practice is extraordinary; such a technique for concealing a Life Plate is truly divine and profound!"
Song Yingzhen couldn’t help but ask, "Master, how does he compare to you?"
The white-clad female cultivator chided him lightly, "Don’t ask what you shouldn’t!"