Gou Zai Xi You Dao Chang Sheng

Looking up, I saw two men dressed in gray short-sleeved shirts carrying a shoulder pole.

The basket was full of black soil and was coming this way.

They were the external laborers in the alchemy room responsible for transporting fertile soil.

The two placed the baskets by the garden and wiped their sweat.

The older one looked at Li Yan and smiled, "Junior Brother, this is newly fermented spiritual soil from the alchemy room."

Senior Brother Chen instructed that two loads be sent over to fertilize the herb garden.

Li Yan stood up to express his gratitude, his gaze sweeping over the two baskets of black soil.

The soil is glossy and has a faint golden hue; it is indeed good soil.

It has the unique lingering aroma of medicinal residue from the alchemy room, which is very beneficial to ordinary herbs.

He helped unload the soil and spread it evenly in the garden.

The servants chatted idly as they spread the soil:

"Junior Brother has taken better and better care of this garden than the previous ones."

Yesterday, when Senior Brother Chen went back, he praised you for handling things smoothly.

Li Yan kept working, saying only, "It's just my duty, I dare not boast."

Another young errand boy's interface:

"Senior Brother Chen is a good person, but for some reason, he came back yesterday with an injured arm and his complexion was not good."

I heard they went to collect ink..."

The older handyman glared at him: "Shut up!"

The young handyman shrank back.

Li Yan seemed not to hear, focusing on spreading the soil.

After the soil was spread evenly, the two men picked up their empty baskets and took their leave.

Li Yan escorted them to the edge of the garden, watched them descend the mountain, and seemed lost in thought.

Back in the garden, he squatted down and carefully examined the newly laid soil for the spiritual plants.

Beneath the eye aperture, the spiritual energy in the soil slowly emanates, merging with the original earth energy.

With a slight twitch of the ear, listen to the subtle sounds deep within the soil.

Suddenly, he raised an eyebrow.

At the boundary between the new and old soil, about three inches below, there is a clicking sound.

It looked like some kind of hard object was buried inside.

Without making a sound, he took a small hoe, pretended to tidy up the ridge, and slowly dug open that spot.

The soil particles were turned up, revealing a corner of a brown hard shell.

Continue digging carefully, and the full outline of the hard shell will be revealed.

It is a palm-sized tortoise shell, dark brown in color, with ancient and rustic patterns on the surface and slightly damaged edges.

The tortoise shell was half-buried in the soil, its color similar to the surrounding soil.

It is extremely difficult to detect without using both eyes and ears.

Li Yan took it out and brushed off the dirt.

The tortoise shell felt cool to the touch and was quite heavy.

The nail plates are densely packed, with natural patterns forming the shape of the Bagua (Eight Trigrams), and subtly possess an inner spiritual aura.

The mirror of the heart reflects.

[The incomplete tortoise shell (from ancient times, its spiritual energy still lingers)]

[Note: This piece of Jia should be a fragment of a divination tool, which has been warmed by incense for a long time.]

Although damaged, it still retains a trace of premonition, slightly amplifying any sense of good or bad fortune.

【Purpose: Can be worn on the body to subtly enhance one's vague premonition of crisis and opportunity (effect is minimal).

Alternatively, one can attempt to perform a simple divination using specific methods (this consumes one's own vital energy, and the results are ambiguous).

[Current Status: Silent. It requires long-term nurturing with one's own energy to slowly regain some of its spirituality.]

Fragments of divination tools...

Li Yan stroked the patterns on the tortoise shell, a slight stirring in his heart.

This object is similar to the black stone; both are in a dormant state with obscure uses, requiring patient nurturing.

But compared to the black stone, at least the purpose of this tortoise shell is known.

He put the tortoise shell into his bosom and placed it together with the black stone and the spirit shell.

Continue to smooth and level the soil mound, leaving no trace.

As the sun grew stronger, Li Yan stood up and dusted off his Taoist robe.

What I gained today was yet another insignificant stroke of luck.

If it is inconspicuous, it will not attract attention.

It suits his situation perfectly.

In the afternoon, Li Yan asked for a short leave and went to the dining hall to get his monthly allowance of coarse salt.

On the way back, we took a detour through the peach grove on the back mountain.

The peaches are ripe and hanging heavily on the branches, filling the air with their sweet fragrance.

He picked a dozen or so ripe peaches, scooped them up in his clothes, and returned to the herb garden.

Just as I placed the peach on the rock, I heard cheers coming from the top of the cliff:

"Senior brother! You've picked the peaches for me again!"

With a flash of golden light, Sun Wukong flipped and landed, clumsily grabbing a peach and taking a big bite, juice dripping from it.

Li Yan smiled and said, "Eat slowly, it's all yours."

Sun Wukong finished one in a few bites, then grabbed another and mumbled:

"Senior brother, are you free today?"

I practiced the Shrinking Earth technique yesterday, but I felt it was lacking. Could you take a look?

Upon hearing this, Li Yan's thoughts shifted slightly.

"Go ahead and show me."

Sun Wukong threw the peach pit away, took a few steps back, took a deep breath, and then tapped his foot on the ground.

His figure suddenly blurred, and he darted forward three zhang (approximately 10 meters), but when he landed, he stumbled and almost fell.

It scratched its head: "Strange! I clearly followed the incantation and focused my energy, so why is my landing unstable?"

Li Yan observed the movements of the person just now with his eyes, taking in the flow of their energy.

His ears could also detect subtle discrepancies between the force exerted by his feet and the rhythm of his chanting.

He hesitated for a moment, then slowly said:

"Your luck is too fast. The key to the method of shrinking the earth lies in the word 'shrinking,' not in the word 'speed.'"

One must first have a thought in mind, let the breath follow the thought, and then move the feet.

You moved your feet first, then your thoughts, which is why you landed unsteadily, like a spent arrow.

Sun Wukong's golden eyes lit up: "The mind precedes the thought, and the qi follows the thought... I'll give it a try!"

It stood still with its eyes closed for a moment, then suddenly opened them and lightly touched the ground with its feet.

Its form remained blurry, and it darted out a similar distance, but landed steadily and silently.

"It's done!" Sun Wukong scratched his ears and cheeks with joy. "Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother!"

[Guiding the key points of the Spiritual Stone Monkey's magic, increasing the Qi of Fate by 2]

[Current Affinity/Dharma Aura: 14/20]

Reflected in the mirror of his heart, Li Yan smiled slightly.

Sun Wukong practiced several more times, becoming increasingly skilled, and suddenly asked:

"Senior brother, do you think that if you master the Shrinking Earth technique to its fullest extent, you might be able to travel 108,000 li in a single step?"

Li Yan shook his head: "I don't know. But the Dao is endless, perhaps such a realm truly exists."

Sun Wukong's eyes darted around:

"If such a realm truly exists, I, Old Sun, will leap to the edge of the sky in one step and see what it looks like beyond!"

Having said that, it somersaulted again, leaped up the cliff face, and laughed heartily:

"Senior brother, I'm off! I'll come find you again tomorrow!"

With a few leaps, the golden figure disappeared into the deep forest.

Li Yan watched it disappear into the distance, feeling a mix of emotions.

This monkey is lively and unruly, but has lofty ambitions; its future achievements are limitless.

With my meager skills, it's already a stroke of luck that I've managed to form some positive connections with them.

He picked up the peach pits from the stone, washed his hands, and continued tending to the medicinal herb garden.

As the sun dips westward, the mountain breeze grows cooler.

After finishing the last bit of work, Li Yan was preparing to return to his quarters when his ear twitched again.

A squeaking sound came from the northeast.

It was that gray sable.

He turned his head and saw a gray sable poking half its body out from the edge of the bushes, waving its small paws as if gesturing for him to come over.

Li Yan hesitated for a moment, then stepped closer.

When the sable saw him coming, it turned and disappeared into the bushes, then poked its head out again, signaling him to follow.

"Where are you taking me?"

Curious, Li Yan followed the gray sable northeastward.

After passing through a dense forest, we arrived at a secluded stone wall.

At the bottom of the rock wall, there is a cave about half a person's height, hidden by vines, which would be extremely difficult to find if not for the gray sable leading the way.

The sable scurried into the hole and looked back at him.

Li Yan scanned the cave with his eyes. It was not deep, about two or three zhang deep, and there was no sign of danger.

He bent down and crawled inside.

The cave was dry and had a fresh, pleasant scent of grass and trees.

The gray sable ran to the bottom of the burrow, and its little paws dug through the loose soil, revealing a shallow pit.

There were several items placed in the pit.

A starstone with a purer color, the size of a pigeon's egg, with a flowing silver sheen.

A withered vine, about the length of a finger and entirely purplish-black, faintly shrouded in thunderous energy.

There were also three longan-sized fruits, white as jade, with a wonderfully fragrant aroma.

The sable pushed the three items in front of Li Yan, its little eyes gazing at him expectantly.

Li Yan was surprised.

He crouched down and examined it closely.

Needless to say, the starstone is even more complete and pure than the previous one.

That section of purplish-black withered vine, reflected in the mirror of the heart, appeared as a fragment of an old vine struck by lightning, containing a trace of the lingering power of heavenly thunder.

It can be used to refine low-level lightning talismans or to assist in the cultivation of lightning-attribute techniques.

The three white jade fruits are called [Jade Marrow Fruits].

It has the effect of clearing the mind and brightening the eyes, nourishing the spirit and soul, and is especially beneficial to cultivators in the enlightenment stage.

They are all good things, and just what you need.

Li Yan looked at the gray sable and said gently, "You want to trade the spiritual item I possess?"

The sable nodded and nudged the ground with its little paws.

Li Yan pondered for a moment, then took out the half-packet of earth vein stone fragments from his bosom.

Then he took out the black stone with its obscure aura.

He placed the two side by side and said to the gray sable:

"The stone fragments have little effect on me. I obtained this black stone by chance and do not know its purpose, but it seems to be related to the earth's veins."

"In exchange for these two, how about you exchange them for your spiritual items?"

The gray sable approached, sniffed the fragments of malachite, and then its eyes lit up with delight.

He then turned to the black stone, lightly touched it with the tip of his nose, and sniffed it for a long time.

His small eyes suddenly lit up, and he circled the black stone twice, looking somewhat excited.

Li Yan was slightly surprised.

Blackstone is currently like a useless commodity to him, but he never expected that the sable would value it so much.

It seems that this spirit sable has a keen sense of earth element and can sense the earth vein characteristics contained within the black stone, which has a special use for it.

That's fine, everyone gets what they need.

Li Yan nodded: "Then let's exchange these two items."

He pushed the items toward the sable, and then put away the starstone, lightning vine, and chalcedony fruit.

The gray sable cried out joyfully, bowed to Li Yan, and then hid the black stone deep inside the cave.

It turned back and began to nibble on the stone marrow fragments that Li Yan had given it.

[Bartering with the spirit sable, each taking what they need, is in accordance with nature. Aura of Fate +1]

Current time: 15/20

Reflected in the mirror of his heart, Li Yan felt at peace.

He doesn't gain any advantage, and the sable gets what it needs; a clean break is the only way to ensure long-term harmony.

After finishing the scraps, the sable licked its paws and let out two soft whistles at Li Yan.

It then emerged from the cave and quickly disappeared.

Li Yan sat in the cave for a while, examining everything he had gained that day.

Starstone can be absorbed and enhance the eyesight, but since the eyesight is already perfected, you can try guiding its star power to nourish the ears.

The lightning-struck vine has a specific purpose, so it will be kept for now.

Jade marrow fruit is exactly what we need right now; it can nourish the spirit and strengthen the hearing.

He took out a jade marrow fruit and put it in his mouth.

The flesh is sweet and melts in your mouth, turning into a cool breeze that goes straight to your brain.

The faint light inside the ear orifice, nourished by this, immediately brightened and its stability gradually improved.

Li Yan closed his eyes and guided the medicinal power. Half an hour later, the refining was finally completed.

The mirror of the heart reflects.

[Consuming Jade Marrow Fruit increases ear orifice stability by 10]

[Current ear function: 23.5/100]

The effect is remarkable.

He was satisfied and carefully put away the remaining two jade marrow fruits.

This fruit has a mild medicinal effect; one can be taken every three days, gradually increasing the dosage.

As dusk approached, Li Yan got up, left the cave, and returned to the herb garden along the same route.

As dusk settled, mountain mists rose again.

He walked in the fog, listening to all directions, observing all paths, and his mind was at peace.

Back in his room, he closed the door and lit the oil lamp.

Under the dim light, Li Yan laid out all of his gains for the day.

Five spirit shells, a piece of tortoise shell, a piece of starlight stone, a section of lightning-struck vine, and two jade marrow fruits.

The black stone and the earth vein marrow have been exchanged for these three useful items, which is a fair exchange.

He first held the starstone in his palm and tried to absorb its star power through his eyes.

The silvery light seeped into my palm.

This time, he intentionally guided the star power to flow to his ears.

The cool, ethereal energy travels upwards along the meridians and flows into the ear canal.

The ear orifices glowed with a faint, joyful light, and their stability gradually increased.

Li Yan only stopped when the starlight stone lost its luster and turned into an ordinary stone.

The mirror of the heart reflects.

[Absorbing Starshine Stone, Ear Acupoint Stability +6.5]

[Current ear function: 30/100]

The progress is considerable.

Li Yan then placed the lightning-struck vine and the tortoise shell together and gently nurtured them with his own true energy.

After doing all this, he sat cross-legged, holding the Water Spirit Jade, absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to consolidate his cultivation.

Silent all night.

For the next few days, Li Yan continued his life as usual.

During the day, he tends to the herb garden and occasionally takes on odd jobs in the alchemy room and artifact workshop in exchange for some spirit shells and materials.

He cultivated at night, ate jade marrow fruit, and gently nourished the tortoise shell thunder vine.

After consuming the Jade Marrow Fruit, the stability of the ear orifices increased to fifty-five.

When the tortoise shell is nourished by the true qi, its surface gradually develops a warm and lustrous sheen.

When I hold it in my hand, a premonition sometimes comes to mind.

For example, when will it rain tomorrow, and which mountain path should be avoided today?

Although not precise, it is still somewhat useful.

A wisp of lightning energy from the lightning-struck vine was drawn out, and Li Yan attempted to attach it to a peach wood branch.

It emits a faint electric light when swung, and while not very powerful, it is remarkably effective against common snakes and insects.

The energy of karmic connection gradually increases through the accumulation of these days.

You can gain something by giving Sun Wukong guidance on his magical difficulties and by completing the miscellaneous tasks assigned by your steward without making any mistakes.

On this day, the aura of destiny finally gathered to twenty strands.

The mirror of the heart reflects.

[Aura of Destiny: 20/20]

[Optional]

[A. Consumes 20 strands to activate the Tan Zhong Tian (heart orifice)]

[B - Consumes 12 strands to glimpse a close-range opportunity within three days]

[C - Do not consume for now, continue to accumulate]

Li Yan stared at the words in the mirror.

Opening the Heart Aperture is the third of the nine orifices.

The mind is the organ of thought; when it is opened, the mind is clear and the eyes are bright, and one's comprehension is slightly enhanced. This is beneficial for understanding the Dao and resisting inner demons.

Furthermore, the heart orifice is located in the middle dantian, which is the pivot of qi and blood. Opening it also has a warming and nourishing effect on the physical body.

Next time, forty strands will be needed, doubling the number and inevitably lengthening the time required.

Seeking opportunities is an old trick; one might receive help, or one might end up empty-handed.

At present, my hearing is not yet stable, my mind is not yet open, and my cultivation is low. The best strategy is to improve steadily.

He pondered for a long time before finally making up his mind.

"Choose A."

Twenty strands of karmic energy flowed and transformed into a warm current, flowing straight into the heart.

In that instant, Li Yan felt his heart leap into his throat.

Immediately afterwards, a warm sensation spread from my chest to my limbs and bones.

The body's energy and blood surged forth like a rising tide.

A deafening roar filled my ears, and I felt slightly dizzy.

He quickly calmed himself and guided the heat flow towards the Tanzhong acupoint.

The heat swirled and condensed, gradually illuminating a warm glow on the chest.

That was the rudimentary form of the mind.

The light was initially faint, but gradually became brighter and more stable as the energy of the Dharma was continuously infused into it.

Half an hour later, the heat dissipated.

Li Yan opened his eyes and exhaled a long breath.

I felt my mind was clear and my senses were sharper than before.

Many distracting thoughts seemed to have been cleared away, and my thoughts flowed more smoothly.

The mirror of the heart reflects.

[The third of the nine orifices, the Tanzhongtian (heart orifice), has been opened.]

[Current mental stability: 10/100]

[Deepened understanding of the *Shouzhuo Jing*: The mind opens, thoughts flow freely, and the understanding of the natural way of the Tao becomes clearer. Comprehension +15.]

[Supernatural Power: The Mirror of the Mind Reflects Objects, Initial Listening, Enlightenment]

[Enlightenment: A spiritual ability that allows one to temporarily eliminate distracting thoughts and maintain a clear and lucid mind. It is particularly effective for meditation, breath regulation, and dialogue.]

Li Yan clenched his fist, feeling the newfound power within his body.

The three orifices have been opened, though still in their infancy, but compared to the mortal body three months ago, it is now worlds apart.

He got up and pushed open the door to his dormitory room.

As dawn broke, the mountain mist hung like a veil.

Listen to the birdsong and the wind's whisper, watch the clouds roll and the mist unfold, and feel the tranquility of heaven and earth.

The path to immortality is long, but we have finally taken another step forward.

Just then, the sound of bells came from the distant mountain path.

A rapid series of rings.

Li Yan's expression hardened.

This is a signal to summon disciples; there is an important announcement to make.

He straightened his robes slightly and followed the sound.

Dozens of disciples had already gathered on the stone platform in front of the Samsung Cave.

The senior disciple in charge stood on the high platform, his face solemn.

Once everyone had arrived, he looked around and said loudly:

"I have summoned you all today to discuss the matter of the cold pool in the back mountain."

Recently, a disciple reported that the Green-Scaled Snake was making strange movements in the bamboo forest on the west side of the Cold Pool, which may indicate an impending disaster.

To prevent it from disturbing the herb garden and endangering the disciples, the alchemy and artifact workshops jointly petitioned for its eradication.

The disciples below the stage whispered among themselves.

The Green-Scaled Serpent has been entrenched in the cold pool for many years. Although it occasionally injures people, it is mostly to protect its territory, and no one has ever died.

Therefore, I have not yet made up my mind to remove it.

The sudden urge to take action is likely related to the setback Brother Chen and his group suffered the day before yesterday when they tried to obtain bamboo.

The senior disciple continued:

"The operation to eliminate them will be led by Elder Zhao of the Weapon Pavilion, with three true disciples and five registered disciples selected. The operation will commence three days from 9:00 AM."

You, the sweeping disciples, must assist from the side, and be responsible for perimeter security, clearing the snake pit, and transporting materials, among other things.

This is not mandatory; registration is voluntary.

All participants will be rewarded with twenty spirit shells and five points of Taoist merit upon successful completion of the task.

Twenty spirit shells might not seem like much to a true disciple who has made a name for himself, but they are a generous reward for a lowly disciple.

Daoist cultivation techniques are even more valuable and can be exchanged for cultivation methods and elixirs.

Many people in the audience were immediately tempted.

Li Yan frowned slightly.

The Green-Scaled Snake has been entrenched for many years, possessing considerable strength, and is cunning by nature, with its lair hidden in secret.

Although the elders were leading the operation, unpredictable events could occur in the mountains and forests.

I am only at the initial stage of enlightenment, with very limited cultivation. Getting involved in this is quite risky.

While the spiritual shells and cultivation techniques are tempting, life is of greater importance.

The key to the right path lies in not standing under a crumbling wall.

As he was pondering this, more than a dozen disciples raised their hands to sign up.

Most of them are physically strong or urgently need resources to make a breakthrough.

The senior disciple in charge noted down the names, then glanced at the others:

"Who else would be willing to go?"

Li Yan lowered his head and remained silent.

Once the required number of participants had been reached, the attending senior brother did not ask any further questions and announced the event was over.

The crowd dispersed, chattering amongst themselves.

Li Yan returned to the herb garden, still pondering the matter.

The extermination of the snake demon will inevitably involve a significant commotion.

At that time, the spiritual energy in the Cold Pool area will be disordered, and other minor demons may be frightened and flee, affecting the surrounding areas.

The herb garden is not far from the cold pond, so we need to take precautions early.

He carefully inspected the medicinal herb garden, especially the side closest to the mountain forest, where he reinforced the fence and sprinkled some snake and insect repellent powder.

Then he took out the section of lightning-struck vine, cut off about an inch, ground it into powder, and mixed it into the medicinal powder.

Thunder energy has a restraining effect on cold and yin-type snakes, so it may be of some use.

By the time I finished all that, it was already afternoon.

He sat on the rock, took out the tortoise shell and held it in his palm, trying to sense it with his newly opened mind.

With a calm mind, a vague premonition surfaced in my heart.

Three days later, a bloody aura was detected in the southeast direction...

The premonition was faint and difficult to discern.

Li Yan put away the tortoise shell and stopped thinking about it.

Since the decision has been made not to participate, all that is needed is to manage the medicinal herb garden and observe how things develop.

For the next two days, Li Yan worked as usual.

He simply kept his ears wide open, constantly paying attention to any movements in the direction of the cold pool.

The sounds of disciples from the Artifact Pavilion carrying magical artifacts and practicing formations could be heard.

Occasionally, one could hear the sound of a true disciple flying through the air on a sword.

A storm is brewing.

On the morning of the third day, the sky was overcast.

Li Yan got up early and moved several of the more precious seedlings from the herb garden into a temporary shed to prevent them from being damaged by the aftershocks of the battle.

At the end of the Chen hour (7-9 AM), a faint chime of a bell came from the direction of the cold pool.

That was the signal that the operation was about to begin.

Li Yan stood by the herb garden, his eyes gazing southeast.

All that could be seen was the sky above that mountain forest.

A faint spiritual light shone, sword energy crisscrossed, and occasionally a booming sound was heard, mixed with the sharp hiss of snakes.

The battle has begun.

He stopped looking around, turned around and went back to his room, where he closed the door and sat quietly.

However, his ears picked up a general idea of ​​the battle situation in the distance.

Initially, the magical artifacts roared in response to the snakes' hissing, a conflict that lasted for about half an hour.

Then came a brief silence.

Immediately afterwards, a burst of spiritual energy erupted.

With a long howl, it seemed that the green-scaled snake had activated some kind of innate supernatural power.

Then, a clear and melodious sword cry pierced the air, as if the true disciples of the Seventy-Two Peaks had made their move.

After the sword's cry, the snake's hiss gradually weakened until it fell silent.

The battle is over.

Li Yan exhaled.

It seems they won, and it didn't take long.

Just past noon, a cacophony of voices could be heard along the mountain path.

The disciples who participated in the suppression have returned.

Many of them were wounded, but they looked excited and talked about the battle they had just fought.

"...Zhao Zhenchuan's water-splitting sword light was truly powerful!"

With a single sword strike, he shattered the snake's protective icy mist!

"That snake's final, desperate attack was fierce; its venom corroded three of the shields..."

"I heard they found a lot of good stuff in the snake den, and they even cut down more than a dozen bamboo stalks..."

Li Yan walked out of his room, mingled in the crowd, and listened silently.

At this moment, the senior disciple in charge came over and began distributing the rewards.

The outer disciples who had registered each received twenty spirit shells, beaming with joy.

Li Yan glanced at it, then turned and went back to the herb garden.

Although Lingbei was good, he did not regret his choice.

Prudence is more important than short-term gains.

He picked up a water ladle, ready to water the seedlings that had been moved into the greenhouse.

Just as I bent down, I caught a glimpse of something faintly reflecting light in the grass outside the fence of the herb garden.

He paused, his eyes scanning the area.

It was a bright green scale, about the size of a fingernail.

Its edges are sharp, with a hint of cold glint.

These are not scales from a blue-scaled snake.

The scales of the Green-Scaled Snake are green, and its demonic aura is cold and sinister.

This scale is as green as jade, with a purer aura and a faint watery fragrance.

Li Yan approached and carefully picked it up.

The scales are cool to the touch, hard in texture, and have natural cloud-like patterns on their surface.

The mirror of the heart reflects.

[Freshly Scaled Python]

[Note: The scales shed by the water-attribute monster Azure Water Python during its molting process contain pure water elemental energy.]

It can be used to craft low-level water-attribute magical artifacts or to assist in cultivating water-based techniques.