A top star in the Chinese entertainment industry, but also a Taoist priest.

Before Chen Shouyi could fully recover from the surge in his cultivation brought about by dual cultivation, the system notification sounded again.

[Main Quest Rewards Distribution]

【Rubbing of the Blessed Land of the Purple Mansion - Part 1】

[This item is a wisp of primordial essence from a secret realm obtained by Yin Xi, the founding patriarch of the Zifu Temple, from Laozi. It was sealed in place as a rubbing using Daoist patterns. Its texture is neither gold nor jade; it feels like holding a wisp of cloud, and when light shines through it, one can see the ethereal shadows of mountains and rivers flowing through it.]

[By harnessing the power of vows, one can illuminate a realm of heaven and earth upon the very foundation of a sacred site.]

[Currently incomplete: 1/3. Collect all three rubbings to unlock the complete blessed land.]

[Note: This item is non-tradeable and non-transferable. Only the leader of the Wen Shi Sect can control it.]

Chen Shouyi's heart skipped a beat.

Purple Mansion Blessed Land?

He had seen these four characters more than once in his family's Taoist canon.

The patriarch Yin Xi built a thatched pavilion on Zhongnan Mountain to observe the stars and the qi. When Lao Tzu traveled west to Guanzhong, he was welcomed into the thatched pavilion by Yin Xi and stayed there for many days. Before leaving, he left behind a scroll of Taoist scripture and something unseen.

The ancient texts only mentioned "another path to enlightenment, which cannot be transmitted through writing," and for the next two thousand years, no one in the successive sect leaders knew what this path to enlightenment was.

Chen Shouyi once thought it was just a legend, a story the old Taoist priest hid in old papers to glorify himself, but he never expected it to be true.

Now it seems this is the one.

"What is this blessed land?" he asked the system in his mind. "Does it mean that collecting three rubbings will allow me to create another space?"

[Correct. Blessed lands exist independently of the present world, maintained by the power of vows. They can be used for cultivation, alchemy, and weapon crafting. A complete blessed land can also spontaneously generate spiritual veins, nourishing the practice site.]

After thinking it over, Chen Shouyi realized that being able to establish another truly blessed place for cultivation within the Zifu Temple meant that he could cultivate peacefully there without worrying about being disturbed by the outside world.

Let alone the Dharma-ending Age, this is a dimensional reduction attack no matter what era it is.

Besides the Wenshi School, which other Taoist temple could produce something like this?

The patriarch treated him very well.

The system added a further note: [The activation of the blessed land requires fulfilling the following prerequisites: the Daoist temple itself must be fully repaired. Only with a complete foundation can the Daoist runes be activated.]

Chen Shouyi clicked his tongue; it was just as he had thought.

The system's rewards are never given away for free; this is another way to spur him on to earn vow power for cultivating his spiritual practice.

Okay, let's fix it.

He was going to do this anyway, and having Fudi as a scapegoat only fueled his motivation to work even harder.

Chen Shouyi dismissed the system panel and focused his attention back on his own body.

The spiritual energy in his dantian was several times stronger than before.

If it was just a trickle before, it is now a budding stream, with a faster flow and a larger volume of water.

The first time I treated Fang Xu with acupuncture, he was so weak after just one needle that he had to lean back in his chair and catch his breath for a long time. Nowadays, even if I finished the treatment in one go, I could probably still drink two cups of tea without batting an eye.

This is what it feels like to be in the middle stage of Qi Refining.

The practice methods of the Wenshi School differ from those of the general system.

The Shaoyang lineage, starting from Laozi's departure from Hangu Pass and passing on the knowledge to Yin Xi, emphasizes a natural and spontaneous approach.

The core of cultivation is to nurture the primordial energy of Shaoyang within the body. This energy is gradually strengthened through meditation, gathering herbs, and refining the body. The higher one goes, the purer the energy becomes, and the different realms one attains.

According to the division in the sect's "Secret Instructions of Shaoyang," the entire path of cultivation is roughly divided into these sections:

The first step is to gather the scattered vital energy in the body, which is called Tonggu. It means that all the body's acupoints are opened, and the Qi can flow freely in the meridians. It is also called Lianqi.

For an ordinary person to reach this level, under conditions of spiritual energy, it would take at least seven or eight years.

This is the stage Chen Shouyi is currently in. His Qi has stabilized in his dantian, allowing him to release it outwards to protect his body, nourish his five internal organs, and begin to use some simple spells.

The next step is called Foundation Building, where Qi begins to fill the Dantian, gradually condensing from a gaseous state into a denser form.

Most importantly, at this level, one can already control magical artifacts and fly through the air.

Thinking of this, Chen Shouyi felt a little itchy; who wouldn't want to ride a sword across the world?

The next step is sitting in oblivion. At this stage, Qi and spirit merge, and one begins to touch the level of the soul. There is no need for conscious recognition; changes in the surrounding aura will automatically be reflected in one's consciousness.

In Taoist classics, sitting in oblivion is already the threshold for entering the Tao, and one can be called a True Person.

Then comes returning to emptiness. Qi connects with heaven and earth, and with every gesture, one can manipulate the power of heaven and earth, ride the wind, and summon wind and rain, no longer bound by the physical rules of the mortal world.

Even if the Ivan the Great exploded overhead, it wouldn't harm someone of this level.

Finally, there is the unity of body and mind with the Dao. One becomes one with the Dao, lives as long as heaven and earth, and roams freely between heaven and earth, but that is the realm of the patriarchs and Lao Tzu.

Chen Shouyi glanced at the not-so-strong ball of Qi in his dantian and wisely withdrew his thoughts.

The path to returning to the void and achieving harmony is too far for him; he still has a long way to go. Without system-added points, being able to touch the threshold of sitting in oblivion before the age of sixty is already considered a remarkable talent.

However, with the amplification from "The Yellow Emperor's Inner Landscape Cultivation Technique" and the blessing of dual cultivation, this timeline can be significantly compressed.

He then casually browsed the newly opened weapon crafting module in the system.

It contains a list of magical artifact diagrams, ranging from the most basic protective jade talisman to a magical sword that can fly, with the materials and crafting methods clearly described.

Most of the materials are rare or outrageously expensive, but there are also a few simple ones.

For example, there is a small item called "Qingxin Yufu" (清心玉符), which is made of ordinary jade. After being infused with spiritual energy, it can calm the mind, bring good fortune, and ward off evil.

After returning to the temple, I might give it a try; making a few to give as gifts would be a good idea.

Chen Shouyi suppressed these thoughts and turned to look at Chen Yao beside him.

She was still asleep.

Her breathing was even and deep, her eyelashes drooped quietly, and the lingering moonlight had not yet faded from her face.

Chen Shouyi could feel that all the minor ailments she had previously suffered from were now gone.

Although dual cultivation was not something she actively pursued, when their spiritual energies intertwined, the Qi within his body would circulate through her meridians and then return.

This process is beneficial to cultivators, and for ordinary people it is a cleansing from head to toe.

I can't say I'll be immune to all diseases in the future, but at least my physical condition will be much better than before.

Chen Shouyi gently raised his hand, his fingertips lightly brushing across her body a few inches above her body.

A faint ray of light emanated from her fingertips, silently sweeping across her body.

This is one of the most basic spells, with almost no cost, but a very real effect.

The thin layer of sweat and lingering marks on Chen Yao's skin vanished in the blink of an eye, leaving him feeling refreshed, as if he had just finished soaking in a hot spring.

Chen Shouyi checked the results and was satisfied. At least she wouldn't scream when she woke up tomorrow morning.

He lay down next to her again, closed his eyes, and regulated his breathing.

With his current level of cultivation, sleep is no longer a necessity. He recovers better by meditating and regulating his breath for half an hour each day than by sleeping all night.

The spiritual energy circulated slowly through the meridians, washing over the limbs and bones again and again, while the Qi in the dantian also increased at an extremely slow but steady pace.

Spiritual practice is like rowing a boat against the current; if you don't move forward, you fall behind.

The moonlight slowly moved across the windowsill; the night in Hengdian was very quiet.

The next morning, Chen Yao was awakened by an unprecedented feeling of comfort.

She opened her eyes and stared blankly at the ceiling for a moment.

Then I saw Chen Shouyi beside me.

Chen Shouyi closed his eyes, his breathing steady, and the morning light fell on his profile, giving his skin a warm glow.

Chen Yao blinked.

Last night's events flashed before her eyes, frame by frame. She knocked on his door, said those words, and then—her face flushed crimson.

It was her initiative.

Chen Yao buried half her face under the covers, leaving only her eyes showing, and stared at Chen Shouyi's face for a long time.

When he was asleep, he looked less haughty and more like a handsome young man.

Her gaze fell on his disheveled hair.

She had wanted to pet him before, but she hadn't had enough. Now he was lying next to her, his hair spread across the pillow like a black waterfall.

Chen Yao hesitated for a moment, then carefully reached out, picked up a strand of hair, and began to braid it.

She was very serious about weaving; after finishing one strand, she would pick up another.

Then her wrist was grabbed.

"You're awake?" Chen Yao wasn't flustered even after being caught red-handed; instead, she tilted her head to look at him.

"Hmm." Chen Shouyi opened his eyes, a slight smile playing on his lips. "What are you doing?"

"I'm braiding your hair." Chen Yao smiled shyly and showed him the strand of hair she was not yet braiding. "Your hair is too long, it will get tangled if you don't braid it."

She herself felt that the excuse was a bit far-fetched after she finished speaking, but she was in a good mood and didn't care.

Then she quickly pulled her hand back, threw off the covers, and got out of bed:

"I'm going to wash up now!"