Shulong Daojun

In the next few days.

While pondering feasible methods, Lin Shu took advantage of the rising turbid energy of heaven and earth to deepen his understanding of the turbid path and practice the art of reversing the five elements.

Before long, he had already grasped the basics and was able to interfere with the normal operation of the Five Elements Qi on a small scale.

During this time, he also agreed on the locations of five medicinal herb fields with Mu Qiushui.

Each of the three county magistrates, including Qi Yannian, had one plot of land under their jurisdiction, and two plots were located around Qingwu City.

Following the natural order, all the seeds planted are those of cold-loving medicinal herbs, as well as those needed to refine the elixir of Qingmin and those that can ward off the cold.

After the matter was settled, Mu Qiushui took the initiative to go with Qingmin to the temporary resettlement site to refine pills as needed and appease the refugees.

At the same time, he took dragon scales, dragon saliva and other things, and according to the records in the alchemical texts and his own knowledge, he formulated a Qingmu Dan.

When ordinary people take it, it warms and nourishes their bodies, calms their minds and replenishes their energy, and they do not feel cold for several days.

Therefore, it temporarily alleviated some of the sorrow of the approaching winter.

However, as time went by, Lin Shu's brows furrowed deeper and deeper.

During the coldest days of winter, the days can last from eighty-one days to as long as a hundred days.

The elixirs were ultimately limited and couldn't last long, nor could they take care of too many refugees.

Therefore, it can only be used as a supplementary method for getting through the winter, and cannot be regarded as a long-term solution.

As for the new city, he had also visited it; it was empty and looked like it was in dire need of reconstruction.

Even if the refugees were settled there, there was nothing to keep them warm or keep them cozy.

How to be good?

Inside the rear hall, Lin Shu sat on his divine throne, deep in thought, when suddenly a thought struck him as he sensed several unfamiliar auras approaching from afar.

A few breaths later, they arrived at the main temple, and an aged voice transmitted to their ears:

"We have come to Qingwu City to help you at the request of Junior Brother Beichen. We hope that Fellow Daoist Linshu will show himself."

Upon hearing the sound, Lin Shu immediately suppressed his thoughts, got up, and stepped out of the hall to the front of the main temple.

Seven elderly men stood on the bluestone steps, all dressed in ochre-colored Taoist robes, with kind and smiling faces.

Although his aura was only at the level of a solidified immortal, he possessed a calm and steady craftsmanship.

Lin Shu glanced at them, then cupped his hands and said, "Greetings, fellow Daoists."

As soon as he finished speaking, the oldest man stepped forward, bowing respectfully and replying, "Fellow Daoist, you are too kind. Our cultivation is inferior to yours, and our lineage is not as good. We are just a few years older."

Upon hearing this, the elderly men behind him also nodded in greeting.

Lin Shu smiled faintly: "Guests are welcome, there's no need for such formalities."

I have a good relationship with Brother Beichen, and I promised him to take good care of the fellow disciples who came here.

Please forgive me for not being able to greet you properly, as you have come from afar.

He paused for a moment, then spoke in an even gentler tone: "There is a cup of tea in the hall, which can soothe the mind and relieve fatigue. Please follow me."

Having said that, he stepped aside and led the way.

Upon seeing this, the elderly men were delighted. After exchanging glances, they followed and began to chat about Beichen with great interest.

Upon arriving at the rear hall, before Lin Shu had even finished brewing the tea, an old man had just sat down and began to speak:

"We have come here to help improve people's lives. May we ask what needs are there in Qingwu City?"

Before he could finish speaking, another old man chimed in with a laugh, "Yes, yes, Fellow Daoist Lin, if you have any difficulties, please feel free to speak up."

While we may lack the strength to cultivate ourselves, we believe we possess some experience and ability in matters concerning people's livelihoods.

The remaining elders also spoke in succession, and their opinions were identical.

Lin Shu did not hesitate, his expression turned serious, and he said, "There is indeed a matter that is very troubling. You all have rich experience, perhaps you can find a solution."

He then explained how to help people get through the winter.

Upon hearing the current situation, the elders all frowned, stroked their long beards, and fell into deep thought.

Before long, an old man suddenly spoke up: "I know a little about magic arrays. I can set up a magic array around the new city to gather the scattered fire elemental energy and help the people ward off the cold."

Upon hearing this, Lin Shu's eyes lit up.

At this moment, another old man glared and said, "That's not right! Your magic array is unreliable, and it's hard to say whether it will even work."

The gathered fire elemental energy, over time, becomes increasingly dense and intensely hot, making it difficult to control and highly prone to spontaneous combustion.

If ordinary people were inside, their clothes could catch fire at any moment, and their lives would be in danger. It's far too dangerous.

The old man who understood magic arrays naturally knew this, and nodded, saying, "The fire element spiritual energy can be used to expand the range of the magic array, and then I can personally control it, which should solve the problem."

It's that malfunction problem...

He paused at this point, then gave an awkward smile, "The sect's records are incomplete, so there's nothing I can do about it."

The remaining old man sighed inwardly upon hearing this.

The limitation of those with a mixed lineage of learning lies precisely in this.

However, solving the problem is the priority right now.

After a short while, an old man pondered and said, "The cold comes from outside. We can imitate the shape of a tortoise shell and create a canopy to cover the new city and block the cold air coming from all directions."

At the same time, leave a few openings in the canopy for ventilation.

Subsequently, charcoal burning and open flames were set up in the new city for heating, and Qingmu Dan was given to the people to take.

In this way, there will be no cold in the new city, and the people will be warm inside, so there will be no mishap.

What does Fellow Daoist Lin think?

After saying that, he looked up at Lin Shu, waiting for him to speak.

Lin Shu narrowed his eyes but did not answer immediately.

What the old man said was indeed correct, but he ultimately missed one point: heat rises upwards, and so do yin energy and turbid energy.

Over time, the heat generated by heating devices would rise to the surrounding sky, making it unusually cold for people living in the new city.

If yin energy or turbid energy enters the body again, many people will likely fall ill.

Therefore, although the method is good, it needs to be slightly adjusted.

As for how to make adjustments, Lin Shu suddenly recalled the scene in Xuan Yin Mountain and immediately had an idea.

He pondered for a moment, then looked at the old man and said softly, "This method is not bad."

Inspired by my fellow Daoists, I also had some thoughts.

The area beneath the new city could be hollowed out, and tunnels of all sizes could be built, connecting in all directions. Hot water could then be poured in, allowing the heat to rise from underground and flow into the city.

Two additional magic arrays were added: one to suppress the rising yin and turbid qi, and the other to stabilize the foundation, ensuring that the new city would not collapse.

Subsequently, combined with the method of creating a celestial canopy, a two-pronged approach was used to ward off the cold for the people.

Fellow Daoists, do you think this is feasible?

As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Shu turned his gaze to the old man who knew about magic arrays.

All of the points he mentioned could only be realized by setting up corresponding magic arrays.

The old man understood this as well. After thinking for a long time, he slowly said, "Fellow Daoist Lin's idea is extraordinary. I will try my best, and I can do it."

There's just one question: where does the hot water pumped underground come from?

"This is not difficult." Lin Shu smiled confidently, hinting, "Not far from the new city, there is a huge bowl-shaped depression that holds a lake of water."

Fellow Daoist, you can set up the formation that gathers fire elemental energy in advance and boil the lake water for later use.

If there isn't enough water, I'll use another spell to bring in a whole lake.