All Heavens: Dual Cultivation of Magic and Martial Arts Starting from the Republic of China

Fu Ze and Feng Xuan exchanged a glance.

They both saw the same thought in each other's eyes.

Fu Zeyun activated his [Spiritual Vision].

The next moment, the world in his eyes changed slightly.

There was an extremely rich spiritual energy of plants surrounding that yellow chaste tree.

A verdant aura flowed slowly among the tree roots, trunk, branches, and leaves. The spiritual energy was strongest at the roots, as if they were deep underground, connected to the powerful earth veins.

The old Taoist priest Feng Xuan also reached out and gently placed his hand on the tree trunk.

After a moment, he slowly exhaled.

"Such a rich spiritual energy from the plants." This tree is truly extraordinary.

Fu Ze nodded.

"Moreover, the spiritual energy is widely distributed, unlike that of ordinary trees which are scattered. It seems to have its own spirituality."

Zhao Rui was surprised.

"Is this really a tree that has come to life?"

Fu Ze did not answer immediately.

He looked up at the branches and leaves of the Vitex negundo tree.

Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground. The shadows were still, lacking the eerie, distorted shadows of the night.

But Fu Ze could sense that something ancient and silent was indeed hidden within this Vitex negundo tree.

Feng Xuan said in a low voice.

"Mr. Liao, shall we go and take a look at the Earth God Temple first?"

Liao Xibai smiled.

"I don't know anything, so I won't give any advice. You and Brother Fu can make the decisions."

The group entered the Earth God Temple.

The local earth god temple in Shuangjing Village is a bit older than the one in Hewan Village. On the offering table are incense burners, fruits, rice cakes, and a few dried branches of Vitex negundo.

Upon entering the temple, Fu Ze immediately sensed a distinctly different atmosphere—the spiritual energy of the plants and trees here was even stronger than outside.

It was as if the spirit of that yellow chaste tree, through some unseen vein, extended into the earth god temple.

This is completely different from the land temples in Huai Shu Village and He Wan Village!

but……

Fu Ze frowned.

"This spiritual energy is not pure."

The natural energy of plants should be gentle and vibrant; even if it is heavy, it should still make people feel comfortable.

Yet the spiritual energy of the plants and trees in the local earth god temple carried a restlessness. It was as if something else had flowed into the once tranquil spring, making it turbid and mixed with wisps of chilling aura.

The old Taoist priest Feng Xuan also noticed it and whispered.

"The plants and trees have a strong spiritual energy, but they are not pure."

He walked up to the statue of the Earth God and examined it carefully.

The clay statues themselves lack the flesh-and-blood clay sculptures found in Huai Shu Village.

It also lacks the overly dull and lifeless atmosphere of River Bend Village.

Instead, it has a subtle connection with the yellow chaste trees outside.

Fu Ze looked at Feng Xuan.

"Taoist priest, don't you think this local temple is unusual?"

Feng Xuan nodded.

"I share this feeling. If I'm not mistaken, there should have been an extremely rare local deity here."

Li Junfeng and Zhao Rui were somewhat bewildered.

"What do you mean?"

Fu Ze said in a deep voice.

"The original form of the local earth god in Shuangjing Village was very likely that yellow chaste tree outside."

The village chief of Shuangjing Village was shocked.

"What?"

Fu Ze didn't look at him, but continued speaking.

"It is inherently more difficult for plants to develop intelligence than for animals."

"But once it truly possesses spirituality and connects with the earth's veins in the mountains and fields, receiving incense offerings from the villagers, it may very well become a local deity."

The old Taoist priest Feng Xuan nodded slowly with a solemn expression.

"It is indeed rare, but it's not unheard of."

"All things in the world have a spirit. Mountains, rocks, plants, birds, and beasts can all cultivate themselves if given the right opportunity."

"If this Vitex negundo tree has truly been rooted in Shuangjing Village for hundreds of years and has protected the local people, and has been worshipped by incense and become the local earth god, then it makes sense."

Zhao Rui looked at the yellow chaste tree outside.

"So the local earth god worshipped in Shuangjing Village is actually a tree?"

Fu Zedao.

"That's very likely. But the Earth God is just a minor deity in a region. In fact, most of them are kind-hearted mountain spirits and monsters who gained spirituality, connected with the earth's veins, and then did good deeds and received incense offerings, thus gaining a place of worship."

Feng Xuan laughed.

"Young friend Fu is said to be a wandering cultivator, but his family has a profound tradition of learning."

In Fu Ze's original world, let alone deities like the Earth God, even ghosts and supernatural events were extremely rare. These were all stories of esoteric Buddhism he'd heard from his grandfather when he was a child…

But in this other world, all of these things are real!

Liao Xibai also walked to the temple gate and looked at the yellow chaste tree in the courtyard.

His eyes held a complex expression.

"The yellow thorn branch is originally used by parents to discipline their children. It hurts when you hit them, but it doesn't hurt them. If it really is the local earth god, it should be a benevolent deity that protects the area."

The village chief of Shuangjing Village looked bewildered, filled with fear and confusion.

"But in recent years, the Earth God has also appeared in our dreams, asking us to offer our children to him to eat..."

Fu Ze did not speak.

Feng Xuan also fell silent.

That's the most troublesome part.

If this Vitex negundo tree truly is the local deity of Shuangjing Village, then did it fall into depravity on its own, or was it polluted or controlled by something?

Fu Ze looked up at the spiritual energy of the plants and trees that filled the earth god temple.

Intense, restless. With a strange, twisted quality.

He spoke slowly.

"At least for now, it can be confirmed that the land temple in Shuangjing Village is quite different from those in Huaishu Village and Hewan Village."

"There may still be a true spirit of the local earth god here. It's just that it may not be conscious right now. Or rather, it may not be in a normal divine state."

As soon as Fu Ze said that...

Inside the earth god temple, the atmosphere became slightly tense.

The village chief of Shuangjing Village turned pale, looking at the yellow chaste tree in the courtyard and then at the statue of the god, as if he didn't know which one to be afraid of for a moment.

Zhao Rui also subconsciously touched the gun at his waist.

"So... what do we do now? We can't just cut the tree down, can we?"

The old Taoist priest Feng Xuan immediately shook his head.

"No."

Liao Xibai also said.

"Ah Rui, it's best not to act rashly before things are clear. You're impatient, so you need to calm down. Listen to the Taoist priest and Brother Fu's arrangements."

Zhao Rui muttered to himself.

"Brother Li is even more impatient than me! Why don't you say anything to him?"

Li Junfeng crossed his arms, looking cool.

"Haven't you seen things I don't understand, and you've been keeping quiet all this time?"

Fu Ze looked around.

"Let's get it tested first."

So he and Feng Xuan inspected the land temple inside and out again.

Offering table, incense burner, statue of a deity, corner of the wall, gaps in the floor tiles, weeds behind the temple, and the base of the courtyard wall.

Fu Ze then lightly made a few strokes on the back of the statue and under the offering table with a lightning-struck jujube wood dagger.

There was no reaction.

If you didn't know that this was a sinister temple that demanded babies, it would look like a normal old temple that had been worshipped in the countryside for hundreds of years during the day.

Finally, Fu Ze walked out of the temple, stood in front of the ancient yellow chaste tree, and placed his hand on the trunk.

Spiritual energy emanated from the palm and slowly penetrated the tree trunk.

He did not force his way in, but only touched her gently.

It sounded like knocking on a door.

There was no response from the tree.

Only a vast, ancient, silent spirituality, like a bottomless pool of green water, lay there quietly.

Fu Ze frowned.

"Has the spirit been extinguished, or is it simply indifferent to people? If it's the former, then who is creating the calamities and demanding the infants through dreams?"

The old Taoist priest Feng Xuan also came over.

He first bowed to the yellow chaste tree.

"Amitabha Buddha. I am Feng Xuan of Zaoshan. Today, I passed by Shuangjing Village and saw that the incense offerings here were unusual and the people were suffering. If you still have any spirit left and have not completely fallen, please show yourself to me."

After saying that, he took out a yellow talisman and held it between his fingers.

The talisman ignited spontaneously without fire, turning into a wisp of green smoke that slowly drifted toward the tree trunk.

The wisps of smoke circled the tree three times before dissipating.

There was still no response.

The old Taoist priest Feng Xuan frowned.

"Its spirit is still there, but it's been clouded by something."

"Looks like it's asleep?"

Zhao Rui couldn't help but chime in.

Feng Xuan thought for a moment.

"It's not that they're asleep. It's more like they're having a nightmare or are trapped in a nightmare, unable to hear anything outside."

Fu Ze nodded.

"What if we forcibly wake him up?"

Feng Xuan hesitated.

"If it were a demon or ghost, I could simply blast it with a talisman, which would be much easier. But this yellow chaste tree belongs to the local earth god of Shuangjing Village, and it has now been corrupted and polluted by evil things, so I can't act recklessly. I can either annihilate the last trace of its original spirituality, or make it even more insane."

Fu Ze seemed to be deep in thought.

"Then, Taoist priest, what you mean is...?"

"This humble Taoist priest is preparing to open the altar."

Everyone looked at him, their expressions becoming serious.

"This matter cannot be investigated using ordinary methods. If the local earth god of Shuangjing Village is a righteous deity of plants and trees, then we should invite him with orthodox rituals. We should set up an altar, purify the altar, burn incense, present a petition, and perform the ritual of stepping on the Big Dipper. We should use the power of the altar to connect with the earth's veins and the incense offerings, and then invite his spirit to manifest."

"If the Earth God's spiritual power has been completely extinguished, evil spirits and strange creatures will also be unable to resist the power of the altar and will be forcibly pulled out. We also want to see what kind of thing it is."

He looked at Fu Ze as he said this.

"Young friend Fu, your folk lineage also holds rituals, but they mostly adapt to the circumstances, their strength lying in their flexibility. My humble Daoist, Gezaoshan, transmits the Lingbao lineage, with elaborate rituals and a strict adherence to prescribed procedures. This is actually more suitable for dealing with incense, deities, mountains, rivers, plants, and the like."

Fu Ze smiled.

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Daoist Master. To be honest, I'm not very good at the rituals for opening an altar in folk traditions."

Firstly, it's because of Fu Ze's personality; he's not good at complicated things, he just wants to get things done!

Secondly, in his world, the various inheritances of Xuanmen magic techniques had been almost completely lost.

As for the rituals and ceremonies of the orthodox Taoist sects, I have never seen them in person.

Feng Xuan then looked at the village chief of Shuangjing Village.

"Old man, I need a clean table, three bowls of water, incense, candles, yellow paper, rice, salt, and a clean red or yellow cloth."

"If you have any freshly cut bamboo branches or clean well water, bring them here as well."

The village chief nodded quickly.

"Yes, yes! I'll go prepare it right away."

Feng Xuan continued.

"Don't disturb too many people. Tonight's ritual may not be peaceful. The more villagers there are, the more likely it is to cause chaos."

The village chief's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly agreed.

……

Feng Xuan began preparing the altar.

The location was set in the courtyard of the local earth god temple.

In front of the Vitex negundo tree.

The villagers brought over a clean square table, and Feng Xuan personally laid a yellow cloth on it.

On the table were an incense burner, clean water, a rice bowl, a token, a talisman, a copper bell, and a peach wood sword, with two candles lit on either side.

He took out a neatly folded roll of cloth from his bundle.

Once unfolded, it is decorated with the Nine Palaces, Eight Trigrams, Twenty-Eight Mansions, and the Four Symbols.

Feng Xuan spread it on the ground in front of the altar.

"This is Gangdan."

Seeing that Fu Ze was looking at him intently, he offered an explanation.

"When we perform the ritual of stepping on the Big Dipper later, we must follow these steps."

Fu Ze nodded.

"Using a small altar to symbolize the stars in the heavens?"

Feng Xuan smiled and stroked his beard.

"Young friend Fu, you still say you don't understand?"

Fu Ze smiled.

"I've heard elders mention it occasionally, but I've never actually seen it."

The old Taoist priest Feng Xuan immediately perked up.

"Then observe carefully later. Folk traditions have their own wonders, and orthodox Taoism has its own solemnity."

Zhao Rui whispered from the side.

"The Taoist priest is trying to get revenge."

Feng Xuan glared at him.

"Shut up."

Zhao Rui chuckled.

Liao Xibai sat on a wooden chair next to the courtyard wall. His face was still a little pale, but he was in good spirits.

Fu Ze glanced at the sky and said to Li Junfeng.

"Brother Li, let's take another walk around the neighborhood before it gets dark. It's daytime now, and we've already checked to make sure there's nothing unusual. With the Taoist priest and Brother Zhao here, Mr. Liao's safety is not a problem."

Li Junfeng only answered Fu Ze after seeing Liao Xibai nod and smile.

"Still investigating He the Madman?"

"Hmm," Fu Ze said, "Since Shuangjing Village and Hewan Village started having problems almost at the same time, and Crazy He often comes to Shuangjing Village, I want to confirm one more thing."

Liao Xibai gave instructions.

"You two be careful."

……

Fu Ze and Li Junfeng first asked several households in Shuangjing Village.

As soon as they described what Crazy He looked like, the other party nodded in agreement.

"I've seen him, I've seen him. Isn't he that madman from Hewan Village? He often comes to our village. Sometimes he squats by the well, sometimes he sleeps outside the earth god temple. He mutters to himself, but nobody can understand him."

Fu Ze asked.

"Does he eat the dirt from your village too?"

The villager had a strange expression on his face.

"Oh, I hadn't noticed that."

Another villager nearby added with a look of disgust.

"At first, he didn't eat it, but he just pooped everywhere. We even joked that maybe only the soil from Hewan Village suited his taste. He ate in his own village and pooped in other people's villages. But after a while, he started eating the soil from our village too."

"Seriously, bro? You're so observant! You even watch a madman poop?"

"Bullshit! It's just right. I don't have any weird quirks."

Fu Ze and Li Junfeng thanked the villagers and left Shuangjing Village, then went to several surrounding villages.

The answers were almost identical.

He Fengzi has been there. Sometimes he stays for a long time, sometimes he leaves on the same day.

The more Fu Ze asked, the heavier his heart became.

Finally, he decided to run even further.

Thirty miles away, there is a small village called Qingtang Village.

That area extends beyond the vicinity of several affected villages near Hewan Village.

The two traveled at a brisk pace.

In the mountains and forests, Fu Ze moved with light steps, stepping on stones for support, crossing ditches and traversing forests.

He was just in a hurry.

But as he ran, he suddenly noticed that the flow of energy within his body was even smoother than before.

With a stomp of the foot, the force originates from the sole of the foot, travels through the calf, thigh, waist and hip, and then penetrates straight into the back.

Then, relax your shoulders and back, allowing your arms to swing naturally.

As you walk, it feels as if your blood and energy are connected by an invisible tendon.

Fu Ze was overjoyed.

"I never imagined that traveling could improve my skills!"