Hermit in the Mountains

Gu Changsheng stood straight as a wooden stake driven into the ground, unmoved by the wind and snow.

He only emerged from his meditative state when the ice was biting cold and his feet were frozen red.

He was, after all, still a mortal being. His feet were red and purple from the cold. He shook off the snow and limped back to the living room.

He sat by the stove, his feet still on the wooden plank, and reached for two pieces of cotton cloth to wrap around his feet.

The heat and warmth dispelled the chill from my feet, and the area around my feet became damp.

After the "Tao Seed" sprouted, it developed a plant-like instinctive ability, which he called the innate supernatural power "Rooting Technique".

[Rooting Technique: Thoughts transform into roots that penetrate deep into the earth, connecting with the surrounding ley lines, borrowing the earth's energy to strengthen the seed of cultivation and accelerate its growth. Perceive the location of the seed, roots, and life forms underground. Like a tree firmly rooted in the earth, unyielding and immovable by external forces.]

The ability of "Rooting Technique" makes up for the weakness of "Tao Seed" in underground perception.

Gu Changsheng gave a wry smile, shook his head helplessly, and sighed softly.

"I can't wear socks and shoes anymore, now I'm truly a 'barefoot immortal'."

"I wonder if wearing straw sandals and bamboo shoes will cause any discomfort or blockage in my feet."

A flicker of worry flashed in his eyes as he thought, 'With my cultivation advancing, will I start to mutate into a tree?'

"I wonder if one day I'll actually turn from a person into a tree."

Thinking of this, an unknown emotion welled up in his heart, and he was startled, his whole body trembling.

This is the path he chose himself; there's no turning back, so he can only take it one step at a time.

Since you enjoy the benefits of independent cultivation brought by the "cultivation method," you must also bear the side effects of the "cultivation method."

He concluded with a sigh, "Since we're here, we might as well make the best of it!"

As Gu Changsheng embarked on his cultivation journey, he absorbed 'moonlight' at night, exhaled 'purple qi' in the morning, and refined 'spiritual qi' during the day, cultivating for 12 hours a day.

He originally intended to cultivate 24 hours a day, but unfortunately his mental strength could not support him to cultivate around the clock.

He set a goal for himself to cultivate at full strength for four hours each in the morning, noon, and evening, and let the "Dao Seed" absorb spiritual energy on its own during the remaining time.

The Dao Seed absorbs spiritual energy from heaven and earth much more slowly than he actively cultivates, but it has the advantage of refining spiritual energy continuously around the clock.

On the third day, the seedling in Gu Changsheng's sea of ​​consciousness grew into a three-inch Dao tree, with four roots taking root in the cyclone.

The roots, trunk, branches, and leaves are all formed.

"A ten-foot-tall tree stands like a pillar supporting the sky, its hundred-foot-wide crown resembles a cloud-covered canopy. It shelters a region, earning it the title of emperor's throne; only then do we know how good it is to find shade under a great tree."

On the 5th day, the Dao tree grew to six inches, with nine roots taking root in the cyclone.

The Dao tree is presented as: roots - trunk - branches - leaves - crown - fruit.

"Flowers bloom in an instant across three thousand worlds, fruits ripen in a single thought of non-birth. Scattered into ten thousand blue lotus seeds, Bodhi is everywhere, everywhere the same."

On the 6th day, the afterglow of the setting sun turned the snow-capped mountains golden.

Gu Changsheng, dressed in a blue cotton coat, stood barefoot at the door of the wooden house. He squatted down and gently patted the big yellow dog's head. "Big Yellow, I'm going out for a while. You guard the house and wait for me to come back."

Big Yellow wagged its tail, its eyes filled with understanding, and it sat on the floor, tilting its head back and barking "Woof woof woof" in response.

Gu Changsheng walked barefoot into the deep mountains alone, without any belongings on him.

Only a large yellow dog remained in front of the wooden house, wagging its tail and watching its owner leave.

Three kilometers away from the wooden house, in a forest full of dead trees deep in the mountains, Gu Changsheng sat cross-legged on a tree branch three meters high.

The moon was bright and the stars were few; rays of moonlight streamed through the woods, a cold wind lashed his face, and snowflakes gently landed on his shoulders.

He closed his eyes to rest, his breathing slow, his body motionless as if he were growing on a tree branch.

While absorbing the "power of moonlight", he also activated the "rooting technique" to comprehend the "power of decay" emanating from the withered tree below.

Tonight is the final step for him to verify whether his creation of the "Scripture of Withering and Flourishing" is valid. He will absorb the "Power of Withering," condense the "Seed of Withering and Flourishing," and embark on the true path of withering and flourishing.

A few days ago, he realized that the "Dao Tree" in his sea of ​​consciousness only possessed the "Power of Glory," which is the "Power of Vitality."

Now, by absorbing the "power of decay" emitted by the withered wood to complete the final step and condensing the "seed of decay and prosperity" that unites decay and prosperity, one can be considered to have stepped into the path of decay and prosperity cultivation by wielding the power of "decay and prosperity".

A wisp of "power of decay," containing the meanings of "annihilation," "decay," "withering," and "decay," was drawn into Gu Changsheng's sea of ​​consciousness.

The moment the "Power of Withering" was absorbed by the "Tree of the Way," he personally experienced the growth process of a tree from sprouting, seedling, to maturity, flowering and fruiting, and finally, falling leaves and returning to the roots.

The meanings of "annihilation," "decay," "withering," and "decay" eroded his mind and spirit, trying to assimilate him, causing his mind and spirit to decay, wither, decay, and ultimately perish.

A powerful force of life protected his mind, and he absorbed more and more 'power of decay'.

The "Power of Withering" was actually absorbing the immense "Power of Glory" within the "Dao Tree" and transforming it into its own power.

All Gu Changsheng could do was to hold fast to his own mind and prevent it from being "corrupted." However, things didn't go as planned. His mind was originally part of the "seed of the Dao," and it would eventually have to accept the "power of decay."

The Dao Tree within the sea of ​​consciousness began to change, turning from emerald green to grayish-black.

The gray-black color on the "Tao Tree" increased until it was half emerald green and half gray-black, and the two reached a balance before the gray-black color stopped spreading.

The Dao Tree has completed its transformation, and the Dao Fruits within its canopy have begun to change. The emerald green Dao Fruits have transformed into Dao Seeds of Withering and Flourishing, which are a mixture of emerald green and gray-black.

The changes didn't end there; the entire 'Tree of Withering and Flourishing' underwent further changes.

From the roots, trunk, branches, leaves, and crown, each part of the "Tree of Withering and Flourishing" disappears in turn.

Gu Changsheng could clearly sense that starting from the roots of the tree, with each part disappearing, a halo of gray-black and emerald green began to appear around the 'Decay and Flourishing Dao Seed'.

The halo became increasingly solid until the 'Withered and Flourishing Dao Tree' completely disappeared, leaving behind a vortex in the hazy sea of ​​consciousness.

Inside the cyclone was a ring interwoven with gray-black and emerald green.

Suspended inside the ring is a peanut-sized 'Decline and Flourish Seed', a mixture of gray-black and emerald green.

Time flies like an arrow; as the seasons change, the snow-covered Qinling Mountains welcome the first rays of sunlight, resembling a golden dragon shimmering with golden light.

When the purple aura shone into a grove of trees, Gu Changsheng, who had been sitting quietly for a night, underwent his final transformation.

After refining the 'Purple Qi', the 'Decline and Flourishing Dao Seed' in his sea of ​​consciousness remained suspended in the center of the vortex.

The interwoven gray-black and emerald green rings merged into the flesh, eventually settling inside the skin to form a gray-white film.

Gu Changsheng's physical body underwent changes; the nails on his ten fingers instantly turned grayish-white and grew to five centimeters, resembling the nails of a zombie.

Her hair grew rapidly, from her shoulders to her chest, and a tuft of white hair appeared in her long, black hair.