Hermit in the Mountains

At the entrance of a wooden house halfway up Changsheng Peak, two people stood. The older man was Zhang Yuanfu, who had rushed up the mountain. He bowed respectfully towards the house.

"Senior, I just learned from Li Jianguo that the higher-ups have noticed the emergence of cultivators among the common people."

Upon hearing this, Gu Changsheng suddenly opened his slightly closed eyes and said calmly.

"oh!"

He wasn't too surprised; the authorities would eventually notice the changes in the wild, or that there were cultivators appearing within the area.

In the past month, he also noticed that the vegetation on the neighboring barren mountain was much more lush and growing well, which he knew without a doubt was due to the nourishment of spiritual energy.

Environmental monitoring satellites will eventually discover the large-scale new vegetation on Earth. Officials will be informed of the changes immediately, and will send out research teams to collect samples and study why large-scale vegetation has appeared on Earth.

Officials may not be able to see the spiritual energy particles, nor may they know that spiritual energy is causing plants to grow faster, but through comparison of a large number of samples, they can still discover an unknown energy in wild plants.

No secret can be kept for long in China, especially when it comes to matters concerning people.

Humans are social beings; with friends, family, and loved ones, one will inevitably notice differences in the people around them.

When someone suddenly discovers they can cultivate, they will feel excited and confused. They will inquire about cultivation-related information, look for fellow cultivators, and search for cultivation resources...

Even someone like Gu Changsheng, who has no relatives and friends and hides in the mountains to cultivate alone, can avoid his friends and bedmates discovering his changes. However, as long as he has contact with the outside world, he cannot completely hide himself and cannot avoid revealing his flaws.

All legitimate Taoist temples, Buddhist monasteries, Taoist priests, and Buddhist monks must register their information with the official authorities.

These Taoist temples and Buddhist monasteries have the highest probability of having practitioners. Some people, after discovering that they can cultivate, may choose to report to the authorities and attach themselves to them.

After all, the government is the largest power in the world, controlling the largest resources, military force, and intelligence network.

Some people yearn for freedom and choose to hide away in the deep mountains to cultivate themselves and become carefree immortals;

Some people are more pragmatic and choose to rely on the government to become worldly immortals in the imperial court, as the saying goes, it's good to take shelter under a big tree.

Everyone has their own choices; they just take different paths.

Now that the authorities have discovered the existence of cultivators among the common people, Gu Changsheng no longer hides the secret from the two of them and reveals the secret of the spiritual energy in the world.

He looked up at Zhang Yuanfu and Yang Dashan at the door and said softly, "I can tell you two some secrets in advance. There is spiritual energy in this world."

"Some people can absorb spiritual energy, while others cannot; the same applies to plants and animals."

"Whether one can absorb spiritual energy is somewhat related to the spiritual roots speculated about in vernacular novels, but it's not absolute."

He noticed the joy on their faces and poured cold water on their enthusiasm, saying, "Cultivation cannot be explained in a few words, nor can it be done simply by wanting to. Don't be overly ambitious; instead, focus on doing what's in front of you."

"Yes, senior..." Zhang Yuanfu and Yang Dashan's joy faded, and they clasped their hands in response.

Gu Changsheng didn't want to disappoint the two too much, so he prepared to explain his cultivation experience to them. "I don't have any cultivation techniques either. I'm still figuring things out on my own. Otherwise, I wouldn't have asked you to help me test pills and cultivation techniques."

"But I can tell you some things to pay attention to in your cultivation."

"Cultivation requires a healthy body. Yuanfu, you are getting on in years, your physical functions are no longer at their peak, and your qi and blood are weak."

"Fortunately, you have been using your family's traditional health preservation techniques to regulate your body all year round, so your vital energy and spirit have not yet declined. You have also taken the Qi-Nourishing Pill that I refined, which has eliminated the accumulated fatigue and damage in your body and has initially regulated your bodily functions, giving you a foundation for cultivation."

"Practice your health-preserving exercises more every day. Stop practicing when your body gives you warnings. Try practicing for a while and see the results."

"Thank you for your guidance, senior. I will certainly keep your teachings in mind," Zhang Yuanfu replied with a happy expression.

His gaze turned to Yang Dashan beside him. "Dashan, you should find a martial art you like to practice and hone your body, but be careful not to overdo it and damage your body by forcing yourself to practice."

"Your purpose in practicing martial arts is to stretch your muscles and bones, refine your qi and blood, and regulate your temperament."

"Okay, senior, I've got it." Yang Dashan's main trait was obedience; he would do whatever Gu Changsheng told him to do, and he was unlikely to make a mistake.

Gu Changsheng continued to explain, "The two of you should set aside an hour each morning and evening to find a quiet place where the sun won't shine on you, meditate, clear your mind, don't think about anything, just sit quietly and feel your breath."

"Choose before sunrise in the morning and around 10 PM in the evening."

"You just need to know what happened today and what I said. Keep it a secret. You can go back now."

"Senior, I have something to say." Zhang Yuanfu saw Gu Changsheng nod inside the room and gave a brief report on the changes that had occurred during his conversation with Li Jianguo.

Gu Changsheng didn't feel much emotional fluctuation after hearing this. After a moment of thought, he offered a new solution: "If you can't cooperate with the Li family, find another partner yourself."

He suddenly remembered the list of attendees at the alchemy appreciation event that Zhang Yuanfu had sent him. "You either know a retired leader, or the leader who attended the alchemy appreciation event you organized."

"Your surname is Fang, and your given name is Fang something like Shouchang, right?"

Zhang Yuanfu explained the relationship between the two: "The senior is called Fang Shouchang. He is seventy-two years old this year. He is a good person. After retiring, he returned to Chang'an to enjoy his retirement. We met because we both like health preservation. We have known each other for almost ten years."

Gu Changsheng made arrangements, "Dafu, this Fang Shouchang can be developed into one of your partners, but first let him inquire about the situation above as a test to see how much potential he has."

He chose Fang Shouchang because the risk was low. Fang was retired, older, and his network of connections would be more genuine. He also knew how precious a promising opportunity for cultivation was and would not easily betray Zhang Yuanfu's information.

"And Shen Qingxu and Shi Yideng, whom you mentioned before, ask them directly if they have embarked on the path of cultivation. If they are truly capable of cultivation, you can invite them to become one of your collaborators."

"Yes, senior. I will take care of it as soon as I get back," Zhang Yuanfu replied with a fist and palm salute.

When they saw Gu Changsheng waving goodbye inside the house, they turned and left.

The next day, Gu Changsheng met Yang Xiaoshan. Yang Xiaoshan's affinity with spiritual energy had improved, but he had not yet reached the first-grade aptitude, and his spiritual root attribute had not yet manifested.

The "innate spiritual root" within living beings awakens as the spiritual energy of heaven and earth revives.

The three pets awakened ahead of schedule due to Gu Changsheng's intervention.

He didn't tell Yang Dashan and his son about their spiritual roots, but only talked about Yang Xiaoshan's situation at school and his academic performance, without mentioning any cultivation information.

After Yang Dashan and his son went down the mountain, Gu Changsheng occasionally kept an eye on Yang Dashan and Zhang Yuanfu's situation, while he devoted himself to cultivation.

Time is of the essence; the higher-ups have already taken action. He must improve his cultivation as soon as possible so that he can have more say when the authorities come looking for him in the future.

As time passed, on Children's Day, the "Tree of Withering and Flourishing" in Gu Changsheng's sea of ​​consciousness underwent its ninth cycle of withering and flourishing.