Born Saints: Starting from Liaozhai

The night was deep.

The shadows of the old tree branches overlapped on the ground, like outstretched ghostly claws, tearing the moonlight to shreds.

A slender figure was hiding in the shadows beneath the tree.

She wore a light green dress, the color of which stood out starkly in the darkness, yet seemed to be swallowed by the night. The hem of her dress trailed to the ground, almost blending into the shadows.

Her face was delicate, her eyebrows and eyes beautiful, like a young lady who had not yet lost her youthful charm.

But at this moment, her already pale face became even paler.

Gazing at the distant, faintly visible figure, radiating light and leaving a trail of pale moonlight, Xiao Lian's face was filled with horror and terror.

In order to surpass her sisters and gain her grandmother's favor, she took advantage of the others hiding in Lanruo Temple and ran away to seduce a few more damned men for her grandmother.

As for the rumors about immortals near Lanruo Temple that her sister Alian mentioned, she was initially scared for a while, but then she didn't take them to heart.

She thought it must be those guys, Ah Lian, spreading rumors and scaring themselves!

Gods and immortals, enlightened beings—they simply cannot exist!

Little did she know that shortly after she went out at midnight, while hiding under a tree pondering where to seduce men, she witnessed a scene that terrified and horrified her.

From afar, a figure radiating an otherworldly aura, seemingly unlike any ordinary person, came into his view.

Xiao Lian would bet that this was definitely not an ordinary person.

"There really are immortals in Guobei County?!"

Xiao Lian murmured in fear.

Fortunately, the celestial figure flashed by in the distance and did not notice her, otherwise she would not know what would have happened to her.

"No, we have to tell Grandma about this!"

Xiao Lian thought to herself in a panic.

Without saying a word, she turned around and drifted towards Lanruo Temple in the night.

at the same time.

Not only Xiao Lian saw it, but the scattered ghosts and demons hiding near Guo Bei County also saw that bright, moon-like divine figure from afar.

"Rumors of immortals circulating near Guobei County—are they actually true?!"

"Is this an immortal?"

"God……"

They were shocked, discussing it amongst themselves, and terrified.

Originally, there were rumors of immortals in the vicinity of Guobei County, but they were mostly skeptical. Now, they can't help but believe it directly.

Soon, news that there were indeed immortals in Guobei County spread in the vicinity of Guobei County.

the other side.

In the pitch-black night, the wind howled.

Su Chen's figure swept across the night sky, his expression calm, paying no attention to the scattered gazes that fell upon him.

Soon, in Qingyin County.

The mass graves in Qingyin County lay hidden in the night, the barren land uneven and the graves scattered and disorderly.

The broken coffin was half-buried in the soil, with bones faintly visible, and withered grass swayed in the wind, making a soft rustling sound.

A thin mist drifted along the ground, cold and damp, the air carrying the smell of decaying earth and corpses.

Several old trees stood crookedly, their branches casting jagged shadows that shattered the moonlight.

Silence reigned all around, leaving only a chilling, unsettling atmosphere.

The mass grave was filled with an eerie and deathly silence throughout the night.

However, the next moment, all of this was shattered by a figure.

A figure, radiating the glow of the bright moon and exuding a pure and ethereal aura, descended upon this mass grave.

An atmosphere of terror spread.

In an instant, the entire mass grave seemed to be suppressed, and the eerie and deathly atmosphere was instantly dispelled.

Compared to the mass grave, the ghosts and monsters within it now appeared even more dazed.

The center of the mass grave.

Several ugly old ghosts stared blankly at the figure that was bathed in moonlight.

They thought they were hallucinating, otherwise how could they see such a scene that was impossible and absolutely impossible to occur?

They actually saw an immortal, or perhaps a moon goddess walking in the night, appear in their mass grave.

They never saw such a sight, not even in life!

They looked shocked.

Su Chen ignored their feelings and quickly flew over the mass grave, heading towards the locations where he sensed the Yin energy.

Whenever he discovered a ghost or demon, he would wave his sleeves and use his millennia of cultivation to forcibly collect it into his sleeves. For those demons that he couldn't collect, he would use the "Flower Blooms in an Instant" technique to refine them in an instant.

In an instant, the cries of ghosts and demons begging for mercy echoed through the mass graves of Qingyin County, as Su Chen subdued and refined one ghost after another.

In less than the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, the entire mass grave in Qingyin County was cleared out, and even the yin energy became thinner.

After clearing away all the ghosts and monsters, Su Chen wasted no time and floated directly above the mass grave to refine the Daoist peaches.

A light gray, cool peach slid into his mouth, like eating a mint.

Su Chen felt his magical power and cultivation level rapidly increasing.

[Realm: True Person (10%) 1006 years of cultivation]

Su Chen didn't stop, continuing to eat one cool, pale gray peach after another.

Just as he was refining the peach of cultivation.

……

the other side.

Deep within the tranquil Lanruo Temple.

Under a huge, gloomy locust tree.

The Tree Demon Granny was wearing a wide, dark red-brown robe.

Her face was pale and swollen, her lips were dark purple, and her expression was cold. Her eyes were long and narrow and sinister, and wherever her gaze swept over, it could chill people to the bone.

Her long, gray hair hung loosely down like withered grass and tangled vines, swaying gently in the cold wind. Standing there, she resembled the deepest shadow in the Lanruo Temple.

At this moment, she and the other female ghosts, including Nie Xiaoqian, stared at the panicked Xiaolian in front of them, wondering why she was so frightened.

The tree spirit glancing at Xiao Lian with suspicion.

"Grandma, I'm outside..." Xiao Lian said in a panic, and immediately told him clearly what she had seen outside.

Soon, under the locust tree, both the tree demon grandmother and the female ghosts like Nie Xiaoqian showed expressions of disbelief.

"Little Lian, are you telling the truth?" the Tree Demon Granny asked in surprise. "You're not lying to me, are you?"

"Yes, Xiao Lian, if you dare to deceive Grandma, you're finished!" the female ghost Qiu Yue said in surprise.

They couldn't help but be shocked. This Xiao Lian actually said that she saw the figure of a deity near Guo Bei County?!

But how could that be? Those are gods! How could they possibly appear in a place like Guobei County!

Previously, the ghosts and monsters in Guobei County spread rumors that a deity had appeared nearby. Both they and Grandma simply thought that a great master had appeared in the vicinity of Guobei County.

immortal?

They all assumed it was just a rumor spread by ignorant ghosts and demons, and couldn't possibly be true.

Now, Xiao Lian actually said that she saw the figure of a fairy outside during her trip?

How is this possible?!

They didn't believe it.

"Everything I said is true!" Xiaolian said anxiously.

However, the female ghosts, including Qiuyue and Nie Xiaoqian, still did not believe it.

The Tree Demon Granny narrowed her long, sinister eyes and said, "Hmph, it seems the rumors of a powerful figure arriving near Guo Bei County are true."

"Another stinky Taoist priest!"

As for immortals?

It must be that little girl Xiaolian made a mistake.

These days, spiritual energy has dissipated. Not to mention humans, even demons find it difficult to cultivate. How could immortals possibly appear?

If gods truly existed, the world wouldn't be in this state.

Thinking it over, she gradually relaxed, assuming that Xiao Lian was just ignorant and making a fuss over nothing.

Xiao Lian said anxiously, "Grandma, I'm telling the truth!"

The Tree Demon Granny waved her hand, interrupting, "Alright, girl, stop talking. Granny knows."

"During this time, all of you girls should stay within the Lanruo Temple area and not go out, especially you, Xiaolian, don't go out without permission!"

Although she wasn't afraid, she would still be annoyed if she offended that expert.

One Yan Chixia is enough; she doesn't want to provoke another stinky Taoist priest!

The tree spirit grandmother's figure disappeared.

"Let's disperse, let's disperse..."

The female ghosts, including Qiuyue and Nie Xiaoqian, also dispersed.

"Is everything I said true?"

"Why don't you believe me?"

Xiao Lian murmured.

At this moment, she even had a slight doubt: was she really seeing things, and was that figure not a deity?

Just as she suspected that Nie Xiaoqian was drifting towards Lanruo Temple, preparing to try to seduce the newly arrived scholar in blue robes as instructed by her grandmother.

……

Time passed slowly.

After eating the last pale gray peach, Su Chen stopped.

His gaze fell on the control panel.

【Name: Su Chen (15 years old)】

Lifespan: 507 days

[Innate Talent & Comprehension: 919 (A title passed down through generations)]

【功法:草上飞（圆满100%）、伏虎拳（圆满100%）、五禽戏（圆满100%）、清虚养元决（圆满100%）、清风剑法（圆满100%）吐纳术（小成14%）】

[Taoist Arts: Paper Cutting (100% Perfection), Flowers Bloom in an Instant (100% Perfection)]

[Realm: True Person (13%) 1378 years of cultivation]

"call……"

Su Chen let out a long breath, his eyes brightening slightly, "One thousand three hundred and seventy-eight years of cultivation...?"

The true transformation, which comes after ten thousand years of cultivation, seems to be not far off!

He was rather curious about what lay beyond the True Person realm.

And after the transformation and the increase in lifespan, to what extent can one's comprehension increase?

Surpassing the sages of old?

still?

Thinking about it, his gaze turned to the outside of the mass grave in Qingyin County.

The next second, enveloped in strange phenomena, he flew out of the mass grave to search for other ghosts and monsters.

Time slowly passed by.

In the blink of an eye, the sky began to brighten.

Inside the east wing.

Su Chen sat cross-legged on the bed, studying the breathing technique while glancing at the panel, a look of satisfaction flashing across his face.

[Realm: True Person (18%) 1,848 years of cultivation]

After a night of looting, he successfully accumulated 1,848 years of cultivation.

If it weren't for the difficulty in finding mass graves in other counties, he could have been promoted even more!

Soon, dawn arrived.

Su Chen thought for a moment and then walked towards the Zhang family's gate.

Not long after, he saw Wang An and Old Man Wang yawning at the gate.

"Young Master?"

Old Wang and his companion were slightly taken aback.

Su Chen said directly, "If a young scholar comes to you recently, just tell him that you know about his situation and that you will help him afterward."

"Also, remember to let me know when this scholar comes looking for you."

"Uh..." Hearing the young master's words, the two gatekeepers, Old Man Wang and his companion, were stunned, their eyes filled with confusion, not knowing what the young master meant.

However, since the young master had said so, although they were puzzled, they did not ask any further questions.

"Yes, young master, I understand," said Old Man Wang.

Su Chen nodded.

Then, he turned and left, returning to the east wing to continue studying the breathing technique.

Time slowly passed.

Soon, the daytime passed, and before we knew it, it was midnight again.

During the day, Ning Caichen did not come looking for him, nor did Su Chen. Instead, they searched for ghosts and monsters on their own during the night.

Soon, another night passed, and dawn broke.

Zhang Family Residence.

Inside the east wing.

[Realm: True Person (26%) 2,680 years of cultivation]

Sensing the radiant magical power within his body, Su Chen was in a very good mood.

Nearly three thousand years of cultivation!

His cultivation level was so high that he was completely inhuman; the aura he exuded was something that normal people could not withstand.

Of course, Su Chen was not careless.

Who knows if there are any hidden monsters in Liaozhai? After nearly three thousand years of cultivation, its power is still somewhat unstable.

At this moment, Su Chen's gaze fell upon the breathing technique.

Breathing exercises (minor success rate 30%)

"It will take a few more days..."

Su Chen murmured.

……

early morning.

Lanruo Temple.

The thin mist had not yet dissipated, and the lingering fragrance remained. The dilapidated palace appeared even more desolate in the morning light.

"Big Beard, I want to save Xiaoqian."

Ning Caichen stood in the courtyard, his voice low but unusually firm.

Yan Chixia was taken aback upon hearing this, then frowned, a look of puzzlement appearing on his face.

He glanced at him sideways. "Scholar, you already know she's a ghost, yet you still want to save her?"

Ning Caichen remained silent for a moment, a look of bewilderment appearing on his face.

His experience at Lanruo Temple during this period was simply unbelievable.

Even he, who never spoke of strange phenomena, supernatural powers, or supernatural beings, had to believe that ghosts truly existed in this world.

After spending some time with Xiaoqian and learning that she was imprisoned and coerced by the Tree Demon Granny, he couldn't help but feel the urge to save her.

Ning Caichen nodded firmly.

Seeing his reaction, Yan Chixia was speechless. His face darkened, and he waved his hand impatiently.

"Foolish scholar, that old hag isn't as easy to deal with as you think."

"If you want to save someone, go save them yourself. Don't drag me down with you."

Ning Caichen's expression changed, and he immediately became anxious.

"Master Yan, is it really no use? Only you can save her, please..."

Yan Chixia frowned, a hint of hesitation flashing in his eyes.

Just as he was about to speak up and refute,

At this moment, Ning Caichen, who was anxiously trying to save Xiaoqian, suddenly thought of something and became absent-minded.

He couldn't help but think of the white-clad boy he had met in Guobei County the day before yesterday evening.

"Hey, scholar, what are you daydreaming about?"

Yan Chixia looked puzzled, wondering why this scholar had suddenly become dazed while speaking.