Don't farm, cultivate immortality!

When Zhuang Xing saw her arrive, he put down what he was doing and invited her to sit inside the hall.

Yunling looked at the room and felt that it was very spacious and clean.

The two sat down at the stone table and took out their writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.

Yunling brought a potted spiritual plant, which looked like her latest cultivation.

Because it was still just a seedling, Zhuang Xing couldn't see anything special about it, but he could vaguely make out the shape of a dragon fruit.

Dragon fruit grows on high mountain cliffs. The vines usually hang down from high places, and the fruit only grows on the vines. Even monkeys and apes would find it difficult to pick it.

The vines of the mountain dragon fruit are somewhat similar to those of the killer vine, but the mountain dragon fruit does not actively entangle people, and it is more resilient.

It is called mountain dragon fruit because some people saw a dragon's shadow in the mist when it was shrouded in clouds and fog. When the mist dissipated, they found that it was a bunch of grayish-brown vines twisted together.

When the fruit ripens, the dragon fruit vines dance like dragons, tossing the fruit higher and higher. This continues for many years until the fruit eventually falls to the mountaintop.

Legend has it that when the dragon fruit falls on the mountaintop where spiritual energy is most concentrated, it absorbs the essence of the sun and moon, and after a hundred years, it will transform into a dragon and fly into the clouds.

Of course, this is just a legend, and no one has ever gotten a definite answer as to whether it is true or false.

It's highly likely that this conclusion was just embellished.

Zhuang Xing had Yunling demonstrate the characteristics of this new variety. With a wave of her hand, Yunling saw it burrow into the soil.

Yunling asked Zhuang Xing to catch a panda. The little panda came onto the table in a daze. As soon as it came up and got close to the pot, slender vines grew out and wrapped around it. However, when a person reached out, no vines grew out.

It had some effect, but because the plant was still small, it couldn't even hold the panda, which broke free and ran away after a few tries.

The two sat at the table and talked for a while.

This reminded Zhuang Xing of his time in the village, when he used to teach Yunling.

As they talked, it grew dark.

He drew several design sketches for Yunling, such as ground spikes, garlic flowers, and soybean shoots, telling her that she didn't have to be confined to one form and could think about it from multiple perspectives.

Yunling seemed to be deep in thought, then carefully folded the drawings and took them away.

Days passed, and Yunling came again later, planting the new seeds next to Zhuangxing's house.

She said she wanted to do some tests to see how long these new spiritual plants would take to bind the panda.

From that day on, she frequently visited Zhuang Xing's house and often stayed for meals.

Under her gentle care, those seeds slowly sprouted.

By the time the New Year arrived, the vines had miraculously formed a fence-like enclosure around the village house.

"Have you thought of names for them yet?" Zhuang Xing asked, looking at the plants in front of the house.

The pandas chased and played in the yard, as if they were treating the plants as toys.

"Let's call it Earth Hidden Vine," Yunling suggested, choosing a name that was easy to remember and pronounce.

The Earth-Hidden Vine can burrow underground at any time and will not attack people, making it a good helper for guarding the house.

However, she was unsure of any potential risks or characteristics, so Yunling planned to observe them for a year or two until they bore fruit and completed a full growth cycle before considering transplanting them down the mountain for the benefit of all people.

Compared to Zhuang Xing, who had no ambition, Yunling truly had the world in her heart.

...

On this day, snow fell gently.

Zhuang Xing pasted couplets and the character "福" (fortune) on the front door of his house.

He made a special trip down the mountain in the morning to feed Wuzhui and take it for a run.

Today, many people came to his house to celebrate the Lunar New Year.

The house was bustling with activity, and red lanterns hung outside the door.

Zhuang Xing sat on the wooden stool he had carved himself. The little panda ran up to him and asked what the New Year meant. Zhuang Xing said it was to celebrate that he had lived through another spring, summer, autumn and winter in this world. On this day, people usually reunite with their families to eat New Year's Eve dinner.

They looked at the people chatting and laughing around the dinner table, their ears drooping, looking a little sad.

Red pandas don't celebrate the Lunar New Year; it's a human holiday, and has nothing to do with pandas.

Zhuang Xing caught a panda and gently touched the straw rope around its neck with his fingers. The rope broke, and the bamboo strip fell into his hand.

He took out a piece of jewelry that looked like a longevity lock from his pocket, except that instead of a lock, there was a silver plaque engraved with his name hanging below the jewelry.

This is a nameplate specially made by Zhuangxing. It was made by Master Wu at the sword forging hall, and it looks much better than the bamboo strips that were hastily made back then.

Zhuang Xing hung the silver medal with his name on it around the panda's neck.

"This is a New Year's gift for you."

Zhuang Xing patted the panda's head and gave all five pandas new name tags.

The five pandas looked up at Zhuang Xing, who was much taller than them, and came to his side, rubbing against his ankles and sticking close to him.

The lifespan of a panda is very short compared to that of a human; even a panda that becomes a demon will not live very long.

But at least during the time they kept Zhuang Xing company, he hoped the pandas would be happier.

Are you happy today?

"Is Your Majesty happy?"

"Of course I'm happy."

"Then we're happy too."

Zhuang Xing smiled, tore off a piece of the pancake, and fed it to the panda.

Another year has passed.

...

Winter passed and spring came; the snow on the mountain soon melted.

Zhuang Xing's house was basically all taken care of, with a study, a bathroom, and all the necessary facilities.

Although a sleeping area was made for the pandas, they still preferred to sleep in Zhuangxing's house.

As the weather gradually warmed up, he stopped staying in bed.

"Do you remember where the original cave was?" Zhuang Xing asked the panda.

He felt that the cave was probably related to the pandas becoming spirits, and he wanted to explore it.

"But Your Majesty, the cave has collapsed."

"Because it collapsed, you can't find it?"

"We can find it!"

"Could you take me to see it?"

"Does Your Majesty wish to go see it?"

"I want to go."

Chapter 160 Descending the Mountain to Seek the Extraordinary

If that cave truly can transform a pygmy panda into a demon, it must possess some extraordinary qualities; there might even be some magical treasure hidden there.

Zhuang Xing was very interested in Lingbao. He wanted to see this extraordinary place in the world and see things he had never seen before.

This is one of the reasons why he practices Buddhism, and it is a very important one.

Having come into this world so often, how can we not broaden our horizons?

Staying on the mountain to cultivate in asceticism is not what he wants.

He wanted to see the scenery everywhere so that his trip wouldn't be in vain.

He asked the panda for directions and learned that the location was not far from Qingxuan Mountain, and there was a village at the foot of the mountain where people lived. He thought he would take a few days to go out and take a look.

Now that the kowtow ceremony for Bai Sui's disciples has ended, many elementary schools have been opened again.

Throughout the year, the teachers will focus their main efforts on Bai Sui's students, teaching them the basics and helping them discover their own strengths.

As a senior Qinghui disciple, Zhuang Xing had already taken most of the courses. The more advanced classes were not offered every day, so Zhuang Xing had quite a bit of personal time recently.

Springtime scenery is beautiful, perfect for a spring outing.

It's been a long time since I went down the mountain for a walk.

He asked Master Qingxu for leave, expecting the master to ask him to find a few more people to team up and go down the mountain together. But this time, the master agreed to let him go down the mountain alone.

“In the mountains, having these few pandas to guide you is enough,” the old Taoist said.

That's true; pandas have far more experience living in the mountains than Taoists do.

Although he went down alone, he was accompanied by five red pandas that had survived in the wild for seven years.

"Aren't you worried that I might encounter monsters down the mountain?" Zhuang Xing asked.

The old Taoist priest smiled slightly: "Isn't it the demons who are afraid of meeting you?"

Ever since Zhuang Xing killed the pig demon, the old Taoist priest had been exceptionally lenient towards him.

They did not bind him with the usual rules among disciples, but gave him a lot of leniency and made many exceptions, treating him quite differently.

The old Taoist priest thought highly of him, perhaps because he felt he needed a free environment to grow up in, and also because he believed he could handle this matter on his own.

After all, he had already proven his ability last year at the foot of the mountain.

"Disciple understands." Zhuang Xing bowed. "Then disciple will now descend the mountain."

"Go ahead," the old Taoist priest nodded.

After Zhuang Xing left Qiluzhai, the old Taoist took out a sandalwood box from a drawer.

He opened the box, inside was a brand new red sword tassel.

If Zhuang Xing can return from the mountains and find out the reason why the red bear became a spirit, he feels it's about time to hand over the Red Harvest to Zhuang Xing.

After bowing in reverence, the old Taoist priest discussed with many fellow elders that the sword tassel had been prepared for some time.

From the pig demon incident to winter wheat and cotton, the old Taoist priest witnessed Zhuang Xing's many growths throughout the past year.

In terms of merit, Shoyuki was actually qualified to be promoted to Ako.