Chapter 71

When Zhang Tianyuan was immersed in the world of earth qi, completely forgetting everything outside, the people inside the inner cave discovered him.

The outer cave was simply furnished, with only a stone table and a few stone stools. However, the inner cave was designed to be very comfortable. The walls were adorned with calligraphy and paintings from the Song Dynasty. On an ancient and elegant stone table, there were several porcelain vases as decorations, all of which looked very old.

Inside was also a bed, entirely white, looking as if it were made from a single piece of smooth white jade.

The bed was covered with a soft blanket, which, although new, was handmade and made from the finest materials.

In addition to these, there were neatly arranged bookshelves. Most of the books were thread-bound, and some were even bamboo slips or made of silk. If one didn't know better, they might mistake this place for an ancient immortal's retreat.

Actually, the person living in this cave was just an ordinary person. His name was Zhao Shenluo, a name he took later. His original name was different, but he changed it to honor his village.

Accompanying Zhao Shenluo was a beautiful girl. If Zhang Tianyuan saw her now, he would certainly recognize her; she was one of the people he saved on Fengluan Mountain.

Zhao Shenluo was only twenty-eight years old, but at this moment, his face was pale, covered with incantations, and his hair was white and lifeless. He looked very sickly, often twitching and showing signs of extreme pain.

He was very thin, or rather, so thin that he was almost just skin and bones. If seen in the dark, one might mistake him for a skeleton. Over the years, some unknown illness had tormented him, leading to his current miserable state.

When the girl helped Zhao Shenluo out, she saw Zhang Tianyuan.

The man, who had no life left in his eyes, suddenly showed a glimmer of spirit upon seeing Zhang Tianyuan and even managed a rare smile.

The girl seemed to recognize Zhang Tianyuan as well and was about to greet him, but Zhao Shenluo stopped her: "Cough, cough, don't disturb him, just wait."

Little Eagle Shenluo circled around Zhang Tianyuan, sometimes landing on the ground and sometimes jumping up, its eyes fixed on Zhao Shenluo and the girl, as if afraid they might harm Zhang Tianyuan.

"They say dogs understand human nature, but I think this white eagle understands it even better." Zhao Shenluo managed a rare smile, but soon began to pant, feeling short of breath. Helplessly, he had to sit down and slowly regulate his breathing.

...

Unconsciously, it was already dark. In Nandu, one couldn't see the sunrise or the sunset, so it would get dark as soon as it was afternoon.

Under the dim night sky, Wudao Village lit up with lanterns and candles, which, in this modern world filled with electrical devices, was undoubtedly unique and mysterious.

Beneath the green trees and red flowers, within the ancient walls and wooden houses, it seemed like another world. Anyone who left the bustling city and came here would instantly feel their heart calm down.

Two cars stopped outside Wudao Village, as cars were not allowed to enter. The staff at the entrance, dressed in Taoist robes, blocked Xu Gang and his group.

"Let us in, or we'll call the police! My brother has been in your village for several hours, and it's already dark. Do you think you're going to kill him and hide the evidence?" Xu Gang, who was the only one not paying attention to the atmosphere, was worried because he couldn't reach Zhang Tianyuan by phone. He waited until evening and couldn't wait any longer. The thought of Zhang Suya stabbing Zhang Tianyuan with a knife earlier made him even more anxious.

Accompanying Xu Gang were She Lin, Liu Mengxun, Lan Fenghuang, Zhao Danfeng, and Mou Ying, a formidable group.

However, the staff of Wudao Village were also numerous. Those dressed in Taoist robes were essentially security guards, just with a different name.

Zhao Liangde also hurried out, as he couldn't let them cause a disturbance. Seeing Xu Gang shouting, he quickly explained: "Don't worry, don't worry. Mr. Zhang is at my father's resting place. It's not a good time to disturb him."

Originally, Zhao Liangde had gone home to find his father, but the family doctor told him that Zhao Shenluo had gone to the cave of Shenluo Zhenren. Zhao Liangde then hurried to find him and learned that Zhang Tianyuan had accidentally gone there first.

"I don't believe it. Let us in to see him. We won't be reassured until we see him in person," Liu Mengxun said anxiously.

She was usually not like this, but several things had happened today, and she was now quite anxious.

"Alright, but your cars can't go in, and you must not make noise. My father likes peace and quiet, and he will get angry if there are too many people," Zhao Liangde reluctantly agreed. Normally, outsiders were not allowed to enter Wudao Village, except for the staff. Today was an exception.

"That's fine, we just want to make sure he's okay," Xu Gang said.

"Alright, then two of you can come with me. The others can wait at the teahouse. Our village has a special teahouse where the staff drink tea and chat. It's very nice," Zhao Liangde added.

"I'm definitely going," Xu Gang said.

"Me too!" Liu Mengxun quickly said, blushing slightly but not caring at the moment. She was very worried about Zhang Tianyuan's safety and needed to see him to feel reassured.

Lan Fenghuang also wanted to go, but she was a bit slower and was beaten to it by Liu Mengxun. She felt a bit helpless but had to give up. She knew that Zhang Tianyuan liked Liu Mengxun, and he would be happier to see her.

...

Zhang Tianyuan was still immersed in that magical atmosphere, unaware of how much time had passed. He didn't even know that at least three people had seen him in a state of ecstasy.

At this moment, he felt like a seed merging with nature, being cleansed and nourished by the earth qi.

If he knew he had stood there for four to five hours, he would be amazed at how good his stamina had become. Outside, his "disappearance" had caused a commotion, and if Zhao Liangde hadn't given in, there might have been a fight.

He was unaware of all this and could only feel the magical changes in the earth qi in his dantian.

The originally murky earth qi gradually turned golden and became denser and more lustrous. The true dragon formed by the earth qi now glowed with a golden light, like a golden dragon vein.

Zhang Tianyuan knew that his earth qi level had advanced to the Golden Dragon stage. The power of the Six-Word True Incantation would be even greater, and the effects of the earth qi would be better.

He could even feel the golden earth qi flowing in his blood, cleansing his body with each cycle.

This might not make him an immortal like in cultivation novels, but each cycle purified the harmful substances in his body and even rejuvenated his aging cells.

If someone could see inside Zhang Tianyuan's body, they would be amazed. His blood contained a faint golden liquid, which was far better than any medicine in the world.

Feeling the earth qi outside gradually thinning and unable to absorb more, Zhang Tianyuan reluctantly opened his eyes and took a deep breath.

Just as he was about to shout in joy, he was stunned by the scene before him.

Originally, sunlight could penetrate the cave, and he remembered it was still light when he entered. Now, the cave was lit with lanterns and candles, and the air was filled with a peculiar fragrance.

Not far from him, a gaunt man sat at a stone table, being served by a young woman. It was more like he was drinking rather than eating, as it was clear that his teeth were almost all gone, and he couldn't bite anything.

"My goodness, did I really enter some immortal's cave?" Zhang Tianyuan was still in a daze when Little Eagle Shenluo flew onto his shoulder. Although Shenluo had changed a lot, with feathers as white as jade, Zhang Tianyuan recognized it immediately. The feeling was very familiar.

Zhang Tianyuan smiled and affectionately stroked Little Eagle Shenluo's feathers.

Logically, after standing there for four to five hours, Zhang Tianyuan should have been stiff and weak, but he felt nothing wrong, as if he had just taken a warm bath.

He was a bit helpless, though, as his clothes were now very dirty, and he would have to change them. These clothes were just changed today.

If he knew that the dirt on his clothes was actually the toxins expelled from his body by the earth qi, he might be hesitant to eat anything in the future.

These days, there were few things outside that could be trusted.

But on second thought, it might not matter. Now that he could expel toxins from his body, even if he ate unclean things, it probably wouldn't be a big problem.

"Hello, honored guest from afar." At this moment, the gaunt middle-aged man spoke.

"Who are you?" Zhang Tianyuan's question was actually quite unreasonable. He had taken over someone else's place and was now asking who they were. But his mind hadn't fully caught up, and he asked out of habit, not with any intention.