Chapter 3: The Mysterious Elder

The two were starving, running to the back mountain, digging up the leftover roasted sweet potatoes like dogs, and eating them in large bites, as if they were reincarnated hungry ghosts. They shared a pot of water, taking turns to drink, and ate very happily.

In the back mountain, there was a forest. Beyond the forest was a battlefield, a graveyard where many people had died. No one dared to approach it, as it was filled with a dense, ominous aura.

At this moment, two elders stood inside the forest, watching Xu Daoyan and Wu Xiaobai.

One of the elders was robust, with surging blood and dark skin. He held an iron hammer, which was adorned with various mysterious patterns. His eyes gleamed as he looked at Wu Xiaobai and said excitedly, "A thousand lifetimes of kindness, a golden lotus of virtue, nine-nine perfection, a thousand lifetimes of purity, a good seedling indeed!"

"My one is just average. Not quite a villain, and not as good as yours. But his heart is very determined, that's his only strength," said the elder who had just eaten Xu Daoyan's roasted sweet potatoes. He was disheveled, with a thin, dry body, and a few bugs crawling in his hair. He held a black stick, which didn't seem particularly impressive, and couldn't compare to the other elder.

"Regardless, I must take Wu Xiaobai as my disciple," the elder with the iron hammer said excitedly, his blood surging within him.

"Don't rush, let's act separately."

Dusk gradually descended.

Xu Daoyan looked at Wu Xiaobai and said, "Xiaobai, go back first. I need to go to the back mountain alone. Tell my mother that I'm staying at your place tonight."

Since Xu Daoyan and Wu Xiaobai were very close, they had grown up together and often slept at each other's houses, which was quite normal.

"Have you heard that there are ghosts in the back mountain at night? Do you think the ghosts in our village might come from there?" Wu Xiaobai felt a chill run down his spine at the thought of ghosts.

"Don't worry, I won't stay too late. I need to find something to eat besides sweet potatoes. You have a small heart, so go back first. I'll be back soon. Remember to bring the roasted sweet potatoes to my mother, or she'll go hungry," Xu Daoyan said with a smile.

"Sure, Daoyan, come back early. I'll wait for you at home." Wu Xiaobai didn't pay much attention and left, as Daoyan had always been brave and nothing bad had ever happened to him.

Xu Daoyan looked at the sweet potato field, where there were still many sweet potatoes left, enough to last for a while. He then looked at the forest.

At that moment, the sun was setting, and he felt a bit uneasy, being just a twelve-year-old boy. But he was very curious about the forbidden area of the back mountain and started to walk into the forest, which was gradually getting darker.

As Xu Daoyan looked at the darkening forest, a cold wind seemed to blow, making him shiver and feel a tingling sensation on his scalp.

Just as Xu Daoyan was about to enter the forest, a hand suddenly reached out from behind and touched his shoulder. This sudden touch made him break out in a cold sweat, his hair standing on end, and his heart feeling cold.

When he turned his head, he saw the old beggar from earlier, his dark face breaking into a grin, revealing a mouth full of yellow teeth: "We meet again, boy..."

In the eerie forest.

Xu Daoyan's heart, which had been tense, suddenly relaxed. He sighed in relief and warned the old beggar, "It's you. Don't go down this path. It's said that there's a battlefield graveyard from the war ahead. At night, there are fierce ghosts. It's dangerous if you go that way."

"Why are you going forward then?" The old beggar laughed, not believing him.

"Because I need to find food to support my mother. Our family is in a difficult situation. We can't just eat sweet potatoes every meal. If I can catch some mountain chickens or wild rabbits, it would help my mother's health," Xu Daoyan said, focusing on the path ahead, looking for prey, as he felt his mother was a bit weak.

"Hehe, I have a question for you. Do you want to see the outside world?" The old beggar asked Xu Daoyan seriously.

"Of course, but first, I need to take care of myself and my mother," Xu Daoyan replied, knowing that the old beggar had traveled many places and seen a lot, but he couldn't just follow him and become a beggar.

"Then do you want to hear about the outside world? I'll tell you a story in exchange for a sweet potato," the old beggar said, grinning and sitting cross-legged, pulling Xu Daoyan to listen to his story.

"Sure," Xu Daoyan, being just a child, was very curious about the outside world. The old beggar patiently told him a story.

It turned out that the village where Xu Daoyan lived was part of the Shizhou City, which was on the northern edge of Youzhou in the Nine States Divine Dynasty.

In the Nine States, each state had 3,600 cities, each city governed by a general.

One hundred cities were governed by a feudal lord.

Six hundred cities were governed by a prince.

One state was governed by a duke.

Each city covered at least 100,000 miles, with the largest being 360,000 miles. In other words, a state would cover at least 360 million miles, and at most 1.296 billion miles. The vastness of the Nine States Divine Dynasty was beyond Xu Daoyan's imagination, and he listened with rapt attention.

People were divided into nine ranks. Xu Daoyan was currently the ninth rank, the lowest and most humble existence. Above the first rank were the superiors.

"Do you want to be a lowly person or a superior person?" the old beggar asked Xu Daoyan seriously.

"Of course, a superior person!" Xu Daoyan's eyes suddenly became sharp, and he answered firmly.

"Do you know how people are ranked?" the old beggar asked again.

"What?"

"By strength," the old beggar began to explain.

At eight years old, a boy's kidney energy is full, his hair is thick, and his teeth are replaced.

At sixteen, his kidney energy is abundant, his heavenly essence matures, his vital energy is full, and he can have children.

At twenty-four, his kidney energy is balanced, his tendons and bones are strong, his wisdom teeth grow, and his body stops growing taller.

At thirty-two, his tendons and bones are thick, and his muscles are well-developed.

At forty, his kidney energy begins to decline, his hair starts to fall out, and his teeth become dry.

At forty-eight, the yang energy in the upper part of the body begins to decline, the face becomes haggard, and the hair turns gray.

At fifty-six, the liver energy declines, the tendons and muscles weaken, and movement becomes less flexible.

At sixty-four, the heavenly essence dries up, the vital energy decreases, and the kidneys decline, and everything begins to reach its limit.

These are the nine ranks.

Xu Daoyan frowned, indeed, people in the village often said that living to seventy was rare.

"What is heavenly essence?" Xu Daoyan asked curiously.

"It's the innate essence stored in the body at birth," the old beggar said with a smile.

"What about the eighth rank?" Xu Daoyan asked again.

"The eighth rank is like the fake Taoist in your village. He can use wealth to eat things that supplement his essence, extending his life, but not by much. With his current strength, living to a hundred is his limit," the old beggar said with a grin.

"Fake Taoist? Our village is really haunted," Xu Daoyan frowned, puzzled.

"The ghosts are real, but the Taoist is fake," the old beggar said with a smile.

"How do you know?" Xu Daoyan was puzzled, wondering how a mere old beggar could suddenly become a sage.

"You don't need to ask. Kneel down and bow three times, and I'll take you as my disciple," the old beggar said with a smile.

"My mother said that a man's knees are worth gold and should not be easily bent. You can't just make me kneel and become your disciple with a few words. That's a dream!" Xu Daoyan was very resistant to the idea, feeling that kneeling was a shameful act.

"Hmm, is that so? Fine," the old beggar was surprised by Xu Daoyan's response, thought for a moment, and then pulled out a wine flask, bringing it to Xu Daoyan's mouth and said with a grin, "Come, take a sip."

"What is it?" Xu Daoyan frowned, looking at the old beggar with a hint of hostility.

"It's wine. What? Afraid to drink?" the old beggar taunted.

"Hmph, what's there to be afraid of? It's just wine. I haven't drunk it, but I've heard of it!" Xu Daoyan snatched the wine flask, and as he opened the stopper, a fragrant aroma flowed out. Just a whiff made him feel refreshed and invigorated, as if his strength had increased.

Although Xu Daoyan was a lowly ninth-rank person, he knew this was a good thing. He tilted his head back and took a large gulp.

A warm current surged through his body, and a layer of black, thick substance was expelled from his skin, emitting a foul smell. The alcohol seeped through his pores, cleansing his body of impurities.

Xu Daoyan felt his spirit refreshed, his vision clearer, and his strength greatly increased. He felt he could easily lift a cow and break a tree with a punch.

This was a leap in his growth. His skin became smooth and fine, all the dead skin falling off. Even his flatulence would now be fragrant.

Xu Daoyan was shocked and looked at the old beggar, "What kind of wine is this?"

"Ha ha, it's the wine of the immortals, the immortal wine," the old beggar laughed, very pleased. "Now can you kneel? After drinking my immortal wine, you can live to 120 without any problem."

"No!" Xu Daoyan shook his head.

The old beggar's face turned green. This brat drank without hesitation.

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