Chapter 5

Inside the Guandi Temple, it was very quiet. Ding Ning felt a trace of the elemental energy of heaven and earth within him, making his senses much sharper. He could clearly sense that he was alone in the temple, and the incense in front of the statue of Guan Yu was burning, emitting a very subtle "popping" sound.

Sitting cross-legged on the bed for a long time, Ding Ning was overjoyed. He knew that a door had opened before him, a door leading to the path of the clouds.

Giving Dian Dian one yuan had brought him a great opportunity. Following the knowledge he had gained while unconscious, he had already crossed the most important hurdle for cultivators—guiding the elemental energy into his body!

Those who could not guide the elemental energy of heaven and earth into their bodies were ordinary people. Once they succeeded in guiding the energy into their bodies, they became cultivators.

The trace of energy brought by the one yuan transformed into a spiritual force. This force allowed Ding Ning to see things without opening his eyes, such as the inside of his body.

Ding Ning tried to extend this spiritual force outward, but it could not exceed a millimeter from his body.

After a few attempts, Ding Ning realized that his spiritual power was too weak and temporarily gave up on the inspection. Instead, he began to focus on the elemental energy of heaven and earth that had already formed within his body!

The energy was not strong, but it was undoubtedly pure elemental energy, the foundation of a cultivator.

Ding Ning suppressed his joy and silently practiced the technique for a full cycle in bed.

About an hour later, Ding Ning slowly opened his eyes. The elemental energy within his body had indeed grown a little, but not significantly.

He was happy with the progress, got up from the bed, and walked out of the Guandi Temple.

The July summer was peaceful and serene, with birds singing and flowers fragrant. Ding Ning felt that the sun was like a shiny golden coin hanging in the sky.

Ding Ning looked at the eaves, where a nest of young swallows had grown to the point where they could leave the nest and fly. One of them poked its little head out and looked down at Ding Ning.

Ding Ning stretched out his hand, and the swallow tilted its head to look, then actually jumped out of the nest and landed on Ding Ning's hand.

Cultivators are close to nature, possessing the elemental energy of heaven and earth, which naturally attracts animals, as long as they wish.

The swallow jumped from Ding Ning's hand to his shoulder, then to his head. With its simple mind, it didn't think much, just finding the human's aura pleasant and not dangerous.

Ding Ning raised his hand, and the swallow flew back to the nest.

Looking at the world around him, which seemed to have been renewed, and thinking about the aimless life he had led in recent years, Ding Ning smiled bitterly and shook his head. From today, he had gained a new life.

The sun shone brightly, the flowers smiled at him, and the birds said, "Early, early, early..."

He looked into the distance, where at the foot of the Great Green Mountain, there was a clear spring and a small pond, which held many of Ding Ning's childhood memories.

In the past, from the position of the Guandi Temple, he could barely see the pond. Now, he could even see the ripples caused by the spring water falling into the pond.

Sitting on the threshold of the Guandi Temple, Ding Ning stared blankly at the pond.

He saw his childhood self playing in the pond, the water splashing into the air, reflecting a rainbow of colors.

He dove into the water, the pond being so clear that he could open his eyes underwater and look for the color of the sky.

The spring water nourished his body, and he could drink it directly when thirsty. The water splashed up and down...

The spring water tinkled...

Ding Ning had a sudden realization, stood up, and quickly ran back inside. He spread the yellow paper on the table, picked up his master's wolf-hair brush, dipped it in thick ink, and, channeling the elemental energy of heaven and earth to the tip of the brush, quickly wrote a large "Spring" character.

At that moment, the clear and spiritual water vapor gathered at the tip of Ding Ning's brush, as if it were about to drip water. The feeling was so wonderful, yet it was real.

As soon as Ding Ning completed the character, the entire yellow paper flashed with a golden light. If an outsider had seen it, they would have thought their eyes were playing tricks on them.

He put down the brush, and the talisman was complete!

Ding Ning took a deep breath. The elemental energy of heaven and earth within him was too weak. Just writing this small talisman had almost exhausted his energy.

"Was it too much of a stretch? But it really... worked!"

Ding Ning happily picked up the first talisman he had ever written and examined it closely.

The yellow paper was still the same, but the overall feeling was different. Staring at the character, he could almost feel a fresh water vapor coming towards him, as if he were standing by a mountain spring, his pores opening slightly to greedily absorb the coolness.

If this talisman were crushed, a clear spring would fall from the sky. Although it had no power, Ding Ning still couldn't put it down.

His elemental energy of heaven and earth was not enough at the moment, or he would have written a few more.

But he also knew that the only character he could write now was "Spring." He had not yet comprehended the others, and having just the elemental energy was not enough to write them.

Just as Ding Ning was examining the talisman, a car sound came from outside. He quickly put the talisman in his pocket.

The car couldn't drive up the mountain and stopped halfway. Footsteps gradually approached.

The footsteps were a bit disordered, but Ding Ning could still hear his master's steady steps and his mother's light steps. There were two others, one of whom had heavier steps.

The smell of chicken soup wafted over, and four people appeared at the door of the Guandi Temple.

The old man and Thirteen Lady were surprised to see Ding Ning standing in the temple, then they both showed looks of joy. Thirteen Lady quickly came to Ding Ning with a clay pot. "Ah Ning, you're awake."

Ding Ning nodded. "Mom, I'm fine, I just slept for a while."

"Rubbish, who sleeps for three days and three nights?"

"Three days!"

Ding Ning was stunned. He realized he had been unconscious for so long. No wonder he felt a bit hungry. It seemed that the memories were so vast that it took three days to absorb them.

The old man stepped in, stroking his beard. "Not bad. I thought you would be unconscious for another day or two. It seems your heart has indeed improved."

"With Master saving me, even the King of Hell wouldn't dare to take me."

Ding Ning knew the old man must have helped, even though his coma and awakening had little to do with the old man. But he didn't want to explain anything for now. What happened to him would remain a secret for now, and he just wanted to smile and get by.

The old man looked Ding Ning up and down, his eyes showing a strange expression. He said to Thirteen Lady, "Girl, look at your son. Is he different from before?"

The title was a bit strange, but neither Thirteen Lady nor Ding Ning found it odd. The old man had always called her that.

Thirteen Lady looked at Ding Ning for a long time before nodding. "His complexion is much better, and he seems different. How should I put it...?"

"Ah Ning is awake. Our Yaoyao was supposed to go back to study today, but I insisted on bringing her here. Oh, Ding Ning looks a bit thinner. How is he different?"

A voice came from the side, and Ding Ning looked up to see Aunt Wu in a black suit walking in, followed by her daughter, Chen Mengyao, in a white pleated skirt and a sailor top.

Chen Mengyao saw Ding Ning, lifted her chin, and showed a proud smile, but there was a hint of surprise in her eyes, as if Ding Ning was indeed different.

Seeing them, Ding Ning felt a bit unhappy. He said, "Wait a moment," and pulled his mother outside, whispering, "Mom, weren't they here to buy the Chinese knots? Why haven't they left after three days?"

Thirteen Lady's eyes showed a bit of worry. "They said they were here to buy the Chinese knots, but after you fainted, they didn't leave. They stayed at the village chief's house. When I saw you making soup, they insisted on coming to see. I had no choice. They haven't paid for the Chinese knots yet."

Ding Ning nodded. It was just about buying the Chinese knots, so it shouldn't involve anything else. He knew the limits.

Walking back into the temple with Thirteen Lady, the old man was talking to Aunt Wu. "Ding Ning has had a spiritual nature since he was young. Although he was unconscious this time, I think his good luck is coming."

"That's true. Thirteen Sister told me about Ding Ning needing money for school. Thirteen Sister, you're too formal. How much can you make from the Chinese knots in a year? Ding Ning is also my junior. As his aunt, how could I let him go to the city and suffer? I'll take care of his tuition."

Chen Mengyao nodded modestly. "Yes, Ding Ning is also my friend. It's only right to help."

Before Ding Ning could refuse, Thirteen Lady suddenly spoke, "Thank you, Sister Wu, for considering my son so thoroughly. But we can't accept something for nothing. If you have something to ask, just say it."

Aunt Wu's expression changed a few times before she finally said, "Since Thirteen Sister is so straightforward, I won't beat around the bush. I was young and made some hasty decisions. Now, looking at it, the two children are not a good match. Since everyone is here, I'll be honest. I'll take care of Ding Ning's tuition, but let's call off the engagement. Let's exchange the tokens back."

As Aunt Wu finished speaking, the atmosphere in the room became tense.