Chapter 31

At the entrance of the Xuanji Marquis Manor, Lin Feng had no intention of going in.

First, it was uncertain whether the Xuanji Marquis himself was at home, and there were certainly no shortage of other experts guarding the place.

Knowing that Zhu Yi had the intention to leave the manor, Lin Feng decided to wait patiently.

Sure enough, about ten days later, Zhu Yi, carrying a bundle, set off on foot for Qingyang Mountain outside the capital.

He was preparing to take the imperial examinations and did not want to endure the humiliation in the manor, so he decided to stay at Qingyang Mountain for a while, which would also allow him to tend to his mother's grave.

Meng Bingyun's grave was on Qingyang Mountain, a solitary one, as a concubine, she could not be enshrined in the Zhu family ancestral temple after her death.

Lin Feng waited for Zhu Yi to leave the manor and then quietly followed him.

Zhu Yi arrived at the foot of Qingyang Mountain, cleaned his mother's grave, and then stayed at a small temple not far from the foot of the mountain.

Lin Feng had already found out that this temple was a dilapidated Buddhist temple, with only an ordinary old monk in charge. Zhu Yi would stay here every year, both to tend to his mother's grave and to seek peace and quiet.

After giving the old monk some incense money, Zhu Yi settled down in a side hall, opened his bundle, and lit a lamp to prepare for his studies.

Caressing the book in his hands, Zhu Yi murmured, "Whether I can restore my mother's name and status depends on the imperial examinations in spring and the imperial examination in autumn. First, I must pass the provincial examination, then the metropolitan examination, and be listed on the golden list, which will confer titles on three generations... The court will issue an edict to confer the title of Lady on my mother. My mother's grave can then be moved to the Zhu family ancestral cemetery, and her spirit tablet can be enshrined in the ancestral hall."

"Unfortunately, I cannot practice martial arts or cultivation. Although the civil officials control the government in our Great Zhou Dynasty, true ennoblement still requires military achievements. If I were to become a cultivator and then join the army, my status would be much higher. If I were to achieve military success and be ennobled, my mother's status would not only be that of a Lady but also a Noblewoman... Her status would far surpass that of Lady Shao."

Thinking of Lady Shao, the Xuanji Marquis's wife, Zhu Yi thought of his late mother, and his eyes revealed a mix of sorrow and anger.

Lin Feng stood silently outside the temple door, a playful smile on his lips.

He first went to the back room, knocked out the old monk to prevent him from leaking any information, then checked the surroundings to ensure there were no issues. After confirming everything was fine, Lin Feng sat cross-legged on a green stone in front of the temple.

Lin Feng fully activated the Nine Heavens Thunder Dao, deliberately releasing the spiritual energy circulating in his body through his acupoints to the outside.

This method was actually completely contrary to normal cultivation, which involves guiding the spiritual energy from the outside into the body for refinement. By releasing the spiritual energy outside the body, it would all be wasted.

However, from an external perspective, it was a different story.

At this moment, Lin Feng's body was surrounded by purple aura, and visible electric arcs and sparks flickered in the air. His hair stood up slightly due to the static electricity.

The air was filled with the continuous sound of electric currents, and faint thunder rumbled in the mountains.

An ordinary cultivator at the tenth level of Qi Condensation would not cause such a commotion even if they released their spiritual energy outside their body.

Thanks to the system, the beginner's package, and the Nine Heavens Thunder Dao, the visual and auditory effects were incredibly impressive.

Coupled with Lin Feng's attire—white robes with wide sleeves, a feathered coat, and a star crown—his appearance was impeccable, exuding the aura of a transcendent being.

Behind him, light footsteps approached, clearly belonging to someone who had not practiced cultivation, but the steps were steady and determined. Lin Feng knew it was Zhu Yi. Hearing the young man in blue robes take a deep breath, Lin Feng smiled inwardly, "He's here."

Lin Feng suddenly stopped his cultivation, still not turning around, and said calmly, "Since you want to watch, why not come out openly and watch?"

The breathing behind him paused for a moment but quickly became calm. Footsteps approached and stopped not far behind Lin Feng. A respectful but not humble voice said, "I did not mean to spy. If I have caused any offense, I apologize, Sir Daoist." It was indeed Zhu Yi's voice.

Lin Feng suddenly asked, "Are you afraid?"

Zhu Yi paused for a moment, then said clearly, "The sages say that uprightness and wisdom make one a god. As long as a scholar has a just and clear mind, and a strong and pure will, he need not fear any evil spirits."

He paused, then continued, "Although ghosts and demons can use illusions to deceive, they are mere manifestations of intangible thoughts. Even if they have great power and can materialize, they are just cold and lifeless forms, without the feel of flesh and blood."

Zhu Yi's voice grew more steady and his thoughts clearer, "Moreover, thunder is the purest yang energy from the nine heavens, the bane of yin spirits. Since you can control lightning and have a full aura of vitality, you are certainly not a ghost or demon. However, you are not an ordinary person, so you must be a hermit or a swordsman living deep in the mountains?"

Lin Feng slowly turned around, looking at the composed Zhu Yi, and suddenly smiled, "You seem to know a lot about ghosts and demons. Scholars do not speak of the strange and supernatural, so you are not an ordinary scholar."

Zhu Yi replied frankly, "That is only for those who read books blindly. We, as scholars, uphold righteousness, understand the six directions, know about ghosts and spirits, and comprehend the divine. This is true knowledge."

Lin Feng laughed, "I didn't expect you to be so interested in cultivation."

This time, Zhu Yi did not immediately respond, his eyes flickering as he thought, "Is this Daoist trying to take me as a disciple?" He had grown up in the manor, his mother having died early, and as a second son, he had seen the coldness of human nature and the struggles for power, making him highly cautious. Seeing Lin Feng's mysterious appearance, he had to be careful.

"My father at home does not allow me to practice martial arts or cultivation, and I have no money to hire a teacher. This seems like an opportunity, but who knows what this Daoist's true intentions are?"

Seeing Zhu Yi's hesitation, Lin Feng immediately guessed his thoughts, thinking, "As expected."

Since he had no intention of taking him as a disciple, he would follow the original plan.

Without waiting for Zhu Yi to carefully choose his words, Lin Feng laughed, "Unfortunately, it's all hearsay. The path of cultivation is not that simple. Those outside the door cannot understand what is inside."

"I was just passing through and did not expect to meet such an interesting young man. We had a pleasant conversation, but I have matters to attend to and cannot continue chatting. Farewell, we will meet again if fate allows."

With that, without waiting for Zhu Yi to react, Lin Feng used the Cloud Dragon Escape technique, and a flash of lightning enveloped him, making him disappear from the spot.

Using the lightning flash as a distraction, Lin Feng quickly hid in the woods beside the old temple, concealing his presence.

Zhu Yi, blinded by the lightning, gradually regained his vision and stood there, stunned, looking at the green stone in front of him, not expecting Lin Feng to leave so suddenly.

Zhu Yi searched the area around the old temple for a while, but with his untrained senses, he naturally could not find Lin Feng.

Returning to the green stone, Zhu Yi muttered to himself, "I thought that Daoist had the intention of taking me as a disciple, but it seems I was overthinking it."

"Wait, could it be a trick to lure me in? It doesn't seem like it, otherwise he wouldn't have left without saying anything."

"How old is that Daoist, really? Daoism, cultivation... If I could cultivate successfully, could I make my father admit his mistakes and make Lady Shao bow to me?"

"Those outside the door cannot understand what is inside... How can I enter this door?"

Zhu Yi suddenly exclaimed and walked to the green stone, bending down to pick up a purple crystal.

Lin Feng silently laughed, the fish had taken the bait, it was time to reel it in.

He had left the opening chapter of the Nine Heavens Thunder Dao in the purple crystal, without any restrictions. Although Zhu Yi had not practiced cultivation, he could read the text by focusing his mind on the crystal.

Zhu Yi was playing with the purple crystal when he suddenly smelled a burning odor, turned around, and saw the temple. He immediately cried out, "Oh no!"

It turned out he had forgotten to close the door when he left, and the strong wind had blown his book into the fire pit.

The book was now reduced to ashes, and Zhu Yi was extremely frustrated. However, upon closer inspection, he found a slightly dark golden paper in the ashes of the fire pit.

The golden paper was covered with small, dense characters and drawings, seemingly made of gold leaf, but it had not been burned by the fire.

"The Earth Store Sutra... This, this is a Buddhist cultivation method?" Zhu Yi was shocked, then overjoyed, "I was just wondering how to start my cultivation, and now a cultivation method appears before me."

Outside the temple, Lin Feng was dumbfounded, his jaw almost hitting the ground.

"Is this possible? That book, did he just buy it from an old bookshop before leaving the city? A full 10 points in fortune, 10 points in fortune... Haha, I bought a watch last year!"

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