Chapter 24

The inn, with its constant flow of people, has always been a place deep within the mundane world.

Old Master Shen agreed to let Shen Lian start from the inn because this place, with its mix of good and bad elements, is an excellent place to hone one’s social skills.

Midnight,

Bright moon,

Wutong tree.

There were no phoenixes on the wutong tree, but there was a moon.

A crescent moon hung in the sky, but on the thick branches of the wutong tree, there was a full moon.

This was not a full moon, but a person's head.

The person's head was perfectly smooth, reflecting the moonlight, making it look like a full moon.

Beside him was another person, a young man.

A gentle breeze blew, causing the young man's slender body to sway slightly, but his legs were rooted in the branches, standing firm.

The wind swayed his shadow, like a green bamboo.

Finally, Shen Lian exhaled, and a white mist slowly rose, thick and dense.

Only after Shen Lian exhaled did Ling Chongxiao speak:

"This qigong technique was discovered by our sect's ancestor in his search for immortals. It is called the Divine Foot Scripture, one of the most exquisite skills in the martial world. He practiced this technique."

Shen Lian had already received the oral transmission from the green-robed man and practiced according to the method.

The 'foot' in Divine Foot Scripture does not refer to the foot, but to the completeness of spirit and qi.

'He is cruel, he is evil, I am full of true qi.'

The oral transmission of this qigong technique is very easy to understand, but it is extremely difficult to master, because the first step requires a mind free of delusions to sense the true qi brought from birth.

It sounds simple, but how many people in the world can enter a meditative state and have a mind free of delusions?

Even high-ranking monks who have practiced for many years cannot easily enter a meditative state.

For Shen Lian, however, this was not a difficult task.

He practiced according to the method, adjusted his breathing rhythm, and entered a state of no thought or form, amidst the clear wind and bright moon.

Even though Ling Chongxiao knew that Shen Lian was a talented and beautiful person, he still had to admit that he was a genius.

Shen Lian knew he was not a genius, but it was because of the "Supreme Clarity Spirit Treasure Natural Heart Locking and Spirit Stabilizing True Explanation."

He entered a meditative state, practiced according to the method, sensed that thread of true qi, and manipulated it, guiding it through the meridians to nourish his body, as if it were an extension of his arm, extremely easy.

His body was not in the best condition, and his meridians were somewhat obstructed, but with his precise control of true qi, he managed to unblock more than half of the acupoints in the "Hand Shaoyin Heart Meridian" during his first practice.

Ling Chongxiao did not know about Shen Lian's progress, but from the length and smoothness of his breath, he could tell that Shen Lian was an extraordinary martial arts prodigy.

When Shen Lian heard Ling Chongxiao's words, he was curious and asked, "I still don't know the name of your sect."

Ling Chongxiao said calmly, "Since you asked, I will tell you. In the past, our sect's ancestor was a scholar who failed the imperial examinations and was disheartened. Later, he realized that the path to immortality lies beyond the mundane world, and set out to seek it. One year, he heard that there were疑似仙家人物出没 in the sea, so he set sail. He encountered a heavy storm.

Fortunately, the ancestor survived the disaster, grabbing a piece of the ship's board and drifting with the waves. Eventually, he landed on a beach.

The beach belonged to an island, which was quite large.

In the middle of the island was a mountain, shrouded in mist.

The ancestor saw the mountain's grandeur and, after resting on the shore for a day, set out toward the mountain. At the foot of the mountain, he saw a towering cliff with the words 'Qingxuan' carved into it.

The cliff was smooth like a mirror, and it was unknown how the words were carved.

Each character was several dozen feet long and five or six feet wide, perfectly formed without any trace of chiseling.

At that moment, the ancestor thought that only immortal techniques could create such a wonder.

The ancestor followed the mountain path, which was vast and filled with dense forests, and he lost his way. He survived on wild fruits and luckily did not encounter any venomous snakes or fierce beasts.

"But later, the ancestor met an immortal who gave him a secret manual?" Shen Lian asked with a smile.

This was a common trope from old stories.

"It's not that simple. Later, the ancestor faintly heard the sound of a shepherd's flute in the forest, thinking he would finally see other people. He had been lost in the forest for too long and couldn't even find the towering cliff he had entered from.

He didn't dare to think of meeting immortals; he only hoped to find a way out of the forest.

That night, the moonlight was very bright, but the forest was cold. Although the ancestor had practiced some basic skills, he was not yet immune to the cold.

Hearing the flute, he followed the sound.

The melody was strange, unlike any he had heard before, slow and deep, with a hint of ethereal quality.

The ancestor followed the flute for a long time.

The more he walked, the more curious he became. Although he didn't count the distance, he estimated it was at least a few miles, but the flute sound remained neither closer nor farther, just as it was when he first heard it.

It seemed that as he walked, the source of the flute sound was also moving.

Later, he smelled a faint fragrance, the scent of plum blossoms. After a few steps, he saw that the trees on both sides were gradually replaced by plum trees.

A small path made of blue gravel appeared ahead, winding and twisting.

The flute sound also became clearer, as if playing with the wind, full of natural charm.

The ancestor stepped onto the path, and the moonlight shone on the blue stones, scattering like clear water.

The fragrance filled his nose, and his fatigue diminished.

This time, it didn't take long for the ancestor to see a particularly thick plum tree blocking the path. He didn't know how old the old plum tree was, with bare branches and only a few plum blossoms, like sparse stars.

When he got closer, the ancestor discovered that a poem was written on the trunk of the plum tree."

"What poem?" Shen Lian was also very curious. This story was more interesting than the usual immortal novels.

The mysterious shepherd's flute, the deep plum forest, and the poem carved on the plum tree.

"This poem is indeed very ethereal."

Ling Chongxiao's eyes reflected the deep moonlight as he recited:

"Recluse of the Earth's Lungs, called Wang Haifeng.

When he comes, the days and months are long; when he leaves, he lets the west and east be.

Accompanied by clouds and water, neighbors with the void.

One true nature remains, different from all others."

"Accompanied by clouds and water, neighbors with the void," Shen Lian was surprised when he heard this line, not because of its ethereal quality, but because he had seen this line before.

He remembered that year, when he was idle, he read a collection of poems by the True Man of Chongyang and remembered this poem, with this line being the most memorable.

He hadn't found any mention of Wang Chongyang or the Quanzhen Sect in his recent readings, so he found it strange.

PS: Thank you for the generous support from Gu Cang Men, zxh1973, and the donations from Shuyou 160201152436518 and Yuluo Weihen.

To thank everyone for their support and companionship, I will be giving out cash red envelopes on my WeChat public account on New Year's Eve. I will notify everyone in advance about the exact time. If you haven't followed yet, you can search for 'Zhongyuan Wubai' or 'feixianjidao' on the WeChat public platform. You can also send me private messages on the WeChat public account, but I may not be able to reply promptly due to my busy schedule.

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