Chapter 69

This cluster of bamboo cottages was arranged with a certain grace. Before Shen Lian and Lu Shouyi even reached the door of the bamboo cottage, the door opened, and a person appeared. His hair was gray, his Daoist robe slightly worn, and his right sleeve was empty.

Shen Lian felt that he was truly very old, not like the sect leader or the two elders who had led them in, who appeared aged but had a continuous vitality.

This old man gave him a feeling of the sun setting in the west.

"Junior brothers, follow me," the old man glanced at Shen Lian and Lu Shouyi, seemingly already knowing their identities.

Shen Lian thought perhaps it was the Jingqing child who had used some other means to inform the old man.

The people of Qingxuan were indeed strange. When Jingqing arrived, everyone came in and greeted the elder.

Of course, he was also aware that since they were all cultivators seeking the Dao, they probably didn't care much about the formalities of the secular world.

Upon entering the bamboo cottage, they found that the interior was not small, and the building materials were all bamboo.

It was unknown what kind of bamboo it was, but it was hard and solid.

Not far ahead was a long corridor, and beneath it was a clear stream, flowing slowly.

Lu Sheng was more enthusiastic than Shen Lian. Before they had even crossed the corridor, he asked, "What should we call you, Senior Brother?"

"You can call me 'Sanwen,'" the old man said.

"Senior Brother Sanwen, how many people are there in the Lower Courtyard now?" Lu Sheng asked.

"Excluding you two, there are four," the old man replied calmly.

"I heard that only ten disciples are admitted every fifty years. Senior Brother Sanwen, did you enter Qingxuan fifty years ago?" Lu Sheng was somewhat curious. After fifty years of cultivation, to still look so old, was the pursuit of the Dao truly so difficult?

"I entered Qingxuan a hundred years ago," the old man shook his head.

"When can we start our cultivation?" Lu Sheng asked again.

"Do you know why I'm called Sanwen? Because I only answer three questions a day," Daoist Sanwen looked at Lu Sheng indifferently.

His cloudy eyes showed a hint of coldness, making Lu Sheng dare not ask another question.

Shen Lian did not say much from beginning to end, only observing the surroundings.

To be precise, the elemental energy here was particularly abundant.

The bamboo cottage was like a reservoir, constantly accumulating external elemental energy to nourish the people or things inside.

The stream below was also nourished by the elemental energy, clear and vibrant, and also served a疏导 (guiding) role.

Shen Lian had long been able to sense the existence of elemental energy and could absorb a part of it, but not much remained.

Even so, after he had unblocked his Ren and Du meridians, his absorption of elemental energy from the world had reduced his need for food and drink, allowing him to go for a long time without eating or drinking in a state of minimal respiration.

He also vaguely felt an improvement in his constitution, like a gentle spring rain, nourishing silently. Over time, he could feel substantial changes.

Therefore, he thought that staying in such a place, even if he lived to be over a hundred years old, he would not become as old as Daoist Sanwen.

He did not think Qingxuan was a utopia, free from worldly disputes.

This was not surprising. As long as there was a heart, there were emotions. He was calm and did not like to fight, but that did not mean other cultivators were the same.

The Dao has myriad paths, not confined to one form, and it is difficult to say what is right or wrong.

Moreover, Shen Lian believed that seeking the Dao and immortality did not necessarily require forgetting emotions.

If becoming cold and unfeeling was the only way to achieve immortality, it would not be true immortality.

Immortality should embrace everything, offering infinite possibilities for the future. If it were the same for a thousand years, what would be the difference from a cold stone in the mountains?

Moreover, on the way up, the red-robed elder, the gray-robed elder, the sect leader, and the Jingqing child all had their own personalities.

Cultivators were just people who lived longer.

As for what immortals were, Shen Lian could not yet imagine.

The corridor was not straight, winding around, and they occasionally saw different Daoist courtyards.

Most of them had a similar layout, and some looked as if they had not been inhabited for a long time, desolate and withered.

Finally, they saw two adjacent Daoist courtyards. Daoist Sanwen said, "Choose one each. After the sect leader finishes his affairs, he will arrange for you."

After saying this, he drifted away.

Lu Sheng shook his head and said, "The people on this mountain are one stranger than the other."

Shen Lian smiled without answering, pointing to the two courtyards and asking, "Which one will you choose, Brother Lu?"

"I won't be polite, I'll choose the right one," Lu Sheng said.

Entering the Daoist courtyard, the room contained only a bamboo bed, nothing else, truly austere.

Shen Lian did not immediately go to sleep. After closing the door, he went to the bamboo bed and sat down with his eyes closed.

When he heard Lu Sheng's deep sleep, he focused his mind.

In his mind, there was a void. This time, Shen Lian did not visualize the innate deity holding the ruyi.

Instead, a large chessboard appeared in his mind.

A white piece fell, followed by a black piece.

In a short time, the board became densely packed.

His memory was particularly strong, not sure if it was entirely due to his powerful soul or because the visualization method was so exquisite that it allowed him to concentrate and not be disturbed, enabling him to recall many things he had seen.

The chessboard was incredibly complex, but Shen Lian was able to reconstruct it. Compared to his unconscious state during the day, he now better appreciated the subtlety of the cultivation method contained within.

Shen Lian had already been able to absorb elemental energy, gradually evolving towards a state of not needing food and drink, but his understanding of elemental energy was still very basic.

The chessboard cultivation method, also known as the 'Xuanji Gong,' connected different acupoints, as if turning the body into a circuit board.

Different circuits were linked, and as elemental energy was injected, unexpected effects would occur.

In the past, Shen Lian was like a large sieve, elemental energy coming in and out, leaving very little, not even enough to sustain life activities.

Otherwise, he would have been able to cut off his need for food and drink long ago.

Shen Lian practiced the Xuanji Gong, using it to verify the effects of elemental energy on the body.

In the past, the amount of elemental energy he could retain was too small, but now he could gain more feedback.

His soul power also slowly spread throughout his limbs and body, allowing for a more detailed observation.

If someone else were to see him, they would notice a thin layer of mist around Shen Lian, covering his body, making him appear faintly.

In one of the Daoist courtyards, Daoist Sanwen and another Daoist sat facing each other.

The other Daoist was much younger than Daoist Sanwen, looking only about thirty years old, with thick eyebrows, large eyes, and a green Daoist robe.

The young Daoist said, "After so many years, Uncle Hong has finally found a disciple capable of cultivating the 'Ziwei Dongxuan Zhenjie,' so he was eager to pass on the 'Xuanji Gong' to him."

"Besides Uncle, in the past three thousand years, Shen Lian's time to inquire about the heart path was the shortest, showing his strong mind. He is naturally an excellent candidate for cultivating the 'Ziwei Dongxuan Zhenjie,' so Uncle Hong is naturally eager," Daoist Sanwen replied calmly.

The young Daoist sighed, "I really want to know what kind of demeanor Uncle has. He took your arm, yet you have little resentment towards him."

PS: Thank you to Kunshan Xiaoyu for the 10,000 coin donation, becoming the fifth leader of the Daoist group. Also, thank you to Guangyin Huafumo for the 2,476 coin donation, sos member for the 588 coin donation, Qing Mo Jing Shang Yu for the 588 coin donation, and ||. Melody ℡, Shaoshi Hongyi, Kongque Damingwang ay, Gao Yaoguo Dun Chunu, Ququ Xiaojian, Zhen Zhen Nan Er, Tideng Zhao Dachuan, TGFDDDFDF for their donations.

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