Chapter 22

In the mountain god temple, Ning Wuxie's body was surrounded by a faint red glow.

The five organs and six腑 (fu) correspond to the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. The heart belongs to fire. In Daoist cultivation, it is said that the heart houses the spirit. Whether human or demon, the importance of the heart is self-evident.

Under the demonic power and medicinal power of the demon snake's gallbladder, the heart, one of the five organs, finally emitted a fiery aura, brightening itself. This can be considered a small success in cultivation, making the body feel comfortable and the spirit refreshed.

Cultivating the body is the foundation of the first level of the *Taiyin Jue*. Since Ning Wuxie's body is ultimately not a demon's body, it must be gradually tempered to withstand the violent demonic power. Tempering the five organs and six腑 (fu) is the realm of small success at the first level. Tempering the heart means that Ning Wuxie has taken the first step in cultivation.

Feeling the heat constantly emitted by the heart, every cell in the body becomes extremely active under this heat, and the speed of demon body tempering will also increase significantly.

If the body is compared to an iron block, then the heart is the furnace. The furnace emits heat, and the iron block can be tempered. This is why Ning Wuxie chose to temper the heart first rather than other organs.

Opening his eyes, Ning Wuxie saw Ning Wushuang sitting at the entrance of the mountain god temple. The sky was dark, and it would soon be dawn. Ning Wuxie picked up a Zhu Guo (a type of fruit) from in front of him, which he had just picked from under a tree.

The Zhu Guo is difficult to preserve, and Ning Wuxie had no jade box or similar container. The longer it was, the less effective the Zhu Guo would become. Biting through the purple-red skin, a fragrant liquid flowed from his tongue into his stomach.

The Zhu Guo, which looks like a fruit, is full of spirit-infused liquid. In a short while, the Zhu Guo in Ning Wuxie's hand was left with only a layer of skin. Adhering to the principle that waste is a crime, Ning Wuxie chewed and swallowed the skin as well.

It was fresh, sweet, and left a lingering fragrance in the mouth. Unlike the violent demonic power, the spirit of the Zhu Guo was very gentle. After entering the stomach, the gentle medicinal power quickly activated the *Taiyin Jue*, and a stream of silver-white medicinal power began to temper the small intestine, which also belongs to fire. With the catalysis of heart fire, soon, after the vast medicinal power of one Zhu Guo burned, the small intestine also began to emit a red glow.

Once is a start, twice is familiar. With the experience of tempering the heart, Ning Wuxie swallowed three more Zhu Guo. After four Zhu Guo, a rumbling sound echoed in his stomach, and a stream of heat boiled up, surging demonic power enveloped the spleen and stomach.

The spleen and stomach both belong to earth. As the five elements generate each other, fire generates earth. With the heart fire and the fire of the small intestine, a faint yellow glow gradually emanated from the spleen and stomach.

Earth is the mother of all things, and a heavy, bearing aura rose from the spleen and stomach. Earth supports the other four elements, and only with the support of earth can the other four elements be more stable. Finally, under the effect of the spirit and medicinal power of the four Zhu Guo, before dawn, Ning Wuxie's five organs and six腑 (fu), including the spleen, heart, and small intestine, were tempered, generating heart fire and spleen earth aura.

After a night of cultivation, Ning Wuxie opened his eyes. A sunrise was perched on the peak of a mountain, with rays of light stretching for miles, and the forest was filled with the chirping of birds. The fresh air made Ning Wuxie involuntarily open his mouth and take a deep breath. The slightly cold air filled his chest and abdomen, and then he slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air.

Instantly, his whole body felt comfortable. With heart fire, his mind was clear and his spirit refreshed. With spleen earth, his feet were firmly on the ground.

Looking at the five remaining Zhu Guo in front of him, Ning Wuxie sighed slightly. Cultivation cannot be done in isolation; without opportunities, step-by-step cultivation takes too long.

He had practiced the *Taiyin Jue* for three days without producing a bit of heart fire. After obtaining the snake gallbladder and Zhu Guo, one night of hard cultivation completed two-fifths of the first level of the *Taiyin Jue*.

No wonder cultivators and immortals like to wander around, seeking opportunities!

Ning Bo Wu, covered in water, emerged from the mountain, holding a small wild boar that had already been gutted. Ning Wushuang took out a knife, set up a pot, and filled it with snow, then lit a fire. After the snow melted, he cut a piece of meat and threw it into the pot.

Soon, the pot emitted a fragrant aroma, which wafted around the mountain god temple.

After a hearty meal, they put the pot and bowls into a box, which Ning Bo Wu carried on his back, and the three set off again.

Before leaving, Ning Wuxie gave one Zhu Guo to Ning Bo Wu and Ning Wushuang each, instructing them to take it. The medicinal power of the Zhu Guo is gentle, and with Ning Bo Wu and Ning Wushuang's constitutions, they could handle the spirit of one Zhu Guo.

This spirit could cleanse their meridians and strengthen their bodies. After last night's events, Ning Wuxie had decided to help them embark on the path of immortality.

Even a hero needs three helpers. Haven't you seen the Monkey King seeking help from all the gods in the sky? When Tang Sanzang was captured, the Monkey King used a few somersault clouds to gather a large group of fighters. To survive in the Three Realms, you need some followers.

The county examination was to be held in Qingyun County, and to get to the county, the Ning family village had to pass through Zhangjia Town first. Qingyun County had seven towns, and Zhangjia Town was the most famous because the town's Zhang Yuwai was a scholar, respected and prestigious. The Zhang family was a minor noble family in the county, and even the county magistrate would visit their home.

Students from the villages under Zhangjia Town who wanted to participate in the county examination had to first pay respects to Zhang Yuwai, making them his students. Zhang Yuwai would then arrange for them to be sent to Qingyun County to take the exam.

Thus, every county examination, Zhangjia Town always had people on the list, and the scholars it produced were among the best in Qingyun County, further solidifying the Zhang family's position.

This was actually a mutually beneficial process. The Zhang family provided food, lodging, and travel expenses, investing in these students. When the students succeeded, they would remember the Zhang family's kindness. In this era, teachers were like fathers, and the teacher-student relationship was even better than the father-son relationship.

And students from humble backgrounds could focus on their studies and exams, and even join the Zhang family's network. Why not?

Even students from other towns would first visit Zhang Yuwai in Zhangjia Town before taking the exam, aiming to borrow the Zhang family's influence.

When Ning Wuxie set out, he had no money, and their meals and lodging were wild vegetables. Occasionally, Ning Bo Wu would catch some game, providing some meat. They lived in the wilderness, truly penniless.

Now, with a benefactor willing to provide food and lodging, why would they care about the teacher-student relationship? Zhang Yuwai was just a passerby to him. Being human and demon, he would leave after the county examination and have no further interaction with Zhang Yuwai.

The mountain god temple was only about thirty miles from Zhangjia Town. By the time the sun set in the afternoon, the weary Ning Wuxie, Ning Bo Wu, and Ning Wushuang finally appeared a hundred meters outside Zhangjia Town.

Although Zhangjia Town was just a town, it had a two-zhang-high wall and had civilian patrols. Just as Ning Wuxie and the others appeared, the large open gate was slowly closing.

Ning Wuxie and Ning Wushuang didn't have time to curse and immediately sprinted. If they didn't hurry, they would have to spend another night in the wilderness.

"Stop... leave the... gate open..."