Chapter 80

The mist rises from Yunmeng Marsh, and the waves shake the city of Yueyang!

The 800-li Dongting Lake, with its vast expanse of green waves, is a place where seagulls soar and the shimmering light of the water reflects like gold, evoking poetic sentiments. At dusk, fishing boats return, their songs echoing in the twilight, while the moonlit autumn lake shimmers with silver light.

Yueyang was anciently known as Balin, and it has always been famous for Dongting Lake and Yueyang Tower. Many scholars and poets have left behind timeless masterpieces here.

At this time, Yueyang Tower had not yet been built, and the old site was called Balin Tower, which was a military stronghold.

Balin Mountain, shrouded in the twilight, looms faintly, and the surrounding scenery can be seen at a glance. The setting sun casts its golden rays on the water, creating a ripple of fragmented golden light. The green mountains remain, and the lake water is clear, with no trace of smoke. Looking down into the river, a line of returning birds can be seen like a forest.

A cool breeze caresses the night, and the fields and mountains are hazy and silent. The sound of trickling water echoes by the lake.

The moon is high in the sky, and the tigers roar and the apes cry in the mountains, while the cold wind howls.

On the peak of Junshan Mountain, a figure sits cross-legged on a green stone. The wind gently blows, causing his clothes to flutter and his hair to dance.

It is a young man, with a face as fair as jade, arched eyebrows, and star-like eyes. He wears a clean white robe, exuding a scholarly air. The youthful innocence on his face has faded, replaced by maturity and steadiness.

He makes a hand seal, and five beams of light shine on his body, emitting a soft glow. A beam of cold moonlight enters his baihui point, and his body becomes as clear and luminous as jade. If an ordinary person saw this, they would surely exclaim in shock, thinking they had seen a ghost.

He opens his eyes, and the five beams of light converge, forming a silver streak that bursts out of his body and lands on a nearby large green stone. A faint crack is heard, and the stone splits in half, as if cut by a sharp sword, with a smooth surface.

The silver light returns to the young man's hand, and the glow disappears, revealing a foot-long black dagger, devoid of any luster. It is hard to imagine that such a dagger could cut through a stone as hard as metal.

"This is a magical weapon, no wonder it was kept in a sandalwood box." The young man caresses the dagger, muttering to himself.

"It's just an ordinary magical weapon, not a powerful treasure. If you bring me back to the Eastern Continent of Shengzhou, I can get you any treasure used by immortals."

A sinister laugh echoes, and a shadowy figure appears beside the green stone, indistinct and wavering.

The young man glances at the shadow but says nothing. He flips his wrist, and the dagger disappears. He then focuses his mind inward, and in the purple mansion below his life gate, a misty purple aura envelops a fist-sized golden pill, which floats up and down, emitting five-colored light. The pill's essence nourishes the dagger.

At the Qi Cultivation stage, the qi within the body transforms into a dragon-tiger golden pill, and the purple mansion is opened. The internal power is like a source, making the cultivation of magical treasures and the nurturing of spiritual objects a hundred times stronger than at the Qi Transformation stage.

Qi cultivators, who eat rain and dew in the morning and bathe in the glow of the sunset in the evening, can absorb the qi of heaven and earth, transforming it into their own essence, purifying their bones and reversing yin and yang. They can cultivate magical powers, refine magical treasures, and fly through the air or hide in the earth.

Entering the Qi Cultivation stage, the most significant change is the increase in lifespan. In ancient times, the Qi cultivator Pengzu lived for 800 years before ascending to immortality. At the Qi Transformation stage, one can live for 200 years, while at the Qi Cultivation stage, one can live for a thousand years.

"Boy, why do you cultivate qi? In ancient times, Qi cultivators cultivated the five qi within their chests, similar to the cultivation method you are using. Cultivating qi is to nourish the spirit and strengthen the body."

The shadow floats beside the young man, sensing the five primordial qi within him, and laughs sinisterly, "When the world decays, you remain uncorrupted; when the world perishes, your spirit remains. However, this path is too difficult, and few achieve immortality. Later generations took a different path, still cultivating qi but no longer focusing on physical cultivation. Your one-sided cultivation of the five qi is a waste of a good cultivation method. Why not hand it over to me, and I will help you become an immortal or a Buddha, whichever you choose!"

"When the world decays, you remain uncorrupted; when the world perishes, your spirit remains."

The young man's heart stirs, and he smiles slightly, "Black Mountain Old Demon, if it were that easy to become an immortal or a Buddha, why would you end up like this? If I ignite my heart fire, you will be completely destroyed and disappear from the world."

"Boy Ning, don't be too arrogant. If it weren't for the fact that my original body, which I painstakingly refined, was absorbed by you, I would already be a Great Ethereal Immortal." The shadow shakes violently, seemingly extremely angry, and roars in a hysterical, sinister voice.

Ning Wuxie looks at the Black Mountain Old Demon and delivers a ruthless blow, "Unfortunately, you are not. You are merely a remnant of the Black Mountain Old Demon's spirit left in the osmanthus tree!"

"You..."

The Black Mountain Old Demon is speechless, and the shadow dissipates in dejection. Ning Wuxie's words have struck a nerve. As Ning Wuxie said, he is only a remnant of a spirit, and without Ning Wuxie's protection, he would not survive a day outside this place.

The surroundings become quiet, and Ning Wuxie looks up at the tranquil Dongting Lake under the moonlight, with its shimmering waves.

Two years ago, the Black Mountain Old Demon self-destructed, and the terrifying explosion severely injured everyone, including himself. He was later rescued by Chen Qinglong. During his cultivation, he discovered a green osmanthus tree in his liver, rich in wood qi.

It turns out that the Black Mountain Old Demon was cunning and deceitful, leaving a remnant of his spirit in the green osmanthus tree. The self-destruction was to allow the spirit to possess Ning Wuxie's body and then reassemble his soul. The Black Mountain Old Demon had planned everything meticulously, but unfortunately, when the spirit tried to possess Ning Wuxie, it was suppressed by the blood-colored demonic script in Ning Wuxie's mind, allowing Ning Wuxie to obtain the osmanthus tree.

The second level of the *Taiyin Scripture* requires the refinement of the five elemental spirits into the body, serving as the physical basis for the five primordial qi. The stronger these elemental spirits, the greater the future strength. In his coma, Ning Wuxie refined the osmanthus tree into wood qi, breaking through to the Qi Cultivation stage.

After the Black Mountain incident, Ning Wuxie clearly felt his lack of strength. After arranging for Ning Wushuang, Chen Qinglong, and others, he has been traveling through the mountains and rivers, cultivating himself and comprehending the Dao for the past two years.

Ning Wuxie is now eighteen years old. He remembers that the old Taoist once said that his birth mother was forced to jump into the river and commit suicide in Dongting Lake eighteen years ago. He doesn't know if it's true, and his own origins are a mystery. He needs to clarify these matters.

"Black Mountain, how about we make a deal? You help me cultivate, and if I enter the Eastern Continent of Shengzhou, I will help you reassemble your soul. What do you think?"

Ning Wuxie calms his mind and communicates with the Black Mountain Old Demon, whose spirit is hidden in the wood qi in his liver.

He has always been self-taught, but the *Taiyin Scripture* is too profound. It's like a powerful book, and once its contents are understood, it reveals endless treasures. However, without the right method, how can one enter the path?

It's like a student in the future reading classical Chinese, knowing the characters but not their meaning. If someone provides guidance, it would be like a sudden enlightenment, leading to rapid progress.

The Black Mountain Old Demon has a mysterious background and was once a powerful cultivator. His guidance is sufficient for someone at the Qi Cultivation stage.

Even if the Black Mountain Old Demon has committed many evil deeds, what does it matter now that his life is in my hands? Not using him would be a waste.