Chapter 81

At the edge of Dongting Lake, there was a fishing village. Beside the village, outside a thatched cottage, under two large willow trees, stood a green stone as tall as two men.

Ning Wuque sat cross-legged, facing the morning light, practicing breathing exercises.

The fishermen passing by glanced at him curiously but paid no attention. Ning Wuque had lived there for half a year, and the villagers were no longer surprised by his presence.

A few children were playing under the green stone. The early morning was the best time of the day, and this season was the harvest time for Dongting Lake. Some fishermen fished day and night, while the women in the village began to dry and repair their fishing nets.

"What is the teacher doing? Look, there's purple mist, it's so beautiful, and there are rainbows around him." A child looked curiously at Ning Wuque on the green stone.

The village had only one old scholar, who had just returned home. After learning that Ning Wuque was a scholar, the villagers asked him to be their teacher.

"All professions are inferior, only scholarship is supreme. The village is full of rough men, but they also hope for a son to bring glory to the family. Studying is also a way."

"I heard that when Taoist priests practice, they do this." The children gathered around the green stone, watching Ning Wuque.

"What is a Taoist priest?"

"My mother says Taoist priests are just cheats..."

"Nonsense, my father says Taoist priests can fly, run underground, and hold their breath in water for a long time!"

"You're the one talking nonsense, I can hold my breath in water for a long time too!"

"You can't hold your breath as long as I can, do you want to have a contest?"

The children in the fishing village grew up by the water, each one a water monkey, spending their days in the water, with excellent swimming skills. They could dive and hold their breath for a long time.

"Let's have a contest, the loser is a puppy and has to bark like a dog..."

"Kids, don't run too far, be careful of the water ghosts!"

Seven or eight children ran towards the water, and the women mending nets in the distance called out a few times, laughing and chatting, not really minding. If a fisherman's child couldn't swim, it would be a laughingstock.

The village was peaceful and serene, with smoke curling from the chimneys and a light mist lingering.

Ning Wuque faced the morning light, practicing breathing exercises. At the Qi Cultivation stage, one could absorb the essence of heaven and earth to refine the body. The purple mist in the morning light was the most refined, which could be absorbed into the Purple Mansion to nurture the Golden Core. The purple mist in the Purple Mansion and the purple mist in the morning light had a similar effect.

"The path of the Golden Core, cultivating both body and spirit, so when gathered, it forms a shape, and when scattered, it becomes qi. When the true spirit appears, it is called the Yang Spirit. If one seeks quick results, they will no longer cultivate the body, but only the mind. When people see no more form or shadow, it is called the Yin Spirit."

In his mind, the Black Mountain Old Demon manifested a shadow and explained the cultivation method to Ning Wuque.

"Many cultivators today practice breathing exercises to enhance their magical power, cultivate Daoist techniques, and understand the Dao of heaven, focusing on the soul. Many cultivators at the Spirit Refinement stage abandon their physical bodies, regenerating their flesh and blood with immortal qi, thus the terms 'flying immortal' and 'feathered transformation' came about."

"This is the current cultivation method. However, the cultivation method you inherited should be from an ancient great demon, cultivating both body and spirit, refining the body, strengthening the soul, and transforming the five qi into spirit. For demon cultivators, talent is one aspect, and lineage is another. You have only been cultivating for two years, and you are already at the Qi Cultivation stage, which shows your strong talent. Moreover, you have inherited a cultivation method, indicating that your lineage is not low."

The Black Mountain Old Demon's explanations were not overly profound, mostly basic cultivation knowledge. However, these basics were what Ning Wuque lacked the most. As the saying goes, a teacher leads you to the door, but cultivation is up to the individual. Often, people focus on the latter part but overlook the former. Without a teacher to lead you, how can you cultivate?

Standing at the foot of a mountain and standing on top of it, which one can see farther?

This is something even a fool knows. The guide in cultivation is like this mountain; standing high, you can see far. Standing on the shoulders of a giant, you can reach the stars and the sun and moon.

"Is the lineage of demon cultivators very important?"

Ning Wuque looked at the Black Mountain Old Demon with doubt. All plants, animals, and natural elements could become demons, and this was the first time he had heard about lineage.

"Actually, the lineage of demons is like the bone structure of humans. Do you think all things can become demons?" The Black Mountain Old Demon saw through Ning Wuque's thoughts and shook his head slightly. "Theoretically, all things can become demons. In ancient times, there were countless demons, and great demons were as numerous as stars in the sky. That was the era when all things could become demons. This is because, at that time, the world was newly born, and all things evolved, retaining their spiritual nature and original lineage."

"In ancient times, dragons, phoenixes, and qilins, though considered demons, separated themselves from the demon race and called themselves divine beasts because their lineages were far stronger than those of ordinary demons. Generation after generation, they produced countless strong individuals. Ordinary demons, with their lineage becoming weaker over time, gradually degenerated into beasts. Do you think lineage is not important?"

Ning Wuque understood. The lineage of demons was like excellent genes; the better the genes, the greater the potential. This was not hard to understand.

"There is another reason. Every demon's strength is limited by their lineage. Some demons consume large amounts of flesh and blood to refine their lineage, breaking this limitation. In addition, demon lineages have many mysterious aspects, containing innate abilities. Different demons inherit different abilities. You can ponder this yourself. Your lineage is very powerful, with a sense of reversion to the ancestral form."

The Black Mountain Old Demon looked at Ning Wuque, frowning. He had chosen to possess Ning Wuque because of his lineage, but he had underestimated the strength of Ning Wuque's lineage, perhaps because Ning Wuque also had human blood.

Reversion to the ancestral form? This term was not unfamiliar to him. His lineage was very powerful?

Ning Wuque raised an eyebrow. His biological father was a wolf demon, and according to the old Taoist, he was at the realm of a terrestrial immortal. He wondered if the Black Mountain Old Demon knew this.

"Monsters, monsters, it's not good, Huwa and the others have been captured by monsters!"

A young man ran into the village in a panic, drenched in sweat, shouting to the villagers who were mending nets.

"Huwa..." A woman's face turned pale, and she ran towards the lake.

Several women dropped their nets and hurried after her.

"What happened..." The young men who stayed in the village asked urgently.

"Monsters, I just came back from town and saw a carp as big as a boat dragging the children into the water!" The young man panted, explaining quickly.

"What?"

Several old fishermen ran out of their homes, grabbing sticks and hoes, and the villagers rushed to the lake.

Cries of distress came from the lake. Ning Wuque opened his eyes and looked towards the lake, where a faint demonic aura could be sensed.

"Dongting Lake, there are actually monsters eating people?"

Frowning, he got up from the green stone and headed towards the lake.

The Black Mountain Old Demon smiled lightly. "Dongting Lake was once the Yunmeng Marsh. It's not strange to have monsters here. Even the presence of dragons would be normal."

Eating people, to the Black Mountain Old Demon, was a common occurrence, nothing to be surprised about.