This is what an immortal should be like

Chapter 193 The Future of Beautiful Mountains and Rivers

It is obvious that the Taoist priests of Taiji Temple have passed down true teachings. At least in this day and age, their lineage is absolutely precious, just like the old Taoist priest of Wangxian Temple back then.

However, the old Taoist priest of Taiji Temple was clearly not very clear about the laws governing the universe and the current state of the universe.

As Zhuang Lin explained things clearly, the old Taoist priest's expression of surprise never faded.

The old Taoist master knows that we are now in the Dharma-ending Age, and he has also mentioned the saying of severing the connection between heaven and earth. However, he truly does not know about the complete severing of spiritual energy or even the imminent end of the world's lifespan.

The old Taoist priest even thought that it was because the world's fortunes were too turbulent, making cultivation so difficult that it was hard to touch the spiritual essence of heaven and earth. Furthermore, evil spirits were constantly stirring up people's hearts, making it difficult for people's spirituality to sink into cultivation.

If one cultivates sufficiently, one will naturally possess abundant spirit and energy, and upon ascending to immortality a hundred years later, one will be able to influence the void.
But now Zhuang Lin tells him that the spiritual energy of the Heavenly Connection in the Absolute Land is exhausted, and the end of the world is not far off. This is the fundamental reason why the Taoists of Taiji Temple have not been able to achieve real results for many years.

This was undoubtedly a huge blow to the old Taoist priest.

In other words, everything we did was in vain.

The old Taoist priest muttered these words, looking somewhat absent-minded, but then he suddenly seemed to remember something.

"If everything has come to nothing, could it be that the two immortals broke through the barrier between heaven and earth and descended from the upper realm?"

Perhaps everything will truly come to nothing, but there is one thing the old Taoist priest is certain of: the two people in front of him are definitely not ordinary people. The very existence of that chaotic aura of the human world is a feeling that is almost tangible.

Liu Hongyu smiled.

"So it's not all for naught. We didn't come down from the upper realm either, and breaking through the barrier between heaven and earth is exactly what we're here to do!"

"The Great Dao is fifty, and the Heavens evolve into forty-nine. All things have a glimmer of hope. Although the spiritual energy is depleted, Master has preserved the last spiritual vein for this world!"

Liu Hongyu didn't tell the whole story. They weren't from the upper realm, but their master could have ascended before the complete severing of the connection between heaven and earth; he simply chose to stay.

The impact of the information was indeed great, but the old Taoist priest had cultivated for so long that he was no ordinary person, and his mind quickly calmed down.

"This is also the last chance for us cultivators. Please, Immortal Master, teach me!"

As he spoke, the old Taoist priest once again bowed solemnly to Zhuang Lin and Liu Hongyu. He was not as excited as before, but the solemnity in his calmness was even stronger.

Regardless, the old Taoist priest was very clear about one thing: today was the greatest opportunity for himself and Tai Chi Temple.

Therefore, the old Taoist priest always performed a grand salute, and even addressed himself as a disciple, regarding Zhuang Lin and Liu Hongyu as the founder of the Taoist sect or even an enlightened immortal.

"The more people who cultivate righteously, the better. This way, we will have more strength. Taiji Temple is not only the place where the lineage of the Daoist Master is passed down, but it should also be the place where the immortal path is promoted! Since you are showing respect as a disciple, I will guide you to awaken the true path!"

Zhuang Lin didn't say much. He gathered a huge amount of spiritual energy in his hand and directly touched the old Taoist's brow.

This time, it was like the difference between a trickle and a mighty river. The old Taoist priest felt a seemingly surging river rush into his body, gently washing over every corner of his body, and even penetrating his meridians and acupoints.

Despite the depletion of spiritual energy, he continued his cultivation relentlessly. Though he could not achieve immortality, he could still cultivate and observe his inner self in his daily life. At this moment, the old Taoist priest seemed to have a vision that followed the great river of spiritual energy, witnessing the opening and illumination of the various meridians and acupoints within his body.
Like bright lamps rising from the darkness and chaos, their bodies were like a vast ocean, absorbing seemingly endless spiritual energy!
Liu Hongyu sat to the side, looking surprised. The old Taoist priest was almost radiating a visible halo of light, but then he quickly understood what was going on.

Practitioners like the Taoist priests of Taiji Temple remain steadfast on their path of cultivation even in an era of depleted spiritual energy, focusing more on cultivating their minds.

Even if one cannot touch spiritual energy or sense the reality of the immortal path, one can still remain unmoved by external things and persist in one's cultivation day after day for decades. Such a person is undoubtedly a true cultivator, even in the Dharma-ending Age when spiritual energy is depleted!

Therefore, mental state is not a problem for the old Taoist priest. His spiritual cultivation even surpasses that of many immortal cultivators who live in environments rich in spiritual energy. As long as the constraints of the physical body do not become shackles, his cultivation will surely progress by leaps and bounds!
Liu Hongyu understood that this was why his master had always shown great respect to the old Taoist priest. He should also show more respect to these old cultivators. He was just fortunate to have the opportunity to come into contact with the immortal path earlier, which was also due to the help of heaven and earth. If he were not a chosen one, he might not be stronger than them!

Outside the Taiji Temple, Leng Zhiheng and five others were all lying down, watching inside.

Leng Zhiheng was alright, as he had actually witnessed immortal techniques and had even flown a few times. The other five, however, stared wide-eyed, some even questioning their own existence.

The old Taoist priest inside was actually glowing?
Some of the five covered their mouths, some rubbed their eyes, and some looked at each other, realizing from the shocked expressions of the others that they were not hallucinating. However, despite their shock, the five did not forget to remain silent.

Meanwhile, the five people behind them stared intently inside, watching as waves of light rippled outwards from the old Taoist priest Xu's brow.
Without a doubt, the people who truly caused this change were those two people dressed in ancient costumes!
The things mentioned inside involve a lot of spiritual terminology, which may sound confusing, but the manifestation of supernatural power is the most direct!
It can be said that the moment of facing the supernatural force made the five people, who were originally unaware but had various speculations, extremely excited, because from any perspective, they were all on the same side, right?
So while some things may not be clear at the moment, at least we can understand some of them.

Why search everywhere for Taoist temples and historical sites? Why investigate those temples and Taoist priests? Why undergo such long and meticulous observation? Why were we, who are not lacking in ability, assigned to do this kind of work?

And why is the salary for this kind of work so high, and the bonuses even higher?
Now I understand a little better!
Leng Zhiheng also gripped the door frame and stared intently. It was impossible not to feel envious. However, he thought that if he followed the boss and Master Zhuang, he would one day be able to truly embark on the path of immortal cultivation.

The slightly noticeable and trembling breathing next to him also caught Leng Zhiheng's attention. He had been practicing martial arts without stopping and his five senses were quite sharp.

“You guys, don’t leak what happened today to outsiders. But you can keep each other informed!” Leng Zhiheng understood that since the boss and Master Zhuang hadn’t completely kept them in the dark, it meant that at least those deeply involved in this work didn’t need to keep them in the dark forever.

"Sigh!" "We understand!"

"Mr. Leng, those two who came with you, uh, in Taoist terms, are they immortals?"

"Or perhaps a superhuman?"

Immortals and superpowered individuals. Leng Zhiheng was slightly taken aback, then looked the five people up and down before revealing a smile.

"So you didn't recognize who one of them was?"

"Huh?" "What do you mean?"

The five people looked at each other, wondering if there was someone they knew.
Leng Zhiheng also found it interesting, but upon closer reflection, he could understand it. After all, the boss was dressed in ancient costume with his long hair tied up in a bun, and his every move exuded ancient charm. If he hadn't been so close to him and had seen him before, he might not have recognized him at first glance.

"Don't you think that person in the light blue ancient costume looks familiar? That's the boss!"

boss?

The five looked at each other in confusion, then quickly realized what was happening and their expressions turned even more horrified.

boss!?
Who else could be called "boss" by President Leng? It's none other than Liu Hongyu, the president of the Liu Group!

At that moment, the five of them almost simultaneously thought of the rumors that the boss had been diagnosed with mental illness, a severe case of delusional disorder obsessed with Taoist cultivation and wanting to ascend to immortality.

Everything seemed to connect at this moment. The rumors were not unfounded, but what was false was not the boss's medical history, but that it was not an illness at all!

Just as I was in a state of extreme shock, the light in the hall suddenly began to brighten.

The old Taoist priest seemed to be coated with a layer of light, and his whole body was constantly radiating layers of light. At the same time, layers of black or brown powder were constantly spreading out from his body along with the light.

At a certain moment, the halo stopped radiating outwards and then gradually contracted inwards until all light and color disappeared and everything returned to normal.

Zhuang Lin smiled, and Liu Hongyu was also excited. For Master Xu, spiritual awakening was that simple.

The three stages of "clearing qi," "opening the orifices," and "infusing the meridians" can be completed almost in one go; all that is lacking is the method of practice!
The old Taoist priest slowly opened his eyes. He had just felt that a long time had passed, perhaps days or months, but now that he had woken up, he felt light in body and mind, and had an unprecedented sense of comfort.

Looking inside the hall, it seemed that many black substances were floating around it.

"This is the impurity that has been removed from your body after the cleansing and marrow-refining process. However, before I teach you the practice method, I hope you will consult the classics of Tai Chi Temple, both for reference and to make it easier to combine them with your past practice to create a practice method that is more suitable for you!"

"Disciple accepts the order!"

The old Taoist priest, still feeling the warmth around him, immediately bowed deeply again, unable to contain his joy. When he stood up, tears were streaming down his face.

Practitioners merely balance their emotions and diminish their desires, not that they are devoid of emotions. At this moment, however, Master Xu Ming could no longer suppress them.
"No rush. This Taiji Temple is still missing some things. Although you have awakened your spiritual energy, the spiritual energy in the world is depleted. If you want to continue cultivating in the Taiji Temple without any problems, you will need some methods! Come with me!"

Zhuang Lin got up and walked out of the hall. Liu Hongyu smiled, cupped his hands to the old Taoist priest, and then got up and followed him. The latter returned the greeting in a fluster and hurriedly stood up and followed him out.

Leng Zhiheng and the other five people outside quickly and cautiously stepped back a few paces. When they looked anxiously at the people who came out, they found that they did not seem to be receiving any special attention, and they breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhuang Lin walked outside the temple, looked at the brown earth nearby, then walked to the back of the main hall, looked around again, and nodded slightly before glancing at the people who had followed him.

"The aid of pills is certainly necessary, but relying solely on pills is a last resort. Taiji Temple has decent conditions; although the mountains are not majestic, the underground mountain ranges are interconnected, so there are naturally better and more comprehensive methods!"

As he spoke, Zhuang Lin took out a peach pit from his sleeve, tossed it forward and it landed on the ground in front of him. Then he took out a narrow-necked clean bottle from his sleeve.

As Zhuang Lin tilted the bottle, a stream of spring water flowed out, falling onto the ground and watering the seeds.

At the same time, a faint fragrance wafted from the splashing water, and just smelling it made Leng Zhiheng and the others around feel refreshed!
"seed."

Someone couldn't help but gasp, and then they saw the seeds on the ground, after being watered, quickly take root and sprout, and begin to grow rapidly at a speed visible to the naked eye.
"Although the spiritual energy has been depleted, by urging this tree to connect with the earth's veins and setting up an array to lock in the spiritual energy, we can contain the spiritual energy near Taiji Temple and prevent it from dissipating. If we break through that barrier in the future and the energy of heaven and earth is revitalized, this place will also be a place where the spiritual veins can grow again!"

Yes, the day the barrier between heaven and earth is completely broken, the sealed world will be revitalized.

At that time, it will not only be the infusion of spiritual energy, but also the moment when the energy of heaven and earth itself will flourish. The spiritual veins between heaven and earth will also grow anew, and because of what Zhuang Lin is doing now, this place will definitely be one of them, a future land of spiritual mountains and beautiful waters!
(End of this chapter)