This is what an immortal should be like

Chapter 201 People are more willing to believe what they already believe.

Soon, the sky brightened, and the sun shone brightly on the earth, illuminating the Taiji Temple in Liuyun Mountain.

It was the dead of winter, yet the peach tree in Taiji Temple was already in full bloom. If it weren't for the presence of both green leaves and red flowers, it would have looked more like a plum blossom than a peach blossom.

The area covered by the array in the Taiji Temple is not very large, so even though the wood spirit root has not been planted for long, the concentration of spiritual energy is already very comfortable.

"Hmm."

Leng Zhiheng yawned and stretched as he emerged from a tiled house in Taiji Temple. Despite his seemingly lazy demeanor, he got up very early every day.

However, in Leng Zhiheng's eyes at this moment, it was as if he had stepped out of a tiled house and arrived in a towering mountain that reached into the clouds. Looking into the distance, all he could see were endless mountains and rivers.

After taking a deep breath, Leng Zhiheng felt refreshed, and the air around him was filled with moisture.
"Wow—"

A sharp, long cry rang out in the air. Although he knew it wasn't real, Leng Zhiheng still subconsciously looked up. In the rosy glow of the sun before it had fully risen, a red divine bird soared through the sky, its body surrounded by endless flames.
"Hiss... It's not real, it's not real."

Leng Zhiheng muttered a few words, then, without washing up, began practicing his boxing in the open space of the temple.

Not long after, four Taoist priests from Taiji Temple came out of another room, while the five members of the research team had already left a few days earlier to carry out their next task.

The Taoist priests were similar to Leng Zhiheng; after coming out, they would often stand in front of the house for a long time, as if the world before their eyes was not human at all, but they would quickly regain their composure.

"Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!"
The force of Leng Zhiheng's punch caused the air to explode, which made the Taoists secretly gasp in surprise, but they were relieved when they thought about the background of the other party.

The first thing the Taoist priests did was to face the direction where Liu Hongyu and Zhuang Lin were. Although they dared not disturb them, they had to pay their respects before washing up and doing their morning prayers.

Liu Hongyu remained seated, glancing at Leng Zhiheng and the other Taoist priests. Soon, the four priests' quiet morning prayers drifted over.

As Leng Zhiheng was practicing his boxing until he was covered in sweat and was about to stop to take a cold shower in the mountains, the strange phenomenon in the Tai Chi Temple suddenly began to shrink rapidly.

Mountains, rivers, lakes, dense forests, and wilderness—everything rapidly approached from afar, and finally, the five strange beasts gradually vanished without a trace amidst roars and cries.

Leng Zhiheng immediately looked towards Liu Hongyu and Zhuang Lin. The four Taoist priests in Taiji Temple also stopped their morning prayers and came out one by one. Except for the old Taoist priest Xu Ming, the other three showed obvious signs of tension.

Zhuang Lin slowly opened his eyes; the insights he had gained over the past ten days were already etched into his mind.

"The internal cultivation of the five elements should be based on this principle! The so-called 'five elements returning to their origin' is something people have both oversimplified and overcomplicated."

Zhuang Lin chuckled self-deprecatingly. He hadn't expected that, even before he had achieved the Nascent Soul stage, he would have accidentally obtained the Five Elements Method. Combined with his understanding of the Five Elements Qi when he severely damaged the Immortal Scripture, he could be said to have completed the Five Elements Refining Method after reaching the Nascent Soul stage.

Fortunately, cultivation is not about leveling up and fighting monsters, and the Five Elements Refining Method does not require the attainment of the primordial spirit. It is a method of cultivation that emphasizes gradual progress. In fact, one can say that one can slowly refine the Five Elements after awakening the spirit.

"Master, have you gained anything?"

Liu Hongyu looked delighted and bowed to Zhuang Lin as he stood up to speak.

"That's it!"

The four Taoist priests on the periphery exchanged glances, and the other three, led by the old Taoist priest Xu Ming, immediately stepped forward and bowed to Zhuang Lin.

"Greetings, Master!"

Zhuang Lin did not stop them, and only spoke after accepting their bow.

"Perfect timing, we now have a cultivation method suitable for you!"

“Master, this matter is not urgent. I have a letter here from Master Ban in the capital. Some things happened while you were meditating.”

As Liu Hongyu spoke, he approached Zhuang Lin and took out the letter that Master Ban had sent via paper bird from his sleeve. Only then did Zhuang Lin remember what had happened before. Although he had been pondering the matter, he had overheard Liu Hongyu's phone call before he had gone deeper into it.

After taking the note and reading it carefully, and with Liu Hongyu whispering the situation beside him, Zhuang Lin's face gradually showed astonishment.

"The Mysterious Celestial Instrument? It can actually move?"

The Dharma-ending Age has been going on for more than a year or two. Over the long course of time, all spiritual energy has almost dissipated. The fact that the Xuan Tian Yi can still operate autonomously is already somewhat unbelievable.

It should be noted that the "immortal" in Wangxian Temple was in that state, and Wuming was almost in a deep sleep.

Given the sheer size of the Xuan Tian Yi, the amount of energy required to operate it is considerable!

“Master, I’m not worried about Taiji Temple. Even if it’s found, it’s just an ordinary Taoist temple. But shouldn’t we try to study the Xuan Tian Yi?”

Zhuang Lin waved his hand.

"We certainly need to understand the Xuan Tian Yi, as this object is probably no ordinary thing. However, upon closer examination, the most significant aspect of this matter may not be the Xuan Tian Yi itself."

Zhuang Lin's eyes flickered, and his thoughts shifted rapidly.

He then turned to look at Liu Hongyu beside him, and glanced at Leng Zhiheng and the four Taoists a few steps away. Leng Zhiheng looked away nonchalantly, while the four Taoists stood quietly with their heads down, but they were obviously listening intently.

Zhuang Lin smiled, having made up his mind, and made no attempt to hide anything.

"This could very well be an opportunity!"

"What opportunity is Master referring to?"

Liu Hongyu asked a question, and Zhuang Lin quickly followed up with the answer.

"Hongyu, what do you think about us breaking through the Heavenly Passage of the Absolute Land?"

Liu Hongyu answered immediately.

"When one perseveres in cultivation, overcomes difficulties, reopens the path to heaven, and ascends to break through the impasse, only in this way can heaven and earth return to the Dao, all spirits be revived, and the danger of the annihilation of heaven and earth and all things be averted!" This was not just an answer to one question, but an answer to all the questions his master might ask later.

Zhuang Lin nodded.

"We have discussed this before: the only way to break through the impasse is in this Dharma-ending Age. Otherwise, it will trigger immeasurable forces and unpredictable variables!"

Zhuang Lin paused, looked at the peach tree with its beautiful blossoms behind the main hall of Taiji Temple, and then continued.

"Therefore, we should also prepare the people of the present world. We will have to come into contact with them sooner or later, so why not do it this time?"

"Ah? But Master, isn't it a bit too early? Besides, people in the mortal world are entangled in desires. Wouldn't it be too hasty for us to make contact so abruptly?"

These words shocked Liu Hongyu, who had thought that this step would not be taken for many years at the earliest.

"Moreover, people are naturally suspicious. Even if we appear miraculous in front of others, those in positions of power may not believe us, and may even feel wary!"

"That's right, you make a lot of sense."

Zhuang Lin smiled, a smile that held a hint of amusement and a touch of melancholy.

"That's why, whether now or in the future, the kind of contact you're thinking of is inappropriate. It's better to let them discover it for themselves."

As he said this, Zhuang Lin glanced at Liu Hongyu and said meaningfully.

People may not heed the good advice of others; they are always more inclined to believe what they already believe!

As he spoke, Zhuang Lin immediately began to calculate with his fingers, then looked at Liu Hongyu.

"I'll stay here and teach them the cultivation methods. You set off back to the valley immediately, then go to the other side to find Xi Miao. Hmm, she's probably still in seclusion. So go find Hei Ze. I need you to find something!"

"what?"

Liu Hongyu asked a question, and Zhuang Lin gently exhaled a puff of mist from his mouth.

The mist in the air transformed into a cloud, which then quickly changed into the shape of a giant tortoise. The tortoise then decayed, leaving behind a huge tortoise shell, on which text was revealed. The ancient and incomplete text and images on the shell revealed the severing of the connection between heaven and earth, the impending destruction of heaven and earth, and the great changes that would occur in the future.
Liu Hongyu stared wide-eyed.

"Does Master know that such a tortoise shell exists?"

"Sigh, of course it doesn't exist, at least not yet. What you're looking for is just this molted tortoise shell. As for the contents on the shell, we'll carve that out for you later."

"what?"

Liu Hongyu had always prided himself on his good comprehension, but at this moment he was struggling to keep up with his master's train of thought. However, a sudden flash of inspiration seemed to strike him as if he had grasped something.

Zhuang Lin smiled and said.

"Didn't they designate mountains and rivers? The first one designated in Jingzhou should be the Yangtze River, right?"

"In ancient times, the Yellow River had the River Map, and the Luo River had the Luo Book. I believe that today, a great change is about to occur in the world. The Yangtze River Turtle Mirror should emerge in accordance with the mandate of heaven, and the Mysterious Heaven Instrument should act when the opportunity arises, thus determining this destiny!"

Zhuang Lin regained his composure.

"It's not time for us to reveal ourselves yet. Once you find the turtle shell, I will sink it into the Yangtze River. This turtle shell is what the relevant national departments discovered in the Yangtze River based on the information provided by the Xuan Tian Yi (a type of astronomical instrument)."

"Such earth-shattering news cannot be as convincing as if we discovered it ourselves, even if we describe it verbally! With this pre-existing opportunity as a foundation, things will be much easier in the future!"

Liu Hongyu's eyes widened in surprise.

This actually works? But it seems like it really can!

No, if Master says so, then it must be feasible!

Leng Zhiheng, standing to the side, couldn't help but think "Damn it!" several times in his mind. He even put himself in the other person's shoes and felt that he would definitely fall for it!
No, this can't be called being fooled; this is called being informed of the truth in a reasonable way!
Although the four Taoist priests of Taiji Temple were people who cultivated themselves in the mountains, their simplicity did not mean they were stupid. Zhuang Lin's words were so straightforward that even they understood.

At that moment, Zhuang Lin extended his right index finger and placed it to his lips.

"Shh, this is a secret between us, so don't spread it around!"

The four Taoists hurriedly responded, saying, "This disciple dares not." Leng Zhiheng subconsciously covered his mouth, while Liu Hongyu's eyes grew brighter and brighter.

"In that case, this disciple will take his leave now. Please rest assured, Master, this disciple will return as quickly as possible!"

"Okay, just remember, the turtle shell needs to be a bit big, nothing else is required!"

"Disciple understands. As long as it makes people's perceptions exceed common sense from the very first glance, that's enough!"

Liu Hongyu was already excited. As soon as he finished speaking, he flicked out his spirit sword from his sleeve, lightly leaped up, touched the sword with his toes, and levitated into the air. He bowed to the sky and then transformed into a sword rainbow and disappeared into the mountains.
"Um, Master Zhuang, is there anything I can do to help?"

Zhuang Lin looked at Leng Zhiheng, who was speaking, and shook his head.

"Not for now, but I wasn't joking just now. It's best not to say anything more about this matter!"

As he spoke, Zhuang Lin looked at the four Taoist priests.

"Alright, follow me into the hall. I will teach you the true methods of cultivation. Hmm, you should listen too; it will be beneficial for your spiritual awakening!"

"Oh, thank you, Master!"

Leng Zhiheng immediately became excited, and the four Taoists also showed joy. After years of cultivation, they were finally able to hear the true Tao today!
(End of this chapter)