I became an immortal in the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 198 Seeking Immortals to Learn Immortal Techniques and Attain Immortality
The two people who heard this felt their hearts pound.

During their lunch break, Li Bai pulled Yuan Danqiu along and took out Ge Hong's "Biographies of Immortals" and two Taoist scriptures from his trunk.

He picked it up and started reading.

Upon seeing this, Jiang She postponed the carriage's journey.

Today we were supposed to travel forty li west to reach Rencheng Post Station. If we don't get there, it's no big deal; we'll just stay in the wilderness, quietly listening to the sounds of plants growing, which is also quite enjoyable.

Jiang She sat in front of the fire to warm himself and heated up the steamed buns in his bundle.

These steamed buns are actually more like the steamed bread or dumplings of later times. These few are filled with meat. After being baked for a while, the juice will flow out when you break them open.

The cat looked on with longing.

Jiang She smiled slightly, found a small bowl for the cat to eat from, and then ate leisurely by himself.

Suddenly, I had a thought, and after thinking about it, I didn't stop them.

……

……

"Master, will this really work?"

Bozhou. A master and his apprentice walked along a mountain path. It had rained not long ago, and the path was quite muddy. The two had to roll up their trousers, carry their shoes in their hands, and walk on the muddy path.

"What's wrong?"

The master casually remarked that, without looking at his rolled-up trousers and robes, he was indeed handsome and refined, with clear features, and looked like a great man.

He said casually:

“I have already read your master’s book. The ancient book says that there are indeed immortals who can leave their souls and travel through the world. The soul is the spirit of Yang, and the spirit of Po is the spirit of Yin. It can also be called the soul leaving the body.”

The disciple was greatly alarmed.

They questioned, "If the soul is gone, isn't that the same as being dead?"

"Nonsense!"

The master scolded, "According to the ancient books, the soul departs, but the body remains here. You must remember to take good care of it for me."

The disciple nodded reluctantly.

They carried bundles on their backs, containing clothes, dry food, some utensils, and several ancient books that their master treasured dearly.

They are said to be wonderful methods for becoming immortals.

I don't know where the book came from.

My master claims to have lived for thousands of years, and these books were accumulated during that time. But back then, they were written on animal hides, silk, or bamboo slips. There was no paper.

The disciple thought this to himself.

He didn't know how many years his master had cultivated Taoism or how long he had lived, but it felt like not long.

Even gods wouldn't act like that.
He had only been studying Taoism for three years. He regretted it in the first year. There was no better way to cultivate in seclusion than to come down from the mountain. His mother was also seriously ill, and he should have been taking care of her. But his master kept pulling him back, saying that cultivators should stay away from the mortal world, and forcibly dragged him back to the mountain...

I stayed there for three years.

Unexpectedly, his master was quite skilled, and he learned a lot from a book called "Yunmeng Yanqi".

It can gracefully fly several feet away.

This attracted many local officials, literati, and wealthy families from the state to seek his guidance and become his disciples. However, the master only accepted him, perhaps because a forced marriage is more likely to be successful.

There was even a technique for the Yin spirit to leave the body, which greatly interested the master.

After several years of careful study, I have finally achieved some success and am ready to give it a try.

What a terrible thing...

The disciple thought about it and sighed again.

He carried his bundle, reminiscing about the lively atmosphere of Haozhou. It was mid-spring, the weather was warming up, and the young women in the city were starting to go on outings. The young men were also frequently hosting banquets. If he were down the mountain, he would definitely be invited.

Why do you insist on cultivating Taoism?

The disciple thought about it and sighed again.

His master was completely unaware and walked at the front with great joy. The two climbed for another two hours and finally arrived at the auspicious place his master had mentioned.

Inside a cave in the mountains.

Unremarkable.

The disciple was exhausted and covered in sweat. He put down the bundle he was carrying on his shoulder and, without caring about the dirt, sat down on the ground to catch his breath. His feet and legs were covered in mud. He was about to go find the mountain stream he had seen earlier to wash away the mud.

Then his master called him back.

"Don't go. I'm going to meditate in a bit. You'll have to wait here for seven days and you mustn't leave for even a moment."

The disciple looked down at the mud on his feet. "I haven't washed my feet yet!"

His master looked displeased: "You're always thinking about washing your feet. Once you've achieved cultivation and your Dao body is perfected, you'll naturally avoid all worldly defilement. Why would you need to wash your feet then?"

The disciple lowered his head and listened to the instruction.

Thinking to himself, he would have died long before he could complete his cultivation, so how could he ever attain enlightenment?
Only his master was truly obsessed.

If it were him... disciple Bu Yang thought, if he learned some powerful techniques and could fly in the sky like his master, even if he fell from a height of ten zhang and didn't die, he would already be a god.

At that time, wouldn't the county magistrate have to provide him with good food and drink every day?
Who knows, you might even take on an official as your apprentice, and then you'll have a lifetime of wealth and honor.

The master asked from the side.

"Did you bring any food?"

The disciple snapped out of his daze, tore open the bundle, revealing flatbread, cured meat, and a kettle inside.

"Bring them all."

His master nodded, knowing that his disciple wouldn't starve. Ignoring the mud on his feet, he sat cross-legged and took out his treasured "Yunmeng Yanqi" from his robes again, carefully flipping through it once more.

Every time I see it, I think it's amazing.

I don't know where Yunmeng Mountain, mentioned above, is.

After carefully reading it once, he raised his eyelids and said to his disciple:
"Immortal mountains are rare, and immortals are even rarer to encounter. Today I will depart in spirit to travel, leaving my physical body here. You must take good care of it, understand?"

The disciple nodded.

"Master, can it really work?"

He had never seen anyone's soul leave their body, but he had seen dead people who were indeed without a soul.

His master glared at him.

"Don't say such unlucky things!"

"Today I will set off to seek the immortals. I consulted the oracle beforehand, and it is certain that I will find the true immortals on this journey. This is the most auspicious thing."

"If after seven days my soul still has not returned, it means that I have traveled with the immortals and joined the ranks of the immortals. You may then burn my physical body and go back down the mountain yourself."

The disciple nodded in agreement.

His master was quite accurate in divination. When a wealthy family in the city asked about the fate of their children, his master immediately pointed out that the family was not a good match, causing them to lose face in front of their guests.

The master emphasized it again.

"Seven days is the deadline, let's get it right!"

Done.

He then sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and performed the astral projection of his spirit as described in ancient books.

To establish a lineage of Dharma.

The disciple watched for a while, but his master remained motionless, so he didn't dare to make a sound to disturb him. He ate two flatbreads, drank a lot of water, and even picked off the mud that had dried on his legs out of boredom.

The master still did not make a move.

The disciple waited for a while, but Master still didn't open his eyes. Even if he had been cultivating for so long, his legs should have gotten sore by now, right?

He thought about it.

Holding my breath, I stepped forward and gently touched my master, but he didn't react or scold me.

After a while, the disciple probed under his nose.

Take a breath.

Two breaths.

More than ten breaths passed, but I still couldn't feel the even warmth of my breath.

The disciple was shocked, and his face turned deathly pale.

died!

His master cultivated for so many years, constantly talking about finding immortals, learning immortal techniques, attaining immortality, and roaming freely in the world, and finally he cultivated himself to death!
……

……

Last month I saw 12262 monthly votes. At 500 votes per chapter, that should have meant 24 extra chapters in September. September actually saw 21 extra chapters (including two for patrons). I also owe six chapters from August… so now I owe 11 chapters. I'll continue to pay them off in October…

In October, I mustered my courage and will continue with the temporary bonus chapters for monthly ticket holders and patrons.

(This paragraph is free of charge)

(End of this chapter)