I've already become an immortal lord, and only now is the spiritual energy reviving?

Qinglu Mountain, the forbidden area behind the mountain.

Several streaks of light emerged from the void.

The moment his feet touched the ground, Chai Wu, without saying a word, reached out and grabbed the back of the Iron Mane Demon King's neck.

No matter how much the pig demon grunted and squealed, it walked straight towards the nearby grove of trees.

"Once you enter the mountain gate, you must know the rules. As your senior brother, I'll loosen your skin first and see how many punches your pigskin can withstand."

Shu Yan straightened her clothes and turned to face the young monk with his head bowed and eyes lowered.

"Master, Guanhua Gate is not a Buddhist Pure Land. It has no rules or regulations, but it emphasizes the four words 'clear distinction between gratitude and resentment'."

With hands clasped in prayer, Juexin respectfully bows:

"As the benefactor commands, this humble monk, whether currently engaged in hard labor or as a pilgrim, dares not disobey."

Shu Yan held up three fingers:

"I won't make things difficult for you, I'll just set three rules."

"First, for a period of three years, he shall protect the Dharma of our sect."

"Secondly, if foreign enemies invade, you must defend them; if the sect suffers a calamity, you must shoulder the responsibility."

"Third, on the day the term expires, even if that pig demon refuses to leave, you may leave on your own. The cause and effect will be settled, and the past debts will be wiped clean."

three years?

For cultivators with long lifespans, it's just a snap of the fingers.

Earlier, he almost destroyed Zhenyue's physical body and nearly shattered Qingyan's Dao foundation.

Such a serious offense, and only a three-year sentence?

"Amitabha......"

Juexin bowed deeply to the very end:

"Your kindness is great, but I am ashamed."

"Compared to the sins of speech and obsession I have committed, this repayment is far too light."

"cough."

Shu Yan coughed lightly, interrupting his self-indulgent sentimentality:

"Alright, since it's already decided, there's no point in saying more. You're new here and your position is sensitive, so there are some people you should meet so you can look out for them in the future."

......

After passing through a swaying bamboo grove, the view suddenly opened up before me.

The Milky Way hangs upside down, crashing into the icy pool with a thunderous roar.

On a giant rock by the pool, a solitary figure stood with his back turned.

He wore a blue robe, with a broken, unsheathed sword hanging at his waist.

Xu Sixing pinched a few flat pebbles in his hands, his wrists moving swiftly.

"Whoosh."

The pebble skipped across the water's surface a dozen or so times before finally sinking to the bottom with a "plop."

"Hey, you haven't lost your aim yet."

Xu Sixing muttered to himself, and was about to pick up another one when his intuition suddenly warned him.

His hand instantly covered the sword hilt, revealing his murderous intent.

Once Shu Yan's face was clearly seen, his stern expression instantly crumbled, turning into an awkwardness.

A former disciple of the Imperial Sword Sect was hiding here playing childish tricks when he was caught red-handed by the main character.

"Greetings, Senior Sister Qingyan."

Xu Sixing hurriedly wiped the dirt off his fingertips and bowed.

After standing up, his gaze passed over Shu Yan and fell on the shiny bald head behind him.

With a slight tremor in his heartstrings, the thought of "gossip" began to grow uncontrollably.

Another person was brought back?

First, I myself pledged my allegiance; now another monk has joined the ranks?

Could it be... that Senior Sister plans to gather all the down-on-their-luck talents in Immortal Deer Plain?

The thought had barely formed when he ruthlessly extinguished it.

Just kidding. With Senior Sister's extraordinary abilities, if she wanted to recruit talent, the mountain gate would have been overrun long ago. Why would she need to specifically find a monk?

"Who is this?"

Xu Sixing asked the question seriously, secretly releasing his spiritual senses to investigate.

Upon investigation, my heart skipped a beat.

Unfathomable.

A mage?!

Juexin was also sizing up Xu Sixing.

The young monk was deeply remorseful, but the moment he saw Xu Sixing, his slightly dim eyes suddenly lit up.

The sight was astonishing.

Before my eyes was clearly a Thunder God official walking among mortals!

"The trigram Zhen represents thunder; a virtuous person, in accordance with this, cultivates self-reflection and aversion."

"Judging all beings, refining one's sharpness... he's practically a born demon-slaying general!"

Feeling restless and unable to contain his emotions, he had long since forgotten the importance of "being careful with his words".

"Benefactor! This humble monk observes that your forehead is full and your body exudes a vast and powerful aura; you are truly blessed!"

"You have a great karmic connection with Buddha!"

The words fell.

Even the roar of the waterfall seemed to have weakened by a third.

Juexin's face stiffened; he wished he could slap himself.

Oh no.

I've made another foolish mistake!

This is the heart of Guanhua Gate.

They are clearly from the same sect as the female benefactor. How could I possibly poach their partner right in front of her?

"that......"

Juexin was about to defend himself.

Xu Sixing was taken aback at first, then burst into laughter, showing no sign of annoyance:

"Master, your eyesight is excellent, but I am just an ordinary man. I indulge in wine and meat. Even the Buddha's temple is too large to contain my rusty and broken sword."

He had never practiced Buddhism, but he had been influenced by the Ming Dynasty and still retained his perspective.

You can hear the pure appreciation in the monk's words, without any scheming or malice.

"Now that we've gathered here, we'll be brothers who share the same pot and the same ladle from now on."

Xu Sixing gracefully cupped his hands in greeting.

Seeing that they hadn't started a fight, Shu Yan felt a little relieved and spoke apologetically:

"Junior Brother Xu, Master Juexin will be staying at the sect for a while."

"You two have special identities, and it is not advisable to publicize them."

"The Imperial Sword Sect has not given up, and the aftermath of the Langdang Mountain incident has not subsided. We can only ask that you two temporarily reside in the back mountain and serve as a hidden trump card."

"It's alright, it's better to have some peace and quiet, so I don't have to deal with all that insincerity."

Xu Sixing waved his hand, completely unconcerned.

"This humble monk has no objection; to have even a roof over one's head is already an act of kindness from the benefactor."

Juexin hurriedly expressed his opinion.

Xu Sixing glanced at his fairly spacious cave dwelling and pointed to a stone chamber next door:

"If the master doesn't mind, why not settle down there? We'll be neighbors, and I happen to be somewhat interested in the Buddhist Lion's Roar style. We can discuss and exchange ideas in our spare time."

"That is the wrathful form of Vajra... but discussing the Dao is certainly possible."

Juexin honestly corrected him and obediently followed Xu Si.

After settling Juexin in, Xu Sixing returned, his expression becoming more serious.

"Senior sister, there's something I need to tell you."

"Wen Zhibai came the day before yesterday, ostensibly to offer his congratulations, and left behind quite a generous gift."

"In addition, Peak Master Qin Ranqing has emerged from seclusion and successfully completed the Foundation Establishment stage."

As they spoke, Xu Sixing secretly observed Shu Yan's expression.

The sect suddenly gained a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and an old fox is testing them again.

Beneath the blazing fire, where oil is being heated, there are bound to be undercurrents.

Shu Yan remained calm, as if everything was under control.

"I already know."

She waved her sleeves lightly, remaining calm and composed.

"You only have one priority: take care of your overworked body. As for the rest, there are always taller people to hold up the sky."

Xu Sixing felt much more at ease.

Senior sister's words must indicate she is absolutely certain.

He said no more, clasped his hands in farewell and took his leave, pondering how to become neighbors with the monk.

......

The grove of trees on the back hill.

"Ouch, brother! Sir! Don't hit my face! I know I was wrong, I know I was wrong!"

Before Shu Yan even got close, a heart-wrenching scream reached her ears.

The Iron-Maned King had transformed into a half-human, half-pig figure, cowering in a corner, trembling with fear.

Its majestic mane had been plucked in several places, and its pig face was covered in bruises, clearly indicating that it had been severely beaten.

Chai Wu sat on the rock with an air of authority, seemingly savoring the feeling of his previous touch.

Seeing Shu Yan approach, the Iron-Maned Demon King felt as if he had seen a savior.

Her swollen, narrow eyes blinked desperately, squeezing out sobs from her throat:

"I hope... Eldest Sister is well..."

Shu Yan nodded slightly, ignoring the idiot, and walked towards Chai Wu.

"Senior brother, I wish to go into seclusion."

"Um?"

Chai Wu paused, his face filled with astonishment:

"Seclusion?"

"Junior sister, you've only broken through a few days ago? What kind of seclusion are you going into now?"

Shu Yan noticed his confusion and patiently explained:

"You and I have been fortunate enough to cross the threshold of Foundation Establishment, but this is only the first step."

"Practicing Qi cultivates 'quantity,' while building a foundation cultivates 'quality' and 'landscape.'"

"Although the foundation has been laid, it is still necessary to continue to develop and perfect the inner landscape."

"Only when the inner landscape of the Dao Foundation is perfected can one enter the late stage of Foundation Building and gain insight into the Purple Mansion."

"When I first established my 'Mind Monkey Platform,' I gained new insights from the Battle of the Great Void. I must strike while the iron is hot and thoroughly integrate them."

Shu Yan paused at this point.

She glanced indifferently at the pig demon who was eavesdropping with his ears perked up.

A flash of inspiration shot out from my fingertip.

"Bang!"

Iron-Maned Demon King rolled his eyes and fell straight down, without even a chance to play dumb.

It was quiet all around.

Shu Yan lowered her voice:

"Moreover, the sacred furnace has summoned us."

Those four simple words instantly made Chai Wu's expression solemn.

All doubts were dispelled.

He patted his chest and guaranteed:

"Got it!"

"Since it is a decree from the Sacred Furnace, it must be something extraordinary."

"Go ahead, I'll handle the sect's trivial matters."

Shu Yan nodded: "I will not go into seclusion immediately. I need to go to the main hall to pay my respects to my master and discuss the matter of taking over Langdang Mountain in the Northern Territory."

"in addition......"

"I heard that Peak Master Qin was able to successfully establish his foundation this time entirely thanks to someone's 'great help'."

"Since they have reached the Foundation Establishment stage, it is only right and proper that Guanhua Sect should grant them a formal status, so that Sister He Qin can acknowledge this marriage."

"By the way, could you please suggest a Taoist name for me? Since we're all family, calling me Peak Master always seems too formal."

I thought that if this matter were mentioned, Chai Wu would blush and fuss and want to disappear into the ground.

To everyone's surprise, this time the man only paused for a moment.

He nodded calmly, his face still showing a hint of unease, but more so a sense of responsibility.

"know."

"Once I've done it, I'm not afraid to admit it. I'll confront Ah-Qin later. I'll get through this sooner or later."

"As for my Taoist name... allow me to think about it some more."

Seeing her senior brother's expression of being on high alert yet having no other choice, Shu Yan couldn't help but chuckle.

My senior brother has changed after all; he's become more reliable.

"Then let's go."

She stopped there.

The figure gradually blurred, like a wisp of smoke dispersed by a gentle breeze.

A murmur lingers, echoing through the valley:

"Senior brother."

"I observe that China should prosper."