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

Hua Yangzi's old face was stiff, as if he had witnessed a thousand-year-old iron tree blooming overnight.

The little girl before me was as pure and aloof as snow, yet her precocious mind was heartbreaking.

Having been a student for three years, I have never uttered a single word of childish willfulness.

"drumstick?"

The old Taoist priest's heart was filled with sorrow, and he could not suppress his emotions. Two streams of tears rolled down his cheeks silently.

"Good! Good! Good!"

He shouted "Bravo!" repeatedly, his voice rising higher and higher until it finally burst into a hearty laugh, shaking the dust off the roof beams.

"That's right! Even if one embarks on the path of immortality, seeking only longevity and immortality, if one were to completely eradicate even these basic desires for food and drink, what kind of immortality would that be? One would only become a stubborn rock!"

Hua Yangzi flicked his long sleeves, displaying a heroic spirit that soared to the clouds:

"Forget chicken legs, even dragon liver and phoenix marrow—if you can find them in the Qinglu Mountains, I'll risk my life to get them for you!"

After saying that, he patted his own empty belly with a rather smug look on his face.

"All kitchen staff shall rest today; I will personally take charge!"

A few years ago, Chai Wu caught a golden pheasant from the back mountain. It's been kept in the animal pen for quite some time now. I observe that it's reached the peak of its embryonic development, so it's perfect for slaughtering and giving it to you to replenish your energy!

If the disciple in charge of raising the animals heard this, he would probably faint on the spot.

That's the sect's only "guardian spirit beast," and it's incredibly precious.

In Hua Yangzi's eyes now, even a divine phoenix would become a meal on his plate.

Shu Yan tilted her little face up, gazed at the old Taoist priest gesturing wildly, and obediently nodded:

"it is good."

Two figures, one tall and one short, walked together toward the kitchen.

The setting sun cast long shadows of the two people.

Shu Yan followed half a step behind the old Taoist priest, her eyes lowered.

Just broke through.

The myriad voices that had lingered in my ears for years, like a bustling marketplace, have fallen silent.

but.

A thought just started to cross my mind.

Grandpa was overjoyed; his heart was glowing like the warm orange of the sun.

Dry and dull sentences have been transformed into three-dimensional images containing emotions, colors, and even certain imagery.

Not only that.

Halfway there, they encountered an outer disciple who was sweeping. He was filled with resentment because he had been punished to copy scriptures, and his dark malice was sharp and piercing.

Shu Yan frowned slightly, subconsciously trying to calm her malice.

Secondary interest.

The disciple's fierce expression faded somewhat, replaced by confusion and tranquility.

"this......"

Her delicate, fair hand clenched tightly inside her sleeve.

Interfering with people's hearts?

Shu Yan pursed her lips, suppressing the unease that welled up inside her.

Its power is too strange and eerie.

If others knew, even his most beloved sect leader grandfather would likely harbor resentment.

Some things are best kept to yourself.

Take a deep breath and refocus your attention on the upcoming whole chicken feast.

In any case, filling one's stomach is the most important thing.

......

"Ouch, my back!"

Qingyuan slumped in the chair, his spine making a cracking sound as if it could no longer bear the weight.

I tilted my head back and frantically poured eye drops into my eyes; the icy liquid stung so much that I almost screamed.

Tell the truth.

Ever since my junior year of college, when I stayed up for three days and three nights straight to grind the Crusader Kings III "Under the Sky" DLC, I've never felt so exhausted from playing games.

It is a double torment of physical and mental strength.

My gaze returned to the desktop, where the open notebook was already completely covered in scribbles.

The black, red, and blue handwriting is crisscrossed, making it look less like a game guide and more like a battle strategy diagram drawn by a madman.

What's circled in red is the life-sustaining soup that kept the poor guys from Guanhuamen alive for a short time.

The areas marked in blue represent the foundation for long-term growth and expansion.

"It was worth it."

Fingertips glide across the paper:

[Survival Point #1: Qingmujian (Map Available)]

[Note: This is a gathering point for Xiaoqing spiritual energy and Yimu green energy.]

[Second Key Point: Beneath the Abandoned Mine (Requires Deep Excavation)]

[Note: A chalcedony core vein is hidden at the bottom.]

[Strategic Resource #3: Demon-Companion Grass]

[Note: Top-quality talisman ink and alchemy materials.]

"We finally made it through."

He pushed the laptop aside, grabbed a can of soda, and gulped it down.

My gaze swept back to the top right corner of the screen.

Incense offerings: 153

Three-digit numbers, in today's context, feel more familiar than a bank card balance.

Two years! A full two years!

Now, we've finally collected enough tickets.

"Acting on behalf of."

A glint of light flashed in Qingyuan's eyes.

Whether it was the previous "divine grace" or "guidance".

To put it bluntly, it's just fireworks for the people below to see.

The special effects are top-notch, it's a well-known brand, and it certainly has a high-class feel.

The problem is that it's too highbrow and can't explain things clearly.

It's like the chairman sending an email to all employees: "We must reduce costs and increase efficiency, and forge ahead!"

The employees below either got a shot of adrenaline or were completely bewildered, wondering how to actually do it.

I don't know, and I might even lead the company astray due to misunderstandings.

【代行】 are different.

This is like directly connecting the chairman's brain to the WiFi of the core executives.

"What I need is micro-management."

"Little Yan'er, since you have such a natural cheat code as mind reading, adding an internet connection isn't too much to ask, is it?"

[Would you like to consume 100 incense sticks and designate disciple 'Shuyan' as the proxy?]

"yes!"

......

As dusk settled, only a solitary lamp remained in the hall.

Shu Yan knelt on the prayer mat; the lavish dinner she had just eaten had left her flat stomach feeling a little bloated.

Raise your head and look up at the magnificent painting in the center of the hall.

Image of the Patriarch.

I've glanced at it countless times every day, but I wonder if it's because I'm too full that my thoughts wander.

Tonight, she felt there was something strange about the painting.

No matter how closely one gazes at it, the true face in the painting seems shrouded in mist, hazy and indistinct.

The sect leader described him as having a "sacred countenance that cannot be looked at directly, and a secret that cannot be revealed."

Tonight, with the flickering lamplight, I could see some of the edges and corners more clearly.

The Taoist in the painting wears a simple, plain robe, exuding a sense of tranquility and returning to simplicity.

A small bronze stove was casually tied around his waist.

A vast landscape painting, rendered with bold, unrestrained ink, fills the space behind him.

The most wondrous thing was the object held in the Taoist's hand.

It was a warm, smooth jade ruler, unlike a magical artifact, but rather a measuring tool for measuring the heavens and the earth.

As for the dome of the painting, which is above the Taoist's head, thousands of light ink lines crisscross, vaguely constructing a huge chessboard that covers the sky.

The Taoist priest stood beneath the chessboard, holding a ruler, seemingly about to place a piece, or perhaps measuring all living beings.

Why was that chessboard never discovered before?

I was wondering about it.

She noticed that the Taoist priest in the painting, who was originally gazing into the distance from the side, had his head angle... shifted slightly?

"illusion?"

His pupils contracted sharply, and he instinctively wanted to duck to avoid it.

The painting seemed to possess an irresistible magic, gently yet undeniably supporting her chin.

Driven by this, she gradually shifted her gaze back to the present.

Boom!

My gaze finally met the face of the person in the painting.

Time was forcibly held back.

The candlelight froze, and the sound of the wind faded away.

The people in the painting have come to life.

The clouds and fog dissipated.

What was revealed was a face that was too young.

A casual smile played on his lips, like a neighborly older brother idly watching ants move their nest under an old tree at the village entrance.

next interest.

Shu Yan's consciousness detached from her body, soared to the heavens, and disappeared into a warm and vast golden ocean.

Amidst the vast ocean, countless mysterious and obscure currents of information flowed by, finally converging into a gentle voice that resounded throughout:

"You are my eyes, witnessing the suffering of all living beings."

"I will uphold your will and act on behalf of Heaven."

"Now I give you——"

"The Road to Heaven!"

......

In the center of the screen, the four large, golden characters 【Avatar/Proxy】faded away.

This means, starting now.

Qingyuan was finally able to continuously transmit the distorted theories about formation layout, pill refining ratios, and even modern corporate management that he had extracted from the Daoist Canon to Shuyan.

"Now I can finally relax and lie down like a corpse, huh?"

I just relaxed.

The ultimate feeling of relief, like finally relieving a long-standing constipation, suddenly swept over my entire body.

"Crack! Crackle!"

His bones cracked and popped one after another.

A warm current of energy suddenly arose in the dantian, rushing up the spine to the top of the head.

My eyes, which were originally sore and swollen from staying up late and being exposed to blue light, are now crystal clear.

You can see even the leg hairs of a mosquito that just flew by.

My cervical spine and lower back, which were already in poor health, feel so light that I almost want to go out and run a full marathon.

"Holy crap?"

Startled, Qingyuan looked down, his mind still reeling.

"well......"

A soft sigh entered my ears without any obstruction.

Qingyuan was startled.

No, there's only my figurines in the room besides me. Who's sighing?

The source of the sound... next door?

Is this the home of landlady Liang Huilan?

Immediately following, a slightly distorted overseas phone call came through the thick load-bearing wall.

It sounded slightly muffled to my ears, but every word was clearly audible:

"Mom, I'm really not going back. The plane tickets are ridiculously expensive this year... Um, I'm hanging up now, I still have to write my thesis."

"Beep, beep, beep."

The blind tone is cold.

This is not over yet.

"You heartless brat, you haven't been home for three years... Did you find a girlfriend over there and don't want your mother to know?"

It's not that I have to rush him, even just coming back once and making him some braised pork would be fine... The old man passed away early, the big house is so empty, there's not even anyone to bicker with anymore...

The intense longing and loneliness brought tears to Qingyuan's eyes.

and many more.

Am I sympathizing with the landlord?

No.

Did I just overhear Aunt Liang's inner thoughts?!

Like a robot stuck in a rut, he turned his head and looked at the computer screen.

The [Proxy] icon is flashing.

Below, there is a very understated line of small print:

[Easter egg hint: You will share core talent abilities with the proxy and receive mapping feedback.]

Shared talent?

Mental ape?

Mind reading!

Qingyuan silently put down the can of cola in his hand.

His lips curled into an extremely strange arc uncontrollably.

"Am I even fit to be a human being?"