My words have become law; I truly have no desire to display my divine power before others.

Ye Qingfeng smiled: "So, the methods you used just now were to show him the power of the Refining Spirit technique?"

Yun Songzi did not deny it: "I admit that your supernatural abilities far surpass mine. But supernatural abilities are supernatural abilities, and talent is talent."

This young man has practiced Qi for over a decade, yet has only accumulated a year's worth of cultivation; clearly, he is not suited for this path. Rather than wasting his life on the wrong road, he should choose a different path.

Ye Qingfeng remained silent.

He picked up his teacup and slowly took a sip.

Lu Yang stood to the side, listening to Yun Songzi's words, feeling somewhat uncomfortable.

How long has he been practicing Qi?

How come it's been more than ten years?

He opened his mouth, wanting to explain, but Ye Qingfeng spoke first.

"Who said he has a bad talent for Qi cultivation?" Ye Qingfeng put down his teacup and looked at Yun Songzi.

Yun Songzi was stunned for a moment.

He glanced at Lü Yang, then at Ye Qingfeng, his brows furrowing slightly: "Although my cultivation is low, I still have a good eye for people."

This child's foundation is shallow. He's practiced Qi for over a decade, yet has only achieved a year's worth of progress. If this isn't a lack of talent, what is it?

Ye Qingfeng smiled.

The smile was faint, but something flickered in his eyes, as if he found the matter quite amusing.

"You asked him how long he had been practicing."

Yun Songzi looked at Lü Yang. Lü Yang, feeling a little embarrassed by their stares, scratched his head.

"Senior, I... I haven't been practicing for more than ten years."

Yun Songzi frowned even more deeply: "Not over ten years? Then how long have you been training?"

Lu Yang thought for a moment, then counted on his fingers: "I only started learning the methods of Qi cultivation in the last town. If I were to seriously cultivate... at most, it would be thirteen days."

Yun Songzi's eyes widened.

He stared at Lü Yang, his eyes filled with disbelief: "Thirteen days? Thirteen days to achieve such skill? Are you trying to deceive me?"

Lü Yang quickly waved his hand: "No, no, it really is thirteen days. But..."

Before he could finish speaking, Ye Qingfeng interjected, "However, since you're only working sporadically, this thirteen-day commitment will have to be reduced."

Lü Yang blushed.

Ye Qingfeng picked up his teacup and said slowly, "The total time you actually spent cultivating is no more than two nights. The rest of the time, you were sleeping."

Lü Yang opened his mouth, then closed it again.

He had nothing to say.

The immortal master knew his background very well and had not wronged him at all.

He did slack off. The first time, he found it novel and naturally persisted, but after the novelty wore off, he began to find it somewhat boring.

Moreover, with a celestial master around, what is there to fear from demons and monsters?

Yun Songzi sat on the stone stool, holding the cup of tea, and remained silent for a long time.

He looked at Lü Yang with a complicated expression.

Thirteen days?

No, two nights?

Two nights and you've gained a year's worth of cultivation?

His mind was a mess.

Two nights.

Not two months, not two years, just two nights.

He couldn't believe it, yet he had no choice but to believe it.

With Ye Qingfeng's abilities, he wouldn't stoop to deceiving him.

"This..." Yun Songzi opened his mouth, his voice dry, "This is impossible. The path of Qi cultivation emphasizes accumulation. How could one possibly have a year's worth of cultivation in just two nights?"

Ye Qingfeng glanced at him, a hint of a smile in his eyes.

Sometimes the difference between people is greater than the difference between people and animals...

Of course! He's the reincarnation of Lü Dongbin, how could an ordinary person compare to him?

Yun Songzi looked at him and remained silent for a long time.

Then he let out a long sigh.

The sigh was heavy, as if it were the release of decades of pent-up frustration.

Suddenly, a commotion arose outside the courtyard.

It wasn't noisy, but rather a joyful and lively atmosphere.

Someone was shouting; the voice came from the other end of the alley and grew closer.

"Aro is back!"

"A-Luo has found a giant ginseng!"

"Go quickly and tell the clan elders!"

Footsteps were hurried, and several people ran past the courtyard wall, their footsteps thumping on the bluestone slabs.

Lu Yang was stunned for a moment before he realized that he hadn't told A Luo and the others that they were back.

A Luo, Miao Gui, and Fatty went to the mountain to pick ginseng, but he got lost. Now that they've returned, he needs to go and let them know he's safe.

Just as he was about to leave, he heard someone shout, "Five hundred years! It's a five-hundred-year-old ginseng!"

Lu Yang stopped in his tracks.

Five hundred years?

He looked at Yun Songzi, who also stopped and stood by the courtyard gate, tilting his head to listen to the sounds outside.

His face was expressionless, but something was flickering in his eyes.

A 500-year-old ginseng is an extraordinary thing, especially in the Hundred Thousand Mountains.

If he had this, living to seventy would be no problem at all, but...

He glanced at Ye Qingfeng beside him and immediately dismissed the idea.

......

The second-in-command of Black Wind Stronghold stood on a mountain ridge, leaning against a crooked pine tree, holding a dry blade of grass in his hand and chewing it.

He was a big, burly man with a fleshy face, broad shoulders and a thick waist; when he stood there, he looked like half a wall.

But his eyes weren't like those of a rough man; they were long and narrow, and his pupils moved quickly. When he looked at someone, he would squint first and then open them, as if he were weighing something.

Standing beside him were several of his trusted men, all strong and capable, with knives at their waists and crossbows on their backs.

They had just returned from the ginseng-gathering village, and their clothes still had leaves from the old locust tree at the village entrance on them.

"Have you found out everything?" The second-in-command spat out the dry grass in his mouth, his voice neither loud nor soft.

The leader of the henchmen stepped forward and lowered his voice.

"Second Master, we've found out everything. The Ginseng Village is holding a grand ceremony tomorrow, and they're offering a 500-year-old ginseng root."

The second-in-command's eyes lit up.

Five hundred years.

He licked his lips but didn't say anything.

But I was already incredibly excited inside. A 500-year-old ginseng!

I thought this ginseng-collecting village only had ginseng that was at most 300 years old, but I never expected it to be so wealthy.

A 500-year-old ginseng is enough for him to break through to the Martial Saint level; after all, he's only one step away from it.

It seems there might be even more hidden here. After all, with Lin Wusheng around before, no one dared to cause trouble here.

The subordinate continued, "And there's that Martial Saint Lin. He showed up during last year's grand ceremony, but hasn't appeared since."

The villagers didn't know where he was either; some said he had gone into seclusion, others said he had gone on a wandering journey...

The second-in-command didn't speak, his eyes fixed on the ginseng-gathering village below the mountain.

From this angle, the village looks very small, like a pile of timber stacked in the valley.

Smoke rose from the rooftops and drifted away in wisps.

He could see the ginseng temple in the center of the village, the big locust tree in front of the temple, and several winding alleys.

But he couldn't see Lin Wusheng.

"Hasn't shown up for a year..." the second-in-command murmured, as if talking to himself.

The subordinate quickly replied, "Second Master, if Lin Wusheng were still alive, he would definitely come out for this year's Grand Ceremony."

That was a major festival, the most important day in the village. If he were still able to walk and move, he would definitely have shown up. But there's been no news since, I think it's probably because…”

"Shut up," the second-in-command interrupted him.

His men immediately fell silent.

The second-in-command chewed on another piece of dry grass, slowly chewing it.

His mind was racing.