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

His words were partly a reminder, and partly an attempt to find a "Daoist" explanation for his previous "peeking into the truth from within the flames."

It sounds profound, but it is actually based on his observations and his understanding of legends about "painted skin" from his previous life.

The bodyguards nodded repeatedly, as if listening to celestial music, feeling that every word was precious and contained profound truths.

The young bodyguard Chen Qi couldn't help but ask, "Immortal Master, then... then why did this demon specifically target us?"

Ye Qingfeng pondered for a moment before speaking.

"By chance, or perhaps you were passing by its lair and were tainted by its yin energy; "

Or perhaps one of them was restless and his spirit was dim, giving him an opportunity to take advantage.

"The Immortal's insight is truly remarkable!" the dark-faced镖头 exclaimed in admiration, then added with concern.

"May I ask, Immortal Master, are such demons... common in the world? How should we protect ourselves when we travel in the future?"

Ye Qingfeng thought to himself: How would I know if it's a lot or not? I'm a newbie who almost starved to death when I first arrived here.

But he remained outwardly calm and his tone was still indifferent.

"The world is vast and full of wonders. However, demons and ghosts often gather in places with heavy yin energy, few human footprints, or where resentment accumulates."

You are skilled in martial arts and full of vigor; ordinary little devils dare not approach you.

Just remember: With a righteous heart and a clear mind, evil cannot prevail; walk cautiously at night, and never enter deserted shrines; when in doubt, approach a source of warmth.

In his last few sentences, he emphasized his words slightly, conveying a sense of warning.

That's right, he summarized all of these points from the horror movies he watched in his previous life.

A clear mind and a pure spirit are impervious to evil; it means you shouldn't overthink things.

Judging from their previous lack of trust in ghosts and spirits, most of the people here probably haven't even seen a ghost.

So as long as you don't scare yourself, these ghost and spirit matters should only be low-probability events.

As for being cautious on night roads and avoiding deserted temples, it's simply to tell you to control your curiosity and not wander off to remote places.

Even if there are no ghosts there, the chances of bad people coming out are much greater!

As for the last sentence, he just made it up because he thought it rhymed.

"With a righteous mind and a clear spirit, evil cannot invade..."

The bodyguards silently recited these words, feeling that they contained profound truths, and they all kept them in mind, preparing to take them as their guiding principles in the future.

"It's still late, everyone go and get some rest. Don't worry, once this matter is over, nothing will dare to attack again."

"yes!"

Hearing Ye Qingfeng's words, all the bodyguards breathed a sigh of relief.

However, after this incident, it's hard for everyone to fall asleep again.

Before we knew it, the eastern sky was beginning to lighten. The wind outside the temple gradually died down.

The bodyguards began to pack their belongings quietly, moving slowly, as if afraid of disturbing the "immortal's" secluded cultivation.

Everyone's face showed signs of fatigue and fear, but their eyes shone brightly when they looked at Ye Qingfeng.

After tidying himself up, the dark-faced head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) took a deep breath, walked up to Ye Qingfeng, bowed deeply, and spoke with utmost respect.

"Immortal Master Ye, it is already dawn. May I ask where you intend to go next? If it is on your way, why not travel with us?"

"We are deeply grateful to the Immortal for saving our lives. We have no way to repay this debt. If you need our assistance on the road, the entire Weiyuan Escort Agency will serve you with utmost loyalty!"

He spoke with utmost sincerity, and in his heart he was determined to befriend such a divine figure.

Even if it's just working together for a short time, it would be an incredible opportunity and a protective charm for both the security company and him personally!

Ye Qingfeng snapped out of his reverie and looked at the head镖师's respectful yet expectant face, as well as the equally expectant eyes of the other镖师 around him.

Traveling with them? Following them would certainly be safe and allow me to learn more about the world, but…

He didn't want to maintain that superior image in front of others all the time; pretending to be something he'd never do is exhausting.

So he slowly got up, dusted off his spotless Taoist robe, and a perfectly timed, serene smile appeared on his face.

"May the Heavenly Venerable grant you boundless blessings. I appreciate your kindness, benefactor. However, I wander the world, following my own desires, and have no fixed abode."

This encounter is also a matter of fate. Your futures are already decided, so please go your own way and do not worry about this poor monk.”

A clear look of disappointment flashed across the dark-faced head镖师's face, but he didn't dare to insist and quickly said...

"The immortal is so carefree; we mortals are too bound by such constraints. But..."

He looked at the rugged mountain path outside the temple and said, "The mountain path is difficult to travel. It will be hard for you to walk, Immortal."

If the immortal master does not mind, we are willing to leave behind a sturdy horse for the immortal master to ride.

As he spoke, he gestured to his men to bring over the most magnificent black-maned horse.

Ye Qingfeng's heart stirred. Ma meant well, but at this moment he was more interested in conducting an experiment.

Isn't this the perfect opportunity to verify that hypothesis?

He waved his hand, his smile growing increasingly ethereal.

"Horses are essential for your livelihood; how could I possibly take them from you? As for the mountain path..."

He paused deliberately, his gaze fixed on the winding path outside the temple gate that disappeared into the woods, his voice carrying a mysterious rhythm.

"Although I lack the ability to fly through the clouds, I am somewhat skilled in the art of shrinking the distance between places, so even a short distance can be as easy as crossing a vast expanse."

"Shrinking the earth to an inch?!" the black-faced head镖师 blurted out, his eyes widening instantly.

The other bodyguards also gasped, their eyes practically shining as they looked at Ye Qingfeng!

This is a legendary immortal escape technique! This Immortal Master Ye is indeed unfathomable!

Just as they exclaimed in surprise, their faces filled with unwavering belief that "it's true!" and "the immortal is truly a divine being!"—

Ye Qingfeng clearly felt his connection to the land beneath his feet.

It seemed to resonate with some strange resonance with the space outside the temple gate!

I think I've got it!

Don't miss out!

He said no more, nodded slightly to the guards, said "Until we meet again," and then stepped out of the temple gate.

The moment my foot touched the ground, a strange sensation came over me.

It is not the exaggerated scene of folded space and receding scenery that one might imagine.

Conversely, the surrounding trees and rocks do not appear to move very fast, but they can be moved in one step.

When he landed, he was already standing at a bend in the mountain road, about ten feet away!

It's much farther than a normal step, but it's still miles away from the mythical description of "shrinking the earth into an inch, making the ends of the earth seem near"!

Moreover, as he took this step, he felt a faint trace of energy within him dissipate, and his resonance with the earth quickly faded.

Ye Qingfeng steadied himself without turning around, but inwardly he was screaming: Ten zhang?!

That's it? Shrinking the earth to an inch only resulted in this?

Is it because too few people believe in it, or is the concept of "shrinking the earth into an inch" that they believe in not being concrete enough or not "deeply believed" enough?

Or perhaps my current skill level is too low, and this is all I can do?

His original plan was to at least take a hundred meters in one step, drift away gracefully, and leave behind a figure with an air of otherworldly elegance.

Is that all? They were a bit faster, but they didn't have any deterrent effect at all!

Fortunately, he didn't turn back, otherwise his image as a wise man might have been ruined.

At the temple gate, the black-faced head镖师 and his men were already dumbfounded!

Ten zhang in a single step! In the blink of an eye, the immortal had already traveled that far!

Indeed, these are the methods of immortals, mysterious and unfathomable, beyond the comprehension of us mortals!

"Truly... truly divine magic!" a bodyguard murmured.

"The immortal said he has some knowledge... Is this what you call some knowledge?" Another person looked utterly shocked.

The dark-faced head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) was completely convinced and bowed deeply once more to Ye Qingfeng's departing figure: "Respectfully seeing off the immortal!"

Ye Qingfeng vaguely heard exclamations and farewells behind him, and felt somewhat relieved. It seemed that although the effect was diminished, it was enough to intimidate them.

He dared not try a second step, fearing that the aura he possessed would not be strong enough to embarrass himself on the spot.

He didn't turn around, but simply waved his sleeves casually with his back to them.

Then, following the mountain path, with seemingly leisurely but actually quickened pace, they quickly disappeared into the shadows of the trees.

He only breathed a sigh of relief when the temple was out of sight, slowed his pace, and frowned.

The "shrinking earth" experiment has basically verified the conjecture.

His magic touch is indeed related to the belief of others; the more people believe and the more convinced they are, the stronger the effect may be.

Moreover, this ability requires the consumption of some internal substance and cannot be used indefinitely.

He tentatively called it Qi.

"This cheat code... is interesting, but it's also a total rip-off," Ye Qingfeng said with a wry smile.

"Essentially, it's a combination of public opinion creating idols and rules granting wishes?"

The premise is that I need to have a reliable persona, what I say needs to sound plausible, and people need to believe it…”

He looked up at the unfamiliar mountains and forests, the road ahead seemed endless.

"Taoist...wandering...cannot shrink the earth to an inch, but ten feet in one step is enough."

First, find a place with people to gather more information. Meanwhile... we need to figure out a way to use this cheat ability to create even more skills and supernatural powers!

"Interesting, very interesting."

He muttered to himself, tightening his gray-blue Taoist robe, a complex light flashing in his eyes.