Wild cultivation begins with wielding the Taiyin talisman.

After a long pause, Yu Congrong suddenly laughed: "Good, very good! You must be the successor of the Taiyin lineage. What do you want to gain, and what are you willing to give up?"

"Your subordinate requests a spell to maintain a clear mind and a focused spirit; and, with utmost humility, I beg you, sir, to take care of Stone Pillar Village." Ning Che bowed again and said, "Your subordinate is willing to serve as your vanguard, sir, even at the cost of fire and water."

Yu Congrong said calmly, "That sounds nice, but unfortunately, none of it is practical."

"The specifics of how to proceed are naturally up to the adults to decide," Ning Che replied fluently, having already prepared his answer.

Yu Congrong nodded: "Then so be it. But it's not time to use you yet. Just treat yourself as an ordinary mountain guardian and do your job here in peace. Borrow the spells you want in my name."

After saying that, she picked up a pen and wrote a note, which she handed to Ning Che. Ning Che put it away and left the study.

He breathed a sigh of relief as he left.

He was like walking on a tightrope suspended in mid-air; one wrong step and he might be doomed.

However, at least he took this step.

The library was naturally not open at night. Since Ning Che didn't need to sleep because of the Moon Rabbit Breathing Technique, he went to the training ground to practice his swordsmanship.

There was a familiar face there, his fists clanging as he pounded the iron stake. Ning Che looked closely and saw that the iron stake had been beaten unevenly by his bare hands.

It's Linye.

Upon seeing Ning Che, he snorted coldly, turned around, and faced away from Ning Che.

When Ning Che saw him, he recalled the details of their battle that day. He hadn't paid much attention to it at the time, but upon reflection, he realized that he had a significant weakness.

He needs a spell that can amplify his speed; otherwise, relying solely on his physical strength to maneuver around, he won't even be able to dodge Lin Ye's straightforward spells.

Unfortunately, such merit is not something one can obtain at will, so he had to suppress the idea for the time being and practice the Thick Earth Blade on his own.

Nothing was said in the middle of the night.

Ning Che practiced the Moon Rabbit Breathing Technique in the latter half of the night to maintain his peak condition.

Lin Ye was already asleep in the training ground, hugging the iron stake he had bent.

-----------------

At 3:45 AM, the induction ceremony of the Mountain Guard's personal guard battalion was officially held at the training ground.

As dawn broke and the morning mist dissipated, the two sides of the training ground were filled with official members of the mountain guards, all clad in black armor. Enforcement team members stood solemnly with their weapons at their sides, the crisp clinking of their armor conveying a sense of solemn authority and killing intent.

On the high platform in the center of the field, Yu Congrong, fully armored, exuded a heroic aura.

Mu Qingming stood beside her, the only casually dressed person in the room. His signature smile remained on his face, as if nothing mattered.

Ning Che, Zhao He, Zhong Guanyu, Lin Ye, and Chen Mu, the five newly selected mountain guardians, stood side by side below the high platform, with Ning Che, who had won first place, at the head.

They formed a five-person team, with one eighth-rank and four ninth-rank members, which was the standard configuration for a mountain guardian. However, unlike all other teams, the team leader of this team was not Lin Ye, who was an eighth-rank member.

Ning Che, a ninth-rank official, temporarily took over the position of squad leader and managed the eighth-rank forest area. This was truly unprecedented for a mountain guardian!

Lin Ye was so angry that he almost ground all his teeth to powder, but in the end he had no choice but to obey the arrangement.

The ceremony began with a flag-raising ceremony, the dark black mountain-guarding flag fluttering in the morning breeze.

The five men bowed to the banner, swearing an oath to suppress demons, protect the people, and abide by the camp rules. Ning Che's oath was quite sincere; he had always been a protector of the common people, both in his past and present lives.

After the oath was taken, Yu Congrong slowly walked down from the platform and personally presented the five men with waist badges, uniforms, and a weapon.

Ning Che already had the Crescent Moon Blade, so what he wanted was a strong bow.

The waist tag was made of black iron, with the guardian's pattern engraved on the front and their number and name engraved on the back. It served as both an identification credential and a token for entering and exiting various checkpoints after entering the camp.

"From this day forward, you are all members of the mountain guardians."

Yu Congrong's voice was clear, cold, and deep, echoing throughout the entire training ground: "The guardians of the mountain protect the peace of the local people and suppress the evil spirits and disturbances outside the mountain. The camp rules are ironclad: merits will be rewarded and mistakes will be punished. Those who disobey orders will have their cultivation revoked and be expelled from the camp at best, and will be dealt with according to military law at worst. There will be no leniency."

Her gaze swept over the five people, lingering on Ning Che for a moment before she looked away and stood firmly on the high platform again.

Immediately afterward, Mu Qingming stepped forward, gently waving his folding fan, and said with a smile, "Commander Yu speaks of the rules, so I'll speak of something practical. The mountain guardians are the most elite force in Great Xia. As long as you have the ability to slay demons and make contributions, we have everything you need here: cultivation techniques, resources, and status."

His gaze fell on Ning Che and Lin Ye, and his smile deepened: "Especially you two, you are both promising talents that I have personally reviewed. Do a good job and don't let me down."

Upon hearing this, Lin Ye's face immediately lit up with a hint of smugness, as if he had already gained the upper hand over others. Ning Che, however, remained expressionless, as if he hadn't heard Mu Qingming's words, his eyes lowered as he looked at the waist token in his hand, remaining silent.

Half an hour later, the camp entry ceremony was officially completed.

As the crowd in the training ground gradually dispersed, Zhao He sidled up to Ning Che, excitedly rubbing the waist token at his waist, his voice booming uncontrollably: "Brother Xing, we've really become the guardians of the mountain! This finally fulfills a dream I've had for half my life!"

"Yes, from now on we're brothers in the same battalion." Chen Mu nodded with a smile, carefully putting away his waist token. "There are many rules in the battalion, so we need to look out for each other in the future."

Ning Che nodded slightly, put the waist token into his pocket, and said to the two men, "I have some things to attend to. I'll celebrate with you two brothers when I get back tonight."

Zhao He paused for a moment, then nodded and said, "Then hurry up and go. We'll wait for you at the barracks. We agreed that after the induction ceremony, we must have a proper celebration. Don't be late!"

"Okay." Ning Che replied, bid farewell to the two, put away the note Yu Congrong had given him the night before, avoided the bustling crowd, and headed straight for the library at the top of the mountain.

The old man in the library was quite surprised to see Ning Che return, and with a note written by Yu Congrong.

Ning Che took the opportunity to talk to him and extracted some useful information.

The old man's name was Zhao Yunshuo. He was a member of the Zhao family in the city and was considered a distant cousin of Zhao He.

He was an eighth-grade cultivator who failed to break through to the seventh grade in his early years, damaging his foundation. He then retired to guard this library, where he has been for over twenty years.

Taking the opportunity, Ning Che asked for recommendations on spells that could increase speed and received two answers. One was "Cicada-Chasing Steps," a pure martial arts movement technique that excels in its speed of short-distance maneuvering, making it useful even for extraordinary martial artists.

The second is the "Jia Ma Shu" (甲马术), which is a pure magic. It is good at traveling long distances, capable of traveling a thousand miles a day and eight hundred miles at night, and ordinary horses cannot catch up with it.

Ning Che naturally chose the "Cicada Chasing Steps" and planned to exchange it for merits later.

Finally, seeing that Zhao Yunshuo was getting tired of his questions, he brought up the purpose of his trip and asked if there was a spell for guarding the spirit platform that could be used on himself as well as on others.

There is.

Zhao Yunshuo, having studied the library for over twenty years, knew everything about it. He directly recommended a book to Ning Che, "The Ice Purification Curse," even remembering exactly where it was located.

Ning Che had no objection and immediately chose this book, but he only discovered the problem when he started copying it.

This was truly a spell, the contents of which were only written on one page, and he couldn't understand them at all. The rest of the text consisted entirely of explanations, annotations, and pronunciation instructions for the spell.

Moreover, this spell doesn't require magical power; it only requires the guidance of one's intention.

What does the Dharma guide, and how does it take effect?

Although it went against Ning Che's understanding, he had already made the choice, so he copied the entire incantation and annotated it with pinyin, which he was most familiar with.

By the time the copying was completed, the sun was already setting in the west, and the setting sun shone through the windows of the library, casting long shadows on the animal-hide manuscript.

Ning Che carefully put away the copy, returned the original book to Zhao Yunshuo, bowed to express his gratitude, and then turned and walked out of the library.

As soon as they descended the stone steps from the mountaintop, they saw Zhao He and Chen Mu waiting at the entrance of the corridor, with two cloth bags beside them, indicating that they had been waiting for quite some time.

"Brother Xing, you're finally out! We thought you were busy until dark!"

Zhao He strode up to him, smiling as he patted him on the shoulder. "Everything's arranged! Brother Chen said he knows a long-established restaurant called Sanxianlou, where the food and drinks are absolutely superb. He's already had a private room prepared, just waiting for you!"

"I'm sorry to have kept you two waiting." Ning Che cupped his hands apologetically.

"Hey, what's the big deal!" Chen Mu waved his hand with a smile. "It's the first day at camp, we should relax a bit. Let's hurry up, or the hot dishes the restaurant prepared will get cold."

The three of them walked down the mountain side by side, and once they were out of the mountain, they headed straight for the most bustling main street in the city.

At this time, people who were busy everywhere had some free time, and the city was at its busiest. Even during the drought, the crowds could not be stopped.

Ning Che casually inquired about the impact of the drought on the city and learned that only the prices of vegetarian dishes and staple foods had increased more than a hundredfold, while meat prices remained largely unaffected. As for demonic beasts, they dared not even attempt to enter the city.

Chen Mu expressed some regret at not being able to eat vegetables, but Zhao He didn't mind and said that a real man should eat meat heartily.

The two chatted quite enthusiastically, but Ning Che looked around alone and did not feel happy.

The bustling scene in the city always reminded him of Shizhu Village. It was only a few dozen miles away, but it felt like a completely different world.

He temporarily suppressed these inappropriate sentiments; the Three Delicacies Restaurant was already in sight.

Sanxianlou is located at the bustling entrance of the south of the city. The three-story wooden building is decorated with carved beams and painted rafters. Two large red lanterns hang at the entrance, and you can smell the aroma of fish and meat wafting out even before you enter.

Upon seeing the three men, or more precisely, Chen Mu, the waiter immediately greeted them warmly and led them to a private room on the second floor.

On the square table in the private room, hot and fragrant dishes were already laid out: stewed monster meat until tender, a fish more than a foot long, and a jar of aged wine sealed with mud.

"Brother Xing, sit down!" Zhao He pulled Ning Che to sit down, raised his hand to break the mud seal on the wine jar, and filled the three people's bowls.

He raised his bowl and said, "This first bowl of wine is a toast to Brother Xing, wishing him victory and continued success in his martial arts career!"

After saying that, he tilted his head back and drank the bowl of wine in one gulp.

Ning Che felt that the blessing was a bit inappropriate, but this was not the time to fuss over the wording. He and Chen Mu picked up their bowls and each drank their wine.

The liquor isn't strong; it's smooth on the palate and has a mellow aroma.

Zhao He poured more wine for the three of them, and Ning Che also raised his wine bowl, nodding slightly to the two of them: "We come from the same place, so we should help each other out. This bowl of wine is for you two."

……

The three of them toasted each other, and the atmosphere became increasingly lively.

Zhao He was straightforward, and after a few bowls of wine, he became more talkative, repeatedly recounting Ning Che's sweeping victory over Lin Ye in the arena, his face full of pride.

Chen Mu was a city dweller with some family background in education, and he told the two of them a lot of information that they had only heard bits and pieces of before, or that they didn't know at all.

During the meal, Ning Che also took the opportunity to ask about "Catching the Cicada's Steps".

Upon hearing this, Chen Mu's eyes lit up: "Brother Xing, you want to learn the 'Cicada-Chasing Step'? This movement technique is the most famous external martial arts technique in our Feihu City's martial arts community. I've heard that when mastered, it allows for short-distance dodges so fast that they leave afterimages, making it an almost divine skill in close combat!"

"How many merit points are needed to exchange for this cultivation technique?" Ning Che asked.

"I'm afraid quite a lot. A basic movement technique would only cost a few dozen merit points, far less than a typical spell. But this one is extraordinary, given its prestigious reputation."

Chen Mu recounted the origin of this martial art: "This martial art was created by the mountain lord of Changyang Mountain in his early years. That mountain lord was a second-rank martial artist, which is why millions of people flocked to this martial art, hoping to comprehend a trace of the mountain lord's teachings from it."

Although no one ultimately succeeded, it kept the value of this martial arts manual extremely high. We usually only earn a few dozen merit points per mission; unless we achieve something significant, it would probably take a long time to accumulate them.

Ning Che nodded, understanding the situation. He looked up at Zhao He and Chen Mu and said calmly, "If the three of us work together and coordinate properly, we might just be able to achieve something."

"Of course!" Zhao He nodded emphatically, patting his chest. "With the three of us brothers working together, no matter what kind of monster it is, we'll definitely slay it and earn merit!"

Chen Mu also smiled and nodded: "That's right, when brothers are of one mind, their strength can break metal."

The three men exchanged a smile, raised their wine bowls again, and gently clinked them together.

……

Late at night, with the dishes and cups scattered about, the three returned home, their fun exhausted.

After returning to the mountain, Zhao He and Chen Mu went straight to sleep, while Ning Che found a place with a light and used the light to read the transcribed "Bingqing Mantra".

Even now, one could occasionally see patrolling people. When they saw Ning Che, they would stop and bow. One of them was particularly courteous, kneeling down on the spot, leaving Ning Che bewildered. He quickly put down his book and went to help him up.

Only after helping him up could I see the man's face clearly; it turned out to be Zhao San.

Ning Che rarely saw an acquaintance, and since the other party had shown such great courtesy, he disregarded past grievances and chatted with Zhao San for a while.

Only then did I realize that he wasn't trying to bow, but that his legs had gone weak with fear.

After Zhao San and Zhao Si returned that day, they naturally couldn't stay idle. During a mission, they unexpectedly encountered a monster. Zhao Si couldn't escape, and the mountain guardian offered a spiritual item as compensation, which allowed Zhao San to cultivate and become a formal mountain guardian.

Unexpectedly, he saw that Ning Che had also joined the mountain guardians and even defeated an eighth-rank cultivator to become the team leader!

This frightened him so much that he couldn't sleep at night. When he saw Ning Che today, he thought Ning Che had come to seek revenge, and his legs went weak with fear.

After hearing the whole story, Ning Che couldn't help but chuckle.

Thanks to Mu Qingming, he has unknowingly become a person of status.