Cultivating Immortality Through a Hundred Lifetimes: I Possess the Heavenly Book of Merit

Yu Yan had been trying to close his eyes and regulate his breathing, but the meridians in his hands blocked his way, preventing the spiritual energy from flowing smoothly. His cultivation technique could not operate normally, and he was unable to control the spiritual energy that was about to spiral out of control.

I don't know how much time passed, but the sound of the babbling water in my ears disappeared.

He heard the voice of the carefree hermit once again.

"If your meridians are injured, I should have talismans here to heal them."

Talismans?

Some questions arose in Yu Yan's mind.

As far as he knew, talismans did not have the function of healing injuries; otherwise, what would be the point of taking pills? A talisman was much cheaper than a pill.

However, when the carefree hermit affixed something resembling a talisman all over Yu Yan's body, his confusion turned into shock.

A gentle warmth emanated from within his body, flowing along his meridians, and surprisingly, it brought him a sense of relief.

In a very short time, the damaged meridians were able to receive enough spiritual energy.

Without time to think, Yu Yan quickly circulated his cultivation technique to suppress the spiritual power released by the inner core in his dantian.

After temporarily clearing his spiritual energy, he slowly opened his eyes.

Upon examining the talisman on his body, he saw that only a trace of pale blue spiritual energy remained, but it quickly dissipated into the air.

This is more like a mortal plaster, only manifested in the form of a talisman.

Yu Yan had never seen this technique before, and for a moment he found it quite novel.

Looking up, I found that my small boat was moored on the bank of a large river. There was a simple bamboo house on the bank, and several spiritual fields had been cultivated around it. Some fields were planted with bamboo, some with spiritual rice, and one field was planted with grass.

The grass was half a person tall, yet as fine as silk, and when the wind blew, it surged like waves.

The roe deer beside me ran a few steps and stood on the grass to eat.

The carefree hermit smiled at Yu Yan.

"I've lived here for many years, and I only have two companions, so I can't let them go hungry. I planted some grass here so that at least I'll have something to eat when I go home."

Yu Yan looked at the lush, vibrant green grass, which even seemed to possess a touch of spiritual energy. He then glanced at the roe deer grazing nearby.

The carefree hermit continued from the side:

"Knowing that I had no hope of breaking through, I thought I would do some good deeds and accumulate some merit in the end. It usually helps me find people in distress in Baijing Mountain, but I didn't expect that this time it would mark you."

His face showed a slight apology.

"This guy eats every day, so his body is full of spiritual energy. Those hungry wolves are probably chasing you relentlessly because of that. It's really a burden on you, young friend."

Yu Yan shook his head, simply expressing his gratitude for being saved. He then looked around and asked:

Is this still Baijing Mountain?

The carefree hermit warmly invited him into the house, poured him two cups of tea, and said slowly:

"If we have to name it, this place is Baijing Mountain. The mountaintop is covered with snow all year round. After the glaciers melt, they disperse into various rivers that flow down the road and eastward. Then they converge at the foot of the mountain to form a river. The rivers from several nearby mountains then come together to form this great river."

In other words, this is where Baijing Mountain meets other mountains.

"By the way, young friend Yu Yan, why are you here in Baijing Mountain?"

Yu Yan did not touch the teacup on the table, but simply recounted what had happened, omitting the part about the inner core.

The other person frowned, and it took them a long time to relax.

"Is that so?"

"Senior, you live in this area, haven't you heard any noise?"

The carefree hermit took a sip of tea and sighed.

"I am but a wandering cultivator, and my lifespan is not long. I only want to do some good deeds in these mountains and do not want to cause trouble."

Yu Yan simply nodded and didn't say anything more.

Everyone has a different perspective. The affairs of Baixian Village have nothing to do with this old man, and we cannot expect him to do anything.

If the carefree hermit really did it, with his evil methods, the old Taoist priest would probably only become a dead man at his hands.

"Senior, I must take my leave now. The sect is still waiting for news of me, and my identity token was shattered in that great battle. I should return as soon as possible to avoid worrying my master."

Yu Yan hurriedly tried to bow and take his leave, but was forcibly stopped by Xiaoyao Sanren.

"Young friend, don't worry. Your injuries haven't fully healed yet, and there may be long-term effects. I observe that two different spiritual energies within your body are constantly fighting each other. If this isn't resolved, your future cultivation path will be extremely difficult."

Upon hearing this, Yu Yan immediately stopped in his tracks.

This senior is truly remarkable.

Despite not having a very high level of cultivation, his knowledge, including that peculiar talisman and his profound understanding, truly proves the saying, "Old ginger is spicier."

The carefree hermit waved his hand to scatter the tea set on the table, laid out the talisman paper, and pulled out a talisman brush with almost all its bristles fallen out from a corner. He dipped it in cinnabar and began to draw.

He seemed very casual, talking to Yu Yan as he drew.

How have you been these past three years?

Yu Yan stared at the brush that landed on the talisman paper, his brows furrowing at the old man's technique.

It's too rough.

There was no method or order to it; it seemed to be drawn wherever the thought took them, with the final stroke connecting them into a talisman.

"fine."

His mind wasn't on the conversation at all; his increased comprehension, now at level twenty, made him unconsciously record every rune the old man drew.

Even if you just look at it once, you can memorize it all.

Seemingly sensing Yu Yan's gaze, Xiaoyao Sanren deliberately slowed down his movements.

"This talisman is perfect for those of us with weak spiritual roots, insufficient spiritual power, and slow absorption."

"Especially for someone like you, who needs to draw talismans far beyond their own cultivation level, you always have to rely on spirit-restoring pills to replenish your spiritual power when you lack it."

"If you eat too much, the spiritual energy in your body will reject the spiritual energy of the Rejuvenation Pill, causing the current situation."

The old man kept moving his hands and talking nonstop.

"This talisman of mine has no name; I just made it up myself to improve the situation where spiritual energies repel each other."

He suddenly turned his head and looked at Yu Yan, a faint light shining in his cloudy eyes.

"Young friend Yu Yan, if I remember correctly, you and I both have five spiritual roots, right?"

Yu Yan nodded slightly, already guessing what the other person wanted to say.

"You cultivate at the Luoxia Sect, so you've come into contact with a lot about the cultivation world. With our five spiritual roots, is there still hope for us to break through to the mid-stage of Qi Refining?"

Perhaps the carefree wanderer had wanted to ask this question ever since he first discovered him, and the care he had given him along the way was due to their previous friendship and also to the question in his heart.

Gray hair, dull eyes, and wrinkles etched with the marks of time.

Yu Yan suddenly froze.

He was all too familiar with that look.

In that lifetime, he was old and weak.

He often looked at himself in the mirror, and those were the eyes that were reflected in his reflection.

Discontent, hope, helplessness...

Cultivators of Xiaoyao Sanren's age, whose internal energy and blood are insufficient, cannot break through to the next level even with the help of the Purification Pill.

His path to immortality has come to an end.