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

Yu Yan opened his mouth, but didn't say anything.

The light in the eyes of the carefree hermit slowly faded away.

He gave a wry smile.

"That's right. With five spiritual roots, especially for someone like me whose lifespan is nearing its end, where is there any hope of breaking through to the mid-stage of Qi Refining?"

Even if a miraculous breakthrough occurs, the lifespan of the Qi Refining stage will not increase.

Yu Yan could see the age spots on the back of the other person's hand. Even with the help of spiritual energy, it was still impossible to resist the erosion of time.

"I don't have many years left to live."

The carefree Taoist said with a sigh, put down the talisman brush in his hand, and handed the completed talisman to Yu Yan.

Although the final strokes were crooked and didn't look very nice, it was finally finished.

Streaks of spiritual light flowed and shimmered within the runes, and in the very center, cinnabar and blank space reflected each other, forming a Yin-Yang diagram.

"In my entire life, this is the most valuable talisman I can offer. In my opinion, it's perfect for your situation. Give it a try."

Yu Yan held the talisman in his dantian. The spiritual power released from his inner core and the spiritual power generated by his own cultivation technique suddenly paused, and then were immediately attracted by the talisman. They passed through his meridians, and when they came out again, the two forces merged, and there was no longer any sense of repulsion.

"Senior is truly a genius, to have created such a talisman. With this talisman in hand, along with enough Spirit Recovery Pills, cultivation will no longer be the main bottleneck in the myriad arts of immortal cultivation."

Just like Yu Yan himself, he replenishes his spiritual energy quickly, and as long as his comprehension is sufficient, he can even draw a first-grade high-level talisman...

Win the Hundred Arts Competition, then use the Purification Pill to break through to the mid-stage of Qi Refining and obtain the subsequent cultivation methods.

Then comes the late stage of Qi Refining, and even Foundation Establishment—

For Yu Yan, this talisman was far more precious than that inner core brimming with spiritual energy.

Seeing the boy's joyful face and the flickering anticipation in his eyes, the carefree hermit lowered his head and sighed silently.

Five spiritual roots—such innate talent is not something that can be easily broken through.

If he were to give away such a talisman, would it cause future generations to have unrealistic fantasies about the future, just like him?

No, or rather, he actually hoped that Yu Yan would continue on this path and complete the journey that the old Taoist priest had not finished.

but--

Is it really possible?

Even if one cultivates immortality for a lifetime and has some luck and comprehension, how far can one go with the aptitude of five spiritual roots?

Rather than wasting time in the world of cultivation, it's better to return to the mortal realm and enjoy happiness sooner.

Don't let him grow up to be that old, and even if he returns to the mundane world, he won't be able to experience the joys of his youth anymore.

Looking back, I can no longer recognize the faces of my childhood friends.

He left no trace in the world of cultivation, all alone, and in the future, he will only have a solitary grave.

Xiaoyao Sanren frowned, his lips twitching slightly, but seeing Yu Yan's gaze, he ultimately suppressed all his regrets and did not utter a word.

"Unfortunately, I only have a superficial understanding of many runes, so I only managed to produce this half-finished product. Not only is the amount of spiritual energy converted limited, but each talisman can only last for a maximum of one day."

Instead, he brought up the talisman that Yu Yan was using, pulled out a wooden box from under the bed, opened the lid, and found it filled with all sorts of random, unsystematic scraps of talismanic paper.

"You cultivate at the Luoxia Sect. Judging from your reaction just now, you must have some knowledge of talismans. If you take these things back, you might be able to study some of their secrets and modify my talisman."

"We two are destined to meet. You are the second person besides me to use this talisman. Why don't we give it a name together?"

Yu Yan quickly waved his hand.

"You are the innovator, I am merely the user. How could I possibly be qualified to name this talisman? You should do it."

The carefree hermit smiled, but insisted that the two of them name the child together.

"In that case, I will take the two characters 'Liangyi' as the beginning, and you can fill in the rest of the name."

Unable to dissuade the old Taoist, Yu Yan could only rely on his earlier intuition to add the two characters "Tonghui".

"The Symbol for the Harmony of Yin and Yang".

The old Taoist priest recited a few words, and the smile on his face just wouldn't stop.

"Well, well, at least we have a name now."

"Young friend Yu Yan."

"Please speak, senior."

"I fear my day of death will be in the next year or two."

Yu Yan remained silent.

The old Taoist priest seemed to have let go of his worries, stood up, and jumped around the room.

"You know what, cultivators are different from ordinary people. What other old man is as agile as me?"

The carefree hermit winked at him playfully.

"The path to immortality is nothing more than the pursuit of eternal life, yet countless people perish along this path, and how many truly attain it?"

"So I always think that if I leave something behind in this world of cultivation, and my name and Daoist title are known to the world, that would be another kind of immortality."

Yu Yan listened silently, glancing at the talisman on his body.

"I understand what you mean."

"I will do my best to perfect this talisman and spread it out, so that the cultivation world will remember its creator."

The old Taoist shook his head, pointed to himself, and then pointed to Yu Yan.

"It's not just me, it's both of us."

He looked at Yu Yan intently.

"Even if you are the master, as long as my name, the carefree old Taoist, is on the table, that's fine."

Yu Yan quickly bowed.

"Don't worry, senior, I'm not the kind of person who would forget kindness."

The carefree hermit simply smiled and said nothing more.

He stood up, rummaged through the bed and pulled out box after box of discarded talismans, then pointed to the bamboo forest outside.

"Take these things. I'll draw some Yin-Yang Harmony Talismans for you. You can use the bamboo grove over there to build a temporary shed."

"While I'm drawing the talisman, you can also heal and regulate your breathing, so neither of us will be delayed."

"in addition,"

At this point, the old Taoist priest stroked his beard somewhat embarrassedly.

"While I am in seclusion, I'll trouble you to take care of the two of them."

"As you said before, the battle at Baijing Mountain was quite a big one. Hunters from the nearby towns will definitely go up the mountain to investigate. So don't let it run up the mountain, lest it get caught and cause trouble for nothing."

Yu Yan nodded and agreed.

As you leave the bamboo house, you'll see the door slowly closing.

A flash of inspiration struck, and the windows were completely sealed.

Why is the talisman you drew so casually just now being treated with such importance now?

Without thinking much, he turned to look at the bamboo forest.

The two of them were standing below, heads tilted back, tongues sticking out as they reached for the bamboo leaves.

Seemingly sensing Yu Yan's gaze, it paused, tilted its head, and the two stared at each other.

…………

After a moment of stunned silence, it retracted its tongue, raised its hoof, and with two swift strokes cut off two bamboo stalks. It picked up the leaves, proudly raised its head at Yu Yan, and turned to leave.

Yu Yan scratched his head.

I wasn't seeing things just now, was I?

You mean a bamboo stalk as thick as an adult's thigh was cut down by this silly roe deer in just a few strokes?

He remembered that not long ago, Xiaoyao Sanren had said he was afraid it would be caught by hunters.

With this level of strength, the hunters coming up the mountain should be the ones to worry.

"After eating too many spiritual things, this silly roe deer has changed."

Not only did it gain sentience, but its strength also far surpassed that of its kind.

"Forget it, let's build a bamboo shed first, so it doesn't eat us all."

He glanced back at the bamboo house.

Hopefully, things will go faster with Xiaoyao Sanren.

The sect has the Life Lamp, so Daoist Qinglu shouldn't worry too much. However, Yu Yan is afraid of missing the Hundred Arts Competition, the exact time of which is uncertain, meaning it could start at any time.

If I miss the grand competition, I'm afraid I'll never have the chance to obtain the Purification Pill.