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

Look at the people on the long kang (heated brick bed). Some are dressed in coarse linen, and some are in tattered clothes. Without exception, they are all sallow-faced, thin, and bony.

There were young people, teenagers, and even children as young as seven or eight.

The silvery moonlight shone on their faces, making their already pale complexions appear even more desolate.

Yu Yan scanned the portrait given to him by Zhang Boyuan, but found no trace of Zhang Silin.

However, the Taoist temple is so large that there must be more than one guest room. Zhang Silin must be in one of the other guest rooms.

Having just entered the temple today, the young Taoist might still be secretly observing me. It's best not to make any further moves. I should rest for the night and make plans later.

Thinking this, Yu Yan put away the portrait, found a gap to lie down on the kang, glanced at the child who had fallen asleep while meditating next to him, laid him down flat, and then closed his eyes, seemingly sleeping, but actually secretly cultivating.

Within my consciousness, the celestial book appeared.

The second page has already been turned, and the merits accumulated above have reached three hundred and sixty.

Having traveled for many years, I've encountered many injustices. I've helped those in need, which has earned me some good karma.

However, just as he had expected, his comprehension could no longer increase after the second life.

On the third page of the Heavenly Book, innate talent replaces comprehension.

Ordinary aptitude (20/100): Mediocre and unremarkable, just another face in the crowd.

I am but a mortal; it's better to be a cook than to cultivate immortality.

However, he never understood why most of the cultivation of immortality depended on spiritual roots and talents.

Yu Yan had tried to improve before, but he did not feel any improvement. So he decided to accumulate merit for his next reincarnation first, and then make further plans.

After accumulating eight hundred merits, what changes will occur when that mortal bone is elevated to its peak?

"But that's a plan for the future. Right now, let's see what the situation is like inside this Taoist temple. Even if it can't compare to the markets of sects, at least there will be spirit stones for cultivation."

With this in mind, Yu Yan remained vigilant while immersing himself in cultivation.

Finally, the moon set and the sun rose, one night passed, and the next day arrived.

As the first rays of morning light streamed into the room through the window, Yu Yan slowly opened his eyes and saw the young Taoist boy pushing open the door.

He pushed the door open very gently, but the sound was quite loud.

"Last night, a new fellow Daoist joined us. The abbot instructed me to invite you all to come. He will once again display his immortal powers to strengthen your resolve to seek immortality."

"Get up, get up, don't be late."

The figures on the long kang (heated brick bed) began to move one after another, like puppets being pulled by the same string.

Some people were rubbing their eyes, while others were still stiffly moving their legs while maintaining their meditation posture.

The child who had been laid flat by Yu Yan last night got up, looked at him blankly, didn't say anything, and silently followed behind the crowd.

Yu Yan quietly joined the last row.

The young Taoist led them through the Taoist temple at a leisurely pace, but the path was more winding than the night before.

Corridors, passageways, moon gates, stone paths—sometimes even when the path ahead is clearly a dead end, the young Taoist will step straight onto it, and the wall will open up like mist.

Yu Yan silently memorized the route and secretly extended his divine sense, only to find that the restrictions in the Taoist temple were stronger than last night, and his divine sense was more restricted.

"She does have some skill, though."

He withdrew his divine sense and observed with his naked eyes only.

There were about eleven or twelve people traveling together, their faces filled with excitement as they whispered about the immortal magic that would be coming soon.

"I wonder what kind of magic the Abbot will use this time?"

The tallest young man in the group spoke up, his hands and feet trembling uncontrollably, whether from excitement or hunger.

"I wonder when we'll be able to possess magic like the Abbot's?"

Yesterday, the child followed behind and replied, his eyes full of longing for the future.

Yu Yan noticed that many people were secretly glancing at him, as if they were looking at something.

"By the way, does this newcomer have some kind of relationship with the Abbot? When we had new people before, the Abbot never personally came to perform the spells, did he?"

"What a coincidence! The abbot is a god-like figure; how could he possibly have anything to do with this mortal?"

"That's true."

Yu Yan listened silently without saying a word, finding it amusing.

These people, I don't know what skills they have, but they're quite good at having wild ideas.

After walking for about the time it takes for two incense sticks to burn, the scenery ahead changed. After passing through a barrier that resembled ripples on water, the group stopped.

A temple stands at the end of the stone platform.

The palace was even more solemn than it had been the night before, with its flying eaves and brackets, the vermilion lacquer still conveying a sense of solemnity despite its age.

An altar had been set up in front of the hall. On the table covered with bright yellow silk, incense burners, pure water, tokens, wooden swords, grains, cinnabar, and other items were neatly arranged. Wisps of smoke were rising from the incense burners, carrying a cool fragrance of sandalwood.

"This cinnabar talisman possesses spiritual power; it must have been made of spirit bamboo. This talisman paper must be genuine."

While pondering, Yu Yan continued reading.

Two young Taoist boys stood on either side of the altar. The one on the left was the same person who had led Yu Yan into the temple the previous night; his face was solemn, showing no trace of worldly arrogance. The one on the right was unfamiliar, younger than Yu Yan, but his expression was equally mature.

A moment later, the sound of light footsteps came from the other end of the corridor.

Another group of people, led by a young Taoist boy, filed out through the moon gate on the east side.

There were about a dozen people, dressed in different colors, with similarly sallow and thin faces, but their faces were filled with excitement and high spirits.

Yu Yan raised his eyes without making a sound, and using the posture of bowing his head, quickly scanned the group of people.

There is no Zhang Silin.

His heart sank an inch.

Last night he comforted himself, saying that the Taoist temple had more than one guest room, and Zhang Silin might be staying elsewhere.

Today, two groups of like-minded people gathered in one place, in front of the altar, with more than twenty people, but still could not see the face of the honest young man in Zhang Boyuan's portrait.

It was Zhang Silin who had already...

Or is there another place for cultivation in this Taoist temple?

Yu Yan lowered his eyes, suppressing his surging thoughts.

Just then, the two young Taoist boys on either side suddenly stepped forward in unison, flicked their whisks, bowed deeply, and their voices, drawn out and then rising abruptly—

"Welcome, Immortal Master!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the tightly closed hall door behind the altar creaked open slowly inwards with a muffled, swallowing sound.

As the door crack widened, a thick, white plume of cigarette smoke billowed out from inside, creeping and spreading along the threshold.

The smoke receded layer by layer, like curtains rolling up to both sides.

A figure appeared in the middle.

The man stepped out of the threshold, his moon-white Taoist robe trailing on the ground. The fabric was of excellent quality, but it looked somewhat worn from washing, with several dark stains that could not be washed off visible at the hem.

He was tall and slender with a thin face. His three long beards were neatly trimmed, and when his eyes were lowered, he had a look of pity.

He held a white jade whisk in his left hand and held his right hand in his sleeve, exuding an air of otherworldly elegance.

Unhurried and unperturbed, neither sad nor happy, he truly had a touch of the air of an immortal.

"Greetings, Abbot!"

The two young Taoist boys bowed again, their voices rising slightly above their previous ones.

"The true lineage of the Xuanmen (Taoist school) rests solely with the Abbot; at his command, all laws return to their source!"

Yu Yan, who was hiding in the crowd, suddenly heard such slogans and his eyes twitched.

Dressed in such an ethereal and otherworldly manner, why is this the greeting you give when you pay your respects?

What a powerful slogan!