I used folk talismans to ward off the evil spirit.

Chapter 89 The Spirit Sunflower Bears Seeds, Mysterious Bamboo Slips (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

After leaving the Bureau of Mysteries, Jiang Jun looked at the sky and saw that it was still early. Suddenly, he thought of Lin Zhengyang and his disciples at Qingzhu Temple.

It had been quite a while since they last met, and since he had some free time, he headed towards Xiaozhu Peak.

Early autumn has arrived, and the ivy on the walls of Qingzhu Temple has turned orange-red.

Lin Zhengyang happened to come out of the temple and saw someone coming up the mountain from afar. He squinted and looked at them for a while, but he felt that the person's aura was mysterious and unpredictable, and he could not see through it at all. He couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart.

Jiang Jun walked closer and cupped his hands in greeting: "Master Lin, how have you been?"

Lin Zhengyang was stunned for a moment, then realized what was happening and quickly bowed, saying with delight, "So it is the esteemed Master who has graced us with his presence! I have failed to greet you properly!"

Several Taoist priests happened to be passing by and, upon hearing this, also bowed respectfully, saying, "Greetings, Master!"

Jiang Jun waved his hand, indicating that there was no need for such formalities.

Lin Zhengyang led him into the Taoist temple and walked all the way inside.

The Taoist temple has changed quite a bit. Spiritual plants are planted everywhere, in the corridors, courtyards, and corners.

The most eye-catching were those sunflowers, which grew taller than a person and had golden flower heads that were bigger than washbasins.

The petals are layered and brightly colored, as if they were pasted with gold leaf, and they shimmer in the sunlight.

The strangest thing is that the flower head is full of sunflower seeds, but the petals do not wither and are still blooming vigorously.

A number of tourists gathered in the courtyard, taking pictures of the sunflowers with their cameras.

An old man squatted in front of the flowers, adjusting the focus for a long time, muttering, "These flowers are blooming so well. I've been photographing flowers for decades, and I've never seen them so vibrant."

Several photography enthusiasts nearby nodded in agreement.

Jiang Jun looked at them for a moment, then turned to Lin Zhengyang and asked, "Daoist Master, these sunflower seeds are ripe, why aren't you picking them?"

Lin Zhengyang smiled and said, "We've been waiting for you to come, Master. You personally purified these sunflowers, and now that they've produced seeds, it's only right that you harvest the first batch. It would be a way to fulfill this destiny."

Jiang Jun did not refuse.

He walked up to the largest sunflower and gently brushed it with his hand.

His inner energy swept across the flower head like a gentle breeze, causing the plump sunflower seeds to fall off and be collected into his sleeve.

The flower head was hollowed out, revealing honeycomb-like holes, but the petals remained vibrant and full of life.

Clearly, this spiritual plant still has the potential to produce more seeds.

The tourists were initially taken aback, then stirred with excitement. Someone exclaimed, "Look! The sunflower seeds flew away by themselves!"

Everyone pushed forward, eager to see what was happening.

Several young Taoist priests quickly stepped forward and politely stopped them so as not to disturb Jiang Jun's enjoyment: "Esteemed benefactors, please wait a moment."

Jiang Jun didn't linger and followed Lin Zhengyang through the side gate into the backyard.

Once the courtyard gate is closed, the noise outside is shut out.

The tea room in the backyard is small, but bright and clean.

Lin Zhengyang invited Jiang Jun to take a seat.

Upon hearing the news, Lin Dingxuan rushed over, greeted them, and then busied himself boiling water and making tea.

Jiang Jun took out a handful of sunflower seeds from his sleeve, placed them on the table, scanned them with his divine sense, and roughly estimated that there were about fourteen or five hundred seeds.

He carefully sensed them all with his divine sense, selecting those plump, vibrant grains and gathering them aside. He counted them; there were only twelve.

"Only these twelve plants, with their life force contained within, can be planted." Jiang Jun pushed the small pile of plants that could be planted to Lin Zhengyang. "Daoist, please keep them for now and plant them next spring to see if they can grow into spiritual plants."

"Let's try the rest," he said with a smile, pointing to the remaining sunflower seeds.

Lin Zhengyang took the twelve seeds, carefully wrapped them in paper, and put them into his sleeve.

Lin Dingxuan brought out tea and placed two empty plates in front of the two of them.

Jiang Jun picked up a raw melon seed, cracked open the shell, and put the kernel into his mouth.

A faint spiritual energy melted on the tip of the tongue, slid down the throat into the abdomen, and was warm and easily transformed into true energy.

"That's right." Jiang Jun nodded and smiled. "These sunflower seeds can be eaten raw to replenish spiritual energy, and the conversion efficiency is higher than that of spiritual plants."

Lin Zhengyang also tried one, closed his eyes to sense it for a moment, and then opened them with a hint of surprise in his eyes.

"What the master said is true. This spiritual energy is extremely gentle, and its harmonizing effect on yin energy is much stronger and more lasting than directly absorbing the spiritual energy of sunflowers."

Lin Dingxuan also tried it, but instead of talking about its effects, he only praised its excellent taste, which was typical of young people.

Jiang Jun thought for a moment and then suggested, "Since they are melon seeds, why not try roasting them and see if their effects change?"

Lin Zhengyang then sent Lin Dingxuan to the kitchen and instructed his disciples to light a fire and heat the pot to roast the sunflower seeds.

Before long, a fragrant aroma wafted from the kitchen.

Taking advantage of the lull, Jiang Jun picked up his teacup and casually asked, "Where did you go on your long trip the other day, Daoist Master?"

Lin Zhengyang didn't hide anything: "I went to Maoshan. My natal spirit beast has been upgraded to the lord level, and I went there to collect a resource for breaking through to the extraordinary level."

Jiang Jun was slightly surprised: "Has the Maoshan Sect pioneered its own path?"

Lin Zhengyang shook his head with a wry smile: "How easy is it for someone like you, Master, to forge your own path? Since Master Leiming gave up, it has been difficult for our Maoshan Sect to have such good fortune."

Jiang Jun frowned slightly: "It's not like we're going to break through directly through some extraordinary opportunity, is it? There are plenty of examples of this that will make it difficult to progress further in the future—"

Lin Zhengyang laughed: "Master, you are like a well-fed man who doesn't know the hunger of a starving man. If there were truly an extraordinary opportunity ahead, countless experts at the peak of the Refinement Realm would fight to the death for it."

He paused, then, without keeping them in suspense, said, "I traded my merits with the Department of the Supernatural, using the 'Three Souls and Seven Spirits Method'."

Jiang Jun was silent for a moment, then asked, "Do you need my help?"

Lin Zhengyang quickly waved his hand: "The spiritual plants that the True Person gave me have already been a great help. I am in very good condition now, and breaking through to the extraordinary realm is a natural thing. I am about 70 or 80 percent confident."

Jiang Jun stopped asking questions and instead started talking about the recent situation at Qingzhu Temple.

Lin Zhengyang spoke with a hint of satisfaction as he mentioned the thriving spiritual plants in the temple and the increasingly impressive cultivation of his disciples.

As they were chatting, Lin Zhengyang suddenly remembered something, got up, took out a jade box from the cabinet in the inner room, and presented it to Jiang Jun with both hands.

"I have not had a chance to congratulate you on your successful attainment of the Dao. Please accept this small gift."

Just as Jiang Jun was about to decline, the jade box was opened. Inside lay a bamboo slip, dusty and gray, with several seal characters engraved on it.

Jiang Jun's gaze sharpened: six seal characters were written on the bamboo slip: "Respect ghosts and gods, but keep them at a distance!"

It is extremely similar to his Spring and Autumn Annals bamboo slip with the inscription "The Master did not speak of strange phenomena, physical prowess, disorder, or spirits," both in form and style, as if they were separated from a single bamboo scroll.

He changed his mind, took the jade box, and said with a smile, "Thank you, Daoist Lin. This item will indeed be of great use to me!"

Lin Zhengyang smiled when he saw that he had accepted the item. Qingzhu Temple didn't possess any supernatural objects; this one was specially "invited" from Maoshan.

They've arrived.

He wanted to explain the origin of the product, but then felt it might sound like he was trying to gain sympathy or praise. Just then, Lin Dingxuan came in with roasted sunflower seeds, so he didn't continue.

The sunflower seeds, slightly browned and emitting an enticing aroma, were placed in a celadon dish.

Jiang Jun took one, peeled it open, and found the kernel to be crisp and fragrant.

The spiritual energy is similar to that when eaten raw, but the transformation is much gentler, and the taste is significantly better.

Lin Zhengyang tasted one and praised, "It's really fragrant! No wonder it's a seed from a spiritual plant."

Lin Dingxuan also ate a few, his mouth full of kernels, and said indistinctly, "Master, we can cook more in the future to save for guests."

Jiang Jun smiled and casually said, "It's a pity to just stir-fry the original flavor. I'll try five-spice, milky, and salt and pepper flavors later. Who knows what amazing taste we can make?"

Lin Zhengyang was taken aback for a moment, then laughed and said, "Master, that's a good idea. Next year, after planting them and harvesting plenty of sunflower seeds, I'll try them out one by one."

Inside the tea room, several people were chatting and laughing.

The aroma of sunflower seeds mingled with the fragrance of tea, filling the afternoon sunlight. A mountain breeze rustled through the bamboo leaves outside the window.