Immortal Mystery Sequence: I Establish a Divine Duty for Heaven and Earth

Qingshan Lake is located north of the Yangtze River, more than 3,000 li away from Xiaopei County, separated by the Lingjiang River.

A large basin surrounded by mountains, with a wide expanse of water covered with reeds and unfathomable depths. This place is located in the heart of Jiangzhou, at the junction of the three major cities north of the Yangtze River. It should be a bustling place with people coming and going, protected by various parties. However, it has always been deserted and regarded as taboo.

Local legend has it that this place was once haunted by countless monsters both above and below ground. Anyone who entered it either died or went mad. The town was abandoned, the villagers moved away, and only a few abandoned houses remained, slowly decaying under the ravages of time.

The Taoist community has refuted the rumors many times, but the rumors have been passed down orally for generations and for hundreds of years, and have become deeply ingrained. No one dares to risk their life to verify them.

Over time, even the Taoist sects forgot about the existence of this territory. After all, Jiangzhou is a vast area stretching for nearly ten thousand miles, and the Taoist sects cannot manage every inch of it.

Through a series of events and coincidences, Qingshan Lake became the most suitable place for farmers to live in seclusion and develop their lives.

Previously, when Wang Congyun brought Qin Niangzi and her four children to this place, he had carefully investigated for a long time to confirm that there was no strange aura before daring to let them settle down.

Before leaving, he repeatedly instructed: "Under no circumstances should you go out or have contact with outsiders... The more desolate this place is, the better, the less people will visit it, the better."

Qin Niangzi solemnly agreed, and then she settled down here with her children, cleared out the abandoned houses, diverted river water to irrigate the fields, and reclaimed the wasteland. At first, the children were timid and would curl up in a ball to sleep at night, but as time went on and they became more familiar with the place, they gradually felt at ease.

Working at sunrise and resting at sunset, several years have passed in a flash.

Qin Niangzi was a skilled farmer, and her four children, under her tutelage, also became adept farmers. The eldest, Qin Yi, was nearly fourteen, with a tanned face and worked efficiently. The youngest, Qin An, was ten years old and a shy girl.

Three of the four children successively awakened their innate wisdom and became ninth-rank "farmers".

The youngest, fifth child, Tu Yun, who was already of the eighth rank while still in her mother's womb, was even more remarkable. She learned to speak early and could talk about agricultural knowledge in a very fluent manner while jumping and rolling around on the ground. She could also teach her older brothers and sisters.

Last winter, for some reason, Xiao Tuyun disappeared after burrowing into the ground.

Qin Niangzi was terrified and spent most of the day searching with several children. Finally, they found her in a clump of crops at the other end of the field. Little Tu Yun was squatting behind the rice, peeking out with her eyes peeking and giggling, looking just like a little devil.

Lady Qin was so angry that she spanked him on the spot.

Since then, everyone has known that Xiao Tuyun is not only a "farmer" but also a "field steward". It turns out that there is an eighth rank above the ninth rank, and what about the rank above the eighth rank?

Nobody knew, but everyone was filled with anticipation.

From then on, Tu Yun became the family's darling. Her three older brothers and one older sister doted on her and spoiled her, always doting on her and treating her like a precious gem.

Xiao Tu Yun was so annoyed that he always had to use his earth-遁法 (earth-遁法, a technique that allows one to escape and play) to sneak out and have fun.

Later, when Qin Niangzi and Qin Yi broke through to the eighth rank of "Tian Jun" one after another, they were able to use the earth escape technique to catch up with her, which made them feel much more at ease.

A group of unrelated people, who were the last survivors of the disaster in Dajiang County, came together and relied on each other for survival. They became very close and settled down by Qingshan Lake, calling themselves the Qin Family of Qingshan Lake.

As time passes and the sun and moon change, a family of sorts is quietly growing.

……

……

In the late summer of the thirty-third year of the Jingtai reign.

The afternoon sun was scorching, the lake surface shimmered with silver light, the reeds rustled, and the chirping of insects gradually subsided.

suddenly!

rumble--

The soil on the bank bulged and rose up.

Immediately afterwards, a small figure emerged from the soil, barefoot, with two blades of grass still stuck to its head.

Swish!

Four-year-old Tu Yun is only up to an adult's knee. She has a round face, big, bright eyes, and two little pigtails on top of her head. She glances back and giggles.

This time she ran for more than ten miles, then turned back and shouted, "Big brother—you can't catch me!"

From afar came Qin Yi's furious voice: "Little Tu Yun! You stop right there!"

Qin Yi was also an eighth-rank official, but he could only use his earth-遁法 (earth-遁法, a technique that allows one to escape from danger) once a day. He had already used it, so he could only run wildly behind him, sweating profusely.

Xiao Tu Yun covered her mouth and giggled, deliberately waiting for him in the same spot. Just as Qin Yi was about to catch up and grab her, she stomped her little foot on the ground—

*Snap!* *Boom!*

The soil surged up instantly, as if a wall of earth had suddenly rolled over, completely covering Qin Yi from head to toe, leaving only his eyes exposed.

"Qin Yi Brand Steamed Buns!"

Xiao Tuyun clapped her hands and laughed so hard she almost fell over.

Qin Yi struggled in the dirt for a while, cursing, "Little Tu Yun! Don't let me out! Or you're in for a spanking!"

Little Tu Yun turned around, stuck out her little bottom and patted it, sticking out her little tongue and provocatively saying, "Big pot, come on, come and hit me!"

Suddenly, a gentle breeze came.

The noisy brother and sister stopped at the same time.

The smile on Xiao Tuyun's face disappeared, and Qin Yi stopped struggling, listening intently into the distance.

The earth was shaking.

It's very faint, very far away, but it's definitely there... There are at least a dozen people approaching!

Ordinary people certainly wouldn't be able to perceive it, but they were eighth-rank field officials, whose perception of the earth was far too acute.

It's been five years!

Qingshan Lake has never been visited by outsiders!

Without saying a word, Xiao Tuyun raised her hand, and the soil shattered with a crash, releasing Qin Yi.

Qin Yi shielded Xiao Tu Yun behind him, and the two hid behind a big tree to observe the distance.

Before Qin Yi could say anything, little Tu Yun leaned close to his ear and whispered in her childish voice, "Big brother... you stay here and watch what's going on with these people. I'll go back and tell Mommy they should hide! Master Wang said not to contact outsiders!"

Qin Yi nodded repeatedly.

At the crucial moment, the younger sister was more clear-headed than him.

"Go back quickly! I'll keep watch here. If there's any danger, I'll try to send you a message."

"Okay! Big brother, whatever you do, don't go out and make contact with them! Be careful!"

Qin Yi was both annoyed and amused: "Hey, who's the older brother here, you or me? You're even reminding me? Okay! Go, go, go, hurry up and go!"

Xiao Tuyun's body sank down, disappearing into the depths of the soil.

Her progress was the fastest in the Qin family. She had long since mastered the Earth Escape Technique three times a day, and even the Earth-Moving Technique was quite proficient. She had already reached the eighth rank, but the path above the eighth rank was still completely unknown to her and difficult to fathom.

Qin Yi huddled behind the old tree, holding his breath, and looked into the distance.

Sure enough, a group of seventeen people were clearing their way through the thorns, walking cautiously, looking around, carrying large and small bags and bundles on their backs, some carrying hoes and plows, others driving oxen and riding donkeys, clearly having brought all their belongings.

Qin Yi's gaze swept over them one by one, his pupils shrinking.

They're all "farmers"!

These seventeen people were all at the ninth rank of the Agricultural Dao!

He remembered clearly that when Master Wang brought them here five years ago, he said that after the destruction of Dajiang County, only the Lingjiang Temple's "Farmer" branch and their own Qin family branch from Qingshan Lake remained in the agricultural world.

These people right now... could they be from Lingjiang Temple?!

They were dressed in coarse cloth, their faces weathered by wind and sun, looking like farmers toiling in the fields, but their aura didn't lie... Lingjiang Temple discovered Qingshan Lake?!

Qin Yi felt a chill run down his spine and dared not make any rash moves. He stayed far behind the group, concealing himself with the grass and trees.

The group walked very slowly, stopping every now and then to look around. No one spoke to each other; the silence was eerie... as if they were avoiding something, walking on thin ice.

Qin Yi became more and more confused the more he looked at it.

If they are from Lingjiang Temple, why would they be so apprehensive?

Much later.

A group of farmers arrived at the shore of the great lake.

It was an open space with swaying reeds. There used to be several mud houses belonging to the Qin family here, but now they had been buried underground by Xiao Tuyun using earthmoving techniques. The crops and farmland on the ground were also covered by soil, and from the outside it looked like just a wasteland.

The farmers looked around and, seeing no one nearby, their faces fell.

"That's strange... Master Wang said there were other surviving farmers here, why is no one here?"

"Is the Taoist priest trying to trick us?"

"After a long and arduous journey, leaving my home and trembling with fear, I finally entered the forbidden area of ​​Qingshan, only to find not a soul in sight..."

"Where is the way out? Where is the way out in this world...?!"

Some people collapsed to the ground on the spot, covering their faces and sobbing softly.

The man in the lead was probably under forty, with rough skin, broad shoulders, and a burly build. He glanced around to signal everyone not to panic, then took a deep breath and suddenly whistled loudly.

The sound of the whistle echoed across the lake.

He cleared his throat and shouted towards the open lake shore: "Ten thousand miles of fertile land—!"

After shouting, he held his breath and waited nervously.

The lake was still, with only the rustling of the reeds in the wind.

No one responded.

Qin Yi hid behind a tree, his heart tightening. This was the secret signal he had agreed upon with Master Wang! Normally, only the Qin family and Master Wang would know it.

Why does this person know this too? Are they connected to Master Wang?!

Is he trustworthy? Should we meet him in person?

In no time.

Swish!

The soil around the lake bulged up, and the mud slid down, revealing a woman's thin face.

Qin Xian emerged from underground, somewhat timidly eyeing the stranger before her. The other person also looked at her uneasily. After hesitating for a while, Qin Xian cautiously replied, "The agricultural path is flourishing...!"

"What...is your relationship with Master Wang?"