Don't farm, cultivate immortality!

"Have you ever crossed the sea, senior?"

“We will get through it,” Yinglong replied.

Is that place the same as this one?

"Heaven and earth are no different, but the people and beasts, demons and spirits over there are quite different from those here. I have seen people whose whole bodies are black like copper and iron, and I have seen beasts with necks as long as trees. These are things that have never been seen in this world."

Zhuang Xing's eyes lit up when he heard this.

Sure enough, there are people on the other side of the sea.

Is the sea dangerous?

"There are strange beasts. The further away from the land and the further into the sea you go, the larger the strange beasts you will see. However, these strange beasts are rare and do not often surface. Along the way, we also saw a demon kingdom, which is mostly a small world where no people are seen, only demons. It will be difficult to cross the sea in a wooden boat. It is hard to say whether it will be good or bad."

"How did you manage to cross the sea back then, senior?"

"Riding the clouds and passing through the mist."

"Senior is indeed a true dragon?"

"True dragons are just legends made up by people. What living beings are born from the earth and nurtured by the stars, possessing their own divine charm and able to control the weather? They all grow from small to large, from nothing to something. It's just that some people think that they were born without it, so they assume that others were born with it."

But many years ago, some people called me the Water Dragon Immortal or the Water Dragon God, simply because I, on a whim, ferried the great river across and irrigated their land. They then sought divine intervention. Ultimately, immortals and gods are just such things—titles imposed upon them by others.

"What you say makes sense."

That being said, Zhuang Xing had already glimpsed just the tip of the iceberg from these few words.

He was 80% certain that this person's true form was exactly as depicted in the painting.

In fact, the image that has been passed down through the ages was drawn based on this one.

It can fly through the clouds, change its shape, and even turn summer into winter; these are truly abilities only immortals possess.

However, the immortals that people call... are, as Yinglong said, merely titles imposed upon them by others.

Sometimes when Zhuang Xing was at the foot of the mountain, people would call him a deity.

When he drew his sword and slew the evil spirits, some old people would call him a little immortal.

What is the difference between him seeing Yinglong as a deity at this moment and the old people seeing him as a deity?

The same principle applies to immortals and Buddhas, humans and gods.

He already had the answer in his heart; asking questions only made that answer clearer.

...

Zhuang Xing talked with Ying Long in this hall for quite some time, asking him many questions.

Yinglong did not show any impatience, but he only answered his questions and rarely said more than a few words.

Zhuang Xing asked, "Can humans live forever?"

Yinglong said, "I have never seen a person who has lived forever."

Zhuang Xing asked, "Senior, do you know the secrets to immortality?"

Yinglong said, "If you want to find the way to immortality, I don't have it here. I have lived to this age only because my clan was originally able to live to this age. At most, I can only give you some pills to prolong your life. Although it is not much, it can increase your lifespan by about twenty years. Or, I can give you a spiritual object that can allow your soul to remain in the world for a hundred years."

"Senior, you misunderstand. I do not seek immortality; I am merely curious."

...

They talked for quite a while, and Zhuang Xing asked all the questions he wanted to ask.

Yinglong is not an omniscient and omnipotent god; there are some questions that even Yinglong does not know, but Zhuang Xing still gained a lot.

He learned a little about what that place looked like, and he believed that one day he would set foot on that land himself.

"I have asked all the questions I wanted to ask, thank you for your guidance, senior." Zhuang Xing bowed.

"Now that you've asked, just tell me what you want."

During the conversation, Zhuang Xing had already thought it through. He didn't really need divine weapons. His innate Qi was sharp enough and he didn't lack offensive means. Divine weapons would just be icing on the cake.

The only certainty is that Yinglong's collection is not bad, and the equipment, materials, and technology he brings out must be top-notch. But so-called divine weapons, magical treasures, and inner armor are ultimately things made by humans. Are the things of the past necessarily better than those of the present? Who said that?

He felt that Master Wu's skills were also very good, and besides, he had already paid the deposit, so if he exchanged the weapon, it would be useless once he got it back.

As for things to protect him, he wasn't a soldier fighting on the battlefield. Every time he went down the mountain to exorcise demons, it was more of a reconnaissance mission than a fight. Sometimes he even used his sword, which he would just wear and collect dust after bringing it back.

What he wanted more was something that was hard to obtain outside.

The Taoist methods and wondrous techniques then became the best choice.

After hearing Zhuang Xing's request, Ying Long closed his eyes and remained silent for a while, as if he was considering whether there were any collectibles that met Zhuang Xing's requirements.

A moment later, Yinglong opened his eyes and shook his head.

"Using plants and trees as a means to revive the spirits of the dead is a wonderful method that might work, but unfortunately I don't have any here. You'll have to look for something else."

Zhuang Xing sighed slightly, thinking that it seemed he couldn't help Xiao An, but knowing that there was hope for this method was a good thing.

That ability to ride the clouds and mist is quite impressive, but he had inquired and learned that it requires mastering dozens of techniques, and cannot be achieved overnight.

It's not as good as his sword control technique. He felt that the sword control technique still had a lot of room for development. This technique can not only control swords, but also metal objects. If he has enough true qi, he can use many tricks. It's not just for combat, but also has many other uses. With more true qi, it will be much easier to perform Taoist spells. This is the most practical improvement.

So he then made his next request: "Senior, could you teach me a method to fill my Qi Sea and greatly increase my true Qi?"

This time, Yinglong no longer hesitated and quickly said calmly, "Alright."

Chapter 240 Life is boring

The girl brought an ancient book and gave it to Zhuang Xing.

"This method is called the Dragon Breath Technique. It is a unique method I created. You have good aptitude, and this method is just right for you. Go back and study it carefully. Your inner breath can be released for a long time without stopping."

"Thank you, senior."

Zhuang Xing took the ancient book with both hands. The book had the words "Longmen Temple Internal Kung Fu" written on it, and it looked like a scripture prepared by the Taoist temple itself.

"I heard that you once established a temple here and took in many disciples. Why have you sealed the mountain with snow and stopped seeing people?" Zhuang Xing asked.

"I opened the temple on a whim, and when the enthusiasm wore off, I didn't want to open it anymore," Yinglong said. "The reason I closed the mountain with heavy snow was simply because I felt the world was boring and I wanted to take a long nap."

"Maybe I'll get up when I've had enough sleep, or maybe I'll just sleep until I die."

"Is there nothing else in this world that you find interesting, senior?" Zhuang Xing asked.

“Young Taoist priest, I envy you. You are still young, so you must cherish your time and not waste it,” Yinglong said.

...

Before Zhuang Xing left the main hall, the ink painting lost its charm.

Yinglong's spirit departed.

It seems that living too long isn't a good thing.

A toddler with blond hair can be happy for a long time by breaking off a twig or digging up a lump of mud, but a man in his thirties would not find it interesting to play with twigs and mud like a toddler.

This one is probably the same.

Yinglong had run a Taoist temple, and perhaps he had also run a clinic or a private school somewhere before. He may have been a general and a commoner, seen all kinds of things in the world, and crossed the vast ocean. In the end, however, he chose a quiet place to sleep.

It seems that Yinglong has never left this mountain since he picked up Yan Huai'an.

For Yan Huai'an, it was a four-hundred-year-old destiny; for Ying Long, it might be the last destiny he wanted to end.

However, while Yan Huai'an's previous relationship ended, a new one began.

"I've heard that you have a fondness for rare and unusual things. Perhaps I'll come to visit you again someday if I find something strange and unusual."

Zhuang Xing bowed and left the main hall.

“Let’s go, little Taoist,” the girl said. “Our ancestor has gone to sleep again. He can’t hear you if you talk here.”

The two arrived at the gate, and Zhuang Xing had only taken a few steps when he saw the boy walking in from outside the gate.

The boy was holding the claws of two pheasants in his hands. The pheasants were still alive, head down and feet up, their wings bound by straw rope.

"Little Taoist priest, I went out of the mountains to find these two pheasants. I think it's almost time to eat. Why don't you stir-fry a pot of chicken before you leave?"

"Now that you're gone, who knows when we'll be able to get some decent cooked food again."

"If you like, senior, I can leave you a few recipes with the steps written in detail on paper," Zhuang Xing said with a smile.

The boy shook his head: "This depends on skill. What use is theory? I don't want to mess around with it. In my opinion, the most urgent thing is to pluck the chicken's feathers and bleed it. Go to the kitchen quickly, I'll go get you some firewood."

Before Zhuang Xing could reply, the boy stuffed the chicken into Zhuang Xing's arms.

Zhuang Xing had no choice but to take the chicken to the kitchen to cook it.

He picked up the wood-fired pot, scooped up a layer of snow from the ground, took it to the stove, boiled water, and cleaned the chicken.

This is the last meal here. The heroine rested for two days and was in good spirits. This morning she discussed leaving with Zhuang Xing.

The two had been traveling for over a month. She didn't seem to want to delay the agreed-upon two-month trip to bring Zhuang Xing back, lest anyone worry.

Zhuang Xing cooked a pot of firewood-cooked chicken. For the past two days, he had been cooking in this same pot every day, and each time he cooked, the boys and girls would take a lot of it.

They may look small, but their appetite is far beyond what a human could possibly have.

The day before yesterday I ate a cow, yesterday I ate two sheep, but today I only have two pheasants.

"Senior, is this chicken enough?" Zhuang Xing asked. "If not, I can make two more dishes."

"That's enough, that's enough," the boy said. "I was actually quite full the past two days. I went out to catch chickens just to have a treat. I've eaten a lot in the last three days, so I won't need to eat anything for the next two or three months."

It seems that although they have taken human form, these two still retain the same habits as snakes.

Zhuang Xing didn't ask any more questions. He cut the plucked pheasant into pieces and placed them on the cutting board.

After processing the cattle and sheep, he left a lot of fat. He poured the solidified fat into the pot and waited for it to melt and heat up before adding scallions and ginger to release their aroma. Then, the chicken sizzled as it was put into the pot, producing countless oil bubbles. The chicken quickly lost its blood color, turned golden brown, and the meat gradually tightened.

The ingredients were a bit scarce, consisting only of salt, sorghum liquor to remove the fishy smell, and some wild mushrooms that Zhuang Xing had found outside the Taoist temple yesterday. The liquor was quite good, having been sealed in the temple for many years, and had a mellow soy sauce aroma.

Although only a few ingredients are used, the aroma of the stir-fried food is already quite rich, wafting into the nose and making one's mouth water.

"It smells so good!" The boy took a deep breath and fanned the firewood with the palm-leaf fan in his hand even harder.

"If we were outside, the seasonings would be more fragrant, and it would taste even better," Zhuang Xing said. "We're also a bit short on rice and flour. If we had flour, we could bake a couple of flatbreads by the pot, which would be perfect."

"You humans have so many more creative ideas," the boy exclaimed. "Is it because you eat every day that you've come up with so many ways to cook?"