Don't farm, cultivate immortality!

“Whatever Master says goes,” Zhuang Xing said. “But now that things are settled on my end, what about Yunling’s side?”

No matter where he goes, he will never abandon Yunling; this is something he promised her a long time ago.

“Yunling is Elder Yuanyan’s personal disciple,” the old Taoist said. “She specializes in pharmacology, and most of the spiritual herbs in the temple are produced in that field. With her around, the plants in that field grow very well. However, even if she leaves, that field, which has been cultivated for many years, will not be abandoned. It’s just that no one can take care of that field as carefully as she did. Whether Elder Yuanyan can find a suitable successor in the future is uncertain.”

"I can't say for sure about this matter; it depends on what Elder Yuan Yan thinks. But that medicinal field is the culmination of her life's work. If the field can recover, she might be able to rest easy."

The old Taoist priest was subtly hinting to Zhuang Xing that Yunling should leave, and the key was the medicinal herb field.

This matter is neither particularly difficult nor easy, but at least there is a direction, so it won't leave people completely baffled.

"Disciple understands, thank you Master for stepping in on our behalf." Zhuang Xing cupped his hands in a disciple's salute.

After this conversation, he knew how he should repay the favor.

If he can't even do this, then there's no point in talking about going to sea. It just means he doesn't have the ability or capacity to see places beyond this world.

He wasn't lying; that's just how he felt.

If he doesn't have the ability, then he might as well stay on the mountain.

He wasn't some immature teenager who acted impulsively.

His opinion never changed; he didn't think there was anything wrong with the carp swimming out of the pond.

The mistake wasn't that the little carp swam out of the pond; the mistake was that it didn't have the ability to swim out and ended up stranded on the shore.

Legend has it that carp that leap over the Dragon Gate will transform into real dragons.

But Zhuang Xing thought, it wasn't because the carp leaped over the Dragon Gate that it transformed into a real dragon; it was only when the carp transformed into a real dragon that people saw it. Before others saw it, no one knew how it moved upstream in the water.

Those carp that were swept away by the current should just stay carp and behave themselves.

...

Chapter 304 No Unauthorized Personnel Allowed

After talking with the old Taoist priest, Zhuang Xing massaged the old man's shoulders and legs, fulfilling his filial duty as a disciple, before leaving Qiluzhai.

The spring rain hasn't stopped; it's still falling continuously.

The fine rain, like needles, nourished everything on the mountain.

Spring rain is unlike summer rain. Summer rain comes suddenly, accompanied by strong winds, thunder, and lightning, but it comes and goes quickly, and the dark sky will clear up in no time.

Spring rain is not like that. Spring rain is accompanied by loud thunder but small raindrops. Sometimes a rain can last for three days and three nights without stopping.

Judging from the sky, this rain will continue for quite some time.

When Zhuang Xing left Qiluzhai, it was already a little late. He put on a straw raincoat and bamboo hat and went to see Yunling by the herb field. He told Yunling everything about his conversation with the old Taoist.

"Isn't this a bit too difficult?" Yunling frowned slightly after hearing this.

She felt that her medicinal field was in good condition. This field had been improved by generations of people, and she had a unique advantage in terms of her true qi. Now that she had achieved some success in her studies, she felt that she could use her existing knowledge and skills to add some arrays to this medicinal field and apply the "life" element from the life-giving techniques. Although it would take some time, she should be able to meet her master's requirements. Even if she were to pass away one day, it would make it much easier for future generations to take care of this medicinal field.

But she couldn't imagine how Zhuang Xing could fill this gap; it wasn't something that could be accomplished just by talking about it.

But since Zhuang Xing had already agreed, there was no way he could go back on his word.

"It's alright, I'll figure it out myself," Zhuang Xing said. "If it doesn't work out, it just means I should stay on the mountain. If I don't have the ability, why would I take you out with me?"

"Don't forget I can help too," Yunling said. "I'll help you figure out a solution."

"I know," Zhuang Xing replied in a low voice.

...

After that conversation, Zhuang Xing continued his cultivation on the mountain as usual.

This matter cannot be rushed. Although he has some ideas, his cultivation cannot be delayed.

However, he spent more time in the study at night. As the weather gradually warmed up, he felt less inclined to stay in bed and could sleep a little later without any problem.

March passed in the blink of an eye, and the old Taoist gave him a brief reply, saying that those words had been conveyed to the elders, and that he should figure out and do the matter himself.

The idea is to let him achieve results before he reappears in public.

He seems to have remained unchanged from previous years, still practicing the same cultivation methods and going down the mountain to exorcise demons every now and then.

This matter was not made public, and very few people knew that he had petitioned to leave. He also did not go around telling everyone.

After becoming a disciple of the Red Rice Sect, he also began to lead teams. Some of the disciples who entered the sect with him went down the mountain to complete their training under his guidance.

In recent years, demonic disasters have been quite frequent, but relatively speaking, the area around Yidu remains peaceful. There aren't that many man-eating demons; most of them only harm people. Many demons are forced to come to places where people gather because they can't find food in the wild due to the severe cold.

Many of the demons were originally gentle, or even herbivorous. Zhuang Xing spent some time compiling and organizing the records of Xuanqing Temple over the past few years. He found that the number of demons that killed or ate people was even less than in previous years. Most people who came to ask the Taoist priest to exorcise demons did so because their village fields had been ruined or their chickens and ducks had been stolen.

Cases of cattle, sheep, and pigs going missing are relatively rare. Most people who are injured by demons are simply injured by accident when they disturb the lesser demons and the lesser demons are in a hurry to escape.

Moreover, because of the Earth-Hidden Vine cultivated by Yunling, many villages were no longer afraid of small demons. After returning from the capital, Yunling asked her fellow disciples to spread the seeds of the Earth-Hidden Vine to various places, saying that the seeds could be used to protect the people.

This matter has been going on for two years and is showing initial results. As a result, the area around Yidu is much more peaceful than he had imagined.

He did a lot of research on these matters, because knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to victory.

He used his spare time to try all sorts of things.

Yunling did the same. She focused her energy on improving the medicinal field. Her idea was to increase the spiritual energy in the field. Most of the previous managers of the field thought the same way. There were several spirit-gathering arrays in the area, which were added gradually by later generations.

They were both making preparations in their own ways, and everything remained uneventful.

However, on this day, Zhuangxing welcomed two more guests.

As spring warmed up, more people came to Xuanqing Temple to offer incense. Da Chun took on the job of guarding the gate again. His physique was very suitable for guarding the gate, and he was meticulous. He always said what he meant and never changed his principles, so he became a regular at guarding the gate.

He himself didn't dislike this job. Da Chun said it was part of his spiritual practice. Sometimes unreasonable people would try to force their way in, and Da Chun would fight them. Over time, rumors even circulated that there was a martial arts master guarding the temple, and some people would come to fight him.

Da Chun thought that someone had come to fight him again today, but when he looked at the two people in front of him, they turned out to be a boy and a girl who looked no more than seven or eight years old.

Both children were wearing Taoist robes, but these robes were not from Xuanqing Temple. Da Chun had never seen them before, so they were definitely not disciples of Xuanqing Temple. Da Chun had never seen these two before.

Moreover, they gave Da Chun a very powerful feeling. The two good-looking boys and girls walked side by side into the incense burner in front of the temple gate and headed straight for the vermilion corridor leading to the sword-dancing platform inside the temple.

"This is Xuanqing Temple. It looks pretty good."

Why are there so many people?

"There are quite a lot, more than there were back then."

"Let's go in first, it should be inside."

The two walked straight toward Dachun, ignoring the surrounding noise and worshippers.

They possessed an otherworldly air about them, which they made no attempt to conceal. In fact, it was true; when they came up from the foot of the mountain, the pilgrims assumed they were eminent figures from a celestial temple and treated them with utmost respect.

“No unauthorized personnel are allowed to enter.” Da Chun still stopped them.

Even children shouldn't wander around like that.

"Who are you?" The boy looked at him.

“I am Dachun,” Dachun said.

"Your name is Dachun?" The boy looked up at him.

"My name is Dachun," Dachun answered in a serious tone.

“We need to go inside and look for someone,” the boy said. “Let me think… I’ve forgotten a bit. What did that little Taoist priest say again? Qing, do you remember?”

"I don't know," the girl said impatiently. "Why bother? I'm going in now."

The girl took a step forward, and Da Chun quickly stretched out his hand and shouted, "No unauthorized personnel allowed..."

Just as his hand was about to touch the girl, his voice stopped abruptly, and he suddenly realized that his perspective had been reversed, and he fell to the ground beside him.

Chapter 305 As long as the green hills remain

Da Chun was caught off guard; he had no idea what had just happened.

He groggily got up from the ground. Strangely, he didn't feel any pain. He touched his head, trying hard to recall how he had fallen, but he couldn't figure it out. Only when he saw the boy and girl in the corridor walking further and further away did he slap his forehead and remember the important matter.

"Stop!"

"No unauthorized personnel allowed!"

He shouted and rushed to stop them.

The two people had already stepped out from under the eaves and onto a wide, open plateau.

There were people waiting there. An old Taoist priest holding a whisk blocked their way. Several other people stood beside him, some of whom had rushed over. Their right hands were on the hilts of their swords, and they stared at them warily.

"Gentlemen, what brings you to my Xuanqing Temple?" the old Taoist priest asked with a smile. "If there is anything I can do to help, I will certainly do my best."

"Master Daoist..." Master Wu from the Sword Forging Hall was also beside the old Daoist.

Master Wu looked at the "children" in front of him. Of course, he would not regard the two as children. Although the two appeared in the form of human children, their imposing aura made it clear at a glance that they were not human.

As people live longer, they see all sorts of things. Master Wu has lived for so many years and has seen many powerful demons with overwhelming demonic aura.

But compared to these two powerful demons, those great demons seemed rather small.

He suddenly felt like lighting a cigarette and taking a couple of puffs, never expecting to encounter the Demon King at his door on such a sunny afternoon.

Although I haven't witnessed it firsthand, similar incidents have occurred at Xuanqing Temple before.

Xuanqing Temple protects the local people and ensures their safety, but it is inevitable that conflicts will arise with neighboring demons.

Such things are especially prominent in times of chaos. When many people die, it is easy for demons that eat human flesh and crave human blood to emerge, and these demons regard Taoist priests and monks who exorcise demons as their mortal enemies.

In their view, as long as Xuanqing Temple is completely removed, there will be no more annoying Taoists around here. A hundred years ago, when the dynasty was first established and there was chaos and war, a group of demons joined forces to attack the mountain and exterminate the Taoists.

At that time, Xuanqing Temple was not as prosperous as it is today. There were only about a hundred disciples. Half of them were engaged in exorcising demons in the mountains. Although all the invading demons were eliminated in that battle, the temple also suffered heavy losses.

It is said that the disciples of Master Qingxuzi's generation came to the mountain to cultivate after this battle.

Master Qingxuzi experienced the most decadent period of Xuanqing Temple. It wasn't until the fiftieth year of the Dayu era that life gradually became stable and there were fewer disputes.

Is history about to repeat itself today?

Master Wu let out a sigh of relief. He took out the pipe hanging from his belt and rolled a few strands of dry tobacco into his cigarette cap.

Since ancient times, humans and demons have been at odds. Even among humans, there are many conflicts, and wars break out every now and then. Not to mention demons, who are not the same kind of beings as humans.

Master Wu sensed that the visitor was up to no good. He knew that taking a puff at this moment would be inappropriate given the confrontational atmosphere, but after his hand trembled a few times, he successfully lit the fire and took a deep drag of smoke.