"Niu Ji Food Store" in Fuwang City is a time-honored brand with a history of over a hundred years.
The shop was neither big nor small, and most of the customers were regulars. It was past lunchtime, so there were not many customers in the shop. The owner, Niu Dashuai, was holding a storybook, leaning on the counter, cracking melon seeds while reading. He would occasionally let out a laugh.
A cloaked visitor came in, raising the curtain, and sat down in a corner by the wall.
Marshal Niu reluctantly turned his eyes away from the book he had not finished reading, and walked over to the table of guests with a teapot in hand, greeting them.
"What would you like to eat, sir?"
The man sitting at the table did not speak, but silently took off the cloak on his head.
"Hey, you!" Marshal Niu slapped his thigh, and was so excited that he was a little incoherent, "Cen Qianshan! Mr. Cen! Why are you here?"
In the corner of the small restaurant, there were a few side dishes and a basket of steaming buns on the table. Marshal Niu sat down in front of Cen Qianshan, holding a pot of fine wine from his own collection.
"Hey, it's been a long time since we last met. I never thought you would come to see me." Marshal Niu was very happy and filled Cen Qianshan's glass with wine. "How has Mr. Cen been doing these years?"
He wanted to ask a few more questions, but he didn't dare to say more.
All the neighbors of Shimiao Street moved to the new city area. Only Cen Qianshan remained in the ruins.
Hundreds of years had passed, and his cultivation was neither good nor bad. He inherited his mother's restaurant and managed it with difficulty. During this period, apart from occasionally hearing some legends about this man, few old neighbors had seen him.
When they were young, Cen Qianshan usually beat him up, so they didn't get along very well. After that incident, Cen Qianshan's personality changed drastically. Every time he went out, he came back covered in blood, gloomy and scary, and no one dared to approach him. Not to mention drinking with him once, they never even talked to each other. I didn't expect that after so much time had passed, he would still think of coming to see me and have a drink with me.
In the blurred corner of time, the two former teenagers gently clinked their glasses.
"A few days ago, I went to the Dongyue Temple." Cen Qianshan said slowly.
"Oh, that place is not a good place to go. There are many illusions in it. I heard that many people are trapped in it and can't get out." Marshal Niu drank three glasses of wine and soon became excited. "Haha, but it must not be a big deal for you. You are the strongest person in our Shi Miao Street."
"In the illusion there, I saw you and Aunt Niu." Cen Qianshan turned the wine cup in his hand, and the clear surface of the wine vaguely reflected his reflection, "I remembered that I forgot to say thank you to you that year."
"Oh, look at what you said." Marshal Niu's face was red from the alcohol. "I didn't do anything. Do I deserve your thanks? Mr. Mu saved my life back then."
When seeing Cen Qianshan off, Marshal Niu couldn't help but ask, "After all these years, is there any... any news?"
The strongest man in Shi Miao Street turned his head and nodded almost imperceptibly.
After leaving Niu Ji Food Store, Cen Qianshan, wearing a cloak, walked along the brightly lit street to Uncle Yi Xiu Nian's clinic.
"You're back. You must have gained a lot on this trip." Uncle Nian, wearing old single-sided glasses, looked up at him from behind the counter. "It's spread outside. I heard that you got the Azure Nine-Transformation Black Lotus from the depths of the temple for the Yan family. The Yan family gave you a divine weapon and 100,000 spirit stones as a reward."
Cen Qianshan didn't say much. He opened his backpack and took out some spiritual plants picked from the temple.
Uncle Nian's squinting eyes suddenly brightened up, and he stood up and took it. "Hey, yellow bud grass, good! Tianying grass, haha, this one is better. What is this? Oh my god, the legendary purple heart grass!"
Cen Qianshan leaned on the counter with his hands crossed and asked him, "Uncle Nian, I heard that you have seen cultivators from the Immortal Spirit Realm?"
Uncle Nian looked at the rare spiritual herbs with great interest, without even raising his head: "Yes, I have seen those hypocrites who appear to be righteous on the surface. Why are you asking this?"
"Then do you know..." The man under the cloak's eyes showed a little light, "Do you know how they got here?"
"There are few spiritual creatures in the Immortal Spirit World. Naturally, someone would want to come to my Demon Spirit World." Uncle Nian recalled the past unhappily.
"It is said that they have a sect that is proficient in formations. They have accumulated the merits of past generations and have developed an ancient formation that can connect the immortal and demon worlds in a short period of time. They often sneak into my demon world to plunder resources. Humph, it's fine if they come here, but they also use the banner of eliminating demons and defending the way. Don't let me see those hypocritical guys again."
…
On the Xuandan Peak of Guiyuan Sect, Kong Ji saw the young disciple from Xiaoyao Peak was the first to open the alchemy furnace, and took out a few Hunyuan Liuguang pills from the furnace, and the room was immediately filled with fragrance.
Kong Ji thought to himself: "This Zhang Erya should be my disciple from Xuandan Peak. Why didn't I pay attention to it at that time? She was snatched away by Su Xingting, a cunning guy."
He said with a straight face: "Since you have a talent for refining medicine, you should come to my Xuandan Peak more often to listen to lectures. What kind of girl is it to practice boxing and swordplay, forge iron and make tools all day long?"
Seeing that several female disciples of Biyou Peak, whose main job was "forging iron" all day long, all turned to look at him.
Kong Ji stared and snorted, "There are thousands of great ways, and the alchemy technique of our peak should be the orthodox one. Do you know why our practice is called 'alchemy'? It's because we use our bodies as a furnace, absorb the energy of the heaven and earth, and seize the essence of the dragon and the tiger, and cultivate the golden elixir in the Huangting of our bodies. Therefore, it is called internal alchemy. The external alchemy and internal alchemy techniques of my Xuandan Peak are of the same origin and complement each other. So no matter which peak you are from, you should practice alchemy seriously."
It seems that no matter which uncle master, they all think that what they are practicing is the true way of the great way, and it is real kung fu.
When we went to Biyou Peak before, Uncle Ding said almost the same thing.
Mu Xue felt a little amused, holding the elixir she had refined and asking Kong Ji for advice, seemingly chatting casually,
"Uncle Master, I saw some demon cultivators in the Dongyue Temple. Although their alchemy techniques are different from ours, they seem to have their own unique features. Senior Brother Fu took a pill of medicine from the demon spirit world, and his injuries instantly improved."
Kong Ji said unhappily: "Why don't you tell me what medicine they used?"
"I heard a name called Rejuvenation Pills, and there are also Detoxification Powder and Gold Wound Regeneration Cream."
Kong Ji looked unhappy: "Humph, that old fellow Nian Zaitao is still alive."
It turns out that the demon cultivator who had a grudge against Master Kongji was Uncle Nian? The Taoist cultivators that Uncle Nian often cursed were actually his own masters and uncles in Guiyuan Sect. It seems that Master Kongji had indeed been to the Demon Spirit Realm, Mu Xue thought to herself.
After school, Mu Xue and Ding Lanlan walked together.
Ding Lanlan said, "Aren't you going to Biyou Peak with me today? My aunt is always talking about you. She said that you have learned better than us regular disciples, and she asked me to ask you to come often."
Mu Xue smiled and said, "The last time I went to listen to Master Uncle's lecture, I left the tin man that Master Uncle asked me to make inside the shrine. I will make it again and show it to Master Uncle."
"By the way, you actually went to Dongyue Temple without calling me." Ding Lanlan was excited, her eyes sparkling, and she poked Mu Xue with her elbow, "I heard that you met that guy? How was he? Was he as handsome as the legend said? Was he particularly fierce? I heard that all demon cultivators are cold and fierce."
Is he as handsome as the legend says
Mu Xue recalled the situation inside the shrine. In terms of appearance, Xiaoshan naturally deserved the word handsome.
Is it very fierce
How could he be mean? That child is the most gentle one.
"Ah, I really want to see him in person." Ding Lanlan held her face and sighed.
"I heard that Master Kongji has been to the Demonic Spirit Realm? How did he get there?" Mu Xue asked Ding Lanlan, who knew a little bit about her family's background.
"You used the Demon Passing Array to go there, right?" Ding Lanlan replied, "That has nothing to do with us. It costs a lot to open the Demon Passing Array each time, and only a few sects open it once every ten years or so. Only the elite disciples of each sect can go there. We are still far away."
It turns out that there is a magic circle here that can lead to the demon world
Although it was a long time since the meeting, there was still a chance to meet. After leaving the temple, Mu Xuezhi had been feeling a little depressed, as if something was stuck in her chest. After hearing these words, she felt relieved for some reason.
Ding Lanlan seemed to remember something and shuddered. "I hope I won't be chosen when the Yuxing Formation is opened in the future. I don't want to go to the Demonic Spirit Realm. I heard that place is gloomy and full of monsters and ghosts."
Mu Xue laughed and said, "Didn't you just say you wanted to see what Cen Qianshan looks like?"
"That was just a joke. You don't know that real demon cultivators are very scary." She pretended to scare Mu Xue. "Some of them practice qigong to eat children. They capture many boys and girls and bring them to their homes to eat them all. Are you afraid? There are also some families that respect women. I heard that they practice the Great Joy Qigong, which specifically harms young and handsome men. Your brothers from Xiaoyao Peak should be careful if they go there."
There are no demon cultivators who eat young boys and girls. Mu Xue said in her heart that there are indeed people who buy a large number of mortal children as apprentices and adopted sons. They exploit those children from childhood and treat them harshly, resulting in a very low survival rate for those children. For example, her master and Cen Qianshan's adoptive father are like this. When it comes here, it becomes eating young boys and girls to cultivate.
The Yan family has women as the head of the household and invites men to marry into the family. The Liu family practices the secret method of the Great Joy of Yin and Yang interaction, but it is not all about forced marriages, most of them are monetary transactions under voluntary circumstances.
By the time the rumor reached here, everything had changed.
The distances between different main peaks in Guiyuan Sect are very far apart.
Those inner disciples who have practiced for many years and have profound magical powers all took out their flying magic tools and flew into the air.
Some of them were exquisite round fans, some were flowing silk ribbons, and some were sharp swords. For a moment, the skirts fluttered, the lapels fluttered, and they galloped among the mountains, which was very beautiful.
"I'm so envious. It would be great if I could get a flying magic tool and fly with it." Ding Lanlan said enviously.
"It's okay. My master said that walking, sitting or lying down are all forms of spiritual practice. It's good to walk more." Mu Xue said.
Several young disciples who had just entered the inner sect walked down the steep mountain path hand in hand.
The sound of a tiger roaring came from the forest, and a majestic white tiger stopped in front of them. The ethereal Yunzhong Junzi sat on the tiger's back and said to Mu Xue calmly, "Come up, Master ordered me to pick you up from school."
Mu Xue responded happily, climbed onto the tiger's back, and left her companions behind.
The tiger's roar faded away and disappeared on the top of the mountain in an instant.
"Ah, I'm jealous. Go to hell, your walking, sitting, and lying down are all forms of cultivation."
"Why is the treatment at Xiaoyao Peak so good? In the past, Senior Brother Ye always used leaves to carry her everywhere. Seeing that Senior Brother Ye was injured, he at least walked with us for two days. Now, we have a fairy man like Senior Brother Yun instead."
"Wow, I also want to ride on Senior Brother Yun's white tiger. It's worth it if I can ride on it once in my lifetime."
Mu Xue didn't have time to hear her friends' sour words. She rode the white tiger and quickly landed in the courtyard of Xiaoyao Peak.
Ye Hangzhou was wrapped in a blanket and sitting on the corridor. Miao Honger was standing beside him. The two of them watched their master Su Xingting demonstrate the art of Liu Yao deduction.
"Xiaoxue has finished school. How was the class?" Su Xingting asked with a smile when he saw Mu Xue getting off the white tiger.
"I was the first one to produce a successful pill. I didn't get slapped on the hand this time. Uncle Kongji even praised me a few words." Mu Xue puffed out his chest.
"Not bad, not bad," Su Xingting reached out and touched her little head, "I am teaching you the new fetal breathing technique. Is there anything you don't understand?"
Mu Xue sat down casually next to her senior brothers and sisters and made a hand gesture.
The way she sat was different from the usual way of sitting. She sat like a normal person, holding on to the Confucian teachings.
In a natural state, one hides one's heart in the secret of establishing one's destiny. Although the sounds and colors of the outside world pass through one's ears and eyes for a while, they cannot disturb one's quiet mind.
Soon, she began to breathe out gradually, and her inhalation continued, her breath was as soft as a baby's. The internal Qi gradually stopped coming out, but the external Qi kept coming in. The external breathing in the mouth and nose was forgotten, and the Qi in the Huangting Qi point opened and closed, and the internal breathing continued. Seizing the innate essence, concentrating the mind and gathering the Qi, this is called fetal breathing.
Because she was not practicing the Dragon and Tiger Skill for the time being, her master taught her this new set of fetal breathing skills. She should keep them in mind at all times whether she was walking, sitting or lying down, and not forget to practice.
When walking, calm your mind and energy, and look inward at the qi points. When standing, keep your heels on the ground, breathe in the air, and draw in the air from heaven. Even when sitting or lying down, you should also make sure that the furnace does not leak, the spirit returns to its roots, the breath is nourishing, and you are free and unrestrained in Zhuangzi's land of nothingness.
If one can continue to practice like this for a long time, even if one does not have intercourse with a dragon or tiger and does not take the elixir for the time being, the vital energy in the Huangting will naturally gather and the true essence will naturally condense. The spirit will be full and the energy will be sufficient, the body will be healthy and the mind will be at peace, which is another kind of foundation-building practice.
Su Xingting saw that Mu Xue was sitting casually and seemed to be in a fetal position.
He had grasped the key point that one must not intentionally guard the fetal breathing, nor seek it unintentionally. He could sit and let it happen naturally, without deliberately seeking it, and enter the ideal state of practice anytime and anywhere. He was very satisfied with this young disciple and nodded in praise.
Ye Hangzhou said, "Xiaoxue has reached this level, and I believe she will soon be able to control objects smoothly. Is it time to prepare a flying magic weapon? What kind of magic weapon does Xiaoxue want?"
Miao Honger took out her flying magic weapon, which was a round, shiny iron pot. She showed it off proudly, "Their magic weapons are not as good as mine. Look at my magic weapon, it flies fast, has strong defense, and is very practical on the road. Xiaoxue, why don't you learn from me and make a black iron bowl as a magic weapon. This way, when you and I go out, we can have a pot and a bowl as a set, which is very neat."
Mu Xue shook her head like a rattle: "I don't want it, I don't want it."
Fu Yun said, "If you like my mount, I can go to the Ji Tu Forest to catch a white tiger for you. After taming it, it will be convenient to ride it every day."
Whenever Mu Xue saw a tiger, she would think of the one in her Huangting. When she heard the words "daily riding", her face turned unhappy and she shook her head to refuse.
Ye Hangzhou said, "If you have any favorite items, please tell me. When you recover from your injury in a few days, I will make it for you."
Mu Xue said, "It's okay, it's okay. Brother, just focus on healing. I'm not in a hurry."
Flying in a flying vehicle is nothing new to her. Walking slowly in the mountains and forests every day and practicing martial arts is also a very good thing.
But Su Xingting didn't think so. After the young disciples went up the mountain, who didn't look forward to flying and traveling between heaven and earth? Whether it was Hong'er, Fu Yun, or Hang Zhou, when they first went up the mountain, they all looked forward to this moment.
Xiaoxue'er was too well-behaved. She was always afraid of causing trouble to her teachers. After going up the mountain at a young age, she never asked for anything.
After thinking about it this way, he couldn't help but feel more pity for this youngest disciple, so he took out something from his Qiankun bag.
That thing was a mass of white, as light as cotton wool, as silvery as a pile of snow, but it was actually a white cloud in the sky.
"This is the Yingtian Cloud, which means the clouds on Wushan Mountain after the rain have stopped reflecting the blue sky." He raised his sleeve and floated the cloud in front of Mu Xue. "This is the magic weapon that I used when I was young, but it is no longer of much use. After you entered my sect, you have been respectful, filial, friendly and sensible. I have not yet given you a magic weapon, so I will give you this."
"Xiaoxue, hurry up and take it away. Yingtian Cloud is a good thing." Miao Hong'er patted her hurriedly. "It's fine in other aspects, but it's very powerful in blocking other people's spiritual sense. You can hide in the cloud and fly in the sky. If you don't want to show your figure, no one can find you no matter what you do in it. When I was a kid, I wanted to use it to play hide-and-seek with my fellow apprentices, but Master didn't agree."
Master gave her a magic weapon, and Mu Xue was very happy. She thanked him and accepted the gift. She jumped onto the cloud, and her spirit controlled the weapon, and the white cloud whizzed away.
"He's so impatient. He just said no, but he disappeared in a moment." Miao Honger spread her hands and looked out. "This kid learns quickly. He wasn't afraid of flying for the first time."
"This is what a child looks like." Su Xingting nodded.
From then on, in front of Xiaoyao Peak in Jiulian Mountains, clouds floated over snow, and with a quick look, gods descended several times.
Time flies in the mountains, and years have passed slowly.