Lao Tzu is Ji Gong

"Hahahahaha..."

Chenxiang, in a huff, threw down the firewood he was holding to start a fire and cook. Not far away, the two were chasing and playing, their laughter like silver bells. He had now become their personal caretaker. Before, Xiaoyu would cook, but now…

"I quit! You'll all starve to death!" Chenxiang lay down on his back, enjoying the shade under the big tree. The shade of the tree above him stretched all the way to the river in front of him, bursting forth under the scorching sun.

Chenxiang misses Xiaotianquan, that silly dog, terribly. He still feels a sense of presence whenever Xiaotianquan comes around, but he hasn't seen him for three months since his master knocked him out with a Heavenly Thunder Palm.

After lying down with his eyes closed for a while, Chenxiang sat up and yelled at the two heartless kids who were running further and further away, "Master! Xiaoyu! Come back, it's time for us to practice!"

If he didn't practice his skills, Chenxiang felt like he would become like a piece of wood and be ruined.

The two of them kept arguing and ran even further away.

Chenxiang stood up, focused his energy in his dantian, and gathered true qi from his internal organs, all of which poured out of his mouth. "Master!!!! I want to learn new moves!"

Li Xiuyuan stopped chasing, looked up at the sky, and asked, "Xiaoyu, I think I heard Chenxiang's voice."

"Oh? Really?" Xiaoyu looked innocent and skipped over to him. "I guess they're calling us back for dinner. Master, let's go quickly."

After saying that, he ran back excitedly.

"Master, come and chase me! It's so much fun!"

"Xiaoyu, slow down."

"Hahahahaha..."

When the two ran back to their original spot, they saw Chenxiang standing under the tree, head down, his face in shadow, a fist punching the tree, the atmosphere frighteningly low.

"Agarwood?" Li Xiuyuan asked tentatively.

"Hey," Xiaoyu nudged Chenxiang's shoulder and whispered, "You're acting really strange today."

Chenxiang, his face grim, suddenly moved, startling the two of them into taking a big step back.

"Master, let me ask you, how long has it been since you last coached someone?" Li Xiuyuan asked in a low voice, his head still buried in the shadows.

Li Xiuyuan counted on his fingers and replied, "About five days..."

"Master...do you know that indulging in frivolous pursuits leads to the loss of one's ambition..."

Chenxiang raised his head, put his hands behind his back, and faced the two of them, his face full of sorrow and concern for the country and its people.

Xiaoyu said, "Chenxiang, every time you speak like that, you're always very fierce afterwards."

"Heh! You little ungrateful fox, stand over there!" Li Xiuyuan instantly transformed into a demon, picked up the firewood he had just thrown down, and pointed it at the sun's hottest spot.

"why?"

"Chenxiang, what's wrong?"

"What's wrong? Of course, it's time to practice martial arts! Master, how long has it been since you taught me martial arts! Junior Sister too, she's been indulging in play these past few days and probably forgot how to practice martial arts. Why don't we start practicing from the basics again together?" After saying that, Chenxiang stopped talking and began to practice his horse stance.

Li Xiuyuan had no idea what was wrong with Chenxiang. He was fine before, so why did he become so irritable today?

However, seeing his expression, Xiaoyu had no choice but to obediently walk to the position designated by Chenxiang without arguing, and skillfully assumed a horse stance. Li Xiuyuan followed her.

It was incredibly hot all around. It was the middle of the day, and there wasn't a breath of wind. It was so noisy that soon Chenxiang and Xiaoyu were covered in sweat, their faces were flushed, and their eyes were so stung by the sunlight and sweat that they could barely keep them open.

In contrast, Li Xiuyuan remained calm and composed, his face unchanged, without a trace of sweat, and he was even humming a little tune.

"Master, why aren't you hot?" Xiaoyu asked.

“I know,” Chenxiang said, taking a deep breath, “Master is more resistant to heat.”

"Oh."

Li Xiuyuan had gotten used to Chenxiang's nonsensical quick answers. The three of them had been hanging out together for over a year, and they even knew exactly how many moles each of them had.

Chapter 1168 Interesting Stories of Cultivation

Li Xiuyuan smiled mysteriously and said, "Master has divine skills protecting him. Today, I will pass on this skill to you so that you won't be unable to resist when you fall into the illusion of extreme heat and cold in the future."

"Master is so amazing, please teach us quickly!" Xiaoyu, being the most clever, immediately started flattering him.

Upon hearing that he could finally practice a new technique, Chenxiang's previously gloomy expression changed, and he hurriedly said, "Yes, yes, Master is truly the most amazing master in the world."

Li Xiuyuan couldn't help but beam with excitement. "Stop flattering me, get into a proper stance, and do as I say."

"The first step is to boost your morale."

Li Xiuyuan stared at the two of them and saw a red, furry object float up and sway from side to side.

"Xiaoyu, I told you to raise your spirits, not to show your tail." Li Xiuyuan sighed.

Xiaoyu smiled shyly, her expression mischievous, and replied, "It's too hot, so my tail came out by itself."

"Hurry up and put it away," Li Xiuyuan said helplessly.

"The second step is to concentrate and listen attentively." Li Xiuyuan closed his eyes.

Chenxiang closed his eyes and asked, "What are you listening to?"

“Temperature, the sound of the wind, and the breathing of all things,” he answered slowly.

After a long while, he opened his eyes and said, "The essence of this method lies in listening and understanding the growth patterns of all things, from flourishing to decay and disappearance. Everything has its own destiny, and what you need to do now is to decipher this destiny and apply it to yourselves."

"What do you mean?" Chenxiang was a little confused.

“I understand,” Xiaoyu smiled and explained to Chenxiang, “All things are born and die; this is the law of nature.”

"Just like when we are in a very hot environment, we feel hot, and when we are in a very cold environment, we feel cold. This is a normal phenomenon."

"But we need to see through the phenomena to the essence, find the laws governing all of this, and then adjust and disrupt them ourselves. Naturally, we can be as calm and composed as our master, handling things with ease."

"Hmm, not bad." Li Xiuyuan nodded. It seems that Xiaoyu is indeed worthy of being a descendant of the fox clan; her comprehension ability is just that strong.

Chenxiang was puzzled, and asked with a blank expression and a furrowed brow, "So, according to this, as long as one knows this kind of magic, one can even bring the dead back to life?"

Li Xiuyuan frowned, put on a stern face, and said, "As Xiaoyu just said, all things are born and die; this is the law of nature."

"No life can exist in a static state; all things are born and die, and this is the correct order."

"Then... what about the gods?" Chenxiang asked. Aren't the eight million gods supposed to exist forever? Are they also subject to birth and death, or are they immortal like in the legends?

Li Xiuyuan looked at the sky, then at him, and laughed, "They have long lifespans, but they will all die one day."

"Alright, hurry up and practice your skills. I'm telling you two, never use this kind of magic to do anything against the law. It's best not to use it in your daily lives either, because the karmic consequences are very heavy." Li Xiuyuan picked up the firewood and gently tapped the two of them on the head.

Upon hearing this, Chenxiang used his true essence to perceive the outside world. Gradually, he could understand the rhythm of each gentle breeze, and even hear the whispers of the grass and trees. He could see a tender bud break through the soil and then quickly grow into a towering tree. The mystery within was easily understood!

Xiaoyu twirled the fire poker, on which were skewered two fragrant roasted pheasants. She placed the poker on the makeshift barbecue grill, turned to look at Li Xiuyuan, who was sleeping soundly under the tree, her face full of worry, and asked, "Master, Chenxiang has been standing there for three or four hours. Will something happen to him?"

Xiaoyu learns things very quickly, and her comprehension ability far surpasses that of Chenxiang!

Chenxiang was still immersed in his own world, while Xiaoyu was almost ready for dinner.

It was already dark. Apart from the moonlight and the campfire next to Xiaoyu, there was no other light source for miles around. Chenxiang still stood there, like a stone statue, motionless.

“It’s alright,” Li Xiuyuan said, shifting his position as he lay down. “Back then, I practiced this for half an hour. Even if he stood there for five or six days without eating or drinking, it would be normal.”

"How did you learn so fast?" Li Xiuyuan yawned. Although Xiaoyu had some talent, it wasn't enough to be this fast.

Xiaoyu turned back to spin the fire poker and said, "Grandma taught me a little before, so I learned it relatively quickly. Moreover, the most basic thing for us demons to cultivate is to learn to communicate with all things."

What else did your maternal grandmother teach you?

"My grandma also taught me... that if you don't eat the pheasant when it's roasted to this extent, it will burn."

Li Xiuyuan suddenly opened his eyes.

At the same time, Chenxiang also suddenly opened his eyes.

He seemed to understand what his master meant...

Now that you understand, the spell is complete.

"Master, I understand, and I know what you mean!"

Chenxiang laughed like a child and ran towards Li Xiuyuan, while Li Xiuyuan ran towards the pheasant, completely ignoring his cheap apprentice's calls.

Chenxiang sat down next to Xiaoyu, warming his hands by the fire, and looked at Li Xiuyuan with a smile, saying, "I already understand what Master means, and I know the order and reverse order of the growth of all things."

"If you understand, that's enough. If people only live in the most comfortable state, it would be too boring. There is joy and sorrow, flesh and blood. One must experience all the joys and sorrows, the separations and deaths, the ups and downs, to make a life worthwhile."

Li Xiuyuan's mouth was covered in oil; the little fox's cooking was truly delicious. Li Xiuyuan's mind was completely absorbed by the roast chicken in front of him, and he rambled on incoherently about a bunch of grand theories. The firelight cast shadows on his face, making his light and shadow very distinct. Chenxiang looked at him and grinned foolishly.

"Master knows so much."

Li Xiuyuan glanced at him furtively, thinking to herself: What a silly little fool.

The three of them were enjoying their chicken, but Chenxiang slowly put down the chicken leg in his hand, even slowing down his chewing. Seeing this, Xiaoyu quickly asked, "Chenxiang, what's wrong?"

"I miss my dad."

Li Xiuyuan couldn't help but laugh and said, "How big a young man you are, still missing your father."

Chapter 1169 Visiting Liu's Father

First

Chenxiang shook her head, looked at Li Xiuyuan, and said, "I don't know why, but I always feel that something is going to happen to my father. I don't know what's wrong with me, but I suddenly felt extremely panicked just now. Master, let's go back and see Father."

Li Xiuyuan felt suppressed and ignored him.

Chenxiang raised his voice a few more octaves, "Master, let's go back and come back after we've seen Father."

"master!"