The Tao is far away

Outside, a light snowfall was taking place, making a gentle sound hitting the ground.

Inside the dilapidated temple, the fire crackled, forming a sharp contrast with the cold outside.

Wang Chi leaned against a shabby pillar and looked down at Wang Buyan who was sleeping beside him.

Her peaceful sleeping face is like that of an innocent child, making people want to protect her.

Wang Chi gently reached out his hand and lifted up the animal skin covering her body.

The firelight illuminated Wang Chi's dark face, and a deep emotion flashed in his eyes.

The snow was still falling outside, and the fire in the ruined temple continued to burn.

Wang Chi was in a dilemma at this moment. The ripples in his heart gradually calmed down, but the traces left behind forced him to make a choice.

Since leaving that small mountain village, he has been pursuing the path of cultivating immortals. He has only one goal in his mind, which is to break through the shackles, reach a higher realm, and fulfill his promise to Situ.

But now, the appearance of Wang Buyan and her trust and dependence on him have caused subtle changes in his state of mind.

"She trusted me so much that she was willing to risk her life to pursue me."

This trust and dependence gave him an unprecedented feeling in his heart, a sense of responsibility and warmth, which made him want to give up his career as an immortal and spend the rest of his life with her.

"But...Alas!" Wang Chi sighed, and there was a struggle in his heart.

However, if he gave up Wang Buyan, he felt that he could not face his conscience, and could not face this innocent girl.

Was this due to his conscience, or was it because he really had developed feelings for this girl whom he had only known for a short time?

Wang Chi looked up at the fire, the flames dancing in his eyes.

At this time, several footsteps came from outside, breaking Wang Chi's meditation.

With his spiritual sense, he discovered that two immortal cultivators at the peak of Qi Refining were walking in this direction.

Xue Lian keenly noticed the movement and immediately walked to Wang Chi's side, staring at the direction of the door, ready to respond at any time.

After a while, two men covered in snow walked into the dilapidated temple.

Their arrival brought a cold wind and an inexplicable tense atmosphere.

Wang Chi and Xue Lian did not let their guard down, both emitting the aura of peak Qi Refining.

The two men were stunned and looked at each other, as if they had not expected to meet an immortal cultivator in this dilapidated temple.

Then they brushed off the snow on their bodies, revealing their true faces.

An old man with wrinkles all over his face and a middle-aged man with a scruffy beard.

The old man said, "My two Taoist friends, can you let us in to avoid the snow?"

Wang Chi thought for a moment and said, "Come in!"

The two men hurriedly thanked him and closed the door and went in.

The cold wind from outside rushed in as the door opened, breaking the warm atmosphere in the dilapidated temple.

The chill seemed to have reached Wang Buyan's dream as well. She woke up in the uncomfortable cold, opened her eyes, and half sat up.

She found two strangers sitting not far away. She couldn't help feeling nervous and uneasy, and subconsciously moved closer to Wang Chi.

Wang Chi felt the movement around him, turned around and saw Wang Buyan’s clear eyes, and nodded at her.

He also put a piece of monster skin on her to ensure that she could withstand the cold of the night.

He knew very well that as a mortal, Wang Buyan was still in some danger in such extreme weather.

Wang Buyan felt the care from Wang Chi. The warmth not only dispelled the coldness in her body, but also made her feel at ease. She gave Wang Chi a sweet smile.

The old man sitting not far away, with a shrewd look in his eyes, asked, "Are you two Taoist friends also here to participate in the Seizing Order Conference?"

Wang Chi's mind was moved. The Seizing Order Conference? He seemed to have heard Li Xiaoxiao mention this term before, but he knew very little about it, so he asked, "My two fellow Taoists, what is this Seizing Order Conference?"

When the two people on the opposite side heard this, they looked at each other, and a hint of joy flashed in their eyes. They originally thought that Wang Chi and Xue Lian were disciples of a cultivation sect, but now that they knew they were independent cultivators, their vigilance was relaxed a lot. The middle-aged man said, "It seems that you two are independent cultivators like us!"

"This Order Seizing Conference is actually a chance given by the Southern Cultivation World to independent cultivators like us, a chance to enter the major sects!"

He continued to explain: "I heard that those who perform outstandingly can even enter the hidden holy land! This is a rare opportunity. After all, it is almost impossible for us casual cultivators to enter those large sects."

Wang Chi was quite interested in this information and asked, "Performance? How can I perform to enter those sects?"

Seeing that Wang Chi seemed very interested in this matter, the old man began to explain in detail: "If you have outstanding spiritual root aptitude, those sects will naturally scramble to recruit you, but those with poor aptitude do not need to be discouraged, you can still strive for it through fighting in the arena. It is said that as long as you are in the top 50, you can enter those sects."

Wang Chi pondered over this information, but he had already made a decision in his heart.

He would not attend the Order Competition, because he had the internal entry order given to him by Li Xiaoxiao, so he naturally did not need to participate in those fierce fights and competitions.

When the middle-aged man saw that Wang Chi stopped talking, his attention inadvertently shifted to Wang Buyan who was next to Wang Chi.

When he saw Wang Buyan's face, his eyes lit up and he was amazed at her beauty.

His eyes began to become greedy and his breathing became rapid. He was obviously attracted by Wang Buyan's beauty.

The old man next to him noticed the middle-aged man's loss of composure and glared at him.

Seeing this, the middle-aged man waved his hand and a soundproof cover covered the two of them, blocking out the outside sound.

Then he lowered his head and whispered something to the old man next to him.

After hearing this, the old man looked thoughtful and finally nodded.

When the middle-aged man saw this, a look of joy appeared on his face, as if they had reached some consensus.

Although Wang Chi did not deliberately listen to their conversation, he was still aware of the middle-aged man's actions and couldn't help but feel a little alert.

The middle-aged man's gaze still lingered on Wang Buyan. He couldn't help but ask, "Fellow Daoist, who is the girl next to you...?"

Wang Buyan felt the middle-aged man's gaze and subconsciously held Wang Chi's hand.

When Wang Chi heard this, he frowned and said in a displeased tone, "Don't worry about it, fellow Taoist!"

The middle-aged man laughed, and didn't seem to care about Wang Chi's indifference. He said, "My fellow Taoist, how about I give you a spiritual stone and let this mortal be given to me? I promise to treat her well."

As they spoke, the two men actually stood up and walked towards Wang Chi.

Wang Buyan was frightened by this sudden situation and looked at Wang Chi anxiously, not knowing what to do.

Wang Chi felt Wang Buyan's nervousness. He patted Wang Buyan's shoulder gently and said softly, "Don't worry, it's okay!"

Wang Chi stood up and faced the two approaching immortal cultivators. His eyes became cold and his aura changed accordingly.

"I'll say it again, there's no need to bother with your work, please leave, or don't blame me for being rude!"

Although the middle-aged man and the old man were intimidated by Wang Chi's momentum and stopped, they still seemed to be unwilling to give up.

The middle-aged man gritted his teeth and added, "Three, three spirit stones!"

Killing intent emerged in Wang Chi's eyes, and he controlled Xue Lian to attack the two men. The speed was so fast that only a ball of blood could be seen, which was almost impossible to catch.

At the same time, Wang Chi turned around and gently covered Wang Buyan's eyes, not wanting her to see the bloody scene that was about to happen.

……