Super System in the Early Tang Dynasty

Chapter 193

I spent the whole morning waiting behind the Taoist temple.

Li Xingzhi and these young Taoist priests discussed metaphysics and Taoism, and the Ruyi Taoist on the blue stone would occasionally chime in with a few words, so it wasn't boring.

In terms of various unofficial histories and anecdotes, all these Taoist priests combined cannot match Li Xingzhi's extensive recounting; however, when it comes to the profound principles of Taoism, Li Xingzhi can probably only be compared to a few of the lesser figures among them.

So, a group of Taoist priests who were usually ascetic and detached from worldly desires formed a circle, surrounding Li Xingzhi and his two companions, chattering and talking back and forth, making quite a scene.

At the mountaintop, early morning is the best time.

At noon, the sun was scorching, and the wind made people feel hot and lethargic, unwilling to move.

No matter how good the story was, by this time, everyone dispersed in twos and threes, either sitting quietly in the shade or going to the Taoist temple to cool off and rest.

Li Xingzhi, a lazy person who would rather lie down than sit, crawled into the shady spot in the crook of Crane's Tail on Crane Cry Mountain to sleep. The two women also lay listlessly beside him.

As the sun began to set in the west, the warm breeze still made him feel drowsy. Li Xingzhi lay on the soft lap of the beauty, ignoring the angry glare of the girl in red beside him. He squinted his eyes, feeling the natural atmosphere of the cicadas chirping and the sunshine, which was so refreshing that it reached his very bones. It was as if his soul was also light and warm.

Just when Li Xingzhi felt his bones were about to go limp.

"Ding-ding-ding!" A few crisp sounds.

The sound of the zither flowed into the heart like a clear mountain stream. At first, it was deep and expansive, like an ancient echo; gradually, it transformed into a low whisper, delicate and lingering, sometimes high and sometimes low, washing away the weariness of Li Xingzhi, as refreshing as taking a cold shower when the heat was oppressive.

He stood up and looked at the Taoist Ruyi on the blue stone not far away. He saw that the Taoist's beard and hair were now covered with white frost. The original black color had faded and turned gray-white as the sun moved westward.

A strange feeling arose in Li Xingzhi's heart. He moved his lips, but ultimately did not ask anything.

Every day was the same, leisurely and enjoyable, incredibly comfortable. If it weren't for the slightly subpar food, it would truly be a life of paradise.

Over the course of several days, Li Xingzhi's Taoist cultivation improved rapidly. Things he didn't understand before suddenly became clear to him; and the stories he told captivated everyone. Occasionally, when he was in high spirits, Li Xingzhi would act like a storyteller, pulling out a gavel from somewhere and striking it with great gusto, leaving the group of Taoist priests, young and old, completely bewildered.

Even the most beautiful scenery can become tiresome, and even the most leisurely life can become boring.

On this day, Li Xingzhi sat upright in the shade, listening quietly to the zither music.

At this point, the music had lost its initial wow factor and was merely a tune to relieve boredom.

Listening to the zither music, Li Xingzhi felt that something was missing from the sound today. He frowned and thought for a moment, then suddenly slapped his forehead, "Where are those cranes today?"

Just as I was thinking this, a sharp, urgent, and somewhat angry cry of a crane came from the mountain stream at the bottom of the cliff, disturbing the music.

The music suddenly stopped.

Li Xingzhi jumped onto the bluestone, looked down at the cloud-shrouded cliff below, and asked, "Senior, what happened?"

“Every summer and autumn, these cranes disappear for a period of time, but they have never caused such a commotion before.” The old Taoist priest looked down the cliff with his white eyebrows furrowed. The wrinkles that were deepening under the setting sun looked even deeper.

The crane's cry grew louder and more anxious, as if it were furious. The sound was intermittent and could not be clearly heard in the mountain wind.

Hearing the somewhat shrill and anxious cries, Li Xingzhi felt a tightness in his chest.

Over time, he had become quite familiar with the cranes. The two grey cranes, in particular, were very intelligent and endearing. Occasionally, they would catch a few live fish from somewhere and bring them up to whet everyone's appetite.

"I'll go down and take a look!" Li Xingzhi said, ignoring the astonished looks of the people around him, and jumped down from the bluestone. Before long, he disappeared into the clouds.

Li Xingzhi dared to jump off the cliff for two reasons: firstly, he was restless and sought excitement; more importantly, he was highly skilled and daring, and he had recently learned a "flying technique" that he was eager to try.

Regardless of the astonishment, anxiety, and worry of the people on the cliff, Li Xingzhi, who was in mid-air, was not feeling well at the moment.

In a moment of impulsiveness, Li Xingzhi, in a display of extreme swagger and coolness, leaped down amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd. It was truly a straightforward and exhilarating move. However, he hadn't realized that his bird-crossing technique was only half-baked. Coupled with the jagged tiger teeth and fierce winds of the mountain stream, it was difficult for him to perform it properly. So, he was now in a miserable state of freefall in the air.

Fortunately, he had his personal space, a place to escape and save his life, which allowed him to stay calm and keep thinking of a solution.

Before he could come up with a solution, feeling the increasingly rapid descent and the biting wind, he didn't care about anything else and lifted himself up in one breath to lighten his body.

Just then, the Ice Heart Technique, which had been dormant for a long time, began to circulate rapidly. His mind was crystal clear, and he felt everything around him slow down. His meridians and acupoints vibrated in an incredible way. Li Xingzhi felt the life-giving energy, originally belonging to the wood element, flowing through his liver and gallbladder, entering his meridians, and even transforming into a pure and elegant energy that emanated from his body, circulating around him and gradually flowing along the meridians of the Flying Crossing Technique.

As this refreshing energy circulated, Li Xingzhi felt his whole body relax, and the wind that had been cutting his face became gentle and welcoming. Gradually, he felt as if he had become a part of the breath of heaven and earth, able to follow the wind wherever it blew.

When Li Xingzhi opened his eyes, he found himself standing in mid-air, his whole body filled with a strange aura that resonated with the gale-force winds of the cliff, and his body swayed gently with the wind.

"Is this flying?"

Li Xingzhi stretched out his arms as if embracing heaven and earth, overwhelmed by a sudden and intense joy and emotion.

“This is flying.” He felt the wind slipping through his fingers. “This is the sound of the wind.”

What a feeling of emotion and joy it must be when a creature that has been bound to the earth finally experiences the freedom of flying.

This is something that no aircraft can ever carry.

Perhaps it is this yearning for and dedication to the sky that makes Li Xingzhi so eager to jump down.

A sharp, anxious cry from a crane pulled Li Xingzhi from his blissful reverie.

He wobbled and struggled to control himself as he rapidly sank into the clouds.

Below the cliff, the air became increasingly humid, and clothes were soaked by the mist. Gradually, the roar of water crashing against the rock face became clearly audible.

Finally, we reached the bottom of the clouds.

Beneath the veil of clouds and mist, the scene was not as gloomy as Li Xingzhi had imagined. Instead, it blocked out the sun's rays, leaving only a warm and pleasant atmosphere. On the nearby cliff face, grasses grew lush and flowers bloomed, and trees flourished, making it an ideal place for plants to thrive.

The roar of the water made Li Xingzhi quickly look down, only to see two large caves facing each other between the two mountains, deep and dark with no way out. A roaring silver dragon emerged from one cave and darted into the other, leaving only its long body angrily and fiercely slapping the cliff wall, making a sound like thunder.

Although this place is a narrow mountain stream, it exudes a unique grandeur that inspires a sense of pride!

He wanted to look again, but the faint, sharp cry of the crane suddenly rang out in his ears, piercing his ears.

Li Xingzhi turned his head to look in the direction of the sound, only to see an extremely thick tree spanning the mountain stream.

The tree was enormous; it would take three or five people to encircle it to form its shape. The tree was less than ten feet above the roaring, silvery waves, its roots intertwined and covered in moss; its branches and leaves were not lush, but each leaf was as clear as jade; among the jade-green leaves, three or five small red fruits were hidden.

Several cranes were perched on the tree. If it weren't for the conspicuous white crane and the two grey cranes standing in front of them, plus Li Xingzhi's excellent eyesight, they would have been hard to spot.

Li Xingzhi rode the wind, and as he drew closer, he discovered that one of the white cranes was missing, and the others were covered in blood. Looking at the thousand-year-old crane, its feathers were disheveled and it looked extremely wretched.

He looked at the cranes, who seemed to be facing a formidable enemy, and surveyed his surroundings, but he couldn't find the enemy the flock was confronting.

At this moment, a crane in the lead stood up, its feathers bristling, exuding a powerful aura. It turned its head to look behind it and saw Li Xingzhi standing there. Only then did it relax and let out a soft cry, as if greeting him.

Just as the crane was about to turn its head back, suddenly, water burst forth, and a huge hole exploded in the roaring silver dragon's body. A black python as thick as a water bucket leaped out, taking advantage of the water's force, and bit at the crane in front of it!

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