A Tale of Encounters with Immortals: A Peach Blossom Temple in the Martial World

Peace of mind?

Haha, how can I go into seclusion in peace?

Do you want me to go in peace?

However, now that they needed someone, Qingyangzi's abilities surpassed those of the other disciples in the Taoist temple. After all, he was precocious and came from a family with a long tradition of scholarship; for example, his accounting skills far surpassed Hu Yunying's.

At least for now, I haven't found any loopholes in the ledger.

Don't use people with suspicion, don't use people who are suspicious.

What a fine disciple of this master!

Qingyangzi hadn't left yet, and hesitantly asked a question.

"Master, I have a question... why do immortals only need a few days to go into seclusion? Aren't they usually in seclusion for hundreds or thousands of years? The ancient 'Record of Seeking Gods' records... that someone went into seclusion for a hundred thousand years..."

Zhang Zhengdao glanced at him sideways: "The more dull-witted someone is, the longer they stay in seclusion, the worse their comprehension becomes. Seclusion for 100,000 years... Haha, if you were buried in the ground, you'd be a fossil when you dug it up. What's the point of talking about seclusion then... You wouldn't understand even if I explained. My seclusion wasn't for cultivation, but for clear thinking. Just to ponder things."

Qingyangzi was greatly shocked and tentatively asked, "Then... Master's current cultivation level..."

Zhang Zhengdao looked up at the sky and said, "The world is governed by the Way, and it begins with me."

Qingyangzi was filled with rage and was about to ask more when he saw Zhang Zhengdao wave his hand.

"Don't ask anymore, you'll understand in time. Go, go!"

Qingyangzi had no choice but to leave.

After Qingyangzi left, Zhang Zhengdao said to Hu Yunying, who was serving him, "Go and get the jade stone that Elder Qin gave me from my room. I have a use for it."

Hu Yunying quickly went to get it.

Zhang Zhengdao took the jade, examined it, and then walked into the makeshift alchemy room. He said to Zhu Jingyan, who was studying fire-based magic, "Light the furnace and start the fire."

Zhu Jingyan nodded and said crisply, "Yes, Abbot."

The furnace was turned on, and Zhang Zhengdao put the jade into it.

He said to Zhu Jingyan, "Use the heart fire to burn for three hours, stop for one hour, then use the heart fire to burn for two hours, stop for one hour, and finally use the heart fire to burn for one hour. After it goes out, wait for one hour before you can open the furnace."

After saying that, Zhang Zhengdao threw a talisman into the furnace.

After finishing all this, he clapped his hands and said to Hu Yunying, "Tomorrow you will see the treasure I made for you."

Hu Yunying: "Sir, I've also thought of one myself."

Zhang Zhengdao said, "Alright, consider this a reward for you. Just tell me what kind of treasures you want to refine later."

The abbot has finally started refining treasures again.

Today we're starting to refine magical artifacts for Aunt Hu, which has made the people who went out last time very excited.

Qin Shouzhong felt that Xiaoyaozi, having acquired a sword, didn't really want to forge another. However, after much thought, he decided it would be better to forge a sword after all.

Guo Lanying wanted to forge a soft whip.

Qingxuzi, on the other hand, wanted a water-fire stick.

Liu Yunfei could also obtain a treasure. After much thought and consulting with fellow disciples who had previously obtained treasures, he finally decided that he wanted to forge a long spear.

The Qingcheng School is not only known for its swordsmanship, but also for its Nine-Plate Spear Technique, which is equally famous.

However, long spears are not easy to carry, causing inconvenience when traveling the martial world, and therefore they are rarely known in the martial world. But even if the Nine-Plate Spear Technique is profound, if it is not used by someone with profound skill, who has reached the pinnacle of cultivation, and who has extraordinary comprehension, it will appear mediocre.

In reality, martial arts skill lies not only in the level of technique, but also in the user's comprehension.

Once you reach the level of the Five Greats in martial arts, not only swords, but any object you pick up can become an unparalleled weapon of destruction.

Just as when Liu Yunfei consulted Xiaoyaozi Ye Jianxian, Xiaoyaozi uttered a profound truth.

When your martial arts skills reach the point where you can defeat others without using any moves, it doesn't matter whether the moves are sword techniques or spear techniques.

That is a martial arts style that is in harmony with nature.

This kind of understanding has a certain feeling of following the natural way.

Therefore, Ye Jianxian's Xiaoyao Sect is actually more inclined towards the Taoist cultivation sect.

It's not just about practicing martial arts, but also about cultivating one's character.

During this time, Liu Yunfei was diligently practicing his spear technique again, and with the guidance of Xiaoyaozi, he made rapid progress, while his swordsmanship became useless to him.

The furnace for refining treasures is something everyone is eagerly anticipating.

This time, in particular, was the first time the abbot had refined a treasure after going into seclusion.

So on the day the treasure was being refined, everyone in the temple except for a few who had secretly run away came to watch. Those who had already obtained the treasures, in particular, had very mixed feelings.

They wanted to see the abbot create even more powerful treasures, but they also didn't want the abbot to give those treasures to others.

The whole experience was even more nerve-wracking than those who were waiting for their babies to be born.

The baby needed to be refined for nine hours, so they watched over it by the furnace for nine hours.

No one went out to cook during that time.

Hu Yunying, who used to be the main cook, simply moved a stool and sat down next to the treasure-making workshop to watch. Except for going to the outhouse once, she stayed there as a resident.

From noon to sunset, from sunset to moonrise, from moonrise to sunrise.

Qingyangzi sat on a small stool and kept dozing off.

Although he is the senior student, as a child, his ability to stay up all night is not as strong as that of an adult.

But seeing the senior brother drooling while sleeping, none of them wanted to remind him.

Zhang Zhengdao stretched and got up.

He made a lot of noise getting up, so Hu Yunying, who was guarding the alchemy furnace, heard it and quickly came over to fetch water for Zhang Zhengdao to wash his face. Now that the female corpse was gone, Hu Yunying was in charge of doing such things.

After washing up, Zhang Zhengdao tidied himself up and took the breakfast that Guo Lanying had brought.

It's just some spring rolls, steamed buns with sesame oil, chicken porridge, steamed sponge cake, chopped rice cake, osmanthus tea, and the like, plus a bowl of mushroom and minced meat soup.

I only ate a few bites of each item to get a taste.

Although Zhang Zhengdao had long been able to abstain from grains, he couldn't simply become an immortal without being human. Deep down, he wasn't an immortal who had undergone hundreds or thousands of years of cultivation and refinement; he had all the greed, anger, and ignorance of the mortal world.

Moreover, he was unwilling to be a detached and ascetic immortal.

It's like a joke I used to hear on Earth.

A man went to consult a doctor about how to live a long life. The doctor asked him if he smoked, and he answered no. The doctor then asked if he drank alcohol, and he answered no. Finally, the doctor asked if he was womanizing, and he answered no. The doctor then said, "Since you don't smoke, don't drink, and aren't womanizing, what's the point of living?"

Therefore, Zhang Zhengdao believed that if people had no desires, then life would no longer be life.

Lao Tzu became an immortal so that he could do whatever he wanted.

This is what he often told his disciples: "Cultivating the Tao is about achieving a state of clear thinking."

The young Taoist Zhu Jingyan exhaled his last breath of inner fire, then waited quietly for the appointed time to open the furnace.

Zhang Zhengdao walked over leisurely, followed by Hu Yunying.

He walked to the alchemy furnace, touched it, and felt that it was almost ready. He clapped his hands, and with a "thud," the furnace lid opened. Zhang Zhengdao caught it and placed it aside.

They climbed up the ladder and saw a bead in the furnace.

A move of the hand.

The bead floated in the air, then followed Zhang Zhengdao down the stairs, hovering above his palm.

"Hu Yunying, drip your blood!"

Hu Yunying immediately bit her finger, but instead of drawing blood, the fluorescent bead absorbed it without hesitation.

A line of blood formed in the air.

It was only a few drops of blood that landed on the crystal bead, and then the blood disappeared. It was as if the bead had absorbed it.

Hu Yunying's mind went blank for a moment.

Just as she was about to cover her ears with her hands, an image of the bead suddenly appeared in her mind. When she looked again at the bead floating in the air, it had disappeared.

It was in my mind, and then the thought flashed through my mind.

The bead reappeared in front of everyone.

"what--"

Hu Yunying let out a short "Ah," followed by overwhelming joy, and tears streamed down her face.

This is the real treasure.

Recognize the Lord with blood!

The legendary treasures in mythology are said to become one with their owners after a drop of blood is poured on them to recognize their master.

Zhang Zhengdao smiled at her: "Yunying!"

"My lord! I am here!"

Respectfully, this time Hu Yunying showed no sign of trying to be coquettish. Knowing the value of this treasure, she felt grateful, a feeling different from begging for discipline.

"I will teach you the method of controlling and using the Spirit Pearl. This Spirit Pearl is extremely powerful, so do not use it lightly. Do not use it casually unless your life is in danger, otherwise it will cause chaos and violate the laws of heaven."

Zhang Zhengdao spoke these words with a solemn expression.

Hu Yunying also bowed respectfully.

"I humbly accept your instruction!"

So Zhang Zhengdao extended a finger and touched Hu Yunying's forehead. Instantly, a mysterious stream of words rushed into her mind, and she understood many methods.

Hu Yunying's expression shifted rapidly, from intense joy to calm.

Qingyangzi, who was already awake, asked quietly with drool at the corner of his mouth, "Master, why doesn't our treasure absorb blood to recognize its master?"

"Blood oath!" Xiaoyaozi reminded him with a forlorn expression.

His prized possession was the Crimson Dragon Sword. After it was forged, he tried to bind it to his master with a drop of blood, but the blood was wasted.

It seems this treasure is on a completely different level.

Those who had previously crafted the treasures all looked dejected.

Upon seeing this, Zhang Zhengdao couldn't help but scold, "Aren't you going to pull yourselves together? Your treasures aren't incapable of recognizing a master. They just need to be nurtured. I have a method for nurturing magical treasures here, which I will teach you later."

Everyone was overjoyed.

They bowed to Zhang Zhengdao in unison and said, "May the Abbot live ten thousand years, and may his magical powers be boundless!"

Zhang Zhengdao: ...