socalfunplaces Page 15
Page 15
Zhang Yunyuan dared not delay for a moment. After identifying the direction, he ran as fast as he could towards the mosquito-free village marked on the map.
In the darkness of night, that small figure, like a wisp of smoke merging into the darkness, disappeared into the vast mountains and forests.
Chapter 15 The True Lord's Preaching Ground
The night wind howled, drawing long, drawn-out cries in my ears.
Zhang Yunyuan's figure darted through the mountains and forests, as fast as a ghost.
With the Great Ruyi Force fully activated, every step he took contained powerful explosive force, and with a light tap, his figure could leap more than ten meters away.
This experience is novel and exciting, as if you have broken free from the constraints of your physical body and are riding the wind.
Half an hour later, he finally ran out of the Longhu Mountain area and arrived at the Luxi River at the foot of the mountain.
The sound of flowing water was especially clear in the quiet night.
He stopped and leaned against a large tree, breathing slightly heavily.
Nearly 40% of the Qi in my body has been consumed.
There were more than expected, so it seems that the "divine speed" technique is still quite a burden for him at the moment.
He took out the tattered animal hide map from his pocket and carefully discerned the directions by the faint moonlight.
About five miles upstream along the Luxi River, at a bend in the river, there is a flat area surrounded by low hills.
That was his destination: a mosquito-free village.
Zhang Yunyuan put away the map and, instead of taking the official road, continued along the dense forest by the river.
Along the way, the summer night was filled with the buzzing of mosquitoes, and moths would occasionally fly towards his body to absorb the negligible heat.
But the closer he got to the area marked on the map, the sparser the chirping of insects became.
After walking for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, he passed through a dense bamboo forest, and suddenly the view opened up before him.
A quiet village appeared under the moonlight.
With its earthen walls and black tiles, dozens of households slept soundly in the night, creating a scene as tranquil as a traditional Chinese ink painting.
Strangely, as soon as you step into this area, the mosquitoes around you vanish without a trace, and you can't even hear a frog croaking.
The air was filled with an indescribable sense of cleanliness, carrying a subtle, pure masculine energy.
Ordinary people might just find the air here fresh and the climate cool and pleasant.
However, for someone like Zhang Yunyuan, who possesses pure Daoist Qi, this feeling is exceptionally pronounced.
The Golden Light Mantra and Yang Five Thunder Qi within his body involuntarily became active, as if drawn and resonated by some kind of shared power.
According to the information he found in the old archives of Longhu Mountain, Wuwen Village was once the place where Xu Zhenjun, the founder of the Jingming Sect, preached during the Eastern Jin Dynasty.
Xu Zhenjun studied under Zhang Daoling, the first Celestial Master of Longhu Mountain, for decades and deeply grasped the essence of Taoist magic.
He then returned to his hometown in glory and founded the Jingming Sect, which had a great influence in the Jiangxi region and was revered as "Master Xu".
Legend has it that when Xu Zhenjun preached and spread his teachings in this place, he found the area hot and humid, filled with miasma and plagued by mosquitoes, causing great suffering to the people.
Feeling compassion, he used his finger as a brush to draw a powerful incantation on a boulder at the village entrance, a spell that meant "to drive away evil spirits and purify filth."
The power of the incantation seeped into the rocks and spread throughout the world, completely altering the magnetic field of this place.
Not only do mosquitoes, insects, snakes, and ants dare not approach, but even some low-level "qi monsters" and "filthy things" that rely on yin and filth to survive will be driven away or purified by this invisible pure yang power.
Over a thousand years, the world has changed dramatically.
The giant rock inscribed with the incantation has long since disappeared, but the powerful incantation has completely permeated this land and its people.
This is what made this famous "mosquito-free village" so well-known.
Zhang Yunyuan walked slowly into the village, his feet treading on the stone path that was shimmering silver-gray in the moonlight.
He could feel that the closer he got to the center of the village, the stronger the pure masculine energy became.
[Ding! Location detected: Place where the True Lord preaches - Mosquito-Free Village.]
[Should I check in?]
Zhang Yunyuan was overjoyed and silently recited the mantra without hesitation.
【Check-in successful! 】
[Congratulations, host, on receiving the reward: Purification Dao Body (Entry-level)!]
The moment the system notification sound ended.
An indescribable, pure and pristine sense of "purification" descended from the void like the purest rain from the heavens, instantly enveloping his entire body and permeating inward!
That is not the infusion of energy, but a kind of cleansing and transformation at the source level.
Zhang Yunyuan felt as if his internal organs, limbs, and bones had been repeatedly wiped clean by an invisible hand with the purest spring water.
The impurities and turbidity deep within the body, produced by the consumption of grains and other foods, are completely dissolved and vanished under the cleansing force of this "purification."
His body became clearer and cleaner than ever before.
More importantly, he became unusually sensitive to all kinds of "negative" energy.
For example, toxins, miasma, evil energy, resentment...
In his current perception, these things are as clear as fireflies in the dark, and they instinctively evoke feelings of repulsion and disgust in him.
At the same time, his body has developed a preliminary resistance to these negative energies.
Ordinary miasma could no longer penetrate his body.
Even if ordinary poisons are ingested, most of them will be neutralized by this "Purifying Dao Body".
Zhang Yunyuan understood.
This "Purifying Dao Body" is simply the nemesis of all evil and poisonous things!
If one could cultivate this Dao Body to its perfect state, one could truly become impervious to all magic and poisons!
This risk was totally worth it!
Zhang Yunyuan felt a complete transformation in his body, and his heart was filled with joy.
He glanced at the sky and dared not linger any longer.
We must get back to Longhu Mountain before dawn!
Chapter 16 The Hanging Coffin of Immortal Peak
Having successfully checked in, Zhang Yunyuan dared not slack off in the slightest.
He estimated the time; it was already the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), and there was at most an hour and a half until dawn.
He pushed the Great Ruyi Force to its limit, transforming once again into a streak of light in the night, and returned to Longhu Mountain with all his might, following the path he had come from.
The consumption of the Great Ruyi Force is enormous.
When he quietly slipped back into his room, the sky was already beginning to lighten.
He was almost completely exhausted, with more than 90% of his vital energy depleted. His muscles ached all over, and his legs felt as heavy as if they were filled with lead.
He quickly took off his night clothes and hid them, changed into a Taoist robe, and collapsed onto the bed, too weak to even move a finger.
He fell into a deep sleep almost the instant his head hit the pillow.
As soon as dawn broke, Tian Jinzhong got up on time.
He glanced at Zhang Yunyuan's bed out of habit, and what he saw startled him.
Zhang Yunyuan's face was deathly pale, his lips were cracked, and his forehead was covered with a fine layer of cold sweat.
He looked as if he had been pulled out of the water, his brows furrowed tightly, as if he were suffering immense pain even in his sleep.
"Little junior brother!"
Tian Jinzhong was shocked and rushed over to touch his forehead.
It was icy cold to the touch and covered in damp, cold sweat.
"What's going on here?"
Tian Jinzhong was extremely anxious. He checked Zhang Yunyuan's breathing and found it to be weak but relatively steady, which relieved him slightly.
He examined him carefully but found no external injuries. He assumed that his junior brother had practiced too hard last night, exhausting his mind and body.
"Sigh, this kid is working way too hard."
Tian Jin felt extremely sorry for Zhang Yunyuan. He brought him hot water and carefully wiped Zhang Yunyuan's body with a towel, then tucked him in to make him more comfortable.
"No, I have to talk to Senior Brother Huaiyi today. We must reduce Junior Brother's workload so he can get some rest. His body can't take this much training."
Tian Jinzhong made the decision to himself.
While still asleep, Zhang Yunyuan vaguely felt the care he received from Senior Brother Tian, and thought to himself, "That was close," he had managed to get away with it.
Zhang Yunyuan's first successful escape at night greatly boosted his confidence and courage.
For the next month, he outwardly "followed" Tian Jinzhong's arrangements, reduced his homework, and "recharged his energy" every day.
In reality, he was secretly consolidating the benefits brought by the "Purification of the Dao Body" and accumulating Qi in preparation for the next action.
A month later, on another dark and windy night.
Zhang Yunyuan quietly descended the mountain again, this time his target being Shangqing Ancient Town, not far from Longhu Mountain.
According to the records of Longhu Mountain, this place has a long history. During the Zhenghe period of the Northern Song Dynasty, Zhang Jixian, the 30th Celestial Master, was ordered by Emperor Huizong to carry out a large-scale construction project here, building the "Shangqing Temple" and opening many Taoist temples.
That peerless genius, known as the "Little Celestial Master," once observed the stars at night here and comprehended the profound truths of the universe.
He once secluded himself here for meditation and eventually drew the groundbreaking "Five Thunder Talisman Method" outline; he also achieved perfect merit here and ascended to immortality.
It can be said that every inch of Shangqing Ancient Town is imbued with the Taoist spirit left behind by that extraordinary and brilliant Taoist master.
Zhang Yunyuan arrived at the ancient town and stepped onto the smooth bluestone road worn smooth by time.
He could clearly sense a faint trace of thunder magic energy lingering in the air, originating from the same source as Longhu Mountain but even more ethereal, resonating with the Yang Thunder Qi within his body.
[Ding! Check-in location detected: Shangqing Ancient Town, the place where the Celestial Master ascended to immortality. Check-in successful!]