Starting Cultivation During a Trip

Chapter 547 - 270: Qin Ergou of Toad Treasure Mountain! Northern Emperor’s Great Banner_2

"I saw them before, just some energy techniques to strengthen the body, nothing special," Qi Delong shook his head.

What was called "Fishing Toad Qi," he had witnessed the last time he came.

"The Daoist said it’s a very powerful Daoist Skill..." Qin Ergou’s ears perked up, hearing Qi Delong’s evaluation, and quickly added.

"How powerful?" Qi Delong chuckled.

"The Daoist said, it’s powerful depending on who practices it, when they practice it... When the time is right, it becomes very powerful..." Qin Ergou murmured softly.

"How powerful... how powerful..."

Qin Ergou’s eyes flashed with a hint of reminiscence.

"Oh, right, the Daoist said, if mastered..."

"It can swallow the sun and moon, reverse Yin and Yang!"

"A toad yawning, blowing hot air," Qi Dongqiang couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

"Enough, stop laughing." Qi Delong’s voice rang out, and his smile suddenly faded.

Qin Ergou watched in stunned silence, bewildered.

"Er Gou, let’s take a break here, help me fill these two water bags," Qi Delong said casually.

"Brother Qi, you’re heading into the mountains again? This time..." Qin Ergou’s eyes lit up.

Following Qi Delong for a trip, he could earn twenty red notes.

"This time, we don’t need a guide."

Qi Delong chuckled, patting Qin Ergou’s shoulder, and the latter sighed softly, a hint of disappointment showing.

"Help me pack some liangtou, we’ll eat on the way."

Qi Delong took out five red notes from his pocket and handed them to Qin Ergou.

"Brother, that’s too much, liangtou don’t cost that much," Qin Ergou said anxiously.

He wanted to earn money but only what he felt he deserved, five hundred yuan for liangtou was enough to eat from the beginning to the end of the year.

"Just take it if I give it to you." Qi Delong was quite fond of the honest lad from the mountain village.

With his cultivation level, he could already practice fasting, not eating or drinking for half a month wouldn’t be a problem, resting here, getting liangtou and filling water bags was solely for Qin Ergou’s sake.

"Thank you, Brother, I’ll go pack the liangtou for you," Qin Ergou accepted the red notes with a cheerful grin, turning to sprint towards the nearby house emitting smoke.

"Let’s go, sit down for a rest."

Qi Delong, quite accustomed to the place, led Zhang Fan into a thatched cottage.

The cottage wasn’t big, and the furnishings were rather shabby, with a dirty Daoist Robe hanging on the wall and basic Daoist Family classic books on the table.

"Is he still a Daoist?" Zhang Fan casually flipped through the pages.

"He’s not."

Qi Delong shook his head and said, "When Er Gou was very young, his grandfather tried to send him to Zhongnan Mountain to learn the Dao..."

"Unfortunately, he was too young at the time, and they didn’t accept him. Even after he grew up, he approached several mountain gates but didn’t have the right fate."

Nowadays, becoming a Daoist isn’t something one can do easily, especially for cultivation, it requires not only qualification, talent, and opportunity but also exams.

There are three major theoretical subjects, then there are interviews, and one’s academic background is also considered.

Especially places like Zhongnan Mountain, which are double-first-class Sects; entry isn’t casual.

"Er Gou has taken the exams seven or eight times, he probably won’t have the chance in his lifetime," Qi Delong said casually.

"Why don’t you take him under your wing if you care so much about him?" Zhang Fan asked seriously, "Your Laojun Mountain is also a famous Daoist Sect."

"Everyone has their own fate. Since he was born here and grew up here, his fate lies here. I am a cultivator, I can’t act on impulse or meddle with causality," Qi Delong replied gently.

"Brother, your words are..."

"Hush!"

"Just say you’re not fated with him," Zhang Fan chuckled.

"That’s exactly what it means."

"Brother Qi, I’ve packed the liangtou for you."

At that moment, Qin Ergou walked in, carrying a bag.

"I also packed half a jar of honey for you, you can eat it with the liangtou."

"Er Gou, have you thought about leaving this place?"

Zhang Fan sat down abruptly and asked.

The moment he said this, Qi Delong turned to look at him, revealing a peculiar expression.

"What are you doing?"

"Leave?" Qin Ergou paused, then showed a puzzled expression.

"I haven’t thought about it, I wouldn’t know where to go."

Qin Ergou’s ancestors lived in this mountain for generations. Originally, there was a village here, but it vanished a long time ago due to a great calamity; almost everyone died. The surviving ones also left the mountain village.

Only Qin Ergou’s ancestors remained here, guarding it through the generations.

His parents died early, and he was raised by his grandfather. After his grandfather passed away, he had no relatives left in the world.

If he left here, where would he go?

It is precisely because of this that he always wanted to enter the gates of Zhongnan Mountain. Perhaps, a lone soul like him is suitable to be a Daoist, fulfilling his grandfather’s wish.

"Er Gou, he’s just joking with you," Qi Delong quickly explained.

"I know..." Qin Ergou showed a sincere smile, "I graduated from middle school and didn’t continue studying, don’t have any skills, don’t know what I would do if I left."

"Er Gou, I have a Technique I can teach you, would you like to learn it?"

Right then, Zhang Fan changed his tone and suddenly said.

"Zhang Fan, what are you doing?" Qi Delong’s expression changed, exclaiming.

"A Technique? What Technique?" Qin Ergou inquired in confusion.

"Come, come over here."

Zhang Fan waved, and Qin Ergou’s body trembled but remained in place, his eyes vacant, a ripple appeared between his brows, spreading like ripples, his Primordial Spirit seemed awake but not awake.

"Zhang Fan, what are you doing?" Qi Delong furrowed his brows and spoke sternly.

"Old Qi, do you know why, in today’s world, temples are abundant and incense is plentiful, yet Daoist Temples are hidden deep in mountains, rarely visited?" Zhang Fan changed the subject abruptly.

The conflict between the Buddhist Dao and Daoist Sect has existed since ancient times.

His sudden question caught Qi Delong off guard.

"You have to admit, the Buddhist Family’s theoretical system is quite complete, whether one practices at home or in a temple, they can always find answers to their questions in the scriptures."

"But it’s different with the Daoist Sect..." Zhang Fan sighed.

Despite having classic scriptures, the Daoist Sect’s teachings involve various cryptic, secret languages, and hidden messages, without guidance from a teacher, it’s challenging to grasp their meanings. Consequently, knowledge isn’t passed to outsiders, Techniques don’t descend outside the platform; each family’s methods become secrets, how can my Dao thrive?

"Since cultivating, I’ve studied the Taiyi Jinhua Principle the most," Zhang Fan sighed.

The book originated during Song and Yuan dynasties, some say it was transmitted by Ancestor Lv himself, others believe it was someone falsely claiming Ancestor Lv’s name.

"I think, perhaps Ancestor Lv was compassionate, unwilling to see the Daoist Sect tarnished, thus transmitting it across generations, this scripture explores cultivation secrets..."

"Or perhaps some mighty predecessors from the Daoist Sect, seeing the reluctance to share, falsely claimed Ancestor Lv’s name to spread the Dharma Lineage widely."

At this point, Zhang Fan said seriously, "Old Qi, in today’s era, the Red Dust is increasingly impure, the End of Dharma has arrived, how far can the Daoist Sect’s incense reach?"

Upon hearing this, Qi Delong bowed his head silently.

"I have a bright pearl locked in dust. One day the dust will clear, shining over mountains and rivers..." Zhang Fan’s eyes gathered a light, murmuring softly.

"If that day comes, I wish to illuminate future cultivators..."

With these words, Zhang Fan’s eyes were devoid of joy or sorrow, without a hint of fluctuation.

Qi Delong observed, vaguely feeling that the Zhang Fan he knew was no longer the same.

"He is somewhat fated with me..."

Speaking softly, Zhang Fan pointed at Qin Ergou’s forehead, a ray of brilliance emerged, like a sun rising, resembling a crimson fire boiling.

In his trance, Zhang Fan saw Qin Ergou’s Primordial Spirit. Though his Primordial Spirit wasn’t awake, a stream of energy moved around him like mist-veiled barriers, in the sky above, hidden sun and moon hung high but concealed.

"Gain the mystery and find good fortune!"

With eyes bright, a voice echoed deeply within Qin Ergou’s mind.

"I will impart you a Technique, named..."

"Northern Emperor’s Great Banner!!!"