Chapter 70: Bai Yunguan Truly Lives Up to Being the Ancestral Court of the Longmen

"You're really hard to get a hold of!" Jiang Shishi shoved an ice cream bar into Gu Zhao's hand. "Always in seclusion!"

"If you don't work hard when you're young, when will you?" Gu Zhao seriously pumped up the morale. "It's not too late to rest until I can fly through the void, move mountains and fill the seas, and live forever."

Jiang Shishi laughed and said, "If you ever live forever, remember to help me out. My demands aren't high; just let my beauty remain forever."

Gu Zhao waved his hand. "That's no problem!"

Speaking of eternal beauty, Jiang Shishi couldn't help but look at Gu Zhao's face, examining him seriously.

"What are you looking at?"

"At your face."

Jiang Shishi made clicking sounds, preparing to reach out, but Gu Zhao dodged with a grimace. Only then did she say, slightly envious, "You're a grown man, yet you even do skincare. What skincare products do you use?"

Being tall and handsome was one thing; Jiang Shishi came from the Yan Capital Conservatory of Music, surrounded by art schools, and had seen plenty of handsome men. But someone with skin like Gu Zhao's wasn't rare; there wasn't a single one!

Although they were still young, they were already over twenty. Looking at him up close, she could tell Gu Zhao wasn't wearing powder or makeup on his face at all; his skin was simply white, tender, and delicate. That color and texture...

... was just like a child's, making people unable to resist wanting to pinch it a couple of times.

"Skincare products? I used to use Dabao, but I don't use it anymore," Gu Zhao said after thinking for a moment.

"What do you use now?" Xiao Ya couldn't help but ask.

"I don't use anything now," Gu Zhao raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Did you forget? I'm a high Daoist Priest who has achieved cultivation."

Xiao Ya's small mouth opened slightly. "Really?"

Jiang Shishi asked in surprise, "Is it because you cultivate internal kung fu that your skin is so good?"

Gu Zhao nodded. "That's right."

"Big Brother!" Jiang Shishi grabbed Gu Zhao's arm.

"Nourish with the Sun Lord's Qi as the foundation, visualize the sun wheel, its radiance like red fire. According to the sun's daily position, occasionally from Yin and Mao to Wu and Wei, silently recite the Sun Lord's incantation: 'an-po-huo-luo-jun-nu-li-suo-ke'. Inhale green Qi through the nose, swallow nine times in one breath. Do this nine rounds, swallowing nine mouthfuls of Qi. Visualize the Heavenly Court above, let it flow down to the hundred bones." Gu Zhao spoke these words one by one.

Jiang Shishi perked up, her eyes fierce. "I can persevere..."

"Persevere for twenty years. If there's still no effect, then you can give up," Gu Zhao said indifferently.

Jiang Shishi silently let go of his hand. "Persevere until you fly and dive through the earth, then help me keep my beauty forever."

Xiao Ya just smiled on the side. Seeing Jiang Shishi get the short end of the stick, she finally teased, "Before you can fly and dive, you have to exercise your strength first. We're planning to go buy clothes today."

Gu Zhao expressed fear. "How many clothes are you going to buy?"

"Lots of clothes!" Jiang Shishi raised her hand and said to Gu Zhao, "Not just ours, but yours too."

Gu Zhao was stunned. "Mine too?"

Jiang Shishi pleaded, "Xiao Ya and I have opened Doukuai accounts and are preparing to film some videos of playing ancient-style instruments. But this track is way too competitive. Big Brother, help us out!"

Xiao Ya pulled out her phone simultaneously. "Have you opened a Doukuai account? Let's follow each other!"

So Gu Zhao took out his phone too, followed Xiao Ya and Jiang Shishi, and followed them back. He found that, true to their musical background, their names were very artistic: 【Moon Ya】 and 【Tide Shi】.

"Shining like the sun and moon, at first I thought you were a history enthusiast," Jiang Shishi laughed.

Gu Zhao asked, "Why do you say that?"

Xiao Ya laughed. "The sun and moon are great and bright. Nowadays, there are many Ming fans."

Gu Zhao raised an eyebrow. "I didn't expect you to be quite familiar with history."

"Looking down on us, are you?" Jiang Shishi stood tall and proud. "We practice traditional Chinese instruments, so we must understand the heritage of folk music. Of course, we have to study history."

While Jiang Shishi was speaking, Xiao Ya was flipping through Gu Zhao's videos on the side. Seeing his latest video, she was momentarily stunned. "Palm Thunder?"

"What Palm Thunder?" Jiang Shishi asked, then saw the video herself. She couldn't help but look up in shock and asked in a lost voice, "Is it real or fake?"

Gu Zhao remained calm, simply pointing to the button in the bottom right corner of the video. "Read the comments. The tree I split is a small-leaf red sandalwood. What do you say, is it real or fake?"

Opening the comment section and seeing the content of the messages, Jiang Shishi and Xiao Ya finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Knowing Gu Zhao had cultivated internal breath and true Qi, with great strength and speed, and that consecrated talismans could cure illnesses and preserve health, was still within the realm of understanding. Palm Thunder was just too exaggerated.

"Speaking of which, a Daoist Priest friend of my grandfather's has also cultivated internal kung fu," Xiao Ya said to Gu Zhao.

"Oh?" Gu Zhao raised an eyebrow. "How do you know?"

"My grandfather's condition improved thanks to your Great Star Protection Talisman. He saw it himself, which proves your merit." Xiao Ya was still a bit angry, pouting as she said, "My mother didn't believe it before and even said it was because she took good care of him."

Xiao Ya roughly recounted the story Su Lei had told her, and also relayed Daoist Priest Yihong's admission that he was inferior to Gu Zhao, but she didn't mention that Su Lei later asked her to date Gu Zhao.

"Yan Capital's Bai Yunguan truly lives up to being the ancestral court of the Complete Perfection Longmen," Gu Zhao sighed.

Daoist Priest Yan Song lived on the mountain for decades, with a pure heart, few desires, ignoring worldly affairs, free and easy, his Dao heart smooth, only then cultivating internal breath and true Qi.

Bai Yunguan, however, is located within Yan Capital city. Although its status is honored, it has many worldly affairs, making it difficult to focus on cultivation.

The Yangcheng Primordial Method Palace is an example. The day Gu Zhao walked around the Primordial Method Palace, the Five Thunder Talisman didn't move a bit.

"In that case, there are probably quite a few Daoist Priests in the country who have cultivated magic power," Gu Zhao pondered in his mind. "Both Qingcheng Mountain and Bai Yunguan have them. There are definitely true Daoist Priests in those small temples too, and the possibility of those who purify their hearts and cultivate in small temples gaining the recognition of the Five Thunder Talisman is also very high."

"Sss—" Gu Zhao sucked in a cold breath. "I don't know how many small temples are hidden all over the country. I won't have to spend my life rushing around looking for temples and going to temples, will I!"

But not going isn't an option. Putting aside the empty words of revitalizing the glory of the Three Pure Ones and spreading the Dao for the Daoist sect, just finding one person who can fight on my behalf in the otherworld to earn dark energy, I must work hard to recruit talent!

Temporarily putting aside his thoughts, Gu Zhao looked at Xiao Ya. "It's good that your grandfather's health has improved."

Xiao Ya shook her head repeatedly. "That doesn't mean she can wrong you!"

"Let's go, let's go buy clothes!" Jiang Shishi linked arms with Xiao Ya and asked Gu Zhao, "I heard clothes in Yangcheng are especially cheap. We've been here for days and haven't bought any yet. Today we'll really take a good look around."

Gu Zhao was a bit confused. "Those are just ordinary clothes. As for whether there are ancient-style costumes, I haven't paid attention."

"It doesn't matter! We need to buy seasonal clothes too!" Jiang Shishi said excitedly.

"Mm-hmm!" Xiao Ya nodded repeatedly, her eyes shining.

Gu Zhao suddenly felt a sense of ominous foreboding rise in his heart.