Chapter 82: Absorbing Imperial Flow Elixir, Drawing the Eight Directions' Heavenly Fire Down to the Mortal Realm

【p：What the hell is spiritual aura revival? You all seriously underestimate the author's creative thinking…】

Village chief looked inside the temple and saw only women, not seeing Hu Xiaocao's figure, and couldn't help but ask curiously: "Where did that lass Xiaocao go?"

"Xiaocao said there wasn't enough firewood at home, so she went outside to gather firewood."

"Xiaocao is really diligent; with her help, things become much easier for you."

Upon hearing the village chief praise Hu Xiaocao, the woman was practically happier than if she herself were praised.

The village chief introduced Song Yufei and Liu Mei standing beside him.

Not only Song Yufei, but three other male colleagues also discovered the existence of the Mountain God Temple, and at the same time realized that the villagers are very superstitious.

By the way, they also repaired the mother and daughter's house a bit, after all it was really dilapidated; if an accident were to happen one day, wouldn't that cost lives?

However, the lunar eclipse is just an ordinary astronomical phenomenon and has little to do with creation; after Ye Qin's surprise, he calmed down again—apparently the moon being big and round tonight is for this reason.

Hu Xiaocao's eyes sparkled like countless stars; she proudly lifted her head, wearing an expression of shared honor.

Those golden threads seemed to possess life, constantly wandering within the bones, forming mysterious patterns and symbols, filled with an inexplicable power.

The white bones bathed in Imperial Flow Elixir, resembling the golden body described in Buddhist texts, radiating a brilliant luster all over.

"You say this little mountain village actually worships a snake as the Mountain God—how hilarious, I have no idea what they're thinking."

Song Yufei idly stared at the ground beneath her feet, discovering that on some scorched patches of land, green shoots had actually sprouted.

Song Yufei still wanted to say something, but Liu Mei spoke up: "Let's pack up and get ready to head down the mountain."

Song Yufei had never seen such a beautiful snake shed before.

Ye Qin is a one-of-a-kind cultivator between heaven and earth; without needing to enter a meditative enlightenment state, he can see and actively absorb Imperial Flow Elixir.

The village chief, kind-hearted and straightforward, said, "It's not a hassle—this mountain path is tough to travel, with many forks; if you're not a local, it's easy to lose your way and waste time."

However, there is an exception: when in a meditative state, if a sudden enlightenment occurs and Imperial Flow Elixir happens to appear at that moment, there is a possibility of it being absorbed.

"Oh dear, Yufei, why are you standing silently behind us?"

"These two are from the city's astronomical observatory, temporarily staying at our place for a while."

And this is an opportunity sent from heaven for him!

The crescent moon in the snake's pupil became increasingly evident, and at the same time a human figure appeared beside him—yet it was the Primordial White Bone manifesting on the spiritual plane.

"How could it be the same? I need to see it with my own eyes; Sister Song said that if we miss this, the next chance won't come for decades."

Everyone prepared their equipment and instruments and was ready to set off; after the village chief learned of this, he even had a local familiar with the area guide them.

At this moment, the observatory staff had already prepared everything, looking up at the bright moon in the sky, silently awaiting the arrival of the lunar eclipse.

Moreover, Imperial Flow Elixir is extremely rare; it is not brought by the lunar eclipse itself, so it can be seen only once every hundred or even thousand years—it can be said to be extremely precious.

The woman quickly nodded, "Perfect, we also have an empty room at home; I'll sleep with Xiaocao, and the two of them can share a bed; if that really doesn't work, I can still squeeze in somewhere nearby."

He could feel a warm force wrapping around him, seeming scorching, but because it is neutralized by yin energy, it does not harm him in the slightest.

Soon the lights were turned off in the room, and several people fell into a sweet slumber.

Song Yufei stared without blinking, to the point that even when Liu Mei walked over she didn't notice.

The woman patted Hu Xiaocao's head, "Alright, Mom's waiting, but before that, you need to go sleep obediently."

"What's going on with Uncle Zhao?"

"These villagers are hopeless; they can link anything to the Mountain God."

That's why they believe in the Mountain God without doubt, but for children it's understandable.

Following Zhao Dashu's gaze, they saw the verdant hue shining against the blue sky and white clouds, like a fine, translucent jadeite inlaid there, forming a stark contrast with this place.

As the moon gradually shrank and was gradually shrouded in shadow, the spilled moonlight did not disappear.

After this period of rest and recuperation, the woman's complexion had improved considerably; although still a bit frail, her vitality compared to before was simply heaven and earth apart.

Ye Qin exerted himself to stretch his serpentine body, so that each scale could receive the nourishment of Imperial Flow Elixir.

"Could this be—"

Compared to the lush green peaks nearby, these several peaks are bald and barren, the ground completely scorched black, as if they had been burned by fire.

All together there are about a dozen or so people, with various astronomical observations and recording equipment, the goal being to capture a complete scene of the lunar eclipse.

The woman couldn't help but laugh upon hearing it, "Don't worry, the heavenly dog can't eat the moon."

After saying that, Zhao Dashu clasped his hands together and bowed toward the nearby hill, "Thank you, Mountain God Sir."

The mysterious night sky now reveals another unique aspect; unfortunately, besides Ye Qin, ordinary mortal eyes cannot perceive it, and no one can witness such a magnificent, vast spectacle.

Right at the center of his forehead, that unique purple scale, after being washed by Imperial Flow Elixir, became more translucent, like a purple gemstone radiating brilliant luster.

Originally, to give the mother and daughter a place to rest, a small room was added beside the temple.

Especially upon hearing about the child traffickers, it was even more unexpected that Hu Xiaocao, so young, had actually experienced such a harrowing ordeal.

"Besides that, the Mountain God Grandfather's abilities are even greater; later he even brought my mother back from death and helped the village pray for rain—in short, the Mountain God Grandfather is the most formidable."

Ye Qin stared fixedly at the bright moon overhead; in his snake's pupil there seemed to be a faint crescent mark that flashed by, reflecting and complementing the moon in the sky.

"What are you looking at, so engrossed?"

Song Yufei coughed a few times, "I'm reminding you all to start working—don't forget why we're here."

Song Yufei was the first to open up the conversation, "Auntie, what should I call you?"

Looking at Liu Mei and Song Yufei's extraordinary demeanor, the woman appeared somewhat shy and reserved.

"Look, don't you see? Those clear waters and lush mountains over there are the territory of the Mountain God Sir."

The woman shook her head, "Why don't you just go to sleep first."

These matters have already spread throughout the village; they're nothing unusual.

According to his current cultivation level, there's basically no need for such concern; even if he were to absorb everything within a few li radius, it wouldn't matter, after all Imperial Flow Elixir is extremely scarce—even within a few li radius there's really not much scattered about.

"Does it contain some kind of substance inside?"

At this moment, the people on another mountain also were poised and ready to act.

Hu Xiaocao clung to Song Yufi, asking many things about the city; if Mama hadn't called Hu Xiaocao to sleep, she probably wouldn't want to leave.

When the moon moves to the direction opposite the sun, if the centers of Earth and moon roughly lie on the same line, the moon enters Earth's umbra, producing a total lunar eclipse; if only part, it produces a partial lunar eclipse.

Several people hearing this instantly showed an awkward expression, "Sister Liu, we understand."

Liu Mei merely glanced at it casually, didn't take it to heart, and dismissed it.

Soon the moon in the sky gradually showed a dark shadow, as if something had taken a bite out of it.

The village chief nodded, lit another incense stick, placed it before the deity's statue, and then left.

The woman felt somewhat helpless, "Your older sister Song and the others still have to film a documentary; later you can just watch the footage."

They immediately stopped talking, took all the equipment out, and moved it to the highest spot.

"After surveying, this is the best observation point; we should be able to capture the complete heavenly dog devouring the moon."

At this moment, Ye Qin sat cross-legged, his whole body bathed in moonlight, his entire being seemingly emitting a faint halo.

Under the guidance of villagers familiar with the road, they indeed took far fewer detours, quickly finding the best observation point's location, which was on the neighboring hill.

Within the moonlight, golden threads increased, cascading down the horizon like a waterfall pouring straight down, surging toward the white bone.

"No, older sister Song told me this heavenly dog devouring the moon is rare, and even if we're at the mountain base we can still see a bit."

Song Yufi hearing this couldn't help but frown slightly.

About four hours remained until the lunar eclipse occurred.

Speak of Cao Cao and Cao Cao appears.

Except the person she's pursuing is somewhat special.

……

"Fine, then Old Zhang and you will handle the filming, Xiao Wu remember to take good notes; this time we must get firsthand material, and if we want to capture such a complete lunar eclipse again we'll have to wait several decades."

After Song Yufi and the others came down the mountain, not long after, the people from the station also arrived, and the two sides successfully met up.

At this moment, all the Imperial Flowing Liquid was drawn, gathering on this mountain peak, more precisely the spot where Ye Qin and the white bone were.

Upon hearing this, Song Yufi became even more interested, exclaiming in surprise, "You've actually seen the Mountain God in person? Really?"

Song Yufi patted their shoulders, instantly giving them a fright.

Several big men there were discussing and joking.

"You actually got caught by kidnappers?!"

Hu Xiaocao nodded, "That's right; if it weren't for Mountain God Grandfather saving me, I wouldn't have made it back."

"There was once a huge mountain fire here, the whole peak burned; if it weren't for Mountain God Grandfather's blessing on our village, the fire would have spread to the surroundings."

Song Yufi's view is that one may not believe it, but also cannot slander it, because that would be disrespectful to others.

The moon looked as if it were hanging on the peak, within it golden waves surged, countless threads of gold and silver intertwining.

"What's so miraculous about that? Maybe the fire back then didn't burn out completely, and besides, nature has countless wonders."

The dark green serpent scales were instantly covered in gold, as if the whole snake had been gilded, revealing supreme majesty.

The woman couldn't argue with Hu Xiaocao, so she let her go.

Now it seems this fortune likely came from the moon.

Only then did everyone recall the earlier report, not expecting it to be near Longyuan Village.

Black and green intertwined, as if the collision of vitality and death, making one marvel at nature's life force and greatness.

Song Yufi curiously asked, "Xiaocao, why is your Mountain God a snake?"

Watching Hu Xiaocao's head nodding bit by bit, the whole person almost collapsed; the woman wanted to hug Hu Xiaocao inside, but halfway she opened her eyes, sleepy-eyed and asked:

"Mama, has the heavenly dog started eating the moon?"

Hu Xiaocao seemed to think of something, "Older sister Song, wait a moment, let me show you something good."

The Imperial Flowing Liquid kept washing over Ye Qin's body.

Ye Qin was very surprised, not expecting to see the eclipse phenomenon today, and couldn't help but raise his snake head.

Imperial Flowing Liquid is the spiritual qi of heaven and earth, the essence within the moon; it's uncommon, and if Ye Qin absorbs it, it will greatly benefit his cultivation and his life level.

After all, all that Imperial Flowing Liquid was drawn by Ye Qin's stirring of spiritual qi, as well as the power of yin.

The moonlight flowed, making his divinity extraordinary.

Lunar eclipses come in total and partial types, occurring at full moon.

Hu Xiaocao placed firewood by the wall, Song Yufi also came to help, they stacked it neatly together; Liu Mei felt a bit unwell, possibly from travel fatigue and some motion sickness, so she rested in the room.

You know this place just suffered a mountain fire's ravage, yet in such a short time green sprouts have emerged, which is simply unbelievable.

And as Ye Qin continuously absorbed it, the nearby fallen Imperial Flowing Liquid gathered, and they began to manifest visible to the naked eye.

In Ye Qin's sight, clearly a dark mountain peak, but because of the falling golden threads, it instantly became brilliantly radiant, like a fairyland, the whole scene dreamlike and illusory.

"Older sister Song, you're really kind."

Hu Xiaocao's tone was somewhat regretful, but soon she perked up again.

Hu Xiaocao shouldered a bamboo basket and stepped into the temple.

Hu Xiaocao chatted nonstop, looking like a devoted fan of the Mountain God, not much different from those city girls chasing stars.

Although only a short sprout, their presence cannot be ignored; a few tiny green leaves, as if trying to break out of a cage's restraints, to carve out their own sky.

Hu Xiaocao nodded, showing a bright smile; compared to the woman's reserve, she seemed unafraid of strangers.

Hu Xiaocao and Song Yufi got along well; more precisely, Song Yufi has a good personality, approachable, answers every question, and doesn't just pacify children.

Moreover, this thing has been passed down since ancient times, belonging to the traditional culture of Greater Xia; whether to believe it or not hinges on a single thought.

Although the Imperial Flowing Liquid was all absorbed by Ye Qin, occasionally a bit of its qi leaks out, nourishing the surrounding environment.

"Xiao Li, is the equipment all debugged? Don't let anything go wrong at the crucial moment."

Uncle Zhao let out a sigh, his face showing lingering fear.

It's a pity Hu Xiaocao and the others waiting are about to fall asleep, still haven't waited for the heavenly dog to eat the moon.

"Who says it isn't?"

Hu Xiaocao chattered on and on, Song Yufi listened as if hearing a story, dazed, only after a long while did she come to her senses.

Ye Qin had already been mentally prepared, but he never knew exactly what the so-called fortune was.

As the saying goes, when one person attains the Dao, even his chickens and dogs ascend to heaven.

"I went to their temple to have a look; although they made it look proper, a snake still looks rather weird."

Although this is completely exaggerated, it's undeniable that the imperial elixir has a great effect on animals.

If it were the first two realms, Ye Qin might still worry, absorbing too much imperial elixir would be dangerous, fearing his body couldn't withstand it.

Zibu Yu also records that for plants and trees to become spirits, they must receive the essence of moonlight, but only the moon essence of a Geng Shen night will do. Because the Geng Shen night moon essence contains imperial elixir, plants and trees receiving its essence can become spirits, and foxes and ghosts that eat it can display divine abilities.

Just as the people at the astronomical observatory were observing the moon.

The black box was slowly opened, revealing a complete snake shed, its bluish-black and dark green scales interwoven like a fine craftwork.

And once imperial elixir nearby is absorbed, it will manifest and become visible to the naked eye.

"How can this be? Isn't this too much trouble for you?"

Ye Qin was surprised to discover that as the solar eclipse phenomenon intensified, the moonlight seemed mixed with golden threads, invisible to the naked eye, not even noticed by the animals.

On a Geng Shen night, the moonlight contains imperial elixir, appearing as countless olives, myriad golden threads linked together, hanging down to the human world; plants and trees receiving its essence can become spirits.

"The Mountain God Grandfather is just a snake, and I saw him with my own eyes."

But absorbing imperial elixir voluntarily is extremely difficult; the reason is simple: since ancient times there have been no cultivators, no spiritual beings who have understood the principles of heaven and earth, so there is naturally no possibility of actively absorbing imperial elixir.

"Mom said the Mountain God Grandfather is a god and cannot often come into contact with us mortals."

"Then I'll entrust them to you."

Hu Xiaocao gestured a big circle with her hand, "Mom, Sister Song said there's a huge amusement park in the city; once I make big money, I'll take you to play."

"If I'm not mistaken, the golden threads in the moonlight should be the imperial elixir."

The woman quickly introduced, "This is my daughter Hu Xiaocao."

The people at the astronomical observatory exchanged glances, thinking the village chief made sense, "Then we'll trouble the village chief."

Suddenly encountering an outsider, a pretty older sister from the city, unpretentious and approachable, Hu Xiaocao felt a sense of closeness and immediately opened up.

Hu Xiaocao's account was clear and well-founded, not at all like random nonsense, and Song Yufi was instantly captivated.

Hu Xiaocao seemed to be offering a treasure, as if she had found a like-minded companion, wanting to share her secret.

"Could it be that the fortune I sensed earlier will appear tonight?"

"My husband's family name is Hu; you can call me Aunt Hu."

"That's right, nowadays even snakes can be mountain gods—pure feudal superstition. Otherwise how could this place be backward and poor, still believing in such things."

Song Yufi neither affirmed nor denied, just smiled and rubbed Hu Xiaocao's head, saying she would understand when she grew up that there is no such thing as a mountain god in this world.

Liu Mei wasn't much of a talker, given her age; in contrast, Song Yufi was young and lively, and she quickly became friendly with Hu Xiaocao.

After finding the exact address, the news was also sent back to the station; now all they need to do is wait for the people inside to gather together.

The three quickly arrived at Hu Xiaocao's home; a glance showed the furnishings were few, indicating the mother-daughter duo's life wasn't particularly affluent, but it was very neat and clean.

"Don't worry, Sister Liu, everything's ready; now we just wait for the lunar eclipse to appear."

On the contrary, looking at Song Yufi's delicate skin, one can tell she doesn't do farm work.

Liu Mei also nodded beside her, "Little Song is right—you big men aren't as sensible as a little girl; don't always use your learning as arrogance to look down on others. The villagers are simple and honest, but their thoughts are pure. We're here to observe astronomical weather, and serious matters come first."

Nearby animals first inexplicably sensed a change in the surrounding magnetic field, instantly showing expressions of extreme comfort, then couldn't help but emit whimpering sounds, startled by the 'heavenly fire' falling from the sky.

Song Yufi waved her hand, "No, Xiaocao is adorable; I treat her like my own sister."

Ye Qin is at the Third Realm, and imperial elixir counts as a kind of heaven-and-earth qi; his body currently needs to refine these heaven-and-earth qi to temper himself.

No wonder he felt something amiss in heaven and earth beforehand.

A child's world is innocent and full of fun; they observe this world with their own perspective and perception, and deserve respect and support.

The woman saw her strange action and couldn't help but ask, "Xiaocao, what are you doing?"

Ye Qin gazed at the moon above, lost in thought.

Song Yufi went along with it, "Aunt Hu, you'll be busy with us from now on."

"This moonlight... feels off."

Song Yufi, Liu Mei, and Hu Xiaocao et al. walked back home.

"This is the shed skin of the Mountain God Grandfather; I picked it up afterward, but I haven't seen him since."

As life improved, no longer needing to toil as before, the originally straw-like yellow hair turned much darker.

As the mother-daughter duo's life gradually improved, Hu Xiaocao grew noticeably plumper.

Only cultivators like Ye Qin, with the moon as one of his objects of contemplation, could keenly sense the abnormality in the moonlight.

On another mountain, Ye Qin also gazed at the bright moon in contemplation.

Suddenly being praised like that by Hu Xiaocao, Song Yufi felt a bit embarrassed, "How should I say this?"

Ye Qin was somewhat surprised; his snake pupils quickly turned into a vertical line.

Ye Qin slowly opened his eyes, "Tonight's moonlight seems to have something else in it."

"Huh, is it a lunar eclipse?"

They merely came to survey; the lunar eclipse won't appear until tomorrow night, so they must rest early tonight to recharge.

Several men were whispering there.

After saying that, Hu Xiaocao dashed back to her room, then quickly ran out again holding a rectangular black box.

The woman waved her hands repeatedly, "No trouble, no trouble; I have another daughter named Xiaocao, she should be back soon."

The woman felt a bit embarrassed, "Did Xiaocao disturb you? I'm really sorry."

Recalling how he had previously felt the changes of heaven and earth, ever since he began cultivation, there had been a faint connection between himself and heaven and earth; this connection became more apparent after he entered the Third Realm and could absorb the Qi of heaven and earth.

As the primordial substance White Bone soaked in the Imperial Flow Paste, Ye Qin himself also received nourishment in return.

「Faith and superstition have a fundamental difference; haven't you seen that some government departments also pay attention to feng shui? Moreover, what one believes in is someone else's business; we'd better say a few less words, after all we're just borrowing lodging in the village, benefiting from the villagers' hospitality; otherwise we'd have to sleep outdoors, and there's no need to criticize others' beliefs。」

As his features gradually opened up, he looked very cute, finally no longer resembling the previous emaciated, bony appearance.

Seeing that Hu Xiaocao's bamboo basket contained a lot of firewood, Song Yufi originally wanted to help, but Hu Xiaocao firmly refused, insisting that he was already accustomed to farm work.

After a night's rest, everyone clenched their fists and rubbed their palms, ready to set off up the mountain; it was already nearing dusk, and taking advantage of the lingering glow of the setting sun, they smoothly entered the mountains.

「Imperial Flow Paste？！」

Stars hang low over the vast plain, the moon surges as the great river flows.

Ye Qin speculated that perhaps some ancient sage had stumbled upon it by accident, glimpsed the Imperial Flow Paste in a moment of enlightenment, and thus recorded it.

He had observed the moon for so long, yet it wasn't that he had never seen a full moon; a moon as big and round as today's is still relatively rare.

Upon hearing this, Hu Xiaocao's eyes widened, and he became much more alert.

These golden threads slowly flowed, forming a golden river, mingled with moonlight, drifting toward the human world.

Liu Mei has the greatest seniority, and her standing in the bureau is also high, so this operation is under her responsibility.

「That's right, I'm telling you, the Mountain God Grandfather is really formidable。」

「This is my treasure; I won't show it to just anyone。」

「Then your Mountain God Grandfather is indeed formidable。」

……

A bright moon hung high in the firmament, big and bright, like a large disc, shedding a soft glow.

Hu Xiaocao pursed his lips, 「I already told these uncles and aunts from the city about this before, but they didn't believe it, and even said it was some feudal superstition。」

She had never experienced such dramatic twists and turns, even when reading novels.

Hu Xiaocao answered solemnly, 「I want to see how the heavenly dog eats the moon, and then how it spits the moon out; if it doesn't spit it out, wouldn't we be left without a moon? 」

Ye Qin didn't know that tonight would bring the phenomenon of the heavenly dog eating the moon, but he faintly sensed that today's moon seemed somewhat unusually different.

They were merely a vanguard; more people would arrive later.

After a night's rest, the observatory staff decided to go out to scout, further determine the best observation point's location, and then notify those inside the observatory.

「They are from the city observatory, saying they want to film something about the heavenly dog eating the moon, they want to stay a few days, so I arranged for them to stay at your home。」

Perhaps some of what Hu Xiaocao said earlier was true, but more likely it was just coincidence or accident, plus his own imagination.

The sky appeared especially low; standing on the mountaintop, one could reach out and pluck the stars and embrace the moon.

Hu Xiaocao and the others watched Song Yufi's departure; after finishing dinner, they brought a small stool to the courtyard and looked up at the sky.

「There are still some matters to attend to inside the shrine; first take the guests home to rest。」

Song Yufi couldn't help laughing out loud upon hearing this; in fact she didn't believe it either, but she didn't want to argue with a child.

The Imperial Flow Paste was injected into the White Bone, and each piece of bone glowed with a golden light.

Silver radiance fell over the mountains, seeming no different from before; all the hills and rivers were shrouded in a thin silver mist, as if delicate cold colors were dotted within an ink-black hue, and the whole scene instantly became vivid.

Song Yufi pointed at the ground and said, 「Plants have already sprouted; it's truly miraculous。」

The surrounding vegetation grew quickly, and soon on their leaves there appeared, faintly, something like dew, except that its color was golden and its shape somewhat resembled an olive.

These animals, though unable to absorb the Imperial Flow Paste, would still benefit even from a trace of its qi.