Chapter 17: Who is Jiang Lai? The Daoist Descends the Mountain

In Daoist cultivation, there are thousands of methods, but only one heart-method...

Suppress the conscious spirit, strengthen the primordial spirit.

Once the primordial spirit is strengthened, refine away all the yin dregs within the spirit to achieve the Pure Yang Ultimate Realm.

The more flourishing the yang energy, the higher the Daoist attainment.

All Daoist methods—such as arts, secret incantations, hand seals, opening altars, and so on—rely entirely on this.

In other words, if one's Daoist attainment is sufficient, any Daoist method can be executed with ease; otherwise...

"If the Daoist attainment isn't enough, it means the 'mana' isn't enough... then you can only deduct from your health bar..."

Daoist Pojie looked at Zhang Fan with some sympathy.

"Which means..."

"Secret incantations cannot be chanted blindly... otherwise, it will shorten your lifespan."

Daoist Pojie comforted him: "Actually... you have already shortened your lifespan quite a bit by recklessly using divine abilities before."

Divine abilities are divine abilities; they can communicate with the divine... This kind of power is claimed to be a heavenly gift and is not something mortals can control.

Back then, when Chu Chaoran awakened his divine ability, he was already thirty years old, had attained the Celestial Master rank, and possessed profound Daoist attainment, so naturally, he could wield it with ease.

But Zhang Fan had only just attained the 【Qi Worker】 stage; at the brink of life and death, through the transmission of the jade tablet, he seized this opportunity and was only barely able to manifest a divine ability. Even so, it came at the cost of his fortune and lifespan...

"How much lifespan do I have left now?"

Zhang Fan's complexion was as ugly as if his blue buff had been stolen while jungling.

"Hard to say... in short, it's very short." Daoist Pojie said, unable to bear it.

"How short?"

"A shortness that a man cannot bear."

"Holy crap, that short!!?"

Zhang Fan's complexion was as if his red buff had also been stolen.

"Fear and worry are both caused by the agitation of the conscious spirit... Life and death are fated, so there is no need to be like this." Pojie saw the fluctuations in Zhang Fan's emotions and hurriedly comforted him.

"..."

"The Master said that after descending the mountain, you must cultivate diligently. If you can suppress the conscious spirit, strengthen the primordial spirit, gather medicine, and refine it until you reach the 【Gao Gong】 rank, it can be compensated for." Pojie said earnestly.

Gao Gong is the rank of Xia Weisheng.

Only then would Zhang Fan truly possess the qualifications to comprehend the Samadhi True Fire!!!

"Daoist, how does one cultivate?" Zhang Fan hurriedly asked: "Are there any secret manuals or something like that!?"

"The Dao follows nature." Daoist Pojie said mysteriously.

"What is meant by 'the Dao follows nature'?" Zhang Fan's heart tightened; he showed a respectful expression and humbly asked for instruction.

"Walking is the Dao, and hand techniques are also the Law. The Dao follows nature; it is nothing more than this..."

"..."

"What I mean is... walking, standing, sitting, and lying down are all cultivation... The Dao is in every little detail of life." Daoist Pojie said sincerely.

"..." Zhang Fan was speechless.

Just then, Daoist Pojie took a small booklet out of his bosom and handed it over.

Zhang Fan looked down and saw that the booklet clearly read 【Daoist Clergy Qualification Certificate】...

"You have received the Zhenwu Mountain jade tablet from me, so you are considered a member of the Daoist gate. This is your certificate..."

"The processing fee is 120 yuan..."

"..."

Zhang Fan took the certificate and said in a daze: "Am I considered a Daoist priest now?"

"Barely... you still have many things to learn..."

"You still have a long way to go."

As he spoke, Pojie stood up and patted Zhang Fan on the shoulder earnestly.

Half a day later, Zhang Fan left the Qingwei Palace, preparing to descend the mountain.

"Little brother, after you go back, don't neglect your cultivation." Daoist Pojie sent Zhang Fan off.

"Cultivation, cultivation... you should have given me a peerless secret manual, damn it." Zhang Fan glanced sideways, muttering in his heart.

"Little brother, what are you saying?"

Pojie narrowed his eyes, staring at Zhang Fan, as if he had heard his inner thoughts.

"By the way... Daoist Pojie, at the moment of parting, I want to see Jiang Lai." Zhang Fan changed the subject and spoke suddenly.

"Jiang Lai? Who is Jiang Lai?" Daoist Pojie was stunned for a moment, then asked.

"The Daoist nun of Zhenwu Mountain." Zhang Fan blurted out. Daoist Pojie pondered slightly, then shook his head: "There is no such person on Zhenwu Mountain."

"Impossible..." Zhang Fan raised an eyebrow and said urgently: "Don't you want to go check?"

"No need to check..."

Daoist Pojie said indifferently: "I am responsible for the personnel management of Zhenwu Mountain. Whether it is the registered or unregistered list of Daoist priests, it is all in my head..."

As he spoke, Daoist Pojie tapped his own forehead.

"There is no such person on Zhenwu Mountain."

"How can that be!?"

Zhang Fan's brows were almost knitted into a "chuan" character, and the image of Jiang Lai appeared in his mind.

He knew that she truly existed.

"Let's do this... I will go check again later." Daoist Pojie looked at Zhang Fan's expression and knew that this person was extremely important, so he promised immediately.

"Sorry for the trouble." Zhang Fan nodded, expressing his gratitude.

As he spoke, he stood up to take his leave and walked toward the long and deep mountain path.

"Little brother Zhang, travel safely." Pojie's voice came from behind, carrying a sincere blessing.

"Little Fanfan, remember to chant more secret incantations after you go back."

Just then, a pleasant and melodious voice came, carrying a hint of encouragement and hope.

"Get lost!"

Zhang Fan turned around and gave Xia Weisheng, who had walked out, an international gesture.

The winding mountain road, with lush greenery, flashed past the car window one by one.

Zhang Fan looked at the 【Daoist Clergy Qualification Certificate】 in his hand, only feeling that this trip to Zhenwu Mountain was like a dream.

"Big brother, we came here for tourism, how did you really become a Daoist priest?" Li Yishan looked at Zhang Fan, his expression becoming strangely abnormal.

"It's just a breakup, you don't have to become a monk to keep your chastity... Do you want me to erect a memorial archway for you?"

"I told you to read more books in your spare time..."

Zhang Fan glanced sideways and said indifferently: "The Daoist gate has different branches. The Quanzhen Sect cannot marry or have children, but the Zhengyi Sect can..."

"I am a Daoist priest of Zhengyi."

As he spoke, Zhang Fan stuffed the small booklet into his pocket, the corners of his mouth raised slightly, showing a look of pride.

"Be more respectful when you talk to me in the future..."

"I also have the Patriarch protecting me now."

"You damn..."

"Hahaha..."

A burst of hearty laughter came from inside the sightseeing bus, moving further and further away along the winding mountain road.

On Zhenwu Mountain, under an ancient pine tree.

Chu Chaoran looked at the clouds and mist drifting in the distance, as if seeing through the void and seeing everything below the mountain.

"The little Daoist has descended the mountain..."

"Master, the Zhenwu Jade Tablet is the supreme treasure of our sect, why let that kid take it away?" Xia Weisheng asked, puzzled.

Originally, the Zhenwu Jade Tablet should have been inherited by her. Now, she, the successor of Zhenwu Mountain, appeared to have no legitimate name or authority.

"Neither cut off nor extinguished, there is a rest in the seventy-third generation..."

"The calamity of my Zhenwu Mountain has only just begun." Chu Chaoran's expression was gloomy, whispering in a deep voice.

"What?" Xia Weisheng's face turned pale, and she couldn't help but ask.

"The path of cultivation, is it related to the jade tablet?" Chu Chaoran changed the subject and said indifferently: "Little Weisheng, you value this thing too much. The agitation of the conscious spirit is a great taboo. Go back and retreat for a period of time."

As soon as these words were spoken, Xia Weisheng's delicate brows furrowed. Finally, she gritted her silver teeth, nodded, and turned to leave.

The clouds and mist surged, and on the vast peak of Zhenwu Mountain, only Chu Chaoran remained.

"The Great Putian Dajiao, the great calamity of the Daoist gate, eighty years have passed in the blink of an eye... The Zhenwu Jade Tablet, after all, still follows the light and mingles with the dust..."

Chu Chaoran sighed, then whispered gloomily: "You descend the mountain too."

"Okay!!"

As soon as the voice fell, an ethereal response sounded. From the corner, a girl with short hair reaching her ears walked out slowly; it was none other than Jiang Lai.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 18 =====