Chapter 39: Wood Element Spiritual Aura

"Those who are good at speaking of the Dao of Heaven must be based on man. Those who are good at speaking of man must be based on the Dao of Heaven."

In the Mountain-Moving Hall of the Fuqiu Temple, the old Daoist was wearing a Daoist robe, sitting at the head, and two newly received little disciples were sitting below, lecturing on the Dao.

The old Daoist's voice was leisurely.

It was just that in this leisure, there was some weakness, which was different from his state when he returned to the Daoist temple and on the road.

"Therefore, heaven has four seasons, the sun and moon push each other, cold and heat alternate, and it rotates. Harmony becomes rain, anger becomes wind, scattering becomes dew, chaos becomes mist, condensing becomes frost and snow, standing becomes paper, this is the constant number of heaven. Man has four limbs and five internal organs, waking and sleeping, breathing and exhaling, the coming and going of essence and Qi, flowing becomes defensive energy, manifesting becomes complexion, emitting becomes sound, this is also the constant number of man.

"This means that those who are good at speaking of the Dao of Heaven must connect it to man, and those who are good at speaking of human affairs must be based on the Dao of Heaven. In terms of cultivation, it means that the cultivator uses his own changes and thoughts to perceive heaven and earth, and must constantly use the laws and changes of heaven and earth to adjust himself. Heaven and man correspond, and the two are inherently connected.

"Cough, cough..."

Mostly lecturing on the correspondence between man and heaven and earth.

It was also the Dao lectured by Daoist Yunhe for them.

It was considered one of the prerequisite courses for cultivation.

The old Daoist lectured slowly, and the sun gradually rose.

It was clearly visible that the old Daoist was somewhat exhausted.

"Let's stop here for today."

"Yes, Master."

"Is there anything you didn't understand?"

"I almost understand it all, it just needs to be savored slowly."

"That's good."

The old Daoist nodded repeatedly and said to them:

"By the way, I am advanced in age, and in recent days, I have been more awake than drowsy. It just so happens that during the previous Great Offering, the Xianyuan Temple also recruited ten or so disciples, and they will specifically teach disciples how to read. The founders of our two families were originally good friends, and later they were also old acquaintances. Qingyao, you don't know how to read, so when the time comes, go to the Xianyuan Temple and learn how to read with their disciples. Remember to be earnest."

"Understood, Master."

The junior sister nodded solemnly.

"Lin Jue, you know how to read, but you must also know that learning techniques is easy, but learning the Dao is difficult. When the master of the Xianyuan Temple lectures to his disciples, I also want you to go and listen. Don't be embarrassed. The Dao is different in everyone's mouth. If you want to go far, just listening to mine will be a bit narrow. That Master Wangji also has some insights in this regard." Daoist Yunhe said, and laughed. "If they teach spells, don't be too thin-skinned, listen to as much as you can."

"Understood."

Lin Jue also agreed.

On Fuqiu Peak.

There were often sounds of chopping branches and breaking rotten wood in the mountain forest, often sounds of talking. If one was close, one could hear the sounds of zithers and flutes coming from the Daoist temple. If one was far away, one could only occasionally hear the sound of the flute, which was the fourth senior brother getting along with birds and beasts in the mountain, and playing it when he was free.

"Tree brother, oh tree brother, these branches of yours below cannot be exposed to the sun and are wasting nutrients. I will prune them for you, give them to me as firewood to burn."

"Third Shixiong brother, why do you still talk to the tree when chopping firewood?"

"Self-entertainment..."

When Lin Jue was speaking, he had already swung the knife in his hand.

Originally, chopping firewood was work Lin Jue took on, but the junior sister refused to let him do it alone and always had to follow him. Whenever he chopped down the firewood, she naturally carried it away and bundled it according to dryness, wetness, thickness, and fineness.

After chopping the firewood and bringing it back to the Daoist temple, the two of them were also together, just one carrying the carrying pole and the other carrying the back basket.

The little fox cub followed behind them.

It had been like this for a few days.

Besides chopping firewood, they also had to fetch water.

He did not know how much water was spilled on the small road from the Daoist temple to the spring eye. It was still the two of them walking one after another, one carrying a large half-bucket and the other a small half-bucket. The junior sister followed him when he walked. Even if she could not carry it, she would grit her teeth and wait for him to stop and rest before she was willing to stop, walking and resting together. The little fox also followed behind and ran back and forth, not knowing how many trips it had run.

In addition, they recited scriptures every morning, practiced Qi-Nurturing in the temple, and practiced breathing and exhaling on the mountain behind at dusk, which was quite leisurely. At such times, the junior sister was either listening to Master's teachings or doing other chores.

Lin Jue originally thought that this junior sister was trying to perform, and also thought that this junior sister was close to him, so she insisted on being with him, and also thought that the junior sister wanted to help him share some hard work.

Perhaps all were right, but it seemed that not all were completely right.

It was not until a few days later that Lin Jue slowly saw it clearly in his heart and pondered the taste—

This junior sister, it seems she likes to work a bit?

Even when she met the first senior brother digging soil outside the Daoist temple, or saw the third senior brother moving his wine jars, she had to take the initiative to help, even if she could not help, she would pretend to be busy.

It was also a bit interesting.

A few days later—

Lin Jue was called to his alchemy room by the second senior brother.

The second senior brother's alchemy room should also have been passed down from predecessors. It was behind the Daoist temple, a small pavilion. As soon as he entered, he felt a burst of heat rushing toward his face.

The pavilion was two stories high, but actually only had one floor. In the middle was an alchemy furnace, and the floor was carved with a Yin-Yang fish diagram. On the shelf behind the pavilion were many bottles and jars. The second senior brother sat cross-legged, and behind him was a zither case and an ancient zither. He thought that when waiting for the elixir to be produced, when he was bored, he would take playing the zither as a pleasure. The zither sound often heard in the Daoist temple came from here.

"Junior brother is here?"

"Third Shixiong brother."

"I have already refined the Five Elements spiritual aura, divided into two parts, earth and wood, and packed them in bottles." The second senior brother picked up two bottles. He first extracted the earth and wood essence and dissolved it in spiritual water for preservation, then purified the spiritual liquid, only then could he materialize the ethereal Five Elements spiritual aura and condense it into an elixir. "It's a pity that we don't practice Five Elements Spirit Methods, otherwise ingesting spiritual aura could also help cultivation. At this time, it can only increase the perception of the Five Elements."

"Is it enough to ingest it?"

Lin Jue took the two porcelain bottles.

It was said to be Five Elements, but there were only two parts, earth and wood.

"Ingesting it is enough, but it cannot be kept for long. Although the Holy Spring water can carry the spiritual aura of heaven and earth, the spiritual aura itself is ethereal and will constantly dissipate." The second senior brother said, "At the same time, the spiritual aura itself cannot be absorbed by people. Ingesting it will only be in your body, making you feel as if you are in a place where the spiritual aura is abundant and mysterious. You must perceive it immediately."

"I have remembered."

Lin Jue's expression was solemn, and he decided to ingest and perceive it when he went back. Then he took out two peach gums from his bosom: "Does second senior brother know what use this has?"

"What is this?"

"Peach gum."

"It has quite a bit of spiritual aura, it should also be extraordinary, right?" The second senior brother said, "This kind of thing can also be used for alchemy, and it can be taken together with the wood element spiritual aura, but I don't have an elixir formula that matches it, which is a bit of a waste. However, this kind of thing can also be eaten directly, so just eat it directly."

"Eat it directly? Wouldn't it be more of a waste?"

"If we talk about efficacy, it is naturally worse, but that can't be said either." The second senior brother said calmly, "It can be eaten itself. If you insist on refining it into an elixir, isn't that also another kind of waste?"

"..."

Lin Jue seemed to feel that something was wrong, and also seemed to feel that what he said was right.

"Understood."

So Lin Jue took back the peach gum, took the two small bottles, and returned to his room.

The little fox naturally followed him.

"Zhiya~"

Lin Jue closed the room door and bent down to pick it up.

"Fourth senior brother said you might be the descendant of a fox monster, are you?"

"Hm hm..."

A whimpering sound came from its mouth.

"Regardless of whether you are or not, it has been a few days, and fourth senior brother hasn't found your parents either. You will just have to follow me. When your parents come to find you, you can go back."

"Hm hm..."

After a few days, it was already very familiar with Lin Jue, just honestly being held in his hand, raising its tail to protect its vital parts, except for looking at him and twisting around quite helplessly, there was nothing unusual.

Lin Jue could not help but smile when he saw this: "However, don't worry too much. This place is also strange to me."

The little fox continued to whimper, without answering.

Lin Jue did not speak again.

The fourth senior brother did not know where he was playing the flute. The flute sound was melodious, drifting into the room if there was any.

These Daoists were too leisurely.

Lin Jue cast aside distracting thoughts, sat cross-legged by the bed, leaning against the bed, having a support, and took out the two small bottles.

Although he had not opened the bottle cap yet, he could already faintly feel the spiritual aura inside. One was heavy and steady, and he even felt heavy holding it, while the other had infinite vitality, and he felt refreshed just by taking a breath.

Then he opened the bottle stopper.

Inside was ethereal Qi and light.

Looking at it, it was quite wonderful and dreamy.

Lin Jue did not dare to look more, hesitated for a moment, only took the bottle of wood element spiritual aura, put the other bottle back, and prepared to give half to that junior sister later—

Since that girl had been busy for a long time helping him fetch half a bucket of Holy Spring water, and he could not use the earth element spiritual aura for the time being, what would happen if he shared half with her?

Then he did not dawdle, tilted his head, and swallowed it into his abdomen.

Suddenly, his brain buzzed.

Everything in the room and even the room itself seemed to be constantly moving away. Lin Jue suddenly felt that he was not in the room, but in a dense forest, surrounded by rich spiritual aura. Although it was mysterious, it was also ethereal and difficult to grasp, and he had to perceive it with his heart.

Lin Jue closed his eyes and did not speak, becoming one with it.

This was the spiritual aura nurtured by the mountain forest.

The little fox beside him curled up in the corner of the room. The meditation cushion in the corner was its nest. It was like every night, raising its head, a pair of round black eyes staring straight at Lin Jue, observing curiously.

Sometimes it tilted its head to the side, as if thinking.

It started raining outside at some point.

This was not rare either.

It was said that only one day out of every three or four days on Mount Yishan was sunny, and at other times it was either mist or rain, and most of the time it was both rain and mist.

Just like today.

The granite exposed on the mountain was instantly wet by the rain. The rain stirred the mountain mist, which not only covered the Daoist temple at the foot of the mountain, revealing only a pitiful corner, but also covered the strange peaks, grotesque rocks, and ancient pines on the mountain.

The wind blew and the mist moved. In the mist, one could see obvious particles. It was midsummer, and the ancient pines on the mountain were all full of pine flowers, orange-red in color like rice grains, easily soaked by the rain and mist.

However, these ancient pines were mostly rooted in stone crevices, and had always lacked soil. It was precisely the nourishment of these rain and mist that allowed them to survive.

However, most of these ancient pines are rooted in rock crevices and have always lacked soil; it is precisely the nourishment from this rain and mist that allows them to survive.

With the help of this spiritual aura, with the help of this rain and the drifting mist, Lin Jue seemed to be able to feel all of this.

He did not know how long it took before he opened his eyes.

Two peach gums appeared in his hand.

The second senior brother might be right. This peach gum itself could be eaten. Refining it into a uniform elixir that was swallowed in one mouthful, even if the efficacy increased, was also a waste to some extent. Perhaps this was also a state of mind, and also an angle.

Lin Jue perhaps should pick a time to cook it into white fungus and peach gum soup, but not now.

He suddenly felt that he needed it.

So he swallowed it directly into his abdomen.

There was spiritual aura blooming in his body again, like an old tree blooming, like a peach branch bearing fruit, like spring coming and sprouting. There was no great effect, it just made him inexplicably experience this process.

Sometimes he was trance-like, as if he had become a tree himself.

Finally, he opened his eyes again.

That little fox had left the meditation cushion and was lying in front of him, tilting its head and staring straight at him.

Lin Jue looked at it and sat motionless.

It seemed that he was still immersed in the previous realization, and it seemed that he was just purely absent-minded.

"Dong..."

A bell rang.

Lin Jue stood up and walked out.

The little fox immediately followed him.

But just as he reached out his hand, wanting to open the room door, he stopped again. He pondered for a moment, continued to take a small step forward, until his forehead and nose tip touched the door panel.

"..."

Lin Jue took a deep breath, held his breath and concentrated, cast aside distracting thoughts, became one with it, silently recited "those who are the same as things" in his heart, and then continued to take a step forward.

"..."

There was no sound, no collision.

It seemed there was resistance, but it was not hard.

It was as if he was walking forward against a strong wind and water curtain.

When Lin Jue looked back, he was already outside the door, the wooden door behind him was closed well, and he even gradually heard the sound of that little fox cub not seeing anyone, at first puzzled "Hm?", and then hurriedly starting to whimper in a low voice.

The method of wood escape had actually succeeded.

He had actually passed through the door.

Lin Jue stood at the door, savoring it carefully.

This feeling was truly fascinating. ===== CHAPTER 40 =====

This feeling is truly fascinating.