The thin little boy looks no more than seven or eight years old. He was lying on the thatched roof, looking up at the sky.
When he heard his mother's call, he was about to get up, but accidentally, he lost his balance and fell directly from the roof.
Fortunately, he landed on the haystack below and was not injured.
Goudan seemed to be accustomed to it. He patted his body and straightened his clothes. He trotted all the way to home.
At the dinner table, his mother picked up some food for Goudan and scolded him, "Are you going to the east end of the village to play again? I told you to stay away from that lunatic!"
Goudan wolfed down the food and said nonchalantly, "I think Uncle Crazy is a good person. He is not as scary as you say."
Goudan's father, who was used to being taciturn and had not said a word since the beginning of the meal, put down his chopsticks and slapped Goudan on the head after hearing what Goudan said.
"You know nothing! Do you know what happened to so many people in the village who don't believe in evil? If I tell you to stay away from him, stay away from him!"
Goudan didn't dare to refute under the iron fist. But he was still unconvinced in his heart, and just ate his food in silence.
After that, although Goudan obviously no longer went to Uncle Crazy's house.
But whenever he had the chance, Goudan would secretly bring some delicious food to visit Uncle Crazy.
Uncle Crazy is what Goudan called him. The villagers all called him a madman. He
was also a member of the village. Since he was a child, his parents died and he grew up eating at other people's homes. When he was young, he was still normal. But as he gradually entered middle age, he became a little crazy.
He often muttered some strange words.
What "I saw many of myself" and "I am not myself at all". Sometimes he even pointed at someone in the village and shouted in horror: "Aren't you dead?"
And the villagers he cursed would actually die suddenly in the near future.
In this world, immortals and gods do exist. The villagers were convinced that the madman must be related to those mysterious powers. In order to avoid getting into trouble again, the villagers decided to unite and expel the madman.
But there seemed to be something in the village that he cared about very much. After feeling the malice of the villagers, the madman suddenly attacked and injured people.
Goudan didn't know how many people died that day. But since then, the villagers have chosen to avoid the madman and keep a distance from him.
Only a newborn calf like Goudan dared to approach the madman.
The madman stayed in his ancestral broken house all year round. There was no sunlight and it was extremely dark. He curled up in the corner, whispering something repeatedly.
At first, Goudan accidentally entered when he was playing hide-and-seek with his friends. He was also frightened by the gloomy and terrifying atmosphere in the house.
However, when he heard the muttering of the madman. Although he didn't understand what those syllables meant, Goudan was deeply attracted to him involuntarily.
Goudan reluctantly left until he heard the shouts of his companions outside the house. Since then, whenever Goudan was distracted, he would hear the madman's whispers.
Finally, one day, Goudan could no longer control the temptation in his heart. He came to the madman's small dark room again. He
also politely brought a roast duck.
It seemed that the aroma of the food temporarily awakened the madman's mind. The madman stopped talking and snatched the roast duck without hesitation and devoured it.
After a full meal, the madman, who was in a sober period, just warned Goudan to stay away from him.
How could Goudan, who was cheated of a roast duck, give up? Naturally, he didn't want to leave. He even asked the madman about the words he kept muttering.
The madman was silent at first.
Then he pulled out a pile of wooden tablets from the ruins of the house and said that these were the tablets of the ancestors.
He didn't know what he was saying when he was crazy. However, this strange disease has been with the Xuanyuan clan since ancient times.
Fortunately, only one person in a generation will suffer from this strange disease. As the Xuanyuan clan gradually expanded, not many people in the human race remembered this genetic disease.
"This curse will end here." The madman put the tablets on the ground in order. When it was his turn, he only put an empty wooden tablet. Then,
in Goudan's shocked eyes, all the tablets spontaneously caught fire without wind, and turned into ashes in the small wooden house in an instant.
Goudan asked again about the inexplicable deaths of the villagers.
Crazy uncle showed a pale smile: "What does the destined death have to do with me. The rooster crows, and the world is bright. Could it be that the sun in the sky is really caused by the rooster's crow?"
"Goudan, you have to know that everything in the world has happened countless times. Now it is just another rehearsal. For example, you..."
Crazy uncle stared at Goudan closely, and then his face slowly showed an extremely terrified expression. After the fear, he began to go crazy again. Before he completely lost his mind, he casually threw Goudan out of the door.
Since that day, Goudan vaguely believed that this crazy uncle must be hiding some big secret.
Although the young Goudan could not understand what the crazy uncle said. But he firmly believed that the secret of the crazy uncle was very likely related to the legendary immortal!
For this reason, Goudan also tried every means to find out the real name of the crazy uncle from his father.
Xuanyuan Sheng.
Even though everyone in the village had the surname Xuanyuan, Goudan thought that the name of the crazy uncle was particularly good.
In the days that followed, the crazy uncle's madness became more and more serious. Even Goudan's trick of bringing food to comfort him didn't work. Goudan
could only climb to the roof of the crazy uncle, close his eyes and listen to the increasingly weird voice of the crazy uncle below.
Every time he listened to the crazy uncle's tone, which seemed particularly creepy to outsiders. Goudan slept particularly sweetly.
Such days continued until Goudan was nine years old.
One night, a shocking explosion suddenly broke out in the village. After being awakened, the villagers found that the explosion came from Xuanyuan Sheng's house.
When everyone arrived, they found that the place had been razed to the ground for some reason.
The death of Uncle Feng did not cause much waves. In the eyes of most Xuanyuan people, the disappearance of Xuanyuan Sheng, a scourge, was a good thing.
Only Goudan felt extremely sad about the death of Uncle Feng. He also went to the accident site to search carefully when no one was around. Unfortunately, nothing was found except a burnt tablet.
This wooden tablet was burned to the last corner. Goudan was illiterate, so he took it to ask the literate adults in the village, and then he found out that it was a "Hong" character.
"Xuanyuan Hong."
Goudan had a very good memory. He vaguely remembered that when Uncle Feng was arranging the tablets on the ground in order, this tablet seemed to be solemnly placed in the first place by Uncle Feng.
Knowing that it was his ancestral tablet, Goudan did not dare to keep it privately.
After kneeling respectfully, Goudan burned the remaining wooden tablet with fire.
Xuanyuan Village has been at peace with the world since ancient times.
Since the death of Xuanyuan Sheng, the village has returned to its former peaceful life. As Goudan grew up, the villagers no longer called him "Goudan".
Instead, they called him by his name, Xuanyuan Tuo.
Xuanyuan Tuo's life trajectory was just like that of other villagers.
Sowing, farming, and harvesting. Getting married, getting married, and having children.
It was just that in his spare time, Xuanyuan Tuo would vaguely recall the murmurs of the crazy uncle
in his mind. No matter how time passed, the mysterious tone would always remain in his mind. Never fade.
As Xuanyuan Tuo got older, his life seemed to be doomed.
Until Xuanyuan Tuo was fifty years old.
Xuanyuan Tuo's son died of illness. His wife, unable to bear the pain of losing her loved ones, died soon after.
In less than half a year, he lost two of his loved ones. Xuanyuan Tuo was in agony.
He felt that life was meaningless and wanted to end his life.
But at the critical moment, the mysterious music that accompanied him all the way up sounded again. It dispelled the gloomy thoughts in his mind.
Xuanyuan Tuo sat for a few days, and the grief in his heart slowly subsided.
He had no plans to marry and have children again.
Instead, an idea rose in his heart like a flame, and then spread like wildfire, out of control.
Seeing the death of his loved ones, Xuanyuan Tuo deeply realized the fragility of life.
Thinking that he was over fifty years old, perhaps he would follow in the footsteps of the deceased soon. Xuanyuan Tuo felt extremely panic in his heart. After
sitting for two days without eating or drinking,
Xuanyuan Tuo finally decided to cultivate immortality and seek longevity!
For an old farmer who is nearly fifty years old, seeking immortals seems to be a complete joke.
Xuanyuan Tuo also knows how ridiculous his decision is.
So he did not make a fuss, but quietly packed up and left Xuanyuan Village.
Alone, he embarked on the road to immortality.
Fortunately, the immortals are prosperous in this world, and the immortals are not hiding from the world. On the contrary, in almost every big town, you can occasionally see the figures of immortals flying in the air.
After suffering all kinds of ridicule, Xuanyuan Tuo finally found out the location of the nearest immortal sect.
Guiyuan Sect!
After going through hardships all the way, Xuanyuan Tuo finally arrived outside Guiyuan Sect.
He was shocked to find that there were hundreds of people like him gathered here. However, most of them were young children accompanied by followers. Like him, half of his body was buried in the ground, but he was the only one who still wanted to cultivate immortals.
After some inquiries, Xuanyuan Tuo finally understood why everyone gathered outside the mountain gate. Because it was not yet time for Guiyuan Sect to recruit disciples, the protective formation was opened to cover the mountains, and mortals were not allowed to enter the immortal resort.
Xuanyuan Tuo asked again when the next disciple-recruiting ceremony would be held. But he heard that it would be three years later.
I thought that I would wait outside the mountain gate like these people. But for some reason, Xuanyuan Tuo looked at the protective formation of the immortal gate that everyone feared like a tiger, but he didn't feel very scared in his heart. As he was about to make a move
, Xuanyuan Tuo, who had always been bold, decided to take a risk.
As he expected, he didn't encounter any danger along the way. He just walked to the gate of Guiyuan Sect smoothly!
Meeting the immortal, Xuanyuan Tuo was overjoyed. He wanted to worship in the immortal gate, but was ruthlessly mocked by the other party.
Fortunately, when he was about to be forcibly expelled, an immortal named Xu, perhaps because he felt sorry for him, gave him an introductory immortal method. He also promised that if he cultivated spiritual power within a year, he could come to him again.
Although he did not formally join the immortal sect, he did learn the immortal method.
Xuanyuan Tuo kept the book close to his body and bypassed the group of people who were still waiting at the mountain gate. And for safety reasons, he traveled a long distance to a mortal town farther away.
Xuanyuan Tuo himself was illiterate. In order to practice the method, he asked for advice whenever he had the chance.
Although he was old, his brain was not bad at all. After arriving at the destination safely, Xuanyuan Tuo could recognize most of the words in the entry-level immortal method.
Without the guidance of the immortal master, Xuanyuan Tuo figured it out by himself.
The immortal method is profound, even the entry-level practice method cannot be successfully practiced by an old farmer in the mountains who has never seen the world.
What's more, Xuanyuan Tuo was already in his prime at that time. The best time for practice had long passed.
In addition, he had to make money during the day to maintain his basic livelihood...
In a blink of an eye, the one-year period was about to pass. And Xuanyuan Tuo had the immortal method in his arms, but he still got nothing.
"Even if I cultivate spiritual energy, I won't be able to return in time."
Xuanyuan Tuo was almost hopeless.
"Practicing is too difficult for ordinary people like us."
He suddenly remembered the young immortal master he saw in the city a few days ago. However, at the age of twenty, he was already able to ride the wind freely.
How unfair is the way of heaven!
Despair, jealousy, fear...
Xuanyuan Tuo slumped on the ground and looked up at the sky.
"Why can't everyone in the world practice?"
"Why does this restriction exist between heaven and earth?"
"This thief God!"
Curses like this are too common. They are happening everywhere day and night every moment in this world.
But while Xuanyuan Tuo was cursing in his heart, his ears rang again, the murmur of his very familiar crazy uncle Xuanyuan Sheng.
But this time, it didn't disappear quickly.
Instead, it cycled over and over again until it completely filled his brain!
In a trance, Xuanyuan Tuo seemed to have returned to his childhood.
In the gloomy little dark room, Crazy Uncle stood among the tablets of Xuanyuan ancestors. His face was ferocious.
"It appears again! Burning endlessly, the ghosts will not disperse!"
"Then let's die together!"
A blazing fire suddenly burst out from Xuanyuan Saint's body.
Then he rushed towards the eerie tablets.
The dark flames gradually transferred from Xuanyuan Saint's body to those tablets.
Amid Xuanyuan Saint's crazy laughter, the fire gradually engulfed everything.
In the end, only the one with Xuanyuan Hong written on it had a corner left.
Then, it was picked up by Xuanyuan Tuo!
[Xuanyuan Hong]!
Three big characters appeared in his mind like a ghost. From the gilded color, drops of blood gradually permeated.
Then it exploded with a bang!
Xuanyuan Tuo fainted because of it.
When he woke up, he stared at the sky in a daze. Then he looked at himself in the mirror.
Something seemed to have changed.
After looking back at the entry-level immortal method given by the immortal of Guiyuan Sect, Xuanyuan Tuo felt that it was extremely easy to understand.
Even...
a little too simple.
Xuanyuan Tuo was no longer in a hurry to practice successfully and return to join Guiyuan Sect.
Instead, he began to think about the question he had thought about before.
"Why can't everyone in this world practice?"
Xuanyuan Tuo knew that everything was born and everyone was different.
But what method could enable the world to ignore the difference in talent and everyone to practice?
The murmurs that always accompanied him were no longer heard, and Xuanyuan Tuo was a little uncomfortable for a while.
But at the same time, many pictures began to appear in his mind.
Among them, there were scenes of countless plants and animals.
Some were familiar and unfamiliar faces.
Some were scenes of dialogues with unclear meanings.
"How confident are you on this trip?"
"Do your best and leave it to fate."
"That's not what you would say."
"The strength gap is too great, so I have no choice but to risk my life."
"Forget it, go ahead. I don't know whether it is a blessing or a curse."
...
Xuanyuan Tuo pressed his eyebrows.
He seemed to have forgotten some extremely important missions.
The messy memories could not affect Xuanyuan Tuo's mind.
On the contrary, with the help of the countless memory fragments that suddenly emerged in his mind.
Xuanyuan Tuo continued to think deeply about the previous question.
How can everyone practice?
In his mind, more and more pictures emerged, and they became more and more complicated.
Gradually, the life of another powerful cultivator named [Heavenly Doctor Venerable] was pieced together.
But Xuanyuan Tuo relied on his obsession to suppress everything temporarily. He
continued to think mechanically.
He sat in the courtyard for thirty-three days.
On this day, Xuanyuan Tuo, who had become extremely thin and only had a thin layer of skin hanging on his bones, like a skeleton, suddenly stood up.
His eyes were as bright and brilliant as the stars in the sky.
He looked up at the sky and whispered to himself.
"If I want to become an immortal, why should I ask the heaven? If the heaven doesn't give it to me, I will go and get it myself!"
"Follow the heaven and you will be a mortal, go against the heaven..."
"You will be an immortal!"
Xuanyuan Tuo's chest, which was originally a little hunched, straightened in an instant.
He looked at the sky with his mortal body.
Although he did not have any special momentum, he seemed to be at all disadvantages.
He continued to hum, "So, the path of immortality is..."
"Absorb the spirit of heaven and earth to control its qi;
use the wonders of heaven and earth to build the foundation of Taoism;
peek into the laws of heaven and earth to refine the golden elixir;
seize the essence of heaven and earth to become the primordial infant;
extract the marrow of heaven and earth to obtain its spirit;
sacrifice the soul of heaven and earth to conform to Taoism with one's body;
go against the principles of heaven and earth to prove longevity!"
Xuanyuan Tuo spoke faster and faster until the last sentence, when he fell down in a mess.
But he didn't get up, just lay on the ground and laughed.
Xuanyuan Tuo, who was too weak to get the Tao he wanted, fell asleep.
The spiritual energy between heaven and earth was attracted spontaneously. It rolled in, forming a whirlwind, lifting and guarding Xuanyuan Tuo in the air.
After a long while, the strange phenomenon of spiritual energy filling the body gradually disappeared.
Xuanyuan Tuo slowly landed on the ground, and his half-century-old body was full of vitality. Although he still looked old on the outside, he was full of vitality inside.
I don't know how much time has passed...
Xuanyuan Tuo's face, which was in deep sleep, suddenly twitched violently.
He suddenly opened his eyes.
However, there were no pupils, only the whites of his eyes.
His voice became older and deeper.
"Xuanhuang Tiandao is more difficult to deal with than I thought."
"I almost got completely lost and could no longer regain my consciousness."
"Ahem, I miscalculated."