Several days later, Lin Fang took one last look at his first home in this world before turning to leave. At this moment, he had already reached the Leakless realm, his Vital Essence, Qi, and Spirit tightly contained within him without leaking a trace. Even if someone stood right in front of him, they probably wouldn't be able to tell he was a monster.
Lin Fang did not know how others categorized the practice of cultivation, but he named the first realm "Leakless". This stage required the practitioner to fully gather his Vital Essence, Qi, and Spirit, wasting not a bit.
The more powerful the cultivation technique, the stronger the containment of Vital Essence, Qi, and Spirit. Profound techniques could truly achieve Leaklessness. This way, the energy that would have otherwise dispersed returns to oneself turning into Mana. Because of this, those with powerful techniques saw their cultivation levels advance by leaps and bounds daily.
After many days of devoted cultivation, Lin Fang had already mastered the key to being Leakless. When he was calm, not a bit of Vital Essence, Qi, and Spirit leaked, and the Mana inside his body grew visibly faster.
In recent days, there were gradually signs of Buddhist Sect activities in his area, letting him know it was time to leave.
After taking one last look at his dwelling, Lin Fang resolutely left the Cave Mansion and embarked on the journey that belonged only to him towards the West.
Now, he had transformed his vestment robe into a Daoist robe, chosen a treasured sword from Ling Xuzi's collection to carry on his back, put on a pair of hemp shoes, and placed a blackwood hairpin in his hair—indeed, a rather handsome Young Daoist priest.
Strolling along the main road, Lin Fang focused on himself. Although he could maintain Leaklessness during calm moments, it became challenging once he started to move, so he used this opportunity to intensively train himself to sustain his Leakless state at all times.
Nevertheless, he traveled quickly, covering day and night, and soon saw a bustling village not far away, wondering if it could be the Gao Lao Village mentioned in the books.
"Fellow Taoist, Fellow Taoist, wait for me!"
Just then, a somewhat aged voice called out, and Lin Fang turned to see an old Taoist priest running towards him, panting.
"May I know why the Taoist priest is stopping me?" Lin Fang asked politely.
The old Taoist Priest revealed a cunning smile and said, "Young Fellow Taoist, you are also here to perform Demon Exorcism in Gao Lao Village, aren't you?"
Lin Fang paused. So, right ahead was indeed the Gao Lao Village where his second senior brother was hiding.
Seeing that Lin Fang didn't respond, the old Taoist priest assumed he had agreed and continued mysteriously, "I've got a lucrative idea, are you interested?"
"What's the idea?"
"You see, people are so naive. With you being young, that Patriarch Gao would just consider you an ordinary person and perhaps underestimate you. Why not join me as my disciple? That way, when we receive a reward, how about a split of three for you and seven for me?" the old Taoist priest said after a long talk, clearly valuing Lin Fang's appearance.
Having such a clean, otherworldly-looking disciple would not only add face but also gain more respect from ordinary people, naturally raising the stakes.
Lin Fang glanced at the old Taoist priest, puzzled about where this guy got the confidence he could subdue his second senior brother, but he didn't plan to refuse. It was a good opportunity to see his real senior brother and perhaps gain some insight.
"I get four, you get six!" Lin Fang cheekily said.
The old Taoist priest immediately grew agitated and pointed at Lin Fang, "You young man, why are you so greedy? I do all the hard work while you just open your mouth and ask for forty percent, that's just too much!"
"So are you agreeing or not!" Lin Fang retorted, paying no heed to the old Taoist priest's frantic face.
"Ah, the morality of this world has truly declined, well, I suppose I'm being charitable today, forty percent it is." the old Taoist priest reluctantly said.
However, Lin Fang clearly saw the fleeting smile at the corner of his mouth and knew this was his break-even point. Lin Fang didn't really care much about it; he'd merely been joking. The treasure trove of Ling Xuzi didn't have many good items, and there was plenty of money—enough for his use, so he wasn't interested in the reward. Moreover, that reward was doomed to end up fruitless.
However, the old Daoist priest was full of confidence, leading Lin Fang with his head held high into Gao Lao Village.
There had long been a lad waiting at the entrance of the manor. Upon seeing the two old Daoist priests, he joyfully approached and said, "Could this be Master Ge Ping from Qingyun Temple? The old master has been awaiting you for quite some time!"
By this moment, the old Daoist priest had shed any trace of mundanity present in his earlier talk with Lin Fang, adopting an aura of transcendent grace. He nodded gently at the lad and said, "Lead the way!"
The lad glanced at Lin Fang, his eyes inadvertently brightening. In this world that valued appearances, Lin Fang's presence was indeed striking, mostly due to the ethereal quality about him, which was exceptionally rare.
"Is this your disciple?"
At those words, the old Daoist priest smiled and nodded, responding, "Indeed, he's my unworthy disciple. I've brought him out today to gain some exposure to the world."
The lad, impressed, took another look and could not help but praise, "Worthy of being the master's disciple, truly fine-looking and beyond ordinary folks."
Walking through the long corridor and the courtyard, they soon saw the wide-open main hall, where a portly man sat leisurely sipping tea.
"Master, this is Master Ge Ping from Qingyun Temple!" the lad pointed out, introducing the old Daoist priest.
"So, it is Master Ge. Please have a seat. Little Cui, why haven't you hurried to serve tea to the Taoist priest?" Patriarch Gao instructed, his demeanor somewhat lukewarm—as the old Daoist priest wasn't well-known, and the name 'Qingyun Temple' was unfamiliar to him.
Just then, he noticed Lin Fang standing behind the old Daoist priest and his eyes immediately lit up as he asked, "And who might this be?"
A proud expression flickered across the old Daoist priest's face, knowing that Lin Fang's otherworldly demeanor had made an impression.
Still, he maintained his composure and said, "This is my incompetent disciple, whom I've specifically brought out to see the world."
"Ah, so this is a high disciple of the Taoist priest, truly extraordinary. Little Cui, hurry and bring the good tea; let's not keep the Taoist priests waiting!"
The difference between tea and good tea is just a word, yet the change in attitude was worlds apart.
The old Daoist priest laughed softly, stroking his beard, and sneakily gave Lin Fang a triumphant look.
Seeing this, Lin Fang couldn't help but laugh silently. Sometimes, the old Daoist priest would inadvertently show a childish mischief, like a child who never grew up.
While they were conversing, another lad ran in, his forehead covered in sweat—although Lin Fang sharply noticed these were merely drops deliberately smeared on.
The lad shouted immediately upon entering, "Master, I have invited the Taoist priest from Tianyi Teachings!"
Patriarch Gao's face lit up with joy as he said, "Really, you have invited the Taoist priest from Tianyi Teachings? Hurry, invite him in. No, I will go out to welcome him personally."
He rushed out hurriedly, not even pausing to bid farewell to Lin Fang and the other, a complete turnaround from his initial reception.
Ever since hearing the name of the Tianyi Teachings, the old Daoist priest's complexion had soured, and he seemed to be muttering something under his breath.
Seeing this, Lin Fang grinned and asked, "What, do you know someone from Tianyi Teachings?"
The old Daoist priest curled his lip, feigning disdain and said, "They are nothing but a bunch of hypocrites."
However, Lin Fang could see from his eyes a mix of wariness and resentment, suggesting that the Tianyi Teachings must have an extraordinary background.