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"Repay the debt?"
Sha Lifei rubbed his shiny bald head, pretending to be puzzled and feigning ignorance, "Master, you must be mistaken. You are a revered figure of the Mystical Sect. How could I, Old Sha, dare to owe you money?"
Wang Daoxuan was taken aback, "That spring, at Zuihua Building in Chang'an…"
"Oh~ now I remember."
Sha Lifei began to blatantly lie, "You forgot, I was only buying drinks. That day, you got drunk and insisted on calling the most popular dancing girl. I couldn't stop you…"
"Is that what happened?"
"Of course, and I didn't just leave you. In fact, a fellow from the pugilistic world was in trouble. Saving a life was an emergency, I couldn't delay."
"You know me, I've always been the most loyal…"
"Hahaha, never mind, let's just say it was my treat."
"Master, look… next time, next time it's my treat!"
"Will you really?"
"Absolutely, you know what kind of person I, Sha Lifei, am…"
Three horses trotted along the dusty official road made of yellow soil.
Perhaps it was because Li Yan was unfamiliar, combined with his disguise, or maybe because Meng Haicheng had such a low status that even if he suffered, it wouldn't attract the attention of the Divine Fist Association.
In any case, leaving the city went very smoothly.
Sha Lifei was just a slick hustler from the pugilistic world, while Wang Daoxuan had a sincere heart. It was unclear how these two mismatched individuals always had so much to talk about.
The two continued their idle chatter along the way.
Meanwhile, Li Yan remained silent, burdened with thoughts.
By now, it was near dusk. Because he lingered at Wang Daoxuan's for a while, asking detailed questions, he finally got a general understanding of the Mystical Sect's situation.
This world was more complex than he imagined.
The cultivation of a martial artist involved stages such as Ming Jin, Hidden Energy, Force Transformation, Dan Strength, Astral Force, Innate, and Grandmaster. Each stage depended on one's cultivation level, and with each step forward, their techniques became exponentially more devastating.
In contrast, cultivation in the Mystical Sect focused on Storing God.
The first step was to visualize a deity, borrowing its power to manage the divine soul and control divine skills.
If he succeeded, he could suppress almost uncontrollable divine skills.
However, this was only the beginning of cultivation in the Mystical Sect.
People eat grains and have seven emotions and six desires, coupled with numerous worldly worries. Even if one visualized a deity, they constantly faced the risk of it dissipating.
When that happened, they would need to store the god and visualize again.
The solution was to build temples and palaces.
Through a ritual, they would construct a palace in the sea of consciousness for the visualized deity, ensuring its stability.
This was the true entry into the Mystical Sect, described as a layer of Dao skill.
The stronger the deity visualized, the higher the building constructed, the deeper the Dao skill.
Thus, when people in the Mystical Sect spoke of the high accomplishments of an orthodox sect or magic veins, they often said their Dao skill was as high as several floors.
Additionally, martial artists and the Mystical Sect weren't in conflict. Some great accomplishments in the Taixuan Orthodox Sect were also proficient in Taoist martial arts. However, with limited time and energy, it was rare for someone to excel in both martial arts and Dao.
Some simply gave up, like Wang Daoxuan, who was only rough in the use of fists and feet. He could handle one or two punks but would be beaten by a real practitioner.
Nonetheless, both martial artists and the Mystical Sect highlighted one key point:
This world lacked what was known as Spiritual Energy!
Even with the highest cultivation, one could still die when it was their time.
This world concentrated on Gang Qi and Sha Qi, with various types.
For instance, many famous mountains and great rivers absorbed the essence of the sun and moon, concentrating innate Gang. Most of these places were picturesque, and even some Dao-cultivating animals roamed their mountains.
Storing God spells or Martial Astral Force were considered the innate Gang after one's birth.
The spiritual power condensed by the incense and wishes in Taoist temples and divine statues was called Divine Astral.
Powerful weapons and magic artifacts could also gather Gang Qi.
On the other hand, Sha Qi connected with all sorts of demons and ghosts.
Of course, Gang Qi and Sha Qi had no inherent good or evil.
Using them for good was righteous; using them for evil was malicious.
For example, his Three Talents Demon Suppressing Coin Blade Tassel was a tool to suppress evil Sha.
Various spells and rituals, including Fengshui, were based on this foundation.
Currently, Li Yan faced the biggest dilemma of how to store the god.
The method of Storing God also came in many forms. As long as one could visualize the deity in their heart, it was possible. Nevertheless, it was not mere imagination but a reflection of one's heart.
Years of exploration by the Mystical Sect yielded a practical method.
They chose children with awakened Yang Six Roots, made them recite Dao scriptures from a young age, meditated daily, and deeply imprinted the revered Ancestor or Immortal in their mind. The Storing God process naturally followed.
The Dao techniques taught by Wang Daoxuan also included this.
The Dao technique passed down was called the "West Xuan Grotto Mystical Scripture," and the Ancestor worshipped was the three-eyed sword-wielding Daoist, named Chen Tianjun of Mystic Qi Power.
According to the book, this Ancestor hailed from the mysterious West Xuan Grotto Heaven.
Over countless years, people of the Mystical Sect traveled across mountains and rivers, discovering all the innate Gang famed mountains in Shen Zhou. These became known as Grotto Heaven Blessed Lands.
Yet due to the passage of time, some were found, while others became legends.
For instance, the West Xuan Grotto Heaven, rumored to be in Jinzhou, Guanzhong, or even Hua Mountain in Xiyue. No one knew its exact location, let alone found the crucial Fengshui spiritual acupoint.
Therefore, Wang Daoxuan speculated that this legend was mostly false.
Many magic veins gave themselves glorious titles for their Ancestors, adding bizarre tales that not only propagated their fame but also eased the Storing God process.
This was precisely Li Yan's challenge.
Adults typically had complex thoughts, and with two lifetimes of memories, it was practically impossible for him to unreservedly believe in the existence of a deity.
Hence, he had only one path left.
Visualize and store the god, reflecting the divine of the true self.
At this point, Li Yan had a plan: use the divine statue within his Dantian as the target for visualization and Storing God.
Yet this object was too mysterious, with unknown risks.
Concerning such a life-sustaining divine treasure, consulting others was impossible.
Fortunately, the Storing God process required many days of pure meditation.
Li Yan decided to first follow Wang Daoxuan into the Lu family, figure out what triggered the Substitute Divine Statue's reaction, then return to Li Family Castle to conduct Storing God.
...…
By the time they returned to Ancient Water Village, it was already close to dusk.
The harvesters in the surrounding fields were still busy. Each was tanned dark and drenched in sweat, yet their sickles continued to swing relentlessly.
Wagonloads of wheat were carted to the threshing grounds.
They had to dry and store quickly to avoid unexpected rain.
It was a race for survival, as tense as a battlefield.
The trio rode past, and the harvesters didn't even bother to look up.
Beside the fields, a makeshift canopy stood, with Landlord Lu, his two concubines, and the housekeeper-standing guards within.
Grain harvests were major events for all landlords.
Landlord Lu personally supervised to prevent idleness and at the right time, provided rewards for a bountiful yield this year.
However, he was distracted, frequently glancing at the official road.
"Why haven't they arrived yet?"
Upon hearing his boss' inquiry, Housekeeper Lu broke out in a cold sweat, quickly bowing his head, "The master instructed discretion, so I could only seek these people. I heard there's a Taixuan Orthodox Sect temple priest at the City God Temple in Xianyang City…"
Landlord Lu's face immediately turned cold, "I have my own judgment on how to act. Do you need to teach me?"
"You are absolutely right, master."
Housekeeper Lu dared not say more, silently cursing Sha Lifei.
He knew that despite his seemingly kind appearance and generous personality, Landlord Lu was ruthless and cold-blooded when angered.
Even the two concubines beside him had eyes filled with fear, their bodies slightly trembling.
At that moment, distant hoofbeats sounded.
Seeing Sha Lifei and the others return, Housekeeper Lu let out a sigh of relief, quickly rushing forward to have the horses fed, then leaned over to Sha Lifei, gritting his teeth and whispering, "Why are you so late?"
The delay occurred because of Li Yan, but Sha Lifei dared not speak out. He chuckled and made up, "Master Wang has many engagements. There are many who want his services. Even the gentry in Chang'an have been inviting him today. If it weren't for my influence…"
Wang Daoxuan couldn't take it anymore. Stepping forward, he said, "Boundless longevity and happiness, I was delayed by personal matters. I hope the layperson won't mind."
Though not particularly skilled, Wang Daoxuan exuded an aura of honesty and sincerity. His mere presence engendered a sense of goodwill in others.
Housekeeper Lu was no exception. He hurriedly said, "Not at all, not at all, Daoist Master. Your exhaustion is duly noted."
Then, he led them toward the cool shelter.
Landlord Lu had already risen, exchanging pleasantries before gesturing, "Master Wang, you've come from afar. I've prepared food and drinks. Please join me."
"Thank you, Layman Lu."
Wang Daoxuan nodded slightly, following Landlord Lu forward.
Li Yan and Sha Lifei were about to follow but were stopped by Housekeeper Lu, who whispered, "Why are you two going with them? Come with me to the side courtyard for a meal."
Before Sha Lifei could say more, Wang Daoxuan turned back and smiled, "Landlord Lu, Sha Layman will accompany me to the mountain to choose the site. This young friend Li has already joined the Mystical Sect and is my junior. Is it possible…"
This was the story they devised on the way.
They were seasoned wanderers, full of cunning. This job at the Lu family seemed to harbor hidden intentions, and having more people meant they could look out for each other.
Landlord Lu hesitated for a moment, "Very well."
With that, he led everyone into the Lu family mansion.
The Lu family mansion had tall walls, and outsiders could only vaguely see the trees and pavilions. Only upon entering did they realize how vast it was.
With four large courtyards as its axis, surrounded by an academy, flower garden, laborers' courtyard, and enclosed courtyards, connected by alleys, each adorned with exquisite brick and wood carvings.
Even the arrangement of flower pots along the way had its own unique touch.
Sha Lifei's eyes sparkled with envy, exclaiming, "Truly worthy of Landlord Lu. If that old rascal from the Rong Family Gate came, he'd get lost in here."
Behind them, a hulking man heard this and looked displeased, sneering, "With us around, not a single mouse from the Rong Family Gate would dare step in!"
This man was Zhao Cheng, the senior disciple of the Zhao family boxing school, and the leader of the guards.
These people made their living as bodyguards, making the way they responded to such comments understandable.
Sha Lifei chuckled, "Just kidding, don't take it to heart."
As they spoke, they passed through layers of gates into a side courtyard, marked by the plaque "Lanfang," with servants bustling about inside, and the aroma of food wafting in the air.
Landlord Lu spoke, "Ladies and gentlemen, this is the Lanfang Courtyard, designated for accommodating guests. I've prepared a feast to welcome you all."
The table had an assortment of eight cold dishes and eight hot dishes, half meat and half vegetarian.
Though the food wasn't particularly luxurious, the cold dishes included pig's ears, cowpea, cucumber salad, spinach with vermicelli, braised beef, and others. The hot dishes had fried hairtail, braised prawns, red-cooked pork, steamed perch, and more.
But such fare was typical only at events hosted by wealthy families.
Sha Lifei had been drooling, but Wang Daoxuan remained indifferent, raising a hand, "No rush, Landlord Lu. Though I'm here, I may not dare dine here."
"Why not first share what exactly happened on your estate?"
"Surely it's not just about choosing a site…"
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