Archfiend

Xu Yangyi walked slowly on the bamboo-leaf-covered ground of Qingcheng Mountain.

The ground in autumn made a "sizzling" sound when stepped on, and it felt soft to the touch. The green and yellow bamboo leaves were mixed with pine needles, as if the whole mountain was covered with carpet.

Although he was going to see the Yuanying cultivator, he was not nervous at all. After all, he was his only blood relative.

"Does Qingcheng Mountain know you are here?" The two walked silently all the way, looking at the ancient trees that were like dragons, listening to the looming birds, but they were silent all the way. Xu Yangyi finally couldn't help but speak.

"I don't know." Xuan Chengzi's hands were covered in his Taoist robe. Although he looked like a young cultivator now, he walked in a way that showed an old age, and his back was slightly hunched. His originally middle-aged face was actually covered with a touch of vicissitudes: "Qingcheng Mountain only knows that there is a Yuanying Zhenjun, but they don't know that it is me."

A bird flew through the forest and landed on his shoulder. The mottled sunlight cast between the vigorous ancient trees, illuminating a peaceful light and shadow. The two continued to be silent. After hundreds of years, the ancestors and descendants met each other, and no one knew what to say.

They were indeed blood relatives, but the time interval was too long, so they were just like strangers.

Their footsteps stepped on the soft and solid ground, and they walked along the mountain path towards the belly of Qingcheng Mountain. After walking for about two hours, there were almost all mountain walls in front of them. However, between the two mountain walls, a winding path, about less than one meter wide, was derived.

At the same time, Xuan Chengzi lost his divine light in his eyes and collapsed to the ground. Xu Yangyi was silent for a moment and slowly walked towards the path.

The ancient pines climbed the rocks, the tired birds hung in the sky, and the scenery on both sides was very charming. It seemed that no one had ever stepped into this place. The bamboo forests covered the sky and the sun, and there was almost no road. However, there was a faint sound of zither and silk.

Just after he walked for another ten minutes, he bypassed a bamboo forest and the scenery in front of him suddenly became bright.

An old but tidy Taoist temple stands in a bamboo forest. Behind the temple is a green mountain. A spring flows down from the mountain, forming a pool of 20 to 30 meters on the ground, with clear water to the bottom. Lotus leaves are swaying on it, and there is even a small waterwheel 2 to 3 meters high turning.

Koi fish are swimming in the pool, like colorful clouds under the blue sky. In front of the Taoist temple, under the bamboo forest, an old Taoist priest is pressing his hands on the guzheng, tuning the strings leisurely.

On both sides, four young Taoist priests are holding 罽, flute, pipa, and guqin in their hands. They are about 17 or 18 years old and have delicate eyebrows and eyes.

"Dang..." Just as Xu Yangyi stepped in, a gentle sound of the zither sounded, and an old voice sang slowly: "The rolling Yangtze River flows eastward..."

As his voice began, the four young Taoist priests around him immediately accompanied him in a rhythmic manner, with great order. The five instruments intertwined into a magnificent and rich sound wave, causing the bamboo leaves in the forest to rustle.

The old fingers plucked the strings, and his somewhat turbid eyes were filled with endless distance. The breeze blew on his face, and his beard and hair fluttered: "The waves washed away the heroes."

Xu Yangyi's eyes became cautious.

There was no fluctuation of the spiritual energy of heaven and earth in these two sentences. However, around him, it was clearly seen that all the bamboo forests rustled and the withered and yellow bamboo leaves fell.

And his footsteps were actually blocked by these fallen leaves!

"Right and wrong, success and failure, nothing comes to an end, the green mountains remain..." The slender fingers danced rhythmically, and the Hujia and flute played a soul-stirring song: "How many sunsets have you seen?"

As this song was played, all the sounds within a radius of dozens of meters disappeared, and a group of forest birds flapped their wings and flew out, making a fluttering sound. However, apart from this, everything was silent.

Under the rustling of the endless bamboo leaves, through the gaps between the leaves, in the intermittent vision where a pin drop could be heard, Xu Yangyi narrowed his eyes slightly.

Test?

A show of strength?

No words, looking straight and lowering eyes, leisurely and solemn, one old and one young, not only was there no fear in his heart, but a fierce fighting spirit was stirred.

In the silence, Xu Yangyi's eyes swept across the bamboo leaves. When they fell, they formed a complex magic circle, and... every second was completely different. He had to find the only passage in it to get through.

Opportunity, only a split second.

"White-haired fisherman and woodcutter, on the river bank. Accustomed to watching the autumn moon and spring breeze." The old man played the guzheng meticulously, as if he had not seen him. At this moment, there are still two or three sentences, and this Linjiangxian will end. If he does not go in before the last word falls, even if the other party releases the ban, he will feel deeply ashamed.

Suddenly, the old man's voice became louder: "A pot of turbid wine, happy to meet."

"How many things in ancient and modern times, all are negative..."

Now!

In a flash, Xu Yangyi moved, his body turned into a green light, and rushed straight into the bamboo leaves and the group.

The green light passed by in the blink of an eye, and a bamboo leaf rustled behind him. In a split second, a narrow passage was left between all the bamboo leaves.

"Laughing and talking."

When the last word fell, his figure was already standing in front of the old man. At the same time, the old man pressed the guzheng with both hands, and the strings hummed softly.

There was not a single bamboo leaf on his body.

Passing through the flowers, not a single leaf touched his body.

"That's right." The old man waved his hand, and the four boys immediately bowed deeply to Xu Yangyi and left.

"It is rumored that your strength is the best among those below the Nascent Soul?" He waved his hand lightly, and a cushion appeared in front of the table, followed by two cups of fragrant tea: "You deserve it."

Xu Yangyi sat down, took the teacup and took a sip, and his eyes suddenly lit up.

A stream of spiritual energy spread from his mouth into his chest, which actually replenished his dry spiritual energy.

"Dahongpao. The real tea leaves on half the tree. I only have half a catty." The old man flicked his white beard leisurely and said calmly: "Once you enter the realm of golden elixir, the world is completely different from the past. You must pay close attention to improving your spirit at all times. The daily living accounts of each Jindan are enough to put a Qi Refiner to shame."

Xu Yangyi took another deep sip and did not answer, but carefully looked at the old man in front of him.

ordinary.

This was the first feeling. There was nothing outstanding about it. He couldn't feel the fluctuation of the other party's spiritual power at all, let alone detect the other party's realm. Just sit in front of yourself like a normal person.

"What do you call it?" he asked, raising his teacup.

"Xu Fangyuan. Born in 1582 AD, during the reign of Emperor Shenzong of the Ming Dynasty. In the early stage of Yuanying." The old man seemed to be feeling a little emotional. He looked at the tea cup in his hand, reflecting his old figure. After a long time, he said slowly: "Do you know, how can I play? Play this song Linjiangxian?"

Without waiting for Xu Yangyi to answer, he spoke calmly: "Life is like a dream. No matter how glorious a generation of emperors is, the green mountains are still there and the sunset is red a few times."

"Looking at the flowers withering and blooming year after year, tasting the spring flowers and the autumn moon, no one can live forever. Nothing is permanent. It is as powerful as ancient cultivation, but it can be done in a moment with a flick of the finger. This song, Tao After all the glory and disgrace of life and death, I can only cry when I think about the world. Whenever I feel uneasy, I play this song.

"Eternal life, eternity, immortality, legends. Throughout the ages, how many people have been moving towards these terms, but... how many people have actually achieved them?"

Xu Yangyi raised his head and looked at the tired birds in the forest. Unconsciously, his heart moved, and he suddenly said slowly: "Then...is there no immortality?"

Silence again.

Two minutes later, Xu Fangyuan turned around and looked deeply into Xu Yangyi's eyes: "Yes."

"Ask about the four realms, Qi refining, foundation building, golden elixir, and Yuanying. After that, the three realms of heart-breaking, and beyond that, it is said that few people reach the second realm of flying immortals. Once they fly to immortals, they are truly immortal. , Unless it is destroyed in battle, it will remain with the world and will survive nine tribulations and its Dharma body will be eternal.”

Xu Yangyi took a sip of tea.

Before the golden elixir, people knelt down to build the foundation, the golden elixir, and after the golden elixir, all nations came to court, invaded three provinces and fifty-one cities, and China turned a blind eye. Beheading Nangong Wujiu and destroying the Nangong family, the cultivation world turned a deaf ear.

Countless monks knelt down below him, and his words made the highest government pay attention. After enjoying this feeling once, no one can give it up unless the person is willing to be mediocre.

And he was unwilling to be mediocre.

He somewhat understood why the ancient emperors always wanted to live forever. This feeling that one word can make a difference for the world is really something that people who have tasted it once can't let go.

"I have avenged my revenge in the Tower of Babel." He blew on the tea and looked at the flying tea leaves: "At that time, I was confused for a moment. Why am I still alive? Do I still want to live? "

"It seems you already have the answer." Xu Fangyuan finally smiled.

Xu Yangyi nodded: "Yes, I never thought that spiritual practice would have such a profound impact on me. At that time, I only had one idea, and that was... I want to reach the top. See different situations."

"Good." Xu Fangyuan stroked his beard and laughed: "There is no greater failure than a dead heart, and there is no greater sorrow than a lack of ambition. Monk, choose one from thousands of miles away, walk on this single-plank bridge that thousands of people strive to cross, and be willing to be mediocre, that is a sin."

I looked up to the sky and laughed loudly and went out. How can I be a Penghao person?

Both of them seemed to see the same words in each other's eyes. They raised their teacups in the distance, touched them in the air, and drank the whole drink.

This is not a big principle, but the instinct of human beings, or intelligent creatures.

There is a lion king among the lions, and there is a wolf king among the wolves. From refining qi to kneeling and worshiping, to building the foundation, to the Jindan master who chooses one out of a hundred thousand, after straightening up, no one wants to go back to the submissive and lifeless person he was before. By one’s own self. Everyone wants to go to the highest peak in the world and see how many gorgeous colors there are in the world opened up by spiritual practice. See if you can call yourself an ancestor in this plane.

Or is it the desire to explore, or the instinctive will to become stronger, who can tell?

Quetzalcoatl once said that the path you choose must be completed no matter what. Never regret it. He probably understands this now.