In the room.

    Chen Yun saw his own body.

    To be precise, he was currently suspended above his own head, with his body below.

    At this moment, his physical body had its eyes tightly closed, breathing faintly, as if on the brink of death.

    Did it succeed?

    The out-of-body experience was truly a success!

    A surge of joy rose in Chen Yun's heart.

    In fact, according to the scriptures, leaving the physical body is not a difficult thing.

    Some people with weak bodies or those who are frightened may also leave their physical bodies in their sleep.

    The difficulty in cultivating the spiritual aspect lies in "nurturing the spirit."

    Only by nurturing and strengthening the spiritual being can it unleash its powerful abilities.

    Chen Yun felt extremely curious for the first time he left his physical body.

    Looking around, the scenery was as usual.

    He tried to communicate with Zhang Gan, but couldn't make a sound.

    After examining more carefully for a while, he found that even when the oil lamp was lit, his spiritual being had no shadow at all, as if it wasn't really there.

    Formless and intangible, just as the records described.

    Chen Yun hesitated for a moment, wondering if he was dreaming.

    Because people in dreams sometimes also feel as if their souls have left their bodies and are seeing the surroundings with unparalleled realism.

    But, in a dream, one cannot control oneself freely.

    Now Chen Yun realizes that his spiritual being is just as "real" as his physical body, and he can control it freely.

    This feeling is very mysterious.

    At this moment, a vast thought wave surged through.

    A cold hiccup from a young man's voice sounded, "What kind of evil ghost dares to cause chaos in the city?"

    Just as he finished speaking, a scorching hot breath from an unknown direction swept toward him.

    This hot wind, like the breeze from beside a furnace, rushed straight at Chen Yun.

    He felt as if he had been thrown into a furnace and was being burned.

    Extremely hot, almost about to soul fly and spirit scatters!

    It felt like being locked onto by some fierce beast of flood.

    But, inexplicably, he was powerless.

    Helpless, powerless.

    It felt extremely uncomfortable and terrifying.

    At this moment, Chen Yun had only one thought, which was to urgently return to his physical body.

    He truly had no idea where the scorching hot breath had come from, locking onto him.

    But he couldn't move at all, as if he were being suppressed by something, and no matter how hard he struggled, he couldn't break free!

    His mind gradually became blurry.

    I just don't understand how this could happen to me?

    Even though Chen Yun was of high character, he had the urge to curse at this moment.

    Just as he was in dire straits.

    Suddenly, the scorching hot breath carried a confused voice of the youth, "Hmm, it's not a ghost soul, but a practitioner leaving their physical body? I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

    With that, the scorching hot breath receded like a receding tide.

    Even so, Chen Yun's spiritual being still felt like a laborer who had worked hard in the boiler room during the hottest summer day, full of feelings of "dehydration" and "exhaustion".

    In fact, he was "exhausted" to the point where he had no "stamina" to return to his physical body.

    Just as he was in a state of great urgency, a wonderful scene suddenly occurred.

    The sandalwood smoke surrounding him enveloped his spiritual being like a hot spring.

    Chen Yun felt that his spiritual being was constantly being repaired by the smoke.

    Just a short while later, his spiritual being had fully recovered.

    Moreover, when his spiritual being was enveloped by the sandalwood smoke, he could clearly feel that his spiritual being was "consuming" a mysterious energy from the sandalwood smoke.

    The spiritual being was growing stronger bit by bit.

    "Oh, I see why the gods need offerings. Not only can they heal the damage to the spiritual being, but they can also strengthen their own powers."

    Chen Yun somewhat understood what was happening.

    The normal method of nurturing the spirit only requires following the "Transform Yin into Yang" method, which generally needs the spiritual being to be within the body.

    However, this method cultivates the spiritual being relatively slowly.

    Of course, there is another way to enhance the spiritual being, which is to use specially made sandalwood incense, absorbing the energy from its smoke after burning it.

    Additionally, according to the text of the cultivation technique, if there is enough faith, it is also possible to nurture the spiritual being, which is roughly equivalent to the method of becoming a deity through offering flames.

    Chen Yun is currently in the second case.

    He continuously absorbing the energy from the smoke of burning sandalwood incense.

    Time passed minute by minute.

    His spiritual being was also gradually strengthening.

    About half an hour later.

    The sandalwood was about to burn out.

    Chen Yun finally returned to his physical body with his spiritual being.

    Suddenly, a feeling of "heaviness" came, as if he had been shackled.

    Chen Yun slowly opened his eyes, feeling a strange sensation, as if he had become more "acute".

    Yes!

    That's the feeling!

    It seems he can sense the fluctuations of air currents, not through touch, sight, or hearing, but more like a spiritual perception.

    This is a kind of magic that Chen Yun has never experienced before.

    Just at that moment, Zhang Gan's voice suddenly echoed in his ears, "Chen brother, have you made any progress either?"

    Chen Yun turned to look at Zhang Gan's face, which revealed a hint of disappointment, indicating that he was having trouble with the cultivation and had developed a sense of inferiority.

    He was still confused and asked, "How about you?"

    Zhang Gan sighed heavily, "I can't even do the 'Cleansing Marrow' method, let alone leaving my physical body."

    Oh, I see, not everyone can immediately leave their physical body on their first try like me.

    Recalling his previous cultivation efforts, although some of them relied on external aids, Chen Yun suddenly realized that his talent might indeed be very high.

    Seeing Zhang Gan so despondent, Chen Yun told a kind lie.

    He said semi-truthfully, "I'm in a similar situation as you, just that I have a bit more progress."

    Hearing this, Zhang Gan immediately laughed, "You can't do it either?"

    Chen Yun smiled and said, "A bit of progress, a bit of progress."

    Zhang Gan immediately regained his confidence, "That's good. I thought my talent was too poor and I had no progress. It seems that even Chen brother's talent is only slightly better than mine."

    Chen Yun replied with a hum: "You're injured. Rest early, and I'll finish up a bit before going to bed as well."

    "Alright, I'll go to sleep first."

    Upon saying that, Zhang Gan lay down to sleep.

    Because the effects of Zhu Guo's peel have been refined.

    Chen Yun naturally couldn't refine essence into qi tonight.

    He didn't fall asleep immediately because there were things to take care of.

    Thinking of this, Chen Yun took the juzhi zhu from his storage ring.

    The next moment, he coldly hummed and softly spoke to the jade pearl, "Explain yourself!"

    Instantly, the jade pearl transmitted Qin Liang's panic-stricken consciousness, "Master, why are you saying this?"

    Just as he was about to speak, Zhang Gan looked up and asked, "Who are you talking to?"

    "To the ghost," Chen Yun replied, "Just go to sleep." He continued communicating with the ghost in a tone that was not friendly: "At first, I didn't suspect you, but then I suddenly remembered that you had introduced yourself as a gambling demon from the mortal world. If that's the case, why did you immediately know that I possessed spiritual power as soon as we met? And wherever I went, that witch named Lin Feiyun was able to chase after me at once? Speak up! Are you betraying me? If not, today I'll kill you!"

    "No! No! No!" Qin Liang pleaded fearfully, "I have something to hide from Master, but Lin Feiyun is truly not someone I informed. For example, a few nights ago when we were at the Cao Gong Temple, Lin Feiyun's powerful spiritual being was almost disintegrated by the Cao Gong. How could I, a mere ghost, dare to use magic to pass on messages? If it weren't for the juzhi zhu protecting me, I would have been killed long ago by the Cao Gong."

    Chen Yun asked, "Then what are you hiding from me?"

    Qin Liang sighed deeply, "Ah, I've been hiding something that happened a few years ago. When I just regained consciousness and could control myself, the witch Lin Feiyun found me and cast a curse on me. She also taught me some cultivation techniques. That law was specifically designed to control me, and now that she's dead, the curse should have been broken. However, what puzzles me is that the curse on my body doesn't seem to have been dispelled. Well, these are all side issues. The main point is that the cultivation technique she taught me was vicious and required harming others to absorb their souls. Although I'm just a gambling demon, I really didn't want to hurt people. That's why I haven't harmed the Huang family; otherwise, they would have died long ago."

    Is the curse not broken?

    Could it be that Lin Feiyun is still alive?

    Chen Yun felt that this shouldn't be the case. The woman had been blown to pieces and her bones were gone, how could she possibly still be alive?

    Chen Yun thought that the curse might be special, not something that would automatically lift upon Lin Feiyun's death.

    So Chen Yun didn't think that Lin Feiyun had not died, but was pondering Qin Liang's words.

    From what the other party had said just now and the analysis of what had happened, the credibility was very high.

    However, having been sensed by Lin Feiyun repeatedly and experiencing events that have happened, Chen Yun has lost trust in Qin Liang.

    He didn't want to commit any killing, so he decided to take some precautions with Qin Liang.

    He squinted his eyes and said, "I got a cultivation technique for the spiritual being from Lin Feiyun's storage ring, right?"

    Qin Liang was startled and said, "I know, Master, what do you intend to do?"

    "Understood," Chen Yun nodded slightly. "The cultivation technique for the spiritual being in this method not only has methods to cultivate and strengthen the spiritual being, but also some spiritual being spells. There are probably three or four different kinds of spells. In addition to creating illusions, illusions, attacking souls, there is also a spell to cultivate ghost generals. This spell can not only cultivate ghost soldiers and generals to help fight alongside the master but also has a unique feature - once the master dies, their ghost soldiers and generals will also die. I don't ask you to fight for me, but for safety's sake, I have two options: either to beat you into nothingness and your soul, or to cultivate you into a ghost general. Considering that you have some good intentions and I don't want to create more killing, I choose the second option."

    The "Cultivate Ghost Generals" spell is somewhat similar to the recruitment of spirit beings and soldiers in the Lushan sect.

    The Lushan sect's soldiers can be divided into three categories: celestial soldiers, earthly soldiers, and human soldiers.

    The Lushan sect has the authority to command the armies of the three realms, hence the title "Five Camps and Three Realms Army."

    There are also several other camps of soldiers set up by the Lushan sect with a legacy.

    When the Lushan sect magicians perform rituals and ceremonies, they dispatch different kinds of soldiers based on different matters to assist the magicians in performing the rituals, ensuring the completeness of the ceremony and subsequent protection.

    Celestial soldiers, as the name suggests, are the soldiers sent by the Department of the Heavenly Palace and can be obtained through a report to the Lushan sect.

    Earthly soldiers, also known as spiritual realm soldiers or underworld soldiers.

    The underworld soldiers are easy to summon but also easy to damage, and they are often used as cannon fodder. Any cultivator with a slight ability can summon them at night during certain rituals. However, there is a problem with summoning spirits: it's fine to summon lesser ghosts, but if you happen to summon a ghost king and do not have enough cultivation or the ability to control it, it can cause problems in various aspects such as health, appearance, health, and fortune. If the feeding is not done properly, the problems will be even more severe.

    Human soldiers are the soldiers passed down by the system on the altar, given by the master.

    There is also a kind of spirit world soldier called xingbing.

    There are at least thirty-three known categories of xingbing.

    Including the least thirty-three categories of spirit world soldiers, such as elves born from the gathering of divine energy in a certain place, abnormal beings that have not achieved true cultivation, and so on.

    The "Cultivate Ghost Generals" spell that Chen Yun learned from Lin Feiyun's qingyu is one of the ghost control arts.

    In order to make the ghost generals more powerful, daily offerings of incense and fire are required.

    Over time, the ghost generals will become more powerful.

    So if you cultivate it for a long time, it can even become a ghost god.

    He doesn't intend to raise Qin Liang into a ghost god, nor does he want the other's help in battle, so he only establishes a certain connection with him using talismans and exorcisms without deliberately nourishing him.

    Qin Liang did not object, "As long as the master is at ease, I have no objections."

    "Alright, good. We will depend on each other for life and death. I suppose you won't be doing any spywork either, and I won't have to commit any killing."

    As he said that, Chen Yun took out yellow paper and red ink from his bag and began drawing the "chapter soldiers" talisman according to the first step of the "Cultivate Ghost Generals" spell.

    Because it was the first time he drew it, he wasted several pieces of yellow paper at the beginning and tried several times before finally succeeding in drawing one.

    The "chapter soldiers" talisman is complete.

    Chen Yun injected true qi into it and said to the juzhi zhu: "Quickly enter the talisman."

    Qin Liang sighed deeply and turned into a stream of black qi that spread from the juzhi zhu into the "chapter soldiers" talisman.

    After a while, Chen Yun bit his finger and dropped a drop of his essence blood into it.

    Suddenly, he heard Qin Liang's cry of pain.

    Chen Yun knew that this was to establish a connection between the "chapter soldiers" talisman and the ghost, not to harm the other party.

    As expected, after the scream from Qin Liang disappeared, Chen Yun felt that he had established a special connection with the other party. He had a sense of controlling Qin Liang as if his arm was his own.

    After finishing all this, Chen Yun said calmly, "Return to the juzhi zhu."

    "Yes, Master." Qin Liang turned back into a stream of black gas and returned to the juzhi zhu.

    In the next second, the "chapter soldiers" talisman was on fire and self-destructed.

    Chen Yun knew that this evil talisman was just to bind himself and the ghost general together, with no other effect. After use, it would self-combust and destroy itself.

    After establishing the connection, if he, Chen Yun, were to die, Qin Liang would also be disintegrated.

    After doing all these things, Chen Yun didn't pay attention to how Qin Liang was doing. He just drew another Flame talisman and injected true qi into it. Then he made a makeshift bed on the ground.

    Because the Flame talisman consumes a large amount of true qi, Chen Yun would not be able to create another one if he did not actively recover his true qi. Today, he hasn't created one yet, so naturally, he needs to create it to prevent any danger.

    Including the previous Flame talisman, he now has two in total.

    Chen Yun lay down on the makeshift bed and closed his thoughts to sleep.

    ……

    The next day, as dawn broke.

    Dong, Dong Dong.

    Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

    Chen Yun and Zhang Qian were woken up by the knock.

    Zhang Qian, slightly displeased, shouted outside: "Who is it? Rousing people's dreams in the early morning."

    A young man's voice was heard outside, "Yesterday, I almost harmed Mr. Chen. Chen Tuan specially came to apologize."

    Upon hearing this, Chen Yun couldn't help but be startled.

    Chen Tuan?

    The person at the door is actually Chen Tuan?

    He never expected that the person who almost caused him to be scattered to the winds during his spiritual being's departure last night was Chen Tuan.

    If it were any other day, when Chen Yun knew that someone was waiting outside his door and it was the famous Chen Tuan, he would have been overjoyed and rushed to open the door, curious about the other person's appearance and eager to discuss and learn Daoist practices.

    However, last night, he had sent his spiritual being out, and had almost been killed by Chen Tuan.

    Now, hearing that Chen Tuan had come to his door, Chen Yun's heart was burning with anger.

    He stood up in a flash and walked directly to the door, opening it and shouting at the other person, "What did you mean……"

    Before he could finish his words, the scholarly-looking young man outside bowed and apologized, "Last night, I almost caused harm to Mr. Chen. Chen Tuan deeply regrets it and hopes that Mr. Chen can forgive him."

    As the saying goes, one does not strike a smiling person.

    The other party thought there were ghosts and demons causing trouble, so Chen Yun couldn't vent his anger and could only say helplessly, "Oh well, it was just an accident."

    "Thank you, Mr. Chen, for your magnanimity."

    After saying that, Chen Tuan straightened up.

    Only then did Chen Yun see the other person's appearance clearly.

    It was a scholar in his twenties, wearing white clothing and a headscarf.

    It didn't match his imagination of the "enlightened master Chen Tuan" at all.

    He was quite puzzled and asked, "Are you really called Chen Tuan?"

    Chen Tuan was startled and said with a smile, "To answer your question, I am indeed Chen Tuan."

    Chen Yun blinked and pursued with a question, "Where are you from?"

    Chen Tuan was quite honest, "I am from Zhuozhou, Zhenyuan County."

    Hmm?

    That matches.

    Could it really be that Chen Tuan?

    Curious, Chen Yun continued to pursue his question: "Zhuozhou, Zhenyuan is about four thousand miles away from here. How did you come here?"

    Chen Tuan spoke without reserve, "Due to the Huang Chao rebellion, my entire family fled our hometown. Since my youth, I have been taught by an immortal and learned some methods of talisman-making. Therefore, I made some swift journey talismans that allow me to travel five hundred miles a day. After more than three months of fleeing for my life, I finally arrived in the territory of Qin to avoid the trouble. As a former sovereign state, it generally does not suffer from the effects of war and chaos."

    Chen Yun has been living in the territory of Qin for a long time and has no knowledge of the outside world.

    Now, hearing about the Huang Chao rebellion, he finally knew what era they were likely in.

    Without a doubt, it should be during the Tang Emperor Xianzong's reign.

    So it seems that the Tang Dynasty will fall into the hands of eunuch generals and will gradually approach its decline.

    Specifically, it is difficult to predict for how long Emperor Xianzong was in power.

    Chen Yun asked with concern, "How many years has the Huang Chao rebellion been going on?"

    Chen Tuan said, "Four or five years."

    Chen Yun had roughly figured out the time, it should be the third or fourth year of Emperor Xianzong's Nanzhong period.

    As he was contemplating, Chen Tuan asked politely, "Is there anything else you would like to ask, Mr. Chen? If not, I must continue on my journey with my family to Xigou City."

    "Nothing……" Chen Yun said, thinking of something, "By the way, is the Tang Emperor currently in Chang'an?"

    Chen Tuan was startled again and said, "What is the emperor doing in Chang'an? It is said that after the Tang army was defeated, the emperor retreated from Luoyang to Xibei along the way. People fleeing from the trouble along the way say that recently the emperor has recaptured Luoyang, Huang Hei has been defeated and escaped, and he has led his troops to attack Caizhou. However, General Qin Zongquan could not resist and surrendered."

    This time, Chen Yun was completely certain of the time; it was the third year of Emperor Xianzong's Nanzhong period.

    However, the thing that only puzzled him was that historically, the capital of the Tang Dynasty was Chang'an, but it later moved to Luoyang just before its decline.

    How come it is Luoyang now?

    It might be that this world is slightly different.

    Chen Yun didn't think much and bowed and bowed in return: "Thank you for telling me."

    "Since there is nothing else, I will take my leave."

    Chen Tuan was about to leave.

    Who knew that Zhang Qian suddenly asked: "Mr. Chen, you just said that you almost harmed my Chen elder brother last night?"

    Chen Tuan nodded, "When Mr. Chen sent out his spiritual being, I thought it was a malevolent ghost. I immediately wanted to destroy it, and only later did I realize that someone was sending out their spiritual being. Shame on me, for my inadequate skills and for mistaking Mr. Chen for a malevolent ghost."

    After saying that, Chen Tuan bid farewell and left.

    Chen Yun gently closed the door.

    As he turned around, he saw Zhang Qian staring at him with a look of resentment.

    Of course, he knew why. It was simply to comfort him last night by saying that he had made some progress with his spiritual being, making Zhang Qian believe that everyone's talents were roughly the same.

    As expected, Zhang Qian said in a tone of disbelief, "Elder brother Chen, your 'slightly improved progress' is... it's really something that makes one feel like one can only look up to you."

    ...

    On the other side, within the borders of Xigou City.

    In a hidden mountain retreat in the outskirts.

    In a hidden mountain retreat, a young man in white clothing and pants looked at Lin Feiyun's spiritual being and was greatly surprised, asking, "Brother, where is your physical body?"

    The speaker was Liu Huibai, the master of Baiyun Mountain Villa.

    He, like Lin Feiyun, was also a demon of the Taiping Tao sect.

    Just that his cultivation was weaker than Lin Feiyun's, so the leader of Xigou City did not include him in the rotation.

    Of course, Liu Huibai's cultivation was not too weak; it was just about to break through the seventh-level Taoist practitioner.

    "Brother, I was secretly sabotaged by Chen Yun, a disciple of Zhengyang Temple's Zhengyang Sage. My physical body was blown to smithereens, but my spiritual being luckily escaped and returned." Lin Feiyun's spiritual being was trembling, seemingly angry to the extreme, "That little scoundrel is truly annoying..."

    She told the whole story of what happened.

    After listening, Liu Huibai's face showed a look of disbelief.

    He wasn't so much of the opinion that Lin Feiyun was "not smart enough" to be deceived, but rather that Chen Yun was too bad, using Lin Feiyun's greed to gradually dig traps for her, causing her to blow up the bomb and destroy her physical body.

    "Didn't the Supreme Leader tell us not to provoke the disciples of the Sacred Gate of Zhongshan? Last time, when Ren Gong General came here, he encountered Guanyu Zenguan, a Buddhist guardian deity. Guanyu's spiritual being was just a mere embodiment and caused him to lose his steed. He barely escaped with his life, and Zhengyang True Sage's cultivation is far superior to that of Guanyu. Why did you provoke his disciples?" Liu Huibai frowned and said: "If this matter were to be known by the Supreme Leader, we might all face punishment. Brother Lin, please do not provoke them again."

    "Not to kill this little scoundrel, I will never be human!" Lin Feiyun clenched her teeth and said between gritted teeth, "Brother Liu, if you truly care for your younger sister, please help me with two things."

    "Du Guan Bai has long admired Lin Feiyun. Upon hearing her words, he immediately replied, 'What do you want me to do?'"

    Lin Feiyun's expression became fierce: "First, find a woman's body that is more attractive to me so that I can possess it and heal my injuries. Second, during my recovery period, if you have the ability to capture Chen Yun that little scoundrel, when I've healed, I will…I will marry you!"

    It's evident that she doesn't actually like Liu Guibai much, but now, with no other options, she has to use the promise of becoming his spiritual spouse as bait to get him to do her bidding.

    As expected, Liu Guibai's face lit up upon hearing this, "Is that really so? As long as I can capture that little scoundrel, will you marry me?"

    Lin Feiyun nodded, "Yes, don't kill him. Capture him alive and bring him back to me. I want to torment him for a hundred years to avenge the destruction of my physical body!"

    Overwhelmed by love, Liu Guibai completely forgot the Supreme Leader's instructions. He solemnly vowed, "Brother Lin, rest assured, I will definitely capture that little scoundrel alive."

    Lin Feiyun said, "First, find a physical body for me. If my spiritual being cannot return to the body by dawn, I will definitely be reduced to ashes and bones."

    "This is not a big deal."

    Liu Guibai called out, "Come in."

    Two middle-aged men, their heads wrapped in yellow turbans, ran in immediately.

    Liu Guibai said in a calm tone, "I remember there was a woman who was quite beautiful in the village not far from here. Her name is 'Zheng Chungu,' and you should capture her immediately. Remember, do not let anyone notice."

    "Yes, master."

    "We will go immediately."

    The two men disappeared at the door.

    Baiyun Mountain Villa is located in a sparsely populated area on the outskirts of Xigou City.

    On the surface, it appears to be a nobleman's mansion.

    In reality, it is the stronghold of the remnants of Taiping Dao in Xigou City.

    Because the leader of the gang is not convenient to appear in public, Liu Guibai acts as the master of the mansion.

    It has considerable influence in Xigou City and has gained many connections among officials through bribery with gold, silver, and jewels. However, it secretly engages in immoral activities such as raising ghosts and demons.

    Moreover, Baiyun Mountain Villa also has many elite fighters, preparing to take over the world as soon as the Supreme Leader gives the order.

    About half an hour later.

    Two death-trained disciples brought back a young and beautiful villager.

    Liu Guibai directly used secret techniques to detach the villager's soul from her body.

    Instantly, Lin Feiyun's spiritual being rushed onto the villager's soul and forcefully devoured it, causing the villager to be annihilated completely.

    After completely devouring the villager's soul, Lin Feiyun's spiritual being entered the villager's body.

    In the next moment, the villager opened her eyes.

    Lin Feiyun seemed to be somewhat uncomfortable with this body and struggled several times without being able to get up. Finally, Liu Guibai held her and carried her into the inner room.

    Inner room.

    Liu Guibai lit three jade-colored incense sticks, and then looked at Lin Feiyun, who was kneeling cross-legged on the bed, and said: "Brother Lin, I am about to go and capture Chen Yun that little scoundrel. You can first restore your spiritual being. Once you have completely controlled this body, I believe I will have brought the person back. At that time, we can hold a wedding ceremony."

    Lin Feiyun smiled insincerely, "Good, everything depends on elder brother."

    "Wait for my good news."

    Liu Guibai spoke and left.

    At this moment, Lin Feiyun's eyes narrowed slightly, "Hmph, you think you can marry me? Wait until you bring that little scoundrel back. I will delay for a while, until my spiritual being is completely restored and I have mastered this body. If you dare to mention marriage again, I will definitely reduce you to ashes and bones!"

    Yes, she is like that - completely heartless. She doesn't even care about Liu Guibai's one-way affection for her, and even thinks of killing him completely if he tries to blackmail her after she regains her strength.

    ...

    Three days later, on the official road.

    Although Zhang Qian's injury had not yet fully healed, it did not hinder his ability to travel.

    Chen Yun and Zhang Qian attached armored horse symbols, and they set off on their journey to Luoyang.

    During these two days, as he was temporarily unable to refine essence into Qi, he spent each night cultivating his spiritual being.

    Of course, creating a Flame Flag every day is something Chen Yun has to do, and he has created three in the past three days. Currently, he has five Flame Flags in his storage ring.

    As for the daytime, Chen Yun did not forget his purpose of coming down the mountain. He would often go to the streets and give some silver or soup to the truly needy beggars.

    "The red fruit has already been obtained, but where can I find the nine-headed rice ear and wish-heap grass?"

    Riding along the official road at high speed, Chen Yun pondered inwardly.

    Both are celestial spiritual roots.

    For example, nine-headed rice ear.

    If one consumes it, they will age but not die.

    Simply put, it can achieve immortality.

    In reality, this longevity has its limits.

    As far as Chen Yun knows, the nine-grain rice can extend one's lifespan by eight hundred years.

    Of course, the nine-grain rice can only do this one thing.

    It won't make one immortal or give them supernatural power.

    The wish-heap grass is not as magical as the nine-grain rice.

    Its effect is that if one eats it, they will not feel hungry for a long time.

    If celestial spiritual roots are categorized by levels, the nine-grain rice would be a first-tier spiritual root, while the wish-heap grass could at most be a lower-tier spiritual root, comparable to the red fruit.

    Chen Yun didn't want the nine-grain rice, although it would be used in the spiritual refinement and congealing essence elixir, the spiritual refinement and condensing essence elixir did not need it for now.

    What Chen Yun needed was the dew from the nine-grain rice.

    What is the dew from the nine-grain rice?

    It is said that the nine-grain rice, a celestial spiritual root, will often be accompanied by dew when planted.

    These dewdrops are rootless water.

    Ordinary rain is also rootless water, but it does not contain divine energy.

    The dew accompanying the nine-grain rice during its growth is different.

    These dewdrops, before they fall to the ground, contain a special kind of spiritual energy that helps the nine-grain rice grow.

    Imagine how much divine energy these dewdrops containing would have, helping something like the nine-grain rice to grow.

    "The Grand Tao Spirit Elixir records that the nine-grain rice does not have a fixed growing place, and it is usually carried by the divine bird Dan Que, thrown randomly on the ground. However, the wish-heap grass has a traceable location."

    The sound of whistling wind echoed in his ears, and Chen Yun reminisced about the growth site of the wish-heap grass, "This plant originally grew on a sacred mountain called Zhao Yao in the Western Sea. Later, it was discovered by cultivators and gradually brought back to the central plains. However, the growth environment of the wish-heap grass is strict; it must be accompanied by a spiritual spring. That is to say, in order to find the wish-heap grass, I must search for where there is a spiritual spring, which gives me only a slim chance of encountering it."

    That is undoubtedly fishing in a vast sea.

    Despite this, Chen Yun did not give up searching for the wish-heap grass.

    While he was in the city of Ma Chi, he inquired about it. Initially, he didn't get much information. It was later that an elderly woman with kind eyes told him that there is a spiritual spring in the Lei Shen cave of Wang Shun Mountain, which is a thousand miles away from Ma Chi city. However, she didn't know if the wish-heap grass grew there.

    At the time, Chen Yun was quite surprised. Most people had never heard of Wang Shun Mountain, so how did this old woman know that there was a spiritual spring there?

    Although he couldn't understand, Chen Yun decided to go and see if there was any wish-heap grass when he passed by today.

    Suddenly, Zhang Qian, who had been running at full speed, slowed down.

    Chen Yun didn't know what happened, and he also slowed down. He walked over and asked, "Master Zhang, what's wrong?"

    Zhang Qian pointed ahead, "There seem to be bandits up ahead."

    Bandits?

    In Chen Yun's impression, Qin was once a vassal state and had lost its former glory after the conflict of Daoism. However, because of this, Qin had not experienced any wars for hundreds of years and its people lived in peace and prosperity, so few people would resort to banditry.

    Even if there were bandits, they would be thin and weak men who were starving and almost unrecognizable as human beings due to poverty.

    However, when he looked forward, he saw that there were several men with weapons such as short knives and bows and arrows in front of him. Although their clothes were not very good, they had bulging muscles, and from their appearance, they didn't look like poor people at all.

    Chen Yun's first reaction was that this group of people were not true bandits at all, but seemed to be waiting for someone here.

    Meeting a group of people with weapons in hand, traveling in a group along the way.

    Chen Yun and Zhang Qian's vigilance increased, and their steps slowed down significantly.

    And Chen Yun was even pondering whether to ask a few words from afar, if the situation was wrong, he would have to use the Flame Flag without choice.

    As for the kind of spiritual techniques that involve the yin spirit, he didn't have the ability to use them just after emerging from it.

    Of course, Chen Yun did not deliberately learn about it.

    Moreover, those spiritual techniques involving the yin spirit, whether it's the "soul-separating art" that attacks people's souls or the other two "dream-entry art" and "illusion art," Chen Yun didn't look down on them. For example, the "dream-entry art" is to create illusions for people, while the "illusion art" is to create illusions. It's not that these three arts are not powerful, but he thought that these sideline arts were deceitful. As a disciple of Zhu Liquan and a legitimate heir of the orthodox sects, using these evil arts seemed a bit too disgraceful for their reputation in the Daoist school.

    Chen Yun was subtly adjusting his true Qi, preparing to quickly retrieve the Flame Token Ring for defense at any moment.

    Who would have thought that the people in front of them would have discovered them?

    A stout man with a steel fork raised his voice from a distance and said, "It's not advisable to travel at night. Please go back the way you came, or if you want to continue your journey, wait until tomorrow during the day."

    The tone doesn't sound like that of bandits who are ambushing halfway.

    Then why do they hold weapons and stand guard on the roadside?

    Chen Yun and Zhang Qian exchanged a glance.

    Zhang Qian asked, "Chen brother, they seem to be blocking the road and not letting people pass. Should we go up to them?"

    Chen Yun thought for a moment and said, "We have been traveling along and haven't seen any place to rest. If we turn back now, we might have to sleep outdoors. Since there are people blocking the road, there must be a village nearby. Let's go up and ask for a place to stay."

    Zhang Qian thought it over and agreed, "Alright."

    The two of them walked forward at a slow pace.

    The six-foot-five-inch tall man who spoke earlier saw that they didn't listen to his advice and immediately became stern, saying, "You two don't listen to my warning..."

    Suddenly, the stout man seemed to notice something and whispered to someone next to him, "Hmm? There seems to be a Daoist master here. Do you think he knows alchemy? Can he solve the calamity in my village?"

    The man with a tiger's back and monkey's waist took a closer look. "He looks too young; he's not like a Daoist master with special skills."

    "Yes, too young."

    "It is indeed not like someone who possesses special skills."

    A group of people were whispering among themselves.

    At this time, Chen Yun and Zhang Qian have already arrived in front of the crowd.

    Chen Yun bowed and said, "Gentlemen, I am Chen Chongyong, a disciple of Zhengnanshan Jinyang Cave Taobao Observatory, under the guidance of Master Zhengyang of the Zonghui door. May I ask why you have blocked our way?"

    "Mount Zongnanshan?"

    "Zhengyang Zhenren?"

    "Have you heard of him?"

    "I haven't heard of him."

    Several people were still whispering.

    Even though these people's voices were small, Chen Yun still heard them acutely.

    Although the distance from Mount Zongnanshan is two thousand miles away, and the ancient information dissemination speed was slow, it is also very normal that these people don't know their teacher's name.

    The stout man with a steel fork leading the way bowed respectfully and said, "Greetings to Daoist Chen. I am Gao Liang, a hunter from Gao Village. That is why we have blocked your path. There are werewolves causing trouble in Wang Shun Mountain, and over a dozen people from our village have been killed by wolves, and many travelers have also suffered because of it. Therefore, the village elder has instructed us to guard the roadside every evening until dusk. If we encounter travelers at that time, we will advise them not to rush their journey at night and avoid encountering werewolves that could take their lives."

    Hearing about the werewolves in Wang Shun Mountain, Chen Yun's heart tightened.

    Zhang Qian's expression also changed.

    As disciples of a Daoist observatory, how can they not know how terrifying the monsters are?

    Chen Yun and Zhang Qian had encountered very few human settlements on their journey. If they turned back, they would either have to sleep outdoors, which could expose them to attacks from wild beasts at night, or return to the villages near Ma Chi City, which would affect their journey.

    Chen Yun was in a state of thinking.

    Zhang Qian curiously asked: "Werewolf?"

    Gao Liang was rather talkative, "Ah, half a year ago, a werewolf appeared in this mountainous area for no apparent reason. At first, it was okay; the werewolf only wandered around Wang Shun Mountain. When we heard that some hunters were eaten by it, we all stopped hunting in the mountains and lived in fear. But three months ago, something strange happened; the werewolf started to come to our village at night to eat people. It used to come every ten or fifteen days at first, but now it almost comes every night. My village of Gao has already lost more than ten people."

    Chen Yun could see that the werewolf had scared the people of Gao Village so much that even when they were told to watch the roadside in groups at dusk and armed with weapons, they still felt afraid.

    In that case, the werewolf might be very powerful.

    At the same time, he learned an important piece of information from Gao Liang's words.

    That's right. Werewolves generally only appear at night, so if one is traveling during the day, they should be safe.

    Thinking of this, he felt reluctant to stay any longer and wanted to move away for the night to rest. He planned to continue his journey during the day the next day.

    Zhang Qian was too curious.

    He asked nervously, "How powerful is this werewolf?"

    "It's definitely powerful," the man with a tiger's back and monkey's waist chimed in, "But it's not invincible. One night, my group of us were fortunate enough to hit it with a steel fork, and it bled all over the ground. It didn't show up again for three days, but three days later, it was back to its normal state and came back to our village to eat people again."

    Hmm?

    It was injured by a steel fork?

    So it seems that this werewolf might not have been a werewolf for very long.

    Chen Yun had some advantages in his heart, but he still didn't open his mouth.

    Zhang Qian continued to ask, "Since steel forks can injure it, why are you all so nervous?"

    "Ah, you don't understand, sir," another stocky man sighed. "That werewolf moves like the wind, and its actions are swift and sudden. We have weapons, but we can't hit it. Moreover, when it comes and goes, it creates a sandstorm that blocks out the night. In this blinding darkness, what can we do against it?"

    Oh, I see. The werewolf's unusual speed is a problem for the hunters who can't catch it.

    Although Chen Yun had some chances to win, he was not willing to take unnecessary risks.

    He was about to leave.

    The man with a tiger's back and monkey's waist suddenly said, "Actually, that werewolf isn't all that terrifying. It can't break into a brick house, only those living in grass huts or wooden houses suffer. Moreover, it dares not go near the temple of Lao Jun near the village. Therefore, the old gentleman gathered everyone in front of the Lao Jun Temple at night for several days to camp and sleep, and there haven't been any more fatalities recently."

    Hearing this, Chen Yun felt relieved. With a "safe zone," he and Zhang Qian wouldn't have to turn back to find a place to rest, which would save them time in their journey.

    Chen Yun bowed again and said, "Gentlemen, it's too late today. There are no villages or inns nearby. Could we, my brother and I, stay the night at your village?"

    "This... it's not appropriate." Gao Liang hesitated and said: "It's not that I want to reject you. It's just... it's not very convenient."

    He pondered for a long time and couldn't come up with a reason to refuse.

    Chen Yun understood quite well; the other party probably wanted some benefits.

    He didn't want to delay their journey, so he directly said, "If Gao sir is willing to let my brother and me stay for a night, I am willing to give two hundred wen as a token of appreciation."

    Chen Yun could give a beggar a silver or two, but when someone asked for a favor, he was unwilling to give more. There was a fundamental difference between the two.

    The former is to accumulate good karma through personal efforts.

    The latter is more like a transaction, and currently, a decent inn charges about two hundred wen for a night's stay. In the countryside, Chen Yun offering two hundred wen to stay overnight is already generous.

    As expected, when they heard about the money, their eyes lit up.

    The tall man with a strong build immediately said, "Brother Chen, let's stay at my home."

    The stocky man shot him a glare and then smiled warmly at Chen Yun, "What are you up to?" Gao Liang shouted angrily. "Brother Chen, his mud house is not fit for living. It might be dangerous if the werewolf breaks in and takes people away in the middle of the night. Stay at my place, I have a brick house that's safe from the werewolf. You and your brother won't have to crowd around the Lao Jun Temple and can get a good night's sleep."

    The other men didn't say anything either, as they were all from poor families with substandard housing, and they had to seek refuge near the Lao Jun Temple at night.

    Chen Yun looked at the possibility of getting a good night's sleep and turned to ask for Zhang Qian's opinion, "Brother Zhang, what do you think?"

    Zhang Qian naturally didn't want to eat on the run or spend the night in the open, "It's up to you."

    "Um," Chen Yun replied, taking some broken silver coins out of his pocket, "Here's about two qian of silver. We've troubled Gao the Strong tonight."

    Gao Liang took the money and smiled, "No trouble, no trouble."

    Finally, they have a place to stay.

    Chen Yun just wanted to get a good night's sleep and then leave here as soon as possible the next day, without any more accidents.

    He secretly thought, he would just stay at Gao Liang's house for the night and not venture out. Even if the werewolf really attacked, he and Zhang Qian would be safe.

    Chen Yun's thoughts were quite simple. Although driving away evil spirits could also accumulate good karma, he wouldn't go to take risks without absolute confidence.

    He didn't want to die before he could even begin his mission. Accumulating good karma should be based on having absolute confidence.

    He hoped that no accidents would occur tonight.

    Chen Yun prayed silently in his heart, but he thought that since Gao Liang and others said the werewolf couldn't break into brick houses, he and Zhang Qian should be safe.

    While he thought so, in reality, Chen Yun wasn't very afraid of the werewolf. After listening to the words of the hunters, he could roughly judge the strength of the werewolf and estimate that it was only slightly stronger than a common wild beast. In the end, it was still a mortal body. As long as he could hit the werewolf with his burning incantation talisman, he would basically be able to disable it, and a one-shot kill was highly probable.

    However, the hunters described the werewolf's speed as extremely fast, and Chen Yun wasn't sure if he could hit it with his burning incantation talisman, so he didn't want to face it.

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    (End of this chapter)