bestfiction Chapter 16 At the Doorstep
Chapter 16 At the Doorstep
The old Taoist priest walked in carrying a large jar filled with bamboo skewers.
Zhong Ming looked at it more and more familiarly. This thing seemed to be often seen at temple fairs, used for things like fortune slips for marriage.
Shake it, and you get a very lucky fortune.
If it weren't for the accidental discovery back then that there wasn't a bad omen at all, Zhong Ming would have believed it.
“Come on, Zhongling, shake it.”
Zhong Ming respectfully accepted the divination tube with both hands.
This is a genuine Taoist temple; perhaps it truly possesses magical powers?
Silently chanting, "The best fortune, the best fortune...", Zhong Ming vigorously swung the fortune-telling tube with both arms. The fortune sticks inside made a crackling sound, but none of them flew out.
"Close your eyes and shake hard."
Upon hearing the old Taoist's words, Zhong Ming began to shake the bell vigorously, and finally one of the bells fell to the ground.
'A very auspicious sign, a very auspicious sign.'
The old Taoist priest picked it up and took a look.
"得" means "quench".
"Take it, Zhong Ming, this is your luck."
Zhong Ming took the skewer with a bewildered look. "Huh? Master, what's this...?"
"Your Daoist title from now on will be: Cuihong. As for what comes after it, such as 'True Person,' 'True Lord,' 'Immortal,' or something else, you can choose that yourself."
The old Taoist priest scratched his head. He swore he had added many "other" options, including a blank screen, but the word "quench" still appeared.
Oh well, let the little guy be.
The old Taoist priest immediately demonstrated his communication skills, taking out a piece of blue talisman paper and a finger-thick wolf-hair brush from his sleeve. Without using ink, he used spiritual energy as ink to write Zhong Ming's Taoist name on it, and then swept his large hand across the paper.
A thin piece of paper transformed into a paper crane, shooting out of the window and disappearing as a streak of light.
Zhong Ming stared blankly; to him, all kinds of Taoist techniques were novel.
"I have already informed the imperial court of your Daoist name, and they will help me notify the other sects. You should go and rest now."
......
After confirming that his master had left, Zhong Ming finally smiled, a smile he hadn't shown in a long time.
After a few sips of the medicinal soup, my mouth was filled with bitterness, but my heart was filled with joy.
Although my stomach still hurts, I've reached the first level of Qi Refining! I'm a cultivator now!
My master still needs to give me a Taoist name, and right now he must be asking the Jade Pure Primordial Heavenly Venerable, the Upper Pure Spiritual Treasure Heavenly Venerable, and the Supreme Pure Moral Heavenly Venerable for instructions.
Zhong Ming is finally...
He faced the same predicament as his father.
When his father was granted the title of Marquis, he was both happy and unsure of what "nobleman" duties to perform. Now, Zhong Ming is in the same boat.
How do cultivators make money?
Xiao Zhao taught him some basic common sense. Those stones rich in spiritual energy are called spirit stones. As a common currency for cultivators, they are graded according to the density of spiritual energy. Ten low-grade spirit stones can be exchanged for one mid-grade spirit stone, ten mid-grade spirit stones can be exchanged for one high-grade spirit stone, and ten high-grade spirit stones can be exchanged for one top-grade spirit stone.
It is said that directly absorbing the spiritual energy here will make your cultivation speed much faster than usual. However, impurities in the spirit stones will be brought in and block your meridians, requiring you to undergo a period of recuperation every now and then.
Normally, lineage-certified cultivators obtain their spirit stones primarily through official missions, such as wanted posters issued by the imperial court or missions issued by their sects.
This Maoshan Taoist Temple... I'd rather not give out quests.
Sad.
My master even sold his beard to repair my meridian injuries. If I were to continue cultivating, I don't know how many spirit stones I would need to spend. How could I possibly catch up with Gao Jin, who has been cultivating for sixty years longer than me?
In Xiao Zhao's words, this is like trying to run before you've even learned to walk.
At this moment, Xiao Yu rushed into the room and anxiously gestured to Xiao Zhao, his hands moving with great force. In just a few breaths, he formed more than ten hand seals, leaving Zhong Ming stunned.
Xiao Zhao understood and turned to Zhong Ming, saying, "Zhong Ming, someone has fallen into the water. I'm going to rescue them. You lie still and don't move."
Zhong Ming immediately stood up to protest.
Lie down? Lie down my ass! I'm a cultivator!
When I was without spiritual energy, I swam across the Qingxi River. The river was rugged and winding, with rapid currents. Then, as night fell, the waves surged and the wind carried me for dozens of miles. I swam all the way to the Maoshan Taoist Temple. If the old Taoist priest hadn't pulled me up with his fishing rod, I don't know how much longer I could have "swum".
Now, the dragon's flesh and blood are fully enhanced, and spiritual energy flows into its body, swirling endlessly along the dragon vein.
Rescuing someone from the river is nothing to him. (Hands on hips)
After thinking it over, Xiao Zhao realized that saving people, aside from anything else, could accumulate merit, which was very important for Taoists. Since he was not a Taoist, giving it to Zhong Ming was a good choice.
"Zhong Ming, let's go together." Xiao Zhao made up her mind to let Zhong Ming save people, and she would save Zhong Ming... Ugh, swimming with Zhong Ming would just give all the merit to Zhong Ming, wouldn't it?
Hey, I'm a genius.
"Xiao Zhao, what are you laughing at? Let's go!"
The two jumped into the river as soon as they left the Taoist temple. Xiao Yu hurriedly went to find Taoist Master Tianfeng.
Rowing? Can you row as fast as I swim?
As soon as the bell rang, it was like a dragon entering the sea, swimming and leaping several meters away.
The medicinal soup he had drunk earlier quickly released its effects during the strenuous exercise, and Zhong Ming felt refreshed all over and became more and more energetic as he swam.
At this point, the river is 530 zhang wide, and it gets even wider downstream.
Zhong Ming swam with all his might, getting faster and faster. He seized an opportunity to look up and saw that Xiao Zhao was actually running on the water.
The handsome young man was dressed in a gray-blue servant's uniform with blue leggings, looking quite capable. He ran wildly across the river without even getting his shoes wet.
I made Zhong Ming depressed. What kind of cultivator am I? I should learn a few tricks from Xiao Zhao.
However... Xiao Zhao can't run as fast as Zhong Ming can swim.
"Zhong Ming, I see a figure to my left."
Zhong Ming swam faster and faster. Upon hearing this, he took a deep breath and plunged into the water.
Xiao Zhao ran slower and slower, panting heavily, almost needing to rest on her knees.
Looking up into the distance, all I could see were white waves... and red water too.
Zhong Ming kept swimming forward when he suddenly felt a current rushing up from below. With a strong stroke, a dark, murky thing darted past him and leaped high out of the water.
"Little Bell, hurry! That's a Black Ferocious Fish, it's carnivorous!"
The lake ahead had turned into a pool of blood. Zhong Ming noticed some broken pieces of wood still floating on the river, with a person clinging to one of them, their arms outstretched on the driftwood.
In an instant, Zhong Ming recalled the miserable state he had been in when he first arrived at the Taoist temple. (He stopped putting his hands on his hips.)
Charge! Go save them!
With a sudden downward slam of his arms, waves surged, and a dry area appeared in front of Zhong Ming. Taking advantage of this opportunity, he grabbed a plank of wood.
He also wanted to try out Xiao Zhao's water running skills.
If you can't run on the water, try jumping around on the wooden planks.
With focused attention, Zhong Ming selected the next plank and leaped up. The medicinal power continued to spread through his body, fully integrating with his flesh and blood. This leap stirred up huge waves on the water's surface, and the plank was pushed several meters underwater before shattering with a crash.
The landing was even more terrifying. Both feet landed on the wooden plank at the same time, and the plank immediately shattered in two. The force of the sinking displaced all the surrounding river water, and a brief crater was actually created in the river.
Zhong Ming stopped sinking, not because the river lifted him up, but because he stepped on the head of a black ferocious fish.
"Ah!"
A large fish, eight feet long, was charging straight at Zhong Ming. It had sharp teeth and fins, and its black scales were as lustrous as ink jade.
Zhong Ming had a bold idea.
Lift your leg.
stride.
He stomped down with lightning speed.
Zhong Ming leaped up again, stepping on the big black fish, and this time landed steadily on the driftwood where people were lying.
"Hey! Grab me."
Zhong Ming grabbed the other person's collar and yanked hard.
The "person" was easily lifted up.
Only the chest and head remained of the mutilated body; the lower half had been fed to the fish, and the internal organs had been completely devoured.
"Damn it!" Zhong Ming cursed, looking around. He was shocked to find that schools of black fish were attacking from all directions.
Oh no, we're surrounded.