Chapter 500: Skillful tongue

The Old Taoist followed the procession, making his way deeper inside.

The procession, composed of several thousand people, slowly traversed the forest, killing many short-sighted demon dragons, digging up numerous Spiritual Plants, and even finding a seventh-grade Ganoderma lucidum.

They didn't know what 'seventh-grade' meant, but they all knew they had never encountered such a high-quality Ganoderma lucidum in their lives; if it could be used for Alchemy, it might produce a Divine Medicine!

This Ganoderma lucidum was covered in five-colored clouds, shaped like a flood dragon, with a cap like a pavilion, constantly changing colors.

At times it was white like cut fat, at times black like lacquer, at times green like kingfisher feathers, at times yellow like purple gold, and occasionally it would become brightly translucent, like transparent glass, subtly revealing the spirits of mountains and rivers within, its forms numbering in the hundreds, seemingly without end.

Therefore, those Yang Spirit Practitioners feigned modesty and declined for a bit, but then decided to keep it for now and distribute it later.

However, besides this rare treasure, everyone else also gained their own benefits; except for the Old Taoist who took nothing from beginning to end, every one of these several thousand people received their material rewards.

And all of this was the precious output of Mount Luofu.

In ancient records, it was written: “Luofu was originally two mountains, but the mist and clouds merge them into one, hence the name Luofu. There are no dangers from tigers, leopards, snakes, or vipers. If people get lost within, there will surely be Divine Spirits to guide them. There is no need to carry provisions; one only needs to bring a pot. Along the way, one can dig up wild yams and Poria cocos to cook and eat, which can cure hunger. There are many strange things, indescribable. And the butterflies are very large, their wings like chariot wheels, brilliantly colored in five hues. They cannot be kept; if kept, they will fly back. If anyone takes their orchids and cultivates them, they will go even a thousand miles away, for they are Immortal seeds.”

Mount Luofu was originally an Immortal Mountain and a Spiritual Land; the numerous treasures produced here could be described as 'found everywhere'.

Spiritual Plants were everywhere, Spiritual Springs filled the mountains, and even pulling up a common foxtail grass by the roadside could be used as medicine.

Therefore, this group of people was different from Li Qi, who only took true Spiritual Objects; many people could be seen stuffing these local products into their pockets by the handful.

However, it was, after all, a large mountain spanning nearly a thousand miles.

This amount of collection, even if it filled the bags of these several thousand people, wouldn't be even one in ten thousand. They also didn't have spatial bags; only those few Yang Spirit Practitioners had spatial bags, but they didn't care for these ordinary Spiritual Plants; they would only act for those of eighth grade and above. So, along the way, the mountains and waters remained green, and they didn't act like weed whackers, pulling everything out.

Most of these Taoists were very excited; it could only be said that Mount Luofu was usually too dangerous, keeping them out.

Now that they combined their strength, they could traverse this mountain forest and finally discovered what a treasure land it truly was!

Some people had even suggested to those Yang Spirit Practitioners that, from now on, they should form a procession every so often and come in to sweep through again.

Many people quickly agreed, after all... Spiritual Plants that usually cost a lot of money grew like weeds in Mount Luofu, and you could kick a Spiritual Flower just by casually kicking your foot.

This was truly a treasure land.

Moreover, some sharp-witted individuals had already realized that their current location was merely the outer perimeter of the former Luofu Immortal Mountain, and the outermost kind at that.

If they continued to delve deeper, what kind of Treasure Trove would that be?

Many people began to pant heavily; they knew in their hearts that they would likely make a fortune this time.

However, the Old Taoist did not pick a single blade of grass or a single fruit from beginning to end; he came empty-handed and remained empty-handed, bringing nothing but the whisk in his hand.

He came here simply to repay Mount Luofu's kindness and had no greed for these strange objects. If he truly needed them in the future, he would come in and find them himself.

In his opinion, these people, blinded by greed, wantonly plundering within Mount Luofu, yet forgetting under what pretense they entered, were all fools.

Blinded by material desires, losing the true meaning of freedom, they were cultivating Immortality, yet still bound by these things. If freedom was absent, what hope was there for Eternal Life?

However, he did not voice his criticism.

After all, to drive away those who came to dig graves, he still needed the strength of these fools. Otherwise, if he were alone, dealing with the demon dragon just now was barely manageable, but he heard that the other party had two or three people, which was indeed not very suitable.

Circumstances were stronger than people; there was no need to go against the general trend. Sometimes, moving with the flow, as long as the ultimate goal could be achieved, he wouldn't insist on being a moral paragon.

The Old Taoist chatted and laughed with others along the way, not appearing unsociable, and his status as a Yang Spirit Practitioner also earned him considerable respect from others. The journey was quite peaceful.

However, he had only recently entered the Yang Spirit stage and had not fully transformed. Coupled with his usual reclusive nature, preferring to stay in his Taoist temple and teach disciples, he hadn't integrated into the circle of true Yang Spirit Practitioners. At this moment, he was merely chatting idly with leaders of other Taoist temples.

However, he still kept some of his attention on the main orchestrators of this operation, those few Yang Spirit Practitioners.

There were three true Yang Spirit Practitioners in total, not including himself.

Liu Dewang, Daoist Master Liu, skilled in Formation and health preservation techniques, was also the initiator of this operation. The Town Dragon Formation just now was set up by his disciples.

Ouyang Dongsheng, skilled in Talisman techniques, who was the 'Daoist Master Ouyang' just now. His Talismans could do many things, such as the golden armored warriors just now, which could command spirits and drive away ghosts, pray for blessings and avert disasters, heal illnesses and save lives, with profound effects.

There was also Zhang Xin, Daoist Master Zhang, who hadn't made a move from beginning to end. Regarding this person, the Old Taoist himself didn't know his background. He had only arrived in recent years and immediately became close with Ouyang Dongsheng and Liu Dewang, seemingly having a deep friendship. He also came along this time, and this procession of several thousand people seemed to have been provided by him.

Then there was himself, the only unsociable Yang Spirit, with shallow cultivation, not integrated into the circle, reclusive and unfamiliar.

So... at this time, he should 'fit in'.

Thinking this, the Old Taoist flicked his whisk and, chuckling, walked towards the circle of those Yang Spirit Practitioners: “Daoist Master Ouyang, Daoist Master Ouyang! How was your harvest this time?”

Upon hearing this voice, Ouyang Dongsheng's expression changed, but he immediately put on a kind expression and responded: “Ah, it's Wang Jushi. Weren't you always quiet? Why have you suddenly come here?”

“Oh, isn't it because I thought of my disciple? He still needs some things for Foundation Establishment and condensing his Yin Spirit. I thought, since I'm already here, why not pocket a little and take it back for my disciple? Maybe I can even expand the courtyard!”

Ouyang Dongsheng breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.

At this moment, Liu Dewang spoke with a smile: “Haha, Dao brother has always been austere in the past, truly embodying the spirit of reclusion. Why have you changed your character today?”

Ouyang Dongsheng also nodded and said: “Wang Jushi is usually frugal, self-reliant in his austerity, eating plain meals daily without distinguishing how many bowls, and drinking remaining wine nightly without asking how much. If he needs anything, he takes it from his vegetable garden, never going to the market. Why would he proactively bring up these matters today?”

This indeed differed from the Old Taoist's usual style. Among the four Yang Spirit Practitioners, except for the newly arrived Daoist Master Zhang Xin, the other two had cultivated quite a few forces. More than half of the several thousand people who entered the mountain this time were their disciples and grand-disciples.

As for the Old Taoist, he had a small temple, one disciple, and nothing else. He even grew his own vegetables and didn't buy them from the market. For such a person to suddenly express interest in material things indeed easily aroused suspicion.

“Haha, Daoist Master Ouyang also knows, the Old Taoist usually takes what he needs from his vegetable garden. This Mount Luofu, Immortals have already departed, isn't it our vegetable garden? Taking vegetables and cultivating them here should be done methodically. I believe this place should not be treated as a barren mountain for arbitrary picking, but rather as a nursery to be carefully cultivated,” the Old Taoist said with a smile.

He continued to say to the others: “Even Mortals down the mountain, those who do not practice cultivation, know that rivers, marshes, and mountains have cultivable and fertile areas that require careful cultivation. They understand the timely use of the land and the soil, and would never exhaust the land's potential. Yet, we are wantonly plundering in this mountain. If we continue like this, it might be a Spiritual Mountain once or twice, but what if we truly strip this treasure land bare in the future?”

The other three listened to these words and began to nod slightly.

The Old Taoist's words were simple: since everyone had already reached out, it meant that Mount Luofu, except for the central area which they hadn't entered, and the surrounding things should all be theirs.

At this time, vying for power and profit, each snatching Spiritual Plants, and allowing those several thousand people to snatch together, stripping the mountain bare, would bring no benefit to anyone.

Farmers down the mountain knew how to cultivate carefully. Now that this place had become their nursery, how could they not cherish it?

Seeing everyone nod, the Old Taoist seized the Opportunity to say: “Indeed, farming is the lifeblood of the world. Farmers do not hesitate to spread their Dao to the world. Today's advanced farming techniques all come from the hands of farmers, yet we Immortals have neglected this. We might as well borrow a thing or two. From now on, this mountain will be a continuous treasure land. The Spiritual Plants and Spiritual Springs within can be used for Alchemy, our cultivation will advance a thousand miles a day, and Immortal Ascension and attaining the Dao will be within reach. If we cut off the roots all at once, it would truly be a waste of heavenly resources. What do you Dao brothers think?”

Ouyang Dongsheng and Liu Dewang both nodded. Liu Dewang was the first to speak: “Dao brother is absolutely right; we should indeed manage this mountain using farming methods. Thank you for the reminder. We will now restrain our disciples; most of them have already filled their bags. The rest is just discarding what they don't want and then collecting more precious items, which is truly wasteful. From now on, these are all our things, and we indeed should not act like this.”

But no sooner had Liu Dewang finished speaking than Ouyang Dongsheng immediately interjected: “It's just… although Dao brother's suggestion is good, there's still one problem. Dao brother, by saying these things, are you planning to meddle in the secular world?”

Meddling in the secular world meant wanting to make money.

However, at this moment, the newly arrived Daoist Master Zhang spoke.

“Eh, Daoist Master Ouyang, why say such things? Wang Jushi is rarely sociable and has even offered good advice. Why make it sound like you're on guard? I, on the other hand, think that among the tens of millions of common people, tens of thousands of Taoist temples, and hundreds of thousands of Taoists around Mount Luofu, there are only four of us Yang Spirit Practitioners. Now that we finally have a treasure land, this is a great Opportunity. If we don't seize it properly and join hands to protect this place, how can we engage in internal strife?”

Zhang Xin's words made the other two still suspicious Yang Spirit Practitioners exchange glances and say nothing more.

However, the Old Taoist laughed and said: “No need to worry too much. The Old Taoist just feels that the progress of Yang Spirit cultivation is too slow now. To achieve Pure Yang, it will take decades of arduous cultivation. If I can find Pure Yang treasures and use them for Soul Refining, I can quickly speed up the process.”

“Pure Yang treasures are rare in the secular world. The Old Taoist didn't think much about it before, diligently and slowly refining with the Yang Qi of the nascent Yang every morning. But now, looking at this mountain, there will certainly be no lack of Pure Yang treasures. I hope that if any Dao brothers encounter such items, please yield them to the Old Taoist to aid my cultivation. Also, my young disciple is temporarily lacking some treasures for condensing his Yin Spirit. If there are any, the Old Taoist would like to take some first, how about it?” the Old Taoist proposed.

“Haha, so it's about this. If Wang Jushi is willing to join forces with us, this is naturally a small matter,” Ouyang Dongsheng said with a laugh, nodding in agreement.

Liu Dewang even generously took out a Talisman: “Why wait to find it? This item is made by me using Spiritual Spring water illuminated by Lunar Qi as a raw material, with forsythia and ground ivy, supplemented by ink ground from red jadeite and red amber. It is particularly effective for condensing the Yin Spirit and suppressing Yang Fire. Let my nephew-disciple accept it as a gift.”

“Then I will accept it on behalf of that mischievous disciple. Thank you, Daoist Master Liu.” The Old Taoist couldn't refuse, so he directly took it and put it into his bag.

With that, the four burst into laughter, and the atmosphere became harmonious. They chatted and laughed, their relationship seemingly instantly solidified, transforming from previous suspicion to working together with one heart to protect this Spiritual Mountain and treasure land.

At the same time, their orders were relayed, and they began to rein in their disciples, no longer wantonly collecting Spirit Medicine. Instead, they left them there, marking each one, preparing to study them carefully upon returning, and slowly harvesting them without destroying the ecosystem. This way, they could continue to profit for hundreds and thousands of years.

Perhaps by relying on this treasure land, all four of them could truly achieve Immortal Ascension and attain Eternal Life!

——————

Meanwhile, right next to the four chatting Yang Spirit Practitioners, Li Qi and Old Ma stood there, listening to them speak.

They were truly right next to them, almost at the distance of friends talking, but the four… and even everyone in the entire procession, not a single person noticed.

Clearly, Li Qi was not invisible; he even had a shadow, and others could see him, but they unconsciously ignored his presence, just like a blind spot in their vision.

At this moment, Old Ma spoke: “Boss, you see, I was right, wasn't I? These four people clearly think we're here to steal things, and they came with the intention of driving people away!”

Li Qi nodded: “These two certainly are. They didn't come in before, probably deterred by Mount Luofu's lingering power. Now that they've found that nothing happened when a few of us came in to dig up the mountain, they think it should be safe and want to drive us away, then occupy this place themselves.”

“However, these two… are different. That Old Taoist should be the one who saved you. Look at his suggestion; it's clearly to persuade these people not to destroy this mountain. This person, it's very possible he truly wants to repay Mount Luofu.”

“As for this one…” Li Qi looked at Zhang Xin.

This person… why does he look stranger and stranger? Is his cultivation method from Mount Luofu?