Chapter 3: Entering the Immortal Sect

  "Alright." Shi Qingchuan nodded cleverly and walked out.

  "Old rascal, what can't be said clearly, must... " Ishikawa said with some helplessness.

  The old beggar's face suddenly turned extremely serious, completely different from his previous smile. "This matter can't be explained in three or five sentences, but you listen up, kid, this thing is all good for you, no harm."

  The old beggar let out a deep breath and said, "In these few years, haven't you been practicing exhaling and inhaling, and after practicing, your body feels very comfortable, all the fatigue disappears, and you feel more and more energetic?"

  "How did you know?" Ishikawa's face showed surprise, this had always been his own secret, not even Akagawa knew about it. He didn't know why, but he had deliberately kept this secret hidden.

  "Then let me tell you, your exhalation and inhalation are called Tu Na. Tu Na is the most basic cultivation mantra. However, you should have noticed that the Tu Na in the Mountain God Temple is much faster and more relaxed than elsewhere."

  Ishikawa nodded, his face even more surprised, how did this old beggar know so much about his own secrets?

  "Don't be surprised, this is because the Mountain God Temple has a treasure that will greatly benefit your cultivation." The old man pointed to the case table, and on it appeared a yellowish-brown stone, about the size of a palm, emitting soft warm light all over.

  "Pick it up, remember, this stone is a very precious treasure in the cultivation world. You must not tell anyone about it, otherwise you will be in grave danger. No matter who it is, you cannot tell them, do you understand?"

  Ishikawa thoughtfully tucked the stone into his bosom, but his mind was still reeling. He just couldn't figure out what was going on, how this old beggar knew so much.

  "Could it be that you are the Mountain God?" Ishikawa blurted out.

  The old beggar was taken aback for a moment, then laughed and said: "I didn't expect you young fellow to have some real insight, alright, hurry up and go."

  After laughing, an old beggar's face revealed a hint of bitter smile.

  Just as Ishikawa was about to leave, the old beggar suddenly turned into a yellow light and shot straight into Ishikawa's collar.

  "Who would have thought that a dignified cultivator like myself would end up pretending to be some mountain spirit made up by ordinary people? It's truly a joke of the heavens. However, regardless of whether it's the Five Spirits Sect or not, this is my last chance and I can't wait any longer." The old beggar thought to himself.

  ………

  Ishikawa pulled Ishiharu's hand and walked down the mountain, subconsciously turning back to take a look, but the mountain god temple was empty, that old beggar had vanished into thin air. Ishikawa's heart was even more puzzled, and he was even more convinced that he had encountered the mountain god.

  The old beggar delayed him for quite some time, and by the time Ishikawa returned to the village entrance, the selected children were already lined up in a row, each wearing their family's best clothes, as if it were New Year's. Their parents and neighbors were also beaming with joy, thinking that having a child become an immortal was an extraordinary thing. In ten years' time, who knows, maybe they'll bring back a few Longevity Pills.

  "Guagua, don't forget the roasted sweet potato your uncle gave you..."

  "Dog Left, you must remember to come back and see us after ten years..."

  …………

  "That's enough." Huang Shu Lang saw that Ishikawa and Seki Harukawa had returned, saying: "The time has come, we must return to the mountain gate immediately."

  Huang Shu-lang finished speaking, and from his sleeve he pulled out several talismans, carefully sticking them onto the bodies of Ishikawa and the others. The other young Daoist priests did the same.

  "Everyone follow me, if you fall behind, no one will care about you." Huang Shu Lang gave Ishikawa a fierce look, in fact he wanted to abandon Ishikawa in the wilderness and feed him to wolves. But as soon as he thought of Ishikawa's five Earth Spirit Roots, his heart felt like it was pierced by a needle. However, he knew clearly that this matter was not up to him to decide, and several of his fellow disciples who came with him also saw it, so he couldn't hide it.

  As for Shi Qingchuan, he had a different idea. The four Water Spirit Roots were absolutely the direct disciples of the sect's elder, and their future prospects were boundless, much better than his own as an inner sect disciple. If they could form a dual cultivation partnership, they would naturally benefit greatly.

  "This young lady is indeed Shi Qingchuan? I am Huang Shu Lang, you can call me Huang Shixiong. If we get separated on the road, just let me know. Mutual help is a tradition of our Water Spirit Sect."

  "It's okay, I'll just follow Stone Brother." Shi Qingchuan hid behind Shi Chuan and said: "Since those two are not my biological parents, I don't want to have their surname either. From now on, just call me Qingchuan."

  Huang Shu Lang looked at Ishikawa, a hint of malice flashing in his eyes, but it was gone in an instant.

  "Let's go!" Huang Shu Lang waved his big hand, and the group shot forward like an arrow, disappearing from everyone's sight in just a moment. The old and young people of Shi Jia Village were left staring blankly.

  Ishikawa's footsteps were light and effortless, as if something was gently lifting him up, making it not take any effort to hurry along, and his speed was extremely fast. If Ishikawa had used all his might, he could have reached this speed, but maintaining it for a long time wouldn't be that easy.

  It's just a small seal, but it can achieve this effect, and Ishikawa is shocked in his heart.

  Looking at others, their faces are full of joyful expressions, if Huang Shu Lang wasn't there, they would probably be on top of the house and trees.

  Huang Shu Lang naturally saw the abnormality of these children and said in a cold voice, "The time limit for using the Divine Movement Symbol is limited. We must speed up, otherwise, before the symbol's effect wears off, we won't be able to return to the sect. You can go back by yourselves."

  Upon hearing this, those children became more subdued and quickened their pace.

  ………………

  Three days of day and night travel made the travelers extremely exhausted. Finally, on the evening of the third day, they arrived at the foot of a mountain range. The place was surrounded by water vapor, lush vegetation, and a faint misty air that made people feel very comfortable.

  A hundred-zhang-long stone staircase stretched upwards from underfoot, ending at a magnificent mountain gate, on which were carved various floating clouds and flowing water, very vivid, with three large characters inscribed: "Shuiling Gate"

  "Huang Shixiong, you're finally back! This trip was exhausting, but the reward of spiritual stones is quite generous." a young Daoist said.

  "You take them to rest for a while, I'll go pay respects to Master Shu now." Huang Shulang looked at these people, but his heart was thinking of something else. If they were just ordinary disciples, he could hand them over to the outer sect manager. But now Shi Chuan and Qing Chuan, the two of them, were crucial to the sect, so he had to report it, perhaps several elders would be delighted and take him as a direct disciple.

  Thinking of this, Huang Shu-lang hastily went to several elderly executives.

  "Elder brother, I have an important matter to report to the presiding elder."

  The disciples of the guardian elder, at least, are also nominal disciples of the deacon elder. How can Huang Shu Lang, an ordinary disciple with low cultivation, say that seeing the elder is like seeing?

  "Senior brother, I just returned from accepting a disciple in Shijia Village and have an important matter to report. I hope senior brother can pass on the message." Huang Shulang said respectfully.

  "Shi Jia Village? Haha" The Taoist priest burst out laughing: "A remote and impoverished place, what important information could it possibly have. The elder is very busy, no time to waste on you..."

  "Brother Shi, I really have an urgent matter!" Huang Shu Lang bowed again with respect, but his eyes revealed a venomous color, this grudge, he had remembered in his heart.

  "Who is making the disturbance?" The door of the elder's residence suddenly swung open, and an old man with white whiskers walked out from inside. A kind of inexplicable pressure suddenly descended upon the two of them.

  Huang Shu-lang knelt down on the ground and said loudly, "Elder, please forgive me. I have something urgent to report to you in person. If there is any falsehood, I am willing to accept punishment."

  The elder thought for a moment and said, "Don't you know that today is the day when we few elders exchange and cultivate our experiences once a month? If it's useful to you, then it's fine. If not, humph!"

  Having said that, he turned around and entered the room.

  Huang Shu Lang also hastily followed up with a roll and a crawl.

  Inside the room, there were actually five elders from the foundation period, which made Huang Shu Lang extremely frightened. He had been in the Water Spirit Gate for four or five years and had only seen three of them before, one of whom he had only caught a glimpse of from afar.

  "Greetings, esteemed elders." Huang Shu-lang bowed respectfully.

  The five elders did not say a word, with their cultivation, they naturally heard the sound of the dispute outside the door just now. If Huang Shu Lang does not give them a satisfactory answer, it is likely that today will be difficult to leave this place lightly.

  "Elders, I brought a team this time to Shijiazhuang to recruit disciples. We recruited a sister with four Water Spirit Roots."

  "What? Four Water Spirit Roots?" An elderly woman stood up from the couch, excitedly asking: "Four Water Spirit Roots, really four Water Spirit Roots? No other miscellaneous Spirit Roots?"

  Huang Shu Lang nodded and said seriously: "It's indeed four Water Spirit Roots, I saw it clearly with the sect's Spirit Root Mirror."

  "Haha, Heaven helps me too! Heaven helps me, Water Spirit Gate!" The old woman burst out laughing.

  "Strictly speaking, sister, this is not right. This female disciple has not yet paid homage to a master, and we have the same right to accept her as a disciple." A tall and thin elder said in a low voice.

  "Brother Sun, are you trying to compete with me for disciples? The cultivation method I'm practicing can only be practiced by women. Besides, you already have two personally transmitted disciples."

  "My two personally taught disciples are only three Water Spirit Roots, besides, the cultivation method I practice is our Water Spirit Gate's ancestral classics. If this disciple can inherit my mantle, it will also enhance the prestige of our Water Spirit Gate."

  "All right, you two stop arguing." The elder steward advised, after all, there was still a three-layer Qi-practicing Huang Shu-lang here, and it wouldn't be good for him to see these disputes.

  "There are also three water spirit roots below." Huang Shu Lang saw this and performed a grand bow on the ground.

  "Hmph!" The two elders, Yan and Sun, exchanged a glance and said no more. If Huang Shu-lang hadn't been present, their argument wouldn't have ended like this today.

  "Alright, Huang Shu Lang, you've successfully recruited a disciple this time. Go and receive 100 pieces of low-grade spirit stones, as well as the opportunity to enter the Scripture Pavilion once." The cold and detached Elder in charge said, although the four Water Spirit Root disciples were important, exchanging cultivation experiences was even more crucial.