Inside the secret chamber.
A Taoist sat cross-legged, his eyes tightly closed.
His breathing was long and steady, each inhale and exhale forming a single cycle that lasted half an hour.
One hour in modern times would be enough to attract researchers.
A faint green mist floated over Song Lin's body.
This was the "Peace Qi Cultivation Song" passed down by the Five Elders Xuanke Temple. The True Qi cultivated through this method is predominantly yin in nature, suitable for spells involving expelling gods and summoning ghosts.
Boom!
A thunderous sound roared inside Song Lin's body, akin to the rumble of a tiger's growl or a leopard's roar.
Surging True Qi broke through his meridians, reversed and rushed up the Duu Meridian, broke through the three barriers of Tailbone Gate, Spine Clasp, and Jade Pillow, passed through the lower, middle, and upper Dantian, broke through the Celestial Bridges above and below, and finally returned to the Lower Dantian.
This was the Small Circulation.
From this moment onward, True Qi would circulate along the Small Circulation.
If his True Qi were depleted, it would automatically resume flowing slowly along the circulation to recover.
"Finally, it worked." Song Lin opened his eyes and immediately exhaled in relief.
Name: Song Lin
Realm: Fetal Breathing Stage
Taoist Realm: Two Years
Divine Skills: "Lao Mountain Five Skills"
Objects: Three Yang Fire Sword, Miasma Green Pearl.
In this period, his Taoist Realm had increased by one and a half years.
The Taoist Realm is not directly tied to lifespan. One day of Taoist Realm is the result of the fruit of morning, afternoon, and evening cultivation for regular cultivators, equivalent to roughly four hours.
In other words, the result of normal cultivation for two hours amounts to one day of Taoist Realm.
Song Lin had consumed six portions of Hidden Dragon Breath Emission Powder and five Qi Nourishing Pills, equivalent to the cultivation of an ordinary cultivator for one and a half years.
Thinking of this, he stood up, walked towards the thick wall, and dove directly forward.
Swoosh!
His body passed through the wall and emerged outside.
In the misty morning light, his Bat Night Bright eyes could perceive the dew on leaves hundreds of feet away.
This technique was highly practical, except for its restrictions: no eating dog meat and no looking at lightning.
However, once his Taoist Realm reached profound mastery, these side effects might disappear.
Song Lin then passed through the wall again, returning to his room.
The breakthrough into Fetal Breathing Stage signified that he would soon be granted the "Supreme Zhengyi Child General Protection Secret Talisman," elevating him to the level of Advanced Taoist.
An Advanced Taoist could summon the ghosts and gods reared within the Taoist Temple through a talisman or cultivate his own ghosts.
He wouldn't need to relearn spells; through the talisman, ghost cultivation would suffice.
The original Child Talisman was essentially a temporary ID, while the Child General Talisman served as a permanent residence permit.
The privileges granted differed significantly from those of ordinary Taoists.
The Child General Talisman could be used as a management credential.
Thinking of this, Song Lin felt he could finally escape his current plight.
The progression of cultivation began with meditation, followed by Fetal Breathing, then Qi Cultivation, and finally Divine Establishment.
Qi Cultivation is a critical realm, as it serves as a bridge between the past and future potential. The degree of one's path in Qi Cultivation largely determines future possibilities.
During the Qi Cultivation phase, True Qi must be refined and endowed with unique attributes.
For example, when Song Lin once obtained the She Mountain Stone Fish, the medicine refined from the fish's eyes had a chance to create She Mountain True Qi.
He had learned that She Mountain True Qi was particularly substantial, capable of automatic body protection and penetrating through mountains and rocks.
In addition, there are various types of True Qi.
Fire Spirit True Qi derived from bathing in Earth Core True Fire, Divine Lady Qi resulting from dual cultivation, Gui Water Qi, Flame Yang Qi; Prisoner Dragon Qi, Xiezhi Qi, Nine-headed Demon Snake Qi—all sourced from planting demon bloodlines.
The various types of True Qi differed in rank—the higher the quality, the greater its future potential. This was the reason Qi Cultivation was said to shape one's destiny.
Nevertheless, not everyone had the fortune to achieve Qi Cultivation. The majority rely on sect talismans to grant Taiyin Qi.
Song Lin hadn't been in the cultivation world for long, but he knew the best type of True Qi was cultivated by the temple master, Jiuyou Daoist's Taiyin Nine Nether True Energy.
Legend had it that Jiuyou Daoist accidentally stumbled into the Netherworld while young, consumed a mouthful of Netherworld Spring Water, and cultivated an endlessly profound Taiyin Nine Nether True Energy.
Of course, such feats felt impossibly distant.
At minimum, Song Lin had to cultivate Circulation True Qi to break through Heaven and Earth's two bridges, completing the Grand Circulation before he could consider Qi Cultivation.
This stage had trapped countless individuals, with many unable to reach it in their lifetime.
It demanded not only acquired effort but also innate talent.
Those without sufficient talent, no matter how much harder they worked than others, would never attain this realm.
This realization made Song Lin uneasy. His talent was far from the best; otherwise, he would already have been chosen by a Taoist as a trusted confidant.
Addressing the issue of insufficient talent could only be achieved by obtaining supreme treasures in the real world or seeking heaven-defying opportunities within the world of stories.
As he mulled this over, a thick ancient book materialized before him.
Having reached Fetal Breathing, he could now use essence blood to unlock another world.
At that moment—
A rooster crowed from outside the window.
Dawn had arrived.
Song Lin pondered for a moment, collected the book, and decided to focus on obtaining the talisman first.
Straining essence blood would leave him weakened for a while, coupled with his fresh breakthrough into Fetal Breathing, making him susceptible to suspicion.
The Taoists here rarely reasoned with the disciples; when suspicion arose, they would skip explanations and string you up for beatings, followed by layers of torture.
Song Lin walked out the door.
Before long, he arrived at the Yin Yang Altar and Ghost Baby Altar.
He glanced around, ensuring everything was ordinary, then began chatting with Zhou Xuan nearby.
"In half a month, our delivery is due. Want to go out and enjoy yourself afterward? What do you say, Taoist friend?"
"Uh, better not—I have something else to attend to." Song Lin politely declined.
"These next two weeks are when the ghosts and gods take shape; you'd be wise to keep a close watch. This is the most dangerous time," Zhou Xuan advised. He, like Song Lin, was isolated by others, so the two got along well.
At that moment, a group of people approached from outside.
Leading them was Li Xuan, exuding confidence. The surrounding Taoist disciples all greeted him with respect.
"Senior Brother Li Xuan!"
"Greetings, Senior Brother Li!"
Among them, a female Taoist disciple guarding the Mountain Ghost Altar gazed at him with shining eyes, visibly tempted.
Taoist Temples also had female Taoist disciples, and the more beautiful ones had their advantages, easily obtaining benefits—how they did so went without saying.
"Tsk, what a beast. This guy's only been here three years—it's no wonder Taoist Wude really favors him."
Seeing the Child General Talisman hanging from Li Xuan's waist, Zhou Xuan's voice dripped with envy.
"Three years is really so impressive?" Song Lin questioned, puzzled. His own time at the sect was just over three years.
"You think three years isn't rare? Go ahead and try..." Zhou Xuan shot Song Lin a glare, "I haven't achieved Meditation even after five years. Three years might not make him a genius, but it's enough to call him excellent."
"Fellow disciples, keep up the good work. Master wants to see me; I'll take my leave now."
Li Xuan clasped his hands to those around him before striding confidently into the depths of the grand hall.
Inside the grand hall, a Purple-clothed Taoist sat in the chief seat, his sleeves rolled up, revealing his arm marked with a green eyeball.
The eyeball darted about, unsettlingly ghastly.
Several ghostly figures floated in the shadows behind him.
At that moment, the green eyeball swiveled to the doorway.
Li Xuan had arrived.
"Disciple greets Master!" Li Xuan knelt and kowtowed.
"Hmm, not bad," Taoist Wude remarked, carefully appraising his disciple. "Lin Yang has been reassigned, leaving the Dharma Altar Warehouse position vacant."
"Master, do you mean..." Li Xuan caught the hint, instantly excited.
"Lord Dianzao will come for inspection soon. I'm recommending you for the Dharma Altar Warehouse position. Put on your best performance for him."
Taoist Wude instructed.
Lin Yang had been one of the higher-ups, and now, having polished his credentials, he had been promoted.
Liuu Hee was Wude's senior disciple; if Li Xuan took over the Dharma Altar Warehouse, the Yin Yang Altar would become Wude's personal territory.