Cultivation towards immortality, starting from being a fisherman

In the hospital ward, after gathering information through the two spiritual rats, White and Grey, Su Ping felt a bit more confident.

He slowly opened his eyes, stood up, and looked at the defunct Invisibility Spell. Then, he took out another Invisibility Talisman and slapped it onto his body.

With that, he leapt up and exited directly through the window, heading towards East King Temple.

Within the East King Temple.

The young Taoist who took over this temple was surnamed Zhou and named Xuan, barely twenty years old and actually not of humble origin.

While studying at the Taoist School, he was the envy of many, capable of returning home to inherit several buildings to collect rent should he fail to walk the Taoist path.

However, Zhou Xuan, placed in the ancient scriptures, would likely be classified as an Upper Soldier who seeks the Tao diligently and practices it.

Seemingly a natural Taoist Seed, as a child his health was poor and he was taken by the elders of his family to the Taoist Temple to burn incense and worship gods.

Because of this exposure to Taoist knowledge, he became utterly engrossed in it.

Plus, his academic talent was excellent in all respects, astonishing the people of the Taoist School, who persuaded his parents to agree to let Zhou Xuan pursue the Taoist path.

Although these days cultivation doesn't produce divine skills capable of stealing days and switching suns.

Not many people believe anymore in the presence of ghostly gods above them.

But if one becomes well-known in this profession, it still represents a decent path for an individual after all.

As a Great Cultivator, one could gain a certain social status.

And most crucially, the sect Zhou Xuan had entered did not forbid marriage.

It also upheld the principle of voluntary cultivation, allowing one to leave at any time to become a normal layperson if they wished.

Zhou Xuan himself was also highly regarded; this assignment at East King Temple was merely a training experience.

Spanning from six months to a year, he would be selected to advance his cultivation further at some well-known grand temple of a famous mountain.

After finishing his conversation with a friend and ending his meditation session, Zhou Xuan didn't care much for these superficial honors.

Whether in the Taoist School or in this small Taoist Temple, he cared more about his personal cultivation.

But...

"Can one truly not become a True Immortal in this world anymore?"

Zhou Xuan bowed his head and looked at the floor, letting out a discontented sigh.

Though he had cultivated Taoist Skills for many years, he was still a young man who had just turned twenty.

Caught up in the information age, Zhou Xuan inevitably came into contact with many fantasies and longed for the cultivators in those anime and novels.

As a young Taoist priest.

He too wanted to defeat multiple enemies or perform Sword Flight to eradicate demons and monsters.

Unfortunately, the world of fantasy and the world of real cultivation… could not be considered identical, merely unrelated.

Relying on meditation for inner refinement wasn't a problem.

But eradicating demons—that really remained a daydream.

"Ah, it's time to cook."

Zhou Xuan stretched his legs and arms, not needing to look at a clock to tell the time.

His years of cultivation had enabled him to determine meal times daily just by feeling.

Washing rice and cooking, thanks to the temple having access to water and electricity, Zhou Xuan could use an electric rice cooker instead of having to split firewood and light fires like in the Immortal Cultivation novels.

"Hmm?"

"Someone's in the master's room?"

Having cooked the rice, Zhou Xuan was about to make some cold dishes in the backyard when he suddenly noticed that the door of his own room was ajar.

And peering through the window, there were shadows of people inside!

He paused for a moment, then quickly hurried over.

"Could it be a traveling Taoist? My temple doesn't provide room and board, though."

Upon stepping over the threshold, Zhou Xuan, seeing a figure in a blue Taoist robe, initially thought another Taoist had spotted the temple and came by, and was about to greet him with a Taoist salute and begin speaking.

His mouth slightly open, yet the moment he saw the other person turn around he suddenly lost his voice.

There was no helping it.

Standing in the room, Su Ping had reached the Fourth Layer of Qi Cultivation.

Wearing a brand-new dust-repelling Taoist robe, stepping in Cloud-Riding Pattern Cloth Shoes, and with an ancient sword scabbard on his back, his demeanor was too transcendent, mysterious, and awe-inspiring.

At first glance, Zhou Xuan thought of the descriptions of Immortals in ancient texts.

Although he had long stopped believing that real Immortals existed in this world,

seeing Su Ping's celestial appearance still dazzled him, prompting him to hurriedly perform a Taoist salute and change his prepared words:

"Greetings, Taoist friend. I am the current temple master of East King Temple."

"Did the Taoist friend come to this East King Temple seeking assistance with something?"

Looking at the young Taoist, whose attitude had suddenly become humble in the blink of an eye.

Su Ping touched his flawless chin, glanced at the room which had transformed, and slowly said,

"The former temple master... where is Taoist Yu?"

"Taoist Yu? The former temple master was Taoist Niu... Wait, are you asking about Taoist Master Yu who passed away twelve years ago?"

"Passed away twelve years ago?"

Although he had already guessed it, Su Ping was still slightly moved as he shook his head.

Zhou Xuan carefully observed Su Ping, seeing that his reaction seemed to confirm his guess, and then looked again at Su Ping's ethereal temperament and his face, the exact age of which was hard to discern.

He vaguely realized something, his gaze towards Su Ping filled with eagerness.

"I was acquainted with that Taoist Master Yu."

"Today, I felt a call, so I revisited this place, only to find that he has passed away."

Su Ping said quietly, speaking nothing but the truth.

He really knew the temple master of East King Temple.

But not in the way the other party might assume.

"This temple has always been connected to me; this time, descending from the mountain, I plan to stay here for a while."

"Please accept this gold, young friend, and help me purchase some necessities."

As he spoke, Su Ping extended his right hand and lightly wiped on the wooden table in the parlor.

Three small gold bars neatly appeared on the table surface, making Zhou Xuan's eyes widen in surprise.

"Magic? Or is it a magic trick?"

Looking at the gold bars that had suddenly appeared on the table, Zhou Xuan then looked at Su Ping, who seemed indifferent, as if making gold bars appear with a simple wipe was a normal occurrence.

He struggled internally for a moment, then decisively bowed deeply and stated firmly,

"Taoist, being an old friend of Taoist Master Yu, it's my honor to have you stay!"

"But...! Please enlighten me, Taoist!"

"I ask you, in this world, is there truly a technique for Immortal Cultivation and eternal life?"

Gathering his courage to ask, Zhou Xuan tensed up as he looked at Su Ping.

"A real technique for Immortal Cultivation and eternal life?"

Upon hearing this, Su Ping looked at Zhou Xuan's sincere, expectant gaze and his lips slightly curled upwards.

He had chosen to settle first in this East King Temple.

The aim was naturally to assimilate quickly into the society of Water Blue Star and utilize the local resources.

And the best way to assimilate quickly, and not to draw attention from those above, was to find a native spokesperson to help.

Thereafter, Su Ping initially analyzed the information he gathered.

Zhou Xuan, a cultivator of East King Temple with some standing and more zeal for the mystical than others, naturally came into Su Ping's sight right away.

Would he foolishly report a transcendental clue in exchange for a non-existent reward, or would he obey and earn that slim chance to step into transcendence?

Su Ping believed Zhou Xuan, who had been recognized by the Taoist School and granted a certificate to become a temple master, would make a smart choice!

Moreover, if his desire for the Tao wasn't feigned, then for such a cultivator, what could be more important than the chance to learn a True Skill?

Such obsession with Immortal Cultivation.

Su Ping had seen plenty of it during his twenty years in the Immortal Cultivation World.

Fortunately, he was a genuine cultivator, who could become the greatest Heart Demon in Zhou Xuan's heart!

"Hahaha!"

"The technique for Immortal Cultivation and eternal life is incredibly difficult, yet ultimately, it does exist!"

Su Ping waved his sleeves with a carefree laugh.

Immediately, he quietly executed the Object Manipulation Technique.

Clang!

The Red Flame Wood Sword clanged as it flew out from the scabbard behind Su Ping, circled in the air, and then swiftly hovered in front of Zhou Xuan.

At that moment, the sun was setting.

The somewhat dazzling red light shone through the window into the small parlor.

It made the hovering wood sword gleam brilliantly.

Zhou Xuan, who stared unblinkingly at this wood sword, started to feel pain in his eyes.

He couldn't bear to blink.

Seeing a truly transcendental technique for the first time in his life…

He was utterly mesmerized!