Cultivation: Starting with Farming in the Spiritual Pivot Grotto

Chapter 31 The Hidden Agents Resurge, Acquiring Spiritual Materials

Zhenlong Temple has been established for three hundred years, and although its name is recorded in the Imperial Archives, its population is not large.

The entire Taoist temple, including the servants, young Taoist boys, and temple guards, had only a dozen or so people, fewer than the number of servants in the medicinal fields of the Yunfu Sect.

Yet they lived peacefully in the mountains and forests west of Poyang Lake.

Master Xuantong, an elder of Zhenlong Temple, was the second disciple of the previous abbot. He possessed an elegant and refined demeanor, with clear and gentle features.

At this moment, he was wearing a faded, plain-colored Taoist robe and studying the Taoist commentaries left by his predecessors.

"Click!"

Suddenly, a jade ring on his hand broke, and the Taoist Xuantong's expression changed drastically.

The jade ring was formed from a secret technique; once it breaks, it means that the Holy Sect has used this pawn.

Even though they are separated by an endless ocean, they can still send messages.

"They've come after all!"

At this moment, a voice emerged from within my mind, a voice as profound as if engraved in my very bones.

"The Daoist essence of our sect's 'Twelve Yuan Chen Great Strength Bone Demon Sacrifice Scripture' has been leaked and has fallen into the territory of the Yunfu Sect. You are ordered to spare no effort to find its whereabouts and annihilate it..."

"If all else fails, activate the Immortal Seal..."

"This decree concerns the very foundation of our sect's traditions. Any disobedience, however slight, will result in execution and the extermination of the soul. The entire True Dragon Sect will not escape this fate!"

Xuan Tong Daoist's thin body trembled, the scroll slipped from his hand, and his fingertips trembled slightly, showing none of the demeanor expected of a cultivator at the twelfth level of Qi Refining.

For the first time, his gentle and peaceful face lost all its composure, replaced by a deep sense of helplessness and bitterness.

"I only have a few years left to live, can't I just enjoy these last few years?"

Although he was a spy for the Demonic Sect, he owed Zhenlong Temple and his master a lifetime of gratitude.

"It is difficult to advance, and it is difficult to retreat. When faced with two evils, choose the lesser one."

The Xuan Daoist's eyes flashed with endless weariness. The Immortal Seal was hidden in his spiritual platform, so he could not resist in the slightest.

He gently picked up the fallen scroll, put it back on the bookshelf, then got up, slowly walked out of the bamboo hut, and stood on the blue stone platform in front of the pavilion.

Looking out at the endless mountains and the vast sea of ​​clouds, the wind is unrestrained and the clouds are boundless, yet I am not free.

He whispered, his voice tinged with sorrow and age: "Master, your disciple is useless; I couldn't guard my own heart!"

He turned to look at Zhenlong Temple, as if trying to etch this small Taoist temple deep into his mind.

Two streams of tears immediately flowed down her cheeks.

"But I can't let this Zhenlong Temple fall."

As soon as he finished speaking, the mountain wind swept by, and the Taoist Xuantong disappeared without a trace.

……

"Fellow Daoist Junbao, these pills are quite valuable. Aren't you afraid of being punished by your elders if you sell them?"

Faced with Huang Dan's doubts, Li Ya immediately put on the airs of a spoiled young master from a noble family.

"Just focus on selling your pills. Any punishment you impose will only be on me; what does it have to do with your Thousand Gold Pavilion?"

Huang Dan quickly agreed and was about to bend down to take the pills when Li Ya stopped him.

"You want to collect money before you've even done anything? That's unacceptable."

"Fellow Daoist Junbao, rest assured, do I, Huang, look like someone who would abscond with goods?"

Seeing that Li Ya remained unmoved, he had no choice but to give up.

"Alright, I'll go get them right away. The head office has these two spiritual materials, and there's a teleportation array between the branch and the head office. If you need them urgently, you'll have to cover the teleportation fee, fellow Daoist. I wonder..."

"Do I look like I can't afford it? Hurry up and go!"

Huang Dan turned and left, his face turning cold as he entered the outer room.

"This Zhang Junbao seems like a completely different person. He was fine last time, but this time he's acting strangely, so eccentric!"

"Whatever, let it be strange. If I buy this batch, I'll be rich!"

"Who cares where he came from? Even if it's an elder in my family, I'll just do this private job and leave. What can they do to me?"

Huang Dan went straight to Wanbaolou, sent a message to the head office, and then waited patiently.

While waiting in the private room, Li Ya suddenly thought of something.

"Could the young master of Wanbaolou be doing business here because of that Fallen Dragon Valley?"

"But Wanbaolou has been open for so many years, the timeline doesn't match up!"

The magical restrictions on Fallen Dragon Valley will be completely lifted after this, and it will then become a treasure-hunting place open to everyone.

When countless cultivators arrive, there will be plenty of business opportunities.

If they find some useless treasures, Wanbaolou's signboard is right there, and the prices are fair. Most ordinary cultivators will sell them to Wanbaolou.

Some items that were difficult to sell could also be secretly disposed of at Qianjin Pavilion.

Besides, you have to spend the money you earn, and Wanbaolou is the perfect place to spend it, while Qianjinge downstairs is an even bigger money pit.

"By the Dao Ancestor, did Wanbaolou foresee the future? This business is being planned way too far in advance. If it's true, could it be that there really is a God of Wealth in their home?"

After thinking for a moment, Li Ya felt it was unrealistic; at most, it was just a lucky coincidence.

This young master must be having a stroke of good fortune.

About half an hour later, Huang Dan came in carrying two small wooden boxes.

"Fellow Daoist Junbao, I have not failed you. Take a look!"

Li Ya opened the wooden box, and as Ling Shu had indicated, it contained Xiao Tian Li Jin and Qing Zhi Yun Mu.

"Take it!"

Having said that, he turned and left without paying any attention to Huang Dan, who at that moment only had eyes for this pile of pills.

Li Ya didn't linger. With so many pills flowing out, anyone with a keen eye would surely find clues, and he couldn't guarantee that Huang Dan wouldn't send someone to follow them.

After leaving Wanbaolou, I followed my childhood memories to a bridge archway. It was a secluded place with few people passing by.

Li Ya flashed into the Ling Shu Cave Heaven, while Fang Cun Luo fell straight into the water and sped towards the Poyang Marsh. This speed was indeed not slow.

He did the same when he came; it's always good to be cautious.

Inside the Ling Shu Cave, Li Ya removed his mask, revealing an extremely unfamiliar face.

He slammed his hand down on his jaw, and two objects, each about the thickness of a finger, came out of his mouth.

He pinched his nose again, then tugged, tearing off half of it.

She scooped up a handful of spiritual spring water and washed the covering off her face, revealing her original appearance.

"Why are you opening the door? Why would I randomly use my divine sense on a guest? If you didn't have a natural spiritual eye or some minor supernatural power, how could you possibly reach my face, which is protected by these two layers!"

Moreover, now they possess physical supernatural powers, closing off their entire body so that not even a trace of their aura can be leaked out.

Those powerful cultivators wouldn't bother paying attention to a tiny ant.

He set another fire, burning the mask and his clothes to ashes.

It wasn't until Fangcun Snail traveled all the way along the waterway to the shore of Poyang Lake that Li Ya changed his clothes and headed towards Wei Que's residence.

In the shell field where Wei Que was located, from Steward Liu down to every servant, after the incident, everyone paid other stewards to buy the so-called "lost" spirit shells to replenish the quantity of spirit shells.

After this incident, Manager Liu also established a system whereby after work each day, he would arrange for laborers to take night shifts and patrol the fields.

"Brother Xiaoya, you're here!"

Upon seeing Li Ya, Wei Que immediately put down his martial arts, washed his hands in Bei Tian, ​​and then tried to pull him back to his residence.

"Brother Xiaoya, the end of the year is approaching, what are your plans?"

"Plans?" Li Ya calculated the days. There was only one month left until the New Year. His home in Sifangzhen at the foot of the mountain was long gone, and he hadn't been in contact with those relatives and friends for many years. He felt a strange sense of melancholy.

"What plans could I possibly have? I'll just focus on my cultivation. In a few days, I'm going on a long trip with Steward Xie!"

His master-disciple relationship with Xie Daoyun is known only to the three of them and has not been spread outside. Li Ya has also not told Wei Que.

"That's great news!" Wei Que exclaimed with delight. "I knew Xiao Ya was no ordinary person. He's already won the manager's favor so quickly and is going on official business with us."

"Come on, let's cook today. It's so cold, let's set up a copper pot and boil some sliced ​​meat."

"Okay!"

Back in the bamboo house, Li Ya assisted, and the two began to work on it.

"Second brother, what are your plans?"

"As for me! I definitely need to get some rest!"

Wei Que sliced ​​the fish with lightning speed.

"Beitian suffered this disaster this year. We didn't make any money; in fact, we lost a lot of money, but we still have some savings."

"Then we'll go to Chu Nan Kingdom, find a prosperous prefecture, and a place to relax and enjoy a few days of leisure."

Seeing Wei Que's frivolous smile, Li Ya naturally understood the trick behind it.

"Let's find a few more courtesans, play music, sing, and talk about romance and poetry, and then enjoy a night of pleasure together?"

"Oh! Brother Xiaoya knows about this too?"

Wei Que immediately became interested.

"Let me tell you, I've been to all the neighboring state capitals, and I know exactly which places are fun!"

"The women of Datong Prefecture have a special skill: layered gates and winding paths leading to secluded spots—the experience is...tsk tsk tsk..."

"And that nun from Yunshan..."

Li Ya quickly interrupted, "Second Brother, stop talking! I haven't even tasted meat yet, and what you're saying is making things difficult for me!"

"Hahaha, Little Cliff, you'd better be patient. Once your cultivation level is high enough, you'll have everything you need..."