Chapter 756: Cultivation on the Immortal Mountain

Xuan Chengzi looked a little older than he had in the past.

Though he had already entered the Dao, cultivators still had a limited Lifespan in the end.

They were still in the same Main Hall as back then.

Xuan Chengzi served Chen Changsheng tea. The brew was far superior to what he had offered in the past; there was a spirit to the tea, nourished by Spiritual Energy, making it incomparably warm and soothing.

"To think that after so many years apart, Qingxian Temple has become this magnificent..." Chen Changsheng said.

Xuan Chengzi let out a soft sigh. "Magnificence is good, but it has its drawbacks."

"Although our Daoist Gate is orthodox, the truth is that most who join harbor their own motives rather than a single-minded devotion to the Dao. With the good mixed in with the bad, it will eventually give rise to disaster."

"I've only been sitting for a moment," Chen Changsheng said. "Why bring up such matters so soon, Priest?"

Xuan Chengzi smiled helplessly. "I have been troubled by this matter for years. Mister arriving now feels like the descent of a savior."

Chen Changsheng shook his head. "The Daoist Gate has its own path to walk. This isn't a matter of a single day or night, and This Chen cannot be of much help."

Seeing Chen Changsheng refuse so readily seemed to fall right in line with Xuan Chengzi's expectations.

"I was too presumptuous."

Xuan Chengzi then asked, "Why did Mister come up the mountain this time?"

"To visit an old friend."

After the two chatted in the Main Hall for a moment, Xuan Chengzi led Chen Changsheng out, heading toward the winding, narrow path behind the rear hall.

Following this path all the way up, one could see tombstones erected in a spot with excellent feng shui by the mountain stream, marked by a cluster of small earthen mounds.

This was actually the cemetery of Qingxian Temple.

The former True Men and the later disciples who had passed away unexpectedly were all buried here.

Compared to the past, quite a few new burial mounds had appeared. Scattered pieces of yellow paper littered the ground in a chaotic mess, resting everywhere like withered flowers.

It was much more crowded here than before.

The three tombs at the very front boasted the best view, the best scenery, and the best feng shui.

Of those three tombs, one held the late True Man of Qingxian Temple, another held his close friend, and the last one to the side belonged to Chen Changsheng's old acquaintance.

Old Huang, who had once sold tea in Qingshan City.

Xuan Chengzi prepared some yellow paper and handed it to Mister.

Chen Changsheng squatted down and burned the yellow paper in his hands, piece by piece.

Through the faint light of the fire, Chen Changsheng saw the character 'Yan' on the tombstone.

Yan Huanglou, Yan Huanglou.

Chen Changsheng also divided some of the yellow paper for the two burial mounds beside it.

He had shared some friendship with the late True Man as well.

"Has Mister always remembered these old acquaintances?" Xuan Chengzi asked.

Chen Changsheng turned to look at him. "Of course."

He paused for a moment before continuing, "Cultivation is the cultivation of the heart. This Chen has had few friends in this life. Walking a long journey and finally returning, only to find the people of the past gone, leaving behind only a small burial mound in memoriam... If I were to forget even him, then what did the past amount to? Since this is Cultivation, if I forget all of this, can I even say I have cultivated at all?"

Xuan Chengzi nodded slightly. "My understanding cannot compare to Mister's..."

Chen Changsheng shook his head in denial. "It's not that it cannot compare; it's simply different. There are tens of thousands of cultivators in this world, walking millions of different paths. This Chen's path is different from all of yours. If the people of this world try to emulate me, it would be akin to entering the demonic path."

Xuan Chengzi was stunned by those words. He opened his mouth, suddenly unsure of what to say next.

If the people of this world try to emulate me, it would be akin to entering the demonic path...

That was it...

An inner demon.

Xuan Chengzi finally understood. Mister had just told him that this old acquaintance before them was his inner demon.

"Mister, will Cultivation inevitably give rise to an inner demon?"

"Naturally."

Chen Changsheng nodded. "An inner demon is not just a psychological hurdle one cannot pass. More often than not, it represents the myriad doubts encountered on the path of Cultivation. If one already understood everything, then what would be the point of cultivating?"

Xuan Chengzi nodded. "Thank you for your guidance, Mister."

Chen Changsheng shook his head. "This Chen just mentioned it in passing. There is no need for Priest to give me such face. When it comes down to it, I am just an ordinary person."

Hearing this, Xuan Chengzi smiled helplessly in his heart.

If only the Mister before him truly were just an ordinary person.

Chen Changsheng looked at him and smiled. "This Chen isn't saying this on purpose. I truly just want to be an ordinary person, living a peaceful life until the very end, when ashes return to ashes, and dust returns to dust."

"Why is that?" Xuan Chengzi asked. "Even if Mister's goal in Cultivation isn't to become an immortal and attain the Dao, it should be for something else. So why wish to return to the mortal roots?"

Chen Changsheng chuckled. "My Cultivation is to return to being a mortal. It is vastly different, vastly different indeed."

Xuan Chengzi stared blankly for a moment before bursting into laughter.

This Mister was as unfathomable to him as ever.

He figured this was perhaps the difference between them. If he could understand such things, he wouldn't be confined to just this one mountain and this one temple.

Chen Changsheng let out a breath and asked, "There is one other matter This Chen would like to ask Priest about."

"Please go ahead, Mister."

"There is a Peach Orchard at the foot of the mountain," Chen Changsheng said. "It used to be tended to by a girl named Aqing. Does Priest know where she has gone recently?"

"Lay Practitioner Aqing?"

Xuan Chengzi paused. "Is Lay Practitioner Aqing a friend of Mister's?"

"Yes."

Xuan Chengzi suddenly understood. "Mister, under the guidance of a Supreme Immortal, Miss Aqing joined the Immortal Sects and has gone to the Immortal Realm."

Chen Changsheng paused upon hearing this. "Joined the Immortal Sects?"

Xuan Chengzi nodded. "Lay Practitioner Aqing possesses exceptional aptitude and an affinity for Spiritual Energy. The Supreme Immortal mentioned her to me many years ago. I tried to persuade her several times back then, but she always refused. It was only a few years ago that she seemed to figure things out and came up the mountain, at which point I introduced her to the Supreme Immortal."

"It was her own decision?" Chen Changsheng asked.

Xuan Chengzi nodded. "I wouldn't dare deceive Mister. This was entirely Lay Practitioner Aqing's own decision. Neither I nor the Supreme Immortal ever forced her."

He felt a trace of trepidation.

He had only just realized the connection.

Now it all made sense to him. No wonder Lay Practitioner Aqing possessed such extraordinary aptitude; it was likely inextricably linked to the Mister standing right before him.

Chen Changsheng gave a slight nod. "As long as it was of her own free will."

He paused before adding, "I would also like to ask the Temple Master to do This Chen a favor."

"Please speak, Mister. As long as it is within my power, I will definitely do my utmost to assist you."

"It is nothing major."

Chen Changsheng smiled. "The Peach Orchard Aqing left behind is now being tended to by others. Without her, the orchard has become a bit unruly. The peaches are unevenly ripe, and many of them have lost their sweetness. If Priest has the time, I ask that you help look after it. In return, This Chen is willing to leave a single character behind for Qingxian Temple to protect your mountain gate."