Jade Talisman Grand Ceremony (1)

"This old Daoist is just like that wild monkey," Lin Yuan couldn't help but mutter.

However, upon closer thought, that scruffy Daoist exuded strangeness everywhere.

He wasn't staying in the Daoist temple late at night but was sleeping in this pine tree.

Moreover, his movements were incredibly agile. Whether it was leaping down from the bluestone just now or disappearing in the blink of an eye, his skills had Lin Yuan secretly astonished.

It was clear that this old Daoist was no ordinary person.

After this encounter, a faint light began to appear on the distant horizon.

Lin Yuan glanced at his watch. It was almost five o'clock, about two hours before their agreed-upon meeting time.

However, he didn't plan to go down the mountain. He would wait for them on the mountain.

Afterward, Lin Yuan's gaze fell upon the ancient pine tree. The scruffy old Daoist's sleeping posture was still vivid in his mind.

"Can a person really fall asleep in a place like this?"

Lin Yuan expressed his doubts.

If he were awake, let alone lying on a tree trunk of this thickness, even lying on a thin rope would be effortless for him.

But if he were asleep, his body would inevitably toss and turn. How could he remain stable and sleep on it?

Curious, Lin Yuan jumped up and lay down in the old man's posture.

No matter how he adjusted, he felt awkward. Sleeping was out of the question.

He figured he would likely roll off if he fell asleep.

Yet, he had clearly seen the old Daoist sleeping soundly up there, and it didn't seem like an act.

Later, Lin Yuan tried again, even attempting to fall asleep. But as soon as his consciousness drifted into dreamland, his body would involuntarily move, and any movement would make him sway precariously on the tree.

At this moment, Lin Yuan was unaware that on a nearby mountaintop, the scruffy old man was observing him.

Seeing him imitating his sleeping posture, the old man couldn't help but laugh, "Little friend, how can the Hibernating Dragon Technique be learned just by watching?"

"Off I go, off I go, time to get some wine."

Unknowingly, the sky began to lighten. The sun peeked over the distant mountaintop, its red glow gradually spreading across the land from far to near.

Soon, the morning light reached Sanqing Mountain, its rays piercing through layers of clouds and mist, illuminating the various peaks.

Lin Yuan opened his eyes. Although he had only rested briefly, his expression was not listless; he was as spirited as ever.

The morning sun was rising, and the air was fresh.

Lin Yuan stood up from the ground, gazing at the vast expanse before him.

Above were the clouds and mists of the peaks, and below was the lush vegetation. All things operated ceaselessly in this world according to their unique laws.

And what about humans in relation to heaven and earth?

Humans were never the supreme rulers of all things but a part of nature.

In this scene, Lin Yuan felt a deeper understanding of the natural principles of Tai Chi. Thus, he unconsciously began practicing Tai Chi on the large bluestone.

This time, he cast aside all the Tai Chi forms.

He simply went with the flow, breathing in unison with heaven and earth.

In a moment, he vaguely sensed something existing between heaven and earth, but he didn't know what it was. He only detected it, wanting to grasp it, but it always felt like a veil stood between them.

Lin Yuan was immersed in it, having forgotten everything around him.

It wasn't until a mobile phone ringtone sounded that he emerged from that special state.

Lin Yuan picked up his phone; it was Wu Zihan calling.

It was already past seven-ten, and Lin Yuan answered immediately.

"Hello, Senior Brother, where are you?"

"I'm already on the mountain. You guys can just come up."

"Ah? You're already on the mountain! Why didn't you wait for us?"

"There was a little accident," Lin Yuan explained.

"Okay, okay, where on the mountain are you approximately?"

Lin Yuan looked around. Seeing a signpost not far ahead, he jumped off the bluestone and walked over. After carefully examining it, he figured out his approximate location.

"I'm at One Line Sky right now."

"Alright, alright, got it. We'll be right there to find you."

With that, she hung up.

At this moment, people were also starting to ascend the mountain from below.

Lin Yuan summoned his system panel.

[Name: Lin Yuan]

[Lifespan: 25/60]

[Strength: 20]

[Speed: 19]

[Agility: 25]

[Stamina: 26]

[Flexibility: 22]

[Martial Arts: Yang Style Tai Chi(Blue; Mastered), Wu Style Tai Chi(Blue; Proficient), Chen Style Tai Chi(Blue; Proficient), Wu Style Tai Chi(Blue; Proficient), Sun Style Tai Chi(Blue; Proficient), Arhat Fist(Blue; Expert), Hun Yuan Zhuang(Purple; Proficient)]

[Attribute Points: 10.5]

Lin Yuan stared at the number of attribute points, his expression filled with disbelief.

He had only had 6.5 attribute points before, so how did he suddenly gain four more?

In the past, even practicing from morning till night, the maximum attribute points he could gain in a day was four. Yet, he had just practiced for about an hour and gained four.

Could it be because he had entered a profound and mysterious special state just now?

Besides that, he couldn't think of any other explanation.

Over the past few days at home, he had also improved the other four Tai Chi styles to proficient, along with Hun Yuan Zhuang. This had led to almost another leap in his physical fitness.

About half an hour later, Lin Yuan saw Wu Zihan and the others approaching the One Line Sky. There were five of them in total.

They were Wu Zhongze, Wu Zihan, Yang Yikun, Dong Yifan, and Sun Xuemei.

Since they were all martial artists, their speed climbing the mountain wasn't slow.

Before they even got close, Wu Zihan waved and called out to Lin Yuan.

The others accompanying her looked in the direction Wu Zihan was waving.

As it was their first time meeting Lin Yuan, they were all curious. When they saw Lin Yuan's true appearance.

Sun Xuemei spoke first, "He's quite a handsome young man."

"No wonder you mention him so often, Zihan."

"Sister Xuemei, I don't mention him every day. Don't be fooled by his looks; this guy is really bad."

Soon, everyone arrived in front of Lin Yuan.

Lin Yuan greeted them one by one and got to know them.

Wu Zhongze gave off a steady impression, Yang Yikun was a bit flashy, Dong Yifan was introverted with scholarly air, and Sun Xuemei was graceful and poised.

Beyond these external impressions, Lin Yuan also seemed to get a general idea of their martial arts levels.

Among these people, he had initially thought Wu Zhongze would have the highest cultivation, but his aura now was not as steady as Dong Yifan's. Although it was still very stable, it was slightly inferior.

Next was Sun Xuemei, followed by Wu Zihan, and lastly, Yang Yikun's aura was the most superficial.

By observing a person's aura, one could generally gauge their strength.

Of course, this wasn't absolute. It could only be said that if their martial arts attainments were at the same level, the more profound and continuous the aura, the stronger they would be.

Yang Yikun sized Lin Yuan up and said, "So you're Lin Yuan? You look pretty ordinary."

Wu Zihan immediately glared at him.

"You're the one who's exceptionally handsome, aren't you? Mr. Overconfident."

"Alright, alright, let's not bicker now. We still have a stretch of mountain road to walk. The Jade Talisman Grand Ceremony starts at nine-thirty, we mustn't be late," Wu Zhongze said.