Mountain Suppressing Art (Please Follow, Please Bookmark)

Daoist Yucheng took the bamboo slip.

After tossing out the bamboo slip, Old Daoist Wu cupped his fists to Daoist Yucheng. "Fellow Daoists, I hope we can still brew tea and discuss the Dao together in the future!" With that, he turned and left without looking back.

Wang Ping and Daoist Yucheng watched Old Daoist Wu's retreating figure until he vanished from their sight.

"It is the Earth Cave Sect's Mountain Suppressing Art." Daoist Yucheng handed the bamboo slip to Wang Ping.

Wang Ping took the bamboo slip. Just as he was about to examine it, the densely packed words on its surface flashed with an earthy yellow glow and, in the blink of an eye, burrowed into his brow. The sleeping Yulian abruptly opened her eyes, coiled around Wang Ping's left arm, and looked around in confusion. Finding nothing wrong, she returned to his wrist and fell asleep again.

As the earthy yellow light entered Wang Ping's brow, a memory concerning the Mountain Suppressing Art was engraved into his Spirit Sea. Daoist Yucheng, standing beside him, warned, "When you are out in the world in the future, do not casually examine other cultivators' belongings. Otherwise, it is all too easy to fall into a trap."

"Yes, Master!"

Wang Ping woke from the delight of obtaining a new spell, only to break out in a cold sweat. If Old Daoist Wu had intended to harm him and carved some frenzied memories into it, Wang Ping might already have gone mad.

"Study the Mountain Suppressing Art carefully yourself. It is an Orthodox Xuan Gate Method, most suited for suppressing monsters." After saying that, Daoist Yucheng turned and walked toward his room.

Wang Ping stepped back and sat on the stone stool, carefully tucking the bamboo slip into his robes. As he brought up the memories of the Mountain Suppressing Art, a new attribute panel appeared, as expected:

[Mountain Suppressing Art: Orthodox Xuan Gate Method. Mobilizes the power of the earth veins to suppress all things. One must be marked by the Earth Vein Spirit to wield this method. You have already been marked by the Earth Vein Spirit. This method requires no practice; you need only visualize it and set a hand seal for casting.]

[Note: With your current abilities, you can only cast it twice per day.]

There was an enormous amount of information in this guide, but Wang Ping still knew little about this world. Overthinking it was pointless. After a brief consideration, he pressed his index and middle fingers together, pointed at an empty patch beyond the courtyard gate, and issued a command: "Suppress!"

Boom!

The air where Wang Ping pointed exploded. A blast wave appeared from nowhere and crashed down from above, shaking a shallow pit more than a zhang wide into the ground.

"Was it really this simple?" He instinctively took out the bamboo slip Old Daoist Wu had given him.

Crack.

A fissure appeared across the middle of the bamboo slip. Before Wang Ping could react, it split apart down the center. With a series of faint sounds, it crumbled into a pile of fragments.

Wang Ping's brows furrowed slightly as countless questions flashed through his mind. Just as he was about to wander into a blind alley, a faint sting came from his left thumb and pulled him awake from his tangled thoughts. Looking down, he saw Yulian gently biting his finger.

"What are you doing?" Yulian asked within Wang Ping's Spirit Sea.

"Nothing."

Wang Ping rose, gathered the broken pieces of bamboo slip from the ground, and threw them into the nearby brazier. Then he walked out of the small courtyard and looked at the pit pressed into the earth by the Mountain Suppressing Art.

If this spell were used on an ordinary person, it could crush them into a meat patty in an instant!

The thought of that grisly scene sent a chill through Wang Ping. Yulian, once more coiled around his wrist, gave him a curious glance. After confirming that nothing was amiss, she closed her eyes and went back to sleep.

After Daoist Yucheng returned, Wang Ping's life went back to its previous routine of two points and one line.

Three months passed in a rush.

Last month, Liu Zixiu, who oversaw the Front Hall's affairs, submitted a proposal to Daoist Yucheng. He wished to completely divide the Daoist temple into the Front Hall and the Inner Sect, rather than leave it as a verbal distinction. Daoist Yucheng agreed without much thought.

Three days ago, the temple was formally divided into the Front Hall and the Inner Sect. The Front Hall was placed under the management of three Lodging Daoists willing to join Thousand Wood Temple, responsible for spreading Thousand Wood Temple's teachings and taking in disciples.

The Inner Sect, meanwhile, devoted itself wholly to cultivation. Three Stewards were also established: one responsible for managing the temple's assets, one for Internal Affairs, and one for teaching and answering questions.

At present, the three Stewards were personally filled by Li Tianan, Liu Zixiu, and Mao Yulong.

This winter seemed colder than last year's. Many places suffered disasters, and the Yongshan County Prefectural Office did not even dare recruit corvée labor during the off-season, fearing that squeezing the people too hard would spark riots.

During the winter off-season, many people from nearby villages flocked to Thousand Wood Temple. They could burn a stick of incense and remain in its warm courtyards for the entire day, and at noon they might occasionally receive a bowl of dried-vegetable soup.

The county officials had specifically erected a notice board in the temple's small courtyard, occasionally coming by to post proclamations. The most important notice since winter began stated that, beginning next year, Nan Fang would prohibit the planting of wheat and instead fully develop rice cultivation, changing it to three harvests per year.

For this purpose, the Imperial Court had specially compiled a new calendar to guide the provinces of Nan Fang on when to plant rice.

For a time, discussion ran rampant.

None of this had much to do with Wang Ping, who cultivated in quiet seclusion. His Qi Refining had reached a critical juncture, and he could form his Qi Sea at any moment.

As Spring Festival approached, Daoist Yucheng told Wang Ping to stop cultivating and instead calm his mind and nurture his nature.

Wang Ping followed his Master's advice. After the progress of his Qi Cultivation Chapter reached (99/100), he was unable to settle his heart whenever he cultivated.

The twenty-fifth day of the twelfth lunar month.

When Wang Ping woke that morning, he had a vague feeling, so he cast a divination for himself.

Near noon, Wang Ping, who was meditating, was startled awake by a set of heavy footsteps. Yulian, who had grown to around a foot long, also opened her eyes and poked her head out from the warm sleeve.

"What a strange smell!" she said in confusion.

"It is the fragrance of wine!"

Wang Ping rose and pushed open the door. Looking beyond the courtyard, he saw his three senior brothers walking in front, followed by Su Dun and Wang Kang. Behind them, several burly men carried wine jars half a zhang tall.

"Haha, senior brother, I have come to fulfill my promise." Like someone presenting a treasure, Su Dun pointed at the wine jars behind him, a sly grin spread across his face.

"I cast a divination this morning, and it said joyous news would come to my door. So this was what it meant!" A smile unknowingly appeared on Wang Ping's face.

"Come, come, my father has already tied up Master in the Front Hall. Today, we shall not return until we are drunk!" As Su Dun spoke, the three senior brothers pushed open the courtyard gate.

In the blink of an eye, the stone table was laden with food, most of it meat.

"I'm hungry..."

Yulian's voice echoed through Wang Ping's Spirit Sea. Then she poked her little head out from Wang Ping's sleeve again, though she did not dare crawl fully out. Her cultivation was still shallow, and she was somewhat afraid of the cold.

Wang Ping picked up a piece of roast lamb and handed it to Yulian, giving Su Dun beside him such a fright that he jumped. Snakes were what he feared most in his life.

Su Dun's cry startled Yulian. She deliberately flicked her forked tongue at him, then said within Wang Ping's Spirit Sea, "He is afraid of me. How interesting!"

"What is that thing..."

"Do not make such a fuss. Her name is Yulian. She is a Spirit Snake," Wang Ping introduced her to Su Dun.

"A Spirit Snake that can distinguish good and evil, like the ones from legend?" Su Dun's eyes went round as saucers, his face full of disbelief.

The three senior brothers who knew the truth all revealed envious expressions when they saw Yulian. Then their gazes fell upon the wine jars. Finally, Mao Yulong rose and poured wine for everyone.