First Tour of Shangqing

In this way, his pace was naturally much slower, but Ling Qing did not mind, walking forward one steady step at a time.

Many senior brothers strode past him like flying on the road, but he was in no hurry.

Upon arriving at the woodshed, the senior brother in charge of chopping wood didn't even glance at him, simply gesturing for him to toss his load onto a pile of thin firewood.

Those were all piles chopped by disciples like him who had yet to be formally initiated.

He saw that those senior brothers had already made two or three trips, carrying loads of firewood as large as small hills.

Yet his own two bundles combined were not even as thick as an armful, and they were all thin sticks.

He felt no shame; this was currently his limit, and once his strength improved in the future, he would naturally be able to match those senior brothers.

However, he hadn't seen much food being prepared in the canteen, so he wondered why so much firewood was consumed every day.

With these idle thoughts in mind, Ling Qing set down the firewood and, without resting, turned and headed back toward Firewood Mountain.

Along the way, he used the empty carrying pole to familiarize himself with the method he had just practiced.

By the time the morning was over, let alone getting to know the people around him, he hadn't even managed to exchange a word with Zhang Zhe, who was not far away.

Being in a state of constant physical and mental exhaustion was truly agonizing.

It forced him to pour all his energy into chopping and carrying the wood.

Otherwise, the slightest distraction could lead to misjudging the force applied to the pole; if it were just a minor injury, there was magic to heal it.

But practicing with the wrong force would both delay his progress and waste time.

It wasn't until the sun had climbed to the very center of the sky that Ling Qing found a patch of shade under a tree and pulled a flatbread from his bosom.

Seeing this, Zhang Zhe sat down as well. Neither of them was in the mood to talk; they ate the bread with the clear water from their water gourds, taking a brief moment to rest.

The bread was dry and hard, but it felt quite substantial in the hand.

Truth be told, although it didn't look appetizing and was difficult to eat, it seemed to be a genuinely good item.

After finishing the bread, he not only felt his hunger dissipate but also felt a sense of satisfaction rise within him, and his tightly wound nerves relaxed significantly.

His mind even felt a bit sharper, and it seemed as though his body had gained a bit more strength.

However, there was no notification of an increase in attributes or any progress bar for his training, so presumably, the growth was not yet significant.

Fortunately, the proficiency of his Five Animal Frolics had increased by a visible margin.

There were two ways to upgrade this learned general skill.

One was to use experience points directly; one point of general experience could increase proficiency by one point.

If there were no special requirements, or if the corresponding conditions were met, one could also use experience points to raise a skill directly to Grandmaster perfection.

The other way was to practice it over and over again like an ordinary person, which would also increase skill proficiency.

However, this method of improvement would encounter a bottleneck when leveling up.

One needed to comprehend the key points within the skill to increase its level.

But one could also invest one point of general experience to upgrade it directly.

This was only possible if one's own accumulation was already sufficient.

In ordinary times, this bit of experience wouldn't seem like much when increasing proficiency.

But at a moment like this, it was like a flash of inspiration, allowing one to instantly grasp the key points.

Neither of them had the heart to talk. After feeling that the food in their stomachs had mostly digested, Ling Qing stood up and climbed back toward the trees.

It wasn't until the sun slanted to the west and Ling Qing carried a load of firewood back, only to be told that the work for the day was finished, that he finally let out a sigh of relief.

For a moment, he felt as if his entire spirit and energy had been drained away, and he had to sit in the courtyard for a long time before he could recover.

The exhaustion of this day had truly reached his limit, and it gave him a taste of just how bitter the ascetic life in the mountains could be.

It was fortunate that some immortal magic had been cast in these mountains; no matter how exhausted one was, it wouldn't lead to physical injury.

Otherwise, given his workload today, even with healing magic, he feared his body would be ruined by now.

After a while, Zhang Zhe returned as well, plopping down beside him without saying a word.

It seemed he had also exerted himself and was quite exhausted.

"Let's go. After a bath, it should be about time for dinner."

Seeing that he had rested enough, Ling Qing stood up and said.

There was a small hot spring in the temple, though it was unclear if it was formed naturally or by magic.

Several bathrooms had been built around this hot spring, and every day after work, everyone would come here to wash up.

Firstly, it washed away sweat and grime, and secondly, it washed away fatigue.

After bathing and eating at the canteen, there was nothing left for everyone to do; except for the main hall and some important areas, one could walk around the temple freely.

Having arrived only yesterday, the three of them were unaware of the temple's prohibitions and didn't dare to wander around blindly.

However, everyone was secretly curious about what difference there was between the current Mount Lao and the modern Mount Lao.

After learning about the situation today, and having bathed and eaten, my energy has recovered quite a bit.

Ling Qing and Zhang Zhe called upon the Li Family Uncle and Nephew, intending to stroll around the mountain together.

As for Zhu Guang, he was still busy in the kitchen at this time.

Unlike the modern Shangqing Palace, which does not occupy much space, the entire summit of Mount Lao is currently enclosed within the temple grounds.

Aside from the bluestone steps at the front of the mountain, the only way in or out is a rugged path leading to Firewood Mountain.

Entering through the gate from outside the temple, one is met with a spirit wall, flanked by the Bell and Drum Towers.

Behind that is the main hall where the master resides, with auxiliary halls on both sides.

Further back are three grand halls: the Jade Emperor Hall in the center, the Three Sovereigns Hall on the left, and the Three Officials Hall on the right.

Finally, in the northwest corner of the temple lies the Scripture Depository Hall, with the Alchemy Pavilion and Pharmacy located nearby.

To the east of the hall complex are the living quarters for the disciples; the initiated disciples reside in the front courtyard, closer to the main hall.

East of the Three Sovereigns Hall is a gate leading to the quarters of Ling Qing and the others, as well as the Martial Arts Platform near the eastern cliff.

Heading south also leads to the quarters of the senior brothers who have already been initiated.

Further back are the dining hall, the woodshed, and the temple's vegetable gardens.

The layout is roughly as such, though the buildings rise and fall with the terrain, with winding paths leading to secluded spots and various halls and pavilions interspersed throughout.

Hidden among the woods and thickets are small, tranquil spots filled with a Taoist atmosphere, where people can be found practicing martial arts or chanting scriptures during their leisure time.

Each hall is guarded by a duty disciple, usually an initiated Taoist accompanied by one or two young acolytes.

The temple does not often receive outside guests, so the duty disciples mostly spend their time cleaning the halls or practicing their cultivation during their free time.

Ling Qing and the other three only walked around the perimeter of the living quarters and took a look at the Martial Arts Platform before heading back.

Whether it was because secret techniques cannot be revealed or for some other reason, no one saw anyone practicing magic.

They couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed, though they did not doubt that there were immortal arts on the mountain.

They did see a few senior brothers practicing fist techniques and performing breathing exercises.

The group did not dare to watch too closely, fearing they might commit some taboo, so they left in a hurry.

Seeing that the time was about right, the four of them turned and began walking toward their dormitory.

Although the mountain is bright under the stars and moon, it is not advisable to walk around too much after dark.

Furthermore, they still have to continue chopping firewood tomorrow morning.

Because of the unpleasantness last night and the fact that no one came up the mountain today, everyone didn't gather in the courtyard to chat and instead returned to their rooms early.