That naturally slowed his pace considerably, but Ling Qing didn't mind. He kept walking, one step at a time.
Quite a few senior brothers strode past him along the way, but he didn't rush.
When he reached the Firewood Room, the senior brother in charge of splitting wood didn't even look at him. He casually picked up the bundles and tossed them onto a stack of kindling.
That was where the wood chopped by disciples who hadn't yet entered the sect was piled.
He saw that those senior brothers had already carried back loads of firewood as big as little hills two or three times.
His two bundles put together weren't even as thick as one arm, and they were all kindling.
He didn't feel ashamed. This was his limit for now. Once he grew stronger, he would naturally be able to do as those senior brothers did.
Still, the dining hall didn't seem to cook all that much. He wondered why they used so much firewood every day.
Thinking about this and that, Ling Qing set down the firewood and didn't stop to rest. He turned and headed straight back to Firewood Mountain.
Along the way, he also practiced the method he'd just learned with the empty carrying pole.
By the time the morning had passed, he hadn't gotten to know anyone nearby, let alone spoken a word to Zhang Zhe, who was not far from him.
Being in a state of physical and mental exhaustion like this was truly torturous.
It forced him to put all his energy into chopping and carrying wood.
Otherwise, the slightest distraction could make him misjudge the force on the pole. Injuring himself would have been fine, since magic could heal him.
But getting the force wrong would waste both effort and time.
Only when the sun had climbed to its highest point did Ling Qing find some shade beneath a tree and take a flatbread from his robes.
Seeing this, Zhang Zhe came over and sat beside him. Neither of them felt like talking, so they ate while drinking from the Water Storage Gourd, taking a brief rest.
The flatbread was dry and hard, but it felt substantial in his hand.
Actually, though it looked unappetizing and was difficult to eat, it seemed to be quite good for him.
After finishing one flatbread, he not only felt his hunger fade, but also felt a sense of satisfaction rise within him. His tightly wound mind relaxed as well.
He even felt a little more alert, and seemed to have gained a bit of strength.
Still, there was no notification that his attributes had increased or that he'd made progress in training. Presumably, the gains weren't enough yet.
At least his Five Animal Frolics proficiency had visibly increased.
There were two ways to level up the general skill he'd learned.
One was to spend experience directly. One point of general experience could increase proficiency by one point.
If there were no special requirements—or once the relevant requirements had been met—he could also use experience to raise the skill straight to Grandmaster perfection.
The other way was to practice repeatedly, like an ordinary person, which could also increase proficiency.
But this method of improvement came with a bottleneck when it was time to level up.
He had to grasp the key insight before he could advance.
However, he could also spend one point of general experience to advance directly.
That was possible only because he'd already accumulated enough experience himself.
When he was normally improving his proficiency, that point of experience didn't seem particularly significant.
But right now, it was like a sudden flash of inspiration, allowing him to grasp the key insight at once.
Neither of them felt like talking. Once the food in his stomach had mostly digested, Ling Qing stood and began climbing the tree again.
Only after the sun had begun to sink did Ling Qing carry a load of firewood back. When he was told that he'd finished the day's work, he finally let out a long breath.
For a moment, he felt as if every last bit of energy had been drained from him. He sat in the courtyard and rested for quite a while before he recovered.
The day's toil had truly pushed him to his limit. He now understood just how harsh life in the mountains could be.
It was fortunate that some kind of immortal magic had been cast over the mountain. No matter how exhausted they became, they wouldn't injure themselves from overwork.
Otherwise, given the amount of work he'd done today, even with magic to heal him, his body would probably be ruined by now.
After a while, Zhang Zhe returned and dropped down beside him, not saying a word.
He must have worked hard too and been just as exhausted.
"Come on. Let's wash up. It should be about time for dinner."
Seeing that Zhang Zhe had rested enough, Ling Qing got to his feet.
There was a small hot spring in the Taoist Temple. He didn't know whether it had formed naturally or through magic.
Several bathhouses had been built around the spring, and everyone came there to wash after a day's labor.
It washed away their sweat and grime, and helped ease their fatigue.
After bathing and having dinner in the dining hall, they had nothing else to do. Apart from the main halls and a few other important places, they could wander freely around the Taoist Temple.
They had only just arrived yesterday, and the three of them didn't know the temple's rules, so they hadn't dared to wander around.
But they were all curious about how Mount Lao looked now compared to the modern day.
Besides, after learning a bit about the place today, they'd bathed and eaten, and had recovered a good deal of energy.
Ling Qing and Zhang Zhe called over the two members of the Li Family Uncle and Nephew and decided to take a walk around the mountain together.
As for Zhu Guang, he was still busy in the kitchen.
Unlike the modern Shangqing Palace, which covered only a small area, the entire peak of Mount Lao was enclosed within the Taoist Temple at this time.
The only ways in or out were the stone steps in front of the mountain and a rugged trail leading to Firewood Mountain.
Passing through the entrance from outside the temple, they came to a screen wall, with a Bell Tower and a Drum Tower on either side.
Beyond that was the main hall where the master lived, with side halls on both sides.
Farther back stood three great halls: the Jade Emperor Hall in the middle, the Three Sovereigns Hall on the left, and the Three Officials Hall on the right.
At the temple's northwest corner was the Scripture Depository Hall, with the Alchemy Pavilion and Pharmacy beside it.
The eastern side of the hall complex was where the disciples lived. Those who had entered the sect stayed in the front courtyard, close to the main halls.
A gate east of the Three Sovereigns Hall led to the residences of Ling Qing and the others, as well as the Martial Arts Platform near the eastern cliff.
They could also head south to the residences of the senior brothers who had entered the sect.
Farther back were the dining hall, the Firewood Room, and the temple's vegetable plots.
That was roughly how the place was laid out. The buildings followed the mountain's rises and dips, with winding paths leading to secluded spots and halls and pavilions scattered throughout.
Amid the hidden woods, there were Daoist retreats everywhere. In their spare time, people practiced martial arts, recited scriptures, and studied the Dao.
Each hall had disciples on duty, usually a Daoist who had entered the sect accompanied by one or two young acolytes.
The temple rarely received outside visitors, so the disciples on duty mostly swept the halls. In their spare time, they practiced cultivation and studied the Dao.
The four of them merely walked around the residences, took a look at the Martial Arts Platform, and then headed back.
Perhaps the secret arts weren't meant to be displayed, or perhaps there was some other reason, but they didn't see anyone practicing magic.
They couldn't help feeling a little disappointed, but they weren't about to doubt that the mountain had immortal arts.
They did see a few senior brothers practicing martial arts and breathing exercises to cultivate their qi.
The four of them didn't dare stare for long, afraid they might break some taboo, and hurried away.
When it seemed about time, the four of them turned and headed back to their lodgings.
Though the stars and moon shone brightly over the mountain, it wasn't wise to wander around after dark.
Besides, they would have to keep chopping wood first thing tomorrow morning.
After the unpleasantness the night before, and with no one having come up the mountain today, they didn't gather in the courtyard to chat. Everyone returned to their rooms early.
Before you continue