Is there a method for eternal life in this world?

On Little Peak Mountain, Chen Xu sat upright, listening to Mr. Zhou recount the many mysteries of the world.

The scholar spoke slowly in the mountain breeze, "In worldly cultivation, it has always been the foremost righteous path to advance the Three Essences of Spirit, Qi, and Body together.

As the saying goes, when mortals are born, heaven provides their essence, and earth provides their form.

Man is born between heaven and earth; to merge with heaven and earth, one must first achieve a balance of yin and yang, the cycle of the five elements, and the completeness of the Three Essences. Only then can one achieve a state of returning to simplicity and perfection."

Chen Xu listened intently, nodding silently in his heart.

The prerequisite for him to unlock the God of Cookery Cultivation Scroll was the successful completion of Three Essences Foundation Establishment, which was precisely the advancement of the Three Essences of Spirit, Qi, and Body together that Mr. Zhou spoke of.

In the past, Chen Xu only knew that he should do this, but he didn't understand why.

Now, after hearing Mr. Zhou expound the Dao, many of his previous confusions were resolved unknowingly.

Mr. Zhou sighed, "However, it is a pity that human nature has always had its inclinations. A person's time and energy are also always limited, making the completeness of the Three Essences extremely difficult.

Some people spare no effort in honing their physical bodies and practicing martial arts, thus their Vitality becomes exceptionally strong and prominent.

Some are obsessed with longevity and excel at regulating their Essence, so naturally, their Essence will be more abundant than the other two.

As for scholars like you, diligent study is equivalent to refining your spirit and increasing your Spirit. Consequently, the more you read and the more profound your understanding, the stronger your Spirit becomes."

Hearing this, Chen Xu suddenly understood why Xu Wenyuan's single-day like limit was 10 in the Cauldron Scripture's previous assessment.

Xu Wenyuan was not only a scholar but had also passed the Tong Sheng examination. Although Tong Sheng was not an official title, Xu Wenyuan's Spirit was already much stronger than that of an ordinary mortal.

Chen Xu couldn't help but ask, "People have inclinations, and the Three Essences are difficult to balance. How does this relate to scholars taking the imperial examinations?"

"The imperial examinations, official titles, and reputation can all generate Literary Qi and Literary Fortune. With Literary Fortune protecting the body, ordinary Demons find it difficult to invade. Strong Literary Fortune can also, to a certain extent, counteract the imbalance caused by an overly strong Spirit, preventing a scholar's Essence and Vitality from being overly suppressed."

Mr. Zhou finally cautioned Chen Xu, "Young friend, the world may be on the brink of great chaos. This is the last period of stability before the ice breaks. If you wish to pursue the imperial examinations, you must do so as soon as possible.

In this world, there is no method for eternal life. Even gods and immortals face the Five Decays of Heaven and Man and suffer endless tribulations.

However, those who achieve the strongest Literary Fortune and become renowned throughout the land will always receive a little more protection from heaven and earth, unseen.

Whether you strive or not is up to you."

After speaking, he personally poured Chen Xu a cup of Moonlight Nectar Spirit Immortal Tea.

Chen Xu quickly got up and poured Mr. Zhou another cup of tea.

The two raised their cups, and Mr. Zhou's withered face broke into a slight smile.

Chen Xu's heart was filled with a multitude of emotions, surging back and forth.

Mr. Zhou actually said there was no method for eternal life in this world? And that the imperial examinations could grant Literary Fortune, which could protect the body and ward off Demons!

Another veil of the world seemed to be pulled back before his eyes, yet at the same time, it felt as if more wondrous peaks were hidden behind layers of mist.

Chen Xu finished the Moonlight Nectar Spirit Immortal Tea in his cup, and a clear energy arose from his lips and teeth, lingering in his sea of consciousness.

At this moment, sitting on the mountain, he seemed to see very, very far.

Mr. Zhou smiled, "Young man, the true nature of this world cannot be fully described in a few words from me. You must tread steadily and measure it yourself.

See the Three Mountains and Five Peaks, the Four Seas and various nations, fame and fortune, beautiful faces turned to withered bones.

Now that I am hiding here from calamity, I have nothing else to give. As a parting gift, I will give you another drop of Grand Unity Spring Dew to heal your injured leg.

If you achieve success in the future and forge your own path through this chaotic world, and have the strength to help me, then come and see me again."

As he spoke, he reached out and gently tapped Chen Xu.

A drop of shimmering green dew appeared out of thin air and instantly fell onto the wound on Chen Xu's right leg.

Chen Xu felt as if his entire right leg had been immersed in a hot spring at that very moment.

He involuntarily stood up and saw an Ugly Monkey that had, at some unknown time, leaped out from the mountainside and landed on Mr. Zhou's shoulder.

The Ugly Monkey squatted on Mr. Zhou's shoulder, making a face at Chen Xu, grinning.

A strange, muffled voice like a drum echoed faintly in Chen Xu's ears: "Hey, young man, didn't you say humans create civilization and history? I'd like to see what you can create in the end!

In times of chaos, even gods and immortals face calamity. You, a mere junior, must not be knocked down by a single wave and sink to the bottom, never to rise again!"

"Heh heh heh..."

The Ugly Monkey's laughter seemed to cut like a line dividing heaven and earth.

In an instant, Chen Xu felt as if the mountain beneath his feet was receding before his eyes, and the people on the mountain seemed to be vanishing in the wind.

Only Mr. Zhou's helpless low shout was heard: "Monkey, do not speak rashly!"

"Farewell, young friend..."

The wind rustled through the bamboo forest, swaying back and forth.

Chen Xu had talked with Mr. Zhou on the mountain for a long time, yet less than fifteen minutes had passed below.

The morning sun, halfway up the sky, suddenly leaped out from the clouds.

The people outside the bamboo forest were somewhat anxious, and somewhat expectant.

Lin Yuan was still kneeling outside the bamboo forest, his back straight, his expression earnest.

A few acquaintances were persuading him, "Brother Lin, don't kneel any longer. You need to save your brother, but you also need to take care of yourself."

"Chen Xu has entered the great formation. With his attainments in the art of sorcery, it's possible he might actually pass the formation's trial. He and Brother Lin Qi have always been close; he'll definitely ask Mr. Zhou for help!"

Of course, some people retorted, "Brother Wang, no matter how capable Chen Xu is, can he compare to those few who came from the Prefectural City?"

"This..." Wang Mochuan wanted to say of course he could compare, but he felt guilty.

The words were on the tip of his tongue, hesitating and repeating, just as he was about to muster the courage to say something, he suddenly saw the mist in the bamboo forest ahead disperse. Two figures, crying out in surprise, rolled out of the bamboo forest from thin air.

Judging by their clothing and appearance, these were the guests from the Prefectural City who had arrived on horseback with Cui Yunqi earlier.

When they arrived, the two were dressed in fine clothes, riding spirited horses, full of pride and high spirits. Now, however, they were both disheveled and terrified, their faces ashen.

The moment they rolled out of the bamboo forest, they were still shouting, "Help! Save me, I don't want to die!"

BANG!

The two rolled out entangled, crashing directly into Lin Yuan, who was kneeling by the roadside.

Lin Yuan, caught off guard by the heavy impact, only had time to cry out in pain before he was thrown backward, his head tilted up.

"Ouch..."

"Ah, it hurts!"

BANG BANG BANG!

The three collided. Lin Yuan was pinned at the bottom, seeing stars momentarily, his whole body aching. He felt as if he hadn't been hit by people, but rather as if his bones had been shattered by a speeding carriage.

In pain and anger, he endured the buzzing in his head and shouted, "Get off! Help me pull them off..."

He thought his voice was very loud, but in reality, it was barely louder than a whisper.

Of course, others were already scrambling to help pull them apart.

But just then, there was another commotion from the direction of the bamboo forest.

The students of Jichuan County and others quickly looked up. This time, they saw an even more astonishing sight.