Tomb Robber: I, Chen Yulou, am dedicated to cultivating immortality!

The seventeenth day of the second lunar month.

Awakening of Insects.

It was still dark in the morning.

Everyone in the ancient building was awakened by the rumbling thunder outside.

Chen Yulou was the first to open the window. Dark clouds rolled in the inky sky. Thunder and lightning were moving like dragons and snakes in the depths of the clouds. The rumbling thunder startled all things.

in the night.

Countless hibernating insects and animals were awakened and crawled out from underground.

The birds that roost in the treetops at night also flap their wings and take off.

The chirping of birds, the buzzing of insects, and the roaring of beasts, amid the thunder, interweave to form an extremely amazing melody.

"In the second month, all things come out of the shock, which is thunder, and hibernating insects are startled and run out, so it is called Jingzhe."

Chen Yulou murmured softly.

Even he couldn't help but sigh at how quickly time passed.

Before setting out from Chenjiazhuang, there was still some time before the Chinese New Year, and when they crossed the black desert, they specially lit a bonfire to celebrate.

Unexpectedly, it happened in the blink of an eye.

It's already the Waking of Insects.

All in all, it has been a full year and a half since he traveled through time.

It may not seem long, but because I have traveled all over the country and was always on the road, I only had a little time to rest. Now looking back, I feel that the past is like smoke.

There is a saying among the people that the Waking of Insects starts the growth of all things.

From this solar term onwards.

Winter is completely over.

All things are reviving, rivers are thawing, and the weather will only get warmer day by day.

Fishermen are busy casting their nets to catch fish, and hunters go into the mountains to hunt while the wild animals are waking up.

The old farmers also have to start busying themselves with plowing the fields, sowing grains and rice, and working hard for their livelihood for the year.

And they...

It has been more than ten days since we moved in.

After all, separation of life and death is a big deal. Yang Fang has been wandering outside for nearly ten years and has never been able to fulfill his filial duties to his master Jin Suanpan, so keeping vigil for these days can be considered as making up for it.

Put it in ancient times.

Mourning for three years.

But right now, because there is really not enough time, Yang Fang can only stay as long as possible.

While he was thinking.

The others seemed to be awakened by the thunder as well.

They opened the windows one after another.

"Brother Chen, so early?"

During this period of time, because they have been living in the small courtyard, everyone has used their free time to simply renovate the ancient building from the inside out. Although it is not perfect, at least it is safe to live in for a while.

Next door to Chen Yulou is Partridge Whistle.

As soon as I opened the window, I saw him standing at the window, looking at Fangjiashan in the night.

And it looks like he has been awake for some time.

"Sleep is shallow, thunder is too loud."

Chen Yulou smiled and shrugged.

The spring thunder of Jingzhe makes all things sing.

He didn't get much rest in the first place.

Almost as soon as the sky changed, he woke up from his deep sleep.

"It's the Waking of Zhe."

Partridge Whistle nodded.

Isn't that the case with him?

The deeper the state, the lower the desire for food, drink and sleep. Most of the time, one will enter into meditation and practice all night long. Basically, a night will pass in the blink of an eye.

Plus the rare free time.

During this period of time, he has completely separated out the Xuan Dao Qigong foundation-building exercises from the Tai Xuan Sutra, rewrote them, and recorded them in a book.

Apart from one's own practice.

I also need to take the time to teach it to the old foreigners.

The two brothers supported each other, and their understanding of this ancient Taoist method has become increasingly profound.

Because he had entered the foundation-building stage, it was too difficult for him to break through within a period of time. Now his practice was mostly for consolidating his realm. However, the old foreigner made rapid progress and has now cultivated his qi.

The four realms of Qi refining.

Reached the last step.

It can be said that she came from behind and surpassed Hong Girl and caught up with Hua Ling and Yuan Hong.

I guess his change after returning to Chenjiazhuang will shock everyone.

"Shopkeeper Chen, Senior Brother."

"It's only a few hours now, why don't you get some more sleep?"

As they were talking, another window opened. The old foreigner rubbed his sleepy eyes, his face full of surprise.

It was still dark outside.

I estimate it to be around four or five o'clock at most.

The nights are long in winter, it gets dark early and light late, and generally it doesn’t get bright until around six o’clock.

Even though I sleep lightly, it's still too early.

"You kid, you can't even open your eyes. If you're sleepy, go back to sleep. Brother Chen and I will chat for a while."

Seeing that his body was swaying and he spoke as if he was still sleepy, Partridge Whistle smiled and joked.

"I'm afraid it's going to be difficult. With such a big thunder, what's the situation today?"

The old foreigner yawned.

With his hands supporting himself, he leaned over the windowsill and watched the electric snake Thunder Dragon flitting back and forth in the night. The snow in the distant mountains had not yet completely melted, and the sound of the thunder was obviously wrong.

If it were an ordinary day, he would definitely be able to think of it.

But at the moment, he was still in a daze and had not woken up yet. He just felt something was strange and asked subconsciously.

"Today is the Waking of Zhe."

Partridge Whistle responded casually.

"Ah... Jingzhe, that doesn't mean you need to build a wall with peaches."

The old foreigner's eyes widened.

In the ancient tradition of the Zagrama tribe, Jingzhe is also called Qizhe, and there is a saying that if peaches are built on the wall, snakes and insects on earth will have nowhere to hide.

"Peach hitting the wall?"

Listening to the two people chatting, Chen Yulou also became interested.

In western Hunan, there is a tradition of shooting white tigers with painted arrows during the Jingzhe solar term since ancient times.

Every household would paint a bow and arrow with lime powder outside their stilt houses and shoot them out of the door. The locals call it "shooting the white tiger out of the hall."

The Tujia people regard the tiger as their totem and every family worships the tiger.

In order to prevent tiger attacks, people draw arrow symbols on the Jingzhe day to ensure safety.

As for Xiangyin, there is a custom of eating pears during the Waking of Insects.

"I have nothing to do today, so I can have some fun."

Having missed the end of the year and the Dragon Raising its Head on the Second Day of the Second Month, Jingzhe is considered the first major solar term after the New Year.

Chen Yulou suggested with a smile.

"sure."

"There is a peach tree at the foot of the mountain. I can pick some."

The old foreigner's eyes lit up and he said immediately.

As soon as he finished speaking, a dull voice came, "Then I will go and draw the arrow talisman."

Several people looked down.

I just realized that Kunlun, who lived downstairs, had woken up at some point and was leaning on the railing, listening to a group of people talking with a smile on his face.

"There's no rush to draw the talisman. Come with me to the town first. It's a festival after all, so we can have a good meal."

Chen Yulou smiled and waved his hand.

"it is good."

How could Kunlun refuse the shopkeeper's order? He agreed immediately.

"Manager Chen, let's go together, Brother Kunlun and I. I'm familiar with this area. I know which store has the best wine and which store has the freshest meat and vegetables."

Hear the words.

Several people subconsciously turned around and looked at the innermost window.

Yang Fangzheng was leaning against the windowsill with a smile on his face.

"Have a good meal, and when it gets light, we can set off."

Hear this.

The four of them couldn't help but look at each other, and a hint of relief flashed across their expressions.

Ten days passed in a blink of an eye.

It is indeed time to set off back to Xiangyin.

However, they were not in a position to say this, and now they finally waited for him to bring it up.

"That's okay too."

"Everyone is awake now, so let's get busy."

Chen Yulou nodded.

A moment later.

The ancient building is brightly lit.

Yang Fang and Kunlun rode down the mountain and headed straight for the nearest market.

The old foreigner and his fellow apprentice, Partridge Whistle, went down the mountain to look for peach trees.

Chen Yulou was the only one left, and he was not idle either. He found some lime powder that had been used some time ago to repel insects and remove moisture, mixed it simply, walked outside the building, and started drawing arrow symbols little by little according to what he remembered.

Wait until he has finished drawing it almost done.

The brothers of Partridge Whistle have also returned.

Holding a peach branch in hand.

Put it on the fire pit and smoke it casually to remove the dew and coldness on the branches.

While the branches were burning, the old foreigner prepared the lights.

Chen Yulou put down the wooden stick he was using to draw talismans and walked into the room. He immediately saw two people. One of them was holding a lamp, illuminating the beams, wooden pillars and floor tiles, while the other was holding a peach branch, gently tapping the corners of the wall and the ground.

There are still words in his mouth.

After listening carefully, I heard nothing but words like "there is no place to hide when a peach is built against a wall", "drive away snakes and insects", and "keep safe".

You can see it.

Although the Zagrama clan rarely communicates with the outside world, they have always lived a reclusive life.

But after thousands of years, how is it possible to be completely indifferent to worldly affairs? These customs are obviously the practices of the Han people. They have been integrated with each other and then gradually passed down and become traditions.

There is a similar practice in Xiangyin.

Use a candle to shine in the corner of the house, light a few incense sticks outside the cattle, sheep and pig pens, and burn two pieces of yellow paper, all in the hope of praying for good weather and prosperity of the livestock.

The two of them took it very seriously.

Don't be careless at all.

Upstairs and downstairs, no place was left out.

Chen Yulou did not disturb the two of them and stood downstairs with his hands behind his back. By this time, the sky had gradually brightened, but the drum-like sound of spring thunder had not stopped.

"OK OK."

"Finally I'm done."

While he was looking at the scenery below the mountain and thinking about the return route, he heard footsteps coming up the wooden stairs.

Looking back.

The old foreigner was wiping the sweat from his forehead and said with a relaxed look on his face.

"Yang Fang and the others will probably be back soon."

While talking.

The sound of horse hooves like rain could be heard from the foot of the mountain.

"It's true. Speak of the devil and he will appear."

The three of them went out to greet them with a smile.

really.

As soon as I went out, I saw Kunlun and Yang Fang, who were carrying large and small bags of food and pushing the door into the yard.

Different than when I came.

The weeds in the yard have been cleared away.

The collapsed bamboo pavilion was also renovated.

The courtyard feels a bit like a hermit's residence in the mountains.

To be honest, if this place wasn't too far away from Xiangyin, Chen Yulou would have wanted to stay for a while, to enjoy the leisurely and quiet life without being disturbed by anyone.

After this period of time, Yang Fang also came out of the pain of his master's death.

There is light in his eyes and he is full of energy and spirit.

I am no longer like before, in a daze all day long, like a walking corpse.

"I'll light the fire."

"No, the two of us can do it."

"Let's do it together. We have nothing to do anyway."

"Alright."

No one took a break, and Chen Yulou showed off his cooking skills by making a braised pork.

Although the appearance is average.

But at least it tastes okay.

What surprised him the most was the old foreigner, whose cooking skills were unexpectedly good and he could cook Huaiyang cuisine with ease. In the back, the others could only help him.

Less than half an hour.

The table was almost full of food and wine.

There were also drinks that they had bought from the brewery in town.

"I missed the Chinese New Year, but I didn't expect to make up for it today."

Looking at the extremely sumptuous meal, Chen Yulou couldn't help but feel hungry.

During this period, I stayed in Fangjiashan. Although it was not as hard as traveling along the way, I just kept it simple and just had to deal with a single bite.

Cases like today are rare.

"There will be a welcome party on the way home."

"Of course, we can't miss this journey."

Sitting next to the old foreigner, Yang Fang smiled and filled everyone's glasses with drinks.

He actually knew very well that after setting off today, he might not come back for a while.

Just like leaving here that year.

Nearly ten years have passed in the blink of an eye.

However, a man should have great ambitions. Now that his master has been laid to rest, it is time for him to pursue his own path.

I stared at Manager Chen and the others for such a long time.

Yang Fang saw clearly that their ambitions were truly lofty.

Live long and healthy life, practice Taoism and become an immortal.

This is something that ordinary people cannot see, let alone imagine.

Compared with this, his previous dreams of traveling around the world and making a name for himself now seemed childish and ridiculous.

Start by opening the door on Mount Kuang Lu.

A seed was planted in his heart.

Just waiting for an opportunity, it will sprout, take root, break through the soil, and eventually grow into a towering tree.

Xuan Dao's Convincing Qi Building Foundation Skill.

Can I also practice cultivation?

I don't dare to ask for immortality, but I will be satisfied if I can break free from the shackles and take a glimpse of true freedom.

No delay.

Everyone in the group was excited.

When they were half drunk, Yang Fang took advantage of the alcohol and finally spoke out his thoughts.

only……

What he was greeted with were pairs of strange looks.

Seeing this, his heart sank to the bottom, and his hand holding the wine glass was shaking, "Manager Chen... No, is it not possible?"

Hearing this, Chen Yulou couldn't help but shake his head and smile.

"Haven't you already embarked on this path a long time ago?"

Seeing that he looked anxious and visibly nervous, Chen Yulou thought he wanted to say something.

"Wha, what?"

Yang Fang raised his eyebrows. This was indeed beyond his expectations.

"Let me explain."

Kunlun put down his chopsticks and looked serious.

"The Seven Star Horizontal Training Kung Fu that I taught you at Chenjiazhuang that day is actually called the Seven Star Nourishing Qi Kung. It was passed down from the Emei Taoist Sect and was taught by Peng Zu."

"Horizontal training is just a branch of martial arts that cultivates qi."

"Nourishing and refining Qi is the great way."

Yang Fang was shocked when he heard this, his expression was full of disbelief.

When he first arrived at Chenjiazhuang and sparred with Kunlun, he was shocked by his terrifying horizontal training kung fu, so he decided to stay and wanted to become his disciple and learn from him.

Now half a year has passed.

He had already started practicing the Seven Star Horizontal Kung Fu a long time ago. He wouldn't say that he had mastered it to perfection, but he had reached a level that ordinary people could hardly reach.

Especially after entering the Gangjin state.

His understanding of martial arts techniques is extraordinary.

But he had never imagined that this horizontal training technique was actually a combination of Taoism and martial arts.

"The whole volume..."

Yang Fang swallowed, suppressed the shock in his heart, and couldn't help asking.

"It is indeed two volumes, the first volume is for practicing martial arts and training the body, and the second volume is for cultivating qi and entering the Tao."

He was not disappointed.

Kunlun nodded.

That day, old Shen, out of gratitude for saving his grandson Hu Zi, insisted on giving him the entire ancient method. Before leaving, he left a message that as long as Kunlun was willing, he could practice the entire volume without having to become a disciple or enter the sect.

He always carries the ancient method with him.

But even he himself had never tried.

Now that Yang Fang has proposed this, it is actually the best opportunity.

After all, the group reached Zulongding and became martial arts masters. The road of martial arts cultivation has reached its peak and there is no way forward. If they want to go further, they can only switch to the next volume.

"I see……"

"I was wondering, how can a secular martial arts technique be able to gather energy to refine the body and nourish the mind?"

Listen to his explanation.

Yang Fang finally understood.

He is also someone who has come into contact with many martial arts techniques in the martial arts world.

But I have never seen such a strange kung fu.

No wonder, when I opened my mouth just now, everyone at the table stared at me with such strange eyes and laughed.

Already in the door.

But I don't know it.

Thinking of this, Yang Fang smiled helplessly, but did not dare to hesitate. He stood up, clasped his fists towards Kunlun, and bowed.

"Then please, Brother Kunlun... teach me the next volume of Qi Refining Method."