101: Huang Tingtian imparted enlightenment on longevity, and Yuntai quietly recited mantras, far removed from the mortal world.

Since returning from Green Lotus Peak after drawing the boundary with a single sword strike, nothing inside or outside Qingfeng Temple seemed to have changed due to the Temple Master's thunderous methods.

The mountain remained the same, as did the temple; the ancient cypress trees were lush, and the morning bells and evening drums continued. Pilgrims still arrived in an endless stream, though there were far fewer ill-intentioned spies and troublemakers among them, replaced by a more truly devout and peaceful atmosphere.

The Lotus Temple side had fallen into complete silence, with no further rumors directed at Qingfeng Temple. There were even monks who occasionally came to offer incense, all of whom were humble and submissive, strictly observing etiquette as if they had completely acknowledged the existence of that invisible boundary.

Zhao Desheng and the others were initially a bit anxious, worrying that the Lotus Temple would be unwilling to yield and might seek secret revenge. However, as the days passed peacefully and the Temple Master remained as indifferent as ever, continuing his daily cultivation without pause, they gradually set their minds at ease. Their awe and faith in the Temple Master became even more deeply ingrained.

Upon returning to the temple, Li Muchen did not explain anything to the crowd, nor did he immerse himself in the prestige of having "suppressed a thousand-year-old ancient monastery with a single sword." To him, settling Karma and defining boundaries were merely means to clear obstacles on the path of cultivation and protect his Dao field, not the end goal. His heart had long since returned to his most fundamental pursuit—Longevity and the Great Dao.

One morning, after finishing the morning lessons and seeing off the first batch of pilgrims, Li Muchen returned to his quiet room alone.

He sat cross-legged on a prayer mat, but did not immediately enter a meditative state to Cultivate. Instead, with a slight thought, he communicated with the System that had been silent in his Sea of Consciousness for several days.

"Sign-in."

[Ding! Detected that the host has completed the daily sign-in at Qingfeng Temple.]

[Given that the host has successfully resolved a major karmic grudge (the Buddhist-Taoist conflict), stabilized the Dao field, and promoted the orthodox Daoist lineage, achieving the 'Regional Foundation' milestone, a special reward mechanism has been triggered.]

[Generating sign-in rewards...]

[Congratulations to the host for obtaining: One Jade Slip of the Yellow Court Scripture True Scripture!]

[Congratulations to the host for obtaining: Three Enlightenment Tea Tree seeds!]

[Congratulations to the host for obtaining: One slab of High Grade Spirit Jade!]

[Congratulations to the host for obtaining: Incomplete Manual (I) of the Mountain Protection Formation 'Nine Palaces Eight Trigrams Spirit-Locking Formation'.]

[All rewards have been distributed to the System Space, please check them, host.]

Another special reward! And the first reward was actually—the Jade Slip of the Yellow Court Scripture True Scripture!

Li Muchen's heart, which was usually as calm as a still well, could not help but ripple at this moment. The Yellow Court Scripture was one of the supreme classics of the Daoist gates, known as the "Wonderful Scripture of Longevity." Its text was profound and subtle, pointing directly to the root of life and explaining the principles of how the human internal organs, apertures, and deities correspond and harmonize with the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth. It was a supreme treasure for inner alchemy cultivation, meditative concentration, and attaining eternal life. In his previous life, he knew of this scripture's great fame, but most of what he found were later annotated versions, making the true meaning hard to find. He hadn't expected to obtain the "True Scripture Jade Slip" directly from this sign-in!

He immediately sank his consciousness into the System Space.

A Jade Slip, pure white all over and as warm as suet jade, about three inches long and an inch wide, floated quietly. Its surface naturally bore cloud-and-mist patterns, faintly forming the two ancient Daoist seal characters for "Huangting." Just by bringing his consciousness close, he could feel the vast, ancient dao rhyme that pointed directly to the Origin of life, bringing peace to his mind.

He suppressed the urge to study it immediately and looked at the other rewards.

The three "Enlightenment Tea Tree seeds" were like three miniature pieces of green jade, crystal clear and containing vibrant life force and a hint of clear dao rhyme. They were clearly precious seeds capable of growing spiritual tea that aided in enlightenment and focus.

The slab of "High Grade Spirit Jade" was as large as a washbasin, entirely green and blue with Spiritual Qi swirling like mist. Its texture was pure and flawless, making it a top-tier material for refining high-level Magical Artifacts, setting up powerful Formations, or even assisting in cultivation.

The "Incomplete Manual (I) of the Nine Palaces Eight Trigrams Spirit-Locking Formation" was a dark gold scroll that was neither silk nor paper, emitting mysterious Formation fluctuations. Although it was an Incomplete Manual, the Formation Concepts and partial basic structure it explained were already exquisite. If it could be completed and set up on Yuntai Mountain, it would surely turn the place into an impregnable fortress and double the efficiency of Spiritual Qi gathering.

The gains from this sign-in were all precious items for strengthening his Foundation and assisting long-term cultivation. Especially the Yellow Court Scripture True Scripture; in Li Muchen's eyes, its value was not even inferior to the Supreme Clarity Purple Mansion Returning to Origin True Scripture!

He did not immediately take out the Jade Slip to contemplate. Instead, he left the quiet room and went to the spiritual garden in the backyard.

In the spiritual garden, Spiritual Plants like the purple-leaf creeper, seven-leaf lotus, and dragon beard grass were growing well and full of life. He found a corner where the Spiritual Qi was most abundant and the sunlight was suitable, carefully sowed the three "Enlightenment Tea Tree seeds," and then fetched spirit well water to water them meticulously. As soon as the seeds entered the soil, a faint, almost imperceptible fresh dao rhyme spread out, harmonizing with the surrounding Spiritual Plants; they would clearly thrive here.

He then temporarily buried the slab of High Grade Spirit Jade in the center of the spiritual garden's underground, using its pure Spiritual Qi to nourish the entire garden and form a miniature Spiritual Qi circulation node.

As for the Incomplete Manual of the Nine Palaces Eight Trigrams Spirit-Locking Formation, a quick glance told him it was too profound to be mastered in the short term. It required other Materials and deep control over the earth's veins, so he put it away for future study.

After doing all this, he returned to the quiet room and solemnly brought out the Jade Slip of the Yellow Court Scripture True Scripture.

The Jade Slip felt warm in his hand, pulsating slightly as if it were alive. Li Muchen focused his mind and slowly probed a strand of Divine Sense into it.

In an instant, it was as if infinite light erupted from the Jade Slip! It wasn't a blinding glare, but a gentle, vast light of wisdom that seemed to illuminate every corner of his Soul!

A massive amount of information, images, insights, and dao rhyme poured into his Sea of Consciousness like a river breaking its banks!

It wasn't a simple textual annotation, but a direct realization akin to a "Legacy Empowerment." The Jade Slip contained not only the complete internal and external scriptures of the Yellow Court Scripture but also the profound realizations of nameless ancient sages, cultivation essentials, visualization diagrams, and even some ancient Pill Formulas, guiding techniques, and meditation methods related to it!

"Above is the Purple Mansion, below is the Gate of Origin, in front is the Dark Gate, behind is the Gate of Life..." The ancient scriptural mantras sounded automatically in his mind like great bells. Every word seemed to contain the ultimate principles of Heaven and Earth, creating a wonderful resonance with his Golden Core, Sea of Consciousness, and even the Qi, blood, and apertures throughout his body.

He "saw" detailed diagrams of the human body's internal landscape, where the five viscera and six bowels were each governed by deities, and the apertures and Meridians corresponded with the stars in the sky. He grasped the essentials of internal refinement methods such as "Preserving the Spirit and Guarding the One," "Nourishing the Embryo in the Purple Mansion," and the "Reversal of the Three Fields." He felt the grand Concept of closely linking his own small Universe with the external large Universe, using the power of Heaven and Earth to nourish the Origin of life, and ultimately reaching the Realm of "Eternal Life"!

This Yellow Court Scripture True Scripture was not a Cultivation Technique that directly increased magic power, but a supreme classic pointing directly to the root of cultivation—Dual Cultivation of Nature and Life! It was a supreme guide for solidifying the Dao Foundation and realizing the path to longevity. While the Supreme Clarity Purple Mansion Returning to Origin True Scripture focused on "Refining Qi into Spirit" and gradually increasing one's Realm, the Yellow Court Scripture focused more on the cognition, maintenance, and sublimation of the life Origin. The two complemented each other and were both indispensable.

Li Muchen was immersed in these vast and mysterious insights, becoming so entranced that he forgot the passage of time. The Golden Core in his body seemed to receive a calling, rotating more smoothly and naturally. As the Core Essence flowed, it began to self-adjust and optimize according to certain internal landscape laws described in the Yellow Court Scripture. The Golden Light of Merit in his Sea of Consciousness also seemed to become clearer and brighter under the light of wisdom from the scripture.

After an unknown amount of time, he slowly withdrew from the deep state of insight, exhaling a long breath of turbid Qi. His eyes shone with a brilliant light that had deepened significantly, as if they held the wisdom of ten thousand years.

"So that's how it is... The path of longevity lies not only in magic power and Divine Abilities but even more in the root of life, in the union of Spirit and Qi, and in breathing and sharing a common fate with Heaven and Earth..." he whispered to himself, his path ahead becoming clearer.

From then on, the rhythm of Li Muchen's life quietly changed.

He no longer frequently appeared to receive pilgrims, leaving most mundane affairs to Zhao Desheng, Zhao Xiaowen, and the others. Morning and evening lessons continued, but a segment for silently reciting the Yellow Court Scripture was added. During the day, he spent most of his time in the quiet room, either studying the Yellow Court Scripture True Scripture and cross-referencing it with the "Golden Core Volume" of the Supreme Clarity Purple Mansion Returning to Origin True Scripture, or meditating on the internal landscape, visualizing the Purple Mansion, and nourishing the deities of his organs. He also practiced Qi refining, using the Golden Core's essence to circulate through his Meridians according to his new insights, tempering his Physical Body and Divine Soul.

Occasionally, he would go under the ancient cypress tree in the courtyard or beside the spiritual garden in the backyard to sit quietly and watch the mountains, observe the clouds rolling and unrolling, listen to the wind through the treetops, and experience the dao rhyme of "Unity of Heaven and Man" and "Quietude and Non-action" from the Yellow Court Scripture. Wukong also seemed to sense that his master had entered a deep state of cultivation and became quieter, often just standing guard nearby, imitating Li Muchen by closing his eyes and focusing. The monkey's ferocity faded day by day, and its spirituality became increasingly pure.

In the mountains, there is no calendar; when the cold ends, one knows not the year.

Spring went and autumn came; the leaves on Yuntai Mountain turned yellow and then green, green and then yellow.

The incense at Qingfeng Temple remained prosperous, but the rumors about the young Temple Master's "divine wonders" gradually decreased. He rarely displayed "Divine Abilities" anymore and seldom appeared before the public. However, in the hearts of truly devout believers and the villagers of Zhaojiaao Village, the Temple Master's existence was like Yuntai Mountain itself—silent, majestic, and unfathomable—a spiritual pillar as steady as a sea-calming needle.

Li Muchen's aura also became more settled and restrained through this day-after-day "silent recitation of the Yellow Court Scripture." Under the nourishment and refinement of the Huangting scripture's meaning, his Golden Core became increasingly smooth and stable, and his Core Essence became more pure and vast. The Golden Light of Merit in his Sea of Consciousness also became warmer and more substantial due to his increasingly clear and peaceful state of mind.

One day, the autumn air was crisp and the sky was clear.

Li Muchen sat quietly under the ancient cypress tree, holding a hand-copied selection from the Yellow Court Scripture, reciting softly:

"...Immortals and Daoists are not born divine; they accumulate essence and Qi to become true. The wondrous sound of the Yellow Child is hard to hear; the jade books and crimson slips bear the vermilion text..."

His voice was clear and peaceful, blending with the mountain wind, birdsong, and the rustling of leaves, as if dao rhyme were flowing naturally.

Wukong squatted on a stone table nearby. Before it sat a cup of light tea brewed by Li Muchen using newly sprouted Enlightenment Tea leaves. It carefully held the cup with its paws, mimicking a human by taking a small sip, and its eyes immediately flashed with a clear and joyful light.

Not far away, Zhao Xiaowen quietly used her brush to record this scene—the Daoist in green robes, the ancient cypress and the spiritual ape, the scripture and the clear tea, the warm autumn sun. There were no magical lights or shadows in the painting, yet it possessed a sense of peace and depth that had washed away all vanity and returned to the true essence.

Li Muchen seemed to feel something and looked up toward the distant horizon, his gaze far-reaching.

The vast Mortal World and the tangled web of Karma were all beneath his feet.

And his Dao, here at the summit of Yuntai Mountain, accompanied by the Huangting mantras, was firmly and slowly taking root and growing toward that deeper and more mysterious Origin of life and the Realm of longevity.

Cultivating in the mountains, quietly reciting the Yellow Court Scripture.

Ignoring external affairs, seeking only the true self.

This, perhaps, was the most rare and precious time on the path of cultivation.