33: Chapter 33 Marrow Cleansing! Fortune Star Temple!

On the weekend, Yuhuang Mountain was teeming with tourists.

The mountain path wound upward layer by layer. The stone steps had been polished smooth by the constant stream of footsteps. The wind swept through the forest, stirring up a faint rustling of leaves, while the bustle, voices, and peddling cries from the foot of the mountain were left behind, bit by bit, as the altitude increased.

Su Ye walked up the mountain path with his bag slung across his shoulder.

His speed was incredibly fast!

His footsteps were very light, making almost no sound as they landed on the stone steps. His whole body seemed to be floating upward along the mountain's terrain; it was more like he was walking by borrowing the mountain's momentum. His breathing was steady, there was wind under his feet, and he walked as if on flat ground.

With every step he took, that Breathing Technique, which had already taken embryonic shape, was slowly circulating within his lungs and organs.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Mountain air entered his lungs, and his chest expanded.

The surrounding forest was lush, and the sunlight filtering through the branches shattered into patches of golden spots, falling on Su Ye's shoulders, hair tips, and between his brows. The higher he climbed, the more peaceful his state of mind became. The noisy human voices at the foot of the mountain seemed to be separated by an invisible veil. The world was vast, the mountains rose and fell, and the trees, stone steps, temples, and the sound of the wind all seemed to be gently rhythmically pulsing within a greater cadence.

Su Ye's Mental Energy slowly spread out.

The spiritual energy here was more lively than in the city.

It was a lighter, more agile, and more natural state, like mist or wisps of wind, circling around old trees, stone walls, and the eaves of temples. It was quiet, yet omnipresent.

Such a natural area indeed made it easier for people to settle their hearts.

And it was easier to 'hear' the world.

"Comfortable."

...

At the foot of the mountain.

The male college student responsible for accompanying the climb was leading that two-thousand-yuan 'Kirby' up the path, sweating profusely, his smile almost impossible to maintain.

Suddenly, he looked up and saw a figure in front moving up the stone steps, absurdly fast.

The figure was carrying a backpack, his footsteps light and brisk, as if he didn't feel tired at all. With almost no pause, he had already left a long stretch of the mountain path behind.

The corner of the college student's eye twitched as he watched.

What kind of monster is this?

In today's society, everyone is a corporate slave; usually sitting in offices, classrooms, or subways—it's good enough if you don't get hemorrhoids. Basically, these people all lack exercise; there's not much difference between being over twenty-five and being sixty. They pant for half a day just climbing a flight of stairs.

How could someone be this fierce?

Just as he was shocked, the girl with the startling physique beside him followed his gaze and looked over, her eyes immediately lighting up.

"Brother, I want that too!"

The corners of the college student's mouth twitched violently.

'You want that? You want to die!'

He looked at the figure rapidly ascending ahead, then looked down at the person beside him, took a deep breath, and swallowed the curse words in his heart.

This money, indeed, was not earned easily.

...

Su Ye climbed the mountain, moving at an extremely fast pace.

Ordinary tourists were still taking photos and checking in halfway up the mountain, but he had already crossed several sections of stone steps and reached a higher altitude. The mountain wind was stronger, blowing his clothes until they snapped, and the view beneath his feet gradually became wider.

Finally.

He reached the top of the mountain.

The peak of Yuhuang Mountain was shrouded in clouds, offering an excellent view.

In the distance, the buildings of Jiangcheng were brightly illuminated by the sunlight, and the river ran across like a silver thread. The temple on the peak had curling incense smoke, and the bell's sound was distant. A few old pine trees were rooted in the crevices of the rocks, their trunks gnarled and vigorous, as if they had guarded this mountain for many, many years.

Su Ye stood at the edge of the peak, gazing for a moment, then slowly sat down cross-legged.

Right beside a stone statue.

Sunlight shone on his profile, the wind brushed past his brows and clothes, and his whole person suddenly became quiet.

The Breathing Technique was activated.

With each inhalation and exhalation, his heartbeat began to synchronize with the blood and qi in his body. His Mental Energy gently probed outward along the channel that had already been opened, and the threads of spiritual energy between heaven and earth, which had originally been distant, were instantly drawn.

One thread.

Two threads.

Three threads.

...

A full ten threads of spiritual energy were drawn over almost simultaneously.

The moment they approached the space between Su Ye's brows, they seemed to be melted by heat, turning into tiny specks of light that silently seeped into his body.

This time was completely different from the past.

After the spiritual energy entered his body, it did not bring the intense stinging pain like before, but instead turned into a warm torrent, rushing down from between his brows, passing through his throat, piercing through his chest and abdomen, and traveling through his limbs and bones.

Su Ye's state was instantly at its peak.

However, the next moment.

A flash of inspiration suddenly appeared deep within his eyes.

Not right.

The feeling of absorption this time was completely different from before.

Boom.

A muffled sound suddenly echoed from deep within his body.

It was as if an underwater current had suddenly surged up, gurgling from deep inside his body, carrying an extremely strong sense of scouring as it rushed toward his limbs and bones.

That was not pain.

It was an extremely intense feeling of comfort.

It was as if his whole body had been washed from the inside out by a vast, clear stream. His skin, flesh, bones, and meridians—even the most minute corners—were washed over. The accumulated fatigue, turbid qi, and impurities seemed to be swept away all at once.

Su Ye froze for an instant.

Immediately after, his heart gave a violent jolt.

This is...

A breakthrough?

He was ignorant.

Unaware.

He didn't understand the true cultivation realms between heaven and earth at all, and no one had ever told him what the realm names were, what the thresholds were, or what the bottlenecks were.

But at this very moment, he could feel with absolute clarity that he had seemingly undergone a transformation.

It wasn't just simply absorbing a few more threads of spiritual energy.

It was that his entire being had been elevated by a level.

He sat cross-legged beside the stone statue, motionless.

Sunlight reflected on him, the wind swirled around him, and his entire person was like some kind of stone carving in the midst of enlightenment, quiet to the point of being somewhat unreal.

And within his body, the changes were still continuing.

His heart was beating wildly.

Thump, thump, thump, thump!

The sound was low and dense, like a water pump running at full power in his chest cavity. His blood and qi washed over his whole body again and again, and the Breathing Technique was running automatically without any basis; there was no need for him to deliberately maintain it, and it naturally began to operate along a certain perfect rhythm.

Spiritual energy continued to pour in.

Heart, flesh, fascia, bones—they all seemed to be washed again.

Marrow Cleansing.

These four words suddenly popped into Su Ye's mind.

Tourists passing by also gradually noticed that something was wrong.

Someone glanced this way and just wanted to get closer, but their chest felt inexplicably tight, their heart seeming to be gently pressed by something, and they subconsciously stopped their footsteps.

"Strange."

"Why do I feel a little uncomfortable in my chest as soon as I get close to him?"

"Maybe you're just tired from climbing the mountain."

A few people whispered, quickly stepped back, and found a shady spot to sit and rest.

Others looked at Su Ye sitting cross-legged beside the stone statue and couldn't help but shake their heads and laugh.

"Weirdos, there are some every year. They just like to run to these holy mountains to film some videos, gain some popularity, and maybe they can defy the odds and make a living off live streaming."

After saying this, the person laughed himself.

The few people around also shook their heads along with him.

Laughing was one thing, but no one dared to approach Su Ye again.

...

Time passed bit by bit.

Finally.

Su Ye exhaled a long breath of turbid air.

That breath was grayish-white, thin and long, as if the turbid intent that had accumulated in his chest and lungs for a long time had been completely exhaled.

He opened his eyes.

His whole body felt light.

It was as if an invisible, heavy shell had been removed from his body; his bones felt lighter, his breathing was lighter, and even his vision was a few shades brighter than just a moment ago.

And just as he raised his head.

He saw a Little Taoist Boy standing in front of him.

That was a young child, only ten or so years old, wearing green Taoist robes, his hair tied up neatly. His facial features were still immature, but standing there, he unexpectedly gave people a feeling of immortal air.

It was as if he had been nurtured by the spiritual energy of this mountain.

Seeing Su Ye wake up, the Little Taoist Boy performed a ji shou, his expression calm.

"This gentleman, my master invites you to come in and have a seat."

Su Ye looked up.

He was dazed for a moment.

The golden sunlight shone on the temple's plaque, brightly illuminating three characters.

"Fuxing Temple."