34: Chapter 34 Jade Dragon Taoist Academy!

The long bluestone steps wound upward, leading to an ancient temple at the summit.

As the mountain wind blew, the bronze bells on the eaves chimed softly. The temple was not large, yet it exuded an indescribable sense of antiquity. With mottled grey walls and weathered vermilion doors, two ancient cypress trees stood before the entrance, their roots intertwined and bark cracked, as if they had witnessed the passage of time. Above the lintel, the three characters for "Fuxing Temple" had long since lost some of their gold paint, but this only added to its calm and profound presence.

Su Ye had been sitting at the entrance for a long time. He had originally just come up the mountain by chance, hoping to use this quiet place to clear his thoughts. Unexpectedly, the longer he sat, the calmer he became, and the Water-elemental Golden Core Embryo within him seemed to be stirred by this deep, ancient aura, warming up slightly.

He hadn't expected that this would lead to an invitation from the Little Taoist Boy inside Fuxing Temple.

Su Ye looked up, slightly startled.

"Inviting me?"

The Little Taoist Boy nodded and stepped to the side, his expression solemn.

"My master is practicing asceticism within the temple. He saw you sitting quietly at the entrance for a long time, your eyes bright with spirit, as if you had gained some realization. He said you have a connection with our temple, so he sent me to invite you."

Su Ye's heart instantly tightened.

Practicing within the temple, yet able to perceive him outside the gate.

Perception?

Relying on his Water-elemental Golden Core Embryo, his perception was already far sharper than an ordinary person's, so he naturally understood what this implied.

Unless the other party had also stepped over some extraordinary threshold, how could they have noticed his state from behind the temple gate?

Could it be... that inside this Fuxing Temple, there really was someone like him who had already formed a Water-elemental Golden Core Embryo?

If that were truly the case, then this was more than just a simple mountain temple.

Su Ye's mind stirred, and he involuntarily reined in his own perception.

His Golden Core was, after all, acquired through fusion.

But if the Taoist inside the temple was as he suspected, he was likely a true genius in this world who had taken that step on his own.

It was like Li Gui meeting Li Kui.

Even Su Ye couldn't help but feel a bit uncomfortable.

"Thank you for your trouble."

He stood up and followed the Little Taoist Boy into the temple.

Crossing the threshold, the atmosphere inside the temple changed instantly.

The front courtyard was not large, but it was kept extremely tidy. The blue bricks were damp, and incense smoke curled in the air. In front of the main hall stood a tall bronze furnace with wisps of lingering incense. Old banners hung on both sides, their calligraphy somewhat faded, yet one could still discern their upright and solemn intent.

The Little Taoist Boy led the way, introducing the place in an old-fashioned tone: "This temple originated in the Kaiyuan era of the Tang Dynasty and was originally named Yulong Daoist Temple. Later, in the thirteenth year of the Zhengde era of the Ming Dynasty, it was expanded and renovated by the Taoist Luo Puren, and only then was it renamed Fuxing Temple."

Hearing this, Su Ye looked up at the top of the main hall.

Amidst the drifting incense smoke, he could indeed see an old plaque hanging high above, inscribed with four characters: Yulong Daoist Temple.

The brushwork was archaic, the aura profound and heavy.

Su Ye felt even more respect in his heart.

Some places, after existing for a long time, naturally develop an indescribable depth.

He walked into the hall and looked up to see the statues of the Three Pure Ones enshrined high above, with the statue of the True Martial Emperor guarding one side. Amidst the flickering candlelight, their expressions were majestic yet compassionate.

Su Ye composed his thoughts, stepped forward respectfully, and bowed.

An ancient temple in the mountains with a long-standing tradition; if the Taoist in the temple was truly the person he suspected, this trip would be well worth it.

When he stood up, Su Ye's gaze was much calmer.

The Little Taoist Boy whispered, "Please wait a moment, Lay Practitioner; my master will be here soon."

No sooner had he finished speaking than the sound of light, slow footsteps came from the rear hall.

Su Ye looked up.

He saw an old Taoist walking out slowly.

He wore a faded cyan Taoist robe. His hair and beard were half-white, his face gaunt and refined, and his back slightly hunched. Yet, in his gait, there was an indescribable sense of composure. As the mountain wind blew from outside the hall, fluttering his sleeves, he truly had the air of an immortal.

Su Ye's eyes narrowed slightly.

He had arrived.

The old Taoist squinted at him, examined him for a moment, then nodded slowly, stroked his beard, and smiled: "Not bad, not bad. You are a good seedling; if nurtured, you will have a boundless future."

A breeze brushed past, and the bronze bells in front of the hall chimed softly.

Su Ye suppressed the turbulence in his heart and bowed earnestly.

"May I ask, Daoist, will this world... undergo changes?"

Upon hearing this, the old Taoist's expression became slightly serious. He looked up at the sky outside the hall and spoke slowly:

"Heaven and Earth are changing at every moment. Mountains wither and flourish, waters rise and fall, people face fortune and misfortune, and the world goes through prosperity and decline. So-called fortune and misfortune do not descend from the sky, but are quietly planted in a single thought. All living beings fight for momentum, cultivate their destiny, and seek a grasp of things. Those who can see will naturally take the first step, while those who cannot, even if good fortune falls right in front of them, will only brush past it."

He paused here, then squinted at Su Ye again.

"Young man, the wind in this world has long since risen. Some stand at the forefront of the wind, thinking they are riding the momentum, but there are also those who are clearly already in the wind, yet remain unaware."

These words were cryptic, yet they shook Su Ye's heart.

He was standing at the forefront of the wind right now!

As expected.

This Taoist was definitely not simple.

He pondered for a moment, bowed again, and lowered his voice a little.

"May I ask, Senior, what kind of Golden Core have you formed?"

"Golden Core?"

The old Taoist was clearly taken aback for a moment, and the next moment, he held up five fingers.

Su Ye's pupils shrank abruptly.

Five fingers?

Five-element Golden Core?

This old Taoist was actually following the path of cultivating all five elements?

Even Su Ye couldn't help but be shaken.

However, the next moment, the old Taoist spoke leisurely.

"You have a connection with me."

He squinted his eyes, stroked his beard, and said earnestly.

"Pay five thousand yuan to offer a stick of incense to the Three Pure Ancestors, and I can tell you the answer to anything you want to know."

The air suddenly went quiet for a moment.

The expression on Su Ye's face slowly froze.

Five thousand yuan?

Offer a stick of incense?

He stared at the old Taoist in front of him, his eyes slowly becoming strange.

The bit of respect, the solemnity, and the awkwardness of an imposter meeting the real deal from just a moment ago vanished instantly.

Replacing it was an extremely absurd feeling.

Su Ye didn't speak, but his water-elemental perception suddenly spread out.

Hum!

His perception surged like a tide, covering the area silently.

The next moment, the result was clearly imprinted in his mind.

An ordinary person.

No core embryo, no sense of qi, no trace of anything extraordinary.

Just a completely ordinary old Taoist.

The corner of Su Ye's eye twitched slightly.

The old Taoist seemed to be startled by his suddenly brightened eyes, subconsciously took half a step back, and muttered:

"You young people nowadays are really all so weird and unreliable."

"Talking about Golden Cores..."

"I'm talking about Nascent Souls, you must have read too many novels!"

A vein on Su Ye's forehead throbbed.

The next moment, he suddenly laughed.

It was a cold laugh.

"Good."

"A good Fuxing Temple indeed."

As he finished speaking, he raised his right hand, curled his five fingers, and slammed his palm onto the stone table in front of him!

Bang!

The stone table shattered in response!

Cracks spread instantly, and the entire stone table collapsed with a boom, stone fragments flying everywhere.

The old Taoist and the Little Taoist Boy both widened their eyes, frozen in place.

Su Ye slowly looked up, his eyes cold.

"You dared to scam me."