17: Wudang successor

In the following days, the temple seemed to have regained its former tranquility. The villagers continued to climb the mountain every day to fetch water, offer incense, and chat about domestic matters, as if those two reporters had never appeared.

But Li Muchen knew that some things had changed.

His Spiritual Sense grew sharper by the day, and his perception of his surroundings became more delicate. He could detect unusual auras occasionally appearing around the peak where the temple was located, sometimes far and sometimes near.

They weren't villagers or tourists; those people didn't stay long and seemed to be observing, measuring, and recording something. Their actions were very discreet and difficult for ordinary people to notice, but under the coverage of Li Muchen's Spiritual Sense, they were like fireflies in the dark night—faint, yet conspicuous.

These people might be Han Gang's companions or belong to some other department.

The official interest in him clearly exceeded the initial scope of cultural relic protection and folklore management. Was it for the miraculous well water? Or for the abnormal abilities he displayed when treating Zhao Xiaoshan? Or perhaps they had noticed the special changes in the temple's environment, such as the faint Spiritual Qi gathered by the Spirit Gathering Formation or the unusual vitality of the ancient cypress tree?

Li Muchen didn't know, but he heightened his vigilance. During his daily Cultivate sessions, he would suppress the operation of the Spirit Gathering Formation to the minimum, maintaining only the most basic gathering effect to prevent fluctuations of Spiritual Qi from being detected by any possible instruments.

Practicing Palm Thunder was completely moved to the secluded deep valleys of the back mountain where few people went, and he tried his best to control its power and noise. Activities like Alchemy and drawing talismans were all conducted within the Main Hall, and he constantly used his Spiritual Sense to shroud the temple and monitor the outside world.

At the same time, he was also observing these uninvited guests from the authorities.

He found that these people's actions were very measured. They never approached the core areas of the temple, let alone trespassed. They only observed from the periphery with binoculars and used some equipment for testing.

Occasionally, figures like Han Gang would disguise themselves as tourists or researchers and try to get a bit closer, but once they felt Li Muchen's subtle gaze, they would immediately stop, nod politely, and leave without lingering.

This was a form of testing, a tacit drawing of boundaries. The authorities were observing and studying him, but for the time being, they had not adopted any forceful or intrusive methods. Perhaps they didn't have enough evidence yet, or perhaps it was out of some caution or higher-level considerations.

Li Muchen was happy to maintain this delicate balance. As long as the other party didn't cross the line or interfere with his cultivation and life, he could pretend not to know.

He devoted more energy to his own improvement.

The auxiliary effects of the qi nurturing pill were significant; combined with the Spirit Gathering Formation and the Supreme Clarity Purple Mansion Returning to Origin True Scripture, his cultivation progressed steadily.

The True Essence in his Dantian grew thicker by the day, the Purple Mansion space expanded and stabilized, and the strength and range of his Spiritual Sense were also slowly growing. Now, it could stably cover a radius of twenty zhang with higher clarity and longer sustained output.

His control over True Essence became increasingly exquisite. He could now control the Qingfeng Whisk from a distance as easily as his own limbs; as the whisk passed, it not only removed dust but also carried a faint, clean airflow to disperse mosquitoes and foul air. He even tried to infuse True Essence into the whisk's bristles, making them as hard as steel needles that could easily pierce through wooden boards—this could be considered a rudimentary Magical Artifact.

Practice of Palm Thunder was never neglected. Now he could instantly condense a lightning ball, with a larger range of controllable power, from a tiny spark at his fingertip to a fist-sized lightning ball. The casting time was shorter, and the burden on his Meridians was also reduced.

He also tried to integrate the lightning intent of Palm Thunder into the swinging of his whisk. Although he couldn't release actual thunder, the whisk would carry a trace of faint electric sparks and an evil-warding aura when it swept past, which might have miraculous effects against unclean entities.

In terms of Alchemy, the refinement of the bigu pill and qi nurturing pill became increasingly proficient, with improvements in both pill success rate and quality. He also tried to refine a new, simpler Medicinal Pill based on the basic medicinal herb identification atlas and his notes—Ning Shen Powder.

This was made by grinding heart-clearing grass together with several soul-soothing medicinal herbs. It wasn't a true Medicinal Pill, but its soul-soothing and heart-calming effects were better than using heart-clearing grass alone, and it was quite helpful for him to nourish his Purple Mansion and condense his Spiritual Sense. He occasionally gave the surplus to villagers who were restless or suffered from insomnia and excessive dreaming, with remarkable results.

As the temple's reputation grew, although Li Muchen tried his best to downplay it, some people still came because of its fame. Besides official observers, there were occasionally genuine pilgrims or curious individuals.

For ordinary people who came to offer incense sincerely and with a respectful attitude, Li Muchen did not turn them away; he simply kept his distance and gave them a bowl of well water or a few simple words of comfort. For those who were clearly seeking novelty or trying to probe for secrets, he was cold and dismissed them with a few words.

Days passed in this state of outward relaxation but inward tension, with external quiet and internal movement, for more than a month.

Early one morning, Li Muchen had just finished a night of cultivation and habitually swept his Spiritual Sense across the temple and its surroundings. Suddenly, his brow furrowed slightly.

Someone else was coming up the mountain path. This time, it was only one person.

The newcomer was a middle-aged man wearing an ordinary jacket and casual pants. He was of medium build and had an average appearance, the type who would go unnoticed in a crowd.

But Li Muchen's Spiritual Sense sensed that this person's aura was steady and condensed, his walking rhythm had an indescribable sense of coordination, his blood and Qi were far more vigorous than an ordinary person's, and he faintly exuded an introverted 'sharpness.'

This wasn't an ordinary person, nor was he one of those previous peripheral observers.

This person had kung fu! And it was Internal Skill with significant cultivation!

What caught Li Muchen's attention even more was that there was no malice in this man's brow; his eyes were clear and focused, and his demeanor was composed, faintly carrying a sense of... being beyond the mundane? Unlike the trained sharpness of Han Gang, this person was more like a... Martial Artist who had achieved success in his cultivation? Or perhaps another kind of successor to a Legacy?

The newcomer reached the mountain gate and did not enter directly. Instead, he stopped, straightened his collar, and then faced the direction of the temple, cupping his hands and saying loudly, "Wudang Mountain Lay Disciple, Chen Jinghe, passing through this precious land. Having heard that Daoist Master Li of Qingfeng Temple has profound Daoist skills, I have come specifically to pay my respects. Please forgive my intrusion."

His voice wasn't loud, but it was clear and steady, full of internal strength as it echoed through the mountains.

Wudang Mountain? Lay Disciple?

Li Muchen's heart stirred. Finally, not just the eyes of the authorities, but even people from the world of cultivation had come knocking?

He slowly stood up and walked to the front of the hall.

The man who called himself Chen Jinghe also saw Li Muchen. Their gazes met in the air.

A flash of unavoidable surprise crossed Chen Jinghe's eyes. Although he had heard that this Daoist Master Li was young, seeing him in person, the man's calm and transcendent temperament and his clear, deep eyes still exceeded his expectations.

More importantly, with his eyesight from practicing Wudang Internal Boxing for decades, he actually couldn't see through the other man's depth at all! The man stood there as if he were one with his surroundings, his aura appearing and disappearing, yet also seeming unfathomable. This was definitely not something an ordinary Martial Artist or Daoist priest could possess!

The slight arrogance and intent to test in his heart vanished instantly, replaced by genuine solemnity and curiosity.

Li Muchen was also observing him. This man's blood and Qi were vigorous, his essence was introverted, and his footsteps were rooted to the ground. Clearly, both his external and Internal Skills had reached a considerable level of maturity. In the secular world, he would definitely be a top-tier martial arts master.

Moreover, he indeed sensed a trace of extremely weak but very pure flow of Qi from the man. It wasn't True Qi, but more like Internal Power tempered by a Martial Artist through specific methods, and it faintly carried an upright and peaceful intent, consistent with the Legacy of the Wudang Taiji lineage.

It seemed that signs of extraordinary power weren't entirely absent from this world; they were mostly hidden among the people or had taken different paths.

"taoist greeting." Li Muchen performed the ritual, his tone flat. "Layman Chen, you are a guest from afar. Please come in."

He didn't refuse. Since the other party had come with a respectful greeting and was from the famous Wudang sect, perhaps he could make contact and learn something. He also wanted to know how many other existences were hidden beneath the surface besides himself.

Hearing this, Chen Jinghe returned the greeting solemnly before stepping into the courtyard. His gaze quickly swept over the temple's environment, lingering for a moment on the ancient cypress tree, the spiritual well, and even the vegetables and heart-clearing grass that were growing unusually well. The look of surprise in his eyes deepened.

He walked to the front of the hall but did not enter. Instead, he cupped his hands again: "Daoist Master Li, my sudden visit is truly because I heard there was a high-level Daoist living in seclusion on Yuntai Mountain in Jin Province, and I felt a yearning in my heart. Seeing you today, the Abbot's demeanor is indeed extraordinary. Although this temple is simple, it is in harmony with nature and full of vitality, which is truly admirable."

"Layman Chen, you flatter me," Li Muchen said calmly. "This is just a humble mountain temple; I wouldn't dare call myself high-level. I wonder what guidance you have for me today?"

Chen Jinghe hesitated slightly and spoke frankly: "I wouldn't dare call it guidance. To be honest, I have practiced martial arts since childhood and cultivated the Wudang Internal Mind-Cultivation Technique for decades, considering myself to have reached a Minor Achievement. I have also met some Buddhist and Daoist masters in my time. But someone like the Abbot... with such a natural aura that I completely cannot see through, is something I am seeing for the first time.

"Out of curiosity, I have come uninvited. First to visit, and second..." He paused, looking at Li Muchen sincerely, "I would like to ask the Abbot to be generous with his guidance and discuss the path of cultivation."