19: Nameless incense, refining true essence

After Chen Jinghe departed, the temple regained its surface tranquility. However, Li Muchen knew that beneath this calm, undercurrents were surging.

Chen Jinghe's warning was not unfounded. The authorities' covert observations continued, though they had become more hidden and less frequent, as if they were waiting or observing something.

Perhaps the appearance of Chen Jinghe, an unexpected visitor, had made the authorities' assessment of him more complex and their actions more cautious.

Besides the authorities, Li Muchen's Spiritual Sense occasionally captured other unusual auras lingering in the distant mountains. Some were Martial Artists with Internal Martial Arts and vigorous blood-qi, much like Chen Jinghe;

others had mixed auras, carrying a sense of worldliness or inquiry, like Jianghu figures who had come to try their Luck after hearing rumors; once, he even sensed a faint but distinctly cold and sinister aura flash by, putting him on guard.

However, these were merely peripheral prying; for the time being, no one dared to truly approach or provoke him.

Li Muchen remained unperturbed. His daily Cultivate routine was packed, leaving him no time for other matters. As long as the external disturbances did not cross the mountain gate's boundary, they were like a breeze passing his ears.

His Cultivate of the Supreme Clarity Purple Mansion Returning to Origin True Scripture was entering a better state. The seed of the dao foundation in his Dantian was stable and solid, and his True Essence became more refined and agile under day-after-day tempering.

The Purple Mansion space expanded and solidified at an imperceptible speed every day. The strength and coverage of his Spiritual Sense improved steadily; now, when fully released, it could cover a radius of twenty-five zhang with higher clarity and a more acute perception of subtle energy changes.

The auxiliary effect of the qi nurturing pill remained significant, but he began to consciously reduce his reliance on it. More often, he relied on the Spirit Gathering Formation and his own Cultivation Technique to absorb Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, only taking a Medicinal Pill when breaking through a small Bottleneck or needing rapid recovery. This was to avoid developing drug resistance and to more solidly polish his Foundation.

His practice of Palm Thunder never ceased; he could now cast it with a single thought, controlling its power at will. He even began attempting to integrate the true intent of lightning into his movement techniques; although far from the Realm of Thunder Flash, his speed could increase slightly during short bursts of movement, and his steps carried a faint electrical intent that deterred Evil Spirits.

However, the further one progresses in Cultivate, the harder it becomes to improve. Moving from the Early Stage to the Middle Stage of Foundation Establishment is a painstaking process, requiring the repeated tempering, compression, and purification of True Essence to bring it closer to the essence of the Primordial One Qi. This process is tedious and slow, and it's very easy to encounter a Bottleneck.

Li Muchen was not impatient; he simply followed the steps of his Cultivate. He knew that Cultivate was like rowing against the current—it could not be rushed. The light of Karma always warmed his mind, allowing him to maintain a peaceful state of heart.

This morning, after finishing his early lessons, he was beside the heart-clearing grass in the courtyard, using his Spiritual Sense to carefully sense the generation and flow of its tranquil qi, trying to comprehend the dao rhyme of plant growth and breath harmonization.

Suddenly, his heart stirred slightly.

It wasn't a warning from his Spiritual Sense, but a more profound, vague sensation originating from the connection between his Dao Foundation and this land.

It seemed... something was merging into his and the temple's Luck in a faint but continuous manner. The feeling was extremely subtle, not a physical energy, but more like an intangible Mind Power or Power Of Will, carrying complex emotions such as gratitude, prayer, and awe. Though mixed and weak, it gathered like trickles into a stream, constantly accumulating.

Following the sensation, his Spiritual Sense quietly extended down the mountain.

At the foot of the mountain, at the fork leading to the temple, the villagers had at some point spontaneously built a simple little Shrine using several flat, large stones.

There was no statue in the Shrine, only a crude incense burner with a few sticks of incense that had either burnt out or were currently burning. In front of the Shrine, a few coins, a small handful of grain, and even a few bright wild fruits were scattered.

At this moment, two villagers who had woken up early to fetch water from the mountain passed by the Shrine. They stopped, took out incense from their robes, lit them using the embers left by previous villagers, and respectfully placed them in the burner. Then, facing the direction of the temple on the mountain, they pressed their palms together and whispered prayers like "protect the whole family's safety" and "may the children grow up healthy" before picking up their buckets and continuing up the mountain.

Similar scenes had likely occurred many times over the past period.

Li Muchen suddenly understood.

So, this was Nameless Incense, the Power Of Will of all living beings!

The villagers were grateful for the efficacy of the temple's well water and for his kindness in healing Zhao Xiaoshan. Seeing him devoted to quiet Cultivate and indifferent to fame and fortune, they had spontaneously established this simple worship point at the mountain fork. They might not understand any profound principles; they were simply using the most basic way to express gratitude and supplication.

This incense Power Of Will was weak and mixed, not a direct force, but it carried the most authentic Mind Power of the people. As it gathered, it invisibly enhanced the popularity and Power Of Will field of the temple and this land, and it also created a mystical connection with him, the Temple Master.

As this Power Of Will merged into his and the temple's Luck, although no direct effect could be seen now, long-term accumulation might subtly improve the Feng Shui, enhance the earth qi, and even produce some profound effects on his own Cultivate—for instance, the light of Karma he obtained after saving people earlier might be related to this pure Power Of Will of gratitude.

More importantly, this was a form of recognition, a Foundation. The temple was no longer just a broken house on the mountain; it had truly integrated into the lives and beliefs of the villagers below, gaining roots.

A slight ripple stirred in Li Muchen's heart. He had never thought of receiving incense offerings, but the villagers' spontaneous actions made him feel a heavy sense of responsibility and bond.

Withdrawing his Spiritual Sense, he walked to the temple's mountain gate and gazed at that small, faintly visible Shrine down the mountain, remaining silent for a long time.

“taoist greeting.”

Since he had received this incense Power Of Will, he should naturally give something back. It might not be a direct divine manifestation or blessing, but protecting the peace of this land and ensuring the villagers lived and worked in contentment was perhaps one of his responsibilities as the Temple Master.

While he was reflecting, the True Essence within his body suddenly began to circulate faster on its own!

It wasn't that he had actively driven it, but rather it was being pulled and washed by that mysteriously gathering incense Power Of Will!

Although this Power Of Will did not directly enhance his True Essence, it acted like an invisible catalyst or a tempering fire, merging into his Dao Foundation and Luck, triggering his already condensed True Essence to vibrate and purify once again!

Within his Dantian, the seed of the dao foundation trembled slightly, emitting a warmer and steadier luster. Under the washing of this invisible Power Of Will, his already quite pure True Essence began to further exclude extremely tiny "Impurities"—these were not physical Impurities, but perhaps remnants of disharmony and restlessness in the True Essence caused by absorbing mixed Spiritual Qi or his own emotional fluctuations!

This process was slow and gentle, yet the results were significant. Li Muchen could clearly feel his True Essence becoming purer, more transparent, and more agile. It harmonized better with his thoughts, the sense of stagnation during circulation further decreased, and there was even a faint sense of lively vitality.

This... actually had the effect of tempering True Essence and stabilizing the Dao Foundation!

Li Muchen was pleasantly surprised. This Nameless Incense, the Power Of Will of all living beings, was indeed profound! Although it could not directly raise his Cultivate Realm, it could solidify his Foundation and temper his essence, which was of great benefit to his long-term Cultivate!

He immediately sat cross-legged in front of the mountain gate, operating the Supreme Clarity Purple Mansion Returning to Origin True Scripture to actively guide and accept this weak but continuous stream of Power Of Will from down the mountain, cooperating with his Cultivation Technique to accelerate the tempering of his True Essence.

The sun rose gradually, and the mountain breeze blew gently.

The young Temple Master sat with his eyes closed, his aura becoming more profound and heavy, faintly resonating in harmony with the entire mountain peak and the curling incense Power Of Will rising from below.

The ancient cypress tree in front of the hall moved without wind, its leaves rustling as if sharing in this gratitude and blessing from all living beings.

Qingfeng Temple, in this ordinary morning, within the silence, the Dao Foundation was further solidified, and its Luck secretly increased.

The world below the mountain remained turbulent, and undercurrents were still surging. But this mountain, this temple, and the person within it, grew more deeply rooted through the nourishment of the people's Power Of Will and his own tireless Cultivate, quietly awaiting the coming winds and clouds.