Longevity Chronicles-Chapter 30 - 29: Great Freedom Monk, Wild Fox Zen Scripture

Tao Qian originally wanted to ask about the taboos of the "Immortal Fish Technique," but upon further thought, he realized that though the Immortal Fish Technique seemed low-end, even a true bottom-tier cultivator like Wu Ming could obtain it—and yet one only had to visit the Fairyland Fish Pond to know its perils.

All things considered, one should start from the basics. Tao Qian decided to first inquire about the first cultivation method he had acquired.

The Bai Qin Play Secret Manual!

While questioning, Tao Qian also took the opportunity to fully observe the Eating Book Elder in front of him.

Indeed, the man was hideous, with rough, loose, aged skin riddled with age spots and long sweat hairs, and his form was so hunchbacked that he seemed on the verge of collapsing to the ground at any moment.

Most striking was the elder's head.

Not only was it huge, but its shape was extremely irregular, much like a large winter melon grown in the corner of a rice paddy.

Yet his murky eyes seemed to possess a power that could penetrate the hearts of men.

Meeting his gaze, Tao Qian felt as though he was being seen through, which piqued his curiosity and made him instinctively want to reach out and touch.

Of course, he quickly suppressed such a suicidal thought.

In the next moment, he also heard the old man's voice, hoarse yet sagacious:

"The Bai Qin Play is a cultivation manual, created eighty years ago by a human cultivator known as the Bai Qin Elder."

"The inspiration for this technique originally comes from the Demon Path's Blood Refining Technique, yet it carves a new path and transforms into a method akin to that of the Buddhist Sect. Practicing this method allows one to obtain the Bloodline Power of over a hundred spirit birds. If not for the startling cost, its rating might be even higher."

"Founded on the Demon Path and cloaked in Buddhism, it is not the Righteous Path."

"Regardless of the means employed, practicing this method inevitably leads to breaking precepts and transforming into demons, almost irreversible."

"Not long after the manual was compiled, it was widely disseminated, causing the 'Bai Qin Chaos' in Tuo County, which brought disaster to tens of thousands of people."

"However, in the midst of that great chaos, numerous Great Demons with the Power of Bai Qin were also born and nurtured."

"Esteemed guest, do you know what the fate was for these once-humans who transformed into Great Demons?"

Here, the murky gaze of the old man rested on Tao Qian, its intent subtly advisory.

Not truly leaving a cliffhanger, the old man sighed and revealed the answer without waiting for Tao Qian's response:

"The Bai Qin Chaos ultimately attracted the intervention of monks from the Great Freedom Temple—one of the most fearsome of the 3,800 temples in the Buddhist Sect."

"On that day, just one monk arrived, bearing an Iron Bowl and wearing a tattered Kasaya. Wherever he went, those human-eating, mountain-moving Great Demons submitted without resistance, falling into line."

"A few days later, all the devils became Dharma Protecting Beasts of the Great Freedom Temple, and Tuo County was at peace."

Tao Qian, on his part, was trying to digest all this information.

Most of it matched his Extraordinary Perception, except for the "follow-up story."

A tale that sounded tolerable at first but turned out to be terribly frightening upon deeper reflection.

"Practicing Bai Qin Play is sure to turn one into a demon... The Bai Qin Chaos of Tuo County... The Great Freedom Temple intervened immediately, quelling the chaos with just one monk and even taking back a group of protector beasts... I'm not into conspiracy theories, but was that Bai Qin Elder really not from the 'Great Freedom Temple'?"

While Tao Qian had long known that the Cultivation World was full of pitfalls and one had to constantly be on guard against them, he was still startled by the horrifying secrets hidden in the Bai Qin Play Secret Manual.

Tao Qian felt that if he didn't have the bizarre aid of the Golden Finger, he wouldn't dare cultivate, and preferred to be a Copycat or manga artist, living a comfortable life rather than inexplicably cultivating some trap-laden technique, being pierced through the nose by someone else's ring, bound by reins, and led away like livestock.

Fortunately, he, Tao Qian, could freeload.

Resolute in thought, Tao Qian noticed that after answering the question, the Eating Book Elder was about to turn back to his Bamboo Scroll.

Seemingly without intent, Tao Qian suddenly reached out and grabbed the elder's sleeve.

At the same time, he took out a piece of Joyful Money, handed it over, and urged eagerly:

"Elder, please wait, this junior has one more question."

"There's a Secret Technique called the 'Immortal Fish Technique' that is said to commune with the Heavenly Dao. Do you know the details?"

Suddenly grabbed, the Eating Book Elder wasn't annoyed.

He took the money first, and then with a strange look, gazed thoughtfully at Tao Qian's dragon-like face.

After a moment of silence, the old man sighed:

"The Immortal Fish Technique involves transforming one's Soul into a fish and entering into the Chaotic Immortal Realm."

Updat𝓮d from freewēbnoveℓ.com.

"In the Immortal Realm, the air is rich with Soul Nourishing Qi, and various Exotic Treasures and cultivation manuals descend from time to time. With a bit of luck, one can gain strength daily, as if really touching on the ultimate principle of the Heavenly Dao."

"However, with gain comes loss; once this technique is cultivated, one's fortune and life are no longer under one's control."

"Just one day of bad luck, and you could die a nameless death."

"If you grow too plump, you may end up as someone else's meal."

"And the most fatal cost is that once you've cultivated it, it is difficult to break free, let alone transcend and become a true Immortal after reaping the benefits."

"There's a common saying about fish leaping over the Dragon Gate, but have you ever heard of a fish truly making it over?"

"When you ascended the mountain, you must have passed by a place called 'Blessing Building.' Derived from the Mortal World, there is an item called 'Blessing Paste,' which relieves many ailments upon consumption, but once taken, one can't stop, and the Soul Nourishing Qi in the Chaotic Immortal Realm is akin to the Blessing Paste of the Cultivation World."

"If you've tasted it once, you'll want it a second time, and with many temptations within the Immortal Realm, can you resist?"

"Everything in this world desires Longevity."

"But few appreciate how arduous this path is, beyond the reach of ordinary people."

"I've said my piece as gratuitous advice to the esteemed guest."

With these words, the old man touched his winter melon-like head, chuckled, and his body turned to nothingness, vanishing before Tao Qian.

This time, Tao Qian didn't hold him back.

Firstly, because his purpose had been achieved, and secondly, because he didn't have much money—to waste it would be foolish.

Before he digested the information revealed by the elder, he first glanced at the format information that emerged in his mind upon touching the elder's body.

As Tao Qian had expected, a bunch of question marks.

However, there were some useful pieces of information.

[Record Name: ???]

[Record Type: ???]

[Record Description: ...a Daoist Transformed Unknown Existence, its true form hidden in another realm.]

"Daoist Transformation?"

Tao Qian muttered to himself, realizing he had come across a new point of knowledge.

At the same time, he knew that both the bamboo scroll and the Eating Book Elder probably were not his true body.

None of this was unexpected, even Wu Ming's "Nameless Secret Manual" mentioned it.

The Eating Book Elder could appear simultaneously at different markets, and even some trading spots within several nearby provinces all bore traces of him.

Because of this, he was suspected to be some kind of incomprehensible mystical phenomenon.

In short, an unsolved mystery.

"This is the plight of being low-leveled, entering the Cultivation World for the first time, everything is new and fascinating."

Tao Qian noted this knowledge point, then silently made a sarcastic comment.

Only after that did he begin to process the information he had inquired about.

Looking at what he had learned, Tao Qian felt somewhat shortchanged.

Most of the information the Eating Book Elder mentioned was already known to him.

Of course, there were some details worth pondering.

"So, that soul-soothing breath is called Soul Nourishing Qi."

"It turns out to be something addictive like Blessing Paste; this could explain why I was immune nine times but lost control on the tenth. Clearly, the addiction accumulates, and after nine times, the craving would probably be extreme. If I enter the Immortal Realm again, the outcome will be uncontrollable."

"After ten times, would my unusual soul clear the addiction again and start another cycle?"

Tao Qian speculated and felt slightly better.

If this guess was correct, he could be even more unrestrained in practicing the Cultivation Fish Technique, to his great benefit.

"As for the 'Bai Qin Play Fragment,' unlike the Immortal Fish Technique and the Earth Element Manual, it is not just a Cultivation Method that allows one to seize the Spirit Bird Bloodline, but also the Combat Technique Secret Manual that I desperately need."

"I have this powerful body, yet I'm not versed in the Combat Techniques of the Cultivation World."

"The fragment contains exactly ten different methods of demon combat; mastering just one would significantly increase my combat capability."

"Whether to practice it or not will depend on what I gain this time."

"The real business of snagging bargains has not even started yet."

With those thoughts settled, Tao Qian began to feel restless.

If he could pick up the 'Bai Qin Play Fragment' and the 'Nameless Secret Manual' in that "book market," wouldn't this proper Cultivation World marketplace be ripe for the taking?

Tao Qian's whimsical idea was quickly met with a heavy setback.

As he browsed around, he finally noticed.

First, within Tengshe Square, whether it was the stalls or the shops, most goods were clearly priced with their origins and values distinct, leaving little room for deals to be snatched.

Secondly, Tao Qian was very poor, just how poor?

In terms of Silver Coin, he only had fifteen coins left on him.

Although he had thousands of yuan in banknotes, unfortunately, in this Tengshe Town market, those were only slightly better than waste paper.

In this market, Cultivation Manuals were the most expensive, usually sold in shops backed by powerful individuals. Exorbitantly priced as they were, they were mostly not thick volumes but rather common commodities. The only advantage was that they were guaranteed authentic, with no risk of buying fakes.

Other Exotic Treasures, Deceitful Objects, and Cultivation Materials could only be purchased with Joyful Money, or through bartering.

With fifteen coins, perhaps he could buy some bird blood that he wanted.

Cultivation Manuals? That was absolutely impossible.

Fortunately, although opportunities for bargains were few, they were not nonexistent.

Tao Qian's gaze suddenly locked onto a specific area.

It was at the edge of the market, next to a pitch-black cliff; ghostly flames flickered, illuminating various stalls large and small.

Many of these stalls displayed enticing books.

There were quite a few Cultivators and Demons browsing around, busy coming and going, with frequent haggling heard.

As Tao Qian walked there, he recalled the unfortunate experience of his predecessor Wu Ming.

The Nameless Secret Manual stated:

"There is a part of Tengshe Square where swindlers converge, and counterfeit goods are rampant. Only those with extremely perceptive eyes or special abilities should enter, else they will surely be deceived."

"Due to my lack of judgment, I was beguiled by a Fox Demon to spend five hundred Joyful Money on a fake 'Wild Fox Zen Scripture,' draining three years of savings."

"Turning back to find that Fox Demon to settle accounts, I was instead beaten brutally, taunted for my lack of fortune and life, saying that not only longevity but even a natural death would be elusive for me, oh how I lament."