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Longyun Taoist Temple is not large, with only a front yard and two rooms. There is a peach tree in the front yard, which is full of pink peaches.
Of the two rooms, one was for worshipping the Heavenly Venerable in meditation, and the other was for sleeping.
As for cooking, Li Dao had to go to the flat area behind the Taoist temple, which was usually where he and his master ate.
"Oh, old man."
Looking at the desolate Taoist temple, Li Dao missed his master, but the thought of the money he still owed the bank immediately dispelled that feeling.
Let the old man go.
Otherwise, I don't even know if they'll secretly take out another loan while I'm still alive!
"It seems my Dao heart is not strong enough. Oh well, I'll cook something to fill my stomach first."
Li Dao shook his head and led the ingredients to the flat ground behind the Taoist temple. There was a large pot, a table, and two stools on the flat ground.
Surrounded by lush green grass, and next to him stood an old tree with a lush canopy, from which came the chirping of birds, giving Li Dao a sense of returning to nature.
"Heaven and earth are impermanent, and the Tao follows its own course. Is this what is meant by non-action?"
Countless inspirations surged through Li Dao's mind; if he wanted to, he could create another breathing technique.
However, Li Dao had no intention of creating new methods at the moment. He put the ingredients on the table and then began to wash the rice, cook it, wash the pot, heat the oil, and prepare the ingredients.
Half an hour later.
After eating and drinking his fill, Li Dao cleared away the bowls, chopsticks, and fragrant rice and returned to the Taoist temple. He first piled the bowls and chopsticks in a basin, then poured out the fragrant rice, before finally entering the main room.
The first thing you see is a clay statue of the Three Pure Ones standing on the altar, with three yellow prayer cushions on the ground, and a yellow donation box next to the altar.
It's just that no one has come to burn incense at the Taoist temple for a long time, and there's no money in the donation box. Otherwise, Li Dao wouldn't have been burdened with a debt of nearly 200,000.
Li Dao burned incense for the Three Pure Ones, offered a few prayers, and then began practicing the natural breathing method he had just comprehended.
Currently, the only cultivation method he has comprehended and created is the Starry Sky Breathing Method, and the second is this Natural Breathing Method.
The Starry Breathing Technique is suitable for nighttime practice. Although the stars are still there during the day, it is impossible to simulate the starry sky for practice, making the practice less effective.
The breathing technique I'm currently practicing has no limitations; I can practice it both during the day and at night.
Moreover, when one is in nature, cultivation produces a sense of comfort, so Li Dao named this breathing method "Natural," which aligns with the Daoist principles of non-action and following the natural course.
There is no time for cultivation.
He didn't know how much time had passed, but by the time Li Dao finished cultivating, it was already afternoon.
"I didn't expect that it would be afternoon after only a short time of cultivation. It seems that there will be no worshippers today."
Li Dao glanced at the incense table, sighed softly, stood up, and walked to the front yard.
The peach tree branches swayed, and bright red, plump, and ripe peaches hung from the branches, looking so sweet and juicy that one couldn't resist picking them.
This tree was a peach tree planted by the old man, because Li Dao had followed the old man down the mountain when he was eight years old.
At that time, Li Dao saw that there were peaches for sale at a fruit shop by the roadside, and wanted to ask the old man to buy one, but the old man had no money, so the matter was dropped.
The old man seemed to always remember this saying, so when Li Dao was twelve years old, he saw a peach tree laden with peaches.
And he finally got to eat the peaches he had wanted when he was eight years old.
Unfortunately, time has passed and the past remains as it was yesterday.
Li Dao walked to the peach tree, picked a peach, took a bite, and juice slowly dripped from the corner of his mouth and the flesh.
Mmm, it's very sweet, just like the first time I ate it.
“Hiss! Hiss!”
"Wow!!"
Just then, a hissing sound came from outside the Taoist temple gate, followed by a piercing meow.
"Huh? What's with the cats here? Could they be stray cats from the surrounding area?"
Li Dao was puzzled, but he still stepped to the door and saw the snake and the cat facing each other.
The snake was a small cobra.
It curled up into a ball, raised its head high, and stared warily at the cat in front of it, hissing warningly from time to time.
The cat, a black cat, was teasing the cobra with its front paws outstretched, completely ignoring the snake's warnings.
The two seemed to be sworn enemies; even when Li Dao opened the door and stood there, he couldn't attract their attention at all, as they only had eyes for each other.
Seeing that there was something to watch, Li Dao simply sat on the threshold, munching on a peach while watching the snake and cat fight with great interest.
"Fizz!"
The cobra warned again, showing no intention of fighting the raccoon to the death, and clearly acting on instinct, it began to back down.
Snapped!
However, the response to the cobra was a swift and decisive volley.
Both sides are being very cautious.
Upon seeing this, Li Dao was suddenly struck by a surge of inspiration. He immediately recalled a series of pieces of knowledge, and the image of a dragon and tiger clashing vividly appeared, emitting a deafening roar.
This feeling was familiar to him; it was a sign that the law was about to be established.
In response, Li Dao said that having high comprehension is not necessarily a good thing.
After all, sometimes, those with high comprehension can easily fall into a state similar to enlightenment due to certain events, thereby creating cultivation techniques.
This situation could be troublesome in combat.
Therefore, Li Dao felt it was better to control this state; otherwise, if he were to create a technique during a fight, he would have to face the enemy's swords and blades.
One wrong move and you could die.
As the intertwining of knowledge and insights in his mind gradually subsided, the knowledge in Li Dao's mind suddenly coalesced into a cultivation technique.
This exercise differs from the previous two breathing techniques; it is a method for tempering the body.
To cultivate this body-refining technique, one needs to imitate the movements of a dragon and a tiger, tempering all the muscles and bones of the body to complete a physical transformation.
This body-refining exercise consists of twelve movements, each containing thirty postures, encompassing the tempering of all the muscles and tendons of the human body.
"I never expected that watching a beggar's version of Dragon Tiger Fight would lead to the creation of a body-refining technique. Snakes are like dragons, cats are like tigers, and snakes and cats fight like dragons and tigers, so let's call it Dragon Tiger Body Refining Technique."
Li Dao quickly ate the peach, leaving only a pit. Seizing the moment when the snake and the cat were about to fight again, he accurately threw the pit into the empty space between them.
Swish!
Suddenly, the snake and the cat noticed Li Dao sitting on the threshold, and their eyes revealed a look of vigilance.
What does this human want to do?
Faced with the wary stares of the snake and the cat, Li Daoxin stood up, patted his backside to remove any dust that wasn't there, straightened his Taoist robe, and then spoke in a clear voice:
"This is a Taoist temple. If you want to fight, go somewhere else. Don't disturb the peace of the Three Pure Ones here. I have no intention of killing."
Although Li Dao was not a Taoist in his previous life, before he awakened his innate wisdom in this life, he was influenced by Taoist culture, coupled with the old man's upbringing.
He naturally became a Taoist priest, and even though he awakened his innate wisdom, he could not eliminate the long-standing influence of Taoist culture, nor did he want to.
I was already exhausted in my previous life, so in this life I believe in Taoist philosophy and want to live a more carefree life.
Chapter 3 Cultivation
As dusk settles and night falls.
After finishing dinner, Li Dao left the Taoist temple and headed into the deep mountains and forests. Small, shimmering green lights floated around him, their faint glow illuminating the surrounding environment.
These tiny points of light are fireflies.
Longyun Taoist Temple is built on a relatively high mountain. It does not occupy a large area, but there is a large forest behind it. The deeper you go, the more frequent the chirping of insects and the croaking of frogs become.
Soon, Li Dao walked through the forest to a slightly flat grassland, where he sat cross-legged.
As for why they stopped going forward, it was because there was no way forward; below was a steep and dangerous cliff.
He's not a god; if he falls, he'll definitely be smashed to pieces, and might even be turned into a pile of minced meat.
Li Daogang sat cross-legged, lifted his Taoist robe to cover his legs, then placed his hands on his knees with his palms facing the sky, closed his eyes to calm his mind, and his abdomen swelled and contracted.
Instantly, the air, carrying the scent of nature, entered his body through his nasal cavity.
These air molecules contain faint, barely perceptible energy molecules that, upon entering Li Dao's body, instantly stimulate his less active cells.
Gradually, the activity of his cells was stimulated, and they frantically devoured the weak energy molecules that entered his body.
Although Li Dao could not see inside his body, he could still feel the boiling blood.
However, this was not the end. The boiling blood in his body began to evaporate the impurities in his body, and warm gas evaporated and dissipated through his pores.
These gases are impurities mixed in with the blood, produced by the evaporation of boiling blood.
The cool monsoon winds were strong at night, rustling the canopies of the surrounding trees, while the wind howled in Li Dao's ears.
However, Li Dao was calm and focused, breathing in the energy generated by nature, so he wouldn't be distracted by the noisy wind.
As the bright moon gradually appeared, it cast a soft moonlight, illuminating the place where Li Dao was, highlighting his otherworldly appearance.
His posture was upright, as firm as a rock, unshaken in the slightest.
Time slips away unnoticed.
Realizing his body was saturated and he could no longer absorb energy, Li Dao slowly raised his eyelids, revealing a pair of bright, sparkling eyes.
Full of energy and radiant with vitality.
"Let's stop our cultivation here for tonight. It's getting late. Let's go back to the Taoist temple to sleep first, and then go down the mountain to sell sachets tomorrow morning."
With that, Li Dao glanced at the full moon, flicked his robe, stood up, looked at the dark, pathless cliff ahead, and turned back along the same route.
……
"Slap! Slap slap slap! Slap slap slap!!"
Before dawn, a series of crackling sounds suddenly rang out from Longyun Taoist Temple, where a tall, slender young Taoist was practicing his boxing.
Tiger extends its claws, dragon swishes its tail, tiger takes a step, dragon swims its body...
These movements were fluid and continuous. With each pose, Li Dao's body would emit a slight cracking sound from his bones, and at the same time, his muscles could be seen to tremble almost imperceptibly.