novellaaa Chapter 220, coming soon...
Chapter 220, coming soon...
Chapter 220 Come back soon... (4200)
Lu Yuan reassured Xu Erxiao and Wang Chengan, telling them to take Hu Yangyang and Hu Tutu to eat and then quickly prepare their luggage.
He also instructed Tiger Sheep and Tiger Rabbit to eat well and cultivate diligently at the True Dragon Temple.
After giving his instructions, Lu Yuan said goodbye to Shen Shulan and headed straight for the main hall of Zhenlong Temple.
At this moment, Zhou Shouzhou was alone under the dim light, organizing the account books.
Seeing Lu Yuan enter, he quickly stood up and asked, "Senior brother, is everything arranged?"
Lu Yuan sat down at the table, opened the oilcloth book, and pointed his finger across one of the areas.
"These corpse-raising tombs are entirely in your hands."
"You're the best at choosing people. You know who's steady, who's quick-witted, and who's suitable to lead the charge."
"Remember this: it's better to send fewer people than to make up the numbers. Safety first."
"7
Zhou Shouzhou's expression hardened, and he nodded solemnly, saying, "Don't worry, Senior Brother, I will be extremely cautious."
Lu Yuan paused, then remembered something and lowered his voice to instruct, "Oh, right, there are also those two little girls, Tiger Sheep and Tiger Rabbit."
"These two children are from the 'Continuing Lamp Tiger Family,' and they practice the method of continuing the lamp."
"We should also teach them the Taoist teachings of our Zhenlong Temple, but we should not force them to switch sects."
"Their roots are ultimately in the Tiger family; we cannot let their lineage be severed."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Shouzhou's eyes flashed with understanding, and he said in a low voice, "Senior brother is kind, I understand."
After saying this, Lu Yuan took the oilcloth booklet and explained the characteristics of these Yin-gathering pools and corpse-nurturing grounds to Zhou Shouzhuo.
Of course, Lu Yuan had never been to or seen these places.
All that Lu Yuan knew was what Li Guanqi and Fu Yuanshan had just said. Lu Yuan had a good memory, and he repeated everything they had said to Zhou Shouzhou.
Hopefully, after listening, Zhou Shouzhou will gain a better understanding of these places, so that he can be more confident and less dangerous when assigning disciples to go there.
By the time Lu Yuan had finished arranging everything, it was almost 11 p.m.
While discussing the Gathering Yin Pool and the Corpse-Nourishing Ground with Zhou Shouzhou, I ate a bowl of soup noodles delivered by the vegetarian restaurant, so I'm not very hungry now.
Lu Yuan made a special trip to the backyard. Tiger Sheep and Tiger Rabbit had already gone to sleep, and their room was right next to Lu Yuan's.
The two little girls lay side by side, their little hands resting on the blankets, fast asleep. Tiger Rabbit was even snoring softly, which was truly adorable.
Lu Yuan stood at the door, watching quietly for a while, his heart filled with mixed feelings.
He turned around and whispered to Zhou Shouzhou, who was following behind him, "I'm entrusting these two children to you from now on."
"Teach them skills, protect them, and they should not have to atone for the sins their father committed."
Looking at the two young children, Zhou Shouzhou immediately said in a deep voice, "Senior brother, don't worry."
Lu Yuan nodded and said nothing more, only looking at Zhou Shouzhou and saying, "You don't need to follow me anymore, go and make the arrangements."
Zhou Shouzhou nodded and gave Lu Yuan a slight bow, saying, "Senior brother, please be careful in everything you do."
Zhou Shouzhou then turned and left.
Instead of returning to his own residence, Lu Yuan headed straight for the side hall in the backyard of Zhenlong Temple, which belonged exclusively to Gu Qingwan.
The moonlight, like water, spilled onto the bluestone path.
The side hall remained quiet, with warm orange light shining through the windows.
Lu Yuan paused for a moment in front of the door, took a deep breath, and gently knocked on the door.
Before there was any movement inside, Lu Yuan gently pushed open the door and went in.
The furnishings inside remain the same, unchanged from before.
As always, it's simple, even monotonous.
Moonlight streamed through the window, casting shadows on the cold bluestone floor, outlining the silhouettes of a desk and chair, and the heavy, solemn ebony coffin placed in the center of the room.
That coffin was where Gu Qingwan's true form was located.
Lu Yuan gently closed the door behind him, shutting out the night.
With a soft "click," the door closed, and the air in the room seemed to freeze.
The next second, a black and red figure silently emerged from the edge of the ebony coffin lid, gradually solidified, and hovered in mid-air.
Gu Qingwan didn't speak, she just hovered there quietly.
Those deep eyes, seemingly containing a galaxy, gazed quietly at Lu Yuan, carrying a hint of barely perceptible concern and inquiry.
Lu Yuan looked at her and grinned, a smile that seemed especially warm in the dim light.
Then Lu Yuan carefully took out the piece of "Dragon Swallowing Wood" wrapped in brocade from his bosom.
Unfastening the brocade reveals the deathly gray-black wood beneath, which subtly exudes the might of a dragon.
Lu Yuan held the dragon-swallowing wood between the two of them, his fingertips gently stroking the cold wood grain.
"Sent by Senior Uncle Shen Jizhou."
"This is a good thing, Dragon Devouring Wood, containing a trace of real earth vein dragon energy, and also has toughness tempered by thunder and fire."
"I think this is definitely the best material for your leg extension."
As Lu Yuan finished speaking, Gu Qingwan floated closer, extended her slender finger, and lightly touched the top of the dragon-swallowing wood.
Immediately, a hint of human surprise appeared on her usually indifferent and aloof face, before she regained her composure.
However, before Gu Qingwan could say anything, Lu Yuan immediately added, "However, this matter cannot be rushed."
"This wood is good, but the dragon energy is violent, and the wood marrow has hidden injuries, so it cannot be used directly."
At this point, Lu Yuan also came to the huge coffin, and pushed hard against the coffin lid with his shoulder.
With a creak.
Lu Yuan moved the coffin lid open slightly and placed the "Dragon-Swallowing Wood" next to Gu Qingwan's body, saying, "Just like before, it needs to be immersed in your aura day and night. This dragon energy will be slowly nurtured, tamed, and softened."
Lu Yuan carefully placed the heavy piece of "dragon-swallowing wood" horizontally on the edge of the ebony coffin.
The wood made a dull, soft sound when it came into contact with the coffin, as if awakening an ancient bell that had been sleeping for thousands of years.
Relying solely on the permeation of breath is too slow and makes true integration difficult.
This Dragon-Swallowing Wood is as fiery as fire. If it is forcibly connected without proper guidance, it may scorch Gu Qingwan's physical foundation.
Well----
That's just how it's said according to common sense.
However, Qingwan is not a normal person, so it's probably impossible for her to be burned to the core of her body.
But Lu Yuan was afraid that Qingwan's malevolent aura would be destroyed by the trace of dragon energy inside the "Dragon Devouring Wood".
Therefore, we must use the methods of Taoism to "open its mind" and let it recognize its master first.
After placing the "Dragon Swallowing Wood" properly, Lu Yuan took a deep breath. Instead of immediately forming hand seals, he took out three copper coins from his pocket and bit them between his teeth.
Then he took out three sticks of incense that had been prepared beforehand and lit them by the oil lamp on the table.
"laugh"
Wisps of smoke rose and swirled in the dimly lit side hall.
Lu Yuan held three incense sticks and bowed deeply to the ebony coffin.
He muttered incantations in a low, rhythmic voice, as if communicating with some unknowable being: "First bow to Heaven and Earth, second bow to the spirits, third bow to the Ancestral Master above—"
After reciting the incantation, Lu Yuan carefully placed three incense sticks into the incense burner in front of the coffin lid.
The flickering incense smoke reflected on his resolute profile.
Immediately afterwards, Lu Yuan made a move.
He stepped forward with his left foot, placing it on the "Qian" position, and then his right foot followed, landing on the "Kun" position.
This step is the prototype of the most basic "Yu Step" in Taoism.
But under Lu Yuan's feet, a simple yet profound rhythm was formed.
Each step he took seemed to land on a point in the void, producing a muffled thud that only he could hear, resonating with the earth.
"Heaven is round and earth is square; laws and decrees are in nine chapters."
"I hereby decree that wood possesses a spirit—"
As he moved, Lu Yuan began to form hand seals.
His movements were fluid and graceful, yet so fast they were dazzling.
First, the left thumb hooks the middle finger, while the other three fingers are upright, forming the "Heavenly Thunder Seal".
Then bend the index and ring fingers of your right hand and press down with your thumb to form the "Xunfeng Jue" (a specific hand gesture).
Once the two techniques were mastered, he suddenly stretched out his arms, like drawing a bow to its fullest extent!
"When Kan and Li (☵) unite, wind and thunder clash!"
Lu Yuan let out a low shout, but instead of summoning real lightning like Shen Shulan, he guided the faint true qi out through his fingertips.
It transformed into two almost invisible streaks of bluish-purple lightning, instantly striking both ends of the "Dragon Devouring Wood"!
"Sizzle"
A faint crackling sound of electricity rang out, and the once lifeless Dragon Devouring Wood seemed to be infused with life, its gray-black dead skin twitching slightly.
A deep, dragon-like hum came from inside, and the violent dragon energy was actually suppressed and drawn out.
But this is not enough.
Lu Yuan abruptly withdrew his move, his hands shifting, his thumb and forefinger interlocked, the other three fingers extended, forming an extremely complex "Tongyou Jue" (a martial arts technique).
Then, Lu Yuan extended his index finger and dipped it into the blood on the tip of his tongue.
This is the most fundamental essence, energy, and spirit guide, placed at the center of the Dragon Swallowing Wood.
"With my blood, I will draw forth your soul!"
As the last incantation was uttered, the piece of Dragon-Swallowing Wood trembled violently.
The originally deathly gray-black color has faded somewhat, revealing a warm, dark red luster.
It was no longer just a piece of wood standing alone beside the coffin, but rather it had a subtle connection with Gu Qingwan's body inside the coffin.
Gu Qingwan's soul trembled slightly.
She clearly felt that the violent dragon energy within that piece of wood was now being slowly and obediently drawn into her body through that connection.
Yet, at the moment of contact, it is dissolved and assimilated by a gentle force.
Lu Yuan didn't stop. He knew that to completely subdue this unruly "Dragon Devouring Wood," what he had just done was merely an "appetizer."
He took a deep breath of the air, which was filled with the scents of sandalwood and dragonwood, and his eyes suddenly turned sharp.
Lu Yuan suddenly stopped, his whole body like a taut bowstring suddenly released.
He no longer used the gentle Yu Step, but instead unleashed the extremely domineering "Stepping the Dipper" technique from the Taoist school.
One step, a star; one step, a thunderbolt!
"Qian, Kun, Gen, Dui, Xun, Zhen, Li, Kan!"
With each low shout, Lu Yuan took a step, and the bluestone floor beneath his feet emitted a dull cracking sound.
An invisible force exploded beneath his feet, forming mysterious hexagram marks.
The dust in the entire side hall was shaken up and floated up, as if even the space itself was trembling.
At the same time, Lu Yuan's ten fingers flew across his hands.
He no longer chanted the gentle incantations of before, but rather a difficult and obscure "decree": "Radiant sun rises in the east!"
"I hereby decree: May the Wood Spirit return to its rightful place!"
"The Heavenly Fiends return to their places, the Earthly Fiends lie dormant!"
"May the Five Elements be in harmony, and may the Seven Luminaries shine brightly!"
"Using one's body as the medium, and blood as the catalyst."
As the incantation deepened, Lu Yuan suddenly bit his tongue, spitting a mouthful of blood mixed with saliva onto the piece of dragon-swallowing wood!
"Buzz—!"
The Dragon-Swallowing Wood trembled violently, and the dragon energy that had been suppressed inside seemed to be stimulated, frantically trying to break out of its body.
However, this dragon energy was firmly locked down by the "Wind and Thunder Techniques" that Lu Yuan had already laid out.
"Lock!!"
Lu Yuan shouted, clasped his hands together, and then tore them apart violently to the left and right!
"Open! Heavenly Gate!"
"Close the gate, earth gate!"
Lu Yuan made the "Sun Sovereign Seal" with his left hand and the "Moon God Seal" with his right hand.
His arms suddenly spread out like a roc spreading its wings, and then snapped shut towards the ebony coffin!
"Heaven and earth are boundless, and the universe borrows their power!"
"By imperial decree, this tree shall be forever guarded in the netherworld!"
boom!
A muffled thud, not loud but deeply resonant, exploded in the side hall.
The piece of dragon-swallowing wood seemed to have been forcibly stuffed into the gap between the coffin lid and the coffin body by an invisible giant hand.
The Dragon-Swallowing Wood and Gu Qingwan's body became tightly intertwined.
The originally lifeless, gray-black wood now shimmered with an eerie, dark red glow.
The blood streaks, as if alive, spread rapidly along the grain of the coffin, instantly "welding" the dragon-swallowing wood and the ebony coffin together.
Gu Qingwan's soul fluctuated violently at this moment, and a hint of surprise flashed in her starry eyes.
She could clearly feel a pure and domineering dragon energy flowing into her body along the blood-red veins.
Yet, it was enveloped by a gentle force on the very surface, as if laying a "foundation" for her broken leg.
After Lu Yuan finished doing all this, his face turned as pale as paper, beads of sweat the size of soybeans rolled down his forehead, and he was panting heavily.
"Using the Taoist Immortal Binding Rope technique, I've tied it to you."
"This piece of wood can't run away even if it wants to, and it can't cause any trouble even if it wants to."
Gu Qingwan's soul slowly drifted down, her ethereal finger pointing at the piece of Dragon Swallow Wood, feeling the power that was both violent and tamed.
Squeak!
Then another teeth-grinding scraping sound rang out.
The coffin lid was pushed back in.
Lu Yuan breathed a sigh of relief and looked earnestly at Gu Qingwan, who was staring at him from mid-air, saying, "I'll be able to use it when I get back from outside this time."
Gu Qingwan remained silent, only glancing at Lu Yuan and gently nodding her delicate chin.
Lu Yuan took out an old brass pocket watch from his pocket and glanced at it; it was already 12:30 a.m.
As Lu Yuan put away his pocket watch, he grinned at Gu Qingwan in mid-air and said, "We're running out of time. I have to go see the old man and then I have to leave quickly."
"You can stay here peacefully. When I return this time, the 'Dragon Devouring Wood' will be compatible with your original form, and the old man will probably be awake by then."
"When that time comes, we'll reattach your legs, and then we can begin preparing to finally remove the evil spells from all the major acupoints on your body."
After saying that, Lu Yuan waved to Gu Qingwan in mid-air, then turned and walked away with a rather dashing air.
However, just as Lu Yuan turned around and was about to leave, a slender finger hooked the back of his collar.
That almost resulted in Lu Yuan being strangled.
When Lu Yuan turned around, somewhat bewildered, he saw that Gu Qingwan had already slipped a jade pendant into his collar.
"Come back soon—"