The cock crows and they rise, all wash their hands and rinse their mouths, comb their hair and arrange their pins, raise their heads, tie up the sash, straighten their robes and skirts.

    Every household in Qingcheng County hangs lights and decorations, both men and women of the common folk wear fine clothes, celebrating the arrival of New Year's Day.

    Chen Yun led Si Wangsiao, Wu Yao, and Spiritual Beasts to the main hall first to offer a series of sacred offerings to the Three Pure Ones, Dong Wanggong, and his teacher and so on.

    Then, incense was burned, sutras recited, and worship conducted.

    After completing all this, they went to the side hall to offer incense and sacrifices to the divine soldiers and generals, as well as the shadow soldiers and generals.

    For several days, the divine soldiers and generals, as well as the shadow soldiers and generals, have been immersed in the "upgrade" and there has been no movement so far.

    Chen Yun knew that refining the ghost Qi needed time, so he was not in a hurry.

    Just as they finished their busy work, the Five Demons, as usual, went to patrol the mountains.

    Si Wangsiao also prepared to go to the kitchen to prepare food for the Five Demons and Spiritual Beasts.

    "A sister."

    Chen Yun called out to the other person.

    Just as Wangsiao crossed the threshold, he turned around and said, "Young brother, is there something you need help with?"

    Chen Yun took out the flying money from his sleeve, "There are some gold pieces inside, you take them out and put them in the observatory."

    Wangsiao quickly waved his hand, saying, "No need, no need. The salary from the court a few days ago is still quite a lot; it's enough for the whole year's expenses."

    Because Chen Yun was appointed by the court and holds a position of honor with a rank of above third level, his salary is identical to that of official officials, and thus it is about sixty-two taels of silver annually. In addition to this, he also holds nine hundred and twenty taels of land as his official tenure, as well as the wage for thirty-nine slaves, which amounts to approximately one hundred and twenty two taels of silver.

    Of course, there were some miscellaneous income.

    For example, there was salary rice, food supplies, and during festivals and holidays, there were grants of silk fabrics, gold and silverware, and various colored items.

    After all, the annual income is quite substantial, and it is more than enough to cover the daily expenses of the observatory, and there is even a considerable surplus.

    Chen Yun was too lazy to bother with these trivial matters, so he entrusted everything to Wangsiao. He naturally knew that the expenses were sufficient.

    However, today when he took out the flying money, it was not for expenses, but because he knew that the Tang Dynasty was about to collapse. If he did not take out the gold from within the flying money, perhaps in the future, with all the heroes vying for power and territories, no one would acknowledge it.

    Of course, he doesn't really care about the money.

    Chen Yun had other purposes for taking out the money.

    He stuffed the flying money into Wangsiao's hand and explained, "These days, you've been busy up and down the observatory all by yourself, with no time to spare for practicing or seeking the Tao. Moreover, now that the court has granted nine mu of land, it wouldn't do to have you work in the fields, would it? Even if you wanted to, there wouldn't be enough time with four hundred and fifty mu of land. So, besides keeping some land for growing food for the observatory, we can rent out the rest at a lower price to poor families so they have something to eat. Besides that, I have some extra money here. After the New Year, you can go to a brokerage house and buy some destitute young boys and girls to work here. Everything will follow the teachings of our sect. You just need to manage them everyday, which will also give you some time to practice properly."

    Wangsiao joked, "Are you making me the head of the observatory?"

    Chen Yun couldn't help but laugh and cry, "Of course not! Our observatory is self-sufficient; why would we need a holder? Anyway, I'll leave the affairs of the observatory to sister-in-law to take care of, and I'll always remember sister-in-law's kindness in my heart."

    Wangsiao blinked her eyes, implying something else, "As long as you remember that's good enough."

    After a few words of chat, she took the flying money and busied herself.

    Chen Yun also had things to take care of.

    He loaded a large cart with year-end provisions and hurried to Jinquan Mountain to pay New Year's greetings to Xie Ziruan.

    After that, he went to the Temple of Jiang Er Lang and where Zhang Jiwén lived, respectively paying New Year's greetings to the God of Er Lang and Zhang Jiwén, and offering tribute and burning incense in front of the statue of Master Zhang.

    As for Zhongshan Mountain, the distance was too far, and he had sent an urgent message to the Qingcheng County government some time ago to send some New Year's greetings to the observatory using the move array.

    Of course, Chen Yun didn't miss anyone like Lü Dongbin, Zheng Wen-shu, Zhao Gongming, and Guan Yu. He had the government send urgent messages to help deliver New Year's gifts to all of them.

    ...

    At night, the fireworks were thundering outside.

    Such a noisy environment is certainly not suitable for practicing internal alchemy.

    Chen Yun has the elixir of refining and condensing energy, so he is essentially practicing every day.

    Instead of going to sleep immediately, he first studied some powerful spells such as the Golden Light Mantra and the Pot Heaven Technique for a while.

    Then, seeing that there was still some time left, he took out the Tai ChiPurple Ribbon Immortal Robe and the Colorful Clouds Jasper Tower, sitting there to examine them carefully.

    "I understand the specific function of the Taiji Purple Ribbon Immortal Robe. It is simply an ultimate defense."

    Chen Yun stared at the Jasper Tower, "But besides suppressing ghosts and demons, does the Colorful Clouds Jasper Tower have any other functions?"

    He really couldn't make sense of it.

    This research lasted for nearly half an hour.

    Even because Chen Yun was too concentrated, he didn't notice the effect of the elixir of refining and condensing energy that was born inside his body.

    Suddenly, it was time for the true Qi to descend, and Chen Yun "felt" his body gradually expanding, his spirit surging, with the sun, moon, rivers, and mountains all within him. He had a sense of towering and standing firm, and he couldn't feel where his hands and feet were.

    This is the normal phenomenon when practicing "the method of reducing Dan".

    Chen Yun was about to reach out and press forward as he usually did, to allow the "spirit" to return.

    But unexpectedly, the Taiji Purple Ribbon Immortal Robe and the Colorful Clouds Jasper Tower automatically began to operate.

    The Taiji Purple Ribbon Immortal Robe immediately wrapped around Chen Yun's body.

    The Colorful Clouds Jasper Tower transmitted a massive amount of information to Chen Yun, as if it could allow him to command mountains and rivers at will, to subdue, crush, and dissolve them within it.

    Because during the cultivation, the "spirit" only floats out for a moment.

    Therefore, in a blink of an eye, Chen Yun felt that he had lost contact with the Taiji Purple Ribbon Immortal Robe and the Colorful Clouds Jasper Tower again.

    "Hmm?"

    He couldn't help but widen his eyes, "When the 'spirit' floated out for a moment, I felt an indomitable will from the Taiji Purple Ribbon Immortal Robe, and a powerful will to subdue mountains and rivers from the Colorful Clouds Jasper Tower."

    Chen Yun had a daring guess, "Could it be... that if I can use the power of the 'spirit,' I can control these two powerful artifacts?"

    This is definitely good news.

    After all, he initially thought that he had to cultivate until his Yang spirit escaped his body.

    Now, he only needs to harness the power of that "spirit" to activate these two artifacts, which means the difficulty has significantly decreased!

    "But how can I use the 'spirit power' to control them?"

    Chen Yun pondered for a moment, "Huh, I remember, last time I guessed that if the internal alchemy could be cultivated to the level of an upper-grade wizard, there should be a stage of cultivating the spirit. At that time, would I be able to mobilize the power of the 'spirit'?"

    Although the yin spirit is also a "spirit," fundamentally, it is actually a "clear and spiritual ghost."

    The "spirit" that emerges from the cultivation is the true spirit within the body.

    The internal alchemy that Chen Yun practices is not just about refining essence into Qi; it also requires the condensation and refinement of the three treasures of essence, Qi, and spirit to cultivate a sacred fetus, which is the golden elixir. Afterward, one cultivates the Yang spirit.

    So, before one can refine the golden elixir, the "spirit" must be involved.

    "I should have guessed correctly, if I cultivate to the level of an upper-grade wizard, it's likely that I can control the two artifacts."

    Chen Yun secretly rejoiced in his heart, "And the moment the 'spirit' floated out allowed me to understand the function of the tower. This magical artifact has the effect of subduing, but it's not just about subduing. Once an enemy is absorbed into it, with just a thought, I can crush or dissolve them within it. Even more so, I can keep people permanently imprisoned within the tower."

    He finally knew why the ghost general, the four ghost generals, and tens of thousands of ghost soldiers had been suppressed by the tower for 8,000 years without disappearing. It turns out that the earth god simply wanted to confine the ghost general and its troops, without thinking of annihilating them.

    Perhaps it was the realization of this issue that made Chen Yun realize something he had done wrong earlier: he shouldn't have exterminated the ghost general almost completely.

    "The ghost general, the four ghost generals, and tens of thousands of ghost soldiers have been struggling in the tower for 8,000 years without dissolving. Perhaps their strength before being suppressed was far more terrifying than what I saw before."

    Chen Yun squinted his eyes and guessed, "If I'm not mistaken, the ghost general is most likely a deity, but a malevolent one. The four ghost generals and tens of thousands of ghost soldiers are his divine followers. They only fell to the land god during a confrontation and were therefore captured by the tower."

    What does this mean?

    This means that if you hadn't exterminated the ghost general, perhaps you could have learned about some treasures from a god's ancient site.

    But now that the ghost general has been exterminated, it's too late to regret it.

    "If the earth god and the ghost general are both in Lishi, and if the ghost general is truly a demon deity as I guessed earlier, then its relic should not be too far from the earth god's stone tomb. I'll explore it when I have a chance."

    These thoughts flashed through Chen Yun's mind in an instant.

    Of course, these are just my guesses, and they may not hold up.

    After all, the god of the faith has perished, and if the ghost general was truly a deity before, it doesn't make sense for it to have been suppressed by the Colorful Clouds Jasper Tower for over 8,000 years and still survive. Moreover, not just the ghost general, but also the four ghost generals and tens of thousands of yin soldiers have not dissipated their power over time and disappeared in the river of history.

    Thinking about it, he put away the Taiji Purple Ribbon Immortal Robe and the Colorful Clouds Jasper Tower and focused on the medicinal effects.

    Although the elixir of refining and condensing energy will automatically cultivate without needing attention, it's like he's actually practicing when he quietly feels it, which can increase "skill proficiency". Therefore, he naturally wants to carefully feel it.

    The true Qi is continuously transforming and generating within his body.

    Time passes one second at a time.

    A full cycle.

    Three full cycles.

    Nine full cycles.

    An hour has passed, and the medicinal effect is over.

    Chen Yun quietly felt the change and found that the amount of true Qi he gained tonight was just a little more than what he would have cultivated by himself.

    "Now that I am only an early-stage intermediate practitioner, the effects of the primary elixir of refining and condensing energy are becoming increasingly insignificant. If I were to cultivate to the mid-stage intermediate practitioner, this elixir's effect might be even less than if I cultivated it myself."

    Chen Yun couldn't help but shake his head, "Moreover, I'm about to finish the twelve portions of the elixir of refining and condensing energy. For the next three years, I'll stay in Qing City to meditate quietly. I think my cultivation progress will slow down."

    If it were in the past, hearing that his cultivation speed was about to slow down would definitely make him very anxious.

    Just by following his teacher to practice for so long, Chen Yun's mind has been refined, and he knows that some things cannot be rushed.

    External pills can indeed help him quickly enhance his cultivation level, but at the same time, they have "side effects", which is that they may make him unable to control power and keep up with his heart.

    Controlling power is relatively easy to solve.

    By calmly focusing on getting familiar with power, he will be able to master it in no time.

    But this heart state is very troublesome.

    Wang Siyan came this time with the spoken teachings of her mentor.

    After listening, Chen Yun understood that he had been trapped in the Love and Desire Evil Net and couldn't get out of it.

    He knew that he couldn't solve the problem. In the future, let alone achieving enlightenment and becoming true, he might lose all his cultivation base one day when the problem gets serious, turning into dust and smoke, and falling into rebirth.

    Or, by accumulating a great deal of meritorious deeds, after death he would be enshrined as a minor deity by the Three Emperor Gods, receiving the blessing of their divine power.

    Chen Yun had previously seen the earth god and knew the drawbacks of becoming a deity with offerings.

    Once the faith is missing one day, even a powerful deity will perish.

    Therefore, he thought it was better to pursue the "path of immortality" rather than the "path of deification."

    "For the next three years, I will refine my mind and, at the same time, cultivate powerful arts such as Jinguang Spell and Hutian Technique to a level of small achievement. When the three years are over, my mind should have been repaired quite a bit. At that time, I will go to gather the heavenly and earthly essence roots and brew a more advanced elixir of refining and condensing energy."

    While preparing for the slower cultivation progress, Chen Yun also set himself a goal.

    Once Jinguang Spell and Hutian Technique are practiced to a level of small achievement, it will be easier to obtain divine origin roots when going out to search for them.

    (End of this chapter)