Chapter 398: The Sky Also Wants to Take It Away

The two small minks appeared before Qi Wen without a care, exposing their backs to him as they focused mainly on the water tank. This indicated they were already familiar with the people of Yunshan Temple.

There were also fish in the streams of Yunshan, but even the largest of them were only palm-sized and very slender. To those fish, the two small minks were "giant beasts."

But the three fish in the water tank now had absurdly large heads, looking like giant monsters in the water. The two small minks stared in a daze, vaguely recalling how they had once carried away half of a very large fish from outside the temple.

"Be careful not to fall in, or it might be hard to say who eats whom!"

Daoist Qingsong cautioned the two small minks, then quickly exited the kitchen, as the guests were still outside.

Seeing Qi Xuan and Qi Wen emerge one after another, Ji Yuan glanced at the minks near the kitchen water tank and asked with a smile.

"Are you familiar with these two little fellows now?"

Qin Zizhou stroked his beard and said, "Indeed, these two minks already possess spiritual intelligence and a desire for the Dao. After I explained it to them, it was effortless to bring them into Yunshan Temple for cultivation. Once they refine their horizontal bones, they can be considered true disciples of Yunshan Temple."

The Old Dragon looked at the two small minks, knowing that the opportunity for their cultivation arose from a simple discussion on the Dao he and Ji Yuan had at Yunshan Temple years ago.

"They are indeed fortunate! How many cultivators in the world have such good fortune compared to these two gray minks? If they still had no desire for the Dao, they would truly deserve to be struck by lightning!"

The Old Dragon's words were pointed. Qi Xuan and Qi Wen only understood that the path to immortality was rare, while Qin Zizhou grasped some of it but not entirely. Only Ji Yuan truly understood the Old Dragon's meaning.

"Oh, by the way, Mr. Ji, Mr. Yin, and Lord Qin, how do you plan to eat this fish?"

Ji Yuan had been craving food ever since he was at Daliang Temple. Now, hearing Daoist Qingsong's question, he couldn't help but recall the fish head he had made back then, which had a savory and spicy taste, enhanced by mountain ingredients.

"Naturally, it's the Daoist priest's secret fish head recipe! I specifically had the Yaksha of Tongtian River search for these three large fish in the river. The upper half, including the head, contains all the essence!"

Now that Qi Xuan and Qi Wen had begun their cultivation, there was no longer any need to be overly secretive about supernatural matters in front of them.

*Clap!*

Daoist Qingsong clapped his hands. He felt relieved upon hearing it was his specialty recipe, as he had truly feared they would request a dish from a famous restaurant. So he announced loudly, "Rest assured, Mr. Ji, the kitchen has plenty of ingredients! I guarantee you'll be sweating and sticking out your tongues, yet unable to stop eating!"

"Hahahaha, excellent, excellent, Daoist priest, please go and prepare!"

Daoist Qingsong nodded repeatedly and called out to Qi Wen, "Qi Wen, prepare the fish!"

"Alright!"

Ji Yuan, the Old Dragon, and the others didn't need any special hospitality from Qi Wen and Qi Xuan. They simply pulled out some stools and a small table from the temple themselves.

The tea leaves on the table were self-picked, sun-dried, and stir-fried by the two Daoists from the mountains. The water was freshly boiled mountain spring water, but there were no dried fruits or pastries.

"If only I had known, I would have brought some snacks from the Tongtian River Water Mansion. We are, after all, cultivators with some spiritual attainment, yet we don't even have a single melon seed!"

Ji Yuan sighed plaintively, and the Old Dragon was amused by his demeanor.

"Who told you to rush over so quickly?"

Qin Zizhou picked up his teacup, gently blew on the foam and steam, took a sip of hot tea, and said, "Our Yunshan Temple isn't a place with flourishing incense offerings. Few people come to worship throughout the year. If someone comes out of curiosity once, they see no statues, no large tripods, no wishing ponds, no bronze bells, only reverence for heaven, earth, and stars. How can you ask them to pray for children, wealth, or marriage? Forget it, they probably won't come back next time. Therefore, those delicate pastries have no connection with our temple!"

Ji Yuan thought for a moment, then suddenly smiled. "Heh, I have something else!"

Saying this, he took out a packet wrapped in dried leaves from his sleeve. He then carefully untied it bit by bit, revealing small, shriveled, reddish-purple objects inside.

"Goji berries?"

Qin Zizhou, having practiced medicine for nearly a century in his previous life, naturally recognized what it was at a glance and spoke up while the Old Dragon was still wondering.

"Indeed, Lord Qin, you have a discerning eye! It's a handful of excellent wild dried goji berries!"

Ji Yuan picked up a berry and chewed it. It tasted sweet with a hint of sourness. Then he gestured with his hand, "Please help yourselves!"

These were originally a gift from Lu Shan-jun; he hadn't expected them to serve as tea snacks now.

The essence of leisure and elegance lies in one's state of mind and the company one keeps. Even the Old Dragon, in this atmosphere, found a simple cup of tea and a handful of goji berries quite meaningful.

The three drank tea and chatted, still discussing matters concerning Yunshan Temple. This time, with the Old Dragon present, what Ji Yuan and Qin Zizhou had discussed last time was also briefly mentioned. Finally, they reached the crucial point, explaining that the fundamental cultivation method of Yunshan Temple was mostly complete.

"So, Mr. Ji, your *Heaven and Earth Marvelous Method* has taken shape?"

Ji Yuan nodded, took out a scroll, and unrolled it slightly on the table, just enough to reveal the four characters "Heaven and Earth Creation."

"It experienced some turmoil, but the first half, *Heaven and Earth Creation*, is complete."

"This was no small amount of trouble. This book was envied by Heaven; it was no small matter."

The Old Dragon couldn't help but say, pointing to the sky as he spoke. Qin Zizhou nodded solemnly and then said, "In that case, this method cannot be easily passed on. Even if Yunshan Temple has more cultivators in the future, no matter how few, there will always be times when you know a person's face but not their heart!"

"Heh heh, that's the theory, but the reality might be different. Lord Qin, just take a look through this book yourself, and you'll understand!"

The Old Dragon also shook his head and stroked his beard, smiling meaningfully. He realized it was no wonder Ji Yuan sometimes liked to act profound; this feeling was indeed pleasant.

Qin Zizhou had no doubts, taking the scroll from the table and unrolling it to read.

At this moment, the Old Dragon observed Qin Zizhou from an outsider's perspective and immediately noticed something different. As Qin Zizhou read the scroll, a faint mist of light enveloped him, something the Old Dragon might have been too absorbed to notice when he himself read it.

After a long time, Qin Zizhou finally let out a long breath and nodded.

"Indeed, the marvelous method created by Mr. Ji is truly comprehensive!"

From the kitchen of Yunshan Temple, the sounds of ingredients hitting the wok and boiling oil could already be heard, and wafts of spicy and fragrant cooking smells gradually spread.

"Daoist Qingsong's secret fish head seasoning and cooking method must also be passed down. It's also a treasure of Yunshan Temple!"

"Yes, yes, yes, it's also a treasure of Yunshan Temple!"

"Hahahahaha…"

The three burst into laughter simultaneously. Even the Old Dragon, who had been alone at home before, felt extremely pleased at this moment.

In the temple kitchen, Daoist Qingsong also looked happy as he listened to the hearty laughter from outside.

"Master, Mr. Ji and the others seem quite happy. What are they laughing about?"

"It's certainly something good, anyway. Oh, right, make the fire stronger. These fish heads are too big; if the heat isn't strong enough, they might turn out half-cooked!"

"Don't worry, Master!"

As Qi Wen promised, he simultaneously broke the firewood branches in his hand and layered them into the stove, casually picking up a mink that had come too close and tossing it a bit farther away.

"Don't look into the stove; you might burn your fur!"

"Squeak, squeak…"

The gray mink squeaked twice in defiance, then ran out of the kitchen and darted out through the temple's main gate.

In the evening, an eight-person table was brought out into the courtyard of Yunshan Temple. On it, besides some vegetarian dishes grown by the temple itself, the large pot was, of course, indispensable.

Because the three fish heads were too large, weighing dozens of pounds combined, even the large pot, capable of cooking for over a dozen people, was barely big enough to hold them this time. It was truly a testament to Daoist Qingsong's skill that he could cook them well, consuming a considerable amount of his physical strength and energy.

The rich aroma from the pot filled Yunshan Temple. Ji Yuan, Mr. Yin, and Qin Zizhou sat on three sides of the table. On the remaining side, Daoist Qingsong and Daoist Qingyuan sat side by side, while a short distance away, the two small gray minks had two plates of fresh, descaled fish meat.

Because the large iron pot contained a whole pot of fish heads with lotus root and broth, its insulation capabilities were excellent. Everyone ate merrily. Ji Yuan also brought out the fine wine from the White Jade Thousand-Measure Pot for everyone to enjoy. Even the two small minks were poured a small cup, though after drinking it, the two little fellows immediately lay down.

This scene made Daoist Qingsong recall the past, when Mr. Ji had unceremoniously gotten him drunk.

After several rounds of drinks and dishes, more than half of the entire pot of fish heads had been eaten by the few of them. Qi Xuan and Qi Wen were already full to the point of only being able to rub their bellies, yet Ji Yuan and the other two continued to pick at the food, occasionally scooping a bowl of soup to drink.

Seeing Qi Xuan and Qi Wen could only watch enviously, Ji Yuan said with a smile, "This is another benefit of cultivating immortality: you don't get full after just a little bit when delicious food is in front of you, haha!"

Only after they had truly cleared the dishes from the table and had a few more drinks did Ji Yuan once again take out *Heaven and Earth Creation* from his sleeve and hand it to Daoist Qingsong.

"Daoist Qingsong, this is *Heaven and Earth Creation*, which I have deduced. It is the first half of the *Heaven and Earth Marvelous Method*. This method is exceptionally profound, and I hope Yunshan Temple will treasure it. You should be cautious in finding successors, but you don't need to be overly strict; it just needs to align with the original Daoist principles of Yunshan Temple."

Daoist Qingsong straightened his posture, enduring his bloated stomach, and solemnly took the scroll with both hands, looking as if he wanted to open it but dared not immediately.

"Go ahead and look; this object will be the foundation of Yunshan Temple's cultivation from now on. Don't be so polite."

Ji Yuan, seeing through his thoughts, said this.

"Alright!"

After responding, Qi Xuan eagerly unrolled it. Qi Wen also leaned over to look, but as soon as they did, they seemed to freeze, their gazes drawn into the scroll, and their figures becoming somewhat hazy and dazed.

"Oh, I didn't realize these two Daoists actually possessed some talent!"

The Old Dragon couldn't help but say with a hint of surprise, while Qin Zizhou stroked his beard and smiled. "Mr. Ji specifically created it based on methods of Daoist contemplation that fit their way. If these two still didn't have this level of comprehension, then Mr. Ji's painstaking efforts would truly be wasted!"

"Indeed!"

The Old Dragon also nodded, signifying his agreement with this statement.

Fortunately, this time the two Daoists did not sit for days because of their contemplation of the method. Only a quarter of an hour had passed when they regained consciousness, but their dazed and astonished expressions fully demonstrated the impact they had experienced during the process.

After regaining his senses, Qi Wen couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Ji, are all immortal cultivation methods this amazing? Is our *Heaven and Earth Creation* considered powerful among all immortal sect cultivation methods?"

"Well… as for others'…"

Ji Yuan found it a bit difficult to answer. Although he was very confident in his *Heaven and Earth Marvelous Method*, he hadn't seen many others' methods. He couldn't just compare it to *Jade Embrace Minor Cultivation*, could he?

"Hmph hmph…"

The Old Dragon scoffed lightly, squinting his eyes at the scroll in Qi Xuan's hand. "Mr. Ji doesn't like to brag, so let me tell you. Put it this way: when this method first took shape, even Heaven itself tried to seize it!"

No exaggeration, a fitting description!