Towering Taibai Peak.
The eleventh small cave in the world.
Zhongnan Taiyi Mountain is ranked third among the top ten caves. Xicheng Mountain Cave, which travels three thousand miles in a circle, is known as the Heaven of Taixuan Zongzhen.
In addition, among the seventy-two blessed places in the world, fully four are related to Taiyi Mountain.
The 54th Gaoxi Lanshui Mountain, the 55th Lanshui Mountain, the 56th Yufeng Mountain, and the 58th Shanggu Mountain.
How could a group of people who had already been shaken to their hearts content hesitate?
Put the horses into the forest and let them search for licorice, shrubs and few green plants in the snow.
The five horses are all magical and powerful.
Only one of them is a white horse, with deep and piercing eyes, a mane as red as fire, and a hint of aura. Just standing there gives people a majestic feeling.
Suddenly it was Chen Yulou’s Dragon Horse.
Although he couldn't transform into demons and gain enlightenment like Yuan Hong and Luofu, after being with him for a long time, through the flow of spiritual energy and washing away the mortal bones, he became psychic.
"Bailong, look around."
"Wait until we come back."
Chen Yulou patted its head gently and ordered softly.
White Dragon is the name he gave the dragon colt.
Because he was born in Xifeng Yanglongkeng, Qianshan Mountain, his whole body is as white as frost and snow, with no trace of color, except for a tuft of mane on his back, which is as fierce as flames and runs as fast as a dragon.
Originally I wanted to give him the surname Ao.
But after thinking about it, I forgot about it.
After all, he has met Zhou Jiao and knows that there is a thing in this world about dragons transforming into dragons, and Luofu has the blood of Phoenix. If an old dragon shows up one day, wouldn't he be asking for trouble? ?
White dragon?
That's a good name.
Catchy and powerful.
Hearing this, Bailong blinked and rubbed his head gently in his palm.
“Go.”
“Come back and bring you something delicious.”
Feeling its intimacy, Chen Yulou couldn't help but smile.
Zhongnan Mountain has deep aura.
There are countless great medicines.
To this day, the old people at the foot of the mountain still pass down the song orally, "Taiyi Mountain is full of treasures. Don't worry if you are sick, just go up the mountain and pull some grass."
It is even said that there are people who are seriously ill and dying.
I really can't afford the medicine.
He asked his family to send him into the mountains, found a cave, and thought about waiting quietly to die.
But...
A few days later.
The villagers discovered that he had returned down the mountain intact.
He was full of energy and energy, not like a dying person at all.
When asked about the reason, the man only said that he woke up hungry in the middle of the night, grabbed a handful of grass from the cave wall and stuffed it into his mouth. Unexpectedly, after waking up overnight, he found that he had recovered from his illness.
This incident was rumored to be astonishing.
Some people even say that he swallowed the elixir planted by the immortal.
As a result, countless people came to Zhongnan Mountain to seek immortality and medicine.
However, as a group of people climbed up the mountain today, they didn't meet a single soul on the way. That's because Zhongnan Mountain has a tradition of closing the mountain in July.
The sixth month of the lunar calendar is over.
It is snowy in winter and summer, windy and rainy all the time, and inaccessible, commonly known as Fengshan.
That is, Chen Yulou and his team rely on their extraordinary skills. Otherwise, ordinary people, even experienced hunters or herb collectors, would not dare to go up the mountain at this time of year.
Start from the bottom of the mountain.
Climb all the way.
At first, a few people were talking and laughing, stopping from time to time to enjoy the wonderful scenery in the mountains.
Sea of clouds, cliffs, strange rocks, secluded ponds, sweet springs, and powerful bamboos.
You can also see apes climbing over streams, squirrels sitting on the treetops holding berries while eating, and red pandas chasing and playing in the snow-covered mountain forests.
“There is a hole!”
Waiting for a few people to walk around a secluded pool in the mountain.
The old foreigner who was leading the way suddenly pointed to the height of the cliff and exclaimed.
The black stone walls are covered with moss and moss.
There is also accumulation of falling snow.
But you can still vaguely see a stone staircase.
The marks are very shallow, but at a glance you can tell that they were dug through bit by bit with a tool like an inverted axe.
“This is...hermit cave?”
Looking down, Partridge Whistle raised his eyebrows and said.
Zhongnan Mountain has been the residence of hermits since ancient times. According to historical records, there are nearly 5,000 of them, and there are hundreds of famous ones, including Taoist Taishang Laojun, Wenshi Zhenren Yin Xi, Jiang Ziya, Zhao Gongming went to Zhang Liang, Zhong Kui, Sun Simiao and Lu Dongbin.
From Immortal Family to Buddhism.
From a national teacher to a poet.
There are countless hermits.
Even though this is the first time I have arrived here, Partridge Whistle has traveled around the world for many years and has heard of the name Zhongnan Hermit.
“Probably.”
Chen Yulou nodded.
It wasn't anything else, he just suddenly thought of someone.
Wen Shizhen.
Yin Xi.
This is the only disciple of Lao Tzu recorded in the classics.
Being outside Hangu Pass, welcoming Lao Tzu riding a green ox into the Qin Dynasty also allowed the Tao Te Ching to stay in the world.
However, the name Yin Xi suddenly appeared in his mind, not just because of the name of my disciple, but because of... Yinxian Dao Sect!
That’s right.
It is the Qingchi Taoist known as Yunzhongxian.
Everything about Pingshan that day flashed through my mind one by one like clouds crossing the sea.
This Qingchi Mountain is hard to find, but Zhongnan Mountain is right in front of you.
As the second generation head of Yinxian Dao Sect.
Even if Taoist Qingchi shows up, he must be called Patriarch.
According to historical records, because Yin Xi was dissatisfied with the political affairs of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, he built a grass tower in Zhongnan Mountain to observe the sky, and at the same time retreated from the world to practice and comprehend the Tao Te Sutra.
Therefore, that thatched cottage is also called thatched cottage.
Thousands of years have passed, and the thatched cottage has probably turned into smoke and dust, but...such Taoist masters have practiced here for decades, how can time easily erase the traces left behind?
so.
Maybe we can still find what Yin Xi left behind?
Completely complete the Xuan Dao Convincing Qi Building Foundation Skill? !
I thought of this possibility.
Even though he was well-informed, he couldn't help but feel a little amazed for a while.
"I wonder if there is anyone?"
"It seems that no one has been around for a long time, and it is most likely abandoned."
"That's not necessarily true. You kid, just shut up. It usually takes a day or two to enter a state of concentration. For a great practitioner, it can take ten days, a half, or even a few months. "
It is possible to break free from trance.
Just as Chen Yulou was about to speak, he heard the arguments between Yang Fang and the old foreigner ringing in his ears.
The two people were standing on tiptoes looking into the depths of the cave.
It’s just...
The cave is located halfway up the cliff.
Only the cliff below and the shallow stone steps connect it.
In addition to the cover of the vines hanging from the top of the cliff, it was pitch black inside with floating clouds and mist. No matter how hard I opened my eyes, I couldn't see anything.
"Is there any? You can tell if you go up and take a look?"
"If you really want someone, just say they are here to visit the hermit immortal."
Listening to what the two of them said to each other, Chen Yulou shook his head and smiled.
"This...isn't good. I heard that most of these hermits are paranoid and eccentric, and rarely interact with people. If you come to disturb them rashly, wouldn't it be a bad thing if you offend them?"< br>
Hear the words.
Yang Fang was obviously moved.
But the old foreigner on the side hesitated and spoke softly.
“Visiting immortals in search of truth, walking in the snow to seek truth, this is an elegant thing.”
“If you really encounter someone with a bad character...”
Chen Yulou’s talk Turning around, a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, "If we can't fight, how can we run away?"
"I..."
The old foreigner almost choked.
After being stunned for a while, he stretched out his thumb and said, "Shopkeeper Chen, you are still awesome. With our brains, we would never have thought of such an idea in our lifetime."
It's not just him.
The partridge whistles on the side were also dumbfounded.
On weekdays, the world-famous shopkeeper Chen is famous for being serious, quiet, and unsmiling, so the contrast here is too great.
"In that case."
"Then what are you waiting for?"
Yang Fang tightened the whip behind his back and rubbed his hands vigorously, He breathed hot air into his palm and said, "Let me give you a heads-up."
While speaking.
He grabbed a protrusion on the stone wall with one hand and pushed it lightly. The next moment, he jumped straight up like an ape.
Nearly vertical cliff.
Under his feet, there was no stagnation.
In the blink of an eye, others appeared outside the cave.
Looking in through the bamboo curtain at the entrance of the cave, on tiptoe.
With a pair of night eyes, he could easily see the situation in the cave clearly, but... he didn't know what he saw, and his expression suddenly changed.
"What's going on?"
"There is someone and no one, you kid should just say something."
The old foreigner, sensing something was wrong, couldn't help but raise his head and shout. voice.
“It’s not right to have….”
Yang Fang nodded, then shook his head again and again.
"No, does anyone still have any questions?"
Just as the old foreigner was about to speak, Chen Yulou pressed him down, patted him on the shoulder, and said in a deep voice, "It looks like ...Someone must have passed away."
"Yes, there is only one white skeleton in the cave. You will know when you come up and take a look."
Yang Fangzheng was worried about how to explain it. He nodded quickly.
"White bones..." Several people under the cliff looked at each other.
The originally warm atmosphere suddenly became more solemn.
After a while.
Inside the cave.
By rekindling the light.
Several people clearly saw that on the stone bed at the bottom of the cave, there was a white skeleton that had been dead for an unknown period of time, still sitting cross-legged.
My eyes are empty.
Look straight out of the cave entrance.
Although he was turned into bones, he could still feel a hint of unwillingness.
Most of the hermits on the mountain, hiding from the world, actually wanted to seek immortality and immortality. Unfortunately, they gave up everything and ended up like this.
How can you be willing to do so?
Feeling the remaining will to die.
Chen Yulou couldn't help but sigh secretly.
There are so many people in the world who seek immortality.
From ancient times to the present, we have gone on and on.
Speaking of which, they are actually one of the many living beings.
Now that I see my senior has failed and passed away, to be honest, I feel like a rabbit is dead and a fox is sad, as if I have seen the future, struggling hard in the sea of suffering, no one knows what the consequences will be.
Brothers Partridge Sentinel obviously also thought of this.
There was a trace of sadness on each face.
"Shopkeeper, there are writings on the wall."
There was silence for a long time.
The silence was finally broken by Kunlun.
“What?”
Putting away his thoughts, Chen Yulou turned to look at that place.
Kunlun held the candle and illuminated the stone wall in the deepest part of the cave. A line of carvings gradually appeared in the shadows in everyone's eyes.
"Qiuzhen Cave."
The three ink characters at the top should be the name given by the owner of this cave to the cave where he lives in seclusion.
Below is a large Taoist scripture, as well as words and phrases such as talismans, medicine, gold, jade, and elixir.
However, in the bottom line, you can still see a poem.
The handwriting was scrawled, as if it had been carved in a hurry.
"The white-haired Taoist has a warm heart, and the yellow-robed fairy has light bones. Where can I find immortality in a lonely and empty realm?"
The last line of the poem.
It is three consecutive sighs.
One is more scrawled than the other, one is more rambled than the other, and each word is more profound than the last. It seems that I have exhausted my last strength to carve all the anger, unwillingness and regret into three words.
"It's the Donghua Temple inscribed by Wang Jian of the Tang Dynasty."
Chen Yulou recognized it immediately.
For a time, I felt even more emotional.
In just twenty words of poetry, he wrote about the helplessness and confusion of not being able to seek the truth.
"Poor...sigh!"
"Shopkeeper Chen, who is this person?"
Listening to his sigh, several people behind him also felt sad. The impact of the words often hits the heart directly, as if a mountain is pressing on the heart, making people gasp. Don't be angry.
It was Yang Fang who broke the silence.
He asked, pointing to the dead bones in the cave.
“There are not even ten thousand but thousands of people who live in seclusion and practice in Taiyi Mountain. How can everyone have a name?”
Chen Yulou shook his head.
In addition to the simplest daily necessities, firewood, rice, oil and salt, there are only a few ancient books in the cave.
There are wire-bound volumes and hand-written editions. Unfortunately, too much time has passed and the pages have long since been rotted by beasts, and they will break into countless pieces if you peel them off.
“If you want to address yourself, it would be better to use the name of the cave.”
“Seeking the true master of the cave.”
"Then...should we let our seniors rest in peace?"
Yang Fang nodded thoughtfully and continued to ask.
“The bones of the immortals in yellow clothes are light, and there is a big dream between heaven and earth.”
“This is a perfect place to sit on the cliffs, sit on the sky and watch the stars, with the dragon veins undulating.”
Chen Yulou waved his hand, "We don't want to disturb the seniors for repairs. Just seal the entrance of the cave to prevent insects, birds and beasts from coming in and causing trouble."
While talking.
He gently bowed his fists to the bones on the stone bed.
Partridge Whistle and the others also imitated his behavior.
We know it from those ancient scriptures.
The master of the Qiuzhen Cave is also a fellow Taoist disciple and can be regarded as a fellow Taoist.
After paying homage, several people walked out of the cave.
There is a bamboo curtain fence standing at the door. I don’t know if it was built for him by the hermits who were practicing in the mountains, or it was built by the medicine hunters, but it was already crumbling due to the wind and rain.
Kunlun and Yang Fang are the best.
Walking between the cliffs.
A few rocks were moved and the entrance of the cave was completely sealed.
After doing all this, the few of them breathed a sigh of relief, got off the cliff, and continued to climb the stairs along the mountain road.
All the way.
Caves similar to Qiuzhen Cave can be found everywhere.
There are also people who live in cottages.
It’s just that most of them are closed, and they even hung a wooden sign outside the door, saying something like, ‘No visitors, please stay away’.
How can a few people knock on the door and disturb others' repairs?
Of course not all hermits hide in caves or thatched cottages to avoid visitors, sit on the top of mountains and cliffs, meditate, or pick tea and plant flowers in the mountains and forests.
There are even old friends who are familiar with each other, walking in twos and threes together in the mountains, enjoying the scenery and reciting poems.
When you see a few people, you will say hello.
Most of them wear linen clothes, long robes, and Taoist uniforms. They have long hair and buns, and they have a noble demeanor and are worthy of fellow Taoists.
I thought all hermits in the mountains were like this.
It wasn’t until they passed halfway up the mountain that they saw an old monk wearing cassocks, chanting sutras and meditating on the stone bridge. Then they realized that apart from Taoists, there were also many monks living in seclusion in Taiyi Mountain.
"Brother Chen, the higher you go, the spiritual energy seems to be... stronger."
Cross the stone bridge, enter the Lama Cave, sit for a while with the mage, and ask for help. After a bowl of tea and farewell, the group continued climbing the mountain.
Until you reach the top of Daidai Mountain.
Feeling the surrounding sea of clouds and the spiritual energy flowing between heaven and earth, Partridge Whistle couldn't help but lower his voice and sighed.
Taiyi Mountain is indeed the third cave in the world.
Except for the Zulong Peak of Kunlun Mountain that day, it was almost the place with the most spiritual energy he had ever seen.
He even thought that if he had time in the future, he would find a secluded place in the Zhongnan Mountains, build a thatched cottage, and practice Taoism with the spiritual energy of the mountains.
“That’s nature.”
"Why else would hermits and Taoists flock here for thousands of years?"
"When we reach the top of Taibai Peak and see the palaces and caves in the mountains, Taoist brother, you will know that even though they are all practicing escapism, , but the same people are walking to higher places."
Chen Yulou smiled brightly, walked lightly, and strolled leisurely.
No slush or slush all the way.
Only the wine bottle tied around the waist gently swayed back and forth.
It made him look more like a mountain man than the Taoists, hermits, pilgrims, and magicians in the mountains.
“How do you say that?”
Partridge Whistle was slightly startled and asked subconsciously.
The people from Kunlun who were following behind also looked over with curiosity.
“What do you think of the Truth-seeking Cave, Brother Dao?”
Chen Yulou walked in front with his hands behind his back. He did not rush to explain, but asked a question.
“Climbing high, looking far, and listening to the sound of falling rain and quiet springs, I thought it was a good place to practice.”
I pondered for a moment.
Partridge Whistle responded seriously.
“The scenic accommodation is good, but the practice place is far behind.”
Chen Yulou shook his head.
“There are countless caves in Taiyi Mountain, and it is said that there are three lower grades in the mountain.”
“The top grade ones are in a secret and dangerous place that ordinary people cannot reach at all. Generally, the entrance of the cave faces east. , drink the morning dew in the morning, and drink from the star spring at night. "
"The waterfall outside the cave is in the sky, and the sweet spring inside the cave is generating its own brilliance. There are images of the sun and the moon, and spiritual grass to avoid wild beasts. Winter and summer are the same, and the four seasons are spring. . ”
“In the middle grade, there is a spring or no spring in the cave, and the cave door is hidden, or it leads to a foreign land, or there is a hole in the cave, and there is usually a prayer platform outside the cave, and there are many strange stones.”
"As for the lower-grade caves, they can only serve as shelter for the hermits and protect them from insects and beasts."
After saying this, he looked back at a few people.
“Do you still think that the Truth-seeking Cave is a good place to go?”
The group of people frowned slightly.
What I had seen before flashed through my mind. The Truth-seeking Cave was small and narrow, dark and without light, with neither spring nor waterfall. It seemed that it was indeed out of reach of the top grade.
"Isn't it practice..."
Yang Fang finally couldn't hold it back.
He is extremely yearning for spiritual practice.
I thought that after entering Taiyi Mountain, everyone would be fellow Taoists, so naturally there would be no worldly distinction between superior and inferior.
I didn’t expect that.
Even those who live in seclusion can find it difficult to escape.
Chen Yulou sneered, "Brother Yang Fang is too young. His cultivation is nothing more than a wealthy couple. Do you really think that after entering the blessed land of cave heaven, you can seek Taoism and become an immortal?"
Hearing this.
The mountain road suddenly fell into silence.
No one spoke.
Just a few caves, seemingly similar, but there are so many sayings in them.
"Then Shopkeeper Chen...the best cave?"
Chen Yulou stopped outside an ancient pine.
Hearing this, he smiled lightly and pointed at the jade peak not far away that towered into the clouds and looked like a fairyland.
“The first level is naturally the Taoist Alchemy Cave.”
"Then the residence of Taiyi Zhenren, Luzu Chunyang Cave..."
"Further back, there are the palaces in the mountains and the gates of Taoist temples." (End of this chapter)