My low-key cultivation of immortality was discovered by the emperor in my diary.

Chapter 206 Fang Conglin, Releasing Goodwill

Lin Jiuxiao took a sip of fragrant tea to moisten his throat and slowly said, "Actually, this return to the Ten Directions Forest has truly startled this old Daoist."

Upon hearing this, Chu Lengyu jokingly asked, "Could it be that they sent many disciples to 'warmly welcome' Uncle Nine?"

Green Bamboo blinked and looked over, very curious about his experiences.

"Well, not at all." Lin Jiuxiao put down his teacup and said with a sigh, "It's just that I haven't been back for so many years, and I never imagined that the temple would change so much. It's quite moving."

He had spent half his life in wind and snow, yet achieved nothing. He was half-buried in the yellow mud when suddenly a girl who cultivated immortality appeared, pulled him out, and took him to the clouds.

As for those old friends from his early years, whether they were mediocre or outstanding, whether they were once close to him or hostile to him, now they are in completely different circumstances when he looks back.

The vicissitudes of life filled Lin Jiuxiao with deep emotion.

The thought that Chu Lengyu might have a lifespan much longer than that of ordinary people filled him with melancholy, and he felt a sense of powerlessness in the face of the ruthlessness of time and the vicissitudes of life.

Not for myself, but for her.

At this moment, Lüyun curiously leaned over and asked, "I've heard of the name 'Ten Directions Forest' many times, but I've never understood why. Could it be that these ten Taoist temples fight each other like gangs in the secular world?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Jiuxiao suddenly snapped out of his daze, laughed heartily, and said, "Go ahead and fight! Why wouldn't you fight!"

He slapped his knee and said to her with great interest, "Lvyun, do you think being a Taoist means living a life of hardship and indifference? We also need to eat and drink, and we have to fight for territory and followers, not to mention the struggle for Taoist traditions and ideologies, where we'll fight tooth and nail to prove ourselves!"

"Ah." Green Bamboo exclaimed softly, covering her mouth, but her eyes sparkled with excitement.

Seeing this, Chu Lengyu shook her head repeatedly, thinking helplessly that Lüyun was really bored here and should indeed be let out to play.

Seeing her interest, Lin Jiuxiao continued, "Among the ten major Taoist temples, apart from Yuding Pavilion which is devoted to alchemy, Huaquan Peak which explores mountains and rivers, and Fenshe which takes in orphans, the remaining seven branches all have to compete for the lineage and rank themselves."

He paused slightly: "My Xuanzhen Temple and Miaoguan Temple are relatively close, but we have had a long-standing feud with Yuhua Cliff and Kuya Temple. Wuling Cave and Duyuan Valley are also thorns in each other's side, and their open and covert struggles have never stopped."

At this point, Lin Jiuxiao sighed: "Not to mention the Taoist temples, even the Xuanzhen Temple has factional disputes. I left back then because of ideological differences, so I asked to go down the mountain to travel the world. But... this departure has lasted for twenty years. When I returned to the mountain gate, everything had changed and all was over."

He spoke slower and slower, as if lost in some kind of memory.

Lü Yun and Chu Lengyu exchanged a glance and remained silent in tacit agreement, not disturbing him.

After a long while, Lin Jiuxiao finally came to his senses and said with annoyance, "I'm really getting old. I even get distracted when I'm talking to you guys."

His tone carried a hint of self-deprecation and helplessness.

"Nonsense! If you say that, then you're not old yet," Green Bamboo said playfully.

"Haha." Lin Jiuxiao was amused by her again, although he himself didn't know what was so funny about her words.

However, as the saying goes, a smile makes you ten years younger, so it's never a bad thing.

Being able to chat and laugh with young people is a rare way to relax.

"Hey, we've gone off on a tangent." Lin Jiuxiao quickly waved his hand.

He stroked his white beard, his expression becoming more solemn, and turned to Chu Lengyu, saying, "When I returned to the mountain this time, the abbots summoned me for questioning. Yu'er, regarding your matter, I answered with care."

"Mm," Chu Lengyu responded, not at all afraid of people knowing.

Moreover, with the system around, she gains new insights every day. If others were to evaluate her based on old information, they would only be wasting their time.

Lin Jiuxiao didn't want these things to bother her, so he didn't go into details about the process, but simply summarized it lightly: "Don't worry."

Looking at his aged yet kind face, Chu Lengyu's heart softened, and she softly said, "Mm."

This trust almost brought tears to Lin Jiuxiao's eyes.

His throat tightened slightly, so he quickly changed the subject, saying in a lighthearted tone, "Speaking of which, I also benefited from your help."

As he spoke, he took out a document from his sleeve and showed it to the two of them with great satisfaction: "This time I came to the mountain, I've become a hot commodity. Look, I've successfully been promoted from acting abbot to the real abbot."

Upon hearing this, Lüyun quickly stepped forward to take a look and found that it was indeed as he had said.

The document contained details of various appointments and was stamped with the seal of Xuanzhen Temple, making it appear very formal.

She clapped her hands happily and exclaimed, "This is wonderful news!"

Lin Jiuxiao and Chu Lengyu were also infected by her enthusiasm and couldn't help but laugh.

"Congratulations, Uncle Jiu, you've finally achieved your wish." Chu Lengyu was also happy for him.

Lin Jiuxiao closed the book and said with emotion, "I have to thank you for this. If it weren't for you, I probably wouldn't have been able to gain this recognition so easily."

He knew that his ability to become the head of the branch temple was largely due to Chu Lengyu.

If she hadn't displayed astonishing strength, he probably would never have had a chance to be promoted from acting abbot to the official abbot. This is a classic case of one person attaining enlightenment, and even their chickens and dogs ascending to heaven.

“Uncle, there’s no need to be modest. This is what you deserve,” Chu Lengyu replied.

Lin Jiuxiao didn't want to dwell on this topic any longer, and instead said, "Besides that, the Ten Directions Forest wants to invite you to a meeting. However, I don't think they're in a hurry. If you have time sometime, just make time to go."

His tone was casual, and Chu Lengyu understood immediately without the slightest surprise.

In any case, the Ten Directions Forest could not possibly ignore her; they would definitely want to find out about her lineage, her strength, and her stance.

"I reckon they want to register you as a member of the Daoist community, then coordinate their statements so they can promote themselves and embellish their image," Lin Jiuxiao said disdainfully, stroking his beard as if he had already foreseen the Ten Directions Forest's scheme.

"I understand." Chu Lengyu nodded gently, knowing what to do. "I'll go after the Shangsi Festival and when my Nascent Soul Tribulation is over."

Nascent Soul stage cultivators can teleport, and their control over the spiritual energy of heaven and earth will also be elevated to a whole new level. Furthermore, the Nascent Soul stage is considered a second life.

Upon hearing this, Lüyun was quite surprised and asked, "Miss, are you going to undergo another tribulation so soon?"

This was the first time she had ever heard of this news.

"Tribulation?" Lin Jiuxiao immediately recalled the scene of the darkening sky and thunder in the capital city last time, and was shocked.

He hurriedly said, "Although I didn't witness your Golden Core tribulation last time, I heard Lü Yun describe it, and it was extremely terrifying. Why are you facing another tribulation so soon?"

Chu Lengyu said helplessly, "Isn't it a good thing that I cultivate quickly?"

"This... I don't understand how you cultivate, but if you cultivate too fast, won't your foundation become unstable and leave behind future problems?" Lin Jiuxiao asked, appearing very worried.

Upon hearing this question, Chu Lengyu's expression hardened slightly, and she answered frankly, "Indeed, there will be some instability."

This issue becomes more apparent at a higher level of understanding.

The cultivation level the system granted her was all given out of thin air, lacking her own insights, so she was ultimately still a step behind.

Others might need decades to cultivate to reach her current level, but she only took a few months, which is incredibly fast.

But with the reward right in front of her, she couldn't resist taking it.

The only solution is to work hard afterward.

Just as she expected, even if there was a shortcut right in front of her, she couldn't rely on it entirely.

Therefore, Chu Lengyu rarely gets distracted. In the pine forest cottage, she not only cultivates her Taoist practices but also her mental state.

Lin Jiuxiao looked at her calm demeanor and slowly loosened his grip on her hand, which had been clenched tightly due to anxiety and worry.

She has done very well. Despite suddenly gaining such great power, she has not lost her true self and has instead been extremely restrained.

Lin Jiuxiao asked himself, even he couldn't be as relaxed and indifferent as her, so why bother pointing fingers?

“You’re a person with your own opinions,” he concluded.