As the wind and snow swept by, the entrance to the secluded valley vanished into the western mountains. This was an illusion array he had casually set up, possessing little real power, but its use at this moment was perfectly timed.
Woof, woof, woof...
A barking sound came from the valley entrance, and more than a dozen running hunting dogs started barking fiercely. As they barked, the dogs arched their backs, their fur standing on end like porcupines.
These are mastiffs, each the size of a small calf, with sharp teeth and a fierce appearance, resembling lions.
The hunting dogs barked as they ran, and the four men and women who had gone into the mountains to hunt were all alerted and hurriedly urged their horses to follow.
As they ran, the four men and women suddenly realized that they had been running in circles.
Inside the secluded cave, the little foxes, who had been in chaos because of the arrival of the hunters and mastiffs, started laughing carefree as they looked at the scene in the water mirror. Some of them even rolled around on the ground, and even Tu Lao's scolding had no effect.
"We owe a great debt to Mr. Lin this time," Old Master Tu said gratefully.
Lin Yi waved his hand and said, "It's a small matter, Elder Tu, you don't need to worry about it."
Outside the valley, the two men and two women who were hunting noticed something was wrong, but they were reluctant to let them leave.
Legend has it that mastiffs are born with supernatural abilities, able to see unseen ghosts and break illusions. Why didn't it work this time?
Just then, a song suddenly drifted from afar, accompanied by a faint aroma of wine amidst the wind and snow.
"Good wine...good wine comes from our hands..."
After drinking our wine, your breathing will be smooth and you won't cough...
Drink our wine, it'll nourish your yin and strengthen your yang, and your breath won't smell bad...
After drinking our wine, one person dares to venture into Qingsha Pass...
"Drink our wine, and you won't have to kowtow to the emperor..."
As soon as the song started, the aroma of wine filled the air.
Lin Yi dispelled the formation and said, "Alright, it's over."
A moment later, a young man dressed in moon-white clothes walked in. He had long hair, which was tied up and hung down at his temples.
He held a purple gourd over two feet long in his hand and carried a long sword on his back. He exuded an air of otherworldly elegance and ethereal grace.
The group went out to greet them. The young man in white laughed and said, "Elder Tu, it's been a long time. And Fellow Daoist Lin, and Young Master Hong, I've heard Consort Yuan mention you before."
Lin Yi smiled slightly and said, "Fellow Daoist Bai, please."
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Chapter 172 True Techniques of Qi Refining
This young man in white, who was drinking and singing loudly, was none other than Bai Ziyue, the White Ape King, one of the eight great demon immortals in the world.
Like the Fragrant Fox Queen Yuanfei, Bai Ziyue also reincarnated as a human after cultivating into a ghost immortal, seeking to prove the Great Dao.
After entering the cave, the group sat down around a stone table. Bai Ziyue had the little foxes bring three bowls, then shook the gourd in his hand and said, "This is my decades-old monkey wine. It can invigorate blood circulation and prolong life. Please have a taste today."
As he spoke, he filled all three bowls.
Lin Yi, Tu Lao, and Hong Yi picked up their wine bowls and drank them all in one gulp.
Lin Yi and Tu Lao showed no abnormalities, but Hong Yi, who had no cultivation, felt a warm sensation rising from his stomach as soon as Bai Ziyue's wine entered his stomach, as if the fragrance emanated from every one of his 48,000 pores.
As the effects of the wine took hold, Hong Yi felt a surge of heat throughout his body and said, "Since I've drunk Mr. Bai's wine, I certainly won't drink it for nothing. I'll present you with a poem."
As he spoke, he stood up, took a few steps, and loudly recited: "A long sword traverses the nine fields, a tall crown brushes the dark sky, I walk alone in this enlightened world, and am hailed as a hero by all corners of the world."
"Good, good, good... Heroes are praised throughout the land, but who among us is truly a hero?"
Upon hearing Hong Yi's four lines of poetry, Bai Ziyue was deeply moved. He savored them, feeling an endless surge of heroic spirit. He stood up, laughed three times, and said, "Let's drink! Let's drink! Just for this poem of yours, it resonates deeply with me. It's like meeting a kindred spirit from afar."
As he spoke, Bai Ziyue handed the wine gourd directly to Hong Yi.
Glug glug, Hong Yi gulped down three mouthfuls in a row, still not satisfied.
Although it was their first meeting, the two hit it off immediately, made friends over drinks, and quickly became bosom buddies.
………………
After the first snowfall, the secluded valley nestled in the mountains was exceptionally bright, bathed in sunlight reflecting off the snow, with almost no dark corners.
Hong Yi stood on the snow, and under Bai Ziyue's guidance, he practiced his punches and kicks, moving his limbs.
Wherever there was a mistake, Bai Ziyue would immediately correct it, meticulously.
Lin Yi stood aside and watched quietly as Bai Ziyue taught Hong Yi the fist technique called Bull Demon Mighty Fist, which originated from the Great Zen Temple.
This boxing style has three forms: "Bull Demon's Horn," "Bull Demon's Hoof," and "Bull Demon's Skin Manipulation." Each form has a hundred variations, making it complex and ever-changing. They correspond to the three basic levels of training the flesh, tendons, and skin in the Human Immortal Martial Arts.
After mastering the technique, one possesses the strength of an ox, can draw a 120-pound ox tendon bow and fire a barrage of arrows, can withstand a punch weighing 100 pounds, and is agile enough to defeat more than ten people.
Although the Bull Demon Mighty Fist is only a basic fist technique, it is the essence of the Great Zen Temple's thousand-year-old martial arts. There are hundreds of foundational martial arts in the world, but none can compare to this Bull Demon Mighty Fist.
Lin Yi had also tried practicing this boxing technique, but it had no effect. His entire body's qi and blood were constantly being tempered by the Limitless Immortal Qi; practicing qi was practicing body.
After giving Hong Yi some pointers, Bai Ziyue walked over and asked, "What does Fellow Daoist Lin think of Hong Yi?"
Lin Yi glanced at Hong Yi, who was intently practicing his boxing, and said, "A celestial being."
Bai Ziyue laughed and said, "I didn't expect Fellow Daoist Lin to have such a high opinion of Hong Yi."
Lin Yi smiled but remained silent.