After Gao Xuan finished his private matters, he finally took some rice from the rice jar and steamed it.

By the time the rice was cooked, the Ancient Daoist yawned and came out of his room.

This Daoist temple was very simple, with one large hall and two small rooms on the side.

The kitchen was in the west wing, and the east wing was a storage room filled with miscellaneous items.

Gao Xuan brought the prepared rice and took a piece of pickled vegetable from the pickling jar in the kitchen, slicing it in half. He and the Ancient Daoist each took a piece.

The Ancient Daoist was apparently very pleased with this breakfast, savoring even the pickled vegetable with great enjoyment.

The rice was consumed without a grain left.

The old rice had lost its flavor by now. Fortunately, it was still fine grain, at least palatable.

After the meal, the Ancient Daoist continued to sit on the mat in the main hall with closed eyes, meditating, while Gao Xuan was responsible for cleaning, bustling about all morning.

By evening, Gao Xuan steamed some more rice. The Ancient Daoist didn't eat dinner, so Gao Xuan ate a big bowl himself.

His body was young, with strong digestion. After a day's work, only after eating a bowl of rice did he feel a bit full.

When night fell, Gao Xuan returned to his room to practice the Three Yang Technique.

The term "Three Yang" actually refers to the heavens. This inner power was purely yang and righteous, and cultivating it was very straightforward.

Gao Xuan's body had been cultivating for nearly ten years and had achieved a minor success in the Three Yang Technique.

During cultivation, one visualizes the Pure Yang Celestial Venerable; a wave of heat circulates through the meridians, warming the whole body inside and out, which is quite comforting.

As for how powerful this inner skill was, Gao Xuan had tested it; it was quite average. It wasn't much stronger than that of an ordinary person.

The true strength of the Three Yang Technique lies in the spirit. Only by cultivating the Three Yang Technique can one use magic.

The Ancient Daoist, for example, could form incantations and cast spells, subduing demons and suppressing ghosts. But it was only effective against some wild ghosts and little demons, nothing significant.

Ordinary people just needed strong vitality and a firm will; wild ghosts and little demons wouldn't dare provoke them.

Gao Xuan practiced a session of the Three Yang Technique, though the efficiency of this inner power operation was very low and there were no shortcuts. At his current rate of cultivation, he would need at least ten more years to reach the Ancient Daoist's level.

Due to the world's different laws, Gao Xuan's powerful spiritual power was also restricted, so he could only cultivate step by step.

Honestly, Gao Xuan found this world backward and dull, and even if he mastered the Three Yang Technique, it would be unremarkable.

But the place was remote, the Daoist temple poor, and at night they couldn't even afford to light an oil lamp.

In the pitch-black darkness, there was nothing to do.

Gao Xuan hoped for a ghostly demon fox to come by for a chat at least. But in such a poor place, even a ghostly demon fox wouldn't want to come.

In the gloom, Gao Xuan slowly closed his eyes and fell asleep.

In this befuddled state, it was unclear how long had passed before Gao Xuan suddenly heard a melodious tune and a deep voice saying, "Today is for my daughter's birthday celebration, inviting distinguished guests from all directions..."

Gao Xuan opened his eyes and saw a small white cloud boat stopped right in front of him.

He had a vague sense that something was off, as if this was a dream state, all seemed empty and unreal.

Out of curiosity, Gao Xuan boarded that white cloud boat.

A gentle breeze blew by, lifting the white cloud boat into the wind, quickly rising up to the starlit sky.

Standing on the cloud boat, Gao Xuan could see the vast plains, with cities and villages scattered all around. A long river crossed the plains, converging in the center into a massive lake.

Under the starlight, the giant lake resembled a black jade mirror, deep and clear, broad and endless.

The white cloud boat suddenly dove down, plunging directly into the lake. Before Gao Xuan could react, he found himself inside a grand hall.

Gold pillars and jade steps adorned the hall, with thousands of pearls and gems inlaid in the ceiling, illuminating the hall brightly.

Inside the hall, over a thousand tables were set, laden with fruits, dishes, and drinks of all kinds.

At this moment, most of the tables were already occupied. These guests, for the most part, were of bizarre shapes, with some having tiger heads and human bodies, others with human heads and snake bodies, some as large as elephants, others as small as mice...

Just by their appearance, it was clear they were a group of mountain demons, not fully transformed.

It was Gao Xuan's first time seeing so many demons, which he found quite interesting.

Although these demons didn't look like people, they sat there respectfully, appearing orderly and courteous.

Among them were also some Daoists and monks, and scholars holding fans.

Compared to the demons, these people seemed relatively relaxed, occasionally chatting and enjoying their food and drinks.

Gao Xuan didn't see the Ancient Daoist, so the old man probably didn't come. He glanced around and sat beside a girl in a white dress.

The girl in white had big eyes and a pointed chin with snow-white skin, and behind her skirt, a bushy white tail swung back and forth.

Seeing Gao Xuan sit next to her, the girl in white curiously looked at Gao Xuan: "Junior Daoist, do we know each other?"

"My name is Gao Xuan."

Gao Xuan smiled and cupped his hands: "Now we do."

Wearing a blue-black Daoist robe, Gao Xuan looked rather shabby and poor. However, his spirit was bright and his eyes shone like morning stars. From appearance to temperament, he stood out among the crowd.

The girl in white didn't understand much of this; she just thought Gao Xuan looked pleasant. She thought for a moment and said, "My name is Hu You."

"Hu You? That's a nice name."

Gao Xuan curiously glanced at the white furry tail of the girl in white, "Your tail is very pretty."

The girl in white proudly wiggled her tail, "Would you like to touch it?"

Gao Xuan laughed and declined. What a joke; this little fox might use her tail as toilet paper, so he wouldn't touch it!

"What's this place, and what's happening?" Gao Xuan discreetly shifted the topic.

"It's the Dragon Monarch of Li Yang Lake's daughter's birthday." Hu You squinted her big eyes, "You came here without knowing anything, truly brave..."

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