As the festive atmosphere of the Spring Festival gradually faded, Li Baolong was finally able to settle down and study. Whenever he felt a little bored while studying, he would take out a celestial book from the mysterious space in his left arm. The first page of this celestial book was full of Taoist scriptures and seal script. In Li Baolong's eyes, these symbols seemed to come from another world, and he understood nothing about them, as if he were facing a real "celestial book".
However, two pages of yellow paper tucked inside the book caught his attention. The paper contained handwritten characters with a brush, which Li Baolong carefully deciphered, recognizing roughly 70-80%. It described a Taoist priest named Yun Jizi who had devoted himself to cultivation in the back mountains of Qingcheng Mountain for eighty years, saving countless lives and accumulating immeasurable merit. Yun Jizi's disciple, Yi Tianyi, had inherited his master's legacy and had also cultivated for fifty years, with eighteen disciples named Yun Yi to Yun Shiba.
In his forties, the gears of fate quietly turned, and by chance, he obtained this celestial book. Its appearance was like a ray of light illuminating his path of cultivation. Relying on his years of accumulated experience in cultivation, Yi Tianyi began to study the book. It was a long and arduous period; for over ten years, day and night, he immersed himself in it, keeping the book as his constant companion. Through countless meditations and practices, he gradually grasped the basic techniques within.
Among these, his mastery of telepathy reached perfection through his tireless efforts. He could sense the subtle changes in everything around him—the growth of flowers and plants, the gentle caress of the breeze, even the flow of spiritual energy in the mountains—all unfolding in his mind like a clear painting. He had also begun to grasp the basics of mind control. Although only at a beginner level, he could already influence the thoughts of some weaker beings to a certain extent, guiding their actions, and gradually gain the ability to control the minds and thoughts of others for a quarter of an hour.
Yi Tianyi meticulously recorded every detail of his learning process of the Heavenly Book, including the deep contemplation during moments of confusion, the ecstatic joy upon enlightenment, and the hardships and obstacles encountered during cultivation. He wrote these down as reflections, hoping to provide guidance for those destined to explore the mysteries of the Heavenly Book. However, fate seems to always leave regrets; this Heavenly Book was incomplete, only half complete. The missing second half shrouded the subsequent techniques in a thick fog. Despite his best efforts, Yi Tianyi remained completely ignorant of its contents and could only continue his cultivation journey with regret.
Holding the two pages of yellow paper, Li Baolong's heart was in turmoil. He seemed to see Yun Jizi and his disciple Yi Tianyi in the back mountains of Qingcheng Mountain, their scenes of gathering herbs, refining elixirs, chanting scriptures, and cultivating constantly flashing through his mind. He knew that this heavenly book carried the hard work and expectations of his predecessors, and that he might be the chosen one by fate. He secretly resolved to follow the path Yi Tianyi had taken, to try to unveil the mystery of this heavenly book, and to explore the unknown world of Daoist magic, never giving up even if the road ahead was full of thorns.
Li Baolong often sat alone by the window late at night, studying the contents of the yellow paper repeatedly by the dim light, meticulously copying the celestial script, trying to find more clues. He also began to practice the beginner's techniques recorded by Yi Tianyi, strictly adhering to every movement and breath. When practicing the art of mental perception, he closed his eyes, striving to calm his mind as still as water, attempting to capture the subtle atmosphere around him. A month passed, and he still gained nothing. As the college entrance examination approached and the workload increased, Li Baolong gradually gave up.
After a period of intensive study, Li Baolong finally faced the long-awaited mock exam. Now 18 years old, he stood tall and straight, approaching 180 centimeters, his demeanor increasingly mature and composed, exuding masculine charm. During his time at school, he received several letters from female classmates expressing their admiration for him.
After the mock exam, the teacher announced a three-day break. Li Baolong paged Zhou Jie, and she secretly ran away to meet him. Each time they met, they were reluctant to part. However, Li Baolong knew that Zhou Jie had her own difficulties and sorrows, and he was currently unable to help her. This left him lost in thought, torn between sweet and bitter emotions.
That day, Li Baolong was at home, engrossed in the music of the Little Tigers' cassette tapes, as if he were immersed in a vast ocean of music. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. He quickly got up and opened it, and Zhang Fang was there to greet him.
"Long time no see, Zhang Fang. I've been busy studying for exams lately and haven't had a chance to visit you," Li Baolong said somewhat awkwardly. In fact, ever since he became intimate with Zhou Jie, he subconsciously wanted to avoid other women, including Zhang Fang.
"It's been so long since you came to see me. Have you forgotten about me? So I came to see what you've been up to," Zhang Fang said with a smile.
"Come in and sit down, Sister Zhang Fang, have some water," Li Baolong invited.
The two then chatted about everyday things. After a while, Zhang Fang spoke up: "Li Baolong, I'm no longer working at the dance hall. I'm going to work in Chengdu. I came today to say goodbye. I'm going with a good friend. Her boyfriend owns a beauty salon there, and it's doing very well. I want to earn more money. After all, I'm in my twenties now, and I want to earn money to support my parents and also find a good man to marry."
After hearing this, Li Baolong lowered his head and remained silent. He understood that it was only natural for Zhang Fang to want to earn more money, but he was still a student, living off the pension left by his parents, and every penny he spent was less, so he had no ability to give Zhang Fang anything.
As night fell, Li Baolong said to Zhang Fang, "Sister Zhang Fang, let me treat you to dinner tonight. You're leaving Jianzhou soon, so this is like your brother seeing you off." Zhang Fang was deeply moved. She knew Li Baolong's situation well; he lived alone without parental love, and this gesture was especially precious to her.
Li Baolong and Zhang Fang shared a cozy hot pot fish dinner. During the meal, Zhang Fang gently comforted Li Baolong, encouraging him to study hard and strive to attend university in Chengdu in the future, so that she would have more opportunities to see him. After saying goodbye to Zhang Fang, Li Baolong returned home, but lay in bed unable to fall asleep.
With nothing to do, he pressed his right hand against the mysterious pattern on his left arm, and in an instant, produced several pages of paper he had been translating for days. These were the insights left by the old Daoist. Following the instructions, he sat cross-legged, adjusted his breathing, and attempted to meditate. However, he had already spent two months on this without any progress. He was filled with doubt, wondering where he had gone wrong.
He used to scoff at fantasy and supernatural things, but ever since the silver hairpin disappeared, a small, portable space had appeared within his body. From that moment on, he believed he had received an immense stroke of luck and good fortune; if he could unravel its secrets, he would surely rise above others. During this time, Li Baolong's life was intense yet structured. Aside from two secret dates with Zhou Jie, his remaining time was consumed by studying and exams. Occasionally, he would take out his meticulously copied notes, which resembled cryptic script, but he was completely clueless, only able to stare blankly at those few pages. He planned to personally visit the Qingcheng Mountain Taoist temple in a few years; perhaps he could find the answers there. Thinking of these things, Li Baolong drifted off to sleep.
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